Nigeria Times

By People’s Daily reporters

On March 27, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Zero Waste released the first list of cities selected for the “20 Cities Towards Zero Waste” initiative. Three Chinese cities — Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Sanya in Hainan province, and Suzhou in Jiangsu province — were included. These cities exemplify innovative approaches to waste reduction and resource efficiency.
Hangzhou: Digitizing Waste Management
In Hangzhou’s Binjiang district, residents like 67-year-old Wang use smart recycling stations that open automatically via QR code scans. Supported by a “carbon credit” incentive system, these facilities reward proper waste sorting with redeemable points for daily essentials or community services. This model has driven consistent participation in recycling programs.
Behind this community-level innovation lies Hangzhou’s citywide digital governance platform, which tracks household waste from disposal to final processing, enabling real-time monitoring and closed-loop management.
According to Yang Min, deputy director of the Hangzhou municipal bureau of coordinated administrative law enforcement, the system uses big data to optimize collection routes, facility allocation, and transportation schedules. Results underscore the success: In 2025, Hangzhou’s total recycling volume reached 2.46 million tons, up 5.13 percent year on year, with household recyclables increasing by 18.26 percent.
Sanya: Robotics and Plastic Reduction in Tourism
On the sandy shores of Yalong Bay in Sanya, beach-cleaning robots comb the coastline, extracting buried debris with vibrating screens while preserving sand. “Each robot cleans over 3,000 square meters per hour,” notes Zhao Guocheng, assistant researcher at the Hainan Research Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
As a premier tourist destination, Sanya has also enforced strict plastic bans in scenic areas.
Since November 2020, Wuzhizhou Island has replaced disposable plastics with reusable or biodegradable alternatives. According to Jiang Xiangyu, head of the greening office of the management center of Wuzhizhou Island, coastal areas are cleaned daily before visitors arrive. On the island, waste is systematically sorted: recyclables are packaged and sold, kitchen waste is repurposed, and garden waste is composted locally, significantly reducing the amount that must be transported off the island for incineration.
To date, Sanya has established 218 regular inspection points for plastic reduction, cutting annual use of plastic disposables by around 8,000 tons and recycling nearly 30,000 tons of plastic waste.
Suzhou: Industrial Waste as a Resource
Early in the morning at the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) , forklifts shuttled between workshops and warehouses. Several containers of waste emulsified liquid were loaded onto a truck, each labeled with a QR code and destination tag.
“These will soon be sent for reuse,” said Guo Jun, a worker responsible for waste transport.
Suzhou boasts a complete industrial system. The output value of industrial enterprises above the designated size, or those with annual revenue of over 20 million yuan ($2.9 million) from principal businesses, reached nearly 5 trillion yuan in 2025. However, what comes along is huge volume of complex industrial waste. Effectively managing and reusing this waste has become a central challenge for urban governance.
At a circular economy industrial park of the SIP, a network of crisscrossing pipelines forms the backbone of a waste-to-resource ecosystem. Every day, industrial sludge, kitchen waste, and municipal wastewater from local enterprises and urban operations are collected here, then diverted into specialized treatment systems tailored to each type of waste.
In a sludge treatment workshop, pretreated sludge is sent into drying equipment powered by steam from a nearby thermal power plant. The dried sludge is then co-fired for electricity generation, and the resulting steam is fed back into the system.
Adjacent to the sludge treatment area, kitchen waste is processed through anaerobic fermentation to produce biogas, which is purified and fed into the city’s gas network. Residual waste enters the sludge system for further treatment, while processed water is recycled as reclaimed water for industrial cooling and daily cleaning.
At this circular economy industrial park, waste from different sources is reorganized, redistributed, and reused, forming a stable circular economy network. According to statistics, Suzhou’s comprehensive utilization rate of bulk industrial solid waste has reached 98.1 percent, setting a leading benchmark for industrial waste management in China.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

In March, China hosted two major international forums, the China Development Forum 2026 in Beijing and the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026 in Hainan province. 

From Beijing to Hainan, both gatherings sent a clear message: despite global turbulence, China remains steadfast in pursuing high-standard opening up and innovation-driven development, serving as an anchor of stability for worldwide growth. 

