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.
A total of eight Chinese films, including four animated films, will be screened at the upcoming Moscow International Film Week, which is scheduled to run from August 23 to 28 in Moscow. The eight films include Born to Fly, Your Wedding, Going Forward, Mozart from Space, Super Wings: Jet to the Rescue, Chang'an, and New Happy Dad and Son 3: Adventure in Russia.
The screening of these Chinese films will not only bring a new visual and auditory feast to Russian audiences but also help enhance the international status and influence of Chinese cinema, further promoting cultural exchanges between the two peoples of China and Russia.
"The Moscow International Film Week will be held at 100 venues, with about 200 events taking place daily. This event will introduce Russian audiences to the latest Chinese films and will aid in the creation of joint projects between Russia and China. A large-scale commercial project is also planned, with the Chinese delegation being one of the largest," said Alexei Fursin, Moscow city government minister and minister of the Moscow Department of Culture.
Screenings will take place at traditional cinemas as well as at unique venues such as open-air pools, hotel rooftops, parks, and floating cinemas, offering audiences a diverse viewing experience.
The year 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. As a result, 2024-25 have been designated as Years of Culture between Russia and China.
The two countries have planned more than 230 events to be held within the framework of this initiative in 51 Chinese cities and 38 cities in Russia.
The two countries will have more opportunities for exchanges and cooperation in the fields of culture and film production, especially in animation production.
As part of the film week, Chinese filmmakers will visit facilities at the Moscow Film Industry Cluster.
According to the film week organizers, the cluster consists of several key facilities such as the Moskino Digital Platform, Moskino Film Commission, Moskino Production and Experience Park, METMACH Film Creative Center, Gorky Film Studio and Moskino Cinemas.
Additionally, at the special discussion session called Country-Study, which will focus on co-production opportunities, Chinese filmmakers will share their opinions on the Chinese movie market, communication with local partners and content creation.
The event has attracted delegations from more than 40 countries, including China, India, Turkey, Iran, Egypt and Thailand.
There are over 1.3 billion people living with disabilities worldwide, representing about 16 percent of the global population, according to the UN. Despite their numbers, this group is often overlooked and marginalized in society. Discrimination and stigmatization persist, and in daily life, the challenges faced by people with disabilities are frequently ignored. This is where the Paralympic Games step in - to provide a critical platform for visibility and advocacy. As the flame of the 2024 Paris Paralympics was lit on August 28, the world entered the 10-day of the "Paralympic spotlight." This Paralympics is not a secondary version of the Olympics but an equal celebration of athletic excellence and human resilience.
Yet, despite its significance, the Paralympics struggle for media attention and audience engagement. Many media organizations, focused on profitability, often choose to replay Olympic broadcasts rather than cover Paralympic events live. This oversight contributes to a lack of public awareness and understanding of the athletes' journeys and achievements.
The importance of the Paralympics extends beyond the sports field. For the over 1.3 billion people with disabilities globally, the Paralympics is a vital reminder of the need for recognition and inclusion. The Paralympics have indeed demonstrated this transformative power.
Take the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. The event led China to join the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008 and implement laws to protect the rights of people with disabilities. These actions reflect how the Paralympics can spark substantial social changes, particularly in host countries.
However, the impact of the Paralympics should not be confined to the event itself. A broader social shift is needed to address the challenges faced by people with disabilities daily. This means recognizing people with disabilities not as objects of pity or awe, but as individuals with the same right to participate fully in society.
The Paralympics embody the Olympic spirit of pushing boundaries and celebrating diversity. Through their influence, they challenge us to expand our understanding of beauty, ability, and inclusion. Yet, the Paralympics alone cannot achieve the social change badly needed.
It is up to us to see beyond disabilities and recognize the full humanity of people with disabilities. When the society reaches this point of understanding and inclusivity, the Paralympics will have fulfilled their greatest mission: Creating a world where everyone is valued and respected. May the flame of the Paralympics not only light up the stadiums but also ignite global awareness, empathy, and action toward making the world a more inclusive place for everyone.
