China's financial regulator on Friday disclosed fines of 10 million yuan on three banks - China Construction Bank, Bank of China and China CITIC Bank. It was also the first group of fines issued by the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) in 2024.
The Bank of China was fined 4.3 million yuan, the highest among the three banks, for nine violations, including failure to report the use and changes of important information system to regulatory authorities, the non-standard production and changes of important information system causing major emergency, poorly identifying and handling of operation risks of information system, and imprudent management of outsourcing information technology.
The China Construction Bank was fined 1.7 million yuan ($239,000) for four violations, inadequate internal audit of consolidated management, inadequate case management of overseas institutions by parent bank, failure to report on the employment of senior managers of overseas subsidiaries in a timely manner, and ineffective rectification of found problems, according to a NFRA notice published on its official website.
The China CITIC Bank was fined 4 million yuan for six violations, which are mostly related to its data center operations and management practices that fall short of regulatory requirements.
The fintech-related fines issued by the NFRA at the beginning of 2024, to a certain extent, reflects regulatory focus on strengthening supervision of information systems in the future, a securities analyst, surnamed Liu, told the Global Times on Saturday.
In November 2023, the NFRA established a new department taking care of technology supervision, covering oversight of cybersecurity, data security and critical information infrastructure.
The "Linyi Trade City China Aggregation" International Brand Promotion Conference themed on "Gathering and Selling of Quality Goods around the World" was held in Beijing on December 10, 2023. The conference gave a detailed introduction of the achievements of Linyi, East China's Shandong Province in the trade and logistics industry in recent years and the development and deployment of Linyi Trade City's transformation and upgrading, aiming at further enhancing the influence of Linyi Trade City's international brand and helping the investment attraction to a new level.
Zhang Xiaobin, member of the Standing Committee of CPC Linyi Municipal Committee and head of the city's publicity department presided over the conference. More than 100 foreign envoys, heads of business associations and representatives of trade and logistics enterprises attended the event.
Linyi is a well-known commercial city in China and the country's logistics capital. And Linyi Trade City is the city's market cluster. Linyi Trade City is a fruitful achievement of more than 40 years of reform and opening-up, and has become a world-renowned bright business card and a source of vitality for Linyi's modernization.
Ren Gang, Secretary of CPC Linyi Municipal Committee, delivered a speech at the conference. He pointed out that in recent years, based on the advantages of trade logistics, Linyi has vigorously implemented the strategy of putting trade logistics first, and cultivated Linyi Trade City, which is "buying and selling goods all over the world."
He said that at present, Linyi is in a critical period of great change. The overlapping empowerment of major policies such as "the Belt and Road Initiative" and achieving green, low-carbon and high-quality development has brought unprecedented opportunities for city's leap-forward development. Linyi will continue to optimize its business environment, actively adapt to the trend of restructuring international economic and trade rules, promote exchanges and cooperation with all partners, and strive to achieve mutual benefit and common development.
Chen Jian, former vice minister of China's Ministry of Commerce, delivered a video speech and put forward three suggestions for the next development of Linyi Trade City: First, drive the city's development to a new level through the "big channel." With the channel to bring logistics, trade and industry, the city will be able to continuously enlarge the opening-up and market advantages of Linyi Trade City; The second is to promote trade growth with digitalization as a new engine. The city will continue to accelerate the innovation of digital technology and carry out high-quality cooperation in cross-border e-commerce and mobile payment. The third is to stimulate new impetus with the construction of an excellent environment to empower the park. Strengthen the creation of an excellent business environment for the park, and make Linyi Trade City a powerful cornerstone for enterprises' development.
Awais Zafar, First Secretary of Pakistani Embassy in China, said that China-Pakistan friendship is profound and long-lasting. The development of Linyi in recent years reflects the vitality and innovation of China's economy. Building a modern commercial and logistics city not only tapped Linyi's own development potential, but also promoted it to become an important participant in the global economic structure. In the face of unprecedented cooperation opportunities, China and Pakistan will be able to further strengthen economic and cultural exchanges and expand new areas of cooperation.
Juan Xinyang, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Linyi Municipal Committee, and Vice Mayor of Linyi, made a promotion of "Linyi Trade City · China Aggregation." He pointed out that Linyi Trade City has adhered to the integrated development of "commerce, warehouses, logistics, parks and exhibitions," accurately served and merged into the construction of "four trade cities" - digital trade city, international trade city, green trade city and chain trade city, and has developed into a pilot area of market procurement trade mode, a national logistics hub of business service, a cross-border e-commerce and a provincial "Belt and Road Initiative" comprehensive experimental area, with obvious advantages of policy superposition. Juan said the city expects domestic and foreign merchants to visit Linyi for sightseeing, negotiation and cooperation, and make new and greater contributions to comprehensively accelerating the pace of transformation and upgrading of Linyi Trade City.
