Nigeria Times

By Dou Hao, People’s Daily

Pingyang county in east China’s Zhejiang province, has reinvented itself as a pet-lover’s paradise. When 1990s-born local Zeng Yao invites fellow enthusiasts to his hometown, he offers a mix of business and leisure: “Spend a weekend dressing up your dog for our pet fashion show. Browse our pet supply superstore. Tour the pet food factory right next door.”

Nestled between verdant mountains and the Aojiang River, Pingyang is known for its picturesque landscapes. Today, however, its identity is equally shaped by an omnipresent pet culture – from countryside homestays offering cozy dog houses and eco-friendly cat litter to urban streets adorned with whimsical pet-themed murals.

This identity marks a deliberate transformation. Two decades ago, Pingyang thrived as a leather-processing hub, home to over 1,200 tanneries at its peak. While lucrative, the industry exacted an environmental toll, spurring a shift in the local economy.

“In the 1990s, traders arrived seeking discarded pig and cow hides. None of us imagined those scraps would become premium pet chews!” recalled Chen Zhenbiao, a resident of Shuitou township in Pingyang. Sensing a business opportunity, he founded Peidi Animal Nutrition Technology Co., Ltd., a producer of high-protein pet goods.

Today, Shuitou’s Chongle Road showcases the industry’s scale: two publicly listed pet supply companies stand opposite each other, distributing products worldwide. In 2024 alone, nearly 100 pet enterprises in Pingyang generated over 5 billion yuan (697.81 million) in output. The county now accounts for more than half of China’s pet chew exports and a third of the country’s pet leash production.

Inside Peidi’s production workshop, workers slice duck, chicken, and beef before freeze-drying – a process that produces gourmet pet snacks. “Consumers increasingly seek trusted brands and specialized products, creating a vast, segmented market,” said the company’s deputy general manager Tang Zhaobo. Beyond chews, Peidi now produces pet food, meat snacks, and even pet-friendly ice cream.

Zeng Yao, leveraging Shuitou’s leather-making legacy, developed transparent, portable pet crates after years of experience in the luggage industry. Nearby in Wanquan township, manufacturers have shifted from household furnishings to pet sofas and scratching boards. With government support, such adaptations have expanded Pingyang’s pet sector into dozens of categories spanning food, toys, apparel, and accessories.

Yet product diversification alone cannot guarantee success. The real challenge lies in breaking into the market. “Historically reliant on exports, we’ve shifted focus to China’s booming domestic market,” Zeng explained.

To capture this demand, Pingyang unveiled a flagship experiential hub: Pet Town. The sprawling complex showcases local and national brands, allowing visitors to explore curated selections of pet products.

Adjacent to it, a newly launched livestreaming center hums with activity. “This hybrid model blending livestream e-commerce, tourism, and retail drives brand visibility and cultivates influencers. Over 50 local pet brands now broadcast from the facility,” said Zeng, who also runs a digital development company and a storefront on Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com.

Zeng Xinyi runs a livestream channel where she often chats enthusiastically with viewers. A graduate of a pet care program at a vocational school in Pingyang, she chose to remain in her hometown after finishing her studies. The school offers several pet-related majors, and thanks to partnerships with local companies, many graduates find jobs quickly in the thriving local sector.

True to its name, Pet Town integrates animals into its core experience. Themed events – from brand exhibitions to pet contests and curated travel itineraries for pet owners – merge tourism with commerce along Pingyang’s scenic landscapes. Streets once silent now pulse with the energy of visitors and their companions.

“We’re developing comprehensive pet-inclusive tourism: accredited boarding, pet-friendly campgrounds, dedicated buses, hotels, and self-service grooming stations. Our goal is to become a premier destination for pet lovers,” said an official from the county’s culture, media, tourism and sports bureau.

“This is a big business,” said Zeng. He plans to replicate the Pet Town concept nationally, hoping more people will get to know Pingyang through its vibrant pet industry.

By Li Maoying, Qu Pei, People’s Daily

High on the Western Hills of Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan province, stands a nine-meter monument engraved with four solemn Chinese characters: “Chi Zi Gong Xun,” a tribute to the patriotic service of those who gave all.

This memorial honors an extraordinary chapter from Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression: more than 3,000 passionate overseas Chinese from Southeast Asia volunteered to return to their ancestral homeland, serving as drivers and mechanics. Their sacrifice became a powerful symbol of the overseas Chinese community’s patriotism and contributed decisively to both China’s wartime resistance and the global fight against fascism.

