Hybrid rice: China-Africa agricultural cooperation sows prosperity on African soil

By Michael Oduro

Recently, a bag of hybrid rice grown in the West African country Guinea was presented to Deng Ze, wife of Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice.” 

Printed on the front of the rice sack were national flags of China and Guinea, while its reverse side bears a handwritten message from the Guinean Prime Minister, who described the rice as “a symbol of cooperation between Guinea and China.”

Light as the sack may be, it carries an immense weight of friendship. It embodies the simplest respect the African people hold for a Chinese scientist. It also stands as a vivid testament to how China-Africa agricultural cooperation benefits ordinary people.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, over one in five people in Africa still suffer from malnutrition. Africa is not short of arable land or hardworking farmers. Instead, the bottlenecks holding back higher grain yields are agricultural technology and industrial chains. 

To this day, many farmers still rely on the weather when it comes to harvests; inadequate storage facilities leave crops prone to spoilage. Compounded by rising global fertilizer prices, extreme weather from climate change, and regional instability, Africa’s grain production struggles to develop steadily.

Against this challenging backdrop, China-Africa agricultural cooperation has always played a vital role in addressing pressing needs such as agricultural training, seed improvement, and the promotion of modern farming equipment. 

Chinese hybrid rice has now taken root in more than 20 African countries, including Madagascar, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, and Zambia. Many farmers, after planting hybrid rice for the first time, marvel at how the same plot of land can support multiple harvests a year and yield such abundant grain.

As rice shifts from an occasional “luxury” to a stable staple on African dinner tables, Yuan’s name has become known to more and more African farmers. 

As an African journalist working in China, I am often asked by Chinese friends: Is Yuan really that famous in Africa? My answer is always yes. In fact, in some rural African areas, Yuan is better known than many national leaders. Some call him the “father of hybrid rice”; others keep his photo at home. They may not understand complex international cooperation projects, but they remember the higher yields from hybrid rice, the extra grain in their granaries, and the peace of mind of knowing their children will not go hungry. 

In 2025, Gambian farmer Musa Darboe traveled thousands of miles to place a bag of freshly harvested hybrid rice and a painting of the harvest scene at Yuan’s tomb. He speaks barely any Chinese, yet every time he visits China, he makes a point to pay his respect to the revered scientist. To many Africans, Yuan is far more than a Chinese scientist — he is a symbol of hope and harvest for farmers all across Africa.

As a Chinese saying goes, “give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Chinese agricultural experts live and work alongside African villagers, establishing demonstration farms and agricultural training centers. They promote mechanized farming, irrigation systems, improved seeds, and crop management techniques, while training local agricultural promotion workers. Through this “on-the-ground” technology transfer, local farmers gain a complete set of agricultural production expertise.

In my view, what China brings is not just equipment and technology, but a viable path to boost food self-sufficiency and security. Technological cooperation empowers African farmers with the know-how to increase yields, mitigate risks, and expand production, strengthening the resilience of their food sovereignty and security. 

China-Africa agricultural cooperation has delivered hope to farmlands and farming communities throughout Africa, turning the philosophy of “teaching people how to fish” into tangible progress on the continent. For Africans who have long suffered the pain of hunger, the most valuable gift is not short-term food aid — it is the ability to reap bumper harvests with their own hands.

‘Regional threats’ pretext of Japan for military expansion

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Japanese media recently disclosed a draft of the Sanae Takaichi administration’s first Defense White Paper. The document exaggerates so-called security challenges arising from China’s national development and deliberately portrays China’s normal activities in the Pacific as “security threats.” 

Playing up so-called regional threats has long been a familiar tactic of Japanese militarism. The revival of this outdated narrative once again exposes the true intention of Japan’s right-wing forces: accelerating military expansion and pushing for a comprehensive shift in security policy.

Using phrases such as “security threats,” “vigilance,” and “grave concern,” the draft continues promoting the false narrative of “China threat.”

China, however, has long valued peace. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the country has been committed to the path of peaceful development, and followed a defensive national defense policy. It resolutely opposes all forms of hegemony, aggression, expansion, and arms race. 

China maintains adequate defense expenditures solely to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as to preserve global peace. Japan’s deliberate attempts to characterize this peaceful development-oriented nation as a rising “security threat” contradict objective reality and diverge from the collective shared aspirations of Asia-Pacific countries for peace, cooperation, and development.

A look at Japan’s modern history lays bare a consistent pattern: every increase in Japan’s defense budget since the 1960s, every attempt to break through the principle of exclusively defense-oriented policy, and every reinterpretation of the meaning of the so-called pacifist constitution has been preceded by the promotion of narratives about “regional threats.” 

A repeat of such tactics today is meant to drum up pretexts for constitutional amendments, military buildup ultimately clearing the way for Japan to cast off the institutional restraints imposed after World War II. Its push for full military normalization is growing ever more conspicuous.

In recent years, under the pretext of building so-called “counterstrike capabilities,” Japan has introduced large quantities of offensive equipment exceeding legitimate self-defense needs. It has long maintained substantial stockpiles of sensitive nuclear materials, attempting to challenge the boundaries of its Three Non-Nuclear Principles and undermining the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. 

