中国日报网

ZXMOTO speeds from workshop to world stage

French rider Valentin Debise (R) and Italian rider Federico Caricasulo (L) pose with Zhang Xue (C), brand founder and owner of Chinese motorcycle manufacturer ZXMOTO, at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Australia, Feb 20, 2026. [Photo/Xinhua]

When French rider Valentin Debise piloted the ZXMOTO motorcycle across the finish line twice at the Portuguese round of the World Superbike Championship, the five-star red flag flew high above the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal.

ZXMOTO's wins are more important for what they represent rather than the race victories themselves. Although they were sporting triumphs, beneath that, they signal a quiet recalibration of how Chinese products are tested, perceived and trusted in global arenas.

For a long time, the world's top motorcycle racing events have been the exclusive domain of European, United States and Japanese brands. Established giants like Ducati, Yamaha and Kawasaki, backed by decades of technological experience and brand heritage, had built an almost insurmountable wall. Although Chinese motorcycle companies held a considerable share of the global market, they remained at the bottom of the racing pyramid, often labeled as "cheap" and "low-end". ZXMOTO's back-to-back titles are a powerful strike against that wall.

At the heart of this achievement lies a breakthrough in independent R&D. For years, China's motorcycle industry was constrained by reliance on imported core engine technologies and limited independent innovation capacity. Zhang Xue, the founder of the company, started as an apprentice in a repair shop. With the dream of building a true high-performance Chinese motorcycle, he started from scratch in Chongqing. He led his team to address a series of technical challenges, eventually developing an independent power train with its own intellectual property rights. The engine delivers performance comparable to leading international models in key metrics, thus reducing dependence on externally sourced technologies. This sustained focus on core technologies has given ZXMOTO the confidence to compete head-to-head with some of the world's leading manufacturers on the racetrack.

Zhang Xue's success is also inseparable from China's complete manufacturing ecosystem. Chongqing, known as the "motorcycle capital" in China, boasts an integrated industry chain from components to complete vehicles. A company can modify a design in the morning and receive newly molded parts for testing in the afternoon. This efficient supply chain coordination and low cost of iteration represent a systemic advantage of Chinese manufacturing. ZXMOTO does not compete alone; it is backed by the coordinated efforts of hundreds of parts suppliers and the industrial foundations accumulated over decades. From individual screws to complex electronic control systems, the overall capabilities of Chinese manufacturing provide a solid base for this company's high-performance machines.

Even more strategically astute is the distinctive path that ZXMOTO has taken: "promoting R&D and building the brand through racing". Most Chinese brands are accustomed to first building market share and then brand recognition, often falling into the trap of low-price competition. But Zhang Xue adopted a different approach: he first demonstrated performance in top-tier international races, then transferred that credibility back to the retail market. Following its championship results, the race-proven model quickly became a hit in both domestic and overseas markets, with demand outpacing supply.

This "track to market" path not only shatters the stereotype that "Chinese vehicles can only compete on price", but also opens up new possibilities for Chinese brands to ascend the global value chain. On international social platforms, some overseas users have called ZXMOTO a "game changer". They see it as a notable example of Chinese manufacturing entering more competitive segments.

Of course, ZXMOTO's success is not an isolated case. In recent years, other Chinese brands such as CFMOTO and KOVE MOTO have also made steady progress in international racing events. China's motorcycle industry is shifting from a low-margin, high-volume export model toward one driven by greater technological sophistication and stronger brand value. ZXMOTO's two consecutive titles stand as one of the most notable milestones in this broader transformation.

In a field where reputations are typically built over decades and reinforced through repetition, a single team's ascent does not redraw the map overnight. But it can introduce a new reference point — one that competitors, consumers and even skeptics begin to factor into their expectations. The question, then, is not just how far ZXMOTO can go, but how many other brands will innovate and find their own paths, and whether the industry as a whole can sustain that momentum.

The author is a research fellow at the office of academic research of Xiamen University of Technology.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.

What Chinese & US youths discovered in the joint sea exploration

"The mission has been a great success, and we are hoping for many more," Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates and OceanX, a foundation that funds ocean exploration and media initiatives, said at the closing ceremony of A Shared Voyage: China-US Youth Friendship Program in Shanghai on April 8.

Co-organized by Ray Dalio, this program invited 20 college students from China and the United States to start a two-week journey on board the research vessel China-US Youth Friendship (OceanXplorer). The journey featured marine exploration, visits to Hong Kong, Ningbo in Zhejiang province and Shanghai, along with cultural exchange activities.

"We believe that understanding and protecting the ocean is better for us all," Dalio said.

"More importantly, we hoped that the students and scientists on board would also discover the many things they have in common," Dalio added.

He believed this would help foster a sense of warmth and mutual respect across cultural boundaries.

This program was jointly organized by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, the China-US Exchange Foundation, and OceanX.

China-Spain trade relations complementary

LI MIN/CHINA DAILY

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is on a five-day official visit to China starting on Saturday. This is his fourth trip to the country in four years, making him one of the most frequent visitors to China among European leaders in recent years. The visit, which comes about five months after Spanish King Felipe VI visited China, shows that bilateral relations between China and Spain continue to strengthen.

There are profound economic, trade and geopolitical reasons why Spain has moved closer to China in recent years. The industrial structures of the two countries are highly complementary. China has become Spain's largest trading partner outside the European Union, while Spain is China's fifth-largest trading partner within the EU. Bilateral trade in goods reached $55 billion in 2025, an increase of nearly 10 percent year-on-year, while two-way investment crossed $11 billion in 2024.

New energy is a key area of bilateral cooperation. As Spain vigorously advances its green transition, China's prowess in the new energy sector is a perfect match. Chinese new energy companies have accelerated their investments in Spain in recent years.

As deglobalization and protectionism continue to challenge the global trade order, China's huge market, considerable capital strength and open and independent foreign policy have attracted Spain.

On the other hand, the strained relations between the United States and its European allies, including Spain, provide an important backdrop for Sanchez's visit. The US not only imposed "reciprocal tariffs" on its trading partners around the world, including European countries, it has also repeatedly threatened to "take over" Greenland, causing unease within Europe. Furthermore, the US-Israeli attacks on Iran triggered a global energy crisis and hit European countries hard.

This rift within the transatlantic alliance is reflected in disagreements between Spain and the US. Spain refused to allow the US to use its military bases in Spain for attacks on Iran. Last year, it rejected NATO's call for increasing military spending to 5 percent of its GDP. These actions have drawn dissatisfaction from the US. Therefore, Madrid needs to expand its partnership network to counteract pressure from Washington, and Beijing, which firmly upholds multilateralism, is an obvious choice.

Closer and regular high-level interactions between China and Spain will help align the two countries' development strategies and promote shared prosperity. China made it clear in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) that it will advance its digital sector, speed up the green transition and promote the coordinated growth of its various regions. It also pledged greater efforts to attract and utilize foreign investment and facilitate international industrial and investment cooperation.

For his part, Sanchez has laid out eight major goals for Spain, including promoting its green and digital transformation and reducing differences between its provinces. The similarity of the two countries' development objectives signals great potential for cooperation, exchange and mutual learning.

Enhanced exchanges between China and Spain will also help the two countries form a coordinated stance in global governance. Spain advocates resolving differences through negotiations within multilateral frameworks and finding solutions based on respect for the interests of all parties. It recognizes the urgency of the climate crisis, and firmly implements the Paris Agreement.

This aligns closely with China's commitments to addressing climate change, international development, and its vision of global governance. The two sides could work together under the framework of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative to advance cooperation on responses to climate change and reform of the global governance system.

The EU has tended to view China as a "rival" rather than a partner, and its approach toward China has an ideological bias. By strengthening ties with China, Spain — a key EU member — may also help ease the EU's prejudice against China and stabilize China-EU relations.

For example, as Sanchez wrapped up his 2024 visit to China, he called on the EU to reconsider imposing additional tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles. "We don't need a trade war, we need to build bridges between the EU and China," he said.

Though trade and investment form an important cornerstone of China-Spain relations, bilateral ties extend beyond the economic domain. Spain possesses a triple identity — Mediterranean, Atlantic and Ibero-American — which allows it to mediate across different geographical and cultural spheres and conduct cross-regional dialogue.

China views Spain as an important partner within the EU and values Spain's unique role in international and regional affairs. During Sanchez's visit to China, besides economic and trade issues, Madrid may also hope to discuss hot spot issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Middle East crisis.

The visit reflects Europe's efforts to recalibrate its foreign policies amid dramatic changes in the international political landscape. Many leaders and senior officials from Europe, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland and the EU have flocked to China recently. Europe has realized that the US is no longer as trustworthy and reliable as before. Given the unprecedented challenges facing the world, working with China could help Europe find the solutions it needs.

The author is a researcher and lecturer at the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies of the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.

China-Spain trade relations complementary

LI MIN/CHINA DAILY

As deglobalization and protectionism continue to challenge the global trade order, China's huge market, considerable capital strength and open and independent foreign policy have attracted Spain.

The author is a researcher and lecturer at the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies of the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.

Xi on cross-Strait relations

NASA's Artemis II crew splashes down in Pacific Ocean

The four astronauts of NASA's Artemis II lunar mission returned to Earth on Friday evening, completing a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, at 8:07 pm ET (5:07 pm PT).

Commander Reid Wiseman reported shortly after splashdown that all four crew members were in good condition.

By 10 pm, after recovery crews assisted them in exiting the Orion spacecraft, the astronauts were lifted by helicopter to the USS John P Murtha. According to US media reports, all four were able to walk unassisted across the flight deck to undergo medical checks.

The crew will undergo post-mission medical evaluations before returning to shore and boarding an aircraft bound for NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Meanwhile, Navy divers will retrieve the Orion spacecraft from the ocean, returning it first to US Naval Base San Diego before it is shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for inspection.

The mission's re-entry carried elevated risk due to known design flaws in Orion's heat shield — the critical layer that protects astronauts from extreme temperatures during atmospheric re-entry. To mitigate this risk, NASA modified the capsule's re-entry trajectory, sending Orion on a steeper, faster descent to minimize its exposure to peak heat.

Artemis II lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, carrying four astronauts on the first crewed flight around the Moon in more than 50 years. The crew — NASA Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — completed the 10-day mission without a lunar landing.

On Monday, the crew set a new record for the farthest distance from Earth ever traveled by humans, reaching a maximum distance of 406,771 kilometers, surpassing the 400,171-km mark set by the Apollo 13 mission in April 1970.

During the lunar flyby, Orion passed within 6,550 km of the Moon's surface. The lunar observation period lasted nearly seven hours, during which the astronauts studied the Moon's terrain, including features of the far side that are not visible from Earth and have rarely been seen by human eyes.

The Artemis II mission was designed to demonstrate a broad range of capabilities required for deep space exploration, including validating Orion's life-support systems and practicing operations critical to future lunar missions.

Artemis II is NASA's first crewed mission under the Artemis lunar exploration program, which was announced in 2019 with an original goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2024. The agency conducted Artemis I, an uncrewed moon-orbiting mission, in November 2022.

NASA revised the Artemis program timeline in February, inserting an additional mission and postponing the crewed lunar landing. Under the updated plan, Artemis III will focus on testing systems and operational capabilities in low Earth orbit in 2027, ahead of the Artemis IV crewed lunar landing mission in 2028.

Nation expands pilot FTZ network to 23

China has expanded its pilot free trade zone network to 23 with the addition of a new one in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the latest move in the country's sustained push for high-standard opening-up, officials and experts said on Friday.

Yuan Xiaoming, assistant minister of commerce, said at a news conference that the policy of pilot FTZs will turn Inner Mongolia's geographic advantage as a bridgehead for China's northward opening-up into institutional strength, and strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries in trade, agriculture and tourism.

The pilot FTZ covers 119.74 square kilometers and comprises three subzones in Hohhot, capital of the autonomous region, Manzhouli, a northern border city, and Ereenhot, a land port on the China-Mongolia border, each featuring differentiated functions and the development of industries tailored to local conditions.

"For a long time, Inner Mongolia's exports have been dominated by primary resource products," said Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Ministry of Commerce's Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. "The pilot FTZ is now offering a pathway to break through this structural bottleneck."

Huang Zhiqiang, executive vice-chairman of the region, said that Inner Mongolia is a national base for energy and strategic resources, as well as a major production base for agricultural and livestock products.

The region will fully harness its competitive edges to accelerate the development of green processing, emerging industries and cross-border services, Huang added.

The Hohhot subzone, the largest of the three, will focus on strategic emerging industries including new energy, new materials, biomedicine and next-generation information technology. It will also develop specialty sectors such as green agricultural product processing, while fostering modern services like logistics and the digital economy.

The Manzhouli subzone, situated at a major land port on the China-Russia border, will prioritize industries that leverage its geographic advantages: value-added processing of imported resources, cross-border tourism, cross-border finance and port services.

The Ereenhot subzone, located on the China-Mongolia border, will focus on international trade, international logistics, cross-border tourism and international medical services.

"The development of pilot FTZs inherently encourages exploration of distinctive local models," Zhou noted. "Inner Mongolia's unique industrial, locational and economic resource advantages provide a solid foundation for such differentiated exploration."

For Inner Mongolia Wanrui Biotechnology, a company that has turned locally sourced horse serum into a booming export to Russia, the newly established pilot free trade zone in the region represents more than just policy support — it is a potential gateway to more global markets.

Wang Zhen, the company's public affairs director, said he expected authorities to explore the further delegation of administrative approval powers to help domestic companies obtain more international certifications.

"Such steps would help Chinese companies gain a greater say in the global market," Wang added.

wangkeju@chinadaily.com.cn

China's PPI turns positive after 41 months of decline

A staff member performs grinding work at a machinery factory in Yangmiao town, Yangzhou city of East China's Jiangsu province, Dec 29, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's factory-gate prices returned to growth in March after 41 months of decline, while consumer inflation remained mild, with rising oil prices linked to Middle East tensions beginning to feed through to domestic prices, official data showed on Friday.

Analysts said that policymakers should guard against the negative spillovers from potential imported inflation in the Chinese economy, including higher costs for households and businesses.

They stressed that sustained and healthy price growth hinges on stronger domestic demand, rather than cost-push pressures from global commodity markets.

Although elevated oil prices may temporarily support inflation, their effects are likely to be uneven and short-lived, highlighting the importance of boosting consumption and stabilizing expectations to achieve a more sustainable and widespread price recovery.

The National Bureau of Statistics said China's producer price index — which measures factory-gate prices — turned positive in March, rising 0.5 percent year-on-year, marking the first year-on-year increase since the PPI slipped into negative territory in October 2022.

Dong Lijuan, chief NBS statistician, attributed the year-on-year rise in the PPI mainly to a rapid increase in international commodity prices and improving supply and demand conditions in some domestic sectors.

"Imported factors pushed up prices in related domestic industries or helped to reduce their declines. Prices in some domestic sectors also edged up as supply and demand conditions improved," said Dong.

She added that new growth drivers had continued to strengthen, as the "AI Plus" initiative gained pace and demand for computing power rose rapidly, helping lift prices in related sectors.

On a month-on-month basis, the PPI rose 1 percent in March, marking its sixth straight monthly increase. The increase was 0.6 percentage points higher than in February, and the fastest increase in 48 months.

The country's consumer price index — the main gauge of inflation — rose 1 percent year-on-year in March, easing from a 1.3 percent rise in February, said the NBS.

Analysts said that effectively expanding domestic demand will be crucial to sustaining a healthy price recovery in the Chinese economy.

Mao Zhenhua, chief economist at China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co, said that although the CPI has shown a modest pickup, it has remained at a low level for 11 consecutive quarters and is still some distance from the reasonable target of around 2 percent.

Mao said that rising oil prices would increase corporate costs and — if end demand remained weak — squeeze profit margins in the middle and lower parts of the supply chain, thereby limiting their ability to support a broader recovery in prices.

"In the longer term, the key to breaking out of a low-price environment lies in expanding effective domestic demand," he added.

Policy support for consumption has also been stepped up. The National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic regulator, announced on Friday that it had, together with the Ministry of Finance, recently allocated a second batch of 62.5 billion yuan ($8.6 billion) in ultra-long-term special treasury bond funds to local governments to support the orderly implementation of the consumer goods trade-in program.

Luo Zhiheng, chief economist and head of the research institute at Yuekai Securities, said that looking ahead, policymakers still have ample tools at their disposal and room for adjustment to navigate the complex mix of domestic and external challenges.

Regarding monetary policy, Luo said the moderately accommodative stance remains unchanged, with room still available for further cuts in the reserve requirement ratio and interest rates this year.

He added that structural monetary policy tools are expected to continue channeling support toward technological innovation, consumption expansion, as well as small and micro-sized enterprises.

Despite geopolitical headwinds, confidence in the resilience of the Chinese economy remains intact. With the NBS due to release first-quarter economic data later this month, a report by the China Macro-economy Forum — a Beijing-based think tank — said the economy is set to make a solid start to the year, with growth showing broad-based improvement.

The report also said that even in the face of greater external shocks, the economy is expected to remain broadly stable throughout the year.

zhangchenxu@chinadaily.com.cn

Hainan to expand intl opening-up

Hainan province will step up efforts to link China with the global economy over the next five years, officials said on Friday, as the island's free trade port enters a new phase following the launch of island-wide special customs operations.

At a State Council Information Office news conference in Haikou, Governor Liu Xiaoming outlined the province's strategy for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), describing it as a pivotal stage in advancing the Hainan Free Trade Port. The new phase follows the launch of island-wide special customs operations on Dec 18, 2025, marking the completion of the FTP's initial development framework.

To support this shift, Hainan will expand institutional opening-up by aligning with international trade rules and standards under frameworks including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, while advancing the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade, Liu said.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Hainan's goods and services trade each grew at an average annual rate of more than 20 percent. For the next five years, the province targets average annual growth of about 10 percent in goods trade and 20 percent in services trade, along with 10 percent annual growth in the actual use of foreign capital.

These policies are already translating into business activity on the ground.

A case in point is the coffee industry. On Dec 18, a batch of blended coffee beans produced by Charoen Pokphand Group (Hainan) Xinglong Coffee Industry Development Co, a Sino-Thai joint venture in Wanning, was shipped from Qionghai Boao International Airport to Beijing.

The beans, sourced from Colombia, were roasted, blended and processed at the company's automated facility in Xinglong Coffee Valley, achieving a value increase of more than 30 percent. The shipment became the first product from Wanning to qualify for the value-added tariff exemption policy for domestic sales.

Earlier, the company began operating under a new model — importing raw materials and exporting finished products. In its first shipment to Australia, it saved 8 percent in import tariffs and 13 percent in value-added tax on coffee beans.

"The most profound change comes from institutional opening," said Ye Jian, general manager of the joint venture. "Hainan is becoming a key node in the global coffee supply chain."

Ye said the province's proximity to Southeast Asian coffee-producing countries, combined with access to China's vast consumer market, gives it a unique advantage. Special customs operations, he added, are lowering costs, improving supply chain efficiency and attracting talent, helping shift Hainan's role from a raw material gateway to a global processing hub.

"A cup of Xinglong coffee might use beans from Colombia, be processed in Hainan and sold in Australia — that's a vivid example of how the Hainan FTP connects China with the world," he said.

Policy support has expanded in tandem. Ahead of the launch of special customs operations, Hainan widened its zero-tariff raw materials list to about 6,600 items, adding unroasted coffee beans and 296 others on Feb 1, 2025. By the end of 2025, the number of eligible companies rose by more than 11,000.

chenbowen@chinadaily.com.cn

Tile game a big draw for younger players

Participants play mahjong on July 29 with a PsiBot humanoid robot at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. CHEN YUYU/FOR CHINA DAILY

Zhang Di's weekends always start at the table. Not for breakfast, though. For mahjong.

At 9 am, while others may still be in bed, he's already seated with his cohorts, shuffling and drawing tiles, discarding them, calculating scores and calling "hu!" — the triumphant cry that ends a round.

Zhang usually doesn't stop until 5 pm, clocking in and out as if it were his day job. He is a typical Beijing office worker in his 30s, but he doubles as a competitive mahjong player in his spare time. He plays one or two offline games each week, attends online practice sessions on weeknights, and participates in weekend tournaments.

To him, the satisfying click of tiles perfectly balances the grind in the office cubicle.

"When I first started, I'd get frustrated over unlucky draws," he said. "But now, I've learned that as long as I make the right decisions, I can accept the outcome. Same in life. Just do your best," he added.

He sees a rising number of young people catching the same bug. Peking University has a mahjong club. Social media feeds are filled with tile-table selfies.

"Mahjong isn't just for the elderly anymore. It's how our generation connects," he said.

Zhang is far from alone. A recent report in The Economist revealed that participation in global mahjong events has more than tripled over the past year, while mahjong-tagged TikTok content has surged more than 70 percent.

From New York to London, from Paris to Sydney, mahjong gatherings now appear regularly on city calendars. Young people are flocking to restaurants, bars and game parlors to find a seat at a table.

Zhang sees this trend firsthand. At the tournaments he competes in, the crowd is no longer just retirees. Students, young professionals and even international players now fill the tables.

Yuan Li, a researcher at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, attributes the popularity of mahjong to its cultural DNA.

"Mahjong was never just a pastime. The three suits featuring circles, bamboos and characters once had practical meanings," he said.

Circles were arrow canisters, bamboos were bundles of arrows, and characters were monetary rewards.

Mahjong is said to have evolved from a game played by soldiers guarding imperial granaries during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), based on "grain protection cards" that recorded the number of birds each soldier caught in the protection of the grain stores.

"Because soldiers invented it, the game is filled with military references and strategy," Yuan said. "Encircling and intercepting, balancing offense and defense — it's all there."

He considers mahjong's most distinctive quality to be its reflection of a Chinese philosophical ideal: harmony over conflict.

"It's not about zero-sum competition. Mahjong tells the world something about the Chinese attitude toward life," Yuan said. "Even if you're dealt a bad hand, you still play it as well as you can."

For Zhu Zekun, a 27-year-old mahjong professional based in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, the game's real magic lies in how it connects people.

Her journey began in classic Generation Z fashion. She watched a mahjong-themed anime that compelled her to understand the game. She started playing online, climbed the ranks and turned pro.

Now her life revolves around mahjong — working at a riichi mahjong shop (a Japanese style of the game evolved from the original Chinese version), traveling to tournaments, and translating strategy articles.

While visiting Moscow a few years ago, she walked into a local mahjong club without knowing a word of Russian. When she asked if anyone spoke English, they said they did, but only a little. She smiled and suggested they speak mahjong instead.

Everyone laughed. And that night, they really did speak mahjong, she recalled.

Zhu said that she often feels that, at the mahjong table, other players understand her in a way she's never experienced anywhere else.

"Even when you speak the same language, people don't always understand each other, but in this game, a gesture, a glance — that's enough." she said.

Mahjong has shaped Zhu's outlook on life.

She still vividly remembers a mentor's words, "Even if you could see everyone's tiles and the entire draw pile, there's still a 16 percent chance of finishing last."

"That's just how mahjong is," she said. "No matter how well you play, you can still lose. Same in life. What matters isn't the outcome, but whether you make the best choices with what you have."

yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn

Study-abroad program bears fruit for nation

More than 570,000 Chinese students pursued their higher education overseas in 2025, while the number of those who came back after completing their studies abroad also increased, according to data released at the 2026 China Study Abroad Forum, which opened on Friday in Beijing. The figures signal a sustained "return to China" trend, said officials and experts.

Wang Daquan, head of the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange, noted that 570,600 Chinese students studied abroad last year, while 535,600 returned to China after completing their studies. Data shows the number of returnees increased by 40,600 compared with 2024 and by 120,000 compared with 2023. "We have noticed that although domestic and international environments are changing, Chinese students' willingness to study abroad remains strong," Wang said.

Statistics show that from 1978 to 2024, a total of 8.88 million Chinese students studied overseas, with 7.43 million completing their programs and 6.44 million choosing to return to China after graduation.

A report on employment trends among returnees, which was also released at the forum, indicates that the return of high-level talent is accelerating, with more than 50 percent of overseas graduates expressing a stronger intention of seeking jobs in China.

The concentration of returnees remains high in traditional talent hubs such as Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. At the same time, new first-tier cities, including Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Chengdu in Sichuan province, Suzhou in Jiangsu province, and Chongqing — are gaining ground as attractive destinations, driven by favorable policies and industrial upgrading. In terms of sectors, finance, information technology and education are the top three career choices, the report said.

Jo Johnson, former UK minister of state for universities, science, research and innovation, emphasized the importance of two-way academic mobility. "For a long time, the conversation focused on students traveling abroad, East to West, but the future of global learning must naturally be circular, reciprocal, and rich in both directions," he said. "One thing remains constant, and that's the fact that education is the most durable bridge between countries."

Johnson said three essential things happen when students move across borders: academic growth through exposure to different teaching styles, research cultures and intellectual traditions; cultural understanding; and the formation of lasting networks.

Ren Youqun, China's vice-minister of education, said that Chinese education is becoming a more important global force, with its higher quality, greater openness and stronger inculcation of responsibility. "Pursuing studies abroad serves as an important bridge for mutual learning among civilizations, and it is a key link for talent exchanges," Ren said, calling on countries to enhance communication, deepen cooperation, and create a more friendly and inclusive environment for overseas students.

Li Peng, president of Zhengzhou University, said she is a beneficiary of China's national study-abroad policies.

In the autumn of 1988, Li went from Beijing to the United States for her first overseas study experience on a government scholarship. After earning her master's degree and doctorate in the US, and working in Singapore and Hong Kong, she returned to Tsinghua University in 2005.

