Top diplomats from Quad countries held talks on Monday in Tokyo, expressing so-called concerns about the situation in the East and South China Seas and vowing to uphold so-called maritime order in the "Indo-Pacific region," which analysts viewed as another attempt targeting China's growth, with a bloc-confrontation mentality.

The analysts noted that hyping up the "China-threat" rhetoric is a typical US way of inciting security anxiety, so as to make some regional countries rely more on the US-led bloc. However, most countries know that making China a target of confrontation may largely suit the needs of Washington's elites, but not their own.

According to the Japanese foreign ministry, the Quad (the US, Japan, Australia and India) foreign ministers have reaffirmed commitment toward the realization of a "free and open Indo-Pacific." In a joint statement released after the meeting, ministers emphasized the importance of adherence to international law for the rules-based maritime order, including in the East and South China Seas. They also reaffirmed "strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion."

"We continue to express our serious concern about the militarization of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea," read the joint statement, "We also express our serious concern about the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, the increasing use of various kinds of dangerous maneuvers, and efforts to disrupt other countries' offshore resource exploitation activities."

Although China has not been directly singled out in the statement, analysts believe their implication for China is quite obvious.

In terms of the South China Sea disputes, the statement said that foreign ministers emphasized the importance of "maintaining and upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, and reiterate that the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on July 12, 2016 "is the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties." China has previously declared that the award is "null and void and has no binding force," due to its fallacies and unfairness.

Besides, foreign ministers also discussed the promotion of cooperation on maritime security, critical and emerging technologies, cybersecurity, and counter-terrorism. They also discussed the Korean Peninsula situation, the Ukraine crisis and the Middle East situation, according to the joint statement.

In response to the Quad meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a Monday press briefing that the Quad keeps chanting the slogan of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and all the while, it has been scaremongering, inciting antagonism and confrontation, and holding back other countries' development.

He said the Quad "runs counter to the overwhelming trend of pursuing peace, development, cooperation, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and will by no means gain any support." He described some external forces as "the biggest threat and challenge to regional peace and stability."

Quad is a US-led mechanism, and its joint statement shows that the US is attempting to bolster the bloc's build-up by hyping "China threat" rhetoric and inciting security anxiety in the region, so as to make some regional countries rely more on the US-led bloc in terms of security, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.

Quad is a currently more about a partnership, but not yet an alliance. The latest statement suggests that the US is likely to further manipulate other parties with more coordinated actions, to enable Quad to evolve in the direction of a true alliance, Li said.

This means that the quad is likely to become a major source of creating antagonism and confrontation in the Asia-Pacific region, Li said.

Quad foreign ministers' meeting came after a US-Japan 2+2 security talks on Sunday, when they portrayed China as "the greatest strategic challenge" facing in the region. They agreed on upgrading the command and control of US forces and strengthening American-licensed missile production there, according to AP.

Earlier on Sunday, defense chiefs from the US, Japan and South Korea held a trilateral meeting in Tokyo, they vowed to strengthen cooperation to deter "nuclear and missile threats" from North Korea and formalized a trilateral agreement that would "institutionalize" security cooperation among their defense authorities, including senior-level policy consultations, information sharing, trilateral exercises, and defense exchange cooperation, according to CNN.

Strange bedfellows

Before the Quad meeting, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday on bilateral ties and regional and global issues. In terms of the Quad meeting, Western media commented that any criticism of Moscow by the bloc could be "awkward for India," whose Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just met with Vladimir Putin this month and displayed close ties.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Australia in June and attended the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said that Australia is pleased to see that current Australia-China relations are stabilizing and improving.

About a week ahead of the Quad meeting, from July 21 to 25, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu held the 16th round of China-Japan strategic dialogue with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano in Tokyo, and held the 10th round of the high-level strategic dialogue between the foreign ministries of China and South Korea with South Korean Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong-kyun in Seoul, according to Xinhua News Agency.

"Those interactions are examples that can explain why the Quad joint statement did not name China directly, but dealt with the related issues in an obscure way," a Beijing-based expert told the Global Times on Monday, requesting anonymity.

"The Quad is divided over its handling of relations with China and many other issues … It is a relatively loose mechanism for strange bedfellows," he added.

The US can't get India to break off ties with Russia and fully embrace the US, while Japan and Australia have close ties in trade and people-to-people exchanges with China, and they can't afford to become vassals of the US at the expense of their own strategic interests, the expert noted.