When Japan launched its full-scale invasion of China on July 7, 1937, China’s coastal ports fell under Japanese control. With critical supply lines severed – first the Northwest Highway, then the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, the Burma Road became an important transport route connecting China and the outside world.

Stretching 1,146 kilometers from Kunming to Myanmar, this strategic artery crossed the formidable Gaoligong and Yunling Mountain ranges. Carved out almost entirely by hand through rugged terrain by some 200,000 laborers in just nine months, it opened in August 1938 and quickly became known as “the lifeline of the Chinese people’s resistance against Japanese aggression.”

Yet even with the road in place, a critical shortage of trained drivers and mechanics threatened the flow of supplies. Between 1939 and 1942, over 3,200 Chinese from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand returned to serve as volunteer mechanics and drivers. Recruited in nine batches, these individuals – including at least five women – exchanged safety for the uncertainty of war. They transported military supplies and repaired trucks, forming an “unsinkable supply line” that helped sustain China’s resistance.

In July 1939, 21-year-old Luo Kaihu was one of more than 300 young men who joined the eighth batch of volunteers. “When I left Southeast Asia for Yunnan, I was fully prepared to die. I didn’t expect to come back alive,” Luo recalled in a 2018 interview with People’s Daily. Nearly a century old at the time of the interview, Luo remained in good health and still enjoyed his old habits – reading the newspaper and sipping coffee, just as he had in Southeast Asia decades earlier.

Every journey on the Burma Road was perilous. Trucks navigated along treacherous cliffside paths, where a single miscalculation could send them plummeting into ravines. Co-drivers often clung to the outside of vehicles, visually guiding the trucks. Swarms of mosquitoes and widespread malaria took a heavy toll, and many volunteers died en route. Air raids by Japanese aircraft were frequent, and when trucks were hit, the drivers had little chance of survival.

“Malaria, constant shelling – I lost so many of my comrades,” Luo said, his calm voice tinged with an enduring pain.

Though records remain incomplete, estimates suggest that more than a third of the 3,200 volunteers died along the route. On average, one volunteer per kilometer gave their life to keep the supply line open.

In 2018, the Archives of Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics were inscribed in the Asia Pacific regional register of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme. These records faithfully document the experiences of the overseas Chinese who voluntarily returned to China to aid the war effort. Their stories now preserve the collective memory of the overseas Chinese community’s fight against tyranny and commitment to peace. In 2019, the Malaysian World War II History Society awarded the volunteers the Asian peace prize, an honor recognizing wartime service.

During his state visit to Malaysia in April this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid tribute to this legacy in a signed article published in Malaysian media outlets. He said, “Some 80 years ago, when the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression reached a critical juncture, the Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics from Malaysia braved immense dangers to reach China’s Yunnan province, and helped keep the Burma Road operational, as it was a vital lifeline of China’s wartime supplies. Today, this remarkable story of courage still echoes in the hearts of both peoples.”

Reflecting on his decision to serve, Luo once said, “When the country is in peril, every Chinese has a duty to step forward, no matter the cost.”

“The Nanyang volunteers chose danger over comfort,” said historian Xia Yuqing. “Their decision was born of an unshakable bond with the Chinese nation. Their courage was a living bulwark in China’s fight for independence, and a lasting monument to the contributions of overseas Chinese to world peace.”

In a war fought not only for national independence but for the future of humanity, the Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics secured their place in history. Their sacrifices are recorded not only in China’s resistance annals but in humanity’s shared memory of opposing fascism. 

“Today, as the world faces fresh uncertainty, remembering the Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics is about more than honoring history. It’s about drawing strength from their legacy. Their unwavering conviction, across decades and continents, reminds us that peace must be defended and the future must be built together,” Xia added.

By Han Xin, People’s Daily

In a public square in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province, a robot performs a precisely choreographed routine – fluid hand waves, hip rolls, and sharp turns – its movements modeled on a cinematic classic. Further north in Dongguan, two robots carefully navigate an inclined ramp within a testing facility, autonomously trailing a human operator with precision.

Scenes like these are becoming increasingly common in Guangdong, which has quickly emerged as a national leader in robotics innovation. In 2024, the intelligent robotics industry cluster in Guangdong generated over 90 billion yuan ($12.55 billion) in revenue.

This innovation surge stems from Guangdong’s unique ecosystem.At the Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society (AIRS), laboratories hum with robots engineered  for a wide range of real-world tasks. The transition from groundbreaking research and development to tangible implementation underscores Guangdong’s dynamism in the robotics sector.

