Editor's Note:

The Philippines has recently been hyping up accusations against Chinese fishermen using cyanide to fish around the water area of Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island), presenting itself as a victim. However, the Global Times found that the Philippines is actually a large practitioner and exporter of cyanide fishing.

It is evident that destructive fishing practices, such as cyanide fishing, are still prevalent methods of capturing marine resources in the Philippines. These practices threaten marine habitats, particularly the coral reefs - crucial habitats of most reef fishes, and jeopardize the sustainability of local fishing livelihood.

Despite existing law enforcement governing these illegal, destructive fishing practices, the lack of effective regulations still fuels the lingering of these practices in the Philippines.

Chinese marine experts noted that in fact, Chinese fishermen have never been primary users of cyanide fishing, and do not have such a historical tradition and practical habits. The Philippines' move is a typical "cognitive war" against China, playing a game of "catching thieves by shouting a 'thief.'"

In an investigates piece, the Global Times has listed seven "sins" of the Philippines' malicious hype of cyanide fishing to expose the truth and unveil the tricks behind its propaganda war.

Fact One: The Philippines was one of the earliest inventors of cyanide fishing, dating back more than 60 years.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), cyanide fishing began in the 1960s in the Philippines to supply the international aquarium trade.

Sodium cyanide is a toxic chemical compound that many fish collectors in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia (the largest exporters of tropical fish) crush and dissolve in squirt bottles to spray on the fish - and the reef and all the other marine life in the vicinity. Stunned, the target fish can then easily be scooped up, according to an article published by National Geographic magazine in 2016.

It does, however, kill the coral reefs where the fish breed and live. Still, the mostly poor rural fishermen, who are paid by the number of fish they catch, say they cannot afford to think of the future. Most of them have used the cyanide to maximize their profits, as revealed by a piece published in the Los Angeles Times in 1988.

A Filipino fisherman will get earning of a top-price live coral trout for 5 times than the price of a dead fish. This makes live reef fishing very attractive. But the trade is encouraging the use of cyanide. With a hook and line, it can take a whole day to catch 2 decent-sized fish. With cyanide you can catch dozens, the WWF's article in 2003 revealed.

Philippines' live reef-fish exports are one of the biggest sources for the international market. Up to a tonne of live fish is flown out of the islands each day, the article said. Although cyanide fishing is illegal in the Philippines, cyanide is allegedly brought in surreptitiously on the private planes that whisk away boxes of live fish each morning.

Fact Two: The Philippines remains a major cyanide fishing country in the world, with a significant number of Filipino fishermen using cyanide for fishing each year.

Researchers found that cyanide fishing, though not common as before, is still being practiced in Philippines, according to a piece published on Manila Bulletin in June 2023.

A team of researchers from the Philippines found that in many parts of the country, illegal fishing is still rampant, particularly destructive fishing practices (DFPs). Fisheries involving DFPs cause direct ecological damage to the corals. These fishing activities threaten both natural habitats and aquatic resources, according to the team's academic paper published on Acta Natura et Scientia, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, in September 2022.

The weak enforcement of the existing laws and regulations fuels these activities, compromising the productive coral reef areas in the Philippines, said the paper.

Fact Three: Large-scale cyanide fishing in the Philippines has caused irreparable damage.

Since the beginning of use of cyanide fishing, over a million kilograms of toxic sodium cyanide have been spurted onto the Philippines' coral reefs to stupefy and collect ornamental aquarium fish species fated for the aquariums and pet shops in Western countries like North America and Europe, the fore-mentioned Philippine researchers found out.

Coral reefs of the Philippines have been threatened by cyanide fishers for the past years. Researchers estimated that in every 100 fish collectors that use cyanide, about 11 million coral heads are being squirted by cyanide, the paper further noted.

In addition, cyanide is highly dangerous to humans once inhaled, absorbed across the skin, or ingested.

Cyanide kills coral polyps and algae, turning many coral reefs — the "rainforests of the oceans" — into marine deserts. "A square metre of reef is destroyed for every live fish caught using cyanide," says biologist Sam Mamauag of the International Marinelife Alliance (IMA) in the Philippines.

Once the coral is dead, the entire ecosystem collapses. The long-term result has been devastating. The cyanide that has slowed and stunned millions of Philippine tropical fish for export each year also has killed as much as 95 percent of the coral reefs, the piece in the Los Angeles Times stated.

