Nigeria Times

By Guan Kejiang, Tian Hong, Huan Xiang, People’s Daily

In Raub, Pahang, two hours northeast of Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, the pungent scent of promise hangs in the air. Durian trees, now flowering in the early heat of April, are being carefully pruned and pollinated by farmers. In about 90 days, the ripened fruits will be packed and shipped across the ocean, making their way to shopping carts in China.

Since China opened its doors to frozen Malaysian durians in 2019, the fruit has soared past cherries to become the country’stop-selling imported fruit.The surge in appetite has sparked a wave of innovationand closer partnershipsbetween the two countries.

Among the new players is Muhua Sdn. Bhd. Malaysia, a trading companyfounded in 2021 to ride the durian wave. However, after diving deeper into the business, the company’s general manager Jiaqiang Wang discovered a challenge: grading a durian’s quality was less science than guesswork. With its thick skin and unpredictable flesh, determining which fruit would meet customer expectations depended entirely on the intuition of experienced hands – resulting in high spoilage, logistical headaches, and a growing list of dissatisfied buyers.

The turning point came at the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. At a side forum hosted by Nuctech, a Chinese security and inspection solution supplier, an innovative idea began to take shape: what if the same technology used to scan luggage could be used to scan durians?

Over the following year, the two companies co-developed “Durian Detective,”a non-destructive 3D detection system that merges CT scanning with AI image recognition. The system assesses 20 indicators – from core size and hollowness to signs of pests or rot – and assigns each fruit a unique “quality ID card.” With an accuracy rate of over 98 percent, it is 40 times more precise than traditional manual inspection.

Malaysia’s durian industry is embracing digital transformation on multiple fronts. Top Fruits Sdn. Bhd., a durian supplier in Malaysia, is now using AI-driven tools in collaboration with the Malaysian branch of Xiamen University to monitor durian growth.

In the company’s office, a dashboard displays real-time photos of every durian tree on the farm. Clicking on the images, one could clearly see the number of blossoms and budding fruits.”We regularly upload photos of the growing progress, and the system analyzes them intelligently to make predictions,” explained Tan Xue Yi, the company’s plantation R&D lead.”This allows us to plan ahead and improve efficiency.”

According to Tan Sue Yee, head of the company, the payoff has been swift.”Since August last year, Malaysian fresh durians have been reaching Chinese consumers as quickly as the day after they’re picked, and our orders have soared.”

In 2023, Malaysia exported 1.92 billion yuan ($262.73 million) worth of frozen durians to China – seven times the amount in 2018. As Chinese demand continues to surge, Malaysian farmers are planting more trees, while rural youth are returning to hometowns to start businesses, spurred by tech-driven agriculture and booming e-commerce channels.

Meanwhile, Malaysian exporters are increasingly open to settling durian deals in Chinese yuan, supported by local banks offering RMB-denominated letters of credit.

The booming durian trade is a vivid example of deepening China-Malaysia economic ties. In 2024, bilateral trade reached a record high of $212.04 billion, marking an 11.4 percent year-on-year increase. China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years and remains one of Malaysia’s top investors, while Malaysia remains China’s second-largest trading partner and the largest source of imports within ASEAN.

The implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has further expanded market access between China and Malaysia. China’s massive market and ongoing upgrades in consumption are unlocking more opportunities for trading partners like Malaysia.

Malaysian companies have been actively participating in major Chinese expos such as the CIIE and the China-ASEAN Expo, bringing signature products like white coffee, mangosteen, bird’s nest, and palm oil into millions of Chinese households. In turn, Malaysian consumers are now enjoying Chinese fruits such as apples, fragrant pears, and plums – demonstrating a robust two-way exchange.

“Malaysia and China have created a truly win-win partnership,” said Malaysia’s Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli. In recent years, Chinese companies have steadily ramped upinvestment, expanded their footprint, and delivered solid returns in Malaysia, contributing significantly to the local economy.

“Today, both countries are well-positioned to deepen cooperation and drive development together,”he added.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

Over1,700 companies and 4,100 brands from more than 70 countries and regions have convened in south China’s island province of Hainan for the 5th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) – an expanded event that reflects the international community’s growing confidence in China’s development.

Running from April 13 to 18, the expo comes at a time of mounting global economic uncertainty. Yet for many multinationals, China’s stable, transparent, and predictable policy environment, coupled with its vast consumer market, offers both stability and opportunity to sharpen their competitiveness in global competition.

China’s continuous efforts to deepen its opening up and share development opportunities with the world remain a key reason behind the strong turnout at this year’s expo.

Opening to the outside world is a fundamental national policy for China. The country is advancing high-level opening up, steadily expanding institutional opening up by proactively adopting relevant rules, regulations, management, and standards, and continues to stabilize foreign investment to boost foreign investors’ confidence in Chinese market.

