Nigeria Times

By Luo Shanshan, Ding Qianqian

At Nangang Terminal in southeast Shanghai, a roll-on/roll-off vessel was steadily berthed at the dock, as a fleet of electric vehicles bound for export drove in an orderly manner into the ship’s hold under a “first-line direct customs release” model.

“Under this model, companies are exempt from customs declarations. With a single self-declaration, goods can move directly into and out of the Yangshan Free Trade Zone, significantly improving clearance efficiency,” explained an official from Yangshan Customs under Shanghai Customs.

As the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) pursues its goal of becoming a global shipping hub, it has refined its multi-country consolidation model. Cargo shipped from overseas, transiting via Yangshan, and bound for a third country, is exempt from inspection, cutting overall handling time by 50 percent.

This reform has driven the proportion of international transit and consolidated cargo at Yangshan Port from 12.6 percent to 18.6 percent, propelling it to the top of the global container port performance rankings. In the first half of this year alone, approximately 52,000 bonded vehicles were exported through consolidation, sharply reducing logistics costs.

In recent years, the Shanghai FTZ has pioneered institutional innovation, exploring new pathways and achieving “zero-to-one” breakthroughs to steadily expand institutional opening up, providing what has become known as the “Shanghai FTZ experience.” 

Seventy-seven pilot measures tested in Shanghai will soon be promoted nationwide, extending the benefits of institutional innovation across a broader landscape.

Beyond trade facilitation, Shanghai has taken the lead in formulating high-standard digital trade rules. The city is promoting regulated cross-border data flows, advancing digital technology applications, and expanding data openness and sharing.

At the Shanghai Data Exchange in Pudong New Area, intangible and invisible data products dominate corporate discussions. Meeting the rising demand for precise and efficient data transactions is a pressing concern.

According to Li Denggao, deputy general manager of the Shanghai Data Exchange, the exchange has established a cross-border data trading framework, developed a trusted delivery mechanism and released trading rules, gradually laying a solid market foundation. In the first half of this year, the exchange’s transaction volume exceeded 3 billion yuan ($417.39 million), a year-on-year increase of more than 50 percent.

Secure and efficient cross-border data flows are vital for companies’ international operations.

At the Cross-border Data Service Center in the Lin-gang Special Area of Shanghai pilot FTZ, real-time operation guidelines are displayed on electronic screens, tailored to industry-specific scenarios. In the intelligent connected vehicle sector, for example, guidelines cover cross-border production and manufacturing, global research and development testing, global after-sales services, and the global used car trade. 

“In the past, cross-border data flows were managed from an industry-wide perspective, which was not sufficiently targeted for enterprises,” said Lu Sen, head of the data division of the Administrative Committee of the Lin-gang Special Area. “We have identified specific data fields requiring across-border transfer and compiled detailed lists with relevant authorities to address the real challenges faced by enterprises.”

In February this year, the administrative committee of the Lin-gang Special Area, together with Shanghai Cyberspace Administration and other departments, jointly issued a negative list for data exports in the Shanghai FTZ. In May, it followed with detailed operational guidelines for such exports.

Financial innovation has also been a hallmark of the Shanghai FTZ. From establishing China’s first foreign-controlled joint-venture wealth management company and the first wholly foreign-owned public fund, to building an international oil and gas trading center, executing the first cross-border RMB settlement for international crude oil in digital currency, and piloting relaxed rules on non-resident mergers and acquisitions loans, the FTZ has delivered many “firsts” in financial opening up.

These breakthroughs have been followed by deeper reforms, including optimizing cross-border cash pooling for multinational corporations, advancing payment service internationalization, and continuously enhancing the free trade account system.

With inbound tourism and shopping in China continuing to boom, improving payment convenience for overseas visitors has become another focus.

Leveraging the FTZ’s role as a testing ground, Ant International, an affiliate of China’s Alibaba Group, has introduced two new services: enabling overseas bank cards to be linked to Alipay, China’s leading mobile payment platform, and allowing overseas e-wallets to be used directly in China.

From downloading an app and linking international bank cards to scanning and paying directly with an overseas e-wallet, inbound visitors now enjoy greater payment convenience.

Meng Huating, director of the free trade zone and free trade port department of China’s Ministry of Commerce, said the ministry will continue to work with relevant departments to actively support localities in replicating and adapting the “Shanghai FTZ experience” in light of their strategic positioning, industrial strengths, and local conditions.

By Mark Aylwin Thomas

“Through his being and working, many blades of grass will grow in places where none grew before.”

This epitaph was penned by Rewi Alley, New Zealand-born writer, social reformer and educator,  in memory of my uncle George Aylwin Hogg. Rewi Alley was a co-founder of the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives (CIC), and my uncle George became a close collaborator in this organization. His brief but powerful words capture the profound admiration for George’s selfless dedication.

I first encountered this line in the spring of 1988. I traveled to China representing George’s family to attend an unprecedented series of memorial events, honoring the memory of Rewi Alley who had died the previous December aged 90, after living in China for 60 years. I came to realize then, and was over-awed by, the apparent stature of my uncle in the modern history of China.

While I was there, I was asked if I would be prepared to act the part of my uncle in a television mini-series to be produced by Gansu Television. Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity and returned later the same year for three months of filming.

That extraordinary experience gave me my first intimate glimpse into the emotional bonds and enduring friendship my uncle had forged with the Chinese people in times of war.