Japan has continued expanding military spending, loosened restrictions on exports of lethal weapons, frequently participated in overseas joint military exercises, and accelerated the development of cyber and intelligence warfare capabilities. 

Taken together, these steps are steering Japan steadily down the wrong path toward “neo- militarism.”

Japan’s continuing military expansion is already creating multiple impacts on the security landscape of Northeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

At a plenary session of the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026, Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi promoted a so-called updated vision for a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” declaring that Japan would further strengthen defense capabilities, deepen security cooperation mechanisms with regional countries, and assume a “new role” in regional defense equipment and technological cooperation.

Analysts warn that such moves risk intensifying historical tensions and fueling regional arms race.

Eng Kok Thay, a secretary of state of Cambodia’s Council of Ministers, argued that countries have reasons to question whether Japan’s current security posture is genuinely driven by defensive needs or whether it reflects renewed ambitions for power projection.

Having never fully come to terms with its brutal militaristic past marked by wartime aggression, Japan’s ongoing pursuit of enhanced offensive military capabilities naturally tokes unease among its neighboring states and fuels broader regional security concerns.

More concerning still is Japan’s increasingly proactive integration into cross-regional military alliances. The country is artificially creating bloc confrontation, fragmenting regional cooperation frameworks, and posing serious threats to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.

For decades, the Asia-Pacific region has remained one of the world’s most vibrant economic hubs largely because regional countries have generally adhered to the principle of promoting development through cooperation and strengthening security through cooperation.

Today, amid growing international uncertainties and complexities, regional countries need more than ever to uphold vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, strengthen mutual trust through dialogue and consultation, and preserve stability through mutually beneficial cooperation, rather than artificially creating tensions and confrontation.

To secure its own long-term prosperity alongside regional peace, Japan’s wisest course of action is to draw lasting lessons from its painful history of militaristic aggression. It must properly handle historical issues, and earn the trust of neighboring Asian countries and the international community through concrete, credible actions.

Only by doing so can Japan truly embark upon a development path aligned with both its own long-term interests and those of the region.

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

“Cold Energy” fuels innovation in Eastern China’s aquaculture and industry

By Yao Xueqing, People’s Daily

At Taowan Marine Ranch in Binhai county, Jiangsu province, Atlantic salmon glide through large ponds at a land-based aquaculture facility. Wang Chenhao, a freshwater fish technician with over ten years’ experience, is now pioneering marine species cultivation in this unlikely setting.

“We expect market-ready salmon by late this year, priced over 100 yuan ($14.78) per 500 grams!” he said.

How are these cold-water species thriving where average sea temperatures exceed 20 degrees Celsius? The answer lies 10 kilometers away at Binhai Port, where China National Offshore Oil Corporation operates massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks.

As China’s largest LNG reserve base, Binhai receives approximately three million tons of LNG annually. LNG, stored at minus 162 degrees Celsius, must exchange heat with seawater to return to a gaseous state for use.

“The heat from seawater warms the gas, while the LNG transfers its cold energy to the seawater,” explained Liu Decan, director of Binhai county’s development and reform commission.

Each ton of LNG releases 50 kilowatt-hours of cold energy during regasification. Considering the port’s annual throughput, roughly 150 million kilowatt-hours of cold energy are generated every year.

Directly discharging such immense cold energy into the sea would waste resources and harm marine ecology. To cope with this issue, in June 2024, Binhai county partnered with the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences to establish a facility using cold energy to cultivate seawater fish.

Real-time temperature sensors are installed across the seawater delivery pipelines. Constant flows of chilled seawater maintain the water temperature of all breeding ponds at roughly 16 degrees Celsius.

“The first phase is already operational, and the second phase will begin this year. Once fully operational, the facility will supply 3,000 tons of cold-water fish annually, generating around 200 million yuan ($295,612) in output,” said Lyu Haijun, chairman of Binhai County Agriculture and Tourism Group.

The “cold energy + aquaculture” model represents just the tip of the iceberg of the “cold industry.”

In the Binhai Port Economic Zone, a silver-gray “cold energy hub” stands prominently. Its one end is connected to LNG storage tanks, the other to a comprehensive cold energy utilization demonstration area. 

With an ability to process 2 million tons of LNG cold energy annually, the hub recovers cold energy into liquid carbon dioxide, which is then distributed to various applications in the demonstration zone via temperature-specific exchange systems.

Inside the production workshop of Jiangsu Qinghe Freeze-Drying Technology Co., Ltd. within the demonstration zone, liquid carbon dioxide at minus 46 degrees Celsius supplied by the hub enables strawberries to undergo low-temperature dehydration. This freeze-drying technique preserves the strawberries’ original shape, safeguards their nutritional components intact, and greatly boosts their market value. Such freeze-dried strawberries are priced at 180,000 yuan($26,605) per ton and exported to European and American markets.

“Freeze-drying enterprises are major energy users; electricity accounts for half the production cost,” said Xu Da, assistant general manager of Jiangsu Qinghe “Using cold energy reduces drying time from 22 to 18 hours, cutting costs by 1/3. After being officially put into operation this fall, we expect 7,200 tons of freeze-dried products annually, with sales reaching 1 billion yuan($148 million).”

