Nigeria Times

By He Yin, People’s Daily

China’s latest renewable energy figures offer a clear snapshot of the country’s speeding ahead in its green energy transition.

According to statistics released by China’s National Energy Administration on April 27, as of the end of this March, China’s installed renewable energy capacity had reached 2.395 billion kilowatts, up 22 percent year on year and accounting for roughly 60.4 percent of the nation’s total installed power capacity. Renewable energy generation also continued to grow steadily, providing strong support for the country’s overall electricity supply.

As green power takes up an ever-larger share of China’s energy mix, the country’s strides in energy transformation are impossible to ignore. By embracing greener growth and nurturing new economic drivers, China is not only fueling its own high-quality development but also injecting strong impetus into the global shift toward clean energy.

Today, the world faces mounting climate risks and sweeping changes to the global energy landscape. A recent report by the International Energy Agency showed that global carbon emissions from the energy sector reached a record high in 2025, highlighting just how urgent and challenging the global energy transition has become. At the same time, geopolitical conflicts and regional instability have further exposed the vulnerability of traditional fossil fuel supplies.

Against the dual challenges of climate change and energy security, the international community is reaching an undeniable consensus: developing clean energy is no longer a discretionary option — it is an indispensable mission critical to humanity’s sustainable future.

Recognizing these broader trends, China has approached energy transformation with long-term strategic resolve and systematic planning.

From accelerating the construction of large-scale renewable energy bases in desert regions, to expanding green power transmission corridors via ultra-high-voltage projects including Ningxia-to-Hunan, Gansu-to-Zhejiang, and Xizang-to-Guangdong. It is accelerating the development of a unified national electricity market and promoting new business models such as direct green electricity supply and smart microgrid. These targeted, practical intiatives have delivered real, tangible results.

After years of development, China has built the world’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system. Its installed hydropower, wind power, and solar power capacities all rank first globally.

German daily Der Tagesspiegel commented that China’s green development efforts have become an important force supporting the world’s low-carbon transition.

The value of green transformation goes far beyond adjusting the energy mix. More importantly, it provides low-carbon momentum for industrial upgrading and accumulates new drivers for high-quality development.

A report released by British energy think tank Ember noted that many developing economies have long struggled to balance economic growth with environmental protection, while China’s green development journey offer them a viable path forward.

By drawing on its comprehensive industrial system, maintaining a strong commitment to technological innovation, and planning for long-term growth, China has demonstrated that green and low-carbon transformation can advance in tandem with industrial upgrading and improvements in people’s livelihoods.

Ulanqab in north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region stands as a vivid epitome of such transformation. Endowed with exceptional wind and solar resources, the city has built a computing hub, empowering the digital economy with clean energy and drawing investments from multinational corporations.

The integration of green electricity and intelligent computing has enabled the rapid growth of a “cloud valley” on the grasslands, providing a practical model for aligning energy transition with industrial development.

While advancing its own green development, China has consistently upheld the principles of openness, inclusiveness, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation, ensuring that the benefits of green progress are shared globally.

In Syria, Chinese-built photovoltaic installations are providing stable electricity to communities affected by years of conflict. In Laos, a China-Laos 500-kilovolt interconnection project has officially gone into operation, delivering around 3 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually. In Cameroon, the Memve’ele Hydroelectric Power Station, constructed by Chinese enterprises, has not only brought electricity to local communities but also trained a new generation of hydropower professionals.

Through such cooperation, China is helping other developing countries strengthen their capacity in energy transition and making clean energy a global public good that benefits all.

Where wind rises, green electricity surges to life. Across mountains and seas, new momentum global green growth continues is gathering.

Every kilowatt-hour of green electricity reflects China’s steady progress in energy transformation and carries the shared aspiration of building a clean and beautiful world together.

As China enters the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), it will continue to uphold the principles of openness, inclusiveness, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation, deepen international collaboration on green energy transition, and work with all countries to build a clean, beautiful, and sustainable world.

By Liu Yiqing, People’s Daily

Inside the production workshops of Jilin Carbon Valley Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd. (Carbon Valley), a subsidiary of Jilin Chemical Fiber Group (JLFiber) in northeast China’s Jilin province, silver strands of carbon fiber precursor raced through roaring production lines. 

After undergoing a series of processes including pre-washing, humidification, oxidation, low-temperature carbonization, and winding, the material was transformed into carbon fiber.

“The carbon fiber filament is even thinner than a human hair,” said Chen Hao, deputy director of the company’s high-performance workshop. “Its density is less than a quarter that of steel, yet its strength can reach seven to nine times higher.”

In 2025, a major research project jointly developed by JLFiber, Donghua University, and eight other universities, research institutes, and industry-leading enterprises passed technical appraisal. The project, titled Key Technologies for the Large-Scale Manufacturing of Large-Tow Carbon Fiber and Composite Materials and the Industrialization of Large Wind Turbine Blades, marked a key breakthrough in the application of 35K large-tow carbon fiber composites in offshore wind turbine blades.

But what exactly is “35K” carbon fiber? 

“K” denotes the unit for carbon fiber tows, where 1K represents 1,000 filaments. A 35K tow thus bundles 35,000 ultra-fine filaments, demanding exceptional uniformity.