"My study and work experiences overseas have been invaluable assets, expanding not only my knowledge but also my mindset, allowing me to understand and see the world from a broader perspective," she said.

Xi pins hopes on youth to advance China-US ties

Young table tennis players from China and the United States pose for a photo on Friday during an event held in Beijing to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the two nations' "ping-pong diplomacy". Wang Zhuangfei / China Daily

Fifty-five years ago, a table tennis delegation from the United States arrived in China as the first such team allowed to enter the country since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and players from both nations participated in a friendly match at the Capital Indoor Stadium.

On Friday, a grand commemorative event was held at the same stadium to mark the 55th anniversary of that landmark "ping-pong diplomacy", which helped thaw relations between the two nations.

President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the event. Xi's message, which was read out by Vice-President Han Zheng, noted that 55 years ago, the older generation of Chinese and American leaders, with exceptional political wisdom and strategic foresight, reopened the door to friendly exchanges between the two peoples, creating the historical anecdote of "the small ball moving the big ball".

Today, the youth of both countries are continuing this "ping-pong friendship" and engaging in a series of sports exchange activities, which are highly significant for advancing the cause of China-US friendship, Xi said in his message.

"The foundation of China-US relations was laid by the people, and its future will be shaped by the youth," he wrote, expressing the hope that people from all walks of life in both countries, especially the younger generation, would "draw wisdom and strength from history".

Xi also encouraged them to know each other better and grow closer through exchanges and cooperation, move forward hand in hand through mutual learning and exchange, and strengthen the bonds of friendship, "making new contributions to promoting the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations".

Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, noted that most guests from the US who attended the commemorative event are young people.

They "have arrived in China during the vibrant spring season, and they are sure to bring the message of spring back to their families and friends", Yang said.

The crowd at the venue, particularly young students from both countries, went into a frenzy when four of the participants of the friendly matches held 55 years ago — Liang Geliang and Zheng Minzhi from China and Judy Hoarfrost and Connie Sweeris from the US — played another brief friendly match on the stage.

Many among the spectators became visibly emotional when the quartet chorused the time-tested slogan of sporting spirit: "Friendship first, competition second."

Sweeris said she had captured many unforgettable moments with her camera 55 years ago, and she has set up a special display of those images at home.

"There I keep the trophies that my husband and I won, as well as all the souvenirs related to 'ping-pong diplomacy'. They help me remember those days, those seven days that were enough to cherish for a whole lifetime," she said.

Chris Oniya, secretary-general of the University of International Business and Economics Alumni Association, who attended Friday's event, said he was amazed to see how the two countries enhanced their relationship 55 years ago by playing table tennis and how they still communicate through sports.

Echoing President Xi's call for promoting mutual learning between the younger generation of the two countries, Oniya said: "The youth will drive the future, and they're the ones who are showing us the direction. So I think it's very important we continue to empower the youth and try to learn from them."

Kent Watkins, chairman of the American Academy of Housing and Communities, said that China and the US should "continue to work together", and share their knowledge and expertise, in order to "get us to the next era".

KMT chair backs peaceful cross-Strait ties on shared goals

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, said on Friday that Taiwan and the Chinese mainland should strengthen peaceful cross-Strait relations and pursue steady, incremental progress based on shared goals.

On Friday morning in Beijing, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Cheng. The meeting was the first between leaders of the two parties in a decade.

Speaking at a news conference later in the afternoon, Cheng said the meeting reflected the sincerity of both sides, demonstrating a shared commitment and goodwill toward the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

She noted that tensions across the Taiwan Strait had escalated over the past 10 years — a development that neither side wanted to see.

"Therefore, today's meeting is of great significance," she said, adding that, as long as intentions are positive and the direction is correct, the prospects for peaceful cross-Strait development remain promising.

Describing the meeting as "a successful first step", Cheng said that efforts by both sides to address differences and reduce confrontation are ultimately aimed at improving the lives of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. She also called for more opportunities for cross-Strait exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and help resolve differences.

Reflecting on her talks with Xi, Cheng said that both sides share a common vision of bringing people closer together, deepening mutual understanding, expanding goodwill and building mutual trust.

"These are the essential foundations for the peaceful and stable development of cross-Strait relations in the future," she said.

Cheng is leading a KMT delegation on a visit to the mainland from Tuesday to Sunday, with stops in Jiangsu province, Shanghai and Beijing. Describing the visit as a responsibility to history, she called on political parties in Taiwan to set aside their differences over cross-Strait relations and work together for peace.

She reiterated that the only political foundation for cross-Strait exchanges and dialogue is adherence to the 1992 Consensus and opposition to "Taiwan independence", adding that she had repeatedly emphasized this position before her visit.

Highlighting achievements of Taiwan and the mainland as shared accomplishments of the Chinese nation, Cheng said that both sides should appreciate and respect each other and learn from one another. She said those achievements could be further advanced through expanded cross-Strait cooperation, benefiting both sides and humanity as a whole.

"We hope to establish and consolidate a peaceful and stable relationship, and move forward step by step in a steady manner," she said.

Cheng also proposed restoring a cross-Strait consultation mechanism and strengthening communication platforms between the KMT and the CPC.

Later on Friday, Cheng and her delegation visited Tsinghua University High School in Beijing, touring artificial intelligence laboratories and learning about the latest AI applications in education.

KMT chair backs peaceful cross-Strait ties on shared goals

She noted that tensions across the Taiwan Strait had escalated over the past 10 years — a development that neither side wanted to see.

Reflecting on her talks with Xi, Cheng said that both sides share a common vision of bringing people closer together, deepening mutual understanding, expanding goodwill and building mutual trust.

"These are the essential foundations for the peaceful and stable development of cross-Strait relations in the future," she said.

"We hope to establish and consolidate a peaceful and stable relationship, and move forward step by step in a steady manner," she said.

Cheng also proposed restoring a cross-Strait consultation mechanism and strengthening communication platforms between the KMT and the CPC.

Later on Friday, Cheng and her delegation visited Tsinghua University High School in Beijing, touring artificial intelligence laboratories and learning about the latest AI applications in education.

Xi calls for fostering cross-Strait peace

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, in Beijing on Friday. Xie Huanchi / XINHUA

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Friday that regardless of how the international landscape or the situation across the Taiwan Strait evolves, the overarching trend toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the prevailing momentum for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait to come closer together will not change.

He made the remarks on Friday during a meeting in Beijing with Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party. This was the first meeting between the leaders of the CPC and the KMT since 2016, when Xi met in Beijing with then KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu.

Cheng is leading a KMT delegation on a six-day visit to the Chinese mainland at the invitation of Xi and the CPC Central Committee. Since arriving on Tuesday, the delegation has visited Jiangsu province and Shanghai, before traveling to Beijing.

Welcoming the delegation, Xi said the meeting is of great significance for the development of relations between the two parties and across the Taiwan Strait.

He said that people on both sides of the Strait hope for peace and tranquility, improved cross-Strait relations, and better lives. "This is a responsibility that the CPC and the KMT cannot shirk, and also a driving force for the two parties to work together," he said.

Xi expressed the willingness to work with all political parties in Taiwan, including the KMT, as well as groups and people from all sectors, to strengthen exchanges and dialogue, promote peace across the Taiwan Strait, improve the well-being of the people and advance national rejuvenation, on the basis of the common political foundation of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence".

In a four-point proposal on the development of cross-Strait relations, Xi called for forging closer bonds across the Strait by upholding a correct understanding of identity.

Highlighting that people on both sides of the Strait share common roots, culture and lineage, Xi said that as members of one family, as long as people communicate sincerely and consult one another when issues arise, there will be no differences or disputes that cannot be resolved.

"Differences in social systems should not be an excuse for secession," he stressed.

Xi called for safeguarding their shared homeland through peaceful development, noting that the core issue for safeguarding the shared homeland lies in recognizing that both sides of the Strait belong to one China.

"We welcome any proposals conducive to the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and will spare no effort to advance any endeavors that promote such development," Xi said, adding that "Taiwan independence" is the chief culprit undermining peace across the Taiwan Strait. "We should neither condone nor tolerate it."

Xi emphasized the importance of enhancing people's well-being through greater exchanges and integration, saying that the goal of developing cross-Strait relations is to enable people on both sides to lead better lives.

Noting that the mainland boasts magnificent landscapes and a vast market, Xi said that Taiwan compatriots are welcome to visit the mainland, and he encouraged young people in Taiwan to seek development opportunities on the mainland. He added that Taiwan's agricultural and fishery products, as well as other quality goods, are welcome to enter households across the mainland.

Xi called for joint efforts to achieve national rejuvenation. "We firmly believe that more and more Taiwan compatriots will gain a correct understanding of the mainland's social system and development path," he said.

"They will recognize that Taiwan's development prospects hinge on a strong motherland, and that the interests and well-being of Taiwan compatriots are closely linked to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," he added.

As this year marks the opening year of the mainland's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, Xi expressed willingness to share development opportunities and benefits with Taiwan compatriots and jointly strengthen the Chinese national economy.

The CPC and the KMT should consolidate political mutual trust, maintain positive interactions, unite people on both sides of the Strait, and work together to create a bright future for national reunification and national rejuvenation, he said.

KMT Chairwoman Cheng said that people on both sides of the Strait are all Chinese, who share a common heritage and are nurtured by the Chinese culture, and that they should work together to advance the cause of pursuing the revitalization of China envisioned by Dr Sun Yat-sen.

She said the KMT and the CPC should uphold the common political foundation of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence", strengthen political mutual trust, and make full use of their party-to-party platform for communication across the Strait.

Cheng called for greater exchanges and cooperation in areas such as people-to-people ties, grassroots engagement, the economy and trade, and culture, as well as stronger support for youth exchanges and development.

She also urged the two parties to help improve people's well-being, promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, build a brighter future for the two sides, and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

FM highlights dialogue in intl, regional affairs

Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, meets on Friday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK. WANG CHAO / XINHUA

Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted the need on Friday for China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to further enhance communication and coordination in major international and regional affairs amid the international landscape characterized by intertwined changes and chaos, while firmly safeguarding their sovereignty, security and development interests.

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting in Pyongyang, the DPRK capital, with Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK.

Both countries should uphold the common interests of developing countries and make contributions to maintaining world peace and development, he said.

The meeting took place on the second day of Wang's two-day visit to the DPRK. He held talks with DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Pyongyang on Thursday. The visit came as this year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.

Wang expressed the country's willingness to work with the DPRK to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, enhance exchanges and promote pragmatic cooperation in order to inject fresh connotations into traditional friendship in the new era.

Kim said that facing the everchanging and turbulent international situation, consistently deepening and developing DPRK-China relations serves the common interests of both countries, and is also the firm conviction and established policy of the party and government of the DPRK.

He recalled his meeting with Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in Beijing last year, saying that the DPRK fully supports Xi's vision on the building of a community with a shared future for humanity as well as the four major global initiatives proposed by China.

The DPRK firmly supports China's legitimate stance and every effort in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, including those on the Taiwan question, he said.

Kim added that the DPRK is willing to work with China to continue deepening the friendly and cooperative relationship with socialism at the core, strengthen high-level exchanges, enhance strategic communication, firmly support each other and advance the development of their respective socialist endeavors, thereby contributing to the well-being of the peoples of both countries, as well as to world peace and stability.

On Friday, Wang also paid homage to the martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army at a cemetery in Kangdong county, Pyongyang, showing the deep respect for the heroic CPV martyrs who sacrificed their lives on the soil of the DPRK.

The cemetery is the final resting place for 1,383 CPV martyrs who bravely sacrificed their lives during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53).

In October 1950, the CPV soldiers crossed the Yalu River to fight alongside the DPRK army and civilians to defend peace and justice. After two years and nine months of bloody battles, they secured a resounding victory.

Wang expressed gratitude to the DPRK for its efforts in preserving and maintaining the memorial facilities for the CPV martyrs in the country. He also emphasized the importance of using the site as a base to promote the blood-forged traditional friendship between the two countries.

Wang also highlighted the need to educate future generations of both countries to carry forward the spirit of sacrifice demonstrated by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, providing a strong spiritual impetus for the development of China-DPRK relations.

Striving for peaceful development of cross-Strait ties: China Daily editorial

The visit to the Chinese mainland by Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party this week, particularly her meeting on Friday with Communist Party of China Central Committee General Secretary Xi Jinping, is of significance to developing relations between the two parties and across the Taiwan Strait, expanding exchanges and cooperation, and strengthening the common endeavor of opposing "Taiwan independence".

Much has changed over the past 10 years since the last meeting of the leaders of the two parties. Yet some fundamentals have not.

Compatriots on both sides of the Strait belong to the same Chinese nation. In the process of jointly creating a brilliant Chinese civilization, they have also forged a shared conviction that the national territory is indivisible, the nation must not fall into chaos, the nation must not be disunited, and the Chinese civilization must not be interrupted.

In his meeting with Cheng in Beijing, Xi expressed the CPC's willingness to work with all political parties in Taiwan, including the KMT, as well as groups and people from all sectors, to strengthen exchanges and dialogue, promote peace across the Taiwan Strait, improve the well-being of the people and advance national rejuvenation, on the basis of the common political foundation of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence".

That clearly indicates the CPC's commitment to peace across the Strait, the enhancement of the well-being of the Chinese nation, and the efforts to realize the rejuvenation of the nation, thereby firmly keeping the future of cross-Strait relations in the hands of the Chinese people.

This is also a stern warning that the secessionist forces on the Chinese island attempting to rely on external parties to unscrupulously seek "Taiwan independence" stand on the wrong side of history and against the common will of the Chinese nation.

Saying that people on both sides of the Strait belong to one family, and should rightfully join hands to advance the cause of rejuvenating the Chinese nation, Cheng reaffirmed that the KMT adheres to the 1992 Consensus and opposes "Taiwan independence".

It is good to hear Cheng express the KMT's willingness to advance exchanges and cooperation across various fields — including people-to-people, economic and trade — and promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

The view Xi put forward regarding the development of cross-Strait relations in the meeting provides strategic guidance for the healthy development of the ties not only between the two parties but also across the Strait that is in line with historical trends and the common interests of the Chinese people on the two sides of the Strait.

Closer bonds across the Strait should be forged by upholding a correct understanding of identity. More efforts should be made to safeguard the shared homeland through peaceful development. The core issue for safeguarding the shared homeland lies in recognizing that both sides of the Strait belong to one China. Differences in social systems should not be an excuse for secession.

So no matter how the international landscape and the situation across the Strait may evolve, the overarching trend toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation should not change, nor should the prevailing momentum for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait to come together.

Taiwan compatriots should recognize that "Taiwan independence" is the primary force undermining peace across the Taiwan Strait and should neither be condoned nor tolerated, as Xi emphasized.

All of these respond to the shared concerns of people on both sides of the Strait and their hopes for peace and tranquility, improved cross-Strait relations, and better lives. This is a responsibility that the CPC and the KMT cannot shirk, and also a driving force for the two parties to work together.

Hormuz: Stop the war

The Strait of Hormuz handles one-fifth of global oil and gas. As US-Israeli strikes on Iran escalated, shipping came to a standstill. Although a temporary ceasefire was reached, the waterway has not yet resumed normal traffic. For the safety of civilian lives and the fragile global economy, restoring peace and stability in the region is urgent.

Top DPRK leader meets Chinese FM

PYONGYANG -- Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday.

Chinese FM says China willing to work with DPRK to promote practical cooperation

Wang said that China is willing to work with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, and to promote practical cooperation.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK.

China, DPRK should enhance communication in intl, regional affairs: Chinese FM

Wang said that, facing the international situation characterized by intertwined changes and chaos, China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea should further enhance communication and coordination in major international and regional affairs.

Xi sends congratulations to event commemorating 55th anniversary of China-US Ping-Pong Diplomacy

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to an event commemorating the 55th anniversary of China-US Ping-Pong Diplomacy.

Fifty-five years ago, the older generation of leaders of China and the United States, with their extraordinary political wisdom and strategic vision, reopened the door to friendly exchanges between the two peoples, creating the much told stories of "the little ball being able to move the big ball," Xi said.

He noted that it is of great significance to advancing the China-US friendly ties that the youth from both sides renew the affinity brought by Ping-Pong Diplomacy and engage in a series of sports exchange activities.

Xi emphasized that the foundation of China-US relations is laid by the people, and the future of bilateral relations will be shaped by the youth. He expressed the hope that people from all walks of life in both countries, especially the younger generation, will draw wisdom and strength from history.

Xi called on the two peoples to better understand each other through exchanges and cooperation, jointly move forward through mutual learning, tighten their bonds of amity, and make new contributions to promoting the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-US relations.

In April 1971, a US Table Tennis team delegation took a historic trip to China, becoming the first delegation of Americans to visit China in decades. The trip was the beginning of what became known as Ping-Pong Diplomacy, and helped lay the groundwork for the establishment of official diplomatic relations between China and the United States.

The Commemoration of the 55th Anniversary of China-US Ping-Pong Diplomacy and the launching ceremony of the China-US Youth Sports Exchange Events were held in Beijing on Friday. The events were co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the General Administration of Sport of China, and the China Media Group.

China's Chang'e 7 robotic lunar mission to launch later this year

China's Chang'e 7 robotic lunar mission is scheduled to take place in the second half of this year, set to survey the environment and resources of the moon's south pole, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

As of Thursday night, all components of the Chang'e 7 probe had been transported by air and road to the Wenchang Space Launch Center, a coastal spaceport in Hainan province, the agency said in a statement, adding that the spacecraft will be assembled and then undergo various tests at the space complex as per plans.

"The Chang'e-7 mission aims to achieve breakthroughs in key technologies, including high-precision soft landing on the lunar surface, legged movement, lunar surface hopping and detection of permanently shadowed craters on the moon. It will use a mixture of orbiting, landing, roving and hopping maneuvers to conduct surveys of the environment and resources at the lunar south pole and carry out international cooperation projects," the agency said.

Currently, all preparation work is proceeding in accordance with the mission plan, paving the way for the probe's launch in the second half of this year, according to the agency.

So far, China has conducted six robotic missions to explore the moon.

The country deployed two rovers on the lunar surface through the Chang'e 3 and 4 missions. It has also retrieved samples from both the near and far sides of the moon via the Chang'e 5 and 6, becoming the first and only nation to have achieved such a historic feat.

Visit shows shared hope for cross-Strait peace

Cheng Li-wun, chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party, is leading a delegation to Jiangsu province, Shanghai and Beijing from Tuesday to Sunday.

The trip was meant to show Taiwan residents and the whole world that the two sides of the Strait do not need to be pushed to the brink of conflict, and that with enough wisdom and effort, they can still find a path of peaceful development across the Strait. By contrast, separatist moves in Taiwan will only push Taiwan to the brink of danger and is fundamentally not in the interests of the Taiwan residents.

The Taiwan question is fundamentally an internal affair for China. Dialogue and exchanges are crucial for the well-being of people on both sides of the Strait.

Video editor: Wu Kexin (intern)

Xi meets KMT leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with a delegation of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party led by its chairwoman Cheng Li-wun in Beijing, April 10, 2026. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday morning met with Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, in Beijing.

Invited by the CPC Central Committee and Xi, Cheng is the first KMT chairperson to have led a delegation to the Chinese mainland in the past decade. The delegation had visited Jiangsu province and Shanghai before coming to Beijing.

Xi said this meeting between the CPC and KMT leaders after 10 years is of great significance for developing relations between the two parties and across the Taiwan Strait.

Xi stressed that no matter how the international landscape and the situation across the Taiwan Strait may evolve, the overarching trend toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will not change, and the prevailing momentum for the Chinese on both sides of the Strait to come together will not change.

He added that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait hope for peace and tranquility, improved cross-Strait relations, and better lives. "This is a responsibility that the CPC and the KMT cannot shirk, and also a driving force for the two parties to work together," Xi said.

He called for forging closer bonds across the Strait by upholding a correct understanding of identity.

"Differences in social systems should not be an excuse for secession," Xi said.

Xi called for safeguarding the shared homeland through peaceful development. The core issue for safeguarding the shared homeland lies in recognizing that both sides of the Strait belong to one China, Xi said.

Xi called for fostering the well-being of the people through exchanges and integration.

Taiwan compatriots are welcome to visit the mainland, Xi said. He encouraged young people in Taiwan to seek development opportunities on the mainland.

Taiwan agricultural and fishery products, as well as other high-quality goods, are welcome to enter the mainland market, he added.

Xi expressed the mainland's willingness to share its development opportunities and achievements with Taiwan compatriots and jointly build a stronger Chinese economy.

Cheng said that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese and belong to one family.

The KMT and the CPC should uphold the common political foundation of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence," strengthen mutual political trust, preserve Chinese history, promote Chinese culture, and expand exchanges and cooperation across all fields, Cheng said.

She called for efforts to promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, foster a brighter future for ties across the Strait, and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Wang Huning, Cai Qi and other officials attended the meeting.

China's CPI up 1% in March

China's consumer price index, a main gauge of inflation, rose 1 percent year-on-year in March, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Friday.

The core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, increased 1.1 percent year-on-year.

A breakdown of the data showed that industrial goods prices climbed 2.2 percent year-on-year, contributing 0.67 percentage points to the CPI increase. This was underpinned by a 65.8-percent surge in gold jewelry prices, while gasoline prices returned to growth with a 3.8-percent gain.

Service sectors saw moderated price growth. Travel agency services, hotel accommodation, air tickets, and vehicle rentals saw increases ease to 0.9 to 3.3 percent year-on-year, while pet services, vehicle repairs and maintenance, domestic services, and dining out rose by 1.2 to 1.6 percent year-on-year.

On a month-on-month basis, CPI fell 0.7 percent in March, which NBS statistician Dong Lijuan attributed to seasonal moderation following the Spring Festival holiday.

Regarding the monthly decline, food prices played a major role, sliding 2.7 percent from February and dragging the CPI down by 0.48 percentage points. Fresh vegetables and fruit prices dropped 10.1 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively, due to increased supply from warmer weather and a post-holiday dip in demand.

Service prices declined 1.1 percent month-on-month, reversing a 1.1-percent rise registered in February, knocking 0.51 percentage points off the monthly CPI reading.

China has set a CPI growth target of around 2 percent for 2026, according to this year's government work report.

Friday's data also showed that the producer price index (PPI), which measures costs for goods at the factory gate, returned to year-on-year growth in March, ending a 41-month streak of decline, according to the NBS.

The PPI rose 0.5 percent year-on-year in March, reversing a 0.9-percent drop in February.

The turnaround was mainly due to imported inflationary pressures and improved supply-demand dynamics in some domestic industries, Dong added.

China's CPI up 1% in March

China's consumer price index, a main gauge of inflation, rose 1 percent year-on-year in March, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Friday.

The core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, increased 1.1 percent year-on-year.

On a month-on-month basis, CPI fell 0.7 percent in March, which NBS statistician Dong Lijuan attributed to seasonal moderation following the Spring Festival holiday.

Service prices declined 1.1 percent month-on-month, reversing a 1.1-percent rise registered in February, knocking 0.51 percentage points off the monthly CPI reading.

China has set a CPI growth target of around 2 percent for 2026, according to this year's government work report.

The PPI rose 0.5 percent year-on-year in March, reversing a 0.9-percent drop in February.

The turnaround was mainly due to imported inflationary pressures and improved supply-demand dynamics in some domestic industries, Dong added.

Return of the Yangtze 'basket ferry'

Farmers prepare to board the Yu Zhong Ke 2180 passenger ferry in Zhongxian county, Chongqing, on Jan 25. LIU SONG/FOR CHINA DAILY

On the misty morning of March 31, at the Yangdu Wharf along the Yangtze River, a festive atmosphere pierced the fog before the first light of dawn. The sharp crackle of firecrackers and the deep blast of a ship's horn heralded the maiden voyage of the Yu Zhong Ke 2180.

The vessel is a refreshing upgrade to a local legend. Its hull, painted a vibrant red, stands out warmly against the morning mist, replacing the faded yellow of its predecessor that served the community for 13 years.

The new Yu Zhong Ke 2180 approaches Yangdu Wharf in Zhongxian while the old vessel is at anchor there on March 31. LIU SONG/FOR CHINA DAILY

At 38.5 meters long and 6.4 meters wide, the boat can carry 150 passengers and withstand Level 8 winds, ensuring a stable 30-kilometer journey.

Thoughtfully designed, the Yu Zhong Ke 2180 features an expanded storage area capable of holding nearly a hundred bamboo baskets — the primary tools of the local farmers' trade. Inside, panoramic windows and a new air conditioning system have replaced the old vessel's drafty openness. Comfortable seating, non-slip decks and reinforced handrails reflect a deep focus on the safety of the elderly passengers who frequent the route.

Passengers enjoy their journey in the cabin of the new passenger ferry on March 31. LIU SONG/FOR CHINA DAILY

The original Yu Zhong Ke 2180 was a passenger ferry that shuttled between the county seat of Zhongxian and the county's Yangdu township. After an expressway was built along the river, demand for the ferry sharply declined.

Yet, with its unchanged fare of 12 yuan ($1.75) for over a decade, it became an indispensable "water bus" for local farmers who needed to transport their goods.

The steadfast service and the palpable warmth it exuded earned it the affectionate nickname "basket ferry" among netizens.

After selling their agricultural products in the county seat of Zhongxian, farmers board the old Yu Zhong Ke 2180 at Xishan Wharf on Jan 25. LIU SONG/FOR CHINA DAILY

The "basket ferry" saw its share of challenging times. There were days when each trip ran at a loss, and during the toughest periods, Captain Qin Dayi considered giving up. But seeing the farmers with their baskets, he chose to continue the service.

Fortunately, a farewell video for the old ship unexpectedly went viral, moving many with its story of perseverance. The widespread goodwill that followed helped keep the "basket ferry" afloat.