Facilities catering to a full spectrum of temperature requirements spread across the “cold energy hub”: from quick-freeze cold storage maintained at 40 degrees Celsius below zero, and cold chain logistics facilities kept at 30 degrees Celsius below zero, to ice-themed recreation areas held at 18 degrees Celsius below zero, and constant-temperature manufacturing workshops regulated at 10 degrees Celsius. 

Some of these facilities remain under construction, while others are already in full operation. Through the comprehensive development and utilization of cold energy, these vastly different industrial sectors have gathered to build an entirely new industrial cluster.

Among the newly launched projects, a marine intelligent computing center topped out last year and is now advancing construction of its supporting auxiliary facilities. 

“The cold energy pipeline network has been linked up to the site. It will deliver reliable cooling for 3,000 server racks with an information technology computing load of 30 megawatts,” explained Wang Huan, deputy director of the administrative committee of Binhai Port Economic Zone. 

Beyond supplying general computing services, this intelligent computing center will also serve as a vital technical platform for offshore wind farm operation and maintenance, as well as marine science research simulations.

According to Kong Hui, deputy mayor of Binhai county, under the county’s comprehensive utilization plan for LNG cold energy, the cold energy industry is expected to deliver 10 billion yuan($1.48 billion) in output during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Baoxing: Where giant panda conservation fuels sustainable growth

By Wu Shaomin, Dong Siyu, People’s Daily

In Baoxing county in Ya’an, southwest China’s Sichuan province, the place where the giant panda was first discovered, panda-themed elements can be seen throughout the county, reflecting its deep connection with the iconic species.

Along winding mountain roads leading into the Dengchigou scenic area, the giant panda origin camp comes into view amid lush greenery.

“This is where the giant panda was discovered for the first time. The discoverer was the French naturalist Armand David, and this café is named after him,” said barista Chen Yi while recounting the story of the first discovery of panda inside a cafe at the camp.

Located in the transitional zone between the Sichuan Basin and the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, Baoxing possesses exceptionally rich biodiversity and abundant rare wildlife resources.

In 1869, while in Dengchigou, David encountered a distinctive black-and-white animal hide in the home of a local family, sparking further investigation. Through extensive research, the novel species was identified and named the giant panda, heralding formal scientific recognition and conservation efforts.

As China accelerates its national park-based protected area system, critical ecosystems, iconic landscapes, invaluable heritage sites, and rich biodiversity zones are being integrated into this framework. Decades of efforts to protect pandas have resulted in multiple nature reserves. In 2021, China officially launched its inaugural batch of five national parks, including the Giant Panda National Park.

In Baoxing County alone, 2,545.53 square kilometers, or 81.7 percent of the county’s total land area, have been incorporated into the Giant Panda National Park. Protecting the authenticity and integrity of natural ecosystems remains the top priority in national park management.

According to Wang Shuangquan, director of Baoxing county’s forestry bureau, patrols and monitoring are carried out across 48 fixed survey routes inside the park, and bamboos have been planted on 133.3 hectares of land as a food source for giant pandas. 

Besides, relevant authorities have shut down 16 mines and phased out 27 small hydropower facilities within the park, rehabilitating a total of 10,600 hectares of giant panda habitat and building 42 kilometers of ecological corridors.

But conservation extends beyond pandas. “The giant panda is a flagship species for global biodiversity conservation and has what we call an umbrella effect,” explained Zhang Jindong, deputy dean of the College of Environmental Science and Engineering at China West Normal University.

“Protecting panda habitats also shelters other rare species that share the same ecosystem, including red pandas, Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys, dove trees, and katsura trees.

Among these is the Chinese monal, a national first-class protected bird and wild neighbor of the giant panda. After over 30 years of conservation and research, Baoxing now sustains a scientifically managed, self-regenerating population of these birds, enabling purposeful reintroduction into the wild.

Today, under the giant panda’s umbrella effect, 1,837 species of higher plants and 1,083 animal species thrive in Baoxing county. 

Under China’s national park law, national parks are zoned into core protected areas and general regulated areas. Core protected areas are placed under stringent protection rules, whereas appropriately designated parts of the general regulated zones allow well-planned public outreach, recreational visits and eco-experience programs.

The Giant Panda National Park has effectively become a “classroom in nature.” Inside the giant panda origin camp, circular wooden cabins scattered across the landscape serve as educational workshops.

“Visitors can make steamed buns for pandas themselves at a dietary workshop and gain a deeper understanding of panda’s eating habits,” said Chen Yang, a natural education instructor at the camp.

According to Chen Yang, delivering nature education programs inside the Giant Panda National Park helps advance public awareness of biodiversity conservation while enabling mutually reinforcing progress for ecological preservation and cultural tourism growth.

“In the past, young people here either left for jobs elsewhere or stayed home farming,” Chen Yang said. “Now, the giant panda origin camp and Dengchigou scenic area have created a number of jobs, including science interpreters, educational instructors, and homestay managers, which have attracted many young people back.”

Born and raised in Baoxing, barista Chen Yi previously worked in the beverage industry in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.

