China targets clean, low-carbon energy system by 2030 

By Wang Yunshan, People’s Daily

China recently released a plan for building a new energy system during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). According to the plan, China aims to basically establish a clean, low-carbon, secure and efficient new energy system by 2030. 

Wang Hongzhi, head of the National Energy Administration, outlined four key features China’s energy sector will boast after five years of development.

First, it will be more secure and resilient. The country’s total energy production capacity is expected to reach 5.8 billion tons of standard coal equivalent, with steadily improving self-sufficiency and more diversified and controllable energy imports.

Second, it will feature a far-better-balanced energy mix. Renewable energy sources are targeted to exceed 50 percent of the country’s installed power generation capacity, becoming the dominant form. Concurrently, non-fossil energy is projected to generate 50 percent of total electricity, taking the lead as China’s main power source.

Third, the energy system will undergo profound transformation. China will accelerate the construction of robust, resilient, green, low-carbon, integrated, intelligent, and efficient new energy infrastructure. This transformation includes establishing a fundamentally new type of power system.

Fourth, it will become more innovation-driven. The modernization of the industrial chain will advance significantly, and market and pricing mechanisms suited to the new energy system will become more mature.

The plan addresses significant challenges: ongoing geopolitical conflicts disrupting global oil/gas supply chains internationally, and domestically, the rapid integration of wind and solar power creating hurdles for grid stability.

Wang noted that China’s energy demand will continue to grow during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. China will always prepare for worst-case scenarios and apply systems thinking, and always place energy security at the top of its agenda.

To this end, China will focus on three priorities: further developing and expanding reserves of fossil energy resources, substantially increasing the supply of non-fossil energy, and broadening international energy cooperation.

Investment in major energy projects and emerging business models is expected to maintain steady growth during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with total investment projected to exceed 20 trillion yuan ($2.94 trillion).

According to Wang, these projects fall into three broad categories.

The first category aims to strengthen energy security and mainly includes projects involving oil and gas, coal, supporting power sources, and coal-to-oil and coal-to-gas conversion. Investment in these areas is expected to continue rising steadily.

The second category focuses on advancing the green and low-carbon transition. China will roll out a 10-year action plan to double non-fossil energy output. Investment in the power grid during the 15th Five-Year Plan period is expected to be more than 30 percent higher than during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

The third category is intended to foster new quality productive forces. China will develop a number of green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol production bases; expand scenarios for direct green power supply to multiple users; and promote new industries and business models such as new energy storage, integrated energy services, virtual power plants, and the coordinated development of computing power and electricity resources.

According to Du Zhongming, director general of the Department of Electricity of the National Energy Administration, fixed-asset investment in China’s power grid is expected to exceed 5 trillion yuan($737.4 billion) during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with efforts focused on building a new-type power grid around three priorities.

First, upgrade the new architecture of the power grid. During the period, China plans to put into operation 15 new ultra-high-voltage direct-current transmission corridors dedicated to green electricity, increasing west-to-east power transmission capacity to more than 420 million kilowatts.

Second, make breakthroughs in core new technologies. China will accelerate the application of technologies such as grid-forming systems and long-duration energy storage, while implementing an “AI + power grid” initiative.

Third, provide better and more efficient services. Efforts will be made to continue optimizing grid connection and power transmission services for new energy projects and significantly enhance the system’s ability to regulate and balance supply and demand.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China’s annual increase in electricity consumption is expected to reach around 600 billion kilowatt-hours.

“We will act on the guidance of boosting computing power with electricity and driving power industry development via computing demand,” said Wang. “We will coordinate energy resource allocation and computing infrastructure construction to advance the synergy between computing and power systems on multiple fronts.”

Europe’s heatwave highlights value of China-Europe economic, trade cooperation

By Niu Ruifei, People’s Daily

This summer, brutal heatwaves have engulfed Europe, smashing temperature records nationwide. France registered its highest temperature since 1947, while the UK issued its first-ever red alert for extreme heat. The World Health Organization confirmed over 1,300 heat-related fatalities in just one week.

Cooling appliances have rapidly shifted from optional household items to everyday necessities. As demand skyrockets, Chinese fans and portable air conditioning units have become Europeans’ top pick to escape sweltering temperatures.

In Belgium, Chinese-made cooling appliances have virtually sold out in some brick-and-mortar stores, while many products on major online platforms were also listed as out of stock. Media reports indicate that similar scenes are playing out across other European countries.

Behind the sales boom lies the most authentic response from consumers and a simple truth once again brought into focus: China-Europe economic and trade cooperation is fundamentally mutually beneficial, and the root causes of Europe’s industrial challenges do not lie in China.

