Nigeria Times

By Jiang Xuan, People’s Daily

A report recently released by the GSMA, an international association of mobile operators, indicated that by the end of 2021, more than 500 million people had subscribed to mobile services in Sub-Saharan Africa, representing 46 percent of the population.

There will be 613 million total subscribers by 2025, representing 50 percent of the region’s population, according to the report titled “The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2022.” Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Kenya will account for more than half of the new subscribers, the report said.

With a total population of more than 210 million, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. The country has a young population and the median age is around 18 years, boasting enormous potential for consumption. Regarding digitalization as an important tool for boosting the economy, the Nigerian government has taken a series of measures to advance digitalization.

In August 2019, the Nigerian government rolled out the National e-Government Master Plan, starting to implement the Nigeria Digital Governance Foundation Building Project 2020-2026. Two months later, Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications got a new name – the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. This change showed that Nigeria started to take intensified efforts to promote the digital economy.

In March 2020, Nigeria unveiled the National Broadband Plan (2020-2025), putting relevant telecom infrastructure projects on the list of the nation’s key infrastructure projects. In June 2022, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the Presidential Council on Digital Economy and E-government, pledging to improve the ability of the government to develop, apply, and deploy digital technologies, improve efficiency and transparency of the government and promote business facilitation.

High costs and poor accessibility to broadband Internet services and mobile Internet devices used to hinder the development of Nigeria’s digital economy. In recent years, many Chinese smartphone brands with competitive prices and quality started to enter the Nigerian market, driving the development of the local digital economy.

According to government data, smartphone shipments in Nigeria reached about 8 million in 2022, with Chinese brands among the top-ranked brands in terms of market share. Transsion Holdings, a China-based smartphone manufacturer, accounted for about 60 percent of the market share of Nigeria in 2022, and other Chinese smartphone brands including Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo together accounted for about 20 percent of the market share.

Ikenna Emewu, a Nigerian media professional, introduced that as a vital part of the digital economy, smartphones account for more than 84 percent of the total Internet connections in Africa.

Chinese enterprises have made smartphones affordable for more African citizens. Statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission showed that by June 2022, there were more than 150 million mobile Internet users in Nigeria, and the Internet penetration rate stood at around 70 percent.

In recent years, Chinese enterprises have assisted Nigeria in speeding up the construction of communication infrastructure. Chinese telecom giant Huawei has helped Nigeria design and build the “galaxy backbone network,” which underpins the communications network that has been basically established in Nigeria. The 5G network deployed by Huawei in Nigeria will further improve Nigeria’s network infrastructure.

Chinese enterprises have actively invested in Nigeria’s Internet finance, shopping, movie, and music sectors, firmly supporting the development of the country’s Internet industry.

Stephen Oni, an Internet media entrepreneur in Nigeria, expressed that after entering Lagos, the economic hub of Nigeria, which is also known as Africa’s “Silicon Valley,” Chinese enterprises have helped the city become the most invested market for startups in Africa where many renowned local Internet enterprises have emerged, helping Nigeria’s digital economy move toward prosperity.

Lakemfa Owei, an international affairs expert from Nigeria, believes that Nigeria’s digital economy enjoys a very broad prospect for development and Chinese experience is very helpful.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing recently during the latter’s state visit to China.

The two heads of state announced the elevation of the China-Turkmenistan relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, reached important consensus on advancing the building of a China-Turkmenistan community with a shared future, and witnessed the signing of agreements on cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and cooperation in other fields.

This marks China’s success in establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership, advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind at the bilateral level, and signing BRI cooperation documents with all five Central Asian countries.

With similar visions and goals as well as intertwined interests, China and Turkmenistan have achieved fruitful results in exchanges and cooperation in multiple fields and at all levels, and seen their bilateral friendly ties grow from strength to strength under the strategic guidance of the two countries’ heads of state.

The two countries’ decisions to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership, continuously deepen bilateral cooperation across the board, and build a China-Turkmenistan community with a shared future is expected to push forward the development of their bilateral relations at a higher level.

