China, ASEAN countries constantly enhance cooperation on automobile industry

By Yang Yi, People’s Daily

Statistics showed that China’s vehicle exports to ASEAN grew 48 percent year-on-year to $5.8 billion last year, accounting for 26 percent of ASEAN’s vehicle imports.

In the first five months this year, China’s vehicle exports to ASEAN still maintained momentum for rapid growth.

The constantly deepening China-ASEAN cooperation in the sector is contributing to the rapid development of the automobile industry of relevant countries.

Last year, Thailand’s vehicle imports from China surged 255 percent, the highest among all ASEAN countries. Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker BYD announced last September to set up a facility in Thailand, which is expected to be put into operation in 2024 and produce 150,000 vehicles annually. The vehicles produced in the factory will be sold domestically and to other ASEAN countries.

Apart from BYD, other Chinese carmakers including Neta and SAIC Motor also plan to build factories for vehicle and key NEV parts in Thailand.

Since SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile, a joint venture between SAIC Motor, General Motors, and Liuzhou Wuling Motors Co., Ltd. built a factory in Cikarang, Indonesia in 2015, the enterprise has constantly upgraded its products based on local demands.

The company sold over 30,000 vehicles in Indonesia in 2022, up 17 percent from a year ago. So far, its total sales in the country has exceeded 100,000 units.

Xu Haidong, vice chief engineer of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers told People’s Daily that Chinese carmakers will witness rapid growth in their direct overseas investment as China’s vehicle exports continue rising.

“More and more Chinese automobile manufacturers are entering the ASEAN market and building facilities there,” Xu noted.

Proton, a car brand established in the 1980s, was once the largest carmaker in Malaysia. However, its development had been stagnant due to its lack of innovation.

In June 2017, Chinese multinational automotive company Geely acquired a 49.9 percent stake in the struggling Malaysian company to help it revive.

In 2019, Proton’s factory in Malaysia’s Tanjong Malim completed expansion and the company started to making profit, doubling its revenue from a year ago.

“After six years of integrated development, Proton has gone through a comprehensive reform in R&D, manufacturing, quality, purchasing and marketing. Its sales and market share have ranked second in Malaysia for four consecutive years,” said Miao Yajun, vice manufacturing president of Proton.

Proton chairman Dato’ Sri Syed Faisal Albar said that Geely has accelerated the development of Proton, which has not only reclaimed the Malaysian market, but also expanded the overseas market.

It is believed that Proton will see more prosperous development supported by Geely’s global system, the chairman added.

In February 2020, China’s Great Wall Motor (GWM) announced to acquire General Motor’s production facilities in Rayong, Thailand. The new factory, with an annual production capacity of 80,000 units, became operational in 2021. Sixty percent of the vehicles produced in the factory are sold domestically.

The factory has not only created over 1,000 jobs for local communities, but also cooperated with local charging operators to develop a charging service map that covers more than 50 percent of Thailand’s public charging network.

Over recent years, ASEAN countries have rolled out a series of incentive policies to promote green development and the electrification of vehicles. Chinese NEVs are favored by more and more consumers from these countries thanks to their performance.

This April, SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile signed a memorandum of understanding on NEV investment with the Indonesian government. According to the document, the company will further expand its investment in Indonesia to strengthen the country’s NEV development.

Last December, Proton sent its employees to Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province for a half-year training program on NEV R&D, production, sales and maintenance, and five months later, the company launched its first hybrid model X90, which marked a huge step forward for the company on the journey of the new energy transition.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said it is expected that Geely and Proton can deepen their cooperation, launch more NEV models, and build Malaysia into an NEV hub of the ASEAN.

Thailand’s KASIKORN Research Center estimated that Thailand’s production of pure electric vehicles (EVs) will hit 50,000 units this year, and the share of Chinese pure EVs will increase from 78 percent in 2022 to 85 percent.

Chinese battery giant CATL recently reached an agreement on cell-to-pack cooperation with Thailand’s Arun Plus, aiming to build Thailand into a battery production center in Southeast Asia.

Chula Sukmanop, secretary general of the Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand, noted that China’s NEV enterprises have brought other companies in the automobile industry to Thailand, too, including those engaged in the manufacturing of auto parts, tires, cells and charging poles. These companies have not only created local jobs, but also launched technical and talent training, which is conducive to improving the quality of the Thai labor force, he added.

