US payment company Mastercard's Chinese joint venture (JV) opened for business on Thursday, after the People's Bank of China approved the arrangement for the bank card clearing operations in November 2023.

The opening marks Mastercard as the second overseas bank card clearing institution to enter the Chinese market, after American Express in 2020, which industry analysts said demonstrates the country's determination to open wider to the outside world in the financial sector.

The move is conducive to promoting a more open and internationalized development of China's payment and clearing services, providing diversified and differentiated services for all parties in finance, as well as deepening the supply-side structural reform of the payment industry, analysts noted.

In2023, China's central bank and the National Financial Regulatory Administration approved an application by Mastercard NetsUnion Information Technology (Beijing) Co, a JV between Mastercard and NetsUnion Clearing Corp, to conduct bank card clearing operations in the country. 

According to the official Mastercard website, its Chinese JV has begun processing payments made in China with Mastercard cards issued by the country's banks. In addition, the JV confirmed that Mastercard-branded cards will now be accepted for both domestic and international purchases.

"This is another significant milestone for Mastercard... Our goal is to simplify the payments experience for China's Mastercard cardholders both at home and overseas," Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard, was quoted in a statement sent to the Global Times on Thursday. 

"To offer more choices and deliver greater value for Chinese consumers and businesses of all sizes, we will expand the availability of Mastercard-branded products, facilitate the addition of millions of new acceptance locations across the country, and deliver seamless and safe payments experiences every day," said Ling Hai, chairman of the board of Mastercard NetsUnion and president of Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa for Mastercard.

The JV reinforced its commitment to continue providing comprehensive support for Mastercard NetsUnion's operations, under the guidance and support of Chinese regulators. 

To facilitate seamless, secure payments for Chinese cardholders at home and overseas, Mastercard NetsUnion will collaborate with local acquirers to expand its acceptance network in China, bolstering its extensive network of more than 130 million acceptance locations worldwide, according to the statement.

Clearing agencies want to operate in China because of the huge demand for cross-border payments with the externally oriented character of its economy. High-quality opening-up is creating the conditions for these clearing agencies to conduct business in the country, economist Pan Helin told the Global Times on Thursday.

"The establishment of JV clearing agencies is a notable sign of the opening-up of the financial market. It has not only allowed the entry of foreign capital, but also facilitated exchanges of technology and knowledge, all of which are direct results of the opening-up policy," said Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.

In addition to providing consumers and businesses with a wider choice of financial services and products, Wang told the Global Times that the move is also an important step in the internationalization of China's financial market, as cooperation with internationally recognized financial institutions helps the country's banking industry introduce advanced technology and management practices.

"China's banking industry needs to cooperate with foreign clearing organizations to develop overseas business, in order to expand its incremental banking business," Pan noted.

Mastercard's move to boost its presence in the Chinese market has debunked Western claims of foreign capital leaving China, analysts said.

"The active participation of foreign organizations in China demonstrates their long-term optimism in the world's second-largest economy's development. This confidence stems from the huge potential of the Chinese market, including a large consumer base and growing economic strength," Wang said.

Guo Tingting, a vice commerce minister, said that the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises in the first quarter of this year came at 12,000, an increase of 20.7 percent year-on-year, maintaining the rapid growth trend of last year.

In terms of investment scale, the actual use of foreign capital reached 301.67 billion yuan ($41.67 billion), a record high, the vice minister said.

With its continued financial market opening-up, China, which has the world's largest banking system and the second-largest insurance, stock and bond markets, is creating broad opportunities for global financial institutions, Wang noted.

China has implemented more than 50 financial opening-up measures in recent years, including eliminating foreign ownership limitations in the banking and insurance sectors and lowering access criteria for foreign investors.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Budapest on Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. In an exclusive interview with the Global Times, Levente Horvath, director of the Eurasia Center at John von Neumann University, said that this visit is an important opportunity as the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. He noted that Hungary is expected to play a positive role in China-EU relations during its upcoming EU presidency.

Horvath highlighted that in the past 14 years, since the Hungarian government announced the "Open to the East" policy, trade and economic cooperation between Hungary and China have developed at an accelerating pace. He noted that the two countries now enjoy strong and positive economic cooperation.

