Nigeria Times

By Han Xin, People’s Daily

“Look! Chinese white dolphins!”

A sudden exclamation rang out at a construction site of the west artificial island of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan link, a core transportation hub project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Workers at the construction site were thrilled to see a group of Chinese white dolphins in the Lingdingyang waters of the Pearl River Estuary. The dolphins dived in and out the water, creating a captivating spectacle alongside the Shenzhen-Zhongshan link.

Connecting the eastern and western banks of the Pearl River, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan link is a cross-sea cluster project that includes bridges, artificial islands, tunnels, and submerged connection. The waters it traverses are part of the Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin National Nature Reserve, which covers an area of about 460 square kilometers and is home to a significant population of Chinese white dolphins.

The massive engineering project presents significant challenges for the conservation of Chinese white dolphins.

The design of the project incorporated ecological protection from its inception, integrating it into construction, shipping, and environmental monitoring, according to Xu Guoping, chief tunnel designer of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan link from China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Highway Consultants Co., Ltd.

Through innovations in technologies, procedures and management, the project aims to better protect Chinese white dolphins, which are under first-class protection in China, said Xu.

Viewed from the air, the west artificial island of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan link resembles a giant bird in flight.

“Building an island of about 137,000 square meters, equivalent to 19 standard football fields, on the vast sea would disrupt the Chinese white dolphins’ habitat if using traditional construction methods,” said Liu Haobin, deputy general manager of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan link project department from CCCC First Harbor Engineering Co. Ltd.

The construction team independently developed a device consisting of 12 synchronized hydraulic vibratory hammers, which helped drive 57 massive steel cylinders into the seabed in just four and a half months, setting a new record for rapid island construction. This achievement also helped minimize the impact on the marine environment and the white dolphins, Liu noted.

For the workers of the project, the protection of Chinese white dolphins has become a “sprint” and a “relay race” during the seven-year construction period.

The key project of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan link, a 5,035-meter-long underwater immersed tube tunnel, involved connecting 32 sections of immersed tubes and a final point. Transporting the immersed tubes from the factory to the installation area required navigating a 50-kilometer-long sea route with 7 channel changes.

To transport the immersed tubes more quickly to their designated positions, the construction team proposed a creative solution – building a ship for both transportation and installation.

“Compared to traditional towing methods, the ship can reduce dredging by over 10 million cubic meters and emissions by about 1 million cubic meters, effectively preserving the marine environment where the dolphins reside,” said Ning Jinjin, deputy general engineer of the project from CCCC First Harbor Engineering Co. Ltd.

The undersea tunnel of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan link, spanning approximately 6.8 kilometers, is the world’s longest and widest steel-shelled concrete immersed tunnel. Precise placement of each section of the tunnel was crucial.

To better protect the dolphins, the construction team developed a parented anti-pollution system for cement mixing vessels. This system creates two pollution barriers, thus preventing the sewage generated from piling from entering the sea and polluting the dolphins’ habitat.

The installation of the 32 sections of immersed tubes took a full three years. Apart from technological advancements, the construction team also developed a Chinese white dolphin protection management manual.

This manual assigns direct responsibility for dolphin protection to the captain of each construction vessel and appoints dedicated dolphin observers to monitor their activities day and night.

“Attention, all vessels! Crew members must not throw any garbage into the sea. Let’s stay vigilant until the very end!” Liao Wenlong, a project manager from CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., reminded workers over the radio at the construction site of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan bridge, where temporary facilities were being dismantled. The sea bridge is a key part of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan link, with the world’s highest navigation clearance.

To minimize the impact on the marine environment, the construction team implements green practices for handling domestic and production waste.

“All vehicles must wear protective clothing to minimize dust generation during sand and gravel transport. Tank trucks are cleaned and the liquid on them is absorbed by absorbent pads when entering and leaving mixing stations,” Liao recalled. He added that dust collectors have been installed atop storage tanks for powdered materials.

Strengthened management and regular waste transfer were key. “We strictly implemented waste sorting and scheduled regular transfers for processing,” Liao explained. After five years, the bridge has completed all construction phases including pile foundations, bridge towers, and steel box girders. “We are leaving behind only a bridge, not our waste,” said Liao.

By Yu Sinan, Liu Shiyao, People’s Daily

On June 25, the return capsule of China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe landed precisely in the designated area in Siziwang banner, north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, operating normally. It marked a complete success of the mission.