“Human hair varies in thickness,” explained Yu Jian, a quality management manager. “But for performance, all 35,000 filaments must maintain consistent length, diameter, and properties.”

For years, foreign firms dominated the large-tow carbon fiber market due to proprietary processes and technical complexity.

In 2016, seeking cost efficiency and competitive edge, Carbon Valley formed a youth-driven R&D team. Through rigorous experimentation, they identified 35K carbon fiber as optimal for balancing performance, productivity, and cost.

Chen Haijun, general manager of Carbon Valley, said the team focused on overcoming a series of technological bottlenecks involving process upgrades and equipment innovation. To solve these challenges, the company coordinated with upstream and downstream partners and organized eight specialized technical seminars.

Team members immersed themselves in laboratory work, repeatedly testing and optimizing spare-part materials, process parameters, and channel structures step by step. With each seminar, multiple production indicators for the 35K carbon fiber improved further.

After more than half a year of intensive work, the team successfully produced 35K carbon fiber in 2017 that fully met standards for hardness, strength, and other mechanical properties.

Compared with traditional metal materials, carbon fiber offers clear advantages including high strength, low weight, and strong plasticity. But manufacturing carbon fiber is costly and resource-intensive: producing a ton of finished carbon fiber requires roughly two tons of precursor material. Any production error can therefore result in substantial losses.

To compete in the market, large-scale production and cost-effectiveness became essential.

Although the core research and development work had been largely completed, new problems emerged during mass production.

Unlike laboratory experiments, industrial production requires continuous manufacturing of 100,000-meter-long 35K carbon fiber tows, which must then be wound into cylindrical rolls for transportation and sale. The longer the tow became, the greater the risk of problems such as insufficient strength or broken filaments.

To tackle these issues, Shan Xin, deputy director of the spinning workshop, led his team in upgrading production-line equipment.

The team redesigned transmission roller connections from single- to double-sided support, while continuously testing new materials to improve equipment durability and transmission stability. These changes reduced friction-related filament breakage.

At the same time, the team implemented systematic clean-production upgrades. Starting from the polymerization stage at the source of production, the team introduced layer-by-layer cleaning and filtration processes throughout the entire system and production flow to minimize impurities and improve the stability of the 35K carbon fiber.

“When early testing showed the performance didn’t meet standards, I was anxious,” Yu recalled, having witnessed the development of 35K carbon fiber from scratch. “But nobody gave up. Everyone kept searching for solutions.”

Today, pass rates for key indicators such as strength, modulus, and fineness continue to rise steadily. “We are confident enough to stand up to microscopic-level checks,” Yu said.

As evening fell, batches of newly packaged 35K carbon fiber precursor left Carbon Valley and were shipped to downstream carbonization and composite-material manufacturers.

After further processing, these lightweight yet highly durable materials became carbon plates used in the main beams of wind turbine blades.

Carbon Valley has now signed long-term supply agreements with multiple major domestic wind turbine manufacturers in partnership with downstream enterprises. Chinese-made 35K carbon fiber is now being applied on a large scale at wind farms across the country.

During the recent May Day holiday, bustling crowds filled destinations across China, from the snow-covered landscapes of the north to the waterways of the south, from ancient capitals steeped in history to fast-rising “internet-famous” cities.

Surging consumer demand and vibrant travel activities illustrated the dynamism of China’s economy. Three key datasets reveal a nation growing in confidence and openness.

The first set of figures reflects mobility, revealing the vitality pulsing through Chinese society.

According to China’s Ministry of Transport, China recorded about 1.52 billion cross-regional passenger trips during the five-day holiday, up 3.49 percent from the same period in 2025.

Transportation served as a key pillar of the holiday economy and an essential driver of consumption. Data from major travel platforms showed that the number of cross-provincial travelers rose 7.6 percent year on year, while that of long-distance travelers covering more than 800 kilometers increased by 20 percent, driving an 18 percent rise in hotel spending.

Along the coastlines of Yantai in east China’s Shandong province, amid the scenic landscapes of Wuxi in Jiangsu province in east China, and at the historical ruins of Luoyang in Henan province, central China, travelers immersed themselves in China’s natural beauty and cultural heritage.

Behind the streams of people and traffic lay not only the continued improvement of transportation infrastructure, but also steadily rising consumer confidence and willingness to spend.

The second set of figures centers on consumption, highlighting the sustained expansion of domestic demand.

According to big-data monitoring by China’s Ministry of Commerce, service consumption emerged as the primary engine of the holiday economy. Spending on live performances rose 17.6 percent year on year during the holiday, while box office revenue for the May Day movie season surpassed 700 million yuan ($102.86 million).

During a national culture and tourism consumption week campaign, local governments across China organized around 13,700 cultural and tourism promotional events and distributed more than 284 million yuan in consumer vouchers and subsidies, offering travelers a wider range of leisure and tourism options.

The continued upgrading of service consumption, improved quality and scale of goods consumption, and growing vitality of the experience economy became defining features of the holiday period.

The U.S.-based Travel and Tour World website noted that the strong momentum in China’s tourism sector during the May Day holiday not only reflected rising consumer confidence among domestic travelers, but also demonstrated the resilience of the Chinese economy amid global uncertainty.