Building a China-Turkmenistan community with a shared future is an endeavor that enables the two sides to further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, better accommodate each other’s concerns, and reinforce their everlasting friendship on the basis of mutual respect, candor, mutual trust, and mutual benefit.

The two sides should support each other on issues concerning their core interests and respect each other’s pursuit of a development path suited to their own national conditions.

It is important for the two countries to synergize their development strategies at a faster pace, make full use of such mechanisms as the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee, and continue to expand the breadth and depth of cooperation, in order to create underpinnings for bilateral relations with tangible cooperation outcomes.

The two sides should deepen cooperation on law enforcement, security and bio-security, and jointly crack down on the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, to build strong security shields for the development of both countries.

The two sides also need to increase exchanges in various fields and at all levels, advance people-to-people cooperation, and strengthen the emotional bond between their peoples, so as to consolidate the popular and social foundation for the sustained and sound development of bilateral ties.

These efforts are conducive to the two countries’ national development and rejuvenation and can help improve the well-being of their people. 

The further elevation of the China-Turkmenistan relationship mirrors the high-level development of the relations between China and Central Asian countries.

Thirty-one years ago, China took the lead in establishing diplomatic ties with Central Asian countries, opening the door to bilateral exchanges and cooperation. Over the past 31 years, China and Central Asian countries have blazed a new trail of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation, and set a good example of fostering a new type of international relations.

As Xi pointed out at the Virtual Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations Between China and Central Asian Countries, which was held last January, no matter how the international landscape may evolve or how developed China may grow, China will always remain a good neighbor, a good partner, a good friend, and a good brother that Central Asian countries can trust and count on.

The establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and each of the five Central Asian countries and their jointly pursuing a community with a shared future for mankind at the bilateral level help safeguard regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity.

The China + Central Asia (C+C5) cooperation mechanism, as a new mechanism established for promoting cooperation between China and Central Asian countries, is open and transparent, mutually beneficial, equitable, and pragmatic. It has provided an important platform for deepening all-round cooperation between China and Central Asian countries.

The success of the first C+C5 summit will bring into fully play the guiding role of the head-of-state diplomacy, promote new progress in the relations between China and Central Asian countries, and help both sides better cope with common challenges.

Central Asia is where the BRI was first proposed. Upholding the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, China and Central Asian countries have empowered the BRI to bear rich fruits in Central Asia, bringing tangible benefits to local people of the region.

Under the framework of the alignment of the BRI with the development strategies of Central Asian countries, China and Central Asian countries have made a series of historic, landmark and groundbreaking achievements.

The China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline, the longest of its kind in the world, delivered more than 400 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China as of June 2022; the completion of the Kamchiq Tunnel of the Angren–Pap railway line in Uzbekistan has utterly changed the way of traveling of more than 10 million people; the establishment of the China-Kazakhstan Horgos International Border Cooperation Center and the China-Kazakhstan International Logistics Base has opened the door to the Pacific Ocean for Central Asian countries; and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway has officially opened to traffic, becoming an unimpeded international transport artery that passes through lofty mountains.

The two sides’ efforts to continue promoting the high-quality construction of the BRI and accelerating the alignment of their development strategies will further boost economic development, improve people’s well-being, consolidate friendly ties, and enhance mutual trust in the region.

As a Chinese saying goes, neighbors wish each other well, just as loved ones do to each other. Acting on the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness and the policy of forging friendships and partnerships with its neighbors, China strives to enhance friendly ties, mutual trust, and converging interests with its neighboring countries.

By renewing their friendship, advancing cooperation, and working together to build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future, China and Central Asian countries will make greater contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

“This is my second visit to Xinjiang, and it feels like I’m back home,” said Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of The World Muslim Communities Council, who recently led a delegation to northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region at the invitation of the local government.

The delegation, which consisted of more than 30 world-renowned Islamic figures and scholars from 14 countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Tunisia, arrived in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, on Jan. 8.

The delegation visited a thematic exhibition on Xinjiang’s fight against terrorism and extremism at the Xinjiang International Convention and Exhibition Center in Urumqi, where they saw physical exhibits and learned about cases of counter-terrorism and de-radicalization in Xinjiang, and gained a better understanding of the current situation of counter-terrorism and de-radicalization in the region.