After its launch, the Chang’e-6 mission went through 11 flight stages in 53 days. It made key-technology breakthroughs in such areas as lunar retrograde orbit design and flight control, intelligent and rapid sampling, and takeoff and ascent from the far side of the moon. It also brought back samples collected from the moon’s far side for the first time in human history, marking another milestone in China’s space exploration endeavors.

What guaranteed the safe return of the Chang’e-6 probe was a series of technologies.

A researcher with the China Academy of Space Technology said that the return capsule of the Chang’e-6 travels at a very high speed from the moon to Earth. During the return process, it is necessary to moderate the deceleration of the capsule and ensure it exits the atmosphere at a specific location.

To this end, researchers conducted a large number of flight simulations and modeled millions of flight paths to refine the guidance, navigation, and control system. This ensured a smooth process and high precision in the return.

In addition to deceleration, the return capsule of the Chang’e-6 also had to tackle the challenge brought by high temperatures.

According to the researcher, despite its small size, the return capsule is exposed to high temperatures due to its fast entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

To ensure that the return capsule is resistant to both heat and erosion, the development team tailored a “super protective suit” for the capsule, drawing on the experience of the Chang’e-5 mission.

As planned, after the necessary ground processing work was completed, the recovered Chang’e-6 returner was airlifted to Beijing for to extract sample containers and payload. The samples were handed over to the Chinese research teams at a ceremony held by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The researchers will carry out the storage and processing of the lunar samples as planned and initiate scientific research work.

Following its contribution to the Chang’e-6 mission, the Queqiao-2 relay satellite will choose appropriate times to carry out scientific detection work. Its payloads, including an extreme ultraviolet camera, an array neutral atom imager and an Earth-moon very long baseline interferometry experiment system, will collect scientific data from the moon and deep space.

The Chang’e-6 mission carried four international payloads, including the lunar surface negative ion composition analyzer of the European Space Agency, France’s lunar radon detector, Italy’s laser retro-reflector, and a cube satellite from Pakistan. China has received high recognition from the international community for its practical and effective international cooperation.

Zhang Kejian, head of the CNSA, said that exploring the vast universe is a common dream for all of humanity, and only open cooperation is the right path. China’s space endeavors will adhere to the principles of equality and mutual benefit, peaceful utilization, and inclusive development.

“We will continue to embrace openness and expand international cooperation channels. We will organize and carry out future major projects and missions, striving to expand human understanding and improve the well-being of humanity,” he added.

By Peng Xunwen

Durians from Thailand and Vietnam, cherries from Chile, kiwifruits from New Zealand, avocados from Kenya… Today, more and more seasonal fruits from around the world are being sold in China’s wholesale markets and supermarkets, enriching the choices of Chinese consumers.

According to statistics, 19 countries and regions had signed agreements on the inspection and quarantine procedures and requirements of exporting fresh fruits to China as of the end of 2023, which covered 20 types of fresh fruits.

Driven by favorable policies, China’s fruit imports last year amounted to $16.85 billion, a 15 percent increase from a year ago. The country sourced more than 7.5 million tons of fruits from around the world, up 3 percent year on year.

Recently, a freight train of the Lancang-Mekong Express, consisting of 37 twenty-foot equivalent units fully loaded with fresh fruits, arrived at a border inspection area in Mohan, Mengla, southwest China’s Yunnan province, after passing through the Friendship Tunnel of China-Laos Railway. It took only 16 minutes for the border inspection officers to complete the entry inspection for this train.

Currently, Southeast Asian countries are in fruiting season, and fresh fruits are entering China through the China-Laos Railway via Mohan almost every day. Statistics show that since the beginning of this year, 2.48 million tons of cross-border cargos have been transported along the China-Laos Railway, increasing 21.7 percent year on year. In particular, 82,281 tons were imported fruits.

The increase in the volume of imported fruits means a need for faster customs clearance. An official with the Mengla customs said that the customs department has been working to establish a “declaration in-advance” mechanism for railway imports. It has also implemented reforms to expedite railway customs clearance and deployed intelligent supervision and inspection equipment, to strike a balance between strict inspection and efficient customs services.

Faster customs clearance has brought enormous convenience to fresh fruit importers.