Including rare discoveries like carbonized grains and ancient coins, more than 170 artifacts dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) have been unearthed at the Jiankou section of the Great Wall in Beijing. Such gems were discovered thanks to an on-site archaeological project that is set to conclude at the end of August.
The implementation of archaeology at this time was meant to assist in the fifth phase of the Jiankou Great Wall's restoration. By adopting the "excavating while restoring" approach for the first time, it is one of the examples that highlights China's growing creativity in protecting the Great Wall in modern times.
Pivotal works
In April, archaeological works started at the Jiankou section of the Great Wall two months before the on-site restoration work began. Such an arrangement was "sensible" since it "gives immediate rescue to the yet-to-be-discovered Great Wall relics," archaeologist Wang Meng told the Global Times.
Three types of relics were "rescued" in the months after the project kicked off. There were architectural components such as a beast-shaped decoration, military remains like the Frankish machines, a type of small cannons, and ancient everyday items like coins.
Despite their small size, the unearthed carbonized plant seeds were important discoveries showing human interactions with the Great Wall.
Shang Heng, head of the archaeological project, told the Global Times that some of these remnants have already been identified as grains. According to the condition in which the relics were discovered, Shang said that they show ancient garrisoned soldiers' "eating habits and their outdoor barbecue-like cooking style."
"Such archaeological discoveries have added more interesting narratives to Great Wall culture. These narratives bring the ancient heritage to life and closer to us," remarked Shang, who is also a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Archaeology.
What made the Jiankou archaeological project special was its interdisciplinary nature, in which the archaeological process was integrated with studies of plants, animals, the environment, and digital technology into the archaeological process.
The incorporation of digital technology was a highlight. More than 8,000 photos, along with techniques such as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) measuring, and 3D modeling were carried out on-site to establish a comprehensive digital record of the Jiankou section of the Great Wall.
Shang Jinyu, an expert responsible for the digital project, told the Global Times that digital works are pivotal to the entire restoration project, since the flexibility of machines like the UAV can help human beings detect "some neglected and extremely fragile parts that need to be repaired."
Similar to the digital strategy used at the Jiankou section of the Great Wall, Li Dan, a representative from the Administration Office of the Badaling Great Wall, told the Global Times that a total of 18 patrol routes for UAVs have been allocated along the Badaling section of the Great Wall to help with safety management while also boosting local tourism.
"Making a cultural heritage site come alive is a difficult task that demands not only the modern inputs like digital technologies, but also the societal power and the love of ordinary people," Xu Shuming, a cultural sociologist, told the Global Times.
Global attention
Themed "Love My China, Repair My Great Wall," a campaign encouraging societal-level sponsorships to protect the Great Wall was launched in Beijing 40 years ago.
The initiative was jointly launched by the media in Beijing at the time and was ground-breaking since it attracted individuals, enterprises, and social groups from different fields like art, entertainment, and sport to contribute to repairing the Great Wall.
The initiative was successful in preserving the Badaling section of the Great Wall, Li Dan told the Global Times. According to Li, between 1984 and 1994, it received donations from 100,000 organizations and groups, including international contributors.
Xu, an expert, told the Global Times that other than engaging the Chinese community, the campaign has left another legacy that has encouraged the world to join in the conservation of the Great Wall. During the "Love My China, Repair My Great Wall" campaign, for example, organizations from Pakistan, Greece, the US, and 24 other countries and regions also made active contributions, collectively raising tens of millions of yuan.
"It is thanks to such a well-established historic tradition of engaging the international community in the protection of the Great Wall that this cultural heritage can be enjoyed by the rest of the world, especially the younger generations," Xu remarked.
A brief scroll through international social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and TikTok, reveals a myriad of content shared by netizens related to the Great Wall, indicating that the world heritage site is perceived as a "marvelous spectacle" globally.
