Companies in China's low-altitude economy are seeking to achieve a sustainable business mode in a bid to rapidly foster the growth of the sector at home and prepare for expansion overseas.
Industry insiders suggested that a profitable, sustainable and replicable operation pattern is necessary for China's low-altitude economy, which is in a formative stage. Finding such a pattern will help Chinese enterprises along the industry chain participate in overseas markets, especially in Belt and Road Initiative partner economies.
The low-altitude economy refers to cargo and passenger transport by drone or aerial vehicles at elevations of up to 1,000 meters, which has become a vital segment of China's transport system and a new growth engine for the economy, Luo Jun, executive director of the China Low Altitude Economic Alliance, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Multiple Chinese start-ups that focus on the research and development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have conducted successful trial flights, and Luo predicted that by 2026, some will officially put eVTOL aircraft into commercial use.
China has 70 percent of the global drone volume, making it the largest drone market worldwide, according to industry data.
Luo noted that China's market scale for the low-altitude economy is also expected to be the largest.
The low-altitude economy was defined as a strategic emerging industry at the country's annual Central Economic Work Conference in 2023 and written into this year's Government Work Report as a new growth engine.
Relevant departments and localities have been implementing corresponding policies and plans.
The Global Low Altitude Economic Forum 2024 Annual Meeting will be held in Beijing at the end of October, with invitations being sent to about 1,500 government officials, business leaders and investment agencies.
The Silk Road Maritime International Association, based in East China's Fujian Province, is implementing a comprehensive development strategy to promote a global sea transportation network under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), offering stable and secure logistics solutions amid complex international environment.
Li Nan, Secretary-General of the Silk Road Maritime International Association and the General Manager of Fujian Silk Road Maritime Management Co, told the Global Times that the association has put forward a six-point guideline, including establishing an association, a series of sea routes, a standard system, an information platform, a set of policy and a cooperation forum, to better provide high quality services to domestic and overseas clients. Since the Silk Road Maritime International Association was established in 2018, the association has conducted close exchanges with leading ports, sea transport companies, logistics companies, trading and manufacturing companies and other partners.
To further enhance port and shipping service quality, Silk Road Maritime has named a series of routes that originate from Chinese ports, sail along countries and regions under the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, and meet the association's standards.
The routes now cover major coastal ports such as Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, and Xiamen in East China's Fujian Province, among others.
By the end of August this year, the association has grown to include over 330 members, with 122 named routes covering 10 Chinese ports and reaching 135 ports in 46 countries and regions worldwide, said Li. In terms of forming standards, the Silk Road Maritime International Association collaborated with universities and research institutes, and issued service quality requirements across various links of the logistics chain, including ports, shipping, customs clearance, transshipment, and multimodal transport terminals. These efforts aim to build and improve the Silk Road Maritime service standard system, enhancing logistics efficiency and better supporting the development of trade.
Basing on the standard system, the association established a comprehensive online service platform which has realized functions such as public booking, full logistics visibility and tracking, and monitoring of routes named by the association. It has also installed modules for oceanic weather navigation and intelligent maritime services.
The Silk Road Maritime International Association received supports from local governments. Local governments in Fujian Province, issued a series of policies including financial supports for encouraging port operators, shipping companies and logistics companies to actively expand sea-land cargo sources and innovate logistics channels. The association has also launched a series of measures, such as quantitative assessment rewards, to encourage the industry to improve service standards, Li noted.
A key highlight of the guidelines is the 6th Silk Road Maritime International Cooperation Forum, to be held in Xiamen, Fujian, from September 7 to 8. The event's annual theme is "Promoting the Integrated Development of Ports, Shipping, and Trade under the Silk Road Maritime," signaling that integration in ports, shipping, and trade will be the keyword for the next phase of the association's development. Since its inception in 2019, the Silk Road Maritime International Cooperation Forum has been held five times, attracting more than 5,000 participants and developing the forum into a hub for government-business communication and a high-quality international port and shipping dialogue and cooperation platform under the BRI.