"I'll openly admit that I was using cyanide for years," an industrial insider Erna Rafols in the Philippines was quoted as saying in the piece for Las Angeles Times. "I've been in this business for three years now, and I can tell you everyone is doing it. I was supplying my fishermen with drums and drums of cyanide, smuggling it in, paying people off, and it was no problem at all."

But Rafols and other exporters have openly said that environmental laws "are easy to flout in a nation where even celebrated murders routinely go unsolved."
Fact Four: The Philippines has failed to control illegal fishing, and its authorities and politicians have turned a blind eye to it out of economic interests.

The Philippines has banned cyanide fishing, yet it still happens on a large scale. Enforcement isn't strong enough. Rafols has revealed that the police and military officers in Philippines who are supposed to prevent dynamite and cyanide use are directly involved in it.

The fore-mentioned academic paper found that aside from national laws and regulations, municipal ordinances throughout the country also exist. However, in most cities, these ordinances are not being implemented or are weakly enforced.

Fact Five: The US and Europe are the main markets for the precious fish caught using cyanide in the Philippines.

Unknown to many of the millions of Americans who enjoy home aquariums, most of the tropical fish they buy are heavily laced with cyanide.

Since the 1970s, corporations in Manila that provide the majority of fish to American and European markets have found that by using industrial sodium cyanide in offshore ocean reefs, they can bring thousands of fish to the surface and increase their profits.

Up to 90 percent of the 11 million tropical fish that enter the US each year are caught illegally with cyanide, according to a 2008 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This willful ignorance and persistent trade are the ultimate drivers of the ongoing destruction of the global marine environment caused by cyanide fishing.

"The weak control of illegal trade by Europe and the US has led to so many people to engage in this illegal fishing for their livelihoods in Philippine. The US and Europe are the forces behind such illegal fishing," Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies, China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

Fact Six: In recent years, the Philippines has repeatedly hyped up cyanide fishing cases against neighboring countries while remaining silent on its own lack of control.

The Philippines has targeted neighboring countries including Vietnam and China in promoting cases of cyanide fishing and arresting their fishermen, which experts said is a typical case of "accusing others of one's own faults."

The Philippines' fishing bureau spokesperson has accused Chinese fishing vessels of using cyanide to destroy Huangyan Dao recently. The bureau said it hadn't conducted a formal study of the total damage but said it was a "serious concern."

But the Philippine coast guard on February 18 said it hadn't found any evidence of Chinese fishermen using cyanide and couldn't confirm the fisheries bureau's accusation in an interview with GMA News.

"The Philippine government first raised this accusation, which was then quickly clarified and denied by the country's coast guard, in an attempt to cool things down. This inconsistency exposes the true nature of the Philippines' false propaganda in this 'cognitive war'," Yang believes.

Fact Seven: The Philippine authorities have acknowledged that the hype surrounding cyanide fishing is serving their planned "second arbitration" against China, revealing the role of this cognitive warfare.

Philippine authorities have recently stated that it will build up a case against Chinese fishermen if the government finds legal basis on their alleged use of cyanide to damage the Huangyan Dao.

"It is obvious that the Philippines is hyping up the so-called illegal fishing by China at this time, only to gather evidence for its planned lawsuit and compensation claim. This is believed to be one of the tricks behind Manila's seeking of legal options against China over its alleged destruction of coral reefs within the Philippines' 'exclusive economic zone (EEZ).' This clearly shows that the Philippines' long-planned so-called South China Sea environmental lawsuit is a drama full of scheming, fabricating charges, and creating lies," Yang told the Global Times.

"If certain Filipino politicians truly care about the development and prosperity of the South China Sea, the livelihood and health of coastal residents, and the coral, fish, shrimp, turtles, and seaweed in the South China Sea, China's advanced marine environmental protection practices and governance experience can serve as a model for the Philippines to learn from and as a source of assistance," the expert said.

Editor's Note:
Friendly exchanges between China and Africa have enjoyed a long history and have deepened in recent years, covering various fields such as politics, the economy, and culture. The Global Times is launching a China-Africa Rhapsody series, aiming to showcase the profound human connections and development visions between the two peoples by sharing the true stories of Chinese people in Africa and African people in China. From touching stories of China-Africa cooperation to exciting collisions of youthful ideas, to debunking fallacies concocted by some Western sources about the China-Africa collaboration, this series hopes to promote closer cooperation and deeper understanding between the peoples of China and Africa.

