Nigeria Times

By Zheng Yi, People’s Daily

From establishing online hospital platforms, to launching surgical robots, and to building intelligent pharmacies, efforts have been made across China over the recent years to enrich the application scenarios of smart hospitals, with an aim to bring better medical services to the people.

The intelligent transition of the Liuzhou Worker’s Hospital in Liuzhou, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is a great example.

Li Fangfang recently had her first-ever hospital visit to the Liuzhou Worker’s Hospital. When she just arrived there, she opened on her mobile phone an in-hospital navigation mini program developed by the hospital and was soon guided to the cardiovascular department, the department she had registered for.

“It’s so convenient. I’ll never go the wrong way though the hospital is big,” Li said.

After entering the consulting room, Li explained her symptoms to cardiologist Xia Meng. “My chest has been feeling tight lately, and I don’t know why,” she told Xia.

Though Li had never been to the Liuzhou Worker’s Hospital, all of the medical images she had at other hospitals in Liuzhou were available to Xia.

According to Xia, the Liuzhou Worker’s Hospital was connected to a cloud platform launched by Liuzhou on April 1 this year, which records all diagnostic test results and case history of registered patients.

Doctors can also obtain patients’ ultrasound images, pathology images and magnetic resonance images, Xia told People’s Daily, adding that patients don’t have to take physical images with them when going to hospital, which is more convenient.

“Open the mini program of the hospital, pay on your phone and then you can get your prescription filled at the pharmacy,” Xia told Li after the diagnosis was over.

When Li arrived at the pharmacy, she saw two prescription vending machines loaded with various types of medicines.

“After patients pay the fees, their prescriptions will be transferred to the pharmacy. Then we print and scan the bar codes that carry their information, and the prescription will be automatically filled by the machines,” said Shi Yedui, associate chief pharmacist of the hospital’s department of pharmacy.

When Li was about to leave the hospital, a volunteer reminded her that she could consult doctors on the mini program if she had any questions about her illness and medication.

“It’s great to get free consultation with doctors anytime I want,” Li said.

At 9:00 am, there were many patients waiting to get blood tests at the clinical lab on the second floor of the outpatient building of the Liuzhou Worker’s Hospital.

“From drawing to sorting blood samples, we are assisted by automatic devices,” Wu Hao, chief technician of the clinical lab, told People’s Daily.

According to him, after a technician scans the QR code of a patient, an empty test tube with a barcode would pop out, and all the technician needs to do is to take the sample and put it onto a conveyor belt.

The conveyor would then carry the tube to the lab, where the blood sample is classified according to specific test requirements by a full-automatic system for mass spectrometry for the identification of microorganisms, Wu said.

The automatic system cuts the time of blood sampling by 40 percent to 50 percent, and is nearly twice as fast as manual operations.

Automatic devices are also widely applied in operating rooms. At around 7:00 pm, Wu Dongbo, director of the Inpatient Ward No.1 of the hospital’s general surgery department was performing a resection surgery with the assistance from a surgical robot. A robotic arm was seen moving near the operating table, while Wu was controlling the robotic arm at a control center 5 meters away from the patient.

“The surgical robot is capable of magnifying images 40 times at most, which provides clearer visions and thus makes surgeons more decisive,” said Zhang Yanzhuo, director of the anesthesiology department, adding that the robot can also significantly reduce the time of operation as it has higher limits than human hands.

Deputy chief nurse of the anesthesiology department’s operating room Liao Liwen told People’s Daily that families of patients can track the progress of surgeries on the hospital’s mini program. The operating room is also cyber-connected to the inpatient building, so that the departments where patients are registered can obtain first-hand information, Liao added.

Besides, the Liuzhou Worker’s Hospital also employs an intelligent logistics system to send medicines, specimens and consumables between departments. The system has 41 stations, and it takes about only six minutes for each run on average. It has carried a total of over 450,000 boxes since being put into use, or 485 per day averagely, significantly improving the efficiency of in-hospital logistics.

“In the future, we’ll further utilize artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other technologies to build a big data center with clinical medicine, scientific research and commercial operation at the core, so as to provide better, more efficient and more convenient medical services for patients,” said Huang Haixin, president of the Liuzhou Worker’s Hospital.

