Nigeria Times

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

China has taken a series of countermeasures in response to the meeting between the leader of China’s Taiwan region Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during Tsai’s so-called “transit” through the U.S., which constituted a grave political provocation against China.

These countermeasures, while representing China’s resolute and forceful response to the attempt of Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to “cling to U.S. support to seek independence” as well as the U.S.’ attempt to use Taiwan to contain China, have fully demonstrated China’s resolve to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Tsai’s “transit” trip was in fact an attempt to seek breakthroughs and propagate “Taiwan independence;” and the so-called “diplomatic breakthrough” was nothing but another step to bring great suffering to Taiwan.

During her “transit” through the U.S., Tsai didn’t stay at the airport or a hotel. Instead, she made contact with U.S. government officials and congressional members under various pretexts, in an attempt to make official interaction between Taiwan and the U.S.

It’s obvious to see that Tsai’s “transit” trip was not a personal activity at all. It was in essence a political adventure to further collude with the U.S. and fawn on the U.S. to seek support for “Taiwan independence.” It was also an attempt to create “one China, one Taiwan” or “two Chinas,” find opportunities to peddle the “Taiwan independence” claims in the international arena, and seek support from anti-China forces in the U.S.

While the DPP authorities take every opportunity to conduct separatist activities for “Taiwan independence” out of selfish political gains, the U.S. has wantonly used Taiwan as a pawn to contain China in total disregard of the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the fundamental interests of the people in Taiwan. It is a “troublemaker” and “destroyer” of the peace and stability across the Strait.

The U.S. Congress, as part of the U.S. government, has the responsibility to fulfill the solemn commitments the U.S. government has made to China by strictly abiding by the one-China principle and refusing all forms of official interaction with Taiwan.

Under neither international law nor U.S. domestic legislation does “separation of powers” give the U.S. the excuse to defy international obligations and take actions that go against the basic norms governing international relations, provoke against China’s sovereignty, and break its own commitment on the Taiwan question.

Past mistakes can not justify today’s mistakes, and repeating the same mistakes doesn’t provide any legitimacy for erroneous behavior.

While frequently claiming that they remain committed to the one-China policy, the U.S. authorities have in fact constantly distorted, falsified, obscured, and hollowed out the one-China principle, and have been using Taiwan as a pawn to contain China’s development and progress. Such misdeeds come at the cost of the interests, well-being, and bright future of Taiwan compatriots.

China firmly opposes any “transit” trip by the Taiwan region’s leader to the U.S. in any name or for any reason, and firmly opposes the U.S. government having any form of official interaction with the Taiwan region.

China has repeatedly lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side over Tsai’s “transit” trip to the U.S. However, the U.S. side has kept indulging and supporting the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. China has to take resolute countermeasures against such egregious actions.

China’s taking countermeasures following the provocative trip is neither “overreaction” nor “military intimidation” as claimed by the U.S.

All the countermeasures taken by the Chinese government are what China is fully entitled to do to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. They are necessary and timely defensive countermeasures aimed at safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and security, and stopping the anti-China forces in the U.S. and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces from going further down the wrong and dangerous path.

The one-China principle has been recognized by the United Nations (UN) and the vast majority of countries. It has become a widely recognized basic norm governing international relations and is part and parcel of the international order established after World War II.

China’s resolute countermeasures against the escalation in the collusion between the U.S. and the Taiwan region are also a legitimate action to safeguard the basic norms in international relations and the post-war international order.

If China failed to react to the actions that interfere in China’s internal affairs and undermine its national sovereignty taken by the U.S., the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and basic norms governing international relations including respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity would be reduced to empty words.

By firmly rejecting the U.S. provocations on the Taiwan question, China is saying no to the U.S. hegemony and bullying, and upholding international fairness and justice, which is why China’s action has been supported by the overwhelming majority of countries in the world.

China will resolutely fight against every separatist activity seeking “Taiwan independence” and every grave provocation made by external forces playing the “Taiwan card” to contain China. It will never allow its national sovereignty and territorial integrity to be wantonly trampled upon and undermined.

Facts have proven that the Chinese government has strengthened its strategic initiative for China’s complete reunification and consolidated commitment to the one-China principle within the international community by resolutely fighting against separatism and countered interference.

The Chinese government has great capabilities to shape the strategic situation and environment for its national reunification, and to thwart “Taiwan independence” separatist activities in whatever form.  

