Wuhu News

The Ministry of Water Resources will designate protection zones along the Yangtze River and clarify the responsibilities of managing departments as part of a two-year campaign to tackle illegal projects and revitalize the river’s shorelines.

Vice-Minister of Water Resources Wei Shanzhong told a news conference on Wednesday that the ministry has finished marking out parts of the Yangtze covering more than 1,000 square kilometers of the river’s basin, and it is planning to draw up boundaries for smaller areas to protect shorelines.

Wei said the ministry will revise regulations to further clarify departments’ responsibilities for shoreline protection and utilization. Regular inspections along the river will be enhanced and smart supervision methods, including satellite remote sensing, camera surveillance and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, will be promoted.

During the ministry’s campaign, 2,441 projects along the shorelines were found to have violated laws or regulations, threatening flood control, river stability, drinking water safety and the protection of nature reserves. By last month, the ministry had dismantled or renovated about 99 percent of those projects and cleared 158 kilometers of shoreline.

Nine provinces and municipalities along about 8,300 km of shoreline have been involved in the campaign, including Shanghai, Chongqing and the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and Yunnan.

The ministry has cleaned up buildings that occupied ecologically sensitive areas, were built without government approval or occupied shoreline without making the best use of it.

Local governments have transformed such shorelines into grasslands amid the campaign, which was launched in October 2018 but has been temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ministry said large numbers of docks, bridges, shipyards, pipelines and drainage outlets built in the Yangtze economic zone since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 have brought economic growth to the area.

In January 2016 and April 2018, President Xi Jinping inspected the Yangtze and called for all-out efforts to protect it, saying there should be no large-scale development beside the river.

Xi called for putting restoration of the river’s ecosystem high on the agenda in developing the Yangtze economic belt.

“The cleanup and renovation of the shoreline is a very tough task,” Wei said. “A large number of issues left decades ago have to be resolved, but many of them involve complicated interests. The ministry will make further plans to move on with the task.”

On November 3, the launching ceremony and consultation day of the city’s 119 Fire Protection Publicity Month in 2020 was held in Wanyue City Square, Jiujiang District. Ningbo, Member of Wuhu Municipal Standing Committee and Executive Vice Mayor attended the ceremony.

Ningbo said that holding activities of 119 Fire Protection Publicity Month is not only an effective carrier for people to learn about fire control and an important measure to build a nationwide prevention and control system,but also a strong guarantee to ensure that the city’s fire safety situation is stable. To improve fire fighting is not only the responsibility of fire and rescue agencies, but also the common responsibility of the whole society. Departments at all levels should make concerted efforts, jointly organize and implement various activities of this event, constantly improving people’s ability of fire safety, self-prevention and self-rescue, and providing a good fire safety environment for the coordinated promotion of epidemic prevention and control as well as economic and social development.

Ma Benxuan, an individual winner of the fifth “119” Fire Protection Award, and Wang Xiaopeng, a representative of the winning collective “Dajiang Volunteer Team” in Wuhu, made speeches. A variety of public participation activities were held on the scene, including demonstration of fire rescue equipment, smoke escape experience, competition for prizes and so on.

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

HEFEI, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) — The 3rd G60 Yangtze River Delta Sci-tech Innovation Valley Talent Summit concluded Thursday in Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province.

Themed “Talents Integration Brings about High Quality Development,” the two-day summit was aimed at promoting talent integration in the Yangtze River Delta region, which is one of the country’s most economically active.

It brought together government officials, industry representatives and scholars from nine cities in the delta region, including Shanghai, Jiaxing, Hangzhou, Jinhua, Suzhou, Huzhou, Xuancheng, Wuhu and Hefei.

The event included a round-table conference, dialogue and forum in which participants discussed the development of their cities and inter-city cooperation, with a raft of talent-support policies announced and several agreements signed.

The “G60 science and technology innovation valley” was set up in June 2018 to build an integrated development platform in the region. It was named after an expressway, G60, which runs through several cities in the region.

As of September, the nine cities have attracted more than 1,000 national talents. A total of 547 academician expert workstations and 771 postdoctoral workstations have been set up in the cities. 

