Xi congratulates To Lam on election as general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee

To advance the modernization and industrialization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and facilitate its going global, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) on Wednesday released a three-year campaign to further standardize TCM so as to better serve the high-quality development of the industry.

The initiative, announced by the NATCM on Wednesday, deployed 20 detailed tasks and 25 area-oriented missions, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The initiative adopts a demand-oriented perspective, formulating 20 guidelines governing health interventions for key groups, including the elderly, children and teenagers, and strengthening the TCM standards in key areas to meet the people’s health needs in the new era.

Meanwhile, the plan calls for finalizing the establishment of 30 international and 180 domestic TCM standards.

It calls for the acceleration of integration between TCM standards and artificial intelligence, and conducting of experimental projects like digitizing standards.

NATCM suggests that information on TCM standards should be made available for the public through various means like publishing manuals, which will guarantee the implementation of TCM.

Xinhua quoted an NATCM official as saying that driving the high-quality development of TCM standardization contributes to the efforts in delivering safe, effective and convenient services to the people, benefiting the academic progress, and boosting TCM exchanges and cooperation of TCM with foreign countries.

TCM standards are the prerequisite for going global, and the international standardization of TCM will make a significant contribution to resolving problems  currently hold back TCM’s development overseas, according to an expert renowned in TCM field.

The dean of the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, professor Feng Yibin, emphasized that despite the fact that the TCM research is now more readily available, quality control and standardization remain crucial for TCM to be broadly recognized by both local and international markets, according to the 21st Century Economic Report.

A total of 196 nations and regions have started using TCM, according to NATCM statistics, and more than 40 foreign governments, regional authorities, and international organizations have signed specific TCM cooperation agreements with China, China Central Television (CCTV) reported in May.

TCM has now become an essential field of cooperation between China and mechanisms such as ASEAN, the European Union, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the CCTV report noted.

Ten industry standards and 77 nationally approved standards for TCM have been developed by China to date. In addition, 112 international standards for TCM have been released by the Technical Committee on Chinese Medicine of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), according to Xinhua.

These standards represent that the framework of the standard system tailored for the development of TCM in China has been fundamentally established, NATCM said.

The Badain Jaran Desert in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf (Phase II) were included in UNESCO's World Heritage List on Friday during the ongoing 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Friday.

Currently, China boasts 15 Natural World Heritage sites and four mixed (cultural and natural) heritage sites, maintaining top position globally in a nation's total number of Natural World Heritage sites.

The "Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes" is the first desert in China nominated for the World Heritage List. The desert, located in the northern part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in North China, covers an area of 44,300 square kilometers and is the third-largest desert in China. Its northwestern part, over 10,000 square kilometers, remains untouched by human presence.

While most deserts are known as forbidden zones due to water scarcity, the Badain Jaran Desert is a wonderland where sand dunes and lakes coexist. The towering sand dunes and diverse desert lakes are the two highlights of this nomination.

The Badain Jaran Desert, featuring its unique, rare and magnificent tall sand dunes, as well as countless colorful inter-dune lakes, is an outstanding example of the ongoing evolution of desert landscapes and landforms in temperate and hyper-arid climates. It is also one of the desert landscapes with rare natural beauty on a global scale, according to the World Heritage Committee.

Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I) was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019 and is located in Yancheng, East China's Jiangsu Province. The second phase of the project includes multiple conservation areas in Shanghai, Hebei, Shandong, Liaoning and other provinces and cities.

The sanctuaries, located in the world's largest intertidal wetland, serve as a crucial habitat for migratory birds along the East Asia-Australasia flyway. This migration route extends from Siberia and Alaska through East, Southeast and South Asia, all the way to Oceania, crossing 22 countries. It is the most diverse and highest concentration of endangered species among migration routes globally, providing essential breeding, resting and wintering grounds for tens of millions of waterfowl.

The migratory bird sanctuaries in China have unique ecological functions. Their tidal flats are critically important for the conservation of migratory birds worldwide, providing survival support for the vast majority of bird species, including 45 threatened species. As a whole, the sanctuaries make an irreplaceable contribution to the conservation of migratory waterbirds in the East Asia-Australasia Flyway (EAAF). The EAAF is one of the world's most important flyways and one of the regions with the highest concentration of endangered species and the most fragile ecosystems. The successful inclusion of this heritage site marks a milestone for the protection of globally significant human heritage, according to the World Heritage Committee.

