Indholdsfortegnelse for Vol.67/No.46 i Beijing Review

Despite an overall decline in the global openness index, China has made gains in this regard. A report released at the Seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai in early November showed China’s openness index rose to 0.7596 in 2023 from 0.6789 in 2008. The world’s, however, stood at 0.7542. The World Openness Index, gauging the openness of 129 economies, mirrors reality. The CIIE, for one, bears testament to China’s growing international engagement. Launched in 2018 as the world’s first national-level expo dedicated to imports, it aims to share the Chinese market’s huge potential. This year’s edition saw the participation of about 3,500 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions, including a record-high 297 Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders. While attracting business heavyweights, the CIIE takes an inclusive approach.…

Investment Rules Chinese authorities on November 1 released revised rules on foreign investors’ strategic investment in listed companies to encourage foreign investors to make long-term and high-value investments in the country. The revised regulations, jointly released by six government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce and the China Securities Regulatory Commission, now permit foreign natural persons to make strategic investments in listed companies. This marks a departure from the previous rules that only allowed foreign legal entities or organizations to make such investments. Under the new rules, the capital requirement for foreign investors who do not become controlling shareholders in listed firms has been lowered. The new capital requirements stipulate that foreign investors must have at least $50 million in total actual assets or at least $300 million in total…

At the Seventh China International Import Expo, which was held in Shanghai from November 5 to 10, a range of new technologies, achievements and innovative products made their debut, capturing the attention of international attendees. (Photos by Xinhua News Agency) Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon Comments to taozihui@cicgamericas.com…

After four years away from the White House, Donald Trump was re-elected president of the United States on November 5. Although this is an internal matter for the U.S., it has attracted global attention. During his first term, Trump clearly was not exactly favored by the Chinese people. In 2018, he initiated a trade war against China and heavily promoted the so-called “China threat” throughout his presidency. His administration implemented measures to restrict the entry of Chinese students, scholars and journalists into the U.S., and made unsubstantiated claims against China, such as accusing the country of being responsible for the origins of COVID-19, which severely strained China-U.S. relations. After Trump lost the 2020 election, many in China expressed optimism for the incoming Joe Biden administration, hoping it would adopt a…

Beijing’s China National Convention Center on October 31 transformed into a hub of international dialogue as the 25th China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education (CACIE) opened its doors. Themed Education for All, the Unknown and the Future, this year’s event, which concluded on November 2, welcomed over 5,000 participants, including education experts, policymakers, educators and innovators from more than 60 countries. Together, they went on to explore the evolving role of education in a world marked by rapid change. Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng in his opening address via video link stressed the central role of educational openness in China’s modernization journey. He emphasized the country’s commitment to expanding international youth exchange, fostering deeper cross-cultural understanding and nurturing a global perspective among teachers and students alike. Organized by…

Li Jingyu, a 10-year-old student from Peixin Primary School in Beijing’s Dongcheng District, has been an art enthusiast for six years. On November 3, one of her creations was exhibited at the capital’s Today Art Museum. “It is about my trip to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region this summer, where I got to create an intangible cultural heritage piece with a local craftsman in Kashgar City,” Li told Beijing Review. The young pupil added that she hopes her artwork will help children in China’s Taiwan region learn more about Xinjiang. The annual exhibition gathers hundreds of very young artists from both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. Its goal is to foster friendship and cultural exchange between children from both sides across the Taiwan Straits while providing them with opportunities to share…

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has long been a crossroads of Eastern and Western civilizations, dating back to its role as a thriving hub along the ancient Silk Road. It not only carries a glorious past, but also brims with vitality in the modern age, continuing to write a story that spans both time and space. On January 21, 2016, during his visit to Iran, Chinese President Xi Jinping published a signed article in Iranian newspaper Iran titled Work Together for a Bright Future of China-Iran Relations. In the article, Xi made two references to Saadi, a towering figure in Persian literature. First, he recounted Saadi’s extraordinary journey to the city of Kashgar, Xinjiang, in the 13th century. He then cleverly used Saadi’s poetry to praise how these two ancient civilizations,…

TABLE TENNIS PLAYER WINS CAREER AWARD Chinese table tennis icon Ma Long recently received the Outstanding Sporting Career Award from the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), recognizing his exceptional achievements in and contributions to the sport. Ma, 36, has competed in four consecutive Olympic Games since London 2012. Over his Olympic career, he has won six gold medals, becoming China’s most decorated Olympian. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, he clinched his first singles gold, completing a career Grand Slam. Five years later, in Tokyo, he defended his title, becoming the first male table tennis player to claim back-to-back Olympic singles titles and achieving the status of the first “double Grand Slam” champion in the sport. “The ANOC award represents not only my efforts but also those of the Chinese…