As the host of the CICPE, Hainan is intensifying efforts to build itself into a free trade port, standing as a testament to China’s unwavering openness. Now in its fifth year, the expo has evolved into a vital platform for global companies to tap into the Chinese market and for Chinese brands looking to expand abroad.

As Xie Yi, senior vice chairman of Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Group, noted, despite global uncertainties, China continues to embrace the world with open cooperation. According to him, the group plans to expand the reach of high-quality Chinese products across Southeast Asia and the world, while introducing more global products into China’s vast market to capitalize on the opportunities created by China’s ongoing opening up.

In tandem with the expo, the “Shopping in China”campaign was launched to stimulate Chinese domestic consumption, which highlighted the advantages of China’s huge market.

In recent years, China has stepped up efforts to expand domestic demand – encouraging consumer goods trade-ins, promoting high-quality development of consumption of the services sector, and launching a range of activities to boost consumption. It has also accelerated efforts to build international consumption center cities.

These endeavors have helped improve living standards for Chinese citizens whileopening up new business opportunities for global companies. In 2024, China’s total retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 48 trillion yuan ($6.58 trillion), a 3.5 percent year-on-year increase. Between 2021 and 2024, the country imported 7.4 trillion yuan worth of consumer goods.

Leveraging this vast market, the CICPE has become a key venue for showcasing premium global consumer products andspotlighting evolving consumption trends. With its growing international profile, the expo supports China’s push forthe new development paradigm – driving high-quality development at homewhile contributing to global economic recovery.

On the sidelines of the expo, the 2025 Global Industrial Investment Promotion Conference for the Hainan Free Trade Port highlighted Hainan’s progress in building a world-class free trade port, drawing attention to its improving business environment and rising investment potential.

The event underscores China’s resolve to create a world-class business environment and deliver high-quality services to global enterprises.Recognizing that a sound business environment is essential for growth, China is fostering a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized, which has become a powerful magnet for global investors.

The country has strengthened intellectual property protection and improved its global business environment ranking from 96th to 31st.It safeguards the lawful rights and interests of foreign enterprises in China, and ensures equal national treatment for foreign businesses. Meanwhile, its negative list for foreign investment has experienced eight rounds of reduction, from 190 items initially to 29 on the national negative list and 27 on the pilot free trade zone list.

By shifting the focus from simply”doing business” to “thriving in business,” China is working to create a more fertile environment for investment and long-term growth.

For foreign companies, embracing China is embracing opportunities, believing in China is believing in a better tomorrow, and investing in China is investing in the future. China will continue to support foreign-invested enterprises and remain a stable, opportunity-rich destination for global capital.As China deepens its economic engagement with the world, it is seeking to chart a path of shared growthand mutual benefitfor the years ahead.

By Ouyang Jie, People’s Daily

A series of leading economic indicators of March have recently been released, revealing encouraging signs of momentum in the Chinese economy.

The purchasing managers’index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector stood at 50.5 percent, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous month and remaining in expansion territory for a second consecutive month.

The logistics performance index reached 51.5 percent, up 2.2 percentage points, signaling accelerated recovery across supply chains and steady growth in industrial demand.

Meanwhile, the e-commerce logistics index rebounded significantly to 110 points, indicating greater activity and vibrancy in the e-commerce sector.

As leading indicators often serve as a barometer of macroeconomic performance, the consistent expansion in March reflects multiple positive trends in China’s economy.

Since the beginning of the year, China’s economy has maintained stable growth, with stronger innovation momentum and emerging growth drivers, laying a solid foundation for steady growth throughout the year.

The resilience of China’s economy is evident in the PMI sub-indices. The new orders index in the manufacturing sector rose to 51.8 percent in March, staying above 51 percent for two straight months. Stronger demand has boosted production activities, with the production index reaching 52.6%—also above 52 percent for two consecutive months.

The simultaneous recovery in both supply and demand has not only lifted market confidence but also stabilized business expectations. In March, the index for business activity expectations in manufacturing reached 53.8 percent, maintaining a relatively high level for six consecutive months.

The new export orders index in the manufacturing sector also rose for the second month in a row, reflecting the resilience and vitality of China’s foreign trade even amid rising unilateralism and protectionism.

In the first quarter, Shenzhen airport handled 240,000 tons of foreign trade cargo, up 22.6 percent year on year; Yantai Port in east China’s Shandong province shipped 4.566 million tons of general cargo via liner services, an 84.7 percent increase; customs officers at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in southwest China’s Sichuan province processed 62,000 tons of inbound and outbound freight, up 26.7 percent.

The growth in leading economic indicators over the past two months indicates China’s innovation vitality.

Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer BYD recently unveiled a new battery and charging system – dubbed the Super e-Platform – that can charge at peak speeds of 1,000kW, providing around 400 kilometers of range in just five minutes.. In Guangzhou, Guangdong province, the world’s first electronic paper display screen measuring 30 inches and above was launched – ushering in a new era as large-sized color electronic paper transitions from static to dynamic display..Meanwhile, the debut of the “Tongze,”a ultra-large-diameter slurry tunnel boring machine, marked another breakthrough in China’s high-end underground engineering equipment.

These advancementshighlight the growth of new quality productive forces driving economic transformation. In March, the new orders index for the equipment manufacturing sector hit its highest level since April 2023.

Experts noted that China’s stable growth and innovation capacity are injecting fresh momentum and confidence into both regional and global economies – establishing the country as a key engine for worldwide growth. Increasingly, “innovation” is becoming the defining feature of China’s manufacturing sector.

Policy measures are also yielding tangible results. For instance, China issued ultra-long term special treasury bonds totaling 300 billion yuan ($41.4 billion) to support the expansion of the consumer goods trade-in program in 2025; it has planned to raise 520 billion yuan to bolster capital at major state-owned commercial banks, enhancing their capacity to serve the real economy; new policies have been launched to stabilize foreign trade and investment, as well as to further high-level opening-up..

In the consumer sector, initiatives such as trade-in programs and stimulus packages are unlocking latent demand and diversifying consumption scenarios.

New business models like instant retail and livestream e-commerce are booming. Instant delivery has shifted from an “emergency” option to a daily habit, leading to a surge in order volumes and a noticeable rise in the e-commerce logistics index. This surge is further accelerating new manufacturing orders.

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

At a ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversary of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on April 10, participants from around the world converged to pronounce a stark verdict: the rule-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core is under growing strains and must be defended against mounting unilateral tariffs and rampant uncertainties – much of it stemming from U.S. trade actions.

The U.S.aggressive abuse of tariffs has sparked sharp criticism worldwide. It is widely believed that the U.S. is flouting WTO rules by weaponizing tariffs as a tool of extreme pressure for selfish gain, which severely undermines the rule-based multilateral trading system and poses a grave threat to the stability of the global economic order.

For decades, America stood as a principal architectand indisputable beneficiaryof the rules-based global trade order. Yet in recent years, the U.S. government has transitioned from guardian to saboteur.

In a recent article titled “America’s Big Trade Win,” WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealarevealed a data-driven reality that Washington deliberately ignores: the U.S. is a clear winner in global trade, particularly, in the booming sector of trade in services. The country consistently posts surpluses in services trade, rakes in billions of intellectualproperty royalties and licensing fees, and remains a magnet for global capital flows. These streams of revenue are central pillars of U.S. economic strength, fueling growth, innovation, and global influence. So, the claim that the U.S. is being “ripped off” is unfounded.

In recent years, the U.S. has increasingly indulged in unilateralism and protectionism, arbitrarily wielding tariffs and trampling on international rules with its bullying practices.

The consequences are already becoming visible. WTO estimates that the new tariff measures, coupled with those introduced since the beginning of the year, could lead to an overall contraction of around 1 percent in global merchandise trade volumes in 2025, which represents a drop of nearly four percentage points from previous projections. The International Monetary Fund also cautioned that the tariff measures “clearly represent a significant risk” to global growth at a time when economic momentum remains weak.

More importantly, the U.S. growing reliance on “tariff blackmail” runs counter to the shared interests of the international community, and more seriously, places a disproportionate burden on vulnerable economies and the least developed countries.

For a long time, the rule-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core has provided open, stable, and predictable institutional guarantees for countries – especially developing nations – to participate in economic globalization on more equitable terms and achieve common development. Its erosion risks widening the global development gap.

UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan noted that the trade turbulence “hurts the vulnerable and the poor.”The New York Times reportedthat imposing high tariffs on the least developed countries illustrates the stupidity and cruelty of the U.S. new trade policy.

A rule-based multilateral trading system is more than a framework for global economic order – it is a cornerstone of global stability. History offers a stark warning: in the 1930s, the U.S. Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act ignited a global trade war that plunged the world economy into the mire of the Great Depression. Nearly a century later, the echoes are unsettlingly familiar.

As the U.S. once again turns to tariffs as a policy tool, the international community faces a critical juncture. The time has come to unite in defense ofthe international system with the UN at its core and the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its center.

In recent days, a chorus of criticism has grown louder as countries and regions across the globe are increasingly condemning the U.S. for its escalating use of unilateral tariffs. They argue the U.S. tariff measures not only disrupt international trade order but also destabilize global industrial and supply chains, putting at risk the livelihoods of producers and consumers worldwide – including those in the United States.

These voices have exposed the hypocrisy of so-called “fair trade” preached by the U.S. while underscoring the global consensus on the need to defend multilateralism and uphold principles of fairness and justice.

