Volume No.

122 July 2023

INTERNATIONAL
China-US Relations:
First steps to a reset?

BREEDING SUCCESS
How conservation approaches are evolving
based on efforts to increase Poyang Lake’s
migratory bird populations

£ 3.50
EDITORIAL

Chinese yuan’s recent devaluation is not a long-term trend

Published by China News Service
Publisher: Chen Lujun

S
Executive Director:
ince mid-April, the exchange rate revision of the projected annual economic Chen Lujun
of the Chinese yuan against the US growth rate of China, which also drove down
dollar has gradually declined from the yuan’s exchange rate. Editor-in-Chief: Tan Hongwei
Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Li Jia
around 6.8 to a low of around 7.15, Despite the drop in the yuan in recent Deputy Managing Editor: Du Guodong
representing a depreciation of nearly 5 per- months, one needs to be aware that the
Editorial Office
cent. This downward trend is yuan’s exchange rate is still Copy Editors: Kathleen Naday, James Tiscione
driven by both external and within the range of normal Lead Writer: Yu Xiaodong
domestic factors. fluctuation. In the past few Senior Editors: Wang Yan, Yi Ziyi
Despite the drop Editors: Xie Ying, Xu Ming, Wu Jin
Externally, the US Fed- years, the yuan’s exchange Consultant Editor: Chen Shirong
eral Reserve has maintained in the yuan in rate against the dollar has Address: 5th Floor, 12 Baiwanzhuang South

a hawkish stance and has recent months, one experienced ups and downs. Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
Post Code: 100037
hiked interest rates multiple needs to be aware Looking back, the yuan’s Tel: 86-10-88395566

times since the beginning of
the year. Compounding the
rising US bond yields, this
attracts global asset flows
back to the US. As a result,
that the yuan's current exchange rate against Fax: 86-10-88388045
Email: audience@chinareport.co.uk
exchange rate the dollar is at roughly the Website: www.ChinaReport.co.uk
same level as in late 2019.
is still within the
Art Department
There is no reason to ex-
range of normal pect that the yuan will con-
Art Director: Wu Shangwen
Art Editor/Designer: Zhang Dawei

the US Dollar Index has been fluctuation tinue to depreciate in the

Marketing/Advertising/Subscription
on the rise in recent months. medium or long term. At the EMEA Office
Another reason is that Chi- 2023 Lujiazui Forum held Foremost 4 Media
Duty Editor: Sophie Lang
na’s central bank increased in Shanghai on June 8, Pan Email: sophie@foremost4.media
its funds outstanding for for- Gongsheng, deputy governor Tel: +44 7947 500129
+44 20 7224 8812
eign exchange, a big source of China’s central bank and Website: foremost4.media
of China’s money supply. In the period be- head of the State Administration of Foreign
Marketing Office in China
tween January 2020 and September 2022, Exchange, stressed that China’s foreign ex-
Director: Wang Chenbo
the amount of funds outstanding for foreign change market and its operations have been Account Manager: Ren Jie
exchange, meaning using the Chinese yuan generally stable in 2023. Tel: 86-10-88388027
Circulation Manager: Yu Lina
to buy foreign currencies from commercial A major feature of China’s monetary policy Tel: 86-10-88311834
banks by the country’s central bank, was 81 is that it has taken a self-centered approach,
London Office: Ouyang Kaiyu
billion yuan (US$11.3b). By comparison, the focusing on both cyclical and internal-exter-
New York Office: Wang Fan, Liao Pan
amount of the funds in just seven months be- nal balance, and it does not follow the Fed’s Washington Office: Chen Mengtong, Sha Hanting
tween October 2022 and April 2023 reached approach of hiking interest rates. Los Angeles Office: Zhang Shuo
San Francisco Office: Liu Guanguan
476.8 billion yuan (US$66.7b). The injection While this policy has put the yuan under Toronto Office: Yu Ruidong
of the Chinese yuan in the market pushed pressure, it helps maintain the sustainability Tokyo Office: Zhu Chenxi
Paris Office: Li Yang
up supply of the yuan and pushed down its of China’s economic growth in the long run. Bangkok Office: Wang Guoan
exchange rate. Looking at the medium term, the Chinese Kuala Lumpur Office: Chen Yue
The recent depreciation of the yuan is also yuan exchange rate is expected to regain Moscow Office: Tian Bing
Manila Office: Zhang Xinglong
an adjustment to its appreciation in late 2022. strength. As the Fed’s interest rate hike cycle Berlin Office: Ma Xiuxiu
Starting in November last year, the Chinese is expected to approach its end, its impact on Brussels Office: De Yongjian

yuan experienced over two months of rapid capital flows is expected to weaken, and the
Astana Office: Zhang Shuo
Rio de Janeiro Office: Mo Chengxiong
appreciation, as China implemented a series yuan’s exchange rate could soon stabilise. Johannesburg Office: Wang Xi
Moreover, the yuan’s exchange rate will Jakarta Office: Lin Yongchuan
of stimulus policies. With high expectations
of economic recovery, the yuan appreciated primarily depend on China’s economic fun- Legal Advisor: Allen Wu
by 4.1 percent against the dollar in the last damentals. Although there may be some
differences in market expectations on how
ISSN 2053-0463
two months of 2022.
However, as recent figures show that eco- much China’s economy will grow this year,
nomic activities have not recovered as quick- China’s economic growth remains in better
ly as expected, there was a general downward shape compared to other major economies.

CHINA REPORT I July 2023

1
CONTENTS

Fight or Flight
ChinaReport investigates how China is developing its conservation
programmes to address conflicts between humans and wildlife

CHINA REPORT I July 2023

2
 EDITORIAL
01 Chinese yuan’s recent devaluation is not a long-term trend
14 A China-hosted summit
with Central Asian leaders
INTERNATIONAL
14 China and Central Asia: looks to boost trade and
Solidifying Connections transport cooperation
17 China-US Relations:
Right Time to Talk?

COVER STORY
42 Fired-up Zibo hopes its
20 Wildlife Conservation: sizzling barbecue season
The Crane Mutiny/Call of the Wild will revitalise the city, as
SPECIAL REPORT others flock to learn how
32 R&D:
Funding Fixes
35 AI: 46 TV show The Long
Brain Trust
Season taps nostalgia
ECONOMY and pain from the 1990s
38 Civil Aviation:
The Sky’s the Limit layoffs in the Northeast
42 Zibo Barbecue:
Grills Uninterrupted

20 CULTURE
46 Drama:
Lost in the Northeast
49 Entertainment:
Cast In a New Light

INTERVIEW
52 Roses:
Roots of Iconic Blooms

HISTORY
54 Zhang Qian:
Pioneer of the Silk Road

LIFE
58 Sport:
Fired Up 38
OUTSIDE IN
60 Hot Spring Resorts:
An Immersion in Spa Culture

ESSAY
62 Speaking My Languages
63 We Do, or We Chat?

04 SNAPSHOTS
08 MEDIA FOCUS
09 VERBATIM
10 NEWS BRIEF
12 NETIZEN WATCH
45 CHINA BY NUMBERS
64 GOOD TASTE/REAL CHINESE

CHINA REPORT I July 2023

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SNAPSHOTS

1. A torch-bearer for the Hangzhou

2 Asian Games leads a flame-lighting
ceremony, Liangzhu Archaeological
Ruins, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, June 15,
2023 (Photo by Xinhua)

2. Diners hold up servings of

spicy hot-pot flavoured ice cream,
Chongqing, May 24, 2023 (Photo by
VCG)

3. Taikonauts from the Shenzhou-15

and Shenzhou-16 missions hold an
in-orbit crew change ceremony, June
2, 2023 (Photo by VCG)

4. Thirteen climbers of a Chinese

expedition team pose at the summit
of Mount Qomolangma, also known
as Mount Everest, May 23, 2023
(Photo by VCG)

CHINA REPORT I July 2023

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3

CHINA REPORT I July 2023

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SNAPSHOTS

2 3

CHINA REPORT I July 2023

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1

1. Wind turbines dot the ridge lines of mountains, Jinzhong, Shanxi Province,
June 5, 2023 (Photo by VCG)

2. Employees from the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and Italian
shipbuilder Fincantieri celebrate the undocking of Adora Magic City, China’s
first domestically made cruise ship, Shanghai, June 6, 2023 (Photo by IC)
3. Children watch an experiment where clouds are created from liquid nitrogen
at an open-house activity held at Huairou Research Department of the Institute
of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, May 14, 2023 (Photo by IC)

4. A view of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), Haizi
Mountain, Daocheng, Sichuan Province, April 22, 2023 (Photo by VCG)

CHINA REPORT I July 2023

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MEDIAFOCUS

Apple Suppliers Forced to

Giant Panda: A Symbol of Peace and Love Go Abroad
ChinaReport, Chinese Edition June 5, 2023 Caijing Magazine
May 29, 2023
China’s giant panda, a species
which was on the brink of extinc- To win orders from Apple
tion several decades ago, is now a over the past five years, Chi-
national symbol. The panda is not nese suppliers estimate more
only the mascot of the China-hosted than 150 firms have started manufacturing
Asian and Olympic Games, but also abroad. Vietnam, with its cheap and abundant
the emblem of the World Wildlife labour and lower land prices, is favoured.
Fund. As of 2022, there are more However, with Vietnam’s growing ambition
than 600 pandas bred in captivity worldwide, and over 1,800 wild pandas in to be an export and manufacturing centre, the
China, providing enough genetic diversity to ensure successful breeding for low cost has gone and foreign manufacturers
years to come. Noting the panda’s popularity, China Central Television has must spend at least 30 percent of their manu-
maintained round-the-clock livestreams of the animals since 2013. While facturing costs in the local market, including
winning a huge fan base estimated at 13-16 million nationwide, pandas can labour and components. Compared to Viet-
be observed both on and offline, which sometimes engenders quarrels and nam, India is more stringent with Chinese
interventions among viewers about their condition. Since the 1950s, pandas investors such as smartphone manufacturers
have been sent as goodwill envoys to overseas countries including the US and like Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo. The country
Japan. With pandas’ fast-growing prominence, more experts across the world is mulling setting a maximum share of 49
have joined in the protection of the charismatic species. percent ownership for Chinese manufacturers
who establish joint ventures in India. Chinese
Long but Irreversible Trend of De-dollarisation enterprises, though being pushed, have to be
prudent before going abroad. Nevertheless,
World Affairs June 1, 2023
China remains Apple’s major supplier, ac-
Failing to balance its dual role as a national and inter- counting for 94 percent of its production.
national currency and weaponised as a means to maintain
US global hegemony, the US dollar, used for international
reserves and payment settlement, has encountered a wave of de-dollarisation. Shielding Children
Against the backdrop of the Federal Reserve’s continued tightening of mon- under Legal Protection
etary policy since early this year, several countries including Japan, Israel and
Xinmin Weekly
Brazil are reducing their dollar reserves. Unwilling to fall prey to US capital June 5, 2023
which may flood into less developed countries when the US Fed lowers inter-
est rates after consecutive hikes since March 2022, many countries are calling An amendment to the Law
for diversification instead of the dollar’s dominant but less credible role. on the Protection of Minors
However, considering the timing and cost, de-dollarisation is a long process in implemented in China on
which countries like China still need a mature financial market to make their June 1, 2021 has consolidated the legal
currencies go global. system on crimes against children, including
domestic violence, school bullying and inap-
Preserving Culture from Age-old Villages propriate internet provision. The number
Insight China May 21, 2023
of legal provisions has increased from 72 to
132, and enforcement involves the efforts of
China’s ancient villages have seen widespread demolition families, schools, communities and judicial
since rapid urbanisation occurred. In 2000, the number of departments to crack down on crimes,
ancient villages was 3.63 million, but it dropped to 2.71 mil- especially hidden crimes such as domestic
lion by 2010, with at least 100 villages disappearing every day. To preserve the violence. Family obligations are considered
distinctive culture, China prioritised 8,155 villages for protection in March. of the utmost important as over the past
Among them are Yuxian County at the foot of the Great Wall in Hebei Prov- decade, on average of one child a week died
ince, Songyang County in Zhejiang and Wanjian Village in Anhui. The idea of due to domestic violence nationwide. Family
a life surrounded by traditional houses and bucolic rural scenery appeals to tensions which can cause psychological
artists and young people tired of city life. It can also create a sense of belong- problems are usually the causes of juvenile
ing long absent from urban lives. However, the most difficult part is balancing delinquency. Social workers are expected to
the need to protect villages while improving local lives. Overall planning is establish long-term relationships to support
needed before renovating rural areas without losing their historic value. vulnerable students in schools.
CHINA REPORT I July 2023

8
 VERBATIM

“Some regions focus on

rewarding families that
have second or third
children while ignoring the
birth rate of first children,
which is the basis for the
general fertility rate. This
will not only inhibit families
from having a first child but also exert a negative
influence on desires to have more than one child,
thus preventing a balanced fertility rate.”
He Dan, director of the China Population and
Development Research Centre, in an article for its affiliated
magazine Population and Health

“If we are deprived of the

Chinese market, we don’t
have a contingency for that.
There is no other China.
There is only one China.”
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang
in an interview with the
Financial Times in late May
“THE MOST VALUABLE ASSET TEACHERS WILL PROVIDE
TO FUTURE CLASSROOMS IS EMOTIONAL CONNECTION.
EDUCATION IS A PROCESS OF GROWING TOGETHER, SO
“[Declining] domestic TEACHERS SHOWING STUDENTS HOW TO BE BETTER HUMANS
demand has greatly
impacted mid-sized WILL BE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.”
enterprises, causing the
New Orders Index to drop Wang Shuyan, general president of Beanstalk Education
3 percent to 46.3 percent, Group, on AI’s influence on education at a seminar hosted by
while [declining] overseas CITIC Private Equity
demand has hit small
enterprises, causing the index to fall by 2.8 percent to
44.1 percent.”
Zhao Wei, chief economist at SinoLink Securities,
analyzing the decrease in China’s Purchasing Managers’
Index for May in an interview with guancha.cn “It’s like a few streams overstretching to encircle and isolate the Yangtze River and the Yellow
River - they will only end up drying themselves up.”
Hua Chunying, spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a tweet about the US decoupling with
China on May 31
“If Japan insists on
restricting Sino- “The Chinese yuan’s exchange rate down to more than 7:1 against the US dollar is the
Japanese cooperation in combined effect of internal and external elements. Externally, US debt negotiations are at a
semiconductors, it will not deadlock and expectations that the Fed will further tighten monetary policy are increasing,
only lose access to the huge causing the US dollar to bounce back. Internally, the latest data shows that the Chinese
Chinese market but also economy was slower to recover in the second quarter compared to the first quarter of the
damage its credibility and year.”
the future of the Japanese Guan Tao, chief economist at Bank of China Securities, in an interview with ChinaReport’s Chinese edition
semiconductor industry. The US aims to reestablish in early June
its semiconductor hegemony, and if Japan does what
the US expects it to do, Japan and China will lose, and
the US alone will win.” “A promising society has young people actively realising their dreams, not waiting to sit the
Wu Jianghao, Chinese Ambassador to Japan, speaking civil service exam.”
at a meeting held by the Japan Council for the Promotion of Wang Mingyuan, law professor at Tsinghua University, on China’s rising young unemployment rate in an
International Trade on June 2 article for a WeChat media account under the financial magazine Caijing in early June

CHINA REPORT I July 2023

9
NEWSBRIEF

First Undersea CO2 Storage Project Promotes Emission Cuts

pressurised CO2. The CO2 is trapped in the “upside-down

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC),
China’s largest offshore oil and gas producer, announced on
June 1 that China’s first demonstration project for undersea
storage of over one million tons of carbon dioxide has been
put into use.
An internationally acknowledged measure to reduce
carbon emissions, carbon capture and storage means inject-
ing CO2 into onshore or under ocean floor sediments in
“reservoirs.”
On June 1, CNOOC technicians captured and separated
CO2 generated during oil drilling from the Enping 15-1
oil drilling platform in the South China Sea Enping Oil-
field, located some 200 kilometres southwest of Shenzhen,
Guangdong Province. The captured CO2 was injected into a
“dome” structure 800 metres below the sea bed after it was
pressurised into a supercritical gas-liquid mixture. Viable
undersea storage options suitable for CO2 storage include
depleted saline aquifers and tapped out oil and gas layers.
The storage area is three kilometres from the drilling plat-
form, the largest offshore production platform in Asia, to
which the technicians have built a pipeline to transport the
bowl” structure which prevents leakages, with monitors in-
stalled every metre.
Wan Nianhui, general manager of CNOOC’s Enping oil-
field, told the Xinhua News Agency that the Enping 15-1
platform has four drilling wells which generate associated
gas containing as high as 95-percent CO2. If they exploited
the oil in normal ways, CO2 emissions at the well would
have been significant.
CNOOC said 300,000 tons of CO2 can be sequestered
annually, with the total amount exceeding 1.5 million tons,
equivalent to planting around 14 million trees.
The project signals that China has mastered the technolo-
gies needed for CO2 storage, including capture, disposal,
injecting, sealing and supervision. Deng Changhong, deputy
general manager of CNOOC’s Shenzhen Branch told Xin-
hua that China’s marine areas have a CO2 storage potential
of 2.6 trillion tons in total, due to geological features such
as stable sea crusts, thick stratum, wide distribution of
sedimentary basins and a big number of structural sea bed
“traps” that are suitable for storing and sealing in CO2.
CNOOC has also switched on a 10 million-ton CO2 cap-
ture and sealing project in Huizhou, Guangdong Province
to collect emissions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao
Greater Bay Area, which will be transported by tanker
trucks, pipelines or ships to marine areas at the mouth of
the Pearl River for storage.
Experts said that China’s progress in CO2 storage tech-
nologies will greatly help realise the country’s carbon neu-
trality goals that use green projects and emission cuts to
neutralise the effect of greenhouse gases, and it will help en-
able the country to reach its goal of peaking CO2 emissions
by 2030. According to China’s National Statistics Bureau,
China’s carbon emissions per 10,000 yuan (US$1,397) GDP
in 2022 dropped by 0.8 percent compared to 2021.

Hainan Eyes British Businesses

More than 200 representatives from
business communities in China and the
UK attended the Hainan Free Trade Port
UK Promotion Conference in London
on June 9. Four British companies
signed cooperation agreements with the
event’s organiser, Hainan provincial gov-
ernment, to collaborate in finance, tour-
ism, education, and architecture. HSBC
and Harrow School, who established an
educational facility in the provincial cap-
ital, Haikou, also shared their successful
experiences in Hainan. Some 100 UK
enterprises are already established in the
island. China announced it is building
Hainan into a globally influential high-
level free trade port by the middle of the
century. Preparations are under way to
launch independent customs operation
in Hainan in 2025.
CHINA REPORT I July 2023

10
 First National
Standard for
Blockchain
Issued
China’s Ministry of
Industry and Informa-
tion Technology released
a national standard for
blockchain and distrib-
Elon Musk Visits China uted ledgers in late May,
the first in China.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a whirlwind visit to the A new database
Chinese mainland from May 30 to June 1. that takes advantage
Musk’s first stop was Beijing where he talked with of technologies like
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Minister of distributed networks,
Commerce Wang Wentao. Both officials stressed the encryption and in-
importance of mutual respect and win-win coopera- telligent contracts,
tion between China and the US, and Musk said that blockchain is crucial
Tesla opposes decoupling and wants to continue to to support the digital
expand in China. Musk then made an early morn- economy. The standard
ing visit to Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai where he unifies the industrial
spoke of the plant’s “amazing work.” Tesla’s Shanghai definition of blockchain
plant delivered 710,000 vehicles in 2022, 48 percent and normalises its func-
more than in 2021. In April, Musk said he plans to tional structure and core
build a new mega factory in Shanghai to manufacture elements to provide
its utility-scale battery product Megapack. guidance for enterprises
Analysts said that Musk’s visit indicates that to establish or use
American business giants are opposed to decoupling. blockchain systems and
Besides Musk, Bill Gates, J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie services.
Dimon, Starbucks new CEO Laxman Narasimhan, Experts said the new
Apple CEO Tim Cook and General Motors President standard will improve
and CEO Mary Barra have visited China this year. the current fragmented
According to a Q1 survey report on the business and hasty development
environment published by the China Council for of the blockchain indus-
the Promotion of International trade on May 30, try and will facilitate the
97 percent of the surveyed foreign enterprises are building of a domesti-
“satisfied” with the Chinese government’s policies on cally controlled block
foreign investment. chain system.
Management of Genetic
Resources to be Optimised
China’s Ministry of Science and
Technology issued an implementing
rule on the management of genetic
resources on June 1, clarifying man-
agement of the collection, storage
and domestic and international use
of genetic resources based on regula-
tions already released in 2019.
The new rule narrows the
definition of genetic resources to
be information generated based on
genes, but excluding clinical data and
images, protein data and metabolism
data.
It clarifies the definition of foreign
entities that may collect, preserve
and exploit Chinese human ge-
netic resources of Chinese people.
It defines these entities as organisa-
tions or institutions with a foreign
ownership control of more than 50
percent of the shares, equity and
voting rights.
Security has been further clarified,
with examinations required on four
types of genetic information to be
offered or open to foreign individuals
or organs, including that of impor-
tant family pedigrees, people in
specific regions, exome sequencing
and genome sequencing of 500 or
more people, and that which influ-
ences China’s public health, national
security and social interests.
The rule takes effect on July 1,
2023.

Engagement and Cooperation Key to China-UK Relations

“The best way to engage with China
is to know more about China. The more
you know about China, the more you will
like it,” said Zheng Zeguang, Chinese
Ambassador to the UK, at the “Dialogue
with the Ambassador” event held in
London on June 14 by the Chopsticks
Club, a London based platform for inter-
action between professionals from China
and the UK. About 100 people from the
British and UK Chinese communities in
business and the education sectors at-
tended the event under the “Engage with
China” programme. Noting that 130,000
British students are learning Chinese,
Zheng said he was impressed that British
people are keen on knowing more about
China. There are also 200,000 Chinese
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
students in the UK. He stressed the great
potential of cooperation between the two
countries on green transformation and
climate change. The club’s Joint CEO H-J
Colston said that the club was “com-
mitted to building a competitive edge in
schools, and to do this we need to build
global awareness around China, despite
the current geopolitical backdrop.”