The third set of figures underscores openness, reflecting the growing global appeal of “China travel” and “shopping in China.”

Data from China’s National Immigration Administration showed that border crossings nationwide during the May Day holiday totaled nearly 11.28 million trips, averaging 2.256 million per day, up 3.5 percent year on year.

Among them, foreign nationals accounted for 1.255 million entries and exits, an increase of 12.5 percent. Of inbound foreign travelers, 436,000 entered China under visa-free policies, up 14.7 percent year on year, highlighting China’s growing attractiveness in the global tourism market.

Improved visa services, payment systems, and flight connectivity are transforming visitor behavior: foreigners increasingly seek authentic local experiences — embracing China’s renowned safety and daily rhythms over mere landmark tourism.

Travel platform data showed particularly strong growth in inbound tourism to nontraditional destinations such as Heilongjiang, Guizhou, Hunan, Xinjiang, and Shanxi, all of which recorded increases exceeding 60 percent during the holiday.

On the ancient city wall of Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi province, Australian visitors marveled at the city’s thousands of years of cultural legacy. At Meilan International Airport in Haikou, Hainan province in south China, travelers from Singapore praised the efficient and convenient customs procedures. On the streets of Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu province, Russian tourists attended sporting events, explored the city, and tasted local cuisine.

From quick sightseeing tours to immersive cultural experiences, more and more foreign visitors are gaining a fuller and more authentic understanding of a vibrant and energetic China through their own firsthand experiences.

The robust holiday economy reflects people’s aspirations for a better life while also demonstrating the resilience and long-term strength of the Chinese economy.

Looking ahead, China will continue to uphold the principles of openness, inclusiveness, cooperation, and mutual benefit. It will work to transform short-term consumption momentum into long-term development potential, steadily expand high-level opening up, advance high-quality development, and share broader opportunities with the world while contributing more Chinese energy to the global economic recovery.

By Gu Yekai, People’s Daily

From autonomous tractors in northeastern China to drone-powered crop management in the Yangtze River Delta, China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) is revolutionizing agriculture through precision farming and intelligent operations. 

Integrated across every agricultural stage, from plowing and planting to field management, harvesting, and transportation, BeiDou technology enhances boosting operational efficiency, reduces labor costs, and accelerates the modernization of China’s farming sector.

According to an expert from the Global Navigation Satellite System and Location Based Services Association of China (GLAC), BeiDou’s agricultural applications are evolving beyond basic navigation to full industrial-chain intelligence, significantly improving both productivity and resource efficiency.

At a family farm in Hai’an, east China’s Jiangsu province, plant-protection drones equipped with the BDS manage thousands of mu (about 667 square meters) of wheat fields. Operators simply tap smartphone commands to activate pre-programmed spraying routes.

In Dandong, east China’s Liaoning province, farmers input field coordinates into tablets to guide self-navigating agricultural machinery.

Behind these applications is the rapid expansion of China’s new digital infrastructure.

Take precision agriculture as an example. In scenarios such as autonomous tractor driving, precision tillage, uniform seeding, and variable-rate fertilization, centimeter-level positioning accuracy is reshaping traditional farming practices, where even slight deviations in plowing could hurt crop yields.

How is such precision achieved? 

“We have established more than 5,000 ground-based augmentation reference stations nationwide, continuously providing positioning benchmarks and real-time correction services for agricultural machinery,” said Yang Zhangbing, general manager of the intelligent driving division at SinoGNSS, a positioning devices provider based in Shanghai.

When operating in the field, machinery equipped with BeiDou smart terminals receives not only satellite navigation signals but also high-precision differential data from nearby augmentation stations. Through fast computing and error correction, the system delivers real-time centimeter-level positioning, allowing machinery to accurately determine its location and maintain perfectly straight operating routes.

In recent years, satellite-based augmentation services have further expanded precision farming into remote regions without access to ground-station signals.

“Satellite-based augmentation uses signal transponders carried by geostationary satellites to broadcast correction information to users, improving the positioning accuracy of satellite navigation systems,” explained Chen Jinpei, CEO of SpatiX, a global leader of spatiotemporal intelligence. 

“In regions such as northeastern China and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, we can now achieve centimeter-level positioning within two minutes, and across most areas within five minutes. Straight-line and inter-row operating accuracy exceeds 2.5 centimeters, enabling tractors to plow and harrow fields much more precisely,” Chen added.

Beyond high-precision positioning, the BDS is increasingly integrated with remote sensing, geographic information systems, the Internet of Things, and big data — effectively giving farmland a “smart eye” and shifting agricultural management from extensive practices to refined, data-driven care.

For example, multispectral remote sensing inspections by BDS-linked drones can quickly identify differences in crop growth and predict areas vulnerable to pests and diseases, allowing risks to be addressed early. 

Rice-transplanting quality inspections, meanwhile, combine machine learning and computer vision technologies to detect missing seedlings during planting operations, uploading real-time data to cloud platforms to support replanting and quality control.