“After the Giant Panda National Park was established, I quit my job in the city and joined the cafe, securing a stable job close to my home,” the barista said.

Outside working hours, Chen Yi also studies basic environmental education courses alongside instructors and occasionally helps lead small experiential programs, becoming part of this “classroom in nature.” 

“We are promoting coordinated development between ecological conservation and improvements in people’s livelihoods through measures such as creating ecological management jobs and developing ecotourism and environmental education,” Wang said.

“These efforts continue strengthening local residents’ sense of gain and happiness around the national park,” he added.

In 2025, Baoxing received 4.63 million tourist visits and generated over 4.08 billion yuan ($602.32 million) in tourism revenue, with ecological and cultural tourism becoming an important engine of local economic growth.

Shantou taps new growth momentum via AI token exports

By Li Gang, People’s Daily

As artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates the transformation of global industries, a new form of digital trade is emerging in the southern Chinese city of Shantou: exporting computing services measured not in physical goods, but in AI tokens.

In late April, Shantou, Guangdong province completed full-chain verification for what has become known as “token exports” — a model in which computing power remains within China while high-value AI services are delivered to overseas users. Within just one month, average daily token usage surged from 100 million to the tens-of-billions level.

The practical application of this model is already well underway. 

Recently, when a user in Singapore activated an AI-powered toy and gave a simple command — “Tell me a fairy tale” — the spoken command traveled through the network directly to a dedicated overseas computing zone inside a computing center in Shantou. 

Local deployed AI agents wrap up speech recognition in under one second and craft custom story content, firing the finished audio back to the Singapore-based toy device in as little as 0.1 seconds.

The user repeated the process multiple times, eventually listening to five stories in total. Approximately 100,000 tokens were consumed during the interaction and billed in real time at a rate of 2 yuan ($0.3) per one million tokens.

When payment arrived, a complete commercial cycle was achieved, marking the successful realization of Shantou’s “token export” model.

Tokens represent the smallest discrete calculation unit for large AI models to process information. They have become a key indicator of intelligent computing capacity and, increasingly, a new carrier of value in the digital economy.

Inside the China (Shantou) Pilot Zone for Economic and Cultural Cooperation with Overseas Chinese, token exports are already transforming the economics of electricity.

Today, overseas users across multiple countries and regions in Southeast Asia are accessing token services generated in Shantou.

“Data flows in from abroad and all processed outputs head back overseas, with zero compromise to end-user experience,” explained Cai Qichen, an engineer at the Shantou Branch of wireless carrier China Mobile. “Token costs have already been integrated into product service packages, making future usage more convenient.”

According to estimates from toy manufacturer SHOWMAC based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, using Shantou’s computing services reduces costs by more than 30 percent compared with directly purchasing overseas computing resources.

Meanwhile, inside computing centers, turning electricity into AI tokens delivers dramatic value appreciation. A kilowatt-hour of electricity, which comes at a cost of roughly 0.5 yuan($0.07) , can be transformed through AI computing into tokens and then exported at a price of 11 yuan($1.6), representing a twenty-two-fold increase.

As one of eastern Guangdong’s major offshore wind power bases, Shantou has already connected 1.2 million kilowatts of installed capacity to China’s power grid.

The electricity itself does not need to cross borders. Computing power remains within China. What gets exported instead are high-value digital services, turning electricity into a form of hard currency for cross-border digital trade.

Ultra-low network latency forms the technical backbone making token exports feasible.

“More than half of China’s outbound bandwidth carried by international submarine cables lands in Shantou, and the city is also home to five undersea trunk cables linking destinations worldwide,” said Hong Zhebin, chief technology officer of the international submarine cable landing station operated by the Shantou branch of wireless carrier China Telecom.

“The latency between Shantou and Singapore is only 32.7 milliseconds, quicker than the blink of an eye,” Hong added.

Hong Yu with the Shantou Branch of China Mobile, added that Shantou’s overseas computing services offer stable response speeds, regulatory compliance, and substantial cost advantages.

“Our pricing is only 1/3 to 1/2 that of mainstream international platforms, while customer retention exceeds 70 percent,” Hong told People’s Daily.

Yet building a complete end-to-end system is only the starting point. Shantou is now attempting to transform itself from a transit city for digital infrastructure into an ecosystem hub.

Leading computing companies and developers are gathering rapidly. Pilot platforms have passed acceptance reviews. Commercial closed loops have already emerged in applications ranging from AI toys to intelligent manufacturing, with large-scale operations expected soon.

Shantou’s Chenghai district has long been known as the “toy capital of China.” As AI becomes increasingly integrated with the toy industry, the city has launched an AI toy innovation center and the Shantou AI Laboratory, striving to become the “AI toy capital of China.”

At the exhibition space of one local tech firm sits Amy, an AI desktop robot capable of fluid multilingual conversation.

“It is equipped with a multilingual intelligent voice interaction system capable of real-time recognition and conversation in dozens of languages,” said the company’s general manager Chen Ruifeng.

The technology has already been integrated into multiple AI toy products exported to countries including the United Kingdom, Russia, and Japan.

Shantou’s token export model allows AI toy manufacturers to access domestic large language models at costs far below those of overseas alternatives.