11
NETIZENWATCH

Tragedy struck a family twice

after a grieving mother died after
falling from a residential build-
ing in an apparent suicide.
The incident on June 2 oc-
curred just one week after her
six-year-old son was struck and
killed by a car at his school in
Wuhan, Hubei Province. The car
was driven by the boy’s teacher,
who witnesses told press drove
over the child a second time.
Although a police investiga-
tion is underway, netizens
speculate that cyber violence
against the mother, surnamed
Yang, had pushed her to suicide.
Yang became a target of abuse
after video taken at the scene

Is China Ready for a Cyber Violence of her son’s death went viral.
Netizens said she appeared too

Law? calm about the situation, criti-

cised her attire as inappropriate,
and accused her of caring more
about getting compensation
Netizen Comments: from the school than her son’s
death.
• “I worry if the new legislation would make people reluctant to speak out online for fear of In the wake of Yang’s death,
being accused of cyber violence. Such legislation requires strict ethics and highly trained law netizens warned against China’s
enforcement personnel.” increasingly rampant cyber
• “Legislation will play a decisive role in cracking down on all sorts of the chaos that goes on violence and the damage it
online. If you behave properly, what are you afraid of?” inflicts. On June 9, China’s Su-
preme People’s Court and other
• “Existing laws are not detailed enough and it’s very hard for victims to protect their rights authorities released a draft guid-
and interests, so separate legislation is needed after taking full consideration of experts’ ance on fighting cyber violence.
opinions.” Those who conducted online
Source: WeChat account of The Paper abuse and slander against others
that results in mental illness
Expert Comments: or suicide will be charged with
“having severely damaged social
Li Dongsheng, a National People’s Congress delegate (China’s highest legislative body): “It’s order” and face criminal trial.
now very difficult for law enforcement to define and collect evidence for cyber violence The guidance also proposed
cases... We need to improve the legal definition of cyber violence and increase penalties...” prosecuting those who organise
Zhao Hong, law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law: “Current laws or promote cyber violence.
already have articles dealing with cyber violence and we have to be doubly cautious about Many netizens applauded
over-legislation...” the move, including some law
experts who have called for
Shi Jiayou, law professor at the Renmin University of China: “Relevant laws should specific legislation against cyber
have specific articles for cyber violence, but there is no need to create a new charge or violence in the past. However,
punishments for it... Platforms and supervisory departments should focus more on other experts argued that cyber
prevention and setting up a rapid response system for reporting to better protect victims.” violence is already addressed in
China’s criminal and civil laws,
Source: WeChat account of The Paper
and separate legislation may be
an overreaction.
CHINA REPORT I July 2023

12
PetroChina
Exec Caught
in Hot Pink
Scandal
A top executive with PetroChina
was fired after being caught on video
walking with his alleged mistress
on the streets of Chengdu, Sichuan
Province. The middle-aged man and
the young woman smiled as they stroll
hand-in-hand, both dressed in match-
ing pink outfits.
The street photographer who un-
knowingly captured the viral footage,
identified as Xiaomi, told media that
the two were aware they were being
recorded by multiple people and did
not protest.
Social media users quickly identified
the man as Hu Jiyong, an executive
at a sub-company of the State-owned
petroleum company, and the woman
his colleague Dong Sijin. Some online
sources denied Dong was Hu’s mis-
tress, saying Hu has been divorced for
two years, but no official source has
offered confirmations as of press time.
Netizens seemed to care more about
the couple’s financial status. Rumours
claim that Dong, 27, has a master’s
from the China University of Petro-
leum and leads a lavish lifestyle. Some
claim the slim-fitting floral-print dress
Dong was spotted in costs 90,000
yuan (US$13,000), while circulated
screenshots suggest Dong spends
around the same amount monthly on
e-shopping site Taobao.
Many netizens speculated that Hu
and Dong were involved in corrup-
tion. The two are under disciplinary
investigation.
Following the scandal, sales of
knockoffs of Dong’s now notorious
dress spiked on Taobao, though the
shop owner told media that around
half had already been returned.
While some netizens praised Dong’s
beauty, most chided Hu and Dong for
misleading young people that they can
make fast money in immoral ways.
INFLUENCER
Wang Yongxian
If you’re into ancient Chinese architecture, check out 73-year-old Wang Yongx-
ian on Douyin (China’s TikTok), who has built a sturdy following for his in-depth
knowledge and livestreams. A retired architect in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, Wang
makes sketches and models to further illustrate structural concepts, and often
streams on site at buildings he is lecturing about. One viewer told ChinaReport
that Wang’s video on bucket arches (dougong) helped them thoroughly understand
this unique building method. To show its intricate system of wooden interlocking
brackets, Wang employed a model that he dismantled part by part as he lectured.
Unlike many flashier online celebrities, Wang wears an understated Zhongshan suit
that has since become his signature. Fans told ChinaReport that Wang’s courses have
made understand-
ing ancient Chinese
architecture acces-
sible, which was his
aim when he started
livestreaming. “An
ancient building is
much more valu-
able than an ancient
painting or porcelain,
because it shows Chi-
na’s ancient culture in
a comprehensive and
three-dimensional
way,” Wang told
ChinaReport.
Pet Fitness Shaping Up for Success
A pet care company in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province is helping pet cats and dogs
shed more than fur this summer. For 4,000-6,000 yuan (US$559-838) per month,
the service promises to get portly pets in shape with the help of a personal trainer.
Online video claims a Labrador lost four kilograms in two weeks on a steady regimen
of walking and swimming. Media said many other pet care companies are offering
similar services, with some tailoring meal plans. Experts praised the idea and foresee
the industry flourishing as more Chinese keep pets and spend more on their health.
However, many netizens said the service is only for rich people, as they cannot even
afford a trainer for themselves.
Woman Rents Temple to Escape Rat Race
A young woman is finding some respite from the world in her rented Taoist
temple and inspiring others online to do the same. The woman surnamed Ouyang
said she worked in tourism and became increasingly anxious as business plummeted
during the pandemic. Stressed out and sleepless, Ouyang quit and moved to the
Taoist temple in a mountainous scenic area of Shandong Province, paying 40,000
yuan (US$5,586) a year. The remote temple was empty and no longer held religious
services. Although some dismissed Ouyang’s story as clever marketing for the scenic
area, others messaged her to ask whether other temples are for rent, saying they also
have long desired a simpler and more peaceful life.
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
13
INTERNATIONAL
China and Central Asia
Solidifying Connections
The first-ever China-Central Asia Summit aims to further diversify cooperation between
China and the region, as well as improve communication and transportation
By Yu Xiaodong and Zheng Liying
hina hosted the historic first
C
China-Central Asia Summit
on May 18 and 19 in Xi’an,
China’s ancient capital at
the eastern end of the Silk Road. This
landmark event, stemming from the
China+Central Asia (C+C5) coop-
eration mechanism initiated in 2020,
brought together leaders from the six
participating countries for their first
face-to-face collective meeting.
During the summit, Chinese leader
Xi Jinping and his central Asian coun-
terparts – President Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President
Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, Presi-
dent Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan,
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of
Uzbekistan and President Serdar
Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan
– signed several bilateral and multi-
lateral documents as well as over 100
cooperation agreements.
The leaders agreed to institution-
alise the summit, which will be held
every two years alternating between
China and the Central Asian states.
The next meeting will be held in
Kazakhstan in 2025.
Energy Cooperation
China shares over 3,000 kilometres
of border with three of the five Cen-
tral Asian countries – Kazakhstan,
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
14
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. After the
former Soviet republics declared in-
dependence in 1991, China was one
of the first countries to acknowledge
their sovereignty and establish bilat-
eral diplomatic relations. China began
addressing border disputes with the
three countries in the early 1990s,
which were resolved by the end of
1999.
Since the early 2000s, energy coop-
eration between China and Central
Asia grew fast. In 2004, China and
Kazakhstan started to build the Chi-
na-Kazakhstan Crude Oil Pipeline.
China’s first overland cross-border oil
pipeline. The 2,798-kilometre project
Qamchiq Tunnel on the Angren-Pap Railway in
Uzbekistan is completed on February 27, 2016.
Constructed by the China Railway Tunnel Group,
the railway connects the remote Ferghana region
with capital Tashkent (Photo by Xinhua)
went online in 2006, substantially
bolstering China’s energy security and
laying the foundation for energy co-
operation between China and Central
Asia. As of the end of 2022, about 160
million cubic metres of crude oil had
passed through the pipeline to China,
according to Chinese media.
Simultaneously, efforts were under-
way to develop the 1,833-kilometre
Central Asia-China Gas Pipeline, the
longest of its kind in the world, which
starts at the border of Turkmenistan
and Uzbekistan, traverses Kazakhstan
before ending in Horgos, a land bor-
der port in China’s Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region. Construction
of the pipeline commenced in the
early 2000s and it was inaugurated in
2009. By May 19, 2023, the pipeline
had supplied more than 430 billion
cubic metres of natural gas to China.
Currently, China relies on Central
Asia for over two-thirds of its pipe-
line gas imports, underscoring the
strategic importance of this energy
partnership. In the summit’s joint
declaration, the countries agreed to
accelerate the ongoing construction of
Line D of the China-Central Asia Gas
Pipeline, which would increase the re-
gion’s annual supply of natural gas to
China by more than half to reach 85
billion cubic metres.
Yang Jin, Deputy Director of the
Central Asia Research Office at the
Institute of Russian, Eastern Euro-
pean and Central Asian Studies of the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences,
stressed that economic and trade co-
operation between China and Central
Asian countries is highly complemen-
tary. While Central Asian countries
possess abundant energy resources
and raw materials, China has a vast
market, comprehensive industrial
chains, advanced technologies and
abundant financial resources, all of
which are crucial for Central Asian
countries to develop their economies.
“China-Central Asia cooperation is
built upon mutual respect and mutual
benefits,” Yang told ChinaReport.
Yang’s view is echoed by Qian Feng,
a researcher at the National Strategic
Institute of Tsinghua University. The
world’s largest inland geographical re-
gion, Central Asia ranks high in terms
of reserves of oil, natural gas, coal and
uranium, making it well-equipped
to meet China’s energy demands for
economic development, creating a
natural complementary advantage for
two sides in building a comprehensive
energy industry chain collaboration,
Qian said.
Their energy cooperation is being
upgraded. On the summit’s sidelines,
China’s State-owned energy giant Sin-
opec and Kazakhstan’s KayMunayGaz
agreed on key terms for potential in-
vestment in a polyethylene project in
western Kazakhstan’s Atryau region.
The investment decision is expected
to be finalised in 2024.
New Concept
In 2013, Chinese President Xi
Jinping proposed the “Silk Road
Economic Belt” concept in a key-
note speech delivered in Kazakhstan,
aimed at reviving the historical Silk
Road that connected China to Eu-
rope. The proposal later evolved into
China’s iconic Belt and Road Initiative
(BRI) with Central Asian countries
becoming pioneer participants.
As the BRI substantially boosts
infrastructure building in the region
and fosters closer economic ties, bilat-
eral trade between China and the five
Central Asian countries has grown
exponentially in recent years. In 2022,
total trade between China and the re-
gion reached US$70.2 billion, mark-
ing a record high and a 40 percent
year-on-year increase. Among the five
countries, Kazakhstan took the lead
with US$31 billion, followed by Kyr-
gyzstan (US$15.5b), Turkmenistan
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
15
(US$11.2b), Uzbekistan (US$9.8b)
and Tajikistan (US$2b).
The momentum continued into the
first four months of 2023, as trade
between China and the five coun-
tries soared to 173.05 billion yuan
(US$24.3b), reflecting a 37 percent
increase over the same period in 2022.
“The China-Central Asia Summit is
the first to solely focus on the Central
Asian region, providing a new plat-
form for China and the region to up-
grade and elevate cooperation,” Yang
Jin told ChinaReport.
Qian said the China-Central Asia
Summit provides an opportunity for
both parties to go beyond traditional
energy cooperation to explore new
growth areas such as finance, agri-
culture, poverty reduction, green and
low-carbon initiatives, healthcare and
digital innovation.
In the China-Central Asia Summit
declaration, the six countries agreed to
further boost road and flight connec-
tions and speed up the construction
of cross-border railways connecting
China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
The leaders also approved mecha-
nisms to boost cooperation in areas
such as renewable energy, educa-
tion, science, tourism and healthcare.
China agreed to increase imports of
agricultural products from Central
Asia and pledged to provide 26 bil-
lion yuan (US$3.8b) in grants and
low-interest loans to Central Asian
countries.
China’s foreign direct investment
into the five Central Asian countries
was around US$15 billion by the end
of 2022, involving oil and gas min-
ing, manufacturing and digital tech-
nology, according to Wang Wentao,
China’s Minister of Commerce, on
April 18 during the trade ministers’
virtual meeting with his counterparts
from the five Central Asian countries.
China will continue to work with the
region to develop digital trade and the
INTERNATIONAL
green economy, Wang said.
For Yu Zeyuan, a senior researcher
at the Singapore-based newspaper Li-
anhe Zaobao, the biggest takeaway of
the China-Central Asia Summit is the
six countries’ consensus to intensify
their efforts to strengthen the status
of Central Asia as a trans-Eurasian
transport hub.
In the joint declaration, the six
countries pledged to intensify the de-
velopment of the China-Central Asia
transport corridor towards the Middle
East, Europe, South Asia and Iran.
The statement specifically mentions
accelerating the construction of the
China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU)
railway project.
During the summit, China signed
a memorandum of understanding on
the CKU railway with Uzbekistan and
Kyrgyzstan, signalling major progress
on the project. China and Uzbekistan
also announced the construction of
another railway that could connect
Central Asia with Afghanistan and
Pakistan.
As a major component of the south-
ern route of the China-Europe Rail-
way Express, the CKU would reduce
the rail distance from China to the
Middle East and southern Europe by
about 900 kilometres.
If the proposed railway projects can
be effectively implemented, it will
bring China closer to reviving the an-
cient Silk Road and connecting East
Asia to Europe.
‘Shared Future’
In 2001, China, together with Rus-
sia and four Central Asian countries
(excluding Turkmenistan), initiated
the establishment of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation, with a
focus on Central Asia. The organ-
isation plays a pivotal role in en-
hancing political trust, promoting
economic integration and bolstering
The China-Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO) Local Economic and
Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area,
Qingdao, Shandong Province (Photo by
VCG)
security cooperation among its mem-
ber nations.
The summit emphasised the im-
portance of fostering ties in the secu-
rity and strategic arenas. According to
Qin Gang, China’s foreign minister,
the most important political achieve-
ment of the summit is that the two
sides have agreed to “build a closer
China-Central Asia community with a
shared future.”
Qin said that China reached agree-
ments with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
in building a “community with a
shared future” at the bilateral level
during the summit. With existing
agreements with other Central Asian
countries, it marks the first instance
where all six nations have embraced
this vision.
Proposed under the presidency of Xi
Jinping, the concept of “a community
of a shared future” is presented as a
vision for establishing a more just, in-
clusive and equitable global order. It
stands in stark contrast to that of the
US, which China criticised for sowing
divisions, stoking confrontations and
building blocs.
In his keynote speech delivered dur-
ing the summit, President Xi raised
four principles in promoting the Chi-
na-Central Asia community – mutual
assistance, common development,
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
16
The oil terminal in Alashankou, 2.5 kilometres
from Alashankou Port in Northwest China’s
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, receives
crude oil from Kazakhstan (Photo by Xinhua)
universal security and everlasting
friendship.
As the summit coincided with a
meeting of the Group of Seven lead-
ers in Japan, where there was much
talk about China’s alleged use of “eco-
nomic coercion,” China positioned its
cooperation with Central Asian coun-
tries as another example of the imple-
mentation of its Global Security initia-
tive. China’s cooperation with Central
Asia advocates “a new path to security
featuring dialogue over confrontation,
partnership over alliance and win-win
over zero-sum,” the statement from
China’s Foreign Ministry said.
“China and Central Asian coun-
tries will work together to create a
cooperation model that is profoundly
complementary and highly win-win,”
Qin Gang told media.
According to Qian Feng, China’s
Global Security Initiative has been
well-received in Central Asia, espe-
cially after China played a significant
role in the Saudi-Iran rapprochement.
The establishment of the C+C5 sum-
mit will not only strengthen the secu-
rity bonds between China and Central
Asian countries, but also provide a
new platform for collaborative efforts
in addressing regional security chal-
lenges and mitigating common secu-
rity risks faced by both sides.
China-US Relations
Right Time to Talk?
As military leaders of China and the US laid out clashing views for the Asia-Pacific’s
security future, top diplomats of the two countries resume talks to prevent the
bilateral relationship from turning from bad to worse
By Yu Xiaodong
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing,
capital of China, June 19, 2023
A
mid escalating tensions
between the world’s two
largest economies in re-
cent months, US Secretary
of State Antony Blinken paid a high-
stake visit to China, where he held
an unexpected meeting with Chinese
President Xi Jinping, after meetings
with his counterpart Qin Gang and
Wang Yi, director of the Office of the
Foreign Affairs Commission of the
Communist Party of China Central
Committee.
Blinken’s visit came less than two
weeks after defense ministers from the
two countries laid out clashing visions
for regional security at the IISS Shangri-
La Dialogue in Singapore between June
2 and 4, where they did not engage in
direct talks with each other.   sion,” though the White House later
As the first US Secretary of State to
visit China in five years, Blinken’s trip is
seen as the latest effort to halt bilateral
relations from plummeting further amid
a suspension of high-level diplomatic
exchanges.
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
17
Eroded Trust
China suspended high-level defense
communication mechanisms with the
US following the controversial visit by
former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
to Taiwan in August 2022. In the past
months, the US has called to resume
high-level defense talks on several oc-
casions. But in a statement released on
May 31, the Pentagon said that China
had declined an invitation extended in
early May for a meeting between the
two defense ministers at the Shangri-La
Dialogue. 
China has requested the US to lift its
sanctions on China’s Defense Minister
Li Shangfu, imposed in response to Chi-
na’s purchase of Russian arms in 2018,
to ensure the meeting can be held under
the principle of “mutual respect.” Li was
director of the Equipment Development
Department of the Chinese military
from 2017 to 2022 and has been China’s
defense minister since March 2023.
US President Joe Biden initially stated
that the sanctions are “under discus-
clarified that they are off the table.
Li shook hands and exchanged brief
greetings with his American counterpart
Lloyd Austin at opening dinner at the
Shangri-La Dialogue, but the two had
no substantive exchanges during the
INTERNATIONAL
most important and influential annual
defense dialogue in the Asia-Pacific. 
China’s consideration in rejecting
Washington’s request to hold talks be-
tween the defense ministers goes far
beyond the sanctions.
For Chinese officials and analysts,
as Washington persistently steps up
its anti-China measures, including re-
stricting high-tech exports to China and
multiplying its military presence around
China, its calls for dialogue are not just
hypocritical but serve as an integral part
of its anti-China strategy. 
From China’s perspective, if China
agrees to resume high-level talks be-
tween the two militaries amid intensify-
ing US provocations, it can be used by
the US to assure its allies and regional
countries that its anti-China actions will
not lead to conflicts. If China refuses
to resume high-level talks, the US can
gain the moral high-ground, portray it-
self as the responsible party, and blame
China for the escalated tensions. Both
scenarios would help the US push its
anti-China agenda.  eroded China’s confidence in reaching
The US releasing video clips of a
Chinese fighter jet’s alleged “unprofes-
sional” interception of a US warplane
off the Chinese coast just ahead of the
security dialogue further reinforced the
perception.  including China’s interception of a US
In an interview with media on the
sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue,
Cui Tiankai, China’s longest-serving
ambassador to the US from 2013 to
2021, said that the Americans have lost
credibility as they failed to keep their
word following past high-level talks.  they are coming all the way across the
“The problem is that the US does not
always implement the promises they
make,” Cui said. He pointed out that in
the meeting between Chinese President
Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden
in Bali in November 2022, the two sides
agreed to stabilize relations on the Tai-
wan question. But the US sold more
arms to Taiwan soon after and upgraded
China’s Defense Minister and State Councilor Li Shangfu addresses the International Institute for
Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD), Singapore, June 4, 2023 (Photo by VCG)
its security cooperation with the island.
The US hype over the threat of an al-
leged “spy balloon” which it shot down
in February, led to the cancelation of a
planned trip to China by US Secretary
of State Antony Blinken. This further
any meaningful results through com-
munications with the US. China has al-
ways maintained the craft was an astray
meteorological balloon.
Regarding recent military encounters,
surveillance plane only 50 kilometers
south of Guangzhou, capital of China’s
Guangdong Province, and the Chinese
warship interception of a US destroyer
and a Canadian frigate in the Taiwan
Strait, Cui said “the real question is why
ocean to our doorstep? They are get-
ting too close to our territories, to our
territorial waters.” Cui said that the
US should reduce its military presence
around China in “good faith” if it wishes
to resume high-level defense talks.   a cold war mentality is resurgent in the
Clashing Views
Aside from the disputes about under
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
18
what conditions the two sides would
resume high-level talks on defense
matters, the two defense ministers pre-
sented two competing visions on the
future security of the Asia-Pacific at the
dialogue. 
In his speech, US Defense Secretary
Lloyd Austin implicitly linked the Rus-
sia-Ukraine war with security in Asia
and suggested that the region embrace
the US-led alliances and networks and
set up a deterrence against China. “Rus-
sia’s invasion shows us all the dangers
of disorder and the cost of chaos,” Aus-
tin said.
He reviewed the recent efforts of the
US to consolidate its alliances with re-
gional countries such as Japan, South Ko-
rea and the Philippines and to forge new
networks like AUKUS with the United
Kingdom and Australia. “We have forged
new friendships and deepened old alli-
ances. We have reinforced deterrence to
prevent conflict,” Austin said.
In his speech, Li Shangfu warned that
Asia-Pacific region that could lead to
dire consequences. In an unmistakable
reference to the US, Li said that “certain
countries” willfully interfered in other
countries internal matters and regional
affairs, frequently resorting to unilateral
sanctions and armed coercion. “It has
incited color revolutions and proxy wars
in different regions, created chaos and
turbulence and just walked away, leav-
ing a mess behind. We must never allow
such things to happen again in the Asia-
Pacific,” Li said.  dangerous path with no political trust
On the US’ alliance building in the re-
gion, Li warned that the true intention
behind a “NATO-like military alliance”
is to hold countries in the region hos-
tage and play up conflict and confron-
tation. “History has proven that bloc
politics, division and confrontation have
never delivered genuine security and
they can only escalate tensions and de-
stabilize the region,” Li said.  apart on major issues.
Li also laid out several principles for
promoting regional security – mutual
respect over bullying and hegemony,
fairness and justice over the law of
the jungle, eliminating conflicts and
confrontation through mutual trust
and consultation, and preventing bloc
confrontation with openness and
inclusiveness.  spiral” in bilateral relations.
“Today, what the Asia-Pacific needs
are big pies of open and inclusive coop-
eration, not small cliques that are self-
serving and exclusive,” Li said.  Wang said that the US must stop play-
In pushing against growing calls for
NATO to become more involved in
Asia’s security affairs, Cui Tiankai said
during the conference the breakout of
the Russia-Ukraine war is evident that
Europe has “mismanaged” its region’s
security and it is time for Europe to
learn the Asian way to peace, which Cui
said is based on consultation, communi-
cation and economic cooperation, and a
“recognition of diversity and respect for
diversity.”
The messages Chinese officials try
to deliver is that by doubling down on
its “deterrence,” which can easily be
seen as provocations, and disregarding
China’s core interests such as the Tai-
wan question, the US risks repeating its
mistakes and causing a serious conflict
with China.  the US and China had made “progress”
With both sides advocating clashing
views without engaging in direct talks
between their defense leaders, many
are concerned that relations between
the US and China have embarked on a
on either side.
Restoring Confidence?
Many hope that Blinken’s visit can in-
ject some stability into the increasingly
fragile ties between the two countries.
But other than re-iterating the impor-
tance of stabilizing bilateral ties, it ap-
pears that that the two sides are still far
In his meeting with Blinken, China’s
top diplomat, State Councilor Wang
Yi said that Blinken’s visit came at “a
critical juncture in China-US relations,
where a choice needs to be made be-
tween dialogue or confrontation, coop-
eration or conflict,” and called for the
two countries to “reverse the downward
Stressing that the root cause of the
deteriorating relations stem from the
US’s misperceptions toward China,
ing up the so-called “China threat,”
card, lift illegal unilateral sanctions
against China, stop suppressing China’s
scientific and technological advances,
and not wantonly interfere in China’s
internal affairs.  in November.
Wang also reiterated the significance
of the Taiwan question as “the core of
China’s core interests.”
“On the Taiwan question, China has
no room for compromise or concession,”
Wang said, “The US must earnestly
abide by the one-China principle set out
in the three China-US joint communi-
qués, respect China’s sovereignty and
territorial integrity, and unequivocally
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
19
oppose ‘Taiwan independence.’”
Speaking to the press in Beijing dur-
ing his visit on May 19, Blinken said that
in “a whole variety of areas.” But ac-
cording to a readout the White House
released on Blinken’s visit to China,
Blinken made it clear that the US will
continue to “compete vigorously” with
China, while managing the competi-
tion to prevent it from “veering into
conflict.”
Reiterating the US concerns on China
on various issues, Blinken said that the
two sides agreed on further senior-level
engagements in Washington and Beijing
to continue open lines of communica-
tion. But Blinken admitted that there
was “no immediate progress” on re-
suming direct talks between the defense
ministers of the two countries.
On May 19, Yang Tao, director-gen-
eral of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s
North American and Oceanian Affairs
department, reiterated China’s demand
for the US to adopt “an objective and
rational perception of China” and lift its
sanctions.
According to Wu Xinbo, a Professor
and Dean of the Institute of Interna-
tional Studies with Shanghai-based Fu-
dan University, as the 2024 presidential
election campaign season is quickly ap-
proaching, the window of opportunity
for the improvement of China-US rela-
tions is closing. The next keynote event
to watch is the 2023 APEC Leaders’
Meeting Summit to be held in California
So far, it remains unclear whether
Chinese President Xi Jinping or other
senior Chinese leaders will attend the
event, the first APEC meeting to be held
in the US since 2011.
“The biggest lesson the US can learn
is that it cannot dictate the terms or tim-
ings of high-level interactions between
the two countries,” Wu said, “It has to
be a mutual decision.”
COVER STORY