Making China a target of confrontation may largely suit the needs of Washington's elites, but it isn't in line with the interest of the vast majority, he said.

Following the Quad foreign ministers meeting in Tokyo, Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are expected to travel to Manila, where they will meet with their Philippine counterparts for a US-Philippines 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

The Japan and Philippine trip are part of Blinken's 18th trip to "Indo-Pacific" region since becoming Secretary, according to the US Department of State. And the trip, covering Laos, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Mongolia, lasts from July 25 to August 3.

Blinken's Asia trip is shadowed by the domestic political chaos in the US, including US President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the Presidential election.

Different candidates in the US have conflicting ideas on how to treat allies, which brings great uncertainty to the future foreign policy of the US, and that inevitably make many countries, including Asia-Pacific nations, doubt and even be wary of the credibility and consistency of the US policy, Li said.

"Blinken's trip served a strong purpose of reassurance, mainly to convince allies that US policy in the Asia-Pacific region and its security policy toward allied partners would not change because of domestic chaos," Li said. "At the same time, the US is conveying to allies that they need to continue to follow its lead in strategic competition with China and Russia."

"In fact, the US move is an attempt to consolidate its own hegemony at the expense of regional security, stability and prosperity, and even the interests of its allies themselves," said Li. "This means that in the long run, the US may not achieve its goals."

The ongoing official visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to China raised high expectations among the business community for its potential boost to bilateral economic and trade ties, in which both sides are highly complementary.

The visit, which takes place from Saturday to Wednesday, is highly anticipated by both Italian and Chinese enterprises with investments in mind, Fan Xianwei, secretary-general of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Italy (CCCIT), told the Global Times in an interview via email over the weekend, noting that "the visit is expected to bring new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, reflecting the shared aspirations of both nations."

"Chinese enterprises hope that with the exceptional political wisdom of leaders from both sides, Meloni's visit will foster deeper development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Italy, reject ideological biases, advocate economic globalization, and create a favorable and equitable business and investment environment," Fan said.

The visit came as China had just concluded its third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, during which important policies were unveiled, reflecting China's resolve to deepen reform and opening-up, a message that has been welcomed by the international business community.

Meloni's visit to China aims to further build up mutual trust while expanding cooperation despite Italy's previous withdrawal from the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, Zhao Junjie, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of European Studies, told the Global Times.

"Meloni is expected to secure more cooperation in major projects with great potential, while driving economic development and bringing back vitality to some of its previously thriving sectors and enterprises, such as the manufacturing industry, and new energy by cooperating with Chinese enterprises," said Zhao.

China and Italy continue to deepen practical cooperation and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. China is Italy's largest trading partner in Asia, with bilateral trade exceeding $70 billion for three consecutive years, Chinese Ambassador to Italy Jia Guide said in an article published by the People's Daily on Sunday.

China and Italy are highly complementary in the fields of agricultural and food products, biomedicine and e-commerce, Jia said.

The Italian prime minister's visit also comes as the EU is imposing additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, a move that has received wide opposition within the bloc and posed concerns about a possible trade war between the two major trading partners.

Looking at EU-China relations, Fan agreed that despite overall development in recent years, new issues and challenges have emerged. In particular, the European Commission's recent introduction of trade protectionist policies and regulations has added complexity and uncertainty to China-EU relations.

"Meloni is a pragmatic politician, and both Italy and China can accommodate and respect each other's differences from a broad historical and civilizational perspective... Her visit to China is expected to bring new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, reflecting the shared aspirations of both nations," Fan further noted.

"Yushu City is part of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and it boasts an average altitude of over 4,000 meters. The oxygen content in the air is only about 60 percent of that in Hangzhou, but as long as I sit in an aerobic library for a short while, my blood oxygen saturation will rise from 88 to 94," said Li Haixian, a member of the Party Group of the Education Bureau of Yushu and the "Lighting-up Yushu" public welfare team of the State Grid Hangzhou Power Supply Company.

On June 25th, Li went to Haxiu Township Central Boarding School to unveil the plaque for the fourth aerobic library in the city.

Along the way, Li said a large amount of research has shown that although children growing up at high altitudes have adapted to low air pressure, lower blood oxygen levels still slow down their thinking.

"So, the children in Yushu need a place to learn where they can have sufficient oxygen, that place is the aerobic library."

