Nigeria Times

By He Yin, People’s Daily

“For any great cause to succeed, it must take root in the people, gain strength from the people, and be accomplished by the people. Growing China-U.S. friendship is such a great cause,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping when delivering a speech at a welcome dinner hosted by friendly organizations in the United States on Nov. 15, local time.

At the welcome dinner, Xi met with friends from all walks of life in the United States to renew friendship, charting the course and gathering strength for advancing the cause of China-U.S. friendship.

This welcome dinner was a gathering connecting history and the future. Thirty-eight years ago, Xi, then Party chief of Zhengding county in north China’s Hebei province, visited the United States for the first time. The visit started from San Francisco.

In his speech this time, he profoundly summarized the important role played by people in advancing the China-U.S. friendship. He stressed that China is ready to be a partner and friend of the United States, and the fundamental principles that China follows in handling China-U.S. relations are mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

No matter how the global landscape evolves, the historical trend of peaceful coexistence between China and the United States will not change. The ultimate wish of the two peoples for exchanges and cooperation will not change. The expectations of the whole world for a steadily growing China-U.S. relationship will not change.

Participants to the welcome dinner hailed Xi for his sincere and profound remarks, which they believe have sent a positive signal to the world that China is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with the United States.

The foundation of China-U.S. relations was laid by the two peoples. The door of China-U.S. relations was opened by the two peoples.

During World War II, the two countries fought side by side for peace and justice. The Chinese people still remember that a group of American volunteers, known as the Flying Tigers, went to the battlefield in China. They not only engaged in direct combats fighting Japanese aggressors, but also created “The Hump” airlift to transport much-needed supplies to China. The American people, on their part, always remember the Chinese who risked their lives to save American pilots.

For 22 years, there were estrangement and antagonism between the two countries. But the trend of the times brought them together, converging interests enabled them to rise above differences, and the people’s longing broke the ice between the two countries.

In his speech, Xi mentioned a recent trip to China by Flying Tigers veterans, during which they visited the Great Wall and were warmly received by the Chinese people. He also reviewed the 1971 visit by the U.S. table tennis team to Beijing – a small ball moved the globe. To pass on the China-U.S. friendship from generation to generation is a common aspiration of friendly people in both countries.

The stories of China-U.S. relations are written by the two peoples, which promoted the development of China-U.S. ties. People-to-people relations underpin state-to-state relations.

Xi’s enduring friendship with his American friends in Muscatine, Iowa is heartwarming. From first staying with them during his inaugural visit to the United States, to revisiting Muscatine years later, and to continuing to value those bonds today, his cherished ties with these old friends remain touching.

In the past a few months, Xi in has respectively met in Beijing with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates, and California Governor Gavin Newsom.

He sent a congratulatory letter to the “Bond with Kuliang: 2023 China-U.S. People-to-People Friendship Forum,” replied to a letter from the U.S.-China Youth and Student Exchange Association and friendly personages from all walks of life in the U.S. state of Washington, and replied to a letter from Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Tigers veterans. He also sent a message to the fifth China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference and replied to a letter from Matias Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Hoping the friendship between the two peoples to grow better, Xi personally cares for and promotes people-to-people exchanges and subnational cooperation between the two countries. Friendly personages in the United States said that Xi has brought a new atmosphere as U.S.-China relations hit a low, and has brought the hearts of the two peoples closer.

The future of China-U.S. relations will be created by the two peoples, and the two peoples will renew the chapters of friendship in the new era.

The more difficulties there are, the greater the need for China and the United States to forge a closer bond between the two peoples and to open their hearts to each other, and more people need to speak up for the relationship. It is the convergence of many streams of goodwill and friendship that has created a strong current surging across the vast Pacific Ocean; it is the reaching out to each other by the two peoples that has time and again brought China-U.S. relations from a low ebb back onto the right track.

Xi stressed that the hope of the China-U.S. relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in their societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at subnational levels.