In recent years, China has continuously strengthened the protection of Natural World Heritage sites and mixed heritage sites. Relying on the construction of national parks, nature reserves and scenic areas within the natural protection system, China has been steadily establishing and improving protection management systems and achieving effective protection and sustainable use of heritage sites.

China's World Heritage sites, which encompass outstanding values of natural beauty, geological features and biological ecology, have become a model for ecological civilization and the construction of a beautiful China. They increasingly highlight China's firm commitment and exceptional contributions to global biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and participation in global environmental governance.

Moving forward, China will seize the opportunity to comprehensively advance the construction of a nature protection system centered on national parks. This will further improve the protection and management of natural heritage sites, support the building of a beautiful China, continue to fulfill international conventions, strengthen international cooperation, share China's successful experiences, and promote global ecological civilization and cultural exchanges. In doing so, China will contribute its experience and strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

In recent years, in order to promote the scientific conservation and long-term sustainable use of global fishery resources, China has not only strictly implemented fishing moratorium policies in its territorial waters, but has also initiated voluntary fishing moratorium activities in certain international waters, setting a model for global marine ecological preservation through using innovative measures.

However, China's efforts are not always understood.

The Philippines and the US have consistently promoted negative narratives targeting China, leveling accusations of environmental destruction in the South China Sea and hinting at possible court action against China.

In a recent visit to the Philippines, the Global Times revealed that illegal fishing acts are evident in seafood markets across the Philippines, allowed by those people who smear China of illegally harvesting fish and sea life.

Despite existing law enforcement governing these illegal, destructive fishing practices, the lack of effective regulations still fuels the lingering of these practices in the Philippines, the Global Times found.
Endangered species on sale at Manila fish market

Dampa is one of the oldest and largest wet markets in Manila. Local Filipino vendors touted their fresh live groupers, snappers, and lobsters fishing from the South China Sea to Global Times reporters in simple Putonghua.

When the Global Times reporters inquired as tourists whether they could buy the endangered humphead wrasse, which has been banned in the Chinese market, the local vendor quietly led them to a secluded corner to show off his "rare goods" - a juvenile giant grouper with green and orange web-like patterns on its head.

There were no larger giant groupers available currently, only small ones on the market, he noted.

The humphead wrasse is a rare fish species which lives in and around islands across the South China Sea. It is one of the world's largest reef fish and is globally recognized as a rare species. In China, humphead wrasse is classified as a second-level protected animal. Illegal hunting, killing, purchasing, or selling of humphead wrasse can result in 5-10 years of imprisonment in severe cases.

A report titled "The Future of South China Sea Fisheries" released by the University of British Columbia in Canada shows that the populations of humphead wrasses and snappers in some areas of the South China Sea have declined by almost 100 percent over the past eight years alone.

However, in the Philippines, catching and selling these rare fish species is a quick way for some fishermen to get rich. Local vendors told the Global Times that the humphead wrasses they sell are caught near Palawan Island in the southern Philippines, carries a price of 5,500 pesos per kilogram ($336.48). For fishermen in the area with an average monthly income of only 3000 pesos, catching and selling this fish is a lucrative business.

Similar under the table selling is also seen in some other rare species in the South China Sea, with the most typical being China's nationally protected species, for instance, the giant clam, or tridacna.

A local source in the Philippines told Global Times that tridacna was available for purchase in an open wet market in the Philippines is still relatively rare as it is prohibited by Philippine law. However, if you find a black-market trader they will fulfill the need in their own way. "This phenomenon is particularly common in some provinces in the southern Philippines, where the government's regulations are weaker, and the illegal industry of poaching precious species is more accepted," the source said.