In this installment, we look skyward, focusing on the inspiring narrative of China's remarkable advancements in aerospace technology and how they are not only propelling its own ambitions in vast universe, but also are igniting the dreams of young Africans in aviation and space exploration. As China strides forward in its aerospace endeavors, it simultaneously extends a collaborative hand to Africa's youth, fostering an environment in which their aspirations in aviation can take flight. This synergy of growth and cooperation highlights a mutual journey toward technological mastery and shared dreams, bridging the gap between continents and cultures through the universal language of sky aspirations.
Peter Prosper Oshoname from Nigeria has one wish: To see more African astronauts journey into space.

Oshoname expressed his wish through his painting, depicting an image of an African astronaut with a circular emblem of half the Nigerian and Chinese flags on top of her head. The background demonstrates the vastness of the universe with resplendent African motifs and Chinese symbols.

In May 2023, the art piece was sent into China's space station via the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft, along with nine other artworks embodying the beautiful dreams of young Africans.

"The circle has no edges, continuously and endlessly rotating. I painted the flags of both countries within a circle to represent harmony and friendship. The different patterns and textures of the circles aim to represent the dreams, diversity, and creativity of African youth," Oshoname explained.

He said that the artwork only includes one character to symbolize the unity of Africa and China, and the joint efforts by both peoples to plant the seeds of space dreams in every child's heart.

Oshoname's painting making its debut at China's space station is a microcosm of space cooperation between China and Africa.

In recent years, with the promotion of mechanisms such as cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, much practical progress has been made in aerospace cooperation between the two sides, making greater contributions to the construction of a high-level China-Africa community of shared future and the building of a better world.

Fruitful cooperation has been achieved in satellite exports, satellite resource sharing, space technology exchange, and the construction of space infrastructure. What's more, Chinese space technology has played an important role in the economic and social development of African countries and the improvement of people's living standards in the continent.

During an exclusive interview with the Global Times, South African Ambassador to China Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele said that space cooperation with China "is part of what our leaders said about taking our relations to new heights," and it can enable human beings to monitor but also understand what has happened on other planets.

Growing dreams

In September 2023, 10 paintings created by African youths made their debut at the very first art exhibition on China's space station. They were selected in a competition that received more than 2,000 paintings from 42 African countries, the Global Times learned at the competition's awards ceremony.

Director-General Wu Peng of the Department of African Affairs at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, at the event, said that the art exhibition is a vivid example of China's long-standing commitment to sharing development achievements and opportunities with Africa.

"In today's complex world with intertwined challenges and accelerated changes, the collective rise of developing countries is unstoppable," Wu said. "The youth represent the future and hopes of nations, as well as the driving force behind China-African cooperation. Your aspirations for a better life and your pursuit of the development of China-Africa relations are a continuous source of strength for the inheritance of the traditional friendship between the two sides."

At the event, the Shenzhou-16 crew also extended their greetings to African friends much to the delight of those in attendance. Behind them hung the paintings inside the space station cabin, as they gave detailed introductions of each painting, including the artist, their country of origin, as well as the meaning of the artwork, and the beautiful aspirations it carries.

Gui Haichao, the first civilian taikonaut to ever journey to space, could not help but smile cheerfully the entire time as he immersed himself in the joy that the colorful paintings brought him. Next to him was Shenzhou-16 commander Jing Haipeng, who gave two thumbs-up to the brilliant ideas of African youths, and took out his own photo at one point to share his thoughts and understanding of the paintings, the Global Times saw at the event.

Taking the launch of these youth's symbolic dreams into space as a starting point, the potential for China-Africa space cooperation will be "as broad as the starry sea," said Jing as he showcased the paintings some 400 kilometers above Earth.

"Join us in exploring the vastness of space and unraveling its mysteries to build our shared home," declared Liu Yang, China's first female astronaut, with heartfelt emotion to local students at the Chinese aerospace tracking station in Swakopmund, Namibia. On August 19, 2019, Liu, along with fellow astronaut Chen Dong, embarked on a five-day visit to Namibia, initiated by an invitation from Namibian President Hage Geingob.

This visit, highlighted by the Chinese astronauts' delegation, marks their second journey to Namibia, demonstrating the profound friendship and the high regard in which China holds relations and cooperation with Namibia. Liu and Dong's current visit further cements this special bond.