FISU World University Games in Chengdu to write new chapter of youth story

By Sun Longfei, Zheng Yi, People’s Daily
The 31st International University Sports Federation (FISU) Summer World University Games kicked off in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan province on July 28, marking a new chapter of the story of youth written by young people across the world.
China is getting closer and closer to the FISU World University Games. The country’s Beijing and Shenzhen held the games in 2001 and 2011, respectively, presenting China’s rapid development to the world. In 2019, Chengdu was officially announced to be the host of the 31st FISU Summer World University Games, becoming the third Chinese city to hold the grand event.
Chengdu is striving to deliver an international sporting spectacle with distinct Chinese characteristics, embodying the spirit of the era, and demonstrating the charm of Sichuan province.
Chengdu has built 13 new gymnasiums and upgraded 36 venues The FISU Games Village comprises both newly constructed apartments and upgraded ones, and its buildings will continue their services after the Games concludes.
Since 2018, Chengdu has aimed to build itself into an international hub for sports events. The experiences and management capability in holding sports events the city has gained over the past years offer strong support for the smooth running of the 31st FISU Summer World University Games. The organizer of the event has been frequently hailed by delegations after their arrivals.
Chengdu has never given up despite the difficulties it met in holding the 31st FISU Summer World University Games, said Brian Carrer, FISU Games Summer Event Manager, adding that he believes the games in Chengdu will be a splendid event.
The FISU World University Games was once nicknamed the “mini Olympics” because of its large scale, large number of participating athletes and high level of competition. However, the concept of the “mini Olympics” is seldom mentioned today, and the FISU World University Games is more like a grand gathering of the young people that builds a platform where they communicate with and learn from each other, and establish friendship.
China’s delegation for the Chengdu Universiade includes 411 athletes who will compete in all the 18 sports. Their average age is 22.9 years old.
Among all Chinese athletes, 94.2 percent of them will make their debut at the World University Games, and 83.6 percent are joining an international comprehensive sports event on behalf of China for the first time.
It is believed that it’s more important to nurture the young generation’s global vision and vitality for competition than to merely pursue athletic performance at the FISU World University Games.
Winning is not the only criterion for success, and success shall also be defined by hard work. Li Xuerui, a member of the Chinese national team of rhythmic gymnastics, practices over 10 hours a day with her team members, just to demonstrate their “strength and beauty” on the carpet.
As a postgraduate student, Li has prepared questionnaires for her research, hoping to communicate with other athletes in non-competing time. The World University Games is a rare opportunity for her to learn, she said.
Basketball games of the Chengdu Universiade will be hosted at the Phoenix Hill Sports Park in Jinniu district of Chengdu. As the home of the Chengdu Rongcheng Football Club of the Chinese Super League, the Phoenix Hill Sports Park is a witness to the enthusiasm of Chengdu citizens for sports.
“Chengdu citizens’ enthusiasm for sports has hit an unprecedented level,” said Li Yanbo, a volunteer of the Chengdu Universiade.
To make sports a part of people’s life is a goal of the Chengdu FISU World University Games. Over the past a few years, Chengdu has built over 5,000 kilometers of fitness trails, along which there are more than 1,700 sites of sports equipment. The city is home to more than 1,500 sports parks, and many idle lands there have been turned into sports fields. Now, sports equipment are seen everywhere in Chengdu and fitness activities are prevalent among Chengdu citizens.
What the Chengdu Universiade brings is not only a pro-sports atmosphere. The young people are creators of a better future. Since Chengdu started preparing for the FISU World University Games, the number of registered young volunteers in the city has increased to 1.39 million from 670,000, and over 6,300 volunteer organizations have been newly established. These young faces demonstrate the vitality, openness and prospects of Chengdu.
Building friendship with sports, gathering strength with cultures and maintaining peace with communication, the Chengdu Universiade will definitely showcase the brand-new image of university sports to the world.