As a responsible major country, China has always been a staunch defender of the multilateral trading system. China has consistently maintained that there is no winner in trade and tariff wars. China does not want to fight trade and tariff wars, but will not flinch when a trade and tariff war comes. It will never sit idly by and watch while the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese people are infringed, nor will it sit idly by as international trade rules and the multilateral trading system are undermined.

China stands ready to work with all countries to uphold true multilateralism, effectively safeguard the multilateral trading system, build an open world economy, and inject greater certainty and stability into global development.

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

“How much more will we pay when tariffs hit?”

This is the question ricocheting across U.S.newsrooms and households alike, as American consumers brace for price hikes and product shortages. With inflation fears mounting, somehave even begun stockpiling daily essentials. These concerns come from America’s growing appetite for economic extremism.

The U.S. side’s reliance on punitive tariffs and economic coercion not only runs counter to economic laws, but also threatens to dismantle the intricate global industrial and supply chains painstakingly built over decades. Such moves hamper economic development worldwide and, more importantly, jeopardize the wellbeing of people in all countries, including those in the U.S.

The modern global industrial and supply chains were not imposed by fiat. It evolved organically, shaped by comparative advantages of different nations and the natural flow of capital, labor, and innovation across global markets. China and the U.S., with different development stages, distinct industrial structures and complementary strengths, have grown increasingly intertwined. This economic relationship is forged over decades of market competition, proving to be the most efficient system in the global economy.

China’s recently released white paper, “China’s Position on Some Issues Concerning China-U.S. Economic and Trade Relations,”presents a compelling case for the positive impact of this cooperation. It demonstrates how this partnership has facilitated the upgrading of American industries and brought tangible benefits to American consumers.

The U.S. has imported from China a large quantity of consumer goods, intermediate goods, and capital goods, which has supported the development of the supply and industrial chains of the U.S. manufacturing industry, provided U.S. consumers with more choices, lowered their cost of living, and increased the real purchasing power of the American people – especially the low and middle-income groups.

Through cooperation with China, U.S. multinational corporations have boosted their international competitiveness by integrating the strengths of resources from both countries. China has taken on certain production processes for American enterprises, which enabled the U.S. to allocate resources such as capital to innovation and management, and focus on the development of high-end manufacturing and modern services. It has driven U.S. industry towards higher value-added and more technologically advanced sectors, reducing U.S. domestic pressure for energy consumption and environmental protection.

China-U.S. cooperation on industrial and supply chains is far from a zero-sum game, but rather a mutually beneficial and reciprocal arrangement. In 2024, the total trade volume between China and the U.S. reached $688.28 billion, a year-on-year increase of 3.7 percent. According tothe American Chamber of Commerce in China, 53 percent of U.S.companies are expected to invest more in the country through 2025.

At the 2024 China International Import Expo, U.S. companies claimed the largest exhibition area, and at the China International Supply Chain Expo, the U.S.firms were at the forefront of foreign participants in terms of exhibitor numbers. Out of Apple’s 200 major suppliers worldwide, over 80 percent have set up factories in China. Amazon’s third-party sellers count on Chinese supply chains to remain price-competitive.

These examples reflect the underlying logic of efficiency driving China-U.S.industrial and supply chain cooperation – creating broad opportunities for stakeholders across the globe. This collaboration facilitates raw material exports, intermediate goods production, and service sector growth in other countries, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the global value chain.

However, the U.S.”tariff blackmail”is wreaking havoc on global industrial and supply chains, distortingthe allocation of resources in the global market, which hurts others as well as itself. While the goal behind these tariffs is to reshore manufacturing, the reality is far from simple. Tariffs cascadethrough industrial and supply chains, heightening the risk of fragmentation andacceleratingthe hollowing-out of the U.S. industry. Rather than revitalizing American manufacturing, this approach undermines its very foundation.

The Mechanical Engineering Industry Association based in Germany has warned that sweeping U.S. tariffs will cause serious damage on both sides of the Atlantic. These measures will never resolve bilateral trade issues but are more likely to escalate into a damaging tit-for-tat standoff that harms European exports and impedes U.S. industrial transformation.

Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, has pointed out that America is trying to undo the very system of open trade that it created. The resulting collapse in trust of the countries that used to share its values will end up very costly for the U.S., too.

Both history and reality have shown that the rules-based multilateral trading system meets the common interests of all countries, while unilateralism and protectionism undermine global industrial, supply, and value chains, and threaten the stability and development of the global economy.

In the face of shared global challenges such as sluggish global economic growth, China and the U.S., as the world’s two largest economies, must see each other’s development as opportunities rather than threats, and engage as partners, not rivals.

Both countries bear responsibility for stabilizing global industrial and supply chains. They must work together to make these systems more resilient, efficient and dynamic, so as to provide certainty and momentum to global economic development.