RULING THE ROOST

CHINA REPORT I July 2023

20
As China continues to develop its conservation policies,
wildlife experts say it is crucial to involve local communities
to ensure long-term sustainability and habitat protection

A view of over 30,000 migratory birds,

including greater white-fronted goose,
swan goose and bean goose fly over
the Poyang Lake area, January 25, 2023
CHINA REPORT I July 2023 (Photo by Wang Xiaolong)
21
COVER STORY

Wildlife Conservation

The Crane Mutiny

Siberian cranes have seen a huge population rebound in Poyang Lake, where they
overwinter. But lack of natural food sources means they are dependent on human
assistance, bringing them into conflict with farmers and destroying livelihoods
By Wang Yan

and flew north. “It was amazing today major upstream rivers, it is also affected

I
n an early afternoon in mid-April,
ranger Wang Xiaolong tramped
to the Ganjiang River bank near
Wucheng preservation station of
Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve
in Jiangxi Province. He pointed to an
inlet in the distance, where through a
telescope, the reporter saw dozens of Si-
berian cranes perched in the water some
two to three kilometres away, probing
for submerged food.
Wang, 58, who works at the station,
said the group of cranes was among the
last to leave for their 5,000-kilometre
migration to breed in Yakutia, Siberia.
Ten days later on April 23, at around
10am, Wang said a group of over 60
birds took off, swirled over his head
when I stood by the lake. The cranes
flew towards me, circling over my head
slowly. It seems like they were reluctant
to leave for the north,” Wang said.
As one of the world’s major winter-
ing grounds for migratory birds, Poyang
Lake, covering an area of over 5,000
square kilometres, receives around 98
percent of the global population of Sibe-
rian cranes each year.
Overwinter Habitat
Poyang Lake is located in the middle
and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
It is the largest freshwater lake in China
and a seasonal lake with fluctuating wa-
ter levels. Apart from inflows from five
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
by the Yangtze River. Part of the Poyang
Nature Reserve of 22,400 hectares was
designated as a Wetlands of Interna-
tional Importance (Ramsar Site) in July
1992. In 2020, Nanji Wetland of 33,300
hectares in the southern part of Poyang
Lake was listed as a Ramsar Site.
The water level fluctuates signifi-
cantly between the wet and dry seasons,
with the total surface water coverage
varying between 40 and 99 percent.
When the water level drops, a variety of
ecosystems emerge including meadows
and mudflats, creating important habi-
tats for waterbirds as either a stopover
or wintering place.
The wetland ecosystem of Poyang

22
Siberian cranes forage in Zhonghu Lake, a few hundred metres from Tongxing Village, Wucheng, Jiangxi Province, April 9, 2023 (Photo by Wang
Xiaolong)
Lake attracts over 700,000 migratory
birds to overwinter, the largest in Asia
and the most important wintering
ground along the East Asia-Australia
migratory flyway. According to material
provided by Jiangxi Provincial Depart-
ment of Forestry (JPDF), about 98 per-
cent of Siberian cranes, over 80 percent
of Oriental white storks and more than
70 percent of White-naped cranes win-
ter here. The lake is the world’s most
important wintering ground for the
largest swan goose and Tundra swan
populations. More than 10 species of
migrating plovers and snipes replenish
their food in the region.
For decades, sand dredging, overfish-
ing, wetland reclamation for farming,
water diversion for agriculture and cat-
tle herding and upstream dams resulted
in habitat losses for migratory birds and
other wild animals.
Population Revival
The Siberian crane is an International
Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) Critically Endangered spe-
cies under first-class state protection
in China. The IUCN estimates there
are 3,500-4,000 individuals. According
to the International Crane Foundation
(ICF), it has two regional population
groups. The western/central popula-
tion winters in Iran and breeds in the
southern parts of the Ob River in Rus-
sia. Since the 1960s, the population of
the species has decreased dramatically
due to habitat loss and deteriorating
environments. Previously, cranes of this
population used to winter in Bharatpur,
Rajasthan in India where they were last
sighted in 2001. For years, the last sur-
viving crane of this population, a male
named Omid, made an annual winter
migration to Iran after his mate died,
until early 2023, when a female com-
panion was transported from Belgium
to accompany him, according to Iranian
media. The pair left for the spring mi-
gration together.
The eastern population breeds in
northeastern Siberia and migrates from
the Yakutian tundra of Russia across
eastern China to Poyang Lake. After
protection measures in China, including
bans on hunting, were instituted, the
population has increased. Yu Changhao,
director of Jiangxi Forestry’s wetland
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
23
and grassland division, told the reporter
that the total population increased from
less than 100 in the 1980s to over 5,600.
In 2019, Jiangxi designated the Siberian
crane its provincial bird.
During the same period, ranger Wang
Xiaolong said that recorded types of
birds at Poyang Lake increased drasti-
cally, from 150 in the 1980s to over
460 species today, making Poyang Lake
one of the top 10 global bird-watching
destinations.
Before the 1980s, Poyang locals
hunted cranes. “In the 1950s and 60s,
we had a special division in the aquatic
department in Wucheng with around
1,000 locals who hunted, sold and ex-
ported birds, Wang said. “They wore
white camouflage and took the boat
deep into the lake to hunt for birds at
night.”
Although the reserve was established
in the 1980s and hunting protected spe-
cies has been illegal since the late 1980s,
poaching was not contained until the
early 2000s. In an article in journal
China Bird Watch in January 2023, Jim
Harkness, China Chief representative
for the National Geographic Society,
COVER STORY

Siberian crane (eastern population) migration route

wrote of his encounter with poachers in Siberian Crane

Wucheng in 1988, where he saw locals Population Size Life Span
setting nets to trap ducks and geese, 5500-6000 15-30 years
which could also catch protected species RUSSIA
Weight Height
like cranes. 4.9-8.6 kg 140 cm
Historically, many villagers in Wuch-
Length Wingspan
eng made their livelihood through fish- 115-127cm 210-230 cm
ing on Poyang Lake. In late 2019 when
the country’s Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Affairs instituted a 10-year
ban on fishing in the Yangtze River
catchment, fishers were forced to quit,
their boats taken away. A dry season
MONGOLIA
ban on cattle herding in pastoral areas

r
inside the lake area was also imposed. Th

ve
Ri
e
In Wucheng, Wang said there had been Yangtze
around 10,000 cattle. “The lake area Poyang
provides natural pastureland for animal Lake
Wucheng
husbandry, but after the herding ban, CHINA Xiashatou
Chaqizhou
all the cattle belonging to villagers was Nanchang Wuxing
ze River
sold,” he said. Yangt Reclamation
The increased protection efforts have The Farm
increased the numbers of water birds Poyang
Lake
and fish resources. “Now people realise
the importance of wildlife protection, Breeding Range
Summering Range
they stopped bird hunting and voluntari-
Wintering Range
ly protect migratory birds,” Wang said. Source: International Crane Foundation Critical Stopover Sites
“People consider Siberian cranes are an
auspicious symbol.”
“According to our most recent survey
including ground count and observations Highest average number of Siberian cranes overwintering in
from December 2021 to February 2022 Poyang Lake area Statistics provided by Jiangxi Provincial Department of Forest
in Jiangxi, Shandong, Hunan, Hubei and 5000
Anhui provinces, where Siberian cranes
winter, the population of the species has
reached 5,616, much more than 4,000,
4000
the number estimated by the IUCN. The
new data suggests a population revival,”
Guo Yumin, professor at the School of
Ecology and Nature Conservation at the 3000
Beijing Forestry University, told ChinaRe-
port. The overwintering habitat in China
is vital for the population revival of the
2000
species.
Maria Vladimirtseva, a senior research
fellow at Russia’s Kytalyk National Park,
an area of 1.8 million hectares and the 1000

main breeding ground for about 70

percent of the world’s Siberian crane
population, told ChinaReport in an email 0
1980-1989 1990-1999 2000-2009 2010-2019 2020-2022
that “the main reason for the relative
CHINA REPORT I July 2023

24
well-being and growth of the eastern
Siberian crane population was the ef-
fective conservation measures taken by
our Chinese colleagues in the wintering
area.”
Apart from Siberian cranes, other
migratory birds have seen population
rebounds. According to statistics from
Professor Guo, the population of the en-
dangered Oriental white stork, a nation-
al first-class protected bird, increased
from around 3,000 in the 1990s to over
15,000 in China now. The population
of Hooded cranes doubled from 9,100
in 2002 to over 18,000. The population
of the Black-necked crane, a rare species
endemic to China, increased from 6,000
in 2000 to 17,500 in 2022.
Apart from official conservation ef-
forts, Guo posits the main reason is
agricultural modernisation and mecha-
nisation. “Developed agriculture leaves
more leftover grain in fields, providing
substantial amounts of food for wildlife,
including birds,” Guo said.
Feeding Shift
There has been a significant increase
in migratory birds, including thousands
of Siberian cranes, searching for food
in rice paddies and lotus ponds in the
Poyang area.
According to “Drivers of a habitat
shift by critically endangered Siberian
cranes: Evidence from long-term data,”
a paper published in July 2020 in Ecol-
ogy and Evolution, waterbirds are increas-
ingly dependent on agricultural lands
for food. There were large declines in
Siberian crane numbers in Poyang Lake
natural wetlands over several years,
with the population fluctuating in the
thousands, leading researchers to look
elsewhere. They noticed the primary
reason was the disappearance of Vallis-
neria tuber, the roots of the aquatic plant
commonly known as vallis or eel grass.
Professor Wang Wenjuan from Beijing
Forestry University, who co-wrote the
paper, told ChinaReport that extreme
weather, declining water quality, sand
mining and other factors have resulted
in the serious degradation of submerged
plants in Poyang Lake. “Extreme cli-
mate fluctuations have become more
and more frequent in recent years. High
spring and summer water levels almost
every year don’t allow sufficient light for
the growth of submerged plants, result-
ing in the death of large areas of Vallis-
neria tubers,” she said.
Professor Li Yankuo from the College
of Life Sciences at Jiangxi Normal Uni-
versity pointed to other factors that limit
the growth of subsurface plants, includ-
ing the Three Gorges Dam upstream of
Poyang Lake, which has caused changes
in the lake’s hydrological regime. In his
article “Modified hydrological regime
from the Three Gorges Dam increases
the risk of food shortages for wintering
waterbirds in Poyang Lake” published in
Global Ecology and Conservation in 2020,
he wrote that the change has significant
correlation with the autumn drought
and summer floods in Poyang Lake,
leading to decreased food abundance.
This has caused the displacement
of Siberian cranes to nearby farm-
land. Wuxing Reclamation Farm in
Nanchang, capital city of Jiangxi, is a
reclaimed area of rice paddies and lo-
tus ponds to the south of Poyang Lake
with many tenant farmers. According to
Wang Wenjuan’s study, the farm sup-
ported an average of 47 cranes in the
winters of 2010-2014, but the numbers
increased to 297 in 2015 and 1,300 in
2016. In Yugan, a county to the south
of Poyang Lake, cranes began showing
up a few years ago. Lei Xiaoyong, who
works at Yugan County Forestry Bu-
reau, told ChinaReport that in 2020, the
number reached a record high of 2,800
in Chaqizhou, which is now a popular
bird-watching site.
“It’s likely that the tuber collapse in
the winters of 2015-2016 was a major
driver for Siberian cranes to move from
natural wetlands to agricultural habitats.
Similarly, food shortages are thought to
be the main cause of other crane, goose
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
25
and swan populations moving from nat-
ural wetlands to agricultural habitats,”
Wang Wenjuan said.
After significant numbers of cranes
started feeding in lotus ponds on Wux-
ing Reclamation Farm and some 300 in-
dividuals used it throughout the winter
in 2016, the local government decided
to establish Wuxing Siberian Crane
Sanctuary, an area of over 70 hectares,
to feed the cranes. In Chaqizhou, some
70 hectares of rice paddies have been set
aside for Siberian cranes since 2019.
Zhou Haiyan, a photographer and
head of Wuxing Siberian crane sanctu-
ary, told ChinaReport that some 2,000
Siberian cranes had come during the
2022-2023 winter to feed on lotus roots.
“They’re not even afraid of people, so
we can easily photograph them from a
few metres away,” Zhou said.
In 2022, an unusually severe drought
hit the Yangtze River Basin and Poyang
Lake during the spring and summer,
which worsened natural food short-
ages for waterbirds. Jiangxi provincial
government set aside nine rice paddies
totalling over 267 hectares and lotus
ponds totalling 81 hectares for Siberian
cranes during the winter. According to
Yu Changhao from the JPDF, the gov-
ernment also purchased 15,000 kilo-
grams of rice and corn.
According to statistics from JPDF,
Jiangxi received 326 million yuan
(US$45.7m) from the central govern-
ment between 2014 and March 2023
for wetland ecological compensation
to purchase farmers’ harvests to feed
cranes and subsidise farmers who suf-
fer losses caused by migratory birds.
Compensation coverage expanded from
three counties in 2014 to 20 counties by
2021. This year, Yu said JPDF has ap-
plied for additional funds to cover the
increased damage.
Lotus Eaters
However, even the increased agricul-
tural resources are not enough for the
influx of cranes and other waterbirds.
COVER STORY
In spring, Zhu Shoubing, 54, who
farms and manages a local food com-
pany, should be harvesting lotus roots.
But in mid-April, Zhu stood by his lotus
ponds in Xiashatou Village, Nanchang,
and pointed to his ravaged crops.
“This year I lost almost all my crop
from my 107 hectares of lotus roots
after they were swarmed by migra-
tory birds like Siberian cranes and swan
geese,” Zhu told ChinaReport. He hired
six villagers to drive the thousands of
birds away day and night, but they flew
from one pond to another. “It was im-
possible to scare them off. I tried many
ways including firecrackers and scare-
crows. There were just too many.” It is
not illegal to use methods like this, as
long as the birds are unharmed.
Xiong Kehua, deputy head of Xiasha-
tou Village, said the number of migra-
tory birds during the 2022-2023 winter
was huge. “It’s a disaster. When they
arrive in large numbers, they destroy
farmland and eat newly planted seeds,”
Xiong said, adding that the birds also
trample crops which then rot away.
“I used to feel proud I could contrib-
ute to conservation when I saw Siberian
cranes coming to my ponds, but I never
expected the number could suddenly
increase from dozens to thousands
overnight. I hope experts or government
officials can help me avoid these huge
losses in the future,” Zhu said. So far,
Zhu has not received compensation. Yu
Changhao from JPDF admitted the dif-
ficulty of paying compensation to those
who are not included inside the preset
annual compensation budget. While
Zhu is replanting his ponds, he said
he might give up entirely if it happens
again this winter, a loss to him and the
hundreds of people he employs.
Others tell a similar story. Ma
Dapao, who farms at Wuxing Recla-
mation Farm, told ChinaReport that
he incurred losses of over 1 million
yuan (US$140,378) on his 87 hect-
ares of lotus ponds after they were
swamped by thousands of swans and
cranes. His petition for compensation
was unsuccessful. A farmer surnamed
Zhang in Yugan County claimed each
household endures a loss of around 20-
30 percent of their rice crop due to bird
damage. “Since 2019, there’s been a big
increase in the number of birds coming
to our farmland. We might have had
around 100,000 in our neighbourhood,”
the farmer said. “We can’t poison or
harm the birds, which are all protected,
but we can’t stand by our paddy fields
24 hours a day to drive them away, so
we farmers hope the government will
boost our compensation.”
Crop Damages
According to a report by Jiangxi News
Radio in late March, the loss of farmland
this spring caused by migratory birds in
Nanchang High-tech Zone alone has
exceeded 8 million yuan (US$1.1m).
However, the wetland ecological com-
pensation funds issued by the central
government only cover damaged farm-
land within five kilometres of the Poy-
ang Lake wetland. Losses stretch far
beyond this range. Jim Harkness wrote
that as he visited Wucheng in Decem-
ber 2022, he learned that fish farmers
had to spend much of their time at their
ponds to drive away cormorants, egrets
and herons that prey on fish.
Zhou Haixiang, a retired teacher from
the School of Environmental Engineer-
ing, Shenyang University of Technology,
has found similar human-bird conflicts
are prevalent in other provinces such as
Hubei, Hunan and Anhui. His project
tracked birds over five years by satel-
lite. “We found that Siberian cranes
searched for food and spent the night in
the natural wetlands of the Poyang Lake
area in the first two years [2019-2020],
and then gradually spread outside.
[Since then], agricultural fields have
become the main refuges for Siberian
cranes and many other birds,” Zhou
told ChinaReport.
This shift accounts for the increase
in the Siberian crane population, ac-
cording to Wang Wenjuan, as they con-
sume more food of better quality while
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
26
exerting less energy to forage.
Dr. Li Fengshan, former China Pro-
gramme Coordinator of the ICF said
that the opinions of farmers should be
taken into account in decision mak-
ing. “Long term preservation requires
soliciting local communities’ opinions
and views,” Li told ChinaReport. “Oth-
erwise, farmers won’t want to actively
cooperate, which is detrimental to the
protection efforts.” Li noted that in the
US state of Wisconsin, farmers suffering
from damage caused by Sandhill cranes
can apply for a licence to hunt them as
a preventative measure to save their
crops.
“We still lack a mechanism so farm-
ers, conservationists and scientists can
sit together to find a dynamic solution,”
Lei Xiaoyong said. Farmers’ interests
should not be sacrificed to wildlife con-
servation and compensation should be
paid to farmers effectively rather than
randomly. “Without compensation, hu-
man-wildlife conflicts will get worse,”
Lei said.
However, Professor Guo thinks the
issue is overstated. Many conservation-
ists ChinaReport interviewed including
Guo stated that some natural habitats
have been encroached upon by humans,
and they are in turn shifting to agricul-
tural lands as a way to survive. If the
overwintering area for Siberian cranes
cannot provide enough energy from
food for migrating cranes, they might
not be able to travel to their breeding
grounds, dying during the journey, or
not have enough stored nutrition to
breed successfully.
“I believe humans should have the
tolerance to live together with our wild
friends as far as it doesn’t affect our
health and our security. To allow Si-
berian cranes to eat farm residues is a
way to compensate them for our former
occupation of their habitats,” Guo said.
As for the relationship between cranes
and people, it depends on whether lo-
cals perceive the cranes as a threat or
a favourable presence. Guo said some
places, such as Dongying Wetland in

Flocks of birds including Siberian cranes forage on rice paddies set aside for them, Chaqizhou,
Jiangxi Province, January 18, 2022 (Photo by VCG)
the Yellow River Delta, are thinking of
planting lotus roots to attract Siberian
cranes.
Health Risks
Changes in migration patterns and
health risks are more profound con-
cerns, experts said.
While most Siberian cranes had left
Poyang Lake for their breeding grounds
by March 2023, hundreds delayed un-
til April. In mid-April, Zhou Haiyan
confirmed that over 100 had still not
migrated. According to Maria Vladi-
mirtseva, Siberian cranes usually reach
their breeding ground in mid-May. “But
this year, as colleagues from China told
us, Siberian cranes waited at Poyang
Lake longer than usual, so their arrival
to the nesting grounds will probably be
somewhat delayed,” she said.
“It’s likely there are abnormalities
happening. I suspect their unwilling-
ness to leave might be because of suffi-
cient food from artificial feeding,” Wang
Wenjuan said. “The increased reliance
of birds on agricultural wetlands raises
a range of problems, including a decline
in the ability of birds to adapt to their
original natural ecosystem, and the
potential risk of outbreak of diseases
such as avian flu among the heavily
concentrated groups of bird in a single
area,” she said. Her recent study also
found that Siberian cranes feeding in
agricultural fields had higher abundance
of pathogenic bacteria in their guts
than those feeding in natural wetlands,
which emphasises the potential harm of
agricultural feeding.
Wang Wenjuan’s concerns are
based on lessons drawn from similar
cases among the once endangered Red-
crowned crane on the northern Japanese
island of Hokkaido. Within half a centu-
ry, the number swelled from about three
dozen to about 1,900, mostly reliant on
human feeding. “As artificial feeding be-
gan to ensure winter food for the cranes,
their numbers increased,” Kunikazu
Momose, chairman of the Red-Crowned
Crane Conservancy in Hokkaido told
ChinaReport. This has caused them
to be dependent on artificial feeding,
losing their vigilance against people
and damaging pastures and cultivated
fields. In November 2022, one juvenile
Red-crowned crane died of avian flu in
Hokkaido, while about 1,500 Hooded
cranes and White-naped cranes died of
avian influenza in Izumi, Kagoshima
Prefecture. “We were concerned about
an outbreak on the Asian side after a
case in Israel in the winter of 2021-22 in
which as many as 8,000 Eurasian cranes
died in a mass outbreak,” Momose said.
ICF refused an interview request on
the risk of an avian flu outbreak among
Siberian cranes in Poyang Lake.
There were attempts to disperse
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
27
Red-crowned cranes to marshes and riv-
ers. Professor Hiroyuki Masatomi from
the Department of Animal Science at
Hokkaido University said that to pre-
vent agricultural damage, farmers tried
methods such as “surrounding fields
with colourful streamers and electric
fences, setting off firecrackers on a regu-
lar basis, and even having people drive
them away.” Authorities issued guide-
lines on measures that can be used, in-
cluding drones and trained dogs.
“Ecological preservation and species
conservation are different,” said Zhou
Haixiang. “Our first stage of conserva-
tion could be simply to increase the
number of the protected species, but
the second stage should focus on help-
ing them live on their own in nature.”
In Jiangxi, scientists and govern-
ment agencies are looking at long-term
solutions. “Setting aside lotus ponds
or rice paddies for Siberian cranes are
measures we take in an emergency, but
now we want to restore the submerged
plants and ecosystem of the natural wet-
lands,” Yu Changhao said, who admit-
ted restoring the ecosystem on which
the birds depend may take two decades.
“We can’t predict the situation of hu-
man-migratory bird conflict next winter.
There’s no single solution, so we need
to develop comprehensive solutions.”
Que Pinjia from Chengdu Research
Base of Giant Panda Breeding Popula-
tion said that reviving endangered spe-
cies is the short term goal for conser-
vation initiatives, but in the long term,
harmonious coexistence should be the
main goal, and the impact on local com-
munities should be considered.
“Putting aside crops for Siberian
cranes may not be the best solution, but
at least for the moment, it is the optimal
one. We couldn’t have ensured a stable
population if we didn’t have these food
sources in Wuxing and Chaqizhou,” Lei
said. “For Jiangxi, which has invested a
lot and made real efforts in reviving the
population of this endangered species, it
is a great success.”
COVER STORY
Wildlife Conservation
Call of the Wild
Human-wildlife conflicts are increasing across China as certain species populations
rebound. ChinaReport talks with researcher Wang Fang on China’s next conservation
efforts
By Wang Yan
T
hanks to decades of protec-
tion efforts, the International
Union for the Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) has down-
graded the status of the giant panda,
snow leopard and Tibetan antelope on
the Red List of Threatened Species over
the last five years.
However, with their population
upticks came increased human-wild-
life conflicts, some causing serious
economic losses and threatening the
safety of local communities. Addressing
the emerging trend, Wang Fang at the
School of Life Sciences, Fudan Univer-
sity spoke with ChinaReport in late May
about the state of human and wildlife
coexistence in China.
ChinaReport: The United Nations
2050 Vision for Biodiversity states that
“humanity lives in harmony with nature
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
28
and in which wildlife and other living
species are protected.” How do you un-
derstand “harmony” in this context?
Wang Fang: The more precise
connotation of the word should be co-
existence, which means we enjoy bio-
diversity, and biodiversity serves the
ecosystem, but there are also conflicts,
diseases, and all kinds of discomforts
possibly involved. When we can stably
coexist with significant numbers of
Left: Park workers feed overwintering swans, Sanmenxia, Henan Province, November 20, 2018