Japan’s ocean discharge plan reveals selfishness, arrogance

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily
Japan’s Fukushima nuclear accident has generated more than 1.3 million tons of contaminated water, which contains more than 60 radionuclides and takes30 years or even longer to be discharged into the ocean. Once the nuclear-contaminated water is discharged, the radionuclides it carries will be diffused into every corner of the sea.
Obviously, the disposal of the nuclear-contaminated water from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plantbears on the marine environment and public health of the whole world.It is by no means Japan’s private matter. Japan should never start its discharge plan before the concerns of all stakeholders and international community are properly addressed.
However, over the past two years, the Japanese side has been bent on implementing the plan and unilaterally pushed through it, trying to force unpredictable risks upon the international society. It fully revealed the country’s selfishness and arrogance.
Japan’s neighbors and the rest of the stakeholders must be fully consulted before any decision is made.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stipulates that when a state becomes aware of cases in which the marine environment is in imminent danger of being damaged or has been damaged by pollution, it shall immediately notify other states it deems likely to be affected by such damage, as well as the competent international organizations, to eliminate the effects of pollution and preventing or minimizing the damage.
As a contracting party of the UNCLOS and the country responsible for the marine pollution, Japan should carry out negotiation with its neighboring countries and the international community without preconditions, and discuss with them over safe and secure disposal plans. Any practice that pushes through Japan’s discharge plan is against the principles of the UNCLOS.
The Japanese side didn’t fully consult with the international community, especially the stakeholders, about its discharge plan. On the contrary, it risks universal condemnation to push through the plan.
In April 2021, the Japanese government unilaterally announced that it will discharge the nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, and it officially approved the discharge plan in July of 2022 in disregard of strong opposition from the international community especially from neighboring countries and other stakeholders, accelerating its preparations for the construction of discharge facilities.
This March, the Japanese side blatantly announced that it will not postpone the implementation of the plan.In June, the Japanese government, turning a deaf ear to the voices of opposition from across the world, started trial operation of the discharge equipment, making another step forward on the unilateral path. This month, it reiterated that the plan will be implemented this summer and remains unchanged.
What the Japanese government has done in the past two years fully proved that the Japanese side is only requesting the international community to accept the preconceived discharge plan and has shown no sincerity for negotiation.
The Japanese government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)had pledged not to start the procedure of the disposal of the nuclear-contaminated water without the understanding of relevant parties, and yet they are now going back on their words and insisting on going ahead with this plan.
Japan’s citizens and neighboring countries, as well as other stakeholders have run out of patience because of what Japan has said and done.
Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)secretary general Henry Puna noted that the Japanese government had pledged that they would stay in communication with the PIF on this matter and that the PIF would have access to all independent and verifiable scientific evidence. He said that so far, unfortunately, Japan has not been cooperating and that they are breaking the commitment.
Pacific Island countries demanded that the way forward should involve comprehensive international consultation not only through theInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) platform but through other relevant platforms such as UNCLOS and the 1972 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (the London Convention). This point deserves high attention from the international community.
Although Japan requested review and assessment from the IAEA out of domestic and international pressure, it didn’t show respect to the organization. The discharge plan was preconceived and always ran ahead of the IAEA review and assessment.
In July last year, Japan officially approved the ocean discharge plan when the IAEA Task Force’s review and assessment mission was still ongoing. In this January, the Japanese side announced unilaterally, ahead of the IAEA Task Force’s review trip to Japan, that the ocean discharge would start in the spring or summer this year.Due to the IAEA’s limited mandate, relevant conclusion in the IAEA report on Japan’s nuclear-contaminated water dischargeis one-sided and has its limitations.
Such stubborn practice revealed to the world that the Japanese side only wants to unilaterally push through the discharge plan, and it has no respect for the IAEA and the task force’s authoritativeness.
Rather than following the principle of friendly negotiation, the Japanese side shifted blame, claiming that China had repeatedly refused Japan’s proposal on conducting expert dialogues based on science. This explains that Japan has never reflected on its erroneous decision to implement the discharge plan. The Japanese side should ask itself what such dialogues can do when its discharge plan is preconceived. If Japan has any sincerity about having consultation, it should announce a suspension of the ocean discharge, allow stakeholders, including neighboring countries, to conduct independent sample analysis of the nuclear-contaminated water, and agree to discuss alternatives to ocean discharge.
If Japan continues to push for ocean discharge, it will only spark stronger opposition. The country should face up to the legitimate concerns from the international community, be responsible for the world’s marine environment and public health, and carry out full and meaningful consultation with stakeholders, including neighboring countries.
(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)
 

China issues new rules on generative AI

By Jin Xin, People’s Daily

China recently issued an interim regulation on the management of generative artificial intelligence (AI) services.

The regulation, jointly launched by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the country’s internet watchdog, and several other authorities, including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education, will go into effect on Aug. 15 this year.

Generative AI is a technology capable of generating text, images, voices, videos, codes and other content based on algorithms, models and rules. It is a new type of AI system that generates original content through learning massive data sets, which is of great significance for people’s well-being, economic development, national security and strategic competition.

A CAC official said that the regulation aims at promoting the sound development of generative AI and its standard applications, safeguarding national security and social interests and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal entities and organizations.

The regulation puts forward a slew of measures to boost innovative development. It encourages innovative applications of generative AI technology in various industries and fields, healthy and positive content with the technology, optimization of application scenarios and a sound ecology for the technology.

It also supports industrial organizations, enterprises, education and scientific research institutions, public cultural institutions and other relevant organizations to carry out collaboration on technological innovation, data resource construction, commercialization and risk prevention of generative AI.