The year 2020 is the final year for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. The reporter learnedfrom Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau that Wuhu has focused on thebasic living requirements of people in need, strengthened social assistance and security, and effectively secured the bottom line of people’s livelihood security.

According to the report, starting from the second half of this year, urban and rural subsistence allowances in Nanling County havebeen raised to 710 yuan per month, while those in Wuwei City have been raised to 662 yuan per month. The subsistence allowances have been kept in line with the level of social and economic development, growing in step with the disposable income of urban and rural residents. Both the subsistence allowances and the compensation level are among the highest in the province.

At the same time, all counties (cities) and districts in Wuhu shall establish a system of temporary relief funds, which shall be examined and approved directly by towns and streets within the prescribed amount. In case of emergency, “first aid” can be implemented. Currently, Wanzhi District and Fanchang District have delegated the power of review and approval on urban and rural subsistence allowances to towns and streets, speeding up the process, reducing the time of handling affairs, and promoting the quality and efficiency of relief work.

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

President Xi Jinping and other Party and State leaders visit on Monday an exhibition in honor of the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers forces entering the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to help in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53). The exhibition is at the Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution in Beijing. JU PENG/XINHUA

President calls for studying, publicizing heroic stories of CPV forces at exhibition

    President Xi Jinping hailed China’s victory in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53)－a victory of justice, peace and the people－on Monday as he urged greater contributions to be made in safeguarding global peace and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

    Xi made the remark while reviewing an exhibition commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers forces entering the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to help in the war to resist US aggression at the Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution in Beijing.

    Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said the Party and government made a historic and resolute decision to resist US aggression, help the DPRK and defend the motherland 70 years ago.

    The heroic CPV, upholding banners of justice and disregarding their own safety, fought dauntlessly in battles side by side with the DPRK people and army before winning a great victory and making huge contributions to the cause of international peace and human progress, he said.

    The great spirit that was forged during the war is an invaluable spiritual treasure that is set to motivate the Chinese people and nation to overcome all difficulties and obstacles and conquer all powerful enemies, he added.

    Xi called for intensified steps to study and publicize the heroic stories of the CPV forces and to learn the history of the Party, the People’s Republic of China, the country’s reform and opening-up and socialist development.

    It is important to spur the whole Party, the armed forces and the people of all ethnic groups to rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee, keep firmly in mind original inspirations and missions, firm up triumphalism, give play to fighting spirit and enhance fighting capacities, he said.

    Xi was accompanied by other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, the Party’s highest body, and Vice-President Wang Qishan while reviewing the exhibition.

    Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, spoke at the opening of the exhibition on Monday morning.

    More than 540 photos, 1,900 cultural relics and a large number of videos and reconstructed scenes were displayed at the exhibition, which is divided into seven thematic sessions.

    On Oct 19, 1950, CPV forces, under a request made by the DPRK, crossed the Yalu River to aid the DPRK’s fight there until a truce was signed in 1953. A total of 2.9 million CPV soldiers entered the battlefield, and 197,653 of them sacrificed their lives in the war.

On Oct 19, the national touring report on exemplary deeds in poverty alleviation was held in Anhui Province. Member of Municipal Standing Committee, Secretary General, Director of municipal publicity Minister Zhang Zhihong and Vice Mayor, Tang Jinsong watched the report in the city venue .

The report began with an important instruction from General Secretary Xi Jinping on poverty alleviation and an important instruction from Premier Li Keqiang. Later, members of the fifth Touring Group told their stories on the front line of poverty alleviation in plain and sincere words. The participants listened attentively and deeply felt the fighting spirit poverty alleviation heroes who have taken root on the front line and devoted themselves to this great cause. They also strengthened their confidence and determination to win the battle against poverty.

The meeting pointed out that winning the battle against poverty is a solemn commitment made by our Party to the people of the whole country. Officials and the masses should adhere to scientific theories as guidance and further enhance their self-consciousness in thought and action to fight and win the battle against poverty. With these advanced models serving as examples, we should further stimulate our passion and motivation to jointly overcome difficulties, consolidating and improving the quality and effectiveness of poverty alleviation.

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

In East China’s Anhui province, the government and companies are highlighting the role of intellectual property while pursuing innovation-driven development.

