Nigeria Times

By He Yin, People’s Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the city of Samarkand, and pay state visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from Sept. 14 to 16.
As the world is going through profound changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, and international and regional situations continue to undergo complex and profound changes, President Xi’s trip to Central Asia will inject new vitality into the building of a closer SCO community with a shared future and kick off a new chapter of deepening regional solidarity and cooperation.
This year is of landmark significance for the SCO, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the SCO Charter and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the SCO Member States.
Since the founding of the organization, it has been closely obeying the above two documents and following the Shanghai Spirit, exploring a new development path for regional organizations and setting a good example for regional and international cooperation.
As the world has entered a period of new turbulence and transformation, the role of the SCO is not diminishing, but expanding, and SCO member states are not seeing a shrinking demand for cooperation, but an increasing one.
It is expected that the SCO can contribute its strength to safeguarding and practicing true multilateralism and protecting international justice and equity, when the world is seeing a complicated international situation, frequently emerging hotspot issues and a relapse into unilateralism and protectionism.
As an important founding member of the SCO, China always values, supports and promotes the development of the organization.
Since 2013, President Xi has attended multiple SCO summits where he raised a series of important proposals and initiatives to promote SCO development and regional cooperation. These proposals and initiatives have received warm response from relevant parties.
In the Qingdao Declaration, the SCO members made “building a community with a shared future for humanity” a common concept, and organization is promoting synergy between the Belt and Road cooperation and the development strategies of various countries and regional cooperation initiatives such as the Eurasian Economic Union, creating important opportunities for regional development.
The Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi has been recognized by relevant parties under the SCO framework. They believe that the initiative is of great significance for alleviating today’s global development predicament.
Besides, many member states speak highly of President Xi’s Global Security Initiative, and recognize the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.
China advocates independence and security for all, and opposes creating bloc confrontation and undermining regional stability. At the SCO Samarkand Summit, President Xi will exchange views with relevant parties on enhancing SCO construction in the new era and better dealing with major international and regional challenges, which will be conducive to safeguarding true multilateralism and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and make important contributions to promoting regional peace and development.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Over the past 30 years, China and the five countries have established strategic partnerships, deepening political trust and mutually beneficial cooperation, blazing a new trail of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation, and setting a good example of fostering a new type of international relations. The two sides have also reached important consensus on building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.
President Xi’s upcoming visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will definitely further deepen China’s cooperation with the five Central Asian countries.
Over the past 30 years, China’s relations with Kazakhstan have been constantly lifted to new levels, and the two countries have established a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership, which is important for regional and even international peace and stability.
It was in Kazakhstan nine years ago that President Xi proposed the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt, a component of the landmark Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which also includes the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The two countries implemented a series of cooperation projects of strategic importance and achieved fruitful results, which brought tangible benefits to the two peoples and set a good example for win-win cooperation.
Over the past 30 years, China-Uzbekistan relations have achieved leapfrog development. The two countries have become good neighbors sharing mutual respect and trust, good partners for mutually beneficial cooperation, and good friends benefiting from people-to-people exchanges.
At present, the two countries are facing important opportunities to enhance their comprehensive strategic partnership. They have pledged to achieve an annual trade turnover of $10 billion as soon as possible and set new targets, and decided to jointly implement the five-year plan for economic, trade and investment cooperation, and draw up a list of priority cooperation projects for the future. The two sides will continue deepening cooperation on connectivity, poverty alleviation and medical care.
China fully supports Uzbekistan’s chairmanship of the SCO and is willing to work with the country to jointly achieve national development and vitalization.
Changes of the world, of our times and of history are unfolding today in ways like never before. At the critical stage that concerns world peace and development, the coordination and solidarity between China and regional countries will inject positive energy into global peace, development and cooperation, and make new contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind. 

