Chinese investment in Thailand is set to remain at a high level, reflecting a host of positive factors, after China became Thailand's largest foreign investor in 2023, Chinese and Thai analysts said on Wednesday.

Since December, at least 14 A-share listed companies have announced that they are setting up branches, building new plants, expanding existing facilities or increasing their capital in Thailand, amid an accelerated inflows of Chinese investment into Thailand, according to media reports.

ZYNP Corp, a combustion engine component maker from Central China's Henan Province, said in a stock filing on Wednesday that it is investing 210 million yuan ($29.56 million) to build a production base in Thailand.

Circuit Fabology Microelectronics Equipment Co, a printed circuit board (PCB) company based in East China's Anhui Province, announced on Wednesday that it is investing 100 million yuan in Thailand to set up a branch, buy land and build a plant.

Xu Genluo, vice president of Thailand-based Amata Corp, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the Chinese business community demonstrated an unprecedented passion to invest in Thailand last year and groups after groups of business delegations visited his industrial park.

Chinese and Thai analysts told the Global Times that rising Chinese investment is being driven by the new-energy vehicle (NEV) and electronics industries, with incentives by the Thai government. The world economic landscape, facing anti-globalization headwinds, has helped push this trend.

As the two sides work toward a China-Thailand Community with a Shared Future for Enhanced Stability, Prosperity and Sustainability, along with continued and accelerated growth in China-ASEAN trade and investment, Chinese companies' investment in Thailand will continue to surge, they predicted.

Lei Xiaohua, an ASEAN expert at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the Thai government has made economic development its top goal and regards attracting investment from China as one of the most important tools for economic development.

Chinese investors are also being attracted by Thailand's relatively complete supply chains and low-cost advantages, and the benefits and convenience brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade pact that took effect on January 1, 2022, Lei said.

In a move that will boost people-to-people exchanges and commercial ties, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced on Tuesday that Thailand and China will permanently exempt each other's citizens from visa requirements, starting from March, China Media Group reported.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that mutual visa exemptions serve the fundamental interests of both peoples, and the government departments responsible for the matter are in close communication on the specifics.

Boosted by the news, searches for the keyword "Bangkok" on Chinese travel platform Mafengwo surged by 200 percent as of Tuesday noon.

Huang Bin, head of the Chinese Department at the Bangkok-based Kasikorn Research Center, told the Global Times on Wednesday that almost all Chinese NEV brands invested in Thailand in 2023 due to incentives offered by the Thai government. Policies such as the EV3.5 program offer subsidies for the purchase of NEVs and aim to promote Thailand as the regional hub for these vehicles. For foreign investors, support policies include zero tariffs for imported used machine tools.

A reshaping of the global semiconductor supply chain also brought a large number of electronics firms, PCB companies in particular, to invest in Thailand, Huang said.

Huang predicted that the mutual visa exemption policy will boost bilateral trade and investment, though in a gradual fashion.

As China became Thailand's largest source of investment last year, the trend is expected to be maintained in 2024, the expert said.

China emerged as the largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) applications, contributing 24 percent of FDI by value, with total investment pledges of 97.4 billion baht ($2.84 billion) for 264 projects in the first nine months of 2023, according to The Thailand Board of Investment.

In 2024, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia will be the highlight for Chinese overseas direct investment, Lei said.

Chinese golfer Li Linqiang triumphed in the final of the Guotai Cup Men's Professional Match Play on August 26, while Thailand's Dussavi Soopimjit claimed her title in the women's match in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The initial lineup for the match consisted of 72 players, 32 men and 40 women. The tournament boasted a total prize fund of 800,000 yuan ($109,692). All professional players who advanced to the formal matches shared the prize money, with 100,000 yuan awarded to the men's champion and 60,000 yuan to the women's champion.

After a fierce competition with Liu Enhua, Li Linqiang clinched the final match over 18 holes, leading by just one hole.

"This is the first match play event I've participated in since turning professional. I felt a rush of excitement today, particularly during the opening holes against Liu. The pressure mounted in the latter stages, but I'm elated to have pulled through," Li remarked after the match.