“In the past, when our company imported Southeast Asian fruits like durian, mangosteen, and longan via the Mohan highway port, our biggest concern was always the lengthy customs clearance process as the fruits may lose their freshness,” said Wang Xiaowu, head of a foreign trade company in Mohan.

“Now, with the Lancang-Mekong Express international freight train, it takes only 26 hours from Vientiane, Laos to Kunming, Yunnan province. The customs clearance time has been reduced by 80 percent, cutting costs by nearly 30 percent,” Wang added.

The business of fresh fruit imports exactly mirrors the big strides made by China in opening up.

On Jan. 1, 2022, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) officially came into effect. Under relevant favorable policies, agricultural trade between China and other RCEP member countries has continued to heat up. Some imported fruits are arriving in China via chartered ships and planes.

According to statistics, New Zealand-based kiwifruit marketer Zespri International Limited is expected to export 1.4 billion kiwifruits to China this year. Besides, Pakistani cherries, upon arriving in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, are hitting Chinese cities like Shanghai through direct flights.

Thanks to major platforms like the China International Import Expo and the China International Consumer Products Expo, Belgian pears, Peruvian blueberries, and Ecuadorian yellow dragon fruits have entered the Chinese market for the first time.

In Chanthaburi Province, Thailand, the owner of a durian orchard has started selling the fruits via livestream on Tmall, an online shopping platform under Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.

The province is one of the major durian producers in east Thailand, and the orchard is a smart fruit garden jointly developed by a Sustainable Agriculture Trade Association of Thailand and the Foreign Economic Cooperation Center under China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The Internet of Things devices in the orchard constantly monitor important data such as weather conditions, water levels, and soil moisture, providing support for science-based durian cultivation.

The Chinese partners of the orchard have also helped Thai fruit farmers engage in livestream commerce. According to statistics, during this year’s “618” mid-year online shopping festival, which fell on June 18, durian sales on Tmall Supermarket increased fourfold compared to the previous year, with peak sales reaching over 50,000 durians in a single day.

Today, more and more Chinese and foreign partners are establishing cooperative relationships to ensure fruit quality from the source.

In Southeast Asia, some companies are employing digital technologies and dispatching procurement teams and buyers to monitor fruit quality at every stage, from orchard cultivation to production, packaging, and transportation.

In Africa, “green channels” for agricultural exports to China are being set up, with African fruits like Egyptian oranges and kiwanos successively entering the Chinese market.

As Chinese agricultural technologies and high-quality fruit varieties make their way to South Africa, local fruits such as Chilean cherries and Peruvian blueberries are also hitting the Chinese market.

Experts believe that Chinese consumers’ willingness to pay for high-quality and featured imported fruits presents a huge opportunity for fruit-producing countries worldwide.

As China continues to expand its opening up and introduce favorable policies such as tariff reduction and faster inspection and quarantine processes, more fruits from around the world will find their way into Chinese consumers’ “fruit baskets.”

By He Yin, People’s Daily

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Although born in Asia, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence transcend differences in social system and ideology. They have become an important norm governing contemporary international relations and fundamental principles of international law, contributing the wisdom of the East to properly handling state-to-state relations.

Under the current international situation, inheriting and promoting the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is conducive to fostering international consensus and jointly addressing global challenges, thus promoting world peace and development.

The spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence remains as relevant as ever.

Seven decades ago, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai put forth in full the five principles for the first time — mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.

Since then, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have been incorporated into a series of important international documents, widely accepted and recognized by countries across the world.

The enunciation of these principles was a major initiative in the history of international relations and a significant contribution to the building of a new type of just and equitable international relations.

The five principles capture the essence of today’s international relations and manifest humanity’s common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom. They can apply to relations among all countries regardless of their social system, stage of development or size.

Having withstood the test of the evolving international landscape in the past 70 years, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are showing strong vitality.

The significance of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence remains as important as ever.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have strong vitality because they give concrete expression to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and conform to the fundamental interests of people around the world.

The core of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is that there is sovereign equality among all countries and that no country should monopolize international affairs. These principles offer a powerful intellectual tool for developing countries to uphold their sovereignty and independence, and they have thus become a rallying call for enhancing solidarity, cooperation and strength among them.

The world today is undergoing both transformation and upheaval; changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace; and human society faces unprecedented challenges. In this context, inheriting and promoting the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is particularly important.