The cross-Strait reunification is an overriding historical trend and the right course, while “Taiwan independence” is a retrogression leading to a dead end. The separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence” and external interference will not stop the prevailing historical trend of China’s reunification or the course of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. 

The Chinese people have the resolve, the will, and the ability to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. They must and will realize the historic goal of reuniting their motherland.

By Zhang Niansheng, Liu Hui, People’s Daily

Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP) located in Malaysia, as a model of China-Malaysia cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has promoted pragmatic cooperation between China and Malaysia and deepened the friendship between the two countries.

Over the past 10 years, the industrial park has borne rich fruits. It has attracted 12 projects with a combined investment value of more than 40 billion yuan ($5.81 billion). These projects have generated industrial output value totaling over 35 billion yuan, created about 5,000 long-term jobs, and contributed an estimated 10 million tons to the increase in the annual throughput of the Kuantan Port, a multipurpose port in Malaysia.

In February 2013, the MCKIP was officially launched in the capital city Kuantan of Pahang state, Malaysia. Located in the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) of Malaysia, the tranquil city of Kuantan is an over three-hour drive away from Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur and adjacent to the Kuantan Port.

The MCKIP, together with the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park (CMQIP) situated in China, represents a groundbreaking innovation: the model of “Two Countries, Twin Parks.”

“During the past 10 years, the MCKIP has become one of the most successful industrial parks in the ECER,” said Baidzawi Che Mat, chief executive officer (CEO) of the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC).

“The ‘Two Countries, Twin Parks’ model built by Malaysia and China is successful,” he noted.

Alliance Steel (M) Sdn. Bhd. was the first entrant in the MCKIP. It only took 18 months for the project to set up its full-process production line in the industrial park.

With its annual output surpassing the designed annual production capacity of 3.5 million tons, Alliance Steel (M) Sdn. Bhd. has emerged as one of the largest and most advanced steel businesses with full-process technologies for steel products in Malaysia, and its products are sold to global markets.

Steve Hu Jiulin, chief technology officer of Alliance Steel (M) Sdn. Bhd., can still remember vividly the local situation he saw when he first arrived in Kuantan city.

“When I came here in 2014, this place was mountainous and swampy. And the ground works alone took us more than a year,” Hu said.

“Who would think that there used to be a mountain right at the site of the office building,” he said, pointing at the office building where he works.

The premises of Alliance Steel (M) Sdn. Bhd. now boast wide and clean roads and neatly arranged buildings, including office building, factory building, and dormitory.

“The technological design and equipment of the project of Alliance Steel (M) Sdn. Bhd. are all from China. They are the most advanced ones of the industry,” Hu said.

Hu recalled that during a local official’s inspection tour in Alliance Steel (M) Sdn. Bhd., the official asked as soon as he entered the premises of the company, “Why is this project so clean that it doesn’t seem like a steel mill?”

After learning that the project has followed standards for environmental protection higher than the local standards, and that all the waste heat and gases produced during the production processes are recycled for power generation in a bid to promote circular economy and energy conservation and carbon emission reduction, the official’s eyes widened in surprise. 

Alliance Steel (M) Sdn. Bhd. has more than 4,000 employees, among whom most are local people who enjoy much higher salaries than the average local salary.

The east coast where Kuantan city is located is relatively backward in terms of economic development, a local employee told People’s Daily, adding that local people, especially young people, used to go to the relatively developed west coast states of the country for employment.

Now that Alliance Steel (M) Sdn. Bhd. has been settled in the locality, he can work near his home and has significantly improved his quality of life, the young man said. 

The development of the MCKIP has boosted investment in Malaysia and China while creating jobs in various fields from production to management, said Baidzawi.

Local contractors and suppliers have also participated in the development of the industrial park, which has benefited a good number of local small and medium-sized enterprises, according to him.

The Kuantan Port is the largest port on the east coast of Malaysia, as well as a pillar for the development of the MCKIP. The Malaysian government has listed it as one of the key ports of the country.

In 2013, the Beibu Gulf Port Group in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region became a shareholder of the Kuantan Port, and this China-Malaysia cooperation has brought new vitality to the Malaysian port that enjoys a history of more than 40 years.

The Chinese company, together with the Malaysian operators, jointly upgraded the Kuantan Port and are working to expand the port.