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

By Yao Xueqing, People’s Daily

With a soft hum, a drone carrying a box of medicine lifted off from a pharmacy on Tianyuan West Road in Jiangning district, Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu province. Guided by its operator, it flew eight kilometers and landed smoothly at the east gate of the Purple Mountain Laboratories, a major scitech innovation platform focusing on basic and frontier research on the internet. .

This rapid, sustained, and stable flight exemplifies the application of 6G technology in advancing smart city development and the burgeoning low-altitude economy.

6G, the sixth generation of mobile communication technology, distinguishes itself from predecessors most notably in speed. A widely cited analogy illustrates this progression: if 2G resembles an oxcart, 3G a bicycle, 4G a car, and 5G a high-speed train, 6G would equate to an airplane.

According to Huang Yongming, director of the Pervasive Communication Research Center at Purple Mountain Laboratories, the first generation of mobile communications relied on a “cellular” network architecture.In this system, base stations transmit signals to terminals within a designated coverage zones,- termed”cells” – which are typically hexagonal, giving rise to the concept of “cellular communication.”While later generations improved performance, the foundational cellular structure persisted.

In 2018, when Purple Mountain Laboratories was founded, You Xiaohu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and his team embarked on a groundbreaking mission:developing cell-free radio access network technology.

“This innovation dismantles traditional cell boundaries by synchronizing and centrally processing all information.The outcome is enhanced signal strength and coverage extended over tenfold compared to conventional cellular networks,” explained Wang Dongming, a professor at the Pervasive Communication Research Center.

For example, a delivery drone traveling eight kilometers under a 5G network would traverse nearly 20 distinct cells, requiring repeated signal handovers at each boundary. Such frequent transitions heighten disconnection risks, potentially forcing the drone to abort its mission.A cell-free network effectively resolves this challenge.

6G’s advantages extend far beyond speed.

Above the vast waters of Taihu Lakenear Xishan Island, adrone hovered in flight, conducting a 33-kilometer aerial inspection of fishery resources. Equipped with a high-definition night vision camera, infrared sensors, and custom-developed smart applications, the drone was operated autonomously – capable of taking off, landing, recharging, and 24/7 task execution – allpowered by a single base station on the island.

Last year, Purple Mountain Laboratories partnered with China Unicom and the Taihu Fishery Management Committee Officeto trial ultra-long-range cell-free communication at a lake-basedfishery conservation area. “A single station provides ten times the coverage of 5G,”explained Liu Dongjie, the project’s technical lead.

By transcending the limitations of terrestrial base stations, 6G enables seamless integrated communication across land, sea, air, and space. It also unifies communication, sensing, computing, and artificial intelligence into a cohesive system.

In January this year, Purple Mountain Laboratories collaborated with China Railway Signal & Communication Co., Ltd to conduct a “One Tower, One City” low-altitude communication test in Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture in southwest China’s Yunnan province.

By installing cell-free base stations on elevated infrastructure, they enabled drone-assisted forest fire monitoring, addressing persistent challenges such as exorbitant infrastructure costs and weak signal coverage in mountainous regions.

Meanwhile, along a road section between Mozhou East Road and Yougu Road in Jiangning district, three autonomous street-sweeping vehicles operated across a 21,000-square-meter area.Following predefined routes, these vehicles utilized high-definition cameras, LiDARs, and multi-sensor arrays to detect obstacles and pinpoint debris with precision.

“Thecell-freenetwork,transmits images from the sweepers to a control center, where data isprocessedand commandsare issued – all within milliseconds,” explained 6G engineer Jiang Tianxiang. The network’s stable performance and deterministic latency ensure rapid, accurate responses from the vehicles.

Globally, 6G development is transitioning from theoretical research to overcoming core technical challenges. Priorities have expanded beyond isolated technological breakthroughs to establishing a cohesive industrial ecosystem.

Experts designate 2025 as the “inaugural year of 6G standardization,”with standardization efforts projected to conclude by 2029 and preliminary commercial deployment anticipated around 2030.

“Looking ahead, 6G has great potential to revolutionize manufacturing,” said Huang. Among the many use cases, embodied intelligencestands out as a particularly transformative use case..

“Leveraging 6G’s ultra-high-speed connectivity and deterministic latency, industrial robots will achieve unprecedented agility and precision in executing intricate, high-skill operations. Future intelligent robots may even collaborate with other autonomous systems via 6G networks to accomplish complex missions,” Huang elaborated.

By Yang Yi, Liu Hui, People’s Daily

In the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park in Qinzhou, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, trucks loaded with construction materials shuttle back and forth, while cranes and bulldozers operate on both sides of the roads. New projects are under rapid development, creating a dynamic and bustling atmosphere.

“The park continues to draw robust investment interest, with an increasing number of enterprises establishing operations here,” said Zuo Kongtian, deputy director of the administrative committee of the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park.