At Xishan Wharf in the county town, a ceremony is held to welcome the arrival of the new boat on March 31. LIU SONG/FOR CHINA DAILY

Now, with the old ship retired with honor, the new vessel is carrying on the legacy by retaining the old number, preserving the warmth and memories of the past.

As the new vessel neared its destination at the Xishan Wharf on the last day of March, it carried more than just passengers; it carried the name, the number and the warmth of a community legacy that refused to be left behind.

Contact the writers at chenliang@chinadaily.com.cn

A farmer carries a basket of vegetables on his back at Xishan Wharf on Jan 25. LIU SONG/FOR CHINA DAILY

Passengers have breakfast in the cabin of the old ferry on Jan 25. LIU SONG/FOR CHINA DAILY

A volunteer (middle) helps vegetable farmers board the old ferry on Jan 25. LIU SONG/FOR CHINA DAILY

Passengers watch the new ferry leaving the Yangdu Wharf on March 31. LIU SONG/FOR CHINA DAILY

Integration, not separation, drives cross-Strait economic future

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, tries to order on Meituan, an on-demand delivery platform, in Shanghai, East China, April 8, 2026. Cheng led a KMT delegation to visit the Meituan headquarters in Shanghai on Wednesday and experienced the drone delivery service. [Photo/Xinhua]

At the invitation of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping, Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, began her visit to the Chinese mainland on Tuesday. Cheng is leading a delegation to Jiangsu province, Shanghai, and Beijing through Sunday.

The trip reflects a shared aspiration for peace and development across the Taiwan Strait.

More than a routine high-level party exchange, the visit sends a constructive signal at a time of growing uncertainty in the global landscape and a complex political situation on the island.

It underscores a clear reality that deepening cross-Strait economic integration is not only strategically important, but also increasingly urgent.

Public opinion on the island reinforces this sentiment. Recent polls show that most respondents in the island support resuming cross-Strait tourism and favor restarting dialogue mechanisms.

Since assuming leadership of the KMT, Cheng has repeatedly expressed her intention to visit the mainland to advance party-to-party and cross-Strait engagement.

She has also pointed out that Taiwan is often portrayed by some foreign media as "the most dangerous place in the world". Her visit aims to inject a sense of warmth and stability into cross-Strait relations, focusing on Taiwan's industries and business communities, and broader regional stability.

By framing her trip around economic and livelihood issues, Cheng is responding directly to mainstream public sentiment in Taiwan — calls for peace, development, exchange, and cooperation.

Her itinerary spans the Yangtze River Delta and Beijing, reflecting not only geographic breadth but also the structural logic of cross-Strait economic integration.

Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing together form a "golden triangle" of complementary strengths: Jiangsu's advanced manufacturing clusters of Taiwan-funded enterprises, Shanghai's role as a global financial and innovation hub, and Beijing's position as a political and technological center.

With more than four decades of deep engagement, Taiwan businesses are already embedded in this ecosystem, while the mainland's expanding domestic demand continues to create opportunities in high-end manufacturing and the digital economy.

The structure and sequencing of Cheng's visit highlight economic integration as a key pathway for improving cross-Strait relations and laying the foundation for long-term stability.

Jiangsu, her first stop, lies at the heart of cross-Strait industrial cooperation. Long a manufacturing hub for Taiwan-funded firms and a gateway to both the mainland market and the Yangtze River Delta, the province is a clear example of cross-Strait integration in action.

Taiwan businesses have invested a cumulative total of $60.2 billion in Jiangsu, accounting for over 30 percent of their total mainland investment.

More than 3,000 of these enterprises are above designated scale. Cross-Strait economic interdependence is deeply entrenched in Jiangsu, and disentanglement is neither practical nor desirable. For many Taiwan firms, integration is not just a policy preference, but a condition for survival and growth.

Shanghai, the second stop, showcases the mainland's cutting edge. As an international financial center and a hub for technological innovation, it offers a window into the future of economic development.

Here, the focus shifts to how Taiwan's strengths — particularly in semiconductors and biotechnology — can better connect with the mainland's capital, markets and innovation ecosystems.

The presence of firms like Hestia Power, one of Taiwan's few unicorns in recent years, demonstrates that cross-Strait integration is already moving into higher-value sectors.

Shanghai's role is to accelerate this transition — expanding collaboration in finance, research and development and modern services, while enhancing global competitiveness on both sides.

Finally, Beijing as China's political center, serves as the core platform for high-level cross-Strait dialogue, where economic and political issues are addressed at the highest level. This highlights a key point: further economic integration across the Strait can move forward only on a shared political foundation, including adherence to the 1992 Consensus that there is only one China and opposition to "Taiwan independence".

The Beijing leg is expected to provide political backing to the economic agenda of the visit.

It will also bring specific cooperation items, such as agricultural market access, the resumption of tourism, and industrial coordination, into a broader framework for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, so they can be confirmed and carried forward.

Taken together, Cheng's visits to Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing — three major economic hubs — underscore both the urgency and long-term strategic importance of deeper cross-Strait economic integration.

This urgency comes from several factors. Taiwan faces immediate economic pressures. Public opinion on the island favors more exchange and cooperation with the mainland.

There is also a practical need to protect shared industrial interests as external pressures toward decoupling grow.

In the longer run, it reflects a broader direction, one in which Taiwan's economy can develop much better through more exchanges with the mainland.

The author is the director of the Institute of Taiwan Economic Research at Nankai University.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.

Toward a high-quality service sector

MA XUEJING/CHINA DAILY

Editor's Note: The national conference on the service sector, held in Beijing on April 7 and 8, highlighted China's push toward high-quality development in services. The human dimension plays a vital role in service competitiveness. Two experts share their views with China Daily's Li Huixian and Li Wei.

High-quality services align with China's development

The national conference on the service sector comes at a critical juncture. Its proposals aim to advance producer services toward greater specialization and higher positions in the value chain. At the same time, they emphasize fostering high-quality, diverse and accessible consumer services.

These priorities align well with the characteristics and needs of China's current stage of development. This perspective considers the country's industrial structure, as China is in the middle to late stages of industrialization.

Currently, China ranks second globally in total services trade, services imports also rank second globally. However, its services exports rank fifth, still lagging behind leading service economies.

To cultivate stronger "China Service" brands, it is essential to further open up China's service sector. This requires attracting large numbers of leading foreign service enterprises by leveraging the country's sound business environment. Encouraging coordinated development between domestic and foreign players and boosting domestic competitiveness through the introduction of external competitors can drive the growth of China's service sector, particularly high-end service brands.

A similar approach can be used to appropriately increase the import of urgently needed services. This would enhance domestic service consumption and increase public awareness and willingness to spend on high-end service brands.

Several key measures are required for the high-quality development of the domestic service sector. First, the traditional mindset that prioritizes goods trade over services trade needs to change. During downturn in goods trade, expanding services trade can mitigate associated risks and stabilize growth. Furthermore, administrative barriers such as strict licensing and approval requirements and restrictive regulations in the service sector should be removed to promote greater openness, particularly in professional services such as finance, education and healthcare.

Enterprises should focus on integrating services more deeply into manufacturing to boost the added value of services. For example, in addition to generating profit from selling electric vehicles, EV makers can strengthen brand management and offer integrated service solutions to increase the share of service-based income. Enhancing the role of services in manufacturing value added will also help China move up the medium-to-high end of the global value chain.

With China's per capita GDP surpassing $12,000, people's demand for a higher quality of life is growing steadily. Meeting these expectations requires support from high-end consumer services. Thus, initiatives aimed at expanding capacity and upgrading quality in the service sector align with the current goal of boosting consumption. Enhancing quality of life is fundamental to expanding consumption.

Wang Jun is a professor and the dean of the Institute of International Economic and Trade Research, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.

The human edge of the service economy

China's service sector is transitioning from expansion in scale to a new stage defined by quality and efficiency. In the service sector, competitiveness hinges on people. What matters most is human interaction, attentiveness, emotional connection and the quality of service encounters. These are elements through which cultural and tourism services create their greatest value. Greater attention should be given to service providers and cultural practitioners, as they shape how services are perceived, experienced and remembered.

Human warmth cannot be easily replicated by technology. It enables genuine interaction between people — locals and visitors, hosts and guests — and fosters a mutual value creation in which both sides benefit. In this sense, people are not only service providers and consumers, but also the source of humanistic value and cultural confidence. Ultimately, the quality of service depends on authentic human connection.

Beyond emotional engagement, a strong "sense of place" is another key driver of competitiveness. The emphasis of the conference on lifestyle-oriented services highlights the need for higher-quality and more diverse offerings. This requires moving beyond hardware upgrades and focusing instead on service spaces and scenarios. Spaces should not be treated as neutral containers, but as localized environments that carry culture and memory, allowing services to be rooted in place rather than overly standardized.

Hainan province offers a compelling example. As a major international tourism destination, its competitiveness will remain superficial if it relies only on sunshine, beaches and luxury hotels. By integrating local elements — such as Li brocade, intangible cultural heritage, and regional dialect narratives — into the service ecosystem, Hainan's tourism sector can create a distinctive hard-to-replicate identity.

More broadly, services themselves are becoming a brand in their own right. Just as "Made in China" stands for manufacturing strength, "Chinese services" can evolve into a globally recognized brand. People-centered service and the idea of shared experiences between hosts and guests can create a strong international appeal. This not only enhances China's attractiveness in global engagement, but also helps communicate a clearer and more tangible national image, reinforcing cultural confidence through everyday interactions.

The cultural and tourism sector is a natural integrator within the service industry. Though rooted in life services, it links multiple parts of the value chain and drives broader upgrading. A single tourism experience spans transport, accommodation, catering, retail and entertainment, underscoring the interconnectivity of different services.

When effectively developed, cultural and tourism services can catalyze coordinated improvements across related sectors in real-world settings. Even a small intangible cultural heritage workshop can combine cultural experiences, product sales, social interaction, and content dissemination. This kind of integration multiplies service value. As an entry point, culture and tourism can trigger targeted breakthroughs that ripple across the wider service chain, raising both quality and efficiency at the system level.

Sun Jiuxia is a professor at the School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-sen University.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.

Industrial, supply chain rule enacted

China has enacted its first comprehensive regulation dedicated to safeguarding its industrial and supply chain security, a legal milestone that analysts say will help counter external technological containment efforts and shape a more resilient economic environment.

The new regulation is not about decoupling, they added, but rather a well-calibrated response to global supply chain disruptions caused by certain economies, as Beijing continues to champion open global markets and freer trade.

The rule, which took effect immediately upon promulgation late last month, establishes a framework for risk monitoring, emergency reserves and retaliatory measures against foreign sanctions, said an official statement on Tuesday.

The new regulation fills a critical gap in China's legal architecture, the Ministry of Justice said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that although existing laws cover emergency response strategies, export controls and countermeasures, there has been no specialized rule specifically addressing industrial and supply chain security.

According to the regulation, relevant departments will compile and continuously update lists identifying sectors deemed "critical". For these designated areas, authorities will ensure "stable production and circulation of raw materials, technology and equipment".

Information sharing mechanisms will be established among companies, and early warnings will be issued when vulnerabilities pose a threat to economic or national security.

Relevant departments will also establish "tangible reserves" — physical stockpiles of critical materials, equipment and products — while strengthening "capacity reserves" through intensified research and development efforts.

China, despite having the world's most complete industrial system, still faces vulnerabilities in such areas as core components, critical basic materials, high-end equipment and foundational software, said Wang Minghui, director of the Research Office of the Department of Industrial Economy, which is under the Development Research Center of the State Council.

"The goal is to move from reactive crisis management to proactive risk prevention," Wang said, adding that the regulation provides a legal framework for coordinating government and industry efforts.

The regulation arrives as Beijing navigates an increasingly fractious global industrial and supply chain landscape marked by export controls, unilateral tariffs and "friend-shoring" initiatives.

Global value chains have entered an era of structural volatility, according to a January World Economic Forum report, which said that in 2025 alone, tariff escalations between major economies reshuffled more than $400 billion in global trade flows.

Moreover, the United States, through the Export Administration Regulations, has imposed a unilateral blockade on China's access to advanced chips and semiconductor equipment. The European Union, meanwhile, has advanced its Critical Raw Materials Act and Net-Zero Industry Act, pushing for localized production of strategic goods.

"The regulation is partly intended to establish an institutional countermeasure tool on a reciprocal basis, rather than merely focusing on domestic industrial protection," said Shi Shenchang, an attorney from the Shanghai-based Co-Effort Law Firm.

According to the regulation, government departments have been authorized to "launch investigations" against countries, regions or international organizations that impose discriminatory restrictions on Chinese industrial and supply chains in breach of international law and basic norms of international relations.

Authorities may also then take countermeasures, including but not limited to prohibiting or restricting the import or export of relevant goods, technologies or international trade in services, and imposing special fees.

"This is not about decoupling," Wang said.

"It is about ensuring that when others play by unfair rules, China has the legal means to protect its economic lifelines."

China will uphold the principles of equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, intensify international collaboration on industrial and supply chains, and actively participate in the formulation of relevant global rules, as highlighted by the regulation.

wangkeju@chinadaily.com.cn

China warns of digital AI 'token' risks

A core artificial intelligence term recently designated by China's National Data Administration has become a buzzword across the country, drawing growing public attention and official warnings related to security and fraud risks.

The term, ciyuan or token, refers to the smallest unit of information processed by large AI models. It can be counted, priced, and traded, and is widely used in AI services such as writing, image editing, and video generation. In many digital services, tokens also play a role in identity verification, access control, and payment authorization.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of State Security issued a public warning on token-related risks, highlighting threats including theft and hijacking, forgery and tampering, as well as fraud.

According to the ministry, China's average daily token call volume exceeded 140 trillion as of March, more than 1,000 times the level at the beginning of 2024. The ministry said the rapid expansion has made tokens an increasingly important part of the digital economy, but also a new target for criminals seeking to exploit technical loopholes and public misunderstanding.

The ministry said unencrypted tokens can be stolen through cyberattacks, malware, or insecure networks, enabling criminals to impersonate users, access private data, and conduct unauthorized transactions. It also warned that weak verification systems may leave tokens vulnerable to forgery or tampering, allowing attackers to bypass security checks.

Fraud is another major risk. According to the ministry, some social media accounts are promoting low-cost token packages, unlimited plans, and token agency schemes, claiming users can profit by reselling tokens or APIs. Industry observers said many such promotions use formulaic scripts to present the "token economy" as a quick-profit opportunity, while the real business often lies in drawing more people into the scheme.

Huang Daoli, a researcher at the third research institute of the Ministry of Public Security, said the token, once largely confined to technical discussions, is rapidly evolving into a basic unit of the digital economy.

"In practice, tokens are used to measure generative AI computing and bill API calls," Huang said. "In many applications, they also serve as credentials for identity verification and access control, giving them both technical and transactional and security functions."

Huang said that with daily call volumes already above 140 trillion, token-related security risks can no longer be seen as isolated technical incidents. "If token security is breached at scale, the impact may spill over from personal privacy and financial loss to broader data security and even economic security," she said.

Huang added that some scams exploit limited public understanding by repackaging tokens as investment products, echoing earlier hype around virtual currencies. Such risks could threaten individuals' privacy and identity security, while large-scale forgery could undermine data controls in key sectors such as government and finance.

China has a legal framework to address such risks, including laws on cybersecurity and data protection. The priority now, Huang said, is to enforce those rules more effectively by strengthening identity management and oversight of high-risk API resale.

Both the Ministry of State Security and experts urged the public to stay cautious. The ministry said tokens are digital credentials, not investment products, and advised users to avoid get-rich schemes, use trusted platforms, and protect their passwords.

Huang said tokens should be treated as highly sensitive credentials, no less important than payment tools. "The key is to change the mistaken belief that an API key is merely a technical parameter," she said. "It should be treated as a critical data asset."

yangzekun@chinadaily.com.cn

Slimmer, sleeker marathons see survival of fittest

Runners celebrate after the Wuxi Marathon in Jiangsu province on March 22. LIU ZHENRUI/XINHUA

The 22,000 runners who will gather at Tian'anmen Square for the Beijing Half Marathon on Sunday are set to experience first-hand the major changes transforming long-distance races across China.

Already, the new regulations have been witnessed at major marathons in Wuxi and Wuhan this spring, as organizers and local officials strive to improve safety standards and the quality of events.

On April 4, the Chinese Athletics Association released the 2025 China Marathon Races Blue Book ahead of the Beijing Half Marathon, which outlined the impact of the new regulations.

The total number of marathon-related events nationwide dropped to 594 in 2025 from 696 in 2024, marking the sport's first large-scale "slimming down", the Blue Book found.

However, the data also highlighted the strong growth in the economic impact and quality of marathon events. Certified events generated a direct economic impact of 18.51 billion yuan ($2.68 billion) and drove an overall economic benefit of 45.4 billion yuan, supporting 183,000 jobs, it said.

"Marathons have evolved beyond mere sporting events to become comprehensive platforms that boost city tourism, enhance regional image, stimulate consumption, and promote economic development," said Shen Hui, an associate professor at the department of physical education of Southeast University.

Shen, who is also an international-level athletics judge, added that according to industry professionals deeply involved in event execution, there is a trend toward more standardized, refined and accountable marathon event organization and management.

"While disparities still exist in cities with different foundational conditions or in niche events with limited resources, the direction is clear: moving from rough to precise, from perfunctory to responsible," she said.

The Blue Book's analysis of 284 A-class certified events underscored how "reduction in quantity" is fueling a surge in quality, reshaping not just running but urban economies and public health nationwide.

A total of 15,000 runners start the Shanghai Half Marathon at the Oriental Pearl Tower on March 15. YIN LIQIN/CHINA NEWS SERVICE

Post-Olympics boom

The marathon boom in China began in the 2010s, fueled by the rising interest of the growing middle-class in fitness, the spin-off benefits of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, and the eagerness of local governments to brand their cities through sports tourism.

The "Notice on Further Regulating Marathon Events", issued by the CAA in October 2025, aimed to improve the control and management of the marathon craze. The new regulations emphasized safety, quality, and the participants' experience, requiring organizers to implement strict oversight and risk-management practices.

The new regulations have already had a significant impact on this spring's marathon season. In the last two weekends of March, 39 marathons were held nationwide, down from 57 during the same period last year, the CAA said.

In Hubei province, for example, the number of approved races is expected to fall to 22 this year, down from 31 in 2025.

"Most of the cuts are at the county level," Zhang Hua, head of the provincial athletics association, told Xinhua News Agency. "Events without sufficient financial or organizational capacity have been scaled back."

Raising the age limit in most events for full marathon participants to 20 and requiring proof of prior race experience are about improving runners' protection, he added.

"For amateur runners, the purpose of running a marathon is keeping fit, not blindly chasing personal bests or pushing limits," Zhang said.

Bao Bo, head of Wuhan Marathon Sports Company, said the new focus on quality over quantity is already evident, with a number of events enhancing the overall experience, cultural content, and economic impact.

"Domestic marathons are entering a stage of high-quality development, emphasizing specialization, diversification and integration," he said.

The evolution reflects a broader trend of using marathons as platforms for cultural exchanges and economic development, positioning them as key drivers of urban growth and tourism, Bao said.

Tourists and marathon enthusiasts walk across a landmark bridge following the participants of the Wuhan Marathon in Hubei province on March 22. ZHOU GUOQIANG/FOR CHINA DAILY

Enthusiasm unwavering

For runners nationwide, the reduction in the number of races has not dampened their interest in hitting the pavement.

The 2026 Wuxi Marathon in Jiangsu province on March 22 received a record 495,635 registration applications, setting a new high for marathon registrations in China, with the half-marathon acceptance rate as low as 2.9 percent.

The Wuhan Marathon received 451,431 registration applications this year. Maximum participation for the full marathon was set at 17,000 runners and the half-marathon at 13,000 runners.

Other marathons in China with over 200,000 registrants so far this year include Chongqing, Lanzhou in Gansu province, and Xiamen in Fujian province, along with the Meishan Renshou Half Marathon in Sichuan province.

The Wuxi Marathon is famed for its cherry blossom-lined route, with 42.195-kilometer race passing landmarks including Taihu Lake, Lihu Lake, Shangxian River Wetland Park and Jiangnan University. The event has been recognized by Runner's World magazine as one of "China's Most Beautiful Marathon Courses".

Chen Yi, director of the Wuxi Sports Bureau, said more than 90 percent of registered runners traveled from outside the city to participate this year, highlighting the event's growing national appeal.

Veteran runner Wang Hao, who ran in this year's race, said marathons have become a significant promotional platform for the host cities.

"The Wuxi Marathon is one of the most renowned marathons in China. The host city pays special attention to enhancing its reputation through the event, doing everything possible to please the runners," he said.

Wang said the race's main sponsor, a clothing company HLA (Heilan Home), gave each athlete a yellow suitcase filled with various gifts, including local delicacies like xiaolongbao (steamed buns). On the day of the race, trains and airports were filled with these yellow boxes, creating a vivid spectacle, Wang said.

Organizers also addressed common challenges associated with large-scale marathons, such as restroom shortages and congestion. Chen said Wuxi adopted a "runner-centered" approach, including the installation of high-capacity trough-style urinals at the starting area.

Setting the pace

With a combination of scenic appeal, large-scale participation, and integrated urban services, the Wuxi Marathon is seen as a model for how sporting events can support both city branding and economic growth.

Nearly 400,000 spectators gathered in Wuxi for this year's marathon, according to Shan Tingting, deputy director of the Wuxi city government office.

"This year, the Wuxi Marathon directly boosted economic benefits in dining, accommodation, transportation, tourism, and conventions, exceeding 510 million yuan," she said.

Wang Cheng from Zhejiang province, who ran in this year's marathon, visited Wuxi attractions such as Yuantouzhu Scenic Area, Nanchang Street, and Huishan Ancient Town on Friday and Saturday before the race.

"During the marathon, cherry blossom petals gently fall onto your hair, creating a unique and delightful experience that is hard to find elsewhere," she said.

This year, the Wuxi Marathon offered five levels of discounts, highlighting the city's appeal as a sports-friendly metropolis. All participants who registered for the 2026 Wuxi Marathon could enjoy multiple discounts on travel, accommodation, and certain products.

Finishers of the Wuxi Marathon also became eligible for an 80,000 yuan housing purchase discount with their completion certificate, extending the event's attractions to include long-term home ownership.

The Wuhan Marathon, held on March 22, also boasts a beautiful cherry blossom course that connects landmarks such as Jianghan Road, the Yangtze River Bridge and the East Lake Greenway.

According to data from online travel platform Ctrip, Wuhan's overall tourism orders from March 20 to 21 showed strong growth compared with the previous weekend. Hotel bookings increased by 237 percent, homestay orders by 147 percent, and vacation and entertainment orders by 118 percent.

A traffic management robot assists a traffic officer in directing marathon runners during the Hangzhou Dream Town Half Marathon on March 29. WANG GANG/CHINA NEWS SERVICE

Smaller events shine

Opportunities are also emerging for smaller and more specialized events.

On March 15, the 2026 Colorful Guizhou Marathon started in Xingyi, Guizhou province. The scenic marathon route featured seemingly endless rows of karst mountain peaks and golden rapeseed fields. To create a special atmosphere, locals sang mountain songs to cheer on the runners.

Along the marathon route, there were 21 featured spots that highlighted ethnic cultural performances. The showcases included the Miao ethnic group's bamboo flute dances and other specialized programs, allowing the runners to take in Guizhou's natural beauty while experiencing the cultural customs of the southwestern province.

As one of the most mature karst landform areas in Guizhou, the area boasts world-class tourism resources such as the Ten Thousand Peaks Forest, Maling River Canyon, and Huajiang Canyon Bridge as well as multiple aspects of intangible cultural heritage nurtured by the Bouyei and Miao ethnic groups.

During this year's annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, Huang Xingwen, head of Qianxinan prefecture, said the prefecture's aim is to connect many scenic spots into a chain to create a golden tourism route.

The Chengdu Marathon in Sichuan has also followed this strategy.

The event linked historical sites and landscapes, offering free entry to the Qingcheng Mountain-Dujiangyan Scenic Area and discounts at local attractions for participants.

Over 60 local businesses, including restaurants and hotels, offered special deals, highlighting the city's commitment to integrating marathons with broader economic activities.

This year, the event saw a 253 percent increase in foreign participants, with runners from 37 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Poland and Canada.

Zhejiang province has seen a dramatic fall in the number of road running events from a peak of 440 in 2025 to 41 events so far this year.

Over the past month, however, marathons in Zhejiang have focused on optimizing courses, enhancing support and meticulous organization.

The Ninghai Marathon, for instance, has transformed right-angle turns into gentle curves and added more medical stations.

The Changxing Taihu Tuying Marathon has, for the first time, incorporated the scenic Taihu No 9 Road into its course, linking 34 km of shoreline with 111 scenic spots.

During the Hangzhou Dream Town Half Marathon, volunteers, security personnel and medical workers were even equipped with smart glasses, using augmented reality and artificial intelligence to ensure the safety of the runners.

A representative of the Zhejiang Marathon and Road Running Association said the races that have survived the cuts are high-quality with more mature operations, higher standards and better professional support.

"Previously, the common question was 'how many races did you run this year', and now, the conversation has shifted to 'which race offered the best experience'," commentator Chen Jiang wrote in an article for Zhejiang Daily.

"What Zhejiang marathons have intentionally reduced and retained directly addresses the core needs of runners: safety, experience, and a sense of achievement. In fact, the transformation is quietly reshaping the culture and mindset of runners," Chen added.