The Badaling section of the Great Wall has received nearly 200 million domestic and international visitors, including over 500 heads of state, government leaders, and numerous globally recognized figures, according to the data from the Badaling Great Wall Management Office. These influential figures shared their admiration for the cultural heritage site in their journeys.
To further promote the international influence of the cultural brand of China, various international exchange activities have been held on the Great Wall in recent years. The 2021 Belt and Road Great Wall International Folk Culture and Arts Festival kicked off in Qinhuangdao, North China's Hebei Province, presenting a grand cultural feast to audiences both at home and abroad. Moreover, the torch for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was ceremonially transferred at the Badaling section of the Great Wall in Beijing's Yanqing district, capturing the attention of the world.
China will focus on raising serious concerns regarding the Taiwan question, addressing development rights and strategic security in discussions with the US during National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan's upcoming visit to Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
Sullivan will be the first US national security advisor to visit China in eight years, and his trip comes less than three months before the US presidential election.
The visit, according to Chinese experts, symbolizes both countries' commitment to maintaining high-level official communication in this complex bilateral relationship and to assist both countries in managing their differences for the remaining time of the Biden administration.
Hot button issues
Sullivan's visit is at the invitation of Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Saturday.
Sullivan will visit China from Tuesday to Thursday.
Wang will have an in-depth exchange of views with Sullivan on China-US relations, sensitive subjects and major international and regional hot topics, according to a statement from the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of China's Foreign Ministry, noting both sides have agreed to continue to make good use of this strategic communication channel.
China will focus on expressing serious concerns, clarifying firm positions, and making serious demands regarding the Taiwan question, China's development rights and strategic security, said the statement.
The US containment measures on China are mainly concentrated on those three aspects, if those issues are not properly addressed, China-US ties cannot be stabilized or improved, Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times.
Although obstacles remain, Wu is optimistic that Sullivan's visit embodied both countries' commitment on keeping high-level exchanges, and plays a significant role in China-US relations during the remaining time of the Biden administration.
According to the foreign ministry statement, Wang's meeting with Sullivan in China is a key outcome of the consensus reached between the two heads of state in Bali in November 2022. Since that time, Wang and Sullivan have held three rounds of substantive and constructive strategic communications in Vienna, Malta and Bangkok, achieving positive results
During the US election cycle, candidates often hype China-related issues in order to appeal to voters. Sullivan's visit provides Beijing with an opportunity to caution Washington against allowing domestic politics to influence foreign policy decisions, and to effectively address differences in the next few months, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.
China will likely use this visit to send a clear signal to the US that, whoever sits in the White House, any violation of China's red line will invoke Beijing's strong countermeasures, said Lü.
Needs for cooperation
China's Foreign Ministry also touched on China's stance on Russia-Ukraine crisis, South China Sea issue and Palestine-Israel conflicts on Sunday.
On the Russia-Ukraine crisis, China's position is open and straightforward, and it will continue to promote peace talks, push for political solutions, and engage in mediation diplomacy. The US should stop abusing unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, and halt efforts to smear, slander, and coerce China. China will persist in taking strong and effective measures to protect its core interests and legitimate rights, according to the statement.
On South China Sea, the foreign ministry cautioned that countries outside of the region should not engage in actions that provoke confrontation and escalate tensions.
A senior US official told Reuters that Sullivan would be looking to hear China's assessment of the situation in the Middle East, where the two sides have different approaches but some shared concerns about instability. Sullivan's visit to Beijing reflected the urgency of the US to conduct cooperation with China at a time when Washington's hands are tied in the ongoing international conflicts, according to Chinese experts.
The Biden administration has been seeking to limit the fallout from the conflict in Gaza, now in its 11th month.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to persist, despite the military aid provided by US-led Western countries to Ukraine and the imposition of a slew of sanctions on Russia in hopes of forcing Moscow into defeat.
To conduct pragmatic dialogue and cooperation with China is a fundamental goal of US diplomatic security strategy, no matter who takes the Oval Office, Zhu Feng, director of the Institute of International Studies at Nanjing University, told the Global Times on Sunday.
