Author: WuhuW

A farmer plows a rice paddy while egrets forage in Lianjiang county, Fujian province, on May 29. The province has been sparing no efforts to boost the eco-transformation of the region through systematic protection and restoration of forests, wetlands, grasslands and croplands.

Xi stresses society must work toward ecological civilization, beautiful world

President Xi Jinping has called for the whole of society to engage in action to promote and practice the philosophy of ecological civilization, as China endeavors to achieve a comprehensive green transition toward a clean and beautiful world.

The natural environment provides the very foundation for human survival and development, and having a sound natural environment is the common wish of people of all countries, Xi said in a congratulatory letter to a national celebration event on Sunday marking World Environment Day.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, China has emphasized that the strategy of building an ecological civilization is vitally important to the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, said Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

The country has made concrete steps toward building a beautiful China, he said, adding that “historical, transformative and comprehensive” changes have been achieved.

With the intensified endeavor to promote a comprehensive green transition of economic and social development, China will devote more efforts to pollution control, ecological conservation and tackling of climate change to build a beautiful China and to help build a clean and beautiful world, Xi said.

World Environment Day, observed each year on June 5, was also designated a national environment day for China in 2014 when the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature, adopted an amendment to the Environmental Protection Law.

This year, on the theme of “Building together a clean and beautiful world”, the celebratory event was held on Sunday in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vice-Premier Han Zheng called for upholding the concept of “a community of life for man and nature” and promoting public awareness so that all Chinese citizens take action to build a beautiful China.

He said continued efforts should be made to address acute environmental problems at people’s doorsteps, and the security of energy, grain supply, the industrial supply chain and people’s normal lives must be ensured when the country endeavors to cut its carbon emissions.

Han underscored the need for global cooperation on green transition and to make the philosophy of ecological civilization and its practices benefit people around the world.

Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu said that while forging ahead with the domestic green transition, China will proactively participate in global environmental governance with intensified international cooperation.

Via video link on Sunday, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, lauded China’s great efforts and achievements on green transition. She said that China has taken a series of important measures and demonstrated leadership in mainstreaming biodiversity.

“I would like to call upon all to act and act now, as the challenges we face are huge and urgent,” she said. “I also look forward to China’s continued leadership and efforts in addressing environmental issues at various levels.”

Aerial photo taKen on Sept. 26, 2021 shows the view of the Fuligong Greenhouses at Kunming Botanical Garden in Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)

SHENYANG, June 5 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday urged efforts to build a beautiful China in which humanity and nature coexist in harmony and contribute more to jointly constructing a clean and beautiful world.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the National Event on the Environment Day held in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning Province.

The ecological environment is the foundation for the survival and development of human beings, and maintaining a sound environment is the common aspiration of people of all countries, Xi said.

China has attached fundamental importance to ecological progress and has carried out fundamental, pioneering and long-term work since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi said, stressing that historic, transformative and comprehensive changes have been achieved.

On a new journey of building a modern socialist country, China will maintain the strategic resolve on facilitating ecological progress, promote a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, and coordinate efforts on pollution control, ecological protection and climate-change response, Xi said.

Xi called for joint and solid action from the whole of society to protect the environment and leave a beautiful homeland with a blue sky, green land and clear water for future generations.

Han Zheng, Chinese Vice Premier and a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the opening ceremony of the Environment Day event and made a speech.

Han urged efforts to deepen the overall green transformation and promote coordinated progress on environmental protection and economic development.

China will push for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in a prudent and orderly way and in the process, guarantee the security of energy, industrial and supply chains, and food, as well as people’s normal lives, he said.

Han also stressed joint efforts on global ecological progress and sustainable development to benefit people all over the world.

China has held the national event to celebrate the Environment Day each year since 2017, with this year’s event themed “Work Together to Build a Clean and Beautiful World.”

It is learned that Chery Group sold 55,588 vehicles in April. From January to April, a total of 284,865 vehicles were sold, up 0.9 percent year-on-year, of which 84,993 vehicles were exported, up 12.6 percent year-on-year, creating a new record for export in the same period in history.

