OPINION: AI ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE P.20 | FEATURES: DOUBLE 11, BOOM OR BUST? P.

28

VOL.66 NO.47 NOVEMBER 23, 2023 WWW.BJREVIEW.COM

BRIDGING
DIFFERENCES
Takeaways from the San Francisco talks

RMB6.00
USD1.70
AUD3.00
GBP1.20
CAD2.60
CHF2.60
JPY188 ᥪԦ̼Ձ-e‫ڍ‬Юፑʶᤋ፝ՁὙ$/-(
CONTENTS
EDITOR’S DESK OPINION 31 A Common Thread
20 Rules or Barriers? Shanghai’s wool embroidery heritage
02 China and the U.S.:
Dream Team? AI development must be a level playing 34 Emerging Markets
field China’s closer ties with LAC countries

THIS WEEK 22 Rice to Riches 36 Hands Off the Wheel
Building a global community—the Autonomous driving, the future is now
COVER STORY Chinese way
38 The Rise of STEM
12 Regional and Global 24 Data Get a Protection Detail Matching students’ needs and curriculums
Recovery Intellectual property rights in the digital
High stakes at APEC 2023 world 40 Trash to Treasure
Secondhand merchandise volume is on the up
16 A Future-Oriented
San Francisco Vision 42 Recreating Giants
FEATURES A Beijing artist with a love for dinosaurs
Signaling a shift in tone
26 Reinforcing the Repertoire
Philadelphia ensemble conducts a
symphony of exchange CULTURE
46 Weaving a Better Life
28 Beyond the Buzz Traditional textiles on stage
Double 11, shopping boom or bust?

EXPAT’S EYE
48 Chengdu—Merging Tradition
And Modernity
Cover Photo: The Golden Gate Bridge in San Ecuadorian student bites into local culture
Francisco, the U.S., on October 29 (XINHUA) and cuisine
©2023 Beijing Review, all rights reserved.

www.bjreview.com Follow us on

MEDIA PARTNER BREAKING NEWS » SCAN ME » Using a QR code reader

Please recycle
EDITOR’S DESK
A News Weekly Magazine
Published Since 1958
China and the U.S.: Dream Team?
President: Li Yafang 0RUHSDVVHQJHUÁLJKWV. Intergovernmental common interests across a wide range
Editor in Chief: Li Jianguo
Associate Editor in Chief: Liu Yunyun discussions on artificial intelligence. of areas such as trade, agriculture and
Associate President: Gao Dingbo
Resumption of high-level military com- climate change management. Mutually
Executive Editor: Yan Wei
Production Director: Yao Bin munication. These are among the initiatives beneficial cooperation can go a long
Editor: Wang Hairong
Researcher: Lan Xinzhen to strengthen bilateral exchanges agreed way toward bridging differences. There
Editorial Consultants: Elsbeth van Paridon, G.P. Wilson upon by Chinese President Xi Jinping and is also an urgent need for the two to set
Reporters: Ji Jing, Kang Caiqi, Li Qing, Li Wenhan, Li Xiaoyang,
Liang Xiao, Lu Yan, Ma Miaomiao, Pan Xiaoqiao, Peng Jiawei, his American counterpart Joe Biden during a good example on the international
Tao Xing, Tao Zihui, Wang Jun, Wang Ruohan, Yuan Yuan,
Zhang Shasha, Zhang Yage their recent meeting in San Francisco. stage and assume their responsibilities
Visual Director: Pamela Tobey
Photographer: Wei Yao
President Xi traveled to the U.S. from as major countries.
Art: Li Shigong November 14 to 17 for this summit as With growing instability and uncertain-
Design Director: Wang Yajuan
Chief Designer: Cui Xiaodong well as the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic ty in the global economy, the APEC forum
Designer and proofreader: Zhao Boyu
Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ serves as a key platform for economic
Editorial Administrator: Zeng Wenhui
Planning Director: Xu Bei Meeting. The visit attracted much attention FRRSHUDWLRQLQWKH$VLD3DFLÀFUHJLRQ7KLV
Deputy Planning Director: Li Nan
World News Director: Ding Ying
against the backdrop of rising regional con- region is the world’s most economically
World News Deputy Director: Li Fangfang ÁLFWVDQGVOXJJLVKHFRQRPLFJURZWK prosperous one and has remained on track
Director of Digital Media: Yu Shujun
Director of Strategic Research: Zan Jifang During the summit, the leaders of the to contribute about two thirds of global
Deputy Director of Strategic Research: Lu Ling
world’s two largest economies charted the growth in 2023, according to a report by
Administration: Zhang Yajie
International Cooperation: Sun Xuan course for the sustainable development of the International Monetary Fund. Solidarity
Legal Counsel: Yue Cheng
China-United States relations, building on and cooperation are what brought the Asia-
North America Bureau (New York City)
Chief: Yu Shujun
the consensus reached when they met in 3DFLÀFHFRQRPLHVWRJHWKHULQWKHÀUVWSODFH
Executive Assistant: Zhao Wei Bali, Indonesia, a year ago. With this in mind, they should continue col-
Tel/Fax: 1-201-792-0334
E-mail: yushujun@cicgamericas.com China is committed to a stable and laborating to generate new growth for the
Latin America Bureau (Mexico City)
Chief: Lin Yeqing healthy relationship with the U.S. At the region and beyond.
Tel: 52-55-55127271 same time, there is no denying that they China and the U.S. are two giants in
Fax: 52-55-55332027
E-mail: chinahoymx@gmail.com have their differences and disagreements. WKH$VLD3DFLÀFUHJLRQ:KLOHWKHODWWHU
3HUX2IßFH /LPD
Chief: Meng Kexin However, these should not be a barrier that has technological and financial prow-
Tel: 0051-959212702
E-mail: revistachinaperu@gmail.com
alienates the two global players; instead, ess, China has huge market potential. In
*HQHUDO(GLWRULDO2IßFH they should always team up to find solu- this sense, it is imperative that the two
Tel: 86-10-68996252 tions through consultations as partners with giants work together to transcend their
Fax: 86-10-68326628
Editorial Desk mutual respect. differences and bring badly needed de-
Tel: 86-10-68996250
Partnerships Both countries need to focus on their velopment to the world. BR
Tel: 86-10-68995807
E-mail: yecong@cicgamericas.com
Distribution
Tel: 86-10-68310644
E-mail: circulation@cicgamericas.com CHINA......RMB6.00 U.S.A.......USD1.70
Published every Thursday by AUSTRALIA......AUD3.00 UK......GBP1.20
CICG Center for Americas, 24 Baiwanzhuang Lu,
Beijing 100037, China CANADA......CAD2.60 SWITZERLAND......CHF2.60
Overseas Distributor: China International Book Trading JAPAN......JPY188 EUROPE......EUR1.90
Corporation (Guoji Shudian), P. O. BOX 399, TÜRKIYE......YTL5.00 HK......HKD9.30 NEPAL......RS40
Beijing 100044, China
Tel: 86-10-68413849, 1-416-497-8096 (Canada)
Fax: 86-10-68412166 Ұ‫֧؀܉‬䩭Ѕм֔ҹо‫ؗ‬тҲѨ‫׭‬঵
E-mail: fp@mail.cibtc.com.cn Ұ‫֧؀ފ‬䩭Ѕм֔ҹ঵Ѥರ‫ت‬৚ЅК䩛‫ۏرߟܚ‬घ䩜
Website: http://www.cibtc.com
General Distributor for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan: сժ䩭‫صߟܚ‬՝‫ݚښ߇ڵ‬ນϽঅً௏൜䩭
Peace Book Co. Ltd. ൜ణϿ䩭ଽ઩ᇙଽࠃмᇷឡข࠭࠭ҙ౨ѕ߲ҹ᭏
17/Fl, Paramount Bldg, 12 Ka Yip St, Chai Wan, HK
Ұ‫ڗ‬䩭ଽ઩ᇙ
Tel: 852-28046687 Fax: 852-28046409
ւ൜ॣӈҦ䩭  тҲ‫ח‬ӈҦ䩭  
Beijing Review (ISSN 1000-9140 USPS 2812) is published weekly
WRITE TO US ୅ા䩭‫࠾ܗߟܚ‬୅ાϩࡳԍ‫ޅ‬
in the United States for US$64.00 per year by Cypress Books,
360 Swift Avenue, Suite 48, South San Francisco, CA 94080 Send an e-mail: editorsoffice@cicgamericas.com ‫߭ۏرߟܚ‬ҹ‫ؗ‬ёҷ‫׈‬,661
News Postage Paid at South San Francisco, CA 94080 мֵࢅϣ‫۟ۂ‬о‫ً׉ؗ‬䩭&1*௏т‫ًڊ‬䩭
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Beijing Review, Please provide your name and address
Cypress Books, 360 Swift Avenue, Suite 48, along with your submissions. ܲ‫ܙݍ‬Нً࢙‫׈صߟܚ‬ᑂ࢙֭ࠪҷً
South San Francisco, CA 94080 мֵജତ٣䩭Ϫ‫ھ‬෡ׄ
Submissions may be edited.

2 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com

 THIS WEEK
XINHUA

DIGGING DEEP
The Yuejin 3-3XC Well of China Petrochemical Corp. (Sinopec) in the Tarim Basin of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
in northwest China on November 15. Sinopec has completed the 9,432-meter deep oil and gas well, setting a new record for the
deepest onshore well in Asia, the company announced that day.

http://www.bjreview.com NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 3

THIS WEEK SOCIETY
Monumental
A visitor views a sculpture at the Xizang Art Museum in Lhasa, capital of Xizang Autonomous Region in
southwest China, on November 15. The new art museum opened that same day, exhibiting nearly 300
YQTMUD[HCOQWUKPVGTPCVKQPCNCTVKUVU6JGOWUGWOKUVJG³TUVTGIKQPCNNGXGNCTVOWUGWOKP:K\CPI
3RVW)ORRGó
Reconstruction
Beijing has formulated plans
HQTRTQOQVKPIRQUV´QQF
reconstruction projects in areas
CHHGEVGFD[VJG´QQFUKPNCVG
July and early August, accord-
ing to the Beijing Municipal
Commission of Development
and Reform, Beijing Daily news-
paper reported on November 12.
The affected areas include
the city’s districts of Fangshan,
Mentougou and Changping. As of
November 11, 142 related projects
had started construction. The proj-
ects involve multiple aspects such
as residential housing, infrastruc-
ture, public services, ecological
environment, village reconstruc-
tion and industrial revitalization.
4 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
The post-disaster reconstruc-
tion plans also include tasks to
enhance the city’s capabilities in
disaster prevention and mitiga-
tion, urban drainage, emergency
management and meteorologi-
cal support.
In neighboring Hebei
Province, which was also affected
D[VJG´QQFUTGEQPUVTWEVKQP
efforts are also continuing.
According to a conference held
in the province on November
11, which was attended by top
RTQXKPEKCNQH³EKCNU*GDGKYKNN
comprehensively study the
winter living conditions of the
affected residents and ensure
the supply of gas and electricity
to ensure that local people can
live comfortably and have warm
homes during the winter.
XINHUA
Passenger
Throughput
The annual passenger through-
put of civil aviation in Xizang
Autonomous Region in south-
west China is expected to surpass
6 million by late 2023, a Chinese
QH³EKCNUCKFQP0QXGODGT
Xizang will have seven
airports, with 154 air routes con-
necting 70 cities by the end of
2023, Yan Jinhai, Chairman of
the government of Xizang, said at
a press conference on the newly
released white paper titled CPC
Policies on the Governance of
Xizang in the New Era: Approach
and Achievements.
According to the white paper,
a comprehensive transport
system has been developed and
steadily improved in Xizang. Yan
said that the total road length in
Xizang has exceeded 120,000
km and bullet trains have started
operating there.
Sports Parks
Jiangsu Province in east China
RNCPUVQDWKNFMOQH³VPGUU
trails and at least 50 sports parks
QT³GNFUCPFRTQOQVGCVNGCUV
100 sports venues open to the
public with low or no entrance
fees next year, according to the
provincial sports department.
Jiangsu announced the
plan at a national meeting held
on November 13 to advance
the development of public
UGTXKEGU[UVGOUHQT³VPGUUCPF
physical activity in the city of
Zhangjiagang.
Chen Shaojun, Director of
the Jiangsu Sports Bureau, noted
that the province currently has
317,900 sports venues, with a
per-capita sports venue area of
4.03 square meters.
The ninth edition of the
Jiangsu Fitness Games in 2024
will include 33 events popular
among the public. These will be
determined by online voting and
sports associations, according to
Zhang Haitao, Deputy Director
of the Jiangsu Sports Bureau.
Pilot Trainees
The Chinese People’s Liberation
Army (PLA) Navy has been
continuously exploring and opti-
mizing the scope of recruitment,
selection methods and training
programs for carrier-based
aircraft pilot trainees, gradually
forming a distinctive selection
and recruitment model.
This was revealed at the PLA
Navy’s aviation recruitment con-
ference in Qingdao, Shandong
Province in east China, on
November 14.
In recent years, the scope
of recruitment for carrier-based
http://www.bjreview.com

aircraft pilot trainees in the PLA
Navy has been expanding.
Geographically, recruitment
now covers 31 provincial-level re-
gions, with the establishment of
14 naval youth aviation schools
nationwide.
In terms of trainee sources,
recruitment now includes main-
stream high school graduates,
graduates of youth aviation
schools, recent graduates of
military and civilian universities,
and college-students-turned-
soldiers.
In terms of gender com-
position, the recruitment and
selection process in 2023 includ-
ed female carrier-based aircraft
RKNQVVTCKPGGUHQTVJG³TUVVKOG
creating the potential to produce
%JKPC«U³TUVHGOCNGECTTKGTDCUGF
aircraft pilot.
)RUHVWó)RRG
China’s annual output of for-
est food has exceeded 200
million tons, data from the
National Forestry and Grassland
Administration showed, Xinhua
News Agency reported on
November 11.
Forest food refers to the food
produced in forests or wood-
lands, including edible fruits,
´QYGTUNGCXGUCPFDTCPEJGU
Forest resources are a
key component in ensuring a
http://www.bjreview.com
THIS WEEK
XINHUA
FKXGTUK³GFHQQFUWRRN[KP%JKPC
)CQ,WPMCKCPQH³EKCNYKVJVJG
administration, said.
China has more than 226.7
million hectares of forests and
8,000 woody plant species,
which contain rich food re-
sources, Gao added.
There is still much room for
the development of China’s for-
est food industry in the future, he
said, adding that China will work
to promote the transformation
and upgrading of the com-
mercial forest industry through a
range of measures.
Cancer Survival Rate En Route
The Chinese Government has Staff members load cargo onto an aircraft at Taoxian International
unveiled an eight-year action Airport in Shenyang, Liaoning Province in northeast China, on
plan for cancer prevention and November 13. An e-commerce air cargo route linking Shenyang and
treatment, aiming to achieve an Chicago in the United States was opened that same day.
QXGTCNN³XG[GCTUWTXKXCNTCVG
of 46.6 percent among cancer
patients by 2030.
The plan, covering the 2023- improve the country’s cancer rate of breast cancer, noting that it
30 period, was jointly formulated prevention and treatment network, aims to increase the cervical can-
by 13 government agencies, which covers medical institutions at cer screening rate to 70 percent
including the National Health the national, provincial, prefectural by 2030.
Commission. and county levels. With the promotion of tumor
According to the plan, by By 2030, tumor registration registration, cancer screening
2030, the ability of cancer will be expanded to cover all and early diagnosis and treat-
screening and early diagnosis county-level areas, according to OGPVCETQUUVJGEQWPVT[VJG³XG
CPFVTGCVOGPVYKNNDGUKIPK³- the plan. year survival rate among cancer
cantly enhanced, and the rising The government also moves patients in China has increased
trend of cancer incidence and to raise the early diagnosis rate of to 40.5 percent from 30.9 per-
mortality will be curbed. key cancer types in high-incidence EGPVCFGECFGCIQQH³EKCNFCVC
Measures will be taken to areas and the screening coverage showed.
XINHUA
/HWó,Wó)ORZ
A staff member operates machinery at the working site of the
Bozhong 19-6 Condensate Gas Field Phase I Development Project
in China’s Bohai Sea, on November 14. The project commenced
RTQFWEVKQPVJCVUCOGFC[6JGICU³GNFYKNNUWRRN[CUVCDNG´QYQH
clean energy to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the Bohai Rim regions.
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 5
THIS WEEK ECONOMY
Yuan Loans
China’s yuan-denominated
loans rose by 20.49 trillion
[WCP VTKNNKQP KPVJG³TUV
months of this year, according to
the People’s Bank of China, the
country’s central bank.
In October alone, the yuan-
denominated loans rose by
738.4 billion yuan ($101.7 billion).
The M2, a broad measure of
money supply that covers cash
in circulation and all deposits,
had climbed 10.3 percent year
on year to 288.23 trillion yuan
($39.7 trillion) as of late October.
The growth rate was
unchanged from the end of
September and down 1.5 per-
centage points from the end of
October last year.
The M1, which covers cash in
circulation plus demand depos-
its, stood at 67.47 trillion yuan
($9.3 trillion) as of late October,
up 1.9 percent year on year. The
growth rate was 0.2 percentage
points lower than at the end of
September and 3.9 percentage
points lower than at the end of
NUMBERS
China’s Producer Price Index Growth
(%)
4 4
Month on month
2 3
0.2 0.1
-0.5 -0.4 0 0
0 2
-1.4
-0.7 -0.8
-2.5
-2 -1.3 -1.3
-4
Year on year
-6
-8
OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
2022 2023
6 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
October last year.
The M0, the amount of
cash in circulation, went up 10.2
percent from a year ago to 10.86
trillion yuan ($1.5 trillion) at the
end of last month.
0GYN[CFFGFUQEKCN³PCPE-
ing, a measurement of funds that
KPFKXKFWCNUCPFPQP³PCPEKCN
³TOUTGEGKXGHTQOVJG³PCPEKCN
system, came in at 31.19 trillion
yuan ($4.3 trillion) during the
³TUVOQPVJUVTKNNKQP[WCP
($320.9 billion) more than the
same period last year.
At the end of October,
outstanding yuan loans rose
10.9 percent from a year earlier
to 235.33 trillion yuan ($32.4
trillion).
Auto Exports
Automobile exports of the
country logged steady growth
in October, data from the China
Association of Automobile
Manufacturers showed.
The country shipped
488,000 vehicles overseas
that month, up 44.2 percent
0.4
-0.2 0.2
-0.5 -0.9 -0.8
-2.5 -2.6
-3.0
-3.6
-4.6 -4.4
-5.4
year on year, according to the
association.
In breakdown, exports of
passenger vehicles stood at
421,000 units in October, soar-
ing 50.5 percent from the same
period last year.
Exports of commercial ve-
hicles rose 14.5 percent year on
year to 67,000 units during the
same period.
Internet backbone
China has launched the world’s
³TUVWNVTCJKIJURGGFPGZV
generation Internet backbone
with a bandwidth of 1,200 giga-
bits per second (1.2T), according
to a press conference in Beijing
on November 13.
The project, jointly developed
by Tsinghua University, leading
telecom operator China Mobile,
Chinese tech giant Huawei and
CERNET.com Corp., the commer-
cial arm of the China Education
& Research Network (CERNET),
boasts a transmission network
spanning more than 3,000 km
linking the three cities of Beijing,
China’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) Growth
(%)
Year on year
2.1 2.1
0
1.6 1.8
1.0
1 0.8
0.1 0 0.1 0.2
0
-0.2
-0.5 -0.3
-1
Month on month
-2
OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
2022 2023
Wuhan in Hubei Province and
Guangzhou in Guangdong
Province.
As a major technological
achievement of the national
Future Internet Technology
Infrastructure (FITI) project, it has
been running stably and reliably,
successfully passing a range of
tests since trial operation started
on July 31.
The FITI backbone is
operated based on China’s pro-
prietary key technologies such
as the next-generation Internet
core router 1.2T ultra-high-speed
IPv6 interface and the ultra-high-
speed multi-path aggregation.
Both the software and hardware
involved are made domestically.
The FITI, built by 40
Chinese universities including
Tsinghua University, is based
on IPv6 technology—IPv6
being the most recent version
of Internet Protocol. The core
nodes of its high-performance
backbone network are distrib-
uted across 40 universities in 35
cities nationwide.
0.7
0.2 0.3 0.2
0 -0.1
-0.1 -0.2 -0.2 0.1 0
-0.2
-0.3
http://www.bjreview.com