After returning to the UK, I immersed myself in George’s letters and manuscripts. Following this intense period of getting to know my uncle, I started to write his biography, “Blades of Grass: The Story of George Aylwin Hogg,” which was finally published in 2017.

This year marks several important anniversaries: the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War; the 110th anniversary of my uncle’s birth and the 80th anniversary of his passing.

To mark these occasions, the Chinese version of this book was published by the prestigious People’s Publishing House in Beijing and launched at the London Book Fair in March this year as part of the celebrations in the UK honoring George’s memory. The title “Blades of Grass” echoes the epitaph penned by Rewi Alley. 

What moves me most about my uncle is not only his unwavering commitment to his ideals, but also his deep affection and genuine respect for the Chinese people.

In April this year, along with a group of family members, I made a most memorable visit to China, tracing my uncle’s footsteps from Shanghai to Shandan, and taking part in celebrations held in Gansu and elsewhere, commemorating his life’s achievements and his legacy.

Decades ago, my uncle had thrown himself into the lives of ordinary Chinese people with sincerity and compassion. His humanitarian convictions shone brightly during those dark years of war.

In February 1938, George arrived in Shanghai amid the Japanese invasion. The city was in ruins, ravaged by war. He initially planned to stay only two days, but upon witnessing the plight of the Chinese people, he decided to stay in China with a mind to tell the world what was going on there. He found a job as a journalist and was one of the earliest Western journalists to visit Yan’an, where he met with Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, and Nie Rongzhen. From then on, George aligned himself with the Chinese people in a shared struggle for justice and dignity.

During our recent visit, we recounted his story to children at the Shanghai Soong Ching Ling School, hoping that his legacy will live on as a source of warmth and inspiration for Chinese younger generations.

Shaanxi was where his ideals sprouted. In 1939, George met up with Rewi Alley in Baoji, just west of Xi’an, which had become the most dynamic center for the CIC in the North-West. It was here where George took up his task as publicity man for the CIC, and in that capacity, he was indeed able to travel widely, gathering colourful stories and writing extensively.

In time, they developed the idea for a series of technical training schools and George was instrumental in setting these up. The Bailie Schools were born, named so in memory of Joseph Bailie, an Irish-American missionary, an old China-hand, himself an educator and an old friend of Rewi Alley.

In due course, George took over the running of the Bailie School in Shuangshipu, a mountain village southwest of Baoji. He taught English, played basketball and sang with students, and even adopted four children of Nie Changlin, an underground member of the Communist Party of China.

From Shaanxi, our journey continued westward to Gansu, retracing the arduous wartime school migration George had led. I walked the same rugged mountain paths he once traversed with his students and colleagues. 

In the harsh winter of 1944, as the war situation worsened, George led the entire school on a legendary journey westward. They crossed the snowbound Huajialing Pass on foot with mule carts and hand-barrows, transporting 60 students, staff, and 20 tons of essential equipment over 1,000 kilometers. After weeks on the road and a final stretch by a fleet of dilapidated trucks, they arrived in the ancient Silk Road town of Shandan, where the new Bailie School would rise from the ruins of old temples.

Despite the extreme cold and overwhelming workload, George threw himself into the task of rebuilding. He oversaw every detail, often laying bricks and tiles by hand. Guided by the philosophy of “integrating intellectual and manual labor, creativity and analysis,” he sowed the seeds of modern industrial education in this remote and arid land.

Tragically, just as the school began to thrive, George suffered a foot injury during a basketball game. The wound became infected with tetanus, and he died on July 22, 1945, at the age of just 30. In his final moments, he scrawled a simple but powerful farewell: “My all to the Bailie School.”

At the memorial cemetery of Alley and Hogg in Shandan, I sat in silence, softly reading from his biography, as though having a conversation with him across time and space.

Though the years have passed, my uncle’s spirit remains vivid. Today, the Shandan Bailie School has evolved into Bailie Vocational College, a modern institution embodying its legacy and internationalist spirit. It continues to nurture generations of young people, carrying on the work Hogg left unfinished.

A scholarship for Chinese students was set up in his name at his alma mater Wadham College, Oxford University, and a room was set aside, also in his name, for the use of visiting Chinese scholars. Several groups of Oxford students have visited Shandan to experience first-hand how George’s educational vision continues to resonate in today’s China.

Witnessing his dreams blossom in this land fills me with admiration. In that short life-time, his cheerful perseverance, dedication and friendly consideration of everyone he came into contact with brought him close to the hearts of the ordinary Chinese people. He built a bridge of friendship and compassion between Britain and China, a spiritual legacy that transcends time.

To honor his legacy, I was given his middle name as my middle name, Aylwin. It is an ancient name of Celtic origin, meaning “wise friend” or “noble friend.” It is a continuation of our bloodline and, more importantly, of his ideals. 

His story has taught me to love and respect one’s fellow human beings regardless of race, belief or cultural difference, to strive selflessly with compassion for a common positive goal, one can achieve truly astonishing things even in a short life tragically cut short. My uncle proved this with his actions, and I hope to carry on his spirit for the rest of my life.

(Mark Aylwin Thomas is the nephew of George Aylwin Hogg and the author of “Blades of Grass: The Story of George Aylwin Hogg.