According to Ye Jingtao, general manager of operations of Kuantan Port Consortium Sdn. Bhd. which manages the Kuantan Port, equipment at the new port are all imported from China due to limited local supply. To ensure that the employees can well operate the equipment, the Beibu Gulf Port Group has launched training programs and sent employees to Chinese ports for learning.

Under the joint efforts from both the Chinese and Malaysian sides, the handling capacity of the Kuantan Port has been constantly improved. Its throughput and revenue doubled year on year in 2015. And three years later, it became the largest public port for bulk cargoes of Malaysia and two new 150,000-ton deep water ports were built.

Baidzawi said that the MCKIP and the CMQIP are expected to build more complete industrial and supply chains between Malaysia and China, and deepen their pragmatic cooperation in trade, investment, technological cooperation, tourism, culture and other sectors, as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership has taken effect.

By Yan Yunming, People’s Daily

Over an hour’s drive away from Antananarivo, capital city of Madagascar, there lies Fiadanakely village, Mahitsy, a town northwest of the capital. Rice in the vast paddy fields was earring as breezes brushed against the green seedlings.

Dina, a 44-year-old rice grower in the village, was checking the growth of her crops on the ridge fields. “We will reap the rice a month later,” she said, expressing her confidence in a harvest.

The rice grown by Dina was a hybrid variety tailored by Chinese experts for local farmers, which featured high productivity, high quality and multi-resistance. Dina started growing the variety in a trial planting in 2017 when Madagascar agricultural technicians and Chinese experts came to the village to promote hybrid rice technologies.

According to her, the field for testing could only harvest 300 kilograms of rice in the past, and the woman didn’t have much expectation for the Chinese hybrid rice, especially in a dry year. However, she ended up reaping more than 900 kilograms of rice on the lot.

Tina could still remember the surprise even years later. After the testing, Dina planted Chinese hybrid rice on all her land.

In the beginning, Dina knew little about the growing techniques of hybrid rice. “Chinese experts taught us hand in hand to sow and transplant in a scientific way. No matter what problems we had, be it droughts, waterlogging or insect attacks, they would always offer timely help for us,” Dina told People’s Daily.

She said that due to the local climatic conditions, the rice yield was low in the past and the surpluses each year could only feed her family for less than six months. She still had to spend a lot of money on buying food.

“Now, our rice yield has improved from 3 tons to nearly 10 tons per hectare, and we would still have a surplus of 800 kilograms of grain at the year’s end. We sell the rice at 1,300 ariary ($0.3) per kilogram, and that makes our main family income,” Dina noted.

She told People’s Daily that growing Chinese hybrid rice has led her family to a better life. The increased income afforded the family a newly-built two-story building with red walls and white tiles beside her rice fields.

Rice is an important source of food in Madagascar, where 44 percent of the arable land is planted with rice and 70 percent of the population is engaged in rice planting. However, rice production was low for a long time in the country and couldn’t satisfy its domestic demand due to complicated climate conditions and a lack of fine varieties and core cultivation techniques.

In 2007, a China-aided demonstration center of hybrid rice was launched in Madagascar, which brought a batch of Chinese agricultural experts to the country in the Indian Ocean, including Hu Yuefang.

In more than ten years, they have visited almost all rice-growing regions in Madagascar and trained hundreds of local technicians in hybrid rice.

“When we just arrived here, rice was not available for many local residents, and they could only take cassavas, sweet potatoes and corn as substitutes. Under the assistance of Chinese experts, rice is coming to the tables of more and more local families,” Hu said.

Local agricultural technician Aro is a student of Hu. As an official of Madagascar’s agricultural department, he has twice joined training programs in Changsha, central China’s Hunan province.

After returning to his country, Aro has been committed to offering technical support in hybrid rice planting for growers in Ambohidratrimo, a town in the central highlands of Madagascar.

“More and more farmers are starting to grow hybrid rice. In the region that I work in, there are over 200 people skilled in growing hybrid rice,” Aro said, hoping that Madagascar and China could carry out closer agricultural cooperation.

“Chinese hybrid rice helps Madagascar achieve self-sufficiency in rice supply. I hope it can be promoted to more African countries and thus help relieve the issue of food security in Africa,” he told People’s Daily.

In 2019, the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center opened its African branch in Madagascar. It is committed to training advanced agricultural technicians and selecting hybrid rice varieties that suit the diverse climate conditions in the region.