In April 2021, the high-
performance backbone network
QHVJG(+6+³TUVUVCTVGFQRGTCVKQP
achieving interconnection with
IPv4/IPv6 test facilities both at
home and abroad.
Negative Lists
China will accelerate the rollout
of national and pilot free trade
zone (FTZ) versions of negative
lists for cross-border trade in
services to boost opening up, the
Ministry of Commerce said on
November 9.
The negative lists identify the
sectors and businesses that are
off-limits or restricted.
6JGEQWPVT[TGNGCUGFKVU³TUV
negative list in services trade at
the Hainan Free Trade Port in
July 2021, specifying that domes-
tic and overseas service providers
should enjoy equal access in
sectors not on this list, ministry
spokesperson He Yadong said at
a press conference.
Regarding negative lists for
foreign investment access, such
lists have been reduced by more
-2.1
Education, culture and entertainment
-3 -2
http://www.bjreview.com
than 80 percent since 2013,
when the negative list approach
YCU³TUVCFQRVGFKP%JKPC«U
inaugural pilot FTZ in Shanghai,
data from the ministry showed in
September.
Insurance Brokers
Two foreign-funded insurance
brokerage companies, BMW
(China) Insurance Brokers
Co. Ltd. and ERGO-FESCO
Broker Co. Ltd., have received
regulatory approval to set up
in Beijing, according to the
National Financial Regulatory
Administration.
These two companies have
received authorization to conduct
insurance brokerage businesses,
including working on insurance
plans for policyholders as well
as reinsurance brokerage, on the
Chinese mainland.
In recent years, Beijing has
taken concrete measures to
GZRCPFJKIJNGXGN³PCPEKCN
opening up and facilitate
ETQUUDQTFGTKPXGUVOGPVCPF³-
nancing to attract more foreign
China’s CPI Growth by Type
October (% y.o.y.)
Clothing
Housing
-0.6
-0.9
Healthcare
Others (combined)
-1 0 1
³PCPEKCNKPUVKVWVKQPUCPFNQPI
term capital.
With Beijing promoting the
construction of the Integrated
National Demonstration Zone for
Opening up the Services Sector
and the China (Beijing) Pilot
Free Trade Zone in recent years,
the city has attracted six foreign
³PCPEKCNKPUVKVWVKQPUCPFTGRTG-
UGPVCVKXGQH³EGUQHVYQHQTGKIP
banks, according to the Beijing
branch of the National Financial
Regulatory Administration.
3KRWRYROWDLFó3RZHU
As of late September, nationwide
installed capacity of distributed
photovoltaic (PV) power gener-
ated by households had reached
about 105 million kilowatts (kW),
covering more than 5 million
households in China’s rural
areas, data from the National
Energy Administration (NEA)
showed.
In recent years, China’s
distributed PV power generated
by households has developed
rapidly, the NEA said, adding
Food
1.1
0.3
Household items and services
Transport and telecommunication
2.3
1.3
2 3
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW
THIS WEEK
that this has played a vital role
in ensuring the safe and reliable
supply of electricity, promoting
the green transformation of
energy as well as driving the
growth of farmer income.
+PVJG³TUVVJTGGSWCTVGTUQH
this year, newly added installed
capacity of household PV
power stood at 32.98 million
kW, accounting for about half of
the newly installed capacity of
distributed PV power, according
to the data.
6JG³IWTGCNUQTGRTGUGPVU
more than one quarter of China’s
total installed capacity of PV
RQYGTKPVJG³TUVPKPGOQPVJU
according to the NEA.
Citing projections from
related departments, the NEA
said that the development
potential of distributed PV power
generated by Chinese rural
households is huge, as nearly
27.3 billion square meters of total
roof area, covering more than 80
million rural households, can be
installed with PV power genera-
tion equipment.
3.6
4
(Source: National Bureau of Statistics)
7
THIS WEEK WORLD
XINHUA
¼
UNITED NATIONS
Representatives at a Security Council
meeting at the UN Headquarters in
New York on November 15 vote on a
draft resolution calling for urgent and
extended humanitarian pauses and
corridors in Gaza. The resolution won
the support of 12 of the 15
council members
XINHUA
8 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
¼
INDONESIA
An employee of a local store sells goods via
livestreaming in Jakarta on November 10.
Merchants there are busier than usual due
to the Double 11 online shopping festival, an
event originating in China in which e-commerce
platforms offer discounts in the days around
November 11
XINHUA
CAMBODIA
King Norodom Sihamoni lights the ceremonial victory
ĶUHLQVLGHWKH,QGHSHQGHQFH0RQXPHQWGXULQJWKH
Independence Day celebration in Phnom Penh
on November 9
http://www.bjreview.com
 THIS WEEK

¼
UNITED STATES
Chair of California Energy Commission
David Hochschild delivers a speech at the
Green Innovation and Sustainable
Development Forum in San Francisco
on November 13

XINHUA

XINHUA

¼
BRAZIL
Coffee enthusiasts at the SIC
(international coffee week) 2023
in Belo Horizonte on November
9. The three-day event, featuring
activities such as lectures, courses
and competitions, attracted more
than 20,000 participants from over
40 countries and regions

UNITED KINGDOM
Pro-Palestinian protesters rally in
London on November 11. Hundreds
of thousands of people took part in
the rally there, calling for an immediate
FHDVHĶUHLQWKH*D]D6WULS
XINHUA

http://www.bjreview.com NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 9

THIS WEEK PEOPLE & POINTS
¾ MOST GENEROUS INDIVIDUALS
Yang Guoqiang and his daughter Yang Huiyan have been named China’s most generous
people for the first time. Their charitable donations amounted to $820 million from September
1, 2022 to August 31, 2023, according to the recently released Hurun China Philanthropy List, a
ranking of Chinese philanthropists.
Yang Guoqiang is founder of Country Garden Group, one of China’s largest private real
estate developers based in Guangdong Province. In March, Yang Huiyan became chairperson,
replacing her father. The company’s market value is HK$21.27 billion ($2.72 billion).
Now in its 20th year, the list, compiled by Hurun
Research Institute, includes 34 philanthropists from
17 cities, who donated over 100 million yuan ($13.7
million) each over the one-year period. Education con-
tinued to be the biggest destination for donations made
by listed philanthropists, with 58 percent contributing
to this sector.

)DNH%LUWK&HUWL¼FDWHV year, fake birth certificates were sold to potential

Concealed Kidnap
China Youth Daily
November 8
Several hospital officials, including the head
of Jianqiao Hospital in Xiangyang, Hubei
Province, have been detained and are currently
under investigation for allegedly collud-
ing with illegal agencies to sell fake birth
certificates.
According to an online post created by
Shangguanzhengyi, an influencer who claims
to have worked undercover at the hospital for a
buyers for 96,000 yuan ($13,000). The hospital
would fabricate not only birth certificates, but
also entire personal profiles, including hospital
records and vaccination certificates.
These dirty facts are, as many netizens have
pointed out, only the tip of the iceberg. Provided
that the allegations are true, severe punishment
is a must. It is, however, not enough. Authorities
should also dig deep into the darker truths that
lie at the root of these fake birth certificates—
the complicated underworld of child trafficking.
Hopefully, these investigations may not only
lead to the rediscovery of missing children, but
also help expose a larger and more hidden web
of criminal activities.
Keep on Truckin’
Lifeweek
November 20
For years, China’s manufacturing boom
has been bolstered by robust government
backing, highly efficient factories and an
integrated transportation network. While
container ships, freight trains and air cargo
frequently appear in news headlines and
social media trends, people seem to have for-
gotten that there is another vital engine of the
country’s mighty manufacturing machine—
trucking services.
According to data released by the

“No economy, no nation, ´&KLQDóLVóDóJUHDWóSODFHóWRóDGYDQFHóWKHó

no society can truly flourish IURQWLHUVóRIóUHVHDUFKóDQGóDOVRóWRóGLVFXVVó
in isolation.” SRWHQWLDOóHWKLFDOóDQGóVRFLHWDOóLVVXHVóLQóWKHó
Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary General of LQWURGXFWLRQóRIóQHZóGLJLWDOóWHFKQRORJ\µ
WKHó8QLWHGó1DWLRQVó&RQIHUHQFHóRQó7UDGHóDQGó Antonio Frisoli, CEO of robotic technology company Next
'HYHORSPHQWóLQóDóUHFHQWóLQWHUYLHZóZLWKó *HQHUDWLRQó5RERWLFVóGXULQJóWKHóó:RUOGó,QWHUQHWó&RQIHUHQFHó
;LQKXDó1HZVó$JHQF\ :X]KHQó6XPPLWóZKLFKóFRQFOXGHGóRQó1RYHPEHUó

10 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com


Ministry of Transport in 2021, in 2020, China
had more than 17 million truck drivers, who
together carried 74 percent of the total volume
of goods transported within the country. To
catch up with the pace of China’s economic
boom, trucking service providers have been
working extra hard.
A particular field that poses many chal-
lenges for truck drivers is the transportation
of pharmaceuticals. Cold chain logistics
requires uninterrupted temperature control
from departure all the way to where they are
administered. As a result, dedicated commit-
ment on the driver’s part is required to ensure
sound delivery.
Export is another extremely demand-
LQJÀHOG$QH[DPSOHLVFURVVERUGHUIUHLJKW
transport between Laos and Yunnan, China’s
southwesternmost province. The China-
proposed Belt and Road Initiative, which
aims to boost connectivity along and beyond
the ancient Silk Road routes, has facilitated
WKHÁRZRIJRRGVEHWZHHQ&KLQDDQG/DRV
generating a huge demand for cross-border
trucking services. While this demand has
created job opportunities, truck drivers cross-
ing the border have to navigate unfamiliar
surroundings. Despite difficulties, hundreds
of thousands of them diligently race back and
forth on this route to support the rapidly ex-
panding trade between the two countries.
“While accelerating the construction
of public infrastructure, such as the
UHQRYDWLRQóRIóGLODSLGDWHGóQHLJKERUKRRGVó
LQóFLWLHVóDQGóWKHóFRQVWUXFWLRQóRIó
DIIRUGDEOHóKRXVLQJóWKHóJRYHUQPHQWóDOVRó
VHHNVóWRóVWULFWO\óFRQWUROóQHZóGHEWVóEHLQJó
KLGGHQóE\óORFDOóJRYHUQPHQWVµ
Zheng ShanjieóKHDGóRIóWKHó1DWLRQDOó'HYHORSPHQWóDQGó5HIRUPó
&RPPLVVLRQóLQóDóUHFHQWóLQWHUYLHZóZLWKó;LQKXDó´+LGGHQóGHEWVµó
DUHóWKRVHóRZHGóE\óORFDOóJRYHUQPHQWVóWKDWóWKH\óGRQ·WóLQFOXGHóLQó
their balance sheets
http://www.bjreview.com
THIS WEEK
Cancer Cluster and a visiting doctor who have worked in the
lab were recently diagnosed with cancer. The
Rednet.cn rare cluster of cancer cases has agitated a wave
November 9 of public concerns over laboratory safety.
Chinese social media have been lately shaken Apart from the risks of exposure to
by an unusual string of cancer diagnoses chemical carcinogens, the hospital’s delayed
among former oncology laboratory research- response is another major factor fueling
ers. The lab where they worked focuses on public outrage. This perceived reluctance to
breast cancer research and is affiliated with the DGPLWWKHWUXWKKDVEDFNÀUHGQRWRQO\KXUW-
Second Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University LQJLWVRZQUHSXWDWLRQEXWDOVRLQÁLFWLQJSDLQ
in Guangzhou, a large hospital in Guangdong on the victims.
Province. The tragedy cannot be reversed. What the
The news was first leaked allegedly by a hospital can still do, is to ensure that the af-
friend of one of the researchers involved. The fected receive proper treatment and to openly
hospital later confirmed that two of its surgeons share the truth after a thorough investigation.
¾ EMINENT MATHEMATICIAN WINS AWARD
World-renowned mathematician Shing-Tung Yau won this year’s Shaw Prize for
Mathematical Sciences for his work on problems arising from general relativity and string
theory.
Born in 1949 in Shantou, Guangdong Province, Yau is chair professor and director of
the Yau Mathematical Sciences Center at the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing.
He is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the U.S. National Academy
of Sciences. Yau has won numerous top international awards. His research is believed to
have had a deep and lasting impact on both mathematics and theoretical
physics.
The Shaw Prize, founded by Hong Kong-based media mogul and
philanthropist Run Run Shaw (1907-2014), has recognized remarkable
achievements in mathematical sciences, astronomy and life sciences
annually since 2004. Yau and Vladimir Drinfeld from the University of
Chicago shared this year’s mathematics prize.
“The current geopolitical tensions
are extremely complex. In such times,
WKHóXQLI\LQJóSRZHUóRIóVSRUWóLVóPRUHó
important than ever before.”
Thomas Bachó3UHVLGHQWóRIóWKHó,QWHUQDWLRQDOó2O\PSLFó
&RPPLWWHHóDWóWKHóó,QWHUQDWLRQDOó)HGHUDWLRQó)RUXPó
LQó/DXVDQQHó6ZLW]HUODQGóRQó1RYHPEHUó
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 11
XINHUA

COVER STORY

REGIONAL AND
GLOBAL RECOVERY
Asia Pacific should strive to communicate and cooperate more as uncertainty grows
By Ma Miaomiao