By Huan Xiang, Han Liqun, Hu Renba, People’s Daily

Horgos, located in the Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, lies directly on the border with Kazakhstan. Once a vital stop along the northern route of the ancient Silk Road, it has become an important gateway for China’s opening up to the west.

In 2012, the Horgos International Border Cooperation Center, comprising adjoining border areas on both sides of the boundary, was officially put into operation. It is China’s first cross-border economic cooperation zone established with another country. Leveraging its strategic location and preferential policies, the center has accelerated trade, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people connectivity between China and Kazakhstan.

At around 10 a.m., 67-year-old Horgos resident Li Guoliang, accompanied by his wife and granddaughter, joined the steady flow of people moving through the checkpoint. “We’re going over to buy some daily necessities,” he explained.

Their destination was the Horgos International Border Cooperation Center, where both sides are physically linked while retaining separate entry and exit systems. Citizens of both countries, and travelers from elsewhere, can enter visa-free with a passport or border pass. 

Having lived in Horgos his entire life, Li often visits the center. “Going abroad is like visiting relatives – it’s that convenient,” he said. A walk of just 15 minutes inside the center leads to a China-Kazakhstan connecting corridor, where visitors can cross directly into Kazakhstan. Many tourists have dubbed it the “one-sec\ passage.”

Today, the center is home to more than 5,000 shops and about 1,200 businesses, selling over 1,000 types of goods from more than 40 countries, from Kazakh honey and Kyrgyz wool blankets to Uzbek dried fruits. It has grown into the largest cross-border tourism and shopping hub in northwest China. Chinese-made appliances, furniture, and clothing are shipped from here to Central Asia, West Asia, Europe, and beyond. This year alone, the center has already recorded over 6 million entries and exits, a year-on-year increase of 66 percent.

By midday, the aroma of freshly baked food filled the air at the bustling Dilnaz Restaurant. In the kitchen, Toktabayeva from Kazakhstan packed golden, crispy baked buns into meal boxes, while her partner Gulshala, a Horgos local, bagged orders with practiced speed. The two women run the restaurant together, calling it a “cross-border restaurant” and treating each other like sisters.

“Now that China and Kazakhstan have mutual visa exemptions, it’s even easier for our people to visit each other. Going to the other country truly feels like ‘going home,'” Toktabayeva said. 

In a classroom at the Horgos Yiwu International Business Trade Mall, students from the International Kazakh-Chinese Language College sat in a circle, reading aloud Chinese business phrases written on the blackboard: “Carefully selected,” “Great bargain,” “Real deal.” 

This April, as the first group of trainees in the Horgos Area of the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone, they began internships at local businesses while also studying cross-border e-commerce and international trade in Chinese.

Eighteen-year-old Kazakh student Chepasova Rufina has been learning both the language and livestreaming commerce. “My Chinese teacher taught me how to interact with viewers and enhance the user experience. When I first came to China, I only knew a few basic greetings. Now I can confidently sell products in Chinese,” she said. “I hope to make more Chinese friends and introduce more quality products from Kazakhstan to China, and Chinese products to Kazakhstan.”

Meanwhile, the National Gate Hospital, run by Horgos People’s Hospital, was busy hosting a free clinic. Liu Fei, an attending physician from the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, treated patients alongside his colleagues.

Rahimjan, a Kazakh patient long troubled by migraines, decided to try acupuncture after Liu’s pulse diagnosis. “In Kazakhstan, I often heard people say that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) works well. Today, I tried it myself and felt very comfortable,” he said, giving a thumbs-up.

Liu noted that more and more Kazakh people are seeking out TCM to improve their health and quality of life. “We hope TCM can bring health to more people and serve as a bridge of friendship,” he said.

In recent years, Horgos has advanced its international medical service capabilities, experimenting with cross-border medical insurance mechanisms and expanding access to both Chinese and foreign patients. It aims to become an international medical service center serving Central Asia. 

In July 2023, Horgos People’s Hospital was officially authorized to provide foreign-related medical services. Between January and June this year, the hospital treated 205 foreign patients, held 54 free clinic events, and provided free check-ups and diagnoses for 1,035 people.

In Horgos, from the border cooperation center to vocational training and international medical services, the “one-sec border passing” has become more than just a convenience. It is weaving deeper emotional bonds, closer friendships, and a shared sense of community across the China–Kazakhstan border.

By Li Kaixuan, People’s Daily

More than 40 cutting-edge scientific and technological achievements, including large-scale industrial drones, fully implantable brain-computer interface, and aerial welding robots, were unveiled by high-growth companies at a debut event on Chunxi Road in the Jinjiang Economic Development Zone, Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan province. The showcase drew crowds of locals and tourists to get a firsthand look at charm of science and technology. 

The “debut economy” has emerged as a key driver of urban growth. Since 2019, over 4,000 first stores from both domestic and international brands have opened in Chengdu, achieving six consecutive years of growth. In the city’s major commercial districts, debut events continue to draw visitors exploring new stores, exhibitions, and performances, forming a new consumption trend.

On an ultra-HD screen, giant sperm whales glide gracefully through the water, with fish swimming behind. This scene is part of a digital exhibition on polar wildlife, which is currently underway at the Arte Museum in Eastern Suburb Memory park in Chengdu. The exhibition also marks the Chengdu premiere of the nature documentary BBC Earth.

“The animals on screen move with agility and I can even get a close-up view of plants growing,” said a local visitor surnamed Wang. He described the digital art exhibition as refreshing and visually stunning.