Oxygen and books

"Do you know why places bitten by mosquitos itch? This book says it's because mosquitoes leave saliva on us."

Before the official unveiling, several students from Haxiu Township Central Boarding School eagerly walked into this brand-new library. Sixth-grader Yongzhuoma was holding a book called One Hundred Thousand Reasons and sharing interesting bits of information with her classmates.

"The children seem to really like this library," Li said.

The library was created out of an 18-square-meter container, and the exterior painted in white, green and blue. Inside the space, facilities such as oxygen production machines, heating and multimedia are available to the public.

According to Xu Guofeng, a volunteer of the "Lighting-up Yushu" public welfare team, there are currently more than 1,000 books in the library, including cartoon picture books and classic literary works, suitable for students of all grades to read.

Yongzhuoma told reporters that there was a reading corner in the school, but it was not well supplied and the number of books was limited. "Reading in the new library feels very cosy and relaxing," he commented.

Yongzhuoma's classmate Cai Rensang Zhou said, "The reason why I like it is  simple. There are no tables or chairs in the school's reading corner, so I can only read standing up, but here I can sit and read in peace."

Cai Rensang Zhou pulled out a picture book called Marine Life from the bookshelf. After carefully flipping through a few pages, he pointed to a pine leaf crab and said, "Look, this crab has long legs. I really like the ocean, but I haven't been to the beach. This book allows me to see many animals that are only found in the ocean."

Continuous endeavor

The concept of building an aerobic library was proposed by Li to the "Lighting-up Yushu" public welfare team in 2018. After multiple revisions to the plan, the first aerobic library was established in 2020 at Dejiling Primary School in Longbao Town.

"Our original intention was to provide a place for children to calm down and read books. On the plateau, a suitable oxygen concentration is a prerequisite to learning," said Li. "We hope that children can be empowered by books and one day step out of the mountains to see the outside world."

Ang Ga, the principal of Dejiling Primary School at the time, said that before 2018, the school did not have funds to open a dedicated library. Since the opening of the aerobic library in 2020. However, the school has arranged dedicated librarians to take care of the reading materials and manage the space.

"We have assigned full time staff to the library in order to make the most of this library and extend its opening hours as much as possible," Ang Ga said. The librarians also fulfill a teaching role, providing children with reading classes.  "Every Wednesday afternoon, students can take books out of the library to read, or bring them home," Ang Ga explained.

At present, there are tens of thousands of books of various types in the aerobic library of Dejiling Primary School, and they are updated every year, mostly through donations.

With the continuous efforts of the "Lighting-up Yushu" public welfare team, there are now four aerobic libraries serving thousands of students on the plateau at an altitude of over 4,000 meters, allowing them to read any books they like in a comfortable environment.

"Our plan for the future is for Yushu to add one more aerobic library to the existing ones every year, said the volunteers of the" Lighting-up Yushu "public welfare team.

Japan's Nippon Steel will withdraw from a joint venture with Shanghai-based Baosteel, Nikkei Asia reported on Tuesday. As a result, Nippon Steel's steel production capacity in China will be reduced by 70 percent. This is undoubtedly regrettable.

At the beginning of China's reform and opening-up period, Japan's Nippon Steel offered assistance and support to Baosteel in plant construction, personnel training and so on. The Japanese steel enterprise established a close cooperative relationship with Baosteel. In the meantime, Nippon Steel successfully increased its presence in the Chinese market.

Nikkei Asia said in its report that Nippon Steel's withdrawal marks a turning point in a decades-long relationship that was "a symbol of China's progress in modernizing its steel industry." This is something of an overstatement, but that doesn't mean the Chinese people aren't willing to express their appreciation for the contributions multinational enterprises have made to the Chinese economy. 

Nippon Steel, like many other foreign enterprises, has made overall positive contributions to the country's economic development, although there are inevitable conflicts even in mutually beneficial cooperation. It is regrettable to see the Japanese giant reduce its steel production capacity in China.

Japanese automakers are the main customers of the joint venture, Baosteel-Nippon Steel Automotive Steel Sheets (BNA), which was established in 2004 as a 50-50 joint venture between Nippon Steel and Baosteel. Japanese automakers are facing fierce competition in the Chinese market due to the rise of local electric vehicle (EV) makers. Nippon Steel has concluded that it would be difficult to expand its business here, and instead will concentrate its investment resources in the US and India, according to Nikkei Asia.