In April, the automobile industry was under pressure due to chip shortage and COVID-19 resurgence. According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the sales volume of automobile industry decreased by 47.6 percent year-on-year in April. At present, about 30% of Chery’s primary suppliers are located in Shanghai, which is under lockdown management. Wuhu, where the group headquarters and the main production base are located, has also experienced “static management” for nearly a week due to the pandemic, and the sales volume of Chery Group in April decreased by 27.6% year-on-year due to factors such as insufficient production capacity.

In the face of challenges, Chery Group actively maintained supply and stabilized production. At the beginning of May, the production capacity returned to about 70% of the normal period. Chery Group has also accelerated the launch of new models of different automobile brands based on the needs of consumers, constantly creating new experiences and new values for them, and minimizing the negative impact brought by the pandemic and unstable supply chain when the sales volume of the automobile industry in April was almost “halved”.

 Translated by Wang Mengxiao from Foreign Affairs Office of Wuhu Municipal People’s Government

Recently, National Ministry of Science and Technology announced the list of national science and technology business incubators in 2021. Wuhu Zicheng technology business incubator was selected. Up to now, the number of national incubation carriers in Wuhu has risen to 12.

It is understood that Wuhu Zicheng technology business incubator was settled in Wuhu High–tech Zone in 2015, adhering to the trinity development strategy of “investment + incubation + consultation”. At present, more than 50 enterprises have settled in, covering various fields such as Internet, intelligent hardware, cultural creativity and industrial design, and providing more than 600 jobs.

National science and technology business incubator is the training base and support platform for innovative and entrepreneurial talents as well as an important part of the national innovation system. In recent years, Wuhu High–tech Zone has thoroughly implemented the concept of innovative development, and actively built an incubation zone for resource accumulation, platform building, talent introduction and training.

  Translated by Yuan Mengwen from Foreign Affairs Office of Wuhu Municipal People’s Government

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) — China will further expand the industry catalog of sectors encouraging foreign investment, authorities said.

The new list will add 238 more items, while up to 114 existing ones will be modified with expansion, said a notice issued by China’s National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

The increase is particularly relevant to items related to manufacturing, producer services, and those in the central and western regions, said the notice.

The sub-catalog of competitive industries in the central and western areas encouraging foreign investment will introduce 188 new items, having modified 52.

New items added to the national-level sub-catalog will include components and parts and equipment manufacturing in the manufacturing sector. It will also add professional design, technical services, and development in the producer services sector.

Foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 25.6 percent year on year to 379.87 billion yuan in the first quarter of the year, the MOC said.

A ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 10, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

The future of the world is in the hands of the younger generation. A nation can be full of hope that it will enjoy a bright future when its younger generations have ideals, ability and a strong sense of responsibility. And a nation that maintains its youthful vigor will prosper.

This was the essence of the important speech President Xi Jinping delivered at a grand gathering to mark the 100th anniversary of the Communist Youth League of China on Tuesday morning. And it should inspire its members to inherit the Youth League’s historical legacy and spare no efforts in making their due contributions to national rejuvenation.

Over the past 100 years, since it was established on May 5, 1922, the League has made important contributions to the achievements of the Chinese revolution and national development with its vitality, knowledge, courage and patriotism. And in the new era, the 81.25 million members of the League, who are aged between 14 and 28, continue to make key contributions to the efforts to realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.

Like a relay race, that great cause of the Party and the Chinese people has entailed the endeavors of generations of young people. And Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged the Youth League members to build up firm beliefs, and boost their courage and skills to better carry on the historical responsibility of the League in the face of the complex situation today.

Speaking at a ceremony held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, he called on the League to act as a strong bond between the Party and Chinese youth, helping them to understand socialism with Chinese characteristics and communism in practice at an early age, and cultivating trust in the Party, confidence in socialism with Chinese characteristics and belief in Marxism, so that they uphold the banner of patriotism and socialism.

Saying that over the past century, the firm beliefs and convictions demonstrated by the members of the Communist Youth League of China have served as the most fundamental and long-lasting source of cohesiveness, Xi urged the League to pursue self-reform and explore new models for its grassroots organizations in light of the profound changes in how young people today live and work, so as to consolidate and expand the patriotic united front of youth.

