Some 30,000 runners competed in the Beijing Marathon in the early morning of Sunday, starting at the Tian'anmen Square in downtown Beijing.
The race in the Chinese capital, dubbed the country's flagship marathon, attracted over 130,000 runners to register for the 30,000-slot lucky draw, as all participants, regardless of athletic skill level, are required to take on the full distance of 42.195 kilometers.
Chinese runner Chen Tianyu brought fresh competition to the race traditionally dominated by elite African runners, as he finished in the overall seventh place with a time of 2:08:11. Geleta Ulfata of Ethiopia won the championship in 2:07:41.
Though the result, surpassing the previous best domestic time set by Ren Longyun of 2:08:15 in 2007, Chen's time was just one second short of seeing him qualify for the Paris Olympics. But it makes him the third-fastest Chinese runner of all time, following compatriots He Jie and Yang Shaohui who clocked in 2:07:30 and 2:07:49 respectively at the Wuxi Marathon in March 2023.
"My original goal was to finish in under 2 hours and 10 minutes, but I felt great when competing with the elite runners," Chen, who is no stranger to endurance races, told reporters after the race, before crediting the optimization of the racecourse that reduced turns and slopes that contributed to his achievement.
The racecourse for the Beijing Marathon, the oldest marathon in China as it inaugurated in 1981, is considered picturesque, as it features several iconic landmarks in the ancient and modern metropolis including the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution and the CCTV Tower, before concluding at the Olympic Park near the Bird's Nest or the National Stadium where the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games and 2022 Winter Olympic Games were held.
Tandem marathon races were also held on Sunday in a number of provincial capitals across China, including Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province; Ji'nan, East China's Shandong Province; Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province; Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province as well as Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Running fever
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, marathons had grown in popularity in China.
In 2018, China witnessed a marathon boom with 278 certified events held in the Chinese mainland, followed by a total of 330 races in 2019, before a 2020 dip to just 51 races, according to the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA).
World Athletics road running manager Alessio Punzi said earlier in October that 68 Chinese running events filed their applications to World Athletics in 2023, while a total of 133 road races across China were registered between January and June, according to the CAA.
For those unable to make it to the Beijing event, an online race was also held on the popular fitness tracking site Keep, where participants who finished a recorded marathon race elsewhere stood to win a commemorative medal. As of press time, nearly 30,000 people had registered in the online race.
Alongside an increase in the popularity of marathons in China is an increasingly health-conscious population in the country.
A 2020 National Fitness Activities Report released by the Beijing-based National Fitness Monitoring Center revealed that among adults, walking and running were the two most popular physical activities, accounting for 22.7 percent and 19.8 percent, respectively.
"Hosting marathon races could immediately boost local tourism and further stimulate local economic growth, as it is a good marketing tool which utilizes good word of mouth if the events are well organized," Mao Jiale, a Chengdu-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday.
"Nowadays fitness and health have taken root in people's hearts, as we see the number of people taking exercise growing, especially after the national policy on fitness was introduced."
Recent statistics show that the number of people who regularly participate in outdoor exercise in China currently exceeds 400 million.
Health concerns
Some fans raised concerns over the air quality in the Chinese capital on Sunday when the Beijing Marathon was held, as data from the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre designated it as "mild to middle pollution."
This is not the first time that organizers have had to contend with air quality issues.
It is, however, "extremely difficult" to reschedule the event as nearly half of the participants had made their way to Beijing from other cities across the country, an official with the organizing committee told the Global Times.
Jiang Chong, a physiotherapist who is also an occasional distance runner, warned that amateur distance runners should be aware of the consequences if they decide to participate in an ultramarathon.
"The path to marathon success is no walk in the park. Injuries to the hip, knee, and ankle joints are regularly suffered by marathon runners, as it is in fact a challenging endeavor to finish a marathon," Jiang told the Global Times.
"Targeted training in strength, speed, and endurance is paramount. Simply lacing up your running shoes without adequate preparation can lead to injuries that may prematurely end one's love affair with the sport."
She underlined that it takes scientific training, gradual progress, and setting achievable goals to successfully tackle the full 42.195-kilometer race.
"Warming up adequately before running, stretching after running, and training progressively are the foundations of consistent long-distance running," Jiang said.
"It is not only a matter of joints, but it also tests the effectiveness of the cardiovascular system. Regular medical checkups will also help to detect problems in time before worse problems occur."
With a smart wristband and a mobile phone, Amaris Malfa, a young Bostonian, "walked" into the ancient Chinese painting An Era in Jinling, and even interacted with the people depicted therein.
"This is amazing! It is so vivid and vibrant, like a moving painting," Malfa said. "I really wish my fiancé could have seen it!"
The digital artwork An Era in Jinling, which enables visitors to physically immerse themselves in the dynamic city scape of Jinling, the ancient name of Nanjing, and wander in real time through the historical city from China's Song Dynasty (960-1279), has wowed many US visitors at the See Nanjing cultural exhibition at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts.
The exhibition features Chinese garden arts and Nanjing's intangible cultural heritage, as well as Global Smile Delivery, a display of Nanjing's best wishes to the world that highlights the historical and modern elements of the 2,500-year-old Chinese city near the Yangtze River.
