International students experience traditional Chinese medicines' cupping therapy at a teaching and research base at Southwest University in Chongqing Municipality on Novemeber 21, 2024. Photo: VCG

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday presided over a State Council executive meeting to study and promote the healthy development of the platform economy.

The meeting also discussed a draft law on hazardous chemicals safety, and approved a draft decision to amend and abolish some administrative regulations.

The meeting noted that the development of the platform economy is of significance in expanding domestic demands, keeping employment stable, ensuring people's livelihood as well as developing new quality productive forces.

It called for efforts in strengthening the system of industrial internet platforms, supporting consumer internet platform companies to tap market potential and promoting the law-based and orderly cross-border flow of data.

Standardized operation and orderly competition of platform enterprises should be advanced, the meeting said, adding that their quality should also be improved to give full play to the platform economy's role in boosting employment.

The meeting discussed and approved a draft law on the safety of hazardous chemical substances and decided to submit the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for deliberation.

It was emphasized at the meeting that efforts should focus on establishing a prevention mechanism to manage safety risks at different levels and root out hidden hazards. It was essential to enhance safety management throughout the entire process of production, storage, utilization, operation, and transportation to resolutely curb the occurrence of major accidents, according to the meeting.

The meeting also underscored the importance of improving the professional skills of industry personnel, promoting the large-scale equipment upgrades, and expediting the phase-out, upgrades and renovation of outdated chemical facilities.

Additionally, it decided to revise certain provisions in 21 regulations, including one regulation regarding the supervision of medical equipment, and abolish four regulations.

The Philippine side, in collusion with external countries, carried out frequent military exercises in the South China Sea to sow discord and provoke confrontation. Such actions disrupt peace and stability in the South China Sea and undermine the interests and well-being of people in the region, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, told a press conference on Friday.

Zhang made the remarks in response to a question about Philippine Navy spokesperson's remarks that the joint naval exercises frequently held by the Philippines, the US and other Western powers were helping reign in "aggressive" Chinese actions in the South China Sea, and that the Philippine government signed into law the so-called Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act to commit to "rule-based international order."

Zhang said the Philippine side attempted to solidify the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea through domestic legislation, to include China's Huangyan Dao, most islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao and their adjacent waters into the Philippine's maritime zones.

Such acts severely violate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and harm other countries' right to navigation and shipping. The Chinese side firmly opposes this, said Zhang.

Zhang emphasized that the Asia-Pacific welcomes those who share the pursuit of peaceful development, not those who create troubles and conflicts. China urges the Philippine side to immediately stop spreading false narratives, refrain from any unilateral action that may expand and complicate disputes, and return to the right track of settling disputes through dialogue and negotiation, he said.

The Chinese military will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, counter infringements and provocations, and preserve peace and stability in the South China Sea, said Zhang.

The Philippine side, in collusion with external countries, carried out frequent military exercises in the South China Sea to sow discord and provoke confrontation. Such actions disrupt peace and stability in the South China Sea and undermine the interests and well-being of people in the region, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, told a press conference on Friday.

Zhang made the remarks in response to a question about Philippine Navy spokesperson's remarks that the joint naval exercises frequently held by the Philippines, the US and other Western powers were helping reign in "aggressive" Chinese actions in the South China Sea, and that the Philippine government signed into law the so-called Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act to commit to "rule-based international order."

Zhang said the Philippine side attempted to solidify the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea through domestic legislation, to include China's Huangyan Dao, most islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao and their adjacent waters into the Philippine's maritime zones.

Such acts severely violate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and harm other countries' right to navigation and shipping. The Chinese side firmly opposes this, said Zhang.

Zhang emphasized that the Asia-Pacific welcomes those who share the pursuit of peaceful development, not those who create troubles and conflicts. China urges the Philippine side to immediately stop spreading false narratives, refrain from any unilateral action that may expand and complicate disputes, and return to the right track of settling disputes through dialogue and negotiation, he said.

The Chinese military will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, counter infringements and provocations, and preserve peace and stability in the South China Sea, said Zhang.