Young people are like saplings that thrive on the earth, and with the care of the Communist Youth League of China, the Party and the nation, the Chinese youth of today will grow into towering trees in the future. And with the country’s youth mobilized to make new and greater contributions to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the country can face the future with confidence.

Tourists camp at a site in Wuyi county, East China’s Zhejiang province, May 2, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

Camping proved to be a popular option over the recent May Day holiday in China, with many of those able to travel choosing to forgo the fast pace of city life for the serene surroundings of nature while abiding by COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism said in a news release on Wednesday that short-distance tours remained the most popular choice among travelers over the five-day break from April 30 to Wednesday, due to the tightening of travel restrictions aimed at combating the spread of the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Tour products that featured camping and recreational vehicles were a popular choice among travelers, especially young and trendy people looking for new ways to experience travel.

“I went camping and had a picnic with my friends deep in the mountains during the holiday,” said 31-year-old Ji Nan from Anji, Zhejiang province. “On the first day, we six drove about two hours from the city and put up our tents at around noon.”

She had planned a family trip to Sanya, Hainan province, to spend the holiday but canceled it due to the epidemic.

“It’s safer to take a self-driving tour and spend one or two days with people we are familiar with.”

Ji said that to her family and friends, camping was not a second choice but a good way to get closer to nature. “It was relaxing, rather than just sleeping in a new place,” she added.

Figures from travel agencies demonstrated the popularity of camping over the holiday and how, in turn, it has boosted consumption at entertainment venues, hotels and homestays near camp sites.

Trip.com, an online travel agency, said page views for their camping products on the first day of the holiday rose by 90 percent from the previous week. It said that reservations for hotels and homestays in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, the top choice for campers, rose by 130 percent compared with bookings made during the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday in early April.

It added that reservations for hotels and homestays with a hashtag related to camping increased by 153 percent compared with during the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday.

Figures from online travel platform Fliggy show that 90 percent of bookings for camping-related products were made by people born after 1980.

It said camping-related reservations over the holiday rose by 350 percent compared to the same period in April, and travelers from Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Chengdu in Sichuan province and Guangzhou showed an overwhelming preference for camping.

“We had some gear for camping sell out around a week before the holiday started,” said Ren Tian, from online travel services provider Qunar. “The sales volume was three times higher than during the same period last year.”

According to Qunar, sales of park tickets where camping sites and services are offered to travelers surged 50 percent year-on-year.

China’s camping market is expected to continue growing in the coming years. According to a report released by Guangzhou-based research firm iiMedia Research, the scale of China’s camping market increased from 7.71 billion yuan ($1.16 billion) in 2014 to 29.9 billion yuan in 2021, and it is expected to grow by 18.6 percent in 2022 to 35.46 billion yuan.

In addition to camping-related products, kites, frisbees, barbecues, bonfires, open-air movies, as well as recreational vehicle trips and other outdoor activities have also become increasingly popular.

The camping industry in China has become one of the indispensable forms of outdoor tourism. As the country’s outdoor recreation tourism grows, camping near urban areas will become increasingly popular, as it has fewer requirements and doesn’t need long-distance travel, said Zhang Sining, a researcher with the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.

The reporter learned that recently, the bidding for the construction of the main project of Wuwei (Taqiao) to Chaohu (Muji) section of Tongling-Shangcheng Expressway was started. After the completion of the project, another high-speed channel linking Hefei and Wuhu will be opened.

The project starts from the hub Taqiao near Hedian Town, Wuwei City, passes through Kaicheng Town, Yanqiao Town and Ba town of Chaohu City and terminates at Wannian village of Huailin Town, Chaohu City, connecting Tongling Yangtze River Highway and Shijian-Taqiao section of Wuwei-Tongcheng Expressway from southeast to northwest. Muji hub will be set to connect with G4224 Expressway that is under construction.

The total length of the route is about 27.456 kilometers, including a large bridge, three bridges, two small and medium bridges; four interconnected crossing bridges, namely Taqiao, Kaicheng, Bazhen and Muji. Besides, seven main line separated interchanges, two ramp toll stations, a maintenance area and other supporting facilities will be equipped.