The Hungarian scholar pointed out that in the emerging multipolar world order, not only Western countries, but also nations like China, Russia, and India will be significant players. Hungary aims to diversify its international relations and seeks greater economic cooperation. He summarized Hungary-China relations with five points, particularly in terms of connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

"First of all, there is political connectivity," Horvath said, noting that political cooperation between the two countries has grown stronger in recent years, marked by frequent high-level interactions. "Almost every month, there is a ministerial-level meeting between the two sides," he added.

The second aspect is trade. In the past 14 years, especially since the "Open to the East" policy began, Hungary's exports to China have doubled, while imports from China have tripled, Horvath stated.

Additionally, Hungary is an important partner in the BRI, and the Budapest-Belgrade railway has become a major infrastructure project. "We hope that during these meetings, there will be other announcements about cooperation in infrastructure, like railway stations or railroads," Horvath said.

Financial and people-to-people connectivity have also strengthened. "We already have five Confucius Institutes in Hungary, and this year, China plans to open the China Cultural Center," he said.

Elaborating on the emerging world order, Horvath, Hungary's former Consul General in Shanghai, told the Global Times that previously world order was dominated by Western countries, but these nations are losing their leading positions and are therefore demonizing China and Asian countries. "In the EU, they also frequently criticize China," he said.
"But if we look at EU members, we can see very strong economic cooperation," he said, citing examples like German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit to China with numerous CEOs, and French President Emmanuel Macron welcoming Xi in France in recent days.

Leaders from other countries, including Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium, also visited China to discuss economic cooperation, and "the president and prime minister of Italy are planning to go to China," he said.

"We can see that despite their criticism of China, EU members are seeking stronger economic cooperation with the country," Horvath said, emphasizing that Hungary has a different way of thinking by not interfering with the internal policies of China and other countries.

As Hungary is set to take over the rotating EU presidency in July, Horvath believes the country could change the bloc's mindset about "de-risking" with China. History shows that "de-risking" or "decoupling" is never the best approach for the future.

"Cooperation is the best way, according to history," he said, emphasizing the importance of learning from the past.

"About 40 or 50 years ago, when Japan became the second-largest economic and technological power, some Western countries were afraid of Japan. Now some are afraid of China, which is rooted in ideological and political intentions," Horvath said. "Eventually, they agreed on cooperation, and now we see that Japanese and South Korean cars don't destroy our markets. So, we don't need to be afraid of Chinese cars."

Top executives at BMW and Volkswagen warned against EU imposing import duties on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), saying it could jeopardize the bloc's Green Deal plan and harm automakers importing cars from China, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

The Hungarian scholar argued that EVs represent the future and that Chinese automakers have strong cooperation with German car companies. Some EU politicians and experts demonize Chinese companies out of fear of losing their advantageous position. However, when Chinese EVs enter the EU and Hungarian markets, they will bring many benefits, Horvath said.

"As I travel frequently to China, almost every month, I see many high-quality Chinese EVs with advanced technology and innovations," he said, noting that investments by Chinese companies in Hungary will lead to healthy competition.

Horvath also emphasized that China and Europe share a common interest in cooperation. The Hungarian government has a similar perspective on international relations, akin to China's.

"We also share the Eurasia connectivity concept, so Europe and Asia should connect. We also promote mutual respect and peace, and oppose war. In the EU, many support the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, but we oppose the war," he said.

"We hope Russia and Ukraine can sit down and discuss their issues peacefully. China also seeks mutual respect, peace, and opposes war," Horvath said.

During its EU presidency, Hungary hopes to influence the bloc's thinking about China, as the country aims to ensure that the EU remains an essential pillar of the multipolar world, the Hungarian scholar concluded.

China successfully launched the first Long March-6C carrier rocket at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in North China's Shanxi Province on Tuesday, carrying four satellites into planned orbit.

The rocket sent the Neptune-01 and Smart-1C, as well as a wide-band optical satellite and a high-resolution video satellite into space, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The mission marks the addition of new members to the Long March rocket family, further improving China's new generation of Long March series of launch vehicles, and promoting the accelerated modernization of China's active launch vehicles.