“The cost of using overseas AI models can be dozens of times higher than domestic models,” Chen said. The company’s AI toys currently run on Chinese large models including DeepSeek and Doubao.

“Token exports have significantly increased both product value-added and international competitiveness,” he said.

The Shantou branch of wireless carrier China Unicom, together with a Guangdong-based tech firm, has established dedicated lines connecting Shantou and Vietnam, delivering cross-border computing services to Aachen Sv, a Chinese-invested fiber-optic company operating in Vietnam.

Vietnamese users accessing large models such as DeepSeek and Qwen experience extremely low latency with zero packet loss. “In less than a month, more than a dozen companies have approached us for consultations,” an employee of the Guangdong-based tech firm said.

Meanwhile, the Guangdong branch of China Mobile has launched an OpenClaw intelligent agent framework, providing integrated AI service packages that allow traditional toys to complete intelligent upgrades in as little as 15 days.

From toys to textiles, cross-border e-commerce, and high-end manufacturing, tokens are increasingly becoming the digital fuel powering Shantou’s industrial upgrading.

Japan-Philippines collusion: perilous move destabilizing Asia-Pacific

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Japan and the Philippines have recently deepened their ties and undertaken a series of moves that have raised concerns across the region.

From kicking off the so-called maritime delimitation talks to advancing intelligence sharing, defense equipment transfers and joint military drills, the two countries are exploiting the pretext of “security cooperation” to stoke bloc confrontation and heighten regional security risks.

Such negative moves run counter to the broader regional aspiration for peace, development and cooperation. They have drawn concern from the region and sparked debate within the international community.

The so-called maritime delimitation talks between Japan and the Philippines lack any legal basis and seriously infringe upon China’s maritime rights and interests. 

During Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.’s visit to Japan, the two sides announced the formal launch of negotiations on the delimitation of their exclusive economic zones and continental shelves. This move marked another dangerous step in closer Japan-Philippines collusion aimed at disrupting regional stability.

The area the two countries announced they will delimit is east of China’s Taiwan island. According to China’s domestic law and international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in this area. 

As per UNCLOS, the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf between states with opposite or adjacent coasts shall be effected by the states concerned by agreement on the basis of equity. Any delimitation concerning waters to the east of Taiwan must have China as a party to the talks. 

Japan and the Philippines’ attempt to bypass China and initiate the so-called maritime delimitation talks constitutes a severe violation of UNCLOS and other international laws and basic norms governing international relations. China has lodged formal diplomatic protests with both countries and firmly opposes what it considers an illegal and invalid process.

In the defense sphere, Japan and the Philippines continue strengthening their increasingly integrated security framework. During Marcos’ visit, both sides agreed to begin negotiations on a military intelligence protection agreement, elevated bilateral ties to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” and accelerated efforts to transfer defense equipment.

Particularly troubling was Japan’s role during this year’s joint United States-Philippines “Balikatan” military exercises. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces not only dispatched combat personnel on a large scale for participation for the first time, but also openly launched two Type-88 shore-based anti-ship missiles from Philippine territory. This marked the first time since the end of World War II that Japan has launched offensive missiles overseas. 

Japanese media analysts argue that the governments of Japan and the Philippines are using so-called regional security concerns as justification for building a quasi-alliance and constructing an exclusive regional security framework.

The growing collusion between Japan and the Philippines poses serious threats to regional peace and security. 

As a defeated country in World War II, Japan should have drawn profound lessons from history and abided by its pacifist constitution and the principle of exclusively defense-oriented national security. 

Regrettably, Japanese right-wing forces have kept breaking through the bounds of the post-war peace order. They have lifted the ban on exports of lethal weapons, built up long-range strike capabilities, expanded military presence via the Philippines, and pushed forward its Indo-Pacific strategy. Under the pretext of “security cooperation”, Japan has even sent military forces overseas.

A Japanese scholar noted that Japan’s current diplomatic moves still reflect bloc-confrontation thinking, yet such zero-sum mindset is increasingly disconnected from today’s realities.

The Philippines, too, bears a painful historical memory of Japanese militarism. During World War II, brutal Japanese colonial rule and massacres caused the deaths of more than one million Filipinos through warfare and famine. The brutal massacres that took place in Manila in 1945 alone claimed the lives of more than 100,000 civilians. Today, despite this history, the current Philippine government has accelerated its alignment with Japan and has even actively accommodated Japan’s “neo-militarism” tendencies. This represents a typical form of geopolitical opportunism.

On one hand, the Philippine side seeks to use Japanese resources to compensate for weaknesses in maritime defense and pursue improper maritime rights and interests through exclusive groupings. 

On the other hand, it hopes to secure short-term security dividends by tying itself to outside powers while shifting attention away from domestic governance challenges through the exaggeration of external tensions. 

Such short-sighted behavior is pushing the Philippines into an extremely dangerous position. As pointed out by Herman Tiu Laurel, president of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, a Manila-based think tank, “The Philippines should not tie itself to Japan’s war chariot. This does not help safeguard the Philippines’ national security or strategic autonomy. It will continue undermining regional peace and stability and ultimately harm the Philippines itself.”