He announced that to increase exchanges between the two peoples, especially between the youth, China is ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years. This has been warmly welcomed by U.S. friendly organizations.

The Chinese and U.S. Presidents have reached important consensus during their meeting in San Fransisco. The two countries will roll out more measures to facilitate travels and promote people-to-people exchanges, including increasing direct passenger flights, holding a high-level dialogue on tourism, and streamlining visa application procedures. The two peoples will make more visits, contacts and exchanges and write new stories of friendship in the new era.

San Francisco has borne witness to exchanges between the Chinese and American peoples for over a century, and also to the efforts made by China and the United States to open up new prospects.

To galvanize the Chinese and American peoples into a strong force to renew China-U.S. friendship, advance China-U.S. relations, and make even greater contributions to world peace and development – this is not only a responsibility that China and the United States should fulfill as major countries, but also the common aspiration of all countries.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a written speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco on Nov. 16. He reviewed the remarkable journey of Asia-Pacific cooperation, summarized the historical experience of Asia-Pacific development, and answered a new question of the times－where will Asia-Pacific cooperation be headed in the next 30 years.

Xi’s remarks mirrored China’s firm confidence in promoting high-quality economic development and bringing new impetus and opportunities to the world with China’s new development, charting the course and injecting momentum for the Asia Pacific region to rise up to the challenges of the times and write new chapters of cooperation.

APEC’s birth and growth followed the trend toward peace and development. Three decades ago, where humanity should be headed in the post-Cold War era was the question of the world, of history and of the times in front of Asia-Pacific leaders. In response, they convened the inaugural APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

They agreed unanimously to rise above the outdated mentality of bloc confrontation and zero-sum game, deepen economic cooperation and integration in the region, and build a dynamic, harmonious and prosperous Asia-Pacific community.

This major decision enabled Asia-Pacific development and economic globalization to embark on a fast track of growth, turning the region into a powerhouse for world economic growth, an anchor of stability for global development, and a pacesetter for international cooperation.

The world has entered a new period of turbulence and change. The momentum of world economic growth is sluggish. Destabilizing, uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing.

To find the direction of future Asia-Pacific cooperation, regional countries need to draw wisdom from history, stay true to their original aspiration, seize the opportunities, and ride the momentum.

With a deep understanding of the development trend in the Asia-Pacific region and the progress of the times, Xi summarized the profound insights brought by the remarkable journey of Asia-Pacific cooperation.

He stressed that openness and inclusiveness are the defining feature of Asia-Pacific cooperation, development for all is the overarching goal of Asia-Pacific cooperation, and seeking common ground while shelving differences is the best practice of Asia-Pacific cooperation.

Development in the Asia-Pacific region has been achieved not through provoking antagonism and confrontation, pursuing a beggar-thy-neighbor policy, or erecting high fences around a small yard, but by staying open and inclusive and drawing on each other’s strengths.

Development is an eternal pursuit of the region. Regional countries have stayed focused on development and continually deepened economic and technical cooperation, thus strengthening the ability of developing members to achieve self-development.

Over the past three decades, per capita income in the Asia-Pacific has more than quadrupled, and one billion people have been lifted out of poverty. This is an important contribution to human progress and global sustainable development.

Economies in the region have different histories and cultures and are in different stages of development. Forcing uniformity will not advance cooperation in the region; seeking common ground while shelving differences is the right way forward. This can enable regional countries to turn diversity in membership into momentum for cooperation and make collective progress through tapping into complementarity.

At present, the Asia-Pacific region is seeing both new opportunities for development as well as new challenges and risks.

Xi pointed out that regional countries should stay committed to APEC’s founding mission, never forget their mission bestowed by history, and move to relaunch Asia-Pacific cooperation.

Peace is an important prerequisite for development. The Asia-Pacific region cannot and should not be an arena for geopolitical rivalry, still less should it be plunged into a new cold war or camp-based confrontation. This is a common aspiration of all parties in the region.