At the promotion conference, Zhou Keren, former deputy minister of China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, delivered a keynote speech entitled "grasping the present situation and trends of international trade development and promoting the foreign trade construction of Linyi Trade City." He pointed out that in the face of the current challenges in global trade, the city needs to respond by strengthening cooperation, promoting innovation and inclusive growth. In this process, Linyi Trade City should exert its efforts in deepening regional economic cooperation, focusing on innovative cooperation in new fields, cultivating new formats and models of digital trade, strengthening international cooperation and exchanges, and increasing the international spread of brands.
Zhu Siqiao, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that the digital economy which brings with it new innovation, strong permeability and wide coverage has become a new economic growth point, a fulcrum for transforming and upgrading traditional industries, and an important engine for building a modern industrial system. Empowering business logistics through digital technology, realizing intelligent warehousing, logistics and other scene applications, and promoting related enterprises to carry out model innovation and product innovation, which can organically link production and consumption, expand the scope of transactions, promote the deepening of division of labor, and improve production efficiency, which is of great significance to promoting the stable development of China's economy.
Yu Xinwen, CEO of Shandong Huafeng Enterprise Group, Guan Zhaojun, CEO of Shandong Lanhua Group, Sun Siyong, Chairman of Linyi Wholesale Market Group, Sun Baoan, President of the Linyi Wholesalers Association, and Li Hui, General Manager of Linyi Xinminghui Safety Technology spoke as enterprise representatives respectively.
The conference was hosted by Linyi Municipal People's Government, and jointly undertaken by Linyi Trade City Management Committee and the government of Lanshan district.
Beijing Subway on Friday issued measures to maintain normal operation of parts of the city's Changping Line including using shuttle buses to ensure normal commuter traffic, with all subway trains on above-ground and elevated lines being operated manually, at reduced speed and increased intervals between trains to ensure the safe operation during extreme weather, after a carriage disengagement incident occurred on Thursday night.
Beijing Subway apologized again on Friday over the incident, which injured more than 30 people, while putting in place measures to reduce the inconvenience to passengers.
The Changping Line will maintain normal operation from Zhuxinzhuang Station to Changping Xishankou Station, and the section from Xi'erqi Station to Xitucheng Station. Residents can transfer to downtown via Line 8 and Line 13. Shuttle buses will be available for transportation between Xi'erqi Station and Zhuxinzhuang stations. In addition, bus services along the route will be increased to provide transportation options for commuters, according to Beijing Subway.
On Thursday evening, several videos circulating online showed that a Beijing subway Changping Line train split in the middle as carriages disengaged. Beijing Subway said a preliminary finding shows that the incident on the Changping Line was due to a vehicle malfunction.
More than 30 people were injured due to the incident and no one died. The injured are being sent to hospitals for treatment, and the cause of the accident is being investigated, according to an official announcement.
Around 10:30 pm on Thursday, the Beijing transportation authority stated that all people involved at the site had been completely evacuated and that all injured individuals had been transported to hospitals for treatment. There were no fatalities.
The authority also issued a reminder to residents that service between Xi'erqi Station and Life Science Park Station on the Changping Line has been suspended. However, service on other sections of the line is operating normally.
Beijing Subway said there was no power on the contact rails on the section from Xi'erqi station to Life Science Park station on the Changping Line (northbound). Some trains have been temporarily stopped and some have been delayed. The staff are currently organizing rescue operations.
A passenger was quoted as saying in media reports that around 6:50 pm, they heard a loud noise in front of them, and then the train stopped with "a strong sense of impact." There were many passengers in the carriage and many of them fell down.
"I was pinned down, and everyone was shouting in the dark. Fortunately, the people next to me pulled me up," the passenger recalled. "Now everyone is standing."
On-site videos show that the subway was in a suspended state, with dark and crowded carriages. Some passengers were searching for their lost phones on the floor. Many were using their phone lights to gradually walk out of the carriage and wait for rescue. The sound of nearby rescue vehicles could be heard, according to media reports.
A netizen named TY_lizhenwei said via Sina Weibo, "I never expected to experience such an incident in my life. I was near the door where the subway carriage disengaged. I am grateful that I was not injured and thank the private car driver who gave me a ride, ensuring my safe arrival home."
Another netizen expressed a wish that each worker could get home safely and early during the snowy day.
There was currently a power outage in the subway. Passengers called 110, 119 and other emergency numbers, and some rescuers were heading to the site of the incident. Some netizens also saw ambulances and fire trucks parked near the Life Science Park station. Online videos showed that passengers in the train were injured.