The Asia-Pacific should remain a region defined by peace and development, rather than be a chessboard for those pursuing narrow interests. By insisting on importing bloc confrontation into the region, Japan and the Philippines have increasingly become sources of instability threatening peace in the Asia-Pacific.

Japan should face history squarely, act prudently, and stop moving further down the path of military expansion. The Philippines is likewise advised to follow the broader regional trend toward peace and development and avoid tying itself to the strategic agendas of other countries. 

Any actions that provoke confrontation and undermine regional stability will ultimately face united opposition from regional countries and the broader international community.

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

China to Embody Modernity: British Scholar Predicts

By Bai Ziwei, People’s Daily

Recently, prominent British scholar Martin Jacques shared his analysis of Chinese modernization with People’s Daily, examining China’s trajectory through lenses of civilizational evolution, governance, and global transformation.

As a long-time China observer and author of influential works including When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order, Jacques has established himself as a leading international voice on China’s development. He contends that China’s development has fundamentally challenged Western assumptions, particularly the notion that Westernization was prerequisite for success.

Jacques identifies the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) effective state capacity as the pivotal driver behind the nation’s economic transformation — what he characterizes as the “intellectual engine” of China’s historic progress. He emphasizes that achieving modernization at China’s unprecedented scale represents a unique phenomenon in human history.

Between 1979 and 2023, China’s economy expanded at an extraordinary 8.9% average annual rate, far exceeding global averages. Jacques notes this combination of speed and scale has created a distinctive industrialization model, achievable only through the CPC’s decisive leadership — a factor he deems indispensable to China’s modernization.

The scholar describes China as developing a novel governance approach he terms “science-based governance,” enabling simultaneous focus on immediate priorities and long-term strategy — a capability he believes eludes many nations. He further highlights China’s adaptive governance system, which maintains stability while avoiding institutional rigidity through continuous reform.

Jacques attributes China’s sustained development momentum to its robust public opinion mechanisms coupled with strategic foresight. Crucially, he identifies civilizational continuity as central to China’s stability, noting how millennia of history have forged strong cultural confidence — from the 5,000-year-old civilizational roots to the imperial unification over two millennia ago.

Beyond transforming China itself, Jacques asserts Chinese modernization is reshaping global dynamics. Since joining the WTO, China has consistently advocated for more equitable international systems. He credits China with catalyzing the Global South’s collective rise through both its development model and platforms like the Belt and Road Initiative.

As Global South nations move toward international centrality, Jacques observes history accelerating at unprecedented rates. He notes the expanding influence of China’s four major global initiatives (Global Development, Security, Civilization, and Governance Initiatives), positioning China as an increasingly vital force for global stability.

Looking ahead, Jacques expresses strong confidence in China’s trajectory, highlighting technological parity with the U.S. and leadership in fields like artificial intelligence. He positions China as an increasingly significant development model offering valuable lessons worldwide.

Projecting a decade forward, Jacques anticipates China will globally come to symbolize modernity itself.

How pruning a heart-shaped tree reflects people-centered urban governance in China

By Fan Haotian, People’s Daily

A camphor tree lining a street in Yunxi county, Shiyan, central China’s Hubei province, has recently gone viral online. What drew locals’ eyes was its naturally heart-shaped crown. Residents snapped photos of the tree and shared them across social media, floating a proposal: carefully prune the foliage to turn this natural oddity into a beloved photo spot.

Local landscaping officials acted promptly on the proposal and kept fine-tuning the tree based on public suggestions. 

Making minor adjustments only, they prioritized the tree’s healthy growth while ensuring a pleasant viewing experience for citizens. No elaborate landscaping or excessive funds were involved. 

This simple makeover has turned an ordinary street tree into a heartwarming online hit, reflecting the thoughtful approach of urban governance.

From trimming and shaping to meticulous fine-tuning, local authorities turned three suggestions over three days into three rounds of action. Their efficient response transformed netizens’ simple wishes into a lovely urban delight.

This willingness to listen closely to community feedback signals a meaningful shift away from inflexible, top-down administration toward citizen-centered public services. Yunxi stands out for prioritizing public needs and feedback in decision-making. It views online proposals as chances for improvement and taps public wisdom to boost governance effectiveness.

Of course, heeding public suggestions is not blind compliance, but a people-responsive approach based on scientific decision-making. Currently, some cities are plagued by a so-called “viral attraction anxiety.” They blindly follow the trend to build viral landmarks and replicate popular business formats, investing massively yet achieving little effect, and even causing ecological damage and wasting public funds.

By contrast, the renovation of the heart-shaped tree adheres to scientific assessment and bottom-line principles. A local official stated that some netizens suggested covering the entire tree with light strips. After thorough internal deliberations, county officials opted to install only energy-efficient, waterproof colored lights tracing the outline of its heart-shaped canopy — an approach guaranteed not to hinder the tree’s healthy growth.

Authorities assessed the tree’s growth status prior to pruning, prioritized public safety while adjusting monitoring facilities, and avoided damaging the tree during light strip installation. Such rational and prudent governance is particularly valuable. 