"Seeing is believing and being part of it allows the overseas audiences to have a better and deeper understanding of the cultural heritage of Jinling and what people's lives looked like dating back 1,000 years ago," Ai Lin, the director of the Deji Art Museum in Nanjing who has led her team to develop this digital exhibition inspired by the ancient painting of the same name, told the Global Times on Wednesday..
According to Ai, the handscroll, magnified and projected onto a 110-meter by 3.6-meter screen, depicts a total of 533 figures, 90 animals, and over two dozen carriages, horses and sedans. Audiences can wander the streets and interact with these figures in real time.
"The Deji Art Museum hopes to encourage visitors to explore and interact with history and art across time with the assistance of advanced technology, making each an ambassador of Chinese culture," said Ai.
Before the US tour, Ai and her team members completed a lot of research in order to ensure every detail is close to locals' understanding of Chinese culture.
"We managed to make it easy for them to access Chinese culture even if some of them may have little knowledge about China. We have an over 5,000-year-old culture, but how to show it and its stories to overseas audiences still remains a topic that we all need to explore," she said.
"As a city that served as the capital of six dynasties in Chinese history, Nanjing is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization and produced a myriad of great people in history," Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping said in his opening address.
"Like the Charles River in Boston, the Qinhuai River running through Nanjing has witnessed numerous major historical events."
With this Chinese art program and "the cultural feast" at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace, "I have no doubt that the 'Nanjing Week' will offer audiences totally new and multiple perspectives of this wonderful part of China," he said.
He also released a tweet to recommend the exhibition: "The digital exhibition of an ancient painting, letters and paintings drawn by animals and insects will show you a perfect combination of culture, nature and urban development."
For Deji Art Museum, An Era in Jinling not only provides a window for the people of the US to get to know China's cultural treasures, but also raises their interest in China and Chinese civilization. Among the figures in the painting is a waiter being called "Tea Doctor," not because they had a doctoral degree, but because they are good at making and serving tea.
They are tea professionals from 1,000 years ago. Their amazing skills were not only popular in China, but were also introduced to other Asian countries like Japan, which was highly influenced by China's tea culture.
"Things like that are interesting information that they want to learn and makes them want to learn more," Ai added.
"The display and interaction of a single ancient painting is far from enough. The most important thing is to open a door for them into Chinese culture. A figure in the painting will say, 'Hello, Boston! Welcome to Nanjing,' inviting them to visit China to have a close look at this friendly country and people," added Ai, who said she hopes this creative digital artwork of Deji Art Museum can tour to more places and show more people "how wonderful Chinese art is and how cool China's technology is."
Boston Council President Ed Flynn said that the exhibition "is serving as a remarkable symbol of cultural understanding and exchanges, fostering goodwill, and strengthening the bonds of friendship between our two cities."
Besides this, the exhibition also features unique "Insect Poetry" and "Insect Painting," which represent a beautiful land of dreams and harmonious coexistence between mankind and nature.
As a renowned Chinese city with a long history and rich culture, Nanjing boasts a wealth of intangible cultural heritage, including Pingtan, a form of storytelling and singing in a local dialect, and Kunqu Opera, known as a living fossil of Chinese theatrical art.
Kunqu Opera, known as a living fossil of Chinese theatrical art.
Japan will start procuring Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US in fiscal year 2025, a year earlier than initially planned, Japan's defense minister Minoru Kihara announced on Wednesday at a press event in Washington after holding his first face-to-face talks with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin, the Kyodo News reported. Chinese military observers warned that if Japan intends to target other countries, it will also be included in the scope of potential counterstrikes. Moreover, the US' plan to deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles on its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, targeted at China, is an underestimation, and will ultimately be futile.
As part of preparations to acquire "counterstrike" capabilities, or the ability to hit enemy bases should the need arise, Japan plans to purchase 400 Tomahawks, which have a strike range of around 1,600 kilometers.
The defense chiefs "shared the recognition" that the procurement of Tomahawk Block-4 missiles will begin in the fiscal year starting in April 2025, the Kyodo News cited a Japanese official as saying, noting that the purchase still needs to be approved by the US Congress, with both sides, for this reason, refraining from calling it formally "agreed."
Tomahawks, first used in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, are allegedly able to cover Chinese coastal areas and are deemed essential by Japanese officials to beef up Tokyo's defense capabilities until Japan deploys home-developed ones.
Japan's deployment of Tomahawk missiles from the US aims to strengthens its ability to launch preemptive strikes and enhances military cooperation with the Washington, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Thursday.
He explained that the sale of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Japan primarily focuses on their deployment on Aegis-equipped warships.
Chinese observers believe the US allows Japan to rearm itself and is helping Japan to acquire long-range attack capabilities to turn Japan into a more important pawn against China, while Japan wants to help the US to fight China in a bid to realize the "normalization" of its national defense force and achieve large-scale military expansion.
However, if Japan dares to launch attacks on other countries at sea, its own territory will also become a target for retaliation, therefore, Japan should not miscalculate and think that it can use weapons and equipment without facing consequences, Song warned.