A report by the Wildlife Justice Commission notes that there has been a sharp rise in illegal harvesting of sea life in the Philippines since 2019. Most of the illegal hauls were shells that are stockpiled at coastal locations in Palawan, in open and apparently public spaces with little or no effort at concealment. Palawan is the only place in the Philippines where scientists have observed T. gigas clams in the wild, which along with Palawan's geographically remote location and access to the South China Sea, could account for it being a major stockpiling location.

According to the report, the market value of giant clam shells in the Philippines reportedly doubled to around 2,000 pesos per kilogram during the pandemic, providing local fishermen a greater economic incentive to snap up these giant clam shells.

Unfounded accusation in US institution's report

Although hunting rare marine species is common in the Philippines, the Philippine government, which should be responsible for a crackdown, was not criticized by Western countries that are usually keen on promoting environmental issues. On the contrary, several Western research institutions were even collaborating with Philippines to interfere in the political situation in the South China Sea, publishing ecological reports for the Philippine government to use as a tool to attack China.

In 2023, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) issued a report titled "Environmental Threats to the South China Sea." In the report, the Center claims that increased fishing, dredging, and land fill, along with giant clam harvesting in recent decades have taken a devastating toll on thousands of species found nowhere else on earth. Targeting China, the report argues that satellite imagery shows that at least 21,000 acres of reef in the South China Sea has been destroyed or damaged owing to Chinese activities. It further cites a report released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command (WESCOM), which blames Chinese maritime militia for the so-called severe environmental damage at Houteng Jiao and Xianbin Jiao in South China Sea.

According to scholars who are actually engaged in ecological surveys and research in the South China Sea, many conclusions in this report are based on little to know scientific data.

Chen Xiao, a professor at the College of Marine Sciences at South China Agricultural University, who has participated in China's ecological field surveys in the South China Sea on several occasions, told the Global Times that China has conducted ecological environment field surveys in the South China Sea for years, and he almost goes to dive and observe the coral reefs in the South China Sea islands and reefs every year. "The current widespread coral reef degradation issue is very complex, more are due to natural factors such as coral bleaching and outbreaks of coral predators caused by a rise in global temperature," he said.

Scholars from China and many other countries around the world have been paying close attention to the adverse effects of global climate change on coral populations worldwide.

"In recent years, the South China Sea region has experienced unusually high temperatures, leading to serious coral bleaching on some islands and reefs in the South China Sea. It has become a consensus in the academic community that climate change will result in large-scale coral mortality," Chen said.

However, ironically, climate change is directly related to carbon emissions, which the US has consistently refused to adhere to global agreements to control. Washington, however, has placed significant effort into actively hyping and politicizing ecological issues in the South China Sea.

Researchers involved in relevant studies told the Global Times that the causes of ecological damage in the South China Sea are complex, and that ecological conditions fluctuate. In the actual scientific research process, it is often difficult to pinpoint the specific reasons for ecological damage, and it requires countries in the South China Sea region to work together to address this issue. However, whether it is US or Filipino media reporting, they all bypass the scientific exploration process and directly blame China.

The Global Times found that although reports from some independent academic institutions in the West have repeatedly pointed out that the Philippines' lacking sound domestic fisheries protection laws and limited enforcement methods has led to severe damage to the South China Sea's ecology due to its extensive fishing activities, the report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in the United States, based on ideology and national interests, only targets China and Vietnam for criticism, while completely ignoring problems in the Philippines.
Profiting from industrial chaos

In the Philippines, products labeled as "South Sea, wild, pure natural" are often the most favored by tourists from a number of countries.

Taking pearls as an example, Global Times reporters noticed that at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila that the counters specializing in selling pearl products were the most crowded places for tourists, with "wild pearls from the South Sea" prominently displayed. The price of wild pearls is almost five times that of cultured pearls of the same type.

Stable demand and high prices have led more and more Filipinos to turn to sea hunting. But at the same time, poor harvesting practices, limited technology, loose regulatory system, and destructive fishing methods means profits come at a heavy ecological cost.

The Philippines is a major fishing country, with much of its fisheries production consumed locally. Heavy fishing pressure has led to the decline of both municipal and coastal fisheries and destructive fishing methods such as poison, cyanide and blast fishing often occur in its coastal waters.

