Nigeria Times

By Wang Hailin, People’s Daily

At the track and field events of the Hangzhou Asian Games, people’s attention was drawn to several “robot dogs” handling discus and javelin back and forth. After completing their assigned tasks of transporting equipment, these four-legged machines would wait obediently at the sidelines for their next commands.

These “robot dogs” are also known as quadruped robots. Shen Hongbin, a Chinese technology officer of the competition department of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee, said using “robot dogs” to transport sports equipment like discuses and javelins could greatly save manpower and ensure safety.

Intelligence was one of the key concepts of the Hangzhou Asian Games, and the “robot dogs” used in track and field events exactly embodied the vision of a smart Asian Games.

At the Hangzhou Asian Games Village, passengers lined up early at an augmented reality (AR) bus demonstration area. Buses there employed visual perception, laser radar perception, and other technologies to operate, without the intervention of a safety personnel. Those buses could predict pedestrian and vehicle movements, automatically planning and executing avoidance programs.

With the on-board AR function, passengers could not only see real-time scenes outside the bus when observing through the window, but also view virtual scenarios such as the mascots and sports events. This created a magical fusion of virtual reality with real-life scenes.

From debuting a digital torchbearer to introducing electronic ID registration, and to exploring 5.5G technology, the use of digital technologies and technical innovations at the Hangzhou Asian Games has helped break through the limitations of time and space, allowing more people to participate in the sports events virtually and fully enjoy the excitement of sports.

By Wu Yong, People’s Daily

The horse-head fiddle, also known as the morin khuur, is a representative musical instrument of the Mongolian ethnic group. It is named so because of its neck surmounted by a carved horse head. The making of a horse-head fiddle involves dozens of processes, and high craftsmanship is required to manufacture a great one.

In a workshop of a horse-head fiddle factory run by farmer-turned craftsman Ma Wangsheng in a business incubator for university students in the economic and technological development zone of Ulanhot, Hinggan league, north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, more than a dozen craftsmen were busy making horse-head fiddles, while Ma was providing detailed instructions to each of them regarding important aspects to focus on.

“The horse-head fiddle has changed my life. The craftsmen here are also farmers, and I want to make their lives better via the business of horse-head fiddle manufacturing,” Ma said.

Since last year, Hinggan league has been implementing a rural craftsman nurturing program, which, by continuously improving training systems and strengthening evaluation and incentives, aims to tap the leading role of rural craftsmen in driving the development of characteristic industries, with a goal to increase the income of farmers and herdsmen through imparting practical skills.

When Ma was 19 years old, he worked part time as a student and developed a connection with the horse-head fiddle. He told People’s Daily that making a horse-head fiddle involves several major processes, including material selection, cutting, and the manufacturing of the sound box, neck, and horse head. These processes are further broken down into dozens of smaller steps, each of which captivates him, he added.

As a stringed instrument, stringing is one of the key steps for making a horse-head fiddle. Ma explained that the strings of the horse-head fiddle are made of two bundles of nylon threads, with each thread thinner than a hair.

“Only by ensuring each strand maintains its position and order, and the tension across all the strings is even, the tone can be made clear and resonant after stringing. Otherwise, it will sound ‘muted’,” he said.

The People’s Daily reporter took a bundle of strings that Ma had prepared and tried stringing it following Ma’s demonstration. Though it looked simple, the reporter had to use all his strength. His fingers ached but the strings were still unevenly tightened, producing nothing but “muted strings.”

“It takes practice to perfect the technique. It took me about seven or eight years of practice to be able to string the instrument so that the tones produced are consistently clear and resonant,” Ma noted.

In 2022, the man’s exquisite craftsmanship earned him recognition as a representative inheritor for making stringed instrument of the Mongolian ethnic group, an intangible cultural heritage of Hinggan league.

Today, Ma’s factory employs over 20 workers, all from nearby villages. Craftsman Bagertule was once a farmer in a neighboring village. When the factory first opened, he worked for the factory in his spare time. Under Ma’s guidance, Bagertule’s fiddle-making skills grew increasingly adept, and he became a full-time carver of the fiddles’ horse heads. Last month, he earned a salary of 13,000 yuan ($1,807).　　

In June this year, Ma was awarded the title of advanced rural craftsman in Hinggan league. This honor was intended to inspire him to remain deeply rooted in his community, using his practical expertise to lead farmers and herdsmen in cultivating distinctive local industries and boosting incomes.

Rural craftsmen are mainly those engaged in traditional crafts and rural handcraft industries. They remain deeply embedded in the countryside, inheriting and advancing traditional skills as well as adapting and applying them. These craftspeople catalyze development of local industries and employment opportunities for farmers.