"A high-quality marathon provides runners not just with a finisher's medal but with a memorable experience. Zhejiang's streamlining of marathons effectively helps runners filter out options, driving the industry toward survival of the fittest and maturity," he wrote.

Xiao Xiangyi contributed to this story.

cangwei@chinadaily.com.cn

Nation to advance space computing industry amid global race for tech edge

China is set to roll out policies to accelerate the development of the space computing industry, a strategic move that could reshape how data is processed in orbit and cement the nation's position in the global technology race, the country's top industry regulator said.

Space computing refers to the use of computing capabilities in orbit, which enables satellite networks to achieve seamless global coverage.

Unlike conventional satellites, which function merely as cameras that capture data and transmit vast amounts of raw information back to ground stations for processing, space computing involves satellites equipped with onboard servers, artificial intelligence chips and storage devices, officials and experts said.

This enables the satellites to collect and analyze data, as well as make decisions in real time, cutting data processing time from several hours to seconds. The satellites also overcome the limitations of energy and space faced by ground-based data centers, they added.

Zhao Ce, deputy head of the department of information and communication technology development at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that compared with ground-based data centers, space computing offers advantages such as real-time in-orbit processing, low-cost energy supply and wide-area coverage.

"These features will help enhance our ability to harness space energy and improve global coverage and anti-jamming capabilities," Zhao said, pointing out the strategic value and promising industrial prospects of the emerging sector.

"We will strengthen systematic planning, deepen industrial cultivation, and promote coordinated breakthroughs to advance the space computing industry in a solid and orderly manner," Zhao added.

The global in-orbit data center market is projected to reach $39.09 billion by 2035, with a compound annual growth rate of 67.4 percent, according to the market research company BIS Research.

Zhao highlighted that efforts will be made to promote the research and development of technologies, and products such as spaceborne radiation-resistant chips and inter-satellite laser communications.

Yang Liang, chief engineer at the Xi'an Microelectronics Technology Institute, said that space computing power also has strategic significance for data security. It is crucial for taking the leading position in fields such as AI and aerospace information.

On Friday, a space computing professional committee, China's first industrywide coordination platform dedicated to space computing, was established in Beijing. The move is expected to bolster the nation's ambitions of becoming a digital powerhouse and a strong player in aerospace.

The committee operates under an industry body initiated by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, a think tank affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The committee said it will spearhead the research on key technologies such as onboard AI chips, efficient thermal control and space-based photovoltaics. Xie Lina, an expert at the Cloud Computing and Big Data Research Institute of CAICT, said computing satellites can be networked through laser communications, and can process data directly in orbit and compress data processing time for scenarios such as disaster warning and resource monitoring from several hours to seconds — something ground-based data centers cannot achieve.

It also provides a naturally "green" solution: unlike ground-based computing centers that consume enormous amounts of electricity and incur high cooling costs, space-based systems can directly harness solar energy and require no energy-intensive air or water cooling, Xie said.

China is not alone in pursuing space computing. SpaceX in the United States plans to deploy about 1 million satellites in low Earth orbit to serve as orbital data centers. Russia is advancing computing upgrades to its satellite networks, while Japan is focusing on in-orbit processing of Earth observation data.

Xie said China is among the first countries to achieve in-orbit networking of computing satellites, placing it among the "first tier" globally in both engineering practice and commercial deployment speed of space computing.

masi@chinadaily.com.cn

Nostalgia is a soothing balm for today's consumers

When 24-year-old Li Xinyue was scrolling through RedNote on a lazy weekend afternoon, a vintage-looking moisturizing cream stopped her thumb as she scrolled. The tin was flat, palm-sized and round, decorated with bold red, black and gold flower motifs that whispered old-world elegance.

Curious, she clicked through the reviews, and later that day, discovered the same cream tucked in her grandmother's drawer.

"I couldn't believe it," Li said. "It felt like something from her generation suddenly became mine."

"She told me it's affordable, it works and its scent carries memories," Li added. "It's like a tiny time machine in a tin."

That sense of time-warp nostalgia is exactly what has made Wan Zi Qian Hong a social media sensation. The heritage brand — its name translates poetically to "a riot of colors" — was founded in 1911 by Liu Kaiping. After Liu's untimely passing, his younger brother moved the business from Shenyang, Liaoning province, to Tianjin to ensure its survival.

Fast-forward to the 1970s and 1980s, and the brand was selling 200 million of its signature metal tins each year. By the 1990s, however, it quietly faded from daily life — until it was blown back into the spotlight by the perfect storm of the guochao trend, or Chinachic, social media and meme culture.

"Our big comeback was in 2023," said Kuang Huaqin, one of the brand's operators. "Our first livestream sold 250,000 units in three hours. People were even telling us to turn off late-shipping compensation, because they worried we couldn't keep up."

Tins of moisturizing cream from the heritage brand Wan Zi Qian Hong on display in Beijing on Thursday. GENG FEIFEI / CHINA DAILY

The price doesn't hurt either: three 40-gram tins for just 9.9 yuan ($1.44).

Social media doesn't just sell products — it turns them into culture. On Douyin and RedNote, young users began sharing memes about the cream — from realizing after "half a lifetime" that the tin opens by twisting, not prying, to nicknaming the brand tainai (great grandma).

Even the brand's factory itself became an online sensation. Short videos showing workers hand-filling the tins with the creamy balm racked up millions of views. People in the comments called the process "hypnotically smooth" and "almost healing to watch".

"You know this cream works by looking at the hands of the workers," one comment read, implying that even the workers' hands looked smooth and healthy from handling the cream day after day.

Zhu Zhu, a beauty reviewer, agreed. "It's fun, nostalgic and meme-worthy. People aren't just buying a cream; they're buying a story and a connection to history. I've even seen friends tag their grandparents in posts about it."

"Many people left me messages, saying that the cream leaves your skin feeling comfortable throughout the day — it's simple, reliable and effective," she added.

"Honestly, to see something so nostalgic become genuinely cool again — watching the factory videos go viral and people comment on how smooth and healing it looks — shows that heritage can become a whole aesthetic experience, not just a product. It's like your grandma just became the influencer you've been following all along," she said.

The engagement goes beyond online jokes. Wan Zi Qian Hong listens to its fans, adjusting formulas based on social-media feedback. If the formula is too oily, the company changes it. Want a portable version? They deliver sachets. Requests for facial skin care? They launch creams infused with squalane oil.

"Our consumers are mostly aged 14 to 25," Kuang, the brand operator, said. "They want hydration, light textures and convenience, and they want to be heard. So we adapt fast. If they ask for it, we try to make it happen."

While embracing digital trends, the brand honors its roots. The classic balm is still hand-filled to preserve texture, as product developer Li Jian said: "Machines would damage the structure. Hand-filling is slower, but it keeps the quality consistent."

Recent hits, such as a moisturizer inspired by ancient Chinese fragrance recipes — light, slightly fruity, floral fragrances with classical, literary connotations — show how the brand blends heritage with contemporary tastes.

"Young people love products with cultural depth," Kuang said. "It's not just skincare — it's storytelling."

With its sales doubling each year since 2023 and a new industrial park in Tianjin on the horizon, Wan Zi Qian Hong proves that sometimes, the future of beauty is rooted in the past.

Putin announces Orthodox Easter ceasefire with Ukraine

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced an Orthodox Easter ceasefire with Ukraine, the Kremlin said Thursday.

"By the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, a ceasefire has been declared in view of the upcoming Orthodox holiday of Easter, from 16:00 on April 11 until the end of the day on April 12, 2026," the Kremlin said in a statement.

According to the statement, Russia's Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov have been instructed to cease combat operations along all fronts during this period.

"Troops must be prepared to thwart any possible provocations by the enemy, as well as any aggressive actions," the Kremlin said, adding that it expects that the Ukrainian side will follow Russia's lead.

Putting people first is bedrock of governance

During his early years in Liangjiahe, a village on the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi province, Xi Jinping, then one of the educated youths sent to the countryside, was struck by a small detail at mealtime.

While the educated youths were given corn buns, many local villagers survived on coarse cakes made from husks and bran — food that was barely edible and served only to keep hunger at bay.

Seeing the difference, Xi offered to swap his food with theirs. Only later did he realize that some villagers had not eaten the better food at all, but had saved it for family members back in the cave dwellings, especially the men who bore the heavier burdens.

Years later, Xi recalled that it was in those days that he came to understand the hardships ordinary people endured and began to think that, if given the chance, he should do practical things for their benefit.

That early conviction helps explain why the Communist Party of China's latest Party-wide education campaign for fostering and practicing a correct view on governance performance places such strong emphasis on putting the people first.

On Nov 15, 2012, the day he was elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Xi met with Chinese and foreign journalists. He spoke not in grand abstractions, but about the issues that mattered most to ordinary people: better education, more stable jobs, more satisfactory incomes, more reliable social security, better medical and health services, more comfortable living conditions, a better environment, and better opportunities for their children to grow, work and live well.

He distilled that commitment into an expression that would later become one of the most widely cited statements of the Party's governing philosophy: "The Chinese people's aspiration for a better life is the goal we strive for."

Putting the people first has remained central to Xi's thinking on governance and modernization. During an inspection tour in Chongqing in April 2024, he put it in especially direct terms: "As far as Chinese modernization is concerned, the people's well-being matters the most."

In this sense, a correct view of governance performance is measured not by headline numbers alone, but by how people actually experience the results of policy. During a visit to Huamao village in Zunyi, Guizhou province, in June 2015, Xi told villagers that the effectiveness of the Party's policies should be judged by whether people were smiling or in tears.

That point also helps explain why the current education campaign carries particular weight at this stage of China's development. Lin Jianhua, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' National Academy of Chinese Modernization, wrote that the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period will be critical to laying a solid foundation for the basic realization of socialist modernization.

Lin said that meeting China's development goals on schedule will depend in large part on whether Party officials maintain a sound outlook on performance, avoid impatience, short-termism, falsification and reckless action, and deliver results that can stand the test of practice, the people and history.

That standard is reflected not only in how the Party defines good governance, but also in how it turns policy into action and development into tangible improvements in people's lives.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, nearly 100 million people have been lifted out of poverty, China has completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and the country has established the world's largest systems for education, social security, healthcare and urban housing support.

Access to education at all levels has reached or surpassed the average for middle- and high-income countries. Basic medical insurance coverage has remained above 95 percent, life expectancy has risen above 79 years, and the middle-income group now exceeds 400 million people.

The same emphasis is evident in the 2026 Government Work Report, which stresses the need to address the people's most pressing difficulties and concerns while strengthening inclusive, basic and bottom-line social protections.

Some foreign observers said the campaign is notable not only for its emphasis on internal Party discipline, but also for the way it ties governance performance to people's lived experience.

Zafar Uddin Mahmood, former special assistant to the prime minister of Pakistan, said the Party's emphasis on educating its members and officials has long been part of China's governance approach, and that the current campaign should be seen as a continuation of that tradition.

Having studied in China, lived there and maintained ties with the country for five decades, Mahmood said that he has seen firsthand how China's system works in practice and how it has enabled the country to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty within a relatively short period of time.

What impressed him most, he added, was that the benefits of China's development were "visible everywhere", reaching not only major cities but also far-flung areas such as the Xinjiang Uygur and Xizang autonomous regions and Qinghai and Gansu provinces.

Djoomart Otorbaev, former prime minister of Kyrgyzstan, said the campaign was needed because "government should work for the people, not the other way around". He said that its significance lies in improving governance and making public services more efficient and responsive, adding that high-quality development and more productive industries will be essential to sustaining growth and delivering prosperity for the people.

Danilo Turk, former president of Slovenia, approached the campaign from the perspective of outcomes. Development should ultimately be judged by how people experience its results, he said, adding that "the insistence on results is critical".

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn

KMT chairwoman advocates for enhanced cross-Strait youth exchanges

"Seeing that you are living a vibrant life in the Chinese mainland, I think that's so great. If cross-Strait exchanges could be more open, with fewer barriers, I believe young people's creativity can find like-minded partners and shine on a bigger stage," said Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, during a Shanghai-Taiwan youth cultural exchange event in a book garden at the Yangpu Riverside.

KMT chairwoman highlights industry insights during Meituan visit

"Today is a rare opportunity to see the entire on-site operation as well as the policies behind it and the industry's forward-looking mindset," said Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, when she led a KMT delegation to visit the Meituan headquarters in Shanghai on Wednesday and experienced the drone delivery service.

Pursuit of marginal negotiating gains risks damaging the hard-won ceasefire: China Daily editorial

There is an old, unsentimental observation that two levers move human affairs — interest and fear. Whether one is a king or a beggar, the calculus rarely strays far from these twin forces. It is a useful lens through which to read the fragile ceasefire now tentatively holding between the United States, along with Israel, and Iran, even as bombs continue to fall.

The two-week truce brokered by Pakistan, as well as other mediators, is meant to pause a conflict that has already exacted a heavy toll on lives and on the global economy. Yet almost as soon as it was announced, the conflict appeared to mutate rather than subside. Israeli strikes on Lebanon — the most intense since the conflict began — underscored a familiar truth: ceasefires in the Middle East often rearrange violence rather than end it.

From the perspective of Tel Aviv, the logic is not difficult to decipher. Israel seeks both to degrade Hezbollah and to demonstrate to a shaken domestic audience that deterrence remains intact.

This is where fear and interest intertwine. For Iran, restraint carries risks of appearing weak; retaliation risks validating the narrative of a "reckless" regional actor. For Washington, the incentives are equally tangled. The US claims that it wants to stabilize energy markets and avoid a prolonged conflict, yet it remains tethered to Israel's security agenda in ways that increasingly blur the line between ally and proxy.

Indeed, one of the more striking features of this crisis is the divergence of US and Israeli interests in the conflict.

The conflict itself has unfolded in a manner that borders on being indiscriminate. Gulf energy infrastructure has been hit. The Strait of Hormuz, a choke point for roughly a fifth of global energy supplies, has been turned into a bargaining chip. Meanwhile, Washington has alternated between cajoling and threatening its own allies, including NATO allies, to join it in its military adventurism.

This is not war as a controlled instrument of policy. It is war as theater — coercive, improvisational and increasingly detached from coherent endgames.

Little wonder, then, that the ceasefire's scope is already contested. Does it include Lebanon? It is, rather, a diagnostic test. If one seeks peace, the ceasefire can be interpreted broadly. If one seeks war, it can be narrowed at will.

Such elasticity may be tactically useful, but it is strategically corrosive. The pattern of "fight while talking" is not new. Many conflicts that end in negotiation pass through such a phase, with each side attempting to convert battlefield gains into diplomatic leverage. But this particular conflict carries a wider systemic risk. Its effects ripple through worldwide. To prolong it deliberately in pursuit of marginal negotiating gains is to gamble with the global economy.

That is why the role of responsible mediators matters. China has consistently urged an immediate cessation of hostilities, advocating the resolution of the disputes through political and diplomatic means as the only path to lasting peace and stability in the Middle East. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stressed on Thursday, in reply to questions on Beijing's contribution to the ceasefire, that China will continue to work unswervingly to de-escalate the situation and help quell the conflict.

Beijing supports the relevant parties engaging in talks. It is committed to promoting a peaceful resolution of the conflict, and urges the belligerents to refrain from the use or the threat of use of force during talks.

A basic question emerges for the protagonists: What exactly are they fighting for now? The inability of the US and Israel to secure a swift victory already hints at miscalculation.

Even if negotiations do take place in Islamabad, trust will be thin. In the end, those who are seeking a winner-take-all result from this conflict may discover they have secured very little, as no party will emerge from the conflict as a real winner. Worse, they may find that their position is no stronger — and perhaps weaker — than before the first shots were fired.

Whether this hard-won truce matures into a genuine foundation for peace or merely serves as a prelude to a more deadly and costly conflict depends on the choices the belligerents make from this moment on. They should remember that the right course is almost never the easy one.

But the right course is the most worthwhile for all the parties concerned. It leads to a future in which the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of Iran and other Middle East countries, including Israel, are safeguarded.

Rift over Lebanon, Hormuz puts Mideast truce at risk

Lebanese soldiers and civil defense workers search for victims on Thursday in the rubble of a building in central Beirut that was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike a day earlier. Hussein Malla / AP Photo

The Middle East teetered between hope and despair on Thursday, within a day of a two-week ceasefire being announced, as the United States and Iran accused each other of violating the terms of the truce, Israel intensified its bombardment of Lebanon, and Iran continued its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

In a social media post late on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said that US forces would remain around Iran until "the real agreement reached is fully complied with".

He said these would include all US ships, aircraft, military personnel with additional ammunition, and "anything else that is appropriate and necessary for the lethal prosecution and destruction of an already degraded enemy".

Noting that the terms of a tentative truce are "clear and explicit", Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on social media that "the US must choose" between a "ceasefire or continued war via Israel", emphasizing that "it cannot have both".

"The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the US court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments," he added.

On Wednesday, Israel launched widespread strikes in central Beirut and other areas of Lebanon, killing more than 250 people. The death toll was the highest for a single day in Lebanon during more than five weeks of renewed war between Israel and the Hezbollah group, The Associated Press reported.

Iran has called the Israeli strikes a blatant violation of the ceasefire terms, which it said include a stop to the fighting in Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump have said the terms do not include the issue of Lebanon.

Amid looming uncertainty in the Middle East, China has called on relevant parties to stay calm and exercise self-restraint and de-escalate the situation in the region.

"Lebanon's sovereignty and security should not be violated. Civilians and their property must be protected," Mao Ning, spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday at a daily news briefing in Beijing.

"We hope relevant parties will seize the opportunity for peace, bridge differences through dialogue and consultation, and work for restoring peace and stability to the region at an early date," she added.

In response to the latest attacks in Lebanon, Iran, which allowed a few vessels smooth passage through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, is once again exercising its full control over the critical maritime corridor that typically handles one-fifth of global crude.

Semiofficial news agencies in Iran published a chart on Thursday suggesting the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has placed sea mines along the strait, as uncertainty hangs over the two-week ceasefire and further negotiations are expected in Islamabad, Pakistan.

"All vessels intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz are advised to take alternative routes to ensure maritime safety and avoid potential sea mine hazards," the Revolutionary Guard said in a statement quoted by Xinhua News Agency.

Pakistan, which brokered the ceasefire deal, condemned Israel's widespread attacks in Lebanon on Thursday, saying that these "undermined international efforts to establish peace and stability in the region". Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on social media that the US and its allies had agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, "including Lebanon".

The United Nations, France, Italy, Spain, Turkiye, Qatar and the United Kingdom have also condemned the strikes.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said in a statement that the ongoing military activity in Lebanon "poses a grave risk to the ceasefire and the efforts toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region".

A statement released by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel supports all US efforts to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear threat to the US, Israel, Arab states, and the rest of the world. "The two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon," it added.

The Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday that it has "eliminated" Muhammad Samir Muhammad Washah, whom it called "a Hamas terrorist operating as an Al Jazeera journalist".

The IDF also claimed that it has killed Ali Yusuf Harshi, personal secretary to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, in Beirut.

Meanwhile, several protests are scheduled across Israel this weekend to oppose the fighting in Lebanon, which organizers describe as "attempts by the Israeli government to undermine the ceasefire with Iran".

Amid this dizzying pace of events in the Middle East, US Vice-President J.D. Vance is expected to lead negotiators from Washington during the first round of talks with Iran in Pakistan on Friday.

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com

FM meets with DPRK counterpart, both pledge closer cooperation

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China is ready to work with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to consolidate the positive momentum of bilateral relations, deliver greater benefits to the two peoples, and jointly promote regional peace and development, during his talks with DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Pyongyang on Thursday.

Wang is on a two-day visit to the DPRK. During the talks at the Kumsusan State Guest House, he said the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries remained the greatest political advantage and the strongest guarantee for the development of bilateral ties.

In September 2025, DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un traveled to Beijing to attend commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War, during which he met with President Xi Jinping.

Wang said the meeting ushered the bilateral relations into a new stage and carried major and far-reaching significance.

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.

Wang said that over the past 65 years, regardless of changes in the international and regional landscape, China and the DPRK, as good neighbors, good friends and good comrades, have always trusted and supported each other and made unremitting efforts to safeguard regional and world peace and stability, and promote their respective development.

He expressed Beijing's willingness to work with Pyongyang to hold commemorative activities marking the 65th anniversary of the treaty, strengthen high-level exchanges, enhance dialogue and practical cooperation at all levels and in all fields, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, promote closer bonds between the two peoples, and support each side's economic and social development.

Choe said the DPRK-China friendship, rooted in the socialist system and traditional friendship, is deep, solid and sustainable.

The DPRK remains firmly committed to advancing friendship and cooperation with China as it is in line with the trend of the times and the wishes of the two peoples, she said.

The DPRK fully supports the one-China principle, firmly opposes interference in China's internal affairs, and supports China's position on safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity on issues related to the Taiwan region, the Xizang autonomous region and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

She also noted that the DPRK fully supports the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and the four major global initiatives proposed by Xi, and highly commends China's just position and important role on international and regional issues.

The DPRK is ready to work with China to promote exchanges and practical cooperation across various sectors, strengthen coordination between the two foreign ministries, enhance multilateral communication and coordination, and continue making efforts to advance bilateral ties to a new level, she added.

Both sides also exchanged views on current international and regional issues.

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that Wang's visit was an important move to advance relations between the two countries.

China's exports to the DPRK reached a six-year high of $2.3 billion last year, a 25.2 percent annual increase.

Passenger train services between Beijing and Pyongyang resumed in March after being suspended for six years since 2020. Air China has also restarted flights between the two capitals.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn

KMT leader stresses role of 'peace'

Cheng Li-wun (third from left), chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, and members of her delegation inspect a display model of domestically-developed C919 passenger jet on Thursday at the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China in Shanghai. XING GUANGLI / XINHUA

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, highlighted during her visit to Shanghai on Thursday the complementary strengths of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, calling for cross-Strait peace to unlock vast opportunities.

"We should not let unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings limit our potential for progress and development," said Cheng, who led a KMT delegation on a visit to Yangshan Deep Water Port in southeastern Shanghai.

She noted that both the mainland and Taiwan have achieved significant development in various fields, often being at the forefront globally. She expressed the hope that the two sides could work together to harness those strengths.

Yangshan Deep Water Port, which began operations in 2005, is regarded as a model of intelligent and green shipping. It has developed a global network of more than 350 international shipping routes, which connect major port hubs in over 200 countries and regions.

Cheng and the delegation later visited the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute under the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, where she boarded and toured the cabins of display models of the domestically manufactured C909, C919 and C929 aircraft.

The visit was part of a six-day mainland trip by the 14-member KMT delegation, which runs through Sunday and includes stops in Jiangsu province, Shanghai and Beijing.

Having observed the mainland's progress in areas such as drone delivery, the low-altitude economy and artificial intelligence, Cheng suggested that new opportunities could be explored for Taiwan's service sectors and traditional manufacturing industries, which are currently experiencing bottlenecks.

She emphasized the importance of using technology to drive industrial transformation and upgrading in Taiwan. She also noted that Taiwan's experience in applying technology to ecological protection could provide valuable insights for the mainland, particularly with regard to water management.

Reflecting on her visit, Cheng said that reconciliation, dialogue, exchange and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait can "bloom into the most beautiful flowers in the least likely places".

She expressed hope that her visit would help bring peace as a "gift" to people in Taiwan.

"Peace makes everything people hope for possible," she said, adding that stability across the Taiwan Strait would also create opportunities for people around the world.

Shanghai is an important base for Taiwan compatriots to develop on the mainland, Cheng said. As of December, the cumulative number of Taiwan-funded enterprises in Shanghai exceeded 20,000.

The Shanghai-Taipei City Forum has also been held 16 times, playing an important role in promoting cross-Strait exchanges.

After concluding her visit to Shanghai, Cheng and her delegation flew to Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

KMT leader stresses role of 'peace'

The visit was part of a six-day mainland trip by the 14-member KMT delegation, which runs through Sunday and includes stops in Jiangsu province, Shanghai and Beijing.

Reflecting on her visit, Cheng said that reconciliation, dialogue, exchange and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait can "bloom into the most beautiful flowers in the least likely places".

She expressed hope that her visit would help bring peace as a "gift" to people in Taiwan.

"Peace makes everything people hope for possible," she said, adding that stability across the Taiwan Strait would also create opportunities for people around the world.

Shanghai is an important base for Taiwan compatriots to develop on the mainland, Cheng said. As of December, the cumulative number of Taiwan-funded enterprises in Shanghai exceeded 20,000.

The Shanghai-Taipei City Forum has also been held 16 times, playing an important role in promoting cross-Strait exchanges.

After concluding her visit to Shanghai, Cheng and her delegation flew to Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

Impressed by Shanghai's vitality, KMT leader urges cross-Strait goodwill, mutual trust

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, tastes a cup of milk tea she ordered on Meituan, an on-demand delivery platform, in Shanghai, East China, April 8, 2026. [Photo/Xinhua]

SHANGHAI -- Impressed by the mainland's vitality and creativity during a tour in Shanghai, Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, on Thursday called for building greater goodwill and mutual trust across the Taiwan Strait.

Leading a KMT delegation, Cheng arrived in Shanghai from Nanjing by high-speed train on Wednesday afternoon. The group's first stop was the Shanghai headquarters of the food delivery giant Meituan, where they experienced drone-based delivery services that offered a glimpse into the mainland's rapidly developing smart economy.

On Thursday morning, Cheng and her delegation toured Yangshan Port and the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute under the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd., manufacturer of domestically-developed aircraft including the C919 passenger jet.

Speaking to reporters, Cheng commended Shanghai's prosperity and beauty, while recalling the city's wartime history and subsequent transformation.