Novel experience is a major draw of the “debut economy.”

“In our 5,000-square-meter fully immersive digital exhibition hall, we transform documentary content using ultra-HD visuals, spatial audio, VR interactivity, and ambient scents,” said Chen Yu, director of the Arte Museum.

Eastern Suburb Memory park is built on the site of the former state-run Hongguang Electron Tube Factory, preserving its red-brick buildings and sprawling pipelines. Today, it blends industrial architecture with contemporary elements of fashion, art, and pop culture. The park has attracted more than 80 first stores, spanning music shows, digital cultural and creative industries, and brands inspired by “Guochao,” a fashion trend blending traditional Chinese elements with modern fashion. It is a signature hub of Chengdu’s “debut economy.”

With suspended bear toys, a flower-shaped spaceship, and a wide range of stylish products, the Wiggle Wiggle store in Chunxi Road decked out in vibrant dopamine-inspired colors is a popular spot for shoppers and social media enthusiasts alike. Opened in September last year, it marks the South Korean lifestyle brand’s first store in western China.

Chengdu is stepping up its efforts to become an international consumption center city. With annual retail sales of consumer goods exceeding 1 trillion yuan (around $139.3 billion) and a dynamic business ecosystem, the city offers broad market space for the growth of the “debut economy.” Sustained strong policy support is also fueling its momentum.

“The whole process, including inspecting the site, decorating the store and finally opening the store, took less than five months,” said Liu Jianxue, store manager of Wiggle Wiggle Chengdu.

Liu said that compared to standard outlets, this first store required immersive design to stand out and the decoration of its exterior was a complex process. The local government coordinated efforts to guarantee smooth construction. During business registration, the Bureau of Commerce of Jinjiang district launched a “green lane,” issuing the business license in just two hours of application.

Chengdu is ramping up support for projects making their debut in the city by streamlining approval processes through “green lanes” and tackling challenges brands encounter when launching their first stores or products. By enhancing the efficiency of hosting debut events, the city is driving faster openings of first stores.

At Chengdu Frontier Brain AI Innovation Center Co., Ltd. in Jinjiang district, several brain-computer interface devices designed to aid in the diagnosis and rehabilitation of children with autism are being tested. A nearby screen showcases the brainwave activity of test subjects wearing smart testing devices.

“We’ve developed an auxiliary autism diagnosis system based on electroencephalogram biomarkers, among other technologies. Two products were launched right here in Jinjiang,” said Feng Rui, director of the center. Since their launch, over 30 medical institutions across China have expressed interest in adoption .

In Chengdu, more than 30 percent of first-store launches and debut events take place in Jinjiang district. In the first half of this year, the “debut economy” fueled a 6.8 percent year-on-year increase in consumer spending across the district, marking a significant uptick.

From brand debuts, opening of first stores, launch of new business forms and models, to the roll-out of new services and technologies, the “debut economy” is constantly evolving. The growth of industrial clusters in Chengdu, including electronic information and biomedicine, provides a strong foundation for nurturing new products and technologies.

Chengdu aims to attract a total of 6,500 first stores, host over 1,000 high-profile debut events and exhibitions, establish 100 landmark venues for the “debut economy,” and nurture 500 emerging consumer brands by the end of 2027.

“Chengdu is positioning itself as a source of trendsetting culture, a leader in stylish living, a hub for cutting-edge technology incubation, and a front-runner in intelligent manufacturing. It is building a strong support system for the “debut economy,” continuously unlocking consumer potential and energizing the market,” said an official from the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Commerce.

By Li Junjie, People’s Daily

In Taihe county, Fuyang, east China’s Anhui province, a unique stall has become a fixture in a local park every weekend and on public holidays. It does not sell snacks or trinkets. Instead, it displays cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) manikins and first-aid kits, inviting passersby to stop, learn, and practice essential life-saving techniques free of charge.

The stall is run by Wu Lei, deputy head of the medical consortium office at Taihe County People’s Hospital, and his wife Liu Jing, head nurse of the hospital’s emergency department. For more than eight years, the couple has dedicated their spare time to this “first-aid stall,” while also leading a volunteer team to schools, communities, and government offices. Together, they have helped over 100,000 people acquire life-saving skills.

Wu traces the origins of their endeavor to a tragedy that still weighs heavily on him.

“Eight years ago, a man in his forties drowned while fishing. He was pulled from the water quickly, but no one on the scene knew how to perform CPR. The golden window for rescue was lost, and his life could not be saved,” Wu said. 

“Half an hour later, when the ambulance arrived, nothing more could be done. We could only watch helplessly as his life slipped away. That sense of powerlessness remains vivid in my mind,” he added.

With over two decades of emergency care experience, Liu had witnessed similar tragedies caused by a lack of first-aid knowledge. When Wu shared the story with her, she immediately understood his frustration.

“Hospital treatment alone isn’t enough. We need to go beyond hospital walls and bring first-aid knowledge directly to the public,” Liu said. The couple quickly resolved to move their “classroom” outdoors. “It was summer, so on our days off we went to Shaying River National Wetland Park, where there were large crowds, and set up our stall.”

The first attempt was discouraging. “No one came,” Wu recalled. “We stood there for over half an hour and not a single person stopped by. In the beginning, it was tough, and we even thought about giving up. But I told myself, as long as I keep talking, someone will listen. And if someone learns, that knowledge may one day save a life.”

