Indholdsfortegnelse for Vol.68/No.42 i Beijing Review

China’s growing enthusiasm for sports and fitness is bringing about a significant shift in consumption habits. The sports industry, buoyed by policy support, capital influx and technological innovation, has leaped from the competitive arena to become one of the country’s primary sources of growth. The momentum was accelerated on August 30, when the State Council issued a guideline to unleash the consumption potential of the sports sector and spur its high-quality development. Hailed by industry insiders as a blueprint for the future, the document sets an ambitious target: By 2030, China intends to cultivate a cohort of sports enterprises and events with global influence, propelling the domestic sports industry to a scale of 7 trillion yuan ($980 billion). This vision is being realized through composite consumption models. The integration of…

There was a time when the term “camping” was synonymous with journeying into the wilderness and staying away from the city. Now, on weekend afternoons, it’s common to see people resting in camping chairs on urban park lawns strewn with tents. Without the need for long trips or heavy equipment, urban camping is redefining how urban dwellers engage with nature—right in metroaccessible green spaces. There, the charm of the wild and the convenience of the city are no longer an either-or choice, but a harmonious balance that defines a new urban lifestyle. “When I bought this expensive but durable equipment about 10 years ago, my parents said I was crazy because we could never spare so many weekends to drive out of the city for camping,” 25-year-old Beijing resident Chen…

On September 20, a cargo ship left Zhoushan Port in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, bound for Europe. Instead of taking the usual route south to the Strait of Malacca, the ship turned northeast to traverse the Bering Sea and reach Europe via the Arctic. This new route, dubbed the China-Europe Arctic Express, is running between three major Chinese ports in Ningbo, Shanghai and Qingdao, and ports in Felixstowe in the United Kingdom, Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Hamburg in Germany, taking only 18 days. In contrast, a southbound trip takes 40 days via the Suez Canal and more than 50 days via the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Timeliness is a key competitive advantage in international trade, and the time-saving China-Europe Arctic Express will therefore open up more opportunities…

This summer, a grassroots amateur soccer tournament held in the coastal province of Jiangsu was stealing all the spotlight from China’s top professional league matches. Affectionately known as the Suchao, the Jiangsu Football City League features 13 teams representing the province’s 13 cities. With each team fiercely competing to defend the honor of its hometown, the tournament has become not only one of the year’s biggest sporting sensations but also a cultural phenomenon—one that taps into a deeply rooted sense of local pride. The game has consolidated its host province’s nickname, “loose-packed Jiangsu,” a playful nod to how, unlike most other provinces dominated by a single metropolis, Jiangsu is composed of 13 roughly matched cities, each with its own robust economy and distinct cultural character. While such “loose-packing” may suggest…

In recent years, the rapid advancement of AI has led to its widespread integration into academic research. The technology is transforming traditional methodologies and optimizing key processes—from data analysis and literature reviews to the generation of research hypotheses. Machine learning-based tools, in particular, enable researchers to efficiently query large-scale databases, identify complex patterns and extract meaningful insights, offering substantial gains in speed and accuracy over manual approaches. This acceleration not only speeds up the pace of discovery but also frees researchers to focus on higher-order tasks that require human creativity, critical thinking and judgment. Yet these opportunities are accompanied by substantial risks. The misuse of AI in scholarly practices—including generating academic content without disclosing the use of AI, fabricating data or manipulating citations—has raised serious concerns about research integrity and…

CHEMIST WINS INTERNATIONAL AWARD Zhang Tao, a professor at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has become the first Citation Laureate from the Chinese mainland for research that offers solutions for a cleaner, greener world. Selected by analytics company Clarivate, the international award recognizes research influence and citation impact comparable to that of Nobel Prize recipients. Clarivate announced this year’s 22 laureates in physiology or medicine, physics, chemistry and economics in Beijing on September 25. Zhang is renowned for the transformative technology of single-atom catalysis, which contributes to the sustainability of chemical processes. In 2011, Zhang and his team published a landmark paper in the journal Nature Chemistry, reporting the creation of a single-atom catalyst on an iron oxide support. The paper has since been cited…

The current international order, established 80 years ago, is now undergoing a major crisis of legitimacy and effectiveness. The challenges the world faces today are not just one-time events; they are signs of a larger problem. This is a reality characterized by significant deficits of peace, development, security, governance and trust. The unilateral actions of the very powers that used to support core international institutions, especially the United Nations, are slowly destroying their authority. This creates a dangerous paradox: As global problems like climate change, pandemics and the governance of AI become increasingly complex, the means for people to collaborate effectively is declining. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is not being implemented quickly enough, and there is a lack of governance in key new areas. This lack of legitimacy—the…