The story of Asia-Pacific prosperity and development shows that development is only possible with cooperation, absence of cooperation is the biggest risk, and that decoupling and supply-chain disruption are not in anyone’s interests. To relaunch Asia-Pacific cooperation, it is important to remain committed to open regionalism and build an open Asia-Pacific economy featuring win-win cooperation.

Facing a new wave of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, regional countries should move along with the trend to promote transition to digital, smart and green development. They should jointly boost innovation and market application of scientific and technological advances, and push forward full integration of digital and physical economies.

They should jointly improve global governance of science and technology, bolster support for green and digital transition and sustainable development through innovation, and build an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for the development of science and technology.

China is a member of the Asia-Pacific family. The Chinese economy and the Asia-Pacific economy are interdependent and deeply integrated with each other.

China enjoys distinct strengths such as a socialist market economy in systemic terms, a supersize market in terms of demand, a full-fledged industrial system in terms of supply, and abundant, high-caliber labor forces and entrepreneurs in terms of human resources. China’s economic development is self-generative, resilient and has many potentials.

China has the confidence in, and even more capability of achieving long-term and stable growth, and through its development it will continue to provide the world with new growth momentum and opportunities. China is committed to applying the new development philosophy, and it unswervingly advances high-standard opening up, fosters a market-oriented, law-based and world-class business environment and pursues high-quality development.

China is now advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization, and the whole of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people will live better lives. For the world, this means a broader market and unprecedented cooperation opportunities. It will also instill strong impetus in the global modernization endeavor.

The APEC Putrajaya Vision explicitly lays out its vision for an Asia-Pacific community by 2040. Asia-Pacific countries should stay committed to APEC’s founding mission, never forget their mission bestowed by history, uphold openness, inclusiveness and common development, and seek common ground while shelving differences, to march toward the goal of building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Joe Biden at Filoli Estate, San Francisco on Nov. 15, local time. It was a strategically significant and far-reaching meeting of the two heads of state.

Xi and Biden had an exchange of views on strategic and overarching issues critical to the direction of China-U.S. relations and on major issues affecting world peace and development.

Xi gave a comprehensive and authoritative presentation on China’s position on stabilizing and improving China-U.S. relations, stressing the importance of making the right choice for history, finding the right way to get along and fostering a San Francisco vision for the relations.

The meeting is significant for enhancing trust, removing suspicion, managing differences and expanding cooperation between China and the United States. It is also significant for injecting certainty and stability into a world of turbulence and transformation.

China and the United States are the world’s top two economies. Are China and the United States partners or rivals? Should they engage in mutually beneficial cooperation or antagonism and confrontation? This is a fundamental question on which disastrous mistakes must be avoided.

If one sees the other side as a primary competitor, the most consequential geopolitical challenge and a pacing threat, it will only lead to misinformed policy making, misguided actions, and unwanted results.

For China and the United States, turning their back on each other is not an option, Xi noted, stressing it is unrealistic for one side to remodel the other, and conflict and confrontation has unbearable consequences for both sides.

Major-country competition cannot solve the problems facing China and the United States or the world, he continued, noting that the world is big enough to accommodate both countries, and one country’s success is an opportunity for the other.

China hopes that the two countries could be partners, perceiving and envisioning China-U.S. relations from the perspective of the future of humanity and Planet Earth. This fully demonstrated China’s major country responsibility for history, people and the world.

The fundamental principles that China follows in handling China-U.S. relations are mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, which are the lessons learned from 50 years of China-U.S. relations and the conflicts between major countries in history. They should be the direction of joint efforts between the two countries.

Just as mutual respect is a basic code of behavior for individuals, it is fundamental for China-U.S. relations. The two countries’ paths are different, but both are the choice by their peoples, and both lead to the realization of the common values of humanity. They should be both respected.

Peaceful coexistence is a basic norm for international relations, and is even more of a baseline that China and the United States should hold on to as two major countries.