In recent years, some voices in Europe have attributed the continent’s lack of competitiveness to external competition. The European Union has rolled out a string of industrial protectionist policies, seeking to shore up domestic supply chains by erecting trade barriers. Yet the current heatwave-driven consumption boom has offered a vivid rebuttal to this narrative.

Europe’s insufficient supply of cooling equipment mainly roots in lagging local industrial layout and sluggish product iteration, leaving domestic offerings ill-matched against construction scenarios and people’s everyday needs. When local manufacturers cannot meet market demand, affordable Chinese products designed around real consumer needs naturally become the preferred alternative.

Chinese cooling appliances have become runaway bestsellers across Europe, thanks to sharp market insights and robust smart manufacturing strength.

Europe is home to a large stock of aging buildings that are difficult to retrofit. Conventional air conditioners involve cumbersome installation, while portable units tend to be noisy and energy-inefficient.

In response to these pain points, Chinese appliance makers have introduced split portable air conditioners that require no installation, generate less noise, and offer high energy efficiency, delivering comfortable cooling without the need to modify existing buildings. 

These products have always been out of stock in France, Belgium and other European nations, underscoring their remarkable popularity.

A single cooling appliance is, in fact, a microcosm of deeply integrated global industrial chains. From research and component production to final assembly and cross-border distribution, the international success of Chinese products brings together industrial strengths from many countries and reflects the achievements of globalization and international division of labor.

The resilience of China-Europe economic and trade cooperation has remained undiminished over decades. Both sides possess distinct strengths in areas such as high-end manufacturing, new energy, household appliances, and digital economy, and their industrial structures have become deeply intertwined. This cooperative ecosystem, formed through market law, cannot be easily shaken by policy disruptions in individual sectors.

The market is the fairest judge. Consumers’ purchasing decisions carry far more weight than official policies or protectionist rhetoric. Man-made trade barriers and attempts to sever industrial chains run counter to the law of economic globalization and will ultimately lead to missed opportunities for transformation and undermine people’s well-being.

In the long run, China and Europe have highly compatible development goals. Europe is pushing forward green, digital, and artificial intelligence-driven transitions, while China is fostering new quality productive forces and expanding high-standard opening up. The two sides enjoy broad prospects for cooperation in areas such as green home appliances, new energy, and intelligent equipment.

Joint cultivation of open innovation ecosystems and deepened industrial complementarities remains fundamental to sustaining shared economic dynamism while building collective resilience against transnational risks.

The heatwave will eventually subside, but the lessons left by the market will become ever clearer: trade protectionism offers no way forward, while openness and cooperation remain the right path. Barriers that run counter to market principles cannot stop the fundamental forces of supply and demand, nor can they stand in the way of consumers’ choices.

China to make greater contributions to human development, progress 

By He Yin, People’s Daily

For the international community, the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s development path and governance experience have long offered a crucial window into contemporary China.

Throughout its 105-year history, the CPC has remained unwaveringly committed to pursuing happiness for the Chinese people, dedicated itself more deeply to the common good of humanity, and stood firmer in shouldering its responsibility for human progress.

Over the past 105 years, the CPC has led the Chinese people through arduous struggle and persistent exploration, enabling the Chinese nation to achieve the great transformation — from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong. 

China achieved the poverty reduction target set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule; its per capita GDP has exceeded $13,000 for three consecutive years; its economy has grown at an average annual growth rate of 5.4 percent over the past five years, contributing around 30 percent of global economic growth; and the country has established the world’s largest education, social security, and healthcare system.

Today, China continues to boost its economic strength, make booming advances in scientific and technological innovation, and the ecological environment is steadily improving. Amid an increasingly complex and volatile international landscape where world peace faces grave risks and global development encounters bottlenecks, China has become a pillar of global stability, a pivotal force shaping the new international order, a major engine driving global development, and a reliable defender of international justice. 

China’s remarkable achievements are fundamentally attributable to the strong leadership of the CPC. In May this year, after visiting the Museum of the Communist Party of China, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov wrote: “All the brilliant achievements and great victories are the result of the Chinese people’s efforts for the future of their country under the strong leadership of the CPC.”

An increasing number of international observers have come to recognize that China’s development miracle is no accident; it is underpinned by the CPC’s strong political leadership. 

From implementing the 1st Five-Year Plan and establishing the basic system of socialism in the early years of the People’s Republic of China, to launching reform and opening-up and continuously unleashing and developing productive forces, and then to overcoming challenges and forging ahead in the new era, the CPC has consistently pursued long-term goals with unwavering determination, steadily advancing the most extensive and profound process of modernization in human history.

Across the world, improving people’s well-being is a universal goal for all governments and a key measure of a ruling party’s governance capacity. Based on China’s national conditions, the CPC has led the Chinese people in forging a path to modernization that differs from the Western model and in creating a new form of human advancement.