In August, Australia announced it would spent $833 million to boost its long-range strike capabilities as it finalized a deal to buy more than 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US, making it one of the three countries to have Tomahawks along with the US and the UK.
Experts said deploying Tomahawk missiles in allies reflected the US ambition of beefing up its military strength in the Asia-Pacific region and speeding up the construction of a "Tomahawk missile encirclement circle" targeting China.
Both Australia and Japan will undoubtedly face retaliation if they use their missiles to threaten the homelands of other countries. Both countries need to ask themselves what is more important: serving as pawns to maintain US hegemony or ensuring the security of their own nations? Song said.
The military expert also noted that countries daydreaming about forming an encirclement of China are overestimating their capacities, Song noted.
China and Pakistan's "ironclad" friendship has long been characterized by strong diplomatic ties, economic cooperation and strategic collaboration. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project under the BRI. Over the last decade, the CPEC has achieved fruitful results which have not only deepened bilateral cooperation but also opened up new avenues for regional connectivity and economic development. What has the CPEC brought to Pakistan over the last decade? What will be prioritized in the next decade? On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the CPEC, Global Times reporters Xie Wenting and Bai Yunyi (GT) talked to Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque (Haque) on the development of the CPEC. GT: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). How does Pakistan assess the overall impact and achievements of the CPEC on Pakistan's economy and development?
Haque: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) marked a new phase in China-Pakistan relations by placing economic cooperation and connectivity at the center of the bilateral agenda.
This year, as we celebrate the CPEC's 10th anniversary, it is an opportune time to review and reflect upon its achievements and successes. The CPEC has been a "game changer" transforming the economic landscape of Pakistan. It has helped Pakistan to develop and upgrade its transport and communication infrastructure and address our essential energy needs. A network of highways and motorways has provided more reliable China-Pakistan connectivity across the Karakoram Mountains and smoother inland communications.
Around 50 projects under the CPEC have been completed with a total investment of approximately $25 billion. The creation of over 200,000 jobs through these projects has helped Pakistan to improve livelihoods and reduce poverty, leading to the economic empowerment of its people.
The CPEC has seen the success of important early harvest projects and has now entered into its second phase which is even more promising as it broadens the scope of cooperation and focuses on socio-economic development, science and technology, agricultural cooperation, and industrialization.
GT: What specific sectors have benefited the most from the CPEC? How has it contributed to job creation and economic diversification in Pakistan?
Haque: Fully aligned with the national development agenda of Pakistan, the CPEC is the key to our socio-economic development and is an excellent example of an open, coordinated, and inclusive development paradigm that benefits all parts of the country and all segments of the society. Governed by the Cooperation Framework, the CPEC is supported by four pillars: Gwadar Port, energy, transport infrastructure, and Industrial Cooperation.
Construction of Gwadar Port is a key CPEC Project, and is now operational and ready to serve as a hub for trade and investment. Phase I of the Gwadar Free Trade Zone has been completed. In order to support these economic activities, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Eastbay Expressway in June 2022. In a few months' time, the Gwadar New International Airport (GNIA) will be inaugurated. We are confident that all these projects will lend a fresh impetus to the high-quality development of Gwadar Port in the coming years.
Similarly, our energy cooperation, under the CPEC has been satisfactory. Thirteen new energy projects have been completed, injecting 8,000 MW of electricity into the system, boosting industrial output, and thus contributing to steady economic growth.
Transport infrastructure cooperation, under the CPEC, has also achieved significant progress. Signature projects like the KKH-II (Havelian-Thakot), the Peshawar to Karachi Highway (Sukkur-Multan), and the Lahore Orange Line are fully operational. Both sides are also committed to implementing the ML-1 railway and Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) projects, once matured.
Industrial cooperation, under the CPEC is pivotal for the second phase of its high-quality development. In 2022, both sides signed the CPEC Framework Agreement on Industrial cooperation. The Special Economic Zones (SEZs), being developed under the CPEC, are aimed to rejuvenate Pakistan's industrial sector and further spur economic development.
Socio-economic development cooperation, under the CPEC, has also achieved remarkable progress. So far, 27 projects in six areas of agriculture, education, health, poverty alleviation, energy, and professional training have been implemented leading to an improvement of people's livelihoods.
GT: As the CPEC enters its second decade, what are Pakistan's priorities and expectations for further cooperation with China under this framework?
Haque: Building high-quality infrastructure and enhancing connectivity and regional integration would be prioritized in the second phase of CPEC development.
Speaking at an event hosted by Pakistan to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the CPEC, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underscored that the "CPEC is not merely a collection of different projects but a symbol of prosperity and shared development" for the entire region, including neighboring countries. He added that the first phase of the CPEC was about fixing the "hardware" side of development, and the upcoming second phase would upgrade the "software" of development by focusing on agriculture, science and technology, skill development, innovation, industrialization, economic growth, health, and education.
In that context, Pakistan and China would hold regular meetings of the CPCE's Joint Working Groups (JWGs) to evaluate and review progress made by each side in relevant fields. This would enable us to attain desired results expected from CPEC.