Since then, the couple has kept their promise, showing up week after week, rain or shine. Over time, people began stopping to watch, then to practice. “Now, whenever we set up, there’s always a line of people eager to try,” Wu said. “With such enthusiasm, sacrificing a little rest time feels more than worth it.”

“Who wants to give it a try? We can provide one-on-one guidance,” Wu called out. At once, resident Sun Kai raised his hand. After Wu’s hands-on instruction, Sun was able to perform CPR correctly. “I had watched videos before and thought I knew what to do, but when I tried, I made all kinds of mistakes. Wu’s ‘first-aid stall’ is truly necessary,” Sun admitted.

The results of their persistence are remarkable. Over the past eight years, the couple’s dedication and expertise have helped many people master life-saving skills. In 2021, trainee Qian Sheng saved a drowning child. In 2023, trainee Zhou Fei revived a passerby in cardiac arrest. In 2024, trainee Shi Hao performed CPR on a basketball court, saving yet another life. By rough estimates, people trained at the “first-aid stall” have already rescued more than 20 lives in emergencies ranging from drowning to sudden heart attacks. 

“Not long ago, while we were at the stall, a resident came to tell me he had used the Heimlich maneuver he learned from us to save a colleague’s child from choking,” Wu said. “Every time we hear something like that, it reinforces our belief that if even one person learns something from each session, it’s worth it.”

Their efforts have grown beyond street teaching. With the support of Taihe County People’s Hospital, Wu and Liu founded a “Taihe County Platinum Ten Minutes Self- and Mutual-Rescue Association” in 2017, made up largely of emergency medical professionals. In recent years, they have organized more than 300 events in schools, communities, government agencies, and enterprises.

In 2019, Taihe County People’s Hospital established the Taihe County Public First Aid Training Center, appointing Wu and Liu as lead instructors. Since then, the center has hosted 20 first-aid training programs, certifying more than 1,000 participants after formal assessment.

“The two of us alone can only do so much,” Liu said. Her greatest hope is that more people will join the effort to spread first-aid knowledge. “Each person we teach adds another safeguard for the whole community.”

By Chris Nash

As the famous British poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Her words poignantly articulate my affection for China. Reflecting on more than a decade of life and work there, a stream of vivid memories returns with remarkable clarity.

In Beijing, I strolled through the tranquil winding maze of traditional alleyways called hutong, where elderly residents basked in the soft Beijing autumn sunshine, exchanging stories in the distinctive tone of the Beijing dialect.

In Guanghan, southwest China’s Sichuan province, I stared deep into the profound and mysterious masked eyes of one of the world’s most ancient civilizations at Sanxingdui Museum, rapt in wonder at their sophisticated bronze artistry, works as intriguing and expressive as modern surrealism.

Further south in Yunnan province, I had my breath taken away by the myriad of rice terraces dug by the Hani ethnic minority, shimmering like dragon scales in the rising sun. Steaming in front of me on a wobbly table in a street-side restaurant, is a bowl of fragrant broth where the terrace rise swims in the form of long, white, strands of rice noodles.

At the incredible Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, northwest China’s Gansu province, I shook the sand from my shoes and the darkness from my eyes and blinked in the presence of the beauty of Buddhist art.

But beyond the landscapes and artistry, it was the people themselves who profoundly moved me – faces radiating warmth, shyness, honesty, and resilience. Their consistent kindness revealed China’s true spirit.

Among the many memorable encounters, one stands out with particular poignancy: my meeting Lu Caiwen, a Chinese war hero, in the far southwest Yunnan city of Tengchong, which is very close to the border with Myanmar.

I had the greatest honor to visit Comrade Lu in November 2019 during an event in Tengchong, Yunnan province. Lu is in his nineties, but as you sit in his living room, enchanted by his merry shining eyes, it’s impossible to believe this is his real age. His extraordinary life story left an indelible mark on my heart.

He came of age in one of the most terrible periods of recent Chinese history, when the invading Japanese imperial army threatened to overrun the whole of China. After the Japanese military invaded western Yunnan and implemented a scorched-earth policy, Lu witnessed unimaginable atrocities. He abandoned studies to attend a military training school and later joined the Chinese Expeditionary Force.

“When the country is in need, I never hesitated to give up my life,” he stated. “Patriotism compelled us all to the battlefield.”

Lu fought in many heroic battles to resist Japanese aggression. When he spoke about the 1944 Battle of Tengchong, he always grew especially emotional. In that brutal campaign, the Chinese Expeditionary Force paid a steep price – 9,168 soldiers gave their lives to retake Tengchong, the first city to be reclaimed in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

As he recalled comrades falling beside him one after another, tears welled up in his eyes and his voice trembled with sorrow: “At Laifeng Mountain, when the Japanese broke through our defenses, our troops crawled up the hillside under enemy fire, inch by inch, with their bare flesh, and reclaimed the strategic high ground.”

Today, at the foot of Laifeng Mountain lies a national martyrs cemetery, the resting place of those fallen heroes. Lu visited the cemetery every few days to lay flowers and pay tribute to his comrades who never returned.

Listening to his stories, I remember that almost at exactly the same time he crawled his way up Laifeng Mountain under murderous fire from the enemy, 11,000 kilometres away in central Italy, my grandfather, Alfred Nash, was crawling up another mountain, called Monte Cassino, under equally withering gunfire from the German army. Monte Cassino was as pivotal in the war in western Europe as Laifeng was in the war in Asia.