The meteorological information shows that on Thursday, there were moderate snow in Changping, a district in Beijing. The highest temperature during the day is -1 C, the lowest temperature at night is -6 C, and the wind is easterly.
Some passengers who were stuck in the train used survival hammers to smash the windows to escape from the train, some online videos showed.
Star hurdler Wu Yanni finished her FISU Games campaign with a sensational 12.76 seconds in the women's 100 meters hurdles, winning a silver medal for China.
At the Shuangliu Sports Centre Stadium in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Wu, a Sichuan-born athlete who is now studying at Beijing Sports University, became the top star of the night.
"I have broken my personal best twice today. I think the main reason lies not in me but the overwhelming support I have received," Wu told the Global Times.
"Competing at home makes me more relaxed and gives me more impetus rather than pressure."
Wu was born in Zigong, a southern Sichuan city, and started her hurdling career in neighboring city Neijiang.
Wu had renewed a short-lived personal best of 12.86 seconds in the semifinals, 0.01 seconds better than her previous set in 2021, before shaving off another 0.1 seconds in the final.
The result is enough for her to qualify for the Paris Olympics, as the result surpassed the 12.77-second entry requirement.
"It is my love of the hurdles that allows me to go through all the difficulties," Wu said.
"I also hope my enthusiasm for the sport can inspire more young people to feel the glamour of Chinese athletics and get out of their own comfort zone."
Wu's teammate Lin Yuwei of East China Normal University finished in fifth place in the final with 13.03 seconds.
Wu's result of 12.76 seconds in the final has also surpassed the qualifying benchmark for the world athletics championships which will be held from August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary, but the result came too late for the worlds.
"I always believe that we Chinese female hurdlers are the best," Wu said after the race.
"I don't mean to say I will win a medal for China at the Asian Games, but I will do my best and progress little by little."
The Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province from September 23 to October 8.
Taking after China's athletics great Liu Xiang, who won an Olympics 110 meters hurdles gold medal in 2004 in Athens, Wu has set her sights on becoming a female hurdling star.
"I want to become the woman that makes people know about women's 100 meters hurdles," Wu told reporters. "I want Chinese female hurdlers to appear on the international stage more often. It doesn't matter whether it's me or any other female athletes to do so."
Wu points to the sky every time she hits the track, prompting many netizens online to copy her gesture.
"The gesture is cool and fits me well I think. It means I have set my goals for the Paris Olympics," Wu told reporters.
Wu also spoke about the recent evacuation and rescue efforts in northern China, which has been hit by torrential rains and floods.
"My achievement belongs to every Chinese," Wu told reporters. "I hope people impacted by the floods will come back safe as well as everyone who made efforts to alleviate the disaster."
Viktoria Forster of Slovakia won the gold medal with a personal best of 12.72 seconds. The bronze medal went to Jyothi Yarraji of India who finished in 12.78 seconds.
Yarraji thanked China for allowing her to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
"Thank you so much, China. It was a wonderful competition that makes me able to qualify for the Olympics," Yarraji told reporters, before noting she will come back to China for the Asian Games in September.
Other achievements of the night came from Sarah Keskitalo, representing Finland but was born in China, setting a personal best of 13.17 seconds in the semifinal.
Think Like A Dog, the China-US co-produced film, hit the big screen on Saturday at the ongoing 19th Chinese American Film Festival and the Chinese American Television Festival in Los Angeles, the US.
Nearly 200 families watched the film at an Alhambra theater in Los Angeles County and celebrated the "Happy Family Day" held on the sidelines of the festivals.
The film, which won the award for Best China-US Co-Production Film, follows the adventures of a Chinese boy named Xiaoxiao and his American friend Oliver.
When Oliver discovers a way to hear his dog's thoughts, he joins forces with his furry friend to find a way to keep their family together.
Addressing the event, US Congresswoman Judy Chu said the movie is a "unique blend" of Chinese and American cultures, appealing to a global audience.
The Chinese American film and TV festivals kicked off in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening, with over 500 film and television entries received. A total of 10 films won the Golden Angel Award at the event.
The Shanghai Mingyuan Art Museum recently unveiled its inaugural exhibition, Delight in the Invisible - An "Abstract" Narrative of Momentary, to mark the opening of the new gallery.
The exhibition is a further advancement of the "Perception Art" concept of the 2019 Shanghai Mingyuan Art Museum.
"Delight in the Invisible" is a specific issue deeply explored in the "Perception Art" concept, which has a very thoughtful relationship with art history. The intention of the term is to discuss art issues, and to examine the development of literati painting and contemporary art with "Delight in the Invisible" as the topic.
The exhibition explores the new development possibilities of contemporary Chinese art now or in the future through the works of 27 representative artists.
The Shanghai Mingyuan Art Museum was officially established in 2004. Covering an area of over 2,000 square meters, it is the first private non-profit art museum established in Shanghai and has been free to the public since its opening.