"Peace is the most powerful force," she said. "Given enough time, peace can make anything possible."

She urged people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to remain committed to peaceful development.

The delegation departed Shanghai for Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

Tik-Tok star takes 'Chinamaxxing' home to Zhejiang

Chinese American content creator Sherry Zhu — the force behind December’s "becoming Chinese" viral trend — recently returned to her roots in Pinghu, East China’s Zhejiang province.

From making qingtuan (mugwort green rice balls) with her 95-year-old grandma, to supermarket shopping and traveling through the scenic cities of Jiaxing, Shaoxing, and Hangzhou, she’s taking her "Chinese baddie" followers on an immersive “Chinamaxxing” journey. Now, her Gen Z followers are obsessed with learning Mandarin and planning their own trips to China.

(Video source: Zhejiang International Communication Center)

Former Kyrgyz prime minister: China's development model is the right path

"The development model of China is the right approach," Djoomart Otorbaev, former prime minister of Kyrgyzstan, said in an interview at the Global Leadership Forum hosted by Renmin University of China in Beijing in late March.

Otorbaev noted that few countries have achieved such sustained success in recent decades. He emphasized that China's governance stands out for its long-term vision and strategic planning.

"The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) clearly prioritizes modernization and high-quality development," he said.

Otorbaev also expressed confidence that future cooperation between China and Kyrgyzstan will bring mutual benefits to both sides.

Chinese polar icebreaker returns home after fruitful Antarctic research outcomes

Members of China's 42nd Antarctic expedition team disembark from China's research icebreaker Xuelong in Shanghai, East China, April 9, 2026. [Photo/Xinhua]

SHANGHAI -- China's polar icebreaker Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, returned to Shanghai in East China on Thursday after a 160-day-long voyage, part of the country's 42nd Antarctic expedition, having achieved fruitful scientific research outcomes.

This polar expedition has involved 550 researchers, over 3,600 tonnes of routine supplies and 104 days of inland exploration, setting new records in terms of personnel scale and workload.

It has supported the on-site implementation of 45 national science and technology projects, achieving breakthroughs in major infrastructure construction, scientific research and monitoring, testing and application of home-grown equipment, and international cooperation, according to the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration.

Wei Fuhai, the lead and chief scientist of the expedition team, highlighted Qinling Station, China's fifth Antarctic base that began operations in February 2024, saying it has "come of age" in terms of routine operation capability, with its foundational systems improved and many scientific facilities for weather observation, upper-atmospheric physics observation and marine environment monitoring put into use.

A number of self-made scientific equipment items, including an Antarctic wheeled vehicle and a new inland pressurized cabin, also showed excellent performance during this expedition, withstanding the tests of harsh environments and enhancing support capability for field operations in Antarctica.

Good equipment, notably, has facilitated technological breakthroughs. For instance, the expedition has set a new record with the country's first hot-water drilling experiment on the Antarctic ice sheet, reaching a depth of 3,413 meters and surpassing the previous global mark of 2,540 meters. It will greatly support studies on life under the ice, ancient climate records and Earth's evolutionary history, the expedition team said.

Staff members unload containers from China's research icebreaker Xuelongin Shanghai, East China, April 9, 2026. [Photo/Xinhua]

Outstanding results were also obtained in ecological surveys. During the journey, the expedition members completed comprehensive investigations in key sea areas, including the Cosmonaut Sea and the Amundsen Sea. They established an "air-ground" monitoring system for penguin habitats and conducted aerial photography surveys of penguin populations. Additionally, they collected a large amount of precious samples related to krill and ice lakes.

Amid the 160 days of cold Antarctic weather, there were many heartwarming interactions.

The Chinese expedition team carried out an international humanitarian rescue using domestic aircraft to help Russia evacuate sick and stranded personnel. China's Great Wall Station supported four Portuguese researchers in conducting their studies and provided medical assistance to the injured from Russia, the Czech Republic and Uruguay. The icebreaker Xuelong was also invited to assist in transporting 23 expedition members from the Republic of Korea.

In addition, China's three Antarctic research stations, together with two icebreakers, received over 400 visits from researchers of 11 countries. They also organized more than 130 visits to neighboring stations during the journey. Other activities included academic conferences on Antarctic science jointly hosted with Russia and India, as well as a Chinese film festival.

China's 42nd Antarctic expedition team embarked on the journey from Shanghai on Nov 1, 2025. It has been jointly supported by two icebreakers, namely Xuelong and Xuelong 2. The expedition is anticipated to end in May.

FM to visit DPRK to advance ties

Foreign Minister Wang Yi will kick off a two-day visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Thursday, signaling the latest efforts by the East Asian neighbors to advance bilateral ties.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing on Wednesday that China and the DPRK are traditional friends and neighbors connected by mountains and rivers. It is an unswerving strategic policy of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government to maintain, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations.

Mao said that the foreign minister's upcoming visit is an important step for both sides to act on the common understandings between the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, and to advance the development of China-DPRK ties.

She added that China stands ready to work with the DPRK to step up strategic communication, enhance exchanges and cooperation, and further advance China-DPRK traditional friendship and cooperative ties.

Analysts said the visit aims to consolidate the momentum of high-level engagement that has been building up since the autumn of last year, while also advancing practical coordination in areas such as transportation, trade and diplomatic exchanges as well as exchanges between government departments.

In September 2025, DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un traveled to Beijing to attend commemorative events to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War, during which he met with President Xi Jinping. Later that month, DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui visited China.

In October, Premier Li Qiang traveled to Pyongyang on an official goodwill visit and attended celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Economic and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have also been growing. Chinese customs data showed that bilateral trade reached $2.735 billion in 2025, up 25.5 percent year-on-year.

Road, rail and air transportation links between China and the DPRK are now fully operational. International passenger train services between Beijing and Pyongyang, and between Dandong in Northeast China's Liaoning province and Pyongyang, resumed on March 12 after a six-year suspension. Air China also resumed its Beijing-Pyongyang flight on March 30.

Yang Danzhi, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' National Institute of International Strategy, said that China and the DPRK have maintained a regular mechanism of consultations and mutual visits, and Wang's trip shows that such exchanges are proceeding smoothly.

Against a complex regional and international backdrop, China and the DPRK need to step up communication and cooperation on issues of common concern, coordinate positions more closely in multilateral affairs, and contribute to regional peace and security, Yang said.

FM to visit DPRK to advance ties

Foreign Minister Wang Yi will kick off a two-day visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Thursday, signaling the latest efforts by the East Asian neighbors to advance bilateral ties.

In October, Premier Li Qiang traveled to Pyongyang on an official goodwill visit and attended celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Wilo Group VP: 15th Five-Year Plan provides opportunities to all players

"Wilo has been in China for over 30 years, and in this process, we have observed a lot of changes in the policies to improve the business environment," Chen Huajun, vice-president of Germany's Wilo Group, said during an exclusive interview with China Daily Website. Chen also noted that the 15th Five-Year Plan provides opportunities to all players in the industry.

Xi's letter inspires pledge to advance sci-tech self-reliance

Alumni of Shanghai Jiao Tong University pose for a photo ahead of a ceremony marking the university's 130th anniversary at its Minhang campus in Shanghai on Wednesday. YUAN JING/FOR CHINA DAILY

Encouraged by the letter of reply from President Xi Jinping, educators and students from four universities expressed their determination to step up efforts in scientific and technological innovation and talent cultivation, with many pledging to better serve national strategic needs through greater self-reliance in science and technology.

Xi replied on Tuesday to a letter from faculty and students of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Southwest Jiaotong University and Beijing Jiaotong University, as the four institutions mark their 130th founding anniversaries this year.

Xi urged them to strengthen independent sci-tech innovation and talent cultivation, and to achieve more advancements through closer collaboration between industry, universities and research institutes.

Tang Tao, chief scientist at the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Rail Autonomous Operation at Beijing Jiaotong University, said Xi's reply letter left him both inspired and keenly aware of the responsibility on his shoulders.

Noting that China has built the world's largest high-speed railway and urban rail transit networks, he said his team will remain focused on national strategic needs and pressing industry challenges, deepen original innovation and push ahead with key technological breakthroughs to support safer, smarter and greener rail transport.

Li Yuhang, an undergraduate at Beijing Jiaotong University's School of Traffic and Transportation, said Xi's letter strengthened his resolve to devote himself to transport research and contribute to building China into a transportation powerhouse.

Zhai Wanming, chief professor at Southwest Jiaotong University, said Xi's emphasis on strengthening independent sci-tech innovation and talent cultivation provides fundamental guidance for tackling bottleneck technologies and securing the commanding heights of global rail transportation technology.

As China's high-speed rail moves toward operations at 400 kilometers per hour, Zhai said the country must remain committed to original basic research while turning scientific capabilities into strengths in talent cultivation.

Tan Jiahua, a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said he was deeply encouraged by Xi's response after more than six decades working on the front lines of education and research in ship and ocean engineering.

"Since the 1960s, I have personally witnessed China's great transformation from a major shipbuilder into a shipbuilding powerhouse," he said.

Tan said his team will continue to focus on key core technologies in major engineering vessels, foster young talent through major national projects, and contribute to building China's strength in marine engineering.

Hu Naisai, a retired professor who took part in Xi'an Jiaotong University's historic westward relocation from Shanghai in 1955, said she was deeply moved by the letter.

She stressed the importance of never forgetting the university's original aspiration of serving the nation through industry, carrying forward the spirit of the westward relocation, and helping guide younger generations to contribute to the country's drive to build strength in education, science and technology, and talent.

Deng Jingxi, a doctoral student at Shanghai Jiao Tong University's School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, said Xi's call for strengthening independent sci-tech innovation and talent cultivation has given him a clearer sense of direction in his research.

Focusing on dynamic polymer materials for cutting-edge fields such as smart materials and flexible sensing, he said he will remain dedicated to basic research, tackle tough problems and strive to contribute to the country's drive for self-reliant innovation.

Zhou Wenting, Peng Chao and Qin Feng contributed to this story.

Youth can embrace opportunities in future job market

High-quality and full employment, as emphasized in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), is not only about maintaining employment levels, but also about improving its quality. This effort will include refining the social security system further, with a particular focus on raising the incomes of workers.

Driving high-quality and full employment forward requires more than just low unemployment rates.

The basic structural issue in China's labor market today is a misalignment between the supply of skills and market demand. For example, a large number of students graduate in fields such as law, foreign languages, accounting and finance, while the market needs more skilled workers with practical, hands-on abilities for frontline roles.

At the same time, there is a shortage of talent in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields and technical occupations. The youth employment challenge is largely rooted in this structural mismatch. Many university graduates hold qualifications that do not align with actual market demands, resulting in a paradox: job seekers struggle to find work while companies struggle to fill vacancies.

For the youth, employment challenges mainly involve professional matching, job-seeking skills and understanding of labor market realities.

Some graduates lack clarity about market needs. They need to refine their job-hunting abilities and be more realistic in their career expectations.

In response to these structural challenges, China is adopting targeted and differentiated policy measures. For graduates, a regular employment promotion mechanism has been established.

Annual thematic meetings are convened to coordinate employment plans, while campuses strengthen career guidance and entrepreneurship training. Specialized job fairs are regularly organized, and dedicated online employment service platforms offer more comprehensive job resources and opportunities.

Over the past decade, perceptions regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on employment have shifted markedly among the public and academia. The initial view was that AI would replace repetitive tasks, with many economists expressing optimism.

However, recent advancements in generative AI and embodied AI have sparked widespread concern about their potential to displace both cognitive and manual labor. Indeed, this trend of displacement is real and may affect a broader range of occupations in the future.

Yet, technological displacement is often accompanied by new job creation. By enhancing labor productivity and boosting national output, AI would also help create new occupational categories and industrial value chains.

Future work models will gradually shift toward human-machine collaboration. However, it is crucial to recognize that displacement and creation are not synchronized in terms of timing, scale, or distribution across groups — displacement often precedes creation.

The impact of AI adoption may disproportionately affect groups such as young people and white-collar workers in the short term, while the creation of new roles will take some time. This necessitates a more sophisticated employment policy design and enhanced public services.

Importantly, within these challenges also lie opportunities. AI can help transform low-quality jobs, upgrade workers' skills and earnings, and reduce physical strain and safety risks in the workplace. This way, it can contribute to an overall improvement in employment quality.

The key to AI-driven employment transformation lies in proactive planning. Employment strategies should foster a new ecosystem where displacement and job creation interact constructively to reinforce each other.

China's employment development path differs significantly from that of many other countries. While many economies face job shortages, China has consistently focused on expanding employment capacity, enabling willing workers to enter the labor market, develop their skills and earn higher incomes.

Going forward, remote work and deeper forms of human-machine collaboration will become increasingly prevalent. This will also reshape labor relations and income distribution mechanisms. For example, workers proficient in AI technology may see rapid income growth. Concurrently, AI will empower many ordinary positions, facilitating their upgrading and transformation, thereby helping more workers enhance their skills and grow their incomes.

The author is a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the head of the Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Security.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.

Visit shows shared wish for cross-Strait peace

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, leads a KMT delegation to pay homage to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, April 8, 2026. [Photo/Xinhua]

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, is leading a delegation to the Chinese mainland from Tuesday to Sunday, and the visit is resonating far beyond the itinerary itself.

At a time when cross-Strait tensions are being stirred by external forces and separatist voices on the island are growing louder, Cheng's trip sends a simple but important message: attempts to seek separation by relying on outside forces and inflaming cross-Strait confrontation will not succeed because whatever the international climate and however divided politics on the island may be, people across the Strait overwhelmingly want peace.

Political infighting on the island has intensified, while security issues are repeatedly being used to create a sense of looming conflict. The Democratic Progressive Party authorities have tried to amplify the atmosphere of crisis and present "resisting China" as the only option for the residents of Taiwan. But ordinary people on the island want stability, not bloodshed. They are tired of political manipulation and want peace across the Strait. Their deep desire for a normal life is the strongest answer to separatist politics.

In late March, Hung Chi-chang, former chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation, led a group of Taiwan tourism operators to Xiamen and Pingtan in Fujian province for exchanges on expanding cross-Strait travel cooperation. The visit reflected a broad desire within the industry to restore engagement and reduce confrontation. Wang Jin-pyng, the KMT's most senior advisor, also voiced strong support for Cheng Li-wun's trip, saying it serves the cause of peace. He expressed hope that she will convey the mainstream public sentiment in Taiwan — to replace confrontation with communication, and conflict with dialogue.

Cheng's trip responds to the shared wish for peace, development, exchange and cooperation on both sides of the Strait. By welcoming her, the mainland has once again shown its sincerity in promoting peaceful cross-Strait development and expanding communication. It's a clear indication that the door of dialogue has not been closed. When the two sides resume engagement and dialogue, the deadlock can be broken.

The real obstacle to normalized ties is political forces on the island that have long blocked cross-Strait exchanges. A harmonious relationship that should have benefited the well-being of Taiwan residents has been turned into a tool for political gain.

Cheng's visit also serves as a counterweight to the crude interference of the United States in the Taiwan question. As news of the visit emerged, US politicians started sending dangerous signals. In late March, US senators visited Taiwan and urged the authorities there to approve a special defense budget of $40 billion while the head of "the American Institute in Taiwan" talked about support for Taiwan's defense and energy security. Taiwan's leader, meanwhile, used meetings with US politicians to promote coordination with the US and other "democratic partners" in the name of "regional security".

These moves are dressed up as security cooperation. In reality they are about selling fear, amplifying confrontation and pushing risks in the Strait even higher. The US has never really cared about the well-being of Taiwan residents. Washington just wants to turn Taiwan into a forward outpost for containing China and keep the Strait available as a geopolitical lever.

That is what makes Cheng's visit more significant. It shows that Chinese people on both sides of the Strait are fully capable of managing differences through dialogue, building mutual trust and working for peace. The message is clear, both to the island and to the wider world: the Taiwan Strait wants peace, not war. It needs exchange, not provocation. And people on both sides have the ability to shape their future and will not submit to outside manipulation.

Cheng's visit also underscores the basic fact that cross-Strait relations are China's internal affairs, and differences should be addressed through dialogue between the two sides. No matter how outside forces package their involvement, and no matter how separatist forces on the island try to draw strength from foreign backing, the fact that both sides of the Strait belong to one China has not changed. Nor has the legal and historical basis that unequivocally regards Taiwan as part of China's internal affairs.

What happens in the Taiwan Strait affects not only cross-Strait relations, but also Asia-Pacific security, the stability of industry and supply chains, and global market expectations. Every bit of room created for peaceful dialogue reduces regional risk. Every step away from confrontation eases international anxiety.

The signal from Cheng's visit is positive. It helps break a vicious cycle in cross-Strait ties, and resist the grip of external manipulation on regional security.

A peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question serves the interests of the Chinese nation, the Asia-Pacific region and the world's desire for stability, cooperation and development. In that sense, Cheng's visit brings positive energy and a measure of certainty to an increasingly unsettled international environment.

The widespread attention this visit has drawn is not only because it aligns with mainstream public sentiment on both sides of the Strait, but also because it shows that the call of national responsibility still carries force, and that the path of peaceful development still exists.

That signal matters to people on both sides of the Strait and it matters to the Asia-Pacific. It is a warning to those who seek to profit from tension, manufacture crises and feed on the prospect of conflict.

Facts will ultimately show that any political maneuver that ties Taiwan to an external war chariot and pushes its residents toward the front line of danger will fail the test of public opinion, reality and history. Taiwan's future is tied to national reunification.

The well-being of Taiwan residents depends on peace across the Strait. Every step toward cross-Strait exchanges reduces the risk of miscalculation, adds to the goodwill and lays firmer ground for national rejuvenation.

The author is a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies in Beijing Union University.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.

World navigating through Hormuz crisis

SHI YU/CHINA DAILY

Washington and Tehran agreed to reach a two-week ceasefire and are expected to return to the negotiating table in Pakistan on April 10.

Although it's still unclear whether shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will resume, the recent repercussions highlight how a narrow stretch of water could send shock waves across the global economy.

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most critical energy choke point, with about one-fifth of global oil and LNG supply passing through it daily.

The conflict in the Middle East and the disruption of the strait have triggered what could become the region's most severe energy supply crisis in decades. But this isn't just an energy story. Economies are deeply interconnected today, and disruption in one region ripples across trade, transport, manufacturing, and even food security in other parts of the world.

During the days when tensions escalated, the region became a broader transport choke point. Iran sits at the center of major regional transport networks, including the Asian Highways and Trans-Asian Railway. Critical highways and feeder corridors are affected, while rail links connecting Europe and Asia are under strain. Iran's maritime sector, one of the largest in the region, is also disrupted, amplifying the impact.

For landlocked developing countries, the stakes are higher. Many rely on Iranian ports for global market access. When operations are suspended at hubs such as Bandar Abbas and Chabahar, alternatives are limited and unreliable.

The first shock is energy. Countries such as Japan, the Philippines, the Maldives, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and several Pacific island economies depend heavily on crude oil imports from Gulf Cooperation Council countries, often sourcing over 50 percent of supply from GCC countries. When supply tightened and prices rose, the effect was felt instantly.

But the effect can extend far beyond energy. Asia-Pacific economies depend on complex global value chains, and disruption can cascade across sectors. Under this circumstance, high-tech industries face shortages of critical inputs like helium, essential for semiconductors and electronics. Automotive production is affected by disruptions in naphtha, steel, aluminum and bromine. Chemicals and fertilizers are becoming costlier and harder to source, threatening crop yields. Textile manufacturers face shrinking margins as polyester prices rise. Construction slows as materials like steel and cement become harder to transport.

Logistics is also under strain. Shipping diversions are adding 10 to 15 days to transit times, delaying critical goods from electric vehicle batteries to pharmaceuticals. Rerouting has created congestion at maritime hubs across Southeast and South Asia, risking wider instability across regional and global shipping networks.

The combination of logistics bottlenecks, supply shortages and depleting reserves could contract regional manufacturing if disruptions persist. What was once a well-functioning system is now under severe stress.

Beyond goods, the crisis has affected remittances and tourism. For many South Asian countries, remittances from GCC countries are vital. In Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, about half of remittances originate there. India receives nearly a third, while in the Philippines remittances account for 7.3 percent of the GDP, with 17.8 percent coming from GCC countries.

If GCC economies weaken due to the conflict, millions of Asia-Pacific migrant workers could be displaced.

Tourism is also taking a hit. Disruptions along Europe-Asia-Pacific routes and rising fuel costs are increasing airfares and reducing demand. The sector is reportedly losing around $600 million daily. Economies highly dependent on tourism, such as Fiji, the Maldives, Cambodia and Thailand (12.4 percent), are particularly vulnerable.

Over the past days, oil prices rose by 45 percent, gas by 55 percent and fertilizers by 35 percent. Freight costs and insurance premiums are rising, increasing trade costs. As energy and commodity prices surge, many macroeconomic indicators are flashing red. Financial markets are reacting with stock declines, currency depreciation and rising bond yields. Provisional ESCAP projections suggest headline inflation in developing Asia-Pacific could rise to 4.6 percent in 2026, up from 3.5 percent in 2025.

At the same time, growth is slowing. Higher energy costs, weaker trade and declining investor confidence are dragging economic activity. GDP growth for 2026 is projected at 4.0 percent by ESCAP, down from 4.6 percent in 2025 and well below the pre-pandemic average of 5.5 percent.

The extent of impact on economies depends on their reliance on GCC oil and LNG, their trade and value chain linkages with Iran and GCC countries, their dependence on remittances and tourism for foreign exchange earnings, their energy reserves, alternative supply chains and their economic structure, particularly their reliance on energy-intensive industries.

If short-lived, impacts may remain contained with policy measures helping to stabilize economies. If prolonged without major infrastructure damage, the region may face a sustained slowdown, higher inflation and interest rates, weaker trade and investment, job losses, and rising debt vulnerabilities. It may also prompt a reassessment of energy security strategies.

But if energy and transport infrastructure are severely damaged, the consequences could be far more serious. Restoring infrastructure would take time, potentially triggering a global energy crisis, sustained logistics disruptions and a recession in the most affected economies.

While markets react quickly, the impact on humans unfolds more gradually but more deeply. Rising fertilizer costs are increasing food production costs, pushing up food prices and worsening food insecurity.

Poorer households, which spend a larger share of income on food, are the worst hit. Combined with slower growth, job losses, weak social protection, and declining remittances, this could lead to rising poverty and widening inequality across the region.

Economic interdependence is a double-edged sword. Asia-Pacific's integrated systems of trade, transport and energy have driven growth and efficiency but also created shared vulnerabilities. Disruptions in one part of the system can cascade rapidly across the region. This was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The path forward is not retreating from economic interdependence, but making it more resilient. Led by domestic industrial and trade policies and supported by regional cooperation, diversification across the trade, transport and energy sectors as well as sources, routes, products and markets must become a priority to increase economic resilience. At a strategic level, policymakers must balance growth with resilience. Reducing vulnerabilities should be as important as expanding output.

No country can navigate this alone. Regional cooperation platforms and mechanisms provided by ESCAP can help coordinate policy responses, share best practices and build long-term resilience. From energy security to transport connectivity and trade facilitation to economic diversification, collective action will determine how effectively the region manages this crisis and prepares for future shocks.

What has happened in the Strait of Hormuz is a powerful reminder that in an interconnected world, distance offers no insulation. A regional conflict can quickly become a shared economic challenge, testing not just markets, but systems, policies and resilience itself.

Hamza Ali Malik is the director of the Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division of ESCAP; Rupa Chanda is the director of its Trade, Investment and Innovation Division and Weimin Ren is the director of its Transport Division.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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Nation taking more strategic gold stance

A buyer tries on gold jewelry at a store in Weifang, Shandong province, on March 15. WANG JILIN/FOR CHINA DAILY

China's ramped-up increase in gold reserves — even as some central banks have turned to selling — may highlight its strategic, long-term approach to gold accumulation, aimed at buffering against risks and backing the renminbi's internationalization, experts said.

Amid heightened volatility in gold prices, such sustained and relatively price-insensitive demand is likely to continue, providing a stabilizing force and underscoring China's growing role in shaping global gold prices, they added.

The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, increased its gold reserves for the 17th consecutive month in March, bringing China's official gold holdings to 74.38 million ounces at the end of last month, up from 74.22 million ounces at the end of February, official data showed on Tuesday.

The increment of 160,000 ounces marked the highest in 13 months, according to analysis from Orient Golden Credit Rating International, even as some other central banks, such as those in Turkiye and Russia, have reportedly moved to offload the precious metal, sending market participants diverging on the prospects for gold prices.

Gold prices recorded one of the sharpest declines in March, as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East drove up energy prices, fueled inflation expectations and raised the possibility of sustained high interest rates in the United States, weighing on the non-yielding yellow metal.

Prices rebounded on Wednesday, as markets reassessed geopolitical risks following signs of a temporary easing in tensions after a two-week ceasefire was agreed.

"China's central bank acts more like a long-term allocator than a short-term trader," said Shao Yu, chief economist at the innovation center of Fudan University's School of Management, adding that its gold purchases reflect both strategic positioning and efforts to optimize costs over time.

"In contrast, some central banks selling gold are more like urgent traders seeking liquidity, cashing in gains to meet short-term funding gaps," Shao said.

Shao added that the PBOC is likely to continue its "small but steady" approach to increasing gold holdings, adjusting the pace flexibly — slowing purchases when prices rise significantly, while stepping up buying during precipitous declines.

The PBOC resumed gold purchases in November 2024. Since then, monthly additions have ranged from 30,000 to 330,000 ounces, according to market tracker Wind Info, with purchases falling to 30,000 ounces in February this year amid rapid price increases.