Both were grueling campaigns, and both speak to the iron will of the troops and people of the Allies in the fight against fascism.

Lu was just one among millions of ordinary Chinese who demonstrated extraordinary courage and selfless dedication to their homeland. Their sacrifices were not only instrumental in China’s resistance but also pivotal in the global effort for peace. In my view, the role China played in the global fight against fascism has been vastly underrepresented in much of Western historical discourse.

China’s prolonged resistance tied down large numbers of Japanese troops, greatly weakening their ability to fight on other fronts and giving the Allies precious strategic room to focus on Nazi Germany. History must remember Lu Caiwen and his fellow soldiers, and the indispensable role they played in preserving global peace.

My grandfather died after a well-deserved full and happy life. I was heartbroken to hear that Mr. Lu also passed at the end of last year. I can picture them together in my mind, comrades in arms. I believe that if they had ever met, they would have become close friends. My grandfather would have listened to Lu’s stories just as intently as I did.

They shared the same slightly mischievous twinkle in their eyes, maybe the light in the eyes of those who have looked on the brutality of war and know better than us, the precious everyday beauty of peace.

(Chris Nash is the former chair of the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding)

By Zhu Dawei, People’s Daily

Looking down from the skies above Yichun in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, the city presents a boundless expanse of forest stretching toward the horizon. With a forest coverage rate of 83.8 percent, the city boasts the world’s best-preserved Korean pine forest ecosystem.

To the north, across the Heilongjiang River, lie Russia’s Amur Oblast and Jewish Autonomous Oblast. Nurtured by its forests and enriched by years of cultural exchanges, the city draws on its ecological treasures and cross-cultural ties to deepen understanding and cooperation with its neighbors.

At Yichun’s northernmost tip sits Jiayin county, where Yulia from Russia has been living for more than a decade. “This is my second home,” she said. A performer of Russian folk dance, Yulia met her husband, a Jiayin native studying vocal music, during a performance. The couple married in 2012 at the county’s first China-Russia international group wedding and have lived there ever since. Over the past decade, the county has hosted 10 such weddings, bringing together 436 Chinese and Russian couples in a tradition that has become a cherished local event.

Cross-border unions here trace back a century, as locals returning from work in Russia brought home spouses, weaving a shared heritage. Three ethnic Russian villages—Changjia, Qinjian, and Huashulinzi—preserve this legacy in Jiayin’s Changsheng township.

“I was delivered by Yelena,” recalled 69-year-old Cong Chengwu from Huashulinzi village, honoring one of the earliest Russian brides. Skilled in medicine, she delivered most of the village’s children. Today, about 40 percent of residents have Russian heritage, and a small lane honors her legacy, bearing the name “Yelena Alley.”

This “Forest Capital” has long embraced love across frontiers. For many young people from surrounding areas, the China-Russia group weddings have bestowed a “second hometown.” Now a mother of two, Yulia switches easily between Russian and the local dialect. The tradition of these weddings continues, telling warm stories of how friendship among people boosts relations between the two countries.

“Yichun’s winter scenery is more beautiful than a fairy tale!” marveled visitors from Russia, the United States, and Southeast Asia as they rode trains through the snowy landscapes of the Lesser Khingan Mountains.

“The mountains and waters here are breathtaking,” Yulia said. In recent years, Yichun has encouraged residents to share their love for their hometown. With nearly 300,000 online followers, Yulia became a local influencer, posting Russian-language videos of her son showcasing Yichun’s winter scenery to Russian audiences.

By launching international travel routes and expanding global media outreach, Yichun has leveraged its reputation for forests and winter sports to attract friends from around the world.

“Yichun is wonderful, its forests lush, its air fresh. I’ll definitely recommend it to my friends,” said Gianna, a member of a Russian curling club who developed an affection for the city through sports. 

A curling tournament held in Yichun on June 28 saw participation from athletes representing Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and other countries. Following the competition, Gianna, like Yulia, became an ardent ambassador for Yichun. Today, an increasing number of international friends are discovering the city through such unique perspectives. 

In recent years, Yichun has strengthened exchanges with its sister city of Birobidzhan in Russia. In Birobidzhan Square in downtown Yichun, a monument crowned with a globe adorned with Korean pine reliefs stands as a symbol of friendship. In Birobidzhan’s Yichun Square, a similar globe rests atop a sculpture featuring a dove of peace. These twin monuments, blending Chinese and Russian elements, stand as enduring emblems of goodwill.

Through platforms such as the cross-border group weddings and international curling competitions, Yichun, a city of forests, is charting a distinctive path that brings hearts closer together and nurtures lasting people-to-people connections across borders.

By Ji Juesu, Liu Junguo, People’s Daily

At midday in a bustling yakiniku restaurant in Hachinohe, Japan, grills sizzled with freshly cooked meat as a delivery robot deftly navigated between tightly packed tables, serving steaming plates to diners. “The robot delivers steadily, clean and safe,” the restaurant’s manager remarked with evident approval.

The robot was developed by Keenon Robotics, a leading commercial service robotics company based in Shanghai. It has since become an indispensable member of the restaurant’s staff. Faced with high labor costs and an aging population, an increasing number of hotels, restaurants, and other venues in Japan are turning to service robots to fill staffing shortages.