The museum adheres to the concept of development and dissemination of contemporary Chinese art.
Through themed exhibitions, academic exchanges, art collection, public education and other activities, it provides an open platform for the public to display and exchange art, and also sets up a corresponding dialogue mechanism for the field of art research at home and abroad.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has conceded defeat in the country's landmark referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and vowed continued efforts to address disadvantages faced by First Australians.
Speaking in Canberra on Saturday night hours after polls closed, Albanese said it was clear a majority of Australians had voted against changing the constitution to establish an Indigenous advisory body to the federal parliament.
"My fellow Australians, at the outset, I want to say that while tonight's result is not one that I had hoped for, I absolutely respect the decision of the Australian people and the democratic process that has delivered it," he said.
"I never imagined or indeed said that it would be easy. History told us that only eight out of 44 had done so," he said, adding that "and of course, when you do the hard things, when you aim high, sometimes you fall short. And tonight we acknowledge, understand and respect that we have."
In order to be successful, the "yes" vote needed to achieve a double majority, meaning more than 50 percent of Australia's 17.6 million enrolled voters as well as a majority in at least four of the country's six states needed to vote in favor of changing the constitution.
With 60 percent of votes counted by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) as of 10 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) (1100 GMT) on Saturday, 59 percent of Australians had voted "no", including a majority in all six states.
Albanese, an advocate of the Voice since it was first proposed in 2017, said it was time for Australians to come together to address disadvantages faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including lower life expectancy and higher rates of incarceration, disease and suicide than the non-Indigenous population.
"A great nation like ours can and must do better for the First Australians," Albanese said.
"We intend as a government to continue to do what we can to close the gap, to do what we can to advance reconciliation, to do what we can to listen to the First Australians."
Peter Dutton, the leader of the opposition Coalition parties and a leading campaigner for the "no" vote - said the result was "good for our country."
"The Coalition, local Australians, wants to see Indigenous disadvantage addressed. We just disagree on the Voice being the solution," he said in a speech to a campaign event, "and while Yes and No voters may hold differences of opinion, these opinions of difference do not diminish a love for our country or our regard for each other."
The crisis in Ukraine has escalated dramatically over the past year, with ongoing hostilities inflicting enormous trauma on both parties involved - Ukraine and Russia. In mid-July, Gao Zhikai, vice president of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing-based nongovernmental think tank, visited Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine. During a recent interview with Global Times reporters Chen Qingqing and Bai Yunyi, Gao shared his observations and experiences in Kiev, as well as his interactions with Ukrainians from various fields. Gao said he hopes for an early end to the crisis and wishes for the Ukrainian people to lead peaceful, harmonious, progressive and prosperous lives. "Peace will not come easily," he said, "but it is worth every effort to strive for."
This story is a part of the Global Times' series of "Witness to history," which features first-hand accounts from witnesses who were at the forefront of historic moments. From scholars, politicians and diplomats to ordinary citizens, their authentic reflections on the impact of historical moments help reveal a sound future for humanity through the solid steps forward taken in the past and the present. Three air raid alarms within 36 hours
Gao's journey was somewhat complicated due to the no-fly zone over all of Ukraine: He had to first fly from Beijing to Warsaw, Poland, then take a train to the Polish-Ukrainian border, and from there catch another train to Kiev. He only spent 36 hours in Kiev, but the round trip took him four days in total.
What struck him the most was that during his 36-hour stay in Kiev, he experienced three air raid alarms. The first was at noon and was quickly lifted, so he didn't pay it much mind. The second occurred at 4 am in the dark of night when the alarm suddenly sounded, prompting him to quickly put on his helmet and rush to the second basement level of the hotel, which has since been turned into a "shelter" since the outbreak of the conflict.
He then noticed that the decent-sized hotel only had five or six guests. Everyone was silent yet tense, and they waited in the silent, anxious atmosphere for over an hour.
The third air raid warning occurred at noon the next day, just as he finished a working lunch with Ukrainian officials and was about to board a car. Suddenly, the alarm sounded again over the entire city of Kiev, and every person's phone also buzzed with an alert, making it seem as though the entire world was booming.
Many people ran past Gao in a panic, and the streets quickly emptied. Gao said his Ukrainian friend quickly pulled him into the basement of the restaurant, telling him that during an air raid warning, anything moving above ground could potentially become a target of attack for both sides.
Gao said his Ukrainian friend told him that since the outbreak of the conflict, almost all underground spaces in Ukraine have been turned into shelters: City subway stations have become the largest "air-raid shelters" - due to the influence of the Soviet era, Ukraine's subway stations are very deep underground, so they are relatively safe.
