Nigeria Times

By Kou Jiangze, Yao Xueqing, Li Maoying, People’s Daily
Early in the morning, Shen Wei arrived at the Gehu Lake, upstream of the Taihu Lake in east
China’s Jiangsu province, with a toolbox, to conduct routine water quality and aquatic organism
monitoring. Meanwhile, Shen’s colleagues were sampling water from the lake with a water
collector for the monitoring of planktonic algae.
After the sampling was completed, Shen, deputy chief of the ecological department of the
Changzhou Environmental Monitoring Center, which initiated a comprehensive ecological
monitoring network for water bodies on the plains of Changzhou, returned to the lab with his
colleagues and started analyzing samples.
“We discovered Novaculina chinensis, a national second-class protected aquatic wild animal, and
we have found it at multiple locations many times,” said Shen. According to him, this indicated
that the ecological condition of Gehu Lake was improving.
The monitoring of planktonic algae also had some positive findings – diatoms, the dominant
species in the winter lake, were at normal levels and varieties.
Ecological monitoring is essential for obtaining an objective and accurate understanding of the
ecological conditions in a given area, implementing scientific ecological protection and restoration
measures, and evaluating their outcomes.
Recently, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, in collaboration with the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, issued a work plan on national ecological quality supervision and
monitoring for the 2023-2025 period.
According to the plan, China will set up a national ecological monitoring network and designate
55 sites as the first batch of national stations for monitoring ecological quality, including a station
in Xishuangbanna, southwest China’s Yunnan province, and the comprehensive ecological
monitoring network for water bodies on the plains of Changzhou.
The first batch of national stations for monitoring ecological quality cover major ecosystem types
such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, deserts, oceans, cities, and farmlands. They span across 44
key ecological conservation and regulatory areas in China, as well as other important ecological
regions and urban clusters with frequent human activities.
Compared to environmental monitoring, ecological monitoring features richer content, more
complex indicators, and more diverse methods.
“The national ecological monitoring network takes species diversity and habitats as its monitoring
objects, with the goals of highlighting supervision, finding problems, and accumulating data. It
focuses on the composition, structure, and functions of biological communities and species,
enabling comprehensive monitoring of all types of ecosystems within a 100 km radius of each
monitoring station,” said Dong Mingli, an official with China’s Ministry of Ecology and
Environment.
In the Xishuangbanna national nature reserve in Yunnan, Yuan Shengdong and other scientific
researchers from the Xishuangbanna tropical rainforest ecosystem station walked into the depths
of the dense forest to carry out routine field monitoring at designated plots, including measuring,
marking, sampling, and recording.
For most of the year, the staff at this station are out in the field. “We collect millions of monitoring
data every year, including various types such as biology, meteorology, hydrology, and soil,” said

Yuan.
He further explained that studying the dynamics of tropical rainforests requires long-term data
accumulation, as short-term observations do not yield immediate results. Therefore, researchers
need to diligently work day by day to gather the necessary data for studying the changes in the
rainforest ecosystem.
Dong said that the national ecological monitoring network takes monitoring stations as regional
centers, monitoring plots as the primary objects, and ground mobile patrols as a supplement.
Working in sync with remote sensing, it integrates satellite resources, manned and unmanned
aerial vehicles, ground fixed and mobile patrol monitoring, and other observation methods to
establish an integrated sky-ground ecological monitoring technology system, Dong explained.
It is learned that satellite remote sensing monitoring boasts a wide coverage. It can monitor land
surface changes promptly and discover ecological damages, serving as the primary means for
ecological supervision.
Unmanned aerial vehicles are flexible and responsive. They can carry visible infrared sensors,
hyperspectral sensors, LiDAR and other payloads to conduct on-site investigations and technical
calibrations of damage clues and changes of ecological types in key areas. This provides data
support for the verification of ecological damages and validation of remote sensing parameters.
Ground monitoring mainly utilizes video surveillance, patrols, plot monitoring and other means to
conduct real-time monitoring of key sensitive areas and discover problems like human
interference.
Ecological monitoring not only aims to present the current status and changes in regional
ecological quality but also focuses on enhancing the ability to proactively detect ecological issues.
“For example, cyanobacterial bloom is a prominent issue in the treatment of the Taihu Lake. The
monitoring station utilizes historical data to study the competitive growth mechanisms of aquatic
plants and cyanobacteria, providing technical support for scientific and precise artificial
restoration of the ecological environment,” said Pan Chen, director of the Changzhou
Environmental Monitoring Center.