By Gong Ming, People’s Daily

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries have maintained sound development since the regional organization was established.
Since the SCO’s founding in 2001, the total economy and foreign trade volume of itsmember states have grown by 12 percent on average per year. In 2020, the two figureshave increased eleven fold and eight foldrespectively.
Last year, the combined economic size of SCO member states exceeded $20 trillion, taking a larger share of the global economy and contributing more to global growth.
Russia’s Sputnik said that over the past 20 years, SCO member states have achieved fruitful results in trade, investment and engineering contracting, and enhanced regional connectivity, which boosted economic development and livelihood improvement. As the SCO further expands its membership, it will enjoy greaterpotential for cooperation and brighter prospects.
The in-depth Belt and Road cooperation is leading to closer alignment among the development strategies of SCO countries and an improving level of trade and investment. A high-quality regional connectivity network is taking shape, and highlights are showing in agricultural and regional cooperation.
Melons from Uzbekistan, sunflower seed oil from Kazakhstan, and cherries from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have become available on Chinese markets, and China-Central Asia cooperation has expanded from the traditional areas of petroleum, natural gas and mineral resource exploitation to electricity, telecommunication, chemical engineering, agriculture and commercial services.
A record 15,000 China-Europe freight train trips were made in 2021, and the first China-Russia highway bridge opened to traffic. Besides, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is well underway.
SCO member states firmly safeguard the multilateral trading system and promote synergy between the Belt and Road cooperation and the development strategies of various countries and regional cooperation initiatives such as the Eurasian Economic Union, so as to smoothen the regional economic cycle and protect the security of global industrial and supply chains, as well as international food and energy security.
In March last year, the 75th session of the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 75/268 that recognized SCO’s constructive role in ensuring peace and sustainable development, promoting regional cooperation and enhancing good-neighborly partnerships. It said that the quality of cooperation amongSCO member states has significantly improved, which further enhanced the role of the multilateral mechanism.
SCO countries boast rich resources, huge market size, strong capability in scientific innovation and other unique advantages. They enjoy robust development momentum and bright cooperation prospects.
In recent years, the SCO has approved a series of documents on enhancing cooperation in digitalization, telecommunication technology and scientific innovation. SCO member states all agree to deepen exchanges in the digital economy to make their own economies more innovative.
Zhang Ming,Secretary-general of the SCO, noted that SCO countries have rich human and financial resources, adequate raw materials and sound technological potential. These countries’ efforts to share their development outcomes in the digital economy and launch digital trade cooperation will promote regional peace and stability and sustainable development, and create broader prospects for the implementation of the Global Development Initiative.
Since this year, SCO member states have reached new consensus in their cooperation in technology, energy, and finance, to seek new directions and opportunities for regional development.
In April, the 6th meeting of ministers of science and technology of the SCO adopted the Action Plan on Scientific and Technological Cooperation in Priority Areas for 2022-2025, the Mechanism for Implementing Joint Multilateral Research and Innovation Projects within the SCO Framework and the Plan of Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence.
In June, the 2nd meeting of energy ministers of the SCO was convened. SCO member states agreed to coordinate energy security and low-carbon energy development, actively build demonstration projects of renewable energy, deepen cooperation in innovative sci-tech development and upgrade energy cooperation.
In August, the SCO Inter-bank Consortium signed a cooperation document. Member banks will launch financial cooperation in infrastructure connectivity, low-carbon development, digital economy and livelihood, to offer strong support for the region’s stable economic recovery.
As of the end of June, China’s direct investment in other SCO member states totaled $37.5 billion. To help with SCO countries’ post-pandemic recovery, China will strive to reach $2.3 trillion in its cumulative trade with other SCO countries in the next five years.
Earlier this year, the China Development Bank set up a special loan for the second phase of the SCO Inter-bank Consortium, with a scale of 30 billion yuan to support high-quality joint construction of key areas of the project under the Belt and Road Initiative.
China is building a new development paradigm and striving for high-quality development. It will work with all relevant parties to implement the Global Development Initiative, make more cooperation highlights, and improve practical cooperation, so as to achievenew achievements in regional economic cooperation and create a brighter future together with the SCO.
 