Many restaurants, office buildings, and hotel basements, first, and second floors have also been converted into shelters, but many are quite "basic" and it's hard to guarantee safety. As soon as an air raid warning sounds, everyone must immediately seek shelter in the nearest bunker.
Gao said that although he experienced three air raid warnings during his 36 hours in Kiev, the main target of Russia's military action is not actually Kiev. The frequent air raid warnings during this time were mainly because the NATO summit was taking place in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Russia was trying to express its dissatisfaction and display its "toughness" through air raids on the Ukrainian capital city.
'Hardly see faces of adult men'
While the frontlines are mostly concentrated in Eastern Ukraine, the traces of the crisis are very evident in and around Kiev.
Heading north out of Kiev, one can see that the suburban roads are still heavily patrolled with numerous roadblocks and iron fences set up to impede the progress of tanks.
Gao said that he noticed that Ukraine's preparations are strict, with the rigorous inspection of people and vehicles at each checkpoint, and the tense atmosphere is palpable.
The destruction of suburban buildings is severe: Some buildings are half-destroyed, revealing their contents like pianos, furniture, and even children's backpacks hanging on the walls inside; there are also half-collapsed shopping malls, the insides of which are in disarray. Life inside Kiev is much calmer. Aside from the occasional air raid siren and nightly curfews, people can generally continue to work, shop, and eat normally. In Kiev's supermarkets and shops, aside from medicine, Gao said he didn't notice any significant signs of shortages, and prices were stable. Prices for grains, vegetables, and fruits were even slightly cheaper than in Beijing and neighboring Poland, though imported goods were more expensive. Most restaurants were operating normally, and the one in which he had his working lunch was almost "packed."
However, in downturn Kiev, the exteriors of all major institutional buildings are tightly surrounded by makeshift defensive barriers made of sandbags and bricks. The doors are tightly sealed and guarded by soldiers to prevent sudden infiltration, and military vehicles and personnel are visible everywhere on the roads. On his first day in Kiev, Gao saw a long row of ambulances standing by at the train station, perhaps waiting for the arrival of injured personnel from afar.
What he will never forget are the faces he saw on the streets of Kiev: There were women, children, and the elderly, but very few adult men, and it was the same on the train from the border to Kiev. Once, while he was walking on the street, a soldier in uniform came out from barrier behind to check on him. Upon closer inspection, Gao noticed that the soldier was a boy of 15 or 16 years old. His face was rosy and still had some baby fat. Gao believed that perhaps most adult men in Ukraine have already gone to the frontlines.
Regrettable process of 'de-Russification'
During his trip, Gao had conversations with the Ukrainian government personnel, military officials, and ordinary citizens about their perspectives on the future of the crisis. Every Ukrainian he encountered essentially held a "resist to the end" mentality. The Ukrainian government displays Russian tanks and weapons captured during the conflict in some squares to boost morale.
However, most Ukrainians, including those in the military and government, still place their hopes of "victory" on NATO, Gao said. They like to talk about "if NATO approves Ukraine's membership, this or that could happen," or "if NATO provides us with more weapons, we could do this or that," despite the US clearly stating that it won't admit Ukraine into NATO before the end of the conflict.
Some Ukrainians place their hopes on political changes within Russia. One member of the Ukrainian military told Gao, "The key to Ukraine's ultimate victory may not lie in the battlefield, but in Moscow." Since the outbreak of the conflict, the process of "de-Russification" has become increasingly apparent throughout Ukraine. This trend began in 2014, but the outbreak of conflict undoubtedly accelerated it. Nowadays, it's rare to see statues or symbols from the Soviet era or related to Russia in the streets of Kiev and other cities. Not only were statues or monuments of Soviet politicians like Stalin and Zhukov toppled, but also the statues of Russian writer Pushkin and Soviet writer Gorky were gone.
Ukraine is also renaming streets and villages, eliminating any associations between place names and Russia. Moreover, the government has issued orders that effectively ban the use of Russian in newspapers and broadcasts.
From the perspective of an outsider like Gao, all of this evokes a sense of regret. For many foreigners, it's hard to distinguish between Russians and Ukrainians when walking on the street, and to his ears, Russian and Ukrainian sound as similar as the Beijing dialect and the Tianjin dialect. The intertwined histories and cultures of the two countries are so deeply entwined.
Importance of China's role
How do Ukrainians view China's role? China and Ukraine established diplomatic relations on January 4, 1992, built a comprehensive friendly cooperative relationship in 2001, and jointly announced the establishment of a strategic partnership in 2011. The two countries have fostered friendly and mutually beneficial relations across various fields, with rapid cooperative development.
During Gao's visit, he had this discussion with many Ukrainians and sensed a kind of "complex" feeling among Ukrainians toward China.