Five years ago, Keenon Robotics ventured into overseas markets, confident that its advanced technology would ensure success. To its surprise, Japanese partners repeatedly reported: “It’s hard to sell.”

What was the problem? 

To investigate, the company’s team fanned out across Tokyo, speaking with locals and observing daily routines. They found that Japanese service culture moves at a gentler pace, and customers favor robots with a warm, approachable appearance, reflecting local aesthetic preferences.

The most pressing issue was size. Robots popular in China proved too large for Japan’s compact spaces, struggling with narrow aisles or tight corners.

In response, Keenon engineered a Japan-specific model: compact, agile, equipped with a Japanese-language voice system, and an expressive animated display.

The redesigned model navigates spaces as narrow as 49 centimeters while carrying multi-tier trays. Advanced cameras and sensors detect obstacles in crowded environments.

The company has now established more than 200 technical support sites across Japan, ensuring that routine malfunctions receive a response within two hours and are repaired within 24 hours.

In one case, when a restaurant chain reported sensor failure, technicians arrived in less than two hours with a replacement unit. The new robot synchronized with the cloud in minutes, inheriting its predecessor’s operational “memories” without retraining. The faulty unit was returned for repair.

“In Japan, hiring a single waiter is costly, but hiring a robot costs only about a third as much,” said Li Tong, founder of Keenon Robotics. “And robots work year-round, with consistent efficiency.” 

China’s robot exports are expanding rapidly. Today, Keenon Robotics’ products are used in major Japanese restaurant chains, as well as in libraries, hotels, and other public venues.

To better serve the market, the company has set up local servers, stocked bonded warehouses and maintenance centers with spare parts, and optimized its software algorithms to match Japanese management practices.

Beyond service robots, Chinese-made logistics robots are also winning favor in Japan. According to Yosuke Tsuyuguchi, a professor at the Department of Economics at Teikyo University in Tokyo, the industry’s evolution – from competing on scale to competing on technology, quality, and brand – illustrates the transformation of Chinese manufacturing.

At the Kansai Logix 2025 in Japan, Mushiny Robotics based in Huzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province, received high attention with its sorting systems and “goods-to-person” (GTP) solutions,  showcased by Japanese companies such as Toshiba and Mitsubishi. 

The company’s logistics robots and software already support multiple pharmaceutical warehouses in Japan’s Kanto region, meeting the sector’s growing automation needs. In another case, a newly designed workbin handling and picking robot designed for a major Japanese automaker stood out amid fierce competition and won the client’s approval.

Specializing in the research, development, and production of logistics robots and equipment, Mushiny Robotics exports more than 70 percent of its products to developed countries.

“Our orders are already booked through September, and our first-half sales hit a record high, up nearly 30 percent year on year,” said He Zijie, head of Mushiny Robotics’ hardware technology center. “Our products are becoming a familiar presence in overseas logistics automation projects.”

With cutting-edge innovation and a deeply localized approach, the company has firmly established itself in Japan. Looking ahead, it will continue developing products to meet the specific needs of Japan’s logistics sector, working toward mutual growth and success.

By Wang Yuan, Liu Mengdan, Zhou Zhou, People’s Daily

Fuyuan, a county-level city administered by Jiamusi, northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, is dubbed “the east pole of Huaxia (historical concept representing China)”. Separated from Khabarovsk, the largest city in Russia’s Far East, by the Heilongjiang River, the two cities are just 65 kilometers apart by water. This culturally rich boundary river has long connected communities on both sides, fostering vibrant cross-border cultural exchanges.

On the morning of April 12 this year, thousands of visitors gathered along the banks of the Songhua River in Jiamusi, united in collective exclamations as the ice broke. As the river’s ice broke apart and drifted downstream amid the cheers of spectators, fifty performers from the Hezhe ethnic group beat deerskin drums, chanting ice-thawing prayers to rhythms inspired by the cracking river ice.

For nearly a millennium, the Hezhe people have inhabited the Heilongjiang, Songhua, and Wusuli river basins, sustaining themselves through fishing and hunting. Their belief in the “river god,” who governs weather and fishery yields, underpins the grand Kaijiang ceremony, a spring ritual marking the thaw and invoking annual abundance. Evolving into the annual Hanjiang Festival, the tradition heralds the arrival of spring and the resumption of fishing.

Today, the festival celebrates Hezhe fishing-hunting culture while facilitating a dialogue between humanity and nature. It consistently draws Russian visitors as both participants and spectators. At the 2024 Hanjiang Festival, over 10,000 attendees sang the theme song in unison, securing a Guinness World Record for the largest livestreamed choral performance.

Russian tourists Andrei and Yulia, having journeyed from Khabarovsk specifically for the festival, captured this year’s Kaijiang spectacle. “The resounding chants resembled dialogue with the river itself. Absolutely stunning! I’ll share this footage to friends and family back home so they can experience this unique culture,” Andrei said.

Frequent traveler Lina, fluent in northeastern Chinese dialect, regularly commutes via the Khabarovsk-Fuyuan passenger vessel since the open-water season commenced, making multiple monthly round trips.

Nature mirrors human connections:. each summer morning, egrets fly from Russian nests across the boundary river to forage in Chinese wetlands. 

“Bird populations here were historically sparse compared to current numbers,” said Zhao Wanjing, research director of the Zhuaji management station at Heilongjiang’s Sanjiang National Nature Reserve.