As of December 2024, the first phase of the park had attracted a total of 345 projects, generating an industrial output of 106 billion yuan ($14.55 billion) and a foreign trade volume of 45.14 billion yuan. The park has also utilized approximately $822 million in foreign investment.

Launched 12 years ago, the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP) in Malaysiaand the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park in Chinahave developed in tandem, pioneering the “Two Countries, Twin Parks” model of international industrial cooperation. This initiative has injected fresh momentum into the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Malaysia.

Located in Malaysia’s East Coast Economic Region inthe state ofPahang, the MCKIP has transformed the coastal city of Kuantan into a regional industrial hub. Approximately 10 square kilometers – representing71.5 percent of the park’s total area – have been developed to date, with 15 projects secured across industries such as steel production, tire manufacturing, paper-making, automotive components, and food processing. The park’s cumulative industrial output has surpassed 100 billion yuan.

Since Chinese companies became shareholders in the nearbyKuantan Port, the port’s new terminals have seen a significant rise in operational capacity,with daily cargo throughput increasing from 10,000 to 30,000 tons.

“In the new deep-water terminal area, two 150,000-ton-class berths built through joint efforts now handle nearly 10 million tons of bulk cargo annually, making them among the largest public bulk cargo terminals in Malaysia,” said Wang Chao, assistant general manager of the operations department at Kuantan Port Consortium Sdn Bhd.

Since the launch of a direct container shipping route between Qinzhou Port and Kuantan Port in 2017, the voyage time between the two ports has been shortened to just three to four days, significantly boosting trade flows between the twin parks.

The first enterprise to establish operationsin the MCKIP was Alliance Steel (M) Sdn. Bhd. (ASSB), which commenced full-scaleproduction in 2019. Now operating at an annual production capacity exceeding 3.5 million tons, ASSB has evolved into one of Malaysia’s most advanced and vertically integrated steel manufacturers, with products distributed globally.

“ASSB has driven significant advancements in Malaysia’s steel industry, transitioning the nation from a steel importer to an exporter,”stated Hu Jiulin, chief engineer and deputy general manager of ASSB.

“Sustainability remains central to our project’s design and operations,” Hu added. “Our carbon emissions adhere to standards exceeding local regulations,and we’ve implemented circular economy practices – recycling waste heat and gases for energy generation – to reduce emissions and energy consumption.”

In recent years, Malaysian specialty products such as bird’s nest, durian, and coffee have gained significantpopularity among Chinese consumers through major trade expos like the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and China-ASEAN Expo. Many of these products are processed and packaged in the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park.

Dato’Ragu Sampasivam, chief operating officer of Malaysia’sEast Coast Economic Region Development Council of Malaysia, emphasized that an increasing number of high-quality products from both countries are now entering each other’s markets via the twin parks, creating greater development opportunities for businesses on both sides.

Khairy, a senior executive of Industrial Relations atASSB’sBusiness Management Department, shared his insights with People’s Daily at the MCKIP, speaking fluent Chinese:”My parents enrolled me in a Chinese language school when I was young, believing it would broaden my future prospects. They were absolutely right,”Khairy said.

A native of Kuantan, Khairy resides just a short drive from the park.. “Even during my college years, I followed the progress of the Malaysia-China joint industrial park project.He recalled:”When I was still in college, I heard about the joint industrial park project between Malaysia and China. Watching the buildings and factories rise from the ground, many local young people, including me, saw the park as a place of opportunity,” he said.

Today, the MCKIP has not only elevated Kuantan’s regional profile but also generated abundant employment opportunities. AIIB alone hires more than 4,000 local employees, offering salaries above the regional average. “Securing a position at the park has become the top career aspiration for young people in this area,”Khairy added.

Recently, the maiden voyage was made along the Kuantan Port – Beibu Gulf Port cold-chain shipping route, marking a new milestone in the “Two Countries, Twin Parks” collaboration.

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the new route is more than just a logistics corridor- it is a testament to the long-term partnership between Malaysia and China.

“Under the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the twin parks have laid a solid foundation for deeper collaboration in industry, trade, and infrastructure between our two countries,” he said.

By Zhou Shanshan

China, a nation of immense scale with its vast population, sprawling geography, and millennia-old civilization, defies simplistic categorization. Two recent viral stories involving internet influencers – one international and one domestic – provide nuanced insights into this ancient yet dynamically evolving society.

The first involves American influencer IShowSpeed, whose global livestreaming adventures have been hailed as a “digital-age Marco Polo journey.”

Through his unvarnished lens, international audiences gained real-time glimpses of a China where urban safety rendered his security details nearly redundant,futuristic food-delivery drones coexisted with awe-inspiring displays of Chinese Kung Fu and Sichuan opera’s “face-changing” artistry.