Chinese modernization has shattered the long-held stereotype that modernization equates to Westernization. It has offered developing countries a new option for independently pursuing modernization and provided a Chinese approach to humanity’s search for better social systems. 

The CPC’s long-term, stable governance, and sustained commitment to national development, have delivered valuable experience for political parties around the world. 

As Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Budimir Aleksic observed, Chinese modernization offers the world a new development model and proves that modernization does not have to come at the expense of a country’s own characteristics.

The CPC’s more than a century of endeavor is not only a journey of China’s own development but also a path of win-win cooperation that benefits the world. The CPC has always viewed China’s development within the broader context of human progress and closely linked China’s future with that of people around the globe.

China initiated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and has enshrined the path of peaceful development in both its Constitution and the Constitution of the CPC. It advocates building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for humanity, while unswervingly championing the common values of humanity. It works with its partners to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and takes an active part in reforming the global governance system. 

Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao president, noted, “China has become a banner that leads the development of the socialist system and developing countries, and a pillar for maintaining global peace and promoting a multipolar world. China’s development provides valuable experience for developing countries, including Laos.”

On the new journey ahead, in the face of global, epoch-making and historical changes, the CPC will continue to lead China in pursuing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity as its goal. China will remain a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order, working hand in hand with all countries to achieve cooperation and mutual benefit.

Decoding secrets to CPC’s enduring success, vitality

By He Yin, People’s Daily

On July 1, a gathering in celebration of the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. 

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, conferred the July 1 Medal, the Party’s highest honor, on model CPC members, and delivered an important speech, drawing widespread attention from the international community.

International observers spoke highly of the extraordinary economic and social strides the Chinese people have made under the CPC’s leadership over the past 105 years, alongside the Party’s substantial contributions to global peace and development.

They widely acknowledged that the 105th anniversary of the CPC marked a milestone of far-reaching significance, recognizing the Party’s pivotal role in China’s development and modernization drive. 

They believe the CPC’s remarkable accomplishments have sparked constructive deliberations across the Global South on national development and governance models. 

Xi stressed that over the past 105 years, the CPC has united and led all the Chinese people in a tireless struggle, achieving great successes in the new-democratic revolution, in socialist revolution and construction, and in reform, opening-up and socialist modernization，and socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. He hailed the 105-year history of the CPC as the “most magnificent epic” of the Chinese nation.

He said the Party’s endeavors over the past 105 years have fundamentally transformed the future of the Chinese people, blazed the right path toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, demonstrated the strong vitality of Marxism, had a profound influence on the course of world history, and made the CPC a powerful Communist Party.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic extended warm congratulations on the CPC’s 105th anniversary and noted that under the CPC’s leadership, China has achieved remarkable and widely admired progress across economic and other fields. He added that the perseverance and resilience demonstrated by the CPC and the Chinese people have brought hope to all those committed to peace, development and multilateralism.

The CPC is dedicated to pursuing happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. It is also dedicated to human progress and world harmony. The Party’s global vision and commitment to the well-being of humanity stem from its progressive nature and have been an inseparable part of its identity since its founding.

Over the past more than a century, the CPC has always stood on the right side of history and on the side of human progress. It has profoundly altered the trends and landscape of world development through its unremitting efforts in self-improvement. 

The Party has led the people in pioneering a uniquely Chinese path to modernization, creating a new model for human advancement, and expanding the channels for developing countries to achieve modernization. 

It has promoted the development of a community with a shared future for humanity, and offered Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength for addressing major issues facing humanity.

The socialist China under the leadership of the CPC is widely recognized as the defender of world peace, contributor to global development and upholder of international order.

Today, the CPC has grown into the world’s largest governing party with tremendous global influence. The international community is increasingly seeking to understand an important question: why and how does the CPC work in China?

Xi has profoundly identified the distinctive qualities that have enabled the CPC to achieve enduring success: remaining committed to seeking truth and always adhering to the right direction; remaining deeply rooted in the people and always boasting a solid foundation; courageously rising to its historic missions and always maintaining the strategic initiative; following the trend of development and always remaining at the forefront of the times; having the courage and ability to fight, unwavering confidence in victory, and commitment to continuous self-improvement.

These qualities, unmatched by any other political party or political force, hold the key to understanding why and how the CPC works in China. They reveal to the world the deeper logic behind the principle that “China’s success hinges on the Party.”

The guidance from Marxism is a defining political character and a powerful political advantage of the CPC. On the occasion of the Party’s 105th anniversary, the CPC Central Committee formally set out Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building, which marks a new height in the century-old Party’s understanding of the laws governing the development of a long-term governing Marxist party. This carries major and far-reaching significance for enriching and developing Marxism in contemporary China and the 21st century.