A senior official from Biden's administration briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity that the focus of the meeting between Wang and Sullivan is to maintain communications on the host of difficult issues and demonstrate "that even amidst competition that we can find constructive ways to work with each other," per the Associated Press.
The US is clear that decoupling with China is impossible when it comes to promoting world peace and economic development, said Zhu. He noted that China's US policy remains unchanged, and now the onus falls on the US to work with China to establish a bilateral relationship that is responsible for both people and the world's peace and development.
Recently, a research team from a Chinese university successfully sent samples of soybean bacteria to the nation's Tiangong Space Station via the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft. The project is the first Hong Kong agricultural research project to be launched into space, opening a new chapter for the integration of aerospace and agricultural technology.
"The experiment although small in the grand scheme of scientific research, for our research team in Hong Kong, it represents a significant milestone that will pave the way for advancements in agricultural technology. Being part of this esteemed space experiment provides us with the opportunity to showcase our research capability on a national level," said Hong Kong-based biologist Lam Hon Ming. Lam, the project's chief scientist, told the Global Times that the experiment represents significant achievement in agricultural innovation in Hong Kong, while also fostering collaboration between scientific communities in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. "We are proud to be contributing to such groundbreaking and important scientific endeavors."
According to Lam, the experiment aims to discover how soybean seeds and nitrogen-fixing bacteria mutate in space conditions, opening the door to new advances in agricultural technology that could make soybean farming more resilient to climate change.
Lam and his team are currently studying analysis of the specimens on their return to explore how their mutation mechanisms behave in space and hope that could offer valuable knowledge for potential applications in space agriculture, such as cultivating crops on other celestial bodies or in space stations.
"Perhaps, in the future, we can explore the possibility of cultivating soybeans in extraterrestrial environments such as the Mars, the Moon, and outer space," he said.
Lam is also a director of State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, a national-level research team approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China.
He said the project could also contribute to the country's overall food security. The key to development of China's agricultural sector lies in harnessing the power of science and technology, given that 80 percent of the country's demand currently imported because of a shortage of arable land, Lam noted.
"Our long-term vision is to combine China's most advanced aerospace technology with the most important food security research, use space projects to promote close ties between Hong Kong and the mainland, and establish an international innovation and technology hub that engages with the world," Lam said.
Limited land resources and technological gaps in China's soybean industry have led to lower productivity levels when compared to the United States. However, as China continues to invest in research and development, the gap between China and the US in soybean production is expected to narrow, paving the way for a more competitive agricultural sector in the future.
Working on soybean research for more than two decades, Lam is committed to promoting sustainable agricultural development through his research. Through identification and characterization of key genes from elite germplasms that may enhance adaption to biotic and abiotic stresses, Lam envisions integrating cutting-edge academic technology with traditional knowledge from farmers to promote sustainable agriculture.
In 2014, his team successfully identified and cloned a salt-tolerant gene from wild soybean, which paved the way to improving agriculture on marginal lands. Lam also collaborated with scientists in Northwest China's Gansu Province and successfully developed three new stress tolerance soybean cultivars called Longhuang 1, Longhuang 2, and Longhuang 3, with traits such as high-yield, high-quality and high-tolerance for salt and drought.
From 2016 to 2023, the soybeans had been planted in an area spanning approximately 1.18 million mu (78,667 hectares) in Gansu, delivering an additional income of 97 million yuan ($13.6 million) to local farmers.
Recalling his partnership with his Gansu counterpart Zhang Guohong, which have yielded fruitful results, Lam said "there is significant potential to grow our business in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area."
"With its large population, thriving agricultural market, and advanced food processing technology, the Greater Bay Area offers numerous opportunities for our products. By establishing a sustainable ecosystem that encompasses production, processing, and sales in this region, we can drive economic growth and create a model for sustainable agricultural development," Lam said.