China's sustained gold buying, Shao said, is providing a stabilizing effect on the global gold market, effectively providing a "put option" for market participants by limiting downside risks through steady demand.

He added that the country's continued gold accumulation may reflect long-term risk management considerations, particularly in preparing for risks associated with mounting US debt, while also supporting RMB internationalization by strengthening the Chinese currency's backing with gold reserves.

Zhu Hexin, deputy governor of the PBOC, said earlier this year in an article that China will refine foreign exchange reserve management to ensure asset safety, liquidity, value preservation and appreciation.

Morton Lo, a market analyst at financial trading platform FXTM, said the persistent volatility in US dollar-denominated assets amid geopolitical tensions has elevated the strategic importance of non-freezable physical assets such as gold.

"Gold is no longer just a traditional safe-haven asset, but a foundational asset tied to the security of foreign exchange reserves and the credibility of currencies," Lo said.

Therefore, China's gold accumulation may reflect long-term preparations to buffer against potential disruptions in the global financial order, while also reinforcing the foundation for RMB internationalization, rather than pursuing short-term returns, Lo added.

"The PBOC's goal may not be moving the gold market or hedging short-term volatility, but to increase certainty in an increasingly uncertain world," he said.

The value of China's official gold reserves fell to $342.76 billion at the end of March, down from $387.59 billion a month earlier, official data showed. The drop, reflecting the gold price slump, was the first decline in the value since May.

High-speed rail pet transport service upgraded

China's railway authorities rolled out an upgraded high-speed rail pet transport service on Wednesday, expanding coverage and introducing more flexible options to meet growing demand from pet owners.

The enhanced service builds on a pilot program launched on April 8, 2025, allowing pets to be transported on high-speed trains. The program has run smoothly, transporting more than 15,000 pets over the past year, according to China Railway Express.

The service is now available at 121 high-speed rail stations and on 228 train services, marking a further step toward more personalized travel offerings. The upgrade introduces two transport options, allowing passengers to either travel on the same train as their pets or send them separately, offering greater flexibility for varying travel needs.

Under the "travel with your pet" option, passengers can book tickets and pet transport slots through the 12306 app, the official train ticket booking platform. Each passenger may bring up to two pets on the same train. While pets do not enter passenger cabins, they are placed in dedicated transport containers and stored in separate onboard compartments.

The second option, "pet travels alone", is designed for customers who are not traveling themselves. In this case, pets are transported independently via the railway's logistics system and collected at the destination station.

The service adopts a distance-based pricing system, with standard and discounted tiers. For example, a trip between Beijing and Shanghai costs 658 yuan ($96) per pet at the standard rate. Passengers traveling on the same train as their pets are eligible for discounted fares, with the same journey priced at 460 yuan. All shipments include basic insurance coverage of 2,000 yuan.

Compared to air travel, high-speed rail offers a more time-efficient option, said Zhao Enman, vice-dean of the animal hospital at Beijing University of Agriculture.

"Airlines' strict security procedures often result in multiple waiting stages, while high-speed rail operations are relatively streamlined, helping reduce transit time and minimize discomfort for pets,"Zhao said.

Pet owner Cui Na, who has previously used the service, said she found the process reliable and reassuring. "The transport box on high-speed rail is very professional. If it were available for purchase, I would consider using one at home," she said, adding that she still felt concerned during the journey.

Railway authorities said the service follows a strict "isolated transport" principle, with pets kept in sealed containers in separate compartments throughout the journey. Staff members monitor their condition through built-in systems, and all equipment is disinfected after each trip.

Officials said they will continue to refine the service and explore new models, including integrating pet transport with tourism, to further improve the travel experience.

Elderly cautiously embrace new technology, but risks linger

Liu Changling, a 68-year-old farmer from Jinan, Shandong province, with four decades of experience in orchard cultivation, has found a new revenue stream in the digital age. By sharing his planting techniques and produce on short-video platforms, he has boosted his sales and become an online influencer with over 100,000 followers.

Liu is an example of a growing trend in China, where senior citizens are increasingly integrating internet technologies into their lives. Data from the China Internet Network Information Center showed that as of June 2025, the number of internet users age 60 and above had reached 161 million.

This means that approximately one out of every two senior citizens in China is now connected to the digital world, marking a staggering 18-fold increase in the elderly online population over the past 15 years, according to Xinhua News Agency.

A survey conducted by Beijing Normal University of 2,000 internet users age 55 to 83 found that over 75 percent have experience creating short videos, with more than 27 percent posting frequently. Their content primarily revolves around family life, cooking tips, health knowledge and skill sharing.

Now, the rapid development and wide application of artificial intelligence have also further ignited their enthusiasm for learning and experiencing the new technology.

A report on AI usage among seniors, jointly released by Alibaba Group and Zhejiang Open University in October, highlighted the elderly as a group with immense potential for deep participation in the AI era. They stand to benefit comprehensively from AI in areas such as home-based care, health management, nursing, emotional companionship, and even career extension, it said.

Seniors are not only eager to learn about and use AI but are also active consumers of the products and services that technology provides. On Alibaba's Tmall platform, for example, purchases of AI companion robots capable of voice chat and remote video-calling increased significantly from January to August last year. During the same period, sales of senior-friendly smart bracelets and watches saw year-on-year growth of over 200 percent and 350 percent, respectively.

Reflecting this demand, AI training and AI courses are being widely introduced at colleges for the elderly across the country. According to China Youth Daily, courses on AI and digital life saw a notable increase in new offerings for the spring 2026 semester at Shanghai universities for the elderly. In Changning and Hongkou districts, local universities are partnering with information technology enterprises to guide and assist senior students in understanding, learning and applying AI.

A 72-year-old student surnamed Li from Qitaihe, Heilongjiang province, expressed his excitement after using AI to restore his worn and faded old photos.

"These are pictures of me at a factory over 40 years ago. Seeing the restored images instantly through the technology brought me back to those old days; it was deeply touching," Li told Heilongjiang Daily.

While encouraging the elderly to embrace AI and new technologies, Zhu Wei, an associate professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, reminded senior citizens to be wary of fraudsters who exploit their interest in AI training.

In addition to shutting down online accounts that use the guise of teaching AI to scam the elderly, Zhu suggested holding the operating agencies or companies managing such accounts accountable and strengthening supervision.

"These measures are crucial for maintaining order in cyberspace and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the elderly," he added.

Grandparents top AI swindlers' list

About a year ago, an elderly woman surnamed Ding living in Huangshi, Hubei province, received a phone call she believed was from her grandson urgently requesting financial help. What she didn't know at the time was that the call was the beginning of a sophisticated scam.

When Ding answered the landline, the voice on the other end sounded exactly like her grandson. Tearfully, the caller explained that he had accidentally injured a classmate at school and needed 40,000 yuan ($5,500) to settle the matter privately. He told her the injured classmate's father would come to her home to collect the money.

Trusting the voice, Ding quickly gathered the cash and handed it to a man surnamed Wu, who arrived at her doorstep. To dispel any doubts, Wu even made a call to Ding's "grandson" in front of her, allowing her to hear his voice.

That day, Ding was swindled out of 20,000 yuan. The voice she heard on the phone was a clone of her grandson's voice generated by cutting-edge artificial intelligence.

Ding was not the only victim of the AI scam.

Two other elderly residents in the city fell for Wu's deception. It was only after speaking with their family members that they realized they had been duped, by which time a total of 60,000 yuan had been swindled.

After the victims reported the scam to local police, Wu was tracked down and arrested. In November 2025, the Huangshigang District People's Court found him guilty of fraud, and sentenced him to two years and one month in prison, and imposed a fine of 15,000 yuan.

The court also warned of the sophisticated use of AI to mimic voices to exploit vulnerable seniors who prioritize family and are unfamiliar with the technology.

The case also caught the attention of the Supreme People's Court, China's top court.

"Over the past year, scams leveraging AI for voice cloning and deepfake technology have become alarmingly frequent, specifically targeting the elderly and posing new challenges for the justice system and society," said Zhou Jiahai, head of the court's Research Office.

Doesn't sound right

At the end of last year, a Beijing resident surnamed Zhang was also the target of an AI scam similar to Ding's.

"The voice on the landline phone was my grandson's," Zhang recalled. "He said that the previous night he had gotten into an argument during dinner, and in the scuffle, the other person hit their head on the corner of a table and was injured. He was taken to the hospital and needed 80,000 yuan for treatment."

Concerned by her "grandson's" urgent tone, Zhang assured him,"Grandma will get the money ready for you."

At around 2 pm that afternoon, Zhang handed over 80,000 yuan outside her apartment to the contact person the impostor had told her would collect the money.

The next day, Zhang received another call from the swindler, who said that the person's injuries were more serious than initially thought and he required an additional 30,000 yuan.

It was then that Zhang felt something was amiss. After talking with other family members and calling her real grandson's mobile phone, she realized she had been scammed and reported the deception to the police.

Gao Shan, from the Beijing Public Security, said there has been a surge in cases in recent months of scammers using AI to impersonate grandchildren and defraud elderly people, adding police had detained eight suspects in Zhang's case.

The fraudsters typically obtain personal information through illegal channels and call the landlines of elderly residents, as the phones usually don't show the caller's number, Gao said.

"The scammers use AI voice synthesis technology to mimic the voices of the victims' grandchildren and create a sense of urgency by usually claiming that money is needed for compensation due to a fight, bail due to detention from a dispute, or medical expenses, exploiting the elderly's concern for their family members," he explained.

Growing concern

Xu Hao, a lawyer from Beijing Jingsh Law Firm, said that the technical expertise required for AI voice cloning and face-swapping is not very difficult to attain, adding there are many software options available online.

"Fraudsters only need to capture a few seconds of voice information from short video platforms and input it into the software to generate a voice that closely resembles that of the video user, which they then use to scam the user's family," he said.

The simplicity and low cost of this process are among the reasons for the recent surge in AI-based scams, Xu said.

He noted that the targets of such scams are often elderly people who live alone, as they have less frequent contact with their children and grandchildren and are less familiar with their daily work and lives. Additionally, they may not be well-versed in using smartphones and understanding AI, making them more susceptible to being deceived.

Another lawyer from the firm, Zhao Li, said that scammers also exploit the emotional vulnerabilities of many elderly people, particularly their strong care for and unconditional support of their children and grandchildren.

"Seniors generally have some savings and would rather scrimp and save than see their children and grandchildren suffer," he said. "So, when they hear cries and pleas for help from 'children' and 'grandchildren' on the phone, they immediately soften their hearts and fall for the scams."

The two lawyers said while AI makes people's lives more convenient, it also means scammers' tactics have become more sophisticated. Although the cost of fraud is often not high and legal redress can be pursued, the lawyers said solving and combating such crimes is a challenging issue.

Wang Bin, chief judge of the top court's Third Criminal Division, pointed out that using AI to replicate the facial features and voices of victims' family members, and carrying out scams through highly realistic videos and voice calls, have a higher success rate compared with traditional scamming methods. Wang added it poses more difficulties for law enforcement and prevention.

Preventive measures

In response to the challenge, Chinese courts have focused more on efficiently handling AI-related fraud cases in recent years, Wang said. This has been done by increasing punishment for organizers and perpetrators of the scams, as well as repeat offenders.

"Individuals involved in the development and sale of AI face-swapping and voice-mimicking tools, the sale of personal information, and the transfer of illicit funds are also firmly penalized," he said.

"Our aim is to achieve comprehensive, full-chain crackdowns to cut off the technical assistance that facilitates telecom fraud," he said.

He also highlighted the importance of preventing AI-related scams from the start, through strengthening supervision of online platforms and providing stronger legal education for senior citizens.

Zhao agreed with the approach. He said operators of social media platforms — such as those that provide short-video apps and podcasts — should enhance measures to protect users' personal data. "For example, they can employ technical methods to prevent anyone other than the users from downloading videos," he added.

Xu suggested that mobile operators, payment service providers, and banks establish a cooling-off period for transfers made by elderly users age 65 or 70 and above.

"This period would allow time for manually verifying the recipient's information to prevent financial losses," he explained.

He also called on police officers and social workers to pay special attention to elderly people who live alone and provide them with better care, relevant education, and improve understanding of their emotional demands.

Both the judges from the top court and the lawyers reiterated the need to further enhance seniors' legal awareness to prevent fraud in AI sectors. Knowledge about fraud and anti-fraud tips should also be shared in communities, rural areas, and with families.

Zhou said that the top court will also strengthen research on AI issues and disclose notable cases to refine judicial policies, guiding the healthy development of the industry, and effectively protecting people's property.

Grandparents top AI swindlers' list

That day, Ding was swindled out of 20,000 yuan. The voice she heard on the phone was a clone of her grandson's voice generated by cutting-edge artificial intelligence.

Ding was not the only victim of the AI scam.

The court also warned of the sophisticated use of AI to mimic voices to exploit vulnerable seniors who prioritize family and are unfamiliar with the technology.

The case also caught the attention of the Supreme People's Court, China's top court.

Doesn't sound right

At the end of last year, a Beijing resident surnamed Zhang was also the target of an AI scam similar to Ding's.

Concerned by her "grandson's" urgent tone, Zhang assured him,"Grandma will get the money ready for you."

At around 2 pm that afternoon, Zhang handed over 80,000 yuan outside her apartment to the contact person the impostor had told her would collect the money.

The next day, Zhang received another call from the swindler, who said that the person's injuries were more serious than initially thought and he required an additional 30,000 yuan.

The fraudsters typically obtain personal information through illegal channels and call the landlines of elderly residents, as the phones usually don't show the caller's number, Gao said.

Growing concern

The simplicity and low cost of this process are among the reasons for the recent surge in AI-based scams, Xu said.

Preventive measures

"Our aim is to achieve comprehensive, full-chain crackdowns to cut off the technical assistance that facilitates telecom fraud," he said.

He also highlighted the importance of preventing AI-related scams from the start, through strengthening supervision of online platforms and providing stronger legal education for senior citizens.

Xu suggested that mobile operators, payment service providers, and banks establish a cooling-off period for transfers made by elderly users age 65 or 70 and above.

"This period would allow time for manually verifying the recipient's information to prevent financial losses," he explained.

Adidas taps well-worn trend, sparking fresh interest in 'New Chinese Style'

Chinese frog buttons are on display at the World Button Museum in Liaocheng, Shandong province. ZHANG ZHENXIANG / FOR CHINA DAILY

When Spanish influencer Helena Cuesta posted a photo of herself wearing a pink, silk jacket with blue jeans, it quickly caught the attention of her followers. The stylish jacket, which features a straight-button front, drew many compliments, with people curious about the designer.

The chic piece from the Spanish brand Amlul reflects a rising trend in Western fashion, where Chinese features such as the Mandarin collar, frog buttons and symmetrical fronts are appearing in 2026 collections.

Arguably, this most recent iteration of the trend can be traced back to October, when Adidas Originals launched its "Chinese New Year" jacket — also referred to as the "Tang" jacket — at last year's Shanghai Fashion Week.

Initially sold exclusively in China, the limited edition track top quickly gained traction on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

It became part of a viral "Chinese three-piece" on social media, alongside Pop Mart's Labubu figurines and hit hip-hop track Da Zhan Hong Tu by Lan Lao and AR.

By the 2026 Spring Festival, the highly sought-after jackets, priced at around 1,000 yuan ($146.48), had sold out across most of China. People from overseas flocked to purchase them, with some online resellers, like StockX, listing them for as high as $488 each.

An inheritor of the Huizhou tailoring technique, an item of intangible cultural heritage in Anhui province, takes measurements at a tailor shop in Hefei, the province's capital, on Jan 20. FU MIN/CHINA NEWS SERVICE

A viral TikTok video titled "POV: your dad just came back from China" showed a man distributing the jackets in a range of colors to his family, garnering over 9.5 million views.

This trend quickly spread, with fashion-forward brands such as Ralph Lauren, Kenzo and Lemarie rushing to incorporate similar elements into their Fall/Winter 2026 shows and fashion influencers began posting pictures wearing items with Chinese elements.

Pairing effortlessly with jeans, satin trousers or puffy skirts, Vogue's WeChat account praised "New Chinese Style" as "incredibly versatile", seamlessly transitioning from casual to streetwear to elegant looks.

"New Chinese Style" is not new in China. It emerged at the start of the 21st century, gained momentum around 2015, and has been on an upward trend since 2021.

The term has no precise definition, but can be seen as combining traditional Chinese elements with modern design language.

Historically, some of these elements can be traced as far back as the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC). However, compared with traditional clothing, which is often formal and ornate, "New Chinese Style" emphasizes simplicity and practicality for everyday wear.

The style opts for more accessible fibers, preserving quality while being easier to wear daily. It also features loose-fitting designs, adapting typically form-fitting garments like the qipao into more relaxed silhouettes.

Yang Jie, an associate professor at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, said that Western luxury brands have long explored and incorporated Chinese elements.

In 1993, John Galliano introduced qipao-style clothing inspired by Chinese-American star Anna May Wong, and later drew inspiration from 1930s Chinese poster girls for the Dior Fall/Winter 1997 Haute Couture show. Other brands, including Jean Paul Gaultier, Prada and Armani, have also featured Mandarin collars, asymmetrical closures, or both, in their collections.

Compared with luxury brands, Adidas' coveted track jacket reaches a wider audience, Yang said.

He noted that the popularity of the Adidas jacket stems from its incorporation of a recognizable Chinese cultural symbol: the frog button. Yang recalled that years ago, an Italian friend, after visiting the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan province, asked where he could buy a Chinese coat featuring such buttons.

"New Chinese Style" reflects a shift in mindset among Chinese people — they are moving from being seen merely as subjects of aesthetic appreciation to becoming creators of their own aesthetic language.

"It's not simply a fashion trend," Yang said. "It speaks to shifts in the global landscape. As China's influence continues to grow, Chinese culture is becoming more visible and recognized around the world."

yangyangs@chinadaily.com.cn

China, EU welcome two-week ceasefire in Mideast

Emotions run high as people gather at a public square in Tehran, Iran, early on Wednesday, following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the United States-Israel war against the country. Majid Asgaripour / West Asia News Agency via REUTERS

The world welcomed on Wednesday a diplomatic breakthrough for peace in the Middle East as Iran, the United States and Israel agreed to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, potentially suspending a six-week-old war that has killed hundreds and disrupted global energy supplies.

The eleventh-hour truce was achieved as US President Donald Trump withdrew his threat to obliterate "a whole civilization" and Iranian authorities agreed to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime corridor that facilitates one-fifth of the world's oil exports.

Pakistan has said that negotiations to hammer out a permanent deal to end the war could begin in Islamabad as soon as Friday. All parties have expressed their willingness to join the talks, but it is unclear how much agreement there is on the modalities of the talks.

Nevertheless, the news of a two-week ceasefire pushed down crude prices, with West Texas Intermediate losing almost 20 percent and Brent as much as 16 percent.

The euphoria also sent global equities rocketing. China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 2.69 percent to close at 3,995 on Wednesday, while Sydney, Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta, Singapore and Wellington were sharply higher. Middle East stocks rallied, with Dubai jumping 8.5 percent, the biggest intraday increase since December 2014, according to Bloomberg data.

China welcomed the ceasefire on Wednesday and expressed hope that all parties will work together to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait "is an important route for global goods and energy trade, and safeguarding its security and stability serves the common interests of the international community", Mao Ning, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said at a daily news briefing in Beijing. She added that China will continue to play a "constructive role" toward achieving lasting peace in the region.

Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, described the ceasefire as a "step back from the brink", and said it created a "much-needed" window for diplomacy.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire, his spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the UN chief "calls on all the parties to the current conflict in the Middle East to comply with their obligations under international law and to abide by the terms of the ceasefire, in order to pave the way toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region".

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pledged safe passage for all vessels through the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks if the US and Israel held their side of the deal. "If attacks against Iran are halted, our powerful armed forces will cease their defensive operations," he said in a statement on behalf of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

Iran, however, reiterated its demand for continued control over the Strait of Hormuz, called for a $2 million transit fee per vessel while offering to share the revenue with Oman, and sought international acceptance of its nuclear enrichment activities, full revocation of all primary and secondary sanctions against the country, and withdrawal of US forces from the region.

Vessel movements resumed on Wednesday in the strait, ship-tracking service MarineTraffic said in a post on social media. Greek-owned bulk carrier NJ Earth and Liberia-flagged Daytona Beach have crossed the strait, it said, adding that "initial movements are now being recorded".

Trump said the US is "very far along" in negotiating a long-term deal with Iran that has submitted a 10-point plan, which he called "a workable basis for negotiation".

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early on Wednesday that he backed the ceasefire deal between the US and Iran, but clarified that it doesn't cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The remarks contradicted Pakistan's statement that the ceasefire terms included the issue of Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

Even as the ceasefire was announced, missile alerts were sounded on Wednesday across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, underscoring the fragility of the diplomatic breakthrough.

Iranian state television reported an attack on an oil refinery on Iran's Lavan Island, while Kuwait reported drone attacks on its power facilities and the UAE said its air defenses were intercepting Iranian missiles.

It is unclear if the ceasefire will hold or what will happen after two weeks if it does, as there is little sign that Iran and the US have resolved their differences over Iran's nuclear program, its ballistic missiles and its regional proxies, which are among the issues that the US and Israel cited before launching their joint military action against Iran on Feb 28.

cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn

Xi emphasizes high quality in services sector

President Xi Jinping has called for building more "China Services" brands and breaking new ground in advancing the high-quality development of China's services sector.

He made the remarks in an instruction conveyed at a national conference on the services sector, which was held in Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday.

China's services sector has steadily expanded in scale and continuously improved in quality and efficiency, playing an important role in supporting industrial upgrade, meeting people's livelihood needs and driving job growth, Xi said.

Official statistics showed that China's value-added services output rose 5.4 percent year-on-year to 80.89 trillion yuan ($11.8 trillion) in 2025, with the sector contributing 61.4 percent of the country's overall economic growth.

Underscoring demand-driven development, reform breakthroughs and technology empowerment, as well as opening-up and cooperation, Xi called for carrying out capacity-expanding and quality-upgrading initiatives in the services sector.

He stressed that efforts should be made to advance producer services toward greater specialization and the higher end of the value chain, and to foster high-quality, diverse and accessible consumer services.

Producer services and consumer services are the two pillars of the services sector. The index gauging China's services industry output rose 5.2 percent year-on-year in the first two months of this year, an increase of 0.2 percentage point from December, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Addressing the conference, Premier Li Qiang underlined the need to adapt to shifts in demographic structure, consumption upgrades and industrial transformation.

He said efforts should focus on key areas of production and daily life, adding that it is crucial to promote the development of the services sector in a tiered and categorized manner, constantly cultivate new growth drivers, and foster a services sector that is digital, intelligent, standardized, integrated and internationally competitive.

In his closing speech at the conference, Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang called for efforts to advance the building of a unified national market, enhance the standardization of the services sector and expand institutional opening-up in services.

He emphasized efforts to strengthen and upgrade modern logistics, financial services and commercial services, in order to ensure smooth and coordinated flows across all links of the economy. Efforts will be made to meet people's livelihood needs, make daily services more convenient and public services more efficient and adaptable, and drive innovative development in culture, tourism, sports and other services, to better satisfy personalized, diversified and high-quality demand, Ding added.

Edward Hu, president for China at International Workplace Group, a Switzerland-based hybrid workspace platform, expressed confidence in the prospects of China's services sector, citing the country's sustained commitment to its high-quality development and further improvements in the business environment.

He said that China's continued opening of the services sector and efforts to improve the business environment are key drivers of growth. Policy support for services consumption and urban development continues to sustain demand for flexible office space, he added.

Luo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities, said that promoting the high-quality development of services consumption requires a systematic and well-coordinated policy mix, with efforts focused on two key fronts — ensuring income stability to bolster demand and improving the quality of services to enhance supply.

He called for easing market access while strengthening regulation in sectors such as cultural tourism, healthcare and education.

jihaisheng@chinadaily.com.cn

Tasks laid out for high-quality development of service sector to build more China brands: China Daily editorial

President Xi Jinping has called for striving to break new ground in the high-quality development of China's service sector. He made the remarks in an instruction conveyed at a national conference on the service sector held in Beijing from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Underscoring demand-driven development, reform breakthroughs, technology empowerment as well as opening-up and cooperation, Xi called for carrying out capacity-expanding and quality-upgrading initiatives in the service sector.

Efforts must be made to advance producer services toward greater specialization and the higher end of the value chain, foster high-quality, diverse and accessible consumer services, and build more "China Services" brands, Xi said.

With the focus of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) on innovation-driven development, the country aims to vigorously develop scientific and technological services, strengthen digital and smart services, and promote the integrated development of manufacturing and services. By strengthening and improving modern logistics, financial services and business services, the smooth connectivity of all aspects of the economic cycle can be promoted.

The trend of upgrading the consumption structure and transforming the industrial structure will focus on key areas of production and life to continuously cultivate new growth points in the service industry, and enhance the level of intelligence, standardization, integration and international development of the service industry.

The efficient and appropriate provision of public services, and the innovative development of cultural and tourism services, will better meet people's needs for high-quality services for everyday life.

As the largest sector of the national economy, the service industry acts as a barometer of economic health and the quality of people's livelihoods.

Last year, the added value of China's service industry surpassed 80 trillion yuan ($11.71 trillion) for the first time, accounting for 57.7 percent of the country's GDP and contributing 61.4 percent to its economic growth. These figures reflect a modern industrial system that is undergoing profound transformation and upgrading.

Moreover, the service industry also serves as a major reservoir for employment. Amid economic ups and downs, it offers a diverse range of sectors with strong job-creation capacity. By the end of 2025, approximately 50 percent of employment was within the service sector.