Intriguing Fixtures in Round 16

By-Alambo Datonye Fred

It was a goal harvest in the Round of 32 at the ongoing 2023 Bayelsa Governor’s Cup, tagged “Prosperity Cup”.

A total of 54 goals were scored in the Round out of the 16 games played. This gave an average of an impressive 3.4 goals per match.

Crusaders Feeders FC of Peretoru, champions in the 2019 edition surprised even themselves as they slaughtered Everton FC Ikolo , pumping fifteen goals past their hapless and helpless opponents at the Samson Siasia Stadium on Saturday.

On Sunday at the same venue, Kiri Pogu Owokiri of Nembe lost 1-2 to Dream Academy School of Yenagoa just as Buotoru FC Igbedi bowed 0-1 to Akenfa FC at the Tombia Center while Dream Boys FC, Odi humbled Yenigue FC 4-0. NUJ Bayelsa State Council overpowered Ikolo FC, 4-0.

On Monday at the Army College, Ebedebiri Field, Agge United slumped to a 0-3 defeat to Agbere FC as Azagbene Federated Community were trounced 0-4 by Ofoni United.

At the Niger Delta University, Amassoma venue, Ayisco FC Ogboinbiri pipped Rose of Sharon FC 1-0 with Oporoma FC also edging out Onopa FC 1-0 in a thrilling encounter .

In the games decided on Friday , Odioma FC pipped Apret FC Imiringi 2-1 at the Nembe Center while Otuasega Movers FC triumphed 4-3 on penalties over over Moses FC, Sangana after playing 1-1 in regulation time.

At the Swali Center, Biseni United crushed Okodi FC 4-nil, as De Grace FC outscored Amassoma United 3-1.

On Saturday at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Bayelsa United Feeders humbled Ayamalem FC 3-0, with Shegbelite FC beating Igbogene FC 9-8 in a nail bitting penalty shoot out after both teams played a barren draw in regulation time while Ogbo United dismantled Ogbolo FC 3-nil.

For the round of 16 the following matches are scheduled;

At the
SAMSON SIASIA CENTRE:
WEDNESDAY 5th JULY

Shegbelite FC vs Bayelsa Utd Feeders FC
1pm

Ogbo United FC Ikibiri vs Crusaders Feeders FC 3pm

THURSDAY 6th JULY at SAMSON SIASIA STADUIM

Biseni United FC vs De Grace FC 1pm

Dreams Academy Sch vs NUJ BYC 3pm

AT THE AMASSOMA CENTRE* ON
FRIDAY 7TH JULY

Ayisco Fc Ogboinbiri Vs Oporoma Fc 1pm

AT THE
NEMBE CITY STADUIM: ON SATURDAY 8th July

Odioma United FC vs Otuasega Movers 1pm

AND FINALLY ON SUNDAY 9th JULY AT THE
SAMSON SIASIA STADUIM:

Ofoni Utd Fc Vs Agbere Fc 1pm

Akenfa FC vs Dream Boys FC Odi 3pm

By Yin Jie, Cao Ruitong

Seniors are one of the most active groups in China’s tourism industry today. They are taking scenic train rides to the mountains to avoid the summer heat, traveling around the world on cruise ships and even camping in the wild.

According to the China Tourism Academy, there will be over 100 million healthy young-old travelers in China who travel frequently and are willing to spend money on their tours by the end of 2025, and the silver tourism market is expected to hit a trillion yuan ($138.18 billion) by then.

Chinese online travel agency platform Tongcheng Travel said silver tourism is one of the most powerful segments driving the recovery of the Chinese tourism market this year.

Senior tourists now make up the majority of the customers of travel agencies, said vice president of the company Yin Shuhu.

Seniors have more free time and their health conditions have been constantly improved. Besides, they are much wealthier than before. These all make it easier for seniors to go on trips and have laid a solid foundation for the rapid development of silver tourism.

The aging society in China also contributes to the rapid development of silver tourism. As of the end of 2022, the number of Chinese people aged 60 or above accounted for 19.8 percent of China’s total population. The National Health Commission estimates that the figure would exceed 30 percent around 2035.

Today, more and more seniors from medium- and small-sized cities and rural areas are traveling frequently.