The province, which is to integrate economically with its neighboring Yangtze River Delta－a powerhouse of China－has spared no efforts in upgrading its technological strength.

“IP can serve as an umbrella or a guard to protect technological innovation,” said Cheng Yin, director of the Anhui Intellectual Property Bureau.

Currently, the province is leading the country in terms of IP in the fields of smart manufacturing, electronic information, biomedicine and quantum communication.

In early August, the China National Intellectual Property Administration approved the setting up of an IP protection center in Anhui. It focuses on new-generation information technology and advanced equipment manufacturing industries.

The invention patent examination cycle could be shortened from an average 30 months to 10 months once the center is opened, according to Cheng’s bureau.

“We will keep providing efficient services to companies,” he added.

Anhui has a pool of more than 6,800 IP specialists that have served nearly 6,000 IT companies and more than 100 scientific and technological research institutes in the province, Cheng noted.

Chery is one of China’s largest independent auto brands with a home base in Wuhu of Anhui. It said it has invested 5-7 percent of the company’s annual sales in research and development since its establishment 23 years ago.

Over the years, the company has applied for 19,191 patents. Out of this, 12,393 have been granted, including nearly 3,700 invention patents, said Li Yongjie, IP department director of Chery Holdings.

The automaker has removed the barriers of key technologies that were once monopolized by foreign companies. This spans engines to gearboxes, core spare parts to platform development and from traditional auto technology to that of new energy vehicles, said Li.

“We fully realized the importance of IP rights and set up a comprehensive system that covers the full process from R&D, production to marketing,” he noted.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the total sales volume of new energy vehicles in August rose more than 20 percent from one year ago, according to company figures.

Both domestic sales and exports of the company’s vehicles registered more than 20 percent growth year-on-year as well, the company said.

Also based in Wuhu, CETC Wuhu Diamond Aircraft Manufacture has developed several models of aircraft and sells them at home and abroad.

The company, co-invested in by China Electronics Technology Group and the Wuhu city government in 2013, aims to be a world leader in the aviation industry. It has established an independent R&D system of high-performance general aircraft based on models introduced from their Austrian partners, according to the company.

It has applied for 235 patents, including 122 invention patents, company data showed. So far, 90 patents have been granted to it.

“We have set up a system to award the innovative ideas of the employees. We expect more projects with self-developed IP rights and core competitiveness can be fostered in the future,” said Zeng Rui, the company’s communications director.

Anhui Yingliu Group, a company that produces spare parts for aircraft engines, gas turbines, nuclear power station equipment and marine equipment, has invested heavily in tackling key technological problems.

“We have injected 1.6 billion yuan ($237.2 million) in R&D over the past five years because we believe only sufficient input can generate our own IP rights,” said Ding Bangman, vice-president of Yingliu Group. “It’s easy to buy equipment, but very hard to solve the technological problems and grasp the core technologies.”

One of their products is a reactor coolant pump, a key component used in nuclear reactors to shield main pumps. It took the researchers five years to work out and the work cost 80 million yuan, he said.

“We are very proud we can make such a product. The company has applied for more than 30 patents and all technologies are self possessed,” he noted.

On the afternoon of October 10, the first batch of enterprises in Wuhu Area of China (Anhui) Pilot Free Trade Zone finished the registration formalities and issued their business license, which officially opened the work of attracting talents, business and funds in Wuhu Free Trade Area. There are a total of 34 enterprises this time, mainly including export-oriented enterprises and manufacturing enterprises from Jiujiang District and Wuhu Economic and Technological Development Zone.

At present, for registered enterprises in Wuhu free trade area, the ambition of “Internet access and one day to complete” has been realized. Through Wuhu Intelligent Examination and Approval System of Anhui Administrative Service Network, applicants can submit relevant registration information online at any time. If materials are complete, the license can be issued on the same day, and the application can be delivered by free mail. The municipal market supervision department also opened “Service Windows” in municipal government service center, Jiujiang District and Wuhu Economic Development Zone, paving the “green channel” for enterprises.