From traditional sectors such as catering and accommodation to modern digital services and smart logistics, the development of the service industry is a critical measure of China's economic progress. Productive services are seen as boosters for upgrading the manufacturing industry. Sectors such as supply chain management, financial services, R&D design, and modern logistics are rapidly moving up the value chain.

Life services, meanwhile, function as the "umbrella" for meeting daily public needs. Emerging businesses such as telemedicine, smart elderly care and home services are reshaping lifestyles.

But despite the progress made, the supply of high-end services is still insufficient, there is a shortage of professional talent and the standard system is not perfect, hindering the sector's further development. Additionally, regional development imbalances and significant urban-rural gaps remain unresolved. All this requires the government to continue to deepen reform and advance opening-up to energize the service sector.

Necessary steps in this regard include further relaxing market access restrictions, optimizing the business environment, and aligning the service industry with international standards. Building a unified national market, removing local protections and eliminating industry barriers are also needed.

To that end, China should integrate with global markets, embracing an open and inclusive approach. Opening up the sector involves fostering an environment where innovation and competition can thrive.

China's service sector has steadily expanded in scale and continuously improved in quality and efficiency. Building on that, Chinese enterprises should cultivate more "China services" brands and enhance the sector's global competitiveness.

Trump says in talks with Iran, threatens 50 pct tariffs on country offering Tehran arms

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States is in talks with Iran over "tariff and sanctions relief," while also threatening 50-percent tariffs on any country supplying weapons to Tehran.

"The United States will work closely with Iran, which we have determined has gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change!" Trump said on his Truth Social account.

There will be "no enrichment of Uranium," and the United States would cooperate with Iran to dig up and remove deeply buried "nuclear dust," he said.

He noted that many parts of the US-proposed 15-point ceasefire plan have already been agreed to.

Minutes later, in a separate post, Trump threatened 50-percent tariffs "effective immediately" on any country supplying military weapons to Iran. "There will be no exclusions or exemptions!" he said.

On Tuesday, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. The two sides are scheduled to begin negotiations in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Friday.

In response to Washington's ceasefire plan, Tehran put forward a 10-point proposal that includes a US commitment to ensure no further acts of aggression, continued Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of Iran's nuclear enrichment rights, and the lifting of sanctions, among others, Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency reported.

Military officials urged to uphold Party traditions

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses a training session for high-ranking military officials in Beijing, capital of China, April 8, 2026. The training session opened at the National Defense University in Beijing on Wednesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping has urged high-ranking military officials to lead by example in restoring and upholding the fine traditions of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese armed forces.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Wednesday as he addressed the opening ceremony of a training session for high-ranking military officials, which was held at the National Defense University in Beijing.

Xi emphasized that the CPC is a Marxist party that always represents the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people and has no special interests of its own. He said that corruption and all ideas or actions of seeking personal gains are completely incompatible with the Party's nature and purpose.

Officials at all levels must consciously put themselves in the right position, stand firmly on the side of the people and overcome selfish ideas that alienate them from the people, he said.

Xi said that high-ranking military officials must take the lead in restoring and carrying forward the fine traditions of the Party and the military, put down official airs and remain true to the identity of revolutionary service personnel, so that corruption and other misconduct could be eliminated in the armed forces.

He noted that everyone is equal before the law, and there are no special cases in the observance of rules and regulations and no exceptions in their enforcement.

Xi said the Party and the military have grown and strengthened through constant struggles against erroneous ideas and misconduct.

He added that under the guidance of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the armed forces will, with unity and solidarity under new historical conditions, write a new chapter in their march toward a world-class military.

Xi urged the military to deepen its ideological and political rectification, train officers with revolutionary methods, maintain its purity and glory, and greet the centenary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army with a renewed political outlook.

At a meeting with national lawmakers from the armed forces in March, Xi said there should be no place in the military for those disloyal to the Party and no safe haven for corruption, urging the armed forces to unwaveringly advance the anti-corruption campaign.

Doctoral defence in Tibetan Buddhism

How to earn the highest degree at the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism: First, years of study. Then, one final public test: the Geshe Lharampa debate at Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Xizang. Watch monks passionately defend their knowledge with logic and sharp thinking.

Bus driver's final act saves 45 passengers in Ningxia

An experienced bus driver in Northwest China has been hailed as a hero after sacrificing his life to save 45 passengers by bringing his vehicle to a stop in the final seconds after suffering a sudden medical emergency.

The incident occurred at around 7:04 am on April 6 along a section of an expressway in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, according to local authorities and dashcam footage that has since circulated widely online.

The driver, 57-year-old Zhou Qihong from Tongxin county in Wuzhong, had more than 30 years of experience and was transporting passengers to plant melon seedlings when he was suddenly stricken by illness.

Video footage shows Zhou struggling to maintain control as his condition rapidly worsens. As the bus veers off course and strikes a roadside barrier, panic spreads among passengers. In a critical five-second window, Zhou manages to straighten the vehicle and apply the brakes, bringing it to a stop beside a roadside ditch more than two meters deep. All 45 passengers were unharmed.

Zhou collapsed in his seat moments later, his foot still on the brake.

Authorities said his actions prevented a serious accident, drawing widespread tribute to his final act of duty.

China sets up new bureau for overseas State assets

China's top State assets regulator has set up a new bureau to more effectively monitor and regulate the overseas assets and operations of State-owned enterprises, highlighting the country's efforts to enhance capital returns and strengthen risk management amid rising geopolitical uncertainties.

The bureau will guide SOEs in international operations, including optimizing overseas asset allocation and restructuring portfolios, while strengthening risk control in outbound investment and managing emergencies abroad, according to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.

Experts said the move will improve allocation of resources by SOEs in overseas markets and strengthen their ability to manage risks in the face of geopolitical tensions, rising protectionism, currency volatility and stricter compliance requirements.

Ding Rijia, a professor specializing in SOE reforms at the China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, said the establishment of the bureau indicates a practical shift in China's approach to safeguarding the security of State-owned assets overseas amid a changing global landscape.

As China shifts the focus of its outbound investment expansion from scale to quality, the new bureau is expected to promote stronger strategic coordination and more efficient resource allocation, and to curb indiscriminate and redundant investment, said Ding.

The bureau has been established as China's outbound investment continues to grow. The country's total outbound direct investment across all sectors reached 1.25 trillion yuan ($182.4 billion) in 2025, an increase of 7.4 percent year-on-year, statistics from the Ministry of Commerce showed.

In 2025, nonfinancial direct investment by Chinese companies in countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative reached 283.36 billion yuan, up 18 percent year-on-year, with centrally administered SOEs focusing on sectors such as infrastructure connectivity, energy and telecommunications, according to information released by the ministry and the commission.

Zhou Lisha, a researcher at Tsinghua University's Institute for State-owned Enterprises, said that as global industrial and supply chains undergo a profound restructuring amid intensifying competition for key resources, core technologies and strategic routes, overseas expansion by SOEs should no longer focus solely on market access or resource acquisition.

Instead, SOEs should strengthen supply chain security, overcome technological bottlenecks and safeguard energy and resource security to serve a broader national strategy, she added.

By the end of 2025, the total assets of China's centrally administered SOEs had exceeded 95 trillion yuan, with a growing proportion held overseas, data from the commission showed.

Liu Xiangdong, a researcher at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges in Beijing, said: "These reforms reflect an evolution in regulatory thinking from managing assets to managing capital and, increasingly, managing risks."

While the focus was previously on expanding asset scale and improving capital returns, it has now shifted toward strengthening systemic risk control. This transition aligns with global regulatory trends and China's push for high-quality growth, he added.

KMT chair calls for stronger cross-Strait cooperation

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, leads a KMT delegation on Wednesday morning to pay homage at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province. XING GUANGLI / XINHUA

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, called for stronger cross-Strait cooperation and lasting peace during her visit on Wednesday to Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, and Shanghai, emphasizing the need to benefit future generations.

Following a tradition for KMT leaders visiting the Chinese mainland, Cheng led a delegation to pay tribute at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing on Wednesday morning. After ascending 392 steps, she presented a wreath. Her trip marked the first such visit by a KMT chairperson in a decade.

This year marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen, a founding figure of the KMT who played a key role in overthrowing imperial rule in China. He died in 1925 and was laid to rest at the Nanjing mausoleum in 1929.

Speaking to the media after the memorial ceremony, Cheng said the visit aimed to "plant the seeds of peace" not only for Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, but for humanity as a whole. She called on individuals to nurture and sustain these seeds in daily life so they can grow and flourish, providing a foundation for future generations.

Cheng said that pursuing peace is a historical responsibility and obligation of the KMT.

"We have witnessed progress and development on the mainland that far exceed expectations," she said, calling for both sides of the Taiwan Strait to advance reconciliation and unity while contributing to regional prosperity and stability.

On Wednesday afternoon, Cheng and her delegation arrived in Shanghai, where they experienced drone delivery services at the headquarters of Meituan, a leading on-demand delivery platform on the mainland, and later visited the Yangpu Riverside, a revitalized public space transformed from former industrial sites.

During a Shanghai-Taiwan youth cultural exchange event in a book garden at the Yangpu Riverside, young people from Taiwan who are studying or starting businesses on the mainland shared their experiences with Cheng.

Cheng noted that smoother, barrier-free cross-Strait communication would allow young people to connect with like-minded peers and pursue opportunities on a broader stage with greater potential.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a news conference on the same day that the visit by Cheng's delegation reflects engagement and dialogue based on the shared political foundation of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence".

"The visit aligns with mainstream public opinion on the island that calls for peace, development, exchange and cooperation, and it will receive affirmation and support from the people of Taiwan," Zhu said.

Cheng's visit, which covers Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing, will run through Sunday.

KMT chair calls for stronger cross-Strait cooperation

Cheng said that pursuing peace is a historical responsibility and obligation of the KMT.

Cheng noted that smoother, barrier-free cross-Strait communication would allow young people to connect with like-minded peers and pursue opportunities on a broader stage with greater potential.

Cheng's visit, which covers Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing, will run through Sunday.

Spanish prime minister set for latest China visit

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will pay a five-day official visit to China starting on Saturday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has announced.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday that Sanchez's visit, his fourth to China in four years, will be the latest high-level exchange between the two countries following last year's visits by both the Spanish prime minister and king.

During the visit, Chinese leaders will discuss bilateral relations and issues of common concern with Sanchez.

Mao said Spain, a member of the European Union, is an important partner of China, and that China-Spain relations have developed at a high-level in recent years, with practical cooperation across various fields delivering tangible benefits to the two peoples.

China sees the visit as an opportunity to further deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance cooperation, strengthen multilateral coordination, and push bilateral ties to a new level, Mao said, adding that the two countries can contribute more to world peace and stability.

Chinese FM to kick off two-day visit to DPRK

Foreign Minister Wang Yi will kick off a two-day visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Thursday, signaling the latest efforts by the East Asian neighbors to advance bilateral ties.

She added that the foreign minister's upcoming visit is an important step for the two sides to act on the common understandings between the top leaders of the two parties and two countries and to advance the development of China-DPRK ties.

China stands ready to work with the DPRK to step up strategic communication, enhance exchanges and cooperation, and further advance China-DPRK traditional friendship and cooperative ties, she said.

Analysts said that the visit is intended to consolidate the momentum of high-level engagement that has been building up since the autumn of last year, while also advancing practical coordination in areas such as transportation, trade, and diplomatic exchanges as well as exchanges between government departments.

In October, Premier Li Qiang traveled to Pyongyang on an official goodwill visit and attended celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Road, rail and air transportation links between China and the DPRK are now fully operational. International passenger train services between Beijing and Pyongyang, and between Dandong, Northeast China's Liaoning province, and Pyongyang, resumed on March 12 after a six-year suspension. Air China also resumed its Beijing-Pyongyang flight on March 30.

Chinese shares close higher Wednesday

BEIJING - Chinese stocks closed higher on Wednesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 2.7 percent to 3,995 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 4.79 percent higher at 14,042.5 points.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 5.91 percent to close at 3,347.61 points.

The ChiNext Index, together with the Shenzhen Component Index and other indices, reflects the performance of stocks listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

The STAR Composite Index, which reflects the performance of stocks on China's sci-tech innovation board, closed 5.64 percent higher at 1,738.35 points.

The STAR 50 Index, which tracks the 50 largest stocks listed on the board that also meet certain liquidity requirements, closed 6.18 percent higher at 1,352.69 points.

The sci-tech innovation board, commonly known as the STAR Market, was inaugurated in June 2019 at Shanghai Stock Exchange. It is designed to support companies in the high-tech and strategic emerging sectors.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit the DPRK

Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay a two-day visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea starting from Thursday, the ministry announced on Wednesday.

China sees steady growth of key service sectors in 2025

In 2025, China's key service sectors maintained overall steady growth. The value-added of China's tertiary industry in its GDP reached 57.7 percent, and the service sector's contribution rate to national economic growth stood at 61.4 percent.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–30), the scale of China's service sector is expected to exceed 100 trillion yuan ($14.52 trillion).

Mainland reiterates readiness to strive for peace across Taiwan Strait

BEIJING -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday reiterated the mainland's readiness to strive for peace across the Taiwan Strait.

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when she responded to a question about the visit of a Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party delegation led by its chairwoman Cheng Li-wun to the mainland.

The delegation arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday. The visit, which covers Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing, will run through Sunday. This marks the first time in a decade that a KMT chairperson has led a delegation to the mainland.

"We are willing, on the common political foundation of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing 'Taiwan independence,' to work with political parties, groups and individuals in Taiwan, the KMT included, to promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations," Zhu said.

She said both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China and that cross-Strait issues should be resolved through consultation among the Chinese people, adding that people on both sides have the wisdom and ability to resolve their own issues.

Xi urges breaking new ground in high-quality development of service sector

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping has called for striving to break new ground in the high-quality development of China's service sector.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an instruction conveyed at a national conference on the service sector held in Beijing from Tuesday to Wednesday.

China's service sector has steadily expanded in scale and continuously improved in quality and efficiency since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, playing an important role in supporting industrial upgrading, meeting people's livelihood needs and driving job growth, according to Xi.

Underscoring demand-driven development, reform breakthroughs, technology empowerment as well as opening up and cooperation, Xi called for carrying out capacity-expanding and quality-upgrading initiatives in the service sector.

US, Iran agree to ceasefire for two weeks

Demonstrators protest against military action in Iran, outside the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 7, 2026. [Photo/Agencies]

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States and Iran had agreed to a two-week ceasefire, announced shortly before a deadline after which he had warned that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The 11th-hour deal, brokered by Pakistan's prime minister, was announced by Trump on Truth Social.

"Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks," Trump wrote. "This will be a double-sided CEASEFIRE."

The US received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which Trump called "a workable basis ‌on which to negotiate," Reuters reported.

Trump said in his post that nearly all of the various points of past contention had been agreed to between the US and Iran and the two-week period will allow a deal to be finalized, according to Reuters. Israel also agreed to the ceasefire.

Iran's national television celebrated the deal, calling the ceasefire a win.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement: "It was decided at the highest level that Iran will hold negotiations with the American side in Islamabad for two weeks."

Negotiations between the two sides are expected to begin on Friday.

The price of oil fell dramatically after the announcement, with May futures for West Texas Intermediate dropping nearly 19 percent to below $92 a barrel.

The U-turn by the US on Iran came as Americans had been on edge earlier in the day over Trump's heightened rhetoric.

Trump vowed on Monday that he would destroy Iran's civilian infrastructure by wiping out "every bridge" and power plant if Iran did not strike a deal by his Tuesday deadline. On Tuesday morning, Trump went a step further, threatening that a "whole civilization will die" if Iran did not agree.

Adam Turner, 54, from New York, was tearful about how stressed out the president's rhetoric was making him feel over Iran and a host of other issues since he's been in office.

"I think the way that he speaks about Iran is no different than the way he speaks about anything else," Turner told China Daily.

"It's not speech that I would accept from any horrible person on the street. It is without respect. It is without intelligence, without dignity. And the fact that we are represented by that is a crime. So, the way he speaks about Iran is no different than the way he speaks about anything. It's vile."

"It makes me sad because I don't think the Iranian people deserve it," Turner added. "It didn't need to happen. He got rid of [former President Barack] Obama's Iran deal. We had a deal in place that was effective."

Trump's stance sent alarm bells ringing in the US among everyday Americans, US senators and the United Nations.

A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the UN chief was "deeply troubled" by statements suggesting civilians could bear the consequences of military decisions.

And the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, on Tuesday warned that the threats by the US could amount to serious violations of international law.

Lewis Fox, 66, from Manhattan, New York, was also disgruntled by the US president's aggressive rhetoric on Iran and wanted to see a more diplomatic approach.

"I think he doesn't have a clue what he's doing. I have no idea how he ended up in a position where he had the ability to do what he is doing.

"He has converted the United States into being the bully of the world versus the savior of the world. And therefore, he definitely shouldn't be talking like that."

Other critics of Trump's threatening post toward Iran on Tuesday included former staunch ally Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.

"Not a single bomb had dropped on America," she posted on X. "We cannot kill an entire civilization. This is evil and madness."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, on Tuesday called on Republican members of Congress to act.

"Congress must immediately end this reckless war of choice in Iran before Donald Trump plunges us into World War III," Jeffries said in a post on X. "It's time for every single Republican to put patriotic duty over party and stop the madness. Enough."

belindarobinson@chinadailyusa.com

Imperial porcelain: A blind box from 1,000 years ago

China's porcelain legacy spans millennia. The nation itself bears its name, and through it, the world came to know China.

For this series of Into Chinese Art, we turn our focus to the most pivotal "protagonist" in the history of Chinese ceramics — imperial porcelain. American host May traveled to Jingdezhen — China's porcelain capital — and engaged in a cross-cultural dialogue with Fang Lili, a researcher at the Chinese National Academy of Arts. Why was crafting imperial porcelain like a high-stakes game of chance? How many steps does it take to transform clay into porcelain? How did ancient artisans master kiln temperatures without thermometers? What became of the flawed imperial wares? And how did blue-and-white porcelain captivate the world? Follow their journey to find out.

Into Chinese Art is an immersive cultural interview series produced by China Daily Culture Channel, where international hosts engage with art experts through interactive discussions, offering audiences a deeper understanding of Chinese art and aesthetics. The fourth season of Into Chinese Art focuses on ceramic art.

Beijing calls for immediate end to conflict

People use their cameras as they stand amid the rubble of a building at the Sharif University of Technology, which was damaged in a strike in Tehran on Tuesday. MAJID ASGARIPOUR/REUTERS

China is pushing for a return to talks and an immediate ceasefire as the Iranian conflict takes an intense turn ahead of the United States-imposed deadline on Tehran.

During a news conference on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China hopes for all the parties to show sincerity and quickly end this war that should not have happened in the first place.

She said the root cause of the tension lies in the unlawful use of force by the US and Israel against Iran, which violates international law.

Mao said force cannot bring peace and a political settlement is the only way forward, adding that the top priority is to bring an immediate end to the military operations and return to dialogue and negotiation, so as to fundamentally resolve the issues and restore peace and stability in the Gulf region.

She said the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, with hostilities still escalating and dragging down the global economy and energy security, which has caused deep concern in the international community.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, China has maintained an objective, fair and balanced position and worked consistently to promote a ceasefire and an end to the fighting, Mao said. Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held 26 phone calls with parties including Iran, Israel, Russia and Gulf countries, while the Chinese government's special envoy on the Middle East issue has engaged in shuttle diplomacy in the region, she said.

Mao added that China and Pakistan recently put forward a five-point initiative, reflecting the broad consensus of the international community in support of peace and an end to the war.

Reza Amiri Moghadam, Iranian ambassador to Pakistan, said in a post on X on Tuesday that Islamabad's "positive and productive endeavors" to stop the war were approaching a "critical, sensitive stage".

The United Nations said it was alarmed by an ultimatum Washington gave if Tehran continued to block the Strait of Hormuz, as a deadline the Trump administration had set inched closer.

"We were alarmed by the rhetoric seen in that social media post that threatened American attacks on power plants, bridges, and other infrastructure, should Iran not agree to a deal," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said at a news conference on Monday. He reiterated that the secretary-general "has been very clear on issues regarding international law", and he urges yet again all parties "to abide by their obligations regarding the conduct of these hostilities".

Iran has set preconditions for talks on a lasting peace with the United States, including an immediate halt to strikes, guarantees that attacks will not be repeated and compensation for damage, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing an anonymous senior Iranian official. The official said Tehran rejects any temporary ceasefire with the US.

Shipping fees

He added that a permanent peace deal should allow Iran to demand fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which would vary depending on the type of ship, its cargo and prevailing conditions, according to the report.

On Monday, Pakistan proposed a two-stage plan to end the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which included the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.

US President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday morning that Iran's "whole civilization will die tonight", the deadline he set for Iran to make a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, marking a possible sharp escalation in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will," Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

As Trump's deadline loomed, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian took to X on Tuesday, saying over 14 million proud Iranians "have, up to this moment, declared their readiness" to sacrifice their lives in defense of their country.

According to a post by journalist Barak Ravid of the news site Axios on Tuesday, citing a US official, the US carried out "strikes on military targets" on Kharg Island located off Iran's western coast.

The Iranian Red Crescent said US-Israeli attacks hit 17 civilian areas across Iran on Tuesday and said in a statement on X that there was no justification for attacking civilians, reiterating that international law states that attacking defenseless civilians is a war crime. At least 15 people were killed overnight, Iranian media reported.

Attempts to de-escalate the situation are almost immediately overshadowed in the region by nonstop, intense tit-for-tat strike threats.

On Tuesday, Gulf countries spent another day repelling attacks in their respective territories with Saudi Arabia's ministry of defense reporting the interception and destruction of at least 18 drones "during the past hours". The King Fahd Causeway, which connects Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, was briefly suspended after Iranian attacks targeted Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, but was reopened a few hours later.

Blended travel model eases rush

With more than 840 million cross-regional trips made over the three-day Qingming holiday, which ran from Saturday to Monday, China's transport system has entered a peak travel period marked by increasingly integrated and seamless services.

Total cross-regional passenger trips over the holiday reached 842 million, up 5.6 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Transport on Tuesday.

Railway passenger volume rose 8.4 percent to 57.7 million trips, while road travel continues to dominate overall mobility.

The surge has been fueled in part by overlapping school spring breaks in several regions, driving family-oriented travel and short-distance tourism.

On the first day alone, highway traffic exceeded 62.67 million vehicle trips, including more than 14 million new energy vehicles, reflecting robust demand for self-driving travel and related consumption.

Behind the strong travel momentum, a broader transformation in how people move is taking shape.

Authorities are promoting a model of "one booking, one payment and seamless travel", supported by the rapid expansion of air-rail and land-air intermodal services.

Transport Minister Liu Wei said efforts have been enhanced this year to improve travel convenience by advancing such integrated services and streamlining passenger journeys.

So far, more than 80 hub cities and over 2,000 routes nationwide have enabled air-rail connections, with rail access available at 81 percent of major airports.

During this year's Spring Festival travel rush, which ended last month, dozens of hubs piloted mutual recognition of security checks between rail and urban transit systems, significantly reducing transfer times.

For frequent traveler Wang, the improvements have already changed his routine.

"I usually take the subway to Beijing West Railway Station after work on Fridays, then transfer directly to a train heading to Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport," he said. "If I book early, I can get a ticket to Chongqing for under 500 yuan ($73). It's often just as fast as going to Beijing's airports during rush hour, but much cheaper."

At major transport hubs, efforts are underway to further streamline transfers and move more services forward.

Cui Lin, deputy Party secretary of Beijing West Railway Station, said the station operates 24 daily train services directly linking to Beijing Daxing International Airport.

"Nearly 1,000 passengers transfer from high-speed rail to flights at Daxing airport via our station each day," she said. "By moving check-in services forward, we aim to create a more convenient 'one-stop' air-rail travel experience."

Airlines are also deepening integration with rail services.

Cai Yingzhu, general manager of marketing and sales at China Eastern Airlines' Beijing branch, said passengers can now complete check-in procedures at the railway station using the airline's digital terminal system.

"In the future, travelers will be able to check in their luggage at Beijing West Railway Station and collect it directly at their final destination after landing," Cai said. "This will significantly improve efficiency."

She added that passengers can already book combined "flight +high-speed rail" tickets in one step via the airline's platform, with the system automatically matching optimal connections.

"What used to require multiple searches and separate bookings can now be done in a single transaction," she said. "For families, offline services also offer more flexible seat arrangements."

Trump announces two-week pause in Iran attacks tied to Hormuz reopening

Demonstrators protest against military action in Iran, outside the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 7, 2026. [Photo/Agencies]

The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week pause in hostilities on Tuesday, with the US saying it would suspend attacks if Tehran fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump said he had talked with the prime minister of Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator between the warring parties.

"Subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE," Trump posted.

The price of oil fell dramatically after the announcement, with May futures for West Texas Intermediate dropping nearly 19 percent to below $92 a barrel.

"For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran's armed forces and with due consideration to technical limitations," Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

Reuters reported that the US had received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which Trump called "a workable basis ‌on ⁠which to negotiate."

"Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated," Trump posted.

Iran's national television called the ceasefire a win.

"It was decided at the highest level that Iran will hold negotiations with the American side in Islamabad for two weeks," Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement.

"It is emphasised that this does not mean an end to the war, and Iran will accept an end to the war only when — in view of Iran's acceptance of the principles envisaged in the 10-point plan — its details are also finalised in the negotiations," the council said.