Xi attends 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday said he looks forward to having an in-depth exchange of views with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on further enhancing China-Brazil relations, promoting synergy of the two countries' development strategies, as well as international and regional issues of common interest.

Xi made the remarks in a written statement upon his arrival in Brazil for the 19th G20 Leaders' Summit and a state visit to the country at the invitation of President Lula. Xi also extended sincere greetings and best wishes to the government and people of Brazil.

Noting that he has visited Brazil four times and witnessed the development and changes in the country over the past 30 years, Xi said he feels very close to Brazil as he again stepped onto this passionate land.

China and Brazil are like-minded friends with the same aspirations and good partners forging ahead hand in hand, Xi said. Although separated by oceans, China and Brazil, two major developing countries in the eastern and western hemispheres respectively, are attracted to each other and echo each other at a distance, he said.

In recent years, the two countries have continued to deepen political mutual trust, yielded fruitful results in practical cooperation, achieved flourishing people-to-people and cultural cooperation, and showed new vitality of the times in the traditional friendship, Xi said.

China and Brazil have also jointly made the just voice of the Global South in the international arena and made important contributions to promoting world peace and development, Xi added.

As China and Brazil celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year, relations between the two countries stand at an important historical juncture of building on past achievements and forging ahead, he said.

Xi said he believes the visit will further strengthen the two countries' strategic mutual trust, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields and usher in a new "golden 50 years" for China-Brazil relations.

Looking forward to attending the 19th G20 Leaders' Summit, Xi said he is ready to work with all parties to discuss plans and seek development, jointly advocate an equal and orderly multi-polar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and promote the G20 to continue to play a greater role as an important platform for international economic cooperation.

Xi arrived here from Lima, where he attended the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and paid a state visit to Peru.

In response to media reports about planned visit of Germany's junior economy minister Udo Philipp to Taiwan island, FM spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday that there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory. The one-China principle is a just standard for international relations and a universal consensus in the international community and it also serves as the political foundation of China-Germany relations.

Lin urged German side to adhere to the one-China principle, cease all forms of official interaction with Taiwan authorities, and stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatists.

Germany's junior economy minister Udo Philipp will go to Taiwan this week for talks with local officials and a visit to a TSMC chip factory, Reuters reported. 

Editor's Note:

Chinese people believe that letters are as valuable as gold. For thousands of years, letters, across mountains and oceans, have been delivering the writers' sentiments and conveying friendship and expectations.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, has managed to find time to reply to some letters from different sectors of the society and different parts of the world despite his busy work schedule.

Through his letters, Xi has corresponded with people from all walks of life on numerous occasions, part of a series of excellent stories of China in the new era.

Therefore, the Global Times traced and contacted some of the recipients of Xi's letters to hear the inspiring stories behind the letters and their communications with the Chinese President.

In this installment, some senior citizens from a grassroots lecture program in Shanghai shared with the Global Times their meaningful retired life of providing free lectures to local residents. Through the lecture topics varying from the CPC's theories, to national and city developments, to every aspect of daily life, they actively promote the idea that "the cities are built by the people and are for the people."
On a sunny afternoon in early November, the warm sunlight pours into a solarium by the Huangpu River in downtown Shanghai. Huang Baomei and several other senior citizens gather around a table, excitedly reading a special letter together.

A day earlier, they received a letter from President Xi Jinping, after writing a letter to him weeks before to share their experiences and thoughts of providing free lectures to local residents in recent years as members of "Laoyangshu," or "Old Poplar," a grassroots lecture program in Shanghai consisting of retired officials, military officers, experts, teachers, and role models.

In his reply to the "Old Poplar" members, Xi praised the initiative as a meaningful approach to recount historical events, explain the Party's new theories, and share the positive changes in the city with residents by blending the lecture content with the lecturers' personal experiences.

Underlining the principle that cities should be built by the people and for the people, Xi called on the members of the program to inspire more people to embrace and implement the concept of a people-oriented city, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"Xi's letter has given us tremendous encouragement and strength," Huang told the Global Times with a big smile on her face.

"Even though I'm not young anymore, I never find delivering lectures tiring," she said. "Instead, sharing the positive changes that have happened, and are happening, in Shanghai and China with my personal experiences, brings me great joy."