From November 5 to 10, the Seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) was held in Shanghai, attracting participants from 152 countries, regions and international organizations. Over the course of its first six editions, the CIIE generated over $420 billion in intended transactions. Additionally, more than 1,130 foreign enterprises and investment promotion organizations established targeted business connections across China. As the world’s first nationallevel exhibition focused on imports, the CIIE plays a fundamental role in supporting trade liberalization and economic globalization, while actively opening the Chinese market to the world. Since its debut at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai in 2018, the expo has evolved into a key platform for China to share development opportunities and elevate cooperation with multinational corporations. The expo sends a strong signal of…

The business environment of a place is not only reflected in the system of entry, but also in the way it is administered, including enterpriserelated inspections. As China has become more open to the world, its business environment has improved notably from the perspective of its system of entry. The country has implemented a negative-list approach for market access, which specifies areas where market access is restricted, lowered access thresholds, and created transparent market rules and a fair market environment. However, in recent years, some businesses have reported problems regarding supervisory inspections. In early October, the Ministry of Justice and the National Development and Reform Commission solicited public comments on the draft of a private economy promotion law. Most comments focused on inspections, commonly describing them as excessive, arbitrary and…

On the evening of October 27, a wild boar entered a section of a high-speed railway in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, resulting in a collision with a passing train. The incident caused equipment failures and led to the delay of several trains arriving at Nanjing South Station. Tragically, a train mechanic who exited the train to investigate the issue was struck by another train on an adjacent track, leading to his unfortunate death. Wild boars are increasingly being spotted not just in rural areas, but also in urban areas, where they’re more likely to come into conflict with human activities. On October 25, a wild boar weighing approximately 80 kg broke into a store in Jiande City in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province. While bystanders tried to drive it into an…

Disciplinary Inspection Fifteen teams of disciplinary inspectors had been stationed at 34 central Party and state departments to carry out discipline inspections as of November 5, according to an official statement released on November 6. This is the fourth round of routine disciplinary inspection launched by the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee. According to the statement, the new round of disciplinary inspection will focus on the duty performance of Party organizations in the targeted units regarding the implementation of reform plans, fending off and defusing major risks, ensuring full and rigorous Party selfgovernance, rectifying problems identified in inspections, and other issues. The inspection teams will be based at the units assigned to them for around two months, during which hotlines and mailboxes will be set up to solicit…

In an era where environmental conservation is increasingly urgent, the protection of migratory birds has become a big topic. These species not only indicate ecosystem health but also play vital roles in preserving biodiversity across different habitats. Beijing Review interviewed Jennifer George, Chief Executive of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP), a network dedicated to safeguarding migratory waterbirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), one of the world’s nine major migratory routes. With her extensive expertise in environmental conservation, George shared insights into the roles migratory birds play in ecosystems and the substantial impact their conservation has on biodiversity and ecosystem health. Edited excerpts of the conversation follow: Beijing Review: Could you elaborate on the ecological roles that migratory birds play in ecosystems and how their conservation impacts biodiversity and…

In the face of unprecedented turmoil and change, today’s world grapples with ever more complex difficulties and challenges. This highlights the urgent need for promoting win-win cooperation. At the 2024 Global Forum on Hehe Culture, which concluded in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, on November 3, participants from around the world agreed on the importance of fostering global cooperation and mutual understanding through Hehe culture—primarily represented by the principles of “harmony” and “convergence.” What is Hehe culture? Hehe culture is believed to have originated on Tiantai Mountain in Taizhou. Around 1,200 years ago in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the poet Hanshan traveled to Tiantai Mountain to live in seclusion, where he developed a close friendship with the monk Shide at Guoqing Temple. Together, these two figures became known as the “Two Saints…

Locking her smartphone in a desk drawer and taking out a feature phone before leaving the office every day is the strategy that Liu Xinran, a 26-year-old client manager at a trading company in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, applies to disconnect from work. Since adopting a basic phone in June, this ritual has helped her establish a clear boundary between work and personal life, as she often received work-related messages after hours. “Using a basic phone helps me avoid unnecessary notifications from work-related group chats. In case of emergency, I can still be reached by phone call,” she told newspaper Guangming Daily. For after-work activities like shopping or dining out, a basic phone’s functionality suffices. Liu refers to this practice as her “digital detox”—a conscious effort to disconnect from the…