12 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com


international media center of the event in
San Fransisco, the U.S., on November 12
n January 1949, on the eve of
the founding of the People’s
Republic of China, Mao
Zedong, in a conversation
with Anastas Mikoyan, a
member of the Political Bureau of the
Central Committee of the Communist
Party of the Soviet Union, described
China’s foreign policy as “cleaning the
house before inviting guests.”
“If we compare China to a house-
hold, its house is far too messy, full of
hay, dust, fleas, bedbugs, cooties, and
all kinds of rubbish,” Mao said. “After
the country is liberated, we must do
http://www.bjreview.com
Journalists walk past a poster for APEC 2023 at the
some serious cleaning. We won’t invite guests until the
house is clean and tidy and everything is in its place...”
The city of San Francisco in California adopted
a “cleaning the house before inviting guests” tactic to
welcome attendees of the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting. The
city underwent a cleanup in preparation and streets once oc-
cupied by homeless encampments were cleaned and fenced
off, some with planter boxes adorned with wildflowers.
APEC, founded in 1989 and comprising 21 member
economies today, is one of the most important multilateral
cooperation mechanisms in the world, and the economic
leaders’ meeting provides a crucial platform to discuss
international and regional issues, coordinate policies and
exchange ideas, Liu Chenyang, Director of the APEC
Study Center of Nankai University in Tianjin, told Beijing
Review.
“The more complex the international situation, the
more prominent the role of the APEC platform,” Liu
said, adding it is worth paying attention to the discussions
among APEC economies on issues such as mitigating the
LQÁXHQFHRIJHRSROLWLFDOIDFWRUVEXLOGLQJFRQVHQVXVDQG
jointly maintaining regional peace and stability.
At the invitation of U.S. President Joe Biden, Chinese
President Xi Jinping traveled to the United States from
November 14 to 17 for a China-U.S. summit and the APEC
gathering.
China attaches great importance to these meetings as
an opportunity to cool down tense Sino-American rela-
tions, to bring certainty to a turbulent world and to ensure
WKDWWKH$VLD3DFLÀFUHJLRQZLOOFRQWLQXHWREHDQHQJLQH
of growth, Huo Jianguo, Vice Chairman of the China
Society for World Trade Organization Studies in Beijing,
told English-language Chinese newspaper Global Times.
Regional prosperity
The Asia-Pacific region is the most economically pros-
perous region globally, remaining on track to contribute
about two thirds of global growth in 2023, according to
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its October re-
SRUWRQWKHHFRQRPLFRXWORRNIRU$VLDDQGWKH3DFLÀF
The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
on regional economies is gradually fading, with recov-
ery seen in both consumption and investment. Foreign
trade is also showing increasing dynamism, Xu Xiujun,
a researcher with the Institute of World Economics and
Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told
Beijing Review.
“The region’s momentum in 2023 is expected not only
to reverse last year’s downward trend, but also to make the
Asia Pacific the only major region in the world to achieve
higher economic growth than last year,”
Xu added.
China plays a pivotal role in
achieving this, according to a report
by the Asian Development Bank titled
Asian Economic Integration Report
2023. It said Asia’s economic recovery
in the first half of 2023 is driven par-
ticularly by China, which accounted for
64.2 percent of total regional growth.
China has enhanced its economic
and trade collaboration with the other
20 APEC member economies in recent
years. In 2022, the combined import
and export volume between China
and APEC partners exceeded $3.73
trillion, representing nearly 60 percent
of China’s foreign trade volume, ac-
cording to the Chinese Ministry of
Commerce.
Moreover, more than 73 percent of
China’s outbound investments were di-
rected toward other APEC economies.
Eight APEC members are among
China’s top 10 trading partners, while
China is the largest trading partner for
13 of APEC economies.
Recently, the IMF upgraded its
GDP growth forecast for China and
now expects China’s economy to grow
5.4 percent this year, up from its previ-
ous forecast of 5 percent in October.
However, it also warned of slower
growth in China’s economy next year,
predicting that its GDP will expand
4.6 percent in 2024 due to weakness in
the property sector and subdued export
demand. The World Bank maintained
its forecast for China’s 2023 economic
growth at 5.1 percent, in line with its
previous estimate in April, but trimmed
its 2024 forecast to 4.4 percent from 4.8
percent for similar reasons.
GDP is important because it serves
as a measure of the size and health of
an economy. Policymakers look to
GDP when deciding on interest rates,
taxes and trade policy.
Kristalina Georgieva, Managing
Director of the IMF, said macroeco-
nomic policies “have been appropriate ʈʈ
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 13
as a whole in China, though there is
still room to reorient public spending
toward social protection and a need to
expedite market-based restructuring
of troubled real estate developers,”
while addressing the International
Finance Forum 20th Anniversary and
Annual Meeting 2023 via video link
on October 28.
“Housing market pressures will
continue to weigh on the economy for
some time to come,” Zhou Maohua,
a macro economist with China
Everbright Bank, warned. He also list-
ed headwinds that would cast a shadow
over the economic growth outlook, in-
cluding uncertainties in global demand,
geopolitical conflicts and fluctuations
in the global market that are likely to
disrupt China’s consumer and business
expectations.
While the Asia-Pacific region is
expected to see a growth of 3.3 percent
this year, up from 2.6 percent in 2022,
´WKHOHJDF\RIWKHSDQGHPLFLQÁDWLRQ
higher debt, climate change, trade pro-
tectionism, geopolitical tensions and
economic fragmentation continue to
overshadow the [region’s economic]
outlook,” the APEC Policy Support
Unit said in a report.
Full of anticipation
The Sixth China International
Import Expo, held in Shanghai from
November 5 to 10, saw the largest
American delegation since the event’s
inception in 2018. It brought with it
more than 200 companies and ex-
hibitors, 17 of which cofounded the
first-ever U.S. Food and Agriculture
Pavilion at the expo.
This demonstrated the country’s
“interest in a more stable and pro-
ductive relationship with China,”
U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas
Burns said during the expo. “We felt
it was very important for the United
States to be present in Shanghai for
economic reasons and reasons to do
with our wish to have a productive
14 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
relationship with China.”
Eric Zheng, President of the American Chamber of
Commerce in Shanghai, said American enterprises have
always regarded China as an important market. “Despite
the supply chain challenges over the past few years, they
still choose to develop in China and look forward to
success in China in the long run,” he said, adding that en-
terprises have “adjusted to try to strike a balance between
UHVLOLHQFHDQGHIÀFLHQF\µ
Xi and Biden on November 15 had a candid and in-
depth exchange of views on strategic and overarching
issues critical to the direction of China-U.S. relations and
on major issues affecting world peace and development, at
Filoli Estate, a country house approximately 40 km south
of San Francisco.
Xi said the two countries have broad common inter-
ests in a wide range of areas, including traditional areas
such as the economy, trade and agriculture, as well as
HPHUJLQJDUHDVVXFKDVFOLPDWHFKDQJHDQGDUWLÀFLDOLQWHO-
ligence (AI).
“The world’s economy could surely benefit from a
U.S.-China détente,” American news agency Associated
Press reported on the same day, saying the two together
produce more than 40 percent of the world’s goods and
services and “such a rare high-level meeting can have
global consequences.”
It is important to fully utilize the restored and new
mechanisms in foreign policy, economy, finance,
FRPPHUFHDJULFXOWXUHDQGRWKHUÀHOGVDQGFDUU\RXWFR-
operation in such areas as counternarcotics, judicial and
People visit the 12th APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Technology Conference and Fair in Qingdao,
Shandong Province, on November 10
law enforcement affairs, AI, and sci-
ence and technology, Xi added.
6DQ)UDQFLVFRLVWKHÀUVW86FLW\
ever reached directly by a Chinese
FRPPHUFLDOÁLJKW2Q-DQXDU\
DODUJH%RHLQJDLUOLQHUÁHZDFURVVWKH
3DFLÀF2FHDQEHFRPLQJWKHÀUVWÁLJKW
between China and the U.S., connect-
ing Beijing, Shanghai, San Francisco
and New York City.
Earlier in November, Air China
and United Airlines successively re-
sumed direct flights between Beijing
and San Francisco, which had been
suspended since February 2020 due to
the COVID-19 pandemic, signaling
improved exchange between the two
sides.
During their summit, the two heads
of state also agreed to commit to work-
LQJWRZDUGDVLJQLÀFDQWIXUWKHULQFUHDVH
in scheduled passenger flights early
next year.
Xi’s visit to San Francisco marked
his return to the U.S. after six-plus
\HDUVDVZHOODVVLJQLÀHGDQRWKHUIDFH
to-face meeting between the two
leaders following last year’s handshake
in the lead-up to the Group of 20 sum-
mit in Bali, Indonesia.
XINHUA
http://www.bjreview.com

Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with U.S. President Joe Biden at Filoli Estate in California state on November 15
“It is incumbent upon both coun-
WULHVDQGWKHLUOHDGHUVWRÀQGDSDWKZD\
forward to reduce tensions and to make
it worthwhile for the citizenry in both
countries to benefit from the engage-
ment between the two governments,”
Dennis Simon, a distinguished fellow
of the Institute for China-America
Studies, told Xinhua News Agency.
Hezuo matters
The latest tensions in the Gaza
Strip between the Palestinians and
Israelis “not only serve as a reminder
to Americans that China is not a
threat to America or world peace,
but also offers an opportunity for
Washington and Beijing to work
together on common global chal-
lenges, including the conflict in the
Middle East,” according to an opin-
ion piece published in Washington-
based newspaper The Hill.
http://www.bjreview.com
XINHUA
British sociologist Martin Albrow, a fellow of the solved without cooperation between
British Academy of Social Sciences and a pioneer in major countries, Xi said, adding that
the study of globalization in the West, once discussed China and the U.S. should lead by
cooperation or hezuo in standard Chinese in his book, example, step up coordination and
China and the Shared Human Future: Exploring cooperation on international and
Common Values and Goals. regional issues, and provide more
7KHÀUVWZRUGhe, in oracle bone script, the earli- public goods to the world.
est known form of Chinese writing, looks like a food Both sides should keep their
container with the lid on top and the vessel below. Its initiatives open to each other or co-
original meaning is “to close,” implying that the lid ordinate and link them for synergy,
DQGMDUÀWZHOOWRJHWKHUDQGUHPDLQLQKDUPRQ\ Xi added.
In the “lesser seal” character, a style of calligraphy Such expectations are also justi-
adopted in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.), the left fied given the litany of problems
side of zuo looks like a standing person and the right facing the global economy and the
side means “sudden.” The original meaning of the crucial role played by China and the
word thus suggests that a person stands up suddenly, U.S. In October, the IMF said China
ZLWKWKHLPSOLFDWLRQRIULVLQJRUÁRXULVKLQJRUWDNLQJ and the U.S. together will contrib-
immediate action. ute more than 30 percent of global
“In short, the combination of he and zuo refers JURZWKRYHUWKHQH[WÀYH\HDUVBR
to social interactions characterized by harmonious
relationships that serve the purpose of allowing all to
ÁRXULVKµ$OEURZVDLG Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to mamm@cicgamericas.com
The problems facing human society cannot be
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 15

A FUTURE-ORIENTED
SAN FRANCISCO VISION
O
n November 15, the highly
anticipated meeting between
Chinese President Xi Jinping
and U.S. President Joe Biden took
place at the Filoli Estate, a country
house approximately 40 km south of
San Francisco, the United States.
Never has a meeting between the
heads of state of China and the U.S. re-
ceived such a high level of international
attention. The relationship between the
two major countries has been strained
for more than five years. The tension
has not only cast a shadow over the
security in the Asia-Pacific region,
but also left economic globalization
currently on the verge of breakdown.
It further weakens the ability of the
international community to cooperate
in addressing increasingly complex
global challenges, and has put pressure
on the world as a whole.
China and the Chinese people hope
the meeting is a signal that stability and
cooperation in China-U.S. relations are
resuming. This would allow China’s
domestic reform measures to proceed
with fewer stumbling blocks from the
complicated external environment.
For the U.S., the meeting provided
an opportunity to step back from con-
ÁLFWLQWKH$VLD3DFLÀFUHJLRQDQGWXUQ
around its economic decline there,
revive and broaden U.S. business op-
portunities, and ensure that U.S. foreign
policy—already strained by both the
Ukraine crisis and Palestinian-Israeli
conflict—will not run into new trou-
bles, at least not in the near-to-medium
term.
Most countries around the world
hope that the meeting is a sign the two
sides are moving in a direction away
from a cold war, or even hot war,
16 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
COVER STORY
By An Gang
between them. They are unwilling to face the very urgent
pressure to choose sides, and can thus continue to focus on
their own economic development, as well as sharing in the
EHQHÀWVEURXJKWE\WKHUHFRYHU\DQGGHYHORSPHQWRIWKH
two major countries, as well as the cooperation between
them.
The meeting has the potential to serve as a turn-
ing point in the current China-U.S. relationship, at least
between now and early 2024, and opens the door for
the gradual restoration of cooperation across a broad
spectrum. However, it has not and cannot fundamentally
resolve the major differences between the two on key is-
sues, and the fuse that may lead to another deterioration of
relations still exists.
Candid and in-depth talks
The two leaders’ meeting lasted four hours. They had a
candid and in-depth exchange of views on strategic and
overarching issues critical to the direction of China-U.S.
relations such as the Taiwan question, China-U.S. eco-
nomic and technological relations, military-to-military
relations, people-to-people exchanges and on major issues
affecting world peace and development, including the
Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. After
the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a
member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party
of China Central Committee, said the two heads of state
had “a very good, comprehensive, and in-depth meeting.”
Wang said the two leaders also discussed the cor-
UHFWZD\IRUWKHWZRFRXQWULHVWRJHWDORQJFODULÀHGWKHLU
shared responsibilities as major countries and proposed a
future-oriented San Francisco vision, creating a roadmap
for the sound, stable and sustainable development of
China-U.S. relations.
Are China and the U.S. partners or rivals? Should they
HQJDJHLQPXWXDOO\EHQHÀFLDOFRRSHUDWLRQRUDQWDJRQLVP
and confrontation? These are fundamental questions, and
disastrous mistakes must be avoided. Xi called on the two
countries to create a new vision and expressed his hope
they will be partners that proactively advance a coopera-
tive agenda in areas where their interests converge. He
called on both countries to follow the principles of mutual
respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial
cooperation, and together build five pillars for bilateral
relations—China and the U.S. should
jointly form a right perception, effec-
tively manage disagreements, advance
mutually beneficial cooperation,
shoulder their due responsibilities as
major countries and promote people-
to-people exchange.
Noting that the bilateral relation-
ship is the most important one in the
world, Biden said that a U.S.-China
FRQÁLFWLVQRWLQHYLWDEOHDGGLQJWKDWD
stable, developing and economically
growing China serves the interests of
the U.S. and the world at large. When
the two countries keep their relations
VWDEOHSUHYHQWFRQÁLFWPDQDJHGLIIHU-
ences and cooperate in areas of shared
interest, they will be better able to
handle the issues facing themselves as
well as common challenges, the U.S.
president said.
He also reaffirmed the five com-
mitments he made at the Bali Summit
last year, that the U.S. does not seek
a new cold war, it does not seek to
change China’s system, it does not seek
to revitalize alliances against China,
it does not support “Taiwan indepen-
dence,” and that it has no intention of
FUHDWLQJFRQÁLFWZLWK&KLQD
Similar to previous meetings
between the two heads of state, this
meeting reached broad and specific
consensus on cooperation. At the bilat-
eral level, the two presidents agreed to
promote and strengthen bilateral dia-
logue and cooperation in such areas as
&KLQD86JRYHUQPHQWWDONVRQDUWLÀ-
cial intelligence and the establishment
of a working group on counternarcotics
cooperation. They agreed to resume,
on the basis of equality and respect,
high-level communication between
the two militaries, the China-U.S.
http://www.bjreview.com

XINHUA
Defense Policy Coordination Talks, and the China-U.S.
Military Maritime Consultative Agreement meetings, and
to conduct telephone conversations between theater com-
PDQGHUV7KH\DOVRDJUHHGWRZRUNWRZDUGDVLJQLÀFDQW
IXUWKHULQFUHDVHLQVFKHGXOHGSDVVHQJHUÁLJKWVHDUO\QH[W
year, and expand bilateral exchange in education and
overseas study, youth, culture, sports and between busi-
ness communities.
At the global level, the two leaders also underscored
the importance of working together to accelerate efforts to
tackle the climate crisis in this critical decade. They wel-
comed recent positive discussions between their respective
special envoys for climate, including on national actions
to reduce emissions in the 2020s, common approaches
toward a successful 28th Conference of the Parties of
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and
operationalization of the Working Group on Enhancing
Climate Action in the 2020s to accelerate concrete climate
actions.
For China, the meeting was positive, comprehensive
and constructive, and charted the course for improving and
developing China-U.S. relations. San Francisco should be
a new starting point for stabilizing bilateral relations. In the
coming months, the ties between China and the U.S. will
usher in a period of stability and improvement rarely seen
in the past decade.
The two presidents have tasked their teams with fol-
lowing up on the new vision reached in San Francisco in
a timely manner, on the basis of implementing the Bali
consensus. The White House press release on the meet-
ing also stated that “their teams will follow up on their
http://www.bjreview.com
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with
U.S. President Joe Biden at Filoli Estate in
the state of California on November 15
discussions in San Francisco with
continued high-level diplomacy and
interactions, including visits in both
directions and ongoing working-level
consultations in key areas, including
on commercial, economic, financial,
Asia-Pacific, arms control and non-
proliferation, maritime, export control
enforcement, policy-planning, agricul-
ture, and disability issues.”
Cautious optimism
From Bali to San Francisco, the leaders
of both countries have made painstak-
ing and persistent efforts to improve
bilateral relations and achieved major
initial results. But challenges facing
both sides are still complex and acute.
As the 2024 U.S. presidential election
draws near, China-related issues might
be more deeply involved in the nation’s
increasingly complex domestic poli-
tics. The Biden administration, which
has been accused of being “weak” by
Republicans and anti-China politicians
in the U.S., may not rule out the pos-
sibility of taking new tough measures
against China on issues concerning
Taiwan, human rights, trade, science
and technology to satisfy the political
needs of Biden’s reelection campaign.
At the same time, Taiwan local
elections are approaching, and the
security situation in the Asia-Pacific
region is also fluctuating in areas
including the South China Sea, the
Korean Peninsula and Myanmar. The
ULVNRIQHZWHQVLRQVDQGHYHQFRQÁLFW
between China and the U.S. cannot be
completely ruled out.
The U.S. has long defined its
relationship with China as “strategic
competition” and its Indo-Pacific
Strategy, targeting China, has also
stepped up its implementation. The
Biden administration seeks to “re-
sponsibly manage” competition with
China rather than make a change to its
strategy. It’s clear that competition will
continue to prevail in bilateral relations,
DQGVR&KLQDPXVWPDLQWDLQVXIÀFLHQW
strategic determination and wisdom to
manage this.
After the meeting lifted expecta-
tions for China-U.S. relations from
pessimistic to cautiously optimistic,
the hope for a warmer relationship was
placed on the people of both countries.
During his trip, Xi attended a
welcome dinner hosted by friendly
organizations in the United States. The
Chinese president has pinned his hopes
on the American people to lift the ailing
bilateral relations out of the doldrums.
“The foundation of China-U.S. rela-
tions was laid by our peoples,” Xi said,
stressing that “the door of China-U.S.
relations was opened by our peoples,”
“the stories of China-U.S. relations are
written by our peoples” and “the future
of China-U.S. relations will be created
by our peoples.”
In this sense, the resumption and
strengthening of people-to-people ex-
change might be one of the meeting’s
major outcomes. BR
The author is an adjunct fellow with the Center
for International Security and Strategy at
Tsinghua University
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to dingying@cicgamericas.com
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 17
OPINION 3$&,),&ó',$/2*8(
Rules or Barriers?
By Liang Xiao