On the new journey ahead, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building, the CPC will further demonstrate its distinctive strengths, remain confident, continue striving, and achieve new accomplishments worthy of the times and the people’s expectations, thus injecting an inexhaustible source of powerful momentum into the building of a strong country, the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the progress of human civilization.

A hundred years on from its founding, the CPC is still in its prime. Under the strong leadership of the CPC, China will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, promote the common values of humanity, advance the building of a new type of international relations, and implement the four global initiatives. China stands ready to work with other countries to build a community with a shared future for humanity and create a brighter future for all mankind.

XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS: SENATE DIASPORA COMMITTEE, YOUTH POLITICAL LEADERS UNITE TO PROTECT NIGERIANS IN SOUTH AFRICA

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, Senator Aniekan Bassey, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to protecting the rights, safety, and dignity of Nigerians living abroad.

Senator Bassey made this known on Friday when the national leadership of the Forum of National Youth Leaders of All Political Parties in Nigeria (FNYLPPN) met with him over the renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

He described the safety and welfare of Nigerians in the diaspora as a national priority, stressing that no Nigerian should be subjected to violence, discrimination, or inhumane treatment because of nationality.

Senator Bassey assured the delegation that his Committee would continue to collaborate with relevant government agencies, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic missions, and international partners to ensure that the rights of Nigerians abroad are protected.

The Senator noted that beyond responding to isolated incidents, there was an urgent need for sustained diplomatic engagement, stronger institutional collaboration, and proactive policies aimed at preventing xenophobic attacks while promoting peaceful coexistence among African nations.

He further emphasized that his Committee remains committed to strengthening legislative oversight on issues affecting Nigerians in the diaspora, improving engagement with diaspora communities, and advocating policies that guarantee their safety, welfare, and meaningful participation in national development.

Senator Bassey commended the Forum for demonstrating patriotism by bringing the concerns of Nigerian youths and citizens abroad to the attention of the National Assembly, describing the visit as a reflection of the growing partnership between lawmakers and youth-led organizations in addressing national challenges.

Earlier, the National Chairman of the Forum, Hon. Eze Onyebuchi Chukwu, expressed concern over the recurring xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, saying the development continued to threaten lives, livelihoods, and the image of Nigeria on the African continent.

He called on the Senate Committee to champion stronger legislative and diplomatic measures that would ensure the protection of Nigerians living overseas while encouraging the Federal Government to deepen bilateral engagement with South African authorities to prevent future occurrences.

The youth leader also pledged the Forum’s readiness to work closely with the Senate Committee in promoting national unity, youth inclusion, and advocacy initiatives that protect the interests of Nigerians both at home and abroad.

The meeting is expected to pave the way for broader consultations with key stakeholders and the formulation of policy recommendations aimed at addressing xenophobia, enhancing consular support, and reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to the protection of its citizens wherever they reside.
Media Unit
Office of the Senator
Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District

ALIA’S DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO REWRITE HISTORY, SMEAR DANGOTE AND AKUME IS RECKLESS, DISHONEST AND UNACCEPTABLE

…Benue governor eyeing cement factory acquisition with business partners

We condemn in the strongest terms the reckless and misleading comments by the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, regarding the privatization of the Benue Cement Company (BCC) in 2006 and his desperate attempt to pin responsibility for the transaction on former Governor George Akume while casting aspersions on Alhaji Aliko Dangote with his company.

Governor Alia’s latest outburst is yet another example of a government that has become addicted to propaganda, revisionism and the politics of blame. Faced with mounting questions about his own stewardship, the governor appears determined to divert public attention by manufacturing controversies and attacking individuals whose records and contributions are already part of Nigeria’s documented history.

The facts are clear. Benue Cement Company was privatized under a Federal Government programme implemented through the Bureau of Public Enterprises. The suggestion that Senator George Akume personally sold BCC to Aliko Dangote is a distortion of history and a deliberate attempt to mislead unsuspecting members of the public. No amount of political grandstanding can alter the facts contained in official records.

It is astonishing that a governor who has access to government files and public records would choose to promote a narrative that collapses under the slightest scrutiny. This raises a disturbing question: is Governor Alia genuinely ignorant of the facts, or is he deliberately twisting them to pursue a political agenda?

Even more disturbing is the governor’s attempt to demonize one of Africa’s foremost investors and industrialists. Aliko Dangote did not seize Benue Cement Company in the dead of night. The transaction emerged from a nationally supervised privatization process that involved regulatory institutions of the Federal Government. If Governor Alia has evidence of wrongdoing, he should present it to the appropriate authorities. If he has none, he should stop maligning people to score cheap political points.

