Innehållsförteckning för Vol.68/No.34 från Beijing Review

This year, China will conclude the implementation of its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). First initiated in 1953, the plans are a key tool for achieving cohesiveness and continuity between China’s short-, medium- and long-term goals for economic and social development. The current plan has focused on improving China’s economic structure, becoming more open, transitioning to greener and higher-quality development drivers, and reducing the divide between rural and urban areas. Most notably during this period, China has elevated innovation to an unprecedented level of importance, with both the inputs and outputs of research and development reaching new heights. China has introduced its first domestically made aircraft carrier with electromagnetic catapult systems, its first domestically built large cruise ship and large passenger aircraft, the world’s first fourth-generation nuclear power plant, and its…

Though the drums of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Canada, Mexico, USA have yet to sound, soccer-related industries in Yiwu in Zhejiang Province, known as the world’s supermarket, have already scored their breakthrough into the global market. Balls of every size, supporter apparel, trophies and medals—in Yiwu International Trade City, the world’s largest wholesale market for consumer goods, a wide array of World Cup merchandise is already on display, and local enterprises are fielding early orders for tournament-related products. Wen Congjian, a vendor at the market, received more than a dozen orders for World Cup merchandise as early as two months ago. “We started designing supporter apparel for teams from the United States, Mexico, Brazil and other countries long ago, beginning with the host nations and most popular teams, and…

In the mid-20th century, the international order that underpins our world today emerged from the wreckage of World War II. The creation of the United Nations, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank reflected an unprecedented aspiration: To replace conflict with cooperation, chaos with rules and power politics with multilateralism. The victors of the war envisioned a framework that could secure peace, rebuild economies and promote collective progress. As one of the original founding members of the UN and a participant in the negotiations that shaped the post-war order, China was recognized for its role and its sacrifices during the conflict. Yet, due to the complexities of the Cold War geopolitics, the People’s Republic of China was excluded from direct participation in many of these institutions for nearly 30 years.…

American media routinely criticizes countries designated by the U.S. Government as geopolitical adversaries—such as China, Cuba, Venezuela and Russia—for alleged restrictions on free expression and deviations from liberal human rights norms. These nations are often branded “authoritarian,” accused of stifling speech, press and assembly—rights the U.S. claims to champion. Such accusations, however, rarely withstand scrutiny. Facts are cherry-picked, stripped of context and repackaged into moral indictments. American media seldom lies outright; instead, a decontextualized truth can sometimes be as powerful a tool for shaping discourse. Comprehensive investigation takes a backseat to storytelling that aligns with U.S. strategic interests. The goal isn’t truth—it’s persuasion. The hypocrisy is glaring. While Chinese, Russian or Cuban media are dismissed as “state propaganda,” American outlets perform the same function, just with subtler methods. The difference?…

From a single bamboo stalk to kitchenware, furniture and even computer mouse casings, Anji, a county in the eastern province of Zhejiang, is expanding its bamboo processing industry to cut plastic use and boost local incomes. Known as the home of bamboo in China, Anji, located in Huzhou City, now boasts around 72,000 hectares of bamboo forests. Last year, its bamboo processing industries generated an annual output of over 20 billion yuan ($2.7 billion), according to local authorities. Bamboo-related industries have brought locals tangible benefits, having created around 12,000 jobs in workshops and factories as of mid-2025, with an average annual per-capita income of 85,000 yuan ($11,840). Bamboo is considered an effective carbon sink—an ecosystem, natural or artificial, that absorbs and stores more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it…

CHINA’S FLAGBEARERS AT THE WORLD GAMES On August 7, acrobatic gymnast Shi Jingwei (right) and roller sports star Guo Dan led Team China into the Chengdu 2025 World Games opening ceremony as flagbearers. “I was so excited when I was told I’d be one of the flagbearers for Team China. I hope to showcase the vitality of the younger generation of Chinese athletes,” said the 23-year-old Shi, winner of four golds at last year’s World Championships. Guo, a champion of the World Championships, World Cup and previous World Games, also represented China in speed skating at the 2018 and 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Comparing her return to the World Games stage after last competing 12 years ago at the 2013 World Games in Cali, Colombia, she said, “Winning in Colombia…