The rocket is a new generation of liquid launch vehicle developed by the CASC for the future commercial launch market, and it has a single-core and two-stage design, powered by liquid oxygen and kerosene engines.

The total length of the rocket is about 43 meters and its lift-off mass is about 215 tons. The rocket can be adapted with multi-specification satellite payload fairings according to different tasks.

The control system of this rocket adopts technology of Adaptive Augmentation Control (AAC), which is the first application of the technology on a domestic launch vehicle. The AAC can be simply understood as intelligent driving, which automatically adjusts the steering wheel and throttle by judging the road status, Hu Cunming, a rocket expert from the eighth Academy of CASC, told the Xinhua News Agency.

The technology can further enhance the adaptability and intelligence of the rocket's flight by adjusting the rocket's flight control strategy in real time online.

The development team developed a new lightweight storage box to realize the reduction of the rocket's weight by reducing the excess space between two boxes under the condition of carrying as much fuel as possible, which can further improve the structural efficiency of the rocket, Xinhua reported.

The team also used a method of "de-tasking" to maximize the unification of the product, by firstly creating a standard rocket that can adapt to multi-task requirements and can be put into production in rolling batches, and revising the standard rocket in accordance with the satellite supporting requirements, according to Xinhua. 

The launch of the four satellites was a "carpool" mission carried out through commercialized bidding, and it was the first time that the launch services of the Long March series were put up for public bidding.

It was the 520th flight mission of the Long March series rockets. 

Students and alumni of more than 100 Chinese universities celebrated this year’s May 4th, known as Youth Day in China, by composing original songs using AI (artificial intelligence) technology.

Titled “The 1st China AIMV ‘May 4th Youth Music Festival’ Co-creation,” a non-profit music event was held online on Saturday night. The two-hour event mainly consisted of edited versions of some 120 songs about campus life and the spirit of youth.

Notably, the songs broadcast at the event were all made with AIGC (AI-generated content) tools such as the text-to-song generator Suno and the text-to-video model Sora, according to the event’s co-organizer China AIGC Industry Alliance (AIGCxChina), a nationwide civil group of industry insiders.

The youth-themed AI music co-creation event collected songs from universities across the country from April 14 to 30, said Chen Duo, a AIGCxChina member who initiated and directed the event.

The song collection period was short as it only takes a little time to make a song and a corresponding MV (music video) for the song with the help of AI technology, Chen said.

“Therefore, the event enabled young students to get closer to today’s AI tech, and provided them with a good opportunity to learn and make something themselves using AIGC tools - in a very short period of time,” Chen told the Global Times on Sunday.

Chen added that more than 60 percent of the participants were new to AIGC technology. To help them get started quickly, the event organizers shared a package of AIGC tools that every one could download for free, and Chen personally did six free online lectures in late April to teach people to use the tools.

Producing a song with AI tech is much easier than most people think, Chen said. He recalled that at the beginning of the song collection period, many participants experienced some anxiety and uncertainty.

“They thought of AIGC as a complex cutting-edge technology and assumed it would be difficult to learn, so they participated in the event out of pure curiosity,” Chen said. “They were not sure whether they could handle the tools and complete a song by themselves in just a few days.”

Echoing Chen’s words, Yang Ruxu, a Xiamen University (XMU) student majoring in piano performance, said that she had always cosidered AIGC tools to be very “high-end” and removed from ordinary people. During this music event however, she quickly got familiar with the tools and eventually contributed to three of the 10 songs that her university submitted.

“This event made me get closer to AI,” Yang told the Global Times.

Over 100 universities from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, Including XMU, submitted some 200 songs to the event organizers. The Saturday event broadcast 120 of them, attracting an audience of nearly 200,000 from home and abroad.

“I feel like the quality is high enough that it’s not distracting by the fact that it’s AI，so high that the audience is not at all distracted by the fact it’s AI-generated” commented Valentine, a Russian AI industry insider who lives in the US. “All the videos that we’ve seen really show the amount of work that went into them, and I think we can really congratulate all the students for their hard work, playing the game without holding anything back,” praised French music enthusiast Etienne.

Chen hopes the event will inspire more young Chinese to explore AIGC creation. “The original intention that we initiated this event is to promote the popularity of AIGC applications in China,” he told the Global Times. “I hope that young people, when faced with new concepts and technologies, will have the courage to face handle them.”

