Innehållsförteckning för Vol.67/No.36 från Beijing Review

A-Share Market Index The China Securities Index company said on August 27 that a new stock index, the CSI A500, will be formally released on September 23. The index will track 500 securities with large market value and good liquidity, and reflect the overall stock performance of the listed companies most representative of China’s various industries, according to a company statement. With a sample selection including more leading companies in emerging industries such as information technology and biomedicine, the index is expected to help channel funds toward the cultivation of new quality productive forces. China’s new quality productive forces represent a strategic shift toward a more innovative, technology-driven and sustainable economic model aimed at achieving higher productivity, competitiveness and long-term growth. The launch of the new index will also reflect…

Huang Lu, a resident of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, took her children to pick wild mushrooms in the mountains of Ya’an, a city in Sichuan’s west, during the recently concluded summer vacation. “The round trip took just four hours, and we were back home the same day,” Huang told newspaper 21st Century Business Herald. “I feel satisfied because the children had a great time. It’s far better for them to be in nature than to stay at home playing with electronic devices.” Mushroom-picking tours have surged in popularity this year, largely due to an increase in rainfall in regions where mushrooms prized for cooking are known to grow, such as Sichuan and neighboring Yunnan Province. These tours are reasonably priced and cater to the growing trend toward personalized tourism.…

What role will Chinese trade and investment play in Latin America’s climate and sustainability efforts, particularly in Chile? To address this question, let’s explore an unconventional comparison through two recent science fiction films—one from China and one from the U.S.—which offer distinct visions of humanity’s future relationship with nature. In Avatar 2, a multi-planetary corporation exploits a pristine planet whose inhabitants, clearly inspired by Latin America’s Indigenous peoples, resist to protect their way of life. While the film concludes with a triumph of nature over industry, it does convey a grim message: Industrial development and environmental harmony are mutually exclusive, presenting a “pessimistic dystopia” where progress leads to ecological destruction. Conversely, The Wandering Earth 2, a Chinese blockbuster based on sci-fi author Liu Cixin’s novella, portrays humanity uniting in a…

In the spring of 1979, an elderly man drew a circle by the South China Sea… China entered a spring of renewed wonders… These are the lyrics to the song The Story of Spring, a melody familiar to every Chinese and of which most can hum a few lines. The song was released in 1994 and has become popular throughout the country since then. The “elderly man” mentioned in the lyrics is the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. The name of the song was inspired by Deng’s visits to south China, which usually took place in the spring. The lyrics allude to Deng’s reform and opening up policies. In December 1978, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) made a historic…

The 2024 World Robot Conference took place in Beijing from August 21 to 25. Over 600 products from 169 companies were showcased, including more than 60 newly launched items and 27 humanoid robots. The concurrent robot competition highlighted technological advancements, skill development and talent cultivation, drawing over 13,000 contestants from a dozen countries. A large audience attended the exhibition, eager to learn about the characteristics and capabilities of robots across different application scenarios. Comments to weiyao@cicgamericas.com…

The Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd. (COMAC) delivers two C919 planes, China’s first domestically produced large passenger aircraft, to Air China and China Southern Airlines at COMAC’s manufacturing center in Shanghai on August 28. This was the first time these two airlines received the C919. To date, the COMAC has delivered nine C919 aircraft, seven of which went to China Eastern Airlines. Since the first C919 plane completed its maiden commercial flight in May 2023, the C919 fleet has successfully completed more than 3,000 flights, facilitating over 400,000 passenger trips.…

FRANCE Team China enters the stadium during the Parade of Nations as part of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Summer Games Opening Ceremony at the Place de la Concorde in Paris on August 28 ITALY A man cycles past the Palazzo del Cinema on Lido Island, Venice, on August 28. The 81st Venice Film Festival runs from August 28 until September 7 on the island UNITED KINGDOM Prime Minister Keir Starmer (center) speaks in the garden at 10 Downing Street in London on August 27. Starmer vowed to “fix the foundations” of the country after “a decade of division and decline” PAKISTAN People search for victims after a bus fell into a ravine in Lasbela on August 25. Twelve people were killed and 22 others injured. The driver had lost control…