“We are also exploring BDS-based digital maps that allow underlying field data to be shared across different agricultural machines,” Yang said. He explained that physical weeding equipment can then follow the exact planting trajectories recorded by rice transplanters to raise efficiency. During harvest, combines can also automatically follow previous operational routes, further reducing labor costs.

According to statistics from the GLAC, China has cumulatively deployed more than 2.7 million BeiDou terminal devices in the agricultural sector.

The widespread adoption of satellite navigation as a “new farming tool” for Chinese farmers has been made possible by coordinated support across the entire industrial chain and ecosystem.

In recent years, China has continued making breakthroughs in independently developed BeiDou chips, integrated communication-navigation-sensing technologies, and algorithm optimization. The BeiDou industry now possesses full-chain production capabilities spanning chips, modules, and terminal equipment, providing strong support for the large-scale integrated application of BeiDou technologies.

At the same time, the large-scale rollout of the BDS also relies on the coordination of the entire industrial chain. At present, many agricultural machines in China have undergone intelligent upgrading based on BeiDou technology.

“Thanks to the BDS, agricultural machinery location data can connect directly to our IoT platform,” said Wang Liying, head of the information department at FMWORLD, a leading farming machine manufacturer of China. 

“This allows us to quickly coordinate spare parts and service personnel nationwide, ensuring timely, efficient technical support during peak spring plowing and autumn harvest seasons,” Wang added.

By Chang Jin, People’s Daily

A touching moment at the 139th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, widely known as the Canton Fair, recently went viral on social media both in China and abroad. 

Assisted by an exoskeleton robot developed by Hangzhou-based Taixi Robot, an Argentine patient with muscular weakness slowly rose from a wheelchair and took several steps — a milestone long awaited. Witnesses wept with joy as cutting-edge technology and profound human compassion converged in a powerful moment.

“This is the tangible strength of Chinese smart manufacturing,” observed one online commentator..

The critical leap from conceptualization to breakthrough — the journey from “0 to 1” — relies on a vibrant, interconnected innovation ecosystem.

The development of exoskeleton robots, once confined to science fiction, spans multiple cutting-edge fields including artificial intelligence and human-machine interaction. Such advances require years of dedicated research by companies, but breakthroughs are never achieved in isolation. Behind Taixi Robot stands a network of coordinated support: angel investment led by the Zhejiang University Alumni Fund, close collaboration among universities, enterprises, research institutions, and end users, plus a fast-track patent approval pathway launched by Hangzhou’s Gongshu district.

This fertile ground for innovation allows new ideas to take root and scale rapidly. 

Today, a growing number of Chinese companies achieving technological breakthroughs reflects the strengths of China’s system for mobilizing resources and coordinating innovation efforts on a national scale.

The recently released preview version of DeepSeek-V4, for example, is compatible with domestically developed chips such as the Huawei Ascend AI processors. Such progress would not have been possible without coordinated efforts to overcome technological bottlenecks in the semiconductor sector. Nor would today’s massive computing power be possible without earlier strategic investments in energy infrastructure and green electricity.

This system-level coordination is accelerating China’s innovation engine and continuously generating new breakthroughs in advanced technologies.

The subsequent leap from invention to affordability — moving from “1 to 100” — is underpinned by China’s comprehensive industrial system

For years, exoskeleton robots remained prohibitively expensive. Yet the products showcased at the Canton Fair came with a significantly lower price tag. That shift owes much to highly integrated and efficient supply chains.

In Zhejiang province in east China, industries producing sensors, servo motors, and other intelligent hardware components are already well established, helping reduce manufacturing costs and making advanced technologies more affordable and accessible.

And Zhejiang is far from an isolated case.

Across China, local governments are actively removing barriers to production factors and enhancing industrial coordination, fostering opportunities for corporate growth and innovation.

In Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province, companies can source 90 percent of the components needed for robotics production within just a few kilometers. Today, the city is home to more than 74,000 enterprises in the industry. 

In east China’s Anhui province, nearly all parts for a new energy vehicle can be sourced within a three-hour drive. This supports seven major automakers and helps the province rank first nationwide in annual automobile production.

These highly efficient industrial clusters have become powerful catalysts for business growth.

In today’s China, the technological strength of innovation hubs is increasingly merging with the manufacturing capabilities of the “world’s factory,” allowing flashes of inspiration in laboratories to be transformed into continuous output on production lines.

The final leap — scaling from domestic success to global reach, moving from “100 to 10,000” — reflects China’s commitment to shared global development. China’s innovation journey is not about isolation, but about forging connections for mutual benefit.

After the exoskeleton video from the Canton Fair gained global attention, Taixi Robot proactively contacted the foreign patient and offered follow-up support. Over and over, she said “thank you” in Chinese, voicing her hope that more of the company’s products could be brought to Argentina to help others living with similar conditions.

This spirit of shared development and global solidarity has become deeply embedded in China’s approach to innovation.

In the field of artificial intelligence, for instance, China has become one of the world’s major contributors to open-source software and open models. The goal of “advancing the development of open-source ecosystems” has even been included in the outline of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan.

Bloomberg noted in an article that while some of the West’s tech giants are racing to build increasingly powerful AI systems while tightly restricting access, Chinese research labs continue to share technological advancements openly and free of charge.