Over the past few decades, Japanese cars have achieved commercial success in the China market and have also brought a long supply chain that serves them. But Japanese cars are now facing various challenges, so the industry chain that supports them is also undergoing transformation and upgrading. This is normal, and it's an inevitable result of China's economic growth and the increased competitiveness of Chinese enterprises.

China's auto market is expanding. Both output and sales set new records in 2023. Output exceeded 30.16 million vehicles, up 11.6 percent year-on-year, and sales exceeded 30.09 million units, up 12 percent, according to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. 

The monumental development of China's auto industry is a vivid display of the success of China's industrial upgrading, as well as the vast potential and broad scope of the auto market. In particular, the rapid growth of China's EV market has brought economic dividends to Asian economies. Those dividends underlie the development of the Asian supply chain. 

China always welcomes foreign companies, and it has pledged to further open its economy to overseas firms, allowing them to share the dividends of China's economic growth. We hope foreign-funded enterprises can seize new opportunities in the China market and share the dividends brought by China's economic transformation and the growth of emerging industries. There is great potential for cooperation.

Recently, some Western media outlets have been sensationalizing the rhetoric of "foreign capital leaving China," which is a new round of bad-mouthing of China's economy.

During a period of economic transformation, some foreign-invested enterprises in traditional industries are temporarily facing challenges. However, it should be seen that China has always treated foreign companies as important players in the Chinese market. The country is willing to share the dividends brought about by emerging industry growth with foreign investors.

China's market is open, and it is normal for foreign capital to enter and leave. There is no need to read too much into Nippon Steel's withdrawal. China is expected to further accelerate its economic transformation and upgrading, which will offer many opportunities for foreign investors, especially in emerging industries. We hope that foreign companies can explore the opportunities brought by China's economic transformation.

As long as the Chinese economy continues to grow, investment structure continues to optimize and consumer market continues to expand, China's attractiveness to foreign investment will continue to increase. 

China has initiated the work of rotating Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) presidency for 2024-2025 and will host the SCO summit in 2025, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press conference on Monday. 

China will strengthen cooperation in political, security, economic, and cultural fields with SCO members over the following year, Mao said.

China aims to leverage its role as the presidency to build together with SCO members a common home based on solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship, as well as fairness and justice, Mao said.

By working together with other SCO members, China seeks to promote the building of a closer SCO community with shared future, making greater contribution to the regional and world peace, stability, development and prosperity, Mao said. 

The SCO has created a win-win and peaceful development path, built an example of new international relations and made important contribution to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Mao said. 

During the 24th SCO summit, China proposed that 2025 be designated as the SCO Year of Sustainable Development so as to help the SCO members focus on fostering new forces for growth, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

China welcomes all parties to use the Beidou Satellite Navigation System and participate in the development of the International Lunar Research Station. China will provide at least 1,000 training opportunities in the use of digital technology to fellow countries in the SCO in the next three years, according to the report.

The SCO, founded on the principles of the Shanghai Spirit, has grown from six to 26 member states, making it the largest regional cooperation organization in terms of geographical coverage and population. 

Chinese battery producer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co (CATL) on Thursday evening dismissed a foreign media report claiming that the company is in talks with Russian company Nornickel to build a plant, together with several other companies, somewhere in China. 

The remarks were made in responding to question by jiemian.com, after Reuters reported on Thursday, citing three unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter, that Nornickel has approached several Chinese battery companies including CNGR Advanced Material and Brunp Recycling, a subsidiary of CATL, over plan to build a joint plant producing nickel material from Russian-semi-finished products. 

The metals giant is in the middle of trying to move significant amounts of production away from Russia to major consumer China, bidding to circumvent Western sanctions against Moscow over the Russia-Ukraine war, Reuters reported.

The plant would produce nickel sulphate, a form of nickel used to make batteries for electric vehicles, from Russian nickel matte, a semi-finished product, Reuters reported, citing another source.

CATL stated, in responding to Jiemian.com on this matter, that the corresponding reporting by Reuters was not true.

According to official information from CATL, the company has a global energy storage market share of 40 percent and has successfully implemented over 1,000 energy storage projects in more than 40 countries and regions. Its power battery system usage has ranked first in the world for seven consecutive years, and its energy storage battery shipments have ranked first in the world for three consecutive years.