We are not surprised by Governor Alia’s utterances because credible findings suggest that his sudden agitation for a review of the 2006 sale of Benue Cement Company to Dangote has little to do with protecting the interests of Benue people. It has everything to do with advancing his personal political and business agenda.

Having allegedly amassed enormous wealth from state resources within just three years in office, the governor is now said to be eyeing Benue Cement, now Dangote Cement, as another lucrative asset to be captured for the benefit of himself and a circle of business associates, including Bauhaus Global Investment, which has emerged as the preferred contractor for major government projects in the state since Alia became governor.

The real motive behind this campaign is becoming increasingly clear. Governor Alia is reportedly nurturing a 2031 presidential ambition and understands that such a venture would require access to massive financial resources running into hundreds of billions of naira. Should he retain office beyond 2027, he reportedly intends to use every available lever of state power to position himself for that race. In that calculation, Dangote Cement is seen not as a private investment that has transformed a moribund government enterprise into a thriving business, but as a potential cash cow that can be exploited to bankroll a future presidential campaign.

Benue people must therefore look beyond the governor’s emotional rhetoric and ask hard questions. Why is a transaction that took place two decades ago suddenly attracting his attention at a time when the state is battling insecurity, a growing humanitarian crisis, failing infrastructure and widespread economic hardship? The answer may well lie in a desperate attempt to gain control of a strategic asset whose enormous financial value could serve personal political ambitions rather than the collective interests of the people of Benue State.

The people of Benue are not interested in political theatre. They are interested in security, roads, healthcare, education, agriculture, job creation and economic growth. They are interested in how hundreds of billions of naira accruing to the state are being utilized. They are interested in why communities continue to suffer attacks and displacement. These are the issues demanding the governor’s attention, not a calculated campaign to rewrite events that occurred decades ago.

We therefore challenge Governor Alia to immediately publish all documents in his possession relating to the privatization of Benue Cement Company and allow the public to judge the facts for themselves. The era when political leaders could manufacture narratives without scrutiny is over.

The governor should stop chasing shadows, stop misleading the public and stop dragging respected Nigerians into politically motivated controversies.

Signed:
Jerome Zoho
President, Coalition for Truth and Justice (CTJ)

EXCLUSIVE: Official Report Challenges Online Claims on FSTC PTA Election Suspension

  • Allegations against Principal, College Management found to be unsubstantiated

Following viral claims of a purported protest against the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Amuzu, Ebonyi State, CSONews24 has obtained an exclusive report casting doubt on allegations raised by an online news platform that the Principal, Mr. John Uche, was responsible for the suspension of the PTA election.

The report presents evidence that the election was suspended after it failed to meet the compliance requirements stipulated by the Federal Ministry of Education, and not on the directive of the principal or the college management.

The online platform had reported that aggrieved parents petitioned the Federal Government over the suspended election, accusing the principal of interfering in the process. However, documents obtained by CSONews24 present a different account of the circumstances and challenge several other allegations contained in the publication.

According to the official report obtained, the tenure of the outgoing PTA executive expired on 24 June 2026, prompting the constitution of an electoral committee to conduct fresh elections on 4 July 2026. The report revealed that the exercise was underway until officials of the Federal Ministry of Education, who were present to monitor the process, raised concerns over the eligibility of candidates contesting for the office of PTA Chairman.

“Concerns were based on the Ministry’s guidelines governing PTA elections, which prescribe eligibility requirements for contestants. Following the observations made by the Ministry’s officials, a meeting involving members of the electoral committee, the outgoing PTA leadership and representatives of the school was convened to review the situation,” an anonymous source disclosed.

Our investigation further revealed that allegations of financial mismanagement, manipulation and favouritism contained in the publication and raised by Mr. Amaechi, Mr. Wilfred and Amira Ndidi, emerged after concerns were raised over the eligibility of their perceived preferred candidate, who had been presented by the Electoral Committee Chairman, Dr. Friday Archibong, but was subsequently found not to have met the compliance requirements of the Federal Ministry of Education. The sequence of events contained in the documents reviewed by CSONews24 raises questions about whether the allegations were influenced by dissatisfaction with the outcome of the electoral process rather than by verifiable evidence of administrative misconduct or genuine concern for the development and welfare of the college.

CSONews24 also gathered that the announcement of the postponement of the election sparked disagreement among some participants, resulting in a disruption that reportedly required the intervention of security personnel to restore order. Security operatives subsequently recommended that the election be rescheduled, rather than cancelled, after the identified issues had been addressed and adequate security arrangements put in place.

A further review of the report found no indictment against the principal in connection with the suspension of the PTA election or the other allegations contained in the online publication. Rather, the report consistently attributed the suspension to compliance concerns raised during the conduct of the election and the outcome of consultations among relevant stakeholders.