From Juncao technology benefiting countries around the world, to Chinese-built power grids illuminating remote communities in Brazil, to the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope opening its facilities to global researchers, China’s innovation has never been aimed at “holding others back.” Instead, it seeks to “build roads for everyone,” helping more countries cross development barriers and improve people’s quality of life.

Persevering through hard work while embracing cooperation and mutual benefit — this is one of the deepest, most powerful, and most inspiring forces shaping modern China.

By Liu Zhonghua, Xu Xin, People’s Daily

China’s rapidly advancing new energy vehicle (NEV) sector is spearheading the global automotive industry’s green transition, creating significant opportunities for collaboration between Chinese and European companies.

According to statistics released by financial services firm UBS, since 2018, European automakers including Volkswagen, Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW Group have established technology partnerships with at least 38 Chinese companies and research institutions, covering areas such as software, hardware, batteries, and vehicle connectivity.

This marks a strategic shift for European manufacturers. Moving beyond their initial focus on China’s vast consumer market, they are now increasingly embedding themselves within the country’s dynamic innovation ecosystem. Many are strengthening their presence in China and positioning it as a cornerstone of their global strategies.

On March 13 this year, the first model jointly developed by Volkswagen and Chinese electric car manufacturer XPeng, UNYX 08, officially rolled off the production line in Hefei, east China’s Anhui province. It took just 24 months from the signing of the joint development agreement to mass production.

This pace contrasts with the joint ventures of the 1980s that spurred China’s passenger car industry. Today, as the global auto industry accelerates towards electrification and intelligence, multinationals like Volkswagen are actively reshaping their roles to integrate more deeply into China’s innovation landscape.

“China is the world’s most competitive and innovative automotive market,” said Ralf Brandstatter, chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group China. To date, Volkswagen has invested about 3.5 billion euro ($4.1 billion) in Hefei, building a complete NEV ecosystem encompassing research and development, manufacturing, and supply chains. The company expects to launch more than 20 NEV models this year.

Hildegard Muller, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry, noted that the automotive sectors of Germany and China are highly complementary. China is not only one of the largest and fastest-growing auto markets but also a key arena for testing new technologies and driving industrial innovation. 

German automakers, she said, hold advantages in safety and engineering standards. Deeper cooperation will accelerate technological innovation, generate synergies, and promote industry upgrading.

In March this year, Swedish heavy truck manufacturer Scania delivered its first batch of NEXT ERA trucks produced at its industrial base in Rugao, east China’s Jiangsu province, its third global production base. The facility, wholly owned and operated by Scania, began operations last October and is designed to produce 50,000 heavy-duty trucks annually.

A breakthrough in policy was key to this investment. In 2020, China released a negative list for foreign investment, lifting equity restrictions in the commercial vehicle manufacturing sector. Scania quickly finalized the Rugao project, becoming one of the first international commercial vehicle manufacturers to establish a wholly owned plant in China. It also marks Scania’s largest overseas investment in nearly 70 years.

“The Rugao base has obtained a wholly foreign-owned production license from the Chinese government, breaking the traditional joint venture model,” said Camilla Dewoon, executive vice president and head of Scania Group China. 

“This allows us to improve efficiency in product definition, technology introduction, and operational management, and it reflects China’s steadily improving level of opening up and business environment in manufacturing,” she added.

In Dewoon’s view, the Rugao base is “a bridge to the future.” “Much of the innovation shaping the industry today, including autonomous driving, electrification, and intelligent connectivity, originates in China. We aim to integrate more deeply into the Chinese market, continue learning, and work closely with outstanding Chinese partners,” she said.

In 2025, Chinese NEV maker Leapmotor sold more than 67,000 vehicles overseas, including over 20,000 in the European market. In 2024, it sold only 771 units in Europe. This sharp increase reflects strategic collaboration between Chinese and European automakers. In 2024, Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker, formed a joint venture, Leapmotor International, with the Chinese NEV company.

Headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Stellantis has set ambitious goals amid the transition to new energy: to achieve 100 percent electrification of its passenger cars in Europe by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2038. 

To this end, the group has shifted its China strategy from traditional joint ventures to a new model of ecosystem-based collaboration. Leapmotor International is a key outcome of this approach. With joint efforts from both sides, Leapmotor had expanded into more than 30 overseas markets across Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa as of June last year.

Cooperation now goes beyond vehicle manufacturing. In November last year, Stellantis and Chinese power battery enterprise CATL jointly broke ground on a lithium iron phosphate battery plant in Aragon, Spain. With a total investment of 4.1 billion euro, the facility will run entirely on renewable energy and adopt Industry 4.0 standards, with production scheduled to begin by the end of 2026.

Amid this growing “look East” trend among European automakers, China is fostering a new blueprint for automotive cooperation with an open and inclusive approach. 

Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research in Bochum, western Germany, noted that China’s vast market and well-developed supply chains are generating increasing economies of scale. Combined with rapid innovation in cutting-edge fields such as power batteries, NEVs, and autonomous driving, China has become a key force driving the global automotive industry’s transition toward electrification and intelligentization.

By Sun Chao, People’s Daily

Central China’s Hunan province has rapidly emerged as a key exporter of agricultural machinery, with shipments surging due to strong product adaptability, advancing technology, and targeted global strategy. 