Only by truly adhering to the principle of sovereign equality of states can the foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation between countries be established, and peace and development of the world ensured.

The role of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence has continued to grow.

The five principles are conducive to both peace and development. Rejecting the law of the jungle by which the strong bullies the weak, they provide a new approach for peacefully resolving historical issues and international disputes, and create a sound environment for mutually beneficial international cooperation and common development. They help build a fairer and more equitable international order.

In the world today, injustice and inequality are still pronounced problems in international relations. Unilateralism, protectionism and bullyism are resurging. Regional conflicts and local wars continue to erupt.

The international community should further inherit and promote the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, uphold sovereign equality, respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, enhance mutual trust through dialogue, and build peace through cooperation. By doing this, the international community will continuously embrace common progress and win-win outcomes.

China champions and firmly observes the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Over the past seventy-plus years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, China has always followed a path of peaceful development. It has never initiated a war or occupied an inch of a foreign land. It is the only country that has incorporated peaceful development in its Constitution, and the only country among the five nuclear-weapon states to pledge no first use of nuclear weapons.

China is working to build a world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness, as well as cleanness and beauty, and a community with a shared future for mankind. Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, providing Chinese solutions to development issues facing the mankind.

Adhering to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in pursuing friendship and cooperation with other countries, China is committed to promoting a new type of international relations, and will contribute its strength in safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.

Under the new circumstances, China will keep working with all parties to inherit and carry forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, call for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, build a community with a shared future for mankind and write new chapters of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence transcend differences in social system, ideology

By He Yin, People’s Daily

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Although born in Asia, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence transcend differences in social system and ideology. They have become an important norm governing contemporary international relations and fundamental principles of international law, contributing the wisdom of the East to properly handling state-to-state relations.

Under the current international situation, inheriting and promoting the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is conducive to fostering international consensus and jointly addressing global challenges, thus promoting world peace and development.

The spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence remains as relevant as ever.

Seven decades ago, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai put forth in full the five principles for the first time — mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.

Since then, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have been incorporated into a series of important international documents, widely accepted and recognized by countries across the world.

The enunciation of these principles was a major initiative in the history of international relations and a significant contribution to the building of a new type of just and equitable international relations.

The five principles capture the essence of today’s international relations and manifest humanity’s common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom. They can apply to relations among all countries regardless of their social system, stage of development or size.

Having withstood the test of the evolving international landscape in the past 70 years, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are showing strong vitality.

The significance of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence remains as important as ever.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have strong vitality because they give concrete expression to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and conform to the fundamental interests of people around the world.

The core of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is that there is sovereign equality among all countries and that no country should monopolize international affairs. These principles offer a powerful intellectual tool for developing countries to uphold their sovereignty and independence, and they have thus become a rallying call for enhancing solidarity, cooperation and strength among them.

The world today is undergoing both transformation and upheaval; changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace; and human society faces unprecedented challenges. In this context, inheriting and promoting the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is particularly important.

Only by truly adhering to the principle of sovereign equality of states can the foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation between countries be established, and peace and development of the world ensured.

The role of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence has continued to grow.

The five principles are conducive to both peace and development. Rejecting the law of the jungle by which the strong bullies the weak, they provide a new approach for peacefully resolving historical issues and international disputes, and create a sound environment for mutually beneficial international cooperation and common development. They help build a fairer and more equitable international order.

In the world today, injustice and inequality are still pronounced problems in international relations. Unilateralism, protectionism and bullyism are resurging. Regional conflicts and local wars continue to erupt.

The international community should further inherit and promote the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, uphold sovereign equality, respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, enhance mutual trust through dialogue, and build peace through cooperation. By doing this, the international community will continuously embrace common progress and win-win outcomes.

China champions and firmly observes the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Over the past seventy-plus years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, China has always followed a path of peaceful development. It has never initiated a war or occupied an inch of a foreign land. It is the only country that has incorporated peaceful development in its Constitution, and the only country among the five nuclear-weapon states to pledge no first use of nuclear weapons.

China is working to build a world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness, as well as cleanness and beauty, and a community with a shared future for mankind. Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, providing Chinese solutions to development issues facing the mankind.

Adhering to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in pursuing friendship and cooperation with other countries, China is committed to promoting a new type of international relations, and will contribute its strength in safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.