According to official information from CATL, the company holds a 40 percent share of the global energy storage market and has successfully implemented over 1,000 energy storage projects in more than 40 countries and regions. Its power battery systems have ranked first globally in usage for seven consecutive years, and its energy storage battery shipments have ranked first globally for three consecutive years.

China will continue to diversify sources for soybean imports following China's reported first soybean purchase from the US in 2024, which came in about seven months late. The move aims to further safeguard a stable supply as the country still depends on soybean imports alongside its growing domestic production, observers noted.

The comments were made after the US Department of Agriculture on Wednesday local time announced that private exporters reported sales of 132,000 metric tons of soybeans for delivery to China during the 2024-25 marketing year. 

The deal is reportedly China's first purchase of US soybeans for the upcoming season, which came well behind the time when China usually starts booking US soy cargoes, according to Bloomberg on Thursday. The report said that China started to buy US supplies in December 2022 for the 2023-24 year - roughly beating this year's timeline by about seven months.

China's soybean imports in 2024 are likely to remain stable or marginally increase, with the major sources concentrating in Americas including Brazil and the US, Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Rural Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

Li noted that Brazil has remained the largest soybean export for China due to the strong competitiveness of local soybeans and stable trade relationship with China, leading to a relatively low uncontrollable risk for Chinese importers. 

Li said that China still needs to import soybeans from the US, while the timeline [for Chinese importers placing orders] was a result of US' volatile policy settings and risk management efforts taken by Chinese importers. 

The order placed by Chinese importers was a choice made to maximize commercial interests based on market demand, Gao Lingyun, an expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.

In the first five months of 2024, Brazil, the US, Canada, Russia and Argentina remained China's top five soybean importers in terms of value. China imported $12.56 billion of soybeans from Brazil, followed by the US with $6.25 billion and Canada with $531 million, according to data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC).  

Other countries including Benin, Ukraine, Uruguay, Ethiopia, and Tanzania also remained some of China's major soybean suppliers, per the GAC data.  

Observers stressed the importance of China continuing to diversify soybean importers as the country still depends on the international market. 

Diversifying sources will minimize the import risks for China solely relying on a few major importers, as supply may be disrupted by multiple factors such as weather, trade restrictions, as well as uncertainties resulted by changes in local industrial and supply chains, Li said. 

Li expected the major trading partners for soybeans will still be in Americas, while there is potential to further explore in Africa and Europe. 

Outside of promoting sustainable soybean imports, China has also been ramping up efforts in bolstering the domestic production. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China will continue to expand the soybean planting area to above 150 million mu (10 million hectare) this year. The government will support the northeast region to develop the whole industrial chain of soybean processing and soybean-related agricultural products.

Editor's Note:

When it comes to Tanzania, one must remember the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, operational since 1976. Constructed during challenging times for China, this vital transport link was a lifeline for the development of African countries, deeply cherished by both sides. Over the years, cooperation between China and Tanzania has grown even closer, particularly in infrastructure, yielding abundant results. On the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Global Times (GT) reporter Yin Yeping conducted an exclusive interview with the Ambassador of Tanzania to China Khamis Mussa Omar (Omar), who shared insights on the bilateral cooperative achievements and new opportunities. The ambassador said that Tanzania needs responsible investments, while Chinese entrepreneurs value a secure investment environment, presenting a promising future match. He also rebutted claims of debt traps, emphasizing that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has played a crucial role in fostering African development.
GT: This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Tanzania. What achievements have you seen in the bilateral ties over the years, and how do you envision further strengthening this relationship?

Omar: Our two brotherly countries have enjoyed excellent all-weather relations for the past six decades. Mainly this has been possible due to mutual trust, sincerity and good faith. The mutual satisfaction on the fraternal relations led to its elevation to the comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership status in November 2022. Together, the two sides boast of major accomplishments during the six decades. These include a solid friendship of the two peoples heightened by many exchanges of high-level visits; major economic gains through bilateral trade and investments; cultural exchanges strategic cooperation; human capital development and technological sharing and humanitarian cooperation including on health and disaster management. Going forward, I only see the relations deepening in all spheres for a shared prosperity of the two people.

GT: How has Tanzania's economic development benefitted from its cooperation with China, given China's status as its largest trading partner for many years? In what sectors do you envision potential for future collaboration?