Many members of the delegation expressed support and high recognition for Xinjiang’s efforts and achievements in counter-terrorism and de-radicalization.

Osama al-Azhari, Egyptian Presidential Adviser for Religious Affairs[u1] , said that China’s counter-terrorism policies have been very successful and helped people of various ethnic groups live together in peace. China’s experience in fighting terrorism bears great significance for the efforts of various countries to effectively combat terrorism, he noted.

At the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum in Urumqi, members of the delegation stayed for a long time in front of exhibition boards showing information about the ancient Silk Road. They reviewed the several thousand years of history of exchanges between their own countries and China and talked freely about the prospects for cooperation with China.

China is a major country with global influence and has been contributing to global economic recovery in recent years, said Mustafa Cerić, former Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina, adding that he hopes that China will continue sharing development opportunities with the rest of the world.

Members of the delegation showed great interest in the Twelve Muqams, a traditional art form known as the “Mother of Uygur Music”. They used their mobile phones to record the melodious tunes and wonderful dances while enjoying performances of the Twelve Muqams, which has been listed among the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage items in China.

The Chinese government has made tremendous efforts to protect intangible cultural heritage of Xinjiang and has promoted it globally, which is of great significance to the diversity of civilization, pointed out Mauritanian writer Abdallah Uld Mohamadi Bah[u2] .

At Yanghang Mosque in Tianshan district of Urumqi, members of the delegation joined local Muslims of various ethnic groups in performing the Salat al Asr (afternoon prayer). The delegation also visited Xinjiang Islamic Institute in Urumqi, where members of the delegation talked about the principles of Islam with students and teachers of the school.

Before the visit to Xinjiang, Serbian Mufti Mevlud ef. Dudić had only seen China on TV and in newspapers, according to the mufti, who said that he has finally seen with his own eyes how his fellow Muslims live in peace and happiness in Xinjiang.

During their visit to the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar, one of the most famous landmarks in Urumqi, members of the delegation were fascinated by various kinds of dried fruits, Atlas silk, a time-honored type of cloth used by Uygur women for centuries, and other specialties of the autonomous region.

They talked cordially and took photos with people at the bazaar, while shop assistants were busy packing the tourist souvenirs and local specialties they bought from the shops in the bazaar before sending them to their countries.

While visiting the Urumqi International Land Port Area in Urumqi, members of the delegation observed the operations of the China-Europe freight trains and ports in Xinjiang, including the Alashankou port and the Horgos port, through real-time video link, and gasped with admiration at the rich fruits Xinjiang has achieved in pushing forward with the opening-up and high-quality construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

With sound infrastructure, human resources, as well as other conditions for economic development, Xinjiang can play an important role in making the trade between China and countries along the routes of the BRI smoother, more convenient, and faster, said Sara Falaknaz, a member of the Federal National Council of the UAE. 

---

埃及总统宗教事务顾问奥萨马名字不确定，翻译参考以下报道https://egyptindependent.com/egyptian-presidential-advisor-steps-into-sheikh-shaarawi-controversy/

毛里塔尼亚作家阿布达拉的名字不确定，翻译参考以下网址https://www.banipal.co.uk/contributors/1171/abdallah-uld-mohamadi–bah/

By Ouyang Jie, People’s Daily

China’s optimization of COVID-19 response measures is leading to a rebound in the catering industry.

Restaurants across the country have resumed dine-in services and are preparing for a peak period that may arrive with the upcoming Chinese New Year, which will fall on Jan. 22.

Sanlitun, a popular shopping area favored by young people in Beijing’s Chaoyang district, is currently seeing a recovery in foot traffic, and that includes a restaurant of Haidilao, a leading hot pot restaurant chain in China, at Sanlitun SOHO, a shopping-residence-business complex.

“Today we will probably serve over 200 tables, and dozens of tables have already been booked at noon. Reservations just get frequent as the Chinese New Year approaches, which will keep us busier,” said Xu Bin, manager of the hot pot restaurant. 

Over the past year, the restaurant’s business performance went through ups and downs. Fortunately, it is getting better these days.

