Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol.65/No.25 i Beijing Review

PEOPLE & POINTS

NEW HEAD OF NATIONAL RADIO AND TV ADMINISTRATION Xu Lin recently was appointed as head of the National Radio and Television Administration, China’s broadcasting regulator, and no longer heads the State Council Information Office. Born in Shanghai in 1963, Xu holds an MBA degree. He worked in Shanghai until June 2015, with a stint in Tibet Autonomous Region from May 1995 to May 1998. From 2003 to 2007, Xu was head of the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau. Later, Xu also held positions in different departments, including the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Cyberspace Administration of China. He was the minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China from June 2016 to July 2018. Xu has been a deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central…

Invigoration Of Innovation

China had long aspired to be an innovation powerhouse. Now, it is one. “In the past decade, China’s scientific and technological undertakings have undergone historic structural and overall changes. We have entered the ranks of countries of innovators,” Wang Zhigang, Minister of Science and Technology, said at a press conference on June 6. The country’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index, released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, rose from 34th place in 2012 to 12th place in 2021. “China has significantly elevated its position and role in the global innovation landscape. We are not only an important participant in international frontier innovation, but also an important contributor to jointly solving global problems,” Wang said. Unleashing creativity Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012,…

9 min

10-Point Consensus of the Third C+C5 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

• Upholding the principles of mutual respect, good neighborliness and friendship, solidarity in trying times, mutual benefit and win-win results, and committing to building an autonomous, peaceful, prosperous and cooperative Central Asia • Continuing to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, expanding all-round cooperation, exploring ways to promote financial cooperation, and further expanding the local currency settlement scale • Deepening the cooperation of connectivity, ensuring the safe and stable operation of the China-Europe freight train, promoting customs clearance facilitation, improving the “green lanes” for cargo, and accelerating the resumption of flights to ensure the complete industry chain and the continuous supply chain • Maintaining security in traditional and non-traditional areas in a coordinated manner, cooperating to fight the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and ensuring food security •…

2 min

Dueling Narratives At Shangri-La

‘No one should ever underestimate the strong resolve and ability of the Chinese military to safeguard its territorial integrity,” State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe said at the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 12. Wei delivered a speech on China’s vision for regional order, and reiterated the nation’s position on the Taiwan question. He said, “Peaceful reunification is the largest aspiration of the Chinese people, and we are willing to put our best efforts into achieving that. If anyone dares to secede Taiwan from China, we have no choice but to go to war, fight at all costs and to the end.” The announcement aroused widespread concern in international circles as it was considered a tough response to the recent Taiwan-related actions and remarks on the part…

Guardians of Greatness

Sickle and garbage bag in hand, 66-year-old patroller Zhang Heshan steps onto the Great Wall he has been keeping a watchful eye on ever since he was a young man of only 23. Every summer day, he kicks off his rounds at the crack of dawn. He shares his experiences and breathtaking views on Douyin, China’s leading short video platform, almost every day and has gained about 400,000 followers so far. In the videos, he walks around the illustrious structure at a brisk pace, introducing the plants and scenery along the way with an upbeat voice. The part he patrols belongs to the ancient wall’s Chengziyu section located in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province. It is about 6 km long, dotted with 23 watchtowers. Every day, he spends more than five hours…

Mineral Magnificence

Dunhuang, an oasis of culture surrounded by the vast sands of the Gobi Desert, served as a refuge for ancient weary Silk Road travelers 1,000 years ago. Carved into the cliffs high above the Dachuan River, the Mogao Grottoes southeast of this city in Gansu Province comprise the largest, most richly endowed, and longest used treasure house of Buddhist art in the world, inspiring young artists to this very day. Inside the grottoes, murals painted with mineral pigments have stood the test of time, still shining bright and brilliant. To carry forward this painting technique, Lian Yang (pseudonym), an artist in her 30s known widely by this name, started from scratch, determined to make the traditional art increasingly known among younger generations. She was born in Dazhou, Sichuan Province, thousands…