Fanja Raharinomena, former secretary-general of the Malagasy Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, noted that hybrid rice development is under smooth progress thanks to the support of the Chinese government. She said China is a global leader in hybrid rice studies, and thanked the Chinese government’s contributions to the breeding of hybrid rice in Madagascar and to the agricultural development of Africa.

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen recently had a “transit” trip through the United States and met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional members.

Such political provocation that engaged in official interaction and elevated the substantive relations between the U.S. and Taiwan seriously violated the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués. It seriously infringed upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, impacted the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

During the so-called “transit” trip, Tsai attempted to package herself as a “peace lover” and a responsible party in cross-Strait relations, which was total self-deception.

There is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. These are indisputable facts grounded in history and law, and have been recognized by 182 countries around the world, including the U.S.

The special state of protracted political confrontation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait has not imbued Taiwan with a status and rights in international law, nor can it change the legal status that Taiwan is a part of China’s territory.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities of Taiwan refuse to acknowledge the one-China principle and claim that Taiwan is a “democratic country” free from the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China. On the island, they press for “de-sinicization” and promote “incremental independence,” constantly stirring up troubles on the Taiwan question.

They have forgotten their heritage, betrayed their motherland, and put aside the security and development interests of the people in Taiwan. Their practices are completely against their rhetoric about upholding “peace” and being “responsible.”

During the so-called “transit” trip, Tsai flattered the trumped-up narrative of “democracy versus authoritarianism” foisted by the U.S. side and deliberately exaggerated the differences in the social system between Taiwan and the mainland. Such dangerous practice of seeking “Taiwan independence” in the name of “democracy” further revealed the despicable intention of the DPP authorities.

The differences in the social system are neither an obstacle to reunification nor a justification for secessionism. The DPP authorities are making excuses for “Taiwan independence” by distorting the relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait as the so-called confrontation between “democracy” and “authoritarianism.” This is what really threatens the people in Taiwan.

Taiwan’s future lies in the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and China’s reunification. The Chinese on the two sides of the Strait should work together to achieve reunification.

The DPP authorities, in pursuit of private political gains, are willing to be a “servant” of hegemony, which causes tensions in the Taiwan Strait. It has made more and more Taiwan compatriots realize that the collusion between the DPP authorities and the U.S. is a scourge to Taiwan.

The one-China principle is what underpins peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. It is consistent with the basic norms of international relations.

Under the banner of the so-called “transit” trip, Tsai conducted political activities in the U.S. and had high-profile contact with the number three in the U.S. government, just to fan up the “one China, one Taiwan” or “two Chinas” in the international community, and relying on the U.S. to seek “Taiwan independence.”

In disregard of China’s serious representations and repeated warnings, the U.S. broke the political promises it has made in the Joint Communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, deliberately greenlighted the transit of Tsai and allowed her to have contact with the number three in the U.S. government. This was to upgrade the substantive relations between Taiwan and the U.S., hollow out the one-China principle, and send an egregiously wrong signal to the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.

The ultimate goal of Washington is to take Taiwan as a political pawn to contain China, trying to hinder China’s complete reunification and stop the country from achieving the great revitalization of the Chinese nation. This dirty plot is no longer a secret and will never succeed.

In an attempt to mislead the public, some U.S. politicians chicaned that Tsai’s meeting with McCarthy was a compromise and that the U.S. has exercised restraint on Tsai’s “transit” trip, saying the Chinese side should not overreact. Such sheer misrepresentation of facts further revealed the hypocrisy of the U.S.

Washington explicitly recognizes that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government of China in the Joint Communiqué. The leader of the incumbent U.S. administration has repeatedly made promises that the U.S. would not support “Taiwan independence,” “two Chinas,” or “one China, one Taiwan.”

However, the U.S. side betrayed its promises, engaged in official interaction and elevated the substantive relations between the U.S. and Taiwan, blatantly allowing Tsai to sell “Taiwan independence” claims on the U.S., and permitting high-ranking U.S. officials to support “Taiwan independence” activities launched by DPP authorities.

The U.S. is talking about “restraint” but keeping provocative actions. This fully exposes its hegemonic, domineering and bullying nature.