E
ZHANG WEI
LJKW\RQH\HDUVDJR$PHULFDQVFLÀ
novelist Isaac Asimov came up with
the famous Three Laws of Robotics
in his novel Runaround, revealing humans’
vigilance against the future development
of science. When I, Robot was released in
2004, people still treated the theme of ar-
tificial intelligence (AI) safety as a science
ÀFWLRQWRSLF1RZWKDWÀFWLRQLVEHFRPLQJ
reality. The question is: Who should be the
rule-makers of the future AI world in real
life?
On November 1, representatives from 28
countries met at Bletchley Manor in Milton
Keynes, the United Kingdom, and jointly
reached the Bletchley Declaration, which Technology enthusiasts gathered in the AI+ exhibition hall during the 2023 Apsara
aims to lay the foundation for global AI Conference in Yunqi Town in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, on October 31
cooperation by establishing jointly agreed-
summit will be greatly reduced reached can be translated into practical ac-
upon methods of supervision.
in value. For these reasons, the tion, then its outcomes will obviously not
The release signaled not only the need
British Government invited China satisfy all stakeholders.
to urgently evolve principles into functional
WRSDUWLFLSDWHRQO\LQWKHÀUVWGD\ For most of us today, the idea in I, Robot
policies and governance, but also that with-
of discussions at the summit. that AI will one day rebel against humanity
out unprecedented multilateral commitment
Almost all of the countries VWLOOVHHPVOLNHDVFLÀSORW$PRUHUHDOLVWLF
involved, it would be impossible to ensure
invited to attend the second day’s consideration is, if those countries and com-
the safe and beneficial development of AI
event are considered “like-minded” SDQLHVWKDWKDYHDFKLHYHGDOHDGLQWKHÀHOG
well into the future.
by the UK and the United States. of AI try to maintain their advantages by
In June, discussions began among
Western nations as to whether China should However, doubts were raised about setting the rules, it will deprive the Global
be invited to participate in this first-ever this selection of participants, with 6RXWKRIDOHYHOSOD\LQJÀHOGLQWKHWHFKQR-
Global AI Safety Summit in the UK. The the host boasting participation by logical competition that is likely to change
decision to invite China to participate in the developing countries from Africa the existing and future international political
summit was made by British Prime Minister and Asia, but with critics claim- and economic landscape.
Rishi Sunak. ing these countries were not really In 2022, the number of AI companies
Some voices in British politics and the listened to. At the same time, there in China exceeded 4,300. The value of the
wider Western world believe that only coun- are criticisms that the mere 100 industry was higher than $69 billion and
tries with “democratic values” that subscribe delegates attending the summit more than 2,500 digital workshops and smart
to Western values and political systems were insufficient to represent the factories making use of AI are now up and
should be allowed to participate in leading whole world. running. As Chinese Ambassador to the UK
the development of AI. China hawks, led Although it is undeniable Zheng Zeguang wrote in an article published
by former British Prime Minister Liz Truss, that both the summit and the in the Sunday Times on November 11, “As
also oppose China’s participation in AI leg- declaration are landmarks in AI part of the country’s drive to build a mod-
islative supervision. But for the UK, which governance, if the summit aimed ern industrial system, we have a large and
is striving to become an AI world leader, if only to issue a statement and snap increasingly urgent demand for the deep inte-
Russia is excluded and Chinese representa- a group photo without consider- gration of AI into industry. This also provides
tives are also absent, then obviously the ation of whether the consensus a broad canvas for its innovation and uses.”
20 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com

Highlights of the Global AI Governance Initiative
As global peace and development faces
various challenges, all countries should
commit to a vision of common, comprehen-
sive, cooperative, and sustainable security,
and put equal emphasis on development and
security. Countries should build consensus
through dialogue and cooperation, and
develop open, fair, and efficient governing
mechanisms, in a bid to promote AI technol-
RJLHVWREHQHÀWKXPDQLW\DQGFRQWULEXWHWR
building a community with a shared future
for mankind.
To make this happen, we would like to
suggest the following:
We should uphold a people-centered ap-
proach in developing AI, with the goal of
increasing the wellbeing of humanity and on
the premise of ensuring social security and
respecting the rights and interests of human-
ity, so that AI always develops in a way that
LVEHQHÀFLDOWRKXPDQFLYLOL]DWLRQ
We should respect other countries’
national sovereignty and strictly abide
by their laws when providing them with
AI products and services. We oppose us-
ing AI technologies for the purposes of
manipulating public opinion, spreading
disinformation, intervening in other coun-
tries’ internal affairs, social systems and
Precisely because China has a strong
industrial foundation, it has huge advantages
in the industrialization of AI that most devel-
oped countries cannot replicate. The U.S.-
led alliance continues to place export bans
on their own chip companies and prohibit
the sale of advanced AI chips to Chinese
technology companies. But the effect so far
has not been significant. However, the tar-
geting of China in the future formulation of
global AI regulations by Western nations is
a strong possibility.
On the other hand, China has always
regarded itself as a responsible representa-
tive of developing countries. Wu Zhaohui,
http://www.bjreview.com
social order, as well as jeopardizing the
sovereignty of other states.
We must adhere to the principle of de-
veloping AI for good, respect the relevant
international laws, and align AI develop-
ment with humanity’s common values of
peace, development, equity, justice, de-
mocracy, and freedom.
We should uphold the principles of mu-
WXDOUHVSHFWHTXDOLW\DQGPXWXDOEHQHÀWLQ
AI development. All countries, regardless
of their size, strength, or social system,
should have equal rights to develop and
use AI.
We should promote the establishment of
a testing and assessment system based on AI
risk levels, implement agile governance, and
carry out tiered and category-based manage-
ment for rapid and effective response.
We should gradually establish and im-
prove relevant laws, regulations and rules,
and ensure personal privacy and data se-
curity in the R&D and application of AI.
We oppose theft, tampering, leaking, and
other illegal collection and use of personal
information.
We should adhere to the principles of
fairness and non-discrimination, and avoid
China’s Vice Minister of Science
and Technology, said at the
opening session of the Global
AI Safety Summit that “coun-
tries, regardless of their size and
scale, have equal rights to de-
velop and use AI.” On October 18,
China released the Global AI
Governance Initiative during
the Third Belt and Road Forum
for International Cooperation in
Beijing, and pledged to increase
the representation and voice of
developing countries and sup-
port discussions within the United
OPINION
biases and discrimination based on eth-
nicities, beliefs, nationalities, genders, etc.,
during the process of data collection, algo-
rithm design, technology development, and
product development and application.
We should put ethics first. We should
establish and improve ethical principles,
norms, and accountability mechanisms for
AI, formulate AI ethical guidelines, and
build sci-tech ethical review and regulatory
system.
We should uphold the principles of wide
participation and consensus-based decision-
making, adopt a gradual approach, pay close
attention to technological advancements,
conduct risk assessments and policy com-
munication, and share best practices.
We should actively develop and apply
technologies for AI governance, encourage
the use of AI technologies to prevent AI
risks, and enhance our technological capac-
ity for AI governance.
We should increase the representation and
voice of developing countries in global AI
governance, and ensure equal rights, equal
opportunities, and equal rules for all coun-
tries in AI development and governance.
(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Nations about establishing an international AI
governance institution.
The reason why China insists on making
its voice heard is its eagerness to participate
in establishing a more equal order, whether
in global governance or in the future plans
for AI.
Today’s world basically still follows rich
FRXQWULHV·UXOHZLWKFRQÁLFWVDQGZDUVEXUVW-
ing out almost everyday. When blueprinting
a new one, both rich and poor should have a
say. BR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to liangxiao@cicgamericas.com
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 21
OPINION GOVERNANCE
Rice to Riches
C
hina feeds a fifth of the world’s
population from only less than one
tenth of the arable land across the
globe.
The need to feed its population has al-
ways been a concern of China’s rulers. As
early as the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-
1279) dynasties, the imperial government
was encouraging people to expand food pro-
duction beyond the fertile lowlands into the
mountains.
Time-honored paddies
For areas growing rice, a semi-aquatic plant
needing rooting in clear water, the techni-
cal challenges were formidable. However,
by the time of the Northern Song Dynasty
(960-1127), there is documentary evidence
RIZHOOZDWHUHGULFHÀHOGVWKDWZHUHFDUYHG
in a step-like fashion into mountain slopes
as steep as 40 degrees. The spectacular rice
terraces of Ziquejie in Hunan Province from
this era are known to date .
Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume
that rice cultivation techniques had been de-
veloped centuries earlier.
Even more remarkable than the early ter-
racing of forested hillsides into productive
paddies is the fact that the terraces remain
productive today. They are a unique example
of sustainable development, with the same
soils nourishing crops for over a millennium.
The terraces are a marriage of farming
expertise and hydrological engineering that
is surprisingly sophisticated—even by to-
day’s standards.
China’s call to build a community with a shared future for
humanity reflects a generosity of spirit born out of the
collective experience of turning hostile mountains into
productive paddies
22 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
By Robert Walker
Equally, they serve as a “per-
fect example of the harmonious
coexistence between humanity
and nature, promoted by tradi-
tional Chinese philosophy,” an
assessment offered by Professor
Li Yunpeng and his team at
the China Institute of Water
Resources and Hydropower
Research.
What is most remarkable is
that good harvests can be guar-
anteed regardless of the large
variations in rainfall from year
to year. Excess water is drained
away, while fields are automati-
cally irrigated in times of water
shortage, all without exogenous
water storage.
The scale of the Ziquejie
Terraces—about 4,000 hectares of
planted rice spread over numerous
hills ranging in height from 450
to 950 meters above sea level—
speaks to a collective effort.
Not only does rice farming
require twice as much labor as
wheat farming, but it also requires
daily teamwork that must be
maintained season after season.
Water needs to be shared,
repeatedly used with minimal
loss and zero pollution. Elaborate
irrigation channels must be dug
and maintained to distribute wa-
ter resources. Water levels must
be retained even when the land is fallow to
ensure that earth dams and field partitions
do not dry out and crumble. Rice planting,
weeding and harvesting all require multiple
hands to ensure the optimal timing demand-
ed to maximize yields and to maintain the
quality of the crop.
While the Ziquejie Terraces still yield
high-quality rice and are recognized as a
World Heritage Irrigation Structure, they are
under serious threat.
The success of China’s economic de-
velopment has lifted the minimum living
standard to the point where it exceeds the
income that can be generated from tradi-
tional rice farming, even allowing for the
FXVWRPDU\PL[LQJRIULFHZLWKÀVKDQGGXFN
farming on the same paddy.
Since the average width of the rice ter-
races is only 1.75 meters and the narrowest
point is only one fifth of a meter wide, the
scope for increased mechanization is limited.
Currently, rice production on the
Ziquejie Terraces is subsidized by the local
government, and residents of the area hope
that the spectacular natural scenery will at-
tract tourists.
Beyond agriculture
Rice remains the staple food for 65 percent
of China’s population.
Moreover, strong evidence is emerg-
ing that rice cultivation has not only fed the
population but has also forged Chinese phi-
losophy and culture and even facilitated the
development of present China’s distinctive
form of democracy: whole-process people’s
democracy. This involves all strands of dem-
ocratic processes and all levels of society—
from top to bottom. Elections, consultation,
and decision-making and governance by
collective wisdom are all part of this type of
democracy.
In 2014, Scientific American magazine
posed the question, “Does rice farming
http://www.bjreview.com
 OPINION

XINHUA
lead to collectivist thinking?” The answer,
based on pioneering work by Chinese and
American researchers, suggested that it did.
Those living in rice-growing areas in
south China were more interdependent and
holistic in their thinking than respondents
in the wheat-growing north. The latter ex-
pressed attitudes that were individualistic
and pursued thought processes that were
analytic and focused, rather than embracing.
These differences in attitudes were per-
sistent. It made no difference whether people
had grown up in the countryside or spent
their lives in a large city.
Other work suggests that people from
collectivist rice areas are likely to be less
risk-adverse than those from individualis-
tic regions. This is because the former can
presume that others will assist if things go
wrong.
Subsequent studies have shown that
such differences are repeated globally.
Populations in countries where more land is
devoted to paddy cultivation have more rigid A view of the stunning and longstanding Ziquejie Terraces in Xinhua County, Hunan
social norms than elsewhere, and citizens are Province, on October 14
pressured to meet social expectations.
The combination of tight norms and It is no surprise, then, that rice cultivation is a collective enterprise re-
collectivism is not conducive to the devel- rice-growing provinces in China warding the entire community, not just those
opment of Western-style democracy, but is are currently leading the transition FRPLQJÀUVWLQPDUNHWFRPSHWLWLRQ
strongly supportive of China’s whole-pro- to green investments that address Hence, rice farmers on the Ziquejie
cess people’s democracy. This is because the pollution and other environmental Terraces are supported financially while a
latter is based on the cooperation of nine na- challenges. communal response is found to the chal-
tional political parties committed to agreed Likewise, the evidence points lenge of rural revitalization, China’s long-
long-term goals to be achieved by following to persons in rice-growing areas term, comprehensive strategy to close the
VXFFHVVLYHÀYH\HDUGHYHORSPHQWSODQV excelling in adaptive creativity, development gap between its urban and rural
While there is some suggestion that responding to change but also per- areas.
people in rice-growing regions may be in- sisting with incremental innovation. Likewise, China’s call to build a com-
dividually less innovative and even, due to In this regard, China’s un- munity with a shared future for humanity
constant self-evaluation within a tightly bond- wavering support for the UN reflects a generosity of spirit born out of
ed group, less happy, rice-based norms point Sustainable Development Goals, the collective experience of turning hostile
to a positive response to global challenges. adopted by the UN in 2015 as a mountains into productive paddies.
Sharing a planet, the world’s people must universal call to action to promote All can prosper but only by working to-
consistently work together to counter the prosperity while protecting the JHWKHUWRHQVXUHWKDWQDWXUH·VULFKHVEHQHÀW
systemic threats posed by climate change, environment, and the UN climate everyone. BR
depleted resources and global inequality. change conferences can be rec-
Rice farmers, like those tending the ognized as grounded in Chinese
This is an edited excerpt from an article first published on the
Ziquejie Terraces, have demonstrated for rice-based culture. China Focus website. The author is a professor at the School of
centuries that it is possible to maintain a China’s goal of achieving com- Sociology, Beijing Normal University, and an emeritus fellow at
Green Templeton College, University of Oxford
delicate balance between the needs of people mon prosperity by 2050 may be Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to yanwei@cicgamericas.com
and the environment. similarly understood. Successful
http://www.bjreview.com NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 23
OPINION)$&7ó&+(&.
Data Get a Protection Detail
T
he unstoppable growth of the
Internet has helped create a global
knowledge-based society, the very
existence of which depends fundamentally
on the provision and use of information.
Data, the elementary building blocks of the
world of information, are therefore increas-
ingly being recognized and valued for the
constitutive role that they play.
But their dynamic nature and massive
volume make the creation and collection of
data extremely difficult to properly catego-
rize as an intellectual property right (IPR).
According to Shen Changyu, head of
the China National Intellectual Property
Administration (CNIPA), China is now
speeding up the formulation of data IPR pro-
tection rules.
Four basic rules for data IPR protec-
tion have now been formulated. They are:
to protect data security, public interests
and individual privacy; to grasp the unique
properties of data and the rules of property
rights systems; to respect the work of data
workers and their related input; and to give
full play to the function of data in the digital
transformation of industries and high-quality
economic growth.
Pilot programs for the protection of
data IPRs have been launched in eight ma-
jor cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and
Shenzhen, in an effort to accumulate repli-
cable experience and lay the foundation for
the subsequent system design.
Mountains of data in China need to be
brought under the IPR protection umbrella.
The official establishment of the National
Data Bureau in October underscores China’s
emphasis on data protection. According to
the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s
digital economy, for example, was worth
50.2 trillion yuan ($6.9 trillion) in 2022, ac-
counting for 41.5 percent of the country’s
GDP and ranking second in the world—
24 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
By Lan Xinzhen
following that of the U.S. As
shown by the CNIPA, the number
of effective invention patents for
core industries in the digital econ-
omy had reached 1.27 million as
of late 2022.
Since 2016, the annual growth
of said invention patent grants has
been 1.5 times that of invention
patents in all industrial sectors.
Also noteworthy here is that 71.3
percent of China’s inventions for
core industries in the digital econ-
omy take place in the Yangtze
River Delta in east China, the
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao
Greater Bay Area in the south,
Pilot programs for
the protection of
data IPRs have been
launched in eight
major cities,
including Beijing,
Shanghai and
Shenzhen, in an
effort to accumulate
replicable experience
and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region up
north.
Data are the new energy of the informa-
tion age, an essential factor of production
considered as important as traditional fac-
tors such as land, capital and technology. In
the digital era, the key to global economic
competition is the transition from “material”
things to intangible things such as informa-
tion, knowledge or data.
Based on the development of China’s
digital economy and the characteristics of
invention patents, the CNIPA’s data IPR
protection measures not only promote data
security and the legitimate rights of data
owners, but also ensure the steady growth of
China’s economy and the healthy and sus-
tainable economic growth of human society.
The CNIPA’s next step is to ramp up in-
ternational exchange and cooperation in data
IPR protection to promote technological in-
novation and global governance in the data
industry.
As demonstrated by the CNIPA, China
has seen a steady increase in the number
of foreign companies applying for inven-
tion patents for core industries in the digital
economy, from 6,418 in 2016 to 7,613 in
2022. As of late last year, right holders from
95 countries and territories had secured
327,000 such invention patents in China.
Strengthened protection of data IPRs will
also be a boon to them.
Existing international laws are not suf-
ficient to protect the oceans of data around
the world for many reasons, such as coun-
tries’ different levels of development and
fragmented legal systems on data IPR
protection. It is necessary to strengthen in-
ternational cooperation in building related
systems. Because data are in desperate need
of a protection detail. BR
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to lanxinzhen@cicgamericas.com
http://www.bjreview.com
)($785(6 &+,1$86
Reinforcing the Repertoire
A journey of musical diplomacy and 50 years of friendship By Zhao Wei
T
he concert hall of the National Center for the
Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing erupted
in thunderous applause on the evening of
November 11. The excitement was palpable as the
sound cascaded through the nearly full auditorium.
Another wave of enthusiastic cheers echoed as the
spotlight shone brightly on cellist Jan Vogler and
eight members of the Philadelphia Orchestra on stage
upon the encore invitation of the young conductor Sun
Yifan.
“This was more than just a concert, it was a mas-
terpiece of collaboration,” Wang Jingying, a Beijing-
based classical music lover, told Beijing Review. “The
harmony between the orchestral artists from home and
abroad was transcendent, especially their joint rendition
RI$QWRQtQ'YRʼniN·VCello Concerto in B Minor, which
left us with a feeling of both nostalgia and anticipation.”
Still going strong
In a resonant tribute to cultural harmony, the
Philadelphia Orchestra celebrated the 50th anniversary
RILWVÀUVWFRQFHUWLQ&KLQDE\KRVWLQJDVHULHVRIFXO-
tural exchange events in the country from November
9 to 18. The ensemble’s 13th visit to China was a me-
lodious and enriching two-week journey through four
cities: Beijing, Tianjin, Suzhou in the eastern province
of Jiangsu and Shanghai.
The tour was not only a musical endeavor, but
a continuation of a historic legacy that began in
September 1973. During that landmark visit, the
3KLODGHOSKLD2UFKHVWUDEHFDPHWKHÀUVWPXVLFDOJURXS
of its kind from the United States to perform in the
People’s Republic of China, founded in 1949, symbol-
izing a profound gesture of friendship.
The visit five decades ago has been described as
the larger story of “musical diplomacy,” a harmonious
echo of the “ping pong diplomacy” initiated in April
1971. In that earlier diplomatic effort, nine players
from the American table tennis team visited China at
the invitation of the Chinese Government. Both the
athletic and musical people-to-people exchanges were
instrumental in fostering the establishment of diplo-
matic relations between China and the United States in
1979.
“It was a great trip,” Nicholas Platt said in a recent
26 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
interview with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. The veteran diplomat, who accompanied
American President Richard Nixon on his ice-breaking trip to China in 1972, also
worked on the orchestra’s visit one year later, calling it “one of the most important
delegations” he had ever met and helped.
“I watched with my own eyes how the orchestra responded to the people, which
was to get out there and engage,” Platt recalled. “The orchestra just endeared themselves
to the Chinese people in a whole variety of small and very natural ways. They showed
Americans to be ordinary people and friendly people and wonderful musicians.”
The orchestra’s visit in 1973 was also a momentous occasion for Chinese musi-
cians, creating a sense of excitement and anticipation. Accustomed to the distant echo
of recordings, the prospect of live, collaborative performances with their American
counterparts was a rare and exciting opportunity.
Zhu Xinren, a 90-year-old violin virtuoso, vividly recalled the profound impact of
this cultural exchange at an artists’ salon on October 30. He brought up a particularly
memorable joint performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the centerpiece of an
exclusive exchange concert.
The event was marked by an extraordinary moment of musical camaraderie.
Li Delun, conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra, led the first
movement and seamlessly passed the baton to Eugene Ormandy, conductor of the
Philadelphia Orchestra, for the second movement.
This impromptu arrangement created a palpable sense of excitement among
WKHPXVLFLDQV=KXUHÁHFWHGRQWKHSRZHURIWKHH[SHULHQFHQRWLQJWKDWGHVSLWHWKH
language barrier, music emerged as a universal language that effortlessly bridged the
gap. The Chinese musicians quickly synchronized under Ormandy’s direction, illus-
trating how music can transcend cultural and linguistic boundaries within a few bars,
uniting artists in a common, harmonious expression.
Born in 1994, Sun said his impression of the
Philadelphia Orchestra’s visit was based on distant histori-
cal records and narratives from those who were there. But
ZKHQWKHÀUVWQRWHRIWKHUHKHDUVDOVRXQGHG´,IHOWDVLI,
instantly connected and that had never been interrupted.
The musicians from both countries opened their hearts to
each other like old friends,” Sun told Beijing Review.
Harmony beyond notes
United in a symphony of friendship, the Philadelphia
Orchestra and the China National Symphony Orchestra,
The Philadelphia Orchestra and the China
National Symphony Orchestra, along with the
Asian American Performing Arts Center,
put on a concert in commemoration of the 50th
DQQLYHUVDU\RIWKH$PHULFDQRUFKHVWUDoVĶUVWYLVLW
to China in Beijing on November 10
http://www.bjreview.com