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily
The United States’ domineering and coercive practices in technology are continuing escalating.
The U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced an investigation into the semiconductor
supply chain and national defense industrial base in the name of reducing national security risks,
to assess the extent of their reliance on Chinese chips.
It was also reported that the U.S. has even requested Dutch chip equipment company ASML to
halt exports of lithography machines to China before the relevant “bans” take effect.
While the U.S. claims to advocate fair competition, it constantly sets obstacles for the
technological development of other countries. The country always groundlessly accuses other
countries of engaging in “economic coercion,” while its own economic coercion has seriously
harmed the interests of even its allies.
According to reports, the investigation initiated by the Bureau of Industry and Security under the
U.S. Department of Commerce focuses on traditional chips that are not cutting-edge but still
crucial to the industry.
Unlike previous U.S. restrictions on chip sales to China, this time it will scrutinize the usage and
procurement of traditional chips manufactured by China in key U.S. industries.
To restrict China’s acquisition of advanced semiconductors, the U.S. is implementing a strict
policy that prohibits both the sales and purchases of relevant products, which severely impedes the
normal trade exchanges between chip, chip equipment, materials, and component companies from
various countries.
This harms the legitimate rights and interests of not only Chinese enterprises but also
semiconductor companies from other countries, including the U.S. It is typical economic and
technological bullying and a serious violation of international trade rules.
The semiconductor industry is highly globalized, and the formation and development of its supply
chain is the result of market forces and corporate choices. The United States, against market laws
and the will of companies, is attempting to block the semiconductor supply chain with a “small
yard and high fence” strategy, severely disrupting the landscape of the global semiconductor
industry and seriously impacting the security and stability of international industrial and supply
chains.
According to data from the U.S. Semiconductor Industry Association, China’s semiconductor
procurement in 2022 amounted to $180 billion, accounting for over 1/3 of the global total and
making China the largest single market worldwide. The Chinese market is irreplaceable, and
withdrawing from it is not a feasible option. This is a consensus among global semiconductor
companies.
The U.S. arbitrary act of isolating the Chinese market will not succeed and will eventually
backfire. The U.S. Semiconductor Industry Association pointed out that excessive unilateral
control may harm the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem.
Colette Kress, chief financial officer of U.S. chip company NVIDIA believes that long-term bans
on exporting AI chips to China would cause the U.S. chip industry to permanently lose many
opportunities.
The U.S. act to suppress and contain China’s technological development at the sacrifice of
harming itself is a manifestation of its deep-rooted Cold War mentality. By excluding China from

critical supply chains through state behaviors and restricting China’s ascent to higher segments of
the value chain, the U.S. is indeed politicizing, instrumentalizing and weaponizing economic,
trade, and technological issues to serve the hegemonic purpose of containing China’s growth.
The U.S. disguises its “small yard and high fence” strategy as an approach to safeguarding
national security, and finds various excuses to coerce other countries into implementing
technological blockades against China.
This has raised widespread concerns and criticism. Some said the U.S.’ efforts to weaponize its
technological superiority in order to confront China seem to be putting strain on its alliances.
According to a report by The New York Times, government officials in European countries are
concerned that preventing European companies from entering China, one of the world’s largest
and most dynamic technology markets, could harm the interests of these enterprises.
Development of China is innovation-driven. Stifling China’s technological progress is nothing but
a move to contain China’s high-quality development and deprive the Chinese people of their right
to development. China’s development and growth, driven by its own inherent logic, will not be
stopped by external forces.
The Chinese nation has the proud tradition of standing up for itself. Suppression and containment
will only strengthen the will and boost the morale of the Chinese people.
The restrictions imposed by the U.S. on China’s technological innovation will only strengthen
China’s determination to achieve high-level self-reliance in science and technology.
Insiders in the semiconductor industry have openly opposed the U.S. export control measures
targeting China. They believe that the more pressure the U.S. exerts on the Chinese people, the
more likely they will double their efforts.
Win-win cooperation has been the true narrative of the 45-year diplomatic relations between
China and the U.S., and it should also be a shared goal of the two sides.
Adhering to Cold War mentality and zero-sum game thinking, and engaging in economic and
technological bullying, will not bring progress to the U.S. Only by broadening horizons and
realizing that the world is big enough for the two countries to develop themselves and prosper
together, can they better serve their respective development and prosperity through mutually
beneficial cooperation.
(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy
and international affairs.)

