Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol.68/No.31 i Beijing Review

In an era where geopolitical tension dominates headlines and economic narratives often pit nations against one another, an undeniable truth persists beneath the noise: For forward-looking, profit-driven global businesses, China remains an indispensable partner and an essential market. While politicians in Washington and elsewhere frame engagement with China as a liability, the world’s most successful companies continue to double down—not retreat—from their presence in China. Why? Because smart businesses know that China is not just part of the future—it is the future. Nowhere is this clearer than in the wave of high-profile, high-value investments that have poured into China in 2025. From the automotive and energy sectors to pharmaceuticals and green technology, multinational companies are not only maintaining their operations in China—they are expanding them in bold, strategic ways. These…

Business leaders in China have welcomed the enactment of the Private Sector Promotion Law, calling it a genuine confidence booster. Zhang Hui, CEO of Full Truck Alliance in Jiangsu Province, is one such businessman. He believes that the law, which grants the private sector equal status and systematically addresses key obstacles facing private enterprises, is both timely and necessary. It reflects the authorities’ clear commitment to supporting this vital sector. “With legal protection, private companies can now be more ambitious, and we must also rise to meet these new expectations,” he said. Enacted on May 20, the legislation is China’s first fundamental law specifically dedicated to the development of the private sector. It plays a key role in safeguarding the rights and interests of entrepreneurs while promoting healthy and sustainable…

Xu Zhicheng, a 25-year-old homestay operator, is a native of Wangxian Village in Wangxian Township, Guangxin District in Shangrao City of Jiangxi Province. After graduating from university, he returned to his family’s ancestral property and spent the first half of 2024 renovating the old house, transforming it into a stylish boutique guesthouse. “I converted the second floor of my family’s old house into eight guest rooms, while the ground floor now operates as a hanfu (the traditional attire of the Han Chinese) experience studio,” Xu told Beijing Review. “In the first half of this year alone, my revenue from the two businesses exceeded 400,000 yuan ($55,000).” “Wangxian Valley has gone viral on social media platforms,” Xu added. “During peak holidays, our rooms are fully booked every day. Beyond managing my…

From July 20 to August 5, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region hosts 24 troupes from home and abroad for 52 performances during the Seventh China Xinjiang International Dance Festival. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the State Council Information Office and the regional government of Xinjiang, the festival has been held since 2008. It attracted 138 art groups from more than 70 countries and regions during its previous six sessions.…

Tianwen-3 China’s first Mars sample-return mission, Tianwen-3, is scheduled for launch around 2028, with the goal of returning no less than 500 grams of Martian samples to Earth by around 2031, Xinhua News Agency reported on July 22. Hou Zengqian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief scientist of the Tianwen-3 mission, together with his collaborators, recently published an article in Nature Astronomy journal, systematically outlining the overall plan and scientific objectives of the mission for the first time. “The mission will be a critical step in China’s planetary exploration. We hope to provide the international community with an unprecedented opportunity to understand Mars,” Hou said. TheTianwen-3 mission will involve two launches, and the spacecraft will take seven to eight months to reach Mars. It will operate…

Despite temperatures soaring past 37 degrees Celsius on July 5, Shanghai’s LEGOLAND® welcomed enthusiastic crowds on its first day of official operation. Within the first hour of its opening, more than 7,500 visitors entered, and rides like the LEGO® Great Flight were already seeing long queues. This park, China’s first LEGOLAND®, located in the city’s Jinshan District, injects fresh energy into China’s booming theme park economy. Local vs. global Today, theme parks have become go-to destinations for tourists in China, alongside traditional tourism destinations. Their all-in-one model, combining scenic areas, hotels, live performances and shopping streets, offers a comprehensive vacation experience. According to the 2024 China Tourism and Leisure Vacation Market New Trends Development Report, in the first half of 2024, various resorts, theme parks and resort hotels developed rapidly,…

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spent a week in China from July 12 to 18. After his landslide second election victory and the careful groundwork of recent years, this investment of time in China—unmatched by any other world leader in recent years—clearly signals that Australia wants to pursue an agenda for growth in the relationship. After strained Australia-China relations under former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who aligned closely with the U.S.’ hardline stance on trade and security under the first Donald Trump administration, Australia-China relations have now stabilized. It’s time to be more ambitious and lay plans for the future. Ties of mutual benefit After all, Australia and China are highly complementary economies. Australia is a resource-rich nation that for decades has supplied China with minerals, energy, food and…