Currently, in advancing the integrated development of ports, shipping, and trade, Silk Road Maritime is focused on creating an integrated ecological layout of "points, lines, and surfaces" which refers to an overall construction of ports, sea routes and transport network.
In ports construction, almost all large coastal port groups in China have joined the Silk Road Maritime International Association, along with top global shipping companies such as COSCO Shipping, Maersk, and the MSC.
Over the past two years, the Silk Road Maritime e-commerce express line has handled over 50,000 standard containers, with cross-border e-commerce export goods exceeding 1.45 million pieces and a total value of 11.3 billion yuan ($1.59 billion) basing on the construction of ports and sea routes.
Li revealed that the upcoming forum will release multiple development progress of the sector, sign a series of cooperation agreements, including the release of the 14th batch of Silk Road Maritime routes and the Silk Road Maritime integrated development initiative. Additionally, for the first time, the forum will feature a ports, shipping, and trade matchmaking meeting to strengthen the connection and collaboration between upstream and downstream of the industrial and value chains. Li emphasized that the Silk Road Maritime can play a crucial role in ensuring the security and stability of China's supply chain amidst the complex international environment.
During the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in October 2023, China announced eight actions in pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, emphasizing that China will work to integrate ports, shipping and trading services under the Silk Road Maritime, and accelerate the building of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and the Air Silk Road. "After six years of exploration, Silk Road Maritime has fully realized that the ultimate goal of port and shipping development is to better facilitate trade, using trade as a link to expand all-round exchanges between China and countries involved in the BRI, and to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind," Li added.
Moving forward, Silk Road Maritime is considering the establishment of relevant financing firms targeting freight index futures trading, ship leasing, ship transactions, personnel training, and other finance services, further expand channels for enterprises' global business, creating a golden logistics channel serving the BRI partnership countries, Li noted.
China’s Commerce Ministry announced on Tuesday that it will launch anti-dumping investigations into canola seeds imported from Canada in line with domestic laws and regulations and WTO rules. It will also launch anti-dumping probes into certain chemical products imported from Canada based on the application made by domestic enterprises.
A resolution opposing a series of US sanctions related to Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and providing support for affected companies was unveiled and took effect on Monday, according to the regional legislator.
The resolution aims to expose to both the international community and the people of Xinjiang, what is clearly the US sinister intention in implementing sanctions against Xinjiang, to reveal the US suppression of the region's enterprises and its undermining of Xinjiang's social stability and development. It also supports the development of sanctioned enterprises and related industries.
According to local authorities, the enterprises sanctioned by the US for so-called forced labor allegation are in industries enjoying advantages in Xinjiang region, contributing significantly to job creation for the rural workforce and increasing farmers' incomes.
The so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act," which took effect in June 2022, prohibits the entry of Xinjiang goods into the US market in the name of combating "forced labor."
The resolution calls on local authorities to strongly object to the groundless sanctions, and provide support for the sanctions-hit enterprises and associated industries to encourage them to flourish, as it is their just position and unshakable duty.
It also encouraged the sanctioned enterprises to enhance their awareness of potential dangers, establish confidence in victory, and actively respond to the unreasonable provocation and suppression of sanctions by the US.
Employment is the utmost human right and a demonstration of respect for labor rights. The US and some Western countries, however, have lobbed trumped-up charges against China's production methods, inevitably affecting the normal export of local products, said Wang Sixin, an expert in human rights and a law professor at the Communication University of China.
The recent social media scrutiny of Chinese gymnasts headlined by Su Weide at the Paris Olympics highlights a broader issue faced by athletes worldwide: how to deal with intense public and media criticism.
Su's mistakes in the men's team gymnastics event led to a loss of the gold medal to Japan, prompting an outpouring of harsh public criticism from fans. Accusations ranged from a history of poor performances to even allegations of nepotism.