Attendees at both forums recognized China’s clear developmental direction through its outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), identifying substantial opportunities for deeper engagement with the Chinese market. Participants particularly noted China’s exceptional capacity for reliable long-term planning and consistent goal achievement.

Corporate responses demonstrated concrete confidence: PepsiCo noted that China’s outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan clearly places expanding domestic demand and boosting consumption high on its agenda, a priority that aligns closely with the group’s business focus. Mercedes-Benz, for its part, announced plans to launch dozens of new products in China over the next two years.

A long-term perspective and unwavering strategic commitment underpin the certainty of China’s development. 

The outline of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan unfolds clear strategic goals and policy priorities, including the comprehensive implementation of an “AI Plus” initiative, the smart, digital and connected upgrade of manufacturing, greater integration of investment in infrastructure and human capital, as well as coordinated progress in carbon reduction, pollution control, green expansion and growth.

Turning its blueprint into tangible reality step by step, China’s development follows a sustained, long-term and forward-looking trajectory.

China’s “stability” is not about isolating itself from the world, but about advancing through openness, coordination, and mutually beneficial cooperation. Its “progress” is not about unilateral gains, but about empowering others and moving forward together.

Zafar Uddin Mahmood, press adviser of the Boao Forum for Asia Secretariat, noted that China has evolved from the “world’s factory” into a global innovation hub, leading in areas such as renewable energy, green development, and AI, while benefiting countries worldwide. 

Numerous cooperation cases support this observation. Riding the wave of China’s manufacturing transformation, Michelin’s plant in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning province, has integrated AI and machine vision into production and was selected as one of the World Economic Forum’s latest “Lighthouse Factories.” 

Meanwhile, benefiting from China’s expanding renewable energy system, over 90 percent of Apple’s production in China is now powered by clean energy, directly supporting its global carbon neutrality goals. 

From innovation-driven growth to green transformation, China continues to create new opportunities for cooperation and expand win-win outcomes.

Given the sluggish global growth, as well as rising unilateralism and protectionism, China remains committed to openness, inclusiveness, and the vision of a shared future, and continues to promote the building of an open world economy. 

The island-wide independent customs operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port stands exemplifies China’s efforts to advance institutional opening up. In 2025, China’s trade with other members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership reached 13.85 trillion yuan ($2 trillion), up 5.3 percent year on year, adding resilience and vitality to Asia-Pacific industrial and supply chains. 

According to the Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress Annual Report 2026 released at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026, China’s role as a “stabilizing anchor” in the region continues to grow, playing a key part in connecting diverse markets and global value chains, while providing fresh momentum for global economic growth.

As a Chinese proverb goes, “A single tree does not make a forest; a single string cannot make music.” China, steadfastly advancing along the path of Chinese modernization, will continue to act as a stabilizing anchor in a turbulent world, adding momentum to regional prosperity and injecting confidence into global development.

By Han Xin, People’s Daily

At the start of the year, a resident surnamed Wang in Hefei, east China’s Anhui province, planned to replace her home appliances during a renovation. 

After comparing options both in stores and online, she chose a triple-drum washing machine. “The new model is stylish and much more energy-efficient,” she said, adding that she saved nearly 1,000 yuan ($144.68) thanks to government subsidies and trade-in discounts.

Wang’s choice reflects a broader trend. Spurred by government trade-in subsidies, growing numbers of Chinese households are upgrading to more environmentally friendly appliances. In 2025 alone, more than 129 million home appliances were purchased through the program, with over 90 percent meeting top-tier energy or water conservation standards.

Government incentives have fueled a green revolution in China’s home appliance market. Since the trade-in program launched in 2024, consumers purchasing products rated Level 1 for energy or water efficiency have received an additional 5 percent subsidy. The policy, continuing into 2026, prioritizes high-efficiency goods and drives sustainable consumer upgrades.

As green consumption becomes mainstream, this demand is translating into new driver for industry innovation. The story of one particular washing machine offers a clear example.

At a Haier Smart Home experience center, a triple-drum washing machine stands out. Its sleek white body houses three drums — one large and two small — allowing separate washing different garment types. Since its launch in June 2025, the product has sold over 400,000 units in just nine months, making it a bestseller in the home appliance market.

