Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol.65/No.24 i Beijing Review

China’s electricity from renewable sources will reach 3.3 trillion kWh by 2025, read the renewable energy development plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period on June 1. According to the plan, jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Energy Administration and other seven central government departments, the growth in power from renewable sources will account for more than 50 percent of the country’s total increase in power consumption during this time. The target will lift China’s renewable energy development to a new level. The 14th Five-Year Plan period is critical for advancing the green and low-carbon transition of the energy mix and fulfilling China’s nationally determined contributions to the fight against climate change. The country’s dynamic development of its renewable energy marks a major step…

Since time immemorial, human beings have never ceased to grapple with war and peace, and smaller states have always needed the cooperation of their neighbors, particularly those with military might, in order to achieve and maintain peace they seek. In recent years, with the resurrection of the Cold War specter by the reigning hegemon, seeking regional or global peace has been more challenging than ever before, as the world is heavily compartmentalized, if not fragmented, along with geopolitical rifts. Globalization, which once presented the world with an era of multilateral cooperation that propelled economic development, is being backpedaled with increasing incidences of unilateral sanctions and economic decoupling. Jingoistic battle cries in the name of democracy have been revved up to camouflage the nefarious move of staging “regime change.” And fealty…

Climate change has always been a major concern for Pacific island countries (PICs), which can easily fall victim to the rising sea levels associated with global warming. China feels keenly for them and is ready to offer assistance. Recently, new joint efforts were launched during Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to PICs from May 26 to June 4. “China fully understands PICs special concerns on the issue and will continue to promote the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement,” he said in Kiribati on May 27. Wang visited the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste, and accepted an invitation to pay a virtual visit to the Federated States of Micronesia. During his 10-day trip, he also held video…

Alip Hakimhan, who is in his 20s and a member of China’s Tajik ethnic group, is passionate about promoting his hometown. “Summer has come, why not put aside your busy city life, come to Xinjiang and rediscover your inner peace and aspirations?” said Alip, as a local tourism official and travel content creator based in Taxkorgan. The border county is located at an altitude of 4,800 meters on the Pamir Plateau in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. “As transport and other infrastructure have been built here, the county is within the reach of more and more travelers,” Alip said. He believes villagers will benefit more and more from tourism. Taxkorgan earned its fame from the local Tajik people’s unique customs, passed down over generations against the heavenly backdrop of the plateau.…

NEW INTERNATIONAL LIAISON HEAD Veteran diplomat Liu Jianchao has been appointed head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Born in Dehui, Jilin Province, in 1964, Liu graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University, majoring in English. He studied International Relations at Oxford University from 1986 to 1987 and later started working for the Department of Translation and Interpretation of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He went on to hold various positions in government departments and embassies, serving as Chinese ambassador to the Philippines from 2009 to 2011, and to Indonesia from 2011 to 2013. From 2018 to May 2022, Liu was deputy director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee. Dedication to Your Profession Yangcheng…

China and Greece are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Although the year 1972 certainly marked a turning point in the bilateral relationship, evidence of cooperation dates back to ancient times. The ancient Greeks were aware of the existence of China and had given the name sericulture to the cultivation of silk worms. As two ancient civilizations, China and Greece had already shared an element of mutual respect even before 1972. Mutual respect has subsequently been critical in the evolution of their relations in the 50 years that has followed. It is always intellectually stimulating for the two sides to journey back to history, dig into the past and look for cultural similarities in the works of ancient philosophers and theorists. Obviously, current Sino-Greek relations are not only…

hate humanity, but I love humanity so much,” ‘Some Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and prospective Twitter buyer, tweeted on June 5. However, in their responses, his Twitter followers appeared to care less about his feelings toward humanity and more about his treatment of his employees. For example, one of his follower’s comments, “What if humanity wants to unionize or work from home?” got nearly 9,000 likes. The comments were sparked by a leaked e-mail regarding the possibility of Tesla employees working from home, in which Musk told staff that anyone who wishes to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla. When asked for his comments on the leaked e-mail, Musk’s response was that employees should return to the…

Online shopping scams, smishing and other forms of phishing, tech support fraud… Recent years have seen an increasing number of senior citizens fall victim to scams taking advantage of their poor legal awareness and, especially, the fact they are often not overly tech-savvy. Older adults tend to have greater wealth due to decades of hard work and savings. This makes them prime targets for scammers and swindlers. As China’s senior population continues to expand, it’s crucial to bring to light the warning signs, the crippling impact of fraud and financial abuse, and how to prevent being taken advantage of. In this digital era, too often scammers contact seniors posing as a technical support analyst to gain access to their computer, tablet, or laptop. This so-called “online support person” will often…

Chinese literary works have become an important window for foreigners to understand Chinese culture. In bridging the gap, translators, as messengers of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, play an important role. A senior translator and interpreter, Huang Youyi has witnessed and experienced extraordinary changes in China’s translation industry over the past four decades and continues to serve as a leading figure in this profession. In an interview with China Pictorial on April 15, Huang, Executive Vice President of the Translators Association of China and former Vice President of the International Federation of Translators, shared his observations of the changes and developments in the field of Chinese literature translation. Edited excerpts of the conversation follow: China Pictorial: What changes have you witnessed in the industry over the past four…

In April 2008, China signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand, denoting the first FTA between China and a developed country. A protocol for upgrading this 2008 FTA (hereinafter the “upgraded protocol”) took effect on April 7, aiming to facilitate bilateral trade and investment and further open the markets for wood and paper products between both countries. Since the original FTA between the two countries took effect, bilateral trade has seen a surge. China has maintained the status of New Zealand’s biggest trading partner, biggest export destination and biggest source of imports for many years. In 2021, their bilateral trade volume hit a record $24.72 billion, up 36.4 percent year on year and 5.6 times that of 2008. Following high-level modern international trade rules, the upgraded protocol, apart…

The Mogao Grottoes along the ancient Silk Road in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, are a historical gem accommodating 492 grottoes decorated with murals. Over 50,000 square meters of murals record the Buddhist art and customs of roughly one millennium, from the fifth to the 14th century. On May 1, the Magic Dunhuang Immersive Art Exhibition at Moganshan National Park in Deqing County of Zhejiang Province opened its doors to the public. There, divided into four zones, modern art integrates with the fairyland of the Dunhuang Caves, so that visitors can wholly immerse themselves in the beauty of the art. The exhibition displays works by father and daughter: Chinese painter Chang Shuhong (1904-94) and artist Chang Shana (born in March 1931). According to Huang Xuanzi, art director of the exhibition, this event…