The restaurant resumed operation on Dec. 7 last year after a short suspension of dine-in services. Its business remained gloomy in the first few days, but has turned better since Dec. 16.

Xu told People’s Daily that the number of diners at night recently was sometimes as many as that before the breakout of COVID-19, which boosted the turnover of the restaurant.

“The foot traffic in other periods of time is also recovering, and it would increase 30 percent on weekends,” Xu said.

According to Chinese internet giant Meituan, the dining industry has recovered across the country to different extents since Dec. 8, 2022, and foot traffic has kept growing.

For instance, the number of online reservations for dine-in services received by restaurants in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong province since December has more than doubled from that in the previous stage.

Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, has seen a 413 percent weekly growth since Dec. 8 in the number of online reservations for dine-in services.

At noon on Dec. 18, 2022, couriers were seen entering and exiting a mini hot pot restaurant in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan province. Jiang Sanchun, owner of the restaurant, said over 150 delivery orders had flooded in.

This restaurant, which covers only some 60 square meters, is located in an alley of Chengdu’s Jinjiang district. Its dine-in and delivery services are both recovering thanks to the optimized COVID-19 response measures recently announced by China.

“We serve 80 to 100 tables of dine-in customers per day, and delivery orders are growing fast that we receive more than 300 of them on a daily basis,” Jiang said.

Jiang estimated that the business would recover faster, saying his restaurant was fully prepared.

His restaurant sits near to a business district, but its foot traffic was not stable in recent years. Therefore, the restaurant joined an online delivery platform to expand its service range and improve its digital operation. Now, over 60 percent of the restaurant’s revenue comes from delivery service.

Many catering enterprises made innovations amid COVID-19, expanding their online sales channels and integrating online and offline services so as to recover their business.

“Through technological innovation and information sharing, delivery platforms are able to help catering enterprises enhance their capability in digitalization and improve their efficiency in digital operation,” said an employee of Meituan.

According to the employee, Meituan has launched a special service that invites professionals in the food delivery sector to offer training and guidance for inexperienced small- and medium-sized restaurants.

As of mid-November last year, over 70,000 small- and medium-sized restaurants in China had gotten the service for free, and their monthly revenue had increased by nearly 30 percent each.

To help catering enterprises tide over difficulties, a series of policies were issued in China. In early 2022, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments unveiled measures to guide online food delivery platforms to lower service charge and assist catering enterprises with insurance and loan renewal. In May, the State Council launched a package of policies that would give stronger support to catering and other sectors under pressure. In June, the Ministry of Commerce, together with other 10 departments, issued a notice requesting efforts to recover the catering industry in six aspects.

“Though we are still going to face challenges in the new year, the catering industry will accelerate its steps toward recovery with the optimization of COVID-19 response measures,” said Yang Liu, secretary-general of the China Cuisine Association.

By Song Haoxin, People’s Daily

In 15 minutes, people can walk a kilometer, listen to a couple of songs and browse several short videos. However, in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan province, more can be done in such a short period.

The city has built neighborhoods that enabled its citizens to reach various types of services within a 15-minute walk, such as kindergartens about 100 meters away from residents’ homes, parks for a walk after dinner, nearby shopping streets, and cultural exhibitions that are held in almost every block.

In October 2021, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced the country’s first batch of 30 cities where “15-minute community life circles” would be piloted, and Chengdu was on the list.

The pilot project has brought huge convenience to the people in Chengdu and significantly improved their sense of gain.

Xishulu community is one of the 12 communities in Chengdu to pilot the “15-minute community life circles,” where the idea of “a good life is just outside your doors” is very well explained.

A resident surnamed Ma, who has returned to Chengdu after retiring, now lives in Xishulu community. He quite enjoys living in the pilot community.

“It’s convenient. There are a park, a wet market and a bus station just outside my residential complex. Besides, there’s also a community service center where I can get government services, go shopping and take classes. I learn Chinese painting and calligraphy there. The circle enriches my everyday life,” Ma told People’s Daily.

In the community service center that Ma mentioned, there are a coffee shop, a university for the aged, a canteen, a retail store selling cultural products, an art gallery and other featured businesses.