GT: How does Pakistan view its role in the broader context of the BRI and its potential to foster regional economic integration and connectivity?
Haque: Pakistan considers the historic BRI is a win-win proposition aimed at bringing shared prosperity for humankind. It has emerged as a new model for deepening regional connectivity and economic integration among partner countries. The BRI provides a strong impetus for a wave of globalization by boosting bilateral and multilateral trade and foreign direct investment projects.
Through a network of various corridors, the BRI is reshaping the geo-economics of the participating countries and has become a beacon of hope for them.
The BRI has also significantly contributed to stabilizing supply chains along the route while promoting a culture of economic resilience through industrialization, creation of jobs, entrepreneurship promotion, innovation, and advancing technology.
"To have such a successful neighbor and not learn from them is like starving in a wheat field." This is how a Tajik scholar describes the desire of Central Asia to expand cooperation with China in the field of talent training.
From the professional construction of vocational education systems, to local teacher training, to cultivating the local social development need for talent ... In recent years, China and Central Asian countries in the cooperation of training professional personnel have been pressing the "accelerator button" under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Recently, Global Times reporters visited the "Silk Road" International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage (Silk Road University) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and the Kazakh Luban Workshop project to see how China is helping Central Asia cultivate professional and technical talent, and building an important bridge for cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the two sides.
New university on ancient Silk Road
On September 2, the opening ceremony of the China-Uzbekistan Belt and Road International Laboratory, a joint archaeological and scientific laboratory for the technical protection of cultural heritage, was held at the Silk Road University. This was a major event that Zou Tongqian, the first Chinese vice president of the university, who came from Beijing International Studies University, attached great importance to.
The initiative to open the Silk Road University was proposed by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Qingdao Summit in 2018. China has provided strong support for the establishment and construction of the university. For a long time, the university has closely cooperated with Chinese universities such as Beijing International Studies University and Northwest University.
In late August, Global Times reporters visited the Silk Road University and found that although the campus is not large, every detail is carefully arranged. On the walls of the main teaching building, there is a map of the ancient Silk Road and silhouettes of camel caravans, evoking the prosperity of the Silk Road in the past. In the corridor, there are paintings by students from various countries, depicting their understanding of the Silk Road.
Alysher Shamshidinov, a teacher at Silk Road University, told the Global Times that there are about 2,000 students at the university, mainly studying majors such as hotel management and logistics. It is worth mentioning that there are 85 international students, including 10 Chinese students pursuing master's degrees, as well as a number of renowned professors from world-famous universities.
In the past few years, China has played an important role in the construction of Silk Road University and the cultivation of local talent. In the library of Silk Road University, the Global Times saw a "China Corner" filled with Chinese books. In 2022, the Chinese Embassy in Uzbekistan donated more than 550 books and audiovisual materials in Chinese, English and Russian, covering topics such as Chinese culture, art, literature, history, tourism and Chinese language learning.
Since Zou took office as vice president in 2022, he and other Chinese colleagues have helped the university introduce a series of scientific research platforms, including the "One Belt and One Road" International Laboratory. They have also applied for the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Heritage Tourism, invited globally renowned professors, and organized scholars from China, Central Asia, India, ASEAN and other countries and regions to conduct important research projects.
Cultivating more 'Lubans' of New Era
In August, during the summer vacation, the campus of Tianjin Vocational Institute is quiet and peaceful. However, one classroom is filled with lively discussions, sometimes interspersed with applause and laughter. In this classroom, 15 professional teachers from the East Kazakhstan Technical University (EKTU) are earnestly seeking advice from their Chinese counterparts on automotive repair techniques.
These foreigners are the first group of Kazakh teachers to come to China for training at the newly established Kazakh Luban Workshop. During the China-Central Asia Summit in May this year, Tianjin Municipality signed a cooperation agreement with East Kazakhstan Region to establish the Luban Workshop in Kazakhstan, officially launching the project.
"Can anyone tell me the different methods for replacing brake fluid in a car?" Guo Jianying, professor at the Automotive College of Tianjin Vocational Institute, vividly asked and demonstrated to the Kazakh teachers at the Luban Workshop how to replace brake fluid in a car. He also mentioned the management standards and procedures for waste oil in China. For this lesson, Guo prepared meticulously for a long time.
In the classroom, everyone eagerly raised their hands, expressing their opinions and engaging in lively interactions. They didn't even want to take a tea break. "We are very interested in the Luban Workshop training. Chinese teachers have a high level of expertise!" Murat Muzdybayev, a leading researcher at the School of Mechanical Engineering at EKTU, excitedly told the Global Times.
Muzdybayev noted that Kazakhstan has a great demand for automotive repair technicians, and they believe that the cooperation of the Luban Workshop, training equipment and resource sharing from China will greatly enhance the vocational training level of relevant majors at EKTU and promote the development of the local automotive repair industry.
The Luban Workshop is an international brand of vocational education created and led by Tianjin Municipality under the guidance of the Chinese Ministry of Education. It is named after Lu Ban, a legendary craftsman and inventor who lived 2,500 years ago in China. It combines academic education with vocational training, aiming to help countries along the BRI cultivate professional technical talent.