Althogh it is a novelty at present, AIGC tools are spreading rapidly and may become as common as Word and Excel in the near future, Chen predicted.

Standing on the observation deck, one is easily captivated by the majestic view of the Xiaowan Hydropower Station (Xiaowan). The massive dam, standing tall and proud, stretches across the roaring Lancang River, creating a mesmerizing sight. It is hard to imagine how the model of an advanced Chinese hydropower station, known as the world's landmark double-curvature arch concrete dam, uses its slender body to generate an impressively large output of clean and sustainable electricity and benefit riparian countries along the Mekong River.

As Lancang-Mekong River countries vowed to work together to promote regional prosperity at a recently concluded foreign ministers' meeting held in Beijing, Global Times reporters, together with envoys from many Mekong countries, visited Xiaowan, one of the leading hydropower stations along the Lancang River, to see how it brings practical benefits to downstream countries through flood control, water supply, power generation, and ecological protection.
Practical benefits witnessed

"It's so impressive!" This is the overall consensus of foreign diplomats who have visited Xiaowan. When the engineers of the Xiaowan Hydropower Station were introducing the specific technical parameters of the hydropower station, the Global Times witnessed foreign diplomats' keen interest and continuous praise, as they displayed a strong curiosity in understanding the "difficulties" associated with the Xiaowan project.

They were amazed that Xiaowan has solved many global challenges, and were amazed by the design and manufacturing of large-capacity, large-range, and high-parameter turbine generators in such a complex geological and topographical environment, and under such construction conditions, as well as the 30 years of round-the-clock hard work by the hydropower station personnel from start to completion.

Together with other hydropower stations, Xiaowan increases the discharge and emergency water supply downstream in a timely fashion, effectively alleviating the drought caused by El Nino in downstream Mekong countries, ensuring agricultural irrigation in downstream countries, and preventing seawater invasion in the Mekong Delta. This has fully demonstrated the significance of practical cooperation in Lancang-Mekong water resource management for the benefits of people in the Lancang-Mekong region.

"I am very grateful that I had the chance to see the great achievements of China in the hydropower industry and water management system. Those achievements are results of good policy guidance and tireless efforts of the Chinese people. I believe that all of us can follow the examples of China and on the other hand, China could also share its experiences with us, as suggested in the theme of the trip: shared river, shared future," said Win Myat Aung, Education Counsellor of Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in China.

Currently, 11 hydropower stations, including Xiaowan, are operational on the Lancang River. From the map, these power stations are like fortresses of hope built upon the river, providing much needed help to downstream countries when they suffer from extreme flooding and droughts.

Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted at the 8th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Beijing on December 7 that by enjoying geographical proximity and cultural affinity and drinking water from the same river, the six LMC countries are as close as one family. With a good start, rapid growth, and extensive benefits, the LMC has been expanding in breadth and depth, injecting new vitality into sub-regional prosperity and development and delivering tangible benefits to sub-regional people.

Wang said that joint working groups in six priority areas, including water resources, are progressing in an orderly manner, and mechanisms such as the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center and the Global Center for Mekong River Studies are operating at high efficiency, making progress daily, delivering results monthly, and reaching new heights annually.

At the meeting, all parties appreciated China's positive contribution to promoting the LMC, and all agreed to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, uphold mutual trust and mutual respect, build a stronger Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Economic Development Belt, and jointly build an even closer Lancang-Mekong community of shared future.

In 2016 and 2019, severe droughts occurred downstream, and China and the Mekong River countries actively cooperated to increase the discharge of reservoirs including at Xiaowan, and provide emergency supplementary water to downstream areas.

In 2016 alone, 12.65 billion cubic meters of water were supplemented to downstream areas, an increase of about 85 percent compared with the natural water inflow during the same period. This effectively alleviated the drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon in downstream countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, ensuring agricultural irrigation in downstream coastal countries.

Upstream Xiaowan and Nuozhadu hydropower stations also made efforts to reduce peak inundation during the flood season. Additionally, navigation conditions in the lower reaches of the Lancang-Mekong River have significantly improved. In 2001, the Lancang-Mekong international waterway was officially opened for navigation, thanks to increased flow during the dry season, which helped achieve year-round navigation.

