Innehållsförteckning för Vol.67/No.27 från Beijing Review

On April 1, 2017, a brief piece of news grabbed worldwide attention. China had decided to break ground on a “city of the future” that would advance coordinated development between Beijing, the busy capital city, and its neighboring Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province. The city, Xiongan New Area, some 100 km southwest of Beijing, has since become a symbol of China’s futuristic urban planning. With its emphasis on an open and innovative economy, green and low-carbon living and a high quality of life, Xiongan focuses on developing avant-garde industries such as next-generation information technology. Several Beijing-based universities have begun to build campuses there, which will assist in creating a large talent pool. The Beijing-Xiongan Intercity Railway, which opened in 2020, has strengthened connectivity between the two with one-way travel taking…

On August 29 last year, Chinese tech titan Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro Android phone hit the market and American tech experts were quick to dissect it to understand its inner workings. They soon discovered that the company had crafted an innovative device that supports 5G wireless network technology despite facing harsh restrictions in the United States that nearly decimated its smartphone business a few years ago. Upon examining the phone’s components, engineers found that it was powered by a 7-nanometer (nm) chip manufactured by Chinese chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co. (SMIC). This was not just a technological feat by Chinese engineers but a testament to the industry’s resilience and innovation. It left American engineers, and politicians, in awe. In February, international media once again reported significant breakthroughs in China’s semiconductor…

The Philippines on June 17 sent a supply ship and two inflatable boats into the waters near Ren’ai Jiao, or Ren’ai Reef, of China’s Nansha Islands, the second attempt following its intrusions in March. The Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) took control measures per the law, including warning, intercepting, boarding, conducting inspections, and forcibly driving them away, CCG spokesperson Gan Yu said later that same day, adding that the Philippines broke its promise by trying to deliver supplies to its illegally grounded warship, the tank landing ship BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57). “We once again sternly warn the Philippine side that all forms of violations and provocations are futile. The CCG will always remain on high alert and stand ready to resolutely safeguard China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” Gan…

TOP SCI-TECH AWARD WINNER Li Deren, a photogrammetry and remote sensing expert, became one of the two winners (see opposite page) of China’s top sci-tech award for 2023 on June 24. He was given the award, officially known as the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award, for his contribution to advancing the country’s capabilities in surveying and remote sensing for Earth observation. Li, 85, is celebrated for his knowledge of the core technologies of high-precision global positioning and mapping via satellite remote sensing. His team’s efforts have significantly advanced China’s satellite imaging capabilities for civilian applications, achieving a resolution of 0.5 meters and reducing the processing time for remote sensing data from hours to a mere eight minutes. These advancements have positioned China as a global leader in this field.…

China’s participation in international affairs has been increasing in recent decades. Its emergence as a leading voice among Global South countries has led many in the developed world to speculate about its intentions, assuming that China is orchestrating the overthrow of the current system and the establishment of a new one. However, China has largely been a beneficiary of the established, UN-centered international order and has no intention of trying to replace it. But while it’s strongly committed to upholding this order, China, along with many other nations, seeks to make amendments that would make it fairer. By pursuing these amendments, China hopes to promote greater balance within the international system, so that it better reflects the interests of all nations, particularly developing ones. Beijing Review recently spoke to Ma…

Gross ecosystem product, or GEP, is a measure of the value nature contributes to economic activity within a certain area. Measuring it creates the opportunity to factor the health of ecosystems into decision making for sustainable economic and social development. President Xi Jinping has advocated the idea that “clear waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” as an illustration to guide China’s green development philosophy. China began the calculation of GEP in 2015 and since then, it has become a crucial part of putting this philosophy into action. In order to improve the accuracy of GEP calculations across different administrative regions with diverse geographies, climates and cultures, the country has issued 16 GEP accounting technical specifications and guidelines—one set at the national level and 15 at local levels. The National…

In August 2023, Li Guangpu, a Ph.D. candidate researching automation at Tsinghua University in Beijing, along with 11 other Tsinghua students, embarked on an academic exchange program to the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Sea. Recounting the four-day visit, Li told Beijing Review that the experience they gained there built a foundation for their future endeavors in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. “Dominicans’ enthusiasm and easy-going personalities have left a deep impression on me, as has their eagerness to learn more about China,” Li said. “We received the friendliest welcome since day one. Owing to the geographical remoteness and the rather short diplomatic relationship, we (peoples from China and the Dominican Republic) know little about each other. But everywhere we went, people greeted us with cheers and claps as…

At a digital products shopping mall in Chaoyang District, Beijing, many consumers have been inquiring about “tradein” promotional activities for cellphones. Li Hang, a staff member at the store, informed People’s Daily newspaper that in April, more than 50 percent of customers purchased new cellphones through the “exchanging old phones for new ones” initiative. Li explained that consumers can receive discounts ranging from several hundred to several thousand yuan (or several tens to hundreds of U.S. dollars) based on the condition of their old phones. “The trade-in initiative has really boosted consumer enthusiasm for buying new phones,” Li said. Meanwhile, on JD.com, one of China’s largest e-commerce platforms, consumers can also trade in their old phones for new ones. The platform assesses the value of the old phone, which is…

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on June 25 offered his insights on how countries can jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth, with the world currently threatened by challenges of trade protectionism and unilateralism. The exploration of the next frontiers for growth should not be a zero-sum game but aimed at common growth for all, Li said when addressing the opening plenary of the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, in northeast China’s coastal city of Dalian, Liaoning Province. Running from June 25 to 27, the meeting was themed on Next Frontiers for Growth, and drew together more than 1,600 leaders from public and private sectors across nearly 80 countries and regions to generate ideas and insights on this timely topic.…

With birds chirping and lush plants swaying in the breeze, the shelterbelts in the once barren sand sea in Alxa Left Banner, a county-level administrative division, are brimming with vitality. Alxa Left Banner is part of Alxa League in the western part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The league, an administrative division corresponding to a prefecture, is home to three of China’s major deserts, the Badain Jaran, Tengger and Ulan Buh, which are major sources of sandstorms across north China, including in the capital Beijing. Through aerial seeding and other desertification control and afforestation efforts, two large shelterbelts have been built on the southeastern edge of the Tengger and Ulan Buh deserts. China suffered from significant desertification and sandification in the latter half of the 20th century. But this ecological…

Setting the scene. The year was 2014; summer was sweltering and this author found herself waiting for the elevator inside a high-rise residential compound, ready for a night on the town. Freshly showered, slathered in a neutral-smelling body lotion and adorned with a few spritzes of body fragrance mist, the notes drifted up to the Western nose like a pleasantly tickling symphony… Yet it seemed Chinese nostrils were flared. Upon stepping into the elevator, she overheard two young Chinese women standing behind her say: “Tai xiang la (Too strong).” Fast forward one decade, and we once again find ourselves inside an elevator. But this time around, a similar, equally light, body lotion and fragrance combo evoked a rather different reaction: “Hao xiang a (That smells nice).” A mere 10 years…

According to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, except for a small number of major tourist attractions, including the Palace Museum (the Forbidden City) and the National Museum, all scenic spots in Beijing have ceased requiring real-name online advance ticketing. Other cities, including Shanghai and Suzhou, have also announced they are scrapping advance ticketing. Real-name online ticketing has been widely adopted in China’s tourism sector in recent years, originally aimed at capping the daily number of tourists visiting each scenic spot during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost all tourist spots required real-name advance ticketing during that period, which met the intended goal of reining in spread of the virus. Since China adjusted its pandemic control policy in late 2022, more and more scenic spots have abandoned this now outdated…