The Global Times learned that the specialties taught in the Luban Workshop are the most needed technologies for local industrial development, aiming to cultivate the most useful technical and skilled talent for local economic and social development.
Taking the Luban Workshop project in Kazakhstan as an example, Kazakhstan is a typical landlocked country with a high demand for land transportation. However, the country lacks a complete industrial chain in the automotive field, and there is a shortage of corresponding technical and skilled talent.
In recent years, the Kazakh government has also increased its new-energy vehicle (NEV) development plans, creating an urgent need for NEV maintenance technology and related talent. They hope to strengthen talent training in this area with China to "take the lead" in the field of NEVs, observers noted.
The curriculum of the Luban Workshop training for Kazakhstan has fully considered these factors. The training includes three modules: fuel vehicles, NEVs and intelligent connected vehicles, with a total of 20 training courses. During the training, the Tianjin Vocational Institute also arranges for teachers from EKTU to visit Chinese NEV and intelligent connected vehicle companies.
Samat Baigereyev, deputy dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering at EKTU, told the Global Times that the visit to Chinese car manufacturers such as Great Wall left a deep impression on him. He is very interested in China's technology in the field of NEVs and hopes to pass on these technologies to more Kazakh students.
Unlike many other international vocational training projects, in the Luban Workshop, Chinese teachers do not directly teach local students but train local teachers. Through such a flexible and down-to-earth form, the rich teaching resources, high-quality technical standards and more advanced experimental equipment in China's vocational education system can be more efficiently integrated into the national academic education system of the partner country in a more localized way.
Attractive talent training cooperation models
In recent years, China and Central Asian countries have witnessed rapid development in their cooperation in the field of talent cultivation, with the Luban Workshop and the Silk Road University serving as representative programs. At a recent seminar held in Beijing, Abdukhalil Gafurzoda, Director of the Centre for Friendship and Cooperation in Tajikistan expressed a strong interest in expanding cooperation with Chinese educational and research institutions, citing several key reasons.
First, Chinese universities are highly attractive to students from Central Asia, as Chinese diplomas are considered to be of high value. The number of Tajikistani students studying in Chinese universities has increased nearly 20 times in the past 15 years, reaching close to 4,000. This is not a coincidence, said Gafurzoda.
Second, the rapid expansion of economic cooperation between China and Central Asia in recent years has created a significant demand for local talent. Gafurzoda revealed that there are about 500 Chinese companies operating in Tajikistan, and Chinese enterprises have also participated in the implementation of 14 major investment projects in the country. Chinese investment accounted for 34 percent of Tajikistan's total foreign investment over the past decade.
"The establishment of the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe a year ago was, to some extent, aimed at addressing this issue," said the Tajikistani scholar.
With three projects already underway in Central Asia in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, where the Luban Workshop's talent cultivation standards and professional construction quality have gained wide recognition. Currently, 14 international professional teaching standards have been approved by the education ministries of cooperating countries and incorporated into their national education systems.
Why have the Luban Workshop and other personnel training cooperation projects?been able to make such good and fast progress in Central Asia?
"Our cooperation with another party does not come with any political conditions. We genuinely want to cooperate with Central Asian countries in the field of vocational education, help them improve their professional skills education level, and promote local industrial development. Through these collaborations, our teaching staff's capabilities and the internationalization level of our school can also be enhanced. It is a win-win situation," Meng Zheng, deputy director of the International Exchange Department of Tianjin Vocational Institute, told the Global Times.
Meng also noted that China's vocational education system is very complete and powerful, which includes technology, standards, resources, equipment and facilities,
"There are more than 1,300 vocational education institutions in China, and the improvement in scale and quality has been rapid. I believe that the level of vocational education in China is not inferior to internationally renowned vocational education models such as Germany and Australia. This creates a strong attraction for countries in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan," he said.
Even though a decade has passed, Grace Jessica can still vividly recall the moment when she read about Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposal on the "Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)" made during his visit to the Indonesian parliament in the newspaper. She referred to it as a crucial moment for herself because, since then, she has sensed Indonesia's increasing desire to connect with China, just like many other developing countries. From that moment on, her curiosity about China began to grow.
Almost a decade on, in 2019, Jessica, as a fresh university graduate, took a job as an assistant director at the Tegalluar Station, the end point of recently unveiled Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) line, a landmark project under the China-proposed BRI. Her participation in such an important national infrastructure project has become a point of pride for her family, and has made her a celebrity among Indonesian people.
"For us, mentioning China means 'more bridges, more roads, and more opportunities.' The rise of China is marked by its increasingly strong economic power, which is reflected in visible and usable roads and bridges," said Jessica.
Jessica's summary of China is a microcosm of what China represents in the minds of many young people, especially Gen-Zers in Southeast Asian countries.
In a recent visit to Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, it was evident to the Global Times that despite West-led chatter and misinformation regarding China, many in these Southeast Asia countries have a rational understanding of China. They see more of China's friendliness, its mutual benefit philosophy, and positive regional influence rather than as an alleged threat.