Tsai’s “transit” trip through the U.S. once again told the world that the tensions in the Taiwan Strait stem from the DPP authorities clinging to the U.S. to seek “independence,” and from U.S. efforts to contain China with the Taiwan question. The collusion between the U.S. and Taiwan is the real threat to the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The Chinese government and people will strike hard at the separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence” and firmly oppose the collusion between the U.S. and Taiwan. It is a justifiable move to defend the national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to maintain the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and the world at large.

By Han Xin, People’s Daily

The manufacturing industry makes a major part of the Chinese economy. It is key to China’s green and low-carbon transition of production methods and industrial structure.

Today, green development is being extended from the production and supply chain to the infrastructure. Green factories and industrial parks are emerging across the country, recording  China’s accelerated efforts to promote green manufacturing.

A smart production system enabled by big data and cloud computing technologies has been employed in a 5G intelligent workshop of Xin Feng Ming Group, a major chemical fiber producer in Tongxiang, east China’s Zhejiang province. In the workshop, a big screen displays the real-time energy consumption of production lines.

Adopting an innovative solution dyeing technique, the workshop can reduce 6 million tons of wastewater annually in the printing and dyeing process. It has also replaced wooden trays with recyclable plastic ones, which cuts the use of nearly 3 million wooden frames each year.

At the end processing link, the workshop employs an ultra-low-pressure vapor and condensate recycling technology, which helps cut solid waste by 95 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by 65 percent every year.

China has significantly improved its efficiency in energy and resource utilization. The energy consumption per unit of the added value of the country’s large industrial enterprises with annual revenues of more than 20 million yuan ($2.9 million) in 2021 dropped 5.6 percent from the previous year, after logging a 28-percent decline in the 2011-2015 period and a 16-percent decline in the 2016-2020 period. In 2021, the comprehensive utilization rate of massive solid waste has reached 56.8 percent, nearly 16 percentage points higher from 2012.

China’s green manufacturing has taken shape. Last year, it held a global market share above 80 percent for all manufacturing stages of the photovoltaic industry. Six Chinese enterprises were among the world’s top 10 wind turbine manufacturers and the country’s production and sales of new energy vehicles ranked first in the world for eight consecutive years.

China has basically established a green manufacturing system. So far, the country has nurtured 3,657 green factories, 270 green industrial parks, and 408 enterprises for green supply chains. Nearly 30,000 green products have been promoted in China.

It is estimated that over 95 percent of solid waste is recycled on average in the country’s green industrial parks, and a number of green factories boast energy consumption lower than the advanced level stipulated by national standards. A supply system for green products covering the whole industrial chain from raw materials to the consumption end is being built.

China has entered a new phase of development. It is greening its manufacturing industry in pursuit of a modern manufacturing model that features low consumption, low emissions, high efficiency and high benefit.

“Promoting green manufacturing is an inevitable choice for advancing new industrialization and a key to realizing high-quality development of the manufacturing sector,” said Liu Wenqiang, deputy head of the China Center for Information Industry Development.

“China still sees big room for improvement in green manufacturing compared with developed countries,” said Shan Zhongde, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

At present, China’s industrial and energy structures are still high-carbon, with traditional resource-based industries making up a big proportion. The country will maintain rigid demand for energy and resources in the years to come, which puts it under high pressure of green and low-carbon transition.

To cope with the situation and realize high-quality economic and social development, China must achieve high utilization of resources and focus on low-carbon and recyclable development, and push for the upgrading of production and lifestyles with green manufacturing.

By Shi Fang, Chen Yuanyuan, People’s Daily

The revenue of the Chinese online literature market surged from 2.45 billion yuan ($356.7 million) in 2012 to 26.72 billion yuan in 2021, said a report released by the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association at the sixth China Online Literature + Conference recently held in Beijing.

According to the report, the number of online literary works expanded from around 8 million to over 32 million during the same period, and the number of registered authors from 4.19 million to 22.78 million.

IP licensing revenue of the Chinese online literature industry grew from less than 100 million yuan to more than 4 billion yuan, and the industry gained over 2.9 billion yuan from the overseas market in 2021, up from 400 million yuan in 2018.

Online literature is a literary form whose creation and communication are internet-based. Most authors of online literary works are young people.

When the industry just emerged, its subjects were mostly fantasy, mystery and xianxia, also known as spirit cultivation. It was later developed into more than 200 sub-categories under some 30 subjects, such as urban, history, sci-fi, industry, education and traditional culture. There are many online literary works that well depict the modern society and mirror the development of the times.