“It’s not just popular; it’s a model of green innovation,” said Xu Sheng, general manager of advanced R&D at Haier Smart Home. He summed up its advantages in two phrases: “less material usage, higher efficiency.”

On one hand, the machine combines three seperate units into one, with highly integrated components such as circuit boards and chips. Through structural innovation, total material use has been reduced by more than half.

On the other hand, it achieves top-tier energy efficiency. Level 1 standards require electricity consumption of no more than 0.11 kWh and water usage below 6 liters per kilogram of laundry. This model reduces those figures to 0.06 kWh and 5 liters, while achieving a wash performance ratio of 1.22 — delivering cleaner clothes with less water and energy.

According to Xu, the strong market performance of such products reflects how subsidies are encouraging consumers to choose higher-efficiency appliances.

Behind these gains in energy efficiency lies robust technological innovation. Haier invests more than 100 billion yuan annually in R&D, with about 1/3 dedicated to green product development.

“As we enter the AI era, intelligent technologies are opening up new possibilities for improving green performance,” Xu said. 

He added that Haier plans to launch a new AI washing machine in late March 2026. Powered by large-model algorithms, it can identify fabric types, automatically select optimal washing modes, and even adjust detergent use based on local water quality, further reducing energy and resource consumption.

The trade-in program’s impact extends beyond individual companies to the entire industry. It lowers the threshold for purchasing high-efficiency products, expanding the market for green and smart appliances and enriching the overall supply. In 2025, more than 1,000 companies launched tens of thousands of new green and intelligent products, accelerating industry-wide transformation.

The program also drives low-carbon transformation across industrial and supply chains. Haier’s global procurement committee collaborates with over 1,000 major suppliers worldwide. Producing a single triple-drum washing machine involves more than 400 of them.

“As a leading company, we work with key suppliers to build joint laboratories, integrating green concepts into material development from the start while sharing both technology and benefits,” said Wang Zhaogui, the committee’s general manager.

Take appliance controller — the “brain” of a home appliance — as an example. “Our jointly developed next-generation controller reduces standby power consumption to just 0.5 watts, which is almost negligible,” said Dong Haiyong, general manager of Diehl Controls China. Driven by the higher green standards set by leading companies, suppliers are accelerating innovation. Over the past three years, collaborative efforts have enabled large-scale application of cutting-edge technologies, with the company’s sales growing by more than 15 percent annually.

According to Xu Dongsheng, vice chairman of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association, as policy effects continue to unfold, green consumption is driving change upstream. The entire industrial chain — from material R&D, and manufacturing to application testing — is being revitalized, strengthening overall competitiveness.

“From this perspective, the trade-in program is not just about swapping old products for new ones — it is reshaping the entire industrial ecosystem,” Xu Dongsheng said.

By Wang Yunshan, People’s Daily

The World Data Organization (WDO) was officially established in Beijing on March 30, marking a new step toward strengthening global cooperation in data development and governance.

According to its preparatory committee, the organization is a professional, non-governmental, and non-profit international body voluntarily established by relevant entities and individuals in the global data sector. It is committed to “bridging the data divide, unlocking the value of data, and boosting the digital economy.” 

The launch of the WDO comes at a time when the world is rapidly entering an intelligent, data-driven era. The development and utilization of data resources are reshaping production, lifestyles, and governance, injecting fresh momentum into global technological innovation, economic growth, and social progress.

Tan Tieniu, chairman of WDO, highlighted the context for the organization’s creation. He noted the sluggish pace of global economic recovery and the diminishing returns of traditional drivers like trade and investment. Meanwhile, the rise of the digital economy and the rapid development of artificial intelligence highlight the central role of data.

“How to fully unlock the potential of data and accelerate the growth of the digital economy is a shared challenge for humanity,” he said, adding that a widely recognized international platform is needed to help address these issues.

Hu Jianbo, head of the National Data Administration’s National Data Development Research Institute, said the organization will bring together enterprises, research institutions, industry groups, technical communities, and social organizations from around the world. Its goal is to build a global platform for cooperation on data development and governance.