Public opinion can be incredibly harsh, often fixating on athletes' failures rather than their successes. This phenomenon is not new. Legends like gymnastics great Li Ning and star hurdler Liu Xiang have also suffered under the weight of public criticism.
Criticism is an inevitable part of sports, but when it becomes baseless and overly harsh, it can cross the line into abuse.
For instance, the flood of criticism aimed at Su following his performance included not only legitimate critiques of his errors but also unfounded accusations and personal attacks. While it is essential to distinguish constructive criticism from mere vitriol, athletes must learn to navigate and respond to both.
Su's teammates Zhang Boheng and Li Xiaopeng publicly supported Su, emphasizing the difficulty of his role and the team's collective responsibility for its performance. This kind of solidarity and positive reinforcement is crucial to helping athletes withstand the pressures of public opinion.
A notable example of an athlete who can constructively handle opinions against them is Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwen.
After defeating US player Emma Navarro in the women's singles round of 16, Zheng faced unwarranted criticism and disrespect from her opponent.
But Zheng's response, expressing a willingness to learn and grow from the feedback by saying she would like to correct what upset Navarro and become a better player, demonstrated a higher level of wisdom. This kind of approach not only defuses negativity but also sets a positive example for other athletes.
Former basketball star Yao Ming has advocated for athletes to engage more with the public, emphasizing that increased communication and understanding lead to better judgment and perception. This perspective encourages athletes to see public interaction as an opportunity for growth rather than a threat.
China has moved beyond an era in which only gold medals matter, and the broader public is increasingly able to view sporting achievements with a balanced perspective.
Athletes today should not carry the burden of unrealistic expectations or view public opinion as an insurmountable obstacle.
Instead, they should embrace the chance to communicate openly, learn from feedback, and turn public scrutiny into a tool for personal and professional development.
Ultimately, athletes who actively engage with public opinion and respond constructively can transform negative spirals into opportunities for growth and improvement.
US sprinter Erriyon Knighton, embroiled in a doping controversy, finished fourth in the men's 200-meter final at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. However, his abrupt departure from the media zone without taking interviews has fueled further suspicion regarding his eligibility to compete.
Knighton tested positive for the banned steroid trenbolone during an out-of-competition test on March 26. However, the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) opted not to impose a suspension, attributing the positive result to contaminated meat. This decision allowed Knighton to compete in the Paris Olympics qualifiers, a move that sparked widespread concern.
The China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) released two statements on Thursday, one calling for strengthened testing of US athletes, and the other calling for an independent investigation into the actions of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) following latest revelations about the USADA's misconduct and double standards.
"USADA has long ignored its own anti-doping shortcomings while attempting to impose double standards on other countries, exposing its hypocritical and inconsistent approach to anti-doping enforcement," CHINADA said in a statement sent to the Global Times.
When asked about Knighton's whereabouts, a US team staff member informed reporters that Knighton had already left and did not stop for interviews, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Fellow journalists reported that Knighton hurried past American TV reporters without saying a word.
"Why are the usually vocal American athletes silent this time?" Many netizens raised the question on social media.
"Knighton's silence is particularly striking given the ongoing scrutiny of doping practices," commented one pundit.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam arrived in Beijing on Sunday after a stop in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, earlier on Sunday, kicking off his three-day state visit to China.
Experts believe the trip reflects Vietnam's emphasis on strengthening its ties with China as a top priority while maintaining a balanced diplomacy among major powers, noting that the focus of this visit is not only on enhancing coordination between two socialist countries but also on strengthening infrastructure cooperation such as railway construction.
Lam was elected as general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee on August 3, following the passing of former General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 19.
During his time in Guangzhou, Lam followed the "red footprints" of the late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh and review his revolutionary activities in China, according to CCTV news.