The center is not only favored by seniors, but also frequented by young people.

“I always visit the community service center after work to have some coffee, go window-shopping and do craft making. It’s a great relaxation,” said a 28-year-old citizen surnamed Liang.

According to an official with the municipal bureau of housing and urban-rural development in Chengdu, the city has established 227 primary-level cultural facilities to build the “15-minute community life circles,” which shall offer not only convenient consumer services, but also accessible cultural experiences for citizens.

So far, the city has built 46 primary-level demonstration cultural centers and carried out beautification programs for 91 communities and over 100 book stores, to build a city-wide network that provides citizens with high-quality public cultural services at their doorsteps.

Chengdu’ Xindu district has developed a mini program that combines online and offline services. On the mini program, citizens can attend classes, watch performances and listen to lectures online.

Besides, to tackle the “last kilometer” problem of public transport, Chengdu launched a community bus service in 2013. Citizens who take the buses with a transit card are eligible to enjoy the service for free.

Different from that of regular bus routes, the average distance between two stations of the community bus service is just around 200 meters, and the stations are close to the gate of community complexes and other populous locations.

At present, 519 buses are running along the routes of the service in Chengdu with nearly 140,000 average passenger volume on a daily basis. Most of the passengers are seniors.

In addition, Chengdu has built multiple greenways, which makes cycling a new fashion in the city.

“The principle of putting people first is a character of public services. Chengdu is going all out to build the ’15-minute community life circles’ in accordance with the resources and industrial features in different districts and counties,” said an official with the Chengdu Municipal Development and Reform Commission.

The city will keep improving its public services system, upgrade the supply of public services, and promote high-quality and balanced development of public services, so as to build itself into a better city that people enjoy living and working in, the official added.

By Abdulhammed Sakariyau Korede

The ongoing construction of the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion is minimizing the use of toxic and ecologically harmful materials such as plastics, vinyls, biocides, and other red-list materials throughout to create a public monument geared to environmental sustainability and marine conservation.

The project, led by LMN Architects, is the first substantial addition to the aquarium since 2007. The new construction includes 4645 m2 (50,000 sf) of immersive living exhibits, back-of-house elements, theatrical spaces, and views of the surrounding natural landscape and the urban waterfront.

The main materials being used in the construction are FSC Alaskan Yellow Cedar (harvested from tribally owned and managed forests) for the façade, concrete, curtain wall, insulated glass units, composite metal panels, a carpet created from old fishing nets, acrylic glazing for habitat windows, and paper composite sheet material.

To honor sustainability, one of the core institutional values of the Seattle Aquarium, other design and construction strategies include the use of electrification, and the elimination of fossil fuels, embodied carbon reduction, and heat sharing between the life support and building systems.

Design-wise, the pavilion is to serve as an armature for immersive living exhibits, ecological experiences, exposed back-of-house elements, theatrical spaces, and hands-on exploration. It includes well-placed views of the surrounding landscape and urban waterfront, which connect local stories to the interpretive experiences. Within this context, the design moves away from the traditional “theater of ecosystems” model of aquarium design and acknowledges the rich interplay between human life and ocean life while offering a working model of a thriving human culture that fosters a prosperous marine environment and ocean ethic.

To visibly honor and acknowledge the Aquarium’s location on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish peoples, the project team worked closely with local tribes and Indigenous communities to inform and shape the programming, design, and cultural framework for the building, landscape, exhibits, and public art. Engagement included hearing traditional stories from tribal elders, workshops with tribal youth, and regular design sessions with Indigenous consultants.

“The site of the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion is a prominent place in the new waterfront where the waterfront public spaces, the connection to Pike Place Market, and proximity to the Salish Sea intersect. It is a place of importance in the urban framework,” said Mark Reddington, Partner, LMN Architects, “The Ocean Pavilion as the connecting piece in this location demonstrates Seattle’s commitment to fighting climate change. At a time when the world is struggling with massive environmental challenges, and when Seattle is transforming its central waterfront to be integrated with the ecology of the ocean, this project capitalizes on that convergence to elevate the public experience, understanding, and support for the health of the world’s ocean.”