Centre: Reserved farmlands for Asian elephants in Pu’er, Yunnan Province have helped their numbers bounce back

Right: Fishers carry their nets after a day without a catch in Duchang near Poyang Lake, where waterfowl such as egrets
are consuming large amounts of fish, Feburary 11, 2019 (Photos by VCG)

wildlife, that is harmony.
CR: How do you assess China’s
achievements in biodiversity conserva-
tion over the past two decades?
WF: It is globally acknowledged that
we have made remarkable achieve-
ments. According to a 2019 article in
Nature Sustainability, satellite data shows
that China and India are leading the in-
crease in greening land, mostly through
reforestation programmes in China and
intensive agriculture in both countries.
Programmes including Grain-to-Green
and Natural Forest Conservation are
centrally administered to mobilise re-
sources nationwide and attain biodiver-
sity and reforestation. No other country
can compare to China in expanding
nature reserves so quickly. Within just
two decades, the number of giant panda
nature reserves have increased from
over a dozen to 67. Enhanced preserva-
tion efforts have also been made for spe-
cies such as the Amur tiger, snub-nosed
monkey and Tibetan antelopes. I feel
pride when speaking about our preser-
vation and reforestation.
But of course, disheartening realities
remain. During the same period, we
have witnessed the functional extinc-
tion of species including the white-flag
dolphin and Yangtze River paddlefish.
We failed to stop the disappearance of
many wildlife species in China due to
delayed action or irreversible damage
made in the past.
CR: Human-animal conflicts are in-
creasing in China. Why?
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
WF: The fundamental reason is be-
cause huge areas of the wild have been
occupied by humans for agriculture and
animal husbandry. So, when talking
about human-wildlife conflict, many
people attribute it to the rebounding
numbers of wildlife species. But the
present number of wild animals can’t
compare with their numbers at any
other time in history. A research article
in Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences from earlier this year found that
wild mammals only make up 4 percent
of the world’s mammalian biomass
now, while livestock accounts for almost
two-third of that total. If we consider it
from a larger time scale, say since the In-
dustrial Revolution, the real reason for
conflicts is because humans occupy the
original habitats of wild animals.

29
COVER STORY

Distribution of wetland ecological compensation fund from the central authority

to Jiangxi Province ( Unit: million USD ) Statistics provided by Jiangxi Provincial Department of Forest

10
8.74
8
6.98
6

But if we look at the issue on a shorter 4 4.22

3.79 3.51
timescale, say decades, then I think the
2
2.81 2.81 2.81 2.81
reasons are much more complicated. In
some areas, the population of various
0
wild animals have rebounded. Indis-
criminate protection of wildlife has re-
sulted in conflicts of certain species with 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

local people. I think this is also a natural

phenomenon and process where wild
animals become more used to humans
and dare to explore our villages, farms
and towns. And humans had a hand
in their increasing numbers because of
our protection measures. Our next ef-
forts should focus on managing wildlife
populations.

CR: For most conservationists, wild-

life protection is more important than
the concerns of local communities.
When human-wildlife conflicts occur,
should humans retreat and return those
habitats to wildlife?
WF: This is a very interesting issue,
and your question hinges on whether
there are contradictions between na-
ture protection and economic devel-
opment, or between nature protection
and local people’s lives. But in many Professional hunters hired by local authorities search the forest for wild boar, Bazhong, Sichuan
Province, November 6, 2021 (Photo by VCG)
places there are good examples of
wildlife protection and habitat preser-
vation that also improve local people’s
lives, such as eco-tourism in Africa and
South America. Province]. Local communities can make the Cats in Angsai, Qinghai Province,
In China, we also see wildlife pro- more money through very gentle and for example, there have been two fatal
tection giving back to communities in protective use of natural resources. De- brown bear attacks on local rangers dur-
giant panda nature reserves through velopment doesn’t require destroying ing their mountain patrols since 2019.
eco-tourism, organic honey farming biodiversity, but it does require wisdom The most recent attack happened this
and herb cultivation. In snow leopard and exploration. April. So how can we coexist with wild-
habitats, herders set up cooperatives life while still keeping our distance to
and eco-tourism destinations like the CR: But in some specific cases, lo- ensure human safety?
Valley of the Cats [a sanctuary with an cal people’s views towards nature and WF: You have a point. Coexistence
abundance of apex predators in Qinghai ecology have changed. In the Valley of should not be a mere slogan. Black bear
CHINA REPORT I July 2023

30
attacks occur every year not only in
Angsai, but in other places in Sichuan
and Yunnan provinces. Damage caused
by wild boars and other animals is more
prevalent than ever. Wildlife should be
managed from a long-term perspective,
and in many cases we can use sustain-
able management instead of simple pro-
tection measures.
While doing my post-doc in the US,
part of my job was to set annual hunt-
ing quotas. North America has few large
predators and has good forests and nat-
ural resources, so there are huge num-
bers of white-tailed deer, which can not
only affect forests and agriculture but
threaten to further destroy the ecology.
The scientific term for this phenom-
enon is overabundance. If not properly
managed, deer can cause traffic acci-
dents and spread Lyme disease.
Part of my previous job was to use
mathematical models to calculate the
number of white-tailed deer in the state
of Virginia each year based on large
amounts of data to decide how many
should be hunted during what season to
ensure the amount would not harm the
overall population.
Then the government would use com-
plex mathematical models to set quotas
and issue hunting licences. I think this
kind of population management based
on data monitoring and on science is
necessary. It is the basis for the coexis-
tence of all people and wild animals.
Ecosystems require this fine-tuned
management. Unfortunately, when talk-
ing about the overabundance of wild
boar in China, few places have histori-
cal data or exact current numbers. So,
there is almost nothing to measure the
ecological function of the wild boar and
calculate a precise proper quota. To
summarise, I think science, research
and data are the basis for wildlife man-
agement, but China remains weak in
this area.
As for bear attacks, we should spare
no effort to find the bear responsible
and kill it. We should not let an animal
with a habit of attacking humans re-
main in the wild.
CR: Do we need more methods to
manage human-wildlife conflicts? Is
hunting currently the only effective
measure to curb conflicts?
WF: Hunting is definitely the solu-
tion, but on what scale depends on local
conditions. For example, in the US, peo-
ple have to kill hundreds of thousands
of white-tailed deer every year. A single
state may have to kill 100,000 deer to
control their numbers.
In China, for example, if a county has
well-protected forests and natural en-
vironment, it’s very likely that its wild
boar numbers can amount to 3,000-
5,000. Then it’s necessary to hunt at
least 1,000-1,500 to effectively control
the population. But our country may
face many difficulties in hunting. We
often see local governments spending
500,000 yuan (US$69,984) to hunt
around a dozen wild boars, which is not
cost-effective at all.
If effective population control is to
be done through hunting, the hunted
population should be significant. But
due to conditions in China such as bans
on guns and lack of tradition for these
kind of hunts and the professionals to
conduct them, I think it’s unrealistic
and very difficult to control the num-
ber of wild boars or other wild animal
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
31
populations in the short term.
Apart from this measure, I don’t know
of any other effective method that can
address overpopulations of wild species.
CR: What’s your take on methods
like artificial feeding as protection mea-
sures for certain species?
WF: There is a term in ecology called
the ecological trap, which includes arti-
ficial feeding and unreasonable protec-
tion plans.
We should consider whether exces-
sive artificial feeding results in wild spe-
cies losing their natural foraging skills.
Artificial feeding may lead to species
spending more time in the wrong plac-
es, such as altered migratory patterns of
birds.
In urban areas for example, artificial
feeding of wild raccoon dogs can also
result in them developing ailments such
as high blood lipids, heart disease and
obesity. What may look good in the
short term can turn out to be a trap over
time.
There are also some management
methods that we do not wholly agree
with. For example, some local govern-
ments set up “canteens” (farmland set
aside and food) for wild Asian elephants
in Yunnan.
We are very concerned these places
may aggravate conflicts between el-
ephants and humans. No longer need-
ing to seek out food in the wild, this
method might mislead elephants in the
long term.
I think it’s hard for me to draw any
conclusions yet. I still hope that wild
animals can maintain as many of their
natural feeding habits as possible, and
find their food in the wild.
SPECIAL REPORT
R&D
Funding Fixes
While China has boosted investment in R&D, scientists warn
that institutional barriers must be removed before the country
can make significant breakthroughs in fundamental research
By Huo Siyi and Yu Xiaodong
R
educing reliance on foreign
tech by achieving major sci-
entific breakthroughs has
been a top priority of China’s
central leadership in recent years.
China’s total R&D investment for
2022 amounted to 3.09 trillion yuan
(US$434b), up by 10.4 percent from
last year, second only to the US. But
researchers and scientists have long ar-
gued that China invests too little in ba-
sic research, which lays the foundation
of new technologies and innovation.
In 2022, only 6.32 percent of China’s
total R&D investment went to basic re-
search. While an increase from 4.8 per-
cent a decade ago, it remains far lower
than the average 15-25 percent in ma-
jor developed countries. “China’s basic
research has developed rapidly and has
achieved results with global impact, but
overall it lags behind the international
advanced level,” Wang Yifang, director
of the Institute of High Energy Phys-
ics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS), told ChinaReport.
Chinese President Xi Jinping high-
lighted the problem at a study session of
the Political Bureau of the Communist
Party of China Central Committee in
February, saying that it is “imperative”
for China to strengthen and reform ba-
sic research. He said governments at all
levels need to prioritise basic research.
In March, China announced that it
would establish a central commission to
synchronise national strategies for sci-
entific and technological development.
Analysts believe the move will bring
major changes to the country’s innova-
tion system.
Seeking Support
According to Li Liang, a professor at
the School of Physics and Astronomy at
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, it is time
to reform China’s funding structures for
innovation, which he said excessively
focuses on performance-oriented proj-
ect funds.
The current system was established
in the 1980s and 1990s, as China tran-
sitioned from a planned to a market
economy. Given the limited resources
at the time, the system was designed to
maximise research funds to fuel rapid
economic development. Li explained
this resulted in more applied research,
which can generate short-term profits
faster, and a performance-oriented fund-
ing system.
Under the current system, basic re-
search is mainly funded by the central
government through agencies such as
the Ministry of Science and Technology
and the National Natural Science Foun-
dation of China (NSFC).
Researchers obtain their funding
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
32
through competitive projects. Li said
that such a mechanism has led to fierce
internal competition among scientists,
which has skewed the funding structure
of the science community. “It led to a
Matthew effect where a small number
of top scientists have sufficient funding
while young scientists struggle to get
funded and are often marginalised over
time,” Li said.
His concerns are widely shared in
the science community. Zhuang Ci, an
assistant professor at the CAS Institute
of Theoretical Physics, told ChinaReport
that a major problem is that scientists
lack long-term stable funding. This par-
ticularly affects basic research, which
she said requires long-term input to
yield results.
Zhuang worked on a CAS project in
2019 that compared China’s funding
system to those in developed countries.
She said that in Japan, the government
provides universities and research in-
stitutes with funding to cover scientist
and researcher salaries, but researchers
can also secure funding exclusively for
academic activities.
By comparison, China’s project-cen-
tric funding system lacks stable funding
for researcher salaries. Instead, their
incomes come from project funding,
which is particularly discouraging for
young researchers and postgraduates.

Top: A view of the experimental advanced superconducting fusion reactor Tokamak (EAST), or the
Chinese “artificial sun” completed in Hefei, Anhui Province, December 4, 2020 (Photo by CNS)
Bottom: China’s 500-metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), Southwest China’s Guizhou
Province (Photo by Xinhua)
Zhuang also said that compared to
Japan, South Korea and Canada, where
70-80 percent of funds research institu-
tions receive from the government are
stable funds, the ratio in China is only
about 20 percent. For example, in 2022
the CAS Institute of High Energy Phys-
ics had a budget of 2.57 billion yuan
(US$362m), mostly from the govern-
ment. Only 17 percent are stable funds,
while 81.8 percent came from competi-
tive project-centric funds.
“The nature of basic research is that
it is fundamental but unpredictable and
requires long-term investment, and a
funding system that centres on com-
petitive projects is not suited for basic
research.” Zhuang said, “China needs to
substantially increase the proportion of
long-term and stable funding.”
Zheng Xiaonian, a CAS researcher,
told ChinaReport that the lack of long-
term funding has not only resulted in
anxiety over future financing among
researchers but has led to inefficient use
of funds.
Zheng said that as director of CAS’
Bureau of Conditions and Finance from
2018 to 2019, he found many research-
ers squirreled away large portions of
their funding. “When I asked them why,
they said that they needed to have some
‘reserve funds’ as they were unsure
whether they would get funding the
next year,” Zheng said.
In response, authorities launched
several initiatives to increase long-term
support for basic research. In 2016, the
NSFC launched the Basic Science Centre
project, focusing on frontier and cross-
disciplinary researchers. The foundation
pledged 200 million yuan (US$28m) for
the first five years, and 60 million yuan
for the next five.
But the scale and scope of these initia-
tives are too small to make a significant
impact, researchers said. Zhou Zhonghe,
a scientist at the Institute of Vertebrate
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
33
Paleontology and Paleo-anthropology at
CAS who received funding from Basic
Science Centre in 2016, told ChinaReport
that although the project aims to pro-
vide stable long-term funds, the scarcity
of such projects means that it ended up
being highly competitive as well.
According to CAS academic Wang
Yifang, a major reason behind China’s
stagnating reforms is that China’s re-
search policy is overseen by several
independent agencies, including the
Ministry of Science and Technology, the
NSFC and the National Development
and Reform Commission.
“They lack the motivation and ability
to make systemic reforms,” Yang said,
“The result is sporadic and fragmen-
tary reforms.” Yang believed that the
newly established Central Committee
of Science Technology will address these
issues.
Strategy Tweaks
While the scientific community
agrees that China should increase stable
financial support to basic research, how
and to what extent remain contentious
questions.
Although most countries adopt a
dual-track model of competitive project-
based funding and stable institutional
funding, many are moving towards
competitive funding amid rising strate-
gic concerns over technological security.
Many experts point out that the US
has adopted a model similar to China’s,
although US researchers can receive
competitive basic salaries through insti-
tutional and government support.
“We must not blindly and universally
increase stable support overnight,” said
Mu Rongping, director-general of the
Institute of Policy and Management,
CAS. Mu argued that China should cali-
brate funding policy depending on the
level of relevant subjects and research.
For research considered “entry” level,
Mu suggests that the government fund
a sufficient number of small, high-risk
SPECIAL REPORT
exploratory projects. As progress is
made, the projects should narrow in
focus and get funding increases. When
research has developed to the “exit”
level and application becomes clearer,
competitive funding should take over.
Professor Li Liang agrees. “For some
cutting-edge disciplines that require a
longer-term commitment, such as high-
energy physics, the proportion of stable
support can be higher, but for some very
mature disciplines with strong applica-
tion prospects, a competitive funding
model is better,” Li said.
Research Autonomy
Another issue of debate is the au-
tonomy of research institutes. Accord-
ing to Wang Yifang, under China’s cur-
rent project-centric system, all aspects
of scientific research management are
controlled by government departments,
which monopolise the power to approve
proposals, organise reviews and approve
funding. This differs from the models
of most countries. “In essence, central
government departments directly man-
age research teams, completely bypass-
ing research institutions,” Wang said.
Zhang Xinmin, a researcher at CAS’s
Institute of High Energy Physics, told
ChinaReport that even as project leaders,
many chief scientists lack the power to
make decisions such as hiring, job titles,
salaries and performance, and these de-
cisions are often subject to research in-
stitutes that are not involved in granting
their funding.
Under such arrangements, the re-
sponsibilities between government
agencies, research institutions and sci-
entists are often ambiguous and both
research institutions and scientists are
now calling for more autonomy in man-
aging their projects.
Wang Yifang argued that research in-
stitutions should be given full autonomy
in the upcoming institutional reforms.
“Only research institutions have profes-
sional expertise in developing relevant
fields,” Wang said.
To address the problem, China has
already launched such a pilot pro-
gramme. Established in 2003, the Na-
tional Institute of Biological Sciences
(NICS) receives about 250 million
yuan (US$35m) in research grants and
retains full control over its research.
According to the institute’s first direc-
tor Wang Xiaodong, each laboratory
director has “absolute autonomy” in
research and talent recruitment. Unlike
other research institutes, NICS labora-
tory directors do not need to apply for
external projects.
To address the absence of competi-
tion, Wang said that the NICS conducts
strict internal evaluations every five
years. While high-performing scientists
and teams will receive additional fund-
ing, those who do not meet the perfor-
mance standards will have to leave.
Under this model, NICS has made
several breakthroughs in biological
areas such as programmed cell death,
infection and innate immunity. But
the model has yet to be replicated on a
larger scale.
Two Classes
As the link between scientific research
and national strategic needs becomes
more pronounced in recent years, more
countries are turning to “demand-
driven” basic research. In an interview
with the National Science Review in early
2019, NSFC director Li Jinghai said the
foundation will strengthen its focus on
demand-driven research to “adapt to the
new situation.”
Among the 294,300 project applica-
tions submitted to the NSFC in 2022,
45.1 percent are “demand-driven,” with
44.6 percent classified as “frontier sci-
ences.” Only 5.05 percent of all applica-
tions are categorised as “free explora-
tion,” down from 18 percent in 2019.
For many scientists, this is a danger-
ous trend. Zhou Xiangyu, researcher at
the CAS Academy of Mathematics and
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
34
Systems Science, told ChinaReport that
classifying basic research as “free explo-
ration” and “demand-driven” can easily
lead to the misconception that the for-
mer is aimless.
“In reality, the goal of exploratory
basic research is to construct new para-
digms of scientific knowledge, which
requires a certain level of curiosity and
audacity,” Zhou said, “and what we
need to do is to create a research envi-
ronment that encourages such curiosity
and boldness.”
Zhou added that Chinese researchers
had made no major breakthroughs in
basic research in recent years because
of the absence of such an environment.
In the February meeting of the Po-
litical Bureau of the CPC Central Com-
mittee, Xi called for pursuing both
“goal-oriented” and “free exploration”
research and to “combine the work in
cutting-edge science and technology
with the country’s major strategic needs
and economic and social development
goals.”
Experts speculate that under the new
Central Committee of Science Technol-
ogy, the roles of the Ministry of Science
and Technology and the NSFC will be
more clearly defined. While the foun-
dation will primarily focus on original
or exploratory basic research, provid-
ing rolling funds for the long term, the
ministry will support state laboratories
and keynote projects related to national
strategic needs.
For former NSFC director Yang Wei,
the reform of China’s innovation sys-
tem should return to the driving force
of scientific research, which is human
curiosity and passion for exploring the
unknown.
“The overall goal should be to provide
sufficient funding so that both scientists
who like to explore the unknown and
those who want to tackle the country’s
strategic needs can contribute in their
own fields and in their own ways,” Yang
said.