During their visit, Liu shared insights into an astronaut's training, work, and life, hoping to inspire Namibian youth about space exploration. Chen conveyed the delegation's goal to introduce the developments in China's aerospace industry and plant the seeds of dreams in the hearts of Namibians and, by extension, African youths, with hopes of seeing them in space in the future.

The Namibian students were thrilled. Among them, a 12th grader found inspiration in Liu and said: "Liu is a source of pride for women. With effort, we can also achieve our dreams," according to a Xinhua report.

Cultivating talent

In addition to sowing the seeds of aerospace dreams among the youth, China is actively collaborating with Africa to cultivate talents in related fields.

China places high importance on providing high-quality training for African scientific researchers, especially in areas such as satellite design, manufacturing, launching, and control. Since 2014, China has funded graduate students from countries like Algeria, Egypt, and Ethiopia, providing intellectual support for the autonomous development of aerospace technology in Africa.

Michael Appolinary Malima from Tanzania exemplifies China's role in nurturing African talent in the aerospace field. Having graduated in 2022 from Shenyang Aerospace University in Northeast China's Liaoning Province with a Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering, Malima, 25, returned to Tanzania for an internship at an airline, ensuring the maintenance and airworthiness of the fleet.

Malima's educational journey offers insights for African students aspiring to study in China. Before arriving in China, he completed 13 years of mandatory education, including two years in science, a prerequisite for studying aerospace engineering.

Despite facing challenges, Malima found his experiences in China refreshing and enlightening. His course was taught in English, but foreign students could also choose Chinese language classes.

Malima's experience shows it is achievable. He graduated with first-class honor, a significant accomplishment given the global conditions during his final study years.

"Provided all things go well, I plan to pursue further studies in aerospace engineering and place my focus on aerospace materials as these tend to lead to the discovery of other materials for various applications both within and outside the earth's atmosphere," he told the Global Times.

He stressed that the cooperation brings awareness to Africans on the opportunities available in the aerospace industry while creating a larger market for aerospace products and growth for both sides.

Building future

Beyond fostering young dreams, China-African aerospace collaboration is significantly boosting African nations' modernization through climate monitoring, disaster prevention, communication technology, and more. These tools effectively tackle extreme weather, food shortages, and environmental fragility.

In December 2023, China helped Egypt send a remote-sensing satellite, the MISRSAT-2, into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gobi Desert, which will be used in Egypt's land and resource utilization, water conservancy, agriculture, and other fields.

The satellite is a landmark project of in-depth cooperation between China and Egypt in the field of high-tech aerospace engineering and is of profound significance in aerospace cooperation between the two countries, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

In developing the satellite, China helped Egypt develop and build a satellite assembly integration testing center, and the successful implementation of the MISRSAT-2 project made Egypt the first country in Africa to have complete satellite development and final assembly and testing capabilities.

Moreover, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Dakar Action Plan (2022-2024) underscored intensified cooperation in aerospace technology to propel African applications and infrastructure, enhancing social development and living standards.

As the largest developing country, China shares its developmental experience and advanced technology generously, fostering inclusive growth in Africa.

"The new government, with a clear bias and ideological perspective, will cause serious harm to Argentina's economy," said former Argentine ambassador to China Sabino Vaca Narvaja in an exclusive interview with the Global Times on Thursday.

He criticized the decision of Javier Milei, Argentina's newly elected president, not to join the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) framework and emphasized the importance of the New Development Bank established by BRICS countries for Argentina in building a new financial system based on production and development. He found the Milei government's decision "puzzling." In addition, this decision also offends important partner countries that strongly supported Argentina's BRICS membership, damaging Argentina's national interests, he said.

In August 2023, the BRICS summit in South Africa undertook a historic expansion, welcoming six new members: Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Argentina. The membership was originally scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2024.

However, on December 30, 2023, Milei announced that Argentina would not join the BRICS.

According to media reports, Milei has sent a letter to the leaders of the BRICS nations, stating that the current timing for Argentina to join the organization is "inappropriate." Analysts said that the purpose behind the Milei's government's decision is to seek financing from the US through the IMF or private investors.

Milei's decision came at a time when Argentina is facing a deepening economic crisis, and it has sparked criticism from numerous professionals in economic and diplomatic sectors within Argentina. Narvaja is among the critics.

