Xiao Long, a planetary geoscientist at the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), estimates that the first human landing on Mars will occur in around 2050. 

We no longer face any significant technological barriers in unmanned missions to Mars, but still have difficulty in completing manned missions, which require larger rockets with greater thrust and the technology to safely return from Mars to Earth, Xiao said in an exclusive interview with the Global Times. 

He noted that both the US and China are currently developing heavy launch vehicles. The technology for a safe return from Mars is expected to be preliminarily validated by around 2030.

"In addition, there is also a significant amount of work to be done regarding the physiological and psychological issues faced by astronauts during the interstellar long-distance journey, which would last at least 500 days," he said. 

Xiao started his career in planetary geology research exactly 20 years ago when China kicked off its Chang'e lunar exploration program [in 2004]. Before that, he focused on Earth studies. 

Mars shares many similarities with Earth and holds special significance in our understanding of the formation and evolution of planets and the solar system, as well as the search for extraterrestrial life, Xiao continued. 

To Xiao, the ultimate goal of Mars studies is to scientifically elucidate the formation and evolution process of Mars from its early stages to the present and into the future, find out the driving factors behind the process, and discover whether life exists on the planet. 

From an application perspective, scientists like Xiao are also trying to figure out whether Mars can become a second home for humans. "Short-term visits or immigration to Mars are possible for some individuals and are likely to be realized within this century. However, it is impossible for the entire human population to migrate to Mars," Xiao said.

Xiao shared with the audience at a New Year's Eve event hosted by the Beijing Association for Science and Technology how his team analyzed scientific data from China's Mars rover Zhurong's multispectral camera and for the first time found petrological evidence of marine sedimentary rocks on the surface of Mars. 

"We analyzed the 106 groups of photos from Zhurong daily, trying our best to look for a tale-tell signature of the existence of an ocean on Mars. But before finding any evidence, my teammates and I started to have similar dreams about oceans on Mars. In my dream, the ocean on Mars was restored and was surrounded by lush and dense forests. I could even identify each type of vegetation in the forests," Xiao told the audience.

"It is not rare for people to dream of things that are on their minds during the day. But for scientists, it could be a problem as we have to stay objective throughout the research and prevent our subjective interpretation from getting in the way," Xiao said. He and his teammates kept reminding each other to stay cautious and realistic until evidence waw found.

"This case clearly illustrates how we do science research. We have to stay grounded while looking up to the sea of stars," Xiao said. 

Xiao also shared a global image map, created by China's Tianwen-1 Mars probe using data captured by a medium-resolution camera at the event. He said that the image has a spatial resolution of 76 meters, making it the highest-resolution global color image of Mars publicly available to date. This image also demonstrates that China's Mars exploration capabilities have reached a high level, he noted.

Currently, humans have conducted nearly 50 Mars explorations, and our understanding of the macroscopic topography and geomorphological features of Mars is relatively clear. However, exploration is still ongoing regarding the early Martian atmosphere, climate, geological environment, magnetic field evolution, and whether conditions for the creation of life exist. China has successfully achieved its first Mars exploration, accomplishing the three major objectives of orbiting, landing, and rover exploration in this single mission. China is the first country to have accomplished this in the history of Mars exploration and the second country globally to have completed a similar mission, according to Xiao. 

Stepping into 2024, Xiao hopes China can continue to make progress in lunar, Mars, and asteroid exploration missions. "We hope that the Tianwen-1 satellite will return more high-quality data, and that the Zhurong rover will be able to continue its work. We also hope that the Tianwen-2 asteroid sample return mission will be implemented on schedule, and that the Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission will be approved as soon as possible," he told the Global Times.

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.

The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World kicked off on Monday, with the aim to promote exquisite Italian cooking, the Mediterranean diet, Italian agri-food products and wine. In the 2023 edition, as in past years, the week will be further enhanced by activities organized by the Italian Embassy in China together with the Italian business community operating in China. 

Several Italian restaurants in Beijing, Tianjin, and Qingdao have been preparing special menus and typical dishes for Chinese friends and expatriates residing in China to enjoy throughout the Italian cuisine week that is set to run until November 19. Beijing's ABBOCCA restaurant, for instance, has provided a special selection for homemade fresh cheeses called "TRILOGY," which includes mozzarella, stracciatella, and ricotta, and has been dubbed a tasty journey through salty and sweet to stimulate all senses complete with fresh basil leaves, cherry tomatoes.

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.

China's ambassador to the US Xie Feng said that the cooperation between China and the US makes for a better future, urging the US government to stop using a microscope to examine the Chinese economy, for it doesn't solve one's own challenges.