Ma Yiliang, chief statistician of the China Tourism Academy, told People’s Daily that many of the earliest migrant workers in China are now over 60, they are more willing to travel and see the world after long time of working out of town.

Wellness-oriented seasonal tourism has become a new business form in the travel industry favored by more and more senior tourists.

A man surnamed Wang in Beijing would spend some time living in southwest China’s Yunnan province every summer after he retired.

“I love the rainforest there, where I can enjoy both beautiful views and fresh air. It’s good for my health,” he said.

Regions across China are continuously upgrading relevant facilities to meet the growing demand of senior travelers.

For instance, Wulong district of southwest China’s Chongqing municipality has renovated barrier free passages, elevators and escalators at tourist attractions and installed handlebars for 1,000 toilets. The Zhusha ancient town, a renowned tourist destination in Wanshan district of Tongren, southwest China’s Guizhou province has equipped itself with nearly 1,000 hospital beds and launched cooperation with local hospitals, so as to rapidly respond to medical needs of senior tourists.

A report issued by the China Consumers Association showed that the young-old are more energetic consumption-wise and there’s an obvious trend of consumption upgrading among this group. The consumption environment for seniors still needs to be optimized in an elderly-oriented manner, the report said.

Digital gap is an important factor that negatively impacts the experience of senior tourists, said a survey.

Dai Bin, head of the China Tourism Academy, noted that efforts shall be made to fill the digital gap and build an “intelligent engine” that promotes integrated development of wellness tourism and smart tourism and nurture a barrier-free environment for the silver tourism market.

Besides, demand-oriented and targeted tourism services shall also be provided to meet senior tourists’ physical and mental health demand, Dai added.

Digital elderly-oriented services are being constantly optimized across China. Shanghai’s municipal bureau of culture and tourism has launched an elderly version of a local tourism mini program, which enables senior tourists’ families and friends to book tickets of scenic spots for them online. With this mini program, senior tourists above the age of 65 can enter tourist attractions without appointment. East China’s Jiangsu province has launched a digital tourism card that enables senior residents to enjoy transportation, tourism and consumption services. On the tourism mini program launched by Guizhou province, senior tourists can not only check maps, search for bathrooms, and have digital tour guides, but also call the police or ask for rescue in just one click once emergencies happen.

By Guan Kejiang, Ren Haoyu, People’s Daily

Halfaya oil field is one of the seven giant oil fields in Iraq. Located in southern Iraqi province of Maysan, it boasts an annual production capacity of 20 million tons. It is the largest project that PetroChina, or China National Petroleum Corporation undertakes overseas in its capacity as operator, and plays a crucial role in ensuring Iraq’s energy exports.

Haider al-Rubaie, chairman of the Iraqi-Chinese Friendship Association noted that Iraq-China energy cooperation constitutes an important part of the co-construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and projects undertaken by Chinese enterprises have made positive contributions to Iraq’s economic recovery and livelihood development.

The oil field was discovered in 1976. However, it was not exploited by the Iraqi government due to complex geological conditions and other reasons until PetroChina, in association with several international and local energy companies, won the bidding for the Halfaya project in the second petroleum bidding round organized by the Iraqi side after the Iraq war in 2009.

Fang Jiazhong, head of PetroChina Halfaya Oil Field, said Halfaya oil field consists of multiple giant carbonate reservoirs carrying different features and having different rocks and fluids.

Multiple Chinese research institutions and enterprises launched joint researches to make innovations in both theory and practice to ensure the success of the extraction.

Fang said the tight spread of multiple oil wells within a short distance in Halfaya oil field is a good example of such innovations. He explained that oil wells extend thousands of meters underground, which are horizontal, vertical or both, so efforts must be made to ensure that these oil wells are free from mutual interference and complement each other in exploitation.

Such a tridimensional well pattern demonstrates the outstanding technological and management capability of the Chinese side, Fang added.

“Iraq is in urgent need of investment in the oil and gas industry, and China has boosted local development in the construction of the Halfaya oil field. Iraq-China energy cooperation enjoys broad prospects,” said Anwer al Bhadly, an official from the Ministry of Trade of Iraq.

He stressed that Belt and Road projects bring tangible benefits to host countries and regions, and Iraq should board the train of China’s rapid development to better cope with the challenges it faces.