In November 2022, the National Rural Revitalization Bureau along with seven other departments jointly released a guidance on nurturing rural craftsmen. Based on the document, Hinggan league formulated relevant methods for identifying and nurturing rural craftsmen.

“The evaluation and certification of craftsmen is intended to both inherit fine traditional culture and promote rural cultural revitalization, as well as to boost rural industrial development and invigorate the rural craftsmen group. We hope to build brands of rural craftsmen and drive steady income growth for the people,” said Wang Dayi, an official in Hinggan league.

Since last year, Hinggan league has cultivated and certified over 400 rural craftsmen across various domains including agriculture, construction, home services, rural e-commerce, and traditional crafts. Around 4,000 people have been employed or started their own businesses under the mobilization of these craftsmen. Hinggan league has also accredited 45 vocational skill training institutions to train more rural craftsmen.

“I didn’t expect making horse-head fiddles could earn me the title of rural craftsman. This is tremendously encouraging as I continue my instrument-making endeavor,” Ma said excitedly.

It is learned that to better leverage the leading role of rural craftsmen, Hinggan league provides incentive mechanisms to support them in establishing innovation and entrepreneurship incubation and training bases. Priority services and subsidies are also given to rural craftsmen, including information technology support, financing assistance, and more.

“I owe today’s success to the government’s policy support. From the initial startup period, I have benefitted from interest-free startup loans, free venue usage and other preferential policies,” Ma explained.

“I will do my best to give back to society.” After being named a rural craftsman, Ma felt an even greater sense of responsibility. He said he aims to engage more farmers and herdsmen in horse-head fiddle production, so that they can gain more money and live better lives.

By Li Xinping, Lu Zehua, People’s Daily

Across the vast Eurasian continent, the tinkling of camel bells once rang along the ancient Silk Road. Today, the rumbling “steel camels” are running along tirelessly.

After 10 years of development, the China-Europe freight train service has accumulated 77,000 trips, transporting 7.31 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods worth over $340 billion. It has become an important bridge for international economic and trade cooperation.

Up to now, the China-Europe freight trains connect 112 cities in China and reach over 200 cities in 25 European countries and regions, as well as over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries and regions along the route. It opens up new channels for land transportation between Asia and Europe.

At the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) logistics cooperation base in east China’s Jiangsu province, cargos are transferred from freight trains to vessels, waiting to be shipped overseas.

At a cargo consolidation hub for the China-Europe freight trains in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning province, cranes are hoisting containers marked “CHINA Railway” onto trains.

At the Erenhot Port in north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, China-Europe freight trains stand ready to depart after inspections and load switching.

According to the data from China Railway, the China-Europe freight train service has three main corridors – western corridor, eastern corridor and middle corridor – through six border crossings. There are now 86 routes operating on a routine basis at 120 km/h, forming the network of international intermodal transport between Asia and Europe.

Ports are important nodes along the China-Europe freight train routes, where trains complete procedures such as load switching, customs declaration, customs clearance, and exit.

Over the past 10 years, countries along the China-Europe freight train routes have strengthened the capacity expansion of existing ports, opened new ports, and continuously improved international intermodal transport capabilities to meet the growing demand.

The Manzhouli railway port in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, after going through multiple upgrades, has doubled its daily loading capacity to 840 TEUs from the number in 2020, making international intermodal transport more efficient and convenient.

According to data from China Railway, in 2022, the numbers of China-Europe freight trains passing through Alashankou, Horgos, Manzhouli, Erenhot, and Suifenhe ports reached 5,141, 3,150, 4,838, 2,549 and 884, respectively, up by 3,981, 3,080, 4,527, 2,388, and 884 compared to 2016.

Over the past decade, China-Europe freight trains have built an all-weather, high-capacity, green and low-carbon logistics channel, creating a new landscape for international transportation cooperation.

Statistics show that the China-Europe freight train service offers a cost advantage of approximately 1/5 compared to air transportation for shipping goods from China to Europe. Additionally, the transportation time is approximately 1/4 of that of sea transportation.

The service boasts high stability, and thus remains a reliable choice for meeting specific logistics needs that prioritize factors such as high value-added services and strict adherence to delivery timelines.

“Not only that, the average carbon emission of China-Europe freight trains is 1/15 of air transportation and 1/7 of road transportation. This plays a positive role in responding to global climate change and achieving sustainable transportation development,” said an executive with the freight transportation department of China Railway.