The joint visit held in Southwest China's Yunnan Province from December 11 to 15 gathered representatives from the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Water Resources, as well as diplomats and representatives from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, to better understand the results of the 8th LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting, further consolidate consensus, and deepen cooperation on water resources in the Lancang-Mekong region.

Conquer world-class difficulties

Xiaowan is the world's first 300-meter-high double-curvature arch concrete dam, known as the "shoulder of the giants" among China's dam constructors.

Developed by the Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Development Company, Xiaowan has a total storage capacity of 15 billion cubic meters. The power station is equipped with 6 units at a total installed capacity of 4200MW. It became fully operational in August 2010, with an average annual power generation of 19 billion kilowatt-hours.

Global Times reporters learned that the Xiaowan Hydropower Station is widely recognized as one of the most challenging hydropower projects in the world in terms of construction. The completion of the project has filled many technical gaps in China's hydropower industry and is a milestone in leading the development of global hydropower construction.

After the completion of Xiaowan, downstream cascade power stations are now able to increase their power generation during the dry season by approximately 1.1 million kilowatts-hours, which is equivalent to building a million-kilowatt hydropower station without spending a penny.

Pan Jiazheng, the late Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences once said: "After the construction of the Xiaowan Hydropower Station, it is no more that the Chinese who will go abroad to learn about hydropower construction, but the foreigners who come to China to learn about hydropower construction." This is because challenges in the design and construction of Xiaowan, a 300-meter-high arched dam and the stability of its shoulder under complex geological conditions, have been successfully solved.

The successful construction of Xiaowan has put China at the forefront of the world's hydropower construction in terms of design, scientific research, construction, and management, according to the introductions of the engineers responsible for the construction of the hydropower station during the visit.

Closer community of shared future

Counsellor Sun Lushan from the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the LMC water resources cooperation a "golden model" of Lancang-Mekong cooperation.

"LMC cooperation is characterized by a high starting point, rapid development, deepened cooperation, a wide range of profiting parties, and additional benefits. It is becoming a role model of national cooperation and a benchmark for South-South cooperation, which will go a long way in ensuring prosperity and development of the sub-region," Sun said at the International Symposium on the Multistakeholders' Involvement in LMC Water Resources Cooperation of LM Trip held on December 14.

"Countries in the Lancang-Mekong sub-region are not only China's friendly neighbors, but also strategic partners. We are ready to continue to work with our friends to promote more pragmatic cooperation in the sub-region through Chinese modernization so as to contribute to the development of the region and the world at large," Sun noted.

Looking ahead, China will continue to pursue good neighborhood diplomacy of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness by further deepening water resources cooperation with all parties, sharing development opportunities, addressing common risks and challenges, and building a community in water resources for shared future, Sun added.

Zhou Zhiwei, secretary-general of Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center, revealed at the symposium that since the implementation of the Five-year Action Plan of Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation (2018-2022), the water resources authorities of the six member countries have been actively organizing and implementing more than 50 water-related livelihood projects. The Lancang-Mekong Sweet Spring Project has established a total of 62 rural water supply technology demonstration points, providing local residents with safer drinking water, and technical demonstrations for the member countries as well. It was included in the List of Practical Cooperation Deliverables of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held on October 18, 2023.

Another project, named "Dam Safety Evaluation Action Plan for Lancang-Mekong Countries," has conducted safety inspections and demonstrations on dams in Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Safe wings have been installed for the dam to better serve humanity.

China also supported the carrying out of hydrological monitoring projects and has built a central station and 25 automatic monitoring stations in Laos. "It will help us to better understand rivers and lakes, and better respond to flood and drought disasters," Zhou said.

Moreover, since November 2020, China has provided annual Lancang River hydrological data to the five Mekong countries and the Mekong River Commission. The Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Information Sharing Platform website has been put into operation, and more than 50,000 pieces of information have been shared in a timely manner.

"I highly value an active contribution from member countries, especially China, in Mekong-Lancang development, particularly in 2021 when many projects were adopted by the leaders that supported the LMC special fund, and I do believe that in the coming years, the water related projects will increase productively," said Singhalath Boupha, the third secretary of the Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in Beijing.