Narvaja served as Argentine ambassador to China during the presidency of Alberto Fernandez, a left-leaning government that actively sought membership of the BRICS for Argentina. The Fernandez government believed that joining the BRICS would present a significant opportunity for Argentina to enter emerging markets.

Narvaja told the Global Times that if Argentina could join the expanded BRICS, it would boost the country's economic development.

He emphasized that many economies within the BRICS and Argentina have highly complementary economic structures. Moreover, the combined economic scale of the BRICS is surpassing that of the G7, with more than 50 countries worldwide expressing willingness to join the bloc, which is led by emerging economies.

Narvaja said that in the past few years, the BRICS nations have played a crucial coordinating role during times of crisis. This includes providing supplies and vaccines to other countries and offering loans to emerging economies through the New Development Bank. With the expanded membership, the BRICS will encompass 45 percent of the world's population, and over 80 percent of new consumers will originate from these countries.

Meanwhile, the BRICS nations possess abundant natural resources, including oil, gas, and strategic minerals, contributing around 44 percent of global crude oil production. All these factors are highly significant for Argentina's economic prospects, he said.

"The New Development Bank is crucial for Argentina in building a new financial system based on production and development. It can provide financial instruments, including counter-cyclical funds and development loans, which could bring many benefits to Argentina. The proposal to conduct investments and trade in local currency will also play a significant role in the global economy," the former Argentine diplomat told the Global Times. He noted that Argentina requires substantial infrastructure investment and needs to increase exports and foreign exchange income, so the new government's decision to reject joining the BRICS framework is truly perplexing.

At a time when Argentina needs foreign exchange to meet debt obligations and investment to enhance its potential export capacity, this move is truly astonishing, Narvaja said. "This harms our country's interests," he added.

"Many of our production sectors and local economies are heavily reliant on trade with China. China is also a major investor and lender for Argentina's infrastructure," he emphasized.

Moreover, apart from the economic aspect, China and Argentina mutually support each other on many crucial political issues, he noted.

China is currently Argentina's second-largest trading partner, the primary market for agricultural product exports, and the third-largest source of investment. Bilateral trade between China and Argentina reached approximately $25.5 billion last year, and despite adverse conditions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade has defied the odds and increased by 54.7 percent over the past six years. In 2022, the Fernandez administration officially joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and in 2023, it signed a cooperation plan with China under the framework of the BRI. Analysts widely believe that Argentina's collaboration with China contributes to the upgrading of its infrastructure and facilitates the repayment of debts to the IMF.

The China-Laos Railway has facilitated over 30 million passenger trips since its operation in December of 2021, official data showed on Thursday, highlighting China's deepening cooperation with the neighboring countries under BRI.

As of Tuesday, the railway had transported a total of 30.2 million passenger trips and 34.24 million tons of cargo, with cross-border shipments exceeding 7.8 million tons, according to China Railway. This robust performance is showing a thriving trend in both passenger and freight transport along this strategic route.

The China-Laos Railway is experiencing a continuous rise in passenger volume. In the Chinese section, daily passenger trains have increased from 35 to 51, with daily passenger traffic peaking at 103,000 from the initial 20,000, China Railway said.

The Laotian section also expanded its daily passenger trains from four to 12, with daily passenger throughput peaking at 12,808 from the previous 720.

Travelling with the China-Laos Railway is a wonderful and exciting experience, as the railway now offers multi-language services and cost-effective tickets, and it has greatly facilitated our travel, a tourist surnamed Kong, told the Global Times on Thursday.

During this year's Spring Festival travel season, tourism along the China-Laos Railway has boomed. The total number of passengers transported along the entire line reached 2.96 million, representing a year-on-year growth of 39 percent.

The China-Laos Railway shows strong and steady growth in cross-border freight transportation. From January 1 to March 12 this year, the railway completed cross-border freight transportation of 1.064 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 33.9 percent.

China welcomes a move by Hungary to facilitate visa for Chinese citizens visiting the country for investment and cooperation purposes, and welcomes visa facilitation by more countries, a spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry (FM) said on Tuesday.

The announcement by Hungary related to issuing 5-year, multiple-entry visas for Chinese citizens on business trips is another example of the high-level development of China-Hungary ties, and China welcomes the move," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a routine press conference on Tuesday in Beijing.

Wang noted that bilateral cooperation have yielded fruitful results under the China-Hungary comprehensive strategic partnership.