Multimodal transportation of rail-sea, rail-road, and rail-air will better unleash the efficiency of China-Europe freight trains.

According to the National Development and Reform Commission, currently there are 29 routes of China-Europe freight trains starting from coastal ports such as Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, and Lianyungang. Cities like Guangzhou and Chengdu have built new rail-air cross-border e-commerce export models relying on the China-Europe freight train service, promoting integrated logistics development.

The range of goods transported between China and Europe via the China-Europe freight trains continues to expand. Starting from China, the trains now carry 53 major categories of goods, expanding from mobile phones and computers initially to vehicles, mechanical equipment, electronic products, and more. From Europe to China, the categories have grown from timber, automobiles and spare parts to electromechanical products, food, and medical devices.

The China-Europe freight train service is seeing robust growth. In the first eight months of this year, 11,638 trips were made, carrying over 1.26 million TEUs of goods, up 10 percent and 23 percent respectively compared to the same period last year. With this momentum, the “steel camels” will bring even more opportunities for international economic and trade cooperation.

He Yin, People’s Daily

“The vision of a global community of shared future stands on the right side of history and on the side of human progress. It introduces a new approach for international relations, provides new ideas for global governance, opens up new prospects for international exchanges, and draws a new blueprint for a better world.”

The white paper titled “A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions” recently issued by China’s State Council Information Office provides a profound explanation of the historical background, rich connotations, implementation paths, and vivid practices of building a global community of shared future.

It helps people from all sectors of society and the international community have a more comprehensive understanding of the far-reaching significance of building a global community of shared future. It also provides a clearer understanding of the great goals of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. Furthermore, it consolidates the broad consensus and strong momentum for jointly building a global community of shared future.

The world is undergoing changes on a scale unseen in a century. Various problems old and new and complex issues are converging with and compounding each other. The peace deficit is growing, the development deficit ballooning, and the security deficit glaring.

In March 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping propounded the idea of building a global community of shared future, answering a question raised by the world, by history, and by the times: “What is wrong with this world, what we should do about it.” His proposal lights the path forward as the world fumbles for solutions, and represents China’s contribution to global efforts to protect the shared home and create a better future of prosperity for all.

The vision of building a global community of shared future complies with the prevailing trend of interdependence throughout history, responds to the needs of the times to tackle global challenges, and echoes the popular calls for peace, justice and progress.

Under the personal guidance and promotion of Xi, the building of a global community of shared future has evolved from a vision to action, and grown stronger. It has steadfastly adhered to the viable path amidst changing winds and storms, and has made remarkable achievements in the face of crises and challenges, demonstrating its leadership in shaping the era.

Over the past decade, the vision of building a global community of shared future has become increasingly refined. From state visits to multilateral summits, Xi has systematically expounded on this significant concept on various international occasions, continuously deepening the international community’s understanding of it.

Xi proposed to forge partnerships in which countries treat each other as equals, engage in mutual consultation and show mutual understanding, create a security environment featuring fairness, justice, joint efforts, and shared interests, promote open, innovative and inclusive development that benefits all, increase inter-civilization exchanges to promote harmony, inclusiveness, and respect for differences, and build an ecosystem that puts Mother Nature and green development first. He also emphasized the importance to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity.

With its connotations and paths constantly deepened and expanded, the vision of building a global community of shared future has gradually formulated a science-based theoretical system pursuing the five goals for the world and the common values of humanity, with building a new type of international relations as the fundamental path, the Belt and Road Initiative as an important platform, and the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative as a crucial cornerstone.

The vision of building a global community of shared future conforms to the trend of the times and charts the course for improving global governance. It envisions a world characterized by openness and inclusiveness, equity and justice, harmonious coexistence, diversity and mutual learning, and unity and cooperation. It calls for peaceful development rather than conflict and confrontation, common security rather than absolute security, mutual benefit rather than zero-sum games, and exchange and mutual learning rather than a clash of cultures, as well as for green development to protect our planet.

Such a vision rises above the exclusive rules of bloc politics, the notion of might makes right, and the “universal values” defined by a handful of Western countries. It sets a new example for the theory of international relations and serves as a great banner that leads the trend of the times and the direction of human progress.

International dignitaries pointed out that the vision of building a global community of shared future outlines the path to achieve the grand vision of all humanity and charts the course for human development and progress, bringing hope for building a free, just, and beautiful world.

The vision of building a global community of shared future adheres to peace and cooperation, providing an important guideline for achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

It mirrors the common values shared by all humanity, and reflects the broadest common aspiration of the peoples of all countries in pursuit of peace, development, and stability, and the broadest consensus among countries with different cultural backgrounds and at different stages of development. It has won broad understanding and support from the international community.