Zhang Xiaoning, chairman of the China Golf Association, mentioned that this match play event represents an effort by the China Golf Association to create new opportunities for players. "Furthermore, this is the inaugural instance of a professional event being held in Guizhou. Through engagement with the local community, we aim to invigorate the growth of golf in Southwest China."

Editor's Note:
Some observers believe that China-UK relations are at its lowest point, but Alistair Michie, secretary general of the British East Asia Council and winner of the Chinese Friendship Award Medal in 2013, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview that he does not agree with this assessment. Instead, it would be highly desirable for all nations to have golden eras of understanding with China, Michie said, noting that one of the key issues is that a significant number of UK politicians are heavily influenced by the US. He also said that the UK should consider joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as other initiatives that can move both countries in a more positive direction. Global Times reporters Xie Wenting and Bai Yunyi (GT) talked with Michie to get his insightful opinions on China-UK relations, the BRI and more. 

GT: The Chinese version of the book Consensus or Conflict? China and Globalization in the 21st Century co-edited by you has been published recently and distributed in China. Could you tell us why you wanted to compile such a book? What feedback have you received?

Michie: I was motivated to do the book in 2020. What I felt was that at that time, there was an opportunity for the world to gather together and deal with the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the same way that the world dealt with the global financial crisis in 2008. Back in 2008, the G20 played a particularly crucial role in stabilizing what was a very serious global financial crisis. The way the economic crisis unfolded in 2008 posed extreme danger for the world. So, at the start of 2020, I hoped that the world and nations would gather together in a way that could lead to the development of solutions, where the world would unite toward a common destiny.

I was also greatly influenced by the Chinese leader's repeated calls over many years for the world to move forward with mutual understanding and mutual respect toward a community of common destiny. I believed that the only way to effectively and efficiently address global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, was through collective action and a shared purpose. 

This motivation laid the foundations for the book. I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to gather over 30 distinguished writers from around the world, who provided their perspectives on why it is crucial for the world to address issues like pandemics through consensus rather than conflict in terms of global matters. This served as the motivation and genesis of the book.

Regarding the feedback, I was particularly pleased that we gathered 10 recommendations from distinguished global leaders, printed in the front of the book. They emphasized the importance of reading this book as it promotes consensus over conflict. These high-level individuals from around the world recognized the crucial theme and message of the book. However, the outcome has been disappointing. Since the English version was published in September 2021, the world has significantly shifted toward conflict and away from consensus. 

GT: Are you disappointed with the direction in which the world is progressing?

Michie: I am deeply frustrated because, since publishing the book with hopes of achieving consensus, the world has instead been steadily moving toward conflict. This is a critical issue for humanity, as there are numerous threats such as climate change, future pandemics, nuclear concerns, challenges in biosciences, and artificial intelligence. These issues require nations to act together in the interest of all humanity, but unfortunately, consensus is lacking. The lack of cooperation is deeply concerning as it can lead to misunderstandings, miscalculations, and catastrophic conflicts. It is a dangerous world. While I find some satisfaction in expressing these views and highlighting the dangers, I am still deeply frustrated by the world's trajectory toward conflict rather than consensus.

By nature, I have always been positive that humanity will find a solution. However, it is also crucial to be realistic. One issue I addressed in my book is the communication crisis our world is facing. Different nations struggle to explain their perspectives, largely due to the fact that we think differently. For instance, China, with nearly 20 percent of the world's population, has a distinct way of thinking compared to America and Europe.

Therefore, the lack of effective communication is causing a crisis in understanding different perspectives and points of view. 

GT: Not long ago, you mentioned that there are many Americans who have closed their minds and turned a blind eye to significant global changes, which is "extremely dangerous" for the world. What specific "significant global changes" do you mean? Could you elaborate on the potential dangers it poses to the world if Americans turned a blind eye to these changes?

Michie: One of the major dangers that the world faces is the way many Americans are thinking today. The US holds a very dominant position in global governance despite only representing 4 percent of the world's population. This massive influence held by a small number of people is frustrating for the rest of the world. Additionally, it is also frustrating that many Americans tend to look inward.