Under the new circumstances, China will keep working with all parties to inherit and carry forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, call for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, build a community with a shared future for mankind and write new chapters of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

By Gong Wenjing, People’s Daily

Artificial intelligence (AI) creation differs greatly from traditional models of creation. It involves “feeding” massive amounts of data for AI training and “referencing” existing works. These “feedings” and “references” raise concerns about potential copyright infringement, sparking extensive discussions in relevant industries.

In April this year, the Beijing Internet Court ruled on China’s first AI voice rights case. The plaintiff was a voice-over artist surnamed Yin who found out in May 2023 that her voice was being used in numerous audiobooks online without her consent.

After the investigation, it was found that one cultural media company, with whom Yin had previous business dealings, handed over the audio recordings of Yin’s audiobooks to another software company which then processed her voice using AI technology and sold it to the operator of the app “Magic Sound Workshop.”

The court decided that the defendants – the cultural media company and the software company – are jointly responsible for compensating Yin for economic losses of 250,000 yuan ($34,433). The app operator and the software company are also required to issue an apology to the plaintiff within seven days of the judgment taking effect.

Copyright infringement risks are present in every stage of AI creation. During the development phase, there are issues around authorizing training data copyrights. In the utilization phase, there are questions about determining the nature of generated content and attributing copyrights.

Furthermore, because AI-generated content follows the creative patterns of its training works, there may be infringement concerns arising from style imitation, such as paintings in the style of Van Gogh or AI-generated songs imitating famous singers, which has sparked discussions about the legitimacy of style imitation.

In November 2023, the Beijing Internet Court concluded a widely followed copyright infringement case involving AI text-to-image generation between plaintiff surnamed Li and defendant surnamed Liu. The court made a groundbreaking ruling that AI-generated images with a natural person’s independent intellectual input should be recognized as copyright-protected works.

“The AI generative cases that the court has been handling typically involve copyrights, personality rights, data rights, and other new types of legal issues, many of which are the first of their kind in China,” said Yan Jun, a senior judge of the Beijing Internet Court.

The question of whether AI-generated content is eligible for copyright protection is a contentious topic that needs to be addressed promptly given the rising intellectual property (IP) challenges, said Yan.

Is copyright protection valid for all AI-generated content?

“The personalized features in AI-generated content, the degree of creator involvement, and choices made on creative elements vary from case to case, making it impossible to make generalizations,” said Zhang Ping, a professor with Peking University Law School.

The generated content can only be protected by copyright law if it meets the criteria of originality and copyrightability, Zhang added.

Take the above AI text-to-image copyright infringement case as an example. The plaintiff created the images in question using generative AI technology, showcasing the intellectual input in decisions such as character presentation, prompt order, and parameter settings.

“The plaintiff made a series of aesthetic choices and personalized judgments in creating the images, exhibiting outstanding individualized expression that met the ‘originality’ criteria. Therefore, the plaintiff holds the copyright to the images,” said Bai Niannian, a senior partner at Gongheng Law Firm based in Beijing.

Content auto-generated by AI without human originality should not be considered a work nor be ineligible for copyright protection, Bai added.

Zhang believes that the current copyright system uses human intellectual achievements as the benchmark, thus lacking comprehensive provisions for AI-generated content. Meanwhile, traditional infringement determination standards also face applicability challenges in AI creation scenarios, presenting new obstacles for judicial practices.

The legal framework for AI-generated content is closely linked to the core interests of copyright holders and has a direct impact on industrial development and technological progress. Finding a proper balance between protection and development tests the governance wisdom of all parties involved.

Zhang said that in general, China’s generative AI technology innovation is progressing rapidly, so the formulation of laws and regulations should leave room for technological innovation and adopt an open and inclusive regulatory principle.

On how to accommodate the interests of all parties and fully unleash the vitality of AI creation, Zhang said that first of all, it is important to improve laws and regulations to clarify the scope and standards for copyright protection of AI-generated content and strengthen normative management of the data training process.

Besides, establishing a liability-sharing mechanism adapted to the development of the AI industry is vital, he noted.

He also suggested creating open data-sharing platforms to encourage reasonable use and licensing of data, promoting industry self-discipline and multi-party collaboration to foster healthy development of AI creation.