"Thailand has seen the benefits of this cooperation," said Wanapol Sangiamsin, deputy consul-general at the Royal Thai Consulate General in Kunming. "As the incoming co-chair of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, Thailand looks forward to collaborating closely with other Lancang-Mekong colleagues toward the realization of a peaceful community of shared future, sustainable development, and prosperity."

Nestled along the banks of the Yellow River, a picturesque ancient village Qikou, once one of the most prosperous settlements in North China's Shanxi Province, offers breathtaking beauty to visitors. The village, with its traditional architecture nestled amidst rolling hills, exudes an aura of tranquility and timelessness. Travelers from all over the world pass through the ancient town, coming to experience the unique culture of the Yellow River Basin and the picturesque beauty of the ancient villages with distinctive northern characteristics.

In the past, the Yellow River played a crucial role as a transportation route for goods between northern and southern China. To ensure the efficient operation of this transportation system, Qikou emerged as a significant trading port. Merchants would anchor their ships at Qikou and then transfer their goods onto camel or horse-drawn caravans for further transportation over land. Qikou gained prominence during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties, earning a reputation as one of the Yellow River's most significant ports.

In recent years, with the enhanced efforts in cultural preservation, governments at all levels have continuously increased investment in the restoration and protection of historical buildings and ancient residences in Qikou, promoting the integrated development of culture and tourism, making it reborn as a "living ancient town." Ancient buildings such as escort agencies, pawnshops, and warehouses tell the story of the town's past prosperity.

Tourists from all over the country flock to the town, allowing the local people to benefit from the booming tourism relying on the unique culture and ecology of the Yellow River.

The locals, with their warm hospitality, proudly share stories of their ancestors who relied on the Yellow River, known as the "Mother River" of China, for their livelihoods. The name "Qikou," roughly translates to mean "moraine" or "a rock in shallow water." The stone walls, weathered by time, stand as a testament to the resilience of the people who called this place home.

In order to protect them from flooding, many of local houses, known as "yaodongs" or "loess cave houses," have been physically carved into the steep hillside along the banks of the Yellow River.

On a slope that stretches for hundreds of meters and is inclined at about 40 degrees, there are rows of cave dwellings arranged in layers, which are both scattered and unique in their own ways. Rock erosion over the years has created a form of beautiful "modern art."

Located about 10 kilometers south of Qikou, the small village of Lijiashan is renowned for its myriad of over 400 yaodongs carved into the cliff-face of Lijia Mountain.

The Global Times has learned that during this year's Golden Week holidays in October, Qikou was a hot destination for domestic travelers, with a daily flow of people exceeding 10,000. The scenic area has also launched traditional folk agricultural cultural performances with hundreds of participants, showcasing scenes of threshing, winnowing, and transplanting, vividly showing the hardworking and agricultural spirit of their ancestors.

"The ancient village here truly showcases the local folk customs, all of which originate from agricultural culture and the most primitive farming life. This is very attractive and novel for visitors from the south, allowing us to experience the charm of the Yellow River," a tourist surnamed Liang from East China's Jiangsu Province who came to Qikou on November 2 for sightseeing told the Global Times.

Nowadays, the authentic Lijiashan village is attracting more visitors as villagers have transformed their idle cave dwellings into art bases, art studios, and art exhibition halls, creating a renowned art creation base both domestically and internationally, forming the brand of the village. They have also utilized vacant houses to develop rural tourism and accommodation industries, seizing the opportunity of rural tourism and expanding their income channels.

The 62-year-old villager Yang Yanmei often uses her spare time as a tour guide to walk on the paths of Lijiashan and telling stories of past generations. As a fan of traditional opera, she and her husband enjoy spontaneously singing Shanxi opera or local traditional melody adapted from local stories. She always wears a sincere and sanguine smile, impressing tourists with her simplicity and humor.

Chen Yuxiang, 58, who lives in the east of village, wears a white headscarf and a green floral jacket, basking in the warm sun while sitting under the eaves and picking coriander, perfectly harmonizing with the yellow earth behind her.