AI
Brain Trust
As AI accelerates the efficiency of research, experts cast doubt on its ability to
trigger another scientific revolution – and take their jobs
By Peng Danni
F
engWu, an AI weather forecast
model released in April by
Shanghai AI Laboratory and
its partners, is capable of
reducing erroneous predictions for 10-
day forecasts by 19.4 percent compared
to traditional models.
Named after China’s earliest me-
teorological instrument from the Han
Dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE), FengWu
outperformed GraphCast, the latest
AI model from Google’s DeepMind,
on 80 percent of indicators concerning
accuracy and efficiency, Chinese news
website The Paper reported on April 7.
The new model extended medium-
range weather forecasts from 10 to
10.75 days. It can calculate a 10-day
forecast in 30 seconds, half the time of
GraphCast.
When it comes to AI applications
to science, this is just the tip of the
iceberg.
“These innovations show the long-
lasting influence AI is now only begin-
ning to have on scientific discovery,
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
35
AI technology is penetrating
almost all sectors of research,
from labs to libraries (Photo
by VCG)
from protein structures to climate mod-
eling and gravitational waves detection
to understanding the universe,” read
an article from science data institute
Dataconomy on November 9, 2022.
To ride the tide of AI applications,
China’s Ministry of Science and
Technology joined the National Natural
Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in
March for “AI for Science,” a nationally
funded project aiming to further inte-
grate AI in fields such as mathematics,
physics, chemistry and astronomy,
SPECIAL REPORT
the Xinhua News Agency reported on
March 27.
Many scientists welcome the move,
confident that despite AI’s strengths,
it still lacks the capability of deep, ab-
stract and critical thinking that humans
bring to the advancement of science.
Quick Combos
Material scientist Liu Miao told
ChinaReport that he never would have
expected to complete more than four
research projects during his doctoral
programme 10 years ago. Today with
AI, Liu and his team can screen hun-
dreds of thousands of possible element
compounds with the click of a mouse.
In 2018, Liu and his teammates
created a material database named
Atomly to explore possible chemical
compounds.
“With a substantial database and
rapid computing abilities, scientists
can find their intended chemical
compounds and learn their possible
physical natures,” Liu said.
For instance, choosing oxygen and
titanium in the Atomly database shows
280 possible compounds, including
their mechanical properties.
“It’s like fishing with a huge net
instead of a single hook,” Liu said.
On March 8, assistant professor Ran-
ga Dias and his team at the University
of Rochester in the US announced their
discovery of a new room-temperature
superconductor made from hydrogen,
nitrogen and lutetium, a rare earth
element.
The announcement made a huge
splash in academia.
However, 13 days later Liu and his
team challenged the discovery, arguing
in a paper that Atomly failed to formu-
late any stable structures with the three
elements in more than 1,500 possible
compounds. “It was unbelievable that
we could challenge the discovery so
quickly,” Liu said.
AI technology is penetrating almost
all sectors of research, from laboratories
to university libraries.
An AI created by the University of
Liverpool invented a photocatalyst
through 688 experiments conducted
over eight days, Nature reported in July
2020.
In Shenzhen, XtalPi, a biopharma-
ceutical firm established in 2014 by
three Chinese chemists who graduated
from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, has applied a blend of
quantum physics and AI to lab experi-
ments and data analysis for researching
molecular drugs or facilitating auto-
matic drug synthesis.
Using Xtalpi’s AI algorithm, Pfizer
confirmed its design of the Covid-19
specific medicine Paxlovid was optimal
in terms of its crystal structure, an
arrangement of ions, atoms and mol-
ecules in a solid substance.
Xtalpi shortened the process from
several months to six weeks, CN-
Healthcare reported on September 22,
2022.
“The AI can calculate with 400
computers, explore thousands of reac-
tion conditions and screen numerous
catalysts while running 24 hours a day,”
Wen Shuhao, co-founder of Xtalpi, told
ChinaReport. “It’s simultaneous and
large-scale operation is far from the
reach of any laboratory technicians.”
AI has not only been employed in sci-
entific research but also in coding and
writing. OpenAI’s rollout of ChatGPT
boosts efficiency in searching, editing,
grouping and summarising literature
across a wide spectrum of disciplines.
“It’s like a versatile student of liberal
arts particularly good at writing,” Xu
Bo, director of the Institute of Automa-
tion, the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
told ChinaReport.
Although ChatGPT cannot read an
article as incisively as a well-trained
scholar, it is much more efficient than
humans in data selection and analysis,
Pei Jianfeng, a research fellow at the
Centre for Quantitative Biology, Peking
University, told ChinaReport. “China can
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
36
take advantage of ChatGPT’s strong
language processing capability to beef
up its knowledge and data systems,
both of which have not gotten enough
attention over the past few decades,”
Pei said.
AI in China
In 2022, the number of Chinese AI
firms, including the producers of smart
chips, sensors and intelligent connected
vehicles, reached 4,200, with AI core
industries scaled up by 18 percent to
508 billion yuan (US$71.88b), accord-
ing to the China Academy of Informa-
tion and Communication Technology.
The industry is expected to boost
interdisciplinary scientific research
through multi-scale modeling, high-
precision emulation and differential
equations, Xu said, adding that AI
for Science is providing AI modeling
and algorithms to major scientific
programmes.
Nowadays, scientific research in
China cannot be financed easily with-
out employing AI, a theoretical scientist
told ChinaReport. “The absence of AI in
research may engender strong skepti-
cism for a scientist’s work efficiency
and comprehension ability,” said the
expert, who requested anonymity.
AI was first adopted in chemical and
pharmaceutical research in 2012, Pei
told ChinaReport. In 2015, following a
yearlong effort, Pei and his team pub-
lished the country’s first dissertation
on AI’s application to drug designs,
bringing AI and science integration to
the forefront.
In November 2020, three years
before the AI for Science programme,
the NSFC established a department of
interdisciplinary studies that prioritised
AI application in science as its first
major research programme, Tang said.
The same year, the industry bur-
geoned with start-ups dedicated to
computing and modeling, which laid
an important foundation for AI’s deep
learning capability beyond academia.
 “The integration between AI and sci-
ence actually highlights the role of engi-
neering, which has contributed a lot
to major scientific breakthroughs such
as AlphaFold’s prediction of protein
structure,” Pei pointed out. Accord-
ing to him, though the independent
discoveries in specific fields remain
important, interdisciplinary coopera-
tion will be increasingly adopted in the
AI era to take on more complex and
pressing problems.
AI provides new approaches to ad-
dress conundrums such as atmospheric
simulation and seismic surveillance,
Ouyang Wanli, lead scientist of
Pictured is the rendered structure of a human protein by AlphaFold, an AI system developed by
DeepMind, displayed at EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) on July 22, 2021. In
July 2022, AlphaFold announced its predictions for 214 million protein structures, including 98.5
percent of human proteins (Photo by VCG)
Shanghai AI Laboratory told ChinaRe-
port. “Take FengWu for example. Two
to three years ago, we wouldn’t have
expected to find solutions to the most
difficult parts of medium-range weather
forecasting,” Ouyang said.
Human Advantages
In July 2022, AlphaFold announced
its predictions on 214 million protein
structures among more than 1 million
species, including 98.5 percent of
human proteins. Until then, scientists
had discovered only 17 percent of
the structures in a human protein
sequence. This stark contrast highlights
the coming dominant role of AI in
research.
“When a technology is able to over-
ride a threshold, it brings brand new
changes to research both on what to
study and how to work it out. This is
what AI for Science is ramping up for,”
Wen said.
According to Xu, AIs like ChatGPT
are able to inspire researchers to work
on more innovative designs and with
brand new approaches.
Meanwhile, Tang said that deep
learning will not only lead AI to solve
specific scientific problems but also the
theorems behind them.
However, there are still many who
do not buy into the notion that AI will
trigger a new scientific revolution.
In a 2009 article for Nature, Nobel
Prize winning physicist Philip W.
Anderson wrote: “Even if machines did
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
37
contribute to normal science, we see no
mechanism by which they could create
a Kuhnian revolution and thereby
establish new physical law,” referring to
American philosopher Thomas Kuhn’s
argument that scientific breakthroughs
occur in sudden paradigm shifts
rather than linear accumulations of
knowledge.
AI has its limits in chemistry and
pharmaceuticals as well. Despite suc-
cesses like AlphaFold’s predictions of
protein structures, it has yet to make
any equal breakthroughs in chemistry
and medicine, Pei said.
A pharmaceutical expert told
ChinaReport that biological systems are
too complicated to be simulated by AI
modeling. For instance, when involving
AI in evaluating drug effects, precision
is sacrificed.
That is why AI models have yet
to create any meaningful results for
drug development through big data.
Furthermore, pharmaceutical manufac-
turers cannot provide enough data to
meet AI’s voracious demand for deep
learning.
On April 18, the stock price of MIT-
based AI pharmaceutical firm Relay
Therapeutics tumbled by 36 percent
when its anti-tumour suppressant
RLY-2608 fell short of expectations
compared to initial clinical trials.
Unlike ChatGPT, which is dependent
on reinforcement learning, a process for
machines to learn from user feedback,
tagging protein sequences requires
huge amounts of experiments, Guo
Chunlong, CEO of Beijing-based
Shuimu BioSciences, told ChinaReport.
Even though scientists are split on
whether AI can trigger another scien-
tific revolution, many believe their jobs
are safe for now.
Despite AI’s outstanding abilities,
Wen believes that humans are still
unique in their insightful and critical
thinking. “Machines will never ask why
one plus one equals two, but humans
will,” he said.
ECONOMY

Civil Aviation

The Sky’s the Limit

China’s C919 is expected not only to challenge the dominance of Boeing and Airbus
with new, innovative designs, but serve as an engine to upgrade China’s high-end
manufacturing, although it will face headwinds
By Peng Danni

A
C919 plane crossed the
“water gate,” the biggest
celebration ceremony of
the Civil Aviation Admin-
istration of China, at Beijing Capital
International Airport on the morning
of May 28, with jets of water from fire
tenders gushing over the plane as it
taxied on the apron. It signalled the
first successful commercial flight of
China’s first domestically developed
large passenger jetliner. Carrying over
130 passengers, including China’s
Minister of Industry and Information
Jin Zhuanglong and director of China
Aviation Administration Song Zhiyong,
the flight operated by China Eastern
Airlines departed from Shanghai to
Beijing. Its regular flight schedule will
see it shuttle between Shanghai and
Chengdu, capital of Southwest China’s
Sichuan Province.
According to flight booking plat-
forms, tickets for the C919 flight sell
for 919 yuan (US$129) with steady
sales. Many passengers shared their
experiences on the new plane on social
media, posting of their pride in China’s
technological progress.
Developed by the State-owned Com-
mercial Aircraft Corporation of China
(COMAC), the C919 was granted its
type certification, the final approval
of the design and components, on
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
September 29, 2022, and received its
production licence, a certificate of ap-
proval that the plane can go into mass
production, on November 29, 2022. By
February 2023, the plane had com-
pleted 100 hours of test flights.
So far COMAC has confirmed
around 1,200 orders for the C919 from
more than 30 clients. On December 9,
2022, COMAC delivered the first C919
to China Eastern Airlines. As China’s
first home-developed large passenger
plane based on international standards,
the C919 is expected to compete with
the big two global manufacturers, Boe-
ing and Airbus, which together form
a duopoly in the civil aviation market

38
and influence the global civil aviation
industry, though it will face headwinds.
COMAC has applied for airworthiness
certification from the European Avia-
tion Safety Agency, media reported.
Demand and Dominance
China already has the ARJ21 Xiang-
feng (Flying Phoenix), a 78-90 seat
regional jet also developed by COMAC,
which made its maiden flight in 2008.
Development of the C919 started in
2007, and it had its first test flight in
2017. The single-aisle aircraft with a
capacity of 158-168 seats has a range of
4,075-5,555 kilometres, similar to its
narrowbody competitors, the Airbus
A320neo and Boeing’s B737 MAX 8.
According to Li Xiaojin, director of
the Institute of Aviation Economics,
Civil Aviation University of China,
the C919 design is the workhorse of
the skies. Sixty percent of passenger
aircraft in use in the world are single-
aisle narrowbody jets. In China, these
aircraft are used for longer domestic
and regional international routes.
The C919 is expected to take a share
of the expanding passenger plane
market. According to a market analysis
report published by Boeing in 2021, the
rate of single-aisle narrowbody planes
worldwide will rise from 64 percent to
68 percent in the following 10 years,
more than 24,000 in total.
In 2021, 1,034 commercial planes
were delivered, 92 percent of which
were made by Boeing and Airbus,
according to data both companies
reported in January 2022. Aviation
expert Lin Zhijie told ChinaReport called
duopoly of Boeing and Airbus domi-
nates the civil aviation market. Boeing
has 6,000 orders of narrowbody planes
on its books, and Airbus has 8,000,
adding up to a value of over 4 trillion
yuan (US$560b).
China is the world’s biggest plane
importer. Boeing’s 2021 annual report
predicted that one-fifth of its planes,
both passenger and cargo aircraft,
would be sold to China between 2021
and 2040. In April, when French Presi-
dent Emmanuel Macron visited China,
Airbus snagged orders worth US$20
billion. In July 2022, China’s top four
airlines agreed with Airbus to purchase
292 narrowbody A320 planes. An
annual market analysis by the Aviation
Industry Development Research Centre
of China in 2021 predicted that China
would need 7,646 civil planes between
2021 and 2040, including 1,561 wide-
body planes with 200-500 seats, 5,276
narrowbody planes, and 809 regional
jets.
“Before the pandemic, a quarter of
narrowbody planes produced world-
wide were delivered to Chinese airlines
and China purchased over 300 nar-
rowbody planes every year. So it’s a vast
market for plane makers to compete
for,” Lin told ChinaReport.
“After the C919 is delivered, it will
influence the make-up of the global
aviation industry by joining in the com-
petition. From experience, once there
is a competitor, the price of imports
drops quickly, so it’s good for domestic
airlines to reduce costs and cut ticket
prices,” he added.
Media reported the C919 will sell
for US$99 million each, lower than
Airbus’s A320neo (US$110.6m) and
Boeing’s B737 MAX8 (US$117.1m).
As the first domestic buyer of the
C919, China Eastern signed a purchase
contract with COMAC in March 2021
to buy five aircraft likely to fly on routes
between major cities such as Beijing,
Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. At
the end of September, 2022, two C919
planes made a test flight from Beijing
to Shanghai. On January 1, 2023, China
Eastern’s first C919 made its first test
flight, to great fanfare.
In an interview with State media
China Central Television following
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
39
the September test flight, one of the
pilots said the C919 is roomy, stable
and uses less fuel, making pilots feel
more relaxed and passengers more
comfortable. Guo Guoping, a passenger
on the maiden commercial flight told
Hangzhou newspaper the Qianjiang
Evening News that the C919’s seats
and passageway are wider than that of
similar planes which makes passengers
feel more comfortable.
However, the aircraft has not yet
received airworthiness certifications
from the European Aviation Safety
Agency or the US Federal Aviation
Administration. China has bilateral
civil aviation safety and airworthiness
agreements with EU and US aviation
authorities, which could accelerate
and simplify the application process.
According to CAAC’s 2022 annual
report, 40 countries and regions had
entered into similar airworthiness
relations with China by the end of
2022. Analysts warned that the C919’s
advantages will not be acknowledged
until they are proved by the market and
fully supported by a complete, mature
international sales network. It took
Airbus around four decades to compete
with Boeing on an equal level.
The C919, though domestically de-
signed and developed, is equipped with
imported engines made by General
Electric in the US and Safran Electron-
ics & Defence in France. In early 2020,
unconfirmed news circulating online
said the US government was consider-
ing cutting the supply of engines for
the C919.
Although China has been developing
its own engine, the CJ-1000A for big
passenger planes made by Aero Engine
Corp of China Commercial Aircraft
Engine Co (ACEE ACE), it is not ex-
pected to go into production until after
2028. Some experts cautioned that if
engine supply is cut, the C919 would
have to shift to become cargo planes.
ECONOMY
Powering Manufacturing
Li Xiaojin believes the C919 is
more important as an engine to drive
other industries and suppliers. “By
the time the C919 project started in
2007, the Chinese economy was stuck
in an era of cheap manufacturing, but
our economy needed to transform to
high-end manufacturing and technical
development,” he told ChinaReport.
According to Li, China lagged far
behind in aviation mechanics, precision
instruments and materials, so develop-
ing a big plane which requires a cluster
of modern sciences and technologies is
a driver of related industries.
Analysts said China has accumulated
a wealth of experience from making
parts for Boeing planes like the 737, so
developing the C919 was an excel-
lent opportunity to use and upgrade
this experience. Similar to interna-
tional companies, COMAC adopted the
“leading maker plus suppliers” mode
to make the C919. COMAC’s data
showed that before the C919’s first test
flight, over 200 enterprises and univer-
sities in 22 provinces and municipali-
ties were involved in its development,
and another 16 material makers and
54 parts makers have become potential
suppliers.
Designed and assembled by
COMAC, the primary structure of the
C919, including the cockpit, body, the
outer wings and the tail, were manu-
factured by other domestic companies,
including AVIC Chengdu Aircraft
Industrial Group in Sichuan Province,
Hongdu Aviation Industrial Group
in Jiangxi Province and Xi’an Aircraft
Industrial Group in Shaanxi Province.
During the C919’s development
and manufacture, there were several
breakthroughs, Li said. For example,
China could not make the foam and
shell fabric for plane seats, since the
two materials require high fire retar-
dancy and low toxicity to prevent the
seats from catching fire at temperatures
below 1,000 C and also to float in case
the plane ditches on water. The C919’s
development quickly helped Chinese
technicians master these technologies.
The C919’s development also filled
China’s knowledge gap in fly-by-wire
flight control systems and active
control technologies, two major
technologies for civil aircraft. In a 2017
interview with financial portal Caixin,
Wang Lei, the C919’s chief designer
for stability and control, revealed that
it took his team less than five years to
work out the problem.
In an interview with Securities Times
in May, Zhang Chao, chief industrial
analyst at AVIC Securities, said that by
absorbing and transforming domestic
and international advanced tech-
nologies, the C919’s development has
helped several companies to first grow
and then promote the development of
the high-end manufacturing industry.
COMAC has established two
national and five provincial innovation
platforms and supported many labs and
institutes. COMAC’s Innovation Valley,
a Shanghai government-backed hub for
high-tech aviation projects in Shang-
hai’s Pudong New Area, has become
a cluster of 100 scientific projects in
fields such as avionics, flight simulators
and other aviation research.
According to a survey by Zhongtai
Securities published on July 14, 2022,
in the next two decades, industries
developed around the commercial
use and mass production of the C919
will form a market worth 1.36 trillion
yuan (US$190.7b), 67.9 billion yuan
(US$9.5b) annually, excluding other
high value-added driven by manufac-
turing. The Beijing Evening News cited
an anonymous expert who believes
that supporting industries based on
COMAC’s aviation industrial zones will
by 2035 support the company to pro-
duce around 200 C919 planes annually,
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
40
which will bring about 300 billion yuan
(US$42.1b) in industrial value.
New Leap
China’s first attempt to develop a
big passenger plane dates back to the
1970s when the central government
approved a programme for an aircraft,
similar to a Boeing 707, called the Y-10.
Led by Shanghai Aircraft Manufactur-
ing, the programme involved more than
300 plants, institutes and universities
nationwide.
The Y-10 made its maiden flight in
September 1980, making China the
world’s fifth country with the capacity
to produce narrowbody planes over 100
tons in weight. But since the plane was
not for civil use and there was no clear
future for commercial use, the project
was shelved with only three ever
made, and China was already import-
ing planes from Russia and the US. In
1985, a Y-10 aircraft that had crossed
the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau several times
was grounded.
In 2008, COMAC was established
in Shanghai to develop large passenger
planes, with Shanghai Aircraft Manu-
facturing one of its subsidiaries. By the
time the C919 made its first test flight
in May 2017, COMAC had built six
aircraft to conduct test flights, which
flew across China in different terrains,
climates and weather to test the C919’s
safety and reliability in extreme condi-
tions like high temperatures, severe
cold, storms and high winds.
In December 2020, the C919 entered
the last phase of testing to enable it
to be certified as airworthy by CAAC.
According to Yang Zhenmei, director
of the CAAC’s airworthiness approval
department, the C919 took part in 276
tests at different sites.
According to an aviation industry
report published by Zhongtai Securities
on August 29, 2022, it took the ARJ21
15 years from inception to receiving
 a production licence, and the C919
had already passed the six hardest and
longest stages.
“Although there is still some way
to go for us to keep up with Boeing
and Airbus in overall technologies and
development – Boeing has 100 years’
experience making narrowbody planes
and Airbus 60 years – COMAC has
some advantages, such as being freer
to adopt innovative technologies,” Lin
said.
Wu Guanghui, the C919’s chief de-
signer, said at the World Design Cities
Conference in Shanghai on September
15, 2022 that they had incorporated
new designs into the C919 manufactur-
ing programme. For example, in coop-
eration with Huawei, COMAC used an
AI program to make an industrial fluid
simulation model which helped shorten
the C919’s development.
Media reports said that since 2018,
COMAC was exploring 5G and AI use
in intelligent manufacturing to make
the process more efficient and high
quality.
“Compared to previous planes, the
C919’s design and development caters
more to market demand. Based on
many market analyses and consulta-
tions, the C919 is more user- and
commercially oriented,” Lin said.
Li Xiaojin agrees. “In a break from
other planes which are often made
behind closed doors, the C919’s pro-
duction was not started until COMAC
had enough orders. To better listen to
airlines, COMAC employed former
senior leaders of the top four [Chinese]
airlines,” he said. “It’s a new leap for
China’s plane manufacturing.”
“It’s still too early to talk about the
C919’s market space and competi-
tiveness in the international market,
since it is new and will definitely face
Top: Passengers board a China Eastern Airlines C919 at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport,
on the first flight of its regular scheduled route from Shanghai to Chengdu, May 29, 2023 (Photo
by VCG) problems in the future, but we hope
Middle: Most passengers record their experience on the first C919 scheduled flight from Shanghai the C919 will fly smoothly and any
to Chengdu, May 29, 2023 (Photo by VCG) problems will be solved quickly, and
Bottom: The China Eastern Airlines C919 taxis after landing at Chengdu Tianfu International that way we’ll be able to see constant
Airport, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, June 11, 2023 (Photo by VCG) improvements,” Li said.
CHINA REPORT I July 2023