along with the vocal talents of the Asian American Performing Arts Center, put on
a remarkable performance—themed 50 Years of Friendship. The concert, staged in
%HLMLQJRQ1RYHPEHUPDUNHGH[DFWO\KDOIDFHQWXU\VLQFHWKHHQVHPEOHVKDGÀUVW
joined forces.
Before the performance began, Zhu reunited with his longtime friend Davyd
Booth, the only member of the latest tour who joined the Philadelphia Orchestra’s vis-
it to China in 1973. Now 73, Booth was a violinist with the orchestra at that time. That
ÀUVWWULSÀOOHGZLWKDGPLUDWLRQIRU%HLMLQJ·VXQLTXHDUFKLWHFWXUHDQGFXLVLQHPDUNHG
the beginning of his many travels to witness China’s extraordinary development.
Booth said when he met Zhu, he was so excited he got goosebumps. He felt that
this warm exchange was unbelievably valuable.
In addition to his performances at the NCPA, Booth graced the Peking Union
Medical College Hospital with a special lunchtime concert on November 9, at the in-
vitation of his colleague Philip Kates. The latter, who harbors a deep affection for both
China and the hospital, has been a regular volunteer performer there. He has brought
FRPIRUWWKURXJKPXVLFWRSDWLHQWVRQÀYHRFFDVLRQVEHWZHHQDQGDQGLV
known as Uncle Beard to his young fans in the children’s ward.
The orchestra’s latest tour included an important stop in Tianjin, a city that shares
a special bond with Philadelphia. This relationship was formalized in 1980 when the
two cities became sister cities, paving the way for numerous cultural exchanges.
Additionally, Tianjin is home to the first branch of The Juilliard School es-
tablished outside its New York base, which embodies the fruitful results of Sino-
American musical cooperation. This landmark of cultural synergy celebrated its grand
campus opening in October 2021, marking a new chapter in the rich tapestry of artis-
tic exchange between the two nations.
Suzhou, another destination on the orchestra’s tour, is also writing its chapter in
the ongoing history of Sino-American cultural relations. The city hosted the Fifth
China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference from November 2 to 4. The event continued a
tradition that began in 1979 when Nanjing in Jiangsu and St. Louis, Missouri, forged
WKHÀUVW6LVWHU&LWLHV$OOLDQFHEHWZHHQ&KLQDDQGWKH866LQFHWKHQDQH[WHQVLYH
XINHUA
http://www.bjreview.com
)($785(6
network of 284 sister provinces/states and sister cities
relationships has blossomed. These ties, like capillar-
ies and cells in a living organism, have become the
lifeblood of Sino-American relations. They not only
facilitate bilateral exchange and cooperation but also
foster deeper understanding and closeness between the
people of the two nations.
The conference marked a convergence of diverse
minds and ideas, bringing together representatives
from over 10 Chinese provinces and cities, as well as
nearly 20 mayors from 22 U.S. states. With some 200
participants, the meeting became a fertile ground for
dialogue and exchange.
In this multicultural environment, Chinese and
American delegates explored three pivotal sub-themes:
economy and employment, education and youth, and
climate and environment. This collaborative forum
provided an opportunity to share experiences, explore
opportunities for cooperation, and engage in numerous
one-on-one exchanges.
The final stop of the tour, Shanghai, is of great
significance in the China-U.S. relationship. During
Nixon’s historic visit in 1972, the two governments
issued the Shanghai Communiqué in the city, which
laid the political foundation for the normalization of
bilateral relationship.
For Sun, the Philadelphia Orchestra’s tour symbol-
ized more than a commemoration; it heralded a future
of enduring cultural exchange between China and
the U.S. “It is our duty, as the younger generation, to
nurture this legacy, extending it beyond major cities to
smaller communities and everyday interactions. Such
widespread, frequent exchange is key to forging deeper
mutual understanding and emotional connections be-
tween the two nations,” Sun said.
In his recent letter to Matias Tarnopolsky, President
and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chinese
President Xi Jinping conveyed a message of sincere
hope. He expressed his desire that the orchestra, along
with artists from China and the U.S., play a key role
in fostering stronger people-to-people ties between the
two nations.
Xi’s message emphasized the importance of
cultural exchange and envisioned a future in which
these collaborations can enhance friendship and un-
derstanding not only between China and the U.S., but
throughout the world. BR
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to zhaowei@cicgamericas.com
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 27
)($785(6 CONSUMPTION

Beyond the Buzz

Double 11 reflects the changing dynamics of Chinese consumer behavior
By Zhang Shasha

W
ho doesn’t love a good bargain? This in China’s retail ecosystem.
year marked the 15th anniversary of But the once-annual consumer celebration that used to ignite collective joy
China’s Double 11 online shopping among consumers and merchants alike seems to have lost the celebratory antici-
festival, the online equivalent of Black Friday in the pation that made people wait a year for this very day to come around.
United States. Over time, the shopping festival has gradually turned into an everyday rou-
Although consumers continued to shop during tine for people, becoming a familiar normality.
this year’s Double 11, the most talked-about topic
was probably the original shopping carnival from Every day is Double 11
15 years ago. As the curtain fell on November 11, major platforms released their performance
In 2009, Zhang Yong, then newly appointed reports: On Tmall, the new version of Taobao Mall, the transaction volume of
General Manager of Taobao Mall, part of Chinese 38,000 brands increased by more than 100 percent year on year, with 402 brands
WHFKJLDQW$OLEDED*URXS·VÀUVWHFRPPHUFHSODW- reaching 100 million yuan ($13.7 million) in transactions each; on JD.com,
form Taobao.com, known today as the ubiquitous more than 60 brands achieved sales of more than 1 billion yuan ($137 million),
Taobao app, was looking for ways to increase the and the transaction volume of nearly 20,000 brands increased by more than
mall’s transaction volume. November 11 was cho- three times year on year; Pinduoduo’s “10-billion-yuan ($1.37-billion) subsidy”
sen for a one-day event with a site-wide 50 percent discount campaign reached a user base of more than 620 million and, partly as a
discount. UHVXOWRIWKHFDPSDLJQLWVRUGHUYROXPHIURPFRQVXPHUVLQÀUVWWLHUFLWLHVZKR
Despite the modest participation of only 27 previously preferred established platforms such as Tmall and JD.com, grew 113
EUDQGVWUDQVDFWLRQYROXPHRQWKDWÀUVW'RXEOH percent year on year; Douyin’s gross merchandise volume experienced a re-
day reached 52 million yuan ($7.16 million). The markable 119 percent year-on-year growth.
following year, it jumped to a staggering 936
million yuan ($128.92 million), heralding the un-
stoppable Double 11 phenomenon.
Over the past 15 years, Double 11 has experi-
enced remarkable growth.
In 2018, British newspaper The Mirror reported
that Double 11 had surpassed Black Friday to be-
come the world’s biggest shopping extravaganza.
In 2019, American project management re-
search magazine PM Network announced the top 50
QRWDEOHDQGLQÁXHQWLDOSURMHFWVRIWKHSDVW\HDUV
in its list of Most Influential Projects. Double 11
earned its place among esteemed projects such
as the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon Landing and the
Human Genome Project, an international proj-
ect to study the entire genetic material of a human
being—completed in 2003, securing sixth place.
From Alibaba’s solo act to the entry of
e-commerce giants JD.com, the shopping channel
on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) and
social e-commerce platform Pinduoduo, and from
its domestic roots to international prominence,
Double 11 has brought about a profound change
28 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com

Despite a dazzling array of shopping festivals diverting consumer attention from
Double 11, the underlying tone of the performance reports remained festive.
The past few years have seen a proliferation of shopping festivals with dif-
ferent themes. Among them are Double 12 on December 12, the 618 Shopping
Gala around June 18 and the 818 Fever Shopping Festival on August 18.
Beyond collective shopping extravaganzas like Double 11, each platform or-
chestrates its own shopping events and seasonal promotions.
“Double 11 has evolved from its initial status as a nationwide carnival to
its present state of normalized shopping behavior,” Hong Yong, an associ-
ate researcher with the E-Commerce Institute of the Chinese Academy of
International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told Beijing Review. “With the
continuous hosting of these shopping events, the uniqueness of Double 11 has
gradually diminished, leading to a gradual weakening of its festive attributes.”
The competition among various platforms and the rise of social media
and live commerce, a combination of livestreaming and e-commerce, has also
snatched away business from traditional shopping festivals, he added.
“With increased shopping options, consumers have access to more personal-
ized and differentiated shopping experiences, which has weakened the role of
Double 11,” Yang Yu, a senior retail analyst and founder of Yilantop.com, an
online media brand focusing on consumer goods, told Beijing Review.
“The abundance of consumer festivals has led to consumer fatigue,” Yang
said. Consumer attitudes and habits have begun to evolve. They now prioritize
the quality, brand reputation and experience of their purchases over navigating
the complexities of different promotions under different banners, he added.
The era of Double 11 as a straightforward half-price affair is long gone. In
its place is an extended duration of the shopping festival, with consumers often
unaware of when it actually begins or ends. Complicated discount mechanisms
UHTXLUHFRQVXPHUVWRPHHWVSHFLÀFSXUFKDVLQJFULWH-
ria for the most economical payment, resulting in the
purchase of many unnecessary items.
Comments such as “You can’t shop on Double 11
if you’re not good at math,” “After calculating for a
long time, I forgot to use the coupon and missed the
lowest price,” or “Some merchants deceive consum-
ers by first raising prices and then lowering them
during festivals” have contributed to a gradual return
of consumers to a more rational approach.
“With the fierce competition in e-commerce,
product prices have become increasingly transparent.
Platforms and merchants can no longer afford to di-
rectly promote sales in the original half-price format,
as no one can withstand the financial pressure that
such a strategy entails,” Yang said.
Employees work at a logistics center
in Yueqing, Zhejiang Province,
on November 11
http://www.bjreview.com
)($785(6
A window to new trends
Despite the normalization of Double 11, the mag-
netic pull of discounted prices remains. In this
familiar consumer routine, how does the iconic
Double 11 shed light on the ever-changing land-
scape of consumer behavior?
This year’s Double 11 statistics show that live-
commerce shopping has become a burgeoning
consumer habit. “This year heralds the beginning
of the explosive rise of brand store livestreaming,
which has evolved from a tool for Taobao and
Tmall merchants to an important business model,”
said Cheng Daofang, General Manager of Taobao’s
livestream division. “The rise of brand store
livestreaming during Double 11 is a direct reflec-
tion of its thriving ecosystem.”
There are two types of livestreaming rooms.
One is run by brands themselves, called a brand
store room, and they only sell their own products.
The other is a buyer room, where a livestreamer or
buyer can select a number of brands and sell their
products.
According to Taobao, among its 58 livestream-
ing rooms with a combined transaction volume
exceeding 100 million yuan, brand store livestream-
ing rooms accounted for over 60 percent.
According to Alimama, a marketing technology
platform within the Alibaba ecosystem, live com-
merce delivers a remarkable 7 to 11 times higher
business increment on average for Taobao and
Tmall merchants.
Domestic branding was another characteristic
of this year’s Double 11. Of the 402 brands on
Tmall that achieved transactions of more than 100
million yuan, 243 were domestic brands. Domestic
brands in the cosmetics and pet food sectors posted
an impressive performance. According to invest-
ment firm Kaiyuan Securities, among the top 10
brands in cat and dog food sales on Tmall, domestic
brands hold seven seats, while international brands
hold three.
According to JD.com, consumers born in
the 1990s and 2000s accounted for 62 percent of
consumption expenditure on domestic products,
solidifying their role as the absolute driving force
behind domestic brand consumption.
The emergence of so-called “dopamine con-
sumption” represents a new consumption trend
driven by consumers’ growing pursuit of happiness.
Liu Peng, President of the Brand Development ʈʈ
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 29
)($785(6 CONSUMPTION

