Indholdsfortegnelse for Vol.66/No.21 i Beijing Review

At the China-Central Asia Summit on May 18-19 in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, leaders exchanged views on institution building, cooperation and major international and regional issues, drawing a new blueprint for China-Central Asia relations. This is the first time the heads of state of the six nations have met face to face since China established diplomatic relations with the five Central Asian countries 31 years ago. Over the years, China and Central Asian countries have exemplified a new model of international relations through mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity and win-win cooperation. The summit was held in a year that marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. During his visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road…

From the planned China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway to ongoing cultural exchanges, Central Asian countries are engaging in closer cooperation with China. In an interview with Beijing Review ahead of the China-Central Asia Summit taking place in the northwestern Chinese city of Xi’an on May 18-19, Farhod Arziev, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to China, shed light on how these countries can work together to make the most of the region’s potential. Edited excerpts of the interview follow: Beijing Review: How would you assess the importance of the China-Central Asia Summit? Farhod Arziev: It is deeply symbolic that the First China-Central Asia Summit will be hosted in the historical and ancient city of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. It was from there the Great Silk Road, which is a vivid embodiment of the centuries-old ties between Uzbekistan…

Many say that when China grows, the world grows. Even during COVID-19, China had very significant growth. Remember that in the first year of the pandemic, it was the only major economy that had growth and, furthermore, in that difficult moment it displayed a lot of solidarity with the world, particularly with Argentina. This year, I have had many tours throughout China, being able to see with my own eyes how consumption and the entire industrial process are being reactivated, which is very important. When there is a strong rebound in the Chinese economy, this brings new opportunities for economies like Argentina. China is one of Argentina’s main trading partners. Chinese President Xi Jinping has presented the Global Civilizations Initiative (GCI), in which he advocates respect for the diversity of…

One block away from Times Square in Manhattan, New York City, is the famous National Debt Clock, a billboard-sized digital counter that shows the U.S. gross national debt and each American family’s share in real time. Since it was installed on February 20, 1989, the debt displayed on the screen has soared from $2.7 trillion at that time to $31.7 trillion today, equivalent to 124 percent of America’s GDP. The U.S. federal debt ceiling has been a recent focus in the United States, and the world at large. On January 19, the U.S. national debt had reached the statutory limit of $31.4 trillion. In order to prevent government shutdown and debt default, the Treasury Department subsequently adopted “extraordinary measures.” In a letter to congressional leaders on May 15, Treasury Secretary…

In 2022, Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province in southwest China, was voted the most livable city in China for the 14th consecutive year in a survey conducted by Oriental Outlook, a Shanghai-based news weekly. When young adults are tired of highly competitive work and living environments in some megacities, for example, Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, going to Chengdu to avoid the hyper-competitive culture has become a popular choice. Chengdu’s resident population had grown 40 percent in 13 years, from 15.1 million to more than 21.2 million in 2022, according to official statistics. However, as more and more people move there, the city is beginning to share much of the competitive culture prevalent in megacities. An article discussing whether Chengdu is losing its appeal has recently been circulated widely on social…

China is now the center of global attraction for science and technology innovation and is a great example for others of a country’s magical development in a short time. While talking about China and its recent progress, I usually describe this country as a global hub of research and education, an attractive place to pursue a career, and a place with a variety of foods to enjoy. Based on its rapid economic progress and advances in science and technology, China is the future of Asia. My journey in China began in 2009, initially as a visiting scholar and then as a Ph.D. student. The village where I was born and grew up is Dingla, which is located in the Arun Valley in the northeastern part of Nepal. Every morning, from…

VETERAN NURSE WINS GLOBAL AWARD Zhang Jinyuan, 94, has recently received the 2023 International Achievement Award from the Florence Nightingale International Foundation, the International Council of Nurses’ premier foundation. As one of the most prestigious honors in global nursing and healthcare, this award is offered biennially to a practicing nurse with at least 10 years of experience. Zhang worked in clinical nursing in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, for more than four decades. In 2003, she was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal, the top honor in international nursing, established in 1912. After retirement, the then 71-year-old and her former colleagues established the Jiangxi Red Cross Volunteer Nursing Service Center in 2000, focusing on community-level nursing. To date, the center, which draws together more than 19,000 volunteers, has provided services to more than…

Khorgas, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is a microcosm of China’s trade with Central Asia and beyond. The Silk Road trading post is now a major land port with Kazakhstan. The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013 to boost connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes, has reenergized this inland border town. Official data show that as of May 10, 2,715 trains had passed through the Khorgas railway port this year as part of the China-Europe freight train service, a flagship program of the Belt and Road Initiative, representing a year-on-year increase of 22.9 percent. Comments to yanwei@cicgamericas.com…

Vice President of Content at Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific and reputed documentary filmmaker, Vikram Channa, first set foot on Chinese soil in 2001 and has since shot more than 300 films in and around the country. “The people’s stories are quite powerful for audiences both in and outside China,” Channa said in an exclusive interview with Beijing Review reporter Tao Zihui. Excerpts from their conversation follow: Beijing Review: You once mentioned that out of all the documentaries produced by the Discovery Channel, those related to China are most popular. Why are they so popular? Vikram Channa: At the micro level, ultimately, people connect with other human beings. So much has happened in China so quickly. The transformation is so distinct. I don’t think there is any other society that has been…

In late March, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill requiring the Department of State to work to remove China’s classification as a developing country in international organizations. The move aims to strip China of key support offered to all developing nations and hinder its cooperation with other developing countries in the Global South. Whether China is a developing country has been a hotly debated issue among U.S. politicians in recent years. However, this is the first time that U.S. authorities have taken action on the issue, placing U.S. domestic laws above international laws to define China as a developed country. When asked about these moves, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded on May 12 that China’s status as the world’s largest developing country is…

Chinese leaders often assert the need to foster win-win solutions when promoting domestic and international policymaking, including policies related to trade. Some critics, especially those who normalize zero-sum approaches, reject win-win as wishful thinking. So let’s consider here why win-win is so prominent in contemporary Chinese thinking and some of the ways it can be realized in theory and practice. Historical roots To begin, win-win is a familiar English term, but it’s also found in many different linguistic traditions. In Arabic, for example, it’s wade muthmir liljamiei, which translates as “a fruitful situation for all.” In Chinese, it’s gongying, which translates literally as gong, “common” or “communal,” and ying, “win.” In fact, the idea of mutually winning is so common in China that multiple expressions exist to describe such an…

An inaccurate watch is wrong every second, but it can still be put to good use. People stop their watches to mark major moments. A bereaved husband stopped his watch, a present from his wife’s parents, at the time of his beloved wife’s death. He then had the watch parts reassembled into a “tree of life” connected to the diamond ring he had given his wife as a token of his love. The watch is now an art piece and an eternal tribute to their love. Lin Xi is the creator of this ingenious “time framer.” She is good at reassembling electronic items to create keepsakes to help their owners keep the memories of old days alive. Building a ‘life museum’ Since she came up with her innovative memento idea…