June 28 marked a major step in China’s push to build a unified national electricity market. On that day, a new regional power exchange, linking the southern administrative divisions of Guangdong, Yunnan, Guizhou and Hainan provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, began trial operations with roundthe-clock trading and real-time clearing of transactions. The new exchange now constitutes the world’s largest and busiest electricity marketplace. With more than 220,000 registered entities and a daily trading volume topping 3.8 billion kilowatt-hours, this regional market now handles more electricity transactions than the United Kingdom, France and Germany combined. This is part of a broader trend in which the market plays a decisive role in allocating resources across the country. In a world where markets are resource, China’s colossal and fast-growing market remains one…

China’s summer box office champion, Dead to Rights, is a film about the Nanjing Massacre committed by invading Japanese troops. Set in December 1937, the story follows a group of ordinary Nanjing residents who, while hiding in a photo studio, risk their lives to secretly transport photographs taken by a Japanese military photographer out of the city. Those photos captured the atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese Army after the city fell. Over six weeks, the Japanese invaders massacred more than 300,000 people in Nanjing, including captured soldiers and civilians—many by burial alive—and raped or gang-raped over 20,000 women. During the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), the combined casualties of the Chinese military and civilians reached 35 million. When the Chinese Embassy in Japan shared the…

Corinna Mullin, adjunct professor of Political Science at John Jay College, City University of New York, the U.S., recently made her first visit to China. In an exclusive interview with Beijing Review reporter Li Wenhan, she shared her initial impressions of the country, comparative observations on China-U.S. differences, as well as perspectives on the prevailing narrative in the U.S. that portrays China as a global rival requiring containment. Edited excerpts from their conversation follow: Beijing Review: Could you share your experiences during your recent visit to China? From your observations, what similarities or differences stand out between China and the U.S.? Corinna Mullin: It has been a truly wonderful and eye-opening experience. I have spent close to two weeks traveling across several regions, visiting Northwestern University in Xi’an, Fudan University…

How do innovative development models—particularly in rural industrialization—contribute to integrated urban-rural transformation? The Pengshi Chuanxiong Modern Agricultural Industrial Park in southwest China’s Sichuan Province offers a compelling example. Its success presents insights not only into Chinese rural development but also into globally relevant practices for inclusive and sustainable growth. A new prototype Nestled between Pengzhou and Shifang, two county-level cities, the park has emerged as a beacon of regional cooperation and innovation. Built on the foundation of decades-long chuanxiong (Sichuan lovage, a perennial herb native to China) cultivation, it serves as a strategic centerpiece of the province’s broader rural revitalization agenda and a leading model of the province’s rural industrialization. China’s rural revitalization, a strategy introduced at the 19th Communist Party of China National Congress in 2017, promotes the economic…

‘Livinga happy life is the primary human right.” This quote from President Xi Jinping demonstrates China’s people-centered approach to human rights. China maintains that human rights should be evaluated through people’s lived experience of gain, happiness and security. This holistic approach explains why environmental quality is a key indicator—leading the Central Government to prioritize ecological rights in its landmark Fourth Human Rights Action Plan (2021-25) released in September 2021. On August 4, the author joined the weeklong Human Rights Action in China—2025 Inner Mongolia Tour. Think tank scholars and journalists from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Greece, Spain, Hungary and China visited Xilingol League and Hinggan League in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to observe local ecological protection and development efforts—a concrete example of China’s commitment to the principle that “lucid…

Between the rugged cliffs where the Yarkant River carves through the Taklimakan Desert, a 164.8-meter-tall colossus stands guard—the huge dam of the Altash Water Conservancy Project, the largest water conservancy project in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The project features a reservoir with a capacity of more than 2 billion cubic meters. Since it was put into operation in November 2019, the project has completely resolved the longstanding issues of flooding and drought in the Yarkant River basin. Talking about the days before the water conservancy project was completed, Maerjiangguli Tuersun, a local villager born and raised in Altash Village, some 7 km from the project, still feels the fear from that time. “Before the construction of the project, the village was plagued by natural disasters during the flooding seasons. The…

When I was invited to participate in a foreign experts’ tour of Hebei Province, north China, I was curious and excited to discover new perspectives on China. As a Mexican living in China since 2015, I have visited several provinces. However, I must confess that this was my first time in Hebei, and it was an unforgettable journey that filled my heart with happiness and inspiration. Over the course of five days, we experienced the richness of Hebei, which offers a fascinating blend of history, culture, natural beauty and modernity. Our first destination was Chengde, a city with a rich history and impressive natural surroundings. I was impressed by the Chengde Mountain Resort, surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery that provides a serene escape from the urban bustle; this place not…