XINHUA
Center of Alibaba’s Taotian Group, which includes
Taobao and Tmall, emphasized the growing impor-
tance consumers attach to emotional aspects.
Younger consumers in particular are will-
ing to pay for experiences that bring them joy,
as evidenced by this year’s Double 11. Trends in
GRSDPLQHFRQVXPSWLRQH[HPSOLÀHGE\FDWHJRULHV
such as e-sports, cycling and skiing, are shaping
consumer behavior.
The “silver economy” (markets that meet se-
nior citizens’ needs) and “he economy” (markets
targeting male consumption) were two more buzz-
words of this year’s Double 11. On Taobao, the
transaction volume for senior products increased
by 2.6 times compared to last year. Additionally,
within the first 10 minutes of JD.com launching
its campaign, transaction volume for the electric
wheelchair category experienced a tenfold surge
compared to the same period last year, while the
KHDULQJDLGFDWHJRU\ZLWQHVVHGDÀYHIROGLQFUHDVH
This year, JD.com launched its Double 11 cam-
paign on October 23 (the ninth day of the ninth month Entrepreneurs promote knitted wool handicrafts and bouquets at a Double 11
livestreaming event from a business incubation center in Rongcheng, Shangdong
on the Chinese lunar calendar), which marks a tradi- Province, on November 9
tional Chinese festival for senior citizens known as the
Double Ninth Festival. The platform also initiated a A future outlook
campaign featuring age-friendly products such as ac- Over the years, Double 11 has become a reliable indicator of consumer spend-
cessible smart toilets and palm recognition smart door ing trends. Understanding these trends is critical to transforming and improving
locks. Double 11, as well as identifying new growth drivers for consumption.
“Campaigns targeting seniors on platforms like So what kind of Double 11 do consumers want? Yang believed that “clean,
JD.com are becoming more systematic, and the prod- simple, sincere and gimmick-free” should be the essence of Double 11. Hong
ucts more diverse,” said Chen Waner, from AgeClub, said what consumers need is a more rational and personalized shopping spree.
an industrial platform focusing on business information “Double 11 needs to transform and upgrade, focusing on providing high-quality
in the elderly industry for JD.com. products and services to meet consumers’ personalized needs and create a more
According to Tmall, this year’s top three items for intelligent and convenient shopping experience,” Hong said, adding that new
male consumers are road bicycles, e-sports products growth drivers for consumption in the future could be content e-commerce, or
and windbreakers, consumption of which increased by the process of publishing, promoting and distributing content to drive sales, and
305, 114 and 90 percent year on year, respectively. social media e-commerce.
Remarkably, the growth rates of the top three items Accounting firm PwC China’s most recent domestic consumption survey
IRUPDOHFRQVXPHUVKDYHIRUWKHÀUVWWLPHVXUSDVVHG showed that with the continuous development of e-commerce platforms, the de-
the top three items for pet dogs. This has become a PDQGVRIERWKFRQVXPHUVDQGEUDQGVKDYHEHFRPHPRUHGLYHUVLÀHG
humorous observation among netizens, challenging the For brands, Double 11 is no longer just about meeting sales targets. As
stereotypical notion that men need less than pets. business models evolve, the effectiveness of simple methods such as discount
The male consumer market has emerged as a promotions to drive sales is gradually diminishing. For consumers, consumption
new frontier for consumption. Against the backdrop needs are shifting from satisfying basic needs to a higher-dimensional, personal-
RIDULVLQJPLGGOHFODVVLQWHQVLÀHGPRELOH,QWHUQHW ized consumption upgrade.
integration, an upgrade in personalized demands, At this new juncture of upgrading and transformation, Double 11 must
and the year-over-year rise in the proportion of achieve more breakthroughs to begin the journey from quantitative to qualitative
single male adults, the he economy is expected change. BR
to experience long-term and sustainable growth,
Fu Yifu, a senior analyst at the Suning Institute of Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to zhangshsh@cicgamericas.com
Finance, said in a recent report.
30 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com

A Common Thread
The intangible cultural heritage of woolen yarn brings together East and West By Yuan Yuan
A
t the Sixth China International Import Expo
(CIIE), held in Shanghai on November 5-10,
woolen needlepoint tapestry, a national-
level intangible cultural heritage, found an international
platform.
Also known as “woolen embroidery,” woolen nee-
dlepoint tapestry is a handicraft that uses colored woolen
threads to embroider patterns on specially made linen
mesh. Li Qiang, an inheritor of the skill, attended the
expo on November 9 and displayed the expo’s mascot
Jinbao created with tapestry and taught basic embroider-
ing skills to visitors.
A master of the skill, Li is now the chief craftsperson
at the wool embroidery studio of Hengyuanxiang, or
HYX Group, a time-honored company founded in 1927
and a leading manufacturer of wool products in China.
In the early 1990s, the former president of the group Liu
Ruiqi began to gather top craftspeople specializing in
woolen embroidery from across China and established
studios in the early 2000s to preserve and pass down the
unique skills.
In contrast to many other forms of intangible cultural
heritage in China, Chinese woolen embroidery has been
developed based on both Western velvet embroidery
and traditional Chinese embroidery techniques.
In the decades after Western velvet embroidery was
introduced to Shanghai in the early 20th century, local
artisans combined it with Shanghai-style patterns, creat-
ing a unique new style.
The artworks created with the technique are com-
pared to “oriental oil painting,” with needles as brushes,
threads as paints, and cotton mesh cloth as a canvas. The
innovative needlework techniques have allowed for the
creation of larger and more diverse works, reproducing
both traditional oil paintings and Chinese ink paintings.
In 2011, the craft was officially included in the list of
national intangible cultural heritage.
Li, born in 1957, has been practicing the technique
for more than 40 years and excels at embroidering
portraits. Many of her works have been collected by mu-
seums at home and abroad.
Her masterpieces include the reproduction of
Michelangelo’s The Libyan Sibyl. She used a unique
“balanced chiaroscuro technique” to create a sculptural
effect, allowing viewers to feel as if they are seeing the
original artwork. In her reproduction of Leonardo da
http://www.bjreview.com
HERITAGE )($785(6
COURTESY PHOTO
Marcelo Magnou, Consul General of Uruguay in Shanghai, learns the basic
skills of woolen embroidery from Li Qiang at the Sixth China International
Import Expo in Shanghai on November 9
Vinci’s Lady With an Ermine, she accurately captured the subtle differences in skin tone
between characters and recreated the woman’s delicate expression.
In 2008, she was invited to embroider portraits of eight International Olympic
Committee presidents. The final works turned out to be “truly superior to the original
manuscript” and are now on display at the Beijing Olympic Exhibition Hall.
Li was invited to create the artworks because of HYX Group’s long engagement in
sport industry. As the official sponsor of the Chinese Olympic Committee, the group has
been involved in big events, including the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Beijing
2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Li Meili, a craftsperson from the wool knitting studio of HYX Group, was respon-
sible for creating award bouquets for the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter
Games. The hand-knitted bouquets consisted of seven different woolen flowers includ-
ing roses, lilies, osmanthus and green olives. The knitting group, led by Li Meili, made
more than 1,200 bouquets. These never-withering bouquets have become a highlight of
the event and also reflect the Games’ low-carbon concept.
Li Meili also brought the bouquets to this year’s CIIE. In her eyes, the exquisite
craftsmanship, integrating Eastern and Western cultures, is a good carrier for the spirit of
the CIIE that bridges East and West.
Both Li Qiang and Li Meili are happy to see more organizations and people be-
coming involved in the protection and promotion of the techniques. In August 2021,
an association for woolen needlepoint tapestry was established in Pudong New Area in
Shanghai. Many possibilities for the development of the art have been explored, includ-
ing developing cultural and creative products such as brooches, wallets, cushions, and
earrings.
Now, Li Qiang is mentor to two young embroiderers at the studio, both graduates
from the Shanghai Art & Design Academy. “They need to spend at least three years
learning the basic skills,” she said. BR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to yuanyuan@cicgamericas.com
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 31
)($785(6 &+,1$/$&
Emerging Markets
Enterprises boost business links between China and LAC countries
By Li Xiaoyang
I E-commerce link
n 2019, Mexican entrepreneur Andrés Díaz
Bedolla visited a small village in east China as
part of a program of the Electronic World Trade
Platform (eWTP), which was launched in 2016 by
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to support small
businesses around the world. Residents of Bainiu
Village in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, once relied
on making the long trek out of their mountain home
to sell their local specialty goods at fairs. However, e-
commerce industrial chains became an economic pillar
in the village around a decade ago and have changed
their lives for the better.
Bedolla found Bainiu different from the
Chinese villages he had imagined as its houses are
well-built and many young people have returned
to start e-commerce businesses, which inspired
him to promote the model in rural areas of Mexico.
As founder of Atomic 88, a business company in
Mexico, he hoped to develop it into a platform
for gathering Mexican producers and selling their
products to the world. After returning to Mexico,
Bedolla jointly initiated the Mexican Digital
Village program with Alibaba in 2020. Over the
past three years, his platform has helped around
ORFDOPLFURÀUPVEXVLQHVVHVHPSOR\LQJIHZ-
er than 10 people, to start e-commerce businesses.
The platform’s e-commerce training program has
now trained over 8,000 students.
According to Mexico’s Ambassador to China
Jesús Seade, at the 16th China-Latin America and
the Caribbean (LAC) Business Summit, held in
Beijing on November 2-3, the increasing presence
of Chinese enterprises in Mexico has accelerated
local digital transformation. Mexico, with over 60
million e-commerce users as of last year, will be-
come the second largest e-commerce country in the
region, after Brazil.
The LAC region will continue to see economic
challenges in 2024. China and LAC countries
should increase cooperation to empower small
businesses through digital transformation to drive
the regional economy, Seade said.
34 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
E-commerce is bolting forward in the LAC region, linking its countries with the
Chinese market. JD.com, another e-commerce giant in China, has opened over 100
online national pavilions to introduce high-quality products from other countries,
including those from the LAC region. Alibaba’s logistics arm Cainiao launched
its Mexico-based distribution center last year, the first of its global centers in the
Americas. The time for packages from China to reach LAC consumers has been cut
from around 40 days to 12 days.
LAC entrepreneurs are also exploring the Chinese market through e-commerce.
Tomas Fuentes Benitez, a Shanghai-based Argentine entrepreneur in his 30s, com-
pleted a master’s degree program in commerce at Tsinghua University in 2016.
After graduation, Benitez worked at the Argentine Embassy in China, and learned
more about the Chinese market. He decided to start his own businesses after be-
ing inspired by China’s huge market demands and Chinese consumers’ pursuit of
healthy lifestyles.
In 2019, Benitez partnered with a food plant in Shanghai to establish his own
healthy snack brand Stokes, producing low-calorie products ranging from beef slices
to potato chips. With a dozen employees, the Shanghai-based brand now has ware-
houses in four other cities in China. Its products have been sold in more than 750
supermarkets across the country.
“China’s high-efficiency logistics and completed manufacturing chains allow
startups to grow fast,” Benitez told Beijing Review. He has ridden the tide of e-com-
merce in China, livestreaming himself and releasing videos of products on Chinese
social media platforms to attract consumers.
In many LAC countries, transportation and digital infrastructure are yet to be im-
proved and logistics networks are yet to be expanded. Chinese companies, like ZTE
Corp., are providing pivotal support for local digital economies.
ZTE is one of the four largest telecommunications equipment providers in the
world. The company entered the LAC market in 1998, with over 20 subsidiaries in
LAC countries including Brazil, Mexico and Chile. More than 1,000 employees now
work for ZTE in the region, 80 percent of whom are local people.
“In addition to introducing its mobile phones, ZTE has been supporting the build-
ing of digital infrastructure, and will promote digital transformation of local enterprises
In many LAC countries, transportation and digital
infrastructure are yet to be improved and logistics
networks are yet to be expanded. Chinese companies,
like ZTE Corp., are providing pivotal support for local
digital economies
http://www.bjreview.com

XINHUA
An electric bus manufactured by Chinese automaker BYD in Santiago, capital of Chile,
on October 31
in the LAC region,” Yi Yongqiang, Vice President of ZTE, said at the summit.
Localized business
China’s ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing (Didi) launched car-hailing business
in Mexico in 2018. Its shared motorcycles now have 1 million users in Mexico,
&RORPELDDQG&KLOH,WKDVDOVRLQWURGXFHGFDUKDLOLQJVHUYLFHVFDWHULQJVSHFLÀFDOO\WR
women in LAC countries.
Chen Nan, Vice President of Overseas Government Affairs of Didi Global, said
on the sidelines of the summit that the company has operated smart transportation
projects in Brazil and Chile. The company has around 2,000 employees in the LAC
region, over 90 percent of whom are locals. The number of the company’s drivers and
couriers has exceeded 2 million.
In April 2022, the company formed a partnership with Chinese electric automaker
BYD’s subsidiary in Brazil, introducing a sustainable transportation program. It is ex-
pected the share of electric cars in Brazil’s vehicle market will grow from the current
3 percent to 10 percent by 2025.
Didi began delivery services in Mexico in 2019. Over the past four years, the
number of delivery service orders on its platform in the country has surpassed 150
PLOOLRQ7KHFRPSDQ\DOVRODXQFKHGDÀQDQFLDOVHUYLFHVEXVLQHVVODVW\HDUWRSURYLGH
digital payment and loan services in Mexico and Brazil. “We will keep expanding
services to meet local people’s daily needs and create more jobs,” Chen said.
Chinese automaker Beiqi Foton Motor has entered the LAC market with its
ÁHHWRIJUHHQYHKLFOHV)RWRQ0LQL7UXFNVRFFXS\WKHODUJHVWPDUNHWVKDUHLQ
Chile, supporting local enterprises on logistics. Foton electric buses also hold a
large market share in Chile, with the number of its buses on the road there total-
ing around 1,400.
Chinese pharmaceutical enterprises are also looking to diversify their part-
nerships in the LAC region. Beijing-based medical device provider SinoVision
7HFKQRORJ\&R/WGZDVIRXQGHGLQ,WVSURGXFWVLQFOXGHKLJKGHÀQLWLRQ
computerized tomography (CT) scanners, and 5G-connected robots for remote
treatment. CT scanners produced by SinoVision are now in use in Bolivia, Peru
http://www.bjreview.com
)($785(6
and Mexico. In 2022, the company’s CT equipment
was installed at a private hospital in Santa Cruz, the
VHFRQGODUJHVWFLW\LQ%ROLYLDZKLFKZDVWKHÀUVW
CT scanner in the hospital.
The high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)
machines made by Chongqing Haifu Medical
Technology, a company based in the southwest-
ern municipality of Chongqing, was developed
to treat malignant tumors. The HIFU machines
were first exported to Cuba in 2013. In 2017, the
machines entered markets of Argentina, Mexico
and Colombia. The company has also established
medical centers in six LAC countries to support
localized medical development.
More partnership
While around 3,700 Chinese enterprises invested a
combined $600 billion in the LAC region this year,
97 percent of the investment went to companies
incorporated in the United States Virgin Islands
and Cayman Islands, and only 3 percent flew to
LAC countries, said Ge Shunqi from the Institute
for International Economics at Nankai University.
During the summit, Ge highlighted that China’s
investment into LAC countries remains small.
According to Yi, complex tax payment systems
and fluctuating currency exchange rates are still
major challenges for Chinese enterprises in the
LAC region. Enterprises from China look forward
to the development of more favorable business en-
vironments in these countries.
Pisen, a Chinese supplier of outdoor energy
storage systems based in Guangdong Province, has
introduced its photovoltaic (PV) portable power
bank products to the Brazilian market. According
to the company, its PV panels and portable power
banks for drones have been used at farms and fac-
tories in Brazil to lower their carbon footprints. The
Brazilian Government is supporting the develop-
ment of the green economy by reducing tax on PV
products, facilitating the company’s expansion in
the market there.
“Investment by Chinese enterprises is mutually
beneficial for China and LAC countries. The two
sides should work together to improve business-
related policy and build economic and trade
cooperation zones to boost investment and trade
cooperation,” Ge said. BR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to lixiaoyang@cicgamericas.com
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 35
 )($785(6 TECH
Hands Off the Wheel
Fueling the race toward a fully driverless future By Peng Jiawei
F Switching gears
or science fiction aficionados, driverless
cars have long been one of the most iconic
and recognizable motifs of the future.
From Herbie, the adorable Volkswagen Beetle in
The Love Bug (1969), to the vengeful Plymouth
Fury in Christine (1983), to the Batmobile roaring
through the streets of Gotham City, autonomous
driving has long captured the human imagination
with its ability to redefine people’s relationship
with vehicles, as well as its terrifying potential to
spin out of control.
This longstanding fantasy has recently become
a reality in the Beijing Economic-Technological
Development Area, a suburb commonly known as
Yizhuang in southeast Beijing. Once a quiet rural town
covered in farmland, Yizhuang has transformed into a
real-life cyberpunk tech hub where swarms of driver-
less robotaxis gingerly roam.
These robotaxis offer an experience that is surpris-
ingly like traditional ride-hailing services, except that
there is no one behind the wheel. From the outside, it
resembles a regular taxi, except for the many sensors,
radars and cameras mounted all over its body.
With these gadgets, the car can steer, stop, shift
gears, change lanes and navigate busy stop-and-go
WUDIÀFDOOE\LWVHOI2QWKHGLVSOD\EXLOWLQWRWKHEDFNV
of the front seats, riders can see a highly detailed map
of everything—pedestrians, cars and buildings—the
vehicle spots.
Like it or not, the future is here.
ZHANG WEI
36 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
A majority of the robotaxis running within the area are operated by Apollo
Go, a robotaxi ride-hailing service launched in 2021 by Baidu, the tech giant
behind China’s most popular search engine.
While most of Apollo Go’s robotaxis in Yizhuang come with a safety operator
ready to take over if something goes wrong, a limited number of lucky and particu-
larly brave people will get the chance to ride in a fully driverless cab. “You cannot
choose whether the cab comes with a safety operator. It’s like opening a mystery
box,” Zhao Anlin, a 25-year-old car enthusiast from Yizhuang, told Beijing Review.
For Zhao, taking robotaxi rides has become a daily routine and even a kind of addic-
tion. “Sometimes, I’ll repeatedly place and cancel orders until I get a fully driverless
taxi,” he said.
For most people, however, the most attractive feature of a robotaxi at this stage is
the heavily discounted price, which is part of the company’s strategy to attract more
ÀUVWWLPHULGHUV$PLQXWHULGHZLWKLQ<L]KXDQJQRUPDOO\FRVWV\XDQ  RQ
DiDi Chuxing, one of China’s largest ride-hailing apps. On Apollo Go, it costs just 11
yuan ($1.5).
Despite the unprofitable price tag, as well as the company’s relatively limited
experience in car manufacturing, Baidu has managed to emerge as a leading player
in China’s driverless sector with government endorsement and the development of its
RZQDUWLÀFLDOLQWHOOLJHQFH $, FKLS.XQOXQ;LQ,QIDFWLW·VRIWHQFRQVLGHUHGRQHRI
the top three companies in the world leading the way in driverless vehicles, the other
two being Google-owned Waymo and Cruise, a largely autonomous subsidiary of
General Motors.
To date, Apollo Go has established itself in 11 major Chinese cities. It has also
received the country’s first permit to offer fully driverless service on open roads
in Beijing, Chongqing, Wuhan in Hubei Province and Shenzhen in Guangdong
Province, respectively. As of October 17, more than 4 million Apollo Go rides had
been completed since the service was launched in 2021.
Along with Waymo, Cruise and a few others, the company has achieved what
the automotive industry calls Level 4 capabilities. The industry has di-
vided its technological progress into six levels—from Level 0, where
humans are in complete control of the vehicle, to Level 5, where no
human intervention is required at all. At Level 4, or high automation,
vehicles are fully capable of driving themselves as long as they stay
within certain areas.
In addition to Baidu, several Chinese startups, including Pony.ai,
SenseTime, Neolix and Haomo.AI, have also launched their driver-
less car models. Meanwhile, many homegrown new-energy vehicle
(NEV) companies, such as XPENG and Li Auto, are opting for a dif-
ferent path.
$URERWD[LRSHUDWHGE\%DLGXoV$SROOR*RZDLWVDWDWUDIĶFOLJKWLQ
Yizhuang, a tech hub in southeast Beijing, on August 7
http://www.bjreview.com

