Indholdsfortegnelse for Vol.66/No.38 i Beijing Review

On September 8, 10 awardees from around the world received special golden-colored orchids in Beijing. What they proudly took away were trophies in the shape of the celebrated flower. Initiated by China International Communications Group, a Beijing-based conglomerate with a mission to tell China’s story to an international audience, the Orchid Awards aim to honor non-Chinese individuals and organizations committed to strengthening cultural exchange and mutual learning between China and the rest of the world. In traditional Chinese culture, the orchid is known as the flower with a noble character. It is also a symbol of mutual respect, mutual learning, and harmony between peoples and between humans and nature. The name Orchid Awards is not only an elegant tribute to the achievements of the winners, but also an illustration of…

In recent years, the United States’ China policy has been looking increasingly like a recreation of its Cold War policies of years gone by. It is falling into a morbid obsession with China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Specifically, the enactment of several ill-intended laws on Xinjiang in the past few years is typical of U.S. neo-imperialism. Western powers in modern times, represented by the United States, are infamously known for being imperialistic. Before World War II, the main form of imperialism was the taking of land; however, after the war, imperialist countries, the United States in particular, seek to instead control countries where they have interests by flexing their military and economic muscles, taking advantage of international organizations under their control and their financial hegemony, together with attacking target countries’…

On September 9, at the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) event during the Group of 20 Summit in New Delhi, India, leaders of the U.S., India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union announced a memorandum of understanding on a large-scale global infrastructure project: the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). This initiative, dubbed the modern-day “Spice Routes” by the Indian media, claims to strengthen connectivity and economic integration between South Asia, the Arabian Gulf and Europe through the construction of railway and maritime networks. Many international relations experts have voiced their opinions that the IMEC is a copycat of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an initiative proposed by China in 2013 that aims to boost connectivity along and beyond the ancient…

‘The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in November 2022 concluded with a historic decision to establish and operationalize a loss and damage fund, but it made little progress raising climate ambition or cutting fossil fuel emissions,” a report released by the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Academy in Beijing on September 7 read. The document went on to say that the situation at COP27 shows how governments and corporations prioritize climate change issues and that meeting carbon emission targets remains a challenge. The report, titled Net Zeroing Based on Incentive Mechanisms and Carbon Markets, stressed that establishing incentive mechanisms through carbon markets and carbon pricing is an important way to address the significant financing gaps and promote technological progress. Carbon…

After adjusting its COVID-19 response measures in late 2022, China resumed granting tourist visas to international visitors on March 15. However, in the six months since then, the number of inbound tourists has no where near rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. While the number of visitors is growing, the usual scenes of international tourists gathering at China’s tourist attractions have not yet been seen this year, even during peak seasons. In an article, China’s Latest Problem: People Don’t Want to Go There, The Wall Street Journal said on August 3 that “Few international travelers are coming—another sign of decoupling between China and the West that could have negative repercussions for a long time.” According to the report, the number of tourists visiting China from sources including the United States, European countries…

The island of Taiwan had been part of China’s dynastic history for almost two millennia. The earliest references that document the development of Taiwan by the Chinese people are found in a book written in the year 230. Starting from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), all imperial central governments of China established administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Taiwan. While it succumbed to colonization by the Netherlands in the 17th century and by Japan in the 19th century, reunification with the Chinese mainland was achieved each time. After Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in 1945, the Chinese government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan through a series of internationally recognized, legally binding documents. Four years later, by the time the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was…

President Xi Jinping set a new goal during his inspection visit to Heilongjiang Province, northeast China, from September 6 to 8: to integrate the resources of technological innovation and pioneer the development of strategic emerging industries and industries of the future, so as to accelerate the formation of new, high-quality productive forces. But this goal not only applies to Heilongjiang; it goes for the country at large. According to Marxist theory, the productive force is the combined power of labor and the means of production (resources such as land, factories and raw materials) to produce goods and services. It is the ability to create wealth as well as the basic driving force for social development. The economic and social development before and after China adopted its pioneering reform and opening-up…

Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian Province, southeast China, was hit by a typhoon in early September, but as sunshine arrived in town once again on September 8, so did the 23rd edition of the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT). As one of the most influential international investment events in the world, the CIFIT is an important platform for promoting investment, distributing related information and discussing investment trends. This year, the fair attracted the participation of 102 countries and regions, with Brazil, Serbia and Qatar as the guest countries of honor, and introduced a groundbreaking addition—the Global Cooperation Exhibition Zone. The immense interest and excitement surrounding the fair were evident in the packed negotiation areas and conference rooms. Attendees from diverse backgrounds and industries seized the opportunity…

ALIBABA’S NEW CHAIRMAN Cofounder Joe Tsai became chairman of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group on September 10. The Taiwan-born Canadian businessman joined Alibaba in 1999 as a member of the company’s founding team and has served on the board of directors since its inception. He was chief financial officer until May 2013 and executive vice chairman until this month. He has been the initiator and driver of several of Alibaba’s strategic investments and plans to expand internationally. In 2014, he led the company to go public on the New York Stock Exchange. Tsai received his bachelor’s degree in economics and East Asian studies from Yale University in the U.S. and a juris doctor degree from Yale Law School. Brown Is the New Black Yangtze Evening Post September 5 As…

The widely anticipated 18th Group of 20 (G20) Summit in New Delhi, India, concluded on September 10 and issued a joint declaration. Overall, the gathering made some unexpected progress but failed to address the already dysfunctional global governance system. An overcast summit Due to the escalating competition between major countries, this year’s G20 summit was a cloudy and confrontational gathering from the very get-go. Compared with the Bali Summit in 2022 in Indonesia, this one witnessed even more contradictions and greater uncertainty. The confrontation between Russia and the West has intensified. In the second year of the Ukraine crisis, the opposition between Russia and the U.S.-led West on Ukraine has been expanding and deepening, and its impact has been felt at the G20 meetings at all levels. From the time…

By the end of the BRICS summit that took place from August 22 to 24 in South Africa, the BRICS group, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, had added six new members: Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran. The expansion undercuts mainstream Western media reports hyping divisions within BRICS. BRICS has surpassed the Group of Seven (G7) in global share of GDP. The addition of the six new members means that BRICS now makes up more than 46 percent of the world population and 43 percent of global oil production. BRICS countries have also moved forward with plans to begin trading outside the U.S. dollar. Still, stats and statements alone do not tell the full story. The group’s expansion marks…

Old habits die hard. With a passion for supersize sports events and the 19th Asian Games just around the corner, photographer Lu Baoquan does what he’s been doing for decades—grab his camera and head out to capture the excitement humming through the streets. “In September 1990, during the torch relay for the Beijing Asian Games, the first stop was Wulin Square in Hangzhou (capital city of Zhejiang Province, east China). I want to go there again,” Lu, who still has vivid memories of that year’s spectacle, said. Lu was 46 at the time and, to his surprise, when he arrived at the square, it was so crowded that he couldn’t even get through, let alone take pictures. Remembering those days, Lu still gets excited. “It was magnificent. I could feel…

In its cyan expanse, one finds the essence of clouds dissipating after a refreshing rain, while in its blush hues, the spirit of riverbank maple leaves in their vibrant grace—this is a poetic description given by a netizen to a porcelain cup from the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). When bathed in the soft glow of ambient light, the cup glistens with a captivating luminosity. The exquisite harmony of these contrasting colors is reminiscent of a crisp spring day. Due to its intricate glazing technique, known as underglaze red, and remarkably low success rate, porcelain of this style was once hailed as a gem of ceramic art. Sitting for years on a display rack at the Hangzhou Museum in Zhejiang Province, the sleeping beauty was recently awakened by Rainie Huang’s bewitching magic.…

In late July this year, I participated in a field trip organized by the China Agricultural University (CAU) for both African and Chinese students. I was fortunate to be one of the 11 African students selected for this enlightening experience. The first day of our field visit left an indelible mark on me. We had the privilege of visiting the Shiyanghe Experimental Station, nestled in the tranquil landscapes of Wuwei City, Gansu Province in northwest China. This station, operated by CAU, served as a National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Efficient Water Use of Oasis Agriculture. It is a shining example of innovative agricultural water-saving technology, paving the way for sustainable farming practices. Its establishment was crucial for addressing the water and ecological challenges faced by the Shiyang…