41
ECONOMY
Zibo Barbecue
Grills Uninterrupted
The sudden popularity of Zibo-style barbecue ignites hope of a
transformation for this fading industrial city
By Wang Yu and Sun Xiaobo
A
fter a surge in tourism dur-
ing the first post-pandemic
Labour Day holiday, where
revenues for the first time
exceeded pre-Covid 2019 levels, most
destinations in China returned to nor-
mal. But not Zibo, a relatively obscure
city in East China’s Shandong Province
that overnight became one of the hot-
test tourist destinations for its street
barbecue, which saw the city appealing
for visitors not to come to give its over-
stretched tourist services a break.
At the end of May, travellers from
across the country still swarmed there,
making a beeline for the simple barbecue
stalls that crowd the streets with plastic
stools and low tables. People continued
to post videos on social media of long
lines, crowded diners and cheap but fine
kebabs. Many commented “Are there
fewer people now? I guess I can set off.”
Others said “Life is not complete if you
haven’t tried Zibo barbecue.”
The influx skyrocketed during Labour
Day. On April 30, the second day of the
five-day holiday, Zibo high-speed train
station served more than 100,000 pas-
sengers for the first time, with 54,581
arrivals and 46,697 departures. It
peaked at 112,860 the next day.
The phenomenon appears to have
started in March, when college students
from nearby Jinan, capital of Shandong,
started posting about trips to Zibo to
eat barbecue. Seizing the opportunity,
the local government started promoting
barbecue, publishing a map of restau-
rants and announcing to hold a barbe-
cue festival during the Labour Day holi-
day. The city also adjusted bus routes to
pass by barbecue restaurants and stalls.
It had already became a popular tourist
destination during Qingming, or Tomb
Sweeping Festival in early April, and
now its grills and kebabs found internet
fame.
Other cities reliant on heavy industry
are eagerly eyeing Zibo’s sudden suc-
cess to see if they can find new solutions
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
42
Diners crowd the barbecue festival Zibo
hastily held at the city’s biggest seafood
market during the Labour Day holiday, April
29, 2023 (Photo by VCG)
for economic transformation. But there
is concern over whether Zibo’s sudden
prominence is a flash in the pan.
Foodie Destination
Zibo is an unlikely gourmet destina-
tion. A third-tier city with a population
of over 4.7 million, Zibo has several
national economic and technological
development zones and high-tech in-
dustrial parks. Manufacturing domi-
nates the city’s economy, particularly
ceramics, petrochemicals, pharmaceu-
ticals, metallurgy, construction materi-
als, machinery and textiles. The city is
developing new industries such as IT
and biopharmaceuticals, and it also has
beautiful natural scenery and rich tour-
ism resources, which have perhaps been
overlooked untill now.
But Zibo moved quickly when it saw
the influx of foodies. In 20 days, it trans-
formed its biggest seafood market into a
makeshift venue for a barbecue festival.
The place was still packed with diners in
mid-May, according to videos posted on
social media.
Its night market on Shuijingjie Street
saw lines of over 300 metres, with wait
times of up to three hours. People came
from all over the country.
Normally, these restaurants open
around 4pm. But diners started lin-
ing up at 9am to get a seat in some fa-
mous restaurants, many rushing there
straight from the station, dragging their
suitcases.
Shortages of ingredients, especially
pork, and lack of kitchen staff meant
waiting a long time to get food, even af-
ter customers were seated. They turned
customers away, telling them to go to
their rivals. Restaurants were plastered
with “Help wanted” signs.
When Zhang Min, owner of a barbe-
cue restaurant, ran short of the wheat
flour wraps used to wrap kebabs and
green onion that marks the local bar-
becue style, she had to beg for supplies
from her neighbours. They sold out in a
minute, leaving diners disappointed.
Short of staff too, Zhang transferred a
few from her other restaurant, a Korean-
style barbecue. Sometimes Zhang had
to work the grill herself.
On April 18, Muyangcun, one of the
most popular barbecue restaurants, an-
nounced a three-day closure to let its
burned-out staff rest. The restaurant
used to open from 4pm to midnight.
But in the busiest month, people lined
up at 8am and would not leave. The res-
taurant had to open from 8am to 2am.
On April 20, our reporter tried to
book a hotel in Zibo and found there
was no vacancy, not even at the expen-
sive Hilton Hotel.
Statistics from Meituan, a food deliv-
ery and shopping platform, show that
bookings for hotel rooms during the
Labour Day holiday surged 800 per-
cent over 2019. Many taxi drivers told
ChinaReport that since April, their daily
income had doubled.
The local government realised
their limits and in late April started
attempting to cool the frenzy. They re-
fused to take interviews and “the local
media stopped promotion too. We’re
trying to cool it down to avoid attracting
more tourists. They don’t know hotels
are sold out. Our biggest concern is to
ensure honest service and food safety
to make sure the tourists have a good
experience here during the holiday,”
said a publicity official from the local
government who spoke on condition of
anonymity on April 24.
Two days later, local tourism authori-
ties warned tourists that despite their
best efforts, there was not enough ac-
commodation, and advised them to
delay coming.
Chen Qiang, director of Zibo’s new
barbecue association, said in mid-April
that the daily turnover of some restau-
rants reached 150,000-160,000 yuan
(US$21,136-22,540), more than the
daily turnover of a five-star hotel.
Code of Success
Zibo residents believe the trend start-
ed with the students from Shandong
University. In May 2022, when Covid
rules were strict, thousands of students
were transferred to Zibo to quarantine.
When they left, the local government
treated them to Zibo kebabs.
The students, touched by local peo-
ple’s warmth, returned to Zibo in spring
after pandemic controls were lifted.
Their videos and posts about barbecue
attracted the first wave of attention, be-
fore internet influencers’ videos made it
more popular.
More importantly, when people flood-
ed into the small city, Zibo did not let
them down.
The kebabs are two or three times
cheaper than in bigger cities with gen-
erous portions. Chen Yingjie, director
of hit documentary series The Story of
Chuanr, which looks at types of barbe-
cue and grilled food in China, included
Zibo barbecue in the first season. “Zibo
barbecue, though a local delicacy, is only
a bit above-average among afficionados.
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
43
In the past, it was little known outside,
far behind [famed] barbecue cities like
Jinzhou in Liaoning Province,” he told
ChinaReport.
What truly appeals apparently lies
beyond kebabs. At a time when locals
cheating tourists at hot travel destina-
tions often become headlines, the hos-
pitality and sincerity demonstrated by
Zibo’s citizens and government might
be the key.
Zibo authorities did everything in
their power to bring in diners, such
as adding trains from Jinan and extra
buses. Volunteers manned transit hubs.
The city ensured prices were controlled
to avoid gouging and put on extra secu-
rity patrols.
“Without such efforts to improve the
environment and service quality, the
popularity of Zibo barbecue might not
have lasted,” said Pan Helin, co-director
of the Digital Economy and Financial
Innovation Research Centre at Zhejiang
University. He attributed the success to
every Zibo citizen who did their part to
maintain the city’s image.
Some residents picked up travellers
at the train station for free. To make
room for tourists, locals avoid eating
out during the holiday. Some offered
free accommodation.
Many interviewed citizens said they
knew barbecue is a small business in
Zibo, but they believe how they cope
with it has a lot to do with the reputa-
tion of the city and, maybe, its future.
“Zibo sets a good example in mobil-
ising its resources to provide quality
services to activate the city’s economy,”
Chen Yingjie said.
“A streaky pork skewer costs only 1
yuan (US$0.14) while a mutton or beef
one is 2 yuan (US$0.28). It’s cheap,”
said a tourist surnamed Yuan from
Beijing interviewed by China City News
in Zibo on May 22. She explained that
she was overwhelmed by the feeling of
being respected. “I’m not here for cheap
prices. I just want to feel I’m being treat-
ed honestly as a tourist.”
ECONOMY
Top five-most visited tourist destinations on April 30
1 2
Badaju Market, Zibo, Mount Tai, Taian,
Shandong Province Shandong Province
Burned Out
The booming barbecue business
completely altered Zibo’s catering in-
dustry. In the seafood market where the
barbecue festival was held, business for
everything except pork was slack. A Le,
a seafood wholesaler, said barbecue has
squeezed out other types of restaurants,
and his seafood sales have dwindled too.
Before the Labour Day holiday, at least
15 new barbecue restaurants opened
in Zibo daily. By mid-April, there were
over 1,270 barbecue restaurants, a lo-
cal barbecue restaurant association
chief Chen Qiang revealed. In May, the
number of companies related to barbe-
cue surged to over 3,400, according to
data on Qichacha, a company informa-
tion provider. In the first quarter, 336
barbecue-related companies were built,
a year-on-year rise of 111.32 percent, ac-
cording to Qichacha.
The surging demand caused a short-
age of ingredients and grilling tools.
Pork is not a problem, as Shandong is a
major pig producer. But the locally pro-
duced wraps were in dire shortage.
Yang Feng, a wrap producer in Zibo,
told Shenzhen TV in late April that he
expanded his workshop three times in a
month, but still failed to meet demand.
“The whole of Zibo is out of stock,” or
“I couldn’t help even if you kneel down
and beg,” Yang often told buyers. Some
customers even drove hundreds of
miles to wait outside his factory to fight
for the oven-fresh wraps.
Barbecue grills, mainly produced near
Binzhou, Shandong Province, became
scarce. Zhang Qiaochu, whose father
built a kitchenware factory in 2014 in
Source: Baidu Map
3 4
Wuzhen Water Town, Badaling section of
Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province the Great Wall, Beijing
Huantai near Binzhou, said they were
surprised when they sold out all 2,000
ovens in stock in early March. They sup-
ply barbecues for over 40 distributors,
each of whom used to order only several
hundred a year. They were not expecting
the sudden demand.
In March, orders for small ovens
flooded in and supply fell short. They
worked 16 hours a day, close to their
physical limits, employed more skilled
workers and expanded capacity, but still
fell short. He started recommending fac-
tories in Hebei Province.
Despite the demand, the price for a
grill remains around 50 yuan (US$7),
allowing manufacturers to earn a mar-
gin of about 8 yuan (US$1) due to gov-
ernment price regulation, Zhang said.
Follow Zibo
Zibo’s success attracted government
officials from other cities in Liaon-
ing, Henan and Hebei provinces. “The
popularity of Zibo barbecue shows that
a city’s economic development does not
depend on temporary tourist projects
or promotion but a good combination
of history, culture, goodwill and gov-
ernment efforts,” visiting officials from
Nanyang, Henan Province summarised
at a seminar.
Song Xiangqing, vice director of the
school of government at Beijing Normal
University, believes the Zibo phenom-
enon is typical in terms of city image
promotion. “Many cities that have
abandoned the old paths [of relying on
resource-intensive industries] are anx-
ious to find new ways out. Zibo set an
example in making attempts based on
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
44
5
Nan’ao Island, Shantou,
Guangdong Province
its own characteristics,” said Song, who
said Zibo should be an inspiration to
other cities, particularly resource-based
ones.
“The barbecue boom allows the
world to see another side of Zibo – an
improved living and business environ-
ment. Before, people would first think
of chemicals, ceramics and [industrial]
pollution,” commented a local econo-
mist who requested anonymity, adding
that despite the sudden fame, Zibo still
faces challenges in optimising its eco-
nomic structure.
The economist said Zibo’s economic
structure is typical of Shandong, where
traditional industries, focusing on
chemicals and textiles, accounts for 70
percent of the industrial economy.
Zibo’s industrial history dates to
the end of 19th century when min-
ing, ceramics, glass and silk industries
emerged. In the 1950s, Zibo attracted
lots of investment and by the end of
the 1980s, it had developed a compre-
hensive industrial base, boasting the
biggest manufacturers for household
ceramics and coloured glaze. But the
glory did not last. Since the end of the
1990s, when reforms and structural ad-
justments caused factories to close, the
city declined.
The local economist noted that in the
past 20 years Zibo has been trying to
update its industries towards fields like
biological medicine, information tech-
nology, high-end equipment and func-
tional materials, with little effect.
The city already tried to leverage so-
cial media to improve its profile, hosting
a music festival in 2020 and promoting
 China By Numbers
its barbecue for the first time. But there
The proportionOthers
was no deep exploration of local tour- 50.9% of the installed3.5%
Hydropower
31.6%
ism potential. Now the city is consid- capacity of
ering how to associate barbecue with
The proportion of non-fossil fuel
installed non-fossil energy by the
the culture of Qi, an ancient state that fuel power capac- end of March that
lasted from the mid-11th century-221 ity to China’s entire totalled 1.33 bil-
lion kilowatts
BCE, with Zibo as its capital. installed power
Ren Yunpeng, director of Shandong capacity by June Nuclear
power
Solar power
University of Technology’s research Source: National Development and 32.3% 4.3%
centre for ceramics and glazes, noted Reform Commission of China / Wind power

that tourist exploitation of Zibo’s ce- China Electricity Council 28.3%

ramics history is in the early stages.

“Compared to Jingdezhen [China’s
porcelain centre] in Jiangxi Province Distribution
10.7% of newly
that has succeeded in using ceramic art established
to attract tourism, Zibo requires more Year-on-year private com- Primary Industry
increase in the panies in the 3.7%
time and talent to tap its resources.” first quarter
number of newly over three
Other interviewed experts said that established private Secondary Industry
sectors Tertiary Industry
Zibo’s exploration of Qi culture is companies in the 79.2% 17.1%
mainly on the academic level, suggest- first quarter, total-
ing more professionals are needed to ling 2.04 million
integrate it closer with the culture and Source: State Administration
tourist industry. for Market Regulation
“After the holiday, we’ll analyze how
the popularity of barbecue has influ-
enced the city. Then more energy will
focus on how to continue the heat 2.4% 7%
and how to leverage the popularity to Year-on-year growth in Year-on-year in-
motivate the city economy and the ad- China’s imports and exports crease in China’s
justment of industries,” a person close of intellectual property royal- fixed-asset invest-
to the city government who requested
ties in 2022, totalling 387.25 ment in railway in
billion yuan (US$53.97b), the first five months
anonymity told ChinaReport. while its exports of intellectual of 2023, totalling
Some worry that the allure is already property royalties rose by 17 206.1 billion yuan
fading, a common fate for hot social- percent over the previous year (US$28.8b)
media destinations. In June, wait times Source: China National Intel- Source: China State
to get into the most popular restau- lectual Property Administration Railway Group
rants are down to only 30 minutes.
Chen Yingjie is concerned about
what to expect from the city next. He Manufacturing PMI between May 2022 and May 2023
said that it is natural for the frenzy 48.8%
60
to cool down, but he hopes it will be China’s manu-
gradual so as not to shock local barbe- facturing PMI
cue businesses. (Purchasing
Managers’ Index) 52.6%
51.9%
In any event, the city is revived. “Bar- for May, a drop 50.2% 50.1%
50.1%
49.6% 49.4% 49.2% 49.2%
becue is just a small business, But tak- of 0.4 percentage 50 49.0% 48.8%
48.0%
ing the chance, Zibo manages to boost points from April, 47.0%

its image. It’s better than sitting by and indicating con-

watching the city stagnate in reces- traction
sion,” Chen said. Source: National Bureau
of Statistics of China 40
.5

.6

.7

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Zhang Min and Liu Lu are pseudonyms

CHINA REPORT I July 2023

45
CULTURE
Drama
Lost in the Northeast
The highest-rated Chinese TV show in the last five years, suspense drama The Long
Season strikes a provocative balance between realism and aesthetic through its
portrayals of ordinary people struggling through tremendous social change
By Yi Ziyi
T
he Long Season begins with a
dismembered body.
The gruesome discovery
in 1998 sends shockwaves
through the steel mill community of
Hualin, a fictional industrial town in
Northeast China.
But there is more than one victim: In
the murder’s aftermath, Wang Xiang
(Fan Wei) watches helplessly as his
world is torn apart. After many years
as the steel mill’s chief train conductor,
Wang suddenly loses his son, wife and
job.
Nearly two decades later, a chance
encounter sets Wang on solving the
murder and piecing together the
remains of his life.
The TV suspense drama is winning
over Chinese audiences for its realistic
portrayal of how the enormous layoffs
amid reforms of State-owned enterpris-
es (SOEs) in the late 1990s affected the
fates of blue-collar families in China’s
industrial Northeast.
Released on April 22, 2023, the
12-episode series on Tencent Video
is the highest-rated Chinese show in
the last five years, earning 9.4/10 on
Douban, China’s leading media review
website.
Social media buzzed with rave
reviews over all the aspects of the show,
from plot and characters to editing and
even lighting. Many attributed these
successes to the show’s director, Xin
Shuang.
A law school graduate, the 42-year-
old played punk rock in Beijing and
directed commercials before making
his directorial debut in 2020 with
acclaimed TV crime drama The Bad
Kids – his diverse background inspiring
what has quickly become his signature
art-house aesthetic.
A Different Season
The Long Season opens to a bright
autumn morning in 1998. A dark-green
cargo train driven by 46-year-old Wang
Xiang thunders across expansive corn
fields. Proud of his devotion to the steel
plant where he has worked for decades,
Wang is unaware that a bag of body
parts found near his dormitory that
morning would change his fate.
Skipping ahead to 2016, Wang drives
a taxi, long laid off from his factory
job. After crossing paths with someone
from his past, Wang enlists the help of
his cousin-in-law Gong Biao (Qin Hao)
and former police officer Ma Desh-
eng (Chen Minghao) to take on the
unsolved mystery.
Situated on the Siberian steppe,
China’s frozen Northeast is a favou-
rite setting for crime and suspense
dramas like Burning Ice (2017), and the
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
46
acclaimed novel The Blade of Winter
by Yu Xiaoqian, which inspired The
Long Season. For the adaptation, the
series’ creators, which included
Yu, chose to portray a softer side
of the region.
Presented in warm hues,
most scenes are gilded with
autumn’s glow. “I’m a native
Northeastener. Born and
raised there, I am very fa-
miliar with the place,” Xin
Shuang told People’s JoyWorks.
“I plan to present the much warmer
and brighter Northeast China of my
memories.”
Because northeastern autumns only
last around seven weeks, the show was
shot in Kunming, capital of Southwest
China’s Yunnan Province, which boasts
an average 300 days of sunshine a year.
“We wanted to make audiences
understand that [northeastern] people
are very positive and have a natural-
born optimism and sense of humour,”
Xin said.
Unlike conventional crime shows,
The Long Season balances realism with
an aesthetic that fans laud as having
“the texture of an art-house film.”
Lending credence is the show’s mu-
sic supervision. As the former guitarist
for seminal Beijing punk band Joyside,
Xin draws heavily from Chinese indie

music to end each episode with a
different track, like “You Turn My Face
to Another Day,” a collaboration with
rock acts Hiperson and Fazi, electronic
outfit Supermarket’s “Entelechy,” and
“If There is A Tomorrow,” a 2020 song
from Xin’s former band Joyside (Xin
left the band in 2006). He sometimes
contrasts these edgier picks with easily
recognisable classical pieces, such as
Claude Debussy’s piano work “Clair de
lune” and Johann Strauss’ waltz “The
Blue Danube.”
Xin said he wanted to make the story
believable but not too grounded in real-
ity, describing it as feeling “half a metre
from the ground.”
A poster for The
Long Season
“We still attempted to make some
changes and adjustments to romanti-
cise the story, so as to highlight moving
details of life,” Xin said.
Shattered Rice Bowls
Unlike Xin’s The Bad Kids, which
was told from the perspective of three
teenagers over one month, The Long Sea-
son focuses on the life stories of three
elderly men over two decades. The
show jumps back and forth between
1997, 1998 and 2016.
“We hoped to explore the indi-
vidual’s relationship with the times and
their fate through a story spanning two
decades,” Xin said during a seminar
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
47
held by the China Television Arts Com-
mittee in Beijing on May 17.
Xin said he aimed to transcend
the crime genre to appeal to a larger
audience. “So, we shifted focus a bit
from the case itself and concentrated
on depicting ordinary people’s lives to
show how the times and existential
problems affected each character,” the
director said.
A primary theme is how SOE
reforms of the late 1990s and their
resulting massive layoffs affected the
fates of families in the Northeast.
The region was among the first to
industrialise after the People’s Re-
public of China was founded in 1949.
Northeastern workers were proud of
their relatively privileged positions at
State-owned factories and their “iron
rice bowls” – secure jobs for life. With
its developed heavy industry, plenti-
ful coal and agricultural output, the
region earned the moniker “the eldest
son of the PRC,” referring to its great
contribution and leading position in the
country.
However, SOE reforms shattered that
sense of privilege and security as thou-
sands of factories shut down and mil-
lions lost their jobs across the country.
This disillusionment was pronounced
in the Northeast, which in a matter of
years went from a thriving industrial
centre to China’s “rust belt.”
The Hualin Steel Plant in The Long
Season epitomises the unprofitable,
smaller State-owned factories at the
brink of closure in the 1990s. Like
many real industrial towns, the fictional
Hualin was planned around its plant.
Workers persisted in constant
anxiety over the state of their jobs, and
staged protests against the factory’s
mismanagement. In the end, none was
spared. Middle-aged model workers like
Wang Xiang and highly educated new
hires such as Gong Biao were forced to
search for odd jobs in an already gutted
town. Another example is Li Qiaoyun,
CULTURE
A still from The Long Season. Workers at Hualin Steel Plant attend a meeting
informing them about their layoffs
who in her late 30s had to work as a
bar girl to support her disabled hus-
band and son with leukemia.
For many viewers, these gritty
portrayals hit close to home. Liu Yufei,
34, was born and raised in Changchun,
Northeast China’s Jilin Province, where
his parents worked at the State-owned
Changchun-based First Automobile
Works – the first auto plant to open
after 1949.
“I relate with everything portrayed in
this show – the characters, the factory
and people’s values and mindsets.
I almost feel like the show is about
my family. I can see the traces of my
mother in Wang Xiang’s wife and my
uncle in both Wang Yang and Gong
Biao,” Liu, who works at a Shenzhen-
based consulting firm, told ChinaReport.
“Many of my relatives were laid off.
As a teenager, I could feel their intense
anxiety when they talked about it. Once
they left the State-backed factories,
they realised there weren’t many job
opportunities in a place without a well-
established market. Many of them were
filled with self-doubt and desperation,”
Liu said.
Zhang Rong, 33 from Benxi in Liaon-
ing Province, marveled at the show’s
attention to detail. “The table clock,
kettle, tea mugs, TV set – all these daily
necessities, interiors and furniture are
the things I remember while living in
the factory dorms with my family,” said
Zhang, a lawyer working in Beijing.
“At the time, people’s jobs, life
choices, fates and even the things they
used were highly homogenous. There-
fore, when the reforms came at the
turn of the century, the pain, confusion
and dilemmas they faced were almost
the same,” Zhang told ChinaReport.
Northern Renaissance
The Long Season is the most recent
hit in a decade-long string of Chinese
works set in the Northeast, a trend
media has dubbed “the Northeastern
Renaissance.” Notable films include The
Piano in a Factory (2011) and Black Coal,
Thin Ice (2014), and TV shows Burning
Ice (2017), Nobody Knows (2022) and
Why Try to Change Me Now (2023).
Many of these works are adaptations
of novels by three authors – Shuang
Xuetao, Zheng Zhi and Ban Yu,
who was also a screenwriter on The
Long Season. All born in the 1980s in
Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province,
they have won acclaim from critics as
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
48
“the three pioneers of the Northeastern
Renaissance.”
“The sense of loss and deprivation
were deeply etched into the minds of
these Northeastern creators born in the
1980s, who witnessed their parents’
generation suffer through layoffs that
drove them from security into an
uncertain market,” respected film critic
Mei Xuefeng wrote for People magazine.
Mei points out that Northeastern
artists who experienced this era share
a nostalgia “rooted in a disillusionment
of utopic idealism.”
“We have to accept the complexity
of the world,” Mei wrote. “The crisis
of some groups was an opportunity for
others, an inevitable part of social prog-
ress. After all, SOE reforms triggered
the private enterprise boom and the
rapid development of China’s economy
over the following two decades.”
This is why some critics, particularly
economists, warn that the lingering
fondness for life under the planned
economy still hampers the region’s
economy. Facing slow growth and
persistent brain drain, China’s north-
east remains unattractive to investors.
Its stagnation is contrasted by China’s
prosperous east coast, which suffered
similar waves of layoffs in the early
years of reform.
For Huang Ping, a professor of Chi-
nese literature at East China Normal
University in Shanghai, the show’s
popularity reflects the struggles of
young people in today’s China, who are
similarly facing mass unemployment,
a fast-changing market and uncertainty
about their futures.
“[Young people] are beginning to
truly understand and recognise the fate
and dignity of the underdog, such as
the lost workers in the Northeast in the
late 1990s,” Huang, who has studied
the Northeastern Renaissance for six
years, told the Yangtse Evening Post.
“The Northeastern Renaissance,
essentially speaking, is a renaissance of
ordinary people,” he added.
Entertainment

Cast In a New Light

While casting agencies are playing a larger role than ever in the success of Chinese
shows and films, old habits die hard in the realm of sex, bribes and videotape
By Li Jing

tars Crazier, a film and TV

S casting agency operates from

a three-storey office in eastern
Beijing. The walls are covered
with headshots from actors being con-
sidered for roles. Each role has at least
three hopefuls.
Independent talent agents with even
more headshots in hand doorstep the
agency throughout the day. “It’s always
like this, the doorbell never stops,” said
Stars Crazier co-founder Huang Tao.
Unlike the past where Chinese direc-
tors chose the leads and assistant direc- An actor performs in a casting call for TV series Beautiful Time With You, produced by Mango TV,
tors picked the remaining roles, cast- Yichang, Hubei Province, May 23, 2019 (Photo by VCG)
ing in today’s Chinese film industry is
much more sophisticated.
The difference is visible in recent
years, as relatively unknown actors in 2023 hit series Knockout set social me- roles. “While casting Age of Awakening,
well-cast roles shoot to stardom over- dia abuzz with positive reviews, which we underscored the candidates’ con-
night. With more opportunities and helped raise the show’s profile. vincing acting styles which can trans-
avenues, more actors are able to cir- Wang, a veteran actor and a Beijing port audiences to the era in quite a natu-
cumvent the casting couches and other Film Academy graduate, said Knockout’s ral way,” Huang Tao, co-founder of Stars
unspoken rules that have long plagued casting success signals a shift in indus- Crazier, told press in July 2021 after the
China’s entertainment industry. try standards. show’s release.
“Gone are the days when actors raked Set between 1915 and 1921, Age of
Star Potential in dough by lip syncing and TV dramas Awakening centres on a group of young
Wang Peilu is among those getting a were a hit regardless of how clunky the revolutionaries and the magazine La
career boost from good casting. story was,” Wang told ChinaReport in Jeunesse, which helped inspire the Com-
Though a minor role with a few ap- February. munist Party of China’s founding.
pearances, Wang’s realistic portrayal Hit shows like Age of Awakening spot- Stars Crazier recommended Ma
of gangster Crazy Donkey in the gritty lighted the importance of supporting Shaohua for an audition. Ma played Cai
CHINA REPORT I July 2023