China never bets against the United States, and never interferes in its internal affairs. China has no intention to challenge the United States or to unseat it. Instead, it will be glad to see a confident, open, ever-growing and prosperous United States.

Likewise, the United States should not bet against China, or interfere in China’s internal affairs. It should instead welcome a peaceful, stable and prosperous China.

Win-win cooperation is the trend of the times, and it is also an inherent property of China-U.S. relations.

China is pursuing high-quality development, and the United States is revitalizing its economy. There is plenty of room for their cooperation, and they are fully able to help each other succeed and achieve win-win outcomes. They should make the cooperation list longer and the pie of cooperation bigger.

Recently, the two countries have been actively implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state in Bali, Indonesia, creating conditions for fostering a San Francisco vision for the relations.

During his meeting with Biden this time in San Francisco, Xi said that China and the United States should jointly develop a right perception, jointly manage disagreements effectively, jointly advance mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly shoulder responsibilities as major countries, and jointly promote people-to-people exchanges.

Through joint efforts in these five areas, five pillars can be put in place for China-U.S. relations to grow steadily and a new vision is fostered for China-U.S. relations going into the future.

The summit meeting reached more than 20 deliverables in such areas as political affairs and foreign policy, people-to-people exchange, global governance, and military and security.

On principles guiding the China-U.S. relations, the two presidents endorsed the efforts of their respective diplomatic teams to discuss principles related to China-U.S. relations since the Bali meeting and the common understandings arising from those discussions.

They stressed the importance of all countries treating each other with respect and finding a way to live alongside each other peacefully, and of maintaining open lines of communication, preventing conflict, upholding the United Nations Charter, cooperating in areas of shared interest, and responsibly managing competitive aspects of the relationship.

These seven points of common understanding are very important in that they provide a solid foundation for deeper discussions going forward. They are further proof of the broad common interests of China and the United States and the mutually beneficial nature of China-U.S. relations. They demonstrate that dialogue and cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries.

China and the United States are different in history, culture and social system, and how to deal with these differences is an important issue that both sides always need to address.

China is committed to having a stable, healthy and sustainable relationship with the United States. At the same time, China has legitimate interests that must be safeguarded, principles and positions that must be upheld, and red lines that must not be crossed.

If the U.S. side is bent on encircling and containing China under the pretext of competition, China will firmly uphold its sovereignty, security and development interests.

The Taiwan question remains the most important and most sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations. China urges the United States to honor the one-China principle, oppose “Taiwan independence,” stop arming Taiwan, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and support China’s peaceful reunification. China will realize reunification, and this is unstoppable.

U.S. attempts to curb or suppress China on economy, trade and technology are creating risks instead of “de-risking.” These misguided actions, and the ensuing uncertainty for China-U.S. relations, have become the biggest risk.

Stifling China’s technological progress is nothing but a move to curb China’s high-quality development and deprive the Chinese people of their right to development. China will not accept that and such a move will not succeed.

China’s development and growing strength, powered by strong internal drivers and its own inherent logic, will not be stopped by external forces. It is important that the U.S. side take China’s concerns seriously, lift unilateral sanctions, and provide an equal, fair, and nondiscriminatory environment for Chinese businesses.

A stabilizing and improving China-U.S. relationship is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and the common aspiration of the international community. Under the stewardship of the two presidents, the giant ship of China-U.S. relations has navigated hidden rocks and dangerous shoals.

The journey from Bali to San Francisco has not been an easy one. However, San Francisco should not be the finish line; it should be a new starting point. From San Francisco onward, the two sides should foster a new vision, further consolidate the foundation of their relations, build pillars for peaceful coexistence, and move their relationship in the direction of healthy, stable and sustainable development.

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

By Chen Yiming, Shi Yuanhao, People’s Daily

Along the west coast of the U.S., the Port of Los Angeles is a hive of activity, with massive container ships constantly coming and going.