On one hand, over the years, American media and public opinion have had a great influence on the Ukrainian public. Since the outbreak of the conflict, American narratives have attempted to demonize Russia, while also portraying China as a "complicit party."
Today, many Ukrainians have been blinded by the American narrative, believing that the US is helping them achieve independence and freedom, while China is "assisting Russia," which is a clear misinterpretation of China's real stance.
China is neither the creator of the Ukraine crisis nor a party involved. On the issue of the Ukraine crisis, China has always stood on the side of peace, and its core position is to promote peace and encourage dialogue.
On the other hand, they have expectations for China - they are very aware of China's significance in promoting peace and talks.
"For instance, a Ukrainian government official once suggested to me that China could act as a 'middleman' in taking care of the prisoners of war from both Russia and Ukraine. Currently, both sides have captured a large number of prisoners, who are being treated very poorly with frequent reports of abuses," Gao noted.
In the eyes of Ukrainians, the relationship between the West and Russia has deteriorated to a freezing point, and no Western country can play this role.
Only China might be able to help the prisoners on both sides to receive humanitarian treatment. This shows the importance Ukrainians attach to China's role, as well as their complex yet expectant feelings toward China, Gao said.
Upon leaving Ukraine, Gao said that he kept thinking that Ukraine is a country rich in resources, its people are hard-working, kind, intelligent, and brave.
With proper governance, Ukraine can certainly become a prosperous country on the Eurasian continent. And the beautiful future of Ukraine firstly lies in ending the current crisis and restoring peace as soon as possible.
In history, Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, was once an important hub along the ancient Silk Road, with notable figures such as China's envoy Zhang Qian, and pilgrims Faxian and Xuanzang leaving their footprints here. Due to its harsh climate and geographical conditions, those who embarked on this route in different eras were often bestowed titles like "explorers," "warriors," and "pioneers."
Today, the Silk Road still attracts such trailblazers, but the Silk Road Economic Belt under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has changed dramatically from its predecessors. One by one, major projects designed and built by China have left a unique and beautiful mark along the Silk Road in the new era.
Recently, Global Times reporters explored the super projects undertaken by Chinese enterprises in Uzbekistan to witness the embodiment of Chinese technology, quality standards, and wisdom, as the grand projects have brought about tremendous changes to the socio-economic landscape of Central Asia.
A modern town part of national 'heritage'
When looking into the distance from the heights of Tashkent, a mushrooming of modern sports stadiums appears. The Olympic Town of Uzbekistan constructed by the China CAMC Engineering Company, which will be the largest sports complex in the entire Central Asia region upon its completion, is just one of the grand sports-related projects under construction. Two years hence, in 2025, the Olympic town will play host to the 4th Asian Youth Games and the 5th Asian Youth.
"You guys came a little too early. By the middle of September, the structures of the five main stadiums will have been completed," Han Xueli, business project manager at China CAMC Engineering Company, told the Global Times on August 17.
The Olympic Town project is a large sports complex covering an area of 100 hectares, including 5 main stadiums and 15 outdoor sports fields. It is the first large-scale cooperative project to be jointly undertaken by China and Uzbekistan after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Samarkand summit in 2022.
Han explained that the design, construction, and quality assurance have all adopted Chinese standards, integrated high-end technology with green elements. For example, the project will install a rooftop photovoltaic system with a total capacity of 7 megawatts. All the roofs of parking lots and sports facilities, such as the ball sports complex, will be covered with solar panels. This will not only facilitate the entry of new energy vehicles but also meet the daily electricity needs of the entire sports complex.
Fully utilizing the existing terrain, the project has two landscape water systems that are both aesthetically pleasing and practical thanks to their rainwater storage capacities. Considering the local climate, the project has embedded pipes capable of drip irrigation, replacing the previous flood irrigation system in Tashkent. Additionally, the Olympic Town incorporates 5G technology to achieve smart venues and intelligent operations.
However, completing such high-quality project within two years is not an easy task. The Uzbekistan-based China CAMC Engineering Company team has contributed a lot toward meeting the deadline.
In the eyes of many Uzbeks, many of these Chinese concepts and standards have surpassed their expectations. Moreover, under the difficult environment of both extreme heat and cold, it is not easy to complete a project of this scale without compromising on quality in just two years' time and realize its completion by the end of 2024. However, the Chinese contractor has always actively looked for ways to solve problems and work with the Uzbek side to actualize the ambitions completion goal.
"During summer, we usually do the construction work in the morning and early evening, so as to avoid the hottest time at noon; water pipes crack easily in winter, so we strive to complete the upper steel structure lifting before the arrival of winter," said Han.
In order to realize the real-time follow up of the project, we also introduced China's Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology, Han said proudly. BIM modeling allows users to create and view a virtual model of intelligent 3D objects, which can help with visualization, quantification, and simulation of design, construction, and other tasks related to the building process.