By Liu Rong, People’s Daily

The morning breeze in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong province has turned a bit chilly in early autumn. However, sweats were seen on the forehead of Yue Chonglong, leader of the dispatching group at the multimodal transportation center of the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area.
The man kept working for three hours nonstop since 5:00 am, running between the dispatching room and cargo fields, and finally released an international freight train from the multimodal transportation center to Mannheim, Germany.
In June 2018, China proposed at the Qingdao Summit of the SCO to establish a demonstration area in Qingdao for local economic and trade cooperation between China and the SCO.
Over the past years, the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area has built itself into a high-caliber center of international logistics, modern trade, two-way investment cooperation, and commercial, tourism and cultural exchanges.
It now serves as a new platform for Belt and Road cooperation. More and more products from Belt and Road countries are shipped to their destinations through the demonstration area.
“This is a new international freight route opened this year, and it has started regular operation,” said Yue, the senior dispatcher with 11 years of work experience. According to him, he “sees off” three to four trains every day, and the number of freight trains departing from the demonstration area for SCO states and Belt and Road countries this year is much higher than before.
Situated near the Qingdao port, the multimodal transportation center, and the Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area enjoy”natural” advantages as a transport hub.
As Qingdao is seeing closer economic and trade ties with SCO states, more and more cargos engaged in trade with these countries are being handled in the Chinese coastal city.
“We have opened 17 international routes that reach 51 cities in 22 SCO and Belt and Road countries,” said Li Gang, an official with the management committee of the demonstration area.
“Many of our products are sold to Chinese customers and we are receiving more orders. It has not only created economic benefits for our company, but also increased the income of our employees,” said a man surnamed Victor, head of Minsk Milk Plant No. 1 in Belarus.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the milk plants had been troubled with overstocking of its milk and skim milk powder products, which were on high demand before.
The table was turned after a trade company in the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area contacted the milk plant and helped the latter find clients in China. In just two months, the Belarusian dairy producer sold over 1,100 tons of dairy products worth more than $1.1 million, according to Victor.
“I want to visit China with my family one day, to have a taste of Chinese food and see how popular our products are in the country,” Victor told People’s Daily.
Introducing foreign trade entities, establishing trade cooperation platforms and launching trade facilitation policies are major approaches adopted by the demonstration area to advance local economic and trade cooperation.
At present, the demonstration area is home to over 1,800 foreign trade companies engaged in mechanical and electrical products, farm produce, textile and other industries. It has nurtured 10 trade platforms that offer one-stop cross-border e-commerce services. Besides, the demonstration area has delivered over 40 innovative outcomes with SCO characteristics, significantly improving the level of trade and investment facilitation for SCO and Belt and Road countries.
The cross-border e-commerce transactions in the demonstration area in the first seven months of this year are expected to reach $1.15 billion yuan ($166.15 million), and the total imports and exports may surge 38.3 percent to 21 billion yuan. In particular, the trade volume with SCO states is expected to increase 86.2 percent to 4.3 billion yuan.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