In 2022, the cheerful Chen started using her mobile phone to record her rural life with her husband - farming, cooking, and showcasing various authentic and unique Shanxi cuisine. She has over 200,000 followers on short video platforms.

Chen showcases her joyful life to tourists with a humorous tone and rich expressions, which earns her a lot applause. People are amazed by the resilience and optimism that have been passed down through generations on the lady living on the Loess Plateau.
71-year-old villager Li Yuecheng leads his donkey through Qikou's ancient town while singing local folk songs. He decorates his donkey and offers it to tourists for rides during the low season for agricultural production.

His powerful and vivid performance while singing folk songs always attracts a crowd. Village officials jokingly say that Li has earned a lot of money in the tourism industry with these skills over the years.

Tour guides, guesthouse owners, restaurant owners, performers… more and more villagers have gained "new identities" by relying on the mountains and rivers. Some like Yang have even moved back to their ancestral homes on the mountains from the town, hoping to live a better and bustling life through tourism.

The recovery of the tourism industry benefits largely from the local government's significant investment in protection of the area. In recent years, local authorities have carried out protection and restoration of historical buildings and ancient dwellings in the Qikou ancient town.

Today the ancient town has become a popular tourist attraction. More than 5,000 people out of a population of about 30,000 in the town are engaged in the tourism industry.

Chinese experts said on Monday that Australia's move to suspend anti-dumping tariffs targeting wind towers from China is in line with Australia's green development, and is also a "good gesture" by the Australian side ahead of a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Australia announced it would suspend trade remedy measures against China's wind towers when the current measures expire on April 16, 2024, according to a notice released by Australia's Department of Industry, Science and Resources on Friday.

The notice, signed by Australian Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic, said that the Anti-Dumping Commission has completed an inquiry into whether the continuation of anti-dumping measures applying to certain utility scale wind towers exported from China is justified. The inquiry commenced on May 12, 2023, and the measures are in the form of a dumping duty notice applying to all exporters from China except Shanghai Taisheng Wind Power Equipment Co.

Wind towers are used to create cross ventilation and cooling in buildings.

The anti-dumping measures targeting wind towers have not only affected normal operation and business diversification for Chinese businesses, but have also increased the cost for Australia to optimize its energy structure amid its energy transition, Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Monday.

Zhou added that the move is in line with Australia's need for development, noting that the termination also released a positive signal for promoting economic and trade recovery.

This is a good gesture by the Australian side amid Wang's visit, Zhou Fangyin, professor at the Guangdong Research Institute for International Strategies, told the Global Times on Monday. The professor also noted that China is conducting a review of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Australian wine and may eventually cancel those duties.

Zhou Mi said that both Australia and China have been reviewing the cases and making decisions under the WTO framework.

Zhou Fangyin said Wang's visit will help cement the achievements of bilateral relations by reducing impediments, although few new cooperation projects are in sight.

"Many Australian products such as beef, lobster and barley are of good quality and they are competitive in the Chinese market. However, the previous Australian government's provocative behavior put off many Chinese consumers," Zhou Fangyin said.

He said Canberra should figure out where its own interests lie and stop following the US' anti-China policies too closely. "By doing that, China-Australia relations are expected to maintain stable development," he said.

Wang is paying an official visit to New Zealand and Australia from Sunday to Thursday, China's Foreign Ministry announced previously. Australian companies have expressed high hopes for Wang's visit to Australia with the Global Times in recent interviews, saying that they hope to expand their presence in the Chinese market and strengthen mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation with their Chinese partners.

As for the much-watched anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Australian wine, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on March 14 that China will make a final review ruling in accordance with the investigation procedures.

Last week, the ministry disclosed the basic facts regarding the ruling, and gave all parties an opportunity to express their opinions.

China and Australia reached a consensus on resolving their disputes on wine and wind towers properly under the WTO framework, MOFCOM announced in October 2023. The two countries have conducted friendly consultations under the WTO framework governing areas that are of mutual concern, and they have reached consensus on properly resolving them, a MOFCOM spokesperson said in a statement published in October.

Australia's Anti-Dumping Commission in October already proposed to recommend that the anti-dumping measures on wind towers exported to Australia from China expire on April 16, 2024.