49
CULTURE
Yuanpei, former president of Peking
University, who set a foundation of in-
clusiveness for a refreshing, liberal and
progressive atmosphere on the campus.
Ma shone in the sixth episode, when
he delivered Cai’s inaugural speech.
“With a slow and steady rhythm, Ma
skillfully brought a century-old speech
that still resonates in today’s society
back to life,” read a review from Sohu.
com.
The casting agency also landed career-
making parts for younger actors such as
Zhang Wanyi, who won acclaim for his
role as the strong-willed Chen Yannian,
an early Party member who refused to
kneel before his execution in 1927. The
actor won over the crew with his stead-
fast gaze, which tapped the essence of
the character, director Zhang Yongxin
told China Central Television (CCTV)
in 2021.
“A competent casting director must
be astute enough to distinguish the
unique characteristics of each actor in
an extensive talent pool,” Huang told
ChinaReport.
In addition to working with talent and
acting agencies, casting directors scout
for talent at schools and theatre compa-
nies, as well as scouring indie films for
potential stars.
While A-lister Zhao Liying got top
billing for her role as businesswoman
Xu Banxia in TV series Wild Bloom
(2022), many young viewers connected
with the comedic supporting role of
Xu’s father, played by established char-
acter actor Wang Jinsong.
“Through Wang’s performance, the
audience immediately understands the
man is a short-sighted and snobbish fa-
ther. But despite these character traits,
which could easily come off as despi-
cable, Wang made him laughable and
lovable in only a few scenes,” reads a re-
view from Baidu’s entertainment page.
The acclaim for performances from
actors like Wang and Zhang used to
be very low compared to the growing
presence of online celebrities in the film
industry.
Empowered by their colossal follow-
ings, influencers are snatching up roles
not for their acting abilities, but for their
promised box office draw, good looks
and online visibility.
To drum up publicity, many resort
to gaffes and scandals – both real and
fabricated. Several young pop stars were
dubbed “hopeless illiterates” after ap-
pearing in interviews where they strug-
gled to answer basic questions about
their roles or the historical settings of
their current projects. For example,
during a press conference for espionage
film Hidden Blade in January, heartthrob
Wang Yibo was visibly stumped when
asked what the most difficult part of his
role as a spy for the Communist Party of
China had been.
Veteran actor Chen Daoming lashed
out against the industry trend during
China’s two sessions in March 2021, the
annual top government legislative meet-
ings, where he accused influencers of
prioritising online traffic over pushing
Top: Actor Ma Shaohua as Cai Yuanpei, former
forward the country’s art and culture. president of Peking University from 1916 to
“When casting the Age of Awakening, 1927, in the TV series Age of Awakening,
which aired in February 2021
we didn’t consider celebrities as much Bottom: Actor Wang Jinsong as father Xu
as who fit the roles best. That is why the Youren in the TV series Wild Bloom which
aired in November 2022
casting won acclaim and became one of
the hottest topics on Weibo,” Huang
told ChinaReport. an assistant director from Hong Kong,
who was artfully juggling the cast’s tight
Open Calls shooting schedule.
In 2004, Huang switched careers from “At that time, actors on Chinese main-
stage acting to TV production, where he land shoots could not leave until the day
mostly oversaw logistics for cameras, was over. And they were not allowed to
lighting and set design. Two years later, start other projects until the current one
Huang was promoted to assistant direc- wrapped,” Huang said.
tor and was casting minor roles. He was Casting agencies first took off in 1960s
inspired to set up an independent cast- in Hollywood, where actors signed with
ing agency in 2007 while working with acting agents instead of studios, making
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
50
it difficult for studios to find proper per-
formers for their production. Casting
directors then appeared.
The concept only took off in China
around 2010 during the country’s first
film industry boom. That year, Chinese
mainland films grossed over 10 billion
yuan (US$1.44b), a tenfold increase
compared to 2000.
The surge gave assistant directors
more say in production – including cast-
ing. This led to accusations of many
abuses, including casting couch tactics.
Influential casting director Shen Bo
was embroiled in scandal following
multiple accusations he had pressured
actresses for sex in exchange for roles in
Young Female Detective, an online drama
slated for release in 2024. Shen, who
also runs Zhejiang Invisible Woods
Film Media valued at 10 million yuan
(US$1.41m), is credited as the show’s
executive producer.
Aspiring actress and law student
Li En posted chat screenshots and re-
corded phone calls from Shen, alleging
that he controlled who she had access
to during the audition process after the
young woman had turned down his of-
fer to spend Valentine’s Day together. Li
claimed that Shen threatened her that
if she exposed their conversations, she
would never work in the industry nor
pass the bar exams, because he said no
public institute would hire a scandalous
person. Li was not cast in the show.
Other actresses who auditioned also
went public, accusing Shen of saying
they would never succeed in show busi-
ness without sex, according to a news
article from Netease in February. Shen
responded on Sina Weibo to one of the
women, saying he had hoped for a se-
rious relationship with her and decried
her decision to record and release all
their exchanges.
Production officially halted on
February 10, citing “inappropriate be-
haviour” from one of their crew in a
Sina Weibo post. “Next time, we will
pay more attention to our staff mem-
bers’ moral codes,” the post reads.
Veteran actors said these abuses had
been rampant for decades. During a
2017 interview, Jiang Xin, known for
her role in the 2011 costume drama Em-
press in the Palace, shared a glimpse into
the industry’s darker side:
“I happened to see a director flipping
through the headshots of actresses like
an emperor turning one of the name
boards of his concubines for a night.
Finally, the director picked one up and
shouted ‘this girl looks good’ in a rather
disrespectful and reckless way,” Jiang
said.
Industry Reboot
Concerned about the trend, assistant
director Yao Yuan set up the Associa-
tion of Chinese Assistant Directors in
2009, which included nearly 500 assis-
tant directors committed to transparent
casting and sharing resources with one
another.
“Assistant directors were considered
inferior at that time. To be frank, we did
nothing but odds and ends for direc-
tors,” Yao told ChinaReport.
Yao said an industry friend advised
him to start a firm that focused solely on
casting, as was standard in Hollywood.
In 2015, Yao and several other assistant
directors set up Concentric People Star
Light specialising in casting, schedule
management and director assistance.
Other agencies, such as CD Home
Studio and Beijing Haohan Xingpan
Film Media Culture Co Ltd followed,
and their successes signalled an in-
creasingly professional environment in
China.
By 2014, casting agencies had gained
a firm foothold in the entertainment
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
51
industry. Working with investors, they
became indispensable in negotiations
for casting, managing actors’ schedules
and coordinating shoots.
The increasingly important role takes
more than talent. “We don’t just hire
graduates from film or acting schools.
Our staff must be cultured, be knowl-
edgeable and professional. Otherwise,
they won’t have the ability to analyze
screenplays and their roles,” Huang
said.
Li Meng, founder of film studio Yiya
Media, told ChinaReport that casting also
takes intuition, and not every rational
choice pans out.
“For instance, there was a TV drama
whose male and female leads seemed
well-matched in terms of their fame, ap-
pearances and ages. But they didn’t have
any on-screen chemistry,” Li said.
Casting in China reached its peak in
2019, with about 300 agencies across
the country, according to Yao. To tap
the market, filmmakers and studios had
also set up their own casting depart-
ments. However, most closed during
the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving only
dozens today.
“It’s a kind of reshuffling and rein-
carnation,” Huang said. “The survivors
proved to be the industry’s backbone.
With some adjustments, the entire field
can become more advanced,” he said.
During the lean years of the pan-
demic, many casting agencies took on
the role of talent agents, representing
their contracted actors for a percentage
of their fee to boost revenues. This not
only saw agencies poaching actors from
one another, but also stripped them of
their objectivity when recommending
actors for roles.
“If the role is not well acted and the
end-product is affected, agencies lose
credibility. This is a shortcut where no
one wins,” Yao said.
INTERVIEW
Roses
Roots of Iconic Blooms
Award-winning rose expert Wang Guoliang on the beloved flower’s Chinese roots
and its enduring power as a cultural symbol
By Xiao Yudi
R
oses are seen as a symbol
of love in Western culture,
but the fragrant flower has
roots in ancient China.
China News Service interviewed Wang
Guoliang, a researcher with the Jiangsu
Provincial Department of Agriculture
and Rural Affairs, and a laureate of the
Great Rosarians of the World Award,
an annual award given in California
that has recognised great contributors
to the world of roses since 2001, to
learn more about how this flower was
cultivated in China, and, after breeding
and propagation, blossomed in Europe
and around the world.
CNS: Please share your experience
of winning the Great Rosarian of the
World Award and your research into
the origin of roses?
Wang: In 2016, I was invited to visit
the Huntington Library, Art Museum
and Botanical Gardens in San Marino,
California. The selection committee
bestowed me with the award in recog-
nition of my many years of academic re-
search and influence in the fields of the
rose and the China rose (Rosa chinensis).
Early on I proposed the notion of
“the China rose, the rose of the world,”
which has been recognised both at
home and abroad after years of promot-
ing it at international academic events.
Before that, the West regarded
1867 as the debut of the first modern
rose, which is called La France, which
features long and broad petals, thick
leaves, is everblooming (blooms
throughout the growing season) and
has a tea-scented fragrance. In fact,
modern roses are by no means different
from roses cultivated in ancient China,
which were widely popular during the
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
52
Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127),
with numerous renowned varieties.
The China rose is not a wild plant,
but a new cultivar fostered by ancient
Chinese gardeners through improving
the wild rose bush (the wild, unculti-
vated flower from which the rose and
the China rose were cultivated). Due to
its everblooming characteristic, ancient
Chinese people named the new cultivar
yueji, which literally means “blooming
every month.” Europeans crossbred
Chinese roses with local rose varieties,
creating the popular flowers we know
today.
CNS: How did the old China rose
take root in European gardens?
Wang: To better understand the
rose’s long-term evolution, we must
understand the history of rose cultiva-
tion in the East and the West.
China roses in full bloom in the median
strip of a road, Beijing, May 11, 2023
(Photo by VCG)
At a 2005 international symposium,
I proposed a six-period theory of the
evolution of the China rose: fossils,
introduction by ancient Chinese,
cultivation in palace gardens, the debut,
nationwide popularity, and worldwide
popularity. The first three periods
involve rose bushes, and during the
fourth period, Chinese gardeners of
the Wei (220-265) and Jin (265-420)
dynasties fostered the everblooming
China rose, based on several species
of roses endemic to the deep forests in
what are today’s Sichuan and Yunnan
provinces. Unfortunately, there is no
way for us to know how the ancients
cultivated the China rose.
It was also thousands of years ago
that Europe began to plant rose bushes
in gardens, and artificially cultivated
single-petal ones into multi-petal
varieties, thus creating different variet-
ies including the famous Damask Rose
(Rosa damascena). Later, porcelain deco-
rated with China rose patterns made
its way to Europe via the Maritime Silk
Road. At a time when Britain, the most
horticulturally advanced country in Eu-
rope, had over a thousand varieties of
ornamental plants, exotic flowers from
China, such as the peony and the China
rose, it inspired Europeans’ dreams of
the Orient.
Around the 18th century, China
roses were brought to Europe by
missionaries and plant hunters in huge
quantities. Less suited to local climates,
some of them had difficulties overwin-
tering in the open. Therefore, Europe-
ans crossbred the China rose with the
local multi-petal rose bushes. Based on
the China rose, Europe cultivated the
hugely popular rose of today, marking
the diversification and commercialisa-
tion of the China rose.
CNS: From a cultural point of view,
what is the difference between the
Chinese and Western understanding of
roses? How did it evolve?
Wang: Western rose culture boasts
a long history. I think the rose first
became associated with love in ancient
Rome. Romans called their beloved
“rose of my heart.” In Italian painter
Sandro Botticelli’s 1487 masterpiece
Birth of Venus, the red and light pink
flowers are roses. This is why the rose
is also known as “the flower of the
birth of Venus,” regarded as a symbol
and embodiment of love and beauty.
Apart from love, the rose also has
multiple meanings. In ancient Europe,
there was a tradition for victorious sol-
diers to wear a wreath of roses on their
head. Roses and lilies serve as orna-
ments in a series of paintings by differ-
ent artists themed on the Madonna and
Child, completed during the 15th and
16th centuries, where the rose became
the embodiment of sanctity. At the end
of WWII, the French yellow rose was
named Peace, which reflects the wishes
of people all across the world.
In China, rose culture is also rich and
diverse. There have been ritual vessels
with a five-petal floral motif excavated
from multiple locations, produced
between 7,000 and 6,000 years ago.
This suggests the rose bush was once
a widely worshipped totem. Therefore,
some scholars have called the rose bush
“the flower of China” in recent years.
The China rose soon won widespread
favour among nobility and common
people alike. The everblooming flower
reached its peak in popularity during
Wang Guoliang
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
53
the Song Dynasty (1127–1279).
But the China rose was not associ-
ated with love or romance in ancient
China. Instead, it was bestowed with
symbolic meanings of eternal happi-
ness, eternal spring and longevity.
CNS: As more varieties are being
bred, many traditional varieties of
the China rose are diminishing. How
should we protect them, and how
should we promote China rose culture?
Wang: Most people have never
even seen old China roses. There is
also a misconception, as many take
for granted that the old China rose is
inferior to its modern counterpart.
But old China roses are quite
beautiful, more resistant to disease,
easier to maintain, and more prolific
than new varieties produced through
repeated crossbreeding. The China rose
that dates back to the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644) at Shuimu Temple in Dali,
Yunnan Province is more than 30 cen-
timetres in diameter, and blooms like
a large tree. Its branches are 20 metres
long, with flowers up to or more than
10 centimetres in diameter, which
are like twinkling lights in a heavenly
street. The view of these China roses
is amazing, and they can be called the
very best China roses.
Despite its different cultural signifi-
cance in China and the West, the China
rose is widely seen as a symbol of
beauty. Whether regarded as the flower
of love or the flower of longevity, the
China rose is an expression of human
emotion and the wish for the continua-
tion of this beauty. That is exactly what
is known as harmonious coexistence.
May life be as everblooming as the
China rose, love be as sweet as the
rose, and affection linger as long as the
rose bush stands. This is my hope.
This article was originally published by
W.E. TALK, a China News Service produc-
tion. Reprinted with permission from CNS
HISTORY
Zhang Qian
Pioneer of the Silk Road
A Chinese explorer from more than 2,000 years ago provided the Han empire with
a reliable account of the uncharted lands of Central Asia and paved the way for the
development of the Silk Road
By Lü Weitao and Zhang Jin
I
n 2013, Chinese President Xi
Jinping made his first official visit
to Central Asian countries, includ-
ing Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, where he
mooted a cooperative plan to build an
“economic belt along the Silk Road.”
The precursor of the Silk Road,
China’s first major trade route, was
explored by Zhang Qian, head of a Chi-
nese diplomatic mission to today’s Cen-
tral Asia dating back more than 2,000
years ago, marking an important step
in history’s march towards globalisa-
tion. Since then, camel caravans linked
China, Central Asia and Europe for hun-
dreds of years.
Today, there are more than 80 “iron
camels” – the nickname given by Chi-
nese media to long freight trains be-
tween China and Europe, with most of
them passing through the rail network
in Central Asia, making it important in
China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Tough Trailblazer
The well-travelled trade route be-
tween Europe and China eventually ex-
tended approximately 6,440 kilometres,
traversing some of the world’s most
formidable landscapes. But it was the
unique merchandise at the end of the
arduous journey that made it worth the
effort for traders from China, Central
Asia, Middle East and Europe, prompt-
ing German geographer Ferdinand von
Richthofen in 1877 to coin the term
“Silk Road.” The route itself has never
been fixed, although at its longest, its
land route extended from central Chi-
na to Italy, through Central Asia, the
Middle East and Europe, with not only
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
54
goods, but culture, technologies, crops
and ideas spreading along it.
The establishment of the Silk Road
changed not only the way trade was
conducted but diplomatic relations as
well. While the most famous explorer
associated with the Silk Road is perhaps
Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant who
travelled from Europe to Asia in the
13th century and remained in China
for 17 years to serve the Mongol ruler
Kublai Khan, it was through the efforts
of several historical figures that the
networks of the Silk Road expanded to
incorporate vast areas of land.
More than 1,300 years before Marco
Polo travelled the Silk Road, recount-
ing tales of his adventures to those in
Europe, a Chinese envoy and explorer
named Zhang Qian conducted two expe-
ditions that are now considered to have

Jiayuguan, a pass in western Gansu Province, is the western end of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall
and was an important hub for traders along the Silk Road (Photo by VCG)
lain the foundations of the first trading
routes that later became the Silk Road.
In 202 BCE, after the tumultuous
Spring and Autumn Period and the
Warring States Period when Emperor
Gaozu, Liu Bang, united disparate states
to found the Han Dynasty in what is
today’s Central China, territories to the
north and west were constantly under
threat by the Xiongnu people, the no-
madic tribes known in the West as the
Huns.
The early Han emperors had to con-
centrate on implementing economic
and social reforms to recover from the
wars and consolidate their power. These
endeavours left the Han emperors with
no energy or resources to confront the
Xiongnu head on. They had to make
peace through marriage, gifts and a pas-
sive defence policy. In the meantime, the
Xiongnu kept expanding their territory
to control what are now the Chinese
regions of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang,
as well as into Central Asia.
By the time the Han’s seventh ruler,
Emperor Wu, ascended the throne in
141 BCE, the empire was becoming
prosperous and powerful. Emperor Wu
decided to handle the threat from the
Xiongnu by forming an alliance with
other tribes and kingdoms in areas out-
side his rule.
Emperor Wu heard the Xiongnu had
invaded the Yuezhi, a tribe that occu-
pied territory in what is now Northwest
China’s Gansu Province, killing their
king and forcing most of them to move
towards the west, and that the Yuezhi
were seeking revenge. He dispatched
Zhang Qian, a 25-year-old court atten-
dant, to lead an expedition into the un-
known region to seek a military alliance
with the Yuezhi.
In 139 BCE, Zhang Qian set off west
from the imperial capital of Chang’an,
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
55
Zhang Qian Park, Shule County,
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,
July 15, 2016 (Photo by VCG)
now Xi’an in Northwest China’s Shaanxi
Province. With a company of 100 men,
he travelled to the western end of the
Great Wall, which at the time extended
into the desert, and ventured further
towards the notorious Taklamakan Des-
ert, which is thought to mean “place of
no return,” though this nomenclature is
in dispute.
As soon as they left Han territory,
they were captured by the Xiongnu and
held for about 10 years. Zhang Qian and
his men managed to escape and contin-
ued their westward journey. They found
a way to bypass the death trap of the
Taklamakan Desert over the Tianshan
Mountains, eventually reaching the
Yuezhi’s new settlement in what is now
Tajikistan in 129 BCE.
Although the Yuezhi had been hu-
miliated and expelled by the Xiongnu
from their former territory, more than a
decade had passed and they had settled
down and lost their lust for revenge.
Zhang Qian tried for a year to persuade
the Yuezhi leader to form a military alli-
ance with the Han, but his efforts were
in vain.
On his return trip, Zhang Qian was
again captured by the Xiongnu, escaping
after a year when the Xiongnu were pre-
occupied with internal power struggles
after the death of their king. He finally
arrived in Chang’an after 13 years in 126
BCE, with only one man left from the
100 who started out with him, although
HISTORY
A statue of Zhang Qian stands in front of Chenggubei Railway Station, Hanzhong,
Shaanxi Province, August 14, 2022 (Photo by VCG)
their fates are not known.
Emperor Wu had long given up hope
for Zhang and his expedition, believ-
ing they had perished. The emperor
was amazed at Zhang Qian’s detailed
reports of the people and landscapes of
the lands he had seen in the west, re-
warding Zhang for his endeavours with
a promotion.
This expedition marked the start of
what can be described as the precursor
to the Silk Road. Although the route
had almost certainly been used by occa-
sional traders before Zhang Qian’s trip,
it was through Zhang that the Han Dy-
nasty discovered the potential for trade
with lands to the west, thus laying the
foundation for what was eventually to
be known as the Silk Road.
Zhang Qian was later assigned many
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
56
military tasks against the Xiongnu be-
cause of his knowledge of western re-
gions. For his contributions in assisting
generals Wei Qing and Huo Qubing in the
battlefield, he was awarded a noble title.
Travels In Step
In 119 BCE, Emperor Wu sent Zhang
Qian on a second expedition to forge a
military alliance against the Xiongnu
with Wusun, a state that was located
in present-day Xinjiang Uygur Autono-
mous Region. By this time, Xiongnu ter-
ritory had largely been taken over by the
Han empire, so the delegation of 300
men and a rich stock of presents arrived
in Wusun safe and sound.
But Wusun was engaged in a civil
war and showed no interest in fight-
ing against the Xiongnu. However, they
agreed to send a delegation of diplo-
mats, merchants and translators and
escorted Zhang Qian on his return trip
to Han territory. Despite the frustration
with Wusun, Zhang sent his assistants
to visit other states and kingdoms in
territories in present-day Uzbekistan,
Afghanistan, Iran and India.
In 115 BCE, Zhang Qian returned to
Chang’an. During the second expedi-
tion, more tribes and states along the
Silk Road decided to establish diplo-
matic relations with the Han, and more
diplomats and merchants arrived in the
empire. After the Wusun delegation re-
ported back what they had seen, their
ruler formally concluded a marriage al-
liance with the Han. In the end, the plan
to forge an alliance against the Xiongnu
worked out. The Xiongnu were finally
driven from Northwest China and the
power of the Han empire spread across
the entire Tarim Basin.
Zhang Qian’s mission helped bring
China into contact with the Western
world and established the networks
needed for the Silk Road to become a
major link for transportation and trade
over the centuries to come.
Caravans could safely journey through
the western regions, while western-
bound traders exported silk and other
wares, returning with all kinds of new
wonders and tales about the empires of
the West.
Silk was exchanged for luxuries such
as furs, precious stones and ivory. New
varieties of food, which later became
central to China’s agricultural produc-
tion, were also introduced, such as
grapes, watermelons, cucumbers, garlic
and celery.
Chinese technologies and tools also
spread to the West: a few significant
examples include agricultural tools and
irrigation techniques, as well as pottery Zhang Qian Memorial Hall, Chenggu County, Shaanxi Province, September 28, 2003 (Photo by IC)
and metallurgy techniques.
Perhaps some of the most long-stand-
ing and ongoing legacies of this remark-
able trade network are reflected in the
many distinct cultures, languages, cus- around the lower reaches of the Yellow really the ancient envoy’s tomb.
toms and religions that were exchanged River and the base of the Han empire, While leaders of China and Central
along these routes. The passages of via the nascent trading route. Asian countries released the Xi’an Dec-
merchants and travellers of many dif- Zhang Qian died a year after return- laration of the China-Central Asia Sum-
ferent nationalities brought about not ing from the second expedition in 114 mit with a list of outcomes, it is thanks
only commerce but also a continuous BCE. He was buried in his hometown to Zhang Qian, an explorer and diplo-
process of cultural interaction. in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province. His mat in every sense of the word, that the
On his second expedition, Zhang tomb was listed in 2014 as an important six countries are able to develop the
Qian took with him a group of acro- world heritage site as part of UNESCO’s determination and connectivity to work
bats and magicians. The familiar four- “Silk Roads: the Routes Network of together to foster a closer China-Central
stringed Chinese lute, or pipa, and the Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor.” The tomb Asia community with a shared future
reed flute called the hujia were then in- was excavated in 1939, although there is along an open, inclusive, and mutually
troduced to the Central Plains, the area debate in academia as to whether it is beneficial modern Silk Road.