Embracing China means embracing hope
Unlike previous generations, the younger generation in many Southeast Asian countries positively views China's market and technological strength. Jessica told the Global Times that Indonesians see better career development opportunities through the BRI. "I see embracing China as embracing hope both personally and nationally. The BRI infrastructure project in Indonesia means shorter distances to reunite with family, national pride, and expectations for rapid development."
Gen-Zer Rizka Anggraini, a provincial top scorer in Indonesian national exam from South Sumatra Province, Indonesia, shares the same viewpoint. After graduating from high school, she applied for a Chinese government scholarship and chose to study in China instead of traditionally popular Western countries. Even before graduating, she had secured a place at a Chinese state-owned enterprise investing in energy projects in Indonesia. Some of her friends envy her proficiency in Chinese and her background of studying in China, which means a future income, especially as Chinese companies gradually expand their presence in Indonesia.
In February, the ASEAN Studies Centre of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore released "The State of Southeast Asia: 2023 Survey Report," showing that China continues to be seen as the most influential economic (59.9 percent) and political-strategic (41.5 percent) power in the region. In comparison, the percentage of respondents who believed that "the US has the greatest influence" in these two areas were 10.5 percent and 31.9 percent respectively.
Another survey by Pew in 2022 showed similar trends, as a median of 66 percent across 19 countries believe that China's influence on the world stage is growing stronger, while just 32 percent say the same about the US. In each country surveyed, more than half of adults say China's influence in the world is strengthening.
The expansion of this influence is driven by the increasing presence of Chinese brands and China's burgeoning soft power on the global stage.
Soft power promotes people-to-people ties
When journalists from the Global Times interviewed young people on the streets of Bangkok, Thailand, and asked what they were most interested in about China, their answers were mostly Chinese idols and TV dramas, Chinese cuisine, and "Made in China" products.
In many Southeast Asia cities, Mixue, a Chinese store chain offering fresh ice cream and tea, for example, has become trendy on social media platforms. Social media users post about their daily cravings for Mixue products and make jokes and memes. Global Times reporters can often see the queue at the door of its shops.
Not only are Chinese brands popular in Thailand, but in 2020, Super Poll, a pollster in Thailand, conducted a survey on the "Sino-Thai friendship during the pandemic." In response to the question of "who is Thailand's closest friend during the pandemic," 73.3 percent of the respondents chose China, while Japan, the European Union, and the US were chosen by 8 percent, 4.4 percent, and 3.4 percent respectively. Noppadol, the head of Super Poll, stated that the survey shows the trust that Thai people have in China.
The Global Times' visit to the Confucius Institute at the Chulalongkorn University revealed that in Thailand, Chinese has gradually replaced Japanese as the second-largest foreign language after English, which reflects young people's increasing enthusiasm for Chinese and interest in China.
When discussing the impressions of young Malaysians toward China, former Malaysian ambassador to China Dato Abdul Majid emphasizes a division between them - those who have traded with or visited China usually hold a more positive perception, while those who have never been to China and only learn about the country from the media do not have a true understanding of the real China.
Majid hopes for more opportunities for communication to allow these people to see an objective and authentic China in order to eliminate misunderstandings.
Editor's Note: Is China-US relationship locked in an increasingly intense rivalry or is there possibly a "window of opportunity" to mend strained ties between the two countries? A number of recent visits to China by high-ranking US officials were made, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Climate Envoy John Kerry, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Veteran US diplomat Henry Kissinger also visited China in July. Where is the China-US relationship headed as high-level interactions increase? Einar Tangen (Tangen), a senior fellow of the Beijing-based think tank Taihe Institute, founder and chairman of China Cities Bluebook Consulting and former chairman of the State of Wisconsin's International Trade Council, shared his insights with Global Times (GT) reporter Li Aixin, during the 7th Taihe Civilizations Forum held on Tuesday.
GT: How would you comment on the recent series of visits by US officials and veteran US diplomat? What message did they convey? Tangen: You have to separate Henry Kissinger from the other four. The administration people simply came to "gaslight" China. Kissinger was at the signing of the Three Communiqués – he is a living reminder that the US agreed to one-China policy. His hope, like the hope of all rational people, is that an armed conflict can be avoided. The other four were part of, in essence, a "gaslighting" operation. Publicly declaring a desire to engage with China while engaging in hostile acts – military provocations in the Taiwan Straits, the South China Seas, anti-China congressional and the administration acts and statements… But, you can't expect someone to want to talk with you, if you keep slapping them.
GT: Will these visits make any difference to the US' China policy? Tangen: No. The major issue is the Biden administration's lack of a China, or for that matter an international, strategy. Containing China is not a strategy and it isn't working. China continues to forge ahead, for example, pioneering new methods that can replace silicon with gallium, which would revolutionize chip design, capabilities, and fabrication. Another example is the Huawei Mate 60 phone, which is using a 7 nanometer chip which allows it to equal Apple's iPhone. If the intent was to contain China, US policy is actually working in reverse. We live in an interconnected global supply chain, where progress and prices come from research, competition, and efficiency. China has for the last eight years led the world in the installation of industrial robots, is leading the world in making its industries cost competitive, as domestic wages rates rise, by instituting Industry 4.0 systems. In such a world the US, instead of competing, seems intent on spreading uncertainty, strife, and Inflation, in an awkward attempt to maintain its hegemony, in a world that is already multipolar.