After China implemented a pilot policy which include visa-free entry for Hungarian tourists and business people, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto recently announced that Hungary would issue long-term visas to Chinese citizens visiting the country for investment and business cooperation.

"We believe these new measures will further strengthen people-to-people exchanges, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and promote high-level development of the bilateral ties," Wang said. "China also welcomes more countries to offer visa facilitation for Chinese citizens to boost cross-border travel and cooperation."

China announced last week that it will adopt a visa-free policy for Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg on a trial basis, starting on March 14.

This followed visa-free entry trial for ordinary passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia, effective from December 1, 2023.

As human society steps into the era of artificial intelligence, it is believed that with intensified and collective efforts, China will carve out a technological path that aligns with its national conditions, enable the safe development of General Artificial Intelligence (AI) and benefit the whole humankind, a Chinese national political advisor said during the two sessions.

General AI has emerged as the strategic high ground in global technological competition. “To win this crucial technological race, which is of paramount importance to our nation, the key lies in nurturing the talent,” Zhu Songchun, director of the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said at a group interview held by the second session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee on Sunday.

General AI stands as a typical representative of the new quality productive forces. The “general” in General AI refers to AI’s ability to perform an infinite number of tasks in daily physical and social scenarios, autonomously discover tasks as if it has a “mind of its own,” and possess autonomous value-driven motivation, Zhu said.

Zhu introduced “Tongtong,” the world’s first prototype of a general intelligent humanoid robot being showcased in Beijing. “She has the complete neural and value system of a three or four-year-old child and is currently undergoing rapid iterations. In the future, she will be integrated into various aspects of our lives, such as pouring tea and providing warm companionship,” he said.

Behind the most ordinary abilities in daily life are actually the core technical issues that General Artificial Intelligence needs to research, Zhu said, emphasizing that achieving General AI hinges on giving machines a “mind of their own.”

During this year’s two sessions, AI has emerged as one of the hottest topics. The annual Government Work Report released on Tuesday also highlighted that a stream of innovations emerged in frontier areas such as AI and quantum technology in 2023.

While for major tasks in 2024, the Government Work Report stressed to step up research and development and application of big data and AI, launch an AI Plus initiative, and build digital industry clusters with international competitiveness.

China’s AI industry has entered a period of rapid development. According to data released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, the core AI industry in China reached a scale of 508 billion yuan ($70.69 billion) in 2022, an increase of 18 percent year-on-year. Preliminary statistics indicate that the scale reached 578.4 billion yuan in 2023, with a growth rate of 13.9 percent.

China's chunyun for 2024 - the Spring Festival travel rush - will officially conclude on Tuesday. An estimated 9 billion passenger trips are expected to have been made during the 40-day rush, with bustling scenes seen across China from busy markets to hustling railway activity, which are vivid displays of economic vitality.

The consumption boom during the Spring Festival holidays coupled with thriving trade cooperation represented by the uninterrupted China-Europe freight train services will significantly contribute to the country's steady economic growth in the first quarter of 2024, with sustained momentum for the rest of the year, observers said.

On Sunday alone, 182.45 million trips were made, up 14.4 percent year-on-year and up 4.5 percent compared with the same period in 2019, official data showed. During the first 33 days of the holiday, 7.02 billion trips were made, and cargo transportation remained efficient and orderly, Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng told a press conference on February 28.

The strong consumption rebound during the holidays promoted the revival of involved industries and will significantly support GDP growth for the first quarter, Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

Wang said that booming holiday consumption has laid a solid foundation for driving up the economy's development for the whole year while boosting market confidence.

The spending power on display during the holidays is still a major potential growth point for continued economic development, Cong Yi, a professor at the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Monday.

Both Wang and Cong highlighted the growing demand for consumption upgrading as Chinese consumers now pursue high-quality products with elevated services and experiences and are relatively less price sensitive.

The upgrading demand will inspire market players to ramp up product and service quality for sustained operations in the long term.

Analysts pointed to the integration of the cultural, sports and tourism sectors as another new engine for propelling holiday consumption, on top of the already booming domestic and international tourism.

From diverse Spring Festival celebrations combining China's intangible cultural heritage with local attractions to the 14th National Winter Games boosting ice-snow consumption, the integration of the cultural, sports and tourism sectors led to fruitful and innovative results during the holidays, Jiang Yiyi, a deputy head of the School of Leisure Sports and Tourism at Beijing Sport University, said on Monday.