“The rise of AI creation inevitably challenges traditional IP rules, but this challenge is not insurmountable. The key is to clarify the norms of intellectual property right protection in each stage of the AI creation process and establish interest balancing and sharing mechanisms among relevant parties to protect and drive the development of AI creation,” said Zhang.

By Wang Mingfeng, People’s Daily

A tourist surnamed Yao visiting the Danjing Mountain in Pengzhou, Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan province just experienced the convenience of drone delivery – soon after he stepped into the scenic area, a drone delivered to his hands a cup of hot coffee he had previously ordered on his phone.

Chengdu is among the first batch of pilot cities of China’s low-altitude airspace management reform. Striving to build itself into a center of low-altitude economy in west China, the city is strengthening its exploration in development and manufacturing, low-altitude airspace development, scenario innovation, and integrated development.

This year, the city aims to improve the output of its low-altitude manufacturing sector to 6.5 billion yuan ($895.63 million) and expand the size of its low-altitude economy to 26 billion yuan.

“We handled over 500 food delivery orders during the Spring Festival, and we flew more than 100 flights per day when visitors came to enjoy the flower blossoms, which made us internet-famous. The popularity is totally beyond our imagination,” said Zhou Xiaoming, chairman of a drone tech firm based in Chengdu, the operator of a national-level flight-testing center for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) known as “Sky Eye.”

According to him, currently the company runs six routes deep in the valleys along the Jianjiang River in Longmen Mountains, Sichuan province, which can not only deliver coffees, but also paradrop hotpot food and groceries based on users’ demands.

It takes only about 20 minutes for the drones to deliver stuffs from merchants to scenic areas, B&B hotels and camp sites, Zhou added.

Apart from daily life scenarios, drones are also widely applied in industries such as emergency rescue and meteorological observation in Chengdu.

For example, the long-rage and multipurpose Wing Loong drones have become a strong force in China’s meteorological and emergency support systems, assisting artificial precipitation, monitoring meteorological phenomenon in the sky and ensuring stable cloud communication.

An executive of AVIC (Chengdu) UAS Co., Ltd. noted that the company will continue to innovate in low-altitude application scenarios and actively explore the new field of logistics transportation.

It is reported that Chengdu has now built a complete industrial chain covering raw materials, basic components and systems, complete drone manufacturing, and operational services.

It has gathered more than 110 upstream and downstream enterprises, with products ranging from 10 kilograms to tonnage level, covering 66 application scenarios such as urban governance and production operations.

Statistics show that in recent years, the industrial output of Chengdu’s UAV industry has maintained an average annual growth of over 20 percent. Last year, the total revenue of Chengdu’s UAV industrial exceeded 10 billion yuan, ranking among the top in China in terms of overall competitiveness.

Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are also a focus of low-altitude economy. Nicknamed “flying cars,” these aircraft are considered one of the most important carriers for the development of low-altitude economy.

As one of the first pilot cities of China’s low-altitude airspace management reform, Chengdu has relaxed policies in the low-altitude sector, which has boosted the confidence of companies in launching their products.

In July last year, AEROFUGIA, a tech firm in low altitude transportation and smart industry solutions owned by Chinese car manufacturer Geely, signed an agreement with Sino Jet, the largest business jet operator in Asia-Pacific, for the acquisition of 100 Chinese-made eVTOL aircraft.

The two will work together to promote the application of eVTOL in business aviation. Once the airworthiness certification is completed, Chengdu is expected to be the first city to apply eVTOL in business air travel.

Orderly and compliant opening of the low-altitude airspace is a prerequisite for low-altitude economy to “take off.”

Every day, industrial drone enterprises would carry out various scientific and research tasks such as signal transmission and river channel inspection in the airspace of the “Sky Eye” UAV flight test base, which is below an altitude of 1,200 meters and covers a radius of 5 kilometers.

Zheng Wenqiang, director of a flight base of JOUAV, a Chengdu-based drone company, told People’s Daily that over the past five years, he and his team have completed nearly 10,000 test flights of drones in the base.

“Stable time and range, as well as unique terrain and landforms, are necessary conditions for conducting test flights of industrial-grade drones,” Zheng said.

“Sky Eye” covers diverse landforms such as mountains, hills, forests, rivers, and lakes, which can simulate the working conditions of industrial drones in actual application scenarios to the greatest extent, he explained.