The regulation encourages independent innovation in the algorithms, frameworks, chips and supporting software platforms of generative AI. It also calls for equal and mutually beneficial international cooperation and exchanges on the technology, and supports participation in the formulation of international rules related to the technology.

The booming of generative AI technology has created new opportunities for economic and social development, but has also brought problems such as the spreading of fake information, the infringement of personal information, data safety issues, as well as bias and discrimination.

Therefore, the new regulation requests generative AI service providers and users to obey laws and rules, and respect social morality and ethics.

It clearly stipulates that service providers and users must not jeopardize national security or interests, harm national image, or incite secession. They must not promote terrorism, extremism, ethnic hatred or ethnic discrimination.

Spreading violence, obscenity, fake and harmful information, and other information prohibited by laws and regulations is also forbidden.

To address the possible risks of illegal collection and usage of personal information, as well as infringement of intellectual property rights (IPR), the regulation makes stipulations on respecting IPR and legitimate rights and interests, and improving the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated content.

Services providers shall respect IPR and business ethics. They must not infringe upon the rights of portrait, reputation, honor or privacy, or the personal information of others.

According to the regulation, service providers also need to improve their disposal plans. It is expected to make generative AI services more transparent and prevent the spread of illegal content.

Compared to previous technologies, generative AI has many new features. Based on these features, the regulation better adapts its supervising models to suit innovative development, and encourages relevant departments to adopt more targeted management measures.

Xin Yongfei, director of the Policy and Economic Research Institute, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, told People’s Daily that AI’s black box cannot explain the reasons for its decisions to the public due to its different way of perception from people, which will lead to uncontrollable behaviors that make supervision difficult.

Therefore, the interim regulation on the management of generative AI services maintains previous supervising methods and exercises classified and grading supervision. It sets requirements on security assessment, algorithm recordation and information disclosure, so as to strengthen the supervision and inspection by relevant authorities and improve China’s AI governance system.

The regulation also made stipulations based on other features of AI.

For instance, taking into consideration the massiveness and heterogeneity of AI training data, it stipulates that service providers shall launch and optimize AI training according to the law. By adopting effective measures, service providers will be able to improve the quality of training data and make the data more authentic, precise, objective and diverse.

Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games lights up passion for Esports

By Liu Yao, People’s Daily

The Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 this year. It is attracting more young people as the first Asian Games with Esports as a medal event.

There were seven events under the sport, namely, Arena of Valor Asian Games Version, Game for Peace Asian Games Version, League of Legends, Dota 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, FIFA Online 4 and Street Fighter 5. Most of the games enjoy a broad player base, and some of them have their own events at national, continental or even international levels.

“Esports is a prospering industry in Asia. It is releasing huge potential and connecting people from different backgrounds, cultures and countries,” said Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, vice chairman of the All-China Youth Federation and president of the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF).

Making Esports a medal event of the Asian Games has not only boosted the Chinese Esports industry, but also created opportunities for those engaged in Esports in Asia and even the world at large.

According to a 2023 report on the development of Esports in Asia, the global Esports industry has embraced rapid development after Esports became an official event of the Asian Games. The market-oriented Esports industry is now receiving national-level guidance and continuously expanding its consumption market.

The European Union, the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and some other countries and organizations have acknowledged the strategic value of Esports for national and regional economic development, which provides an important opportunity for the international development of the Esports industry, said Zhang Yijun, deputy director-general of the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association.

The report showed that East Asia boasts the most mature Esports industry in Asia. Besides, the industry is developing rapidly in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, president of the Saudi Esports Federation, noted that Saudi Arabia is charting its own path for Esports development and has begun a national Esports development strategy to establish itself as a global gaming and Esports center by 2030.

He hopes that Saudi Arabia and China can enhance cooperation on Esports and thus set an example for international Esports development and cooperation.

In the report, China ranks first in terms of the index of regional Esports development, and is leading in building Esports clusters and policy supports.

Chen Shaohua, deputy head of the culture, radio, television, tourism and sports bureau of Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province, told People’s Daily that Shenzhen will enhance Esports content creation, foster market players, build a system of Esports events and activities and optimize the environment of the industry development.

In three years, the city aims to build itself as an Esports hub that drives the industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area with national influence, leading Chinese Esports to the world stage.

The inaugural Olympic Esports Week, the first live, in-person edition of the virtual sports series created by the International Olympic Committee, was held in Singapore this June, featuring 10 virtual sports.

Recently, it was confirmed that Esports is set to continue as a medal event for the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Japan.