In 2025, the province’s agricultural machinery exports reached 730 million yuan (about $107 million), a 65.6% year-on-year increase according to customs data. Germany has become the fastest-growing major overseas market, with exports soaring more than 100-fold in the first 11 months of the year to 120 million yuan.

This growth reflects not only competitive products but also a broader shift from exporting standalone equipment to delivering integrated solutions that combine technology, standards, branding, and services.

During the spring plowing season, a visit to Fuja Technology Co., Ltd. in Yiyang, Hunan, offered a glimpse of this transformation. 

Inside its facilities, a range of high-tech “new farm tools” was on display: compact machines powered by new energy, crawler chassis capable of navigating complex terrain, and autonomous systems that can independently plan operating routes.

“One of our smart spraying robots secured orders for 500 units from Italy and other European countries immediately after February field tests,” said Chen Fei, project manager at the company. 

Another flagship product, the high-speed rice seedling production line, automates the entire process from sorting and seeding to soil covering and stacking. It meets the seedling requirements for 500 mu (33 hectares) of farmland in just eight hours and is gaining strong traction in Southeast Asia.

Hunan’s agricultural machinery has gained traction overseas for its compact design, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. At the 2025 Africa International Agricultural Expo held in Kenya in last October, 10 companies from Hunan, including Zoomlion Agriculture Machinery, Hunan Nongyou Machinery Group, and Changsha Sunlight Agricultural Machinery Equipment, showcased 42 units of equipment, all of which were sold out on site. Orders signed with local distributors and large farms exceeded 10 million yuan.

In December last year, Hunan Nongyou Machinery Group shipped 38 containers carrying 152 rotary tillers to Southeast Asia within just 10 days.

“The natural environment in Southeast Asia is similar to that of Hunan, and the main crops are also comparable,” said Liu Ruoqiao, chairman of the group. 

Around 70 percent of Hunan’s farmland lies in hilly and mountainous areas, where fragmented plots and uneven terrain have long made it difficult for large machinery to operate efficiently. Yet these constraints have driven a distinctive development path toward smaller, specialized, and more precise equipment.

The company has developed a rotary tiller capable of operating in mud as deep as 60 centimeters, with the ability to turn in place. Targeting the mechanization gap in cassava cultivation, a widely grown crop in Africa, the company has also developed a full suite of machinery covering planting, digging, collection, and processing. At the 2025 China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, a buyer from Mozambique placed an order worth 5 million yuan for cassava harvesters.

Elsewhere in Hunan, Hunan Nongfu Machinery & Electronic Co., Ltd. in Chenzhou ranks among the national leaders in market share for crawler tractors. “We develop and manufacture whatever is most urgently needed in hilly and mountainous agriculture,” said Shou Yuanfeng, the company’s technical director, describing its innovation logic.

“When we looked overseas, we found that Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America also have extensive hilly terrain and a strong demand for compact, agile machinery. Hunan’s ‘hilly DNA’ aligns perfectly with many emerging markets,” he added.

While adaptability provides the foundation, intelligent technology has become the key to unlocking global markets.

Hunan has built an innovation ecosystem driven by enterprises, guided by market demand, and supported by close integration of enterprises, universities, research institutions, and users. Fuja Technology, for example, has partnered with Hunan Agricultural University to establish a key laboratory for intelligent seedling cultivation in southern China, achieving breakthroughs in precision high-speed seeding.

With Changsha, capital of Hunan, as the hub, the province is developing an innovation, research and development center for intelligent agricultural machinery, leveraging platforms such as the Yuelu Mountain Laboratory to tackle core technologies in intelligent sensing and precision operations. 

Meanwhile, cities including Loudi, Chenzhou, and Changde are building specialized manufacturing bases for hilly-area machinery, niche equipment, and smart agricultural machinery, forming a differentiated industrial cluster.

Thanks to strong product performance and precise market positioning, Hunan’s agricultural machinery sector has evolved from simple product exports to a coordinated “going global” strategy encompassing technology, standards, brands, and services.

Nongyou Machinery Group has customized rice mills, harvesters, and other equipment for Indonesian clients, while establishing overseas factories in countries such as Nigeria and Indonesia. Its reliable and efficient after-sales service has helped drive rapid sales growth.

“More and more African clients are coming to us. Going global is no longer optional, but essential,” said Li Dianqin, general manager of an electromechanical company in Huaihua, Hunan. In recent years, the company has set up dedicated teams to systematically expand into African markets, moving beyond product exports to promote its brand and service offerings abroad.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

China has become an indispensable “training ground” for global carmakers, an arena where rapid technological iteration and fast-changing consumer demand are pushing the industry to evolve at unprecedented speed. 

At the just concluded 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2026), which once again set a new record for scale among global auto shows, this dynamic was on full display. 

“China is like a ‘gym’ for the automotive industry. Nowhere else sees such fast technological iteration or such rapidly shifting user demand,” said Oliver Blume, chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG. 

His analogy captures the unique appeal of the Chinese market. As some international observers have noted, “the Auto China 2026 confirmed China as the new center of the automotive industry,” “China is becoming a key hub for exporting next-generation vehicles to global markets,” and “this is not just an auto show, but a story of industrial transformation.”