Simplify the profound

With her straight posture and quick reflexes, Huang appears much younger than her actual age of 93. This elegant and energetic elderly lady was selected as China's first generation of "model workers" in the 1950s as a textile worker, and was awarded the "July 1st Medal" - a top medal for lifelong contribution - by President Xi in 2021. She has been a role model for her dedication and professionalism for generations.

Huang worked for 42 years at a textile factory in Shanghai. Now, as one of the eldest members of the "Old Poplar," she passionately engages with residential communities, enterprises, and schools, sharing stories about China's development with young people. "At my busiest, I gave three lectures in a day, each lasting two hours, and the audience would give me a thumbs up," Huang said proudly.

Development is a grand topic. Instead of discussing abstract concepts, Huang often shares her personal experiences filled with vivid and encouraging moments.

"When I worked in the textile factory, I tried many methods to improve efficiency and yield," Huang told the audience that she made a lot of effort in optimizing the work process, and later successfully doubled the efficiency to simultaneously operate 800 spindles alone. Inspired by Huang's talent and endeavor, the spinners at the local factory produced nearly half of China's cotton cloth in the 1950s, a manufacturing miracle by then.
Moreover, Huang once had an opportunity to become a movie star, but she rejected. "Spinning is my specialty and life career," she said.

Huang's heartfelt narrations embody the dedication and relentless spirit of the older Chinese generation, and vividly represent the past decades of rapid development in the country, which have resonated deeply with many in the audience. "As long as my health permits, I will continue to try hard to inspire more people, especially the young ones, in ways that they like," Huang told the Global Times.

Similarly, 75-year-old Hu Jun, another "Old Poplar" member, is also good at using relatable details to explain macro policies in methods that resonate with the public.

The "Old Poplar" program mainly targets residents of Shanghai's downtown Yangpu district. When discussing China's industrial restructuring, Hu used Yangpu as an example to illustrate how this cradle of modern Chinese industry has continuously adapted its industrial structure to keep pace with the times.

"Yangpu was once known as the 'golden belt' of industry. After China's reform and opening-up in the late 1970s, it became the 'Rust Belt.' Now, through years of industrial upgrading, Yangpu has transformed into the 'beautiful belt,' evolving into a green and livable community," said Hu.

Hu was an official in the Yangpu district government before retirement. He expressed his excitement and enthusiasm upon receiving the reply letter from Xi, saying it reflects the president's great expectations for grassroots retired officials and his affirmation of Shanghai's urban construction.

"Even though I am retired, I will continue to serve as a promoter and practitioner of constructing a people-oriented city."

Both teachers and friends

The "Old Poplar" members have conducted more than 2,600 free lectures over the last five years. They not only do well in vividly explaining macro topics, but are also good at sharing relatable life experiences tailored to audiences of different ages, becoming both teachers and friends to local residents.

Li Peirong, 75, used to work in a local township-level subdistrict before retiring, from which she gained rich experience dealing with the elderly. Now as an "Old Poplar" member, Li's lecturers are mainly for senior citizens, whom she teaches how to use electronics such as smartphones. "Most of my elderly audience members have learned how to use [smartphones]," she said.

Li also promotes knowledge about electronic fraud prevention in her lectures. "We want to help more elderly people bridge the digital divide, and enjoy the benefits of modern technology."

She said that receiving the reply from Xi makes her very proud, and further appreciates the significance of what she and other "Old Poplar" members are doing. "I never feel old," she told the Global Times. "Even in retirement, we can continue to harness the power of our 'silver generation' in contributing to society."

For young audiences, the "Old Poplar" has also made many efforts to prepare its lectures.

As former chairman of the board of supervisors of a technological innovation enterprise, 64-year-old Xin Peihua now mainly engages with young people through the "Old Poplar" program, giving lectures at internet companies.

Xin said she usually keeps her lectures to about half an hour, considering that most young people have busy work schedules. During and after the lectures, she talks with the young employees about work-related stress and their anxieties regarding potential layoffs, much like a caring senior family member. "Now when they're feeling confused, they sometimes come to me to share their concerns and seek advice," Xin told the Global Times.