The WDO plans to achieve its mission through several key activities: promote member services and industry self-regulation, conduct policy research and compliance services, facilitate connectivity of key infrastructure, deepen industry studies and public-interest initiatives, and provide platforms for exchange and collaboration. Through these efforts, it aims to enhance data resource utilization, promote global digital economy, and ensure that the benefits of digital and intelligent development are shared by more countries and regions.

“Huge productivity potential lies in data. China is the first country to recognize data as a factor of production, and the current development of the smart economy is bearing witness to the crucial value of data,” said Zhang Xianghong, member of the National Data Expert Advisory Committee and professor at Beijing Jiaotong University. “Globally, a large number of people still lack internet access, and many low-income countries remain uncovered by 5G networks.”

He believes that by sharing development concepts and practical experience, the WDO can help advance joint technology development, promote the sharing of achievements, improve data infrastructure connectivity, and strengthen digital talent training, allowing more countries to benefit from the digital dividend.

“The greater the flow of data, the more value it can unlock. Yet data is characterized by high mobility and high sensitivity, and its flow still faces challenges such as fragmented standards and rules, which constrain the release of data value,” said Fang Yi, member of the National Technical Committee 609 on Data of Standardization Administration of China and chairman of MR Tech, a leading Chinese enterprise in data and intelligent technology. 

He noted that standardized and institutionalized cooperation is particularly crucial amid the ongoing scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, helping to overcome bottlenecks in data circulation and support the high-quality development of the digital economy.

So far, the WDO has brought together more than 200 members from over 40 countries.

Tan said the organization will work to address differences in national data policies, promote industry consensus, and develop standard recommendations and best practices. It will also provide reference frameworks for governments and research institutions, helping multinational companies reduce compliance costs. 

At the same time, the WDO will also deepen the development and utilization of data in practical sectors including healthcare, education and energy, facilitate project implementation and industrial innovation, and strengthen talent training, especially helping countries of the Global South and developing countries enhance their data capabilities.

By Wang Zhou, People’s Daily

A new AI-driven canteen in Beijing’s Dongcheng district is transforming mealtime routines for residents and office workers. Operated by municipal enterprise Shoukai Group, the 260-square-meter “Jingshan AI Canteen” features 80 seats and serves three daily meals, demonstrating how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing everyday dining.

“Once the ingredients are ready, machines handle the rest,” said chef Cheng Wei, a 20-year culinary veteran. 

Standing before a waist-high AI-powered cooking unit, he selected a stir-fried pork dish and pressed a “one-click cooking” button. The system autonomously heated the wok, added oil, and sequentially introduced scallions, ginger, garlic, sliced pork, and chili peppers while precisely dispensing seasonings. A real-time display monitored oil temperature, heat intensity, and stirring speed with chef-like precision.

Within three minutes, 50 servings of steaming stir-fried pork were ready. The “auto-clean” function then sanitized the equipment in 10 seconds using high-pressure jets and rotating scrubbing.

With just two AI cooking machines and two chefs, the canteen efficiently serves over 200 patrons during lunch rushes — work that traditionally requires at least ten staff. 

“AI reduces labor needs while standardizing flavors and cooking precision,” noted Cheng, who reported unprecedented kitchen efficiency.

Designed to serve nearby residents, office workers, and the broader community, the canteen leverages AI to improve both cost-efficiency and service quality. 

According to Meng Haigang, the project’s manager at Shoukai Group, the system can adjust menu offerings in real time based on customer flow, helping reduce food waste at the source. Meanwhile, its data-driven memory function analyzes diners’ preferences, allowing menus to be dynamically optimized to better meet diverse tastes.

At 11:40 a.m., the peak lunch hour, the queue for food stretched nearly 15 meters but moved surprisingly quickly.

“Facial recognition, self-service meal pickup, and automatic payment — it all takes less than a minute,” said Wang Dan, who works nearby. After verifying her identity through a face scan, she selected her dishes — stir-fried pork with eggs and sauteed broccoli. Prices were calculated instantly based on each item, and payment was automatically deducted from her stored-value account — no cashier or QR code required.

