OPINION: YALE SCHOLAR ON CHINA-U.S. P.22 | FEATURES: E-COMMERCE TRENDS P.

42

VOL.66 NO.16 APRIL 20, 2023 WWW.BJREVIEW.COM

GREAT EXPECTATIONS
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CONTENTS
EDITOR’S DESK OPINION 34 Living Up to the Reputation
22 From Codependency to Hanfu industry drives growth in Caoxian
02 A Spring of Diplomacy
Interdependency 36 The Road Less Traveled
 Yale fellow addresses “bad-to-worse”
THIS WEEK Guizhou’s efforts to attract more visitors
6LQR$PHULFDQFRQÁLFW
38 Crops Go Green
COVER STORY 24 Cooperation Among Civilizations Maintaining food security while decreasing
12 Cementing Ties Adapting to a changing global emissions
Foreign leaders strengthen landscape
40 Young Minds Matter
communication through :LOO%5,&62QO\%HQHÀW Understanding the world to build a better
RIÀFLDOYLVLWV &KLQD"'HÀQLWHO\1RW future
16 The Doorbell Symphony Pursuing South-South cooperation
with shared dividends 42 Expansion Doesn’t Come Cheap
Europe seeks to enhance
China’s e-commerce goes global
relations 26 The Flow of Protection
18 A Friend From Afar Putting a river’s ecological
HQYLURQPHQWÀUVW CULTURE
Lula’s return is good news for 46 Peony Power
China and Brazil +RZRQHÁRZHUEURXJKWDFLW\LQWRIXOO
DOCUMENT bloom
28 China’s Position on the
Afghan Issue
EXPAT’S EYE
48 Feeling Right at Home
FEATURES A Barbadian reporter explores Chinese
30 In the Zone hospitality
Cover Design: Wang Yajuan Hainan’s customs service to become
independent
©2023 Beijing Review, all rights reserved.

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EDITOR’S DESK
A News Weekly Magazine
A Spring of Diplomacy
Published Since 1958 China has had a very busy diplomatic broke out a year ago.
President: Li Yafang
Editor in Chief: Li Jianguo
agenda recently. From late March to ear- During his meeting with President
Associate Editor in Chief: Liu Yunyun ly April, leaders from several countries, Xi Jinping, Singaporean Prime Minister
Associate President: Gao Dingbo
Executive Editor: Yan Wei
from Spain to Brazil, visited to cement Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore be-
Production Director: Yao Bin the bonds. lieves all countries should respect each
Editor: Wang Hairong
Researcher: Lan Xinzhen Despite rising unilateralism in certain other, coexist in peace, pursue mutually
Editorial Consultants: Elsbeth van Paridon, G.P. Wilson
Reporters: Ji Jing, Kang Caiqi, Li Qing, Li Wenhan, Li Xiaoyang,
quarters, the fact that many world lead- EHQHÀFLDOFRRSHUDWLRQDYRLGFRQÁLFWDQG
Liang Xiao, Lu Yan, Ma Miaomiao, Pan Xiaoqiao, Peng Jiawei, ers are traveling to China demonstrates jointly respond to risks and challenges.
Tang Yuankai, Tao Xing, Tao Zihui, Wang Jun, Wang Ruohan,
Yuan Yuan, Zhang Shasha how multilateralism featuring win-win Notably, the foreign ministers of
Visual Director: Pamela Tobey
Photographer: Wei Yao outcomes remains the mainstream trend Saudi Arabia and Iran announced the res-
Art: Li Shigong within the international community. toration of the two countries’ diplomatic
Design Director: Wang Yajuan
Chief Designer: Cui Xiaodong For instance, during French President relations after years of rivalry in Beijing
Designer and proofreader: Zhao Boyu
Emmanuel Macron’s visit, the two on April 6 following a China-brokered
Editorial Administrator: Zeng Wenhui
Planning Director: Xu Bei countries signed documents on coopera- deal. This move is a boon to the security
Deputy Planning Director: Li Nan
World News Director: Ding Ying tion in diverse areas such as agrifood, and stability of the Middle East. It is con-
World News Deputy Director: Li Fangfang
Director of Digital Media: Yu Shujun
aviation, civil nuclear energy, sustain- sidered a victory for dialogue and peace
Director of Strategic Research: Zan Jifang able development and culture. Spanish and a testament to China’s diplomatic
Administration: Lu Ling Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed approach at work as well as its growing
International Cooperation: Sun Xuan
Legal Counsel: Yue Cheng Spain’s willingness to deepen collabo- global role.
North America Bureau (New York City) ration in the fields of electric vehicles, The world today is at a crossroads.
Chief: Yu Shujun
Executive Assistant: Zhao Wei green energy and the digital economy— Humanity, barely emerging from the
Tel/Fax: 1-201-792-0334
E-mail: yushujun@cicgamericas.com
among others. COVID-19 pandemic, faces multiple
Latin America Bureau (Mexico City) The visits also provided opportunities challenges—a faltering economic
Chief: Lin Yeqing
Tel: 52-55-55127271 to address pressing global issues. The on- recovery, intensifying geopolitical
Fax: 52-55-55332027
E-mail: chinahoymx@gmail.com going Ukraine crisis was one of the top FRQÁLFWVDQGDVHYHUHUHJUHVVLRQLQWKH
3HUX2IßFH /LPD concerns during the meetings between global development process. In this
Chief: Meng Kexin
Tel: 0051-959212702 Chinese and visiting leaders. China’s context, the international community
E-mail: revistachinaperu@gmail.com
stance differs from that of the U.S., with should cherish solidarity more than
*HQHUDO(GLWRULDO2IßFH
Tel: 86-10-68996252 the latter asserting in March that any call ever. Confident, open and willing to
Fax: 86-10-68326628
Editorial Desk IRUDFHDVHÀUHLQWKHFXUUHQWVLWXDWLRQLV step up, China is ready to team up with
Tel: 86-10-68996250 unacceptable. China has worked to pro- other countries and jointly find a path
Partnerships
Tel: 86-10-68995807 PRWHSHDFHWDONVVLQFHWKHDUPHGFRQÁLFW through adversity. BR
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2 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com

 THIS WEEK

XINHUA
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offering (IPO) system on the main board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province in south
China.
In a registration-based (as opposed to regulator approval-based) IPO system, companies can go public if they
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China has rolled out the registration-based IPO reform, which it initiated in 2018, across the board this year.

http://www.bjreview.com APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 3

THIS WEEK SOCIETY

XINHUA
between 1993 and 2011, the
report said.
China’s coastal sea levels are
rising more rapidly due to global
warming, it said. From 1980 to
2022, they rose at a pace of 3.5
mm per year, while between 1993
and 2022, the pace went up to 4
mm per year.
The increased rate of sea-
level rising could have a lasting
impact on the ecological envi-
ronment and the sustainable
social and economic develop-
ment of coastal regions, the
report warned.
In 2022, higher coastal sea
levels have worsened storm
UWTIGUCPFEQPVTKDWVGFVQ´QQF-
ing in coastal regions, according
to the ministry.

*HRWKHUPDOó3RZHUó
6WDWLRQ
China’s highest geothermal pow-
er station in terms of elevation,
7KHó&RQQHFWLQJó/LQN located in Tibet Autonomous
Region, has generated more
6JG³TUVKPVGTPCVKQPCNRCUUGPIGTVTCKPQPVJG%JKPC.CQU4CKNYC[KUTGCF[VQFGRCTVHTQO-WPOKPIECRKVCN than 500 million kilowatt-hours
of Yunnan Province, on April 13, heading for the Lao capital of Vientiane. The train travels at a speed of up to of electricity since it went into
160 km per hour and the journey takes 10 and a half hours. Starting from April 13, one passenger train will operation in 2018, Xinhua News
QRGTCVGFCKN[HTQO-WPOKPIVQ8KGPVKCPGCPFXKEGXGTUC Agency reported on April 10.
The Yangyi geothermal pow-
er station in Damxung County, in
studies on SARS-CoV-2 origins- continued to share its research the regional capital of Lhasa, is
&29,'ó2ULJLQV tracing in China,” Shen said. results with the international China’s only geothermal power
China has been transparent in *GUCKFVJG³TUVRJCUGQH UEKGPVK³EEQOOWPKV[CHVGTVJG station in commercial operation.
sharing its research results on the the joint studies was success- GPFQHVJG³TUVRJCUGQHVJG The station uses new tech-
origins-tracing of SARS-CoV-2 fully conducted in Wuhan, joint studies in March 2021, with nologies to fully recharge and
with the international communi- *WDGK2TQXKPEGYJGTGVJG³TUV TGUGCTEJ³PFKPIURWDNKUJGFKP recycle the tailwater produced by
ty, Shen Hongbing, deputy chief COVID-19 cases were reported in academic journals both at home its power generation. Every year,
of the National Administration of China, with a research report on and abroad. it can help cut 420,000 tons of
Disease Prevention and Control China’s part fully recognized by carbon dioxide emissions, 6,200
and Director of the Chinese domestic and foreign experts as 5LVLQJó6HD tons of nitrogen oxide, 12,000
Center for Disease Control and well as the WHO. China’s coastal sea levels last tons of sulfur dioxide and save
Prevention (China CDC), said at a ¨6JTQWIJQWVVJG³TUVRJCUG year reached their highest level 116,000 tons of standard coal.
press conference on April 8. of the joint studies, China pro- since 1980, according to an an- The region plans to build a
“Since the outbreak of vided the international experts nual report recording the sea- national clean energy base in the
COVID-19, we have been with all materials related to the level changes in China released future, with geothermal power
actively communicating and co- origins of the virus, and we did by the Ministry of Natural playing an important role.
operating with the World Health not hide any cases, samples or Resources on April 12.
Organization (WHO) and invited testing and analysis results,” he The coastal sea levels in 0DVNVó1Ró0RUH
the WHO to send international said. 2022 were 94 mm higher than On April 12, China issued a new
experts twice to conduct joint Shen added that China had the average levels recorded set of guidelines regarding the
4 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com

use of masks by the general pub-
lic to prevent COVID-19 infection,
stating that it is now no longer
mandatory to wear a mask when
using public transportation.
People are advised to put
on a mask when using public
transportation and entering su-
permarkets, movie theaters and
other indoor places with large
gatherings.
Individuals have the discre-
tion to choose whether or not to
wear a mask in outdoor settings
such as public squares and parks.
Students are no longer required
to wear masks at school, accord-
ing to the guidelines.
*QYGXGTWPFGTURGEK³E
circumstances, the use of masks
remains mandatory. These
include when a person has
tested positive for COVID-19 or
is displaying related symptoms,
during local outbreaks and when
visiting medical institutions and
nursing homes.
'HHSZDWHUó*DVó)LHOG
%JKPC«U³TUVKPFGRGPFGPVN[
developed and built ultra-
FGGRYCVGTICU³GNF5JGPJCK
Yihao, or Deep Sea No.1, has
been upgraded to remote
control production and can
now ensure safe and stable
production during typhoons,
the China National Offshore Oil
http://www.bjreview.com
Corporation (CNOOC) said on
April 10.
The biggest challenge ultra-
FGGRYCVGTICU³GNFUHCEGKU
the frequency of typhoons in
summer and autumn, but the
production equipment of Deep
Sea No.1, located in the waters
off Hainan Province, is currently
in optimal operating condition,
.KW:KCQICPI)GPGTCN/CPCIGT
of CNOOC’s Hainan subsidiary,
said.
Deep Sea No.1 has a maxi-
mum operational water depth
that exceeds 1,500 meters and
has provided over 4.5 billion cu-
bic meters of gas since entering
operation in June 2021.
'DUNó6N\ó&RPPXQLW\
The Xichong Community in the
southern Chinese metropolis
QH5JGP\JGPJCUDGGPEGTVK³GF
as an International Dark Sky
%QOOWPKV[VJG³TUVQPGQH
its kind in China, according to
the Shenzhen Astronomical
Observatory, Xinhua reported on
April 7.
The recognition from
the International Dark-Sky
Association (IDA) marks an im-
portant milestone in Shenzhen’s
efforts to achieve equilibrium
between urban development
and dark sky protection.
An International Dark Sky
XINHUA
THIS WEEK
XINHUA
6HWWLQJó6DLO
6QWTKUVUDQCTFCXGUUGNFWTKPIVJGVTKCNQRGTCVKQPQHVJG$CK[CPIFKCP
Lake water bus service in Xiongan New Area, Hebei Province in
north China, on April 7. The service features 100 vessels powered
D[NKSWG³GFRGVTQNGWOICUOCMKPIVJGOOQTGEQUVGH³EKGPVCPF
environmentally friendly than oil-fueled boats.
Community is a town, city, from urban light pollution as
municipality or other legally the picturesque destination is
organized community that has ´CPMGFD[OQWPVCKPUQPVJTGG
shown exceptional dedication to sides, with the sea embracing
the preservation of the night sky its fourth side. This is where
through the implementation and the Shenzhen Astronomical
enforcement of a quality outdoor Observatory is located.
lighting ordinance, dark sky educa- In August 2021, local authori-
tion and citizen support of dark ties in Shenzhen began efforts to
skies, according to the IDA. establish a dark sky community
Located at the southeast in Xichong. Over the course of
end of Shenzhen’s Dapeng New one year, the community saw
District, Xichong is about 60 km upgraded lighting facilities as
from the city proper. well as the formulation of envi-
Xichong is well-shielded ronmental standards.
2XWóLQó%ORRP
8KUKVQTUCFOKTGVJG´QYGTUCVVJG)TGCVGT$C[#TGC(NQYGT5JQYKP
5JGP\JGP)WCPIFQPI2TQXKPEGKPUQWVJ%JKPCQP#RTKN6JG
FC[´QYGTUJQYQRGPGFCVVJG5JGP\JGP(CKT[.CMG$QVCPKECN
)CTFGPVJCVUCOGFC[CVVTCEVKPIGZJKDKVQTUHTQOEQWPVTKGUCPF
TGIKQPUKPENWFKPI#WUVTCNKC$TKVCKPCPFVJG7PKVGF5VCVGU
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 5
THIS WEEK (&2120<
,PSURYHGó
3HUIRUPDQFH
Small and medium-sized enter-
prises (SMEs) registered a further
increase in their activities in the
³TUVSWCTVGT 3 QHVJKU[GCTCU
the country’s economy contin-
ues its robust recovery, industrial
data showed.
The Small and Medium
Enterprises Development Index,
based on a survey of 3,000
SMEs from eight major industries,
came in at 89.3, up from 88 in the
fourth quarter of 2022, the China
Association of Small and Medium
Enterprises said in a report.
6JG³IWTGCNVJQWIJUVKNN
below the boom-and-bust line
of 100, reversed the downward
trend seen since the April-June
period of 2021.
The sub-indexes for all eight
OCLQTUGEVQTUTCNNKGFKP3QHVJKU
year, with that of the hospitality
plus food and beverage industry,
the information transmission,
computer services and software
industry, and the transportation,
180%(56ó
China’s Producer Price Index Growth
(%)
12
Year on year
10
8.3 8.0
8 2.1 2.1
6.4 6.1
6
4.2
4 0.5
2.3
2 1.1
0.6 0.1
0 -0.5 -0.4
0 -0.2
-2
-1.3 -1.2
Month on month
-4
MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
2022
6 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
postal and storage industry
OCTMKPIVJGOQTGUKIPK³ECPV
increases among all sectors
tracked.
Thanks to the country’s
overall recovery momentum
and expanding market demand,
5/'UYGTGOQTGEQP³FGPVKP
business development. This
UGPUGQHTGMKPFNGFEQP³FGPEG
YCUKPVWTPTG´GEVGFKPVJGKT
improved market expectations,
the association said, adding their
capital shortage had eased.
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ECWVKQPGFCDQWVVJGFKH³EWNVKGU
of rising labor and housing costs,
calling for efforts to improve
the business environment and
maintain the continuity, stability
and transparency of government
policies.
1(9ó6DOHV
Nationwide new-energy vehicle
(NEV) sales expanded 34.8
percent year on year to about
653,000 units in March, data
from the China Association
of Automobile Manufacturers
0.9
0.2 0.1
0 0
-0.1
-0.7 -0.8
-1.3 -1.3 -1.4
-2.5
2023
showed on April 11.
0'8UCNGUKP3QH
totaled nearly 1.59 million units,
up 26.2 percent from a year
ago. During that same period,
the market share of NEVs in
China’s auto market reached 26.1
percent.
The output of NEVs in the
country reached 674,000 units
in March, soaring 44.8 percent
year on year.
Thanks to the NEV boom
and the rapid growth in auto
export, industry insiders are op-
timistic about the development
of China’s auto sector this year,
Chen Shihua, Deputy Secretary
)GPGTCNQHVJGCUUQEKCVKQPUCKF
China’s auto sales expanded
9.7 percent year on year to about
2.45 million units in March, ac-
cording to the association.
#WVQUCNGUKP3VQVCNGF
million units, down 6.7 percent
year on year.
+\GURJHQó3LSHOLQH
China plans to build a 400-km hy-
drogen pipeline to more effectively
China’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) Growth
(%)
4
Year on year
2.7
3 2.5
2 1.5
1 0.8
0.4
0 0
0
-1
Month on month
-2
MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
2022
transfer clean fuel from the coun-
try’s resources-rich west to energy-
consuming regions in the east.
The project designed to
EJCPPGNJ[FTQIGPHTQO7NCPSCD
in Inner Mongolia Autonomous
4GIKQPVQ$GKLKPIYKNNDGVJG
EQWPVT[«U³TUVVTCPUTGIKQPCN
long-distance hydrogen pipe-
line, Ma Yongsheng, Chairman
of Sinopec, China’s largest oil
TG³PGTCPFQRGTCVQTQHVJGRKRG-
line, said.
In the initial phase, the pipe-
line will be able to handle about
100,000 tons of hydrogen
each year. It has the potential to
increase its capacity by 500,000
tons in the long run.
After going into operation,
the supply from Inner Mongolia
will replace the current hydrogen
production from fossil fuels in
VJG$GKLKPI6KCPLKP*GDGKTGIKQP
playing a pioneering role in
trans-regional hydrogen trans-
mission and helping promote
the country’s energy upgrades,
Ma said.
The project has been
2.8
2.5
2.1 2.1
1.6 1.8
1.0
0.7
0.3
0.1 0
-0.1 -0.2 -0.3
-0.5
2023
http://www.bjreview.com
http://www.bjreview.com

included in the country’s oil and
gas network construction plan
released by the National Energy
Administration in March.
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The civil aviation sector recorded
steady growth in March, ac-
cording to a report released by
VariFlight, a China-based civil
aviation data service provider.
It showed daily domestic
´KIJVUCOQWPVGFVQCDQWV
on average that month, surging
133.52 percent year on year.
6JG³IWTGCNUQTGRTGUGPVGF
a 3-percent increase compared
with the same period in pre-
pandemic 2019.
The number of average daily
KPVGTPCVKQPCN´KIJVUUVQQFCV
around 589, up 43.07 percent
compared to the level registered
in February.
5LVLQJó&DUJRó
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+P3QHVJKU[GCTECTIQVJTQWIJ-
RWVQHVJG$GKDW)WNH2QTVKP
-1.9
Education, culture and entertainment
-2.0 -1.5 -1.0
http://www.bjreview.com
)WCPIZK<JWCPI#WVQPQOQWU
Region in south China reached
68.77 million tons, up 5.5 percent
year on year, the port operator
said.
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2QTV)TQWRVJGRQTVJCPFNGF
more than 1.6 million twenty-
HQQVGSWKXCNGPVWPKVU 6'7U QH
containers during the period, up
14.7 percent year on year.
The waiting time for berth
decreased 44 percent year on
year and the goods loading and
WPNQCFKPIGH³EKGPE[QHEQPVCKPGT
ships increased by 14 percent
[GCTQP[GCTKP3VJGITQWR
said.
The port serves as an im-
portant transit point in the New
International Land-Sea Trade
Corridor, a trade and logistics
passage jointly built by western
Chinese provincial regions and
Singapore.
([SDQGLQJó&DSDFLW\
European commercial aircraft
manufacturer Airbus and its
Chinese partners have signed an
China’s CPI Growth by Type
March (% y.o.y.)
Food
Clothing
-0.3
Household items and services
Healthcare
Others (combined)
-0.5
THIS WEEK
agreement to expand the A320-
HCOKN[³PCNCUUGODN[ECRCEKV[
)RUH[ó5HVHUYHV
with a second line at the manu- China’s foreign exchange
facturer’s site in Tianjin. (forex) reserves came in at
more than $3.18 trillion in late
The deal between Airbus,
March, up 1.62 percent from a
6KCPLKP(TGG6TCFG<QPG
month earlier, according to the
Investment Co. Ltd. and the
State Administration of Foreign
China Aviation Industry Co. Ltd.
Exchange (SAFE) on April 7.
was inked on April 6.
The forex regulator at-
The new assembly line
tributed the increase in forex
will contribute to Airbus’s goal
reserves to the combined impact
of producing 75 A320-family
of currency translation and asset
aircraft per month by 2026
price changes.
throughout its global production
Affected by monetary
network, Airbus said.
policy and expectations of major
At present, Airbus has four
GEQPQOKGUVJG75FQNNCTKPFGZ
assembly facilities worldwide
HGNNCPFRTKEGUQHINQDCN³PCPEKCN
for its A320 family, located in
assets climbed last month, the
Toulouse in France, Hamburg in
regulator said.
)GTOCP[/QDKNGKPVJG7PKVGF
It added that China’s forex
States and Tianjin in China.
reserves are expected to remain
+VU#UKC³PCNCUUGODN[NKPGKP
generally stable as the country
Tianjin, known as FAL Tianjin, has solid economic founda-
went into operation in 2008 and tions and broad prospects for
has so far assembled more than development.
600 A320-family aircraft. SAFE data also showed
$[NCVG/CTEJVJG China’s gold reserves had risen
PWODGTQHVJG#KTDWU´GGVKP to 66.5 million ounces as of
service in the Chinese mainland March, up 580,000 ounces from
had surpassed 2,100. the end of February.
2.1
0.8
Housing
0.7
Transport and telecommunication
1.4
1.0
2.5
0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
(Source: National Bureau of Statistics)
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 7
THIS WEEK :25/'
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A woman holds up a sign during a protest
in Quezon City on April 11 against the
U.S.-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercises.
More than 17,000 Philippine and U.S. troops
kicked off the most extensive joint military
activities in decades amid criticism that this
undertaking will escalate regional tensions rather
than promote peace and stability
XINHUA
8 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
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A visitor looks through a
digital zoom binocular at the Latin
American Defense and Security
Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro
on April 11. About 400 domestic
and overseas brands participated in
the four-day exhibition
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Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks
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headquarters in Geneva on April 6. On the eve of its 75th
anniversary, the organization marked the occasion by calling
for “a renewed drive for health equity in the face
of unprecedented threats”
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People take part in the Easter Bonnet Parade in New York City
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Photograph taken on April 6
shows the Gilded Wooden Mask
recovered from the sarcophagus
of the Egyptian pharaoh
Amenemope, who ruled between
1001–992 B.C. or 993–984 B.C.,
during the opening of an
exhibition titled Ramses and the
Gold of the Pharaohs in Paris. The
event runs from April 7 to
September 6

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People pull the chariot of
Lord Bhairav, a Shaivite and
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by Hindus and Buddhists,
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Jatra Festival in Bhaktapur
on April 10. The annual festival
welcomes the arrival of spring
and marks the start of the
Nepali New Year
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http://www.bjreview.com APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 9

THIS WEEK 3(23/(ó ó32,176
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Liu Chao-shiuan, Co-President of the Cross-Strait CEO Summit, recently led a delega-
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mainland.
Consisting of hundreds of entrepreneurs and heads of industrial and commercial orga-
nizations, the summit was established in parallel in Beijing and Taipei in 2013 to promote
economic and trade exchanges across the Taiwan Straits.
During his trip, Liu expressed hopes that the summit will play a greater role in
deepening cross-Straits industrial cooperation and integrated devel-
opment to bring benefits to people on both sides and contribute to
national rejuvenation.
Born in Hengyang, Hunan Province, in 1943, Liu moved to Taiwan
with his parents when he was a child. The former university professor and
politician became the summit’s co-president in September 2019.

Next in Fashion will present a realistic rendering of their actual

Rednet.cn
April 7
Lately, American denim brand Levi’s has
announced its plan to begin testing artificial intel-
ligence (AI)-generated fashion models in a bid to
provide its customers with a more diversified and
personalized shopping experience. With a few
clicks, in 10 seconds or thereabouts, each cus-
tomer will be able to see how a particular fashion
item would look like on a model customized to
match his or her own age, body type and skin
tone.
While clothing brands have applauded these
virtual models for their capacity for faster and
cheaper production of images, customers have
remained skeptical over whether these avatars
body shapes. Some also worry that these models
will completely replace human models and lead
to massive waves of unemployment in the fash-
ion industry.
At least at this stage, this much-feared sub-
stitution is not occurring. On top of their rigid
expressions and postures that always lack that
spark of humanity, these AI-generated models,
which are based on real humans, may entail legal
risks.
Instead of panicking over an AI takeover that
may never occur, regulatory authorities should
direct their attention toward the creation of a set
of protocols that will ensure the safe deployment
of the technology. Meanwhile, fashion brands
should always keep customers informed when-
ever an AI-generated model is used.
7KH%LJ5HVKXI½H
China Newsweek
March 27
In March, a drastic price war swept across
China’s automobile sector. Dongfeng Motor
Group, a leading automaker based in Wuhan,
capital of Hubei Province, fired the first
shot by introducing a steep discount of up
to 90,000 yuan ($13,067), a combination
of price cuts and government subsidies, for
many of its gas-powered models. The dis-
count catapulted the brand to new heights,

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10 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com


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popularity. Other automakers followed suit,
each offering their own package deal to boost
the sales of gas-powered vehicles.
While these discounts have temporarily
enlivened the sales of traditional vehicles,
a sector increasingly threatened by the rise
of new-energy vehicles, some in the indus-
try worry that hefty sales promotions will
lead to widespread misconceptions about
discount levels and ultimately become a
detriment to the industry.
While these worries add a sobering
note to the current car purchasing spree,
the price war in March was not entirely ir-
rational. In fact, the frenzied price cuts are
part of a continuous attempt among auto
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that is shifting quickly. Although China
has become the world’s largest market for
automobiles, brands face cutthroat compe-
tition and have to do everything they can
to survive.
Still, companies including BYD, Geely
Auto and Great Wall Motor have managed to
emerge as leading players. What has powered
their rise is a continuous focus on techno-
logical innovation. As the cards are being
reshuffled, only those with a strong innova-
tive mindset can remain in the game.
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THIS WEEK
A good reputation is everything for
The Curse of Poor Ratings businesses wanting to thrive in the current
Southern Daily digital age, in which every online com-
April 4 ment, photo and rating can haunt a brand
Poor customer ratings and reviews have indefinitely. Many delivery and ride-
always been a nightmare for China’s vast hailing companies tend to be entirely user-
population of couriers and ride-hailing oriented, sometimes forgetting the fact that
drivers. They often face heavy fines or their drivers also have a right to impartial
declines in delivery orders in the wake of treatment when disputes arise.
customer complaints. Therefore, more energy needs to be
:KLOHPRGHUDWHSHQDOWLHVVKRXOGGHÀ- invested in creating a set of clearly outlined
nitely be in place to protect consumers procedures, aided by in-car dash cam record-
against poor work ethics, many external ers and other powerful digital tools, whereby
factors, such as traffic jams and extreme ZRUNHUVXQVDWLVÀHGZLWKORZUDWLQJVRUFXV-
weather conditions, can all result in severe tomer complaints can appeal for reassessment
delays and poor customer reviews. and tell their side of the story.
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Wang Huiwen, cofounder of e-commerce giant Meituan, inaugurated his new startup
Guangnian Zhiwai, meaning Light Years Away, in Beijing on April 6. The company fo-
cuses on the development and application of AI.
Wang, a pioneer of China’s Internet industry, retired as senior vice president of
Meituan in 2020 and, like several other Internet tycoons, began exploring the potential of
AI. In February, Wang announced he would enter the AI business and build China’s ver-
sion of OpenAI, the U.S. tech company that recently attracted attention
with its AI-based chatbot ChatGPT. Wang said he planned to pour $50
million into Guangnian Zhiwai.
Meituan CEO Wang Xing subsequently announced his participation
in the investment of Wang Huiwen’s new company and that he will serve
as a director.
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APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 11
XINHUA

COVER STORY

CEMENTING TIES
Diplomatic activities to boost confidence in global recovery
By Ma Miaomiao

12 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com


meeting of the China-France Business Council in Beijing on April 6
fter the conclusion of the First
Session of the 14th National People’s
Congress, China’s top legislature, and
the First Session of the 14th National
Committee of the Chinese People’s
Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top
political advisory body, in mid-March, China is now
receiving a batch of foreign leaders this post-COVID
spring.
Leaders from both developed and developing
countries, as well as emerging economies, all showed
their enthusiasm to visit China and their expectation of
strengthening bilateral ties and working with China to
boost economy and trade.
http://www.bjreview.com
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Exchanging ideas
From late March to mid-April, lead-
ers from Spain, Malaysia, Singapore,
France, the EU and Brazil traveled
WR&KLQDWRÀUPXSWKHLUSDUWQHUVKLSV
with the country.
The visits saw bilateral and mul-
tilateral interactions, direct contacts
between heads of state and govern-
ment as well as consultations in
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“China has plans, actions, will
and capability, which makes it more
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ternational landscape,” Li Haidong,
a professor at China Foreign Affairs
University’s Institute of International
Relations told Global Times.
During his visit from March 27
to April 1, Singaporean Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong, visited
Beijing as well as Guangzhou in
Guangdong Province and Boao in
Hainan Province.
During his meeting with Lee
on March 31, Chinese President
Xi Jinping said that of the Southeast
Asian countries, Singapore has been
the most involved in China’s reform
and opening up and its interests
are most closely intertwined with
China’s. China is ready to share op-
portunities with Singapore and other
countries that are willing to cooper-
ate with it, the Chinese president
added.
The two countries have agreed
to increase the quality of their
partnership and make it more com-
prehensive and future-oriented.
China and Malaysia reached
a consensus on building a China-
Malaysia community with a shared
future, which will open a new
chapter in the history of bilateral
relations, Xi said during a meet-
ing with Malaysian Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that same
day.
For his part, Anwar said Malaysia
is ready to work with China to ensure
the implementation and effectiveness
of the Global Security Initiative, the
Global Development Initiative and
the Global Civilizations Initiative
put forward by Xi, and advance co-
operation under the Belt and Road
Initiative.
Ahead of Singapore and Malaysia,
leaders of other Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
members, Viet Nam, the Philippines
and Cambodia, have all visited
&KLQDLQWKHSDVWPRQWKVUHÁHFWLQJ
the importance they attach to rela-
tions with China, Ge Hongliang,
a researcher of ASEAN studies at
the Guangxi Minzu University, told
Global Times.
Post-COVID economic recovery
and regional geopolitical stability
are the top concerns and major tasks
at present for countries in Southeast
Asia, he added.
International Monetary Fund
Managing Director Kristalina
Georgieva said at the recently con-
cluded China Development Forum
2023 that a 1-percentage-point in-
crease in China’s GDP growth leads
to a 0.3-percentage-point increase in
growth in other Asian economies.
She also said that China and India
are expected to account for half of
global growth in 2023, while others
face a steeper climb.
Cooperation remained the
keyword for all the meetings held
between the Chinese president and
leaders who paid a visit to China
recently.
In his meeting with Spanish
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in
Beijing on March 31, Xi said China
is ready to work with Spain to use
the 50th anniversary of the establish-
ment of diplomatic ties as a new
starting point to deepen and strength-
HQPXWXDOO\EHQHÀFLDOFRRSHUDWLRQ
Spain will take over the rotating
presidency of the EU in the second ʈʈ
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 13
 Artists perform during a concert at

XINHUA
6SDLQoV1DWLRQDO$XGLWRULXPRI0XVLF
marking the opening of the 2023
China-Spain Year of Culture and
Tourism, in Madrid, Spain,
on March 27

half of this year, and will commit

itself to promoting dialogue and
cooperation between the EU and
China, Sánchez echoed.
During the trilateral meeting with
French President Emmanuel Macron
and European Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen on April 6, Xi
called on China and the EU to seek
common ground while shelving dif-
ferences, and learn to accommodate,
appreciate, draw upon and facilitate
each other’s development.
In a world full of uncertainties,
the EU and China should work with
each other to stay away from the trap
of economic decoupling and sever-
ing supply chains, carry out mutually
beneficial cooperation on an equal
footing, tackle pressing global chal-
lenges such as climate change and
continue to deepen the EU-China
comprehensive strategic partnership,
Macron said.
China and the EU have estab-
lished more than 70 consultation and
dialogue mechanisms covering poli-
tics, economy, trade, culture, science
and technology, energy and environ-
ment. They have become important
and indispensable forces in the
process of economic globalization
and world multipolarization, Cui
Hongjian, a senior researcher with
the China Institute of International
Studies, told Beijing Review.
As a positive example of China-
EU cooperation, the China-Europe
Railway Express service has now
connected China with over 200
European cities. In 2022 alone,
China-Europe freight trains made
16,000 trips, carrying 1.6 million
twenty-foot equivalent units of
14 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
goods, data from the China State Railway Group Co.
Ltd. showed.
The Europe-China relationship is a crucial “com-
ponent of the future,” Romano Prodi, former President
of the European Commission, said, adding it is impor-
tant for both sides to resume their direct exchanges in
various areas, according to Xinhua News Agency on
April 9.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also
paid an official visit to China from April 13-15 and
co-chaired the sixth round of the China-Germany stra-
tegic dialogue on diplomacy and security with Chinese
State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
Seeking opportunities
A major reason behind the political leaders’ intensive
visits is that “China remains an important enabler and
anchor of global economic stability,” Adhere Cavince,
a Kenya-based international relations scholar, told
Xinhua.
World Bank Group President David Malpass an-
nounced on April 10 the group has raised its global
growth forecast for 2023 to 2 percent from 1.7 percent
in January, due to China’s recovery.
EU countries still face considerable economic un-
certainties this year. Moving forward while avoiding
recession remains the main task for them, Dong Yifan,
a researcher with China Institutes
of Contemporary International
Relations, told Beijing Review.
“Therefore, further embracing the
Chinese market will be an important
booster for the steady recovery, and
even upgrading, of EU economies,”
he said.
Bilateral trade in goods between
China and the EU stood at $847.3
billion, up 2.4 percent year on year,
according to a report released by the
China Council for the Promotion of
International Trade on March 29.
The French president was ac-
companied by a strong business
delegation including European
aircraft manufacturer Airbus and
France’s largest electricity company
Électricité de France, in an effort to
bolster commercial ties.
On April 6, 36 Chinese and
French enterprises signed 18 agree-
ments to expand cooperation in areas
including manufacturing, green devel-
opment, new energy and innovation
http://www.bjreview.com

BFA
at a meeting of Chinese and French
entrepreneurs.
Taking Airbus as an example—
the company and its Chinese
partners signed an agreement to
open a second assembly line for
A320 aircraft at its Final Assembly
Line Asia facility in Tianjin. The
new assembly line will contribute to
its goal of creating a global produc-
tion network capable of producing
75 A320-family aircraft per month
by 2026.
China and Singapore also signed
a memorandum of understanding to
announce the substantive conclusion
of negotiations on an upgraded bilat-
eral free trade agreement (FTA).
The upgraded FTA, which will
boost market access for businesses
from both countries, adds a new
standalone chapter on telecommuni-
cations and incorporates high-level
economic and trade rules on national
treatment, market access, trans-
parency and the digital economy,
http://www.bjreview.com
People attend the Penang Chinese
New Year Celebration in George Town,
Penang, Malaysia, on January 28
according to a statement by the Chinese Ministry of
Commerce.
As for Anwar’s visit, an op-ed in Malaysian news-
paper Sin Chew Daily said it had laid the groundwork
for some exciting possibilities in the future, which
should provide many economic and trade opportuni-
ties for Malaysia.
China, which is working to improve the quality of
its development, stands not only as the world’s most
important consumer market, but also as an important
global innovation, manufacturing and industrial chain
center. It is now the top destination for the overseas
operations of many multinationals, Dong said.
Pursuing stability
The EU and China are each other’s important trading
partners and the two economies are highly intertwined,
von der Leyen said, adding that decoupling from
China is neither in the EU’s interests nor its strategic
choice.
Europe is concerned that a sudden shock to the
VXSSO\FKDLQFDXVHGE\JHRSROLWLFDOFRQÁLFWVVXFKDV
the Ukraine crisis, would hit the European economy
hard, Dong said. Against this backdrop, strengthening
cooperation with China, which has always advocated
open and inclusive collaboration, is an important guar-
antee of stability for Europe. “Europe is looking for,
and needs, this supply chain guaran-
tee,” he added.
While in an informal meet-
ing with Macron in Guangzhou,
Guangdong Province, on April 7, Xi
stressed that China will never allow
VHOÀVKLQWHUHVWVWRLQÁXHQFHWKHZD\
it responds to the Ukraine crisis, and
will always stand for fairness and
justice. All parties should shoulder
their responsibilities and make joint
efforts to create conditions for a po-
litical settlement, he said.
Macron and von der Leyen
both appreciated China’s efforts to
promote a political settlement and
articulated that they expected China
to play a more important role in the
process. They also said that they are
SUHSDUHGWRZRUNZLWK&KLQDWRÀQG
a way to facilitate peace talks.
Parallel to the meeting between
Xi and Macron on April 6, Qin
met with Saudi Arabian Foreign
Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al
Saud and Iranian Foreign Minister
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in
Beijing and witnessed the resump-
tion of diplomatic relations between
Saudi Arabia and Iran.
China successfully brokered
Saudi Arabia-Iran talks in Beijing
[in early March], which once again
demonstrated China’s constructive
role in promoting peace, Anwar said.
In the process of building con-
sensus among countries, the calls
for a peaceful settlement of the
Ukrainian crisis are growing and
will become the only correct path
out of the crisis, Cui said. BR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to mamm@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 15

THE DOORBELL SYMPHONY
XINHUA
Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds a welcome ceremony for visiting Spanish Prime Minister
Pedro Sánchez in Beijing on March 31
I
n late March, Spanish Prime
Minister Pedro Sánchez paid a
two-day visit to China. French
President Emmanuel Macron and
European Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen soon followed
suit, jointly sitting down with President
Xi Jinping in Beijing on April 6.
Political analysts suggest that the
frequent high-level exchanges signify
buoyant relations between China and
Europe.
Economic drivers
Since the onset of the Ukraine crisis in
February 2022, the EU has enforced
10 rounds of sanctions against Russia.
Despite their intended goal of weak-
ening the Russian economy, these
measures have achieved the opposite
DQGUHVXOWHGLQHQHUJ\VKRUWDJHVLQÁD-
WLRQÀVFDOGHWHULRUDWLRQDQGHFRQRPLF
stagnation within the bloc.
The most recent data from Eurostat,
WKH(8·VVWDWLVWLFDORIÀFHVKRZWKH(8
16 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
COVER STORY
By Zhang Lihua
faces a natural gas shortage of 27 billion cubic meters in
DGHÀFLHQF\HTXLYDOHQWWRSHUFHQWRILWVDQQXDO
demand. Rising inflation has also impacted the EU due
to sharp increases in energy prices, as well as the U.S.
Federal Reserve’s consecutive interest rate hikes over the
SDVWPRQWKV*HUPDQ\·VLQÁDWLRQUDWHUHDFKHGDUHFRUG
high of over 10 percent in September 2022 and France’s
consumer price index rose 5.2 percent in 2022, far outpac-
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JHQHUDWHGÀQDQFLDOWXUPRLODQGJURZWKVORZGRZQZLWKLQ
the eurozone. For good measure: The EU is the politi-
cal and economic grouping of 27 countries committed
to shared political values. Eight of these countries do not
use the euro, leaving 19 nations in the so-called eurozone,
who share the common currency.
To prevent a deep recession, the governments of EU
states have provided fiscal support, leading to public fi-
nances being sorely tested and risking the sustainability of
government debt. The European Commission predicted
that GDP growth will come in at a mere 0.3 percent for
both the EU and the eurozone in 2023.
Meanwhile, last August, U.S. President Joe Biden
signed into law the $430-billion Inflation Reduction
Act—offering funding, programs and incentives to accel-
erate the transition to a clean energy economy, which took
effect on January 2. The act is expected
to lure businesses away from the EU,
sparking fears of a further hollowing-
out of European industries.
Therefore, the EU and its member
states are in urgent need of securing
more orders from China to alleviate
their economic struggles. Macron’s
three-day visit entailing a delegation of
business leaders and executives from
France’s leading electricity producer
Électricité de France, Alstom (a key
actor in mobility in the country) and
commercial aircraft manufacturer
Airbus, among others, proved said
need.
Security concerns
“Strategic autonomy,” an approach
initiated in 2013 referring to the capac-
ity of the EU to act autonomously in
strategically important policy areas,
has been rendered a mere slogan. The
Ukraine crisis has had far-reaching
consequences for Europe’s collective
security, prompting the EU to expand
its reliance on the U.S.-led NATO. The
EU has given up its security autonomy
to the U.S. by following the latter in
imposing sanctions on Russia and of-
fering military aid to Ukraine.
And EU member states are now
splitting over solutions regarding the
Ukraine crisis. Nordic and Eastern
European countries view Russia as the
primary threat and push for “defeating
Russia” to ensure “peace and stability”
in the region. The leaders of France,
Germany, Italy and Hungary, however,
believe that overwhelming Russia is
neither practical nor achievable.
Demonstrations have recently
fanned out in cities across Germany,
Italy, Austria and Greece to oppose
European governments lending
http://www.bjreview.com
 Ukraine “lethal military assistance” by continuing to send
weapons to the country and call for efforts to make Russia-
Ukraine peace talks an option on the table. Following
increasing public pressure, the leaders of several EU
VWDWHVQRZVHHNWRUHVROYHWKHFRQÁLFWEHWZHHQ5XVVLDDQG
Ukraine through negotiations. Other European countries,
such as France, have even seen the population call for a
full withdrawal from the NATO alliance.
China’s recent diplomatic moves have demonstrated
to the EU that it may very well be a reliable mediator
in the Ukraine crisis. On February 24, China issued its
position paper on the political settlement of the Ukraine
crisis, putting forward a 12-point peace proposal to end
the conflict; from March 20 to 22, President Xi visited
Moscow and had lengthy talks with Russian President
Vladimir Putin; and then there are the various Chinese
RIÀFLDOVZKRPDLQWDLQRSHQOLQHVRIFRPPXQLFDWLRQZLWK
their Ukrainian counterparts. The visiting European lead-
ers also expressed hopes to increase communication and
make joint efforts with China toward peace.
Common good
EU members are facing tremendous pressures both at
home and abroad. In France, for instance, Macron’s
proposed pension reform has triggered massive demon-
strations and clashes between police and civilians, with
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eight nationwide protests in just two
months. Protesters even called for
Macron’s resignation.
The refugee crisis caused by the
escalation of the Ukraine crisis and the
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Africa and West Asia have exacerbated
the situation, leading to further pro-
tests and social unrest across France,
Germany, Italy and Greece, in turn
destabilizing Europe’s political climate
to even greater extent.
When the EU branded China a
“systemic rival” in 2019, it strained the
bilateral relationship. Add to that the
Ukraine crisis which has negatively
impacted the economy, security and
sociopolitical situation of EU members.
As a result, it is now crucial for the bloc
to collaborate with China at this critical
time.
China is an important partner of
the EU in coping with development
challenges, having given, for example,
firm support to the latter’s efforts to
overcome the European debt crisis in
the wake of the 2008 global economic
meltdown. As the EU’s second larg-
est trading partner, China and the bloc
share complementary and mutually
beneficial economic interests. They
also share common interests in issues
including, but not limited to, climate
change, global governance, the multi-
polarization of the international order,
as well as a strong opposition to a
nuclear weapons proliferation and arms
race.
The recent visits by EU and ma-
jor member state leaders to Beijing
demonstrate the bloc’s willingness to
improve relations and maintain eco-
nomic cooperation with China across
DUDQJHRIÀHOGV%\WHDPLQJXSRQFH
again, China and the EU can enhance
their partnership and contribute to re-
solving the current issues. BR
The author is the director of the Research
Center for China-EU Relations at the Institute of
International Relations under Tsinghua University
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to liwenhan@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 17

A FRIEND FROM AFAR
%UD]LOLDQSUHVLGHQWoVYLVLWWR&KLQDH[SHFWHGWRUDLVHELODWHUDOWLHVWR
I Beyond trade
f it weren’t for the flu and
pneumonia, 77-year-old
Brazilian President Luiz
Inácio Lula da Silva’s state visit to
China would have taken place from
March 26 to 31, and he would have
EHHQWKHÀUVWIRUHLJQKHDGRIVWDWH
to be received by Chinese President
Xi Jinping after Xi’s reelection
earlier that month. After two weeks
of delays, Lula arrived in China on
April 12 with a larger-than-planned
delegation of ministers, governors,
parliamentary members and about
240 businesspeople.
Many Chinese media describe
Lula, who previously served two
presidential terms from 2003 to
2010, as “an old friend of China.”
“During Lula’s first two terms in
office, he laid a solid foundation
for cooperation between China and
Brazil in all aspects. Over the past
four years under former President
Jair Bolsonaro, although bilat-
eral economic and trade relations
maintained rapid growth, com-
munication in other areas didn’t
progress correspondingly. The
return to power of Lula in January
has given China a very high expec-
tation that there will be a marked
improvement in cooperation be-
tween the two countries, especially
in the degree of strategic mutual
trust,” Zhou Zhiwei, Executive
Director of the Center for Brazilian
Studies at the Chinese Academy
of Social Sciences, told Beijing
Review.
18 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
COVER STORY
a new high By Liang Xiao
'XULQJ/XOD·VÀUVWWZRSUHVLGHQWLDOWHUPV%UD]LO·V
economy grew at an average annual rate of 4.4 per-
cent, per-capita GDP tripled, unemployment fell to a
historical low and more than 20 million people were
lifted out of extreme poverty. In 2010, Brazil’s GDP
grew 7.5 percent and a poll released by Datafolha
in December that year showed that Lula’s approval
rating was as high as 83 percent, making him one of
the most popular politicians in Brazilian history.
In 2022, however, Brazil’s GDP growth was
2.9 percent, according to the Brazilian Institute of
Geography and Statistics. The country’s central
bank projected a 0.84-percent economic expansion
for 2023 at the beginning of the year.
In an interview with the EBC, Brazil’s state-
owned public broadcaster, on April 10, he said
the government’s priority now is to revive stalled
economic growth and launch a new infrastructure
investment program. He hopes to use his visit to
consolidate relations with China, up export to China
and attract greater Chinese investment to create new
jobs and productive assets such as highways, rail-
ways and hydropower plants.
China has been Brazil’s top trading partner for
14 consecutive years. In 2022, China’s imports from
Brazil came in at over $109.52 billion and its ex-
ports totaled roughly $61.97 billion. Brazil became
the single biggest overseas destination for Chinese
capital in 2021, when it attracted 13.6 percent of
China’s outbound direct investment.
“The Chinese Government announced an around
5-percent economic growth target for this year. This
LVVLJQLÀFDQWJURZWKIRUDFRXQWU\ZLWKD*'3FORVH
to $18 trillion. As the largest trading partner of more
than 100 countries, including Brazil, it is encourag-
ing for many governments. This also means that
competition for opportunities in the Chinese mar-
ket will intensify,” Evandro Menezes de Carvalho,
Director of the Center for Brazil-China Studies at
the Getulio Vargas Foundation
(FGV) School of Law in Rio de
Janeiro, told Beijing Review.
“Trade with China has made
important contributions to Brazil’s
economic development in the past
two decades, ” Jiang Shixue, senior
research fellow with the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences and
Director of the Center for Latin
American Studies at Shanghai
University, told Beijing Review.
Jiang believes both China and
Brazil need each other as the two
economies are highly complemen-
WDU\&KLQDQHHGVWRÀQGVXSSOLHUV
of agricultural and mineral prod-
ucts beyond the United States and
Australia, and Brazil’s best-selling
products to the Chinese in 2022
were soybeans (36 percent of total
exports) and iron ore (20 percent).
During Lula’s visit, China and
Brazil signed cooperation agree-
ments covering areas such as
healthcare, agriculture, education,
culture, finance, industry, science
and technology. “Brazil has a huge
possibility of developing the process
of sustainable domestic reindustri-
DOL]DWLRQWKURXJKWKHLQWHQVLÀFDWLRQ
of exchanges with China,” José
Ricardo dos Santos Luz Júnior, Co-
Chairman & CEO of LIDE China,
the China branch of Brazil’s global
organization of business leaders,
told Beijing Review. “Much more
than the important commercial
relationship that already exists in
traditional sectors, we have seen the
http://www.bjreview.com

possibility of increased exchange in areas strongly
impacted by innovation and sustainability, including
smart manufacturing, Agriculture 4.0, e-commerce,
digital economy, digital infrastructure, clean energy
and electric vehicles.”
On March 29, China and Brazil announced an
agreement for trade between them to be settled in
their own currencies, ditching the U.S. dollar as an
intermediary. It is generally believed this agreement
will promote the expansion of trade and investment
between the two countries. “It sends an important
signal that the two countries are willing to get closer
and closer in this sphere, putting more dynamism
in their relationship and seeking alternative ways to
do business,” Pedro Steenhagen, senior specialist at
Observe China, an independent think tank based in
Brazil, told Beijing Review.
Steenhagen said the yuan is only the eighth most
used currency in Brazilian transactions, though com-
mercial and financial relations between China and
Brazil have become increasingly relevant. But the
GHDOVLPSOLÀHVÀQDQFLDORSHUDWLRQVEHWZHHQWKHWZR
nations and brings increased potential for the diver-
VLÀFDWLRQRIWKHLUWUDGHDJHQGDDQGWKHH[SDQVLRQRI
business between them. “Another important point
is that it tends to bring more stability to bilateral
relations, reducing the possibility that international
conflicts affect commercial and financial matters,”
he said.
http://www.bjreview.com
A girl makes a lantern during
a Chinese culture event in Brasília,
Brazil, on August 13, 2022
XINHUA
Overall partnership
Before meeting with Chinese
President Xi Jinping in Beijing,
Lula attended former Brazilian
President Dilma Rousseff’s inaugu-
ration as head of the BRICS New
Development Bank in Shanghai.
It was during Lula’s second
presidential term in 2006 that
the foreign ministers of Brazil,
Russia, India and China met for
the first time, marking the BRIC
mechanism began to take shape.
In 2010, South Africa joined, add-
ing an S to the existing acronym.
The special arrangement to witness
Rousseff’s inauguration highlight-
ed Lula’s faith in the effectiveness
of the BRICS mechanism and
also showed Brazil’s commitment
to joint efforts for improving the
global governance system and pro-
moting multilateralism.
This is also an important reason
why both China and Brazil attached
great importance to Lula’s visit in
addition to the economic factors.
“China and Brazil share broad com-
mon interests in global agendas.
An important feature of bilateral
relationship is that both countries
are large emerging economies and
representatives of developing coun-
tries. Their understanding of global
affairs and initiatives for global se-
curity and development are mostly
consistent,” Zhou said. He stressed
that in the complex geopolitical
and economic situations, develop-
ing countries like China and Brazil
must strengthen the coordination
of their positions on major inter-
national issues and expand their
diplomatic cooperation.
Whether it is infrastructure
projects under the framework of
the Belt and Road Initiative or joint
efforts to peacefully resolve the
Ukraine crisis, continued coopera-
tion will consolidate the partnership
between China and Brazil.
“People usually focus on trade
and investment to show that the
bilateral relationship is better than
ever. Nonetheless, in the complex
and sometimes unpredictable world
we live in, building profound part-
nerships is essential,” Steenhagen
said. “So, my main expectation
for the future of the relationship
between Brazil and China is that
they will have more coordination,
integration and people-to-people
exchanges, expanding their current
agenda and providing the grounds
for a true and effective partnership
that goes way beyond the commer-
cial sphere.” BR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to liangxiao@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 19
23,1,21 &+,1$86
From Codependency
To Interdependency
Stephen Roach, senior fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center, and former Chairman of Morgan
6WDQOH\$VLDDQGWKH¿UP¶VFKLHIHFRQRPLVWKDVEHHQHQJDJLQJLQ&KLQD86UHODWLRQVKLSREVHUYDWLRQVIRU
RYHU\HDUV+LVQHZERRN$FFLGHQWDO&RQÀLFW$PHULFD&KLQDDQGWKH&ODVKRI)DOVH1DUUDWLYHVSXEOLVKHG
ODVW1RYHPEHUWDNHVWKLVLQFUHDVLQJO\FRQWHQWLRXVGHEDWHWRDQHZOHYHO5HFHQWO\LQDQH[FOXVLYHLQWHUYLHZ
with %HLMLQJ5HYLHZUHSRUWHU=KDQJ6KDVKDKHVKDUHGKLVYLHZVRQWKHFXUUHQWVWDWHRISOD\EHWZHHQWKHWZR
FRXQWULHVDQGRXWOLQHGKLVVROXWLRQVWRDGGUHVVWKHLU³IURPEDGWRZRUVH´FRQÀLFW
Beijing Review: The past decades have security. Both nations are taking contain China on many fronts, but that is
seen China-U.S. relations grow and issue with one another’s behavior not what is constraining its development
change. What are the key features of dif- and posture around the world. as many Chinese people are led to believe.
ferent stages of the bilateral relationship? 7KDW·VDYHU\GLIÀFXOWSHULRGRQH China needs to focus more on a consumer-
Stephen Roach: I divide the timeline of that has now turned into the early led rebalancing of its economy rather than
the modern relationship into three distinct VWDJHVRIDFROGZDU7KHFRQÁLFW blaming its own economic setbacks on U.S.
parts. The first part captures the 1970s and is going from bad to worse. containment.
1980s, and the early part of the 1990s. I call
that “a marriage of convenience” where both Your new book, Accidental You are a sharp China observer and
countries turned to each other after their own Conflict, features “false narra- a world-renowned economist. How, in
periods of economic, political and social tur- tives” held by China and the your view, should China proceed toward
moil. They came together—sparked initially United States. How did these nar- achieving a high-quality development?
by the visit of President Richard Nixon to ratives affect the relationship? China has been delivering on job creation
China in 1972 and then reinforced by Deng I’ll give you one example for both and real wage increases, but has lacked
Xiaoping’s visit to the U.S. in 1979. They the United States and China. On the necessary reforms to boost the social
offered each other important answers to dif- the U.S. side, we blame China for safety net for retirement and healthcare that
ficult growth problems, with U.S. demand our trade deficit. Yes, we have keeps households, in particular, predisposed
for Chinese goods providing benefits both a big trade deficit. But last year toward fear-driven precautionary saving,
for U.S. consumers and Chinese producers. we had a trade deficit with 106 which inhibits discretionary consumption.
Then the relationship deepened into the different countries. We have a Moreover, total factor productivity (TFP,
second stage, which I call “codependency,” multilateral trade deficit because which compares total outputs relative to the
where the U.S. and China drew important our domestic savings rate is far total inputs used in production of the output)
benefits from deepening U.S. demand for too low. When we want to grow has been declining since 2011. That inhib-
Chinese products, but also from Chinese without saving, we import surplus its the efficiency dividends which could be
demand for U.S. treasuries and Chinese savings from abroad and run a recycled into improvements in the social
demand for American-made exports. China big balance of payments deficit safety net.
emerged as the third largest and most rapidly that triggers a multilateral trade This is a big problem for China’s growth
growing export market for American manu- GHÀFLW,IZHZDQWWRÀ[WKHWUDGH prospects going forward. The combination
facturers. That phase lasted from the late GHÀFLWZHKDYHWRERRVWGRPHVWLF of falling TFP, together with a peaking of
VWKURXJKWKHPLGGOHRIWKHÀUVWGHFDGH saving. The false narrative is to the working-age population that occurred
of the 21st century. blame China for a problem large- in 2015 and will continue for the foresee-
The third phase is the one that we’re in ly of our own making. able future in China, is a very worrisome
right now—a “conflicted codependency,” China, on the other hand, development. When economies experience
where both nations still depend on each blames the United States for declining working age population, and they
other, but frictions have emerged over eco- containing its development. The want to maintain rapid growth, supported by
nomics, trade, technology and geostrategic fact is that the U.S. is trying to domestic demand, they need to increase the
22 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com

growth rate of productivity. That is not hap-
pening in China today.
China certainly needs a lot of invest-
ment to support urbanization and to catch
up from earlier underinvestment that was
very much evident in the aftermath of the
Cultural Revolution (1966-76). But it’s been
too much of a good thing recently. And the
excess investment that has led to declines
in TFP has also been accompanied by an
unusually weak share of consumption in the
Chinese economy.
China is putting a high priority this year
on TFP efficiency and domestic demand.
But I am afraid that I need to stress that
China has given high priority to these same
issues for most of the last 15 years. Will
that priority make a difference in the years
ahead? The jury is out.
In your opinion, what does a healthy and
sustainable China-U.S. relationship look
like?
The last part of the book addresses the need
to shift from codependency to interdepen-
dency. Codependency is a psychological
term that refers to humans who depend
too much on one another and lose sight of
strengthening themselves from within. Both
the United States and China need to do a
better job of strengthening themselves from
within. When they do that, they will be more
secure in dealing with one another. Then
they can enjoy a more constructive interde-
pendency where they rely on one another
to support their growth agendas rather than
to create conflicts that compromise their
growth agendas.
You’ve proposed several measures to re-
store trust and interdependence between
the two countries. Could you please brief-
ly introduce these measures and explain
why?
This is a book about conflict. It’s a worri-
some topic to say the least, but I end the
book with three recommendations on how to
UHVROYHWKHFRQÁLFW³DSRWHQWLDOKDSS\HQG-
ing for an otherwise worrisome tale.
7KHÀUVWWKLQJWKDWPXVWQHHGWREHGRQH
is to take steps to rebuild trust between our
http://www.bjreview.com
6WHSKHQ5RDFKVHQLRUIHOORZDW<DOH/DZ6FKRROoV3DXO7VDL&KLQD&HQWHUKROGVXSKLV
book $FFLGHQWDO&RQ°LFW$PHULFD&KLQDDQGWKH&ODVKRI)DOVH1DUUDWLYHVduring an
interview with %HLMLQJ5HYLHZ in Beijing on March 23
two countries. We’re not going
to solve anything if we don’t be-
gin to recapture trust. This won’t
happen overnight. I am in favor
of starting with small steps—
reopen consulates that have been
closed in both countries, relax
visa requirements and restart very
popular and successful foreign
exchange programs.
And then we have huge issues
that are in our mutual interest to
resolve—climate change, global
health, especially COVID-19 and
cybersecurity. These are big is-
sues, much harder to resolve, but
ultimately the greatest opportu-
nity for trust building.
6HFRQGRQP\FRQÁLFWUHVROX-
tion agenda addresses the need
to lower investment barriers in
both nations by adopting a bilat-
eral investment treaty. We were
close to concluding negotiations
on that in 2016 before the elec-
tion of President Donald Trump.
We need to go back and finalize
that deal. That is a pro-growth
arrangement that opens up both
markets to multinationals from
23,1,21
ZHANG WEI
both countries and generates jobs and good
will.
Finally, I recommend establishing a new
mechanism to provide a stronger architecture
of engagement—a U.S.-China Secretariat.
This should be a full time, permanent or-
ganization, staffed equally by Chinese and
American professionals, located in a neutral
country like Switzerland. The secretariat
should work fulltime on all aspects of the
relationship—from economics and trade to
state-supported subsidies of industrial and
services activity to dealing with difficult
issues like health, climate, cyber and even
human rights.
The secretariat would also have the abil-
ity to monitor existing and new agreements.
When the inevitable disputes arise, there
would be a dispute resolution mechanism
built into the secretariat to help troubleshoot
and resolve problems without escalating into
ZRUULVRPHFRQÁLFW
So that’s my plan—build trust, lower
investment barriers and establish a new
U.S.-China Secretariat. The Sino-American
FRQÁLFWLVLQWKHGDQJHU]RQH:HFDQDQG
must, do better—before it is too late. BR
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to yanwei@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 23
23,1,21 *29(51$1&(
Cooperation Among
Civilizations By George N. Tzogopoulos
C
hina represents an ancient civilization
and is striving to become a modern-
ized country where innovation and
technology echo its current and future devel-
opment. The combination of the knowledge
of the past and of the capacity to progress in
today’s and tomorrow’s world is impacting its
economic and foreign policy. The country is
now eager to promote cooperation among dif-
ferent civilizations and facilitate dialogue.
Generally speaking, the Belt and Road
Initiative, a China-proposed initiative that
aims to boost connectivity along and beyond
the ancient Silk Road routes launched in 2013,
makes antiquity a symbol and a beacon for
designing modern plans where inclusivity pre-
vails. The ancient routes are nowadays being
transformed into a massive land and sea zone
where several countries interact on different
themes, with organic connectivity serving as
its main characteristic.
Enhanced conversations among nations of the
world do align with United Nations (UN) priori-
ties. Since 2005, the UN Alliance of Civilizations
(UNAOC) has become an international platform
for intercultural dialogue. In particular, the ar-
eas of education, youth, migration, media and
women as peace mediators are at the epicenter
of attention. As UN Secretary General António
Guterres once stated, “In these troubled times,
the UNAOC is a unique and inclusive platform
for member states, the private sector, youth, civil
society and the media to exchange views and
commit to dialogue and new partnerships.”
Is the clash of civilizations theory the best tool to address
the world’s problems? The Chinese answer is a negative one,
and this is how the GCI (Global Civilizations Initiative) came
into being
24 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
China obviously supports the
UNAOC and plays a role in draft-
ing relevant UN General Assembly
resolutions. The 2015 resolution,
for example, acknowledged the
diversity of the world and how all
cultures and civilizations contribute
to the enrichment of humankind.
It recognized the importance of
respect and understanding for re-
ligious and cultural diversity, and
encouraged tolerance, respect,
dialogue and cooperation among
different cultures, civilizations and
peoples. In 2017, then Foreign
Minister Wang Yi focused on the
importance of both UNESCO and
UNAOC in helping civilizations
complement each other via interac-
tion and healthy competition.
On several occasions, China has
demonstrated its interest in fostering
inter-civilizational talks. In 2017,
in coordination with Greece, the
two countries launched the Ancient
Civilizations Forum in Athens. Other
participants were Bolivia, Egypt,
Iraq, Iran, Italy and Peru, while
Armenia joined the format at a later
stage. This group of countries of-
fered a synthesis of the Andean, the
Chinese, the Greek, the Egyptian, the
Mesopotamian, the Roman and the
Persian civilizations.
Two years later, in 2019, the
Chinese Government hosted the Conference
on the Dialogue of Asian Civilizations in
Beijing. Although the conference’s focus was
Asia, the message it sent went global. Then
Greek President Prokopios Pavlopoulos, for
instance, was among the keynote speakers. In
his remarkable address, he concentrated on
“the substance of dialogue among civiliza-
tions,” and on the clout of both China and
Greece in recognizing this value “as the basis
of peaceful coexistence” in turbulent times.
This year, China went one step further and
proposed the Global Civilizations Initiative
(GCI) in another attempt to defend diversity
and consider culture an opportunity for dia-
logue and deliberation. Compared to four
years ago, today’s world looks rather differ-
ent. Peace and stability are no longer taken for
granted, whereas the exit from the COVID-19
pandemic is not necessarily accompanied by
economic certainty and less inequality. The
concept of creating synergies to tackle and
overcome common challenges and threats is
more important than ever.
China’s understanding of the world does not
change, but the international environment does.
Still, a basic question remains: Is the clash
of civilizations theory the best tool to address
the world’s problems? The Chinese answer is a
negative one, and this is how the GCI came into
being.
In spite of the tense global status quo, there
is still reason for optimism. This year marks
China’s return to normalcy after the COVID-19
pandemic. After a three-year hiatus, more people-
to-people exchanges are expected to take place,
subsequently generating a better understanding of
and between different civilizations. BR
The author is the director of the EU-China Program at the Centre
International de Formation Européenne
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to zhaowei@cicgamericas.com
http://www.bjreview.com

Will BRICS Only Benefit
China? Definitely Not
B
efore we open the door to international
voices that suggest China is predomi-
nantly using BRICS (an emerging-
market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa) as a tool to forcefully
or selfishly promote its agenda and grand
strategy, we should closely examine its rich
history and culture, as well as its rhetoric and
practice on the international stage.
It is an undisputed fact that China is the
most economically important country in the
BRICS grouping. It has experienced tremen-
dous economic development for more than
40 years, and it has been able to transfer its
achievements in this area to the political and
social spheres, both domestically and globally.
The clearest results of its successful trajectory
are the strengthening and wide recognition of
its political system, under the leadership of the
Communist Party of China; its increasing rel-
evance and responsibilities in the international
arena, being recognized as a responsible and
essential partner to tackle global challenges;
and its astounding accomplishment in elimi-
nating extreme poverty within its borders.
There is no problem in acknowledging
the aforementioned achievements and the
consequences of this reality. Hence, it is only
natural and, of course, expected that there will
be some “imbalances,” both politically and
economically, when it comes to the BRICS
platform, given the different realities, trajec-
tories and experiences of its members. This
should not be seen as a troubling issue, but
rather as an opportunity.
Each nation has its own strengths, and
each has also faced its own set of domestic
and international battles throughout the years.
In this context, it is possible to consider that,
GXULQJLWVÀUVWGHFDGHRIH[LVWHQFHWKH%5,&6
countries generated a lot of excitement and
potential, especially in the eyes of the Global
http://www.bjreview.com
By Pedro Steenhagen
South, given its role in the transi-
tion toward a less Western-centric
global order and its capacity to
boost the democratization of the
international system. During
its second decade of existence,
though, it has been facing many
challenges.
At the same time, the world
has become more unstable and
unpredictable, and China has risen
to the occasion and has arguably
grown into the most reliable or
stable partner in the platform, ad-
vancing relevant propositions such
as “BRICS Plus,” the dialogue be-
tween BRICS countries and other
emerging market economies and
developing countries, and helping
members stick together in the pur-
suit of common objectives. Today,
it has a fundamental role in BRICS
and in its future, and the grouping
has not only remained alive and
well, but also gained increasing
relevance in agenda-setting, policy-
making and decision-taking in the
international community, benefit-
ing all its members in several ways.
Undoubtedly, the abil-
ity of BRICS to influence global
governance should not be under-
estimated, and, as a result, the
platform is an important mecha-
nism for China’s foreign policy
and international participation. This
is one of the reasons the country
has persevered in the promotion,
development and strengthening
of the grouping. So, does China
use the BRICS for its own inter-
ests? Definitely. Like every other
%5,&6 23,1,21
BRICS country does. Like any country in any
international platform does. Which nation
does not want to further advance its progress,
development and interests, seeking to improve
the lives of its people?
However, that is not the question we
should be asking. A better—but still not
ideal—one would be the following: Does
China use BRICS only for its own interests?
In this case, the answer would be a negative
one. China does not want to develop itself
alone, separated from the rest of the world and
without sharing the benefits of its rejuvena-
tion. Moreover, as it constantly reminds the
international community, it does not seek he-
gemony. Accordingly, it is not about playing a
zero-sum game, but, instead, about promoting
better coordination, strengthening partner-
ships, achieving common goals and enjoying
absolute gains. The compromises China has
made in the course of its relations with other
countries, especially developing ones, is a
clear signal of its commitment to peace, coop-
eration and development.
That said, BRICS cannot, and should not,
depend solely on China. China has, indeed,
had a prominent role in BRICS, but the five
nations should improve their coordination,
further build up their integration and stimulate
more exchanges between them, expanding the
platform’s agenda to also include the interests
of the Global South as a whole. We are stron-
ger together. Certainly, the BRICS grouping
has the capacity to help lead the way in the di-
rection of a more legitimate and representative
international system, of stronger South-South
cooperation, and of new or alternative paths
toward modernization. BR
The author is a senior specialist at Observa China,
an independent think tank based in Brazil
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to ffli@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 25
23,1,21 )$&7ó&+(&.
The Flow of Protection
T
he Yellow River is often dubbed
China’s Mother River and the Cradle
of Chinese Civilization. Originating
from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it runs
through nine of the country’s provinces and
autonomous regions before emptying into the
Bohai Sea in Shandong Province in the east.
The 5,464-km-long waterway, China’s
second longest after the Yangtze River, ir-
rigates 15 percent of its arable land and
supplies water to more than 60 cities.
The most sediment-laden river in the
world, the Yellow River has caused numer-
RXVÁRRGVWKURXJKRXWKLVWRU\$VVHGLPHQW
deposits keep accumulating, some of the
surrounding areas become lower than the
ULYHUEHGUHVXOWLQJLQDWKUHDWIURPÁRRGLQJ
to locals. Over the last few decades, consid-
erable soil and water conservation measures
have been taken.
Yet these improvements, which have to
large extent reined in flooding, can easily
be undone as extensive ecologically fragile
regions line the river. These regions fea-
ture different ecosystems, like glacial ones
along the river’s upstream, loess lining its
midstream and the Yellow River Delta in
the downstream. The Yellow River Delta
Wetland, for example, boasts rich biodiver-
sity and is listed as a wetland of international
importance under the Convention on
Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty that
provides the framework for the conservation
and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
<HOORZ5LYHUSURWHFWLRQDQGÁRRGSUHYHQ-
tion have long featured high on the national
agenda. On the heels of the Yangtze River
Protection Law, China’s first law governing
river basins that took effect on March 1, 2021,
now comes the Yellow River Protection
Law. In recent years, China’s environment
26 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
By Lan Xinzhen
on the whole has seen changes
for the better, with social aware-
ness of environmental protection
steadily growing. The Yellow
River Protection Law’s entry into
force on April 1 is thus a welcome
move.
China’s pursuit of high-
quality development, which
means innovative, coordinated,
green, open and shared growth,
demands the legal protection of
both rivers. Most of the country’s
population and economic activi-
ties concentrate in the Yangtze
and Yellow river basins. With
the help of the laws, a wide range
of issues related to water, air
and soil pollution can be solved
Protecting the Yellow
River is no easy feat; it
requires lasting
dedication and effort
in more effective ways, in turn pushing
forward China’s efforts to lift its environ-
mental quality.
The 20th National Congress of the
Communist Party of China in October 2022,
a milestone political event that outlined pri-
orities in China’s development, proposed a
Chinese path to modernization, emphasiz-
ing harmony between humanity and nature
throughout this modernization process. The
SURWHFWLRQRIWKH<HOORZ5LYHUVSHFLÀFDOO\
should happen in a way that puts the eco-
ORJLFDOHQYLURQPHQWÀUVWVRWKDWWKH0RWKHU
5LYHUZLOOEHQHÀWWKHSRSXODWLRQUHVLGLQJRQ
its banks—instead of causing them grief.
But protecting the Yellow River is
of course no easy feat; it requires lasting
dedication and effort. The Yellow River
3URWHFWLRQ/DZIHDWXUHVVSHFLÀFUHJXODWLRQV
targeting issues like ecological protection
and restoration, water conservation, flood
prevention and pollution control. It also un-
derlines the need to integrate Yellow River
protection into national strategies such as
the development of west China and the rise
of central China, through which the Yellow
River runs.
The Yellow River Protection Law
doesn’t simply draw on approaches already
proven effective by the Yangtze River
Protection Law, such as evaluation based
RQWKHLQWHJULW\RIDTXDWLFOLIHÀVKLQJEDQV
in vulnerable waters and ecological restora-
tion in mining areas, but also comes with its
own set of tailored systems aimed at coping
with problems like excessive groundwater
extraction, water and soil erosion and de-
sertification. The flow of protection is one
that cannot afford to be disturbed. BR
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to lanxinzhen@cicgamericas.com
http://www.bjreview.com
23,1,21
'2&80(17
China’s Position on the Afghan Issue
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
April 12
China and Afghanistan are close neighbors with longstanding
friendship between the two peoples. Under the current situa-
tion, China’s position on the Afghan issue is as follows:
1. Adhering to the Three Respects and Three Nevers.
China respects the independence, sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Afghanistan, respects the independent choices
made by the Afghan people, and respects the religious beliefs
and national customs of Afghanistan. China never interferes in
Afghanistan’s internal affairs, never seeks selfish interests in
$IJKDQLVWDQDQGQHYHUSXUVXHVDVRFDOOHGVSKHUHRILQÁXHQFH
2. Supporting moderate and prudent governance in
Afghanistan. China sincerely hopes that Afghanistan could
build an open and inclusive political structure, adopt moder-
ate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, and engage in
friendly exchanges with all countries, especially neighbor-
ing countries. We hope the Afghan Interim Government will
protect the basic rights and interests of all Afghan people,
including women, children and all ethnic groups, and continue
working actively to meet the Afghan people’s interests and the
international community’s expectations.
3. Supporting peace and reconstruction of Afghanistan.
China will continue to do its best to help Afghanistan with re-
construction and development, make plans with Afghanistan
and fulfill its assistance pledges, promote steady progress in
economic, trade and investment cooperation, and actively
carry out cooperation in such fields as medical care, poverty
alleviation, agriculture, and disaster prevention and mitigation,
so as to help Afghanistan realize independent and sustainable
development at an early date. China welcomes Afghanistan’s
participation in Belt and Road cooperation and supports
Afghanistan’s integration into regional economic cooperation
and connectivity that will transform Afghanistan from a “land-
locked country” into a “land-linked country.”
4. Supporting Afghanistan in countering terrorism
resolutely and forcefully. Security is the foundation and
prerequisite of development. The East Turkestan Islamic
Movement (ETIM) is a terrorist organization listed by the UN
Security Council and designated by the Chinese Government
in accordance with the law. The ETIM forces in Afghanistan
pose a severe threat to the security of China, Afghanistan and
the region. China hopes that Afghanistan will fulfill its com-
mitment in earnest and take more effective measures to crack
down on all terrorist forces, including the ETIM, with greater
28 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
determination, and earnestly ensure the safety and security of
citizens, institutions and projects of China and other countries
in Afghanistan.
5. Calling for greater bilateral and multilateral coun-
terterrorism cooperation. As Afghanistan faces pronounced
terrorism-related security issues, it is necessary for the inter-
national community to strengthen counterterrorism security
cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels and provide
Afghanistan with much-needed supplies, equipment and tech-
nical assistance. Afghanistan should be supported in taking
comprehensive measures to address both the symptoms and
root causes of terrorism and prevent the country from again be-
coming a safe haven, breeding ground and source of terrorism.
:RUNLQJWRJHWKHUWRÀJKWWHUURULVPVHSDUDWLVPDQG
extremism in Afghanistan. Terrorism, separatism and extrem-
ism in Afghanistan remain a major security threat to the region
and the world. China calls on the international community to
ÀUPO\VXSSRUW$IJKDQLVWDQ·VÀJKWDJDLQVWWHUURULVPVHSDUDWLVP
and extremism and its active measures to cut off the channels
RIWHUURULVWÀQDQFLQJWRFRXQWHUUHFUXLWPHQWDQGFURVVERUGHU
movement of terrorists and the spread of violent terrorist audio
and video materials, to contain extremism, youth radicalization
and the spread of terrorist ideologies, and to eliminate sleeper
cells and terrorist safe havens.
7. Urging the U.S. to live up to its commitments and
responsibilities to Afghanistan. It is a widely held view in
the international community that, by seizing Afghanistan’s
overseas assets and imposing unilateral sanctions, the U.S.,
ZKLFKFUHDWHGWKH$IJKDQLVVXHLQWKHÀUVWSODFHLVWKHELJJHVW
external factor that hinders substantive improvement in the
humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The U.S. should draw
lessons from what happened in Afghanistan, face squarely the
grave humanitarian, economic and security risks and challenges
in Afghanistan, immediately lift its sanctions, return the Afghan
overseas assets, and deliver its pledged humanitarian aid to
meet the emergency needs of the Afghan people.
8. Opposing external interference and infiltration in
Afghanistan. It is a shared view of regional countries that the
military interference and “democratic transformation” by ex-
ternal forces in Afghanistan over the past 20-odd years have
inflicted enormous losses and pain on Afghanistan. It will
be difficult to eliminate the negative impacts for many years
to come. To help Afghanistan achieve sustained peace and
http://www.bjreview.com

Cave dwellers in Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan, on February 8. Many residents of the province are living in the Bamiyan Buddha caves
because they cannot afford their own home
stability, relevant countries should not attempt to redeploy
military facilities in Afghanistan and its neighborhood, practice
double standards on counterterrorism, or advance their geopo-
litical agenda by supporting or conniving at terrorism.
9. Strengthening international and regional coordina-
tion on the Afghan issue. Under the new circumstances,
Afghanistan should be a platform for cooperation among vari-
ous parties rather than geopolitical games. China supports all
plans and measures that are conducive to a political settlement
of the Afghan issue, and will actively engage in multilateral
coordination through such mechanisms and platforms as the
Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the Afghan Issue Among
the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan, the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization-Afghanistan Contact Group, the
Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan, the China-
Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue,
the Informal Meeting of China-Russia-Pakistan-Iran Foreign
Ministers on Afghanistan, the Troika Plus Meeting and the
United Nations, in an effort to build consensus and synergy
for stability in and assistance to Afghanistan at regional and
http://www.bjreview.com
'2&80(17
XINHUA
international levels.
10. Facilitating solution to Afghanistan’s humanitar-
ian and refugee issues. China is concerned about the situation
of Afghan refugees and will continue to provide assistance
through bilateral and multilateral channels. China supports
relevant UN agencies in playing a positive role in this regard,
applauds the efforts by regional countries, and calls on the in-
ternational community to provide continuous humanitarian and
development assistance to jointly help Afghanistan rebuild its
economy and create favorable conditions for the final settle-
ment of the refugee issue.
11. Supporting Afghanistan’s fight against narcotics.
China looks forward to and supports more concrete actions by
Afghanistan to counter narcotics cultivation, production and
illicit trafficking, and will work with the international com-
munity to help Afghanistan with alternative development and
crackdown on cross-border drug-related crimes, so as to elimi-
nate the source of narcotics in the region. BR
Comments to yanwei@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 29
)($785(6 +$,1$1
In the Zone
What will independent customs operations in Hainan bring to China and the world?
By Li Nan
T
he hashtag “Hainan prepares to establish inde-
pendent customs” has been among the hottest
ones recently. As of March 29, it had gener-
ated 330 million views on Weibo, China’s equivalent
of Twitter, in one week. Establishing independent cus-
toms is part of the island province’s drive to build itself
into a free trade port (FTP).
On April 13, 2018, China announced it would
create a free trade zone (FTZ) covering the whole of
Hainan, the country’s southernmost province, and
that it would provide support for Hainan to explore
and phase in FTP policies. In 2021, the Standing
Committee of the National People’s Congress ad-
opted the Hainan Free Trade Port Law, codifying the
$ELUGoVH\HYLHZRIWKH;LX\LQJ3RUWLQ+DLNRXFDSLWDORI+DLQDQ3URYLQFH7KHSRUWKDVEHHQXQGHUUHQRYDWLRQDQGXSJUDGLQJVLQFH-XO\
30 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
development of the entire Hainan Island into an FTP into national law.
Establishing independent customs is one aspect of this transition. “Hainan is in
a transitional phase from a pilot FTZ to FTP. Only after it starts independent cus-
toms operations can it enter the era of the FTP,” Xia Feng, a researcher with Hainan
University, told Beijing Review.
The establishment of FTPs is a part of China’s endeavor to improve business en-
vironment and facilitate international trade and investment. FTPs are more than just
an upgrade of China’s pilot FTZs and the two have different strategic purposes, Wei
Jianguo, Vice President of China Center for International Economic Exchanges and for-
mer Vice Minister of Commerce of China, said in an article published on China.com.cn.
Pilot FTZs focus on testing policies for the free flow of goods with a view to implement-
ing them in the rest of the country, while the establishment of FTPs aims to create areas
where the circulation of goods, currency, personnel and information are at the nation’s
highest level of openness to the world.
XINHUA
http://www.bjreview.com

The Third China International Consumer Products Expo begins in Haikou on April 10
Independent customs
Now, ports and airports in Hainan are being upgraded to increase their capacity for
customs clearance and new entry port buildings are under construction. Twenty-seven
projects related to customs clearance are under stress testing. The province aims to
complete the construction of most of the new customs facilities by the end of this year
and begin independent customs operations by the end of 2025.
$FFRUGLQJWRWKHRIÀFLDODFFRXQWRIWKH+DLQDQ)73RQ:HL[LQWKHFRXQWU\·V
ubiquitous superapp, independent customs operations will enable most international
goods to enter Hainan without customs checks or tariffs on the way in or out, unless
WKH\DUHPRYLQJRQWRWKH&KLQHVHPDLQODQG2QO\VRPHVSHFLÀHGJRRGVVXFKDV
tobacco and alcohol, will be taxed. “Many raw materials will be exempt from tar-
iffs, so the production costs for enterprises in Hainan will be lower,” Xia said.
Customs services on the island will continue to carry out supervisory activities
concerning biosafety, public health and food safety on imported goods. Imported
commodities that do not fall into these categories will not need to be declared to
customs.
Under this new system, the trade border will be between Hainan and the Chinese
mainland and Hainan will become a highly open area within China’s territory. When
foreign commodities are shipped from Hainan to the mainland, they will be taxed.
When mainland goods enter Hainan, they will be considered as exported items.
http://www.bjreview.com
)($785(6
XINHUA
According to Xia, independent customs operations
are a crucial step for building the island into a duty-free
haven. “Most imported goods for everyday consump-
tion in Hainan will be exempt from tariffs so Chinese
can buy duty-free goods without stepping out of the
country’s borders,” he said. Now, Hainan residents or
visiting mainlanders can take 100,000 yuan ($14,534)
worth of duty-free goods purchased in Hainan to the
mainland each year without incurring tariff.
But unlike Hong Kong and Macao special ad-
ministrative regions, Hainan will not require mainland
residents to present a special entry pass to enter, and
they can do so with only their ID card. Xia said, “There
are no similar restrictions.”
In addition, Hainan resumed its visa-free entry
policy on March 15. Individuals with ordinary pass-
ports from 59 countries can enjoy visa-free entry to the
Hainan FTP.
Over the past five years, Hainan Province has
optimized its business environment. It has introduced ʈʈ
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 31
)($785(6 +$,1$1
Nighttime view of the Haikou International Duty-Free Shopping Complex on April 4
more than 180 policies to do so, including exempting
tariffs for imported raw materials, vehicles and yachts.
Also, the province’s foreign investment negative list,
covering investment areas and activities restricted or
prohibited to foreign investors, contains only 27 items,
the shortest in the country.
Thanks to the aforementioned measures, Hainan’s
GDP has expanded by an average of 5.3 percent an-
nually in the past five years, while its trade in goods
and services surged 23.4 percent and 17.7 percent each
year on average during the same period.
The province’s total foreign trade accounted for
34.7 percent of its GDP last year, up 15 percentage
points in five years. Its actual use of foreign capital
doubled for three consecutive years in 2018, 2019 and
2020, and the five-year total exceeds the sum of the
previous 30 years.
However, ensuring the Hainan FTP remains open
and safe will be a big challenge, according to Xia.
Hainan has seven seaports and its coastline is relatively
long. “How can we manage these ports effectively and
prevent smuggling at the same time? We need to en-
hance both Hainan’s customs infrastructure and legal
systems to prevent such risks,” Xia said.
32 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
XINHUA
The next Hong Kong?
Some have said that Hainan will become “the next Hong Kong.” Xia disagrees.
Although he did admit that Hainan needs to learn from the experience of Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region to make itself a model of high-level reform and open-
ing up in China, the Hainan FTP is fundamentally different from Hong Kong and
other internationally renowned FTPs. It is an FTP with Chinese characteristics. “It
is governed by the Communist Party of China under the socialist system. The more
open it is, the more we need to strengthen the Party’s leadership over the construction
of Hainan FTP,” Xia said.
“There are some red lines we cannot cross,” Xia said, adding that businesses such
as casinos will never be established in Hainan.”
In fact, the building of the Hainan FTP also enhances cooperation between
Hainan and Hong Kong. Hainan-Hong Kong economic cooperation pilot zones were
HVWDEOLVKHGLQGLIIHUHQWSDUWVRI+DLQDQ2Q0DUFKWKHÀUVW+RQJ.RQJFRPSDQ\
settled in the pilot zone in Sanya, the southernmost city in Hainan.
As China’s biggest tropical island, tourism has long been a pillar industry
in Hainan. Some experts have compared Hainan to Florida in the U.S., a place
brimming with tourism resources. “We can learn from Florida’s experience on
how to develop its tourism. But tourism is not the only priority of the Hainan
FTP. It also aims to become a highly open FTP for innovation and entrepreneur-
ship,” Xia said. BR
&RS\HGLWHGE\*3:LOVRQ
Comments to linan@cicgamericas.com
http://www.bjreview.com
)($785(6 585$/ó5(9,7$/,=$7,21
Living Up to the Reputation
Traditional clothing industry boosts a small inland county By Li Xiaoyang
F
irst brought under the limelight by some
ORFDOLQÁXHQFHUVYLDVKRUWYLGHRVLQ
Caoxian, a once little-known inland
county in the eastern province of Shandong has
since risen to fame, with some Chinese netizens
even jocularly referring to it as “the center of the
universe.”
In some ways, it deserves the fame. One of the
poorest counties in Shandong a decade ago, Caoxian
has ranked among the province’s most prosperous
regions in recent years. Booming e-commerce and
industries relating to hanfu, the traditional dress of the
Han Chinese, drove the county to become a nation-
wide hanfu production base.
Small shops line both sides of the streets in
Caoxian, offering services including costume making,
cloth production and pattern printing. During peak
production seasons, the roads are almost empty as
so many people are busy in their workshops. In this
county, not many people wear hanfu in daily life, but
they are very keen on producing it. Caoxian has been
China’s largest manufacturing site of performance cos-
tumes since 2009 and around 2013, many people dove
KHDGÀUVWLQWRHFRPPHUFH
In recent years, hanfu has been increasingly em-
braced by Chinese young people. According to market
consultancy iiMedia Research, China’s hanfu market
could be worth over 19 billion yuan ($2.7 billion)
by 2025. Many performance costume producers in
Caoxian have shifted to focus on hanfu, making the
industry an economic pillar of the county. According
to the county’s government, Caoxian is now home to
over 2,000 related companies including 600 manufac-
turing companies, employing nearly 200,000 people in
total.
Hanfu from Caoxian is more moderately priced
than the traditional garments offered by famous brands
in megacities like Guangzhou in Guangdong Province
and Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province. The county, with
a complete industrial chain, produces around one third
of hanfu sold through online stores across China. Total
annual sales of its hanfu industries reached 4 billion
yuan ($581 million) in 2021.
“With cloth weaving, sewing, embroidery and
34 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
pattern printing businesses all in one place, we can complete the production of a
piece of clothing within a radius of 5 km. As market demand expands, what we are
doing is producing more high-quality products,” Hu Chunqing, President of the
Caoxian Hanfu Association, told Beijing Review.
Riding the tide
In his 30s, Hu is a native of Caoxian. After receiving his Ph.D. in metal research, busi-
ness opportunities lured him back to his hometown. Together with his wife Meng
Xiaoxia, he launched a performance costume company in the county in 2017.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our performance costume business was greatly
affected in 2020. With the help of the local government, we received bank loans we
urgently needed,” Hu recalled.
In 2020, the couple shifted to the hanfu business. Meng, who majored in art at col-
lege, has been designing the garments, while Hu focuses on sales.
Before 2015, many people in Caoxian left their hometowns to work in other
regions for a higher income. In recent years, owing to the rising opportunities in the
hanfu and e-commerce sectors, the number of people returning to the county to start
their own businesses, like Hu, has reached nearly 70,000, including around 12,000
college graduates.
After settling down in the county’s Daji Town, the couple set up shop.
“We have referred to records from cultural heritage sites and museums to inspire
our designs, produce hanfu using modern techniques and continue to innovate,” Hu
said.
The couple has designed over 40 types of hanfu, and hold 12 patents on original
art creation. Annual sales of their company have reached 10 million yuan ($1.45 mil-
lion). Their business has offered jobs to over 400 locals and boosted related industries
such as pattern printing. The company has also provided training on e-commerce and
live-streaming for local vocational schools. Meng also teaches villagers to design the
traditional dress.
$VGHOLYHU\VHUYLFHVDQGRIÁLQHDFWLYLWLHVKDYHODUJHO\UHVXPHGWKLV\HDUORFDO
hanfu companies, too, are recovering. Hu expects that these industries in the county
will rise to new heights this year.
Almost as bold as Hu and Meng, the founder of another Caoxian-based hanfu
company known by his pseudonym Fei Yu, is a Gen-Z entrepreneur who enjoys
wearing the traditional clothes in daily life. After graduation, he returned to his home
Caoxian.
He started a hanfu company in 2018. When designing the attire he sells, Fei takes
LQVSLUDWLRQIURPWKH0RQNH\.LQJDQDGYHQWXURXVÀJXUHLQJourney to the West, one
of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.
The products in his store are different from those of many others. While others’
are usually brightly colored and elegantly designed, Fei’s designs mostly feature dark
colors and avant-garde styles, catering to the preference many young people now have
for gender-neutral clothing.
“We are planning to expand our businesses to more cities, including
http://www.bjreview.com
 )($785(6
COURTESY PHOTO

Hu Chunqing, President of the

Caoxian Hanfu Association,
checks the products on display
at his KDQIX company in
Caoxian County of Heze,
Shandong Province,
on June 2, 2022

According to Wang,
Ancailou Township is China’s
largest base of hanfu live-
streaming. Over the past three
years, they continued to sell the
clothing online despite the im-
pact of COVID-19.
Through e-commerce
platforms, hanfu from Caoxian
has swept through the Chinese
market and is also making in-
roads overseas. According to
Alibaba, during the Double 11
(November 11) online shopping
festival in 2021, the overseas
sales of local-made hanfu dou-
Hangzhou, and then to other countries,” Fei said.
bled that of the festival in the previous year.
A better life
Trendsetting
In 2021, Caoxian’s total GDP surpassed 50 billion yuan ($7.2 billion), up from
In previous years, for some hanfu fans, Caoxian was
12 billion yuan ($1.7 billion) a decade ago. Its prosperity began with the boom of
synonymous with low-quality knock-offs. Low prices
e-commerce.
of less than 100 yuan ($14.5), poor quality and patterns
$FFRUGLQJWRWKHFRXQW\OHYHOJRYHUQPHQWHFRPPHUFHEHJDQWRÁRXULVKLQWKH
not in line with ancient ones were once what Caoxian
county around 2017. Caoxian had over 6,000 e-commerce companies and more than
was known for. In recent years, producers in Caoxian
170 Taobao villages as of the end of 2022. In such villages, more than 10 percent of
have been working to enhance their reputation by im-
total households have online stores with annual e-commerce sales exceeding 10 mil-
proving original design and quality.
lion yuan. Over 18,000 stores on Taobao, an online marketplace of tech titan Alibaba,
Xu Zhi, a student based in Fujian Province, recent-
are located in Caoxian, making it the second largest Taobao village cluster in China,
ly bought a piece of hanfu from Caoxian. “Each time
following Yiwu in Zhejiang.
you place an order, it feels like you’re placing a bet,
E-commerce has helped more than 20,000 locals shake off absolute poverty. After because of all the negative comments on social media;
hanfu businesses began to dominate the area, many younger people started their own but this one turned out better than expected,” Xu told
businesses, which in turn offered older villagers the chance to do some simple work Beijing Review.
there, like cutting threads, for a living. Jia Lin, president of a hanfu association in
Wang Yunying, in his 30s, manages a hanfu company in Wangshanzhuang Guangdong, told Beijing Review that with industrial
Village in Caoxian’s Ancailou Township. Wang told Beijing Review that people in upgrading and the growing demand for higher-quality
WKHYLOODJHZHUHDPRQJWKHÀUVWWRVHOOWKHWUDGLWLRQDOJDUPHQWVRQOLQHLQ&DR[LDQ,Q products, low prices are no longer an advantage. “Hanfu
the village with 523 households, 320 households work in e-commerce. businesses in Caoxian need to improve their quality
“It is convenient to do e-commerce business here. We can apply for business li- and design to gain recognition from the fandom and
censes and get approval for bank loans in one day, and enjoy lower interest rates than retain their market share,” he said. BR
LQRWKHULQGXVWULHV7KHGHOLYHU\VHFWRULVDOVRHIÀFLHQWµ:DQJVDLG (Reporting from Caoxian County,
Wang has been engaged in the hanfuEXVLQHVVIRUÀYH\HDUVDQGQRZRZQVhanfu Shandong Province)
and performance costume companies with about 15 local employees. “The combined
annual sales of my companies are around 10 million yuan, but this is only a medium- Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to lixiaoyang@cicgamericas.com
OHYHOÀJXUHLQP\YLOODJHµKHVDLG
http://www.bjreview.com APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 35
)($785(6 7285,60
The Road Less Traveled
6RXWKZHVWHUQSURYLQFHoVHIIRUWVWRVWUHQJWKHQWRXULVPLQGXVWU\ By Ji Jing
increased the time tourists spend here but also convinced them to visit again,”

Q
ingyan, an ancient town in Guiyang,
Guizhou Province, has seen more Liu Haifeng, Secretary of the town’s Communist Party of China (CPC)
tourists in recent years with the im- Committee, told Guizhou Daily.
provement of its tourism infrastructure and From April 6 to 7, Qingyan hosted the 17th Guizhou Tourism Industry
services. Development Conference. The conference, which has been held every year
As a frontier garrison built in the Ming Dynasty since 2006, has become an important platform for promoting the integrated de-
(1368-1644), the town retains much of its original velopment of tourism and other industries and boosted the continuous growth
layout and many of its ancient buildings, from the of the province’s tourism economy.
Qing (1644–1911) and even the Ming dynasties.
Visitors can see well-preserved stone-slab lanes, Improving services
archways, watchtowers and battlements. Guizhou has abundant tourism resources. It has diverse natural sceneries includ-
“In the past, there was only one road leading to ing karsts, waterfalls, valleys, lakes and hot springs. The 1,100-meter average
the ancient town and there were few entertainment altitude, an average temperature of 23 degrees Celsius in summer and its 62-per-
activities on offer at the destination,” Yang Yufan, cent forest coverage have made the province famous as an “oxygen bar” and a
a local ride-hailing driver, told Guizhou Daily. summer resort.
To solve the transportation problem, which had In addition to its natural beauty, the province features rich ethnic culture as
hindered its efforts to attract tourists for years, the it has multiple ethnic minority groups. It also has its share of red culture, as the
WRZQKDVEXLOWRUUHEXLOWÀYHURDGVVWUHWFKLQJDORQJ Zunyi Conference, an important event in the history of the CPC, took place in
23 km. Zuny in 1935.
Supporting facilities such as parking lots and The province is also home to mega projects such as FAST (Five-hundred-
restrooms have also received an upgrade. Chen Li, meter Aperture Spherical
who operates a restaurant from her house in the Radio Telescope), the
ancient town, said the local government had helped world’s largest single-
her repair her house and widened the road in front dish radio telescope, and
of her gate. Now, tourist numbers are on the up and of the world’s 100 high-
her business is thriving. est bridges, nearly half
In addition to improving infrastructure, the are in Guizhou.
town has enriched its tourism products by building In recent years,
a commercial street outside its northern gate. Guizhou has stepped
The street features cultural creative products de- up efforts to develop
veloped based on intangible cultural heritage such its tourism industry and
as the traditional Chinese embroidery of the Miao worked to transform
ethnic group, as well as distinctive local foods. It itself into a mountain
has also attracted famous brands such as top alco- tourism destination and
hol brand Kweichow Moutai from Maotai Town in holiday resort.
Guizhou to set up outlets there. At the Huangguoshu
And then there’s the street’s nighttime tour. Waterfall in Anshun—
During the Spring Festival holiday, from January one of the largest
21 to 27 this year, the ancient town was lit up with waterfalls in China,
red lanterns and colorful lights at night, and tourists tour guide Du Yin told
enjoyed dreamy scenes of sparkling lights. Guizhou Daily that in
“I never imagined the town could be bustling the past, tourists mostly
with tourists at night,” Chen said. came in summer to es-
“The nighttime tour has further enriched the cape the heat. But today, Tourists visit Qingyan Ancient Town in Guiyang, Guizhou
experiences the town has to offer. It has not only the resort is seeing more Province, on the night of January 23
36 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com

YLVLWRUVLQRWKHUVHDVRQVDVLWKDVSURYLGHGPRUHGLYHUVLÀHGYLVLWRUH[SHULHQFHV
“Tourists can visit local villages to get a taste of distinctive customs and visit
the waterfall at night. These richer experiences have attracted more tourists,” he
said.
,QWKHÀUVWTXDUWHURIWKLV\HDUWKHUHVRUWUHFHLYHGPLOOLRQWRXULVWVXS
percent from the same period in 2019.
Guizhou has improved travel services by upgrading accommodation as well
as food and beverage establishments at scenic spots to increase the time tourists
spend in the province.
7KHQXPEHURIKRVWHOVLVQRZÀYHWLPHVPRUHWKDQZKDWLWZDVLQ
2019, making Guizhou the province with the fastest growing hostel industry in
China. The province is also accelerating the building of high-end hotels to help
satisfy demand for all types of accommodation.
Since the beginning of this year, Guizhou has been promoting its tourism
in major source cities such as Beijing, Chongqing and Chengdu in Sichuan
Province. The province has attracted an investment of 20.1 billion yuan ($2.9
billion) for 168 culture and tourism projects this year.
The culture and tourism combo
During the conference on April 6, the provincial department of culture and tour-
ism signed an agreement with eight companies, including China CYTS Tours
Holding Co. Ltd. and Guizhou Tourism Investment Group, to form a platform
for exchange and cooperation between tourism-related companies both in and
out of Guizhou. Seven labs for researching and incubating new tourism models,
and sports and cultural tourism products related to intangible cultural heritage
XINHUA
)($785(6
were established under the framework.
Ni Yangping, Chairman of the Board of China
CYTS Tours, said at the conference that Guizhou
has diverse tourism models and great potential in
the integrated development of tourism and other
industries such as science and technology, as well
as alcoholic beverages.
A 100-million-yuan ($14.5 million) project
will be built by Hong Kong Causeway Bay Group,
a real estate company specializing in the devel-
opment of commercial properties and shopping
malls, in Nanming District, Guiyang. The project
will build a new urban space combining creative
culture, entertainment and sports and serve as a cul-
tural tourism destination for people both in and out
of Guizhou .
Chen Zhi, Chairman of Hong Kong Causeway
Bay Group, said during the conference that he is
optimistic about the prospects of Guizhou’s tourism
industry and hopes to reach more cooperation deals
with the province to promote the integrated devel-
opment of culture, commerce and tourism. BR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to jijing@cicgamericas.com

XINHUA

Tourists take in the view of the Huangguoshu Waterfall in Anshun, Guizhou Province, on June 5, 2018

http://www.bjreview.com APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 37

)($785(6 (19,5210(17
Crops Go Green
Rural areas embrace low-carbon living and production By Lu Yan

I
n Longhua Village in Sichuan Province, pho-
tovoltaic trees are being “planted” as part of
the village’s green transformation. These tree-
shaped photovoltaic power generation units, with
their branches and leaves made of solar panels,
provide a continuous supply of green electricity
IRUKRXVHKROGVRIÀFHVDQGSXEOLFDUHDV,QFKDUJ-
ing stations, it only takes about 40 minutes to fully
charge a new-energy vehicle with electricity from
these solar trees.
Longhua is one of the two villages in Panzhihua
City of Sichuan Province to pilot a zero-carbon
village initiative that was launched in April 2022.
In addition to utilizing solar power, villages under
the initiative also adopt other green measures, in-
cluding improving the treatment of garbage and
adopting intelligent farming technologies.
Although it will take time for all villagers to
adopt completely green and low-carbon lifestyles,
WKHYLOODJHLVGHWHUPLQHGDQGFRQÀGHQWLQDFKLHYLQJ
the carbon neutrality goal in the near future.
made contributions to addressing global climate change, but challenges remain
ahead as the country continues to pursue low-emission rural development.
Taking actions
Agriculture is both a victim of and a contributor to climate change. According to
the International Energy Agency, agricultural activities contribute approximately
30 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to the use of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides as well as animal husbandry. Climate change and glob-
al warming, in turn, have a profound impact on the sustainability of agricultural
production systems.
The major sources of China’s agricultural emissions are nitrous oxide
from fertilizers, and methane from rice farming and animal digestion, which
account for 30, 23 and 25 percent of total agricultural greenhouse gas emis-
sions, respectively.
China has taken a series of measures to reduce agricultural carbon intensity,
including investing over 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) annually to support the
creation of high-standard farmland in 2021 and 2022.
7KLVW\SHRIIDUPODQGLVGHÀQHGDVFXOWLYDWHGÀHOGVWKDWDUHÁDWFRQFHQWUDWHG
and contiguous, with complete facilities and strong disaster resistance, and that
are suitable for modern agricultural production and management methods. It’s

XINHUA
In September 2020, China announced its objec-
tives to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and
achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. With more
villages taking actions toward these goals, green
and low-carbon development in agriculture and
rural areas at large has made strong progress. This
is demonstrated by a report on China’s low-carbon
development, released by the Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in late March.
Titled the 2023 China Agriculture and Rural
Village Low-Carbon Development Report, the
document said China has lowered its carbon emis-
sion intensity in agriculture while still ensuring the
effective supply of important agricultural products.
“Indexes such as carbon emissions per unit
of agricultural GDP, overall per-capita carbon
emissions and per-capita carbon emissions of
the agricultural population in China are far lower
than those of many major Western agricultural
countries, such as the U.S.,” Mei Xurong, Vice
President of the CAAS, said at the China Forum on
Agricultural and Rural Low-Carbon Development, A technician monitors data on irrigation and fertilizer usage in Longsheng Village
where the report was released. He added China has in Deqing County of Zhejiang Province on April 7
38 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com

XINHUA
Farmers take care of vegetables in a greenhouse powered by solar energy
in Fengtuo Town, Qinhuangdao City of Hebei Province, on April 3
HDVLHUWRLPSURYHWKHHIÀFLHQF\RIIHUWLOL]HUXVHLQWKHVHÀHOGVDQGUHGXFHFDUERQ
emissions.
Unlike in many other countries with a large agricultural industry such as the
U.S., China’s rural land is usually divided into small patches and contracted to
individual households across its vast rural areas. In mountainous areas, farmland
is particularly scattered.
In the past decades, on the Qianjin Farm in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,
each household grew grain, vegetable and fruit trees on a small plot contracted to
them by Ningxia State Farm, a state-owned enterprise. Given the operation’s small
VFDOHDQGODFNRIFRRUGLQDWLRQLWSURGXFHGORZSURÀWV
In 2019, the farmers agreed to give the building of high-standard farmland
a try, despite it requiring changes to the way they had traditionally farmed.
Since then, their lands have been managed to the same standards and with the
same system and facilities. They later adopted hi-tech cultivation, irrigation
and fertilizer application systems, a move that has saved labor and improved
ERWKIDUPLQJHIÀFLHQF\DQGVRLOTXDOLW\DOOWKHZKLOHUHGXFLQJIHUWLOL]HUXVH
and carbon emissions.
The CAAS report said that after 2003, China entered a period of rapid
growth in grain production and a steady decrease in total agricultural carbon
emissions. The carbon emission intensity per unit of grain production has con-
tinued to decline. More broadly, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the
production of every kg of food in China dropped from an average of 1.5 kg in
2004 to 1 kg in 2019.
“The agricultural sector is creating about one 10th of China’s GDP with one
16th of its carbon emissions,” the report said, adding that China’s per-capita car-
bon footprint from agriculture was just 0.96 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
per year, compared with more than 170 tons in the U.S.
Science and technology are playing an important role in low-carbon agri-
culture. China has used technology to convert more than 500 million tons of
http://www.bjreview.com
)($785(6
organic waste from agriculture and rural areas into
renewable energy such as biogas.
Challenges
The challenges involved in promoting low-carbon
development should not be ignored. According to
Yan Dongquan, Director of the Rural Energy and
Environment Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Affairs, China’s agricultural emissions
are closely related to the cultivation of its major
crops such as rice, corn and wheat, and the raising
of pigs, cattle and sheep, the demand for which
will continue to grow in the coming years. Mei also
emphasized the lack of key technologies for further
increasing production and reducing emissions from
growing crops.
The report suggested further upgrading the
management of animal husbandry. Adjusting the
nutritional composition of the diet of ruminants,
animals with multiple stomachs such as sheep and
FDWWOHLQFRPELQDWLRQZLWKWKHXVHRIVSHFLÀFIRRG
additives has the potential to reduce the amount of
methane they release during digestion. The report
highlighted the need to promote the use of these
practices among the nation’s farmers.
Yan believes the agriculture industry requires
a long-term mechanism to facilitate the application
of new carbon-reducing technologies, with the gov-
ernment playing a guiding role and market entities
and farmers actively participating. The promotion
and application of technologies are by no means
less important than their research and development,
he said.
“Green agricultural machinery, fertilizers,
pesticides and other products not only need to be
developed, but more importantly, they should be
promoted to and used by farmers,” Yan said.
China must step up the popularization of low-
carbon agricultural technologies, Zhao Lixin,
head of the CAAS Institute of Environment and
Sustainable Development in Agriculture, said.
“After farmers have succeeded in identify-
ing convenient ways to apply these technologies,
they could then become examples for other farm-
ers to follow, and ultimately make the application
of advanced technologies universal,” she told
Beijing Review. BR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to luyan@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 39
)($785(6 */2%$/,=$7,21
Young Minds Matter
Youth-themed forum promotes cultural exchange and development models
By Tao Zihui
F
ollowing three long years of COVID-19,
opportunities for in-person communica-
tion are luckily rife once again, with the
Beijing International Youth Forum (BIYF) pre-
senting a millennial, Gen-Z style option. Themed
Youth for a Better Future, the forum’s second
edition took place in China’s capital on April
ZLWKPRUHWKDQ\RXQJGHÀQHGDVSHRSOH
within the age range of 20-35, Chinese and
foreign experts plus scholars discussing topics
around and beyond youth.
Sharing is caring
China is an active participant in economic global-
ization and an engine of global economic growth,
providing broad development opportunities for
young people around the world. “Many of this
event’s participants have already realized their
dreams of innovation and entrepreneurship in
China,” Gao Anming, Vice President and Editor
in Chief of China International Communications
Group, said in his speech at the forum.
As part of the most dynamic and creative
population group, young minds are better able to
grasp the new opportunities and make the most of
the new resources globalization entails when, for
instance, starting up their own business, accord-
ing to Gao.
BIYF participant Michael Ovtchinnikov is
a good example here. This Swiss entrepreneur
who founded a consulting company in Beijing
told Beijing Review that people must exchange
resources to be able to tap into their full potential.
“This is, for example, what the Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI) aims to do. First proposed by
China in 2013, the initiative is really creating a
trade, investment and infrastructure network that
connects different regions along and beyond the
ancient Silk Road routes,” he said.
Spanning thousands of miles, the ancient
40 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
trade routes have long embodied the spirit of
FRRSHUDWLRQPXWXDOOHDUQLQJDQGPXWXDOEHQHÀW As part of
This year marks the BRI’s 10th anniversary and
VRIDUWKHLQLWLDWLYHKDVEURXJKWWDQJLEOHEHQHÀWV the most
to the people of participating countries as well as
promoted people-to-people exchanges. dynamic and
“The BRI now has 10 years of experience
and it will develop even better in the next 10 creative
years,” Pan Qingzhong, Executive Dean of the
Schwarzman Scholars Program at Tsinghua population
University, told Beijing Review. Pan has visited
at least one third of the Belt and Road countries. group, young
In March, he traveled to Azerbaijan where he
found “all kinds of investment are welcome be-
minds are
cause both of us (China and Azerbaijan) have a better able to
lot of resources.” According to Ambassador of
Azerbaijan to China Akram Zeynalli, trade vol- grasp the new
ume between Azerbaijan and China has doubled
in the past decade. opportunities
China is not just proposing initiatives and
suggestions for global development and security, and make the
but also contributing to them through actions and
actually achieving concrete results, another BIYF most of the
participant said. “The country’s successful media-
tion that led to the resumption of diplomatic ties new
between Saudi Arabia and Iran [in early March]
and the BRI that links countries with different
resources
civilizations to jointly realize development are globalization
two examples thereof,” Pouya Amani, a new me-
dia curator from Iran who’s currently studying art entails when,
and design at Tsinghua University, told Beijing
Review. for instance,
From his Gen-Z perspective, Amani sees
China as actively utilizing its experiences to ad- starting up
dress global challenges, leading more and more
countries to carefully analyze and consider their own
implementing China’s initiatives. “The Global
Civilizations Initiative (GCI), in particular,” he business
added.
http://www.bjreview.com

Young participants at the Beijing International Youth Forum on April 12
A “diverse” emphasis
Launched by President Xi Jinping during his keynote address at the
Communist Party of China in Dialogue With World Political Parties High-
Level Meeting on March 15, the GCI is another major public product China
offers to the world—following the Global Development Initiative and the
Global Security Initiative, put forward by Xi respectively in 2021 and 2022.
For Joseph Olivier Mendo’o from Cameroon, head of the Delegation
of African Youth in China, the GCI, once again, illustrates China’s open-
ness and willingness to embrace other cultures. “This basically means the
country’s mindset can be broadened to learn from other cultures and accept
existing differences,” he said. “People need to keep an open mind in appreci-
ating how different civilizations perceive ‘values’.”
Other forum participants echoed Mendo’o’s viewpoint, with many ex-
pressing how they intend to use what they have seen, heard and learned
during their time in the country to tell the world about the real China.
Nik Gu, a Russian student at Tsinghua University and a member of the
Youth Platform of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Countries, is one such
http://www.bjreview.com
)($785(6
COURTESY PHOTO
“narrator.” Having lived in China for more than
10 years, Gu has now become, what he called, “an
old China hand” after delving into the profound-
ness of Chinese culture—peeling back the layers
one at a time. “China has become my second
home,” Gu said at the BIYF.
In today’s increasingly complex international
environment, Pan recommended the youth look
to the ancient Chinese Daoist philosopher Lao
Zi, who allegedly once remarked: “The greatest
virtue is just like water, nurturing all things with-
out competing with them.” A thought that in the
midst of rampant geopolitical turmoil surely still
applies today. BR
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comment to taozihui@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 41
)($785(6 (&200(5&(

Expansion
Doesn’t Come Cheap
Chinese online shopping platforms explore international markets By Wang Jun

A
Chinese budget shopping app aired its
first ever U.S. ad on February 12 dur-
ing the Super Bowl, the U.S. National
Football League’s annual championship game. Its
name is Temu, which is owned by Pinduoduo, an
app targeting lower-income consumers by offer-
ing heavily discounted products. Just under six
months old at that point, Temu was already one
of the most downloaded free apps in the U.S. on
Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
The 30-second commercial, which ran twice,
featured a curly-haired woman trying on a stream of
RXWÀWVDOODYDLODEOHDWNLOOHUGLVFRXQWVZLWKWKHVLPSOH
WRXFKRIKHUVPDUWSKRQH,WVÀQDOPHVVDJHDVNHG
million U.S. viewers to “download Temu and shop
like a billionaire.”
Most Super Bowl 30-second ad spots cost between
$6 million and $7 million, making Temu’s 60 seconds
on the air one of the most expensive ad slots in the his-
tory of the event.
Mind-blowing price tags
Following its introduction in the U.S. in September
2022, Temu soon became popular with shoppers,
of Commerce, total e-commerce sales volume in the U.S. came in at roughly $1.03
trillion in 2022, up 7.7 percent from the previous year, exhibiting comparatively low
growth compared with previous years.
+RZHYHUJOREDOPDQDJHPHQWFRQVXOWLQJÀUP0F.LQVH\ &RPSDQ\UHSRUWHG
that the total uplift in e-commerce penetration, from the onset of COVID-19 until
March 2022, was 33 percent. People began shopping online in droves at the start of
the pandemic, when they didn’t have much of a choice. But the McKinsey report in-
dicated many people have since continued to enjoy the convenience that e-commerce
offers. Even when brick-and-mortar stores reopened, spending in online channels
continued to climb.
$QGLQOLJKWRIWKHFRXQWU\·VSHUVLVWHQWLQÁDWLRQDQGVXEVHTXHQWGHFOLQHLQFRQ-
sumer confidence, cost effectiveness has become an important factor in consumer
decision-making.
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly reduced the spending capacity of overseas
markets. While the traffic in China’s domestic market has peaked, the penetration
rate of online consumption in the overseas markets needs to be increased, meaning
Chinese Internet giants should seek expansion overseas.
)LJXUHVIURP$PHULFDQDQDO\WLFVÀUP6HQVRU7RZHUVKRZHGWKDWDVRI0DUFK
Temu had more than 50 million registered users and 20 million active users, generat-
ing an average monthly turnover of $1 billion—exceeding that of SHEIN. The latter,
which has been engaged in the overseas market for more than a decade, now realizes
it faces an opponent it can no longer ignore.
In an interview with The Economic Observer, a weekly Chinese newspaper

VCG
overtaking American e-commerce giant Amazon and
Chinese fast fashion brand SHEIN. In 2023, Temu
has so far further accelerated its expansion, opening its
Canada site in February and entering Australia and the
United Kingdom in March, and plans to fully cover the
27 countries of the European Union within the next 12
months.
“There is a gap to sell products from more
cost-effective supply chains in China to American
consumers,” Qin Tianyi, investment director at angel
LQYHVWPHQWÀUP=KHQ)XQGWROGChina Newsweek. He
believes Temu’s strategy for entering overseas markets
is clear, because “the U.S. market lacks a Taobao.”
Founded by Alibaba Group, Taobao is one of the
world’s leading online marketplaces and arguably an
integral part of Chinese society.
According to figures from the U.S. Department 2QOLQHVKRSSLQJSODWIRUP7HPXoV%ODFN)ULGD\SURPRWLRQLQ1RYHPEHU
42 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com
 )($785(6
VCG

A customer takes a photo at

IDVWIDVKLRQUHWDLOHU6+(,1oV
showroom in Tokyo, Japan,
on November 16, 2022

every turn or in the long run.

RIIHULQJQHZVDQGFRPPHQWDU\RQSROLWLFVHFRQRP\ÀQDQFHDQGFXOWXUH&XL/LOL
Executive Director of the Institute of E-Commerce under the Shanghai University of
Finance and Economics, said that in the North American market long dominated by
Amazon, Temu’s swift climb to success has indicated how the company has poured a
lot of money into expanding its overseas market share.
This year’s Super Bowl commercial aside, the app has launched extensive ad
campaigns across social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
In January alone, Temu distributed at least 6,400 Facebook advertisements, The
Economic Observer further reported.
“Establishing brand awareness in overseas markets is the hardest part,” Cui said.
$FFRUGLQJWRKHU&KLQD·VFURVVERUGHUHFRPPHUFHÀUPVVKRXOGIXOO\SOD\WRWKHLU
respective abilities and in reality already do initiate differentiated marketing strategies.
For instance, SHEIN relies on thousands of smaller suppliers that create small
batches of inexpensive apparel; TikTok has combined content, creators and com-
merce to become an online shopping destination; Temu’s bargain prices are an
experiment in cutting out intermediaries by allowing Chinese vendors to sell their
products directly to American consumers.
“It is workable for these Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms to expand
their shares in overseas markets, as ‘all roads lead to Rome’,” Cui added.
World-class?
Yu Xuehui, head of the Cixi E-Commerce Association in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province,
told China Newsweek that the competitiveness of a mature cross-border e-commerce
platform lies in not its prices, but in its branding based on a lower price-performance
ratio. “Chinese merchants have recognized that to establish themselves in the interna-
tional market, they need to have reliable products and build a trustworthy brand,” he
said.
According to Yu, the early stages following establishment do allow e-commerce
platforms to attract new users with low prices, but this model will not work well at
http://www.bjreview.com
Sustainable development will
come about only when all parties
LQYROYHGDUHDEOHWRWXUQDSURÀW
Hong Yong, an associate
researcher with the E-Commerce
Institute under the Chinese
Academy of International Trade and Economic
Cooperation, stated China’s cross-border e-commerce
platforms still have a long way to go before they can
become super platforms like Amazon.
“Amazon is committed to providing fast and
reliable logistics and delivery services to ensure user
experience and loyalty. China’s cross-border e-com-
merce platforms need to strengthen their capability in
this regard,” Hong told China Newsweek.
“Moreover, Amazon has become a well-known
brand among global consumers and enjoys both a high
reputation and credibility. Chinese cross-border e-com-
merce platforms may improve their brand awareness
and reputation by providing high-quality goods and
services and actively engaging in social media market-
ing and brand promotion,” he added.
According to Hong, challenges and uncertainties
will only increase as China’s cross-border e-commerce
platforms go global and the industry further develops.
“Chinese cross-border e-commerce enterprises must
redesign their operations accordingly in overseas mar-
kets, given cultural backgrounds, consumption habits,
legal systems, etc., all differ. They need to overcome
these differences to ensure their products, marketing
and services are in line with local regulations,” Hong
said. BR
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to wangjun@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 43
&8/785(
Peony Power
%XLOGLQJDJOREDOJDUGHQIRU&KLQDoVIDYRULWHIORZHUBy G.P. Wilson
A
cluster of tall buildings rising
straight out of the wheat fields,
DWÀUVWJODQFH+H]HGLIIHUVOLWWOH
from any of the other small cities on the
North China Plain. However, the city is
gaining increasing recognition in China
and internationally for its use of its tradi-
tional heritage as a resource for building
prosperity.
Located in southwest Shandong
Province, around 600 km south of
Beijing, Heze has centuries of history
as a center for peony cultivation and is
still a global powerhouse in the breed-
ing and production of this much sought-
DIWHUÁRZHU2YHUUHFHQW\HDUVWKHFLW\·V
government, businesses and community
have thrown their full force behind the
diversification of the peony industry,
XVLQJERWKVFLHQWLÀFDQGFXOWXUDOLQQRYD-
tion to develop new products, create new
demand and raise the fortunes of the city
and its people.
Building on these successes, Heze is
now looking beyond China’s shores to
share its peony culture internationally.
In doing so, the city hopes not only to
continue the expansion of its signature
industry but also to contribute its famous
peonies as a bridge for China’s ongoing
efforts in global community building and
exchange.
The King of Flowers
Heze is China’s hotly disputed capital of
peonies, with Luoyang in neighboring
Henan Province also pressing its claim
on the title. Both cities can boast centu-
ries of peony-producing history, but it is
Luoyang that holds the claim as the origi-
QDOKRPHRI&KLQD·VIDYRULWHÁRZHU
Peonies have been used in traditional
medicine throughout China for thousands
of years, but those first cultivated as
46 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
ornamental flowers in Luoyang rose to
feverish levels of fame during the Tang
Dynasty (618-907). Cultivated extensive-
ly in the Tang capitals of Luoyang in the
east and Changan, now Xi’an in Shaanxi
Province, in the west, the short period
of their blooming drew such enormous
crowds that Tang poet Liu Yuxi (772-842)
described the season of their opening as
“rocking the entire capital.” Similarly,
a poem by Liu’s contemporary Bai Juyi
UHDGWKDWLQWKHGD\VIURPWKHÁRZHUV
opening to them dropping, the entire city
went mad.
So closely tied were peonies to the
imperial family and nobility, that their
centers of production changed with the
changing of China’s dynasties until Heze
HPHUJHGDVWKHÀQDOSHRQ\FDSLWDOLQWKH
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Over the past
400 years, Heze has come to surpass all
other cities in its production of peonies,
being home to 1,280 cultivars—divided
into nine colors and 10 shapes. Today,
Heze continues to follow the centuries-
old tradition of supplying the capital with
peonies, with 80-90 percent of those
The Caozhou Peony Garden, the largest of its kind in Heze, Shandong Province, on April 7
grown in Beijing originating in Heze.
This long history of infatuation with
peonies has imbued in them centuries
of cultural meaning and inherent sym-
bolism. Their long association with the
nobility has conveyed a well-deserved
nobility upon them, their supreme beauty
has led to their use as a symbol of beauty
and their cultivation over generations
from wild stock is an achievement in the
harmony between humans and nature.
In these ways, and many others, peonies
have come to symbolize the pinnacle of
many traditional Chinese ideals, and their
importance within literature and culture,
combined with the nation’s love for them,
has led to them becoming known by a
second name, the King of Flowers.
Peonies for prosperity
Common prosperity has been a nation-
wide pursuit over the course of China’s
modern development. Having roots in
traditional Chinese philosophy, the con-
cept calls for increased economic and
social equality, the promotion of a large
middle class and the reduction of divides
COURTESY PHOTO
http://www.bjreview.com

such as the rural-urban development
gap. The central authorities have been
empowering local governments to take
charge of their own paths to common
prosperity, making use of their distinctive
local resources and advantages to create
opportunities for balanced, people-cen-
tric growth. While, in terms of volume,
Heze’s grain production far outweighs
its production of peonies, the distinctive
nature of the city’s relationship with the
ÁRZHUVDQGWKHSRVLWLRQWKH\KROGZLWKLQ
the nation’s culture have made them a
natural choice as a vehicle for innovation
in the pursuit of prosperity.
Now, local peony art hangs above lo-
cally produced peony-patterned carpets
and tiles in the halls of Heze’s buildings.
Peony-patterned bottled water stands in
shops alongside peony-petal and peony-
stamen teas, peony-shaped and peony-
flavored ice creams, and peony cakes.
Peony-themed amusement parks offer
peony-themed souvenirs to peony-loving
tourists. Also, peony-themed hotels
serve peony-themed banquets on peony-
patterned porcelain, washed down with
peony-flavored baijiu, or Chinese dis-
tilled spirits.
Research has found that the consump-
tion of peony-seed oil has cardiovascular
and other health benefits, leading to
developments such as the production of
cooking oils and health foods, as well as
the application of peonies in the produc-
tion of skincare products, cosmetics and
even toothpaste.
Heze has grasped its distinctive lo-
cal advantage with both hands and now
has more than 120 companies operating
within peony-related industries, produc-
ing an annual output valued at 10 billion
yuan ($1.45 billion) and creating a de-
mand for 25,000 tons of peonies each
year. This demand is creating increased
economic opportunities for peony grow-
ers and new forms of employment for
Heze’s residents.
Going global
The short time the peonies are in bloom
http://www.bjreview.com
&8/785(
COURTESY PHOTO
A craftsperson in Heze creates peony-themed porcelain artworks
makes mid-spring a busy time in Heze, international communication should not
and early April has seen the city launch only be diverse but also localized and
should go hand in hand with the building
the 32nd Heze International Peony
of well-known peony-related intellectual
Cultural Tourism Festival on April 7, host
property and culture.
the 2023 World Peony Conference on
Speaking on the power of peonies
April 8-10 and inaugurate the Heze Peony
for cultural engagement overseas, Xi
International Communication Forum on
Yanchun, Director of the Information
$SULO+HOGWRÀQGQHZZD\VWRVKDUH
Office of the provincial government,
peony-related culture internationally, the
told the forum that work must be done to
forum welcomed the next phase in the
share the story of Heze’s peony-related
city’s ongoing cultural and economic
development with international audiences
development. Internationalizing peony
and create a culture of mutual learning
culture and encouraging the appreciation
around peonies.
RI&KLQD·VXQRIÀFLDOQDWLRQDOÁRZHUZLOO
Heze’s innovative use of peonies for
not only create new opportunities for
Heze’s products but also contribute to economic and cultural development has
become a prominent national example
China’s efforts in international cultural
engagement and exchange. of the pursuit of common prosperity.
Through innovations in international
Lu Cairong, Vice President of China
communication, this example can also
International Communications Group,
be of value to overseas communities
told the forum via video link that peonies
pursuing development and prosperity.
have been a vivid example of cultural
By sowing the (peony) seeds of cultural
exchange and integration between China
sharing, people can reap the increased
and other countries for centuries, but that
understanding that is currently so need-
as times change and new technologies
ed among nations. BR
develop, it is necessary to innovate the
(Reporting from Heze,
methods of international communica-
Shandong Province)
tion surrounding the flower to spur on
industrial development and further cul- Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to yanwei@cicgamericas.com
tural exchange. Lu said peony-related
APRIL 20, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 47
(;3$7·6ó(<(
Feeling Right at Home
By Akeel Lovell
A
s a young journalist from
Barbados, thousands of miles
across the world, the oppor-
tunity to visit China was one I simply
could not pass up. It’s a big country
with a massive population and has such
a significant influence on world affairs,
and yet I felt like I knew so little about
it. Of course, we read articles and watch
news items every now and again about
the political affairs involving China
and sports to an extent, but not much
about the country’s culture and people.
Joining the China International Press
Communication Center 2023 program
was a rare opportunity for me to get a
front-row seat to observe, and immerse
myself in, all of China’s offerings.
Before coming to China, I set one big
rule for myself: go to China with an open
mind and not let other people’s percep-
tions and opinions of the country skew
RULQÁXHQFHP\WZRPRQWKH[SHULHQFH,
DUULYHGLQ%HLMLQJWKHÀUVWZHHNRI0DUFK
and as the plane was preparing to land,
WKHÀUVWWKLQJ,QRWLFHGZKLOHORRNLQJRXW
the window was the large agricultural
lands being cultivated, my first indica-
tor of the country’s focus on being as
self-sufficient as possible, an objective
similar to that of my country. Barbados
and China have had strong diplomatic
ties since May 30, 1977 and both coun-
tries have praised each other’s dedication
to maintaining this relationship, which
has provided opportunities for its citi-
zens. And I think there’s even more our
countries could learn from each other.
Living in a country heavily driven
by a tourism economy, I am always re-
minded of how hospitable my people are.
But it was truly refreshing to be on the
48 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2023
receiving end of similar hospitality. The
Chinese, much like the Barbadians, have
been very friendly and kind to me, and
despite being of a different race, I felt
right at home.
Everywhere I’ve been so far, I was
greeted with a warm smile. In fact, a
short distance from where I am staying
is a small park with a couple of table ten-
nis tables. As a former junior table tennis
player, I thought this would be a rare
and equally great opportunity to play the
sport in the land which produces most
of its best players. I went over and, of
course, there were the usual stares. There
are not many people who look like me
over here, but I think it was more out of
curiosity than anything else. Those who
COURTESY PHOTO
Akeel Lovell poses with dancers during a
cultural event on Junshan Island, Hunan
Province, on March 31
were there invited me to play, and it was
an amazing experience. In spite of the
clear language barrier, if there was one
thing we understood, it was the sound of
a ping pong ball beating against the rub-
ber of the racket.
Meeting the basic necessities of one’s
life has been really easy over here, and
that’s because it can all be done with a
touch of a button. Being able to pay for
items, hail a taxi and order food all on
one app, such as Alipay and the Weixin
VXSHUDSSKDVEHHQDÀUVWIRUPH
The sense of safety is also a plus. No
matter the time of day or night, I truly
feel safe and never feel like I have to
look over my shoulder or second-guess
going through a street.
There is, however, room for im-
provement. If China wants to invite the
rest of the world through its doors, it
has to break down the language barrier,
especially in the digital space. I simply
mean that too many times when foreign-
ers are using apps to do daily tasks, it
requires them to use a lot of translation
apps, which is a tedious task—trust me.
There aren’t many English or other lan-
guage versions, which is a rare problem
in Europe and the Americas where apps
can easily convert to other languages ac-
curately or have in-app translation. This
sometimes can be a deterrent for doing
business here—in my experience.
My time in China has been refreshing
and I would encourage people all over the
world to experience the country for them-
selves and form their own opinions. BR
The author is a reporter with 1DWLRQ1HZV in Barbados
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to luyan@cicgamericas.com
http://www.bjreview.com
In addition to Beijing Review,
Review, CICG Americas
publishes China Hoy,
Hoy, a monthly publication
launched in 1960, aiming to bridge the gap
between China and the Spanish-speaking
world—particularly Latin-American countries.

Website: www.chinahoy.com.cn