A natural gas processing plant at Halfaya oil field is expected to be mechanically completed this September and put into use before the end of the year. So far, 90 percent of the construction has been completed, including cooling towers, scrubber towers and storage tanks.

Massive natural gas would be generated during the exploitation of crude oil. However, in Iraq, such natural gas is mostly burned at sites of oil exploration because natural gas processing calls for huge investment, takes a long time and is technically challenging. It not only is a waste of resources, but also creates severe pollution when burning the gas. Therefore, the construction of the natural gas processing plant at Halfaya oil field draws wide attention in Iraq.

The plant will be the first major associated gas project in Iraq after being put into operation. It is expected to reduce nearly 30,000 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions, and the liquefied petroleum gas it produces each year can generate 5 billion kWh of electricity, which meets the demand for 4 million local households.

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani hailed PetroChina for making significant contributions to solving local livelihood problems, saying the company has worked actively to tackle challenges and steadily promoted the construction of the natural gas processing plant at Halfaya oil field.

“It is hoped that the project can be completed soon and alleviate local energy shortage as early as possible,” he added.

PetroChina Halfaya Oil Field has launched a series of training programs for local university students to promote local employment and improve Iraq’s talent training. It is learned that many trainees have become department heads or project leaders.

“When I just joined the company, it was still a wasteland here. Now, it’s covered by trees and neatly built constructions. There’s even a small airport here. Employees of the company come from dozens of countries, and the company just provides us a place where we get better through mutual learning,” said Ali Nasir Waheed AL-Lami, Section Head of Recruitment, Human Resources Department, PetroChina Halfaya Oil Field.

He told People’s Daily that the company has over 1,600 Iraqi employees, account for over 80 percent of the company’s total workforce.

The Hawizeh Marshes in Halfaya oil field is the only wetland in Iraq protected by the Ramsar Convention. Its ecological environment is highly sensitive. Halfaya oil field strictly follows environmental protection standards, so as to reduce pollutions from human activities and build a virtuous ecological cycle for the wetland, which has effectively protected the habitat of migratory birds.

Besides, PetroChina is also actively joining local public welfare. It offers food for local communities, helps them repair roads, build bridges, tunnels, high-voltage power transmission lines, ditches and other infrastructure projects. It has also donated activity rooms, school buses and stationery to local schools, as well as home appliances and furniture to local residents.

Ali Dawai Lazem, Governor of Maysan Province, noted that the Chinese company has made huge contributions to improving Iraq’s public welfare, employment and livelihood, and strengthened the traditional friendship and pragmatic cooperation between Iraq and China.

By Zou Song, People’s Daily

China-Africa health cooperation is an important part of China-Africa cooperation. In 1963, China’s first medical team was dispatched to Algeria, marking the beginning of the country’s medical assistance for Africa. Over the past six decades, generations of Chinese medical workers have written a series of moving stories with their wisdom, dedication and even lives, constantly consolidating the friendship between China and Africa.

One of the longest and most effective cooperation projects that involves the greatest number of African countries is the dispatch of Chinese medical teams.

From offering outpatient service and free clinics to providing medical training, and to setting up specialized hospitals in Africa, batches of Chinese medical workers have worked to benefit local people with their medical proficiency and medical ethics, making important contributions to building a China-Africa community of health for all.

The headquarters building of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was completed in January this year in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The China-aided modern structure is of important significance for improving Africa’s capability in disease prevention, monitoring and epidemic response.

Over the years, China has jointly launched public health cooperation projects on the prevention and control of malaria, bilharzia and yellow fever with Tanzania, the Comoros and other countries and international organizations.

In 2014, China dispatched over 1,000 clinical and public health experts to join the fight against the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa. After the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the country sent expert teams and temporary pandemic-relief teams to 17 African countries and instructed medical assistance teams in some 40 African countries to help local communities get through difficulties.

China has actively launched COVID-19 vaccine cooperation with African countries and improved the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in Africa through donation and joint production.

Tshilidzi Bethuel Munyai, member of the Parliament of South Africa, called self-sufficient supply of vaccines a cornerstone of Africa’s public health, saying China has always been helping Africa achieve this goal.