He Changzai is a member of the national committee of the Chinese Writers Association and vice chairman of Hebei Network Writers Association. A trip to Shenzhen, the forefront of China’s reform and opening up, inspired him to portray the great journey of the economic reform of the country in the past four decades, and later he published the novel Haodang, which literally means magnificence in Chinese. The novel soon earned him awards and became a hot seller.

“The great time we live in must be recorded by someone. Only by living in a down-to-earth manner can we create fantastic contemporary works that keep the common touch,” He said.

Online literary works enjoy huge development potential as they can be made into a number of peripheral products such as TV series, animations, reality shows, games, documentaries, stage shows, online performance, among others.

Miu Juan, who writes literary works online, said she enjoys the creation of online literature as she can get immediate feedback from her readers as she updates her works.

In 2021, over 32 million online literary works were published in China, and the number of registered online authors were five times more than that 10 years ago.

Insiders believe that online literature can be transformed into multiple business forms thanks to the diversity of authors and content.

Online literature is a mirror of people’s mentality in today’s world, which is an advantage enjoyed by online literary works when being transformed into other products.

“Interactivity is the biggest difference between online literature and traditional literature. Interaction with readers enriches authors’ creation and makes authors more responsive in portraying the reality,” said Huang Jie, deputy editor-in-chief of Tencent Video.

According to her, online literary works tell stories about workplace, youth and hot topics that are closer to people’s life.

“I never thought that I’d be an author. It was under the advice from my husband that I started to write stories I wanted to read,” said a Philippine woman who names herself TheBlips online and is a fan of Chinese online literature. Having been writing on the international site of a Chinese online literature platform for four years, she is of some renown among local readers.

There are hundreds of thousands of overseas writers like her writing on the international versions of Chinese online literature platforms. So far, overseas platforms operated by relevant Chinese enterprises have published more than 300,000 literary works and gained over 145 million readers. Over 200,000 foreign readers have started writing novels online of various subjects in multiple languages. A development path that exports Chinese literary works, copyrights, as well as production models and culture has been preliminarily taken shape.

Online literature is an important way for many foreign readers to understand China. In 2021, more than 300,000 Chinese online literary works were exported.

“I started to know China as a child watching TV dramas like The Legend of the Condor Heroes and Justice Pao,” said the head of an online reading platform in Thailand. Now the online literature is a window for him to learn about China.

According to Xiao Jinghong, deputy head of the institute of internet literature of the China Writers Association, Chinese sci-fi, romance and comedy literature, dramas and movies were popular overseas, and online literature is bringing Chinese stories to more overseas readers.

By Zhao Peng, Han Chunyao, Luo Shanshan, People’s Daily

In April 2018, China announced the decision to support the southern province of Hainan in developing the whole island into a pilot free trade zone and gradually exploring and steadily promoting the establishment of a free trade port (FTP) with Chinese characteristics.

Five years on, the construction of the Hainan FTP has achieved fruitful results and significantly boosted the development of the province.

Hainan’s GDP expanded 5.3 percent annually on average in the past five years, while the province’s trade in goods and services surged 23.4 percent and 17.7 percent each year averagely during the same period.

Hainan’s total foreign trade accounted for 34.7 percent of its GDP last year, up 15 percentage points in five years. Besides, it’s actual use of foreign capital doubled for three consecutive years in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and the five-year total exceeds the sum of the previous 30 years.

The Yangpu international container port at Yangpu economic development zone, Hainan province, has opened 40 domestic and international sea routes. Last year, the port handled nearly 1.77 million twenty-foot equivalent units, a year-on-year increase of 34.06 percent.

Tourism, modern services, high technology and high-efficiency agriculture with tropical characteristics, which are four leading industries of Hainan province, now make up 70 percent of the province’s GDP, up from 53 percent five years ago. In 2022, 13 key industrial parks in the Hainan FTP reported revenue of over 1.8 trillion yuan ($262.05 billion), 31.6 percent more from a year ago.

Hainan has become an engine that forcefully drives consumption. Sales of offshore duty-free shops in the province have exceeded 130 billion yuan in the past five years; the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, a cluster of industries of international medical tourism, has introduced and employed more than 300 types of drugs and medical equipment; six Sino-foreign education joint ventures and projects have been officially approved and kicked off in the Hainan Li’an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone.