Sodium cyanide is a toxic chemical compound that many fisherman in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia (the largest exporters of tropical fish) crush and dissolve in squirt bottles to spray on the fish - and the reef and all the other marine life in the vicinity. Stunned, the target fish can then easily be scooped up. Philippines' live reef-fish exports are one of the biggest sources for the international market.

It does, however, kill the coral reefs where the fish breed and live. Still, impoverished rural fishermen, who are paid by the number of fish they catch, say they cannot afford to think of the future.

In addition, a fishing method that has long been outlawed in China - blast fishing - is also quite common in the Philippines. A Chinese fisherman who has been engaged in fishing operations in the South China Sea for many years told the Global Times that there is indeed a phenomenon of fish bombing among Filipino fishermen, though it's not that common.

A Chinese fisherman told the Global Times that he has encountered the cases in the Liyue and Houteng Jiao reefs located around Nansha Islands of China.

"Many Filipino fishermen use octopus boats to fish at sea. These fishing boats are not suitable for long-distance voyages, so blast fishing is more widely seen in nearby areas," the Chinese fisherman said.

Zhou Zhuocheng, a senior aquatic biologist from China Fisheries Association, believes that the lack of laws and regulations for the protection of wildlife indirectly allows for destructive fishing practices in the Philippines. The delay in the enactment of the relevant law in wildlife protection has been prolonged, leaving many fishermen ignorant. This will inevitably lead to a situation where Chinese fishermen are doing their upmost to protect rare species in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, but fishermen from countries such as the Philippines in the South China Sea are still hunting recklessly, which will only lead to the continued deterioration of the South China Sea ecosystem, he said.

"Previously, the Philippines enjoyed productive cooperation with China in the protection of rare species in the entire South China Sea, and both sides made good progress in the conservation of the South China Sea ecosystem. Unfortunately, these efforts have not been continued under the current Philippine government. As a researcher in the aquaculture industry, I feel deep regret over this development," Zhou said.

Shenzhen, in South China's Guangdong Province, has constructed 362 supercharging stations for new energy vehicles (NEVs) as of April 30, exceeding the number of traditional gas stations, according to the local development and reform commission. The number of charging ports in the city has also surpassed that of gas pumps, reflecting the positive trend in Shenzhen's NEV market development and the effective operation of its charging infrastructure.

The increase in the number of supercharging stations has notably boosted the charging efficiency of NEVs. Statistics from the Shenzhen Power Supply Bureau of China Southern Power Grid show that in the first quarter, Shenzhen saw a surge in NEV charging, reaching 670 million kilowatt-hours, marking a 10.9 percent year-on-year increase, indicating a thriving market for NEVs in Shenzhen.

For a household NEV, it usually takes 7 to 8 hours to fully charge using a standard charging pile, 1 to 2 hours using a fast charging pile, whereas with a supercharging pile, it can reach 80 percent or more in just 10 minutes or even less, enabling a "coffee break, fully charged and ready to go" scenario, significantly enhancing the charging experience.

On June 29, 2023, Shenzhen debuted its first fully liquid-cooled supercharging demonstration station and officially launched the "city of supercharging stations" initiative. At present, the supercharging service network has been preliminarily established across the city, with most stations leveraging existing public charging infrastructure and strategically situated in major commercial centers, bus terminals, industrial parks, and other key locations.

Under a plan for NEV supercharging facilities, Shenzhen aims to establish a globally cutting-edge infrastructure and versatile service system for supercharging facilities by the end of 2024. The plan also emphasizes advancing the interactive mechanism for electricity demand allocation, hastening coordination among enterprises, technologies, scenarios, and beyond.

Data shows that by the end of 2023, the number of NEVs in Shenzhen has surpassed 970,000, with NEVs constituting over 60 percent of new car sales. By the end of 2025, the scale of NEVs in Shenzhen is expected to reach 1.3 million units.

Asian currencies have come under pressure from a strong US dollar in recent days, with the yen at one point hitting a 34-year low against the greenback. The development raised concerns about another Asian financial crisis, and the impact on Chinese yuan has become a topic of discussion.

Amid other Asian currencies' volatility against the dollar, the yuan's performance demonstrates relative stability. Since the start of the year, the US Dollar Index has risen by about 4 percent, while the yuan has weakened by about 2 percent against the dollar at offshore currency markets.