Mark Wheeler, 70, retired 4 years ago from his position as vice president of the West Basin Container Terminal (WBCT) at the Port of Los Angeles. Although he now lives in South Carolina, Mark still cares deeply about the port where he worked for decades. Whenever he talks about his career, one exciting scene always comes to mind – a visit to the port by Xi Jinping, who serves as the Chinese President today.

It was on Feb. 16, 2012. Xi, then vice president of China, had a tour to a terminal of China’s shipping giant COSCO at the Port of Los Angeles. According to Wheeler, he was serving as the terminal operations manager back then and witnessed a story of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between the U.S. and China.

Wheeler said he never thought that a leader of a major country could be so approachable, adding that Xi shook hands with everyone and waved enthusiastically to crew members on cargo ships. It was like meeting an old friend, he noted.

The Port of Los Angeles is the largest container port in the United States and serves as the first stop for Chinese goods entering the United States across the Pacific Ocean.

In 2001, a COSCO subsidiary became a shareholder of the port, holding partial equity stakes in the WBCT at the Port of Los Angeles and the Pacific Container Terminal at the Port of Long Beach. This marked the beginning of rapid development for the Port of Los Angeles.

By 2012, the WBCT’s annual container throughput reached 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), accounting for 10 percent of the total at the Port of Los Angeles and contributing $100 million in direct tax revenue to the federal and local governments.

Since 2012, COSCO has always adhered to the principles of practical cooperation and mutual benefit in serving the trade sector, and continuously expanded its shipping routes, capital investment, and technological input in the entire Los Angeles.

For many years, the Port of Los Angeles has played an important role in U.S.-China trade, said Wheeler, attributing the development of ports in the Los Angeles area to mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

So far, COSCO has directly created about 2,400 jobs in the United States. Through partnerships with trucking companies, railways, tugboat services and other suppliers, COSCO’s terminals have generated around 15,000 additional jobs in the country.

“COSCO actively promotes local economic and social development at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, striving to meet customers’ transportation needs. Especially when supply chains get tight, we strive to tackle problems like insufficient capacity and port congestion,” said Gu Quanlin, vice president of COSCO SHIPPING (North America).

According to Gu, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COSCO terminals in the country utilized multimodal transportation to swiftly deliver essential medical supplies to customers in the Midwest through the Port of Long Beach. This made a significant contribution to the local population’s response to the pandemic.

Additionally, COSCO Shipping has strengthened management around ship speed reduction, shore power usage, near-shore emissions, and equipment emissions. This aligns fully with the Californian government’s long-standing promotion of green principles.

Among all the terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, COSCO terminals have always been at the forefront of protecting the ocean environment and marine life, said Paul Nazzaro, executive vice president of COSCO SHIPPING (North America).

The 130-km long Santa Barbara Channel by the Port of Long Beach is a major shipping lane, as well as one of the world’s most important destinations for migrating blue whales. It is visited by many blue whales, humpback whales and fin whales from July to November each year. Excessive ship speeds would severely impact the whales.

Since 2018, COSCO has actively implemented the project of Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies. So far, it has carried out relevant eco-friendly operations on 111 voyages, making effective safety nets for marine life and lowering greenhouse gas and suspended particulate emissions.

From 2020 to 2022, COSCO won the top award of the “Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies” project, the “Sapphire Prize,” given by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for three consecutive years.

Brian Peck, Chair of the Los Angeles Regional Export Council, stated that China is California’s largest trading partner, and one-third of U.S.-China trade passes through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. California attracts more Chinese investment than any other U.S. state and is home to the largest population of Chinese students and visitors. The close ties between California and China reflect the intertwined interests of the United States and China and demonstrate the mutually beneficial essence of U.S.-China economic and trade cooperation.

Wheeler told People’s Daily that he sincerely hopes that the two largest economies, the United States and China, can find more common ground and write more stories of cooperation and win-win outcomes through exchanges and dialogues.