For example, many Americans do not accept that there is a threat and danger from climate change. They are not actively dealing with other serious global threats like nuclear issues, artificial intelligence, or biosciences. This turning inward is extremely dangerous because these are issues that affect all humanity and the world. 

Additionally, we have a situation where the US political system is deeply fractured, and this creates great dangers for the world going forward.

GT: UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly recently paid a visit to China and he said that it would not be "credible" to disengage with China. However, the British parliament referred to Taiwan as an "independent country" in an official document for the first time, coinciding with Cleverly's visit. What's your perspective on it? In recent years, the UK's attitude toward China has undergone major changes. What do you think are the reasons behind this?

Michie: I think what we need to do is to be very careful about making statements that can cause anger between countries like this one. As I mentioned earlier, we are currently facing a communication crisis, and what we truly need is more dialogue and discussion to foster an intelligent conversation among nations. Fortunately, there are many people in the UK who are working toward creating that environment. However, there are also individuals in the UK who are not interested in engaging in an intelligent dialogue; they have their own agendas. 

One of the issues we face is that a significant number of UK politicians are heavily influenced by the US, which aims to hinder China's progress. On the other hand, there are US politicians who are also striving to build an intelligent dialogue. Nonetheless, this situation is extremely dangerous, particularly given the current communication crisis and social media. It is so easy to have many comments that can be misunderstood and create conflicts and misunderstandings on social media. Therefore, it is crucial to engage in as much dialogue as possible to foster an intelligent conversation among nations.

GT: Do you think the current UK policy toward China is too influenced by Washington?

Michie: I believe that one of the root problems is that the US still wishes to be the hegemonic leader of the world, despite comprising only 4 percent of the global population. It has convinced itself that this is the right path to follow. However, due to many Americans focusing inward and ignoring critical global issues such as climate change and other threats, a significant problem arises for the world.

GT: Some observers have said that China-UK relations are at the lowest point. Do you agree with this? Do you think the bilateral relations can get back to a golden era?

Michie: No, I don't think we're at the lowest point at all because one of the most important trends in the last two decades is the tens of thousands of Chinese students who have come to the UK to study. I think that we rank second or third in the world in terms of attracting Chinese nationals to come and study in our education system. That is the kind of foundation-laying for intelligent dialogue that I have argued is so important in creating the kind of understanding that will lead to consensus.

I am very hopeful that this student exchange will help to create a more peaceful and sustainable world in the future. 

It would be highly desirable for all nations to have golden eras of understanding with China. Unfortunately, at the moment, we are not moving in that direction, but we must do everything in our power to engage in intelligent dialogue and create understanding, so that we can move toward what you describe as a golden era of relationships. This will enable us to address the significant challenges facing humanity.

GT: Many Western politicians have recently been talking about so-called decoupling from China. What's your take on it? Is it possible for the West to decouple from China?

Michie: I believe that decoupling and de-risking are not the right direction. What we must do is focus much more on creating an intelligent dialogue so that we can understand each other better and avoid moving toward conflict. It is absolutely crucial to move away from de-risking and decoupling, as I argue that the fundamental need is to create a much deeper and better understanding. The only way we can solve the crises facing all of humanity is by coming together in consensus and creating mutual understanding and respect, in order to move toward a community of common destiny. That is the only way, but it poses a huge challenge for the world.

GT: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). How do you view the development of the BRI over the past decade and its future prospects?

Michie: I think the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been a hugely important initiative by China because it serves as a channel for creating human connection. Communication can take various forms, such as infrastructure development including roads, airports, and harbors, which facilitate the exchange of ideas and foster understanding. This initiative also promotes intelligent dialogue, and China possesses the expertise to extend these infrastructure developments worldwide.

So, I believe it is a hugely important contribution toward improving global governance. At the moment, global governance faces a challenge as it is dominated by just 14 percent of the global population, which includes 4 percent in the US and under 10 percent in Europe. It is understandable that the rest of the world becomes frustrated when such a small percentage of the world's population holds such a dominant influence. Initiatives like the BRI are a way of striving toward creating a broader form of global governance that can lead us toward international consensus. 