During the recently concluded summer vacation, students from Beijing’s Daxing No.1 Middle School discovered their city, one of China’s most populous, is also home to many large forest ecosystems. On a two-day visit to the Xiaolongmen National Forest Park in Beijing’s Mentougou District from August 12 to 13, the students learned about the city’s forest ecology under the guidance of researchers with the Beijing Forest Ecosystem Research Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Scientific exploration Co-organized by the school, the research station and Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Promotion Center, the students’ visit was made ahead of the second National Ecology Day, marked on August 15. Science-related holiday study tours for elementary, middle and high school students have become increasingly popular in recent years as an alternative to traditional…

The Chinese Government is increasingly championing social and economic rights, an area demoted by the West and in which China has achieved authority through its economic success over recent decades. Accordingly, China’s position enjoys significant support from the Global South. China’s practices and achievements in ending extreme poverty, securing the right to an adequate standard of living, promoting social equality and protecting the rights of disadvantaged groups, offer a distinctive “Chinese approach” on human rights development for all countries, in particular developing countries. From theory to practice Going beyond the discourse, the congruence between words and deeds can be seen from the concrete actions of Chinese diplomacy. For example, in the domain of international security, since 1990 China has deployed more than 50,000 blue helmets in around 30 United Nations…

This past summer was memorable for Nguyen Bao Chan, a senior from the Academy of Journalism and Communication in Hanoi, Viet Nam. He spent his summer participating in a program in Wuhan, Hubei Province, focusing on sustainable development and global youth communication. Launched by Wuhan University, one of China’s most esteemed higher learning institutions, the 2024 Luojia Global Summer School presented 11 innovative course modules to over 220 participants from more than 30 countries and regions. Through a combination of academic courses, group discussions and immersive field visits, the summer school established a dynamic international platform for exploring sustainable development from diverse angles. Participants not only gained academic insights but also an understanding of China’s approach to sustainability, cultivating a generation of youth ready to champion sustainable practices globally. “This…

Transport Forum The Global Sustainable Transport Forum 2024 will be held in Beijing on September 25-26, the Ministry of Transport said on August 28. The forum, themed Sustainable Transport: Logistics Connecting the World, aims to foster global cooperation and promote the development of a safe, convenient, efficient, green, economic, inclusive, and resilient transport system, the ministry added. Participants are expected to jointly release a series of practical outcomes during the forum, including initiatives related to implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promoting sustainable transport development. The forum will also feature multiple technical tours showcasing China’s innovative achievements in sustainable transport. These tours will cover areas such as autonomous driving and smart logistics, rural roads and urban-rural passenger transport, as well as international airports and rail transit.…

As we observe the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the 1949 Geneva Conventions (hereinafter referred to as the Conventions), which are deemed the most essential treaties in international humanitarian law as they provide a widely accepted and comprehensive framework for protecting individuals during armed conflicts, their relevance is underscored by the ongoing challenges in ensuring the protection of civilians, prisoners of war and the wounded. However, despite the universal agreement on these rules of war, their practical application more often than not faces violations, as evidenced by the numerous armed conflicts raging around the globe today. The Conventions comprise over 400 articles that articulate all-inclusive protections, including the prohibition of torture, the safeguarding of hospitals and medical staff, and the allowance of humanitarian aid. Responsible response In the face…

Xiamen in southeast China’s Fujian Province is one of Danijel Nikolic’s favorite cities, not just in China, but worldwide. As assistant secretary general of the government of Serbia, Nikolic has visited Xiamen twice, attending the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) in 2019 and 2023. This year, he plans to visit the city again. “Every visit deepens my connection to this city. Its vibrant economic landscape makes it truly special,” he told Beijing Review. The annual CIFIT is a big contributor to Xiamen’s dynamic economic landscape, especially in foreign investment and trade. Organized by China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the fair kicks off in the coastal city on September 8 every year. Over the past 23 editions, more than 30,000 project agreements have been signed, with most successfully…

In April 1899, 125 years ago, the first 790 Japanese arrived at the port of Callao, the principal seaport of Peru in South America, aboard the Sakuramaru, after a long journey from the port of Yokohama in Japan. This milestone was the beginning of Nikkei culture in Peru, a term to refer to Japanese emigrants and their descendants overseas—primarily in the Americas. José Carlos Feliciano Nishikawa is part of that history, with both native Peruvian blood and the legacy of his Japanese ancestors running through his veins. “My great-grandparents on my mother’s side came to Peru in the early 20th century from the prefectures of Fukuoka and Okinawa,” he said. Despite having grown up in the Peruvian capital of Lima, much of Feliciano’s exposure to Japanese culture and Asian cultures…