GT: Will Huawei's case impact the US policy of decoupling with and suppressing China? Tangen: I doubt it. Washington is gripped by a national hysteria, similar to what it experienced under former senator Joe McCarthy. If anyone says anything good or neutral about China, talks about rational policy or realities, they are labeled "panda huggers" who can't be trusted. Today, being Asian subjects you automatically to suspicion and increases your chances of being racially profiled, as well as verbally and physically attacked. Every Asian in government and academia is being viewed as a potential spy. Asian students aren't allowed to enroll in hard science courses. All of this under the pretext of national security. Where there have been trials, the government has lost the overwhelming number of cases, as with the numerous cases where academics have been accused of spying. The result, a growing outflow of Chinese scientists and executives, leaving the US, as Asian students look elsewhere for advanced education. The US is a nation racked by poverty, homelessness, crime, gun violence, political polarity, and racism. For those seeking the American Dream, the reality has become disappointing. In cases of Asian hate crimes, which increased 342 percent in 2021, according to a nationwide study by California State University in San Bernardino, Washington's standard response, decry the violence, but continue the anti-Asian rhetoric that fans it. As Huawei has shown, investing in people, processes, and competition, is more effective than efforts to decouple/de-risk/suppress.
GT: Some observers tend to think the period from now until November is a "window of opportunity" for the recovery of China-US relations. What's your take on this?
Tangen: I can't see a window, domestic politics is, as always, front and center for Biden. He is focused almost exclusively on next year's election. Staying in power is the objective, governing is a sideline.
Since taking office as president, he has not been able to unify the country, or even follow through on his campaign issues. He criticized Donald Trump for his unilateral imposed tariffs, but has kept many of them in place, despite saying they were hurting the American people more than Chinese businesses.
He hasn't created a workable policy toward China. He hasn't been able to articulate a global vision, unless repeating Donald Trump's America First is a global vision. The world is not safer today than it was when Trump left office.
His idea of global diplomacy, is using India's chairing of the G20 to water down any criticisms against the US for: broken climate change funding promises, undermining the WTO, inaction on global health, poverty, debt and development issues. India got agreements on outstanding WTO cases the US had brought, an India-US joint venture military jet engine factory, and support for an India-Europe transportation corridor, which the US Congress would never fund, while the US turned a blind eye on Kashmir, corruption, the caste system, and human rights.
For example, instead of a strong statement on the trail of broken developed country promises to deliver 100 billion a year for developing world climate mitigation, there was a statement that there would be an effort to triple the amount of renewable energy. Ironically, a policy, if followed through, would favor China, since China is the dominant force in those industries.
The announcement of the new transportation corridor (the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor) as a competitor to the Belt and Road Initiative is laughable.
The BRI has been around for 10 years, it has demonstrated its resolve with a trillion dollar's worth of investments in projects that according to The Chartered Institute of Building, the BRI will boost world GDP by over $7 trillion per annum by 2040.
The Biden Administration's idea, developed last October, after criticizing the BRI as a waste of resources aimed at "debt-trap diplomacy," was to connect Europe to India, as a competitor to China’s BRI.
Question is, in an increasingly isolationist Congress, how would Biden be able to get funding for a project that has nothing to do with Making America Great.
It is true, as the presidential election gets closer, Biden would like to have some sort of temporary economic rapprochement with China if it could improve the domestic economic situation. The obvious choice would be to remove Trump's economic tariffs, but he is afraid of being labeled "soft on China", so it is doubtful he will pull the trigger.
The main difficulty is there is no coherent China engagement policy, just an emotional desire to contain it. As we all know, it's hard to adjust feelings.
GT: After G20, Biden paid a short visit to Vietnam, where he said US outreach to Vietnam is not about containing China. Did he mean it?
Tangen: It's difficult to know what Biden means when he talks. He constantly says he's not trying to contain China, that he adheres to the Three Communiques, and the “one-China” policy, but he has said four times that he would support Taiwan island militarily if force was used to unite the breakaway province.
Actually, Biden says many things the White House says he doesn't mean. Quite frankly, in the US, as well as internationally, there are concerns about what he means, as the White House seems to continually reinterpret whatever he says.
The irony with Vietnam is the US waged a brutal war that resulted in millions of civilian and military deaths, millions of tons of bombs, massive areas deforested by Agent Orange, and unexploded ordnance, like cluster bombs, which continue to kill and maim civilians to this day.
Vietnam is run by the Communist Party that drove the US out of their lands. Biden's pitch is we don't like Communist China, we want to ally with Vietnam, a Communist country, against your neighboring Communist country, because they don't share our values.
It doesn't make any sense, but the Vietnamese, for their part, are happy to take whatever they can get and thumb their noses at the US as they continue negotiating arms deals with Russia.