Xie also said the two giant economies so closely intertwined and a forced "de-coupling" by Washington could be too expensive.

Xie's remarks was made in a speech at the US' session of the "Opportunities in China" Global Media Dialogue on Wednesday, according to the official website of the Chinese embassy.

Viewing e-vehicles as "iphone(s) on wheels" or describing cargo cranes as "Trojan horses" only gets one into a never-ending cycle, because "overstretching national security leads to excessive anxiety," Xie noted.

If "de-risking" is all about China, it means lost opportunities and lose-lose outcomes. After all, with over 70,000 American companies investing in China and the two economies so closely connected, a forced "de-coupling" can be costly, Xie said.

Xie's speech was made amid the backdrop that the US is escalating its restless assault on Chinese companies, often citing the so-called "national security risks," and, the US is planning to invest billions in domestic manufacturing of cargo cranes to replace ones made in China.

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a recent interview that "cars these days are like an iPhone on wheels… You connect your phone and you might receive the text message… Imagine a world with 3 million Chinese vehicles on the roads of America, and Beijing can turn them off at the same time."

However, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co (ZPMC), a major maker of ship-to-shore cargo cranes, said in a statement on Sunday that its cranes do not pose a cybersecurity risk to any port, while the US government allegations about its products, not supported by the facts, could easily mislead the general public.

China's Foreign Ministry refuted recent remarks by high-ranking US officials denigrating Chinese-made cars, noting they are creating a false narrative, which clearly reflects Washington's practice of always politicalizing economic and trade issues.

In the speech, Xie highlighted the bright prospects of the Chinese economy and underscored that confidence is more important than gold and that cooperation makes a better future for both peoples.

The Chinese people are confident in growing the GDP by around 5 percent this year. China's development has its best days lying ahead, he said, adding that China is building up a market-oriented, law-based and world-class business environment.

Regarding enormous business opportunities in China, Xie said China remains a popular destination for global investment, citing data that last year shows the number of foreign-invested companies in China increased by 39.7 percent. Paid-in investment from France, the UK and the Netherlands grew by 84.1 percent, 81 percent and 31.5 percent, respectively.

"China is ready to work with the US side to garner stronger momentum for cooperation and build a breakwater to protect bilateral relations," Xie said.

Senior executives from US chipmaker Micron Technology recently met with officials from Northwest China's Shaanxi Province and vowed to further enhance their investment in the Chinese market. It comes after the firm reached a legal settlement with chip producer Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co.

Chen Chunjiang, vice governor of Shaanxi, along with other government officials met with the Micron executives including CFO Mark Murphy, Micron said on Monday, adding that the company will keep investing in China, and will assist with industrial upgrading.

Chen expressed appreciation for Micron's investment and development in Shaanxi, and exchanged views on China's semiconductor market and Micron's local operation. Ma Xianping, an official from Xi'an Hi-tech Industries Development Zone, also expressed enthusiasm for Micron's development strategy in China.

The US-based semiconductor producer announced in June last year that it would invest 4.3 billion yuan in its packaging and testing plant in Xi'an, including purchasing a local company and building new factories, in order to meet demand from local clients, according to Micron's social media account.

Micron in December 2023 reached a global settlement agreement with Fujian Jinhua. It had taken legal action in 2017 against Fujian Jinhua and another Taiwan-based firm, United Microelectronics Corp, accusing the two of stealing the company's memory chip trade secrets.

On February 27, 2024, a US District Judge in San Francisco found Fujian Jinhua not guilty following a non-jury trial, clearing the Chinese company of economic espionage and other criminal charges. Fujian Jinhua had been blacklisted by the US Commerce Department for more than five years.

China's Government Work Report of 2024 emphasized that state-owned enterprises, private businesses, and foreign-funded companies all play an important role in China's modernization drive, and vowed to further attract foreign investment.

Foreign investors are now accelerating expansion in the Chinese market. Disney announced on Monday it will build a new themed attraction at the Shanghai Disney Resort and the preparations have started. Apple also announced it will open a flagship store in Shanghai with investment exceeding 83.4 million yuan ($11.61 million). It will be the second-largest apple store worldwide, after the one on Fifth Avenue in New York.

China's Government Work Report has set a GDP growth target of around 5 percent for 2024. Considering the international and domestic economic conditions, with a potential annual growth rate of 8 percent, it is entirely possible for China to achieve an economic growth rate of above 5 percent.

China has enough room for elevation of technological innovation, industrial upgrade and productivity level. The country has a high savings rate, abundant investment resources, and a commitment to develop its economy.