What makes China such a critical “gym” for global automakers? Beyond the buzz of packed exhibition halls, the answer lies in a shift from the traditional “scale dividend” to a more competitive “ecosystem dividend.”

Chinese brands, leveraging advances in intelligent technologies, are achieving leapfrog development and moving steadily toward the mid-to-high end of the global value chain, demonstrating strong competitiveness worldwide. 

At the Auto China 2026, Chinese automakers unveiled a series of flagship models featuring innovations such as power batteries with ranges of up to 1,500 kilometers, AI-driven intelligent cabin, and advanced driver-assistance solutions geared toward Level-3 autonomous driving. These technologies highlighted China’s leading edge in intelligent, connected new energy vehicles.

An executive from a foreign automaker noted that while traditional multinational companies once took four to five years to develop a new vehicle model, a development cycle of 2 to 2.5 years has now become the new norm in China. 

By deeply engaging with the Chinese market and fully understanding local demand, many development challenges can be resolved more efficiently, producing a powerful “amplification effect,” the executive added.

China’s vast, open and inclusive market provides fertile ground for deep collaboration between domestic and international companies. Since the Auto Shanghai 2023, many multinational automakers have come to recognize China’s advantages in key technologies and supply chains for smart electric vehicles, prompting them to shift more of their research and development (R&D) functions to China. At the Auto China 2026, these companies have entered a phase of intensive launches of “localization 2.0” products.

The logic of cooperation between Chinese and foreign automakers has also undergone a profound transformation. Foreign companies have moved beyond simple vehicle manufacturing or basic technology transactions, choosing instead to integrate deeply into China’s innovation ecosystem and pursue comprehensive collaboration. 

Volkswagen offers a clear example: through close cooperation with Chinese partners, it developed a new localized electronic and electrical architecture in just 18 months. Its advanced driver-assistance competence center in China has shortened R&D cycles by 30 percent and reduced platform development costs by 50 percent.

From “in China, for China” to “in China, for the world,” multinational automakers are no longer treating China merely as a sales market but as a global hub for innovation and exports. Some Japanese and German automakers plan to introduce new energy vehicles developed and produced in China to international markets, while several French companies have identified China as a global testing ground and innovation incubator to support worldwide vehicle development.

As the industry shifts from “product exports” to “system exports,” technologies and management models refined through the Chinese market are comprehensively empowering the global automotive industry.

An open arena allows all participants to leverage their strengths and share progress. Looking ahead, China will continue to foster a fair, efficient, and dynamic development platform with an open and inclusive approach, working with all parties to advance the global automotive industry and inject fresh momentum into the world economy.

By Yang Hao, People’s Daily

Across China, from cutting-edge technology labs and aerospace programs to rural revitalization projects and frontline industrial workshops, young people across China are emerging as a pivotal force driving the country’s development. 

Fueled by ambition, creativity, and perseverance, they are contributing to innovation, revitalizing communities, and pursuing excellence in their daily work, embodying the dynamism of modern China.

Recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a reply letter to the representatives of the awardees of the China Youth May Fourth Medal and New Era Youth Pioneer, encouraged young Chinese to stay rooted in their posts, strive for new achievements, and inject their youthful dynamism into advancing China’s new journey of development.

Stressing that 2026 marks the opening year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), Xi said the present time presents a prime opportunity for young people to contribute to the country’s development.

The vitality of China’s youth is vividly displayed in technological innovation. Late into the  night in Shanghai’s Xuhui district, the lights remain on at the SMC Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center, a large-model AI innovation community. Xia Lixue, an entrepreneur born in the 1990s and CEO of Infinigence, a rising star in China’s AI infrastructure landscape, is often deep in discussion with his team about computing-power optimization.

Leading a team averaging just 32 years old, Xia focuses on improving the efficient use of domestic computing resources. Collaborating with industry partners, his team launched China’s pioneering “computing power ecosystem supermarket” — the SMC computing power dispatching platform — aiming to make computing resources as accessible as utilities like water and electricity for both industries and households.

The SMC innovation community is now home to more than 300 AI companies. Its annual revenue has grown more than twelvefold year on year, while total output has surpassed 100 billion yuan ($14.68 billion). The average age of entrepreneurs there is under 30. This year, the young innovators in the community received the China Youth May Fourth Medal.

Youthful talent also forms the backbone of China’s aerospace sector. Key teams demonstrate remarkable youthfulness: the Beidou satellite network development team averages 31 years old; core personnel for the Chang’e lunar missions average 33; the assembly team for the Mengtian space lab module averages 33; and the Tianwen Mars mission flight control team averages just 30. Propelled by this young ingenuity, China is rapidly evolving from a participant and contributor in global science and technology into a pioneer and leader.

For many young Chinese, the most fulfilling path lies where the country needs them most..

In Kantian Gezhuang village in Laoting county, north China’s Hebei province, rows of tomatoes are thriving inside vegetable greenhouses. Li Yao, the village committee director, was introducing local agricultural industries to visiting guests.