Internet buzz is fleeting, but the quality of resident life remains the ultimate goal of urban governance. Urban planning should avoid short-term thinking. Only by respecting objective laws and upholding a people-centered stance can every construction and renovation project stand the test of time and public judgment.

Such public-responsive governance practices are widely seen across China. In response to citizens’ and visitors’ great affection for the “scruffy puppy,” a giant plant sculpture in Shanghai that unexpectedly went viral, the “Blossom Pet Land” exhibition featuring the popular installation at the Shanghai International Flower Show has been extended until late June. 

In Chenggong district, Kunming of Yunnan province, local authorities have taken public online feedback seriously, making vigorous efforts to upgrade infrastructure and optimize service and guarantee mechanisms at Dounan Flower Market, turning it into a must-visit tourist attraction.

In Shenzhen of Guangdong province in south China, a netizen known as “Tape Measure Brother” has released over 1,000 short videos reflecting urban problems in more than two years, and nearly every problem he raised have received official resolution within a week. 

From online public feedback to offline practical implementation, and from solving individual demands to realizing overall urban improvement, cities across China are accelerating the transformation of urban development concepts and prioritizing people-centered development.

It is such positive two-way interactions between local governments and residents that keep improving urban construction and solidify the momentum of high-quality development.

Trivial as flowers and grass may seem, they bear directly on people’s real-life experience. Along Beijing’s ring roads, blooming flowers line the routes, beautifying citizens’ daily trips. In Changde, central China’s Hunan province, the Chuanzi River, once a polluted and stinking drainage waterway, has been renovated into a rippling scenic river, offering locals a new place for leisure and walking.

Residents’ genuine sense of fulfillment and satisfaction fully proves that urban development achievements lie not only in towering skylines, but also in every meticulous detail of responding to public online messages and delivering small livelihood improvements, as well as in the sincere commitment to respecting public opinions and pooling public wisdom.

By consistently inviting residents to share their thoughts and ideas, cities can grow warmer and give locals a stronger sense of belonging — uniting governments and communities to build, manage and share in the benefits of better urban spaces together.

Pickleball ignites a sporting revolution in Hebi, China

By Bi Jingjin, People’s Daily

In Hebi, an ancient city in central China’s Henan province, pickleball has rapidly evolved from a obscure pastime into a city-wide phenomenon.

What began as a niche activity introduced in 2023 has captured the imagination of locals — over one million residents have now participated. “Want to play some pickleball?” has become a common greeting across the community.

Hebi launched a comprehensive grassroots campaign to embed pickleball throughout society, integrating it into government departments, rural villages, urban neighborhood committees, schools, businesses, commercial zones, and tourist sites. Residents like retired teacher Zhang Xiuying embody this shift: “My leisure time used to revolve around watching TV or taking walks,” she shared. “Now, if I don’t swing my paddle every day, it feels like something’s missing.”

This sporting revolution rests on robust foundations. Hebi incorporated pickleball courts into its broader urban and rural fitness infrastructure plans. The city has built more than 1,500 dedicated courts and installed over 8,000 sets of outdoor fitness equipment. Today, these facilities are ubiquitous across communities, villages, and parks, forming a convenient 15-minute fitness access network for all residents.

Professional development accelerated the sport’s growth. The Hebi Pickleball Association has trained over 380 coaches and referees, alongside cultivating more than 280 core athletes. These experts regularlly organize instruction and training reaching deep into local communities. Simultaneously, Hebi established a dynamic, multi-level competition system, spanning city-level open tournaments, county-level championships, and community and commercial district competitions, offering structured play opportunities for enthusiasts at all levels.

Pickleball in Hebi is no longer a niche pursuit. Players range from young children to retirees, urban dwellers to rural villagers. Discussions about techniques, matches, and thrilling rallies are common conversational topics. This remarkable growth earned Hebi international recognition when, in September 2023, the World Pickleball Association designated it China’s first “Pickleball City.” Since then, Hebi has hosted 23 high-profile events, including international exhibition matches, national championships, and international invitational tournaments.

Zhang Xiuying captures the city’s new identity: “Previously, when asked about Hebi’s highlights, I’d mention the ancient ‘Book of Songs’ texts or the historic city of Xunxian. Today, we’re also proudly known as China’s Pickleball City.” During tournaments, she shows visiting relatives Hebi’s attractions — touring historic Xunxian, enjoying Qihe River scenery, and sampling local cuisine.

The sport’s surging popularity is significantly impacting tourism and consumption. At attractions within ancient city walls, interactive pickleball zones draw queues of eager visitors. Local cultural markets report brisk sales of pickleball-themed clay figurines and decorations. The “watch a match while touring the city” concept fuels activity in scenic areas and commercial districts.

Hebi strategically utilizes pickleball to drive integrated development across culture, tourism, and commerce. The 2025 National Pickleball Championships illustrate this: major tourist sites experienced a 42% year-on-year increase in visitors, with tourism and related spending exceeding 15 million yuan ($2.21 million). The influx of tournament spectators successfully translated into tangible economic growth.

Pickleball’s meteoric rise in Hebi stems not only from these strategic efforts but also from the inherent, energetic appeal of the sport itself.