The vision has been included in United Nations General Assembly resolutions for six consecutive years and has been repeatedly incorporated into resolutions or declarations of multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS. From bilateral to multilateral occasions, and from regional to global levels, China has been forging communities with a shared future in different forms with dozens of countries and regions.

In the face of global challenges, all countries in the world are in the same big boat. Whatever they may encounter on their journey ahead, the only right choice is to work together for the benefit of all.

Only when all countries work together, only when they align individual interests with the interests of all, and only when they truly build a global community of shared future, can humanity sail towards a better future.

By Zheng Yi, People’s Daily

Since the opening of the Hangzhou Asian Games, many touching moments and brilliant stories have unfolded both on and off the fields.

All-out competitions as well as heartwarming behaviors have emerged. These inspiring stories haveshown the splendor of sport and brought people together in friendship.

In the women’s 1500m freestyle final, as all other swimmers reached the finish line, one athlete from Vietnam remained alone in the pool, striving tirelessly to the end. The crowd cheered for her with shouts again and again, paying tribute to her indomitable spirit.

Even finishing last, she forged ahead with all her strength. The competitive arena glorifies not just victory but the sporting ethos of exceeding one’s limits.

In the tennis women’s singles match,Ushna Suhail of Pakistan still wore a radiant smile after her loss. Departing the court, she enthusiastically exchanged badges with Chinese player Zhu Lin.

Though having varied performances, athletes from across Asia united in Hangzhou with a common wish to foster exchange and friendship.

In the men’s 3×3 basketball, players from the Maldives were at a significant height disadvantage compared to their opponents, which made it extremely difficult for them to score inside. Yet the team persevered, tirelessly running outside to seek opportunities to shoot.

One of them said after the game that the opponentswere far more competitive, but he and his team still battled on and made progress. Striving bit by bit, they wrote their own story of perseverance at the Asian Games.

In the men’s volleyball final, against the formidable Iranian team, China’s young squad battled with every ounce of effort. Though the long-sought victory eluded them, earning an Asian Games silver after 17 years marked the team’s growth.

“We will depart tomorrow for the Paris Olympic qualifying tournament,” said head coach Wu Sheng of the Chinese team. Continuously learning from its experiences and charting a path for advancement, this young team is setting out afresh with hope, he added.

The stories of perseverance at the Hangzhou Asian Games inspire people with their transcendent spirit and hopeful visions. The interactions fostering bonds of friendship between athletes, and between athletes and spectators, have sown the seeds of “Heart to Heart, @Future.” The Hangzhou Asian Games has presented the ethos of openness and inclusiveness to the world.

By Ji Fang, People’s Daily

Since the start of the Hangzhou Asian Games, athletes from various countries have been competing fiercely and striving for excellence, showcasing the power of sports and the charm of athletics. Watching the exciting Asian Games has become a new option for the Chinese people to spend their Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday.

The Chinese delegation debuted on the stage of the Asian Games in Tehran, Iran in 1974. Since then, Chinese athletes have constantly achieved outstanding results and broken records at the event.

From the Beijing Asian Games in 1990 to the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010, and now the Hangzhou Asian Games, the event has partnered with China three times, witnessing the development of China’s economy and society.

Hosting the Asian Games has not only accelerated the growth of China’s sports industry and facilitated urban transformation, but also prompted reflection on the deeper meaning behind organizing major sporting events.

China has continuously shown its competitiveness and strength during major international sporting events such as the Asian Games and the Olympic Games. Over the past half-century, the journey of the Chinese delegation in the Asian Games reflected the country’s relentless efforts in the realm of sports.

In terms of promoting nationwide fitness activities, hosting high-level sporting events has ignited a sports frenzy and further fueled people’s enthusiasm for participating in sports activities. During this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, many people have plans to watch the Asian Games and engage in physical exercise. The enthusiasm generated by the Asian Games has injected new vitality into the development of nationwide fitness and the sports industry.

From the initial preparation stage, the Hangzhou Asian Games has been aiming to benefit the people. Through measures such as opening Asian Games venues to the public, utilizing idle urban spaces, and organizing mass sports events, the public has been better motivated to participate in sports activities.

The sports ecosystem is becoming increasingly robust, allowing more people to transition from being spectators to active participants, thus strengthening the connection between the Asian Games and the general public.

Sports bring vibrancy to people’s lives, and China’s third time hosting the Asian Games is opening a new and inspiring chapter for the country’s sports undertaking.