China, as a major developing economy, is still in a process of industrial upgrade and still faces a big gap with developed countries, but this creates a latecomer's advantage. During this catch-up stage, other economies such as Japan, South Korea and Germany achieved a growth rate of 8 percent or above. If they can achieve that, China also has the potential to achieve it.

Compared with those countries, China also has another advantage in the new economy, represented by artificial intelligence and digital economy. China is placed at the same start line as those developed countries, but it has demonstrated a significant advantage in tech innovation involving new economy.

There are three reasons. First, China has abundant human capital. With a population of 1.4 billion, China possesses a vast pool of talent who possess entrepreneurial spirit and technical skills.

Second, China has already become the world's largest economy based on purchasing power parity calculations. That means any technological innovation or new product development can swiftly enter the domestic market and benefit from economies of scale. Even when competing with developed countries, China can surpass them in economies of scale thanks to its enormous domestic market size.

Thirdly, China has the best industrial supporting capability of almost any economy globally.

'China peaked' rebuttal

Some foreign scholars have made claims over "peak China" claim or asserted that the Chinese economy is already on a downward trend toward "Japanification." However, there are key differences between China and Japan back then. Japan experienced relative stagnation in technological innovation, industrial upgrading, and productivity improvement, with no emergence of new industries after the 1980s and 1990s.

In contrast, China has the advantage of being a latecomer. It can utilize the gap with developed countries to introduce, digest, absorb, and then innovate new technologies, and make them a source of industrial upgrade. Across the new economy, China is starting from the same place as developed countries, with a large pool of talent, massive market, and comprehensive industrial infrastructure. So the situation that occurred in Japan is unlikely to occur in China.

As long as we continue our technological innovation and industrial upgrading, and improve productivity levels, per capita GDP will grow faster than that of the US.

China's per capita GDP is already over $12,500, which is very close to the threshold of $13,000 for becoming a high-income nation. As long as we make good use of the favorable conditions for technological innovation and industrial upgrading, I believe we can become a high-income country - if not in 2025, then 2026.

With a growth rate of between 5 percent and 6 percent and a potential annual growth rate of 8 percent through 2035, and 3 percent and 4 percent from 2036 to 2050 with a potential growth rate of 6 percent, China's per capita GDP will hit half that of the US by 2049.Considering China's population is four times that of the US, China's economic size will then be twice that of the US. China will become the world's largest economy and contribute the most to the world economic growth every year.

Population turning point

China's population has reached a turning point and is currently facing the challenges of an aging population. In the 1990s, Japan also experienced population aging issue and an economic growth slowdown. When it comes to economic growth, labor force is important, but what matters more is effective labor, which is the product of both the quantity and quality of labor force.

China has anticipated challenges around an aging population, and has significantly increased its investment in education. Consequently, the education years of the younger workforce have significantly improved. So from the perspective of effective labor, we used to talk about demographic dividend, but now it's the dividend of quality.

Among the 53 countries in the world that are currently facing an aging population, there are 27 countries whose per capita GDP, upon entering the aging population phase, has already reached half or more of that of the US, meaning they are already developed countries. The remaining 26 countries, upon entering the aging population phase, still have a per capita GDP below 50 percent of that of the US, indicating they are "getting old before getting rich," and are in a catch-up phase.

For the first group of countries, in the decade before entering the aging population phase, their economic growth rate only experienced a slight decline, but their per capita GDP remained largely unchanged. This is because their education levels stay basically the same before and after entering the aging population phase, as they already had high levels of education.

Therefore, the increase in human capital was limited. For the second group of countries, their economies still improve after entering aging population phase. This is because their labor force's education level is also increasing, leading to an increase in effective labor, which is beneficial for technological innovation and industrial upgrade.

I believe under the guidance of the new development philosophy, China will put innovation first, its productivity level will continue to improve, and it will not grow old before it gets rich.

The article is based on an interview with Justin Lin Yifu, dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University and a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, the top political advisory body.

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.

More than half of the world's manned deep diving missions have been completed by China's three deep-sea manned submersibles, Jiaolong, Shenhai Yongshi (Deep Sea Warrior) and Fendouzhe (Striver) during the past three years, Ye Cong, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and chief designer of Fendouzhe, said on Monday.

The remarks were made as China's top political advisory body, the CPPCC National Committee, opened its annual session on Monday in Beijing. On the occasion, CPPCC representatives and NPC deputies from all walks of life gather at the annual two sessions, discussing important matters pertaining to the nation's development and needs of the people.

The deep-sea manned submersibles are a significant example of the nation's achievements in homegrown tech innovation as well as China's active participation in helping the world to better understand, protect and explore the deep sea.