This article is a transcript of an episode

of NewsChina’s Podcast The Context.
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music,
Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Deezer, Listen
Notes, Player FM, Podcast Index and RSS Feed.

CHINA REPORT I July 2023

57
LIFE

Torch bearer Zhang Hong,

China’s first ever speed
skating Olympic champion
at Sochi in 2014, runs
during the torch relay of the
Chengdu 2021 FISU Summer
World University Games in
Harbin, northeast China’s
Heilongjiang Province, June
15, 2023 (Photo by VCG)

Sport

Fired Up
As host of the 2023 Summer Universiade, Chengdu’s world-class facilities and
cultural flair prove a winning combination for the annual athletics event
By He Shaoqing

“
I have been in China many
times since 1978 and China has
changed a lot. It is a completely
different place,” said Gianni
Merlo, president of the International
Sports Press Association (AIPS) af-
ter visiting the venues for the 2023
World University Games in Dong’an
Lake Sports Park, Chengdu, Southwest
China’s Sichuan Province, which will be
held from July 28 to August 8. “Looking
forward to witnessing a new history in
Chengdu this summer,” he said.
World Sports Journalists Day is cel-
ebrated every year on July 2. As the
Chengdu Summer Universiade ap-
proaches, a growing number of Chinese
and foreign sports journalists have ar-
rived ahead of time to experience the Chengdu Universiade mascot Rongbao and torch Ronghuo are on display at a press conference
heritage, scenery, energy and passion of held by the Chengdu municipal government, June 2, 2023 (Photo by VCG)
this world-famous city.
CHINA REPORT I July 2023

58
Blaze of Glory
This is the third Chinese city to host
the Universiade after Beijing in 2001
and Shenzhen in 2011, and the first
time in Southwest China. The Chengdu
Universiade was originally scheduled
for 2021 but was delayed due to the
pandemic.
Chengdu is the hometown of China’s
national treasure, the giant panda, the
birthplace of the ancient Shu civilisa-
tion, the cradle of Chinese tea culture,
the starting point of the ancient South-
ern Silk Road. It is the only metropolis
in China with a view of 6,000-metre-
high snow-capped mountains. With
other international competitions also
lined up such as the 2024 Thomas &
Uber Cups badminton tournament and
the 2025 World Games, the more than
3,000 year old city is being revitalised by
sports.
In 2019, the Universiade was of-
ficially handed over to Chengdu after
receiving the flag of the International
University Sports Federation (FISU)
from Naples, Italy. Chengdu launched
a design competition for the emblem
and mascot of the Universiade, which
included expert evaluations and a round
of online voting.
In June 2023, officials unveiled de-
signs for the Chengdu Universiade
emblem, medals, mascot Rongbao (rong
refers to Chengdu in Chinese) and the
torch, called the Chengdu Flame, or
ronghuo. Rongbao is a panda with flame-
shaped ears, eyes and tail, embodying
the city’s fiery local culture. The flame
represents the spice of the city’s famous
hot pot cuisine, the fire-breathing com-
ponent of face-changing performances
in Sichuan opera, and Chengdu people’s
passion and exuberance, all of which
convey Chengdu’s warmth to the world.
“This is a great design, very interest-
ing. I want to put Rongbao in my office,”
Mrs Carrie Lam, the fifth Chief Execu-
tive of the Hong Kong Special Admin-
istrative Region, said after receiving a
Rongbao doll as a gift from her friend.
Lam, who has visited the city many
Gianni Merlo, president of the International Sports Press Association, plays basketball with school
children, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, May 15, 2023 (Photo by Liu Haiyun)
times, described Chengdu as a “city that
you don’t want to leave once coming
here.” She hopes that Hong Kong ath-
letes will visit more places in Chengdu
in their down time between events.
Warm Welcome
As of May 16, 89 national and region-
al delegations including 9,154 members
have registered for the Chengdu Uni-
versiade. They will witness the enthusi-
asm and vitality of youth this summer.
To document the preparations for the
Chengdu Universiade, sports journal-
ists from around the world descended
on Chengdu. “Chengdu’s stadiums are
Olympic-level, and I never thought I’d
see such a wonderful place in the city,”
said Gianni Merlo, adding that AIPS will
continue to help member associations
maintain communication and coopera-
tion with the Chengdu Universiade so
that journalists can better cover the
event.
The Chengdu Universiade has
changed the city far more than just bet-
ter sports facilities and public services.
There are also comprehensive benefits
that go far beyond sports itself, such as
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
59
beautifying the city, improving its busi-
ness environment and improving the
lives of its residents.
Because of its large-scale sporting
events, Barcelona has become the sev-
enth-largest city in Europe that contin-
ues to drive the recovery of the Spanish
economy. Los Angeles has spawned the
world’s largest sports market. Sports
complex The Staples Centre, home of
the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Los
Angeles Clippers, the WNBA’s Los An-
geles Sparks, hockey team Los Angeles
Kings and other franchises, has become
a mecca for sports fans worldwide.
The Universiade is also changing
Chengdu. As a world-class event, it will
become a window for international dia-
logue between Chengdu, western China
and the world.
When the event begins, athletes,
sports journalists and tourists from
various countries will once again spread
the peace, friendship and hope of the
Chengdu Universiade, the charm and
stylish flair of Chengdu, as well as the
vision of a community with a shared fu-
ture for humankind from China to the
world.
OUTSIDEIN
Hot Spring Resorts
An Immersion in Spa Culture
Take the waters as you relax in one of China’s hot spring resorts, whether in the centre of
a busy city or in a natural geothermal landscape
By Michael Jones
O
ne of the greatest pleasures of
living or travelling in China is
the abundance of hot spring
resorts. Many of these resorts
contain hot springs that are fed by naturally
heated water, rising from geothermal vents
below. Hot spring resorts come in many
shapes and sizes, and they exist in almost
every context, from the central business
district of Beijing to tiny villages nestled in
the remote mountains of Tibet. Hot springs
are everywhere, and their variations tell you
a lot about local areas and modern China in
general. Here are some of the best.
Biquan Kongzhong Hot Spring
Conghua District in Guangzhou, Guangdong
Province is famous for hot spring resorts,
but they vary considerably in quality. Biquan
Kongzhong Hot Spring is regarded as one of
the best. It is located on the roof of a hotel
building with a fabulous view of forests,
mountains and a river. The resort
features a broad range of pool
temperatures, including delightfully
warm scented pools for relaxation
and two gently warmed pools for
swimming in. Unusually for hot
spring resorts, Biquan Kongzhong
includes a free fish pedicure pool,
and a variety of bubbling options
within certain pools, ranging from
a gentle whirlpool to fierce massage
jets. Due to the hotel nature of the
resort, there is also a level of service
that is not common in other hot
spring resorts, with staff regularly
bringing guests water or tea for free,
and other drinks, including beer, for
a very reasonable price.
Enping Jinjiang Hot Spring
Enping Jinjiang Hot Spring in
Enping, Guangdong is located
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
60
An overview of
Shulechi Hot
Spring Leisure
Park, Chengdu,
Sichuan Province
(Photo by Michael
Jones)
within an area of major geothermal
activity. In the centre of the park
there is a deep well linked to an
underground hot water source. The
management pride themselves on
lowering fresh eggs into the well
for them to emerge hard boiled.
This ensures the pools within the
park are always piping hot, without
needing any artificial heating. The
park is large and contains a good
variety of activities in addition to
the hot springs, such as an ice-cold
cave and a lazy river. A large area
of the park is dedicated to family-
friendly water fun, and so it is not
as peaceful as some other hot spring
parks. However, there is a garden
area with small fragranced pools
designed for privacy and relaxation.
The unique selling point of the resort
is the ability to rent small individual
chalets overnight. Each chalet
has its own large hot spring pool
within a secluded garden. You have
complete control over the desired
temperature and can buy fragrant
bags of herbs to add to the water if
you wish.
Shulechi Hot Spring
Leisure Park
Shulechi Hot Spring Leisure Park
is a garden-based hot spring resort
tucked away behind a major hotel
in the centre of business area
of Wenjiang District, Chengdu
city, Sichuan Province. There are
two large pools on a raised level,
one of which is gently heated,
while the other is cold and purely
for swimming. The large garden
features dozens of small pools tucked
away behind rocks and hedges,
to preserve a fabulous sense of
privacy and tranquillity. The natural
plants, flowers and the open sky
above certainly add a serenity that
is slightly lost when visiting indoor
hot spring resorts. This is even more
remarkable when one considers that
this resort is centrally located within
the an urban district of Chengdu.
While other hot spring resorts are
located in more tranquil settings,
they are considerably less convenient
to reach. For a city centre location,
it is hard to imagine anything more
serene. There are also excellent
provisions in the way of food and
refreshments, allowing visitors to
stay and relax the whole day if they
wish.
Shengtai New Century
Resort
This hot spring park is primarily
contained within a very large
glass dome, adjacent to the beach
of Beidaihe, Hebei Province.
The indoor pool area has been
extensively decorated with mature
tropical trees, creating a wild jungle
appearance. The trees help to add a
sense of privacy to each of the pools.
The lazy river at Enping Jinjiang Hot Spring
Resort, Enping, Guangdong Province (Photo
by Michael Jones)
There are also a few outdoor pools
benefitting from views of the open
ocean. Sadly, during the depths of
winter, the resort seems to close all
but one of their outdoor hot springs.
For many a foreign tourist, nothing
seems more appealing than skipping
through the icy winds to submerge
into serene, hot and fragrant waters,
while breathing in fresh oxygen and
gazing out upon an uninterrupted
view of the adjacent beach and the
lapping waves just metres beyond.
Unfortunately, for many local
people, it seems that appeal is lost.
Nevertheless, the resort offers an
excellent opportunity to relax after a
long day hiking along the coast.
Grand Metropark Longxi
Conference Centre Hot
Springs
Directly adjacent to Grand Me-
tropark Longxi Conference Centre
in Daxing District, Beijing is one of
the largest indoor hot spring resorts
in China. Encompassed by a glass
roof, it is filled with tropical trees to
give the impression of a rainforest.
There is a large cool swimming pool,
shaped like a wild lake, surrounded
by hot springs. In small rooms to the
side there is a free salt-bath centre,
more hot springs, a cafeteria, and spa
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
61
treatments. One feature are the hot springs
that contain whole fruits bobbing around at
the surface, including one pool containing ap-
ples, and another containing grapefruits. This
makes a change from the usual “big tea bags”
that are normally used to give the pools their
scent. Perhaps the nicest feature is that several
of the hot spring pools are almost entirely hid-
den by huge rock features, giving an immense
sense of privacy and splendid isolation, which
is difficult to achieve anywhere in Beijing.
On special occasions they turn the children’s
pool into a mayhem of bubbles, which might
detract a little from the relaxation of adults in
adjacent pools, but is awfully fun to watch.
Jiuhua Spa and Resort
Jiuhua Spa and Resort is one of the most
famous hot spring resorts in Beijing, in part
due to the location’s history and connections
to the imperial household of the Qing dynasty.
It is also a lot cheaper than many of the other
hot spring resorts. The resort, located in
Changping District, contains numerous indoor
springs, but the highlights are the outdoor
springs surrounding the swimming pool. The
resort is designed to look like the inside of a
traditional Chinese temple or palace. However,
the architectural tranquillity is juxtaposed by
the cinema-sized screen playing children’s
cartoons on full volume. The very notion of
watching cartoon cars racing around a track
seems rather at odds with the idea of relaxing
within a hot spring. Mind you, at least 80
percent of the attendees are so transfixed
by their mobile phones that they might not
notice the gigantic screen.
Practicalities
When to go – hot spring resorts can be enjoyed any
time of the year and can provide a wonderful winter
escape. Public holidays can be busy. Resorts often
have small single sex areas where nudity is common.
Mixed-gender areas always require a bathing suit, and
you may need a swimming cap for regular swimming.
Hot spring resorts almost always provide water, tea and
sometimes other cold drinks for free. It is wise to hydrate
often. You will normally need to pay for food, so many
people bring their mobile phones in a waterproof case.
ESSAY
Speaking My Languages
By Sam Duckett
S
o you’ve mastered Chinese,
passed the HSK exam, and
become the talk of the town
among your social circles. What
next? A few years ago, I had the idea to
utilise my Chinese skills as a tool to learn
another foreign language, and it turned
out to be a fantastic and equally challeng-
ing experience.
When I say “utilise my Chinese skills,”
I mean exactly that. My intention was
to solely rely on the tools and resources
available to me in China, refraining from
using learning materials from the UK.
This experience proved to be quite chal-
lenging but also offered a unique sense
of fulfillment, pushing my Mandarin
comprehension further and serving as a
testament to the years of hard work I had
put in.
I decided to study Japanese, which,
along with Korean, is among the better
choices for Mandarin speakers. If you
visit any Japanese language forum, you're
likely to come across common complaints
like “I want to learn Japanese, but kanji is
too hard.” However, I vividly remember
diving into a Japanese textbook for the
first time and quickly realising that kanji
literally means Chinese characters, or
hanzi. Upon realising that my Chinese
was going to give me a real advantage, I
felt a sense of comfort and relief.
It’s not just the shared use of kanji; the
pronunciation of many Japanese words
is also derived from Chinese. Combine
this with the cultural similarities in daily
conversations, and the daunting task of
learning a new language suddenly seems
much more manageable.
From a professional standpoint, learn-
ing a new language in China can have
a positive impact on
your career prospects
as well. In the best-case At my media job, all our staff is fluent in
scenario, you’ll be able
to incorporate your Chinese and English, and many speak
new skillset into your
profession, whether
other languages. If I’m honest, learning
that’s in the media, a new language has made me feel a
working for a foreign
company, or pursuing a little less left out
job in translation. Even
if you’re unable to directly use your new
language professionally, having demon-
strated a strong work ethic and language-
learning abilities will be highly valued
by Chinese employers. For instance, at
my media job, all our staff is fluent in
Chinese and English, and many speak
other languages. If I’m honest, learning
a new language has made me feel a little
less left out.
China provides a wealth of exceptional
language resources designed to facilitate
learning and boost students’ confidence
during exams. While preparing for the
Japanese language exam, I purchased
prerecorded lessons on Taobao and was
blown away by the teaching quality.
The popular online teacher, Yezi Laoshi,
offered vivid examples, an approach-
able teaching style, clear explanations,
and even took the time to message me
directly to address any questions I had. I
can confidently say that finding a better
online course in the UK would have been
a struggle.
In addition to the excellent selection
of online and offline classes, foreign
language learning often forms the
foundation for many popular online
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
62
influencers in China. After following a
dozen new content creators, I found that
incorporating a new language seamlessly
integrated into my everyday life. I enjoyed
swiping through various tips and short
lessons during my coffee break or on the
subway. It also became a fantastic way to
ask questions, connect with like-minded
individuals, and make new friends with
similar interests.
Despite all the advantages of studying a
foreign language in China, there are also
a few disadvantages. Securing an exam
spot or enrolling in offline classes at a
reputable school can be incredibly difficult
due to the sheer number of applicants.
The stress of applying for the Japanese
proficiency exam still haunts me to this
day. Additionally, not having a Chinese ID
card made the application process even
more complex. I had to directly contact
the exam sector to register on the website
and book an exam spot.
This is solely my perspective, but I
firmly believe that learning a new foreign
language can have significant mental
benefits for any expat residing in China.
While I don’t currently have any specific
future goals that involve taking on major
academic challenges, I feel incredibly
grateful to have found a learning environ-
ment in Beijing that has motivated me
to become a better version of myself. I’m
confident that when the time comes for
me to embrace a new challenge, I will
be well-prepared and self-assured in this
environment.
We Do, or We Chat?
By Chris Hawke
F
or many Western men who end
up getting married to Chinese
women, things are wonderful at
first, but can suddenly change.
Sometimes it’s immediately after the
marriage. Sometimes after the first child
is born. Sometimes it’s after the in-laws
come to visit and don’t leave for months.
The men are left confused and
bewildered. What the heck happened?
Once upon a time, you would have had
no clue, and end up commiserating with
other shell-shocked husbands at the local
foreigner bar.
But in China, there is now a WeChat
group for almost every question. That
includes WeChat groups for foreign men
married to Chinese wives.
I’m an active member in one of them.
You might think we spend most of our
time complaining about our wives. We
do not. Everyone in our group is focused
on how to work things out.
This is because marriage at the best
of times is challenging. It
is especially hard when
the often invisible forces
of two cultures collide in
Joining this group made me
ways that might not be realise that a lot of the very
apparent.
Joining this group made weird and specific things I've
me realise that a lot of the
very weird and specific
noticed about my marriage
things I’ve noticed about are actually very common
my marriage are actually
very common.
For example, tens of thousands of
words have been written in our group
agonising over the Chinese fear of cold.
Our wives and in-laws have spoken
a thousand variations of these ideas:
“Drinking cold water will cause stomach
problems.”
Knowing some form of this conversa-
tion is happening every day between
mixed couples is somehow reassuring.
Fortunately, our group aims to
raise cultural awareness, not traffic in
stereotypes. One person pointed out that
the Chinese rule about drinking only
boiling hot water has saved the lives
of millions of people who would have
otherwise died of unclean water. This
practice was in place long before West-
erners knew anything about germs.
In a broader sense, the group is
reassuring because it reminds us that
keeping a marriage happy and healthy is
very, very tough and takes a lot of work
and compromise. When in the thick of
trying times, it is easy to imagine that
every other married couple is giggling
during a regular Wednesday date night
or gazing lovingly at their child while
feeling gratitude for all the gifts their
family has been blessed with.
WeChat says: Not true. A lot of mar-
riage is trying to drudge through the
details of daily living without getting too
annoyed by your significant other.
Then there are endless conversations
about the complications of having a
mixed child. Should the name on the
birth certificate be in Chinese, English,
or both? What office issues a “travel
document” and why do you need it?
How do you renounce one nationality
and choose another?
Occasionally, some member of the
group becomes a negative example and
inadvertently reminds us why we have to
compromise with our wives and in-laws.
One hotheaded Irishman kept butting
heads with his mother-in-law over safety
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
63
issues like whether a baby should sleep
in the crib with a blanket. The mother-
in-law insisted yes, or the baby would
get cold and die. The Irishman pointed to
the risk of sudden infant death syndrome
and accidental strangulation associated
with having a blanket in an infant’s crib.
When both sides in an argument insist
on winning, a lot more is at stake than
the issue at hand. Trust, goodwill, and
even love can be slowly worn away as
egos strive for dominance.
In truth, the chance of that baby
dying of SIDS or cold were remote. But
as these conflicts continued, it became
obvious that the chances of that marriage
surviving were growing vanishingly
small.
This Irishman was eventually booted
from the group for complaining about
his wife constantly while refusing to
listen to advice or acknowledge he might
be at fault.
I know more about him and his drama
than I want to.
But I was thankful for his presence to
remind myself what a dead end insisting
on winning arguments is even if it feels
righteous and energising at the time. As
many group members told him “You can
be right, or be happy.”
Daily topics in the group aren’t always
profound. Mostly we remind each other
that things that look ridiculous often
have some solid reasoning behind them.
We exchange old saws like: “Men
get married assuming their wife won't
change, women marry assuming they
can change their husband.”
And we do the unforgiving work of
bridging cultures, comforted by knowing
it is tough for everyone.
GOODTASTE
Fuel for the Dragon Boat Fest
By Mina Yan
Dragon Boat Festival is here, and for
foodies that can mean only one thing
– it’s zongzi time! Zongzi, or sticky rice
dumplings, are essentially glutinous rice
with various fillings wrapped in bamboo
leaves and steamed or boiled. Consider-
ing how important they are to Chinese
food culture (and how delicious they
are), they’re really easy to make.
Similar to during the Mid-Autumn
Festival and its required mooncakes, ev-
ery hotel, restaurant, bakery and super-
market will be selling its own variation
of this festival treat. And, just like with
mooncakes, there’s the traditional route
and the more contemporary one. To be
frank, in the case of zongzi, traditional
flavours prevail.
Let’s start by how this holiday treat
came to be. Chinese folklore dates its
origins back to 278 BCE when the poet-
statesman Qu Yuan drowned himself
in the Miluo River in today’s Hunan
Province. Known for his loyalty and
kindness, people threw rice dumplings
into the river in hopes that the fish
would feast on the rice instead of his
REALCHINESE
dayou
Buddy dates
With China’s number of single
people exceeding 200 million and
its marriage rate at a 37-year low
according to official data, dayou is
more and more popular among
young people.
A specific kind of friendship,
dayou – da meaning “keep company”
and you meaning “friend” – refers
to finding someone to do a specific
thing together. For example, fanda
body as he floated down the river.
It was only in later years that people
started wrapping them into the rice
dumplings with popular fillings that we
know and love today.
Making zongzi as a family is an im-
portant part of the holiday tradition for
many people, very similar to dumpling
making during Chinese New Year.
Zongzi are actually incredibly easy to
make, which makes them a great activity
to do with kids and is a fun way to pass
down your family’s traditions together.
The most difficult part is preparation.
The bamboo leaves are sold dry and
need to be soaked in advance. Then the
glutinous rice and stuffing are usually
prepared by the most experienced family
chef in large batches so that when it
comes time for wrapping, everyone can
join in to create their own with ease.
It’s almost like edible origami, and
most families will have their own
signature way of wrapping zongzi. Most
end up like small pyramids bound with
string, but there will be the occa-
sional unconventional ones steamed in
means dining pal, jianshenda means
workout buddy. Dayou are often
based on a specific hobby, attending
a one-off event, or just a desire for
company.
In many cases, dayou meet for the
first time on social media or forums
dedicated to dayou matching. Some
meet up for a specific event and
spark true friendships, while others
never contact each other again.
CHINA REPORT I July 2023
64
bamboo stalks, while others may end up
looking like Mexican tamales.
Like with food in any country, classic
dishes vary from region to region.
Northern Chinese tend to prefer their
zongzi with sweet fillings, making them
more dessert-like, while southern
Chinese prefer savoury meats and
sometimes even seafood as fillings. And
of course, brands try to add their own
contemporary spin, such as chocolate
zongzi in the hopes that their luxurious
packaging designs and novelty will help
increase sales.
While I absolutely love beautiful
packaging when it comes to gifting food,
there’s no way that modern flavours
could ever compare with the classics.
From the classic pork belly and cooked
red meats from southern China to the
dessert-like red bean paste or white
sugar flavours of the north, zongzi
are an annual indulgence that brings
back the taste of family and childhood
memories.
dā yǒu
Dayou’s popularity shows a desire
to simplify socialising. According
to experts, young people are less
willing to spend time and energy on
making friends. Instead, they want
to find a casual buddy that shares
their interests without an emotional
investment. However, critics said
that this way of making friends
could drive young people to become
colder and more closed off.
 presents

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