Negotiations will begin in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday.

shiguang@chaindailyusa.com

Springtime bolstering 'bloom-boom' business

Blooming cherry blossoms attract tourists in Nantong, Jiangsu province during the Qingming Festival holiday. XINHUA

As spring arrives in the capital, a sense of fear of missing out on natural beauty grips residents eager to catch fleeting blooming flora.

From early March, mountain peach blossoms mark the start of the season, followed by magnolia, crab apple and lilac in quick succession, turning seasonal flora viewing into a tightly timed ritual.

At Sanlihe Park near Beijing's Qianmen area, mountain peach blossoms line the riverbanks, drawing crowds to nearby cafes to sip hot drinks while taking in the panoramic views. Long queues are common, with customers placing orders well in advance, while riverside seating beneath the blossoms remains highly sought after.

The scenes reflect the rapid rise of China's "flower-viewing economy", where seasonal sightseeing is expanding into a broader consumption ecosystem spanning catering, tourism and leisure activities.

Data point to strong sustained demand. Online travel agency Trip.com said bookings for flower-related tourism products in March rose 65 percent year-on-year, with cross-provincial travel accounting for more than 70 percent. Similarly, a report by Guangzhou, Guangdong province-based GZL International Travel Service showed that flower viewing now makes up nearly half of the domestic spring tourism market.

UTour, a major Beijing-based travel agency, said females accounted for more than 60 percent of travelers between March and May, prompting companies to expand product offerings and promotions targeting the "she-conomy".

The trend aligns with policy efforts to foster new consumption scenarios and boost domestic demand. The 2026 Government Work Report called for cultivating new consumption drivers and building high-visibility consumption scenarios.

The broader experience economy is expanding rapidly. According to a recent report on China's experience economy development, the market reached 18.4 trillion yuan ($2.68 trillion) as of November 2025, up 22.6 percent year-on-year, outpacing the global average by 7.4 percentage points.

Wei Xiang, a researcher at the National Academy of Economic Strategy under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the spring "bloom-boom" reflects a broader shift in consumer preferences.

"The heat of the spring economy is essentially a concentrated projection of consumption upgrades across a seasonal dimension. Demand is moving from simple sightseeing to immersive experiences, and from short-term spikes to longer-term engagement," Wei said, adding that rising interest in a sense of ritual, wellness and emotional value is reshaping consumption patterns.

He said that by creatively integrating flower viewing with camping and markets, local governments are successfully expanding and prolonging the consumption chain.

In some destinations, that shift is already translating into tangible growth.

In Wuyuan, Jiangxi province, visitor numbers during the rapeseed flower season are expected to rise by more than 15 percent year-on-year, with hotel occupancy rates more than 85 percent, said local authorities. Some areas have reported tourism-related revenue growth exceeding 50 percent, driven by integrated offerings.

In Wuhan, Hubei province, authorities have rolled out more than 300 activities spanning culture, sports, commerce and tourism during the cherry blossom season, alongside partnerships with companies including Starbucks, Alipay and Didi to integrate dining, transport and retail sectors into visitor experiences. More than 4,200 restaurants are participating in themed promotions.

However, the boom also exposes structural challenges.

The China Tourism Academy said more than 80 percent of flower-viewing destinations have profit windows of less than one month, highlighting constraints including strong seasonality and product homogeneity.

Wu Liyun, a professor at the China Academy of Culture and Tourism at Beijing International Studies University, said that while integrated "flower viewing plus" models are gaining traction, sustaining demand beyond peak bloom periods remains a challenge.

"Relying solely on short blooming periods is not sustainable. The key is to integrate flower viewing with other sectors and develop related products to stabilize demand," Wu said.

KMT chairwoman pays homage to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing

NANJING -- Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, led a KMT delegation on Wednesday morning to pay homage to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province.

The mausoleum lies in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing. Sun Yat-sen, a founding figure of the KMT and a revered revolutionary leader who played a pivotal role in overthrowing imperial rule in China, died in 1925. His remains were buried here in 1929.

Paying homage to the mausoleum has long been an important part of KMT chairpersons' visits to the mainland.

Cheng's trip marks the first time in a decade that a KMT chairperson has led a delegation to the Chinese mainland. The visit is regarded as an important part of the exchanges and dialogue between the KMT and the Communist Party of China under the new circumstances.

Cheng arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday. The visit, which covers Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing, will run through Sunday.

KMT chairwoman pays homage to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing

Paying homage to the mausoleum has long been an important part of KMT chairpersons' visits to the mainland.

Cheng arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday. The visit, which covers Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing, will run through Sunday.

Fallen heroes returned to Chinese mainland

A burial ceremony for Su Yilin is held at the Panshan martyrs' cemetery in Tianjin on April 4. HUANG JIANGLIN/XINHUA

On Saturday, a burial ceremony for Su Yilin, a fallen hero who sacrificed his life on the covert front in Taiwan in 1951, was held at the Panshan martyrs' cemetery in Tianjin.

Su, born in 1914 in Hebei province, joined the Communist Party of China in 1933 and worked for many years on the Party's covert front. In 1949, he went undercover in Taiwan with the retreating Chinese Kuomintang forces.

During his time there, Su obtained a large volume of top-secret military intelligence from the KMT authorities, making significant contributions to advancing the cause of national reunification.

Before his sacrifice, he once told his comrades that if his operation failed, only he would be exposed, but if it succeeded, it would spare the sacrifice of tens of millions.

The ceremony was attended by Su's relatives and descendants, as well as representatives from relevant departments.

Ahead of the Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, which fell on Sunday, the remains of several fallen heroes who had operated on the covert front in Taiwan after the Chinese civil war were returned to and laid to rest on the Chinese mainland, thanks to joint efforts from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

On March 27, the remains of Chen Lin, another "secret agent", were transported from Taiwan to Hefei, capital of Anhui province.

Chen, born in 1920 in Lu'an, Anhui, joined the military in 1938. He was later assigned by Zhu Yunshan, a senior figure of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, to undertake a special mission in Taiwan.

Using his position as a staff member in the transportation department of the joint logistics command headquarters as cover, Chen obtained multiple pieces of military intelligence. However, he was exposed and arrested while transmitting the information. During his imprisonment, he remained steadfast and unyielding.

Chen was executed in Taipei on Sept 1, 1950, at the age of 30, leaving no information about relatives or descendants.

In December, a Taiwan-based netizen surnamed Yuanshan posted a video seeking Chen's family members. The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang in Hefei responded and coordinated efforts to locate his relatives. On Dec 12, Chen's only surviving sibling, his younger sister Chen Peifang, was found.

Through joint efforts of relevant departments on the mainland and in Taiwan, the necessary procedures and documentation were completed, enabling the martyr's remains to be returned to Anhui.

On March 31, a burial ceremony for Chen's ashes was held at the Qingshan martyrs' cemetery in Yu'an district, Lu'an. His 83-year-old sister attended the ceremony.

Zhang Han, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a news conference on April 1 that the heroic deeds of patriots will never be forgotten, by either the people or history.

"Their ideals and integrity will continue to inspire compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to strive tirelessly for the early realization of national reunification and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," she said.

Visit facilitates cross-Strait exchanges

A delegation of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, led by its chairwoman Cheng Li-wun for a mainland visit, arrives at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, in Shanghai, East China, April 7, 2026. The delegation arrived here on Tuesday for a mainland visit that will run through Sunday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Under the Democratic Progressive Party authorities' rule in the Taiwan region, cross-Strait relations have reached a low point.

In a noteworthy development, Chinese Kuomintang party Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun has been invited to lead a delegation and visit Jiangsu province, Shanghai, and Beijing from Tuesday to Sunday, marking a significant event in recent cross-Strait interactions.

Although not an institutionalized engagement, it carries certain political weight and practical implications due to Cheng's role in Taiwan politics and the timing of the trip.

It reflects the efforts across the Strait to maintain communication channels and stabilize relations through dialogue.

The visit is important for the resumption of the cross-Strait party-to-party interactions. Under the DPP's rule in Taiwan, cross-Strait communication channels have continued to shrink.

In this context, a delegation led by the KMT chairwoman elevates the political influence of the exchange.

At a time when cross-Strait relations are facing multiple pressures — from the lack of political mutual trust due to the DPP authorities' secessionist agenda to intensified external interference — this visit reinforces the island's essential needs of engaging in high-level interactions with the mainland, which can truly bring opportunities for Taiwan's economy.

Under the DPP's rule, Taiwan's economy has stalled due to hindrances to cross-Strait economic exchanges and the impact of US tariffs.

Before she embarked on the journey, Cheng clearly stated that opposing "Taiwan independence" and upholding the "1992 Consensus" — principles that the DPP has evaded or even denied — are the political basis for the trip.

Historically, whether it was former KMT chairman Lien Chan's "journey of peace" in 2005 or the development of cross-Strait relations during Ma Ying-jeou's tenure as leader of the Taiwan region from 2008 to 2016, progress was made on this very basis.

Cheng's direct and unequivocal approach in expressing her stance has made the visit distinctive in public discourse both on and off the island.

The visit shows the Chinese mainland is willing to work with various political parties, groups, and individuals in Taiwan to maintain healthy interactions and clarify the boundaries for cross-Strait exchanges — upholding the "1992 Consensus" and opposing "Taiwan independence".

The invitation to Cheng and her delegation demonstrates the mainland's sincerity in pursuing peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, preserving space for exchanges while upholding principled positions.

In a broader context, certain external forces, particularly the United States, have consistently interfered in cross-Strait relations.

The Taiwan question is China's internal affair, and the development of cross-Strait relations should be driven by compatriots on both sides of the Strait through dialogue and consultation.

External forces should not be obstacles to cross-Strait exchanges.

Therefore, peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait require not only communication between both sides but also stable China-US relations.

The US should manage its relations with China constructively, respect the one-China principle, and refrain from moves that escalate tensions or limit the space for dialogue.

Additionally, some forces on the Taiwan island seek to strike a so-called "balance" between Beijing and Washington. This approach is susceptible to external changes and lacks stability.

Both sides of the Strait belong to one China, and are connected by deep blood and cultural bonds.

They share close economic and social ties, with profound and lasting common interests.

External parties prioritize their own strategic calculations, rather than cross-Strait stability or the wellbeing of Taiwan residents.

For instance, the US aims to transfer 40 percent of Taiwan's semiconductor supply chain capacity to the United States.

And the massive investment of $500 billion is about 80 percent of Taiwan's foreign exchange reserves, equivalent to asking every Taiwan residents to contribute more than $21,000 as a political donation for the Democratic Progressive Party's "relying on foreign forces for independence".

If 40 percent of the semiconductor capacity is transferred to the United States, Taiwan's core industrial advantage will vanish, and the "technology island" will become a "hollow island".

Cheng's visit is a practical step to inject vitality into stagnant cross-Strait relations. It reflects the KMT's realistic efforts to keep party-to-party communication channels open, thereby helping to facilitate dialogue.

While official mechanisms have stalled, Cheng's visit is a courageous move to seek the gradual restoration of interactions between the two sides of the Strait. Such effort aligns with the historical trend of peaceful development of cross-Strait ties.

It is hoped that more cross-Strait exchanges will follow these steps for the benefit of the Taiwan compatriots.

The author is a research fellow at the Institute of Modern History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.

Qualitative reconfiguration makes green industries core drivers of economy

Lush greenery envelops the pedestrian walkway at Jinji Mountain Park in Fuzhou, Fujian province. [Photo by Chen Nuan / for China Daily]

China's rise as a manufacturing superpower is one of the most consequential structural transformations in modern economic history. Over the past four decades, the country has evolved from a peripheral industrial economy into the central node of global production networks. Today, it accounts for roughly one-third of global manufacturing output, surpassing the combined production of the next nine largest manufacturing economies.

This shift is not merely quantitative; it reflects a qualitative reconfiguration of global industrial geography, supply chains and technological leadership. The relative decline of the United States' share of global manufacturing value-added, now under 17 percent, illustrates how decisively the balance of industrial power has tilted.

Forecasts suggesting that China could approach 45 percent of global industrial output by 2030, while the US share may fall to around 11 percent, point toward an emerging world economy increasingly structured around Chinese productive capacity.

Such dominance is rooted in a development model that historically emphasized scale, infrastructure and export-oriented industrialization. Massive investments in transport networks, logistics systems, and industrial parks enabled firms to exploit economies of scale and cluster efficiencies. State coordination reduced transaction costs, while access to an abundant labor force ensured globally competitive pricing. Over time, this combination fostered dense supplier ecosystems capable of rapid innovation and flexible production.

The transformation of China's trade position further underscores this structural shift. Since 2012, it has overtaken the US as the largest trading partner of 150 countries worldwide.

This is reflected in its vast cross-continental volumes: for example, in the first two months of 2026, China-ASEAN trade surged 20.3 percent to 1.24 trillion yuan ($180 billion), while in 2025, trade reached about $348 billion with Africa, over $565 billion with Latin America, $1.1 trillion with ASEAN, over $200 billion with South Asia, demonstrating its deeply integrated global trading network.

This development signals a profound reorientation of international economic linkages. Yet China recognizes that the earlier growth paradigm, heavily reliant on debt-financed infrastructure and real estate investment, faces diminishing returns. Infrastructure saturation, rising financial risks, and declining marginal productivity of capital have reduced the effectiveness of this model. In response, policymakers have advanced a new strategic framework centered on "high-quality development," which prioritizes innovation, environmental sustainability, and technological upgrading. Clean technologies occupy a central place in this vision, functioning both as engines of growth and as instruments of industrial transformation.

China's pre-eminence in clean energy manufacturing is already striking. It produces roughly 80 percent of the world's solar panels, about 60 percent of wind turbines, and a similar share of lithium-ion batteries.

These figures indicate not only production scale but also a supply-chain ecosystem across critical components such as polysilicon processing, rare-earth magnet fabrication, and battery materials refining. The economic contribution of this sector is increasing substantially: according to a study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) for Carbon Brief, in 2022, China's clean energy economy was valued at about 8.4 trillion yuan ($1.2 trillion).

By 2025, it had nearly doubled to 15.4 trillion yuan, accounting for roughly 11.4 percent of the country's GDP, a figure comparable to the economic size of Brazil or Canada.

In 2025, the "Three New" — solar power, electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries — and other clean energy technologies contributed more than one-third to China's economic growth and drove over 90 percent of new investment growth. In the same year, China invested 7.2 trillion yuan in clean energy, roughly four times the amount invested in fossil fuel extraction and coal power during the same period.

This rapid expansion suggests that green industries have transitioned from policy priorities to core drivers of national economic growth.

EVs and power batteries were the largest contributors to China's clean energy economy in 2025, accounting for about 44 percent of total sector value. China produced 16.6 million EVs, up 29 percent year-on-year. Of these, about 3.4 million were exported, accounting for 21 percent of total output, while exports grew 86 percent year-on-year. The solar power sector contributed 19 percent of clean energy industry value, generating 2.9 trillion yuan in economic value.

The strategic logic behind this transition is multifaceted. First, clean technology manufacturing offers higher value-added potential than traditional heavy industry, supporting productivity growth. Second, it aligns with global de-carbonization trends, ensuring that Chinese firms remain competitive in markets increasingly shaped by environmental regulations and carbon-reduction targets. Third, it positions China as a standard-setter in emerging industries, enabling it to influence global technological norms and supply chains in ways that reinforce long-term economic leadership.

China's current trajectory reflects a transition from quantity-driven expansion to quality-oriented development. Its manufacturing strength has already reshaped global economic hierarchies, and its leadership in clean technologies positions it at the forefront of the next industrial era.

Yet this transformation faces demographic constraints, employment challenges, and financial risks in the face of global uncertainties. The coming decade will therefore be crucial: if China can harness innovation and green industry to sustain productivity gains while navigating structural headwinds, it may consolidate its position as the central pillar of the world economy. Otherwise, the global system could enter a more fragmented and uncertain phase, with implications extending far beyond China's borders.

The author is a professor and chair at the Centre of Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.

Xi greets To Lam on election as Vietnam's president

President Xi Jinping congratulated To Lam on Tuesday on his election as president of Vietnam, saying that he stands ready to work with the Vietnamese leader to advance development and rejuvenation and move forward the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

To Lam, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, was elected Vietnamese president on Tuesday morning.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that in recent years, under the joint guidance and promotion of the leaders of the two parties and the two countries, China-Vietnam relations have achieved leapfrog development, and fruitful outcomes in comprehensive strategic cooperation have delivered tangible benefits to the two peoples.

He noted that since the beginning of this year, the two sides have maintained high-level strategic communication and steadily advanced all-around mutually beneficial cooperation, fully demonstrating their profound friendship of "comrades plus brothers".

At a time when the world is going through rapid changes unseen in a century, Xi stressed that stronger unity and coordination between China and Vietnam serve the common interests of both parties and countries.

Highlighting that he highly values the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries, Xi said that he stands ready to work with To Lam to continuously strengthen their respective socialist causes and deliver more benefits to the two peoples, in order to inject greater stability and positive energy into the region and the world.

Also on Tuesday, Premier Li Qiang extended congratulations to Le Minh Hung on his election as prime minister of Vietnam, expressing his readiness to work with Le Minh Hung to accelerate the building of a mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation framework, and make positive contributions to advancing the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Homegrown police dog bred for success

Officers from the Ministry of Public Security's Kunming police dog base conduct a training program to enhance the search and operational capabilities of the breed in Beijing in 2022. PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

On a bright afternoon in early March, senior police dog trainer Long Ling worked seamlessly with a Kunming dog named Kunkun as the duo successfully completed three advanced training exercises.

Two-year-old Kunkun is a demonstration canine at the Ministry of Public Security's Kunming police dog base in Yunnan province, a key center for training such animals.

Kunkun is well-behaved. He is friendly but not overly excitable around people and loves playing with children. However, he can turn fierce when confronting suspects.

Long describes Kunkun as having an "Eastern" temperament — reserved and restrained, but capable of being intimidating when needed.

At the training session, when Long praised Kunkun for his good nature and strong capabilities, the dog lay on the ground wagging his tail. But when Long mentioned Kunkun had bitten another dog and needed to be watched more closely, the canine immediately stood up with his ears pricked.

The bond between Long and Kunkun started in 2024 during an evaluation of puppies' suitability for police dog training. Just two and a half months old at the time, Kunkun scampered over and bit Long's pant leg, showing fearless curiosity. This confidence convinced Long to choose the puppy and name him Kunkun.

Over the past two years, Long has treated Kunkun like a family member, personally taking care of the dog's feeding, even during holidays. He gives Kunkun a treat once a week — a hearty serving of personally cooked beef.

Under Long's care and training, Kunkun has developed into an all-around police dog, excelling in areas such as tactical coordination, close reconnaissance, and long-distance obedience. He is an exceptional example of the Kunming dog breed developed in China, Long said.

A Kunming dog and his trainer Long Ling play with children in a game of tug-of-war at a kindergarten in Kunming, Yunnan province. PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

Hound for hound

Before the Kunming dog was developed, China largely depended on imported police dogs, a practice that was costly and not sustainable in the long term.

In the 1950s, Yunnan police selected 20 local wolfdogs from the high-altitude plateau city of Kunming for breeding and training. These dogs, with coats colored "wolf black" and "straw yellow", and some with black backs, became the origin of the three major strains of the Kunming dog, said Li Judong, deputy director of the breeding research office at the Kunming police dog base.

Over the decades, the Kunming police dog base used local canines to advance its breeding program. A reliable working breed was eventually developed with well-regulated bloodlines and stable core traits.

In 1988, the breed passed ministry-level verification and was officially designated the Kunming dog, marking its formal recognition in China's police system.

In 2007, the Kunming dog successfully passed evaluation by the National Commission on Genetic Resources for Livestock and Poultry and was added to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity. This made it the first and only Chinese police dog breed to be recognized by an international organization, possessing fully independent intellectual property rights.

Maintaining a stable supply of high-quality working dogs adapted to local conditions has become a key factor, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

In recent years, significant breakthroughs have been made in breeding Kunming dogs, said Wan Jiusheng, director of the breeding research office at the base.

The process has been standardized, covering all stages from selection and pairing to breeding, performance evaluation and promotion. This comprehensive approach has created a replicable breeding model and laid the foundation for establishing independent intellectual property rights, Wan said.

Extensive research has also been carried out on the preservation and innovation of the Kunming dog's genetic resources. In 2011, a genetic resource bank for the breed was established, encompassing live specimens, gametes, DNA and a database to ensure long-term preservation.

Long Ling, a senior police dog trainer, works with the Kunming dog Kunkun at the base. PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

Advanced reproductive technologies such as semen cryopreservation and embryo transfer have been employed to address reproductive challenges in dogs.

In addition, gene-assisted breeding and disease screening technologies have been implemented. Through whole-genome resequencing and genome-wide association studies, genes associated with traits like olfaction, endurance and environmental adaptability for police work were identified, resulting in the creation of a comprehensive genetic variation map.

In 2024, a gene chip specifically designed for the Kunming dog was developed to verify breed purity and screen for genetic diseases such as hip dysplasia and retinal detachment.

In the past few years, cloning technology has been promoted. China's first cloned police dog, Kunxun, was born in December 2018 following joint research led by the Kunming police dog base. The animal is a clone of Huahuangma, a 7-year-old female police sniffer Kunming wolfdog. Huahuangma was recognized by the Ministry of Public Security as a first-class meritorious dog in 2016, for her contributions to murder case investigations.

The cloned individual achieved a DNA similarity of over 99.9 percent with the donor, enabling the precise replication of the exemplary genes of the meritorious dog.

Different skills

The Kunming dog has advantages over other established police dog breeds, such as the German Shepherd and the Belgian Malinois, Li said.

As a native breed, the Kunming dog often shows better resilience and adaptability in harsh conditions including high altitudes, cold, or extreme heat.

Each of the three strains of the breed possesses its own strength. The back black strain, known for its fierceness, is ideal for roles in public security. The straw yellow strain typically shows prolonged excitability, making it more suitable for tracking tasks. The wolf black strain combines the strengths of the other two, offering enhanced overall capability and stability.

On March 2, a 5-month-old black back Kunming dog named Wangcai formally took part in his first blood scent recognition training session at the dog base.

Under a large tree, Wangcai quickly pinpointed the location of the bloodstain and alerted his trainer, Pang Shuanglong.

The 27-year-old trainer said Wangcai is a very clever dog. Sometimes, after locating the target, he pretends not to have found it just to get a few extra treats.

The breed has an excellent sense of smell. Between 2018 and 2024, researchers at the Kunming police dog base conducted a scent recognition and tracking study on 1,040 police dogs. Among the breeds tested, the Kunming dog ranked first, achieving an accuracy rate of 92.58 percent.

A Kunming dog named Bohewu undergoes a training at the base. PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

The exceptional sniffing ability of the Kunming dog is attributed to two key factors: the accumulation of superior genetic traits through generations of selective breeding and a training system tailored to their unique scent detection capabilities.

In mountainous terrains and on hard surfaces, the Kunming dog demonstrates superior endurance.

The breed can work continuously for 10 minutes under these conditions, compared with the 5-minute average for other breeds, said Fang Shaoqin, director of the application guidance department at the police dog base.

Fang added that the Kunming dog is empathetic and loyal to its owner. When Fang started training a dog named Yingzi, he fed him by hand and was bitten on the finger. The next day, when he saw Yingzi again, the dog seemed to have an apologetic look in his eyes.

From that point on, Yingzi became much more composed. The dog never bit Fang's fingers again, even at feeding time.

Another trainer, Wan Kui, said that when he started training Xiaohuang, the dog was ill for an extended period.

However, Wan never gave up on the animal. As training progressed, the 42-year-old trainer and Xiaohuang developed a strong bond. With just a wave of Wan's hand, Xiaohuang could instinctively understand whether it was time to do obedience training or search tasks.

Now, Xiaohuang is a lively, outgoing dog with a friendly nature. When kindergarten children visit, he remains calm and gentle as dozens of little hands pet him, never showing any signs of aggression.

In addition, Xiaohuang excels in search training. Wan said in mountainous and forested regions, police dogs are essential for tracking down criminal suspects or finding missing elderly people and children, particularly when other methods have fallen short.

A 3-month-old Kunming dog plays on the grass at the Ministry of Public Security's Kunming police dog base. PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

Wide deployment

Guobao, a 7-year-old Kunming dog at the police dog unit of the Kunming Public Security Bureau, is the official security search dog for the Yunnan city football league, or Dianchao.

Guobao has also participated in numerous explosives detection missions and has never made a mistake.

In fact, over the past three years, the Kunming Public Security Bureau has deployed Kunming dogs in over 1,320 explosives detection and security inspection tasks, achieving "zero errors and zero mistakes" in all critical tasks.

In addition, over the past five years, Kunming dogs from the bureau have been involved in more than 80 operations, including apprehending criminal suspects, searching for evidence, and locating missing persons, and have played a crucial role in more than 30 of these cases.

After 70 years of selective breeding and refinement, Kunming dogs have established a robust population. Their promotion and deployment as working dogs has been highly successful, said Li Bo, deputy director of the Kunming police dog base.

Each year, the Kunming police dog base breeds over 600 Kunming puppies, providing more than 500 qualified six-month-old Kunming dogs. Over 300 Kunming dogs are supplied to public security agencies and other departments across the country every year.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, Kunming dogs have been widely deployed in various fields such as public security, emergency management, and customs anti-smuggling operations. The breed has achieved remarkable success in specialized roles such as scent detection, tracking, evidence searching, counterterrorism, and emergency rescue.

Kunming dogs have also been introduced to over 10 countries and regions including Singapore, Vietnam, and Pakistan. They act as ambassadors for international police cooperation and demonstrate China's expanding expertise in the development of police dogs, according to the ministry.

Zheng Jiarui in Kunming contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at yanyj@chinadaily.com.cn

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