I hope that the BRI will continue to evolve, fostering exchanges and understanding that can truly guide us toward a more peaceful and sustainable world.

GT: Do you think that the UK should consider joining the BRI?

Michie: I believe that everything should be considered in any way forward that we can create in dialogue and understanding, in order to create a world that is moving toward a common destiny. We can only solve the incredibly serious and dangerous challenges that the world faces if we move toward consensus. Initiatives like the BRI should be considered, as well as anything that can move us in a more positive direction.

As part of the important efforts to be made in combating desertification, the China-Arab International Research Center for Drought, Desertification, and Land Degradation's establishment was agreed upon at the Ninth Kubuqi International Desert Forum on Saturday. 

Government representatives in attendance at the meeting signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on building the center and launched the first batch of collaborative projects, including the Greening of the Upgrading Projects for Saudi New Cites and Exporting Knowhow to other Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, and Saudi 10 billion Trees and Shrubs Nursery, Plantation, and Eco-Solar Desert Control Engineering Projects.

 Participants at the forum, including representatives from UN agencies, foreign political figures, and leaders from relevant ministries and commissions said that China's desertification control has achieved continuous improvement in the ecological and economic conditions of sandy areas and provided China's plan for global desertification control.

"I had the privilege of visiting the extraordinary landscapes of the Ordos region. I witnessed firsthand the remarkable socioeconomic and ecological restoration, an inspiring example for the regions around the world, struggling against land degradation, desiccation, and decimation," Amina Mohamed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, said at the forum.

Mahmoud Fathallah, director of the Department of Environmental and Meteorology Affairs of the League of Arab States, pointed out that the output of science research is important to combat desertification, in which case China has excellent experience. The Arab League is trying to work with China to allow research institutions in Arab countries to further exchange experiences with Chinese researchers.

China is one of the leading countries in desertification control and dust storm reduction, and the country also has a wide range of technologies that can be exemplars for Mongolia and the rest of the world, said Zoljargal Sainbuyan, senior international cooperation officer for Mongolia's National Forest Agency. By working with other countries, China is helping to solve regional problems facing many developing countries, such as desertification and climate change, the official said.

China is the first country in the world to realize the "zero growth" of land degradation, and the "double reduction" of desertified and sandy lands, which continues to positively contribute toward achieving the global goal of zero growth in land degradation by 2030.  

International figures have said that China attaches great importance to desertification control and sand prevention and treatment, and has accumulated rich experience in the process, as well as industrial advantages in technology, materials, and equipment, setting up an international model of ecological management.

Right after the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel on Saturday, US President Joe Biden vowed that his administration's support for Israel's security was "rock solid and unwavering" and that assistance was "on its way," with additional help forthcoming. The US has announced that it was moving an aircraft carrier strike group and military aircraft closer to Israel as a strong gesture of support. 

However, what we should anticipate is more chaos from the US political circle as the conflict persists. Niu Xinchun, a research fellow at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times that this is mainly a deterrent to prevent Iran from taking action amid this crisis.

According to Lü Xiang, a US studies research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the support of the Biden administration for Israel appears to be more moral in nature. He believes that Washington has not shown the determination to take decisive action, nor has it presented a clear action plan.

Currently, the main focus of discussion in US political circles regarding the new round of conflict in the Gaza Strip is whether to attach Ukraine funding to a request for urgent aid to Israel as a strategy to pass both spending priorities. While the White House is considering this move, House Republicans warn sharply against it.

In terms of giving aid to Israel, the difference between the two parties is not as great when compared with giving aid to Ukraine. The US recently has already seen a heated debate over giving aid to Ukraine. Because most Republicans push for a significant reduction in Ukrainian aid, the US Congress last week had to remove Ukraine funding from a massive military spending bill to avoid a potential government shutdown. Linking the two aid requests once again shows fractured and desperate US politics.