“Here, multidisciplinary teams composed of researchers and industry partners collaborate closely to unlock innovation potential,” said Ding Ning, executive deputy head of AIRS. 

According to Ding, the institute focuses on two priorities: advancing human health and enabling sustainable urban development. By partnering with industry leaders, AIRS seeks to drive breakthroughs that ripple across the industry.

At Shenzhen EngineAI Robotics Technology Co., Ltd., a humanoid robot that stands 1.38 meters tall and weighs about 40 kilograms executes sophisticated maneuvers, with 24 degrees of freedom and a 320-degree rotating motor. In March, the robot drew curious onlookers while sprinting through a park in Shenzhen at 12 kilometers per hour – an apt symbol for Shenzhen’s fast-moving robotics industry. 

As of the end of last year, Shenzhen reported over 200 billion yuan in robotics output, hosting more than 74,000 enterprises, roughly 16 percent of all smart robotics companies in China.

Beyond eye-catching demonstrations, these technologies are increasingly embedded in daily life and work.

“Our direct-drive motors now power robotic vacuum cleaners and food-delivery units,” said Liu Xitong, head of external relations at Direct Drive Tech Technology Limited, a Dongguan-based manufacturer specialist in robotic power modules and joints. Founded just five years ago, the company anticipates shipping more than 10 million units this year.

That rapid growth owes much to support from the Xbot Park, a robotics-focused incubator located in Songshan Lake, Dongguan. “The park provides early-stage funding and instant access to local supply chains. Our inaugural client was another park resident,” Liu explained. Today, Direct Drive Tech operates more than 10 automated production lines to meet surging market demands.

Launched in 2014 by three professors from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Xbot Park has since become a leading launchpad for robotics and hardware startups. It connects startups with global universities, research institutions, and supply chains to provide comprehensive resources and financial backing.

From nurturing and incubation to full-fledged development, seeds of innovation planted over a decade ago have now grown into a thriving high-tech ecosystem. According to a park executive, more than 80 robotics and smart hardware startups have been incubated there, with a survival rate of 80 percent. “We help companies accelerate product development, validate markets, and build robust teams.”

What accounts for Guangdong’s strong appeal to robotics startups and entrepreneurs?

A key factor is the province’s robust industrial ecosystem. EngineAI, for instance, operates in Shenzhen’s “Robot Valley,” home to nearly a dozen universities and more than 100 robotics-related companies, forming a tightly knit value chain. 

“We can send a new product design to a supplier in the morning and receive a prototype that by evening,” said Yao Aiwen, co-founder of EngineAI.

This tightly integrated value chain is now a defining feature of the region. Shenzhen has developed an end-to-end robotics industrial layout spanning core components to fully assembled robots, with over 60 percent of its supply and production chains localized.

Beyond Shenzhen, cities like Dongguan are reinforcing the province’s technological edge through  highly supportive development environment. The city has leveraged the Songshan Lake Science City to establish two major innovation platforms: the Guangdong Intelligent Robotics Institute and the Xbot Park robotics base. Together, they provide comprehensive support from incubation and pilot testing to full-scale commercialization.

Powered by its advanced manufacturing capabilities and surging market demand, Guangdong is rapidly forging a new industrial pillar marked by high technology, strong momentum, and large scale. With deliberate investments and deep-rooted infrastructure, the province is taking confident strides toward becoming a hub for artificial intelligence and robotics innovation.

By Gu Yekai, Qiu Chaoyi, People’s Daily

Developed in accordance with international airworthiness standards and backed by fully independent intellectual property rights, China’s homegrown regional jetliner ARJ21 made its maiden flight on June 28, 2016. In November 2024, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) officially introduced the aircraft’s new commercial name: C909.

Over nine years of operation, the C909 has achieved significant market penetration: 166 aircraft delivered, serving over 700 routes and transporting over 24 million passengers. As the first jetliner independently developed and commercially operated in China, the C909 marks a significant step in the country’s civil aviation advancement.

According to chief designer Chen Yong, the aircraft carries a critical mission: to expand China’s technological and industrial capabilities for commercial aircraft. 

Chen noted that the aircraft has helped China develop a complete commercial aviation ecosystem from foundational technologies to industrial infrastructure,” Chen stated. “We’re now working to enhance product competitiveness and achieve a new level of capability.”

In northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, 22 C909 aircraft are in service, flying over 120 routes and safely transporting more than 1.3 million passengers. In Heilongjiang province in northeast China, the aircraft connects 32 airports in and beyond the region, with Harbin as a key hub. Meanwhile, Chengdu Airlines has expanded its C909 fleet from a single aircraft to 30, now operating more than 360 routes nationwide.

“The C909’s most significant contribution to China’s civil aviation lies in building a complete jetliner development system aligned with international airworthiness standards,” said Chen. “Moreover, it has demonstrated the feasibility of a full lifecycle approach to aircraft operation and fleet development, paving the way for future large aircraft programs.”

In July 2024, the C909 demonstrated its versatility by successfully flying a high-altitude route from Kashgar Laining International Airport to Khunjerab Airport in Taxkorgan Tajik autonomous county, Xinjiang – regions where thin air and sharp temperature fluctuations pose severe operational challenges. Thanks to performance upgrades, the aircraft proved capable of reliable engine starts and stable handling under such extreme conditions.

On April 18, 2023, the C909 completed its maiden flight in Indonesia, launching regional inter-island routes and expanding into cross-border trunk routes. Notably, the Manado-Guangzhou route, covering over 2,700 km, is currently the longest commercial route operated by C909. “Going global has unlocked new operational scenarios for the C909 and contributed to the international civil aviation market,” said Chen.

The C909 has also been at the forefront of exploring new commercial models for Chinese aircraft. On April 12, 2025, a C909 aircraft dry-leased (aircraft only, excluding crew and maintenance) by COMAC to Lao Airlines completed its first commercial flight. Since then, the aircraft has served the Vientiane-Pakse route, a key economic hub in southern Laos, flying up to eight segments a day.

A week later, on April 19, 2025, two C909 aircraft, wet-leased by Chengdu Airlines to Vietnam’s VietJet Air, began service on the Hanoi-Con Dao-Ho Chi Minh City route. The aircraft also successfully handled operations at Con Dao Airport – known for its short, sea-flanked and narrow runway of just over 1,800 meters, proving its suitability for short-field takeoffs and landings in Southeast Asia’s humid climate.

To date, three Southeast Asian airlines – TransNusa of Indonesia, Lao Airlines, and VietJet Air – operate a total of seven C909 aircraft. They have launched 15 routes connecting 18 cities and have transported over 370,000 passengers.

Fleet diversity has become a defining feature of the commercial aircraft industry. The C909 boasts four distinct variants: the freighter, emergency rescue command aircraft, medical aircraft, and business jet. This series-based development strategy enables the C909 to address a wide range of market requirements.

“In developing the C909, we’ve also established more than 10,000 design and testing specifications for civil jetliners,” Chen noted.

Reliable aircraft are not just built – they are refined through service. Over the years, the C909 has undergone over 1,000 design optimizations based on operational flight data, enhancing engine performance, cockpit experience and cabin comfort. “The C909 has found its place in the market,” Chen said. “Now we look forward to seeing it fly higher and further.”

By Liu Xinyan, Zheng Yangyang, People’s Daily

From the platform at the Tashan power plant in Datong, north China’s Shanxi province, a  1,500-meter-long enclosed coal conveyor, elevated above ground directly connects the facility to Tashan Coal Mine.

“This system enables on-site, low-emission coal transfer and enhances operational efficiency,” explained Wu Sitong, deputy head of the plant’s fuel department. “By integrating coal mining and power generation, we’re lowering costs, reducing pollution, and enhancing coal-power coordination.”

As one of China’s major coal-producing provinces, Shanxi has actively pursued energy transition in recent years. It has charted a path toward a diversified, low-carbon energy system – balancing the need for energy security with the imperative to cut emissions. It has become one of China’s top electricity exporters, and for two years running, it has led the country in transmitting green energy to other regions.

Renewables now account for over half of Shanxi’s installed power generation capacity. To address the intermittency of wind and solar generation, coa-fired power still play a vital supporting role during renewable output fluctuations. Meetingt this dual challenge, Shanxi is implementing flexibility retrofits at coal plants – reducing output during low demand and up during peak periods.

At a thermal plant operated by China Huadian Corporation Ltd. in Shuozhou, Shanxi, an advanced 20-megawatt-hour packed-bed thermal energy storage system captures heat during off-peak hours and releases it during periods of high demand.

“It has significantly improved our plant’s responsiveness to grid dispatch orders,” said Sun Jiaquan, executive director of the plant.

As of the end of May, Shanxi had completed flexibility retrofits for 35.61 million kilowatts of thermal power capacity while adding 6.11 million kilowatts of peak-shaving capability. These improvements have enabled the provincial grid to absorb an additional 9 billion kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity annually.