The continued presence of Esports in the Asian Games boosted the industry’s confidence in sustainable development, said Hou Miao, vice president of Tencent Games and head of its Esports division.

“Being held in different countries and regions, Esports events will give the industry new elements and new strength,” Hou added.

During the preparations for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, Kenneth Fok Kai-kong led the AESF to launch Asia’s first official Esports event Road to Asian Games 2022. He said the event will be upgraded to an Esports Asian Cup the next year and will keep exploring and establishing Esports standards in Asia.

Insiders said that establishing rules, standards and systems for Esports will become a significant topic for the industry as Esports is joining traditional sports events such as the Asian Games.

Zhang said it is important to accelerate the compilation and implementation of key Esports standards, so as to release more economic and cultural benefits to the industry and build a diverse Esports ecology.

Chinese retired pistol shooter Xu Haifeng, the first Chinese athlete to win a gold medal at the Summer Olympics, noted that Esports is currently in a phase to scale new heights with past achievements, and the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games is exactly a chance for Esports to prove its value. The Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games will bring new opportunities to both the Esports industry and athletes, Xu added.

CSOs Pass Vote of Confidence on DSS, Condemn Call for Sack of DG

Rising-Up for a United Nigeria (RUN) has said the call for the removal of the Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS) by Arewa Civil Society Organisations (ACSO) is another plot to distract the attention of the Service and the general public from the ongoing prosecution of criminal cases against highly placed individuals in the country.

Rising-Up for a United Nigeria had earlier asserted that the fracas that occured between the DSS and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) during the arraignment of the suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos was orchestrated by a cabal to tarnish the image of the secret service and welcomed the resolve of the Service to thoroughly investigate the incidence.

The CSO in a statement signed by its National Convener, Amb. Solomon Adodo and Co-Convener, Mallam Suleiman Musa expressed regret that some criminally minded individuals were bent on sabotaging efforts at safeguarding the entire nation just to escape from punishment for their crimes against the people and the state.

Consequently, the CSO called on the security agencies to be vigilant and resolute not to compromise while discharging their constitutional duties stressing that the unity, peace and stability of the nation supercedes interests of any individual or group.

“It is saddening that some Nigerians have sold their consciences to corrupt elements that impoverished them while in office. Information at our disposal shows that those making such baseless call for the removal of the DG of DSS are hired goons of highly placed persons being held for terrorism and financial crimes. We have no doubt that this is a sinister plan to blackmail the federal government and its security agencies particularly the DSS from going on with some high profile terrorism linked corrupt cases it is currently handling including that of Emefiele.

“As a civil society organisation at the forefront of mobilizing the public towards active participation in governance as well as monitoring policy directives, it is imperative that we make intervention when some Individuals are obviously trying to manipulate the system for their criminal and selfish interests. Let it be known that the DSS operates under international best practices and as such, we will be the first to raise alarm if it indulges in any illegality. The Director General of the DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi is a patriot of unimpeachable integrity who is constantly sanitising the Service to maintain set global standards”.

According to the statement, “Emefiele and the cabal behind him have always tried to subvert the law in a desperate attempt to tarnish the impeccable image of the DSS. The incidence at a Lagos Court between the DSS and the NCoS and now the sponsored call for the removal of Bichi as DG of DSS is another grand plot orchestrated by elements loyal to Emefiele to present the DSS as a lawless agency.

“We condemn in strong terms and warn trouble makers to desist from obstructing security agencies. The smear campaigns targeted at the security agencies and the government must be resisted by all well-meaning citizens. This is the time to rise up in solidarity with the nation’s security architecture to defeat crime and criminality.

“The public must disregard the antics of unpatriotic Nigerians who are bent on derailing the DSS from carrying out it’s national security mandate. The DSS operates within the bounds of the law and adheres to international best practices through and through. As the sole agency responsible for national security, the DSS under Mr. Yusuf Bichi has recorded sterling achievements in curbing terrorism which was more rampant in the past. It is therefore not surprising that the enemies of our nation have regrouped under a new banner to thwart the gains recorded. We therefore call on all well-meaning Nigerians to support the agency and shun those trying to whip up sentiments against the Service”, the statement added.