Moreover, GOP politicians have taken the opportunity of the current situation in the Gaza Strip to vigorously attack the Democrats, especially the Biden administration. Republican candidates that want to unseat Biden quickly began to blame him for the crisis. In response, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused the Republicans of "playing politics" by attacking Biden. Obviously, the eruption of the Palestine-Israel conflict continues to fuel the growing polarization of the US bipartisanship.

This new round of the Palestine-Israel conflict shows that to seek peace in the Middle East, it is impossible to skip the tension between Palestine and Israel, a time bomb in the region. In its Middle East policy, the Biden administration has been proactively pushing for a détente between Saudi Arabia and Israel before next year's presidential election, aiming to boost his votes. But now, the escalation of the situation in the Middle East will, without question, hinder such a process, making Biden's plan wishful thinking.

As many people in the US criticized, the Biden administration's inability to manage the US' relationship with Iran has intensified the conflict between the two countries, instead of easing it.

Some observers worry that the conflict will distract attention from the war in Ukraine, and the US' support for Ukraine has already wavered, as war fatigue haunts the country. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll has shown that support for supplying weapons to Ukraine is declining among Americans of both political parties. It is difficult for the US to "fight a two-front war" with its limited capacity of providing aid to foreign countries. And if the US planned to intervene in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in any kind of form, it could be difficult for the Biden administration to wind things up - We still remember how US forces withdrew from Afghanistan helter-skelter two years ago.

During the past three decades, China-ASEAN partnership has witnessed sound and steady growth. Despite global geopolitical headwinds, the two sides have safeguarded regional stability and tranquility, and always supported each other's economic growth by establishing the sustained solid path of win-win cooperation.

ASEAN member states have a combined population of 670 million and a gross GDP of $3.7 trillion. As a dynamic economic bloc, its annual economic growth rate is now higher than that of the US, Japan and the EU. As a result, tens of millions of people in ASEAN are becoming increasingly better-off each day.

As to the "China threat" theory that the US and its allies have been spreading, the strong relationship ASEAN and China have built over the past many years shows that the ASEAN members are always against Washington politicians' "divisive" strategy.

China and ASEAN countries have pulled together with solidarity in this trying time in the world, and the China-ASEAN relationship shows a sound momentum of all-round development. China's engagement with ASEAN is deep and varied, and it is most prominent on the economic front. China's organic economic linkages with ASEAN economies have resulted in China's economic performance having a strong impact on ASEAN's economic prospects. 

Both sides have become each other's largest trading partner, with trade volume in 2022 almost topping $1 trillion, up 11.2 percent year-on-year and more than double the volume a decade ago. China is also one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment in ASEAN.

The success of ASEAN lies in its establishment of a multi-tiered and effectively-managed architecture of regional cooperation with its dialogue partners, among which ASEAN-China relations have long been one of the most vibrant and productive ties. Two decades ago, China acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, making it the first among major countries to join the treaty. Two decades later, it is more than gratifying to see that ASEAN and China are trying their best to build on a comprehensive strategic partnership which is well poised to benefit us all.

Recently, some Western media outlets are pouring cold water on "ASEAN centrality" is managing regional affairs, spinning on the "declining impact of the ASEAN bloc" which is untrue and ill-intended. On the contrary, China has always supported the central and indispensable role of ASEAN to lead the discussion of all regional issues and help resolve all regional disputes and concerns. 

As a matter of fact, due to its centrality in the Asia-Pacific economy, ASEAN is carving its space on the global stage too. For instance, in November 2020, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand joined the 10 ASEAN member nations to form the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world's largest free trade zone to date. The RCEP covers one-third of the world's population and accounts for 30 percent of global GDP. Thanks to the RCEP, about 65 percent of the goods traded among the 15 members are tariff-free, and in about 20 years 90 percent of them will carry zero tariffs. This has facilitated the unhindered flow of raw materials and finished goods across the whole region.

The Belt and Road Initiative has made many remarkable achievements. First, Belt and Road projects have facilitated economic growth and social development in many countries. Railways, roads and ports have improved transportation, and form the backbone of growth, for they connect cities with towns and rural areas, even remote villages, expediting the movement of products, including agricultural produce, and thus enlarge markets, reduce unemployment and promote education, especially in the countryside.