To address the intermittency of renewables, Shanxi is pioneering integrated energy systems combining traditional and green power sources. At a wind farm on Hutou Mountain in Shouzhou’s Pinglu district, rows of wind turbines spin steadily in the breeze. Their output combined with thermal power and undergoes storage at a facility within a 500 kV substation, before transmission via an ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHV DC) lines to the manufacturing hub of the Yangtze River Delta.

At the ±800 kV converter station in the Yanmen Pass, Shanxi, 24 massive converter transformers run around the clock to ensure stable transmission. This high-capacity transmission corridor, stretching 1,119 kilometers, has a maximum capacity of 8 million kilowatts and channels clean energy from Shanxi directly to Jiangsu province in eastern China.

Shanxi’s power transmission network includes one UHV DC line, three ultra-high-voltage AC lines, and 14 outbound 500 kV corridors. Once the 1,000 kV Datong-Huailai-Tianjin South ultra-high-voltage project is completed, alongside a new energy base in the province’s subsidence areas, Shanxi is expected to deliver 27 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity each year to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Its total outbound transmission capacity will exceed 36 million kilowatts.

Alongside infrastructure upgrades, Shanxi is also leveraging market mechanisms to improve coordination between traditional and renewable energy sources. At the State Grid Shanxi Electric Power Company’s dispatch center, a real-time price board updates electricity spot market rates every 15 minutes.

When solar and wind output is high during the day and market prices drop, thermal power stations reduce output to accommodate renewable sources. As evening demand spikes, they ramp up again to stabilize supply.

Today, more than 21,000 market participants operate in Shanxi’s electricity spot market. “The spot market’s real-time pricing has become the most dynamic mechanism for balancing supply and demand,” said Zhang Chao, head of the spot market division at State Grid Shanxi Electric Power Company.

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping has recently replied to teachers and students of the U.S. youth pickleball cultural exchange delegation from Montgomery county, Maryland, who visited China under the initiative of inviting 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs in a five-year span.

Xi congratulated the delegation on its successful visit to China, expressing the hope that the delegation members will become a new generation of ambassadors for friendship between the two countries and make greater contributions to enhancing the friendship between the two peoples.

Xi’s heartfelt message resonated deeply with the delegation, injecting fresh momentum into growing people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States.

For any great cause to succeed, it must take root in the people, gain strength from the people, and be accomplished by the people. Growing China-U.S. friendship is such a great cause.

At a welcome dinner by friendly organizations in the U.S. in San Francisco in November 2023, Xi announced that to increase exchanges between the two peoples, especially between the youth, China is ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years.

In 2024, more than 16,000 American youth people visited China through this program, representing all 50 states and Washington, D.C. As one group after another travels across the Pacific, forging friends, learning Chinese, experiencing Chinese culture, and exploring modern China, they are building a more resilient foundation for bilateral relations.

The future of the China-U.S. relationship depends on the youth. Youth exchanges remain a vital source of strength for the development of bilateral relations. 

Pickleball, a dynamic and inclusive sport, has become a new bond for youth exchanges between China and the United States. From teamwork on the court to cultural exchanges off the court, students are writing a new chapter of friendship with their passion and sincerity. 

Such exchanges help dismantle cultural barriers and enhance mutual understanding, reflecting their shared aspiration for peace, cooperation, and mutual benefit. The friendships they forged are not only cherished memories but also a beacon of hope for the future of China-U.S. relations. 

As more and more young people from both countries come to understand and appreciate each other, and become new-generation envoys of friendship, they will continue to inject vitality into the development of bilateral relations.

The achievements of China-U.S. relations have always been driven by the efforts of ordinary people. Likewise, the path forward depends on their continued engagement and goodwill.

No matter how the global landscape evolves, the historical trend of peaceful coexistence between China and the U.S. will not change. The ultimate wish of the two peoples for exchanges and cooperation will not change. The expectations of the whole world for a steadily growing China-U.S. relationship will not change.

From the icebreaking “Ping-Pong Diplomacy” in the 1970s to today’s pickleball exchanges, sincere people-to-people interactions between the two countries have consistently supported the bilateral relationship.

At this critical juncture in China-U.S. relations, strengthening people-to-people ties is more important than ever. Both sides should facilitate cross-cultural exchanges and people-to-people interactions and work to remove unnecessary barriers that hinder engagement. 