The designed speed of the project of Wuwei (Taqiao) to Chaohu (Muji) section is 120 kilometers per hour, with asphalt concrete pavement structure. The total estimate of the project is about 4.975 billion yuan. The project is planned to be completed and opened to traffic in 2025.

 Translated by Yuan Mengwen from Foreign Affairs Office of Wuhu Municipal People’s Government

China will likely meet its annual growth target of around 5.5 percent this year with the help of the government’s effective measures to control COVID-19 outbreaks and stabilize market expectations, economists and experts said.

Despite facing mounting pressure from a resurgence in domestic COVID-19 cases and a complicated and grim external environment, they believe the country has plenty of policy tools to stabilize the overall economy, while the impact of outbreaks is likely to be temporary.

Citing China’s faster-than-expected 4.8 percent year-on-year growth in the first quarter, they said there still exists a gap between first-quarter growth and the country’s annual growth target, calling for more steps to accelerate macroeconomic policy support, especially for hard-hit enterprises and sectors.

Compared with major economies, China reported higher GDP growth with lower inflation in the first quarter, demonstrating robust economic resilience despite downward pressures, said Wang Yiming, vice-chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

Wang said at a Chinese economic situation seminar on Saturday in Beijing that while China witnessed sustainable industrial growth, rising investment demand and strong innovation momentum in the first quarter, the growth of major economic indicators have slowed since March because of the COVID-19 cases and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

With many market entities like micro and small businesses facing difficulties and mounting pressures, he said, more efforts should be made to actively respond to the concerns of those entities to stabilize market expectations and provide stronger macroeconomic policy adjustments to stabilize the economy.

Wang’s views were echoed by Liu Qiao, dean of the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University. Considering the strong resilience of the economy and China’s ample tools, Liu believes China has the confidence to meet its annual growth target of around 5.5 percent in 2022.

Sang Baichuan, dean of the Institute of International Economy at the University of International Business and Economics, said China’s economy will remain in the process of recovery this year while facing pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions and monetary policy adjustments in the United States and Europe.

“The economic situation is challenging,” said Zhang Xiaoqiang, executive vice-chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

He said it is of great importance to ensure economic stability and actively respond to the concerns of foreign businesses to stabilize foreign investment and international trade.

A new survey released by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and Roland Berger consultancy showed China’s domestic COVID-19 cases and the Russia-Ukraine crisis are creating severe challenges to European business operations.

The survey said 23 percent of respondents are now considering shifting current or planned investments out of China to other markets, more than double the number that were considering doing so at the beginning of 2022.

Given challenges in the foreign trade sector, the Ministry of Commerce will work to safeguard smooth logistics and production activities, improve financial support and encourage new business forms, such as cross-border commerce, said Sheng Qiuping, vice-minister of commerce.

China’s consumption market will further expand, as the country has 1.4 billion people, including 400 million middle-income earners, he said.

Sheng said the Chinese market will remain open and unleash more opportunities for global enterprises, as the fundamentals of the Chinese economy will continue to improve.

Trademark is an important symbol to distinguish the sources of goods and services, and it is also a significant intangible property of enterprises. It was learned on May 6th that the trademarks “Conch” and “Chery” of our city were successfully selected in the first batch of trademark protection lists that include 25 trademarks in total in Anhui Province released by Anhui Administration for Market Regulation.

Based on “Anhui Province Intellectual Property Protection Measures”, trademark protection lists in Anhui Province include registered trademarks in the province that enjoy high reputation, have greater market influence, and are easily infringed and counterfeited into the key protection lists, aiming at strengthening the protection of trademark exclusive rights and trademark brands, safeguarding the development of brand economy and promoting high-quality development.

By the end of 2021, the total effective number of registered trademarks in Wuhu reached 126,182, ranking first in the province in terms of the growth rate. There are 2,867 registered trademarks per 10,000 market entities, ranking first in the province as well. Market regulation departments at all levels in Wuhu will also establish and improve a long-term mechanism for trademark protection, step up efforts in the investigation and punishment of counterfeit registered trademarks and trademark infringement cases, strengthen the protection of trademarks in all aspects, and better protect the legitimate rights of trademark owners.

 Translated by Wang Mengxiao from Foreign Affairs Office of Wuhu Municipal People’s Government