SOCIETY

New Professions China’s human resources authority is considering adding 18 new professions to the national reference book of occupational classifications to reflect the country’s occupational development and boost graduate employment and entrepreneurship. The new professions, announced on June 14 to solicit opinions from the public, include robotics engineering technicians, data security engineers, digital solution designers, and energy efficiency and carbon neutral building consultants, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on its website. The new professions reflect the country’s digitalization and carbon peaking and neutrality trends, read the statement. The ministry will work with relevant departments to formulate new vocational standards and guide training institutions to carry out training in accordance with the standards, the statement said. Education Development China has seen more…

SUMMIT OF DISCONTENT

The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” He was right. And so the recently concluded Summit of the Americas raises a good question: Can the house of the Americas stand firm given its growing cracks? In the lead-up to the meeting, which took place in Los Angeles, California, on June 6-10, the U.S. announced it would not be inviting Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to the gathering due to these countries’ human rights records. The move prompted the leaders of some Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries to either dispatch lowerlevel officials to attend or skip the meeting altogether. “Eight nations did not send a top-level official to the most important event we have hosted in the region in decades.…

6 min

A Return to Pursuing Mutual Benefit

The world is currently far from tranquil. Profound changes unseen in a century are unfolding. Against this background, some in the United States, trying to hold on to its hegemony, have resurrected the Cold War mentality and fanned the flames of bloc confrontation. Particularly, their willful distortion of the historical narrative of China-U.S. relations has aggravated the danger that the direction in which these relations develop is led off course. This has fueled instability and division, and added trouble to a world already facing a variety of challenges. It is imperative to strengthen the political will to properly manage differences. Building a world of connectivity, diversity, inclusiveness, security and shared benefit is a responsibility and obligation that China and the U.S. must undertake, which concerns both the wellbeing of the…

9 min

To Add or Not to Add?

Calls within the United States to lower tariffs on Chinese goods are becoming louder amid the most rampant inflation the country has seen in four decades. Nevertheless, many politicians turn a deaf ear to the people’s pleas and even demand to extend the scope of added tariffs. The appeal to remove tariffs comes from the viewpoint of ordinary consumers, as lower rates will cut the prices of goods imported from China and in turn ease the current wave of inflation. The opponents, however, speak on behalf of U.S. producers, who worry about more affordable Chinese goods seizing market shares from domestic American businesses. Both arguments overlook the background of the general tendency of global economic development, including close economic interactions between China and the U.S. Why is this elevated inflation…

Put to the Test

Awoman in Beijing, surnamed Liu, drove her daughter to Beijing Chen Jinglun High School at 7:30 a.m. on June 7 to take part in the college entrance exam, known in China as the gaokao. “We left home early in case of unforeseen cricumstances,” Liu said. A record 11.93 million students signed up to take this year’s gaokao, an increase of 1.15 million from last year. Except for Shanghai, where the exam has been postponed until July 7 due to the pandemic, the exam took place nationwide from June 7 to 10. In response to the recent resurgences of COVID-19, local governments took a slew of extra measures to ensure the exam ran smoothly. Thoughtful arrangement Tailored measures were adopted to minimize the risk of infection among examinees. Twelve examinees who…

6 min

Face to Face With the Past

The National Museum in Beijing is currently hosting an exhibition of more than 50 Chinese portrait paintings from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The paintings depict various figures, including members of the imperial family, notable officials and revered literati. The retrospective offers the public a glimpse into the daily lives, fashions, spiritual pursuits and beliefs of people from different social classes during the two dynasties and brings visitors closer to the politics and etiquettes of the times. The figure painting in the two dynasties absorbed foreign techniques and innovated traditional ones. The aim of traditional Chinese painters was to capture not only the outer appearance of a subject, but its inner essence as well—its energy, life force and spirit. To this day, classic Chinese portraits convey the distinct…