Over the past five years, Hainan province has vigorously optimized its business environment, making it law-based, internationalized and business-friendly, as well as fair, transparent and expectable, which offers important support for the construction of the Hainan FTP.

Hainan has introduced more than 180 policies to optimize its business environment, including exempting tariffs for imported raw materials, transportation vehicles, yachts and self-use production equipment, lowering the income tax rate to 15 percent for eligible companies, capping the personal income tax rate at 15 percent for individuals with high-level and in-demand expertise working in Hainan, and exempting tariff for domestic sales of goods with added value. The province’s foreign investment negative list contains only 27 items, the shortest in the country.

As Hainan’s business environment continues to be optimized, the province has become a hot destination for business entities. It is reported that the number of newly established business entities in the province in the past five years is more than the total of the past three decades.

“Our trade volume increased significantly last year, with more types of products being exported. Our business has been expanded to South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries,” said Li Xiaotao, general manager of a foreign trade company in Hainan.

Li’s company received its first Certificate of Origin under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on the day that the trade pact went into force on Jan. 1, 2022. Thanks to the certificate, the company enjoyed zero tariff treatment for a batch of aluminum sulfate products exported to Japan.

At present, Hainan province is enjoying the dividends from both the RCEP and FTP policies. Last year, the province’s trade volume with RCEP members grew 23.7 percent to reach 71.18 billion yuan, accounting for 35.4 percent of Hainan’s total foreign trade in the same period.

On Jan. 6, the first project for independent customs operations in Hainan province was completed at the Boao airport in Qionghai, Hainan.

Projects for independent customs operations are iconic and fundamental projects for the construction of the Hainan FTP. According to an overall plan on the construction of the FTP, before 2025, the province, centering on trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and based on effective supervision, will take systematic steps to advance opening-up process, facilitate the convenient and efficient flow of various factors, achieve early harvest, and initiate independent customs operations throughout Hainan Island in due courses. So far, Hainan has comprehensively kicked off the preparations for independent customs operations.

The projects for Independent customs operations would turn Hainan province into a region inside the national border but outside the customs territory of China, which will further highlight freedom and facilitation, said Liu Feng, director of the Research Center for Free Trade Port with Chinese Characteristics of Hainan Normal University. According to him, independent customs operations will maximumly optimize the resource allocation for the Hainan FTP.

By Xu Xiujun

The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA)’s annual conference, held from March 28 to 31 in Boao, a coastal town in China’s island province of Hainan, has attracted global attention.

As world recovery remains sluggish, Asia, the world’s most dynamic and promising region, is seeing greater endogenous growth momentum and will inject a strong impetus into the recovery of the global economy.

The BFA Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress Annual Report 2023 points out that as a major engine of the world economy, Asia is expected to accelerate its pace in overall economic recovery in 2023. This report estimates that the weighted real GDP growth rate of Asia in 2023 would be 4.5 percent, an increase from 4.2 percent in 2022, making it a standout performer in view of the global economic slowdown.

China will unquestionably be the largest driver of Asia’s economic growth this year. After the country optimized its COVID-19 response measures, it has witnessed a rapid recovery of its economic and social vitality.

The Chinese government has launched a series of policies that accelerated the pace of economic pickup and boosted market confidence. Many international organizations have lifted their forecast on the growth of the Chinese economy, which they believe will also spur the growth of Asia as a result.

Given the uprising of unilateralism and protectionism, the global trade dependence on Asia has remained stable overall, with trade dependence between Asian economies standing at a relatively high level.

Trade and economic relations between Asian economies have become closer with the active participation and promotion of China.

According to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs of China, the country’s total trade in goods hit a record high of 42.07 trillion yuan ($6.11 trillion) in 2022, topping the world for six consecutive years.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained China’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in goods reaching 6.52 trillion yuan, up 15 percent from a year ago. South Korea, Japan, India and other Asian economies were important trading partners of China as well.

China is accelerating the establishment of a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. This provides new impetus and opportunities for strengthening China’s economic and trade cooperation with other Asian economies.

The country’s high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership also creates more dividends of institutional opening up for regional economic integration.

Last year, the 17th Group of 20 Summit and the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting were held in Indonesia and Thailand, respectively. This mirrored a more active leading role played by Asia in global economic governance.