Over the past four years, Fendouzhe has completed a total of 230 dives, 25 of which were deeper than 10,000 meters, allowing 32 people to reach the seabed at 10,000 meters below the surface to carry out operations, Ye said.

Fendouzhe is China's first manned submersible that can reach the deepest part of the world's oceans for scientific research and exploration. In 2020, Fendouzhe made history on November 10, 2020, when it successfully landed on the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean, the deepest point of the Earth, reaching a depth of 10,909 meters and setting a new record for the Chinese manned deep-diving mission, according to Ye.

The submersible also achieved the first live video interaction from a 10,000-meter seabed location.

From 2022 to 2023, Fendouzhe completed its first scientific research mission around Oceania. The dive locations included the Kermadec Trench area of the southwest Pacific Ocean and the Diamantina Trench in the southeastern Indian Ocean, with a total of 63 dives, setting record for a single-voyage dive, according to Ye.

Many foreign scientists have also participated in the deep-sea exploration using Chinese submersibles, Ye said, an example of China's deep-sea exploration has been open and inclusive for international cooperation.

Just now, Fendouzhe is doing deep-sea exploration at Sunda Trench or the Java Trench in the Indian Ocean, as part of the cooperation between China and Indonesia, Ye said.

During the past three years, more than half of the world's manned deep diving missions have been completed by China's three deep-sea manned submersibles, Jiaolong, Shenhai Yongshi and Fendouzhe. The three submersibles have made more than 1,100 dives so far, Ye said.

In an interview with the Global Times on Monday, Ye said that the achievements on deep-sea scientific research are inseparable from the country's advanced shipbuilding industry, which leads the world.

"Only with the solid foundation can we better support the development of our deep-sea scientific exploration and the improvement of our tools," Ye said.

When asked by media about deep-sea explorations, Ye emphasized the importance of taking into account of their potential environmental impact on maritime ecosystem. "We are equally concerned about the environmental ramifications and believe that comprehensive assessments and analyses are imperative," Ye said.

Regarding explorations in the future, he said: "We will strive to extend our works in more deep-sea areas, including the polar areas. Also, we will carry out systematic work and build a detection operation and development system from space to the sea surface, and from underwater to the seabed, in order to improve our perception of the entire ocean system," Ye said.

"As marine science and technology workers, we must continue to sum up experiences from the extreme deep dives of Fendouzhe, climb to the peak of deep-sea science and technology, and continue to make new contributions to the better understanding, protection, and development of the ocean system for the mankind," Ye said.

"There is no problem with the power supply line in the factory area, and the distribution cabinet is operating normally. If there are any difficulties or problems with electricity in the future, please feel free to contact us at any time."On February 20th, members of the Rainbow Communist Party Member Service Team of State Grid Pingyuan County Power Supply Company visited Ruiming Clothing Factory in Pingyuan County to provide on-site services, helping the enterprise inspect electrical equipment and solve problems, to ensure reliable electricity use, and assist the enterprise in resuming work and production after the Chinese New Year holidays.
After the Spring Festival, various enterprises in Pingyuan County, Dezhou City, resumed work and production. In order to ensure the reliability of electricity production for enterprises, 12 Rainbow Party Member Service Teams of State Grid Pingyuan County Power Supply Company went deep into the enterprises under their jurisdictions to get the production status and electricity demand of the companies and factories after resuming work. They conducted a comprehensive "physical examination" of the enterprise's electricity equipment, conducted detailed inspections of distribution equipment, switch cabinets, distribution rooms, etc. Service teams provided a detailed interpretation of industrial electricity policies, guided enterprises to promptly eliminate safety hazards and took corresponding preventive measures, which will boost production.
While organizing a Rainbow Communist Party member service team to conduct on-site inspections of enterprise equipment, the State Grid Pingyuan County Power Supply Company has also launched a typical industry "power supply service package" tailored to different production situations and electricity needs of enterprises. The "one enterprise, one policy" power supply plan is tailored to accurately implement policies. Those policies guide enterprises to use electricity reasonably and scientifically, reduce electricity expenses, comprehensively do a good job in power supply guarantee services, help enterprises reduce energy costs, and help them to improve efficiency.

"Power supply workers regularly come to the factory to help check the safety of electricity use and timely remind us of and help us eliminate hidden dangers. High quality power supply services have given us more confidence in making a good start in the first quarter." Wang Xiuming, the director of Ruiming Clothing Factory in Pingyuan County, said confidently.

The State Grid Pingyuan County Power Supply Company will continue to play the role of the leader in electricity, adhere to the work concept of "proactive docking and advanced service", continuously optimize the electricity business environment, continuously upgrade service measures through regular consultation and precise service, and use "full grid electricity" to help enterprises accelerate production.