But still, the yuan has remained relatively stable against other non-dollar currencies. According to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS), the CFETS yuan exchange rate composite index, which measures the yuan's strength relative to a basket of currencies, reached 100.43 as of end-April, a 3.09 percent increase from the beginning of the year.

Exchange rates usually reflect the economic fundamentals of each country. To a certain extent, it is the resilience of the Chinese economy, the country's effective monetary policy and investor confidence in China's economic prospects that have jointly offered a solid foundation for the yuan's exchange rate.

In 2023, the Chinese economy grew by 5.2 percent year-on-year. In the first quarter of 2024, the GDP saw an unexpected growth of 5.3 percent year-on-year, indicating a strong start to the year. 

First-quarter fixed-asset investment was up 4.5 percent year-on-year, with high-tech sector investments rising 11.4 percent, meaning China's economy continues to gain momentum, coupled with improved growth quality.

China's total merchandise trade expanded by 5.7 percent year-on-year in yuan terms in the first four months this year, official customs data showed on Thursday. Exports rose by 4.9 percent, while imports climbed by 6.8 percent.

With China's very strong economic fundamentals, the yuan's relative weakness against the US dollar is unlikely to bring big shocks to the Chinese economy or the country's financial market.

The yuan has been buttressed by the market operations and policy guidance of China's central bank, for the purpose of fending off risks of possible exchange-rate volatility and keeping the yuan at a reasonable equilibrium level against other major currencies. 

If anything, the yuan's recent performance in a volatile global currency market is the best proof that China can resort to effective policy tools to withstand external shocks and maintain the relative stability of the yuan.

The yuan's rate will still be subject to multiple factors, including the global economic recovery, changes in major economies' monetary policies and international geopolitical conditions. 

However, the overall policy tone of seeking progress while maintaining stability in the financial sector, which could also suit the currency market, indicates that the yuan's exchange rate is expected to remain basically stable at a reasonable equilibrium level.

Maintaining the basic stability of the yuan represents stability, while the internationalization of the yuan represents progress. No matter how the external situation changes, it is believed that this general direction for the currency will not change.

The stability of the yuan's exchange rate not only reflects the steady development of the Chinese economy but also creates favorable conditions for its foreign trade and overall economic transformation and upgrading. With the steady growth of the Chinese economy and the gradual opening-up of the financial market, a relatively stable yuan is expected to continue to provide a strong support for the development of the Chinese economy.

In August 1959, it took at least 26 days for two journalists from Minzu Huabao, a Chinese pictorial journal published since 1955 in six Chinese ethnic languages, to reach Dulongjiang township, Gongshan county, in Southwest China's Yunnan Province from Beijing.

To reach the destination, the two journalists first had to arrive in Lijiang county (to which the Gongshan county used to belong) by train and bus, then head to Dulongjiang township by truck and on horseback. It is through such an arduous journey that the Dulong ethnic group was first introduced to the larger Chinese public through media reports.

More than 74 years later, when the Global Times reporters embarked on the same journey in 2023, it took them four and a half hours to fly from Beijing to the city of Baoshan, which borders the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture where the Dulongjiang township is located, and after an eight-hour drive, they parked their vans in front of a hotel at the center of Dulongjiang township.

It has been about three years since the township was lifted out of poverty and nearly a decade since the first highway tunnel linking Dulongjiang township and the Gongshan county was constructed. These transformative changes have not only brought about conveniences in transportation to local residents, but also provided them with opportunities to connect with the outside world, as well as improved accessibilities to timely healthcare services, education, and employment opportunities.

Last secrete place
Abutting Yunnan's border with Myanmar, Dulongjiang township is the Dulong ethnic minority's ancestral home, with a current population of about 4,300 of the people in the town.

Having long endured extreme poverty while in isolation, it wasn't until the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 that the Dulong people embarked on a journey to modernity in a socialist society.

China's fast-paced development has been embraced by the Dulong ethnic group, and thanks to intensive poverty alleviation efforts, the group has also been dubbed "a group that crossed the millennium in one step."