In terms of trade and investment governance, Asian countries proactively safeguard multilateralism, advocate trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, support the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and work for positive progress in the reform of the system.

In monetary and financial governance, Asian countries actively promote the construction of regional and global financial security networks, push for the settlement in local currency and currency swap within the region, and support the reform of international financial institutes.

With regard to improving global development governance, Asian countries have actively responded to the Global Development Initiative, promoted the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative through joint efforts, and implemented the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to steer global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth.

It is the solidarity and cooperation between Asian countries and their peoples that leads Asia to prosperity. The “Asian Miracle” calls for the endogenous impetus of Asia’s development. As the largest Asian economy, China will continue providing new opportunities for the continent’s progress with its own development.

By Jiang Xuan, People’s Daily

Nigeria’s first deep seaport was recently inaugurated in the southwestern state of Lagos. Funded, constructed and operated by the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC), the Lekki deep seaport is one of the biggest in West Africa.

The Lekki deep seaport, which has a breakwater extending 2.5 kilometers into the Gulf of Guinea and five giant container gantry cranes, is located in the Lagos Free Trade Zone and jointly developed by the CHEC and Nigerian Ports Authority. The project was commenced in June 2020 and completed in October last year.

A 45-year concession has been awarded based on a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) contract. The port is able to handle 1.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units on a yearly basis.

Lagos State is an important hub of international trade in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa. For a long time, foreign trade and economic development in the state had been impeded by underdeveloped port facilities, poor cargo distribution capability and high logistics cost.

Fortunately, these problems are expected to be solved following the completion of the Lekki deep seaport.

Managing director of Nigerian Ports Authority Mohammed Bello Koko noted that the deep seaport is the first automated port in Nigeria that allows rapid customs clearance and will significantly reduce the time of cargo handling.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said the deep seaport will open up new prospects for Nigeria’s economic development, provide opportunities for the country’s exports, especially agro-allied products in the international marketplace, and increase foreign exchange inflow.

The port will also create abundant job opportunities and thus help with poverty reduction. According to Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, it is estimated that the overall economic benefit will reach $361 billion over the next 45 years.

At the inauguration ceremony of the deep seaport, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State said that the Lekki deep seaport, as the biggest in Nigeria, can accommodate the world’s largest container vessels.

Previously at the completion ceremony of the project, the Governor praised the CHEC for finishing the deep seaport project on time, saying the port will create nearly 200,000 jobs for Nigeria directly and indirectly in the years to come. Unquestionably, the port will make Lagos a maritime logistics center in Central and West Africa, he added.

Itoke Community and Idotun Community are less than 3 kilometers away from the Lekki deep seaport. In the past decades, the land and houses of some residents were always flooded by sea waves in the rainy season.

To solve the problem, the CHEC, upon investigation, built two breakwaters totaling 539 meters and added an artificial beach covering nearly 800,000 square meters to the east of the port.

Shortly after the rainy season ended last year, the heads of the two communities visited the project site with fish and shrimps they caught to extend their gratitude. They said it was the safest rainy season they had in the past decades, all the land and houses were intact. “Thank the Chinese enterprise for doing this for us,” they noted.

This is a epitome of the Lekki deep seaport contributing to local livelihood development. According to an employee working at the port, the port has already created about 2,000 jobs for local communities during its construction and trained a batch of local professionals. Over 80 percent of technical and management jobs at the port are taken by local people. Through systematic training and instruction, most of the local workers have acquired professional and modern work skills.

Magbon-Segun Community sits next to the Lekki deep seaport. Many young people from the Community work at the port.

“We are proud to be a neighbor of the Lekki deep seaport,” said Dawuda, head of the Community adding that the Community has completely changed thanks to the port. Today, the clean and beautiful beach there is attracting large number of tourists and the spare houses in the Community have all been rented.

The operation of the deep seaport has advanced integrated development of the region. Free trade areas, an oil refinery and other projects are well underway. The construction of a new international airport is also expected to be started this year.

Hassan Bello, Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council, said the Lekki deep seaport is of vital significance for Nigeria in achieving economic prosperity and will completely change the image of Nigerian shipping industry. It will drive the country’s growth and change the shipping and economic pattern of Nigeria and even the Central and West Africa at large.

Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchun said the deep seaport is expected to become a new engine of economic development that will empower the whole country, and is of huge significance for the development of the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa.