SPECIAL REPORT: SINO-ARAB SYNERGY P.18 | FEATURES: CAN AI DETECT POTENTIAL? P.

36

VOL.67 NO.24 JUNE 13, 2024 WWW.BJREVIEW.COM

$ó0221
UMENTAL
MISSION
Accomplished:
&KDQJ·H probe lifts
off with lunar far side samples

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CONTENTS
EDITOR’S DESK 22 A Work in Progress 34 Steppes on Screen
02 Lunar Leap Sino-Arab cooperation set to deepen Nomads meet the nation in Cannes-nominated
 on all fronts drama series
THIS WEEK 36 You’re Hired!
OPINION Navigating the AI-driven hiring horizon
COVER STORY 24 Pointing Fingers, Missing 38 An Old Problem in a New Industry
12 From Darkness to Dawn Solutions :RUNHUV·ULJKWVDQGZURQJVLQWKHLQÁXHQFHU
Chang’e-6 moon probe’s bold The untold truth behind the U.S. economy
odyssey to the far side fentanyl crisis
40 Behind the Shadows
25 A Watershed Moment for Giving time-honored silhouette stories new
SPECIAL REPORT PricewaterhouseCoopers sheen
18 Stepping Up Cooperation Accounting giant sees China revenue
Building a shared community evaporate 42 A Roaring Legacy
with Arab states Lion dance inheritors march to the beat of
their own drum
20 Tang to Today: China FEATURES
and Bahrain’s Evolving Ties 28 The Will to Communicate
From ancient trade routes to China’s defense minister speaks out at CULTURE
modern diplomacy the Shangri-La Dialogue 46 Blossom Bonanza
%HLMLQJ·V+RUWLÁRUH[SRXQYHLOVQDWXUH·V
30 Food Matters the Most
palette
The new law safeguarding grain
32 An Apple of Discord?
Business and consumers oppose the
FORUM
48 Is It All Right for Fast-Tracked
“Apple tax”
Cover Photo: The lander-ascender Graduates to Quit Their Government
combination of the Chang’e-6 probe on
the lunar surface on June 3 (XINHUA) Posts?
©2024 Beijing Review, all rights reserved.

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EDITOR’S DESK
A News Weekly Magazine Lunar Leap
Published Since 1958
History was made on June 4 when the rendezvous and docking with the orbiter-
President: Li Yafang
Associate Editor in Chief: Liu Yunyun Chang’e-6 probe ascender lifted off from returner in lunar orbit on June 6. The
Vice Presidents: He Peng, Gao Dingbo
Content Supervisor: Yu Shujun the moon’s far side carrying samples. For collected samples were transferred to the
Executive Editor: Yan Wei WKHÀUVWWLPHKXPDQLW\KDVVXFFHVVIXOO\FRO- returner, which will re-enter Earth’s atmo-
Production Director: Yao Bin
Editors: Wang Hairong, Zhang Shasha, Lu Yan
lected samples from that side of the moon, sphere and land. The mission is expected
Researcher: Lan Xinzhen which always faces away from Earth. to conclude by the end of June.
Editorial Consultants: Elsbeth van Paridon, G.P. Wilson
Reporters: Ji Jing, Kang Caiqi, Li Qing, Li Wenhan, Li Xiaoyang, Though images have long been In Chinese mythology, the legendary
Liang Xiao, Ma Miaomiao, Pan Xiaoqiao, Peng Jiawei,
Tao Xing, Tao Zihui, Wang Jun, Wang Ruohan, Yuan Yuan, taken of this “hidden side,” the collected ÀJXUH&KDQJ·HDVFHQGVWRWKHPRRQDQGEH-
Zhang Yage samples will allow scientists to analyze
Photographer: Wei Yao comes its goddess after consuming an elixir
Art: Li Shigong the soil structure and physical proper- of immortality. Hence the name for China’s
Design Director: Wang Yajuan
Chief Designer: Cui Xiaodong ties on this rarely explored terrain more lunar exploration program, which aims for a
closely. This analysis could shed more manned landing before 2030. This program
Editorial Administrator: Zeng Wenhui
Planning Director: Xu Bei light on the moon’s formation and even
Deputy Planning Director: Li Nan
KDVVLJQLÀFDQWO\DGYDQFHGVLQFHWKHODXQFK
the origins of the solar system.
World News Director: Ding Ying of the Chang’e-1 probe in 2007, which
World News Deputy Director: Li Fangfang The far side of the moon is never visible
Director of Digital Media: Yu Shujun made a controlled crash on the lunar surface
Director of Strategic Research: Zan Jifang from Earth because the moon takes roughly
Deputy Director of Strategic Research: Lu Ling after orbiting the moon for 16 months.
the same amount of time to complete an
Administration: Zhang Yajie Notably, Chang’e-6 carried with it
International Cooperation: Sun Xuan orbit around Earth and to rotate on its axis:
Legal Counsel: Yue Cheng several international payloads. A French
some 27 days.
North America Bureau (New York City)
The Chang’e-4 probe made the first instrument was deployed to measure radon,
Chief: Yu Shujun
Executive Assistant: Zhao Wei ever soft landing on the moon’s far side in a radioactive gas, on the moon’s surface.
Tel/Fax: 1-201-792-0334 $GGLWLRQDOO\DQ,WDOLDQODVHUUHWURUHÁHFWRU
E-mail: yushujun@cicgamericas.com 2019. One year later, the Chang’e-5 mis-
Latin America Bureau (Mexico City)
sion returned samples from the moon’s near installed on the probe’s lander was used for
Chief: Miao Ye
Tel: 52-55-55127271 side. The Chang’e-6 probe was launched positioning and distance measurement.
Fax: 52-55-55332027
E-mail: chinahoymx@gmail.com on May 3. Its lander-ascender touched As China works toward its goal of un-
3HUX2IßFH /LPD
Chief: Meng Kexin down in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the covering the moon’s mysteries, it remains
Tel: 0051-959212702
largest, oldest and deepest basin recognized open to international collaboration. The
E-mail: revistachinaperu@gmail.com
*HQHUDO(GLWRULDO2IßFH on the moon, on June 2. It collected both country has underlined its commitment to
Tel: 86-10-68996252 subsurface samples by drilling and surface the peaceful use of space technology and is
Fax: 86-10-68326628
Editorial Desk samples with a robotic arm. ready to share its discoveries with the global
Tel: 86-10-68996250
Partnerships The ascender performed unmanned community. BR
Tel: 86-10-68995807
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2 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024 http://www.bjreview.com

 THIS WEEK
XINHUA

HIGH-FIVES AND
HIGH STAKES
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China’s national college entrance examination, known as the gaokao, kicked off that day. It’s not just any test; it’s arguably the
most high-stakes exam Chinese students ever take in their life.
A total of 13.42 million students have registered for the exam this year, an increase of 510,000 students from last year, according to
the Ministry of Education. The exam lasts two to four days, varying by province.

http://www.bjreview.com JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 3

THIS WEEK SOCIETY
Oars of Tradition
A dragon boat race at Longtan Park in Beijing on June 5 to usher in Duanwu, or the Dragon Boat Festival.
6JGHGUVKXCNEGNGDTCVGFQPVJG³HVJFC[QHVJG³HVJOQPVJQPVJGNWPKUQNCTECNGPFCTVQEQOOGOQTCVG
ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan from the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), fell on June 10 this year.
Legal Aid
China has launched a campaign to
strengthen legal aid for minors to
ensure their healthy growth.
The campaign, initiated by
the Ministry of Justice, specifies 10
measures, including establishing
dedicated hotlines, providing
specialized services, and lowering
the threshold for legal aid, Xinhua
News Agency reported on June 3.
Attorneys appointed should
have received specialized training
and be familiar with the physical
and mental characteristics of
minors, the ministry required.
Door-to-door services should
be provided for children whose
parents are away from home as
migrant workers, or children with
disabilities.
Last year, legal aid institutions
across China handled 180,000
cases involving minors, providing
150,000 legal consultations for the
group.
4 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
Street Racing
Crackdown
Chinese police will step up a crack-
down on street racing to ensure
safe and quiet nights for residents,
the Ministry of Public Security said
on June 3.
Car racing on public roads,
mostly taking place at night to
avoid police intervention, not
QPN[VJTGCVGPUVTCH³EUCHGV[DWV
also causes noise pollution,
which in turn disturbs people’s
rest, the ministry said in a press
release.
The ministry said a nation-
wide operation against street
racing has been carried out since
the beginning of this year and
has achieved notable progress.
In the press release, the min-
istry published 10 typical street
racing cases cracked down by
the police to raise public aware-
ness and called on the public to
report such illegal activities to
the police.
XINHUA
Grain Storage
Capacity
China’s continued construction of
grain warehouses, including green
facilities, brought the national
grain storage capacity to over 700
million tons by the end of 2023,
an increase of 36 percent from
2014, according to an official of
the National Food and Strategic
Reserves Administration.
Since the start of the 14th Five-
Year Plan period (2021-25), China
has built and upgraded grain stor-
age facilities with a total capacity
in excess of 65 million tons. Key
performance indicators such as
airtightness and thermal insulation
levels have significantly improved,
said Zhou Guanhua, Director of the
administration’s safe storage and
technology department, as quoted
in a report published byScience
and Technology Daily newspaper
on May 31.
In recent years, China has
established a comprehensive grain
storage system that is compatible
with grain production, reserves and
distribution, Zhou said, adding that
China’s grain storage facilities have
met the country’s grain purchase
and storage needs in terms of
overall capacity.
Outdated means of storing
grain, including stack storage and
open-air piles, have been largely
eliminated across the country, while
“four-in-one” grain storage tech-
nologies—covering mechanical
ventilation, fumigation, monitoring
and cooling—have been applied
as the standard in state-owned
grain warehouses, further improv-
ing grain storage quality and
freshness, Zhou said.
Lake Expansion
A new study has revealed that lakes
on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau
have expanded by more than
10,000 square km over the past
30 years, according to the Institute
of Tibetan Plateau Research under
the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Xinhua reported on June 4.
The study was led by Zhang
Guoqing, a researcher with
the Institute of Tibetan Plateau
Research. Its results have been pub-
lished inNature Geoscience journal,
providing scientific guidance for the
future development planning of
the plateau.
The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau is
known as the “Water Tower of Asia.”
Over the past 50 years, the lakes
have experienced rapid expansion,
driven by a complex interplay of
factors, according to Zhang.
The researchers integrated field
surveys, remote sensing observa-
tions and numerical modeling
to assess future changes in lake
surface area, water level and water
volume on the plateau. They also
assessed the ensuing risks to critical
infrastructure, human settlements
and key ecosystem components.
The findings of the study
suggest that, by 2100, even under
http://www.bjreview.com

a low-emissions scenario, the
surface area of endorheic lakes on
the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau will
increase by over 50 percent and
water levels will rise by around 10
meters compared to 2020.
This expansion represents
approximately a fourfold increase
in water storage compared with
the period from the 1970s to 2020,
according to the study.
The study highlights the urgent
need for water hazard mitigation
and management across the
Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, Zhang
said.
Marine Archaeology
Museum
China will start construction of its
national museum of marine ar-
chaeology this year in Qingdao, a
coastal city in Shandong Province,
the local government confirmed,
according to Xinhua on June 1.
The museum will be built in
the Qingdao Oceantec Valley with
a planned area of 29,333 square
meters and a construction area
of about 26,000 square meters, ac-
cording to Qingdao authorities.
Qingdao Oceantec Valley
administration bureau has said that
the museum, the first of its kind in
China, will showcase the country’s
marine archaeological history,
achievements and ancient marine
civilization with rare underwater cul-
tural relics permanently on display
in the museum.
http://www.bjreview.com
THIS WEEK
XINHUA
The museum will also serve as
an important platform for public
education and scientific research on
marine archaeology, showcasing
China’s efforts to protect its under-
water cultural heritage, according
to the administration bureau.
Medicine Market
Entry
China’s National Medical
Products Administration on
June 1 announced it had ap-
proved the market entry of 21
children’s medication this year,
with about one third prioritized
for accelerated entry.
Statistics show that since 2019,
the administration has approved
271 medicines for children.
Sky High Milestone
To address the clinical use of On June 1, students from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
medicines for children with urgent disembarked from a C919 jetliner at Shanghai Hongqiao International
needs, the administration has main- #KTRQTV6JKU´KIJVYCUVJG³TUVQXGTUGCUEQOOGTEKCNEJCTVGTGF´KIJV
tained close contact with research for the C919 jetliner, operated by China Eastern Airlines, providing a
and development institutions round-trip service between Shanghai and Hong Kong.
to accelerate related work, while
greenlighting review and approval The initiative is a collaborative effort The plan highlighted the
procedures. between the NHC, the National importance of involvement from
Administration of Traditional non-health sectors and com-
Health Literacy Plan Chinese Medicine and the National munities in advancing health
China has announced a three-year Disease Control and Prevention literacy, as well as the need to
action plan to improve the health Administration. shift the focus from disease treat-
literacy of all citizens from this Key measures outlined in ment to prevention.
year to 2027, the National Health VJGRNCPKPENWFGKPVGPUK³GF It further designated the month
Commission (NHC) said on June 6. promotion of health literacy, of June each year for health literacy
According to the plan, the regulating the dissemination of education from now on.
target is to raise the health literacy health information, nurturing China’s health literacy has
among Chinese residents by an skilled professionals, as well as steadily risen and reached 29.7
average of around 2 percentage stepping up social advocacy and percent in 2023, the NHC said in
points each year during this period. mobilization in this domain. April.
XINHUA
Fresh and Flowering
8KNNCIGTUJCTXGUVCEWOKPCVGQVVGNKCU´QYGTKPICSWCVKERNCPVU
endemic to south and southwest China, in Eryuan County of Dali
Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, on June 5. The
acuminate ottelia only lives in fresh water of high quality and is
viewed as an indicator species of the natural environment. Its
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ethnic group in southwest China.
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 5
THIS WEEK ECONOMY
Credit System
The National Development and
Reform Commission, China’s
top economic planner, on June
4 unveiled a plan to expand the
country’s social credit system.
According to the plan, the
country will accelerate legisla-
tion related to the system while
regulating the procedures for
utilizing credit information.
.QECN³PCPEKPIETGFKV
service platforms will be further
integrated, with greater efforts to
IWCTCPVGGUCHGT´QYUQHRWDNKE
data and stronger protection of
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data.
A standardized and reliable
credit record mechanism for
business registration, legal ser-
XKEGUVCZCVKQPEWUVQOU³PCPEG
and intellectual property rights
will be introduced. The country’s
social credit system will expand
to cover healthcare, child and se-
nior care, housekeeping, tourism
and shopping, as per the plan.
The plan also includes
measures to ensure government
NUMBERS
60
55
50 49 49.3
48.8
45
40
35
30
25
20
MAY JUN JUL
2023
6 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
trustworthiness and enhance
credit data collection for civil
servants, lawyers, housekeepers
CPF³PCPEKCNRTQHGUUKQPCNU
Road Logistics
As demand for road freight
export expanded in April and
May, China’s road logistics price
index, an indicator that measures
the costs and trends of the busi-
ness, rose in May, industry data
showed.
The index came in at 103 that
month, slightly above the base-
line value of 100, up 0.13 percent
month on month and rising 0.39
percent year on year, according
to a survey jointly conducted by
the China Federation of Logistics
and Purchasing and Guangdong
Lin’an Logistics Group.
5RGEK³ECNN[VJG³IWTGHQT
full-truckload logistics, which
mainly measures bulk commod-
ity and regional transportation,
stood at 103.2, up 0.18 percent
from the previous month and
climbing 0.46 percent year on
year, according to the survey.
The association attributed the
China’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)
50.2
49.7 49.5 49.4
AUG SEP OCT NOV
growth of the index to increased
activity in the road logistics
market in April and May,
noting that both surveyed freight
volume through main routes of
express delivery and the volume
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on expressways had rebounded
month on month in May.
Profit Growth
6QVCNRTQ³VUQHVJGUQHVYCTGCPF
information technology service
sector jumped 14.3 percent year
on year to 431.4 billion yuan
DKNNKQP KPVJG³TUVHQWT
months of 2024, while combined
revenue rose 11.6 percent to 3.8
trillion yuan ($524.6 billion)
during the period, according
to the Ministry of Industry and
Information Technology.
Total revenue of the infor-
mation technology service sub-
sector increased 13.2 percent year
on year to around 2.5 trillion
yuan ($345.1 billion), contributing
65.9 percent of the total revenue
of the industry as a whole.
5RGEK³ECNN[VJGEQODKPGF
revenue of cloud computing
50.8 50.4
49 49.2 49.1
DEC JAN FEB MAR APR
2024
and big data services surged 14.3
percent year on year, reaching
410.7 billion yuan ($56.7 billion).
The data also revealed that
revenues from software products
and information security had
increased 8.7 percent and 9.3
percent, respectively, year on
year.
Overseas
Warehouses
China will promote the construc-
tion of overseas warehouses
and expand cross-border e-
commerce exports, He Yadong, a
spokesperson for the Ministry of
Commerce, said on May 30.
Cross-border e-commerce
is an essential driver of China’s
foreign trade growth. In the past
³XG[GCTU%JKPC«UETQUUDQTFGT
e-commerce trade has expanded
more than tenfold, He told a
regular press conference.
The ministry plans to release
guidelines to further boost cross-
border e-commerce exports and
promote the construction of
overseas warehouses, he said.
49.5
MAY
http://www.bjreview.com

+PVJG³TUVSWCTVGT 3 QH
this year, China’s cross-border e-
commerce trade reached 577.6
billion yuan ($79.7 billion), rising
9.6 percent year on year, of
which exports amounted to 448
billion yuan ($61.8 billion), with a
growth rate of 14 percent.
China has over 120,000
cross-border e-commerce enti-
ties and over 1,000 cross-border
e-commerce industrial parks. The
number of overseas warehouses
has surpassed 2,500, covering
over 30 million square meters.
SOE Revenue
State-owned enterprises (SOEs)
nationwide maintained steady
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months of the year, reporting
increased total revenue and
RTQ³VUCEEQTFKPIVQQH³EKCNFCVC
released on May 29.
Data from the Ministry of
Finance showed that during the
period, the SOEs generated more
than 26.19 trillion yuan ($3.6 tril-
lion) in operating revenue, up 3.2
percent from a year earlier.
6JGEQODKPGFRTQ³VUQH
60 China’s Non-Manufacturing PMI
55 54.5 53.2
51.5 51 51.7 50.6 50.2 50.4
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY
2023
http://www.bjreview.com
SOEs increased 3.8 percent year
on year to more than 1.38 trillion
yuan ($190.5 billion), the data
showed.
The SOEs saw their debt-to-
asset ratio reach 64.9 percent at
the end of April, up 0.1 percent-
age point from the previous year,
according to the ministry.
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³PCPEKCN³TOUYGTGEQNNGEVGF
from SOEs in provincial-level
regions and those administered
by the Central Government.
Aviation
Maintenance
Platform
An international aviation
maintenance services platform
belonging to China Eastern
Airlines began construc-
tion on June 3 in Shanghai
Municipality’s Yangshan Special
Comprehensive Bonded Zone,
a designated area that enjoys
unique policies to facilitate trade
and logistics activities.
The platform, which has an
investment of 1.5 billion yuan
53
50.7 51.4 51.2 51.1
2024
($207 million) and covers over
110,000 square meters, will in-
clude three hangars, supporting
workshops, and facilities for ac-
cessory repair and refurbishment
projects.
Fang Zhaoya, President of
China Eastern’s technology com-
pany, said the platform’s Hangar
No.1 will be the largest of its kind
in Asia, able to accommodate
nine wide-body aircraft undergo-
ing maintenance simultaneously.
Its 316-meter span, 146-meter
depth and ability to facilitate
wide-body aircraft maintenance
are rare for hangars in Asia, and
even globally.
The project is expected to be
completed and delivered in the
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1.8 million hours of aircraft main-
tenance services annually.
Credit Asset Quality
China’s commercial banks saw
their non-performing loan ratio
standing at 1.59 percent at the
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reported at the end of last year,
QH³EKCNFCVCUJQYGFQP/C[
60 China’s Comprehensive PMI
55
52.9 52.3 51.1 51.3 52
50.7 50.4 50.3 50.9 50.9 52.7 51.7 51
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY
2023
THIS WEEK
The non-performing loan
balance of the commercial
banks reached 3.4 trillion yuan
($469.3 billion) at the end of
March, 141.4 billion yuan ($19.5
billion) more than that at the end
of December 2023, data from the
National Financial Regulatory
Administration revealed.
6JGFCVCEQP³TOGFVJCVVJG
country’s commercial banks
had maintained generally stable
credit asset quality.
The performing loan bal-
ance of the commercial banks
was 208.2 trillion yuan ($28.7 tril-
lion) at the end of March, while
outstanding loans by banking
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commercial banks, to small and
micro-sized enterprises totaled
74.4 trillion yuan ($10.3 trillion),
according to the data.
At the end of Q1, the total
domestic and foreign currency
CUUGVUQH%JKPC«UDCPMKPI³PCP-
cial institutions stood at 429.6
trillion yuan ($59.3 trillion), an
increase of 8.1 percent year on
year, the data indicated.
2024
(Source: National Bureau of Statistics)
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 7
THIS WEEK WORLD
CNSPHOTO

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FRANCE SRI LANKA

A special stamp commemorating
the 80th anniversary of the D-Day
Landings is on display at a store
in Paris on June 6
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on the outskirts of Colombo on June 3,
following several days of heavy rains.
6XEVHTXHQWßRRGVDQGODQGVOLGHVFODLPHG
the lives of 12 people and affected
over 87,000
XINHUA

SLOVENIA
Prime Minister Robert Golob (front) attends a
parliamentary session at which the proposal of
recognizing Palestine as an independent state
was approved in Ljubljana on June 4
XINHUA

8 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024 http://www.bjreview.com

 THIS WEEK

¼
INDIA
2IĶFLDOVIRUWKHJHQHUDOHOHFWLRQVFDUU\HOHFWURQLFYRWLQJ
machines at a ballot counting station in Jaipur on June 4

XINHUA

XINHUA

¼
GERMANY
A man visits the Airbus booth
at the ILA Berlin Air Show in
Schoenefeld on June 5

UNITED KINGDOM
Real Madrid players celebrate with
the trophy after winning the 2024
UEFA Champions League’s Final
against Borussia Dortmund
in London on June 1
XINHUA

http://www.bjreview.com JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 9

THIS WEEK PEOPLE & POINTS
¾ (6.,1ó(1*,1((5
Zhang Yihui, a professor of engineering mechanics at Tsinghua University, led a team of
&KLQHVHVFLHQWLVWVWRFUHDWHWKHZRUOG·VÀUVWELRLQVSLUHGHOHFWURQLFVNLQ
This e-skin is capable of achieving simultaneous decoding and perception of three me-
chanical signals—pressure, friction and strain—at the physical level, according to a study
recently published in the journal Science.
According to Zhang, the corresponding author of the study, the e-skin holds the poten-
WLDOWREHLQWHJUDWHGLQWRWKHÀQJHUWLSVRIPHGLFDOURERWVIRUSUHFLVHHDUO\VWDJHGLDJQRVWLFV
and interventions.
Zhang earned his Ph.D. from Tsinghua in 2011. Before joining the
Tsinghua faculty in 2015, he worked as a research assistant professor in
civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University in the U.S.
He is the 2024 recipient of the James R. Rice Medal from the Society of
Engineering Science, an organization of leading engineers, scientists and
mathematicians from around the world.

Protecting Privacy Against AI users’ contacts, photo albums, locations, and

People’s Daily Overseas Edition
June 3
The collection of personal data has long been
a concern for Internet users, but the increasing
XVHRIWKHVHGDWDE\DUWLÀFLDOLQWHOOLJHQFH $, 
is raising new concerns about privacy and
safety. Many AI applications need to collect
personal data to provide more personalized
services, and many require users to “read
and agree” to sharing their data before they
are granted access. Major online platforms
are also updating their privacy protection
policies, informing users that their personal
information will be utilized to support the
development of AI. This now often includes
HYHQWKHLUYRLFHDQGÀQJHUSULQWV
Cases of AI-related privacy violations
are becoming increasingly common. The
Beijing Internet Court recently adjudicated
WKHÀUVWFDVHRI$,UHODWHGLQIULQJHPHQWRI
KXPDQYRLFHFRPPHUFLDOULJKWVÀQGLQJLQ
favor of the plaintiff whose voice had been
used by AI technology without consent
and compensation.
China has already introduced regula-
tions explicitly requiring AI applications
to protect commercial secrets and personal
privacy from infringement. Users should
now be better educated on the protection
of personal data to guard against the new
risks posed by AI.
New Community Life
Lifeweek
May 27
Over the more than three decades of
China’s housing boom, urban families
frequently moved between apartments
and were hardly interested in who their
neighbors were or how their communi-
ties were managed. Today, however, as
the golden age of real estate draws to a
close, families are increasingly expecting

“It is an important responsibility of “We truly see it as a bridge of

the museum to inherit and promote friendship and understanding
literature, especially to sow the seeds between our two peoples and our
of love for literature among the two communities.”
younger generation.” Dan Strauss, a member of the Seattle City Council,
3RRQó<LXPLQJ, a curator of the Museum of Hong Kong UHIHUULQJóWRóWKHó6HDWWOHó&KLQHVHó*DUGHQóDó&KRQJTLQJVW\OHó
Literature, Hong Kong’s first literary museum, as the garden built in Seattle in 1988 as a symbol of friendship,
museum opened to the public on May 27 as the two cities celebrated the 41st anniversary of their
sister city relationship on June 3

10 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024 http://www.bjreview.com


to spend decades in the same apartment,
and carefully weigh up the pros and cons
of each residential community as they
search for their “forever homes.” Once
they find them, these families are now
taking a greater interest in neighborhood
affairs and are becoming more active in
community management.
The vast majority of China’s residen-
tial communities are made up of groups
of apartment buildings. These spatial and
social communities serve as transitional
spaces between private homes and public
urban environments. Urban residents are
now learning to navigate new relation-
ships and new modes of interaction as
they pursue the goal of happy long-term
coexistence.
Communist Party of China orga-
nizations play a leading role in the
governance of China’s urban neighbor-
hoods. For instance, Party organizations
encourage residents who are adept at
public affairs to stand as candidates
for their homeowners’ committee.
Homeowners’ committees coordinate
with all stakeholders including residents,
property management companies and lo-
cal governments to manage community
affairs. This model is in its fledgling
stage and challenges still abound.
“When we speak about solidarity and
cooperation, China has shown its very,
very important and leading role in
promoting solidarity and cooperation
around the world.”
María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session
of the United Nations General Assembly, in a recent interview with
Xinhua News Agency, underscoring China’s significant impact on
global peace and sustainable development
http://www.bjreview.com
THIS WEEK
Caring for Young Mental
Health social environment at an alarming speed,
which can affect adolescents. A report by the
Guangming Daily Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy
June 3 of Social Sciences, in 2023 reveals that 14.8
In Chinese, “May 25” sounds like “I love percent of surveyed students are struggling
myself” and the date has thus been known with depression to varying extents.
as a day for student mental health in colleges Schools should make mental health
and middle schools since 2004. This year, courses part of the curriculum and offer more
May was designated as the official month opportunities for students to leave classrooms
for student psychological health education, and embrace colorful campus life and nature.
with activities held on campuses around the Staff with mental health training should al-
country. ways be available. Additionally, harmonious
Today, mental health is becoming an families are crucial for young people’s men-
issue for more and more students, and at tal health and all sectors of society should
younger ages than ever. Rapid technological play their parts to improve students’ mental
and economic development is changing the health.
¾ OLDEST CHINESE TO REACH MT. QOMOLANGMA SUMMIT
Wang Jian, a 70-year-old Chinese mountaineer, successfully reached the summit of
Mount Qomolangma at 8,848.86 meters from the north slope in mid-May. Wang is the
oldest Chinese mountaineer ever to reach the summit of the world’s highest peak, accord-
ing to the Mountaineering Association of Xizang Autonomous Region.
Wang is the cofounder and board chairman of genomics giant BGI Group. This is his
second time reaching the summit of Mount Qomolangma, as he previously climbed from
the south slope in May 2010.
After reaching the summit, Wang and his team used handheld ultra-
VRXQGHTXLSPHQWWRFDSWXUHWKHZRUOG·VÀUVWXOWUDVRXQGLPDJHIURPWKH
top of the world—an image of a team member’s carotid artery.
$FFRUGLQJWR%*,*URXS·VRIÀFLDOZHEVLWHWKLVDVFHQWZDVLQWHQGHG
to provide deep insights into the adaptive physiological mechanisms of the
human body at extreme altitudes.
“The path to becoming a female
scientist may be challenging, but
it is not enough to stop you from
moving forward. So, be brave and
be yourself.”
Yan Ning, a Chinese structural biologist, in her
acceptance speech as she received the 2024
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$ZDUGóIRUóWKHó$VLD3DFLILFóUHJLRQóRQó0D\ó
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 11
XINHUA

COVER STORY

FROM DARKNESS TO DAWN

China’s spacecraft takes off from moon with first samples from lunar far side By Ji Jing
he ascender of The ascender—one of the four major compo- sampling and liftoff operation on
China’s Chang’e-6 nents of the unmanned spacecraft—began its ascent the moon’s far side by any country,
probe lifted off from at 7:38 a.m. Beijing Time and flew for about six the space administration said.
the lunar surface minutes before reaching lunar orbit, according to the The ascender carried out un-
on June 4, carrying China National Space Administration (CNSA). manned rendezvous and docking
samples collected from the moon’s The return of the ascender into lunar orbit with the orbiter-returner combina-
far side. marked the successful completion of the first tion in lunar orbit, and the samples
12 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024 http://www.bjreview.com
 A stitched panoramic image, taken
with the panoramic camera on the
lander of the Chang’e-6 probe and
released by the China National Space
Administration on June 4, shows a view
of the lunar surface on the far side of
the moon

The choice was made because of

were transferred to the returner.
The orbiter-returner combina-
tion will orbit the moon, awaiting
the optimal time to re-enter Earth’s
atmosphere, carrying the lunar
samples and aiming to touch
down at Siziwang Banner in Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region, the
CNSA said.
The 8.35-metric-ton Chang’e-6
probe, the world’s first attempt to
bring back samples from the far
side of the moon, was launched on
May 3 from the Wenchang Space
Launch Center in Hainan Province
and entered lunar orbit on May 8.
The lander-ascender combination separated from
the orbiter-returner combination on May 30 and
touched down at the designated landing area in the
South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on June 2.
Precise landing
According to Li Chunlai, the deputy chief designer
of the Chang’e-6, the probe landed precisely at the
designated area. This area is likely to be covered
ZLWKDORWRIEDVDOWZKLFKLVYHU\EHQHÀFLDOIRUJHR-
ORJLFDOUHVHDUFKDQGFDQGHOLYHUVLJQLÀFDQWVFLHQWLÀF
value.
The landing site is at an impact crater known
as the Apollo Basin, located within the SPA Basin.
the Apollo Basin’s potential value
for scientific exploration, as well
as the conditions of the landing
area, including communication
and telemetry conditions and the
flatness of the terrain, said Huang
Hao, a space expert from the China
Aerospace Science and Technology
Corp. (CASC).
The colossal SPA Basin was
formed by a celestial collision over
4 billion years ago and has a diam-
eter of 2,500 km, equivalent to the
distance from Beijing to Hainan,
and a depth of about 13 km. It is
the oldest and largest impact crater
on the moon and in the solar sys-
tem, and it may provide the earliest
information available about the
moon, according to scientists.
The huge impact of the celes-
tial collision that formed the SPA
Basin may have ejected materials
from the depths of the moon. If
such materials can be collected and
returned to Earth for study, they
would provide new insights into
both the early impact history of
the solar system and the geological
evolution of the moon.
Huang added that the terrain
on the far side of the moon is more
rugged than the near side, with
IHZHUFRQWLQXRXVÁDWDUHDV+RZHYHU
the Apollo Basin is flatter than other
areas on the far side, which made it
conducive to landing. ʈʈ

http://www.bjreview.com JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 13

 The lander is equipped with
multiple sensors, including micro-
wave, laser and optical imaging
sensors which can measure distance
and speed, and identify obstacles
on the lunar surface, Huang said.
To prevent interference to opti-
cal sensors by lunar dust during
landing, the lander is also equipped
with gamma-ray sensors to accu-
rately measure the altitude through
particle rays, ensuring that the
engine shuts down on time and the
lander touches down smoothly on
the lunar surface, he added.
At the same time, the landing
legs play a role as buffers, absorb-
ing the impact energy of landing
and ensuring the safety of the
equipment on the lander.
Autonomous sampling
$IWHUWKHVSDFHFUDIWÀQLVKHGLWVLQ-
telligent and rapid sampling work,
the samples were stowed in a con-
tainer inside the probe’s ascender
Technical personnel monitor the Chang’e-6 ascender’s takeoff from the far side of the moon at the
Beijing Aerospace Control Center in Beijing on June 4
14 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
as planned, the CNSA said. For example, instead of send-
It adopted two methods of moon sampling, in- ing action-by-action commands,
cluding using a drill to collect subsurface samples ground control was able to send
and collecting samples on the surface with a robotic a longer instruction. The probe
arm. It automatically gathered samples at different then executed the multiple actions
sites. necessary to carry out that instruc-
According to Jin Shengyi, the deputy designer tion and used the real-time data
of the lunar sample collecting and packaging sys- collected by the sensors to evaluate
tem for the Chang’e-6 at the CASC, the Chang’e-6 whether the instruction was well
probe development team built a simulation lab in executed.
advance to ensure a smooth sampling process. The multiple payloads installed
Using this simulation, they developed and on the lander, including the landing
verified sampling strategies and equipment control camera, panoramic camera, lunar
procedures to ensure the accuracy of instructions. soil structure detector and lunar
Even with the help of the Queqiao-2 relay mineral spectrum analyzer, worked
satellite service, the window for Earth-moon com- well and carried out scientific ex-
munication is still shorter on the far side of the ploration as planned, the CNSA
moon than on the near side. Therefore, the sampling said.
time of Chang’e-6 was reduced to about 14 hours, The lunar soil structure detec-
compared with the 22 hours used by its predecessor tor provided reference data for the
Chang’e-5. sample drilling.
7RVDYHWLPHDQGLPSURYHHIÀFLHQF\WKHGHYHORS- The three international pay-
ment team made the sampling process more intelligent, loads also successfully carried out
allowing Chang’e-6 to execute instructions and make WKHLUVFLHQWLÀFGHWHFWLRQREMHFWLYHV
judgments autonomously to reduce the Earth-moon according to the CNSA. The three
interactions, Jin said. international payloads are installed
on the lander and consist of the
XINHUA
lunar surface negative ion analyzer
from the European Space Agency
(ESA), France’s lunar radon detec-
WRUDQG,WDO\·VODVHUUHWURUHÁHFWRU
The Chang’e-6 mission also
carried a cube satellite from
Pakistan that was aboard the or-
biter. It separated from the orbiter
on May 8 to carry out exploration
activities, such as capturing images
of the moon. China delivered data
provided by the cube satellite to
Pakistan on May 10.
After the sampling was com-
pleted, a Chinese national flag
carried by the lander was unfurled
for the first time on the far side
of the moon. Due to the different
ODQGLQJSRVLWLRQVWKHQDWLRQDOÁDJ
display system of the Chang’e-6
was improved on the basis of the
Chang’e-5 mission.
Unlike takeoff on Earth, the
ascender could not rely on a launch
http://www.bjreview.com
 XINHUA
tower system, so the lander acted
as the ascender’s launch pad.
The Chang’e-6 ascender’s take-
off from the far side of the moon
differed from the Chang’e-5 ascent
from the near side, as it could not
directly receive ground control and
support. It utilized its sensors to
achieve autonomous positioning
and orientation, with the assistance
of Queqiao-2 for communication.

International cooperation
Ge Ping, spokesperson for the
Chang’e-6 mission and Deputy
Director of the CNSA’s Lunar
Exploration and Space Engineering
Center, believes that through de-
tailed analysis of the soil structure,
physical properties and material
composition of the Chang’e-6
samples, scientists will be able to
deepen research on the genesis and
evolutionary history of the moon
and the origin of the solar system,
laying a foundation for later ex-
ploratory missions.
Chinese scientists will share
scientific data generated by the
mission with their international
partners and carry out joint re-
search, Ge said, noting that access
to the Chang’e-6 samples will open
for international applications at a
later stage.
When watching the landing pro-
cess at the National Astronomical
Observatories, which fall under
the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Pierre-Yves Meslin, principal in-
vestigator of France’s lunar radon
detector program, said he and his
colleagues had been thinking about
this moment for years.
“We were looking at the
moon almost every night here in
Beijing,” he revealed, while adding
that it is a very good idea to have
international collaboration because
scientific study requires a large
community of scientists.
http://www.bjreview.com
An image taken from a video animation at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center on June 4 shows
the ascender of China’s Chang’e-6 probe, carrying samples collected from the moon’s far side,
lifting off from the lunar surface
“It’s a very impressive and ambitious mission.
We are very pleased to be a part of it. The collabora-
tion has gone very smoothly,” said Neil Melville-
Kenney, technical officer of the ESA’s Negative
Ions on the Lunar Surface project.
“I think space exploration encourages us to con-
sider our planet as one and our people as one,” he
added.
China officially launched its Chang’e lunar
exploration program in 2004. The program
was named after the mythical Chinese goddess
Chang’e who floated to the moon.
Luan Enjie, a senior adviser to China’s lunar
probe program and former director of the CNSA,
told China Science Daily that China’s lunar program
consists of three stages, namely “orbiting,” “landing”
and “returning” from the moon with lunar soil and
rock samples.
“The first phase of the project involved de-
veloping and sending a lunar probe and making
breakthroughs in key technologies
of circumlunar exploration,” Luan
said.
The second phase of the Chang’e
program involved soft landing on
the moon and patrol and survey of
the lunar surface and the third phase
involved collecting samples from the
moon and returning the samples back
to Earth for further research, according
to Luan. BR
(With reporting from Xinhua
News Agency)
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to jijing@cicgamericas.com
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 15

STEPPING UP COOPERATION
China and Arab states pledge to work together in more emerging areas
By Ma Miaomiao
S
everal of the Mogao Caves,
a UNESCO World Heritage
Site in Dunhuang, Gansu
Province in northwest China, have
an interesting pattern that depict
three racing rabbits, with each two
sharing one ear.
This unique pattern is also seen
on chinaware found in Egypt, on
the clocks of some churches in
Germany, and on tile paintings in
the United Kingdom—all thanks
to the ancient Silk Road that con-
nected China with places afar.
“The pattern was first found
in Dunhuang in the sixth century,
flowed to Central and West Asia
along the Silk Road between the
ninth and 11th centuries, and en-
tered Egypt and Europe from the
13th to 16th century,” Zhao Yanlin,
a researcher at the Dunhuang
Academy, told Xinhua News
Agency.
Commerce and trade consti-
tuted the earliest link between the
Chinese and many other civiliza-
tions. Over 2,000 years ago, China
and Arab countries exchanged
goods and ideas with camel
caravans along the Silk Road and
commercial fleets traversing the
Maritime Silk Road routes.
China has now been the Arab
region’s largest trading partner for
many years in a row. Trade volume
between China and Arab countries
increased from $36.7 billion in
2004 to $398 billion in 2023.
On May 30, the 10th
Ministerial Conference of the
China-Arab States Cooperation
Forum (CASCF) took place in
18 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
SPECIAL REPORT
Beijing. It adopted a series of outcome documents,
highlighting the growing ties between China and the
Arab world, as well as their common desire to unite
and cooperate and elevate China-Arab relations to
a new level, Sun Degang, Director of the Center for
Middle Eastern Studies at the Shanghai-based Fudan
University, told Guangming Daily.
In 2004, China and the Arab League (AL) jointly
launched the CASCF as an important platform for
collective dialogue and cooperation between China
and the Arab countries.
Outcomes
In December 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping
put forward eight major cooperation initiatives for
practical cooperation at the First China-Arab States
Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Early results have
been achieved, Xi said in his keynote speech at the
opening ceremony of the ministerial meeting, add-
ing that, moving forward, China is ready to work
ZLWK$UDEFRXQWULHVRQWKDWEDVLVWRSXWLQSODFHÀYH
cooperation frameworks to step up the building of a
Sino-Arab community with a shared future.
7KHÀYHIUDPHZRUNVFRQVLVWRIDPRUHG\QDPLF
framework for innovation, an expanded framework
for investment and finance cooperation, a more
multifaceted framework for energy cooperation, a
more balanced framework for mutually beneficial
economic and trade ties, and a broader framework
for people-to-people exchanges.
“The two sides will build 10 joint laboratories
in areas including life and health, artificial intelli-
gence, green and low-carbon development, modern
agriculture, and space and information technology,
demonstrating the upgrading of Sino-Arab coop-
eration from traditional fields to more emerging
ones,” Ding Long, a professor at the Middle East
Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies
University, told the newspaper Global Times.
China-Arab states cooperation is moving in
a more multidimensional and in-depth direc-
tion, according to Sun. The green economy, high
technology and regional security governance will
become new priorities, he added.
The conference adopted the
Beijing Declaration, the CASCF
execution plan for 2024-26 and
a China-Arab states joint state-
ment on the Palestinian issue. The
Beijing Declaration clarifies the
practical path for promoting the
building of a China-Arab com-
munity with a shared future. The
execution plan charts the course
for strengthening the building of a
forum mechanism in the next two
years and promoting bilateral and
multilateral cooperation in fields
such as politics, economy and trade,
LQYHVWPHQWÀQDQFHLQIUDVWUXFWXUH
resources and environment, cultural
exchange, aerospace, education and
health.
On the sidelines of the confer-
ence, China also signed a number
of bilateral and multilateral co-
operation documents with the
participating Arab countries and
the General Secretariat of the AL.
Growing ties
Up until now, China has forged
comprehensive strategic partner-
ships or strategic partnerships with
14 Arab countries and the AL. All
the 22 Arab countries and the AL
have signed documents with China
on cooperation under the frame-
work of the China-proposed Belt
and Road Initiative, which aims to
boost connectivity along and be-
yond the ancient Silk Road routes.
In his speech, Xi voiced China’s
readiness to work with Arab coun-
tries to make their relations a model
for maintaining world peace and
http://www.bjreview.com

Visitors learn about a clean energy project at the Sixth China-Arab States Expo in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui
Autonomous Region, on September 22, 2023
stability, a fine example of high-
quality Belt and Road cooperation,
a paradigm of harmonious coexis-
tence between civilizations, and a
model for promoting good global
governance.
Xi also said China welcomes
Arab banks to join the Cross-Border
Interbank Payment System, sup-
ports Chinese energy companies and
ÀQDQFLDOLQVWLWXWLRQVLQSDUWLFLSDWLQJ
in renewable energy projects in Arab
states with a total installed capac-
ity of over 3 million kilowatts, and
continues to vigorously implement
development cooperation projects
with a total worth of 3 billion yuan
($414 million).
What Xi mentioned are all
tangible development projects,
Sun said.
Speaking about joint efforts
http://www.bjreview.com
that brought reconciliation among
XINHUA
countries in the region.
In April, representatives of the
Palestinian National Liberation
Movement (Fatah) and the Islamic
Resistance Movement (Hamas)
were invited to Beijing to hold
talks on the promotion of intra-
Palestinian reconciliation.
The Middle East is a land be-
stowed with broad prospects for
development, but the war is still
raging on it, Xi said at the opening
ceremony of the conference. Since
it broke out last October, the ongo-
ing Palestinian-Israeli conflict has
escalated drastically, throwing the
people into tremendous sufferings.
Xi stressed that war should not
FRQWLQXHLQGHÀQLWHO\MXVWLFHVKRXOG
not be absent forever and com-
mitment to the two-state solution
should not be wavered at will. The
internationally backed two-state
solution calls for the establish-
ment of an independent Palestinian
state on the 1967 borders with East
Jerusalem as its capital, living in
to build a Sino-Arab community with a shared fu- peace with Israel.
ture in the new era, AL Secretary General Ahmed The China-Arab states joint
Aboul-Gheit, who attended the conference, told statement on the Palestinian issue
Xinhua ahead of the event that “there is a sense of expresses the deep concerns of
well-grounded mutual trust, and the two sides are China and Arab states over the pro-
bound by win-win cooperation aiming at common ORQJHGFRQÁLFWLQ*D]DZKLFKKDV
interests.” resulted in a humanitarian disaster.
It emphasizes the firm stance
More prospects and important consensus of the two
Aboul-Gheit also praised the 19 working mecha- sides in promoting a ceasefire in
nisms within the CASCF framework. Gaza, ensuring humanitarian aid,
“This means that there are 19 sectors in which opposing the forced displacement
work is being done to enhance cooperation, such as of Palestinian people, supporting
the sectors of culture, women’s rights, trade, produc- Palestine’s full membership in the
tion and ports. These are extremely important areas United Nations, and steadfastly
which require a lot of endeavor, innovation and working toward an early resolution
cooperation between experts on both sides, and the of the Palestinian issue based on
commitment to the implementation of these mecha- the two-state solution. BR
nisms,” he said.
China’s engagement with Arab countries ex-
tends beyond the economic scope. Last year, under
the mediation of China, Saudi Arabia resumed Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to mamm@cicgamericas.com
diplomatic ties with Iran, a significant milestone
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 19

TANG TO TODAY: CHINA AND
BAHRAIN’S EVOLVING
By Mohammed Saleh
TIES
T
he relations between China
and Bahrain can be traced
back to the Tang Dynasty
(618-907), with solid evidence support-
ing the existence of commercial ties
between the two countries.
Fast forward to modern times and
formal diplomatic relations between
the People’s Republic of China and the
Kingdom of Bahrain were established
on April 18, 1989, building on the
foundation of centuries-old cultural and
commercial exchanges.
Over the past 35 years, the two
countries have worked tirelessly to
deepen their ties, with high-level visits
and agreements laying the groundwork
for their growing partnership. King of
Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s
visit to China in 2013 was a milestone
in the history of the two countries’ rela-
tionship, as it was the highest-level visit
to ever take place, with several memo-
randa of cooperation and agreements
VLJQHGLQGLIIHUHQWÀHOGV
Thriving trade
Trade between China and Bahrain has
been on a steady upward trajectory,
with the value of bilateral trade reach-
ing over $2 billion in recent years.
China has become one of Bahrain’s
largest trading partners, with a diverse
range of exports, including machinery,
electrical equipment and chemical
products.
In the early 2000s, Bahrain be-
came one of the first Arab countries
to support China’s accession to the
World Trade Organization in 2001,
demonstrating its commitment to
strengthening economic cooperation.
This laid the foundation for the two
countries to explore new avenues of
20 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
SPECIAL REPORT
collaboration in the years that followed.
Bahrain’s strategic location, business-friendly poli-
FLHVDQGDGYDQFHGLQIUDVWUXFWXUHKDYHDWWUDFWHGVLJQLÀFDQW
Chinese investment in sectors such as renewable energy,
technology and financial services. Chinese companies
have established a strong presence in the kingdom, con-
WULEXWLQJWRLWVHFRQRPLFGLYHUVLÀFDWLRQDQGJURZWK)RU
LQVWDQFH%DKUDLQKRXVHVWKH0LGGOH(DVWUHJLRQDORIÀFH
for Chinese tech titan Huawei. The company has played
a major role in the evolution of information and commu-
nication technologies in Bahrain, successfully integrating
LQQRYDWLYHVROXWLRQVOLNHWKHUHJLRQ·VÀUVWHYHUWULSOHEHDP
antenna technology for satellite communications.
The two countries have launched joint initiatives
to further strengthen economic ties, such as the China-
Bahrain Industrial Park and the China-Bahrain Fintech
Company. These projects aim to facilitate trade, invest-
ment and knowledge-sharing, solidifying the countries’
economic partnership.
China and Bahrain have actively promoted cultural
exchange, with projects and initiatives that showcase their
rich heritage and traditions. This includes arts and crafts
H[KLELWLRQVÀOPIHVWLYDOVDQGODQJXDJHSURJUDPVZKLFK
have all helped to deepen mutual understanding and ap-
preciation between the two societies.
The two countries have also strengthened their educa-
tional tie, through student and faculty exchanges. In 2014,
a Confucius Institute opened at the University of Bahrain,
PDUNLQJDPLOHVWRQHIRUFRRSHUDWLRQLQWKHÀHOGRIHGXFD-
WLRQDQGFXOWXUH&RQIXFLXV,QVWLWXWHVDUHQRQSURÀWSXEOLF
institutions that aim to help people better understand
China by teaching Chinese language and culture at univer-
sities overseas. Thousands of international students have
studied at the institutes over the past decade. For example,
788 Bahrain students enrolled in the institute’s courses in
2023.
All these initiatives and projects have facilitated the
exchange of knowledge and the development of cross-
cultural competencies.
Geopolitical implications
The strengthening of China-Bahrain ties has broader geo-
political implications, both regionally and globally. As a
member of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab
League, Bahrain’s growing partnership
with China has the potential to influ-
ence regional dynamics, particularly in
the Middle East.
Moreover, Bahrain’s role as a
UHJLRQDOÀQDQFLDOKXEPDNHVLWDQLP-
portant partner for Chinese initiatives,
such as the Belt and Road Initiative, a
strategy to boost connectivity along and
beyond the ancient Silk Road routes.
The two countries’ collaboration in ar-
eas like infrastructure development and
ÀQDQFLDOVHUYLFHVFDQKDYHIDUUHDFKLQJ
impacts, contributing to China’s in-
FUHDVLQJJOREDOLQÁXHQFH
However, the complex regional
geopolitical landscape, with ongoing
tensions and rivalries, poses chal-
lenges for the countries as they seek to
deepen their partnership. Navigating
these tensions and maintaining a bal-
anced approach will be crucial for the
long-term stability and success of their
relationship.
One such challenge was the
COVID-19 pandemic, which both
countries were able to turn into an op-
portunity for further cooperation.
Over the course of three trying
years, the two countries coordinated
and cooperated on measures to combat
the pandemic. One example of this
coordination is how the Gulf kingdom
in late 2020 approved the use of the
China-produced Sinopharm vaccine on
frontline healthcare workers.
Fostering stronger institutional ties,
through mechanisms like regular high-
level dialogues, joint committees and
the China-Arab States Cooperation
Forum (CASCF), China’s main ve-
hicle for engagement with the Arab
world, can help both countries to ad-
dress emerging challenges and seize
http://www.bjreview.com

XINHUA
new opportunities. This will ensure a more coordinated
and strategic approach to their partnership.
Expanding the scope of cooperation beyond tradi-
tional economic and diplomatic spheres, and into areas
OLNHWHFKQRORJ\LQQRYDWLRQDUWLÀFLDOLQWHOOLJHQFH $, DQG
sustainable development, can make the relationship more
resilient to external shocks and geopolitical shifts.
Future outlook
The countries are poised to deepen their collaboration in
the digital economy, with a focus on financial technol-
ogy, e-commerce and smart city development. This can
OHYHUDJH%DKUDLQ·VSRVLWLRQDVDUHJLRQDOÀQDQFLDOKXEDQG
China’s technological expertise.
They can explore joint ventures and investments in
renewable energy, capitalizing on Bahrain’s abundant
solar power resources and China’s leadership in renew-
able energy technologies. This can, in turn, contribute
to the global transition to clean energy and sustainable
development.
Building on their existing cultural and educational
ties, the countries can further expand people-to-people
exchange, joint research projects and cultural festivals.
This will deepen mutual understanding and nurture lasting
connections between the two societies.
China has become a destination for hundreds of
Bahraini students studying in universities across China.
The signing of a memorandum of understanding between
the two countries on educational matters could lift this
type of cooperation to the next level.
,QODWH0D\*XOI$LU%DKUDLQ·VÁDJVKLSDLUOLQHFRP-
PHQFHGZHHNO\GLUHFWÁLJKWVWR6KDQJKDLDQG*XDQJ]KRX
in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. The
carrier’s strategic move not only strengthens Bahrain’s
http://www.bjreview.com
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts a
welcome ceremony for visiting King
of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
in Beijing on May 31
connectivity to the Chinese market
EXWDOVRVLJQLÀFDQWO\FRQWULEXWHVWRWKH
growth of commercial and tourism
relations between the two countries.
This will also facilitate the exchange of
ideas, knowledge and cultural experi-
ences between the two populations,
strengthening the bond between the
nations.
,QWKHÀHOGRIPXOWLODWHUDOGLSORPD-
cy, Bahrain and China cooperate under
their membership of, for example, the
United Nations (UN) and the Group of
77, which comprises 134 developing
countries in the UN. Bahrain is also
working toward BRICS membership
(BRICS being a group of emerging
economies comprising Brazil, Russia,
India, China, South Africa, Egypt,
Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates—Ed.) and has
obtained dialogue partner status in the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO). The latter is a strategic partner
of the UN on issues relating to regional
peace and security. SCO dialogue
partner status allows countries to par-
ticipate in specialized intra-SCO events
at the invitation of the organization’s
member states.
This provides an opportunity for
further cooperation between Bahrain
and China in many areas that serve
their common interests, as well as
the collective interests of the mem-
bers of these important international
organizations.
Furthermore, the CASCF serves
as a crucial platform for strengthening
the partnership between China and the
Arab world. It provides a forum for
dialogue, exchange of ideas and explor-
ing new avenues for cooperation. The
forum covers a wide range of areas,
including politics, economics, culture,
and regional security, reflecting the
multifaceted nature of the China-Arab
relationship and allowing both sides to
align their positions and develop coor-
dinated strategies.
Bahrain attaches great importance
to the CASCF and actively participates
in all its sessions and various events.
In 2020, the forum introduced
a new mechanism, the China-Arab
States Summit, with the Saudi Arabia
KRVWLQJWKHÀUVWVHVVLRQRIWKLVVXPPLW
in December 2022. The second session
of the summit will be held in China in
2026. The China-Arab States Summit
takes place every three years, with the
hosting location alternating between
Arab countries and China, and is the
most prestigious among the CASCF’s
mechanisms. Arab-China relations are
likely to develop further in the next few
years. The forum is likely to include
new mechanisms in the areas of com-
bating desertification and geoscience,
as well as result in better cooperation
on water security, environment, tour-
ism and AI. BR
The author is a Bahraini scholar who holds a
Ph.D. in international law from the China
University of Political Science and Law
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to dingying@cicgamericas.com
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 21

A WORK IN PROGRESS
C
hina-Arab cooperation is a
dynamic and multifaceted
rapport that has evolved over
the past decades and today transcends
economic interests.
The 10th Ministerial Conference
of the China-Arab States Cooperation
Forum (CASCF), held in Beijing on
May 30, marked a renewed commit-
ment to cooperation in different sectors,
including trade, investment, infrastruc-
ture, energy and technology.
The two decades since the forum’s
launch have seen a significant rise in
bilateral trade, significant infrastruc-
ture projects and increased cultural
exchange.
The partnership is driven by a
shared vision of peace, development
and prosperity, with mutual respect,
mutual non-interference in internal af-
fairs, and a commitment to a multipolar
world order.
The CASCF serves as a model for
South-South cooperation, demonstrat-
LQJWKHSRWHQWLDOIRUPXWXDOEHQHÀWDQG
progress in a globalized world. (The
Global South refers to the nations of
the world that are considered to have
a relatively low level of economic
and industrial development and are
typically located to the south of more
industrialized nations—Ed.)
It offers a powerful force for sta-
bility and development, offering a
compelling alternative to traditional
geopolitical dynamics.
Common interests and
values
The Sino-Arab connection has grown
into a vibrant economic, political and
cultural partnership, with, for instance,
bilateral trade between China and Arab
22 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
SPECIAL REPORT
By Ahmed Moustafa
countries increasing from roughly $36.7 billion in 2004 to
more than $398 billion last year.
Chinese investments in the Arab world have sur-
passed $20 billion, focusing on infrastructure, energy
and technology. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a
China-proposed strategy to boost connectivity along and
beyond the ancient Silk Road routes, has connected Arab
countries with Eurasian markets and facilitated economic
development.
China has become a major importer of Arab oil and
gas, securing essential energy supplies for its rapidly
growing economy. Chinese companies are actively
participating in Arab countries’ efforts to diversify their
energy portfolios, investing in renewable energy projects
and advancing sustainable solutions.
Cultural exchange between China and the Arab world
has also gained momentum, with rising numbers of stu-
dents, academics and artists traversing the Silk Road of
knowledge.
China and the Arab world share a deep-rooted cultural,
historical and philosophical connection. Both civilizations
value family, community and tradition as pillars of social
VWDELOLW\DQGLQGLYLGXDOIXOÀOOPHQW7KH\DSSUHFLDWHKRVSL-
tality and generosity, often welcoming strangers with open
arms. Both cultures preserve their rich traditions through
calligraphy, art and storytelling. They have navigated
centuries of change, forging resilience and adaptability.
Their shared experiences of historical empires, religious
diversity and cultural exchange have fostered a mutual un-
derstanding of the complexities of navigating a changing
world.
Education, knowledge and intellectual pursuits are
also emphasized, fostering a learned citizenry. These
shared values provide a solid foundation for ongoing col-
laboration and mutual understanding, cultivating a future
of shared prosperity and cultural appreciation.
The May conference marked a significant step in
strengthening the strategic partnership between China and
the Arab world. The meeting, attended by leaders from 22
Arab countries, focused on economic cooperation, infra-
structure development, trade and investment. Agreements
were signed to lift connectivity through the BRI, foster
industrial cooperation and promote joint ventures in key
sectors.
The conference also emphasized
the need for increased political coor-
dination on regional and global issues,
particularly in the context of rising geo-
political tensions.
Participants stressed the impor-
tance of upholding international law,
SURPRWLQJSHDFHIXOFRQÁLFWUHVROXWLRQV
and rejecting unilateralism and bullying
tactics. Another major topic was that
of cultural exchange, with attendees
recognizing the role of education, tour-
ism and cultural programs in building
understanding and trust between China
and the Arab world.
On the agenda
Another major topic was the ongoing
Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with the
two-state solution remaining an issue
of agreement. The two-state solu-
tion would be on the basis of United
Nations resolutions and international
law, while Israel and Palestine living
side-by-side in peace and security
with Jerusalem as the capital of both
states.
Arab states emphasized the
Palestinian people’s right to self-
determination and called for a peaceful
solution based on international law.
China, however, expressed a desire for
a negotiated settlement, emphasizing
the need for dialogue and compromise.
The conference highlighted the com-
plex nature of the issue and the need for
continued dialogue and understanding.
It served as a platform for an open ex-
change of perspectives, paving the way
for future collaborations and potential
solutions to global challenges.
This conference also marked a
turning point, as it blueprinted a fu-
ture characterized by sustainability,
http://www.bjreview.com
technological progress and joint efforts.
Reflecting the changing global
landscape, the agenda revolved around
the interconnected themes of a green
economy, digitization and artificial
intelligence (AI).
Discussions ranged from devising
The Central Business District (CBD) project under construction by the China State Construction
Engineering Corp. in Egypt’s new administrative capital east of Cairo, on November 22, 2023
A delegation from the Arab League visit the ancient city of Kashgar in Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region on May 31, 2023
http://www.bjreview.com
strategies for sustainable development through green
technologies and initiatives, to harnessing the transforma-
WLYHSRWHQWLDORIGLJLWDOL]DWLRQLQVHFWRUVVXFKDVÀQDQFH
healthcare and education.
Moreover, the gathering shed light on the immense
possibilities AI offers in driving innovation, improving ef-
ÀFLHQF\DQGWDFNOLQJXUJHQWLVVXHVOLNHFOLPDWHFKDQJH
XINHUA
XINHUA
This convergence of interests
underscored the shared belief that
prosperity lies in harnessing these
LQÁXHQWLDOIRUFHVIRUPXWXDOJDLQ7KH
meeting basically laid the groundwork
for a more sustainable and digitally
empowered future, uniting China and
the Arab world in their endeavor to
shape a brighter tomorrow.
However, challenges such as geo-
political competition between the U.S.
and China, human rights and freedom
of expression issues, and the delicate
balance between China’s economic
dominance and Arab states’ autonomy
and resource control all persist.
Constructive engagement is cru-
cial for addressing these concerns.
The gathering had to move beyond
symbolic gestures and forge tangible
partnerships.
China and the Arab world have the
potential to enhance media coopera-
tion through social media and online
platforms. This could help bridge
cultural gaps, promote understanding
and strengthen economic and politi-
cal ties. Social media offer a platform
for sharing stories, perspectives and
cultural experiences, fostering a sense
of interconnectedness. Joint produc-
tion of documentaries, news articles
and social media campaigns can
showcase the region’s strengths and
achievements. Exchange of media
professionals through workshops and
training programs can equip journalists
and content creators with cross-cultural
communication skills. By leveraging
these platforms, China and the Arab
world can create a more informed
global community, paving the way for
a future based on collaboration, mutual
respect and shared prosperity. BR
The author is an Egyptian economist and
director of the Asia Center for Studies and
Translation
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to dingying@cicgamericas.com
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 23
OPINION PACIFIC DIALOGUE
Pointing Fingers, Missing Solutions
I
t is no secret that drug addiction is a
major problem in the United States.
When it comes to opioids, the crisis has
become increasingly deadly. Over 112,000
fatal overdoses occurred in the U.S. in 2023.
The potent synthetic opioid, fentanyl, is now
a household name for its role in aggravating
overdoses in the country to such a historic
scale.
However, the causes for the spike in both the
use of fentanyl and its deadly consequences have
been obscured by the rampant politicization of
the issue. In recent years, U.S. political elites have
attempted to explain away the crisis by blaming a
convenient scapegoat: China.
The House Select Committee on “Strategic
Competition between the United States and the
Chinese Communist Party” in April released a
report claiming that China has directly subsidized
precursor chemicals critical to the production of
fentanyl.
The insinuation is that China is directly trad-
ing these substances with illicit fentanyl producers
and therefore fueling the opioid crisis in the U.S.
Blaming China for the opioid crisis didn’t
EHJLQWKLV\HDUKRZHYHU3ROLWLFDORIÀFLDOVSODFHG
fentanyl production at the top of their domestic
agenda in 2021 and immediately blamed China
for the deadly consequences. U.S. President Joe
Biden stated prior to his meeting with Chinese
President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC
conference in San Francisco, California, last
November that he would make pressuring China
on fentanyl a key topic and claimed a “diplomatic
victory” after China and the U.S. agreed to re-
sume talks on the issue.
Blaming China for the U.S. opioid overdose
crisis is rife with problems. For one, the House
committee is a byproduct of a broader Cold War
agenda and the credibility of its report is in seri-
ous question given the majority of its sources
are anecdotal or regurgitation of Western media
claims.
Furthermore, U.S. claims disregard China’s
VHULRXVHIIRUWVLQFUDFNLQJGRZQRQWKHWUDIÀFNLQJ
24 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
By Danny Haiphong
of fentanyl despite having no domes-
tic problem with opioid abuse. In
&KLQDEHFDPHWKHÀUVWFRXQWU\
in the world to include all fentanyl-re-
lated substances in its supplementary
list of controlled narcotic drugs and
psychotropic substances.
The country has also taken
numerous security measures in com-
pliance with the law, and many of
these actions include cooperating di-
rectly with U.S. export-import control
mechanisms.
It’s also important to note that
the responsibility of how precursor
chemicals are utilized falls on the
importing country. The U.S. has
consistently ignored necessary regu-
lations on the sale and distribution of
RSLRLGVLQODUJHSDUWGXHWRWKHLQÁX-
ence of corporate power on politics.
U.S. pharmaceutical company
Purdue Pharma LP is infamous for
starting the opioid epidemic in the
U.S. beginning in the 1990s as the
maker and aggressive peddler of
OxyContin, a strong and potentially
addictive pain medication.
Purdue Pharma opened the
floodgates to the over-prescription
RIRSLRLGVZLWKLQDQDOUHDG\SURÀW
driven health insurance and medical
system. For the past 30 years,
pharmaceutical corporations have
poured billions of dollars into politi-
cal campaigns to ensure that their
products receive legislative priority
and protection.
The close relationship between
U.S. politicians and pharmaceutical
corporations has created what’s called
the “revolving door.” For example,
during the Donald Trump administra-
tion, former Commissioner for the
Food and Drug Administration Scott
Gottlieb resigned to join the board of directors of
3À]HURQHRIWKHZRUOG·VSUHPLHUSKDUPDFHXWLFDO
and biomedical enterprises.
And the revolving door is no partisan affair.
Major members of Biden’s staff, such as former
Deputy Chief of Staff Jennifer O’Malley Dillon
and current Ambassador to the United Nations
/LQGD7KRPDV*UHHQÀHOGKDYHZRUNHGIRUODZ
ÀUPVUHSUHVHQWLQJPDMRUSKDUPDFHXWLFDOFRUSRUD-
WLRQVVXFKDV3À]HUDQG*LOHDG6FLHQFHV,QF
The U.S. geopolitical footprint on the illicit
drug trade has contributed to countless suffering
and chaos throughout the Global South, or the
nations of the world that are considered to have
a relatively low level of economic and industrial
development and are typically located to the south
of more industrialized nations. The U.S. played
a role in the Opium Wars in the 19th century
which led to China’s “century of humiliation”
and was a major force in the global opium trade
of that period. Throughout the Cold War, covert
U.S. wars in Latin America led to the prolifera-
tion of the drug trade from Colombia to Central
America. And Afghanistan, suffering decades of
U.S. interventions, became the top producer of
opium in the world for much of the 21st century
until its growth and distribution was banned by
the Taliban in 2022 following the U.S. withdrawl
from the country.
Blaming China won’t address any self-
inflicted wounds. It is U.S. policy, or rather
the lack thereof, that is responsible for making
American society an attractive market for the il-
licit drug trade. Despair, stress, poverty and racial
discrimination make for a toxic mix that contin-
ues to fester and grow in the heart of American
society. Political leaders and their elite sponsors
are the ones who need to be held accountable.
Not China. BR
The author is an independent journalist, author and
geopolitical analyst based in the U.S. He is a contributing editor
to the Black Agenda Report and founding member of the No
Cold War international campaign
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to dingying@cicgamericas.com
http://www.bjreview.com

A Watershed Moment for
PricewaterhouseCoopers
By Lan Xinzhen
A
s of June 3, PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP (PwC), one of the world’s Big
)RXUDFFRXQWLQJÀUPVKDGORVWWKHWRS
19 of its 107 clients listed on China’s A-share
market, including PetroChina, People’s Insurance
Co. of China, China Merchants Bank, China
Railway Group Ltd. and some other Fortune
Global 500 companies, accounting for more than
25 percent of PwC’s business revenue in China.
A-shares are the stocks of incorporated com-
panies based on the Chinese mainland and listed
on mainland stock exchanges. This loss means
WKDWLQÀVFDO3Z&·V:DWHUORRLQ&KLQDZLOO
be inevitable.
Chinese clients have dismissed PwC because
the accounting firm is currently facing a crisis
RIFRQÀGHQFHLQWKH&KLQHVHPDUNHW7KLVVLWXD-
tion stems from a government investigation into
PwC’s audit fraud at Evergrande Real Estate
Group.
On May 31, the China Securities Regulatory
Commission, the country’s top securities regu-
lator, announced on its official website that it
had imposed administrative sanctions against
Evergrande Real Estate Group, the leading
subsidiary of real estate developer Evergrande
Group, for alleged fraudulent bond issuances and
violations in information disclosure. The state-
ment further read that investigations into related
intermediary agencies are being expedited.
Evergrande is headquartered in Guangzhou,
Guangdong Province, and listed on Hong Kong
Exchanges and Clearing Ltd., making it an
H-share company. Like A-shares, H-shares are
regulated by Chinese law, but they are denomi-
nated in Hong Kong dollars.
Several intermediary agencies, including
PwC, are involved in the case. Open information
shows that PwC had been the audit institution
of Evergrande Real Estate Group for 14 years,
from its listing in 2009 to January 2023, when the
contract was terminated. During this period, PwC
LVVXHGDOOXQTXDOLÀHGDXGLWRSLQLRQVWRWKHJURXS
http://www.bjreview.com
FACT CHECK OPINION
indicating it was satisfied with the
ÀQDQFLDOUHSRUWLQJGXULQJWKHDXGLWV
Moreover, it received 276 million
yuan ($38.82 million) in audit fees
from the group.
However, these 14 years are
exactly the period when the group
encountered many problems. PwC’s
perceived role in failing to identify or
GLVFORVHLVVXHVLQWKHJURXS·VÀQDQFLDO
statements damaged its reputation.
This was particularly detrimental in
WKHFRQWH[WRIDQDXGLWÀUP·VUROHDVD
´ZDWFKGRJµHQVXULQJÀQDQFLDOWUDQV-
parency and integrity.
Consequently, major clients listed
on the A-share market have terminat-
ed their contracts with the company.
The extent of future client departures
as of yet remains uncertain. PwC’s
ability to survive this confidence
crisis is essential not only for its con-
tinued operation in China, but also for
its development in the international
market.
After China started reforming and
To overcome its crisis
of confidence in China,
PwC needs to take active
measures to rebuild its
market image
opening up its economy in 1978, international
accounting firms began establishing offices in
China due to the country’s great development po-
tential. Following China’s accession to the World
Trade Organization in 2001, the Chinese econo-
my increasingly integrated into global economic
development. As businesses expanded their
international trade and investment operations, the
GHPDQGIRUDFFRXQWLQJÀUPVZHOOYHUVHGLQWKH
international market grew. China’s continuous ef-
IRUWVWRIXUWKHURSHQXSHVSHFLDOO\LQWKHÀQDQFH
and taxation sectors, have further facilitated the
GHYHORSPHQWRILQWHUQDWLRQDODFFRXQWLQJÀUPVLQ
the country. These companies now enjoy local-
ized treatment in the Chinese market.
According to figures from the Chinese
Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the
number of certified public accounting firms in
China reached 150 in 2023, but topping the list
were still the Big Four—PwC, Ernst & Young,
Deloitte and KPMG, followed by local Chinese
accounting firms BDO China, Pan-China and
Ruihua.
A more open China has provided a wide
VSDFHIRUIRUHLJQDFFRXQWLQJÀUPV7RPDNHWKH
most of the opportunities, however, they must
adhere to the basic code of conduct that profes-
sional agencies and practitioners should abide
E\3Z&·VFULVLVRIFRQÀGHQFHLQ&KLQDUHÁHFWV
WKHPDUNHW·VGLVVDWLVIDFWLRQZLWKWKHÀUP·VDXGLW
quality and independence. This situation high-
lights the growing emphasis that listed companies
place on independence and objectivity when se-
lecting auditors.
This is undoubtedly a watershed moment for
PwC in China. To overcome this crisis, it needs to
take active measures to rebuild its market image.
PwC is known for its expertise and competence,
but it seems that when it comes to ethics and
compliance with the law, this Big Four account-
LQJÀUPVWLOOKDVURRPIRULPSURYHPHQWBR
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to lanxinzhen@cicgamericas.com
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 25
FEATURES SECURITY

The Will to Communicate

Renewed talks between China and the U.S. at the Shangri-La Dialogue led to
advancements in military exchanges By Zhao Wei

A
PLGWKHRQJRLQJ5XVVLD8NUDLQHFRQÁLFW
WKH3DOHVWLQLDQ,VUDHOLFRQÁLFWDQGPRXQW-
ing challenges to Asia-Pacific security,
the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue, which took place
in Singapore from May 31 to June 2, garnered
widespread attention. The three-day event brought
WRJHWKHUJRYHUQPHQWRIÀFLDOVPLOLWDU\UHSUHVHQWD-
tives, business leaders and security experts from 45
countries and regions around the world.
The Shangri-La Dialogue, officially known as
the Asia Security Summit, was initiated by the UK-
based International Institute for Strategic Studies
(IISS) in 2002 with the support of the Singaporean
Government. It has since evolved into one of the
most influential security exchange platforms in
the Asia-Pacific region. Its conversational format
facilitates wide-ranging exchange of diverse issues,
VCG
attacking and the attacked countries.
In his speech, Dong said, in its response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict,
China has always been committed to promoting peace and does not provide
ZHDSRQVWRDQ\SDUW\LQYROYHGLQWKHFRQÁLFW+HHPSKDVL]HGWKDW&KLQDVWULFWO\
controls the export of items that can be used for both civilian and military pur-
SRVHVDQGZLOOQHYHUFRQWULEXWHWRRUIDFLOLWDWHWKHHVFDODWLRQRIKRVWLOLWLHVÀUPO\
standing on the side of peace and dialogue.
5HJDUGLQJWKHRQJRLQJ3DOHVWLQLDQ,VUDHOLFRQÁLFW'RQJVDLG&KLQDKDVEHHQ
working for peace and promoting resolving differences through dialogue and
QHJRWLDWLRQVLQFHWKHFRQÁLFWHUXSWHGLQ2FWREHU
Dong added China is willing to work with all parties to protect the legiti-
mate security interests of all countries, jointly build a more just and equitable
international order, give full play to regional security architecture, advance open
and substantive defense cooperation, set an example of maritime security coop-
eration and strengthen security governance in emerging areas, to strive for new
progress in regional security cooperation.

including traditional concerns like military coop-

eration, as well as non-traditional issues such as
counterterrorism, cybersecurity and climate change.
These broad-ranging exchanges enable comprehen-
sive reflection on the challenges and cooperative
QHHGVRI$VLD3DFLÀFVHFXULW\

China’s approach to global

security
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun delivered a
speech on China’s approach to global security on
June 2. He emphasized that China’s strategic cul-
ture is rooted in the principles of “universal love
and non-aggression,” advocating for the resolution
of differences through dialogue and negotiation.
“Universal love and non-aggression” are
fundamental doctrines of Mohism, a school of
&KLQHVHSKLORVRSK\IRXQGHGE\0R]LWKDWÁRXU-
ished during the Warring States Period (475–221
B.C.). According to Mohist thought, universal
love promotes equal affection for all, regardless
RIEORRGWLHVRUVRFLDOVWDWXVWRDYRLGFRQÁLFWDQG
ensure mutual benefit. Non-aggression opposes
unjust warfare due to its severe societal harm, in-
cluding casualties and property losses in both the
28 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024 http://www.bjreview.com

Dong’s speech is a vivid and comprehensive interpretation of the China-
proposed Global Security Initiative (GSI), according to Xiang Haoyu, a
UHVHDUFKIHOORZDWWKH$VLD3DFLÀF5HVHDUFK,QVWLWXWHRIWKH&KLQD,QVWLWXWHRI
International Studies. The GSI was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping
in April 2022. The initiative calls on countries to stay committed to the vision
of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and work to-
gether to keep the world safe and secure.
“Dong’s speech contains a series of policy propositions and practical so-
lutions for maintaining international and Asia-Pacific security stability. This
important policy declaration made directly by the Chinese defense minister is
undoubtedly weighty and persuasive, conveying positive and constructive mes-
sages to the international community,” Xiang said in an interview with Chinese
news portal Guancha.cn.
Dialogue and battlefront
On June 1, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin addressed the dialogue. In
KLVVSHHFK$XVWLQVDLGWKH86FRQWLQXHVWRVHHWKH,QGR3DFLÀFUHJLRQDVLWV
“priority theater of operations.”
Later that day, China’s Ministry of National Defense hosted a press confer-
ence at which Lieutenant General Jing Jianfeng, Deputy Chief of the Central
Military Commission’s Joint Staff Department, responded to Austin’s remarks.
-LQJFULWLFL]HG$PHULFD·V,QGR3DFLÀF6WUDWHJ\SRLQWLQJRXWWKDWXQGHUWKHEDQ-
ner of promoting regional cooperation, the U.S. clings to a Cold War mentality,
engages in zero-sum games and forms exclusive “clubs.”
“The real purpose of this strategy is to merge
small circles into an Asian version of NATO—
thereby maintaining U.S. dominance,” Jing said.
According to Zhang Chi, an associate profes-
sor at the Center of Strategic Studies at China’s
National Defense University, Austin’s statements
are contradictory. On the one hand, Austin claimed
that America is committed to maintaining peace
DQGVWDELOLW\LQWKH$VLD3DFLÀFUHJLRQZKLOHRQWKH
other hand, he strongly advocated for reinforcing
American alliances and partnerships within this area.
Zhang said the U.S.-led multilateral coopera-
tion mechanisms, such as AUKUS, the trilateral
security partnership between Australia, the UK and
the U.S., are exclusive and targeted at third parties.
China’s Defense Minister
Dong Jun delivers a speech at
the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue
in Singapore on June 2
http://www.bjreview.com
FEATURES
This approach, Zhang warned in an interview with
Guancha.cn, would exacerbate regional tensions.
On May 31, Dong and Austin had a
75-minute meeting, which had originally been
scheduled for one hour. This marked the first
face-to-face meeting between Chinese and
American defense ministers in 18 months, and
both sides highly valued the discussion.
During the talks, both sides exchanged views
on China-U.S. military exchanges, the Taiwan
question, the South China Sea issue, the Russia-
Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,
said Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry
of National Defense, at a media briefing after the
meeting.
Wu described the meeting as “positive,
pragmatic and constructive strategic communi-
cation,” while Austin emphasized the day after
the importance of renewed dialogue with his
Chinese counterpart to avoid “miscalculations
and misunderstandings.”
Since the meeting between President Xi and
U.S. President Joe Biden in San Francisco last
November, interactions and exchanges at all
levels of the military between the two countries
have increased.
This year, substantial dialogues have taken
place between both sides. These include the 17th
China-U.S. Defense Policy Coordination Talks held
in Washington, D.C., in January and a new round
of maritime military safety consultations in Hawaii
in April. The defense ministers of the two countries
also had a video conference in April. Moreover,
WKHGLUHFWRURIWKH2IÀFHIRU,QWHUQDWLRQDO0LOLWDU\
Cooperation under China’s Central Military
Commission held video talks with the U.S. assistant
secretary of defense upon invitation on May 16.
“The meeting between defense ministers further
elevated the level of exchange between the two mili-
taries,” said Zhao Xiaozhuo, Deputy Director of the
Center on China-U.S. Defense Relations, the PLA
Academy of Military Sciences, who has attended 10
sessions of the dialogue. He emphasized that such
communication and interaction can enhance mutual
understanding and help avoid misjudgments. This
helps to promote the stable and healthy development of
military exchanges. BR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to zhaowei@cicgamericas.com
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 29
FEATURES FOOD SECURITY
Food Matters the Most
China’s new legislation aims to ensure the supply of grain and
related products By Li Wenhan
C
hina’s Food Security Law came into
effect on June 1, reinforcing efforts to
ensure the supply of grain and to fend off
food security risks, while safeguarding economic
and social stability as well as national security.
The new law comprises 11 chapters with pro-
visions that cover the protection of farmland and
the entire grain supply chain, from production
and reserves to distribution and processing.
For China, a nation with over 1.4 billion
people, the maxim “having food brings peace of
mind” has long been the cornerstone of its ap-
proach to food security.
In an interview with Beijing Review, Scott
Reynolds Nelson, a historian at the University
of Georgia in the U.S., highlighted how food has
served as a cornerstone of national and global sta-
bility in ancient times and now.
Global relevance
For decades, the Chinese Government has placed
immense importance on food security, driven by
the belief that stable food supplies are essential
for national peace and stability.
This focus on food security can be partly at-
tributed to the intrinsic power associated with
grain, a concept emphasized by Nelson in his
book Oceans of Grain: How American Wheat
Remade the World. Nelson argues that food is
power, a notion that has shaped international poli-
tics since the agricultural and industrial eras.
Nelson contends that this principle remains
relevant in the digital age. While information is
the most valuable contemporary asset, it can-
not be eaten or drunk. Food remains the most
fundamental necessity for human survival. The
production and market competition of food, es-
pecially major agricultural products, continue
to play a crucial role in international political
struggles.
In his book, Nelson details how, since the 20th
century, the United States has gradually replaced
Russia in controlling the grain market in Europe
30 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
and even globally. He believes that the competition between Russia and the
United States over grain, especially wheat supply, has profoundly changed
the world economic structure and geopolitical landscape.
The book features a Russian grain trader and revolutionary with the
pseudonym Parvus. Nelson considers Parvus’ intellectual contributions
VLJQLÀFDQWQRWLQJWKDWKHZDVWKHÀUVWWRFUHDWLYHO\SURSRVHWKHFRQFHSWRI
an “agricultural crisis” in 1895, explaining that the rise and fall of empires
WKURXJKRXWKLVWRU\FDQEHWUDFHGEDFNWRWKHÁXFWXDWLRQVLQJUDLQWUDGH
Nelson states that Parvus’ ideas were influenced by the French
physiocrats of the 1770s, whose emergence coincided with the translation of
Chinese philosopher Mencius’ thoughts into French. Mencius (372-289 B.C.)
EHOLHYHGWKDWZLWKRXWVXIÀFLHQWJUDLQUHVHUYHVDFRXQWU\ZRXOGVWUXJJOHWR
respond to crises, and its stability would be threatened. This laid the founda-
tion for thinking about the relationship between grain and the economy at the
time. “But today, very few people consider the importance of grain,” Nelson
remarked.
“As Mencius said, when you are building a state, you must think about
IRRGÀUVWDQGDERXWIDUPHUVÀUVW<RXPXVWPDNHVXUHWKDWIDUPHUVDUHKDSS\
and prosperous, and a prosperous state is built on food,” he concluded.
“The ideas of Mencius are crucial in the Chinese context, and have been
for thousands of years,” he added.
Enacting the law
Previously, while there were numerous provisions related to food security
in China, they were scattered across other laws concerning agriculture, land
PDQDJHPHQWVHHGPDQDJHPHQWDQGRWKHUÀHOGV$WWKHORFDOOHYHODVHULHVRI
regulations related to food security have been introduced in recent years, but
as normative documents, they carry relatively little legal authority.
In 2023, the No.1 Central Document focused on food security issues
and proposed putting food security legislation on the agenda. The docu-
PHQW WKH ÀUVW SROLF\ VWDWHPHQW UHOHDVHG DW WKH VWDUW RI HDFK \HDU E\ WKH
Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council,
China’s highest state administrative organ, has long served as an indica-
tor of government priorities.
In China, national laws passed by the National People’s Congress (NPC),
the top legislature, and its Standing Committee are considered to have greater
authority than local regulations or administrative rules issued by lower levels
of government.
In December 2023, the NPC Standing Committee adopted the Food
Security Law at a session in Beijing. The general provisions of the law state
that China “needs to ensure absolute security in staple foods and basic self-
VXIÀFLHQF\LQJUDLQVµ
The annex of the law stipulates that “grain” refers to wheat, rice, corn,
http://www.bjreview.com

+DUYHVWHUVWUDYHUVHDZKHDWĶHOGLQ'DOLX]KXDQJ9LOODJH=DR]KXDQJ&LW\6KDQGRQJ3URYLQFHRQ-XQH
soybeans and coarse grains. Coarse grains include millet, sorghum, barley,
buckwheat, oats, mung beans, potatoes and sweet potatoes. The word for “food
security” literally translates as “grain security” in Chinese.
China’s food priority
Recognizing the importance of arable land protection, the law provides that
redlines to protect farmland, permanent basic cropland and ecosystems,
as well as urban development boundaries shall be drawn and maintained.
Permanent basic cropland refers to agricultural land that is designated for the
purpose of long-term protection to ensure food security. This type of land is
protected by law to prevent its conversion to non-agricultural uses.
By asking provincial governments to include food security in their
economic and development plans, and holding them accountable for grain
security and farmland protection, the law will better regulate local govern-
ments’ behavior in ensuring food security, Li Guoxiang, a research fellow
with the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences, told newspaper Global Times on June 2.
The country’s food security is well ensured, with grain output hitting a
record high in 2023 and grain prices remaining stable despite international
JUDLQSULFHÁXFWXDWLRQV/LVDLG&KLQD·VJUDLQRXWSXWURVHSHUFHQW\HDU
on year to 695.41 million tons last year, data from the National Bureau of
Statistics showed. This was the ninth consecutive year for China to register a
grain harvest of over 650 million tons.
http://www.bjreview.com
FEATURES
XINHUA
Nevertheless, China’s grain supply and de-
mand are still characterized by a “tight balance.”
And with a growing grain demand, China also
faces multifaceted challenges, including limited
DQGORZTXDOLW\DUDEOHODQGLQFUHDVLQJGLIÀFXOW\
in securing stable and higher grain output, ex-
treme weather and uncertainties in global food
supply market.
In particular, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict,
extreme weather and other factors have disrupted
the global food supply chain and international
cooperation mechanism concerning food supply,
global food insecurity and malnutrition are on the
rise.
It is against this backdrop that China contin-
ues to enhance its ability to ensure food security
and deal with the uncertainties of the external
environment by stabilizing and securing domestic
grain supplies. BR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to liwenhan@cicgamericas.com
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 31
FEATURES $17,021232/<
An Apple of Discord?
Lowering one tech titan’s tax has become a common call By Li Xiaoyang
O
n May 29, a court in Shanghai dismissed
a case filed by a local consumer, who
attempted to force U.S. tech company
Apple Inc. to cease charging its 30-percent com-
mission on purchases in its App Store.
Jin Xin, the consumer, brought the suit against
Apple China in 2021. In addition to calling on
the company to cease charging commissions, Jin
insisted that consumers be allowed to use other
payment systems besides Apple Pay when pur-
chasing apps or services on Apple products, and
asked for 100,000 yuan ($13,800) in compensa-
tion for commissions he’d previously paid.
The Shanghai Intellectual Property Court said
it had compared the commission Apple charges
in the App Store with that charged on other app
marketplaces, and did not find the former to be
“much higher” than those on Android systems.
The court also found that limiting payment
methods helps ensure data security, and has not
disrupted commercial competition.
One of Jin’s attorneys, Wang Qiongfei, told
National Business Daily newspaper the case is
WKHÀUVWWREHÀOHGE\D&KLQHVHFRQVXPHUDJDLQVW
the Apple tax and the company’s monopoly. In
addition to individual users, Chinese companies
are also in a weak position. Chinese online game
developers like miHoYo have tried to introduce
new payment channels to avoid the Apple tax, but
Apple closed the channels in less than a month.
“The commissions Apple charges in China
are the highest in the world, and the company has
not allowed third-party payment for in-app pur-
chases. It abuses its dominant role in the market,
denying Chinese consumers options and increas-
ing the costs of Chinese enterprises,” Wang said.
Wang said he will continue to pursue Apple
China through the courts. Anti-monopoly authori-
ties need to further improve investigation and
law enforcement to reduce the Apple tax, Wang
added.
The tax
While Google cut the commission charged on
products and services in its app marketplace, the
32 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
Google Play Store, to 15 percent in 2021, Apple continues to charge up to 30
percent commission fee on app developers’ revenue from the App Store and
in-app payment systems, meaning that 15 to 30 percent of consumers’ pay-
ments go to Apple. This “Apple tax” applies to the purchase of apps and also
LQJDPHSXUFKDVHVWLSSLQJLQÁXHQFHUVDQGJHWWLQJVXEVFULSWLRQVRQYLGHRDQG
social media platforms.
With the extra tax, users pay more for Apple products and services than
similar ones from other companies. If developers of virtual services apps like
mobile games and livestreaming refuse to accept the tax or provide other
payment platforms for in-app purchases, Apple will remove the apps from its
App Store.
7KHWHFKWLWDQ·VÀQDQFLDOUHVXOWVIRUWKHIXOOÀVFDO\HDUZKLFKHQGHG
on September 30, 2023, showed that its services division, including the Apple
Store, Apple Pay, music and video streaming and iCloud, generated $85.2
billion in revenue.
According to Sensor Tower, a U.S.-based mobile app market intelligence
ÀUP$SSOH·VUHYHQXHIURPLWVWD[UHDFKHGDURXQGELOOLRQJOREDOO\ODVW
year, with $5.5 billion of that coming from the Chinese market.
“Currently, the Apple tax has become a major revenue source for the
company,” Pan Helin, a researcher with the International Business School at
Zhejiang University, told Beijing Review.
According to Pan, Apple targets medium-to-high income earners. With its
user-friendly system, many consumers are loyal to the brand and willing to
accept the extra fees, especially those already accustomed to the Apple sys-
tem.
But not everyone is willing to accept the Apple tax. Jin found that, pur-
chased through the same app, the price of digital goods and services is higher
on iPhones than on Android phones, and Apple product users can only pur-
chase these goods and services through the App Store, whereas Android users
have access to multiple purchase platforms.
While Android users need to pay around $14, Apple users pay over $16
for a one-year subscription to Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of X. To tip an
online influencer, Apple users pay more than Android users. But there are
also apps with the same prices in Android and Apple app stores.
Pan said that while the Apple tax is not differential pricing, basing prices
on who’s buying, when and where, it is unfair to consumers. “It should be
the app developers that pay commissions to the App Store, but Apple instead
passes them on to consumers. Android systems do not directly charge fees
from consumers like Apple does, but still make profits through advertise-
ments,” he said.
The compromise
Several companies have spoken against the notorious tax. The U.S. game
FRPSDQ\(SLF*DPHVÀOHGDQDQWLWUXVWODZVXLWLQDFFXVLQJ$SSOHRI
acting as an illegal monopolist by requiring consumers to buy all digital
http://www.bjreview.com

XINHUA
A woman talks through an iPhone outside the Berlaymont building, headquarters of the European Commission, in Brussels, Belgium,
on March 4
products, including those offered by the games company, through the App
Store. In January, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Epic Games’ appeal, but
still asked Apple to allow consumers to shift to third-party payment plat-
forms, in which 27 percent of the commission charged by the third-party
payment platform goes to Apple.
Spotify, the Swedish audio-streaming platform, said in 2019 that Apple
forced it to accept App Store payment rules and blocked other payment plat-
forms.
7KH(XURSHDQ8QLRQ (8 ÀQHG$SSOHDSSUR[LPDWHO\ELOOLRQHXURV
($2 billion) in March this year, as the company was favoring its Apple Music
business unfairly by forbidding Spotify and other rivals from telling users
how they could purchase cheaper subscriptions outside of Apple’s apps.
Without these other payment options, users had to pay the additional 30-per-
cent fee.
“This is illegal. And it has impacted millions of European consumers who
were unable to make a free choice as to where, how and at what price to buy
music streaming subscriptions,” Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition
commissioner, told a press conference held in Brussels, Belgium, in March.
Earlier this year, Apple began supporting third-party payment platforms
and reduced commission fees for app developers in the U.S. from 30 percent
to 27 percent. It also announced it would cut its standard commission fees in
the EU from 30 percent to 17 percent.
http://www.bjreview.com
FEATURES
The Republic of Korea has announced it will
improve legislative regulation of Apple and other
tech companies. Japan is also working on bills
to require Apple to charge the same “Apple tax”
as in the EU, which will take effect in one to two
years.
According to Pan, Apple’s monopoly is
blocking the innovation of other companies.
More countries and regions will strengthen their
regulation of Apple, oppose its monopoly and
“Apple tax”, and ask the company to allow more
third-party payment platforms to operate in its
App Store.
“The adoption of the Near Field Communi-
cation technology, which enables payment
wirelessly through a single touch, will allow
Apple users to use other payment methods be-
sides Apple Pay,” Pan said. BR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to lixiaoyang@cicgamericas.com
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 33
FEATURES XINJIANG
Steppes on Screen
TV series ignites interest in Kazak people and their culture By Zhang Yage
‘I
n the culture of the Kazak ethnic group,
people only develop intimacy—either
friendship or love—after they truly see
and understand one another clearly. For this
reason, in their language, the phrase ‘I like you’
also means ‘I truly see you and understand you
clearly’.” This popular line is from hit TV series
To the Wonder. Featuring the distinct nomadic life
of the Kazaks in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region, the eight-episode drama
has sparked waves of excited discussion about the
scenery, people and lifestyle of the area.
Adapted from the prose collection My Altay, a
recollection of Xinjiang-born writer Li Juan’s own
experiences in the spectacular land some 25 years
ago, the drama tells how the protagonist, Li Wenxiu, a
woman of the Han ethnic group in her early 20s, inte-
grates with the local people. The Han people make up
more than 91 percent of the Chinese mainland’s popu-
lation, according to the 2020 national census.
Li Wenxiu’s mother, who is from Jiangsu Province
in east China, runs a grocery store in a remote Kazak
village in Altay. After having suffered setbacks in
the city, the protagonist returns to the village to live
with her mother and continues to pursue her dream
of becoming a freelance writer. One of the most hotly
debated topics on social media platforms is how Li
Wenxiu gradually understands, admires and fits into
the local culture as an outsider. She initially ruffled
some feathers by mixing up Kazak names and disre-
garding cultural norms, but, in the end, she made many
Kazak friends and chose to stay there for her career—
and love.
“My favorite line is from Li Wenxiu’s mother,
when she told Li that ‘They (the Kazak people)
have their own ways of living and their own con-
cepts about how things work. It is your right not to
agree with them, but you should not try to change
them in a condescending manner. You need to stop
feeling smarter because you are from a big city’,”
Hu Huhu, a photojournalist based in Xinjiang, told
Beijing Review.
“Faced with people that we have little knowl-
edge about, we should always uphold the spirit of
mutual understanding and respect,” he added.
34 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
Being seen
Audiences were unreserved in their praise of the drama. On May 9, the third day of its
broadcast on state broadcaster China Central Television, To the Wonder was the most
watched program in its time slot. As of May 10, the fourth day of its release, it had
achieved a cumulative 38.302 million streams on iQiyi, a popular streaming platform
in China.
To the Wonder received a rating of 8.8 out of 10 on Douban, a popular Chinese
review app, becoming the highest rated domestic TV series so far this year.
As part of the Official Selection for Long Form Competition of the Cannes
,QWHUQDWLRQDO6HULHV)HVWLYDOLQ$SULOLWLVDOVRWKHÀUVW&KLQHVHODQJXDJHVHULHVWREH
selected for inclusion in this competition since its launch in 2018.
In the online fan group of the drama, comments attracting the most likes include
“The Altay scenery is like a picture! I’ve never seen such a wonderland,” “I love how
the people there lead a simple but vibrant life. I don’t have half the vitality they have
QRZµDQG´,WLVWKHÀUVWWLPH,KDYHOHDUQHGDERXWWKHQRPDGLFOLIHDQGVHHLQJKRZ
people are trying hard to adapt to modernization while passing down their traditions
touched me deeply.”
Altay consists of a county-level city and six counties, bordering Mongolia in
the northeast, Russia in the north and Kazakhstan in the northwest. Kazaks account
for about half of the local population, making the prefecture rich in Kazak nomadic
culture.
The TV series brought this area into the national spotlight and tourism in Altay,
which usually peaks from June to October, has begun to peak much earlier this year.
According to data from the Altay Culture and Tourism Bureau, from May 13 to
19, Altay had received more than 1 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 70.07
percent. Tourism revenue during the period was 813 million yuan ($112 million), up
130.97 percent on an annual basis.
“I attended the Xinjiang Tourism Development Conference and the topics related
SCREENSHOT
Li Wenxiu, the protagonist of To the Wonder, and her Kazak lover Batay
http://www.bjreview.com

XINHUA
Kazak herders ride through the snow in Tacheng Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region, on January 14
to Altay and To the Wonder were among the hottest ones there,” Abduweli Abdurixit,
executive producer of the I Am From Xinjiang documentary trilogy, told Beijing
Review. The documentaries aim to present the real Xinjiang to the outside world.
At the conference in Turpan, a city in Xinjiang, on May 27 and 28, representa-
tives from different places in the region promoted their tourism products. Among all,
the tour routes respectively to the two grasslands in Altay where To the Wonder was
shot and Li Juan’s hometown in Fuyun County, as well as an immersive program that
showcases Altay’s rich Kazak culture, received much attention.
“When I was a little boy, the urban area of Altay was so small that it could be cov-
HUHGE\WZREXVURXWHVµ$EGXZHOLVDLG´1RZLWKDVGHYHORSHGDÁRXULVKLQJVNLLQJ
industry, with tourists bustling around in winter. Facilities that serve these visitors are
growing at an unexpected speed.
In recent years, the Altay government has supported the construction of more than
10 ski resorts, with 232 ski trails spanning 248 km.
“I hope the people who are interested in Altay can become more than visitors,
pursue a different life and career and achieve their dreams here,” Abduweli added.
In the Kazak DNA
The Kazak ethnic group has been leading a nomadic life for thousands of years. To the
WonderUHÁHFWVWKH.D]DNSHRSOH·VORYHIRUWKHLUOLYHVWRFNWKHLUHIIRUWVWRSURWHFWWKH
environment, and their respect for and adaptation to the course of nature. The series
DOVRVKRZVKRZWKHLUOLIHVW\OHKDVGHHSO\LQÁXHQFHGWKHLUSHUVRQDOLWLHVDQGFXVWRPV
“Many of my colleagues in Beijing have asked me whether the characters in To
the Wonder are representative of the Kazak people in real life. I told them that we
http://www.bjreview.com
FEATURES
Kazaks are just as courageous, vibrant, warm-hearted,
free and unafraid of the challenges and obstacles that
life throws our way as is shown in the series,” Sayra
Dulat, a member of the Kazak ethnic group who works
in Beijing, told Beijing Review.
The series also introduces challenges the Kazak
people face in the process of economic and societal
modernization and urbanization, including the chang-
ing lifestyles, the clash of new and old ideas, and
people’s attitudes toward them. For example, Batay,
the leading male character and also Li Wenxiu’s Kazak
lover, wants to leave his hometown and abandon the
OLIHDVDKHUGVPDQOHDGLQJWRWKHFRQÁLFWEHWZHHQKLP
and his father, who insists following the traditional
nomadic way of living. In the end, the father gives in
and respects his son’s decision, and the son, after three
years of pursuing his dreams, comes back to adopt his
father’s lifestyle.
“Great changes have taken place in Altay in recent
years,” Hu said. “For example, many state-of-the-art ma-
chines have been introduced for livestock management
and the production of dairy products, and hundreds of post
stations offering shelter, food and medicines have been built
along the Kazak herders’ grazing routes. The local govern-
ment also offers weather forecast services and assistance in
emergency situations.”
Hu said he believes that either choosing to retain
the old lifestyle or starting a new life is a matter of
personal choice. “I’ve known those who stayed in their
hometown and lived like their fathers, and also those
who left to study and work in other cities,” he added.
Bayan Tashen, a young writer who returned
to Altay after completing his higher education in
Guangzhou, Guangdong Province in south China, is a
case in point. He is working on programs to promote
his hometown to the outside world.
“The scene in which the leading male character de-
cides to come back to Altay touched me,” Bayan told
Beijing Review. “I made the same decision after gradu-
ating from college. I wanted to witness the changes in
my hometown and practice the Kazak language, which
I hadn’t spoken in for a long time. I think that the end
of the series suggests that the Kazak people have a
deep-rooted affection and nostalgia for their land, de-
spite its inexorable change and modernization.” BR
(Li Fangfang and Peng Jiawei also
contributed to the story)
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to zhangyage@cicgamericas.com
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 35
FEATURES TRENDS
You’re Hired!
A deep dive into the landscape of AI-enabled digital recruitment By Yuan Yuan
W
hen Tong Lin, on the verge of gradu-
ating from a college in Chengdu,
capital of the southwestern province
of Sichuan, received several notifications for
DUWLÀFLDOLQWHOOLJHQFH $, MRELQWHUYLHZVVKHUHDO-
ized just how integral AI-driven interviews have
become to the recruiting strategy of many compa-
nies this year.
Despite having experienced more than 10 AI
LQWHUYLHZVVKHVWLOOÀQGVLWVRPHZKDWVXUUHDOWR
talk to AI recruiters, even though she’s become
accustomed to the general process.
“Interacting with a human recruiter offers a
more engaging experience because their reactions
are instinctive, which helps you adjust your be-
havior,” she told technology news platform 36Kr.
“Conversely, during AI interviews, although the
interviewers look human, you’re still communi-
cating with an impassive robot, without getting
immediate feedback from facial expressions and
body language essential for adjusting your re-
sponse in real time.”
Still, she understood the rationale behind this
preference for AI-assisted interviews. With a re-
cord 11.79 million college graduates entering the
Chinese job market this year—increase of over
200,000 from last year—the recruitment job is es-
pecially daunting for human resource personnel.
“Many of my peers are sending out resumes
en masse,” she said. “This results in an over-
whelming number of applications for companies,
especially larger ones. AI technology greatly im-
SURYHVWKHLUDELOLW\WRHIÀFLHQWO\VLIWWKURXJKWKH
resumes and identify the best candidates.”
Evolving trend
AI technology has already been applied in the recruit-
ment process for years. In 2016, British consumer
goods giant Unilever pioneered the integration of AI
WHFKQRORJ\LQWRLWVÀUVWURXQGRILQWHUYLHZV7KHPRYH
which used over 15,000 data points to evaluate candi-
dates, ignited widespread discussion. By 2017, several
companies in China had also adopted AI interview
systems for their recruitment processes.
36 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
Han Shaowen, Executive Director of Beijing Avocado Technology
Co. Ltd., a company founded in 2019 that enhances recruitment processes
with the use of AI, explained the capabilities of these early AI systems. “At
that time, the AI interviewer could already interpret human expressions,
micro-expressions and voice patterns using natural language processing and
computer vision technologies, along with semantic analysis capabilities,” he
told China News Weekly magazine.
After years of development, AI interviewers have evolved, now being
able to more accurately and objectively assessing job seekers in simulated
interview scenarios, efficiently screening candidates. They have advanced
considerably, offering precise matches for positions by leveraging big data,
he said.
*DR<D[LQDUHFHQWFROOHJHJUDGXDWHIURP%HLMLQJUHFHLYHGKHUÀUVWLQ
person interview notification in late April after having participated in five
AI interviews with different companies. Before her first AI interview, she
looked for tips and tricks online, and practiced extensively. Many AI systems
provide two to three opportunities to record a candidate’s responses, a feature
that alleviates some of the stress associated with the job interview process.
“Generally, the questions asked by AI interviewers are quite similar, in-
cluding a brief self-introduction, your views on the position you’re applying
for, and the advantages you think you can bring to the role,” she told newspa-
per China Youth Daily. “I noticed that some people even posted scripts online
for answering these questions. I wonder if this leads to interviewees giving
similar responses based on similar scripts.”
After several AI interviews, she became more at ease and was able to
engage with the AI in a more relaxed manner. “It can cut down on time and
travel expenses for job interviews,” she continued. “The key is to make sure
you have a stable Internet connection.”
Gao went on to create a social media account to share her job-hunting
experiences and insights into the AI interview process, amassing over 5,000
followers. Xiaohongshu, a super popular Chinese lifestyle and e-commerce
platform, has over 50,000 posts related to AI interviews, with topic views
surpassing 50 million. “Whether we embrace it or not, AI interviews have
arrived and are set to become the predominant method for conducting job in-
terviews in the future,” she said.
“AI interviewers have taken over the monotonous work of initial candi-
date screenings in recruitment and have halved the time spent on preliminary
interviews,” Lin Jing, a senior human resources manager at a telecommu-
nications company in Beijing, told Xinhua News Agency. She has been
OHYHUDJLQJ$,IRUÀUVWURXQGLQWHUYLHZVVLQFHZKLFKKDVPDUNHGO\GH-
creased the demand for interviewers during campus recruitment periods.
She elaborated that AI interviewers efficiently gather, sort and classify
applicants’ basic information, subsequently producing evaluative reports.
Companies then utilize these reports to select an appropriate number of
http://www.bjreview.com
 FEATURES
LI SHIGONG

excel academically
might still be adept
at employing tactics
that can potentially
deceive AI. However,
these same tactics are
unlikely to fool a real
human interviewer.”
The multiple
recording opportuni-
ties provided in AI
interviews can also
increase psychologi-
candidates, corresponding to the number of job openings, into the subsequent cal pressure for some candidates. One netizen,
round of face-to-face interviews. set to graduate from college this year, said online
Before the use of AI interviewers, it was necessary to have a dozen or that she often needed two attempts for each ques-
more human interviewers working in tandem; now, merely two or three tion, feeling that she always performed better the
VXIÀFH second time. Consequently, what should have
been a 14-minute interview (seven questions, two
Room for improvement minutes each) ended up taking her two to three
“Many enterprises have just started experimenting with AI interviews this times longer to complete.
year and still need to accumulate more experience,” Wang Ran, an AI Then there are the concerns regarding pri-
scholar at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, told China News vacy, with candidates questioning whether their
Weekly. facial recognition data and self-introductions will
be deleted afterward.
He noted that during the review of interview videos, candidates with
“Though some industry insiders claim that
above-average experience and abilities sometimes received lower recom-
data generated from AI interviews are typically
mendation scores due to poor image recognition, diverted eye contact, and
not externally accessible or easily breached, rely-
unnatural expressions.
ing solely on the self-regulation of companies is
Liu Wei, Director of the Human-Computer Interaction and
not enough,” Wang said.
Cognitive Engineering Laboratory at the Beijing University of Posts and
He stressed that the regulation of AI ethics
Telecommunications, highlighted the opacity of AI interview scoring criteria
lags behind technological developments, par-
by referencing a vlogger’s experiments. ticularly in legal compliance. “As AI interviews
The content creator participated in an AI interview on two distinct oc- become more widespread, targeted data security
casions to test the system’s response to environmental changes. Initially, management regulations should be prioritized,
they chose a plain white wall as a backdrop; and during the second session, and AI interviews should advance within a regu-
they opted for a bookshelf background. Remarkably, just this change in lated framework,” he said. BR
background led to a 15-percent increase in the AI interviewer’s favorable im-
pression of the vlogger.
“This is because AI algorithms have blind spots and lack the nuanced in- Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to yuanyuan@cicgamericas.com
sight of a human interviewer,” Liu told Xinhua. “Interviewees who may not
http://www.bjreview.com JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 37
FEATURES LABOR RIGHTS
An Old Problem
In a New Industry
Labor rights within online celebrity economy face scrutiny following
influencer scandal By Lu Yan
W
ang Zhixin, an influencer with over
16 million followers on Douyin
(the Chinese version of TikTok),
found herself embroiled in controversy in late
May. Wang is best known for her role as a maid
who stands up against workplace injustice in a
popular short video series, but the entertainment
company she works for was accused of paying
employees low wages while demanding long
overtime hours.
Many netizens confessed feeling betrayed
upon learning about the alleged poor labor prac-
tices of Wuhan Huangye Culture and Media
Co. Ltd. (Huangye Culture). Scandals involving
Wang and her company quickly became one of
the hottest topics online, garnering millions of
views as the public grappled with the discrepancy
between Wang’s on-screen persona and the re-
ported off-screen realities.
On cloud nine?
Born in 2001, Wang began making short videos
roommates when she was a college student. In
2021, during her sophomore year, a video she
created about students checking exam scores
went viral, attracting over 100 million views and
rapidly growing her fanbase to over 1 million fol-
lowers.
In March, Wang and her team began releas-
ing a short drama series in which she plays the
character of Wang Ma—a feisty, outspoken maid
serving as a voice for the common working per-
son. Wang Ma courageously argued against any
unfairness or injustice, which resonated strongly
with working-class viewers, who hailed her as
the “online spokesperson” for workers’ rights.
This breakout role propelled Wang to meteoric
Internet celebrity status, amassing millions of
new fans.
Recently, however, some netizens have
38 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
exposed on social media that Huangye Culture actually has issues like re-
quiring employees to work overtime and use their own laptops for work,
and paying them monthly salaries of just around 4,000 yuan ($552). This
has caused public outrage.
What has angered many even further is the realization that Wang Zhixin,
though playing a character speaking up for workers, does not seem to have
DFWXDOO\HPSDWKL]HGZLWKRULQWHQGHGWRÀJKWIRUODERUULJKWVLQDQ\JHQXLQH
way. It seems that she plays the character simply to garner attention and traf-
fic from working-class fans. With online traffic, come fame and financial
success.
A few days after the controversy erupted, Huangye Culture issued a state-
ment to address netizens’ concerns. In the statement, the company apologized
for some of the management problems exposed by netizens, while arguing
that some other netizens allegations were ungrounded. The company also
said it had decided to raise the minimum payment to 6,000 yuan ($828) per
PRQWKRIIHUH[WUDKROLGD\VWRLWVZRUNHUVDQGSURYLGHWKHPZLWKRIÀFHVXS-
plies such as computers.
Netizens’ dissatisfaction with the labor practices of Huangye Culture
has resulted in a decline of Wang Zhixin’s fanbase and reputation, and a
discontinuation of her video publishing. By the time of writing, her usually
frequently updated Douyin account had not released any new content related
to the popular Wang Ma mini-drama series since the online controversy
erupted.
Hiding behind the boom
7KHUDSLGGHYHORSPHQWRI,QWHUQHWWHFKQRORJLHVKDVIXHOHGDWKULYLQJLQÁX-
encer economy ecosystem in China, giving rise to a large number of short
video, livestreaming and other content platforms, as well as MCN (Multi-
Channel Network) service agencies. This has directly and indirectly created
diverse employment opportunities across the industry value chain, including
LQÁXHQFHUVDQGSODQQLQJDQGRSHUDWLRQVWDII
A report co-released by iiMedia Research and Thinkingdom Media Group
last year forecast that by 2025, the market size of industries related to China’s
LQÁXHQFHUHFRQRP\ZRXOGH[FHHGWULOOLRQ\XDQ WULOOLRQ 
An MCN company is a type of media and entertainment company that
specializes in managing and supporting the growth of digital content creators
DQGLQÁXHQFHUVDFURVVPXOWLSOHRQOLQHSODWIRUPV
The number of registered MCN companies in China exceeded 25,400 in
2023, according to business consultancy Topklout.com.
The industry has experienced rapid development, but the lack of adequate
http://www.bjreview.com

A job fair on a university campus in Tianjin Municipality on May 30
protection for employee rights is a phenomenon that is not uncommon within
the industry.
“Overtime work prevails in this industry,” Xiao Wen, a market coordina-
tor who has worked at several MCN companies, told Beijing Review. “During
peak periods, you are expected to be available around the clock. The compe-
WLWLRQLVÀHUFHQRWMXVWEHWZHHQULYDOÀUPVEXWDOVRDPRQJFROOHDJXHVZLWKLQ
the same company. Yet, the salaries we earn are largely comparable to those
RIUHJXODUQLQHWRÀYHRIÀFHZRUNHUVµ
The Labor Law of China stipulates that, on average, the daily working
hours of workers shall not exceed eight hours and the weekly working hours
shall not exceed 44 hours. If the employer needs its employees to work extra
time due to production or operational needs, they can do so after consultation
with the trade union and workers, but generally this should not exceed one
additional hour per day. If more extra hours are needed for special reasons,
under the condition that the health of laborers is guaranteed, the extended
hours shall not exceed three hours per day. However, the total extension in a
month shall not exceed 36 hours.
To address the issue of excessive overtime imposed by some employers
http://www.bjreview.com
FEATURES
XINHUA
and to help improve the overall social climate, in
August 2021, the Supreme People’s Court, China’s
highest judicial authoritiy and other departments
jointly issued 10 typical cases involving violations
of the overtime stipulation. This was done to im-
prove the handling of labor dispute cases, address
illegal actions by employers and safeguard work-
ers’ rights to rest and fair compensation.
Zhou Guangsu, an associate professor of la-
bor economy at the School of Labor and Human
Resources of Renmin University of China, said
as the digital economy continues to develop, the
emergence of new occupations requires the relevant
ODZVDQGUHJXODWLRQVWREHUHÀQHGSURPSWO\WRLP-
prove the protection of labor rights and interests for
ZRUNHUVLQWKHVHHPHUJLQJÀHOGVBR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to luyan@cicgamericas.com
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 39
 FEATURES CULTURAL HERITAGE
Behind the Shadows
A traditional Chinese puppetry performance—with a contemporary twist By Ge Lijun
A
ccompanied by music, a humorous story
unfolds as a turtle and a crane engage in
playful antics, brought to life through the
clever interplay of light and curtain in a Chinese
shadow puppetry performance. The audience
appears very much entertained, with bursts of
laughter echoing throughout the shenanigans un-
folding on stage.
Backstage, Lu Baogang, a national-level inheritor
of Beijing shadow puppetry art, and the other perform-
ers of the Beijing Shadow Show Troupe, expertly
manipulate the silhouettes.
The crane executes a series of complex move-
PHQWVWKDWDUHSDUWLFXODUO\GLIÀFXOWWRPDQDJHIRUWKH
puppeteers. Having assumed the mantle from his father
at the age of 15, Lu once spent hours at the zoo observ-
ing the cranes’ every move. Now aged 60, Lu, also the
troupe’s director, has over four decades of experience
in the art of shadow puppetry.
Chinese shadow puppetry, a fusion of light,
shadow, drawing and singing, traces its origins to the
Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 8). It evolved
and peaked through the subsequent dynasties, and even
COURTESY PHOTO
Lu Baogang introduces a Chinese shadow puppet
40 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024
spread as far as Europe and Western Asia during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368).
Inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
of Humanity in 2011, the traditional puppetry art now faces the challenges posed by
contemporary entertainment.
All across China, Lu and other inheritors of the art form are looking for new ways
to revive the age-old tradition by exploring new avenues, attracting attention and ap-
preciation for their relentless quest for renewal.
Cross-cultural to cross-sector
Over the years, the audience turnout for Chinese shadow puppetry shows has de-
FOLQHG)RUDUWLVWVRI/X·VJHQHUDWLRQWKHFKDOOHQJHRIÀQGLQJQHZZD\VWRLQQRYDWH
has become paramount.
Lu has long been aware that traditional shadow puppetry does not enjoy great
success in the marketplace, being less popular than other art forms. This realization is
what prompted his company to explore inter-theater fusion.
“This fusion involves combining shadow puppetry with other theatrical genres
such as spoken theater, musical comedy and puppet theater. This goal is to address
certain limitations of our art, such as its flat, two-dimensional presentation,” Lu
told ChinAfrica magazine, a China International Communications Group publication
that focuses on reporting news and stories related to China-Africa relations.
:KLOHWKHVSHFLÀFWZRGLPHQVLRQDOQDWXUHRIVKDGRZSXSSHWU\LVDVWUHQJWKLW
can also be a weakness in terms of visual impact. Artists are seeking to remedy this by
integrating more visually dynamic theatrical forms on stage, moving beyond the tradi-
tional backdrop of a simple curtain, he added.
7KHÀUVWVXFKH[SHULPHQWRFFXUUHGLQ$WDVKDGRZSXSSHWU\FRPSHWLWLRQ
Lu won the Creativity Award with his play The Legend of Meng Jiangnu, a famous
Chinese folk tale combining human and puppetry performances. This success encour-
aged him to innovate the art form.
Building on this approach, Lu’s troupe has produced two highly acclaimed plays:
In 2019, The Legend of the Shadows was created, followed by The Shadow Box’s
Fantastic Journey in 2023.
Both productions combine shadow puppetry with a range of techniques and forms
of expression, including human shadows, paper silhouettes, and shadow landscapes.
They also explore innovative concepts in set design, musical accompaniment and
staging. “Our objective with these two plays was, and is, to attract a younger audi-
ence,” Lu noted while highlighting the positive reception the shows have received.
Other shadow puppetry troupes across the country are also embracing innovation.
For example, Wang Haiyan, a representative inheritor of shadow play in northwest
China’s Shaanxi Province, is incorporating elements from cartoons and video games
into her contemporary puppet designs. Wang was inspired by a cartoon festival she
visited with her son a few years ago, motivating her to create new shadow puppets
WKDWPHUJHWUDGLWLRQDOFUDIWVPDQVKLSDQGPRGHUQLQÁXHQFHV
She has also actively pursued “cross-sector” cooperation with different industries,
including clothing, automotive and fashion brands.
http://www.bjreview.com

XINHUA
Shadow puppetry performance fuses Chinese shadow theater with state-of-the-art projection techniques at an art center in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province,
on February 11
This approach provides opportunities for the art form to reach new audiences and
stay relevant in a swiftly changing cultural landscape.
Tech-tastic
In today’s evolving society, digital technology offers the time-honored art of shadow
puppetry both opportunities and resources, opening up new artistic perspectives.
Recognizing the growing interest in immersive experiences like 4D films, Liu
Chaokan, a representative inheritor of shadow play in southwest China’s Yunnan
Province, has opted to incorporate 4D elements into the performances.
7KLVLVTXLWHWKHIHDWLQWKHUHDOPRIVKDGRZSXSSHWU\DVLWPDUNVWKHÀUVWLQVWDQFH
of traditional shadow play techniques being combined with holographic projection
technology on a contemporary stage.
One production showcasing this innovation is The Memories of Tengchong,
ZKLFKRIIHUVVSHFWDWRUVDIXOOÁHGJHGLPPHUVLYHWKHDWHUH[SHULHQFH´:HPXVWQRW
deny our traditions, but enrich them with new elements so that shadow puppetry con-
tinues to be appreciated in modern times,” said Liu.
In the current media landscape, one shadow puppetry troupe in Haining, Zhejiang
Province in east China, leverages the power of the Internet extensively for promo-
tion. Liu Fan, a young performer with the troupe, regularly creates and shares short
videos online, giving netizens access to behind-the-scenes processes and techniques.
His videos are very popular on Chinese social media platforms. A video of the play
The Tortoise and the Crane gained 15 million views and 36,000 likes on Douyin, the
Chinese version of TikTok.
http://www.bjreview.com
FEATURES
Similarly, the Beijing Shadow Show Troupe,
where Lu is active, also acknowledges the importance
RIUDLVLQJRQH·VRQOLQHSURÀOH7KHWURXSHKDVDOUHDG\
collaborated with major Chinese Internet and tech plat-
forms such as Bilibili, China’s equivalent of YouTube
that primarily caters to Gen Z, and NetEase, one of the
country’s leading gaming players. These partnerships
have yielded positive results. For instance, in one col-
laboration with Bilibili to endorse a video game, they
produced a promotional video featuring shadow pup-
petry, which attracted considerable viewers count.
Despite his impending retirement in October,
Lu has no intention of giving up his role in
maintaining the art form’s survival. He said that
pursuing innovative developments remains a prior-
ity. “The art of shadow puppetry is deeply rooted
in our culture and I am committed to perpetuating
it. Nothing and no one can stop me, because this is
what inheritors must do,” he added. BR
This article was first published in ChinAfrica magazine
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to yushujun@cicgamericas.com
JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 41
FEATURES REAL PEOPLE, REAL LIVES
A Roaring Legacy
How one lion dance performer tries to captivate a new generation By Wang Ruohan

B
raving the rising mercury and glar-
ing sunlight in Beijing on May 10,
lion dance performers from the capital
city’s Xicheng District were rehearsing for the
upcoming Xicheng District Workers’ Games.
The opening of the games would feature the
Baizhifang Lion Dance, which is recognized as
national intangible cultural heritage.
After the first round of rehearsals, the team
members removed their heavy lion costumes and
sought some shade to cool down. Their master,
Yang Jingwei, a seventh-generation inheritor
of this specific lion dance, carefully arranged
the seven lion heads in a neat row, meticulously
combing their manes.
“When I joined the team, my master told me
that the lion should hold a place of the utmost im-
FEI RUICONG
dance from the bottom of my heart, and that, if given the chance, I would
GHÀQLWHO\MRLQWKHWHDPµ<DQJWROGBeijing Review.
Yang’s journey to becoming a lion dance master was anything but
straightforward. He first made a name for himself as a weightlifter, then
VHUYHGLQWKHPLOLWDU\DQGODWHUHYHQZRUNHGDVDSROLFHRIÀFHU+HUHWXUQHG
to the Beijing Banknote Printing Plant in 1978. In 1984, as the lion dance
team prepared to recruit new members for its performance to mark the 35th
anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, Yang seized the opportunity
to join the lion dance team. Through hard work, he mastered the dance’s
complex techniques, eventually earning his master’s recognition.
To this day, Yang still remembers what his master once told him: Once
the lion costume is on, one must embody the lion itself; true mastery of the
Baizhifang Lion Dance is about more than perfecting the movements; it re-
quires capturing the very essence and spirit of the lion.
He and his partner demonstrated the true spirit of the lion in 1989, when
a Sino-Japanese cultural exchange event brought a folk-art troupe from

portance. Arranging the lion heads neatly before

stepping onto the stage shows the stature of the
lion and the quality of our team,” said Yang.

Lionhearts
Baizhifang is a historical area in Beijing’s
Xicheng District bearing rich cultural heritage.
The eponymous lion dance was born in 1740, the
fifth year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign during
the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The performance
quickly became the highlight of local festivals,
captivating audiences with its eye-catching acro-
batic routines.
To this day, the Baizhifang Lion Dance stands
out among its peers due to its blend of history,
culture and physical prowess. It is a living testa-
ment to ancient customs and traditions, as well as
a real community effort, involving local perform-
ers, musicians, and organizers.
Yang’s passion for the dance was ignited in
his childhood. After the founding of the People’s
Republic of China in 1949, a group of passionate
employees from the Beijing Banknote Printing
Plant formed a lion dance team. As his father
managed the plant’s rehearsal hall, Yang got
opportunities to spend hours watching the lion
dance practices.
“From a young age, I knew I loved the lion
42 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024 http://www.bjreview.com
 FEATURES
Shimane Prefecture, Japan to Beijing for lion dance show. exposure to the lion dance sparked his curiosity
A lion dance requires two performers: one for the head and one for the and passion for the art, he said that, to preserve
tail. Yang played the tail, responsible for supporting his partner. However, the Baizhifang Lion Dance, it is essential to en-
on the day of the performance, there was an accident... Yang and his partner gage children and pique their interest.
were standing on stacked tables when the latter suddenly lost his balance, “Interest needs to be nurtured. As long as
causing them both to take a tumble. children are curious about the Baizhifang Lion
Yang’s leg immediately swelled up, but they adjusted their positions and Dance, I am more than willing to provide them
completed the performance. The following day, despite his injury, Yang still with the opportunity to experience it firsthand,”
managed to execute every move with precision. Yang said.
“Lion dance performers must learn how to adopt and embody the lion’s Currently, Yang leads the lion dance team in
bravery and persistence,” said Yang. promoting the dance to the public, a mission that
Yang and his fellow performers’ perseverance moved the Japanese also takes them to kindergartens, primary schools,
troupe, and they gifted him an amulet, hoping it would bless him in his future middle schools and universities.
performances. Another challenge he faces is that the
Baizhifang Lion Dance, a northern Chinese-style
A team effort lion dance, is lesser known than the southern-
Yang believes that he must live up to his master’s expectations by passing on style counterparts, both in China and overseas.
the skills he was taught. As a nationally recognized intangible cultural heri- To address this, Yang collaborates with several
tage inheritor, he feels a deep sense of responsibility. “We cannot wait; we SDUWLHVWRUDLVHWKHGDQFH·VSURÀOH
must actively take the initiative to protect the heritage,” he said. Besides professional media organizations,
$VLJQLÀFDQWFKDOOHQJHKHIDFHVLVWKHJUDGXDOIDGLQJRIWKLVLQWDQJLEOH university students and social media influencers
cultural heritage, with fewer people willing to learn it. “When I was young, I are often welcomed to film and interview him,
was unable to win an oppor- and Yang patiently introduces the Baizhifang
tunity to learn the Baizhifang Lion Dance to everyone. The entire team works
Lion Dance. Now, it’s almost together to gradually increase the performing
the other way around and I art’s visibility.
have to ask people to learn The local government also provides perfor-
it,” Yang remarked. mance opportunities and infrastructure to promote
Recalling how his early the Baizhifang Lion Dance widely. For instance,
the Shijingshan District Cultural Commission in
Beijing provided a free training ground, along-
side performance opportunities like the Xicheng
District Workers’ Games on May 11. Yang also
broke the tradition of “passing the heritage on
to men, not women” by forming a women’s lion
dance team, who trained diligently to bring the art
form to more people.
“Currently, from the Baizhifang subdistrict to
municipal and central government departments,
and media outlets, plus the many people who
love to watch lion dances, everyone cares about
our Baizhifang Lion Dance. As an inheritor, I
must pass this project down through generations,
letting more people understand, love and join this
lion dance. That is my greatest happiness,” said
Yang Jingwei shows his Yang. BR
apprentices some
Baizhifang Lion Dance
movements at their
training ground in
Beijing’s Shijingshan Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
District on May 16 Comments to wangruohan@cicgamericas.com

http://www.bjreview.com JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 43

CULTURE

Blossom Bonanza
T
he 26th Hortiflorexpo IPM
Beijing, hosted by the China
Flower Association in col-
laboration with German trade fair
company Messe Essen GmbH, the
organizer of the International Plant
Fair, commonly known as the IPM,
unfolded at the China International
Exhibition Center from May 23 to 25.
The event drew horticultural exhibitors,
enthusiasts and numerous curious local
residents.
7KHKRUWLÁRUH[SRLVWKHSUHPLHU
professional expo of its kind in
China, traditionally held alternately
in Beijing and Shanghai every other
year. The expo was suspended for
several years due to the COVID-19
pandemic. This year, both the scale 1
of the event and the number of
visitors rebounded to prepandemic
levels.
This edition of the exhibition 4
attracted more than 700 exhibitors
from more than 20 countries and
regions, showcasing a wide selec-
WLRQRIÁRZHUVSRWWHGSODQWVJDUGHQ
plants and horticultural equipment.
The event also included flower
arrangement demonstrations, a
conference on China’s horticultural
retail industry and sharing sessions
IRURQOLQHÁRZHUVHOOHUVBR
(Text and photos by Wei Yao)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

Comments to weiyao@cicgamericas.com

46 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024 http://www.bjreview.com

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http://www.bjreview.com JUNE 13, 2024 BEIJING REVIEW 47

FORUM
Is It All Right for Fast-Tracked Graduates
To Quit Their Government Posts?
A
LI SHIGONG
new graduate from the presti-
gious Wuhan University, sur-
named Gu, reluctantly took up
a government post in Jiayuguan, Gansu
Province, last year. The city is famous for
the Jiayu Pass, the frontier fortifications
at the western end of the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644) Great Wall. With a popula-
tion of 320,000, Jiayuguan is the largest
iron and steel producer in the northwest,
and has a thriving tourism sector.
A German language and literature
major holding a master’s degree, Gu felt
working in Jiayuguan was a waste of
her talent. She began posting about her
experiences online, grumbling about her
dissatisfaction with the work. In April, she
applied to resign and was approved.
Gu was recruited as a xuandiaosheng,
a local government worker appointed economic and social advancement. and resignation disrupted the local gov-
through rigorous selection procedures soon To become a xuandiaosheng, one must ernment’s human resources planning and
after graduating from university. These be prepared for hardships and challenges. necessitated Wuhan University to come
\RXQJRIÀFLDOVDUHUHTXLUHGWRZRUNDWWKH If they are unable to face up to the diffi- forward to express regret for her behavior.
culties of work and life at frontline posts, Allowing herself to be persuaded by
grassroots level for several years before
they will never do well in their new roles her parents and tutor, she then publicly
being eligible to apply for higher posts.
and their choice will result in a lose-lose expressed her regret and dissatisfaction,
Gu’s experiences have recently trig-
situation: While these graduates may feel even targeting barbs at Jiayuguan. Here,
gered online debate. While some say
they have chosen the wrong job, the local she made a mistake common among the
HYHU\RQHKDVWKHULJKWWRTXLWLIWKH\ÀQG
governments that recruit them will also young: not being sure about what it is they
themselves unfit for their jobs, others ar-
really want to do.
gue that xuandiaoshengs, selected for their feel disappointed at their reluctance and
In the early days of their careers, some
talent and character as prospective leaders, inability to work there.
\RXQJSHRSOHÀQGDGDSWLQJWRWKHQHZHQ-
should not be too self-centered. Gu’s example shows that becoming
vironment difficult, partly because of the
Qu Jin (Jimu News): After reading a xuandiaosheng does not mean having
gaping gap between dreams and reality.
Gu’s story, many people, mistakenly so, a comfortable and stable job forever.
For this reason, it’s important for them to
see xuandiaoshengs as a group of young Challenging living conditions and de-
have a good understanding of their poten-
graduates who are only interested in stable manding daily routines will naturally
tial jobs beforehand. Sometimes, parents
and comfortable lives as civil servants, but eliminate those who are unwilling to roll
are to blame for imposing certain choices
who never aim to make use of their poten- up their sleeves. on their children regardless of the latter’s
tial for local development. Zhao Zhijiang (Qilu Evening News): real interests and personal abilities. It’s a
Actually, Gu is only a rare exception. Since new graduates choose to serve as lesson for Gu’s parents and all parents. BR
Take Gu’s alma mater Wuhan University a xuandiaosheng, they must accept local
for example. Of the university’s more governments’ arrangements and abide by
than 3,000 graduates who have gone on to the basic principles and discipline of their
become xuandiaoshengs, many continue roles. Obviously, Gu had not mentally pre-
to work in less developed areas in central pared herself for the job when she accepted Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to yanwei@cicgamericas.com
and western regions, helping with local the post in Jiayuguan. Her disgruntlement
48 BEIJING REVIEW JUNE 13, 2024 http://www.bjreview.com
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