Indholdsfortegnelse for Vol.67/No.40-41 i Beijing Review

While development is a continuous journey, it’s important to periodically reflect on the progress made. That is the essence of anniversaries: an ideal moment to contemplate the past and, more importantly, to look ahead. Seventy-five years ago, the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) marked the end of a century of turmoil caused by both foreign invasions and domestic conflicts. The economy was in tatters, with poverty widespread and modernization nothing more than a distant dream. Today, China stands as an upper-middle-income nation, free from absolute poverty. What truly matters isn’t just the facts and figures, but the momentum behind the progress. The Chinese people have been on a quest to find a path that suits the national context. Lessons learned from the ups and downs in the…

The U.S. House of Representatives in early September passed 25 (mostly bipartisan) new anti-China bills. Among these, media outlets have focused on bill H.R.1157, which authorizes the appropriation of over $1.6 billion in the next five years to support “independent” media and civil organizations to counter China’s influence globally. It has long been a routine U.S. Government tactic to spend money on manipulating public opinion to suppress its rivals, especially China. Here is an example of its operation. In May 2022, Zimbabwean newspaper The Standard published a report accusing a Chinese mining company of mistreating local workers, claiming that one worker had been injured, hospitalized and subsequently dismissed. However, another one of the country’s newspapers, The Herald, quickly refuted these claims with substantial evidence, confirming that while a dispute had…

● In 1991, China and ASEAN initiated the dialogue process. ● In 2002, China and ASEAN countries signed the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation, kicking off the process of building the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA). ● In 2003, China and ASEAN established a strategic partnership. ● In 2004, the first China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) was held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to boost CAFTA development and provide opportunities and platforms for economic and trade cooperation. ● In 2010, China became ASEAN’s largest trading partner, with the value of bilateral trade approaching $300 billion. The CAFTA was launched that same year. ● In 2013, the year in which Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, China and ASEAN countries adopted the declaration on the China-ASEAN Port…

Fashion, though often seen as a flimsy topic dangling on the fringes of the “serious content” spectrum, is a reflection of societal changes—as well as reveals deeper narratives. Nowhere is this more evident than in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). So, as the PRC celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding on October 1, this author, a Sinologist who explores China through the lens of, you guessed it, fashion, figured it was high time to decode the nation’s sartorial revolution over the decades—and what that tells us about its societal evolution. Buckle up! Fabric of society The year was 1949. The newly born PRC was still dusting itself off after many years of Japanese aggression followed by a civil war. Economic challenges were widespread, with even basic necessities like…

Recently, a screenshot of a staff recruitment notice from Baoshan University in Yunnan Province, southwest China, caused an online sensation. Among the seven people hired for the positions such as dormitory administrator and security guard, four hold a master’s degree. Some have expressed sympathy for these postgraduates, lamenting that these roles are a poor match for their qualifications and pointing to the perceived devaluation of advanced degrees. Others have argued that it may not necessarily be a waste of talent but rather a reflection of the country’s fierce job competition—or personal choice. They believe society should adopt a more open and rational attitude toward such employment scenarios. Yang Ruixin (Rednet.cn): In recent years, more and more highly educated graduates are taking up positions traditionally considered low status. This trend does…

China’s aspiration to become a global financial powerhouse is a big part of a broader strategy to elevate its influence on the world stage, diversify its economic growth and reduce dependence on foreign financial systems. As the world’s second largest economy, China has already made strides in economic and technological advancements, but building a world-class financial sector remains one of the country’s most important objectives. Beijing has long been a city of contrasts; it’s a vast place where ancient history and cutting-edge modernity coexist. The latest technological upgrade to the city’s subway system, allowing overseas-issued credit cards like MasterCard and Visa to be used for payment, is not just about convenience. It marks a new, considerable measure in the capital city’s larger agenda to position itself as a truly international…

Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon, with September 23 being the deadliest day since the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. On that day, Israeli Air Force bombings killed 558 people, including 50 children and 94 women, and wounded 1,835 others. These strikes targeted approximately 1,600 Hezbollah sites. The bombings followed a series of unusual and deadly attacks involving exploding communication devices. On September 17, hundreds of Hezbollah members’ pagers detonated nearly simultaneously across Lebanon. The following day, walkie-talkies exploded in the capital of Beirut, adding to the toll. The blasts killed 37 people and injured over 3,000. Hezbollah and the Lebanese Government blamed Israel for these attacks, which also affected civilians. Israel did not deny the allegations, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stating on September…