Her meal cost under 30 yuan ($4.34). “It’s affordable, light and healthy, and the open kitchen makes it reassuring to eat here,” she said. After dining, the system also provided a nutritional breakdown of her meal, including calorie count and intake of protein and vitamins, along with dietary suggestions.

Like Wang, many local residents have been drawn to the canteen since its opening. “Our neighborhood has a relatively large elderly population, and the AI canteen serves as a valuable supplement to existing senior meal services,” said Dong Dong, deputy director of the Jingshan subdistrict office. “The smart system makes dining more convenient, and the reasonable prices and quality meals bring real warmth to the community.”

By Guo Xiaolong, People’s Daily

As the morning sun filtered through the misty forest, casting dappled light on the ground, members of a women’s ranger team at a management center of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park in Dongning, northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, were already assembled and ready for their daily patrol.

One of China’s first national parks, the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park is a vital habitat for rare species such as the Siberian tiger and Amur leopard. Established in 2019, the five-member team is the park’s first all-female patrol unit. Over the past seven years, they have trekked more than 9,000 kilometers through rugged terrain — removing traps, maintaining monitoring equipment, rescuing wildlife, and promoting conservation awareness.

At 8:30 a.m., the team gathered on schedule. Captain Xu Chunmei checked their gear one by one: GPS devices, bear spray, loudspeakers, spare batteries and memory cards for infrared cameras — nothing can be left behind. Each backpack also carried heat packs and insulated insoles, while notebooks were kept close to the body to prevent moisture damage.

At 9 a.m., the team set off by vehicle. An hour later, they arrived at the foot of the mountain and began a 6.5-kilometer hike. “Patrolling on foot is much tougher than I expected,” said Li Caining, a young member born in the 2000s, who joined the team last year. Veteran ranger Song Yan patiently shared her experience, teaching Li how to navigate mountain paths and manage her energy.

“This time of year works in our favor,” Xu explained as they walked. With no leaves on the trees, animal traces are easier to spot. Snow, she added, acts as a “natural record,” clearly preserving footprints and droppings — valuable data for researchers studying animal diets, health, and potential diseases.

Deep in the forest, a series of clicks broke the silence as Xu removed her gloves and skillfully adjusted an infrared camera mounted on a tree. 

“Extreme cold can freeze the cameras, and sometimes wild boars or woodpeckers damage them. We can only detect these issues on-site,” she said. The management center has deployed more than 400 real-time transmission cameras, over 200 infrared cameras, and more than 70 monitoring checkpoints, many located on cliffs or along wildlife corridors, making maintenance both difficult and risky.

“Technology is a great help, but it can’t replace our eyes and feet,” Xu noted. She is especially skilled at identifying animal tracks. By examining the size, depth, and pattern of footprints, she can determine an animal’s sex, size, approximate age, and even its health condition.

Removing traps is another key task. Hidden wire snares become more visible against the snow. “These traps tighten the more an animal struggles,” Xu said. “I once stepped into one myself. The pain made me determined to clear every single trap.” Over the years, the team has removed more than 4,300 traps. Now, snares are rarely seen, while sightings of wildlife such as red foxes, squirrels, and wild boars have become more frequent.

During heavy snowfalls, when food becomes scarce for wildlife, the team sets up 20 feeding sites along frequently used animal corridors. “We carefully control the amount of feed,” said team member Zhao Hongyu. “It helps animals get through tough times without disrupting their natural habits.”

At a wildlife rescue center managed by the Chaoyanggou protection station, rescued sika deer and roe deer wandered calmly within enclosures. In recent years, the team has rescued around 70 wild animals.

Beyond fieldwork, the rangers are also active in public education. “Do you know how great a tiger’s sense of smell is?” Xu asked students during an ecology class at a primary school in Dongning. “They can track prey by scent and mark their territory on trees.” Her lively explanations drew excited reactions from the children.

Such outreach programs have been running for five years, reaching more than 20 primary and secondary schools. “Every session is an opportunity to spread environmental awareness,” Xu said.

The team also visits local villages, posting notices and explaining regulations door to door, using real cases to highlight laws related to national parks and the prohibition of illegal hunting.