Omar: As you have rightly put it, Tanzania benefits from China's remarkable economic progress since its reform and opening-up. While still developing, China has become the second largest economy in the world. It has become both a recipient and a source of foreign investment. Equally, with her status as the global manufacturing powerhouse, China's economy is more integrated with the rest of the world now than ever before. Tanzania has benefitted in both these crucial areas, trade and investment thereby spurring our economic growth. China has also benefited through the development of its private sector, especially in engineering and construction through its contractors who lead in infrastructure development, be it ports, airports, energy, railway, roads and telecommunication infrastructure. Looking ahead, I see more partnerships being forged between Chinese and Tanzanian private enterprises for win-win alliances in industrialization through mining and mineral development, agriculture and agro-processing, light manufacturing, blue economy and new energy. Untapped investment opportunities still exist in logistics, tourism and related services.
GT: How do you evaluate the benefits brought to Tanzania through joint construction under the BRI? How can both sides enhance their collaboration in the years ahead under this initiative?

Omar: The BRI has injected new impetus in trade and investment cooperation. Its emphasis on connectivity, economic transformation, seamless trade and human capital development augers very well for China-Tanzania's socio-economic aspirations. Through the program Tanzania has benefited in improved maritime and aviation connectivity with China, enhanced production through the creation of industrial parks as well as further development of key infrastructure including energy generation and transmission, improved roads network and ports expansion, both sea and airports.

Fortunately, the BRI is still a work-in-progress. The two sides are bound to mutually benefiting through deepening cooperation on all the mentioned areas. Tanzania needs more responsible investment; Chinese entrepreneurs need a safe investment destination. The future offers a perfect match.

GT: There have been some assertions from certain Western media claiming that the BRI has resulted in a so-called debt trap. How do you respond to this?

Omar: Africa faces multiple developmental challenges that continue to work in a vicious circle of poverty, low production and productivity, very acute economic transformation, environmental degradation due to over consumption of certain resource and very limited fiscal space. As such, we are in a situation of multiple traps, which play as a low-level equilibrium. Global economic history taught us that an "external big push" might be necessary to be able to jump from a vicious to virtuous circle. Overseas development assistance, including concessional borrowing might be an important part of such big push. Of course, fiscal prudence is a necessity, including a watch on sovereign debt levels and dynamics. On this regard, Africa has been raising its voice on the need for broader reform of international development financing architecture. In my view, the African predicament is a deeply rooted structural issue. Indeed, the BRI has extended a critical helping hand on this regard.

GT: China's burgeoning new energy industry stands at the forefront globally, speeding up green development. How do you envision China's new energy sector helping Tanzania on its own green transformation?

Omar: I have visited several provinces since my arrival in China eight months ago. I have witnessed inspirational innovations by Chinese companies on the new energy sector, like many others. Broadly, China plays an important role in addressing climate change and carbon emission, thanks to its efforts and investment in research and development. There is a very broad potential for cooperation on green transformation between our two countries, beyond the current level that only covers limited green energy generation, mainly through transactional arrangement. Electric vehicles, investing in development and storage of different forms of green energy are some potential areas for further cooperation.

China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced on Monday that the country's 144-hour visa-free transit policy has been expanded to three more entry ports, taking the number of Chinese ports covered by the policy to 37. 

The move marks the ramped-up effort by Chinese government to facilitate international travel and opening-up with more convenient visa policy.

The three new ports are Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport in Central China's Henan Province, Lijiang Sanyi International Airport in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, and the Mohan railway port in Yunnan, the administration said in a statement.

Starting from Monday, the 144-hour visa-free transit policy at the Zhengzhou airport will allow visitors to travel within the administrative region of Henan. Additionally, the specific area covered by the 144-hour visa-free policy in Yunnan Province will be expanded from Kunming city to include eight other cities and regions within the province.

With the new addition of entry ports, the NIA has implemented the 144-hour visa-free transit policy in a total of 37 ports in China.

Foreign citizens from 54 countries including the US, Canada, and the UK who enter China through the designated entry ports and hold valid international travel documents and connecting tickets to a third country within 144 hours, will be allowed to stay in designated areas for tourism, business, and visiting relatives visa-free for 144 hours.

The NIA said that the 72/144-hour transit visa-free policies, implemented since January 2013, has played a crucial role in supporting the nation's high-level opening up and facilitating international travel and exchanges. 

The expansion of the visa-free transit policy in Henan and Yunnan provinces will offer foreign citizens more options when traveling to China for tourism and business. 