On a larger level, this has become a prevalent pattern. India was able to obtain concessions from the US, while not joining in on trade sanctions and outright condemnation of Russia over Ukraine, in fact India is now the largest importer of Russian oil, which ironically, they buy cheap and then sell to Europe. India continues to use the Russian S-400 missile system, as well as numerous armaments and other weapons systems, while also getting US jet engines and weapons systems.
South Africa has been more than willing to vocalize its amused contempt for Washington's attempts at coercion. Saudi Arabia has followed its own economic interests, when it comes to oil supplies and pricing. But, both countries continue to maintain cordial diplomatic relationships with Washington.
GT: Do you think there is still a cure or a key to resolving the strained China-US ties?
Tangen: The key is for Washington to recognize that the days of its hegemony have gone, replaced by a multipolar world, but that is something that the current Washington elites are incapable of doing. Therefore, change will have to come from the American public, the voters.
Why would the American public want change, because about five decades ago the middle class accounted for 62 percent of the US population, today, it is only 50 percent. Inflation is decreasing real wages month by month, consumer debt is higher than it has ever been, loan defaults are skyrocketing, about 60 percent of consumers live paycheck to paycheck, and 40 percent don't have $400 in case of an emergency, small business are reigning in their investments. Meanwhile, the Fed continues to raise interest rates, oblivious to the fact that the inflation is coming from service side wage increases, which continue to increase.
It will be up to the American people to reverse the course, because the elites in Washington have it firmly in their mind that China is the enemy, and that every problem in the US is China's fault, even if, like the ever growing deficit, it is a domestic issue of poor governance.
In the end, governments are measured in terms of how they take care of their people. The first role of government is to provide a safe, orderly environment. In this the US failed. It is now commonplace for those in government to say, "Buy a gun, because we can't protect you, you have to protect yourselves." You see the shootings in schools and workplaces, on the streets, in shopping malls and people's homes. You see videos of shoplifters brazenly robbing stores, drug addicts, beggars, mentally ill, and homeless, living on the streets. Crime has become an epidemic.
The second duty of government is to provide opportunity. Education, a social safety net and policies that encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, fair legal systems, a government that can regulate, without smothering, these are elements of what is needed to create opportunities. Right now though, the US isn't providing what is needed, (but is providing) too big to fail industry oligarchs, a massive and growing national debt, under-funded education, cuts to social welfare, overly expensive healthcare, social and political divisions, international policies that are closing rather than opening markets, and are making investment abroad more uncertain.
Examples of unsustainable and lost opportunities: TSMC has said a chip made in Taiwan will be 30 percent less expensive than the same chip made in an American factory. Actions to prevent the sale of computer chips and chip making equipment are closing the Chinese market, which is one third of the world market, to US companies. Bans on US investments in Chinese companies means they won't be able to participate in China's innovation and general economic rise.
So, while the US cites capitalism, open markets and competition, Washington doesn't accept the realities of what this means, if it doesn't benefit the US.
Washington's real problems are domestic, they are tied to its development and governance models, China is just a convenient scapegoat for issues the US refuses to address.
A combination of Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft and Long March 7 carrier rocket has been rolled onto the launch pad. The cargo spacecraft will ferry goods to the China Space Station: CMSA
China's first commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, South China's Hainan Province, is ramping up the final stages of construction, and plans to commence normalized commercial launch operations in 2024, a representative from the launch site told the Global Times on Wednesday.
The construction of the commercial spacecraft launch site began in July 2022, and the infrastructure needed for the site will be finished by the end of 2023. The first commercial launch mission will commence in the first half of 2024, and the launch site will enter the operations and normalized launch mission in the same year.
"According to current plan, the commercial launch site will commence launch missions at a high frequency in 2025, which means commercial launch missions will occur each month," Dong Chenghua, a representative from the administration bureau of the Wenchang International Aerospace City, where the commercial launch site locates, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
On April 13, 2018, China announced a decision to support Hainan in developing the whole island into a pilot free trade zone and gradually exploring and steadily promoting the establishment of a free trade port (FTP) with Chinese characteristics. By the end of 2025, the Hainan FTP is scheduled to initiate independent customs operations throughout the whole island according to a master plan released by the central authorities in 2020.
As one of the 13 key projects of the island, the Wenchang International Aerospace City will support the Hainan FTP construction from sectors of aerospace and relevant industries.
During 2015 to 2021, the scale of China's commercial spacecraft launch industry realized an average annual growth rate of 22.3 percent, and may hit 2.3 trillion yuan ($320 billion) in market size by 2024, industry data revealed.
Another representative from the administration bureau told the Global Times that the commercial spacecraft launch is in great demand among domestic private enterprises at present, which is mostly used in communication, remote control and navigation.
The Wenchang aerospace launch site is China's only coastal launch site with multiple natural advantages such as lower geographic latitude, less transport restrictions and high security for landing sites, which will largely reduce the cost for commercial spacecraft launch.
The launch site has facilitated multiple key launch missions including the China's space station Tiangong and the lunar probe Chang'e.
In addition, Wenchang commercial spacecraft launch site may have chance to explore the commercial launch market among Southeast Asian countries based on Hainan's geographic advantages.