XINHUA
A food delivery drone operated by Chinese delivery giant Meituan prepares to land on
a pickup kiosk in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province in south China, on August 15
“Many companies are investing in autonomous vehicle technology, but they are
being more cautious,” Brady Wang, a technology analyst at Counterpoint Research,
recently told the South China Morning Post newspaper.
These companies focus on developing Level 2 autopilot services as a premium
software upgrade for their NEV models. While human drivers still need to monitor
PRVWWDVNVDXWRSLORWPRGHDOORZVWKHYHKLFOHWREULHÁ\WDNHFRQWUROZKHQDFWLYDWHG
´:KLOH/HYHOFDUVUHTXLUHDFRPSOHWHXSJUDGHRIWKHWUDIÀFV\VWHPDXWRSLORWPRGH
is more ready to make the leap from technology to a commercially viable product,”
said Yu Qian, CEO of QCraft, a Chinese autonomous driving startup, on Taidu, a
Chinese tech-focused podcast.
Although the industry is deeply divided over which strategy is better, these com-
SDQLHVDUHDOOÀ[DWHGRQRQHJRDOJHWWLQJWKHLURZQGULYHUOHVVSURMHFWVRIIWKHJURXQG
as quickly as possible.
A rough ride
The industry always seems to be just one step away from reaching Level 5,
the ultimate stage. For years, companies have been promising that self-driving
vehicles will soon be roaming the urban landscape. But that future, it seems, is
always just out of reach.
&XUUHQWVHOIGULYLQJWHFKQRORJ\LVIDLUO\JRRGDWKDQGOLQJUHJXODUWUDIÀF³FKDQJ-
ing lanes, parking, slowing down when approaching crosswalks, etc. But with cars
cutting lanes and jaywalkers and mopeds randomly barging into the street, these ve-
hicles are bound to encounter situations beyond their programmed capabilities.
In addition, each Chinese city has its own unique layout. A system that works well
in Beijing, where the streets are wide and straight, may not work well in Chongqing,
a mountainous municipality with steep hills and narrow streets. “The real urban envi-
ronment is much more complicated than imagined. The planning, policies and driving
styles differ from city to city,” Cai Na, Vice President of Chinese autonomous driving
startup Haomo.AI, told MIT Technology Review magazine.
For this reason, Chinese companies are customizing navigation systems based
RQWKHVSHFLÀFVRILQGLYLGXDOFLWLHV7KLVSUHVHQWVDQH[FLWLQJRSSRUWXQLW\³DQGDQ
equally formidable challenge. “The complex scenarios can generate more valuable
data that can help us improve our technology,” Mo Luyi, Vice President of Pony.ai,
told newspaper China Daily. However, this kind of complexity can also prevent the
LQGXVWU\IURPSHQHWUDWLQJDPXFKEURDGHUPDUNHWDVWKHFRVWRIFUHDWLQJFLW\VSHFLÀF
http://www.bjreview.com
)($785(6
navigation systems is extremely high.
During the 2020 World Intelligent Connected
Vehicles Conference in Beijing, China released a plan
calling for 20 percent of all new vehicles to have Level 4
capabilities by 2030.
:KLOHPDQ\H[SHUWVKDYHH[SUHVVHGFRQÀGHQFHLQ
driverless technology, it remains to be seen how China
will meet its 2030 goal.
The buffer zone
Driverless cars are still a niche industry. But the
technology has already found its way into many
areas, including public transportation, delivery
and smart vending.
In Yizhuang, robotaxis are not the only automated
presence seen in the streets. Self-driving minibuses
developed by QCraft regularly shuttle between several
school campuses in the area.
Automated vending machines operated by Neolix
travel between various intersections, offering passersby
a tech-savvy selection of classic Chinese street foods.
Several express delivery companies, including SF
Express and JD Logistics, have also launched their
autonomous delivery vehicles to free couriers from the
tedium of picking up packages from distant depots.
But the technology has also literally taken off. In
Shenzhen, a major hub for driverless vehicles in the
southern province of Guangdong, drones operated by
Meituan, a Chinese delivery giant, regularly deliver
food and groceries from mini-airports built on top
of shopping malls to pick-up kiosks near residential
blocks.
BYD, a leading Chinese NEV manufacturer, has
also launched a fully autonomous rail transit system
called SkyShuttle in Shenzhen. The system, which
runs on an elevated track that snakes through densely
packed high-rise buildings, is designed to combat traf-
ÀFFRQJHVWLRQDQGHQDEOHDPRUHYHUWLFDOO\LQWHJUDWHG
transportation system.
By creating tiny, non-aggressive points of con-
nection between technology, business and individual
consumers, these unattended services are paving the
way for the widespread use of driverless vehicles and
are about to fundamentally change the entire fabric of
modern transportation.
Combined, these services and vehicles are fueling
China’s race to a fully driverless future. BR
(Reporting from Beijing and Shenzhen)
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to pengjiawei@cicgamericas.com
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 37
)($785(6 EDUCATION
The Rise of STEM
Imported science teaching model gains popularity among Chinese students By Zhang Yage

COURTESY PHOTO
EX Robotics, an educational program aimed
at teaching young people robotics, has won
widespread support from scientific institu-
tions and corporations in its native United States and is
becoming increasingly popular in China.
Xu Haoxuan, a 13-year-old middle school student
in Beijing, said participating in the program has led
him to think about his future career. “I want to become
an excellent programmer in the future,” he told Beijing
Review.
VEX Robotics is the brainchild of Innovation
First International, a hi-tech company in the U.S. In
cooperation with Carnegie Mellon University, the
company runs international robotics competitions for
primary and secondary school, as well as university
students. Xu was a member of his school’s team,
which won third place at the 15th VEX Asian Robotics
Championship 2022. Xu Haoxuan (right), a 13-year-old student in Beijing, and his teammates at the 15th VEX
The robotics kits used by students in the VEX Asian Robotics Championship 2022
Robotics program consist of over 850 parts, as well as
DQLQVWLWXWHIRULQWHUQDWLRQDO67(0HGXFDWLRQLQ6KDQJKDLWKHÀUVW&DWHJRU\
programming software and a manual, helping students
1 UNESCO institute to be established in China.
to learn and make use of computational and mechani-
cal concepts. “I am taking extracurricular Python (a IISTEM is now an integral part of UNESCO. The Shanghai facility is the
computer programming language) courses, and have 10th Category 1 Institute established by the organization globally, as well as
joined science clubs at school,” Xu said. “I designed, WKHÀUVWRILWVNLQGHVWDEOLVKHGRXWVLGHRI(XURSHDQGWKH$PHULFDV,WVPDLQ
programmed and built a car-shaped robot with my functions include promoting inclusive, equitable, relevant and quality STEM
teammates, and we used a single-hand controller to education from early childhood to adulthood, and serving as an information
control it.” According to him, attending the competi- exchange center, network hub, resource base and capacity-building focal
tion enriched his experience of working with others SRLQWLQWKHÀHOGRI67(0HGXFDWLRQ
and applying the knowledge he learned in his Python
classes.
A booming market
VEX Robotics and its competitions are a According to research published by Gonyn.com, a third party industry con-
typical example of STEM education. STEM, an sulting agency, in 2021, the STEM market in China exceeded 358 billion
acronym for science, technology, engineering yuan ($49.4 billion), increasing 76.3 billion yuan ($10.5 billion) from the
and mathematics, has become a popular concept previous year. In October 2022, the average monthly active users of online
in the education field since its establishment STEM platforms in the country reached 32.6 million.
by the U.S. National Science Foundation in the The rapid development of this market makes it easier for students to
1980s. China began embracing STEM education explore science at home, with many kinds of related educational products
in the 2010s. In 2017, the Ministry of Education readily available at a click of a mouse.
published new standards for science education in Radio direction finding is the identification and location of radio wave
primary schools, including STEM education as sources. Zhang Bohong, a 13-year-old student in Beijing, has been learning
part of them. the skill in class and making progress learning it on her own with the help of
At the 42nd Session of the UNESCO General 67(0HGXFDWLRQDOSURGXFWV´,W·VH[KDXVWLQJDQGGLIÀFXOWDWÀUVW\RXKDYH
Conference on November 9, the organization an- to keep running, searching for signals and taking down notes, which is a great
nounced the establishment of UNESCO IISTEM, challenge for one’s physical strength and tenacity,” she said. Zhang won third
38 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com

SODFHLQWKHIHPDOHSXSLOJURXSRIWKHVKRUWGLVWDQFHUDGLRGLUHFWLRQÀQGLQJ
contest for primary and middle school students in Beijing’s Haidian District
in May 2021.
Participants in the radio direction finding competitions need to run
WKURXJKÀHOGVWRORFDWHFRQFHDOHGUDGLRV7KHHYHQWVEHJDQDVRULHQWHHULQJ
competitions, but were transformed from a sports program to a STEM pro-
gram in schools by adding electricity, geology and meteorology knowledge.
,QVSLUHGE\KHUH[SHULHQFHLQUDGLRGLUHFWLRQÀQGLQJ=KDQJLVWU\LQJWR
study other science subjects. “I’m interested in biology and I want to practice
it more, rather than simply learning the theory. I think just theory can’t take
me too far,” she told Beijing Review. In addition to experiments assigned by
her teacher at school, the teenager also takes the initiative to cultivate fungi
including yeast and oyster mushrooms at home.
“She bought STEM experimental products and books, and did several
experiments at home ahead of studying them at school. She’s going to take
chemistry next year, so she’s off to a great start,” Zhang’s mother told Beijing
Review. “STEM programs are eye-opening. They have enlarged the scope of
KHUNQRZOHGJHDQGLQVSLUHGKHUWRH[SORUHPRUHÀHOGVRIVFLHQFH6RFLHW\UH-
quires talents who have mastered multidisciplinary knowledge and the ability
WRSUDFWLFHDQG67(0HGXFDWLRQÀWVµ
More than subjects
“STEM education is not the simple sum of these subjects, but the combina-
tion and incorporation of many subjects,” Li Yongzhi, head of the National
Institute of Education Sciences (NIES), said at a conference on the develop-
ment of STEM education in Changchun, Jilin Province, on November 4-5.
Luo Bin, head of Beijing Haidian Teachers Training College, believes
that the goal of STEM education is to promote students’ all-round abilities.
“STEM education applies thinking and problem solving methods from multi-
ple disciplines,” Luo said in her book Integrating STEM in Subject Teaching:
Linking and Empowering. “It helps students build up the general views about
the essence of science and macro engineering concepts, so that they can think
like scientists and practice like engineers to work out complicated problems.”
As STEM education differs greatly from the traditional single subject-
centered science education in China, the process to adapt the imported
teaching model to the Chinese context takes time.
´$WÀUVWWKHUHZHUHIHZPDWHULDOVSURYLGLQJVSHFLÀFH[DPSOHVRI67(0
classes except for studies on theories and policies. But teachers want to know
how to implement this type of education in the classroom,” Yin Huan, an edi-
tor at the Educational Science Publishing House, who has worked in this type
of education for seven years, told Beijing Review. “So we borrowed samples
from America. In 2018, we published STEM Curriculum Design Cases From
America (for Elementary Students). It was a hit, with 3,000 copies sold in the
ÀUVWZHHNRILWVUHOHDVHµ
Also in 2018, the NIES launched the China STEM Education 2029
Action Plan. The goals of this plan include more organizations to participate
in related programs, making them accessible to students from underrepresent-
ed and underserved backgrounds, and adjusting the way they are evaluated.
In 2019, it published How to Implement STEM Education, part of the 2029
action plan series of books, incorporating 16 typical cases and experiences
from prestigious frontline teachers in China.
http://www.bjreview.com
)($785(6
“The book draws together the fundamentals of
STEM teaching in China, addresses the practical
problems faced by teachers, and provides effec-
tive solutions to them,” Yin said.
On the video-sharing platform of Weixin,
one of China’s most popular superapps, the of-
ficial account of the China STEM Education
2029 Action Plan has uploaded 81 videos, of
which 72 are examples of STEM classes. In
these videos, primary and secondary school stu-
dents from across the country exhibit different
skills, including operating catapults, cultivating
microorganisms, designing “sponge campuses,”
monitoring water quality and building green-
houses. Other videos presented lectures on topics
including standards for STEM classes, obstacles
in implementing this type of education and stu-
dent performance, aiming to provide insights and
guidance for frontline teachers.
A long way to go
Although STEM education possesses undeniable
potential and popularity, it is not without prob-
lems and challenges.
According to the State of Science Index 2022,
an independent research study conducted by 3M
Company that tracks and explores global attitudes
WRZDUGVFLHQFHDQGUHÁHFWVRQLWVJOREDOLPSDFW
93 percent of students surveyed in China said
they were having trouble pursuing STEM educa-
tion, compared to 84 percent globally. Having no
access to related courses topped the list of com-
plaints, cited by 89 percent of the respondents.
Other reasons include unaffordable courses, stu-
dents overloaded with other responsibilities and
gender-based prejudice. Also, 96 percent of sur-
veyed Chinese participants believed that diversity
and inclusiveness in STEM education are critical,
while 80 percent held the view that children from
underrepresented and underserved backgrounds
have less access to its programs.
“We call for more people to devote them-
selves to STEM education,” Wang Weina, an
expert on product development at 3M Company,
said. “The enlargement and diversity of this joint
effort contribute a lot to the advancement of our
society. To protect children’s dreams of becom-
ing scientists is to protect our future.” BR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to zhangyage@cicgamericas.com
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 39
)($785(6 TRENDS
Trash to Treasure
Secondhand market gains traction among young Chinese By Lu Yan
R
ecently, Zhong Xiaoli, a 29-year-old
white-collar in Beijing, sold her 35th item
on Xianyu (literally translated as Idle
Fish), an online platform for secondhand items
owned by Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group.
Since she first started using the app seven years
ago, she has earned more than 3,500 yuan ($479)
from the sale of items she had used or left unused,
ranging from cosmetics and clothing to electronic
devices and home appliances.
The most expensive item she ever sold was
a camera—which she’d originally purchased on
the app. “I had bought it for 800 yuan ($109) and
sold it for more than 900 yuan ($123) more than
a year later,” Zhong told Beijing Review. “The
‘trade’ was both a surprise and a lot of fun.”
To date, Xianyu has more than 500 million us-
ers. According to the platform’s data released in
late May, the number of products on the platform
Screenshot of online secondhand market platform
Xianyu (literally translated as Idle Fish)
40 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
exceeded 1 billion, and more than 1 billion secondhand items are sold on the
app every year.
The size of China’s secondhand goods market has grown rapidly from
about 300 billion yuan ($41 billion) in 2015 to more than 1 trillion yuan
($137 billion) in 2020, and is expected to triple by 2025, according to a report
released in September 2021. The report was jointly published by American
FRQVXOWLQJÀUP)URVW 6XOOLYDQ7VLQJKXD8QLYHUVLW\·V,QVWLWXWHRI(QHUJ\
Environment and Economy, and Zhuanzhuan Group, the operator of another
Chinese secondhand marketplace.
The report also pointed out that with the continuous change in consumer
attitudes and the deepening of environmental protection awareness in China,
the trade of used goods has evolved from a relatively niche money-saving op-
tion to a trendy lifestyle choice especially favored by young consumers born
in the 1980s and 90s.
Cheap or chic?
Most of the items Zhong traded were brand new and sold for a quarter to a
ÀIWKRIWKHRULJLQDOSULFH
´,QWKHÀUVWIHZ\HDUVZKHQ,MXVWVWDUWHGWRZRUNDQGHDUQPRQH\,XVHG
to go on shopping sprees, especially on online e-commerce platforms such
as Taobao (Alibaba’s ubiquitous shopping app) and during trips to tax-free
shops,” Zhong said. “Now I’m more sober in terms of consumption and try to
maintain a minimalist lifestyle.”
Recently, hashtags such as “Why are young Chinese becoming ‘cheap’?”
and “Young Chinese are becoming more rational consumers” were frequently
searched topics on popular domestic microblogging platform Weibo.
A report released by market consultancy iiMedia Research on Chinese
consumption in 2022 shows that those born between 1990 and 2009 tend
to be frugal. Turning to secondhand goods is one of their go-to spending
options, along with looking for discounts at supermarkets or just enjoying
window-shopping. “It’s about refusing to fall into a consumption trap created
by companies,” Zhong explained.
For some people, the boom in the secondhand market is a sign that the
impulse to consume is waning. For others, it is also partly due to the devel-
opment of e-commerce, where sellers offer higher discounts that encourage
consumers to buy their products in bulk, especially during online shopping
festivals such as 618, which started life as an anniversary sale commemorat-
ing the founding of major online retailer JD.com on June 18, and Double 11,
similar to Black Friday in the United States, leading to a large number of sur-
plus goods being bought, stored at home and eventually resold.
To market their goods, people post messages explaining why they want
to sell these items, in addition to describing the products. For example, “My
boyfriend gave me this necklace, but now he’s my ex” or “I was going to
give this perfume to my girlfriend, but we’ve broken up.” Some items are
marked as unused year-end prizes from employers.
http://www.bjreview.com