Lam's choice of Guangzhou as his first stop in China holds historical significance as this year marks the 100th anniversary of Ho's revolutionary activities in Guangdong. It signifies the deep-rooted revolutionary tradition and friendship between the two countries, and highlights the close ties between the two parties, said Yu Xiangdong, director of the Institute for Vietnam Studies at the Zhengzhou University.
In the early 20th century, Guangzhou attracted many Vietnamese patriots, making it an important overseas base for comrades like Ho.
Lam, his wife and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam paid a floral tribute to martyr Pham Hong Thai at his grave in the Huanghuagang Memorial Park in Guangzhou, and visited the relic site of the headquarters of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League in the city early Sunday morning, Vietnam News Agency reported.
In addition, the Vietnamese delegation also aims to learn from China's reform and opening-up process by studying the case of Guangzhou, which has been at the forefront of this process. What's more, given that Guangdong ranks at the top among Chinese provinces in terms of trade volume with Vietnam, the delegation would like to seek deepened cooperation to promote its own economic development, said Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute of Hainan Tropical Ocean University.
China is Vietnam's largest trading partner, with Guangdong accounting for 20 percent of the bilateral trade, and enjoying a productive collaboration with Vietnam in various fields.
Last December, China and Vietnam agreed to build a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. Lam's visit will also be the two top leaders' first face-to-face interaction since assuming the new positioning of bilateral relations.
Under Nguyen Phu Trong's term, Vietnam's foreign policy has adhered to a "bamboo diplomacy" featuring a balanced strategy among major powers including China, the US, and Russia. Lam is expected to follow the path set by his predecessor and develop relations with Washington in terms of trade and security cooperation, Yu noted. However, the first visit in China underscores Hanoi's emphasis on strengthening ties with Beijing within its balanced foreign policy framework, given that China and Vietnam are not only neighbors but socialist countries led by communist parties, Gu said.
Eyeing pragmatic cooperation
Boosting rail links with China is a crucial step in Vietnam's economic development, as the country is experiencing a rapid takeoff of its economy yet it's has insufficient infrastructure to support this speed.
Therefore, Lam will likely discuss railway cooperation with China, which possess the world's leading high-speed rail technology and great financial advantages. What's more, given the geographical proximity, once high-speed rail is established between the two countries, Vietnam can access the Chinese market and further expand toward Europe by connecting through China, as Europe is also a significant market for Vietnam, observers said.
In the first seven months of this year, a total of 6,850 containers have been transported through the China-Vietnam railway, a 16-fold increase compared to the previous year, putting bilateral trade onto an "express lane," according to authorities in Nanning, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Another major focus of Lam's trip is to enhance communication between the two parties, said experts. Given that China and Vietnam are among the world's few socialist countries, it is crucial to enhance political exchanges to prevent peaceful evolution, Gu said.
At the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam will pay a state visit to China from Aug. 18 to 20, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced Thursday.
Chinese and US economic officials will hold another round of talks under the Financial Working Group mechanism later this week in Shanghai, according to several US media reports, indicating that the world's two biggest economies are continuing their dialogue amid mounting bilateral trade tensions and growing risks for the global economy.
The talks, which reportedly will take place on Thursday and Friday, come after the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) drew up sweeping reforms that are set to underpin China's high-quality development for years to come, and as global markets are increasingly worried about the prospects of the US economy, which some fear could fall into a potential recession.
Amid its economic woes, Washington needs coordination with China to respond to potential risks and challenges and ensure overall economic and financial stability, analysts said. And enhanced dialogue and cooperation between Chinese and US officials will help inject a sense of stability into an increasingly uncertain global geo-economic situation, the analysts said, urging the US to stop politicizing trade issues and remove restrictions and tariffs against Chinese products.
Timely talks
The US delegation led by Brent Neiman, the Treasury Department's assistant secretary for international finance, departed the US on Monday and the talks will take place on Thursday and Friday, The New York Times reported on Monday. The US delegation is expected to meet with senior officials from the People's Bank of China, the central bank and other departments, according to the report.