The quality and construction speed of the Olympic City project has also been applauded by Uzbeks. This is Uzbekistan's first world-class Olympic facility and we are creating new standards thanks to Chinese companies. Such projects will boost the economic development of the country, Vadim Akhmadiev, Technical Project manager of the Ministry for Sport and Youth Policy of Uzbekistan, told the Global Times.
Akhmadiev said the Olympic City project will become a part of Uzbekistan's "heritage." "It is not only important for my generation, but also for the next generation."
Making history on open road
In the bazaars of Tashkent, fresh and succulent pomegranates and tomatoes from the Fergana Valley entice consumers. However, locals told the Global Times that such scenes were a rarity a decade ago. Hindered by the Tianshan Mountains, it was not easy for people from Eastern Uzbekistan's Fergana region to access the capital city. They would often resort to detouring through neighboring Tajikistan, which would take as much as an entire day.
However, this predicament has been completely transformed by a railway tunnel - the Qamchiq Tunnel. This is currently the longest railway tunnel in Central Asia, spanning 19.2 kilometers, which is also a crucial project that connects the Angren-Pap railway line, a key transportation route between the eastern and western parts of Uzbekistan.
The Qamchiq Tunnel project undertaken by the China Railway Tunnel Group (CRTG) began construction in 2013. The main tunnel was completed in February 2016, and was officially opened to traffic in June of the same year. In other words, it took only 900 days for Chinese contractors to complete what's considered to be a wonder - constructing a train tunnel through which trains can traverse the mountains in just 900 seconds.
"The construction of the tunnel was very difficult," Zhou Xiaoguang, project manager of the Qamchiq Tunnel project from CRTG, told the Global Times.
The tunnel passes through the mountain at an altitude of 1,200 meters, with a maximum depth of the buried main line of 1,300 meters, which has to pass through seven geological fault zones and nearly 10 kilometers of rock burst zones.
Such a long tunnel not only needs to excavated, but needs the addition of safety access points including inclined shafts and contact access, further complicating the engineering process.
In the eyes of Deng Wei, a technician who once participated in the construction of the Kamchik Tunnel, frequent rock falls were the biggest problem encountered during the tunnel's construction that year.
"There were more than 3,000 rock falls of moderate intensity and above, and the most serious one caused the tunnel to collapse for a length of 2,000 cubic meters, posing a great threat to the safety and even the psychology of construction workers," Deng told the Global Times.
In order to overcome the perplexing problem of rock falls, the CRTG contractors organized several multinational expert meetings and conducted joint scientific research with Chinese domestic universities to develop sound scientific methods.
Thanks to the timely research and proper technological applications, no injuries were suffered from rock fall in the nearly 10-kilometer long rock explosion zone, Deng recalled proudly.
The harsh environment was another major difficulty encountered in the construction. Zhou still remembers that in January 2014, a rare heavy snow storm which lasted for two weeks caused an avalanche on the mountain near the tunnel, which was 7-8 meters thick and more than 40 meters long, effectively enclosing the construction team within the construction site, and cut access to outside production and amenities transportation channel. "Later, workers used large machines for three days to reopen the lifeline," Zhou lamented.
"It is because of the 'Chinese spirit' of overcoming adversity that we were able to complete this super project in 900 days, which was once estimated to take as long as 25 years to complete by experts during the Soviet Union period," he said.
Further enhanced mutual trust
The successful launch and development of China's mega projects overseas reflects the further enhanced of political mutual trust between China and Central Asia in recent years.
Han told Global Times that whenever there are problems in the construction of the Olympic Town, various departments such as the Uzbekistan Ministry of Sports, Customs Committee, and city government of Tashkent always appear to help China coordinate efforts to solve the problems.
"For example, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev even personally signed a presidential decree to open a 'green channel' for us to import a large amount of construction materials and equipment, ensuring that the imported supplies for the project could clear customs with zero tariffs and were delivered to the site quickly," Han said. "The high level of trust and support from the Uzbek side toward China is an important reason why mega projects like the Olympic Town are able to progress so rapidly."
Additionally, the acceleration of the internationalization process of the Chinese Yuan has also become an important driving force for more Chinese mega projects to go global. Taking the Uzbekistan's Olympic Town as an example, the project adopted the RMB loan model, with the Export-Import Bank of China providing RMB loans. This is also the first international engineering project in Uzbekistan to be financed by a sovereign commercial loan denominated in RMB. Observers noted that compared with financing through European and American capital markets, RMB loans have lower costs and are more economically beneficial to the financing country.