Xin also regularly talks with the new couples at Yangpu's marriage registries, sharing with them experiences of getting along with spouses and in-laws, maintaining marriage, and building a happy family. These small talks are so popular, that some new couples from other districts choose to register their marriages at Yangpu, said Xin.

She said that receiving a reply from President Xi is a "supreme honor" to her. "I want to serve as a flourishing old poplar, contributing my strength to the joint effort of building a beautiful city for the people, and creating a happy and fulfilling life together."

Attract the young

The "Old Poplar" program was established in 2020, following Xi's inspection trip to Shanghai the previous year.

In November 2019, during his visit to the city, Xi proposed the concept that "the cities are built by the people and are for the people," and has issued several important directives regarding the construction of a people-oriented city in Shanghai.

During that visit, Xi met Huang and encouraged her to further share her experiences with the young people, to strengthen their confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Inspired by Xi's words, Yangpu district established the "Old Poplar" program to share with the public the Party's stories and promote the spirit of Shanghai city. The program has gathered over 300 retired senior citizens who are well-versed in theory, skilled in public speaking, and eager to contribute as volunteer lecturers, according to Deng Qing, head of the Bureau of Retired Veteran Cadres of the CPC Yangpu District Committee, which built the program.

To date, the "Old Poplar" has had a cumulative audience of more than 280,000. How to make young people interested in this format of lectures, and enjoy listening to the stories shared by these "grandpas" and "grandmas," have been topics that the "Old Poplar" keeps considering.

To attract a Gen Z audience, the program has created accounts on popular video platforms like Bilibili, inviting its members to host livestream lectures. "A Huang lecture, for example, attracted 5,000 viewers during the live broadcast, with a total of over 50,000 views for the replay," Deng told the Global Times.

The engaging and diverse lectures have been well received by the younger audience. Xu Yifan, a staffer at a Shanghai-based internet enterprise, said he has watched livestream and videos of "Old Poplar" lectures on Bilibili, and felt the deep love of the elderly lecturers for Shanghai and China.

"Their lectures convey knowledge but also power to us, strengthening our young generation's aspirations for the future, and encouraging us to actively participate in the development of a people-oriented city," Xu told the Global Times.

Cheng Yunuo is a fifth-grader at a primary school in Yangpu. She has attended many lectures held by the "Old Poplar" at her school.

"The experiences and insights of the older generation have made me deeply realize that, as a Chinese teenager in the new era, I have a responsibility to study hard and continuously improve my knowledge and skills," Cheng said.

President Xi Jinping has congratulated President-Elect of the US Donald Trump, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a regular press conference on Thursday.

Mao said President Xi Jinping pointed out that history tells us that both China and the US stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. A China-US relationship with stable, healthy and sus-tainable development serves the common interests of the two countries and meets the expectations of the international community, Mao added.

Hope the two sides will work in the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, to enhance dialogue and communication, properly manage differences and expand mu-tually beneficial cooperation, and to find the right way for China and the US to get along with each other in the new era to the benefit of the two countries and the world, Mao said.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, President Xi on Thursday extended congratulations to Donald Trump on his election as president of the United States, urging the two countries to find the right way to get along in the new era.

Xi called for the two countries to strengthen dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, Xinhua reported.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China respects the choice of the American people and congratulates Mr. Trump on being elected as president of the US.

Customs officers in Luohu Port, Shenzhen city, South China's Guangdong Province, recently dealt with a marijuana smuggling case, intercepting 4.82 grams of the drug concealed in a passenger's shoe insoles.

The incident occurred around 7 pm when the customs officers noticed a traveler behaving nervously and displaying unusual behavior, raising suspicion that the individual might be carrying contraband.

During a thorough search, officers found a transparent plastic bag under the passenger's shoe insole containing a plant-like substance with a distinct odor. Preliminary testing confirmed that the substance was marijuana. The suspect has been detained, and the case is under further investigation.

This case serves as a reminder that Chinese customs maintain high alertness in the fight against smuggling, especially drug trafficking, and that attempts to smuggle illegal substances are likely to face detection and legal prosecution.

Xi congratulates Maia Sandu on reelection as Moldovan president