Eight years ago, Li Yao spent his own money to purchase materials, lay wiring and replace lamps, finally lighting up 120 LED streetlights across the village. He also spearheaded the construction of 3,000 meters of gravel farm roads, renovated the water pipeline network, and installed public fitness facilities, dramatically improving the village’s environment.

“But better roads and brighter lights alone are not enough to raise incomes,” Li said. He led villagers in developing high-standard farmland and introduced an aquaponics-based collective farming project alongside facility agriculture. Within a few years, average annual income per mu (667 square meters) of farmland rose from just over 1,000 yuan to 15,000 yuan.

At the northeastern edge of the Hexi Corridor in Gansu province, northwest China, lies Minqin county, surrounded by the Tengger and Badain Jaran deserts like an isolated island in a sea of sand. Zhong Lin, a Gen-Zer, grew up there and chose to return home after graduating from university. Along the edge of the Tengger Desert, he has planted saxaul trees across more than 7,000 mu through public-interest afforestation efforts, gradually bringing greenery back to the desert landscape.

“Youth takes root downward, while greenery grows upward,” reads the description on Zhong’s short-video account, where he regularly posts content about desertification control and tree planting. Inspired by his efforts, enthusiastic volunteers from across the country have traveled to the desert, joining the fight against desertification.

Young people are also demonstrating dedication and craftsmanship in ordinary positions, honing their skills as they strive for excellence.

Beside an 80,000-ton die-forging press at China National Erzhong Group Deyang Wanhang Die Forging Co., Ltd., Ye Linwei was leading his team in operating the massive equipment with meticulous control.

As the machine’s first operator and a recipient of the 2023 China Youth May Fourth Medal, Ye has led his team in overcoming numerous technical challenges. Together, they successfully forged multiple high-end aviation components, including the main landing gear outer cylinder and fuselage frame structures for the C919 large passenger aircraft.

Today, China has more than 80 million technical professionals and over 220 million skilled workers, including more than 72 million highly skilled workers. Increasing numbers of young people are pursuing success through technical expertise and contributing to the country.

Wang Qinjin’s journey offers another example. After graduation, he worked as a warehouse manager for SF Express before being selected for the company’s internal pilot training program. Through relentless physical training, intensive aviation theory study, and rigorous simulator practice, he steadily earned his wings.

From delivery worker to airline captain and eventually flight instructor, Wang has accumulated 6,600 hours of safe flight time, demonstrating that in an era where opportunities are increasingly open to all, hard work can give youth limitless possibilities.

Whether scaling the heights of technological innovation, serving at the grassroots level, or excelling in ordinary jobs, young people across China are pursuing their dreams while staying grounded in reality. Bold in vision yet practical in action, they are bringing to life a flourishing portrait of a youthful and vibrant China.

By Yang Hao, People’s Daily

At 6 a.m., as morning mist lingered over the streets of Ruijin in east China’s Jiangxi province, 38-year-old food delivery rider Chen Yiwen straightened his uniform, fastened his helmet, checked his delivery box, and set off on his electric scooter, right on schedule, just as he has done for the past eight years.

Chen entered the food delivery industry in 2018. Initially, unfamiliar routes, frequent late deliveries, and difficulty finding addresses nearly made him quit. He persevered, however, meticulously learning the layouts of older residential complexes, tracking restaurant preparation times, calculating elevator wait times during peak hours, and memorizing building access rules. His delivery efficiency steadily improved.

During storms, he climbs stairs on foot to ensure timely deliveries. When roads are blocked, he detours kilometers to keep food warm for customers. Over the years, Chen has traversed nearly every corner of the city and consistently ranked as the top performer at his station.

For Chen, however, delivering meals transcends speed; it’s about giving back to the city he serves.

In the summer of 2020, he came across a middle school student who was injured after falling off a bike. He immediately paused his deliveries and accompanied the child to the hospital, helping with registration and treatment. 

In the winter of 2021, while making deliveries, he spotted a fire in a residential building. He helped evacuate residents and contacted emergency services, leaving only after firefighters arrived.

In May 2024, Chen learned that eight elderly residents with limited mobility in Ruijin’s Shazhouba township struggled to obtain meals. He volunteered to help, traveling 14 kilometers round-trip daily at lunchtime to deliver their food, regardless of weather. He later inspired over twenty fellow riders to form a volunteer team assisting residents in need.

For Chen, youth forged through hard work is defined by not only hustle, but also depth. 

To support workers in emerging sectors, Ruijin established a dedicated training program offering systematic professional development and career guidance. Chen enrolled without hesitation.

During a course on grassroots governance, words from an instructor left a lasting impression on him: “Delivery riders and couriers travel through every street and alley of the city every day, and that’s what makes you the mobile sensors of the city.”

Inspired, Chen created a WeChat group called “Snap and Report.” The group now includes more than 300 delivery riders and couriers, who report issues ranging from damaged roads and faulty public facilities to fire safety hazards.

So far, members of the group have submitted more than 1,000 reports, 98 percent of which were solved, turning the group into an active force in community governance.

From a five-star rider renowned for precise service, to an everyday hero stepping up in emergencies, and now a mobile inspector patrolling urban streets, Chen has forged a life path imbued with warmth. He passes on kindness and compassion, embodying the responsibility and mission shared by workers in new forms of employment.