“When we first started, some older villagers still held the outdated belief of ‘living off the mountains,'” Xu recalled. Through repeated outreach and visible ecological improvements, the team gradually helped change their perceptions.

Behind their hard work lies a deep bond with the forest. “Over the years, some members have had to leave due to injuries or other reasons,” Xu said. “But love for the mountains and a strong sense of responsibility keep more of us going.”

By Zhao Peng, Zhou Yajun, People’s Daily

Good news came recently for Piao Huiling, an employee at the South Korea’s Dong-A Pharmaceutical’s Hainan branch. Her company’s dedicated “enterprise secretary” service sent a helpful list of recommended contract manufacturers.

This personalized support is part of Hainan’s push to create a better environment for businesses. Since the launch of island-wide independent customs operations of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) on Dec. 18 last year, Haikou, capital city of Hainan province has continued to refine this tailored “enterprise secretary” service mechanism, offering customized support to businesses. Across the free trade port, the environment for enterprise development is becoming increasingly favorable.

March 27 marked the first 100 days of this new customs arrangement. The results are promising: policies are taking effect, development is speeding up, and the region is opening up further.

During this period, offshore duty-free sales hit 15.62 billion yuan ($2.26 billion), up nearly 28 percent year on year. Total foreign trade exceeded 80 billion yuan, growing by almost 33 percent.This new customs status gives Hainan a stronger foundation for deeper and wider economic opening.

The benefits are already visible. Take customs clearance: on March 16, a batch of food processing equipment cleared customs smoothly at Sanya Customs under Haikou Customs. “Companies no longer need to submit import licenses. With a smart supervision platform of the Hainan FTP, declarations can be completed seamlessly,” said Gan Jiayong, deputy head of Sanya Customs. He added that customs authorities will continue to ensure the effective implementation of opening-up policies.

Hainan is actively building a comprehensive policy and institutional framework for the FTP. The goal? To create a special customs zone with strong international competitiveness.

Progress isn’t just on the ground. Late last year, Hainan launched China’s first official passenger route operated under the Seventh Freedom of the Air, linking Sanya directly with Prague. 

“As of March 23, more than 1,700 passengers have traveled on the route,” said He Bang, head of the Civil Aviation Office of the Hainan Provincial Department of Transport. In early February, the Terminal 3 of Sanya Phoenix International Airport was officially put into operation, further enhancing the airport’s capacity. Sanya now operates 34 international routes, with international passenger throughput up 11.2 percent year on year.

Placing institutional innovation at the forefront, Hainan is working to foster a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized.

At the start of the island-wide independent customs operation, Hainan introduced the first batch of 72 high-quality projects open to private investment. The provincial development and reform authorities have established matchmaking platforms to address mismatches between capital and projects, ensuring that “funds can find projects, and projects can find funding.”

Supportive government policies and an improved business environment have fueled strong investment enthusiasm. At Guoquan International Food Industrial Park in Danzhou, Hainan, the first-phase project broke ground right after land was secured, and land for the second phase has been fully guaranteed, with construction progress exceeding expectations. 

Xiangqiong Sany (Hainan) Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park in Dongfang, Hainan has attracted a cluster of about 30 advanced manufacturing enterprises, with a planned total investment of 13.92 billion yuan. A number of landmark foreign-invested projects by companies such as Germany’s Siemens Energy and France’s Mayoly, are also speeding up construction and implementation.

The numbers tell the story: since the customs operation began, 85,000 new market entities have been registered in Hainan, a year-on-year increase of nearly 40 percent.

On March 21, Hainan introduced 20 key measures to stabilize businesses and benefit enterprises, establishing a coordinated service system, promoting market-based allocation of production factors, and advancing the deep integration of innovation, industrial, capital, and talent chains.

The appeal of FTP policies is turning into a driving force for high-quality development. Hainan is now building a modern industrial system tailored to its unique features and strengths, continuously upgrading its four pillar industries: tourism, modern services, high-tech industries, and efficient tropical agriculture. It is also fostering and expanding distinctive industrial chains focused on seed industry, marine economy, aerospace, green development and digital economy, laying a solid foundation for the growth of the FTP.