China-Africa health cooperation has been included in the 10 major cooperation projects, eight major initiatives and nine programs under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

At the 8th Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC held in 2021, China announced that it would provide another one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Africa, undertake 10 medical and health projects for African countries, and send 1,500 medical personnel and public health experts to Africa. This has significantly boosted the confidence in and injected strong impetus into China-Africa health cooperation.

Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, said Africa and China have reaped fruitful results in their health cooperation, which is a vivid example of China’s commitment to its promises.

China takes it as a priority to help African countries enhance medical specialty. As of 2021, China had helped 18 African countries establish 20 centers in different medical specialties, covering cardiology, critical care medicine, trauma and endoscopy. Paired cooperation mechanisms had been established between the Chinese side and 45 hospitals in 40 African countries. Besides, China had trained 20,000 African medical personnel. African medical workers’ skills and African countries’ medical systems have been constantly improved thanks to the joint efforts made by both Chinese and African sides.

China has aided a general hospital in Niger, which is the largest in the country and one of the largest in West Africa. The hospital serves as an important base for China-Niger health cooperation.

Director of the hospital’s cardiology department Saidou Labo said through paired cooperation, China has helped the Nigerien side build a national cardiology and neurology center and donated advanced medical equipment, medicines and consumable items to Niger.

“China also helps us improve our clinical capability through regular skill training,” he said.

African countries are looking forward to and have faith in deepening China-Africa health cooperation. In early 2022, the Neurological Center of the China-Guinea Friendship Hospital was completed in Conakry, capital of Guinea after nearly three years of construction. A training session was held by the Chinese side, which trained multiple neurological experts for Guinea. In February this year, a program under the China-Africa paired cooperation mechanism was launched in Liberia, which gives the two sides an opportunity to cooperate on the studies of cardiology. At present, a respiratory and critical care medicine cooperation program between China and Zimbabwe is well underway.

Guided by the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035, health cooperation has become another example of China-Africa cooperation and will lead to bigger success in building a China-Africa community of health for all.

By Jin Zhengbo, People’s Daily

On the eve of International Children’s Day this year, 12-year-old Bangladeshi girl Alifa Chin received an extraordinary gift, a reply letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In this letter, Xi encouraged Chin to study hard, pursue her dream and carry forward the traditional friendship between China and Bangladesh.

Behind this letter is a heartwarming story.

When the girl was born in 2010, her mother suffered from a difficult delivery due to a severe heart problem. At that time, the visiting Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark received help and immediately sent military doctors to the local hospital to perform a cesarean section on her mother. Today, Chin has grown up healthily.

The Peace Ark has witnessed many touching stories like this. Since it was commissioned into the Chinese Navy in 2008, the hospital ship has set sail on 10 overseas missions covering more than 260,000 nautical miles. Having visited 43 countries and regions, the ark has provided medical services to more than 250,000 patients.

The love-spreading voyage of the Peace Ark mirrors the Chinese military’s boundless love of peace and respect for life, writing a chapter of peace in building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Inside the Peace Ark, there is a wall where a number of metallic medals are hung. These medals were presented to the naval hospital ship by authorities in Sierra Leone, Antigua and Barbuda, Chile, among others.

“Every time we visited a country or a region, we were always awarded such medals by local government, military or civilians,” said Deng Qiang, captain of the Peace Ark. These medals are a symbol of friendship that transcend borders, he said.

After the super typhoon Haiyan, also named Yolanda, swept the Philippines in 2013 and brought severe disasters to the country, the Peace Ark rushed to the Philippines, which marked the first time China sent a naval vessel to overseas disaster-hit areas for a humanitarian medical mission.

To shorten the voyage, the naval hospital ship sailed the ship directly through the windy and stormy area and arrived in the worst-hit region a day ahead of schedule.

“The region was severely devastated. We started working without taking any rest,” recalled Cai Jinhui, head of the medical center of the Peace Ark.

The typhoon-hit area was troubled by a series of challenges such as water pollution and mosquito infestation, but they didn’t scare off the Chinese soldiers and doctors on the Peace Ark. They provided medical services all day long for 16 days, treating 2,208 patients and carrying out 44 surgeries on the ship.

Many cured patients presented Sampaguita, the national flower of the Philippines that symbolizes noble sentiments and deep friendship, to Chinese medical workers onboard. After the mission was completed, the Peace Ark set sail in the aroma of Sampaguita.