While the online publication relied heavily on allegations contained in a petition reportedly submitted by some parents, the official records obtained by our correspondent provide a contrasting account of the events and do not directly implicate the principal or the college management in the suspension of the election.

As of the time of filing this report, the Federal Ministry of Education had yet to issue an official statement on the matter.

ALIA’S ASO VILLA PROPAGANDA SHOW CANNOT HIDE THE PAINFUL REALITY IN BENUE

…The press conference was a festival of falsehoods

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State watched with utter disbelief the theatrical performance staged by Governor Hyacinth Alia at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he attempted to market fiction as reality and propaganda as governance.

The governor’s appearance before the Presidential Press Corps was not a briefing on the state of Benue. It was a desperate image-repair mission by an administration whose failures have become too glaring to conceal from the people.

For a governor whose state is bleeding daily from incessant attacks by armed herdsmen and other criminal elements, claiming that peace has returned to Benue is not merely misleading; it is an insult to the memory of those who have lost their lives and a cruel mockery of thousands of displaced people scattered across IDP camps.

We ask Governor Alia: Is Saai in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area no longer in Benue State? Were the 18 innocent people recently murdered there casualties of the peace he spoke about? What about the recurring attacks in Kwande, Agatu, Gwer West, Guma, Makurdi, Ukum, Okpokwu, Logo and other parts of the state? Are the widows, orphans and displaced families in those communities products of the security success story he advertized in Abuja?

The tragedy of Benue today is not merely the insecurity confronting the people. It is the fact that the governor appears more interested in denying reality than confronting it.

While the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern States Traditional Rulers Council were gathered in Kaduna discussing practical solutions to the worsening security crisis in the region, Governor Alia was busy staging a political show inside Aso Rock.
That singular decision speaks volumes.

At a time when serious leaders are searching for solutions to insecurity, Governor Alia is searching for applause.

At a time when communities are under attack, he is busy polishing his political profile.

At a time when Benue people need protection, he is pursuing public relations.

No wonder the Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke recently acknowledged the support being provided by neighbouring states like Nasarawa and Taraba, while Benue continues to struggle with a security crisis that grows worse by the day, owing to the governor’s refusal to show any form of concern.

Governor Alia also attempted to deceive Nigerians by claiming that salary and pension challenges have become history in Benue State.
Nothing can be farther from the truth.

If salary and welfare issues have been resolved, why are academic staff in state-owned tertiary institutions under the aegis of Academic Staff Unions of Tertiary Institutions in Benue State (ASUTIBS) are currently on strike? Why has ASUU at Moses Adasu University, Makurdi remained on an indefinite industrial action? Why has Law Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN) Benue State Chapter withdrawn their services? Why have health workers in the state gone on strike, crippling healthcare delivery in state-owned hospitals and primary health centres? Why are judiciary staff on strike? Why did local government workers recently embark on strike?

The governor cannot wish away these realities with carefully rehearsed talking points.

A government that cannot keep its tertiary institutions open, its hospitals functional and its workforce consistently motivated has no moral basis to celebrate imaginary achievements.

Perhaps the most astonishing falsehood of the entire outing was Governor Alia’s claim that he has granted full autonomy to local governments.
This claim collapses immediately upon contact with facts.

Benue people know that local governments in the state have remained financially strangulated since Alia became governor! Communities across the state can attest that councils have been unable to execute projects to reflect financial independence. The governor cannot deceive the people into believing that autonomy exists simply because he says so at a press conference.

Indeed, Nigerians have not forgotten that Governor Alia was among those who vehemently resisted local government financial autonomy until the Supreme Court settled the matter in July 2024. The contradiction is glaring.

The same governor who opposed autonomy now wants to wear the garment of its champion.

What is even more disturbing is that despite unprecedented revenues accruing to states following fuel subsidy removal, Benue remains one of the most underperforming states in the federation.

With hundreds of billions of naira received from the Federation Account over the last three years, Benue should have become a massive construction site with visible projects, improved security infrastructure, thriving agriculture and revitalised public institutions.
Instead, what we see is an administration that excels at press conferences but struggles with performance in reality.

Across the country, governors are deploying resources to acquire security assets, support security agencies, build roads, expand healthcare facilities and attract investments. Benue’s neighbours are making visible progress.
Benue, regrettably, is making headlines for the wrong reasons.

What happened at the Presidential Villa was therefore not governance. It was political advertising paid for with the sweat of Benue people.
More importantly, Alia’s outing exposed the governor’s fear of accountability.