CNSPHOTO
A fair where people can swap their
used goods in full swing in Wuhan,
Hubei Province, in January
Besides being a platform to save money or get rid of unnecessary goods,
the secondhand market has also become a channel for younger generations to
meet their fashion needs. In addition to selling luxury items such as designer
watches, jewelry and coveted handbags, some online platforms dedicated to
secondhand luxury goods even offer authentication services.
Then there are those platforms that focus on one particular type of prod-
uct, such as Duozhuayu, which sells used books, and Fengniao.com, which
sells cameras.
Wang Cheng, a Shanghai-based shutterbug, has bought more than 15
CCD cameras from secondhand stores. Taking photos with them is his hobby.
Introduced in the 1970s and gradually replaced by newer generations of cam-
eras since 2010, CCD cameras, or charged-coupled device cameras, which
are no longer in production, are attracting more and more people thanks to
their accessorizing powers and the unique retro-style images they create.
The once-outdated camera today has found its way into young hearts
WKURXJKWKHFHOHEULW\HIIHFW³VRPHPRYLHVWDUVDQGLQÁXHQFHUVKDYHVKDUHG
WKHLUXVHRIWKHFDPHUDPDNLQJLWDERQDÀGHIDVKLRQLFRQ
“They can create photos with better textures—outdoing any smartphone
camera,” Wang said. But with rising popularity comes a rising price tag.
Wang said that in the past, one could buy a CCD camera for less than 100
yuan ($13.7) on the secondhand market, whereas now the same model as the
ones owned by celebrities can be sold for more than 1,000 yuan ($137).
Knowing your rights
Although secondhand platforms can offer consumers a bang for their buck,
there are risks involved. “I once bought one camera with obvious defects,
and the seller wouldn’t allow me to return it and get a refund. It took me days
to defend my consumer rights on the platform. Although it was eventually
returned, the process was tiring and distressing,” Wang said. “We need to be
careful when buying secondhand goods.”
Not only do consumers need to be careful when buying secondhand
goods, sellers, too, may face a host of hiccups. For example, in July, a
woman surnamed Bao wanted to sell two Starbucks gift cards with a total
face value of 400 yuan ($55) on a secondhand trading platform at the price of
380 yuan ($52). A buyer contacted her and said he wanted to purchase them.
http://www.bjreview.com
)($785(6
The platform then displayed a message saying,
“The buyer has already made the purchase.” Bao
thought it meant the buyer had already paid, so
she gave the buyer the password to unlock the
cards. However, she later found out that the buyer
had only placed an order but had not made any
payment.
Lu Laiming, a professor of law at Beijing
Technology and Business University, said at present,
online transactions of secondhand goods in China are
PRVWO\GHÀQHGDV´QRQEXVLQHVVDFWLYLWLHVµ
However, e-commerce laws and regula-
tions mainly focus on business activities, with
less regulation on non-business activities. “Some
businesspeople operate on secondhand platforms
under the guise of disposing of items, with the
aim of dodging regulatory restrictions for first-
hand e-commerce platforms,” he told newspaper
China Consumer News.
But the essence of secondhand e-commerce
transactions is still the sale of goods through on-
line platforms. The small transaction volume of
individual sellers does not mean that those people
can go beyond the law, and their behavior should
also be regulated by the laws and regulations,
such as the E-Commerce Law and the Law on
the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests,
said Chen Yinjiang, Deputy Secretary General of
the Consumer Rights Protection Law Research
Association of the China Law Society.
“If the rights and interests of buyers or sell-
ers are violated, they should collect evidence in
a timely manner and negotiate with the platform
to find a solution. If the negotiation fails, they
FDQÀOHDFRPSODLQWZLWKWKHPDUNHWUHJXODWRURU
the public security department,” Chen told China
Consumer News. BR
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to luyan@cicgamericas.com
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 41
)($785(6 REAL PEOPLE, REAL LIVES
Recreating Giants
A science artist brings prehistoric creatures back to life By Li Qing

Z
hao Chuang is a 43-year-old science artist
working in Beijing. The illustrator’s job bridg-
es science and art by painting and sculpting
ancient extinct species based on information collected
from fossils. Zhao reproduces each element described
in paleontological papers in an artistic way, and the
EODQNVLQVFLHQWLÀFUHVHDUFKDUHÀOOHGE\KLVORJLFDQG
imagination.
Zhao is a dream collaborator for many paleontolo-
gists, museums and publishing houses. His painting
of a prehistoric flying mammal became the cover of
SURPLQHQW%ULWLVKVFLHQWLÀFMRXUQDONature in 2006, a
highlight in his career as a science artist. Ten years lat-
er, he worked with the American Museum of Natural
History on its exhibition focusing on the links between
dinosaurs and birds.
The paleo-artist, who has painted over thousands
prehistoric animals, is used to creating works at night
and often sleeps just four hours a day, going to bed
around 6 a.m. and waking up around 10 a.m.
“Recreating those ancient creatures is arduous, and
it makes me feel like I’m dealing with 4.6 billion years
of life on Earth,” he said, adding he will continue delv-
ing into the history of our planet, though painting a full
picture of it is an impossible mission.
them and even took three years to create his own book popularizing dinosaurs. At that
WLPHKLVGUHDPZDVWRZULWHDERRNVSHFLÀFDOO\DERXWWKHGLQRVDXUVWKDWRQFHOLYHG
in China—a dream that was realized last year. Also, at his studio on the outskirts of
Beijing, the number of his “dinosaurs” at some points exceeded 100, creating a spec-
tacular sight.
Science and art
In Zhao’s eyes, dinosaurs are elegant. “They have long necks and tails. Their legs are
thin... When they walked, the force was transmitted from the feet to the pelvis, and
then to the sides of the body, and this balance must have been very beautiful.”
Nearly 20 years have passed, but Zhao still enjoys painting these long-gone
creatures. However, he said reading research materials about them is the most time-
consuming aspect of his work. Generally, he creates a draft on paper that lays out the
dimensions and features of each animal. The next step is to recreate its skeleton and
then its muscles.
Today, Zhao can scan the entire bone structure of a dinosaur into a computer and
add muscles to it using software. The resulting digital model is printed with 3D print-
ing technology and can be used as a model for painting or as the basis for producing a
ÀQLVKHGPRGHO
“We draw the muscles and bones of animals following biological principles,”
Zhao said, adding many of the ways dinosaurs move in the movies would be impos-
sible in reality.
Next, he creates the model’s skin, which includes adding colors, furs or scales,
patterns and textures. This stage requires the artist to make use of his imagination and
logic as many fossils fail to provide such details. When illustrating, Zhao often must

WANG RUOHAN
Boyhood romance
Zhao began by painting dinosaurs as a child. “Do you
UHPHPEHUWKHÀUVWWLPH\RXVDZDGLQRVDXU"7KHÀUVW
time you see them, it’s like... a miracle.” The lines from
the 1997 movie The Lost World: Jurassic Park per-
fectly describe Zhao’s initial encounter with dinosaurs.
When Zhao was a second-grade student at primary
school, his parents bought him a popular Chinese sci-
ence book series intended for children, One Hundred
Thousand Whys.
In the pages describing biological evolution, the
boy saw a Tyrannosaurus Rex and was attracted by the
introduction about it: It was 15 meters long, weighed
6 tons, lived 88 million years ago and was one of the
most powerful animals to ever walk the face of the
planet. These figures were accompanied by a simple
illustration, but it captivated him.
From that point on, he began reading more about =KDR&KXDQJDQDUWLVWZKRUHFUHDWHVH[WLQFWDQFLHQWFUHDWXUHVßLSVWKURXJKKLVODWHVW
GLQRVDXUVZULWLQJVFLHQFHÀFWLRQDERXWWKHPSDLQWLQJ book in Beijing on November 1
42 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023 http://www.bjreview.com

COURTESY PHOTO
The dinosaur in the center of Zhao’s illustration, Shishugounykus, meaning Shishugou’s claw, lived in today’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 170
PLOOLRQ\HDUVDJR7KHJURXSZKLFKOLYHGGXULQJWKHPLGODWH-XUDVVLFLVQDPHGDIWHUWKH6KLVKXJRX)RUPDWLRQZKHUHWKHLUIRVVLOVZHUHĶUVWGLVFRYHUHG
during an excavation initiated in 2000
also recreate the plants and other elements of an animal’s habitat consistent with the
SHULRGLQZKLFKLWH[LVWHGEHIRUHWKHFRPSOLFDWHGSDLQWLQJLVÀQDOO\ÀQLVKHG
Zhao has to upgrade or alter details in his drawings and models or even create new
ZRUNVZKHQQHZVFLHQWLÀFGLVFRYHULHVDUHSXEOLVKHG
´6RPHSHRSOHKDYHDVNHGPHLISHRSOHOLNHPHLQWKHDUWVKDWHWKHVHÀJXUHVSULQ-
ciples and rules. No, I like them. They are the content of my creation. What people
in science art do is to make this information into a work that makes sense instead of
simply pursuing visual effects.”
An ambitious plan
´:KHQ,ÀUVWVWDUWHGSDLQWLQJSUHKLVWRULFDQLPDOVLWZDVDYHU\QLFKHFLUFOHLQZKLFK
enthusiasts could only contribute to relevant exhibitions at museums,” Zhao recalled.
“But now, more people are interested in this area, which requires us to provide even
more authentic recreations of originals.”
So behind Zhao’s own “Jurassic Park” is the constant study of over two decades.
He has accumulated a considerable knowledge of specialized vocabulary as most
papers on dinosaurs are written in English. Since 2009, he has been joining research
institutes in the excavation of fossils in order to better understand the species he recre-
ates. His in-depth studies continue to broaden as he has been expanding his recreations
to include more species.
6XSSRUWHGE\WKHODWHVWVFLHQWLÀFUHVHDUFKKHKRSHVWRGHPRQVWUDWHWKHLQQHUUH-
lationship between species, the natural environment, community, culture and other
aspects of their evolution through his artworks. “My endeavor began in 2010 and will
focus on telling stories about the lives that have existed on Earth. Dinosaurs are just
http://www.bjreview.com
)($785(6
one branch. These lives also include aquatic reptiles
and early humans. I enjoy exploring and drawing the
evolution of life,” he said, describing his ambitious ca-
reer goals.
“Earth is a big laboratory where different life has
appeared, many of which were strange looking. Over
a long time, some have evolved while the rest have
disappeared, and the world eventually became what it
is today,” Zhao continued.
He hopes to develop the concept into an exhibition
based on his recreations. He plans for the exhibition
to focus on two concepts, time and space, which are
the principles of Zhao’s creation of science art. “I will
select several important animals in history to show the
evolution process in different places and at different
times,” he said.
“But the centerpiece of the exhibition will be a
Tyrannosaurus Rex, whether as a painting or a sculp-
ture. I have loved it since I was a child and it drew me
into this profession,” he explained, adding it has to be a
1:1-scale reproduction so that visitors can realize what
DPDJQLÀFHQWDQLPDOWKLVZDVBR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to liqing@cicgamericas.com
NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 43
CULTURE
Weaving a Better Life
K
nitting Ladies, a stage drama
based on a true story, was per-
formed in Beijing on November
11. The drama tells the story of Yang
Chenglan, a college graduate of the Dong
ethnic group, who went back to her home-
town in a rural part of Guizhou Province,
southwest China, to revive the traditional
technique of Dong-style cloth dyeing.
Yang was the first woman from her
village to attend university. After gradu-
ation, she worked as a music teacher in
the provincial capital of Guiyang before
46 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
returning to her home in Qiandongnan
Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture
in 2016 as a social entrepreneur. By
breathing new life into the almost extinct
fabric-making practice, she has not only
helped preserve a time-honored tradition,
but also increased villagers’ incomes.
Zhang Ying, director of the drama,
said she hopes Yang’s story will en-
courage more young people to devote
themselves to learning and passing on
Chinese forms of intangible cultural
heritage.
The Dong minority, with a popula-
tion of 3.49 million, is one of China’s
55 minority ethnic groups. Dong people
mainly live in Guizhou, Hunan and Hubei
provinces as well as Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region. Qiandongnan is
home to the largest number of Dong
people in China. BR
(Text and photos by Wei Yao)
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to weiyao@cicgamericas.com
http://www.bjreview.com
 CULTURE

 1. Indigo-blue, the dominant color of
Dong-style fabric, features prominently in
the staging, costuming and lighting of the
drama

2. A prop based on the traditional looms used

in Dong-style weaving

3. The heroine returns to her hometown

and begins helping others increase their
incomes by applying traditional textile-making
techniques

4. Dancers perform on the stage covered in

bolts of the distinctive blue cloth produced by
Dong artisans

http://www.bjreview.com NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BEIJING REVIEW 47

EXPAT’S EYE

Chengdu—Merging Tradition and Modernity

By Gloria Rebeca Rueda Duque

hina never ceases to amaze me.
It is an ancient nation with a rich
history and culture that has un-
dergone an unprecedented transformation
in recent decades and boasts a cuisine so
varied that you can enjoy a different dish
every day of the year.
In September 2022, I started my mas-
ter’s studies at the University of Electronic
Science and Technology of China
(UESTC), also known as the cradle of
China’s electronic technology industry. At
this academic institution, I focus on digi-
tal governance, a crucial field today that
merges public administration with cutting-
edge technology.
My decision to study at the UESTC
has provided me with a unique opportunity
to explore how technological innovations
can transform public administration and
improve the efficiency of government
services. This experience represents not
only an exciting intellectual challenge, but
also an opportunity to contribute to the de-
velopment of more effective and forward-
looking governance for Ecuador, my home
country, using digital technologies as an
integral part of modernization strategies
for the government to create public value.
It has also offered me an opportunity to
venture into Chengdu, Sichuan Province,
regarded by many as one of the happi-
est cities in China, as well as the home of
pandas. A food capital of the world, it be-
FDPHWKHÀUVW$VLDQFLW\WREHFHUWLÀHGDVD
UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2010.
Chengdu is a place where time seems
to blur the boundaries between past and
future. Its ancient temples, traditional
alleys and historic architecture open a
window into ancient China, taking you
into a world of past splendor. But what is
really surprising is its focus on the future.
Transforming into an epicenter of technol-
ogy, innovation and development, this city
48 BEIJING REVIEW NOVEMBER 23, 2023
Gloria Rebeca Rueda Duque at the 2023 Chengdu Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Fair in September
has ambitious plans to become a science
city in southwest China.
And, as indicated earlier on, this city
is not only rich in history and modernity,
EXWDOVRLQÁDYRU,WV6LFKXDQFXLVLQHLVD
culinary journey that cannot be matched.
This province is known for its spicy food,
with bold flavors, fresh ingredients and
centuries-old gastronomic traditions com-
ing together to offer dining experiences
that delight all the senses.
Sichuan’s most popular foods, such as
tongue-numbing mapo tofu, pork lungs in
chili sauce and hotpot, are a feast for the
palate. Hotpot is a dish whereby a heat
source placed on the dining table keeps a
pot of soup stock simmering, and a variety
of Chinese foodstuffs and ingredients are
served beside the pot for the diners to put
into the hot stock.
Chinese food, in general, is often
imbued with cultural significance and
symbolism. On special occasions, dishes
representing prosperity, longevity and
COURTESY PHOTO
good fortune are served. For example, on
my birthday, I received a bowl of noodles
symbolizing long life and prosperity, un-
derscoring how food in China goes beyond
satisfying hunger and becomes an experi-
ence that permeates culture and tradition.
All this richness that Chengdu has to
offer led to its selection as the host city for
the 31st World University Games from
July 28 to August 8. The athletic event
was an opportunity not only to showcase
Chengdu’s sporting spirit, world-class in-
frastructure, hospitality and organizational
expertise, but also to promote friendship
and cross-cultural understanding. The
event highlighted Chengdu’s versatility
DQGRSHQQHVVDVDKRVWFLW\FRQÀUPLQJLWV
position as a major international event cen-
ter and an attractive destination for visitors
from around the world. BR
The author is an Ecuadorian student at the University of
Electronic Science and Technology of China
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to luyan@cicgamericas.com
http://www.bjreview.com
In addition to Beijing Review,
Review, CICG Americas
publishes China Hoy,
Hoy, a monthly publication
launched in 1960, aiming to bridge the gap
between China and the Spanish-speaking
world—particularly Latin American countries.

Website: www.chinahoy.com.cn