Preparations for 6th CIIE in full swing

By Tian Hong, People’s Daily
The sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE) is scheduled to be held in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10 this year. Less than 100 days are left before the event kicks off. Currently, preparations for the sixth CIIE are in smooth progress.
Sun Chenghai, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, noted that the sixth CIIE will still comprise the country exhibition, the business exhibition, the Hongqiao International Economic Forum (Hongqiao Forum), supporting activities, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchange activities.
The sixth CIIE will resume offline Country Exhibition and invite guest countries of honor. Participating countries are expected to display their sci-tech innovation, advantageous industries and investment environment by setting up exhibition booths and through interactive activities.
So far, many countries have confirmed their participation in the sixth CIIE. The World Trade Organization, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, International Trade Centre and other international organizations will also participate in the event.
The exhibition area of the China pavilion will be expanded to a record 2,500 square meters this year from 1,500 square meters previously, which will display the latest achievements of China’s high-level opening up and high-quality growth.
An area will also be set to showcase the achievements made in the country’s pilot free trade zones during the past decade.
The sixth CIIE will continue to feature six exhibition areas for food and agricultural products, automobile, intelligent industry and information technology, consumer goods, medical equipment and healthcare products, and trade in services respectively.
So far, more than 360,000 square meters of exhibition area has been booked, which meets anticipation.
Enterprises attending the sixth CIIE are of higher importance. The number of Fortune 500 companies and industry-leading enterprises has exceeded that in the previous session.
Fifteen major carmakers, top 10 major medical instrument companies, top 10 industrial electrical enterprises, top three mining giants, top four accounting firms, top three express delivery companies, and top five freight forwarders will gather at the sixth CIIE.
The sixth CIIE will feature more themes of exhibition. On one hand, focusing on high-quality development, it will keep optimizing the exhibitions of energy, low-carbon and environmental protection technology, artificial intelligence, and innovation incubation. On the other hand, it will upgrade its health and elderly care sections and introduce a new “maternal and infant care” category to its exhibition.
Relying on the CIIE exhibitor alliance and professional committees, the CIIE will host an energy development summit, a forum on cooperation in the seed industry, and an international wellness industry conference, to assist innovative development of relevant industries and improve the sense of fulfillment of exhibitors.
The sixth Hongqiao Forum will discuss the core topic of “global openness” while focusing on its functional positioning of “international public goods.” It will comprise a main forum and the “Invest in China Year” summit, and release the World Openness Report 2023. The event will also include several sub-forums on open development, open cooperation, open innovation and open sharing.
Ye Jian, deputy head of Shanghai Customs, said that the customs issued a notice on customs clearance for the sixth CIIE and facilitation measures on relevant customs clearance on July 20. Nineteen supportive policies will be continued, including dispatching officials to offer on-site consulting services, extending the validity of ATA Carnet certificates, allowing exhibits to be transferred to special supervision areas after exhibition concludes, and supporting permanent bonded display transactions.
A supportive measure was newly added this year by the customs, which allows animal and plant products and food that have not complete inspection and quarantine procedures from countries or regions that are free from animal and plant epidemics to join the exhibition after obtaining special approvals.
Besides, the customs will continue to set up a special counter for policy consulting, and open CIIE-exclusive counters and channels at relevant ports, so as to facilitate the customs clearance for exhibition staff and exhibits.

China’s Yangtze River Delta builds momentum for high-quality development with IPR