Governor Alia has never subjected himself to a robust, open and unscripted question-and-answer session with the Benue media community. He knows that journalists at home are witnesses to the insecurity, the abandoned communities, the strikes, the economic hardship and the growing public frustration under his administration. He knows they would ask difficult questions that cannot be answered with rehearsed propaganda.

No amount of grandstanding inside Aso Rock can rewrite the painful realities confronting our people. No carefully choreographed media event can erase the blood of innocent victims, reopen closed classrooms, restore confidence in public institutions or put food on the tables of struggling families.

Governor Alia should stop campaigning in Abuja and start governing in Benue State.

History will judge leaders not by the number of microphones placed before them, but by the lives they improved, the communities they protected and the promises they fulfilled.
By that standard, the verdict of the Benue people is becoming clearer by the day.

Signed:

Bright Yima Antyo
State Publicity Secretary
PDP, Benue State
July 9, 2026

Horgos: A global hub where opportunity and belonging attract international entrepreneurs 

By Ardak, People’s Daily

Horgos, situated within the Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture of China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, stands as a pivotal gateway for China’s westward opening-up. 

Once a key staging post along ancient trade routes where camel bells echoed across the Gobi Desert,  today the city has become a vibrant business magnet, drawing investors and entrepreneurs from Central Asia and Europe. 

For an increasing number of foreign businesspeople, Horgos is no longer just a destination for trade trips — it  has become a second home they keep returning to.

As dawn approaches, cross-border trucks queue efficiently at the Horgos highway port, navigating customs procedures.

Kazakh businessman Ilyas, with 14 years of experience in the Horgos fruit and vegetable trade, has witnessed this transformation firsthand. 

Fresh produce trade depends heavily on swift clearance; delays lead to significant losses as perishable goods spoil quickly. Previously, Ilyas would arrive before daybreak just to secure precious delivery time.

To address sluggish customs procedures and high spoilage rates for fresh agricultural products, Horgos Customs established a China-Kazakhstan “green channel” for agricultural products, offering priority inspections and immediate release upon arrival. 

The new arrangements have created a fresh rhythm for cross-border produce trade: goods picked in the morning can clear customs the same day and reach markets that very night, allowing high-quality Chinese agricultural products to reach overseas consumers while still fresh.

Recent years have seen new energy vehicle (NEV) exports emerge as a major growth driver for Horgos trade. Recognising the strong demand for Chinese electric vehicles across Central Asia, Kazakh businessman Khambati seized the opportunity, registered a company in Horgos, and entered the vehicle export logistics business.

To facilitate NEV exports, Horgos Customs introduced a fast-track clearance scheme for self-driven export commercial vehicles, significantly streamlining offline procedures and moving the entire process online. 

The average customs processing time has been reduced from more than 30 hours to less than five. Standardized workflows, intelligent services and around-the-clock operational support have made Khambati’s logistics operations highly predictable and significantly improved delivery efficiency.

Horgos has also pioneered a new multilingual cross-border livestreaming business model, the first of its kind in Xinjiang. The local government provides free exclusive live-stream venues, builds professional livestream bases, and runs regular training courses for new streamers, offering hands-on guidance on product sourcing and account operation.

Today, over 20 livestreaming studios in the commercial building of the China-Kazakhstan Horgos International Border Cooperation Center stay busy with nonstop broadcasts, selling Chinese cosmetics, clothing and daily necessities to consumers in Central Asia and Europe.

Kazakh livestreamer Alten Asenbek moved into the Horgos cross-border e-commerce livestreaming base last December. Starting with barely any orders, he has now built a social media following of over 26,000, with peak hourly sales hitting 14,500 yuan (about $2,134).

At the Dastarkhan restaurant inside the Center, visiting merchants and local residents often gather around tables to chat. 

Locals fondly call this little diner the “Sisters Restaurant.”It is a successful cross-border business jointly founded by Kazakh entrepreneur Toktabayeva Almira Sansiba and her Chinese partner Guli.

Recently, thanks to supportive policies, more than 80 percent of the restaurants, retail stores and accommodation providers inside the cooperation center have completed upgrades to their point-of-sale terminals. The new system supports dual-currency settlement in Chinese yuan and Kazakh tenge, and accepts international credit cards alongside mainstream domestic and overseas mobile payment methods.

 “The process is fast and secure,” Sansiba explained. “Customers simply scan a code to pay. Tenge amounts are automatically converted, and yuan funds arrive directly in our accounts.”

Booming business has turned Horgos into her second home. “I’ve made friends from all over the world. Diners stay for tea and long conversations after meals, just like family. We are no longer mere travelers; we have become part of one big family.”

Beyond creating a business-friendly environment, Horgos has continued to improve public services for foreign residents by leveraging talent policies associated with the pilot free trade zone and its broader opening-up initiatives.