According to the outline of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), China will build the Hainan FTP to high standards, advance high-level island-wide independent customs operations, and steadily expand opening up in trade, investment, and the flow of production factors, while establishing a framework of policies and institutions that aligns with a high-level FTP.

Today, Hainan is moving forward with greater determination to expand high-level opening up, cultivate new growth drivers, and unlock new potential in domestic demand.

By Chang Qin, People’s Daily

From early-spring sugar tangerines to chilled fresh-cut navel oranges in summer, and to the over 1 billion cups of iced fresh lemonade sold year round — citrus has become a constant presence in Chinese consumption. Now, this ancient fruit is being reshaped by a sweeping transformation across China’s entire citrus industry.

According to the latest data from China’s national citrus industry technology system, the country’s total citrus output exceeded 70 million tons in 2025, with per-unit yield rising by more than 21 percent over the past five years. Globally, one in every three citrus fruits worldwide is grown in China.

China’s citrus family is vast, ranging from mandarins and oranges to pomelos and lemons. More than 90 varieties are grown on a large scale. Over the past two decades, Chinese researchers have developed more than 60 percent of the world’s new citrus varieties. By optimizing early-, mid-, and late-ripening types, they have extended what was once a seasonal fruit into a year-round supply.

That steady supply is fueling new consumption trends — especially among younger consumers. In summer, iced lemonade has become a staple drink across China, with much of the fruit sourced from Sichuan and Chongqing in the southwest.

At a smart factory in Chongqing operated by the beverage chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, freshly harvested lemons undergo a rigorous selection process. After multiple rounds of washing, the fruit moves along a high-speed sorting line equipped with infrared sensors and high-definition cameras, capturing dozens of images per second to detect even the smallest defects. Top-grade fruit is then stored under controlled conditions for at least 30 days to naturally enhance juice yield.

This level of industrial precision is reshaping life for growers. 

In Tongnan district of Chongqing, farmer Li Zhi manages a 1,500-mu (100 hectares) lemon orchard. In the past, growers often faced oversupply and falling prices, but now there’s guaranteed purchasing, and pricing is quality-based — the better the fruit, the higher the return, he said. 

Modern orchards are equipped with integrated irrigation and fertilization systems, while drones are used for pest control and monitoring. In winter, they can even help protect crops from frost.

Between 2017 and 2025, China established nine modern agricultural industrial parks with citrus as a leading sector. In Wuming district of Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, citrus variety Wogan has become a pillar of local economic growth. AI-powered sorting systems achieve nearly 98 percent accuracy in grading, while technologies such as the Internet of Things and digital twin systems improve efficiency and reduce losses. In 2024, the full citrus chain in Wuming generated close to 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) in output value, benefiting more than 240,000 people.

Advances in cold-chain logistics and cross-border trade are further pushing Chinese citrus onto global markets. 

In the past, post-harvest losses in China exceeded 30 percent. Today, through technological breakthroughs in green preservation and sterilization, some companies have reduced losses to below 5 percent, significantly extending shelf life. Fresh Chinese citrus is now exported to more than 40 countries and regions.

At the same time, fast-growing cold-chain systems are supporting new retail models. In Qingshen county, Sichuan, organically grown mandarins are harvested and quickly transported via cold-chain delivery networks. In some cases, fruits picked can reach urban consumers within 24 hours.

Thanks to rising quality and reliable cold-chain logistics, Chinese citrus is becoming a major export driver. 

Ganzhou navel oranges from east China’s Jiangxi province, with a brand value of nearly 70 billion yuan, have ranked as China’s top fruit brand for 11 consecutive years, reaching markets in 24 countries and regions. 

Wushan Liancheng oranges from Chongqing are now sold in supermarkets in Singapore via modern cold-chain delivery. Anyue county in Sichuan province exports as much as 100,000 tons of lemons each year, making them the province’s leading fruit export by volume. 

Supported by the overseas expansion of tea drink brands, high-quality Chinese lemons are also gaining global recognition.

Driven by technological innovation and new business models, China’s citrus industry continues to upgrade across the value chain, bringing more high-quality fruits from Chinese orchards to consumers around the world.