1 min

ECONOMY

Economy in May China’s economy has gradually overcome the negative impacts of the pandemic, with main indicators showing marginal improvement in May, Fu Linghui, a spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, said on June 15. Fixed assets investment rose 6.2 percent in the first five months, compared with a 6.8-percent gain in the first four months. Industrial output grew 0.7 percent in May from a year earlier, after falling 2.9 percent in April. Exports jumped 15.3 percent year on year in May, shattering expectations, as factories restarted and logistics snags eased. The nationwide surveyed urban unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent in May from 6.1 percent in April. Retail sales fell 6.7 percent year on year in May, compared with an 11.1-percent decline in the previous month. “Consumption is…

4 min

NO LONGER ON U.S. TERMS

Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s statement, “it may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal,” is more apt than ever under the administration of Joe Biden. This is evident, for example, in the case of the war between Ukraine and Russia and the position that the friends of the United States have had to take, even going against their internal needs. It is also notable that Biden’s foreign policy seeks to rebuild a Cold War-like international system of alliances and enemies where “the enemies of my friends are my enemies.” The response of the Latin American countries to the Summit of the Americas—held in Los Angeles from June 6 to 10—shows that Biden’s calculations have failed to include a definitive factor: The…

China-Central Asia Ties Moving Forward

This year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian countries, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Since their inception, these partnerships have endured and prospered despite the challenges posed by numerous changes in the global landscape. The former Soviet republics established their independence in 1991. Heads of state from China and the five countries gathered for a virtual summit on January 25 to commemorate the anniversary. Based on the consensuses formed at the event, the nations are working together to create a closer community with a shared future and taking China-Central Asia ties to a higher level. As part of their efforts to promote tangible cooperation, the Third China+Central Asia (C+C5) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting took place in Nur-Sultan, capital of Kazakhstan, from…

Time to Tone It Down?

Draped in a traditional Maori cloak, Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern delivered a speech at the 2022 Harvard University Commencement on May 26; a few days later, Linda Burney, was sworn in as the new minister for Indigenous Australians, making her the first Aboriginal woman to take up the post. The fact that a rousing round of worldwide applause greeted both women is noteworthy. In contrast to the international attention paid to the plight of Native Americans in the United States and Canada, similar happenings to the indigenous populations in the former British colonies of Australia and New Zealand have long been overlooked, but mostly, they suffered the same fate: mass killings and cultural eradication. In Australia, before the British colonization took hold in 1788, over 750,000 Aboriginals…

A Sense of Vocation

After graduating in May, Huang Xiaodong has landed his first job, at a local hi-tech enterprise focusing on milling technology research and development. When he was a numerical control machining major at a secondary vocational school in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, he had interned at the enterprise for one year before getting hired full-time because of his excellent performance. “I will continue to work hard and hopefully become a technical expert in the machine tool industry in the future,” Huang told local news portal Anhuinews.com. In April, Chinese lawmakers adopted a revision to the Vocational Education Law. The revision stipulates that vocational education is as important as general education and notes that the country should advance the reform and improve the quality of vocational education. “The revised law serves as…

6 min

Caribbean Coast to Urban Jungle

Throughout two decades of living in China, Alvaro Royo has taken part in different endeavors, teaching him important lessons and earning him many successes. But above all, it has marked a 180 in life, alongside his family. There are bold people, but very few are like Royo from Cartagena, Colombia. Royo studied visual arts and architecture in his homeland and holds a master of business administration from the Technological University of Bolívar. A daring decision he made two decades ago—in March 2002—would forever change his destiny, its impact stretching well beyond his wildest dreams. His journey began thanks to his friend Alvaro Cárdenas who encouraged him to come to China and try his luck. “I told him, ‘Look, I can’t speak English nor can I speak Chinese; what am I…

How Can Young Graduates Contribute to Rural Revitalization?

According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Finance, this year, 34,000 college graduates will be recruited by the government for community-level posts in education, agriculture, healthcare and poverty relief for two to three years, mainly in rural areas, to help with rural revitalization. Since 2006, around 500,000 young graduates have served in this program. Using their expertise, they have brought urgently needed advanced agricultural knowledge to help with farming, offered professional health services to farmers who may not be able to afford to go to big hospitals, and imparted knowledge to children using novel methods that local teachers have never adopted. A growing number of young graduates are applying for such posts, where they can contribute their knowledge and talent to rural revitalization…