Second, Belt and Road projects have helped expand many countries' foreign trade thanks to the construction and improvement of ports, airports and highways. This is most evident in countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia. Such projects have also helped ASEAN to become China's largest trading partner.

During the last ASEAN Summit and Asia-Pacific regional leaders' meetings held in Indonesia, China and ASEAN signed a series of documents that will consolidate economic partnership and cooperation between the two giant economies, with the centerpiece being the upgrading of the ASEAN-China free trade agreement to version 3.0, covering new cooperation areas including digital economy, green economy and stronger supply chain. Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the meeting chair, emphasized the need to realize "concrete cooperation that is mutually beneficial" to both Southeast Asia and China. 

In a sense, the central role of ASEAN in managing regional matters and addressing common concerns is not diminished or marginalized, as claimed by the Western media. And, China will always act as a strong force to back up ASEAN, politically and economically.

China's Politburo member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi outlined six diplomatic tasks for the country in 2023. Among them, Wang stressed that China "will stay committed to the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and the policy of forging friendship and partnership in our neighborhood, and deepen friendship, mutual trust and convergence of interests with our neighbors."

With regard to geographical proximity and economic interdependence, ASEAN is the top priority in China's neighborhood diplomacy. As long as the world's geopolitical unilateralism and trade protectionism continue, global demand is likely to remain subdued which will weigh heavily on global economic recovery.

Meanwhile, the world is currently encountering changes unseen in a century, and once again stands at a historical crossroads. On the one hand, the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is gaining momentum, and, the aspiration for win-win cooperation among the economies has grown even stronger.

Despite the complexities and volatilities in the global stage, ASEAN has successfully managed to maintain peace and stability in the region, sustain the good momentum of growth, and make remarkable economic and social achievements. Now ASEAN stands out as one of the most dynamic regions in the world, leading the post-pandemic recovery of the global economy. The GDP growth rate of ASEAN in 2022 was an impressive 5.2 percent, one of the highest among all major economies and economic groupings.

The success of ASEAN lies in its right choice of progress over regression, cooperation over confrontation, and openness over isolation. The success of ASEAN also lies in its adherence to solidarity and independence, in its cherishing of peace and development, in its respect for cultures and traditions of various members, and in its drawing on wisdom of Asian civilizations.

By the end of July this year, cumulative two-way investment had surpassed $380 billion, with China setting up more than 6,500 enterprises with direct investment in ASEAN member states. Against the backdrop of a bleak global economic rebound, Asia, especially East and Southeast Asia have become bright spots.

Moreover, the sharp, geopolitically-induced downturn in semiconductors may be bottoming out. And Huawei's impressive 5G Mate 60 Pro suggests China is moving toward self-sufficiency in high-tech much faster than expected.

As Chinese Premier Li Qiang said recently in Indonesia --"As long as we both keep to the right path, no matter what storm may come, China-ASEAN cooperation will be as firm as ever and press ahead against all odds." 

Cities across China are issuing vouchers to further lift consumption as the 8-day Golden Week holidays are right around the corner. 

Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province started to issue batches of consumption vouchers worth 130 million yuan ($18.2 million) on Wednesday. The issuance is expected to end in December. 

Residents in Guangzhou can obtain the vouchers at locations such as shopping malls and super markets, as well as online platforms.

Sichuan in Southwest China granted a second round of consumption vouchers that cover retail, dining, home appliances and sports starting from Tuesday through online platforms. They followed a first batch of consumption vouchers valued at more than 450 million yuan that were released at the end of August. 

Sanya, South China's Hainan Province, also launched consumption packages worth more than 200 million yuan, covering hotels, catering and travel agencies. 

The booming dispatch of vouchers in different cities came after higher-than-expected retail sales, a main gauge of consumption, in August. Experts said the issuance of consumer vouchers can help improve residents' willingness to spend and is conducive to accelerating economic recovery.