His spontaneous engagements – dancing with square-dancing aunties, bargaining at night markets, and receiving good-humored reminders about public etiquette in English – unveiled a society that seamlessly blends approachability, vibrant energy, and civic order.

The statistics paint a striking portrait: over 100 million views, with comment sections flooded by international netizens requesting travel itineraries and organizing fan communities dedicated to experiencing China firsthand.

This digital phenomenon has transcended virtual boundaries. From American-Chinese families reuniting in Shanghai after reconnectingonline, to foreign influencers like the U.S.-based “Baobao Xiong”transforming into voluntary ambassadors for China, even an Australian who brought skeptical neighbors to personallyverify the country’s realities – the “China Travel”wave has fueled more and more foreignvisitors to explore, understand, and embrace the nation. This momentum coincides with China’s progressively relaxed visa-free transit policies.

What crystallizes is a country defying outdated stereotypes and cultural misconceptions, its authentic allure now resonating globally.

Another narrative unfolds in Yimeng,east China’s Shandong province, where a rural poetess has captivated global audiences by crafting verses amid farm work.

Known online as “Yimeng Sis,” she transforms spring into “nature’s alarm clock rousing plows” and winter snow into “celestial frost sugar,” blending agrarian cycles with lyrical introspection. Her viral declaration – “Life is poetry; existence our eternal anthem” – epitomizes the philosophical depth resonating from China’s countryside.

Accusations of AI-generated content or professional team backing expose a persistent cognitive gap: many still struggle to reconcile poetic expression with their preconceived notions of rural life. The root cause lies in the profound and drastic transformation of China, especially the great changes taking place in its rural areas.

Yet Yimeng Sis represents just one blossom in China’s cultural renaissance. Young content creator Li Ziqi fuses traditional craftsmanship with pastoral aesthetics, while ethnic embroiderers transform heritage patterns into metaverse NFTs. These grassroots narratives sprout from profound transformations—successful poverty alleviation and rural vitalization programs cultivating not just fertile fields, but confident farmers with enriched spiritual worlds.

The parallel success of these disparate stories—an American demystifying China through livestream and a farmer poet articulating rural changes—reveals fundamental truths. Modern China, with its multilayered realities and groundbreaking socioeconomic experiments, embodies a living legend. Its authentic representation, whether through foreign lenses or domestic voices, becomes the ultimate traffic magnet.

When observed without filters—comprehensively and objectively—China inevitably emerges as credible, endearing, and admirable.

By Fan Haotian, Tian Xianjin, Wang Zhe, People’s Daily

With crisp spring air and sun-drenched skies drawing crowds into the mountains, many hikers across China are finding that their treks now come with a new companion: cutting-edge robotic assistance.

High above the forested valleys of central China’s Hubei province, the Enshi Grand Canyon draws visitors with jagged cliffs and towering peaks, creating a dramatic and awe-inspiring landscape. During this year’s Qingming Festival holiday, the area welcomed 25,000 tourists – a year-on-year increase of over 30 percent.

For Mr. Yang, a local resident recovering from a leg fracture, the journey tothe Qixingzhai scenic area of the canyon began with a cable car ride. But the real challenge came after: a daunting staircase carved into the mountainside. Still hesitant to push his limits, Yang was offered something unexpected – a wearable robotic exoskeleton.

In seconds, the lightweight devicewas strapped to his waist and legs. To his surprise, each step grew easier. “It’s like wearing a waist pack,”he said. “You can really feel the push going uphill – even on level ground, it helps you move forward.”

Recently, the scenic area brought in more than a dozen robotic exoskeletons from Shenzhen, the tech hub in south China’s Guangdong province. Lightweight at just around 1.8 kilograms, the devices offer three to five hours of battery life and six power levels, allowing users to fine-tune their experience – dialing up for steep climbs, or easing off on gentler paths.

In parks and peaks across China, high-tech hiking aids are no longer a novelty – they are quickly becoming part of the outdoor experience.The rise of wearable robotics reflects a broader wave of innovation sweeping through the country’stourism and fitness industries, making trails more accessible to a wider public, including those with limited mobility.

At Helan Mountain National Forest Park in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region, more than 20,000 tourists visited during this year’s Qingming Festival holiday. About 300 tourists of them strapped into robotic hiking gear.

Elsewhere, iconic destinations like Mount Taishan and Huangshan Mountain are also embracing the shift. Visitors can now rent not only robotic exoskeletons but also smart trekking poles and robotic walking assistants – all designed to ease the burden of steep inclines and long trails.

“These products are incredibly popular and often booked out in advance,” said a staff member at Mount Taishan scenic area. Since January, the scenic spot has offered robotic hiking assistants for rent at 80 yuan ($10.92) for a three-hour session- and demand has been brisk.

Mile Bot, a robotics company based in Huangshan city, east China’s Anhui province, has developed a smart walking robot tailored for outdoor hiking and stair climbing. The device recently underwent field trials on the slopes of Huangshan Mountain.