At the same time, China's mega projects are also reshaping the geopolitical landscape of Central Asia. Taking the Qamchiq Tunnel as an example, the completion of this railway tunnel has not only eliminated the need for long detours through other countries, but also has the potential to become a new transportation hub and important international transit channel along the China-Central Asia-Europe transportation corridor.
"In the last two years, the construction of the future operation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project has been made a priority. If this railway can be successfully built, trains departing from China in the future will enter Uzbekistan through Kyrgyzstan, pass through the Qamchiq Tunnel to Tashkent, and then continue through Turkmenistan and the Middle East to Europe. This route will be the shortest and fastest route for the Eurasian continent," said Zhou.
The BRI is transforming Uzbekistan from a landlocked country into an important transportation hub in the region, and promoting the integration of Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries into the global economy and the world's logistics system, said Saidmukhtar Saidkasimov, former deputy prime minister and former foreign minister of Uzbekistan, in an exclusive interview with the Global Times.
In Han's view, all the hard work today is worth it, because he expects that after the completion of the project, the people of Uzbekistan will usher in their own country's era of high-standard and modern venues, and become another bright "Made in China" calling card in Central Asia.
Influenced by the US' strategic competition against China, some Western countries have clearly become hostile toward China in recent years. South Korea and Australia, as two typical "middle powers" of similar economic scale which have close trade ties with China, are both US allies in the Asia-Pacific region, and their relations with China have deteriorated for some time. However, the recent "ice-breaking" of China-Australia relations and the continuous "freezing" of China-South Korea relations are in stark contrast.
Recently, China and Australia have witnessed warming ties. Amid the East Asia Summit, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on September 7 that he will visit China later this year after talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, with both sides agreeing to resume exchanges in various fields. As leader of the Labor Party, Albanese has shown a different stance toward China from his predecessors since he came to power last year. On the same day, the 7th China-Australia High-Level Dialogue was held in Beijing, the first in three years. It is noticed that the Australian delegation covers all sectors of politics, business, academia and the media, with many former politicians from both the Liberal and Labor parties in attendance. This is seen as a consensus between the two parties of Australia to improve relations with China.
Australia's shift has been very positive. However, the same cannot be said about South Korea's performance. Since coming to power in May last year, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has focused on the South Korea-US alliance, highlighting the "values" orientation of its foreign policy and displaying a distinctive "pro-US" tendency. With regards to its relations with China, the Yoon administration blatantly interferes in the Taiwan question and attempts to follow the US and Japan in terms of the South China Sea issue. These moves have further led to tension and a standstill between Beijing and Seoul.
The Yoon administration, perhaps realizing that its policy toward China is too paranoid, has recently tried to send positive messages to China. In the meeting with Premier Li, Yoon emphasized that the South Korean side is willing to work with China to practice multilateralism and free trade and promote the stable and healthy development of the South Korea-China relationship. However, so far, these signals released by South Korea have not yet been put into practice.
Looking back at the China-South Korea and China-Australia relations over the years, the turning point occurred after the change of government in South Korea and Australia last year. After the Australian Labor administration came to power, it made adjustments to the anti-China "microphone diplomacy" of its predecessor under Scott Morrison and sent out frequent signals to repair relations with China. Therefore, the leaders of the two countries met during the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia in November last year, which promoted the improvement in bilateral relations.
In contrast, the Yoon administration, which also came to power last year, took the opposite approach, changing the previously balanced route between the US and China to the "pro-US" orientation, which caused the deterioration of its ties with China.
The impact of such two different policy orientations is prominent. From January to July this year, China-South Korea bilateral trade fell 16.6 percent year-on-year. Some analysts said that the negative effects of South Korea's policy of following the US and "decoupling" from China are becoming apparent. Meanwhile, bilateral trade between China and Australia saw an increase of 5.4 percent year-on-year, which is particularly striking against the backdrop of a general slowdown in the global economy. Clearly the improvement of political relations between China and Australia has played a crucial role in boosting bilateral economic and trade ties.
For Seoul and Canberra, there are many similarities in their relationship with Beijing. Both South Korea and Australia have no historical or territorial disputes with China, but have maintained close economic and trade ties. Furthermore, China does not pose any threat to either country. In particular, the Australian and South Korean economies are heavily dependent on trade with China, so stabilizing and developing relations with China is essentially in the national interests of both countries. The latest improvement in China-Australia relations is exactly due to Canberra's return to rather independent and pragmatic policy toward China, which should be an inspiration for the Yoon administration.
As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi put forward during his meeting with the Australian delegation, it is necessary for the two sides to draw useful experience and lessons in the bilateral relations. He urged the two sides to look at each other objectively, calmly and kindly, understand that China and Australia should remain partners rather than rivals, and advance bilateral relations independently and without any influence or interference from any third party. These three points are also helpful suggestions for South Korea.
The author is a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies.