The Peace Ark has been lauded by local people wherever it goes.

When the hospital ship left Vanuatu, local residents sang songs and scattered flowers on the sea to express their gratitude.

In Kenya, when the Peace Ark slowly sailed away, a motorcycle convoy decorated with Chinese national flags was seen seeing off the ship, stretching a kilometer on the pier.

From the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean, the Peace Ark has served the oceans with harmony and tranquility. It has launched maritime rescue operation drills, offered international humanitarian medical services, ensured distant-sea medical and logistics support, and attended joint military drills with foreign troops,

Today, the 10,000-ton-level professional hospital ship is increasingly advanced in equipment. It is equipped with a batch of high-tech medical devices, such as wireless stethoscopes, portable wireless smart endoscopes, and robots that can perform intravenous anaesthesia, offering reliable and efficient medical services for patients around the world.

A foreign military doctor said after visiting the ship that he was deeply impressed by Peace Ark for its science-based design, the expertise of the medical staff on board and the ship’s complete medical facilities.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said the Peace Ark lives up to its name, bringing cooperation, friendship and peace to the people of her country. She added that the mission of the Peace Ark is admirable and worthy of praise.

China’s Peace Ark came for peace and friendship, said then Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo Clement Mouamba when the Chinese naval hospital ship visited the country in 2017. Transcending institutional and racial differences, the “envoy of peace” not only strengthens the friendly relations between the two sides, but also deepens the mutual trust between the two peoples, he said.

By Qiang Wei, Qu Song, People’s Daily

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum on People-to-People Friendship and the Forum on Friendship Cities were recently held in Qingdao city, east China’s Shandong Province.

According to data released by the forums, China and relevant SCO countries have formed over 450 pairs of friendship cities in the past 22 years since the organization’s establishment. The mutually beneficial cooperation among friendship cities of the SCO has led to the implementation of a large number of projects for the benefit of the people in new areas such as smart city governance, data economy and innovation development.

Friendship among the people is a fundamental force for world peace and development and is a basic precondition for win-win cooperation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed to hold an SCO non-governmental friendship forum in November 2020, which received strong endorsement and warm support from SCO member states.

At the SCO Samarkand Summit last September, President Xi proposed to host an SCO forum on sister cities, which further enriched the connotation of the SCO in promoting non-governmental friendly cooperation.

Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, and Qingdao established sister-city relations in 2021. Deng Xiaoping Street in the west part of Bishkek is the starting section of a road between the Kyrgyz capital and Osh, the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan located in the south of the country. Last year, Qingdao and Bishkek conducted cooperation in the upgrading construction of the street, which was included in the list of deliverables of the meeting of heads of state of China and Kyrgyzstan by the website of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Human beings share a common future, said Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Edil Baisalov. To achieve modernization, a country needs to pursue common development through solidarity and cooperation. Non-governmental friendship is conducive to promoting solidarity and cooperation and jointly addressing global challenges.

Supporting the establishment of sister-city relations and comprehensively advancing sub-national and sister-city cooperation have continuously expanded the “circle of friends” among SCO members.

Qingdao, for instance, has expanded exchanges and cooperation with cities in SCO countries on all fronts, and has now established friendship-city relations or confirmed its intention in this regard with 15 cities in 12 relevant SCO countries, including its new sister cities such as the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, Bishkek, and Armenia’s capital Yerevan.

As of the end of March 2023, relevant SCO countries had had 419 investment projects in Qingdao, with the utilized foreign investment totaling $240 million. In the first three months of this year, relevant SCO countries set up 13 projects in Qingdao, with the actual arrival of foreign investment reaching $380,000.

People-to-people friendly exchanges among relevant SCO countries and mutually beneficial cooperation among friendship cities have witnessed fruitful highlights, and the “Shanghai Spirit” has gained wide acceptance, said Lin Songtian, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

Lin added that there are more and more member states, observer states and dialogue partners of the SCO, which fully demonstrates how the ‘Shanghai Spirit,’ with main themes of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development, is in line with the trend of the times, wins the sincere support of the people, and sets an example for building a new type of international relations.