The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) on Wednesday voiced its disappointment with the EU's mandate for customs registration of electric vehicle (EV) imports from China while an investigation remains ongoing, according to a statement that the chamber sent to the Global Times.

Both the chamber and its members expressed worries regarding potential retroactive measures in the future, the statement said.

The EU issued on Wednesday the Official Journal of the European Union regarding its commission's implementation regulation that makes imports of new battery electric vehicles designed for the transport of persons originating in China subject to registration.

This regulation enters into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, according to the Official Journal of the EU.

The CCCEU said that the chamber has observed that a new implementation regulation was issued on Wednesday, concerning the registration of electric vehicle imports from China by the EU. The purpose of the registration requirement is to address Chinese imports and potential retrospective measures, the chamber said.

According to European Commission data, between October 2023 and January 2024, the EU imported a total of 177,839 Chinese EVs. Compared with the coverage period of the "countervailing investigation" (October 2022 to September 2023), the average monthly import volume increased by 11 percent.

The chamber highlighted that the recent surge in Chinese EV imports mirrors the increasing demand for EVs in Europe and underscores Chinese car companies' commitment to fostering the European market.

"We earnestly hope that the European side will effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and establish a fair, impartial, and non-discriminatory business environment for them," the chamber said.

"This, in turn, will facilitate our joint contribution to the global low-carbon and green transformation," the chamber further noted.

In February, China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said that China is highly concerned about the trade remedy investigation targeting Chinese EVs and other products, while also expressing strong dissatisfaction regarding the investigation, which lacks a factual basis.

A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Saturday commented on the outcomes of Taiwan leadership and legislature elections.

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the results reveal that the Democratic Progressive Party cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island.

Noting that Taiwan is China's Taiwan, Chen said that the elections will not change the basic landscape and development trend of cross-Strait relations, will not alter the shared aspiration of compatriots across the Taiwan Strait to forge closer ties, and will not impede the inevitable trend of China's reunification.

"Our stance on resolving the Taiwan question and realizing national reunification remains consistent, and our determination is as firm as rock," Chen said.

"We will adhere to the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle and firmly oppose the separatist activities aimed at 'Taiwan independence' as well as foreign interference," Chen said.

He said the mainland will work with relevant political parties, groups and people from various sectors in Taiwan to boost cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, enhance cross-Strait integrated development, jointly promote Chinese culture, and advance the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations as well as the cause of national reunification.

In the disguise of maintaining national security, the US has been ratcheting up chip export control measures against China and unreasonably suppressing Chinese semiconductor companies, which is a genuine act of economic bullying, Mao Ning, a spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on Monday.

Noting that the US often talks about international rules, but what it really does is to ignore the rules and violate them, Mao said the implementation by the US of semiconductor export control measures against Chinese companies constitutes a discriminatory practice against China and violates the principle of most-favored-nation treatment under Article I of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). 

Its blacklisting of relevant Chinese telecommunication equipment enterprises and banning of the entry of Chinese telecommunication equipment into the US market under the pretext of threatening its information security is a contravention of the principle of the general elimination of quantitative restrictions stipulated in Article XI of the GATT, the spokesperson said.

"The US uses 'national security' as a pretext to restrict chip exports to China, but in fact its relevant initiatives completely go beyond the boundaries of the concept of national security, so that the normal trade of ordinary civilian-use chips is significantly restricted," Mao said.

The Nvidia RTX4090 chip is positioned as a consumer-grade graphics card, which is mainly designed for gamers. However, due to the impact of US export control measures, the chip was forced to be taken off the shelves in the Chinese market. 

In addition, the US also blackmailed a number of other countries to suppress Chinese enterprises, which has nothing to do with security, but is of typical economic coercion, Mao said.

The facts clearly show that the US' deliberate suppression of the development of China's chip industry is not based on national security considerations, let alone legitimate competitive behavior, but rather unilateral bullying act without any principle or bottom line. It is aimed to deprive emerging markets and developing countries of the right to pursue a happy life, the spokesperson noted.

"The actions of the US have seriously impacted the stability of the international production and supply chain, poisoned the atmosphere of international cooperation and fostered division and confrontation, and this self-serving approach is destined to lead to shooting itself in the foot," said Mao.