“We gathered a great deal of user feedback during the trials,” said Zuo Zongsheng, a company executive. “Now we’re refining the design to make the product more intuitive and user-friendly.”

The robot’s core design draws from Mile Bot’s experience in rehabilitation robotics, where the company has developed medical-assist products, including exoskeletons for lower-limb paralysis recovery and treadmill-based recovery devices in medical setting. The hiking model, by comparison, is sleek and compact: a battery pack, motorized power arm, thigh straps and fasteners make up the entire unit.

“Flip the switch, and the motor kicks in, guiding your leg forward with every step,” Zuo explained. “It takes less than 30 seconds to put on, and users can select from five power levels based on the terrain.”

What sets the device apart, Zuo said, is its flexible drive system – designed to mimic natural movement more smoothly than traditional rigid mechanisms. It not only feels safer but also more responsive to the user’s stride.

Looking ahead, Mile Bot plans to trim the device’s weight, bolster its durability,and introduce seasonal versions with breathable or insulated materials for different weather conditions.

While tourists are the primary market, the company also sees broader applications: the exoskeletons are already being tested for use by sanitation crews and goods porters in scenic areas, promising a high-tech lift for more than just hikers.

By Ouyang Yujing

China and Malaysia are neighbors with a millennia-old friendship, friends connected by heart, and partners for win-win cooperation. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1974, the two countries have enjoyed amicable relations and mutual support, setting a model for mutuallybeneficial cooperation among countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Malaysia, which comes roughly 12 years after his previous visit, marking a major milestone in China-Malaysia relations.

Head-of-state diplomacy has long charted the course for China-Malaysia relations.

In 2013, during President Xi’s visit to Malaysia, the two countries upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, a milestone in bilateral relations.

Ten years later, President Xi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reached important consensus on jointly building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future, ushering in a new historical stage in bilateral ties.

In 2024, as the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, President Xi held talks with Malaysia’sKing Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and met with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Beijing. The two sides reached a series of important consensuses on deepening bilateral relations.

Under the strategic guidance of the leaders from both countries, China and Malaysia have firmly supported each other on issues of core interests and major concerns. The two nations have deepened and fortified the China-Malaysia community with a shared future.

Economic and trade cooperation has injected strong momentum into bilateral ties.

In 2024, China-Malaysia bilateral trade hit a record high of $212.04 billion, an 11.4 percent increase from the previous year. China has remained Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years and a major source of foreign investment. Malaysia is China’s second-largest trading partner and largest source of imports in ASEAN.

Pragmatic cooperation between the two sides continues to thrive: the East Coast Rail Link, a flagship project of China-Malaysia high-quality Belt and Road cooperation that connectsthe east and west coast of Malaysia, is set to drive coordinated economic development in Malaysia; the “Two Countries, Twin Parks”project continues to upgrade in quality; and Chinese carmaker Geely’s partnership with Malaysian automaker Proton is yielding win-win outcomes.

In recent years, the two countries have expanded their cooperation in technology and innovation, tapping into emergingsectors such as the digital economy, green development, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and new energy vehicles. These partnerships are not only knitting their industrial and supply chains more closely together, but also charting a shared course toward modernization.

People-to-people exchanges have laid a solid foundation for bilateral relations.

The historical and cultural ties between China and Malaysia stretch back centuries. From the 15th-century voyages of famous Chinese navigator Zheng He – who docked in Malacca five times – to the modern-day journeys of Chinese immigrants who took root in Southeast Asia, the relationship has long been marked by profound cultural exchanges.

These mutual journeys have brought fresh vitality to bilateral relations. In 2024, thanks to the mutual visa exemption policy, the number of Chinese visitors to Malaysia exceeded 3.8 million, more than double that of 2023, with over 500 flights operating between the two countries each week. Meanwhile, China has become a top destination for Malaysian tourists, with public opinion polls indicating that 77 percent of Malaysian respondents view China positively.

Malaysia’s fresh durians, especially the beloved Musang King variety, have found new popularity in China following their approvalfor export last year.Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2 has become a box office sensation in Malaysia following its release.

The two sides are also deepening exchanges and mutual learning between the Chinese and Islamic civilizations, enhancing mutual understanding and shared development.

Malaysia holds the rotating chair of ASEAN this year. Facing the complex and challenging international situation, China looks forward to working with Malaysia to write a new chapter of solidarity and cooperation, safeguard the common interests of the Global South, and make greater contributions to regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity.

As the Chinese saying goes, “When the tide is right and the wind is favorable, it’s time to set sail.” President Xi’s visit is bound to deepen strategic cooperation between the two nations as they pursue modernization, bring the China-Malaysia community with a shared future to new heights, and steer bilateral ties toward an even brighter future.

(Ouyang Yujing is the Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia.)