Amid uncertainties shaking up the global economy, the Third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), held in Beijing on July 16-20, emerged as a platform for strengthening resilient and cooperative global supply chains. The expo, hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), brought together 1,200 exhibitors from 75 countries and regions. Total attendance—both online and in person—surpassed 210,000, up 5 percent from last year’s edition. Li Xingqian, Vice Chairman of CCPIT, said at the closing ceremony that 152 new products, technologies and services had been launched during the event, up 67 percent year on year. Exhibitors established business ties with over 42,000 up- and downstream enterprises, and more than 6,000 cooperation agreements and partnership intentions were secured. “CISCE is a platform for China to boost…

‘I always knew China is great, but after this trip, it really feels like home. I want to tell my family they have to come and experience this culture and diversity for themselves,” Nyiobhe Anxe Reyes, a student from Bard High School Early College (Baltimore), shared during a trip to Xiamen, a coastal city in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian, on July 19. On July 17-22, the U.S. Youth Ambassadors in Xiamen program brought 27 students and teachers from Baltimore, Maryland and Orange County, California, to Xiamen for an immersive cultural and friendship exchange. “This exchange gave us a real opportunity to understand each other. I believe this friendship will continue. I hope that everyone who visits China or the U.S. in the future can feel the strong bonds we’ve…

In Datong, a historic city in Shanxi Province, a child’s lost watch set off an unexpected chain of events. The timepiece was accidentally tossed into a trash bag and left behind on a train. The next morning, a distressed tourist called the city’s hotline for help—prompting a swift response from the Datong Urban Management Bureau. Two sanitation workers then spent four grueling hours combing through 8 tons of garbage before finally recovering the watch. The incident quickly went viral, sparking fierce online debate. Many netizens praised the city’s efficiency and the sanitation workers’ dedication, while others questioned whether such an effort was a misuse of public resources. In response, the bureau clarified that it “didn’t weigh whether it was ‘worth it’”—it simply helped an ordinary visitor. Li Zhiyao (People’s Daily):…

Capital Inflow The non-banking sector recorded a cross-border capital inflow of $127.3 billion in the first half of 2025, extending the net inflow trend that began in the second half of last year, data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange showed on July 22. During the period, enterprises and individuals in the non-banking sector registered a combined crossborder revenue and expenditure of $7.6 trillion, a record high for the same period, according to the administration. Notably, around 53 percent of cross-border receipts and payments were denominated in RMB, or Chinese yuan. China’s balance of payments remains stable, the administration said, adding that the country’s foreign exchange market continues to operate smoothly and in an orderly manner. Credit Support China has stepped up credit support for technology companies this year,…

Step into Xiyou World of Adventure in Huaian, Jiangsu Province in east China, and you’ll enter the fantastical universe of the Chinese classic Journey to the West. Here, in his legendary homeland, the Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong and the central figure of this story, is no longer confined to books. As the star of countless TV scenes and bedtime stories, this fearless and powerful childhood companion for generations across China and beyond now greets visitors and guides them through the legendary trials he once faced, bringing one of China’s most beloved literary classics to life. But this isn’t just about nostalgia. It’s part of a fast-growing wave of theme parks powered by homegrown intellectual property (IP), where Chinese legends, animation and artistry take center stage. For years,…

Poised on the edge of Northeast Asia, where China meets the Korean Peninsula and Russia’s Far East, Jilin Province emerges as a mosaic—its identity woven from rugged borderlands, industrial legacy and 21st-century ambition. Once an industrial powerhouse fueling China’s planned economy (1949-78). Today, Jilin gracefully balances heritage and innovation, boldly reshaping its identity through innovative reforms, hi-tech industries and flourishing trade networks. At 43 degrees north latitude, sunlight bathes Jilin’s land in a golden glow, symbolizing renewal and prosperity beyond its geographical advantage. Here, fertile black soil nurtures lush rice paddies that have blossomed into active tourist destinations, echoing with laughter and cultural exchange. Nearby, towering carbon fiber factories stretch their hi-tech filaments into the sturdy “backbones” that empower renewable wind energy. At bustling land and border ports like Changchun…

Barefoot and dressed in a traditional Chinese vest, 26-year-old Yuan Teng moved across Jinghua Distillery’s workshop floor in Maotai Town, Guizhou Province, on July 17. Rake in hand, he spread freshly steamed qu, the fermentation starter for China’s famed sauce-flavor baijiu (“clear alcohol”), into even layers. Around him, five other workers mirrored his movements in the sweltering July heat. To honor centuries-old traditions and nurture the delicate microbial ecosystems crucial to fermentation, the distillery forbids modern comforts like air conditioning. At the room’s center, two growing mounds of qu—one large, one small—awaited the freshly laid batches that will join them once cooled to perfection. This workshop stands as a preserved relic of China’s distilling heritage. After Jinghua acquired the former state-owned facility in 2013, the distillery kept its soul intact:…