In January last year, Uzbek businessman Bekzati relocated his family to Horgos to start a local business. Unfamiliar with both the language and local policies, he became deeply worried about finding schools for his three children. Community staff proactively reached out and eventually helped resolve his children’s schooling issue.

Catering to the large flow of foreign truck drivers and merchants passing through the port, the Yingtar community in the Horgos Industrial Park subdistrict has launched regular consultation sessions for international residents, targeting and addressing  their practical concerns.

With maturing public services and attentive, inclusive governance, Horgos is becoming a place that overseas merchants not only want to visit, but are also eager to return to, and, for many, a place they now call home.

Smart education opens new possibilities for every student in Yinchuan

By Qin Ruijie, People’s Daily

In Yinchuan, capital of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region, a group of seventh graders from Ningxia No. 15 Middle School have developed a smart bird-repelling system to protect goji berry fields. 

The system automatically detects birds approaching the fields and plays pre-recorded raptor calls to deter them. Powered by AI image recognition, it protects crops without harming wildlife.

This is exactly one example of the school’s efforts to build a distinctive curriculum that integrates general education with AI.

“Several companies have already contacted us about turning the students’ idea into a real product,” said Xie Wei, principal of the school. He summarized the school’s goals in simple terms: “We want to lighten teachers’ workloads and give our students more room to grow.”

The transformation brought by smart education can be felt throughout the campus.

For Chinese teacher Bao Ling, lesson preparation used to be a time-consuming process. “I used to spend several evenings preparing audio and video materials for a single class,” she recalled.

Now, she routinely uses AI tools to turn textbook content into animated lessons. While teaching the essay Pear Blossoms Along the Post Road, she transformed the text into an immersive visual experience, with pear blossoms blooming across the screen and the story unfolding in vivid detail.

“A single video can help students grasp the entire text,” Bao said. “Students are more engaged and spend more time looking up and participating, while lesson preparation has become much more efficient.”

AI has also made literature feel more personal. Through AI-generated characters, students can “talk” with famous Chinese writers such as Lu Xun and Lao She, turning authors into interactive companions rather than distant historical figures.

The changes are equally evident outside the classroom.

For English teacher Ma Yan, oral practice used to be a major challenge. With classes of 50 or 60 students, it was impossible to give everyone enough speaking time during lessons. Homework assignments that required reading aloud often left some students as little more than “silent spectators.”

Now, students record their speaking exercises simultaneously on tablets, and an AI system provides instant evaluations. The system can identify whether pronunciation is accurate, whether intonation is natural, and even whether vowel sounds are being swallowed.

“AI has also greatly accelerated grading,” Ma explained. “After assignments are submitted, the system first identifies common problems, allowing teachers to focus on individual difficulties. It’s like having several teaching assistants in the classroom.”

Across the campus, a dynamic learning-profile system continuously tracks students’ academic progress and pinpoints their weaknesses.

“For example, if a student performs well on reading comprehension but struggles with grammar questions, the system automatically creates a targeted learning group and recommends customized exercises,” Xie said.

Seventh grader Wang Yinuo knows firsthand how much of a difference this can make. He used to avoid speaking English because he lacked confidence in his pronunciation. Today, the intelligent scoring and annotation system on his tablet has changed that.

“Now I’m willing to speak, and I actually enjoy it,” he said.

In a makerspace classroom, Wang demonstrated a smart-home system he designed himself, which can control lights and curtains through voice commands.

“I think learning isn’t just about passing exams,” he said. “It’s about using technology to create something new.”

Yinchuan’s journey toward smart education began years ago. 

In 2018, the education department of Ningxia Hui autonomous region invested 10 million yuan ($1.47 million) and designated Ningxia No. 15 Middle School as a regional model school for an internet-assisted education initiative. Since then, the school has established 17 smart classrooms and equipped students with more than 900 learning devices.

Today, the school has achieved interconnection between the Smart Education of China platform, Ningxia’s smart education platform and its school-based platform. Teachers can access lesson preparation, classroom teaching and teaching research services with a single account.

The platform not only brings together high-quality educational resources from across the autonomous region but also hosts more than 6,000 QR codes linked to key knowledge points, allowing students to learn independently with just one scan.

The digital transformation extends well beyond a single school. Across Ningxia, internet access now reaches 100 percent of schools. Ningxia’s smart education platform has more than 1.6 million registered users and updates over 25 million pieces of high-quality teaching resources every year, covering all educational stages and subjects. The platform supports the entire educational process, from content creation and learning assistance to assessment, monitoring, and management, through cloud-based services.

“Technology must be applied smartly and flexibly to meet each student’s personalized needs,” Xie noted. “At its core, education aims to sustain long-term development. Sound educational practices will light up classrooms far and wide.”