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

During the National Day holiday, 5 intercity bus lines just opened in Wuhu took the spotlight in passenger transportation with a full line of 80 new energy electric buses and a passenger volume of 115,000 people.

From October 1 to October 7, there were 774 flights and a passenger volume of 22,894 people on Wuwan Line (Bus 501), 707 flights and a volume of 21,040 passengers on Wanshi Line, 712 flights and a volume of 28,331 passengers on Wufan Line (Bus 503), 788 flights and a volume of 35,327 passengers on Wunan Line(Bus 505), and 280 flights and a volume of 7476 passengers on Wuwu Line(Bus 506).

The operation of intercity bus lines allows county residents to enjoy the benefits of the bus fares as well as the convenience of public transportation. Reporters learned that ticket prices of the above five bus lines dropped significantly compared with the original lines in accordance with the principle of “the government subsidizes a little, enterprises give a little and citizens enjoy the preferential treatment.”  

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

Instant food sales surged globally after the novel coronavirus outbreak earlier this year, as more people started remaining at home and consuming snack products. Dehydrated vegetables, a major ingredient in most of the convenience food products, saw a rebound in sales in the domestic as well as overseas markets.

Consumers from the United States, Europe, Japan and South Korea, which have been hit hard by the pandemic, have been increasing their convenience food purchases and companies have been sourcing the same from markets like China. During the first four months of this year, Huzhou, a city in Zhejiang province in East China, exported more than 800 metric tons of dehydrated vegetables, up 81.3 percent on a yearly basis. The export value of the products was 20 million yuan ($2.94 million), up 78.1 percent on a yearly basis, according to the local government.

“We thought the pandemic would negatively affect our business, but the number of overseas orders increased after we restarted production, and hence we had to keep increasing our production capacity,” said Qian Qin, general manager of Huzhou Fresh Food Co Ltd, a major retailer of dehydrated vegetables. The company, however, did not disclose exact volume of sales, according to a report published in Qianjiang Evening News.

Huzhou Fresh Food’s dehydrated vegetables were mainly exported to the United States and Europe. Some of its products like dehydrated tomatoes, red peppers and cabbages were exported to Belgium, said company officials.

Xinze Food Industry Co Ltd, a dehydrated vegetable maker based in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, has been successfully processing onions and carrots and exporting them to Europe and Southeast Asian countries. The company has set up a factory with an initial investment of 80 million yuan, which can process about 10,000 tons of fresh vegetables into dehydrated vegetables every year.

Xinze plans to further expand its production capacity and build more vegetable dehydration assembly lines, while systematically developing its deep-processing capacity.

Even as the frozen vegetable companies are expanding their production capacities, they are also finding new use for their products in popular snack products like instant noodles to attract more consumers.

Companies have come up with instant noodle products containing common vegetables such as beans, celery, green pepper, cucumber, sweet potatoes and potato chips and the same are dehydrated via freeze vacuum drying before being added to the noodles. The dehydrated vegetables can retain their original color and taste after a few minutes of being immersed in hot water along with the noodles.

“Consumers expect convenience food products to taste more like freshly-made meals, and retailers are launching more varieties to cater to the new demand. Instant food innovations should offer more added value in terms of flavor, food safety, healthiness, quality of raw materials and production technologies,” said Annie Jiang, a food and beverage analyst at Mintel.

That said, products like high-calorie biscuits, chocolate and candies are no longer as popular as they used to be in China, said industry experts. In the domestic market, fruit and vegetable crunches are the new categories that are gaining traction, they said.

Major Chinese snack makers such as Wuhu, Anhui province-based Anhui Three Squirrels Electronic Commerce Co Ltd, and Wuhan, Hubei province-based Bestore Food Co Ltd, have benefited from the trend, since they have been developing healthier and high-quality snacks like fruit and vegetables crunches in recent years.

In fact, besides edible oil, rice and noodles, dehydrated vegetables and crunches can also serve as an important disaster prevention food. Unlike fresh vegetables, dehydrated vegetables have a long shelf life and taste good when cooked, while retaining the nutrition.

Still, the scale of the dehydrated vegetable segment is relatively small in China. The growth of the sector can provide more business opportunities and sales channels for rural vegetable farmers, said industry experts.