By Jia Pingfan

In recent years, Chinese logistics companies have rapidly expanded their presence in overseas markets alongside the growth of China’s cross-border e-commerce platforms. They have entered markets in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America, bringing digitalized logistics services and efficiency to their target markets while contributing to the global growth of foreign trade.

The world’s first live broadcast of cross-border logistics concluded on the evening of Nov. 4, 2023. Over the course of 48 hours, millions of people worldwide witnessed the complete journey of cross-border packages, from packing and sorting to shipping, consolidation, and loading onto international cargo planes.

Cainiao Global, the official global parcel tracking platform of China’s Alibaba Group, has introduced its flagship product, the “Global 5-Day Delivery” express service, for this year’s “Double 11” shopping festival. This service allows products sent from China to reach consumers thousands of miles away in just five days.

To achieve such fast delivery, Cainiao Global has made significant advancements in logistics technology and infrastructure. The company has established the country’s largest cross-border logistics park, equipped with intelligent sorting machines and an automated air freight center. Additionally, the use of a Boeing 747 widebody freighter further enhances the efficiency of the delivery process.

This year’s “Double 11” shopping festival has become a competition for faster delivery, receipt, and after-sales service for cross-border merchants and overseas consumers.

The “Double 11” shopping festival is China’s biggest shopping event. Since its inception in 2009, the festival has been known for its abundance of discounts, promotions, and offers. This year, instead of solely engaging in the price war, companies have prioritized providing high-quality services to their customers.

JD Logistics, the logistics unit of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, has been making consistent investments in overseas supply chain logistics facilities.

With nearly 90 bonded warehouses, overseas warehouses, and direct mail warehouses worldwide, JD Logistics has established a self-operated warehousing network in European countries like Germany, France, and the UK. Alongside expanding its warehousing capacity, JD Logistics Europe is actively collaborating with local service providers to enhance its last-mile delivery capabilities.

In 2022, China’s total social logistics reached 347.6 trillion yuan (about $47.89 trillion), marking a 3.4 percent year-on-year growth. With this growth, China’s logistics market has maintained its position as the global leader for seven consecutive years, solidifying its status as a logistics powerhouse.

The steady and positive growth of the Chinese economy has provided significant support for the rapid development of the logistics industry. The government’s increased support to promote economic growth, coupled with a rebound in consumer spending, has led to impressive economic performance in the third quarter.

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China shows that the country’s GDP grew by 4.9 percent year-on-year between July and September this year, surpassing economists’ median forecast of 4.5 percent.

The growth of cross-border e-commerce has contributed to the expansion of China’s cross-border logistics industry. According to recent data from the Korea Customs Service, Koreans spent a total of 4.79 trillion won (approximately $3.65 billion) on cross-border online shopping from Q1 to Q3 this year, marking a 20.4 percent increase compared to the previous year. Chinese e-commerce accounted for 46.4 percent of this total, with sales amounting to 2.22 trillion won.

According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, the import and export volume of China’s cross-border e-commerce reached 1.7 trillion yuan from January to September this year, marking a year-on-year increase of 14.4 percent. China has established trade partnerships with countries worldwide, being one of the countries with the most comprehensive cross-border e-commerce ecosystem.

Overseas warehouses play a crucial role as key nodes for cross-border e-commerce and logistics. They serve as new foreign trade infrastructure and a vital platform for driving the high-quality development of foreign trade.

Xue Qun, head of JD Logistics International, recently expressed that JD.com plans to construct a comprehensive global supply chain logistics network in the coming three years. This network will encompass overseas warehouse networks, international transit hubs, distribution networks in foreign countries, and cross-border transportation networks encompassing key routes.

According to a news report by Quartz, China views logistics as a strategically important industry underpinning the efficiency and competitiveness of its economy. The Chinese government wants to take that a step further by building a modern circulation system that integrates flows of commerce, finance, transportation, and commodities.

According to the news report, one area where China has made significant progress in recent years is the number of overseas warehouses it operates via exporters or cross-border e-commerce firms with operations in international markets. These now number over 2,000, up from less than 100 in 2015, according to Chinese government figures.