By Gu Yekai, People’s Daily
The Yangtze River Delta region in east China, one of the country’s economic hubs, boasts high economic vitality, high-level opening up and strong innovation capability. It holds nearly 1/3 of China’s valid patents and a quarter of the country’s valid registered trademarks.
The region enjoys full-chain circulation of intellectual property rights (IPR) factors, which contributes to its high-quality development.
So far, the region has nurtured over 1,800 demonstration enterprises with intellectual property advantages, which drive the comprehensive improvement of the region’s industrial competitiveness. Centering on integrated circuits, biomedicine, artificial intelligence and other key areas, the region established seven industrial IPR operation centers and 24 national-level patent navigation service bases to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies.
Last year, the amount of patent pledge financing in the region jumped 72.6 percent year on year to 186.26 billion yuan ($26.05 billion), accounting for nearly half of China’s total. Besides, the region is also home to 29 national-level IPR protection centers and fast-response IPR service centers, as well as over 400 mediation organizations for IPR disputes.
Focusing on improving mechanisms, smoothening the flow of factors, strengthening protection, optimizing services and deepening reforms, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) is promoting the high-quality integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta with IPR improvement, said Liang Xinxin, spokesperson of the CNIPA.
The three provinces and Shanghai municipality in the Yangtze River Delta region have established complete cooperation mechanisms and made a lot of explorations in strengthening IPR protection, optimizing the business environment and serving market entities, Liang added.
Over recent years, a series of new mechanisms and models related to IPR have been piloted in the region, and achieved positive results.
In Jun 2021, China’s newly amended Patent Law entered into effect, which has added stipulations on a new patent open licensing system. According to the law, after a patentee declares to the patent administrative department to grant an open license and specify the royalty, anyone can exploit the patent in accordance with conditions during the implementation period of the open license.
In May 2022, Shanghai took the lead to pilot the open license. “Open license has built a bridge for universities, research institutions and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to transfer and commercialize their achievements,” said Rui Wenbiao, head of Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration.
According to Rui, 50 enterprises and institutions in Shanghai have opened 240 patents, and 58 of them are free of charge. The city has introduced 610 patents opened by patentees outside of Shanghai, including Tsinghua University. Shanghai Jiao Tong University has reached a 10-million-yuan deal of an open license with an enterprise, Rui said.
The mechanism of the patent open license is just a miniature of the institutional innovation made by the Yangtze River Delta in IPR.
In April 2023, Hefei of Anhui province issued the first intellectual property securitization for SMEs that feature specialization, refinement, uniqueness and innovation in the region, with a scale of 123.5 million yuan.
Zhejiang province, which is adjacent to Anhui, took the lead in undertaking a pilot reform of the data IPR. It has launched China’s first public deposit platform for data IPR, and issued the country’s first rule for data IPR protection for open-source communities and first pledge standard on data IPR, so as to make data ownership clearer, better exploit IPR and make proofing of IPR easier, said Gu Wenhai, deputy director of Zhejiang province’s intellectual property administration.
China’s first national pilot project for the standardization of data IPR also landed in Zhejiang, Gu told People’s Daily.
Boehringer Ingelheim, a German multinational pharmaceutical company, owns patents of its self-developed innovative medicines in its Shanghai office.
“We feel the importance attached by the Chinese government to IPR protection and to maintaining fair market competition,” said an executive of the company.
As the number of patents owned by foreign enterprises in China keeps growing, IPR is contributing significantly to the high-level opening up of the country.
In the Yangtze River Delta region, Shanghai has launched a special campaign for the protection of foreign companies’ IPR for three years in a row, during which over 60 IPR disputes and infringement cases were handled.
Shanghai, in collaboration with intellectual property departments from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, has carried out regular dialogues and exchanges for foreign enterprises to understand their demands for IPR protection, and inform them of IPR laws, regulations, services and measures.
To assist China’s high-level opening up, the CNIPA launched pilot programs aiming at establishing permanent representative offices of foreign patent agencies in IPR service clusters, including the Suzhou New District and the Jiangning district of Nanjing, Jiangsu province, building them into international hubs of IPR services,” said Liang.

Building Beautiful China contributes to global environment governance

By He Yin, People’s Daily

A national conference on ecological and environmental protection recently held in Beijing received wide attention from international personages.

They hailed China’s remarkable achievements made in the building of an ecological civilization, and recognized its firm determination to build a Beautiful China and to keep leading global environment governance on a new journey.

China is the world’s largest developing country. The remarkable achievements it has made in ecological civilization construction have inspired the world, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to the global ecological civilization construction.

The international community has attached high importance to China’s experiences in building ecological civilization, which calls for both science-based theoretical guidance and unswerving practice.

China has accelerated the green and low-carbon transformation of our development modes, maintained green and low-carbon development as the fundamental solution to ecological and environmental issues, accelerated the formation of green production modes and lifestyles, and laid a green foundation for high-quality development.

Today, the country has established the world’s largest clean power generation system, with the world’s largest installed capacity of hydropower, wind power, and solar power.

China focuses on a harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature in planning its development, and is continuously fostering new driving forces and new strengths for development through high-level environmental protection, which sheds light on other countries facing the same tasks of realizing development while protecting the environment.

China keeps up with the times with a global vision. It has assumed its responsibility as a major country, leading in global environment governance.

The country has played an active role in international cooperation. It has deepened its cooperation with other Belt and Road countries and regions on ecological and environmental protection, as well as sustainable development.

China established a South-South cooperation fund on climate change and the Kunming Biodiversity Fund. It also included green development projects in the nine programs of China-Africa cooperation.

Erik Solheim, former executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, noted that the concept of ecological civilization practiced by China mirrors a positive thinking that aims at creating a better world for all.

China’s economy and society have entered a stage of high-quality development marked by faster progress in promoting green and low-carbon growth. Its ecological civilization construction is still at a critical phase amid overlapping pressures and heavy burdens.

At the national conference on ecological and environmental protection, Chinese President Xi Jinping systematically developed strategic plans of building a Beautiful China in an all-round way, which offered fundamental guidance for further strengthening ecological and environmental protection and promoting ecological civilization.