According to NIA, the total number of visa-free entries made by eligible foreigners exceeded 8.54 million in the first six months this year, accounting for 52 percent of the inbound trips during the first half year and representing a year-on-year growth of 190.1 percent.

Editor's Note:

Since 1978, China has made remarkable achievements in economic and social development. Many of the things that were unthinkable, unimaginable in the past have now become reality. Today, looking back, why did China choose to reform and open up in the late 1970s?

From the early 1980s to the present, Chi Fulin, head of the Hainan-based China Institute for Reform and Development, has devoted almost all his time and energy to researching China's pathway toward reform and development. Almost the same age as New China (referring to the People's Republic of China which was founded in 1949), he has witnessed the whole process of the country's reform and opening-up, during which time he realized that it is the only way for China to develop, and it is a key move that determines the future of the country.

Recently, Global Times reporter Cao Siqi spoke with Chi, who shared his stories from throughout key moments in the reform and opening-up. During the interview, he conveyed a clear message: China's reform and opening-up is not yet completed, and it needs the young generation to carry it forward in the next step.

This story is also part of the Global Times' "Witness to History" series, which features first-hand accounts from witnesses who were at the forefront of these historic moments. From scholars, politicians and diplomats to ordinary citizens, their authentic reflections on the impact of historical moments help reveal a sound future for humanity through the solid forward steps taken in the past and the present.
What did reform and opening-up get right?

Born in 1951 to an ordinary family in Zhaodong county, Heilongjiang Province, before he was 16 years old, Chi Fulin received an education in "being the successor of the revolution" in primary and middle schools. In January 1968, he joined the army, beginning a 20-year military career. In 1984, while studying at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, he chose to devote himself to the study of reform and opening-up. In 1986, he was transferred to a central government agency to conduct deeper research into the subject.

At the end of 1987, he took off the military uniform he had worn for 20 years and moved to Hainan Province, presiding over the work of the provincial institutional reform and policy research institute. He participated in the initial market-oriented reform of Hainan Province and pursued the dream of establishing a free trade port. In 1991, he co-founded the China Institute for Reform and Development, a think tank dedicated to China's reform agenda.

Chi's life choice is a microcosm of his generation's commitment to reform and opening-up, a generation who deeply understand that "reform and opening-up would determine the future of China."

In Chi's eyes, there are many reasons why China chose reform and opening-up in the late 1970s, but the bottom line is that reform and opening-up were a "forced" decision.

At the end of the "Cultural Revolution" (1966-1976), China's national economy was on the verge of collapse. The income of the ordinary people decreased, and it was difficult to make a living. Economic development became a common and urgent aspiration of the people. Where to go? How to steer the country away from poverty and backwardness? This required the Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership and the government to make a historic choice.

It was against this specific background that the great decision of reform and opening-up was made at the third plenary session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in 1978, which realized a great turning point of far-reaching significance in the history of the Party since the founding of New China in 1949. Ever since, the 40-plus years of reform and opening-up have proved that under the leadership of the CPC, China has built a vibrant socialist market economy, made a historic leap toward economic modernization, and created a miracle of sustained and rapid economic growth rarely seen in the history of the civilized world.

Today, there are different perceptions around China's reform and opening-up. For example, while most believe that the historic task of reform and opening-up has been accomplished, some people question reform and opening-up by blaming it for certain problems currently existing in society.

"From my 40 years of experience in studying the reform, I deeply feel that without reform and opening-up, how could today's historic changes in the country and people's lives have been possible? Without reform and opening-up, how could people live a happy life today? Without reform and opening-up, how could there be growing international influence?" Chi told the Global Times.

Chi stated that reform and opening-up has become a pillar of Chinese national policy, a driving force for economic and social development, and the theoretical foundation for forming and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. In the same way, without reform and opening-up, China cannot achieve its second centennial goal. To comprehensively deepen reform and opening-up, the country needs the efforts of young generations.

"Many young people do not understand the reform and opening-up very well. Generation Z were born and grew up in an environment characterized by China's rapid economic growth, the continuous enrichment of consumer goods, and a constant increase in spending power. The reason why the country had to reform and open up is not so strong in their perception," Chi said.

However, data tell the real story. In terms of the level of economic development over the past 40 years, China's GDP was less than 400 billion yuan in 1978, exceeded 10 trillion yuan in 2000, grew above 50 trillion yuan in 2012, and broke through 100 trillion yuan for the first time in 2020. In 1978, the US GDP was 15 times that of China, and its per capita GDP was 30 times that of China. By 2020, the US GDP was 1.5 times that of China and its per capita GDP was six times that of China, according to official data released by national statistics bureau.