Low Earth orbit satellite constellations are networks composed of satellites operating in near-Earth orbit—typically at altitudes ranging from 150 km to 2,000 km. These satellites are distributed across different orbital planes and work together to perform a variety of functions. Examples include U.S. SpaceX’s Starlink project, China Satellite Network Group Co.’s GW Constellation project and Russia’s Sfera program. As of July 2025, the Starlink system alone had nearly 8,000 satellites in orbit, with plans to deploy up to 42,000 in total. However, such massive satellite systems also bring with them serious challenges in space debris management. Said debris refers to nonfunctional objects in space resulting from human activities, including defunct rocket stages and satellites, residual propellants, discarded mission components and fragments created by collisions between space objects. In other words,…

From Jinyang in Sichuan Province came the tongue-tingling green Sichuan peppercorns, from Shizhu in Chongqing Municipality, the blazing red chilies, from the Xilin Gol Grasslands in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the famed Ujumchin lamb, from Lipu in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, taro rich with earthy sweetness… At the booth of restaurant chain Banu Hotpot, renowned for its signature beef tripe, one side was alive with this colorful array of Chinese ingredients; the other, bubbling hotpots, where diners gathered around a simmering pot of broth or soup at the table and cooked their food to their liking, pulling in curious tasters from around the globe. The booth made its debut at the inaugural Global Geographical Indication Products Expo. Opening in Beijing on September 19 under the theme Driving High-Quality Consumption, the…

Driving up the winding mountain roads of Liangping District in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, travelers are greeted by slopes covered in dense bamboo forests. The fresh, leafy view hides a painful memory: Just over a decade ago, these same hills were scarred by unchecked pollution from mining and papermaking. Dust filled the air, streams ran dry and villagers recall nights when even the stars were hidden behind a thick haze. “It had to stop. The water was dirty, the land kept sinking and everything was dusty,” Chen Zongshou, Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Branch of Lieshen Village in Liangping, recollected. Shutting down the mines was not an easy choice. For a time, villagers were unsure as to how they could make a living. The district government sent…

Agriculture Crime China’s public security departments at multiple levels have made progress in a nationwide campaign since the beginning of this year against crime in the agricultural sector, solving more than 4,600 cases by the end of September involving illegal acts such as occupying agricultural land, Xinhua News Agency reported on October 6. The Ministry of Public Security said over 200 cases involving the production and selling of counterfeit or substandard seeds and other agricultural materials had also been cracked nationwide. The ministry said the public security organs will continue to take strong action against crimes that endanger the country’s food security. The ministry also urged the public to report any suspected illegal activities through its online reporting platform. Retired Teachers Reemployed The Central Government plans to hire 7,000 more…

On September 23, Chinese Premier Li Qiang made a landmark announcement at a high-level meeting on the Global Development Initiative (GDI) on the sidelines of the general debate of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly: China will not seek new special and differential treatment (SDT) in current or future World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. WTO agreements contain SDT provisions that give developing economies special rights and allow other members to treat them more favorably. These provisions include longer time periods for implementing agreements and commitments, as well as measures to increase trading opportunities for developing economies, among others. China joined the WTO in 2001 as a developing member. SDT provisions have allowed developing members to benefit from preferential terms in trade agreements. However, ongoing debates about SDT…

The much-anticipated Legoland Shanghai Resort, the first of its kind in China and the world’s largest version of the popular theme park, commenced its public operations on July 5. In August, the resort attracted nearly 300,000 visits with its eight immersive themed areas providing interactive rides, shows and attractions. Danish toymaker Lego Group has been exploring the Chinese market for decades, and currently has nearly 500 retail stores in more than 100 cities across the country. The Shanghai resort is a joint venture between British entertainment group Merlin Entertainments, which runs Legoland parks around the world, Denmark’s Kirkbi A/S, the parent company of Lego Group, and Chinese investors. It is the world’s 11th Legoland Resort. Located in Fengjing Town in Jinshan District, the 32-hectare resort is specifically designed for families…

The recent heroic actions of food delivery riders, who have gone well beyond their usual duties to provide emergency aid and rescue, are gaining public attention. A compelling example is that of Meng Shixiang, a food delivery rider in Beijing, whose bravery in protecting a young girl from harassment went viral online in June. While cycling in the nonmotorized lane in the city’s Xicheng District, the 14-year-old girl was targeted by a man aggressively pursuing her. Witnessing this perilous situation, Meng immediately intervened. Without hesitation, he stopped his delivery vehicle and positioned himself directly in front of the girl to form a protective shield. He firmly warned the aggressor, “Leave quickly, or I’ll call the police!” After the man fled, Meng assisted the girl in moving safely to the roadside.…

On September 16, nine government bodies including the Ministry of Commerce jointly issued an official document outlining measures the government will take to bolster the country’s service consumption. Encouraging primary and secondary schools across the country to introduce spring and autumn breaks is one of them. These short breaks are to be added to the spring and autumn terms while keeping the total instructional hours for the year unchanged by cutting the traditional winter and summer vacations. The news soon sparked heated discussions. Yuan Wenliang (Fjsen.com): In 2013, there was already a proposal to explore ways to arrange spring or autumn breaks for primary and secondary school students, included in a State Council document guiding national leisure and tourism. Zhejiang, Guangdong and Hubei provinces have piloted spring and autumn breaks.…