China remains open and welcoming to the American people and stands ready to enhance mutual understanding through exchanges and cooperation. By encouraging greater interactions and closer bonds between the peoples, both countries can continue deepening the legacy of friendship and contribute to the long-term development of bilateral relations.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Eighty years ago, China and the U.S. fought side by side for peace and justice, and the friendship forged during wartime between the two peoples has withstood the test of history and contributed to the ultimate triumph of the global anti-fascist cause.

Moving forward, China stands ready to work with the U.S. to draw strength from the history of friendship between their peoples, and to promote the steady, sound, and sustained development of bilateral relations, delivering more benefits to both peoples.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Following the China-U.S. economic and trade talks in London, both sides have intensified efforts to implement the outcomes of the “London Framework,” making positive progress on multiple fronts and sending encouraging signals to the international community. 

These developments demonstrate that as long as China and the U.S. remain committed to resolving differences through equal dialogue and consultation, enhancing mutual understanding, reducing misperceptions, and strengthening cooperation, they can find effective solutions to their disputes and create a more stable and open environment for both countries and global economic growth.

During the London talks, the two sides have agreed in principle on the framework for implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their phone talks on June 5, and consolidating the outcomes of the economic and trade talks in Geneva. Since then, the working teams have maintained close communication. Upon approval, further details were clarified and confirmed. 

To implement the outcomes of the London Framework, China has been reviewing and approving compliant expJointly ort license applications for controlled items, while the U.S. has taken corresponding steps to ease certain restrictive measures against China. 

These moves have been welcomed by stakeholders in both countries and the international community, reinforcing confidence in the ability of China and the U.S. to resolve their economic and trade disputes through equal dialogue and consultation.

From the interactions between China and the U.S. since the start of this round of economic and trade frictions, one conclusion can be drawn: Dialogue and cooperation remain the only viable path forward; coercion and intimidation have proven ineffective. The London Framework is the result of hard-earned diplomatic engagement, and both sides must work in good faith to honor their commitments and lay the groundwork for the long-term resolution of their disputes. 

China remains firmly committed to defending its rights and interests while implementing the consensus reached with sincerity. The U.S., for its part, should recognize the mutually beneficial nature of China-U.S. economic and trade relations, correct its misguided actions, and continue working with China through the established bilateral consultation mechanism. 

Concrete steps are needed to uphold and put into practice the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and to jointly advance the stable and sound development of bilateral economic and trade relations.

Recently, with the deadline for imposing so-called “reciprocal tariffs” approaching, concerns over new trade frictions have been rising. It must be pointed out that the arbitrary imposition of tariffs by the U.S. constitutes an act of economic coercion that undermines the rules-based international trade system and must be firmly opposed. 

The negative consequences of these tariff measures are becoming increasingly evident. Both the World Bank and the OECD have recently downgraded growth forecasts for the U.S. and the global economy, citing trade policy uncertainty as a key factor. Economists in the U.S. warn of growing stagflation pressures and long-term repercussions for global trade liberalization. Rising market uncertainty means that the ultimate burden will fall on consumers.

Facts have proven time and again that upholding principles and positions is essential to safeguarding legitimate rights and interests. A sound and stable international trade order is fundamental to the development of all nations. 

China welcomes efforts by other countries to resolve trade differences with the U.S. through equal consultations, and calls on all parties to uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core.

At the same time, China has consistently emphasized that while bilateral negotiations are important for easing and resolving trade frictions, they must not come at the expense of third-party interests. This is a principle that China has always upheld in its trade talks with the United States. China firmly opposes any arrangement between the U.S. and its trading partners that trades off China’s interests in return for tariff exemptions. Should such arrangements occur, China will take resolute countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.

The multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core remains the cornerstone of healthy and orderly global trade. Any short-sighted moves to erode this system will inevitably harm the long-term interests of all countries. 

In the face of mounting unilateralism and protectionism, no country can remain unscathed. Once foundational principles are compromised, coercive actions will only escalate, threatening the institutional underpinnings of global development. 

At a time of heightened uncertainty, strategic clarity and international coordination are more important than ever. All countries must stand firmly on the side of fairness and justice and on the right side of history, resolutely uphold international trade rules and the multilateral trading system, and safeguard international fairness and justice, so as to jointly foster an open and inclusive global trade environment.

Openness and cooperation remain the only viable path toward a shared future. As a responsible major country, China stands ready to work with all countries to uphold true multilateralism, safeguard the multilateral trading system, and contribute to the development of an open and inclusive world economy, thereby providing greater certainty and stability to the global economy.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)