Originating in the United States in 1965, pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis and is often described in China as “three sports in one.” 

The sport features low entry barriers, gentle intensity and high safety, ideal for all age groups. It blends fun and competitiveness, fitting daily workouts as well as professional contests. Boasting fitness, social and economic value, it holds great potential for public popularity and industrial growth.

Recognizing the opportunities emerging around the sport, Hebi is now using pickleball as a platform to promote deeper integration between sports, tourism, manufacturing and technology.

In sports-driven manufacturing, Hebi has leveraged its strengths in functional new materials to attract and cultivate pickleball equipment manufacturers such as Henan Gelee Sports and Zhuoxing Sports, gradually building a complete industrial chain spanning from raw materials to high-end equipment production.

At Zhuoxing Sports, automated production lines churn out paddles adorned with artistic motifs from The Book of Songs. Gelee Sports develops and makes premium balls and rackets, with its merchandise exported to the United States, Canada and beyond.

The sport is also spurring the development of cultural and creative products. Hebi has incorporated local cultural heritage into the sport by designing dedicated pickleball logos and mascots named “Pipi” and “Hehe.” The city has also combined traditional clay sculpture craftsmanship with pickleball themes to create cultural and creative products that blend traditional culture with modern sports.

Besides, telecommunications companies are using 5G and 4K technologies to support live event broadcasting, with digital innovation continuing to upgrade the city’s sports industry.

Peaceful coexistence and mutual enrichment among civilizations: insights from Greek scholar

By Xie Yahong, Li Anqi, People’s Daily

In a recent interview with People’s Daily, Nikiforos Diamandouros, president of the Academy of Athens, stressed the importance of dialogue between Greek and Chinese civilizations amid escalating global governance challenges and declining international trust.

“Aristotle, in his seminal work Politics, defined the polis as a community dedicated to achieving ‘the good life,’ Diamandouros noted. “He contended that true politics must embody moral practice serving the common good.” Drawing parallels, he observed, “Similarly, Confucius articulated in The Analects the principle of ‘guiding people through virtue and regulating them through ritual,’ revealing the profound humanism embedded in Chinese traditional culture.”

“Both civilizations fundamentally agree,” the scholar asserted, “that social stability rests upon individual moral character and a balanced relationship between individual and collective aspirations.” Against a backdrop of eroding global trust and intensifying governance crises, Diamandouros stressed that “dialogue and exchanges between our two civilizations possess unique contemporary relevance.”

Diamandouros noted that while globalization has fostered economic interdependence, it has not commensurately deepened mutual cultural understanding. As cultural tensions and geopolitical conflicts resurface globally, humanity faces a pivotal challenge: creatively coexisting amid profound differences. 

“A sustainable international order cannot rest solely on economic power or military deterrence. It also requires shared values and cross-cultural trust. That is why I believe the Chinese philosophy of harmony without uniformity is among the most relevant contributions of traditional Chinese thought to today’s world order,” Diamandouros said.

The second World Conference of Classics, themed “Dialogue between Ancient and Modern: Contemporary Inspirations from Classical Wisdom,” has kicked off in Athens, Greece. Diamandouros believes the conference’s greatest significance lies in creating a platform for international-minded exchange, where different civilizations can be studied in a non-confrontational and complementary manner while expressing humanity’s shared pursuit of knowledge, justice, and moral values.

“I hope this conference will encourage young scholars to revisit classical texts, not as museum artifacts, but as living sources of reflection on the major questions facing the modern world. Here, the study of classical civilizations can become a bridge for mutual understanding, peaceful coexistence, and joint creation,” he said.

In recent years, institutions such as the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations and the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens have been established. Archaeological cooperation, academic exchanges, and reciprocal scholar visits have also expanded. Academic collaboration between China and Greece has evolved into a more institutionalized form of cooperation and has become an indispensable component of the broader friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

“Greece-China collaboration illustrates that great civilizations need not compete,” he concluded. “Through dialogue, knowledge exchange, and mutual respect, they collectively shape our shared future.” The scholar identified promising fields for enhanced cooperation, including comparative political philosophy, archaeology, heritage preservation, linguistics, intellectual history, and crucially, technology ethics amid AI’s rapid development.

“Integrating contemporary technological research with our rich humanist traditions,” Diamandouros proposed, “could yield more human-centered AI governance frameworks.” He further observed that Greece and China, as civilizations with unbroken histories and rich intellectual legacies, share profound affinities. The burgeoning warmth between their societies and peoples offers, in his view, “a forceful rebuttal to the ‘clash of civilizations’ narrative.”

“This illustrates how different civilizations can peacefully coexist and mutually enrich one another. The collaboration between Greece and China exemplifies how great civilizations forge relationships rooted in dialogue, not confrontation. As we witness growing global mutual understanding, respect, and collective responsibility in addressing shared challenges, the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity will gain new dimensions.”

He emphasized that culture’s enduring value lies not only in preserving a magnificent legacy, but also in offering civilizational wisdom for shaping modern international relations. “Great civilizations can engage in constructive dialogue while retaining their distinct characteristics. Culture’s greatest gift is its power to build bridges of understanding — a vital message Greece and China offer the world today.”