In Pakistan, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is well underway, and the electricity projects under the framework have lighted up numerous local families.
In Uzbekistan, the Kamchiq Tunnel along the Angren–Pap railway built with Chinese technologies, has put an end to the history when Uzbeks had to make a detour via another country for domestic transportation.
In the Horn of Africa, the China-built Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway has given landlocked Ethiopia a faster access to the sea, bringing more businesses to and creating more jobs for the African country.
The past nine years proves that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a great undertaking that benefits the people of all participating countries.
On Sept. 7, 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed building a Silk Road Economic Belt when visiting Kazakhstan, and on Oct. 3 the same year, he called for building a 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road in Indonesia.
Over the past nine years, the BRI has achieved tangible and fruitful progress, becoming the world’s broadest-based and largest platform for international cooperation. It has been joined by 149 countries and 32 international organizations, showing strong vitality.
The ultimate goal of the China-proposed initiative is to bring a better life to people of all countries.
Xi noted at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that “We need to take a people-centered approach, give priority to poverty alleviation and job creation to see that the joint pursuit of Belt and Road cooperation will deliver true benefits to the people of participating countries and contribute to their social and economic development. We also need to ensure the commercial and fiscal sustainability of all projects so that they will achieve the intended goals as planned.”
The BRI raises living standards for people of participating countries. The Tana Beles sugar factory in Ethiopia has created tens of thousands of local jobs; farmers growing Chinese hybrid rice in Mozambique have embraced big harvests; and a series to training facilities have been built by China in Cambodia, Algeria and Djibouti for better careers of local workers.
Over the past nine years, livelihood projects under the BRI have brought clean drinking water, safe electricity, stable jobs and a happy life to more and more people in participating countries. As long as Belt and Road countries continue their efforts, the BRI will be able to lift more people out of poverty and make global development more balanced.
The BRI energizes the development of participating countries. When the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge opened to traffic, the local people said the bridge has brought them an opportunity to create a better future; when the China-constructed Peljesac Bridge was put into use in Croatia, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said it was a day of historic significance for his country and the bridge is a centuries-old dream coming true for his country; the China-Europe freight trains have planned 82 routes that connect 200 cities in 24 European countries.
Over the past nine years, trade cost for commodities, capital, information and technologies has been significantly reduced for Belt and Road countries, which has effectively promoted the orderly flow of inter-regional resources and optimized resource allocation. The improved connectivity, helping “forgotten corners” around the world better integrate into the global industrial, supply and value chains, has made win-win results possible.
The BRI vitalizes global development. According to a World Bank report, trade will grow from between 2.8 and 9.7 percent for economies along the Belt and Road and between 1.7 and 6.2 percent for the world. Increased trade is expected to expand global real income by 0.7 percent to 2.9 percent, the report said.
According to World Bank forecast, if all BRI transport infrastructure projects are carried out, by 2030, the BRI will generate $1.6 trillion of revenues for the world, or 1.3 percent of global GDP. Up to 90 percent of the revenues will go to partner countries.
Facts have proved that the Belt and Road is a road to common prosperity.
The splendid picture of the win-win Belt and Road cooperation includes not only railways and factories, but also the smiles on the faces of the people from participating countries.
Keeping moving along the road of opportunities and development, the world will be able to reach a bright and harmonious future.

Muhammad Sulaiman, National President of the Society of Nigerian Artists and President China Alumni Association has recounted how the Chinese Embassy transformed his career by offering him scholarship to master his craft in China.

Mr Sulaiman, who is also the President of the Abuja International Open Art Expo and Head of Public Relations, FCTA Arts and Culture Social Development Secretariat disclosed this during an exclusive interview with newsmen on the sidelines of the 2nd International Arts Fair, held at the Cyprian Ekwensi Center for Arts and Culture in Abuja the nation’s capital.

The calligraphy artist and painter who has exhibited his craft in many countries of the world stated that his breakthrough as an artist came after his training in the Chinese cities of Nanjing and Wuhan courtesy of a scholarship from the Republic of China.

When asked how his relationship with the Chinese embassy started, Mr Sulaiman, who received China’s Award for Cultural Exchange in 2013 said, “It started with the understanding that there is a cultural section at the Chinese embassy. My presence at the China cultural units there attracted some kind of attention from the Chinese. They attended my exhibition which was the first exhibition I had in Abuja sponsored by Guinness Nigeria in the 90s. That was where the cultural chancellor saw my work and picked interest in it because I had some Chinese calligraphy displayed that I didn’t know much about. Then the Chancellor was like why don’t you think of studying in China and acquiring more knowledge. So that was when the study thing in China came up and the Chinese government decided to sponsor my program in China.

“I studied painting at the Academy of Painting and Calligraphy in Nanjing. At the Nanjing University of the Arts, I was taken to some outlets to understudy some professors. So basically, for me, it’s been a thing of gratitude to the academy and my exhibitions are out there for all to see.”