In 2001, the reserve signed its first joint-protection agreement with Russia’s Bolshekhekhtsirsky Nature Reserve. This was followed in 2015 by another agreement with United Directorate of State Nature Preserves and National Parks in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. These partnerships have expanded collaboration in conservation and research across broader regions and sectors, steadily improving ecological conditions to safeguard local species, Zhao said.

Through binoculars at the station, Zhao observed Oriental white stork chicks in artificial nests, spotting several quickly. “The number of bird species in the reserve has increased from 245 to 285 since its founding. We’ve built over 250 artificial nests with an 80 percent occupancy rate. More and more Oriental white storks are making their homes here,” Zhao added.

Nature reserves in China and Russia regularly host academic exchange conferences, conduct ecological restoration, and build artificial nests for endangered waterbirds. On occasions like International Day for Biodiversity and Bird-Loving Week, they co-organize youth activities such as hanging bird nests, wetland knowledge competitions, wildlife releases, and ecology classes for schoolchildren, continuously raising public awareness of biodiversity conservation on both sides of the border.

As evening approaches, a dozen gray herons fly toward their habitats in Russia. After the sunset fades, the Sanjiang National Nature Reserve returns to serene tranquility. With the dawn, the riverside “residents” will resume their cross-border lives, continuing to write new chapters in the story of harmony between humanity and nature.

By Zhao Juecheng, Fan Lingzhi, Global Times; Zhang Bolan, Xian Gan, People’s Daily

A 17-hour flight from Athens, Greece, to Lhasa in China’s Xizang autonomous region- including a layover in Beijing – bridges five time zones. This journey from the Aegean Sea to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau spans a distance once unimaginable to ancient travelers.

Yet at the Shannan Museum in southern Xizang, a single artifact illuminates the miraculous connections between Eastern and Western civilizations. This item, a gilded silver plate dating back to the 6th or 7th century adorned with the figure of Dionysus, the god of wine in ancient Greek mythology, whispers tales of early exchanges between Chinese and Greek civilizations.

Shannan (meaning “south of the Gangdise Mountains”) is recognized as Xizang’s cultural heartland, home to many of the region’s “firsts”: the earliest monastery, the first Buddhist chapel, the earliest scriptures.

Before Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo established the Tubo regime in Lhasa, generations of Tibetan rulers governed from the Yarlung River valley in Shannan, the cradle of Tibetan civilization.

Drawing on its profound history, Shannan established Xizang’s first museum in 1995. Among its treasures, alongside the Dionysus plate, a Sasanian Empire (AD 224-651) silver coin draws particular interest.

According to Drolma, head of the Shannan Museum, the Sasanian Empire, centered in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran), sat at a critical juncture along the ancient Silk Road, connecting Asia and Europe. The discovery of silver coins in Shannan, she explains, underscores the region’s long-standing – directly or indirectly – connections to Central Asia via what scholars today call the “Plateau Silk Road.”

These exhibits are replete with stories of cultural exchanges and integration, Drolma noted as she moved among the display cases, introducing each artifact with great enthusiasm. 

“Consider these Buddha statues. Their facial features, headwear, and garments show clear South Asian inspiration. These thangkas retain traces of Nepali craftsmanship. And this palm-leaf manuscript, inscribed in Sanskrit, was crafted from the leaves of the Talipot palm, a tree native to tropical and subtropical regions,” she noted.

“Tibetan culture, at its core, is a product of openness and integration,” remarked Drolma. “It drew deeply from the cultures of central China and South Asia, weaving them into a unique identity all its own.”

Despite Tibet’s challenging high-altitude environment, its people have maintained centuries-old connections with surrounding civilizations. By timing their travels to avoid harsh winters and snowstorms, and skillfully navigating terrain using their intimate knowledge of river routes, mountain passes, and pastures, they developed and sustained trade routes linking the plateau to distant cultures.

“Tashi Delek, what would you like today?” 

“Namaste, I’d like to have a look at your wool blankets.”

At last year’s Yarlung Commodity Fair, a resident of Shannan and a Nepali vendor spoke briefly.

“Tashi Delek” (Tibetan for “good fortune”) and “Namaste” (the Nepali/South Asian greeting) now resonate commonly in border regions through sustained interaction.

Now in its 44th year, the Yarlung Commodity Fair stands as a cornerstone of Shannan’s annual calendar – a major platform for commercial and cultural exchanges and a window into Xizang’s unique traditions and way of life. As greetings are exchanged in Tibetan and Nepali, hands are shaken, deals are struck, and friendships are forged and deepened. Last year, transactions totaled around 700 million yuan ($97.71 million), reflecting the vibrancy of these interactions.

Today, as the “cradle of Tibetan civilization,” Shannan is expanding its trade with neighboring regions while drawing global enthusiasts of Tibetan culture – particularly during the annual Yarlung Cultural Tourism Festival each summer.

At Mindroling Monastery in Chanang county, Shannan, Australian artist Henrietta Manning –  who traveled from Hobart via three flights and a train journey – marveled at the region’s architecture, history, religion, and way of life. 

Although less internationally renowned than Lhasa, visitors often describe Shannan as a portal to an ancient era where cultural exchange permeates the landscape. Just like the millennia-old Yarlung River merging with the Yarlung Zangbo River and flowing seaward, this legacy of cultural fusion remains dynamically alive, continuously expanding beyond the mountains.