AEROSPACE STARTUP EXPECTS BETTER PERFORMANCE Deep Blue Aerospace, founded by rocket scientist Huo Liang, has announced it will carry out another high-altitude vertical recovery mission in November, after its reusable rocket Nebula-1 failed in the final stages of a test flight on September 22. The oxygen/kerosene-fueled Nebula-1, Deep Blue’s first reusable launch vehicle, completed 10 of the 11 key verification tasks during the test. “The true significance of the experiment lies in understanding unforeseen and unrecognized new issues. When unexpected situations arise, we gain new insights,” Huo said. Huo established Blue Space, a commercial aerospace company head-quartered in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, after leaving the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. Ltd. in 2016, two years after China first allowed private capital into its space sector. Busting Livestreamed Lies Gmw.cn September…

The guidance catalog for major technical equipment issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on September 9 has attracted widespread attention. Among the listed items is a deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machine, which operates at a wavelength of 193 nanometers (nm), with a resolution below 65 nm and an overlay accuracy under 8 nm. Its inclusion in the catalog, which aims to promote the use of listed equipment, signifies that China has made breakthroughs in high-end chip manufacturing. Lithography machines are among the most critical equipment in the production of semiconductors and integrated circuits, as the lithography process determines how small the transistors on a chip can be. The DUV lithography machine represents cutting-edge technology in global semiconductor manufacturing. China’s achievements in the research and development (R&D) of…

Viet Nam’s aromatic Trung Nguyen coffee, Malaysia’s Musang King durian, Thailand’s fragrant jasmine rice and Laos’ refreshing beer—what do they all have in common? The answer is they’ve all made an entrance into the vast Chinese market through the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), earning rave reviews from delighted consumers. ASEAN is the abbreviation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-member geopolitical and economic organization of countries in the region. On September 24, the 21st CAEXPO and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit kicked off in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Like a foodie’s fantasy come true and a business bonanza wrapped into one, the expo promised not just to tantalize taste buds but also to turbocharge trade ties between China and its Southeast Asian neighbors. In addressing the opening ceremony,…

Director Bai Tao labeled the production of the TV series Happiness Juncao as the pinnacle of his illustrious career. The series narrates the stories of a Chinese team that disseminates Juncao technology, a pioneering agricultural technology, abroad. Juncao is a versatile hybrid grass that can be used to produce edible mushrooms, serve as nutritious livestock feed, or act as an ecological barrier to combat desertification. Bai said that the core members of the production team initiated interviews and research for producing the TV series in early 2022, and filming commenced in June 2023. “The production spanned four months and was set across multiple locations, including Fujian Province in southeast China, Papua New Guinea and Fiji,” he said at a salon during the Beijing Culture Forum on September 20. The salon,…

On farmland in Yifeng Town, Lankao County in Henan Province, sweet potatoes are thriving. “We have sandy soil here, and the sweet potatoes we grow are very sweet,” Zhang Juqun, a local farmer, told Xinhua News Agency. As he spoke, he was monitoring information on his fields such as soil moisture, crop health, pests and weather on his cellphone. Meteorological devices and other monitoring equipment in Lankao’s fields collect data that are transmitted to the county’s smart agriculture service center. After data analysis and expert evaluation, practical guidance is sent to farmers for reference, leading to higher yields and higher quality. Efforts such as the application of advanced technologies are being rolled out across the country, contributing to China’s bountiful summer grain harvest this year, and are expected to bring…

The Flying Apsaras Awards, also known as the Feitian Awards, are China’s premier accolades for outstanding television dramas, comparable to the Emmys in the United States. This year’s ceremony was held in Xiamen, Fujian Province, on September 21. Winners included hit shows A Lifelong Journey, chronicling the lives of the fictional Zhou family over several decades—beginning in the 1960s, Blossoms Shanghai, set in 1990s Shanghai, and Three-Body, based on popular sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem. Comments to yanwei@cicgamericas.com…