Besides physical infrastructure like warehouses, China wants to cultivate a number of homegrown and globally competitive logistics firms, the news report said.

By Bai Ziwei, People’s Daily

Nell Calloway, granddaughter of Claire Lee Chennault, commander of the Flying Tigers, said she hopes to take the sincerity and goodwill of the American people to China, and share more wonderful stories with the Chinese people during a recent interview with People’s Daily.

Calloway came to China for the 14th time for a visit with a delegation from the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation. The delegation included both Flying Tigers veterans and their descendants, who aimed to reminisce about the old days of the Flying Tigers in China, carry forward the spirit of the Flying Tigers, and pass on the friendship between the two peoples from generation to generation.

Over the years, Calloway has been actively promoting people-to-people friendship between the United States and China. She has established the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum and the Chennault Aviation Academy.

Her efforts started in 2002 when she made her first trip to China together with her mother.

Calloway recalled that her grandfather came to China when her mother was only nine years old. Her mother could not understand why he stayed in China for 7 years until their first visit to China, where they learned about the events that took place during the war era.

Since then, Calloway and her mother have been dedicated to promoting Flying Tigers’ tales and the history of China’s resistance war against Japanese aggression to the American public.

She believed that it’s crucial to share with the world how Chinese people admirably overcame difficulties and fought against Japanese invaders, and said she has always taken it as her mission.

During the resistance war against Japanese aggression, General Claire Lee Chennault led the Flying Tigers to fight alongside the Chinese people.

“We must remember the history,” Calloway has mentioned multiple times in interviews, saying Flying Tigers veterans and their descendants have the responsibility to carry on this precious friendship, to help and assist each other, and to create a better future for future generations.

During her visit to China this time, Calloway always took photos with General Claire Lee Chennault’s pictures at each site.

She said these photos touched her deeply because they signify that many Chinese people still remember the contributions her grandfather had made.

“Over the years, I have witnessed the development and changes in China. It would be wonderful if my grandfather could see today’s China,” Calloway told People’s Daily.

Calloway believes that history needs to be recorded and told, and common memories must be passed on by those who have lived through it.

She said the Flying Tigers veterans she interviewed had great admiration for the Chinese people and were proud that they had fought alongside them against the Japanese invaders.

“Both the United States and China need to understand this shared history,” Calloway noted. As one of the descendants of the Flying Tigers veterans, she said they have a greater responsibility to speak up and continue telling the story of the Flying Tigers.

Coming to China again after four years, Calloway placed particular importance on the power of face-to-face exchanges, believing it to be crucial for promoting people-to-people friendship between the two countries.

She said the two peoples need to engage in more exchanges in order to enhance mutual understanding. When the two peoples are separated by oceans, it is difficult to have a tangible sense of connection; when they come to each other’s land and make eye contact, everything falls into place naturally, she explained.

Calloway expressed her hope that the two peoples, especially the younger generation, can continue to inherit the spirit of the Flying Tigers.

“The U.S.-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world and is highly regarded by the international community. We should set an example for the world, set aside our differences, extend the hand of friendship, and work towards our common goals,” she said.

By Wu Jun, People’s Daily

As home to China’s first commercial aerospace industrial base, namely the Wuhan National Aerospace Industry Base, Wuhan city, capital of central China’s Hubei province, is making significant progress in the exploration of capabilities and application scenarios of the commercial aerospace industry.

Recently, a Kauizhou-1A (KZ-1A) carrier rocket produced in the Wuhan National Aerospace Industry Base successfully launched five satellites, the A to E satellites belonging to the Head-3 micro-satellite constellation, into their planned orbits from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan province.

The Kuaizhou-series rockets are solid-propellant launch vehicles independently developed by the Kuaizhou rocket industrial park within the Wuhan National Aerospace Industry Base. The first batch of the Kuaizhou-1A rockets rolled off the production line at the industrial park in 2021.