"Life was pretty hard in the past. We did not have clothes, but only had a blanket that can be worn as clothing in the day and a quilt at night," Li Wenshi, a Dulong township villager in her seventies and one of the few remaining Dulong women adorned with face tattoos, told the Global Times. "Everything has changed now; we have highways, electricity, and new houses. I am so happy and grateful," Li said.

Improvements witnessed by Li's family have greatly increased since the overall poverty alleviation of the township in 2018. Today, Li still busies herself with knitting, which she said could earn her an extra 3,000 yuan ($420) per month during the busy tourism season as many tourists purposely visit the "secret" Dulongjiang and are fascinated by the rainbow-like traditional Dulong blanket.

The younger generation has also inherited textile manufacture knowledge from Li. When thinking about the future, she hopes that the younger generation will balance the embrace of modernity with the inheritance of ancient ancestral knowledge, bringing the signature Dulong rainbow to all the corners of the world.

Crossing the millennium
Before 2014 New Year's Day, people from Dulong ethnic group wrote to President Xi Jinping to report the imminent completion of the Gaoligong Mountains-Dulongjiang River highway tunnel.

In his reply, Xi expressed his joy at the good news about the tunnel and congratulated the community. "I have always been concerned about the wellbeing of the Dulong people as you used to live harsh lives."

During an inspection tour in Yunnan a year later, Xi met with some representatives from Dulong ethnic group, including Li Wenshi, to learn about the progress of the highway tunnel and people's lives in the area.

"I'm here to encourage you to keep up the good work, and to assure people of all ethnic groups that the Communist Party of China (CPC) attaches great importance to your development," Xi said during the inspection.

After the six administrative villages in the township lift out of poverty, people in the township wrote another letter to inform Xi of the overall better life now enjoyed by all.

"President Xi stressed that not a single ethnic group, family, or individual should be left behind on the road to xiaokang. This is so encouraging to me. As one of the first people in the younger generation to leave for college, I felt that I couldn't wait to come back to join the team to build the future for my hometown," Dulongjiang township head Mu Xiaolong said.

With the complete eradication of poverty, now Dulongjiang township is firmly on the road to rural revitalization. We believe that our lives will get better and better as long as we continue to make great efforts, said Mu.

By making use of the rich mountainous and forest resources along the Dulong River, many of the 1,100-plus households in Dulongjiang are engaged in herbal cultivation and poultry husbandry with local characteristics.

According to Dulongjiang township agricultural official

Li Xinhua, a total of 83,009 mu (5,533 hectares) of the township is under black cardamom cultivation, also known as caoguo, with a harvest of nearly 3,000 tons each year. Earnings from the 2023 crop were in excess of 25 million yuan.

In 2009, the total economic income of the ownship was only 4.93 million yuan, and the per capita net income of farmers was only 916 yuan. In 2021, the per capita net income of farmers in the entire township reached 15,000 yuan.

Embracing the world
Dulongjiang township, which used to be called "the most secret place" in China, is embracing the world thanks to transformative changes along with China's efforts to realize modernization.

Telecommunications network reached this remote corner of China in 2004.

In 2014, Dulongjiang was the first township in Yunnan to have a 4G network, and five years later, it was the first in the province to upgrade to 5G.

Preferential policies and support from central and local authorities are also benefiting the students.

Mu said in the 1990's, students faced an arduous three-day journey to the county to access education. But nowadays, children of school going age are entitled to 14 years of free education, from pre-school through to high school. The rates of primary school enrollment and attendance have both remained at 100 percent.

Dulong culture has also made its sparkling debut on the international stage. With a range of snow-capped mountains and steep canyons, Dulongjiang township is one of the areas in China with the most well-preserved primitive ecological environments. The clear waters of the Dulongjiang River, the mysterious tattoo-faced women, and the colorful Dulong carpets always attract tourists from all over the world.

In May this year, an exhibition at Fabric X featuring items such as scarves, handbags, and eye masks made from textiles by Dulong weavers attracted global art enthusiasts' attention at the ninth London Craft Week.

The exhibition was presented by the Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation (BCAF) and the naze naze studio as part of a Dulong handicraft project was aunched in 2015.

"We planned to launch a handicraft project for Chinese ethnic minorities at that time. We conducted research for about five months, visiting the Yi people and the Miao people. After looking into the Dulong people, we found that the artwork of their artwork showed fascinating and abstract line patterns, we thought it could potentially be a good project for research and development," Hu Fei, BCAF secretary general, told the Global Times.

The Dulong blanket is an indispensable item for local families. The brightly colored Dulong blanket is like a rainbow. By working with local female weavers from the Dulong River Valley, the project blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary tastes and increases the income of the weavers.

To Hu, it is a process of co-creation rather than a unilateral support. At the start, even our designers did not know how to use the waist weaving loom. So, they had to try the loom together with local female weavers.

"It is from the third installment that we started to organize a weaving contest for local women. We would offer bonuses to the best three works. If the participant's works were adopted as part of our products, we would also compensate her in the same way we would professional designers," Hu noted. She added that this was aimed at demonstrating the value of the creations to the artisans, a fact they may have not realized.

So far, the Dulong project hosted six installments, attracting a total of 38 weavers from various ethnic minority groups including Dulong, Dong, Naxi, and Wa.

"I am very glad I can participate in the project. It not only brings about extra income to my family, but also provides me with opportunities to go to Shanghai. I hope I can also go abroad in the future," a Dulong weaver called Hua Jie told the Global Times.

China urges the US to correct unjust harassment and repatriation of Chinese citizens entering the US and China will continue to take resolute measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, Chinese Foreign Ministry said in response to the Washington Post’s recent special report on the unwarranted harassment, interrogation and repatriation of Chinese students and scholars by US border officials which grabbed headlines. 

The Washington Post recently published a special report of interviews with six Chinese students and two visiting scholars who were unreasonably harassed, interrogated, and deported upon their arrivals at the US airports, detailing the experiences of some individuals, which have attracted attention domestically in the US.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in response during a Wednesday briefing that China has repeatedly expressed its firm stance on the unwarranted harassment, interrogation, and deportation of Chinese citizens by the US, especially students and scholars.

The US’ frequent discriminatory, political, and selective law enforcement measures against Chinese students seriously violate their legitimate rights and interests, and disrupt normal personnel exchanges between the two countries. The practice contradicts the US' stated support for and facilitation of cultural exchanges between the two nations and runs counter to the shared desire of the people from both countries to engage in friendly exchanges. 

We urge the US to carefully listen to the voices from all sectors of both countries, stop poisoning the public sentiment that affects bilateral relations, correct the wrongful practices of unjustified harassment, interrogation and deportation of Chinese citizens, thoroughly investigate the relevant cases, give the victims a fair explanation, Lin said, noting that China will continue to take resolute measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens. 

A number of Chinese localities have set out detailed plans to develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology and relevant ecosystems this year, a move that observers said shows that China is leveraging its "whole-nation" system advantage to fast track the technology's development amid a white-hot global race.

It also comes as the Government Work Report launched the AI Plus Initiative, while highlighting efforts to develop new quality productive forces for the first time.

Qingdao, a city in East China's Shandong Province, plans to build itself into a highland in AI hashrate and algorithm applications.

According to the plan, the city aims to create 20 influential leading AI firms, about 30 AI innovative platforms, more than 100 AI application demonstration zones and seven AI hashrate centers to "further improve the local AI-related ecosystem," the Xinhua News Agency reported.

In mid-March, the Industry and Information Technology Bureau in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, which is also known as China's "Silicon Valley," issued an action plan to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces.

The plan draws up 20 "strategically newly emerging industry clusters," including AI, and it vows to support their growth "with extraordinary strength and the city's whole resources."

The Shenzhen authorities have released two lists on the application of AI technology in a combined 41 urban scenarios, including digital, culture and public services, the Xinhua report noted.

In February, Wang Zhonglin, governor of Central China's Hubei Province, pledged at an AI-themed meeting that the province will speed up the technology's development with "extraordinary measures" and "a stronger sense of urgency, mission and responsibility," said another Xinhua report.