On China’s contribution to human capital development in Nigeria, Mr Sulaiman who won the October 1 Award for Outstanding Nigerian Advocates of China-Nigeria Relations in 2019 opined, “Yes. Because China has trained hundreds of thousands of Nigerians on scholarships. Many Nigerians are studying in China right now courtesy of Chinese scholarships. These students are in the field of medicine, ICT, engineering, education and so on. What is expected is that these Nigerians will use what they have learnt in China to improve the Nigerian system. Some of us had some training in China and came back to form the China Alumni Association. What the alumni association is saying to Nigerians is that please, make sure you go back and give to society. We do workshops and masterclasses. We want to teach people how to be solidly productive. We just want to have our hands working. Because if you have that kind of working population, this country will grow so much bigger. So besides the construction companies and the rail revolution, the Chinese have built massive human capacity in Nigeria.”

While noting that Nigeria and China have lots of cultural and historical similarities which have been nurtured through cultural exhibitions and exchanges, Sulaiman admonished Nigerians to emulate the Chinese by being productive and aiming for the top at all times.

By Ye Zi

In Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei province, there lies the East Lake High-tech Development Zone, one of the high technology development zones approved by China’s State Council.

In recent years, the high-tech development zone, or better known as the “Optics Valley of China,” hasconstantly optimized its employment and business environments, making itself a high-caliber talent hub.

As the birthplace of China’s first optical fiber and first electro-optical transmission system, the “Optics Valley of China” has grown into the world’s largest R&D and production center of optical fibers and cables.

Each year, a 100-billion-yuan industry was created there since 2013. Having developed four major industries of integrated circuit, new display, next-geninformation network and bio-medicines, the high-tech development zone is listed as a state-level strategic emerging industry cluster.

Apart from attracting industries, the “Optics Valley of China” is also drawing talents.

Recently, it announced to build a pilot demonstration area of talent construction and released seven major measures in this regard, which marked another upgrade of the high-tech development zone’s human resource policy.

“Applicants of talent programs launched in the high-tech development zone will be free from the restrictions on degree, age, and professional title. All they have to do is to register on an online platform and the platform will automatically give ratings. Those eligible will receive subsidies,” said an official from the development zone.

Numerous “dream chasers” have realized their dreams in the “Optics Valley of China.” As of the end of 2021, the East Lake High-tech Development Zone was home to 1.18 million permanent residents, up 167,700 from a year ago.

HGLASER based in the “Optics Valley of China,” a subsidiary of Chinese intelligent manufacturer HGTECH, has established a 14-member team for the development of high-power laser equipment and software. Though the average age of the 14 members is only 28, they have developed a series of amazing technologies.

With a laser cutting technology they developed, it only takes no more than 10 minutes to carve a painting on a 5,000 mm*4,000 mm*2mm metal sheet. And one of their laser welding technologies allows workers to weld a vehicle cabin skeleton in just 43 seconds.

The team, with great teamwork, has tackled a number of challenges such as high dependence on imported materials and long development period. It has independently developed core technologies and broken foreign monopoly in planar, groove and 3D 5-axis laser cutting machines.

“Compared with imported software, our own software can improve efficiency by 15 percent and reduce costs by 90 percent,” said XuTianrui, a 28-year-old member of the R&D team.

Today, more and more young talents are attracted by the sound atmosphere for innovation and entrepreneurship in the “Optics Valley of China.”

A demonstration area of the Hubei Youth Pioneer Park located in the HUST (Huazhong University of Science and Technology) Science Park offers a low rent and efficient administrative services for young entrepreneurs.

“I kicked off my R&D work on the same day I set up my office here,” said XiongPenghang, a 33-year-old man who graduated from University Pierre et MarieCurie, also known as Paris VI. His company has built an industry-leading human-machine interactive underlying platform in the Metaverse sector.

At present, a batch of cultural, entertainment and ecological projects are under way in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone, and there has been remarkable improvement in the development zone’s living environment. A sci-tech innovation corridor with the East Lake Science City Innovation Industrial Park at the core is taking shape in the “Optics Valley of China.”