So far, the Kuaizhou series rockets have been successfully launched over 20 times, sending more than 40 satellites into their planned orbits.

Initiated in 2017, the Wuhan National Aerospace Industry Base has achieved an annual production capacity of up to 50 rockets and has built the backbone of an industry chain encompassing satellites, rockets, cloud platforms and aerospace materials.

In November 2014, China’s State Council issued guidelines on innovating investment and financing mechanisms of key areas to encourage social investment, inspiring private enterprises to participate in civil space infrastructure construction. The document ushered in new opportunities for China’s commercial aerospace industry.

At the time, Wuhan-based China Space Sanjiang Group Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited (CASIC), envisioned potential in the commercial aerospace industry and was poised to step into it.

“As a transportation hub linking nine provinces, Wuhan has rather developed land and water transport. Development of the aerospace industry here not only enjoys the advantage of convenient transportation of aerospace products, but can boost the growth of upstream and downstream links of the entire industrial chain across the country,” said an executive of the CASIC.

In 2017, the construction of the Wuhan National Aerospace Industry Base kicked off in Shuangliu subdistrict of Wuhan’s Xinzhou district under a partnership between the CASIC and the Hubei Provincial People’s Government.

Thanks to tireless efforts of relevant parties, a demonstration zone featuring the integration of the aerospace industry and city development, with an area of 8 square kilometers, took shape in 2022.

In the satellite industrial park of the Wuhan National Aerospace Industry Base, one can enter China’s first intelligent satellite production line after donning white work clothes and cap and going through dust removal.

Inside the satellite production line, dozens of components for satellite manufacturing are neatly placed in a 10-meter-tall component warehouse.

The entire production process, from components delivery to assembly, final assembly and testing, is highly automated.

The production line has realized flexible and intelligent satellite manufacturing, according to Liu Feng, deputy director of the Wuhan intelligent manufacturing center of the CASIC’s Space Engineering Department.

It can meet the needs for the development and production of single satellite as well as mass production of customized satellites, Liu said.

With a deep understanding of the development of the aerospace industrial chain, the Wuhan National Aerospace Industry Base has consistently improved the business environment for the growth of aerospace manufacturing, services and supporting industries.

It has attracted 17 industrial projects spanning such industries as commercial aerospace, new materials, and data application, and completed cumulative investments of nearly 20 billion yuan ($2.76 billion).

“We earn our main revenues by providing satellite launch services, and additional income by offering customized peripheral services to companies, enhancing the overall profitability of commercial rockets,” said Liu Xin, deputy general manager of CASIC Rocket Technology Company, a holding subsidiary of the China Space Sanjiang Group Co., Ltd.

The company has established brand partnerships with over 10 companies, according to Liu.

In addition to satellites and rockets, the Wuhan National Aerospace Industry Base has also continuously explored more application scenarios for space technologies along the long industry chain to expand the development models of the commercial aerospace industry.

At the telemetry, command and control center of a holding subsidiary of the China Space Sanjiang Group Co., Ltd., real-time data on the location, door status, internal temperature and humidity as well as other information about the containers carried by the China-Europe freight trains are displayed on large screens.

This application scenario represents an emerging commercial aerospace development model based on the use of remote sensing satellites, satellite internet and aerospace technologies in areas like environmental monitoring, smart transportation, and emergency communications, according to Pi Benjie, an executive of the telemetry, command and control center.

“In 2020, we successfully launched two communications satellites. After networking them into a constellation, we can eliminate communication blind spots in areas where ground networks can’t reach, like oceans, polar regions, forests and deserts,” explained Pi.

In an effort to strengthen, complement and expand the commercial aerospace industrial chain, local authorities have accelerated efforts to promote communication and attract more enterprises through diverse means.

The government of Xinzhou district has reportedly signed over 10 billion yuan worth of agreements with many renowned Chinese enterprises to jointly create different commercial aerospace application scenarios.