By Li Xinping, People’s Daily
High-speed trains have greatly facilitated the transport for the Chinese people.
To produce a Fuxing high-speed train, it takes joint efforts from more than 2,100 enterprises.
The over 40,000 components needed to assemble a set of bullet trains are produced by suppliers
from some 20 provinces, which forms a complex web of interdependent businesses.
China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) is the “locomotive” leading China’s rail transit
industrial chain, which covers high-speed trains, as well as light rail and subway products. The
company drives the integrated development of over 6,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises in
upstream and downstream sectors. This has resulted in the formation of distinctive rail transit
industrial clusters in places such as Hunan province’s Zhuzhou and Sichuan province’s Chengdu.
China’s high-speed train has amazing stability. Even a coin can be balanced on its edge on a
moving bullet train.
Such high performance relies heavily on the crucial role played by shock absorbers. After nearly
10 years of joint efforts, CRRC and Zhuzhou Lince Group Co., Ltd., one of the biggest
manufacturers and suppliers of rail transit equipment parts in China, have finally made a
breakthrough in this field.
According to Qi Ran, deputy director of the supply chain management center at CRRC Zhuzhou
Locomotive Co., Ltd., domestically produced shock absorbers are now among the best in the
world.
CRRC chairman Sun Yongcai said that CRRC has extended its rich experiences in technological
innovation as well as R&D management in urban rail transit equipment manufacturing to over 300
companies along the industrial chain, guiding them to improve their technologies, techniques and
product quality. As a result, a group of companies with unique expertise and outstanding
capabilities have emerged in their respective fields.
Rail transit is one of the most diverse categories in the equipment manufacturing industry,
encompassing a rich industrial chain, value chain, and market chain. Zhuzhou is home to over 400
companies engaged in the sector, which makes it the world’s largest hub for the rail transit
equipment manufacturing industry.
In this city, the time it takes to enjoy a cup of coffee is enough to produce over ten thousand
components for an electric locomotive.
Zhuzhou is able to locally supply over 80 percent of the parts, components, and services needed
by the rail transit equipment manufacturing industry, Qi said.
The advantage of industrial clustering not only deepens cooperation among companies along the
industrial chain but also brings strong resilience to the entire industry, Qi added.
Last year, subway trains produced in China were put into operation in Türkiye. These trains were
manufactured in Zhuzhou in just six months, much faster than the owner’s expectations.
In 2022, China’s first retro-style double-decker tourist tram exported to South Korea, also
manufactured in Zhuzhou, achieved local production of all key components and was delivered in
just four and a half months.

In Chengdu, rail transit industry clusters are also thriving, with 160 upstream and downstream
companies settling in, achieving an industry aggregation rate of 60 percent.
On Shimu Road of the city, streams of trucks can always been seen transporting materials and
equipment from the north side to the south side. On the south side, there is CRRC Chengdu Co.,
Ltd., while the north side is home to various supporting enterprises.
The clustering of supply and demand on both sides of the road facilitates rapid technological
exchange, helping Chengdu’s rail transit industry transition from being scattered and small to
becoming a strong whole. As a result, the city has emerged as the fifth-largest base for rail transit
components in China.
By adhering to innovation and continuously striving for high-end and intelligent development,
leading enterprises are driving supporting companies towards higher quality.
A Zhuzhou-based new material technology company has developed a “golden film” for trains – a
high-performance polyimide film. This polyimide film is the world’s best-performing film
insulation material. It can be applied in the manufacturing of not only rail transit equipment, but
also crucial components in electronic products like smart phones and computers, as well as
satellites and aircraft.
Thanks to the support from CRRC, this type of polyimide film is now massively produced in
China and widely used in various fields such as offshore wind power generators and oil drilling
motors.
In China, large, medium, and small enterprises are interdependent and mutually reinforcing,
resulting in a series of exemplary cases of integrated innovation.
For instance, Syngenta Group, a provider of agricultural science and technology under Sinochem
Holdings, has established a supply chain innovation center to conduct seed production research,
driving technique innovation throughout the industry and reducing costs for seed suppliers in the
industrial chain.
Additionally, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) is exploring a model of
integrated development for the entire composite materials industrial chain in large aircraft
manufacturing. Leveraging platforms like the COMAC Innovation Valley, it brings together high-
quality domestic and international aviation companies, as well as upstream and downstream
supporting enterprises, to promote the translation of technologies and enhance collaboration.
The joint construction of projects, resource sharing, risk sharing, and benefit integration among
large, medium, and small enterprises are effectively enhancing the resilience and security of
China’s industrial chain and supply chain.

Nigeria has once again reaffirmed its commitment to the one China policy noting that the recent election in China’s Taiwan region and any aspiration for its independence contradict the principles of Nigeria’s foreign relations with China as it negates all scientific principles of China’s sovereignty.

This position is contained in a statement by Hon. Ja’afaru Yakubu the Chairman, House Committee on
Nigeria-China Relations

Hon Ja’afaru also reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to constantly adhere to the one-China Principle noting that, “There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. Nigeria opposes any separatist activities aimed at ‘Taiwan independence’ and foreign interference in internal affairs of other states and fully supports China’s strive in achieving peaceful reunification” the statement added.