Wang took note of Hubei's technological edges in several fronts, including innovation prowess, a solid industrial base and abundant applications, which he believes could reinforce the city's role in AI development.

With the recent market hit text-to-video AI model Sora and AI chatbot ChatGTP, some Chinese cities could embrace the opportunities brought by AI large language models' revolutionary tide and make this core to their development plans.

Liu Jie, Party chief of Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, mentioned Sora twice at the city officials' first meeting in February, stressing that the city - which is home to a number of technology companies such as Alibaba and NetEase - should innovate and seize the opportunity in the new round of AI development, news website 21jingji.com reported.

Liu suggested measures to shore up hashrate development, including launching "hashrate vouchers" that bring down the cost, creating more conditions for developing universal AI large language models as well as vertical and specialized AI large language models, the report said.

Observers said that those efforts underscore that China has been spearheading a top-down effort that could help itself quickly climb up the tech ladder and close gaps with certain foreign peers. One of China's biggest advantages in the AI sector lies in the country's system advantage, which makes it more efficient in mobilizing and deploying relevant resources in technological research and development, they stressed.

Zhou Hongyi, founder and chairman of 360 Security Technology, voiced confidence that Chinese firms could narrow the gap with the US industry within one or two years, due to China's strong advantage in rapid learning capabilities.

He told the Global Times that 2024 may become the "year of application" for China in the field of AI.

In late February, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council held a meeting on promoting the reform of State-owned enterprises (SOEs), stressing the importance of pushing forward the transformation and upgrading of central SOEs through technological empowerment, including AI.

Deputies from East China's Jiangsu Province who interacted with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a deliberation at the second session of the 14th National People's Congress, told the Global Times on Thursday that they had been deeply inspired and vowed to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Tuesday participated in a deliberation with his fellow deputies from the delegation of Jiangsu Province at the second session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's national legislature, the Xinhua News Agency reported.  

During the deliberation, Xi stressed the importance of developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions.

Xi called for focusing on high-quality development as the top priority, urging efforts to step up innovation, foster emerging industries, adopt forward-thinking plans for developing future-oriented industries and improve the modernized industrial system, according to Xinhua.

Scientific and technological innovation has become an important driving force for China's development and the term "new quality productive forces" has become a buzzword at the ongoing two sessions. 

And the guidelines presented by Xi have served to enlighten NPC deputies from Jiangsu Province, with many saying that they are inspired by Xi's emphasis on developing new quality productive forces, which is set to inject new growth momentum to the Chinese economy.

Shan Zenghai, an NPC deputy and chief engineer of Chinese construction equipment giant Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG), told the Global Times on Thursday that he is heartened by Xi's direction on guiding Jiangsu to develop new quality productive forces and become a base, and forge industrial clusters of new and emerging industries.

"The encouragement from top leadership greatly boosted our confidence in sticking to innovation-driven growth, bolstering the real economy and promoting high quality development," Shan said.

Chen Wei, an NPC deputy and the President of Jiangnan University, told the Global Times on Thursday that Xi's direction on making science and technological innovation a pillar in nurturing new quality productive forces has mapped out a blueprint for colleges to serve the country's economic and social development.

Promoting the in-depth integration of innovative factors, industrial chains, capital and talent represents key tasks for colleges, including encouraging scientists and researchers to walk out of laboratories and to the assembly lines, Chen said.

Zhou Bin, another NPC deputy and Party chief of Yancheng city, told the Global Times on Thursday that Xi's guidance carved out new space for development and the city has focused its development on new industrialization since the new year with the aim to construct modern industrial system.

The city will focus on nurturing "little giants," or industrial enterprises that have unique niche in the market, high-tech enterprises and listed firms.

The concept of new quality productive forces refers to a new form of productive forces derived from continuous sci-tech breakthroughs and innovation that drive strategic emerging industries and future industries in a more intelligent information era.

The development of new quality productive forces is currently accelerating across China. 

East China's Jiangsu Province is a manufacturing and exports powerhouse. It is also home to a vast number of private companies and a key destination of foreign-invested companies in China. The province has set a growth target of over 5 percent for 2024, after recording a growth of 5.8 percent in 2023.