Zhou said, “In the national-level flight-testing center for UAVs, you just need to provide notification one hour before takeoff, which greatly improves flight efficiency and helps achieve maximum flight capability.”

It is learned that Sichuan province has designated seven airspaces for coordinated management and eight low-altitude visual flight corridors. Nearly 1/3 of Chengdu’s territory is within the scope of the Sichuan low-altitude reform pilot airspace, which is public and open for regular flights.

Up to now, Chengdu’s UAVs have completed over 8 million flights, accumulating 600,000 hours of flight time. The efficiency of airspace resource utilization has been significantly improved in the city.

By Huan Yuping, People’s Daily

The development of the new energy industry is crucial for the future of planet Earth. It is important to promote the emergence of high-quality production capacity through fair competition in the industry and enhance global development momentum through open cooperation.

Fair competition is the fundamental principle of a market economy. It is precisely through sufficient market competition that China’s new energy industry has forged international competitiveness.

Chinese new energy companies continuously optimize production processes, improve production efficiency, and promote technological innovation, consistently offering high-quality products at more competitive prices. China ranks among the top globally in terms of the number of patent applications in areas such as new energy vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products. 

Many multinational companies have realized that the fiercely competitive and innovative Chinese market is a “well-equipped gym,” and they have successively established new energy research and production bases in China to promote industry upgrading and overall development progress.

Maintaining fair competition is the best way to enhance consumer welfare. Sufficient market competition drives companies to offer high-quality products that better meet market demands at more favorable prices, resulting in maximum benefits for consumers.

In recent years, facing intense market competition, Chinese new energy vehicle companies have continuously introduced new models covering different price ranges and catering to diverse consumer needs, providing consumers with more quality choices.

Chinese photovoltaic companies have launched products such as large-scale photovoltaic power stations and residential rooftop photovoltaic systems, enhancing the diversity of products and application scenarios.

These efforts have significantly increased the market penetration of new energy products, benefiting consumers.

Only through fair competition can green and low-carbon transformation be promoted globally. To achieve sustainable development, it is essential to have high-quality capacity as the foundation.

Chinese new energy enterprises have actively engaged in international cooperation, helping more and more developing countries embrace green development, as indicated by the De Aar wind power project in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, a photovoltaic power plant in Mymensingh district of Bangladesh, the Chinese-manufactured electric buses running in Mexico City, and Chinese companies investing in and constructing new energy vehicle and power battery factories in Hungary.

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, pointed out that China’s provision of relevant services and support to other countries has significantly improved the accessibility of clean energy technologies and reduced the cost of using green technologies globally.

Protectionism goes against the principle of fair competition. It not only fails to protect domestic industries but also distorts the international market, hampers resource allocation efficiency, and hinders the development of the new energy industry around the world.

Currently, the world is at a critical moment of transitioning from old to new growth drivers. Adopting protectionist measures for emerging industries like new energy would result in global resource waste and efficiency losses, impacting the sustainable growth of the global economy and limiting or even stifling incremental opportunities.

The international community should collectively oppose protectionism, and properly address differences according to market economy principles and WTO rules, so as to create a favorable international environment for the healthy development of the global new energy industry.

Upholding fair competition does not mean that the government has no role to play. In history, developed countries have successfully achieved industrial upgrading, not only because of the role of the market, but also because of the guidance and support of industrial policies introduced by their respective governments.

Since joining the WTO, China has earnestly complied with subsidy-related rules and promoted the development and growth of its production capacity under market economy conditions.

The continuous emergence of high-quality new energy capacity in China today is a result of the effective collaboration between a functioning market and an active government.

When governments guide the development of their own new energy industries, the key is to not violate international rules, exclude competition from other countries through industrial policies, or maliciously suppress the industrial development of other countries.

What the world needs is environmental protection, not protectionism against green products. The new energy industry is a promising sector that empowers global development and creates a greener future. The optimal solution to promote the development of the industry and achieve mutual benefits is through fair competition and open cooperation. Protectionism will only lead the global green transition to a dead end.

In the future, countries should adopt an open mindset, uphold fair competition, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation. Together, they should strive to build a global market that is competitive, efficient, expansive, innovative, and highly interconnected. This will create new opportunities for the development of the new energy industry and provide a favorable environment for the long-term growth of businesses in all countries.