When global environmental governance is still facing various challenges, China is planning its ecological and environmental protection on the new journey from a higher position and with a broader vision and greater endeavors, which will inject new impetus into building a clean and beautiful world and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

China’s commitments and actions on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality are unswerving, but the path towards the goals as well as the manner, pace and intensity of efforts to achieve them should and must be determined by the country itself, rather than swayed by others.

Global climate governance shall uphold multilateralism, adhere to the goals and principles set out in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, and follow the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

While pursuing the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality and implementing the “1+N” policy framework, China will continue to provide assistance to other developing countries to the best of its ability.

Building a beautiful China is an important target for building a modern socialist country in all respects. China will continue to pursue a model of sound development featuring improved production, higher living standards, and healthy ecosystems to ensure the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.

The country will keep assisting the global ecological civilization with its own new achievements in ecological civilization, and work with other countries to make greater contributions to building a clean and beautiful world.

IAEA report cannot justify Japan’s wastewater discharge plan

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently released a report on the disposal of nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) immediately issued the certificate to the plant’s operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) on facilities for discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean.

The Japanese government recently claimed again that its discharge plan remains unchanged.

These actions prove that the Japanese side is trying to take the IAEA report as a permit for its discharge plan, in order to whitewash its erroneous decision to release nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean.

What Japan is doing is totally self-deception. Japan knows clearly how the IAEA report was made.

It didn’t invite the IAEA task force to launch relevant assessments until it unilaterally announced the discharge plan in April 2021, and the mandate was limited only to the evaluation of the ocean discharge plan. This is confirmed in the preface of the report by the IAEA director general.

It fully indicates that the Japanese side has already decided to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, and the invitation to the IAEA was just “window dressing.”

Instead of eliminating the international community’s doubts about Japan’s discharge plan, the IAEA report triggered more questions.

Due to the limited mandate, the IAEA has only reviewed and assessed the data and information provided unilaterally by Japan, and conducted inter-laboratory comparative analysis for a small amount of samples of nuclear-contaminated water collected unilaterally by Japan.

The IAEA failed to review the justification and legitimacy of Japan’s ocean discharge plan, assess the long-term effectiveness of Japan’s purification facilities and corroborate the authenticity and accuracy of Japan’s nuclear-contaminated water data. It didn’t verify alternative plans, either.

The sampling of nuclear-contaminated water is grossly unrepresentative, and the relevant conclusions are limited and one-sided. The report is far from convincing.

The report clearly pointed out that the IAEA provides neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of Japan’s ocean discharge plan. The report should not be the “shield” or “greenlight” for Japan’s discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean.

Though the IAEA assessed the security of nuclear-contaminated water processed by TEPCO’s Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), the report still cannot guarantee the reliability and long-term effectiveness of the system.

The ALPS, as a key facility in Japan’s discharge plan, was put into trial operation in 2013. It was not certificated by the NRA until March 2022.

In fact, the system was not doing well during its trial operation. Four leakage incidents were reported in 2016, and two years later, it was found that radioactive substances including Strontium in nuclear-contaminated water treated by the ALPS were above the acceptable level.

Besides, nearly half of the filters used to absorb radioactive substances in the exhaust broke down in 2021.

It proves that the ALPS is not technically mature and whether it can work safely remains a question.

Japan’s discharge of nuclear-contaminated water will last as long as 30 years or even longer. The continuous aging of relevant equipment will further aggravate the non-compliance of nuclear-contaminated water to be discharged.

It’s a big mistake for the Japanese side to take the IAEA report as a “greenlight.” In fact, the IAEA has no right to dispose of radioactive substances.

Japan’s discharge plan was assessed by a technical working group assigned by the IAEA director general, but the report failed to reflect the views of all experts that participated in the assessment. The conclusion was not shared by all experts.

It is reported when the IAEA Secretariat sought opinions from the technical working group on the draft report, the experts were given very limited time, and there were no further discussions and consultations before the report was released.

According to a report by South Korean media, an anonymous source said that the Japanese government had obtained the draft report in advance and even proposed substantive revision suggestions, exerting inappropriate influence on the conclusion of the final report. This further exacerbated the international community’s concerns over Japan’s discharge plan, and triggered people’s doubt about the fairness and objectiveness of the report.

The disposal of nuclear-contaminated water at the station concerns the ecological and environmental safety of the Asia-Pacific region and the world, as well as the lives and health of people from all countries. The discharge plan has no precedent, and shall not be “greenlighted.”

Rather than draining its brain to have its discharge plan endorsed by the IAEA, Japan should face up to the concerns of the international community and its own citizens, halt the plan, dispose of nuclear-contaminated water in a science-based, safe and transparent manner, and stay open to strict supervision by the international community.

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