Nigeria Times

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.”

By FengHua, People’s Daily

China recently released the world’s first H-Alpha spectral scanning imaging by its first solar observation satellite “Xihe” after the satellite has stayed in orbit for 10 months.

The satellite also obtained the world’s first spectral lines of the Sun’s H-Alpha waveband, neutral silicon atoms and neutral iron atoms, said ZhaoJian, chief designer of the China’s high-resolution Earth observation project Gaofen.

Xihe was launched on Oct. 14, 2021 and is traveling in a Sun-synchronous orbit about 517 kilometers above the Earth. As the first Chinese “photographer” for the Sun, the satellite has taken China into the era of solar exploration.

The H-Alpha waveband is the most responsive spectral line of solar activities in the lower atmosphere of the Sun.

According to Zhao, the major scientific payload of Xihe is an H-Alpha imaging spectrograph with a resolution of 0.0024 nanometers, about 10 times higher than the resolution of ground-based optical filters, reaching the international advanced level. Each spectral scan image contains more than 300 photos, which is like a “CT scan” of the Sun’s lower atmosphere, namely the photosphere and chromosphere.

Apart from the H-Alpha waveband, Xihe also obtained spectral lines of neutral silicon atoms and neutral iron atoms. By studying them and based on the full-disk Doppler images of the photosphere and chromosphere obtained by Xihe, scientists are able to get the temperature, density and velocity of the Sun’s atmosphere and thus have a better understanding of the triggers and development of solar activities. It will help improve space weather forecast and ensure the security of mankind.

Experts introduced that relevant experiments carried out by Xihe have achieved two internationally recognized deliverables on solar exploration, which significantly improves China’s global influence in solar physics.

The Xihe satellite applies a magnetic levitation technology in orbit to increase accuracy and stability during operation. Besides, it has also verified multiple new technologies such as magnetic coupling wireless energy transmission, laser communication and wireless communication.

At present, Xihe is launching scientific observation as scheduled on a daily basis and has observed nearly 100 solar outbursts.

The observation data are open for world players to share, which marks China’s contribution to the science development of the world.

It is learned that China will launch an Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory this year to conduct observations on the solar magnetic field, solar flares and coronal mass ejections, to support the forecasting of catastrophic space weather.

Besides, Chinese scientists are further studying the structure of the Sun and the three-dimensional structure of solar activities, as part of Chinese efforts to contribute to the science development of the world.

By Liu Leyi

Nowadays, facial scanning has replaced high-speed train tickets, and median barriers can be remotely controlled to adjust traffic flow. What’s more, automated parking systems have freed drivers from parking and pulling out.
Grasping the opportunities brought by digital economy and being integrated with big data technology, the transportation sector has become smarter over the recent years.

According to a guideline on the long-term development of transportation technology jointly issued by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Science and Technology, China will vigorously develop intelligent transportation, speed up the application of a new generation of information technology and aerospace information technology in the transportation sector, and accelerate the building of new transportation infrastructure.

Smart roads have embraced prosperous development over the recent years as roads are digitalized and made internet-based.
As the first pilot project of smart expressway in east China’s Shandong province, the Tai’an-Zaozhuang section of the Beijing-Taipei Expressway has adopted a series of smart technologies.
It can maintain smooth traffic by acquiring precise information on the road. Within 20 kilometers from the Manzhuang entrance of the expressway in Tai’an, Shandong province, there is a pole by the side of the road every 200 meters, on which a communication unit is installed. The unit receives traffic information and sends it to relevant vehicles for smoother traffic.

Besides, there are 182 high-definition surveillance cameras, 15 sets of omnidirectional millimeter-wave radars and 33 sets of laser radars along the Beijing-Taipei Expressway. The traffic information collected by the equipment is transmitted to a smart traffic control platform, and then the platform processes the data it receives and gives precise evaluation of current traffic conditions.

A man surnamed Wang, who works in Tai’an, once had a vehicle failure on the expressway. Just seconds after he pulled over, he received a reminder from the smart traffic control platform. Meanwhile, Wang’s location was reported to relevant traffic control departments by the platform. In less than 10 minutes, rescue staffs showed up at the location and towed Wang’s vehicle to the nearest exit.

“Now, surveillance camera-enabled automatic inspection has reduced the average disposal time of traffic accidents from 28 minutes to 19 minutes per case, improving disposal efficiency by 32.1 percent,” said Shi Ning, who works at the command and dispatching center of the expressway.

Fan Shujian, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said the upgrading of the transportation sector driven by digital technologies has shaped new business models and forms that improve the safety and efficiency of urban roads and expressways.

Recently, a batch of smart service robots started their “careers” at the Caoqiao station of the Daxing Airport Express of the Beijing Subway. These speech-interactive machines provide route information and schedule and are able to guide passengers to the locations they want.

In Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian province, a smart parking system has been constructed. It enables drivers to search for and reserve available parking spaces online.
Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province, introduced to its taxi fleet a number of barrier-free cabs that can carry six passengers at most. These cabs have access ramps and can be hailed on mobile applications.

In the future, China will further enhance its innovation in the transportation sector to promote faster and better development of new infrastructure and smart transportation.