China's reform and opening-up has also had a profound impact on the world. Since 2006, China has contributed an average of more than 30 percent to global economic growth over consecutive years. The country has become a major engine of international economic growth.

"In recent years, I have visited Europe more than 10 times as part of my research. They [European people] attach great importance to China's large market and opening-up. Practice has fully proved that China's reform and opening-up has created a miracle in the history of global development. This conclusion is consistent with reality and history. Without the vitality unleashed by reform and opening-up, how could young people enjoy today's life of great material prosperity?" Chi asked.

"When I look at these figures, I always wonder, if it were not for reform and opening-up, would there be a consumer society for us today? Would we be able to enjoy the abundance of products and services we currently have? These are the fruits of the tireless efforts of several generations of Chinese people who have promoted and practiced reform and opening-up for more than 40 years," Chi noted.
Why some young people misread history?

One day in September 2021, Chi was invited to give a lecture on the history of reform and opening-up at a Chinese university. He shared with the Global Times an unforgettable moment: There were over 600 full seats on that day. During the question-and-answer session, one student said, "We are young people who grew up in the new era of socialism. Why do we want to work for capitalists?" I asked him, "Who are the capitalists?" He replied, "Private entrepreneurs are all capitalists." To my surprise, as soon as the student finished, the audience burst into applause.

"I began to realize that Chinese students not only need to learn about the history of reform and opening-up, but also need to develop a basic understanding of the formation and development of the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics," Chi said. "We cannot equate the private economy with capitalism, nor can we simply equate public ownership with socialism. At present, China's economic development and common prosperity cannot be separated from the private economy. If small and medium-sized private enterprises are problems, how can there be innovation and entrepreneurship? Where will stable employment come from?"

Chi shared another story with the Global Times. In the 1970s, when he was in the army, some officers managed to get a bag of moldy peanuts. He scalded the peanuts with hot water and asked a medic for some medical alcohol to fry them in a mug before drinking some alcohol.

At that time, it was not easy for a family to enjoy a plate of peanuts for dinner. A family might be able to obtain half a kilogram peanuts a year.

In 1971, he went to the Greater Khingan Mountains to buy wood for an army construction project. The director of a local forestry bureau asked him for peanuts. He quickly dispatched 2.5 kilograms of peanuts from the army, which resulted in getting an extra 10 cubic meters of wood. The currency of peanuts at that time was significant.

Why couldn't people have peanuts to eat at that time?

In 2018, he delivered a class to 52 PhD students and, as an experiment, he conducted a survey among the students, asking the same question.

However, none of the students got it right. They mainly gave three answers: one is peanuts were used to extract oil; the second one is due to natural disasters; the third reason is because of exports. They didn't realize the fact that under China's highly planned economy at that time, the planting of peanuts was strictly limited.

"These stories made me feel the importance and urgency of strengthening education on the history of reform and opening-up to young people. Today's Chinese youth have a strong sense of pride. Compared with previous generations, they enjoy the better quality life, a wider range of experiences, and a better access to international information. The future of China's reform and opening-up, and the future of China's competitive position in the world, depends on the young people," Chi said.

Only when young people learn about the history of China's reform and opening-up can they inject vitality into comprehensively deepening reform and opening-up. If we forget how history came about, do not understand reform and opening-up, or even deny reform and opening-up, it will be a tragedy of history, he noted.

The future of reform and opening-up

Today, the cause of reform and opening-up has been carried out for nearly half a century. In the future, the key to shouldering the responsibility of reform and opening-up and carrying the reform to the end lies in the hands of China's young people.

The young people today have full access to the internet, and have their own understanding of and requirements for a better life. If young people do not appreciate the history of reform and opening-up, they tend to equate certain problems in reality with reform and opening-up, which leads to some doubts about reform and opening-up. Therefore, it is important to help them understand the history of reform and opening-up.

The practice over the past 40 years and more has proved that reform and opening-up are the source of China's sustained economic and social development and the formation and development of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Only by deepening reform and opening-up at a higher level can we create an inexhaustible driving force for economic and social development and successfully achieve the country's second centennial goal.

"I believe that the new generation of young people will surely shoulder this important historical responsibility," Chi said.