The contribution of final consumption expenditures to economic growth reached 77.2 percent in the first half of the year, significantly higher than the contribution rate for the whole of 2022, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Thanks to a bustling summer travel peak and consumption-boosting measures, retail sales of consumer goods in August recorded a year-on-year growth of 4.6 percent to reach 3.79 trillion yuan, 2.1 percentage points higher than the growth rate of July, NBS said on September 15, further highlighting China's steady economic recovery.  

The rebound in domestic consumption has played a vital role in driving economic development, the bureau said, highlighting the significant recovery seen in service consumption.

To boost consumption, the Ministry of the Commerce has declared 2023 as a "Boost Consumption Year," in which a series of measures will be released to lift consumption for the whole year.

The worst flood that hit the Haihe River Basin in North China since 1963 has exposed  weaknesses in monitoring and forecasting capabilities for floods, said China's Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) on Monday.

From July 28 to August 1, some 22 rivers in the basin experienced above-warning level flooding, and eight rivers reported the largest floods ever recorded, said MWR officials at a news conference. The disaster has caused 61 deaths, and millions of people were impacted. 

At present, the water levels in active flood storage and retention areas within the basin are gradually retreating and residents are gradually returning home, officials said.

Liu Weiping, a vice minister of the MWR, said reservoirs in the region have played a key role. Eighty-four large and medium-sized reservoirs were mobilized to intercept 2.85 billion cubic meters of floodwater, while the comprehensive role of the basin's flood control system was fully utilized to minimize the impact and losses caused by the floods.

These reservoirs have prevented 500,000 hectares of farmland in 24 townships from being flooded, said Liu. More than 4.6 million people would have been evacuated if not for the reservoirs.

Although the flood control system has played an important role in combating this flooding in the Haihe River Basin, which is the major water system with an area of about 320,600 square kilometers in North China,  many loopholes have been exposed, said MWR officials. 

The nation is still relatively weak in terms of monitoring and forecasting floods, said Zhang Xiangwei, an official from the Department of Planning and Programming of the MWR.

Weaknesses include insufficient flood storage capacity in some the rivers, insufficient flood capacity to meet requirements, lagging behind in the construction of stagnant flood storage areas and inadequate flood entry and exit facilities, Zhang said.

These weaknesses are particularly evident in the forecast of small river floods, which needs to be further improved both in meteorological and hydrological terms, Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the Global Times on Monday.

Ma noted that the disruption of the network has led to transmission interruptions at some monitoring stations, which had a great impact on accurately predicting the trend of floods.

Given these weaknesses, Zhang said that the MWR will further strengthen the integrated management of the Haihe River Basin in collaboration with relevant departments and local authorities.

Ma called for a reassessment of the risk of meteorological disasters such as torrential rain and flash floods in the context of climate change, as well as corresponding urban planning.

In response to the floods in the Haihe River Basin, the MWR has strengthened technical guidance and provided support for post-disaster reconstruction. A total of 26 working groups and expert teams have been dispatched to provide targeted guidance of flood prevention and risk management efforts.

Moreover, China's Ministry of Finance has allocated 1.15 billion yuan ($157.35 million) to support the timely repair of water conservancy facilities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. 

Additionally, 1.5 billion yuan for compensation in flood storage and detention areas has been allocated to support the affected areas and people in quickly restoring production and their livelihoods, said Liu.

According to media reports, the post-disaster reconstruction in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is being carried out in an orderly manner. Beijing's Mentougou district is accelerating cleaning of the Yongding River to ensure subsequent rainfall flood flow is at safe levels, said Zhang Hewei, an official from the Mentougou district government.

A total of 16 teams from institutes of city planning and design have been sent to the Mentougou district to analyze the occurrence of geological disasters and the situation in terms of risk prevention and control. 

Some 15,000 grassroots officials and agricultural technicians in Hebei have been organized to assist farmers in post-disaster production recovery, as well as 12 robotic vehicles in the city of Zhuozhou have been deployed for underground garage dredging, according to media reports.

Noting that the flood season is still ongoing, with severe and complicated floods and droughts still expected, Liu said the ministry will continue to strengthen all prevention measures.