SCO countries attach great importance to people-to-people diplomacy, and actively support their friendship organizations or establish agencies to carry out people-to-people friendly exchanges and cooperation, which greatly promotes mutual understanding and amity among the people.

In recent years, all parties have actively conducted exchanges and cooperation in people-to-people and cultural fields such as women, youth, culture, education and sports, initiated well-recognized programs including the women’s forum, the children’s art exhibition and the youth exchange camp, and organized art festivals, film festivals, cultural exhibitions and other thematic activities, enhancing mutual understanding, friendship and mutual trust among people of various countries.

By Yang Wenming, Li Maoying, People’s Daily

Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai autonomous county in southwest China’s Yunnan province, home to the well-known Honghe Butterfly Valley in Ma’andi township, was recently recognized as the “hometown of butterflies” by the Entomological Society of China.

It fully proved the rich biodiversity resources in Ma’andi township and laid a solid foundation for the township’s development into a scientific research destination and world-class ecological tourist attraction.

In summer, Ma’andi township is a sea of butterflies. Every May and June, hundreds of millions of butterflies emerge from their chrysalises in the butterfly valley and form an astonishing sight of “butterfly explosion.”

There are approximately 20,000 species of butterflies recorded in the world, and China is home to around 2,100 of them. Ma’andi township, where 320 butterfly species have been identified, is one of the regions in the world that see the richest butterfly resources and the most butterfly populations.

Yang Zhenwen, curator of the butterfly valley museum in Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai autonomous county, told People’s Daily that the sound ecological environment in the valley has created favorable conditions for the propagation of various butterfly species.

According to Yang, Ma’andi township is located in a mountainous area, with a forest coverage rate of,70 percent and an average annual rainfall of 2,500 mm. The warm and humid climate, as well as the vast forests in the township, offer a suitable living environment and ample food resources for caterpillars.

Jungle queen butterflies constitute the majority of the butterfly resources in the township. Other species include Neorina patria, Kallima inachus and Meandrusa sciron.

At 8:00 a.m., Yang changed into camouflage clothes, put on his backpack and carried a large bucket to a butterfly observation site, which is 5 kilometers away.

Yang started working for a local forestry station in 1998. Since then, he has been observing, monitoring and protecting butterflies.

Butterflies, as transmitters of pollen, a food resource for other animals and an indicator species of biodiversity, play an important role in the ecosystem. However, they face challenges posed by both nature and human activities in their life cycle.

Over recent years, Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai autonomous county launched butterfly protection regulations, established a specialized management agency for the butterfly valley and strengthened public education on ecological protection, so as to ensure the living environment and space for butterflies to the fullest extent.

“Protecting forests, water sources and butterflies has been incorporated into conventions of each village in Ma’andi township and become a part of the daily life of villagers,” said Yang.

Relying on its rich butterfly resources, the autonomous county has been actively engaged in ecotourism and outdoor education activities over recent years. It has blazed a new trail in balancing conservation and development, and better introduced butterflies to the public.

On May 18 this year, the butterfly valley museum in the autonomous county completed its renovation and reopened to the public for free.

“When the museum was just built in 2010, there were only some 20 kinds of butterfly specimens. Today, there are more than 270, which all came from the butterfly valley,” Yang said, adding that the museum will continue to carry out surveys to better demonstrate the biodiversity in the butterfly valley.

The thriving ecotourism sector has led to huge progress in local infrastructure.

“There are many B&B hotels and agritainment facilities in the township today. It takes only five hours to get here from Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, which is much more convenient than before,” said Wang Yanchun, a butterfly photographer from northeast China’s Liaoning province.

Wang, who plans to stay a week in the autonomous county this time, said the county is more tourist-friendly today than it was in 2011 when he first visited.

Since 2010, the butterfly valley has received a total of 1.9 million tourist visits. An art festival held there on May 20 this year attracted more than 50,000 visitors.

Thanks to the massive arrivals of tourists, the income of local villagers has been significantly improved. Yang told People’s Daily that villagers have built butterfly sightseeing paths, as well as a butterfly base where tourists can release butterflies and learn butterfly knowledge. Besides, villagers have also set up a cooperative engaged in butterfly breeding and the development of relevant cultural products. The butterfly business is leading more and more villagers to prosperity.