Chinese officials have not yet publicly confirmed the talks as of press time on Tuesday. This would be the fifth meeting of the Financial Working Group, which was established in 2023 as part of efforts by the two countries to strengthen communication on economic and financial issues. The fourth meeting was held in April in Washington, where the two sides held discussions on a wide range of issues, including monetary policies, financial stability and cooperation on financial regulation.
While the upcoming talks will likely continue to focus on similar issues, there are new pressing issues that will be discussed, including growing concerns over the US economy that has rattled global markets, analysts said.
"The US pays attention to Chinese policies and seeks dialogue with China largely because of its own interests, especially as the US faces economic pressure," Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Center for American Studies and director of the Center for Taiwan Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. "US inflation has not fallen back to an ideal range and new jobs data was disappointing, which lays bare the underlying economic problems. Some analysis even suggests that the US economy may face a potential recession."
Highlighting their keenness to enhance communication with China amid growing risks facing the US economy, US officials have also revealed their intentions for the upcoming talks.
"We intend for this FWG meeting to include conversations on financial stability, issues related to cross-border data, lending and payments, private-sector efforts to advance transition finance, and concrete steps we can take to improve communication in the event of financial stress," Neiman said ahead of the trip, referring to the abbreviation for the financial working group, according to The New York Times.
This shows that the US side wants to coordinate with China in terms of macro policies and responses to potential economic troubles, analysts said.
"In view of the current poor expectations for economic growth and the need to avoid global shocks caused by major monetary policy adjustments, the topics of the talks are timely and urgent," Zhang Monan, deputy director of Institute of American and European studies at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Zhang said that coordination and cooperation between China and the US over policies are conducive to stabilizing global financial markets and also beneficial to both sides. "As China and the US are major economic powers, coordination of their monetary and financial policies is of great significance to stabilizing the global financial market," he said.
China's growing role
While the US continues its attempt to contain China's development, it also increasingly realizes the irreplaceable role of China in helping deal with both global as well as the US' economic issues, especially as China continues to promote high-quality development and high-level opening-up, analysts said.
Indeed, one of the main topics of the upcoming talks in Shanghai may focus on the reform measures outlined at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, they said.
"The third plenum serves as an important wind vane for China's future reform and has attracted the attention of the world. As the world's second-largest economy, China will release growth momentum through a new round of reform and opening-up in the future, which will have a huge impact on the world economy," Zhang said, noting that the US also pays great attention to Chinese policies in areas such as the financial industry and market access.
In contrast to some inward and protectionist trends in some countries and regions, including the US, China continues to strive for high-quality development and high-level opening-up. "Opening-up is a defining feature of Chinese modernization. We must remain committed to the basic state policy of opening to the outside world and continue to promote reform through opening-up," the communique of the latest third plenary session stated.
Analysts said that as the communique clearly stated, China will continue to promote high-quality, sustainable development and will expand high-level opening-up, which will create more opportunities for the world, and relevant countries should stop smearing Chinese policies and stop politicizing economic and trade issues.
Even as they pursue talks with Chinese counterparts, US officials have continued their crackdown campaign against Chinese products and businesses. For example, after the fourth round of talks of the Financial Working Group, the US in May announced additional tariffs on a wide range of Chinese products, including electric vehicles. The US has since delayed the imposition of the additional tariffs on some products.
At the upcoming talks, Chinese officials are expected to raise concerns over the US' economic and trade restrictions, according to analysts.
"The US has apparently realized that imposing additional tariffs on Chinese products will only increase the costs for US consumers and exacerbate the US inflation," Xin said, adding that despite such a realization, US politicians, out of political considerations, choose to defy basic economic laws.
He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, said that the US may, under domestic economic pressure, pursue talks with China, but it is unlikely to stop its long-term containment of China. "We must have a clear understanding of this, while seeking to stabilize and improve China-US bilateral ties," He told the Global Times on Tuesday.