During the eight-day Chinese Lunar New Year holidays, 474 million domestic trips were made, up 34.3 percent year-on-year, and the total domestic tourism spending jumped by 47.3 percent year-on-year to about 632.69 billion yuan ($87.88 billion), according to data released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Jiang attributed the continuous expansion in tourism to rising outbound tourism, and China's strengthened efforts and stepped-up policy support underscored the country's firm determination to promote high-quality opening-up.

In a latest move, the mutual visa-exemption agreement between China and Thailand officially took effect on Friday, with bookings for two-way travel surging on the same day.

"China retains its strength as a major global market with huge spending power. Achieving success in the Chinese market first will be the foundation for foreign players to claim global success," Cong said, adding that the Chinese market has stepped up its competitiveness.

International cargo trade during the holidays thrive. For instance, customs at Manzhouli Port in Inner Mongolia inspected and cleared 94 China-Europe freight trains entering and exiting the border, up 17.5 percent from the Spring Festival holidays in 2023.
In 2023, some 17,000 China-Europe freight trains were dispatched, up 6 percent year-on-year, carrying 1.9 million containers, up 18 percent, Liu Ruiling, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said during an interview ahead of the opening of the second session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee in Beijing.

"More than 85,000 China-Europe cargo trains ran as of February this year, linking China with 217 cities and 25 countries in Europe," said Liu, who is also the general manager of the International Land Port in North China's Hebei Province.

Wang said that China would actively engage in more international economic cooperation and competition and diversify its cooperation partners, while consolidating international cooperation in emerging and innovative industries such as green finance.

China's leading digital economy with its large-scale data resources, diverse data types and rich application scenarios have provided advantages for the country's artificial intelligence (AI) sector, Qi Xiangdong, chairman of Qi An Xin Technology Group, who is also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told the Global Times on Friday.

Qi said that AI depends on data, and China's rapidly developing digital economy provides a large source of data. He added that the total scale of China's digital economy reached 50.2 trillion yuan ($6.97 trillion) in 2022, and the breadth and depth of digital integration in the real economy has expanded.

Qi An Xin launched China's first industrial-grade large-model security AI product - Q-GPT a cybersecurity robot - which has numerous practical applications, Qi said.

Qi noted that he looks forward to the country accelerating the integration of cybersecurity and AI technology, promoting the application of innovative products in the field of "AI + security," and continuously improving China's ability to cope with cybersecurity risks and uncertainties.

Technical workers assemble DC charging piles for electric vehicles in a factory in the Hefei Circular Economy Demonstration Park in Hefei, East China's Anhui Province, on February 28, 2024. Photo: VCG

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell on Monday, calling for strengthened cooperation in China's joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The meeting marks a new attempt towards building closer bilateral trade ties.

During the meeting held in Abu Dhabi, Wang expressed hopes of ensuring practical outcomes from the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference, and he emphasized the continuous improvement and resilience of China-Australia relations, highlighting stability and positive momentum in economic and trade cooperation.

Both sides exchanged views on bilateral economic and trade relations and issues of mutual concern, with a focus on creating a favorable environment for business collaboration.

Farrell praised Australia's strong and dynamic economic and trade relationship with China, noting the growth in bilateral trade and investment in 2023. He welcomed Chinese investment and assured fair treatment for all international investors, including those from China.

Farrell also expressed interest in expanding Australian exports to China, aiming to elevate bilateral trade to new heights.

Recent developments have seen progress in various economic and trade areas, with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) initiating a review investigation into anti-dumping measures and countervailing tariffs on Australian wine. The move could potentially lead to the lifting of tariffs on Australian wine.

Against the backdrop of China's growing foreign investment, there has been a notable increase in newly established foreign-invested enterprises in January, with a significant rise in investments from Australia, which saw a staggering 186 percent year-on-year increase, according to MOFCOM.

Furthermore, Wang has expressed China's willingness to cooperate with multiple countries on joining the CPTPP. During a meeting with New Zealand's Trade Minister Todd McClay on Sunday, he highlighted China's intention to work with New Zealand in the process of joining CPTPP and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement.

The 13th WTO Ministerial Conference provided China with an opportunity to engage with relevant countries with economic and trade talks, and advancing partnership in the CPTPP, Huo Jianguo, a vice chairman of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times on Monday.

China is willing to work with other CPTPP members in reaching trade cooperation agreements, promoting the development of the organization, Huo noted.