The Chinese economy has started off in an upbeat note, with most provinces across the country showing a stepped-up recovery trajectory in the first quarter of the year — fueled by robust industrial growth, a warm-up in external demand and new drives from the creation of new quality productive forces, relevant data showed.
As the first-quarter data are often deemed as a bellwether gauging the fundamentals of the economy, the solid opening bodes well for the country's whole-year economic development, observers said, while expecting economic heavyweight provinces to continue playing a leading role in buttressing the rebound.
Among the 31 Chinese provinces that have released their GDP growth in the first three months to date, eight provinces and municipalities of East China's Jiangsu, Shandong and Zhejiang provinces, Southwest China's Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality, Central China's Hubei Province, Northeast China's Jilin Province as well as Beijing recorded a GDP expansion above 6 percent. Jilin led the provincial GDP growth in the first quarter, with a growth rate of 6.5 percent year-on-year, followed by Jiangsu, at a rate of 6.2 percent.
China's eastern and southern regions, or economic heavyweight provinces, continue to play a pivotal role in driving the economy. The economic outputs of South China's Guangdong and East China's Jiangsu, dubbed as the country's manufacturing hubs, have hit over 3 trillion yuan ($414 billion) in the first quarter, while that of Shandong and Zhejiang exceeded 2 trillion yuan.
All these major economic provinces have shown a good momentum in the growth of high-tech manufacturing and new quality productive forces. For example, investment in advanced manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing in Guangdong rose by 22.4 percent and 33.3 percent, respectively. In Jiangsu, the value of high-tech industries output accounted for 50.2 percent of the industrial output, reaching 50 percent for the first time.
Observers said major economic provinces usually have a solid economic foundation, well-developed industrial chains, and strong economic power, thus they are playing significant roles in economic growth. As there are still many uncertainties that could weigh on the GDP growth for the whole year, these provinces, with greater economic resilience, should further give full play to their "pillar" and "stabilizer" roles looking ahead.
Analysts also suggested that major economic provinces can strengthen cooperation with surrounding areas to achieve resource sharing and complement each other's advantages, so as to jointly promote regional economic development.
A total of 17 provinces have reported a GDP gain either in line or surpass the national average of 5.3 percent, news website guancha.cn reported on Friday.
It is worth noting that most of China's central and western provinces have been in a catch-up to close development gaps with the eastern regions. In Chongqing, the manufacturing industries for electronic specialty materials and intelligent unmanned aerial vehicles both saw an added-value increase of over 80 percent, relevant data showed.
However, data from different provinces also underscored an imbalance in economic recovery, in particular a lag in consumption rebound, observers pointed out. They expect the sector to pick up expansion in the second quarter, especially with the launch of more supportive measures such as trade-in plans.
China has signed Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) mutual recognition agreements with Burundi and Iceland in Shenzhen city, South China's Guangdong Province, on Thursday to boost trade with the two countries.
The General Administration of Customs of China (GAC) has respectively signed arrangements for mutual recognition of AEO with Burundi and Iceland at the ongoing sixth World Customs Organization (WCO) Global AEO Conference in Shenzhen that kicked off on Wednesday, the state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Afterward, AEO-certified companies from both countries will enjoy lower inspection rates, priority inspections, designated customs liaison officer services, and other favorable arrangements.
China's AEO mutual recognition pact with Burundi is the third in Africa after Uganda and South Africa, bringing the total of BRI partner countries with signed AEO agreements to 36.
The AEO mutual recognition pact between China and Iceland also marks a significant advancement in customs collaboration between the two countries. With China standing as Iceland's largest trading partner in Asia, the deal will greatly bolster bilateral trade security, according to GAC.
As of Thursday, the GAC has signed AEO mutual recognition agreements with 28 economies, covering 54 countries and regions.
Since the implementation of the AEO system from 2008, China has kept on promoting international mutual recognition of AEO, aimed at reducing clearance costs for enterprises and expediting bilateral commerce.
According to GAC, in April, China's imports and exports reached 3.64 trillion yuan ($566.9 billion), an increase of 8 percent year on year. The exports stood at 2.08 trillion yuan with a year-on-year growth of 5.1 percent, and imports surged 12.2 percent year-on-year to reach 1.56 trillion yuan.
AEO mutual recognition allows customs to recognize certified AEO enterprises for streamlined customs clearance, aiming to enhance cooperation between customs, businesses, and other government departments, with AEO certification acting as a global trade "green pass".
At the end of 2022, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government announced the establishment of the Chief Executive's Policy Unit (CEPU), drawing significant global attention. This unit is also considered to be the "think tank" behind the SAR Chief Executive's policy-making. Nearly one year later, Global Times reporters Chen Qingqing and Bai Yunyi (GT) talked with Stephen Wong Yuen-shan (Wong), the head of the CEPU, at the top floor of the west wing of the HKSAR Government Headquarters.
In an exclusive interview with the Global Times, Wong, who had just returned from research trips in Jiangmen and Zhongshan in South China's Guangdong Province, looked somewhat weary. He said that over the last year, he and his colleagues in the policy unit made frequent visits to the mainland for research and exchange purposes to better align the SAR's policies with the national strategies. They also delved into understanding Hong Kong's public sentiment, and political and social trends, seeking solutions to the city's deep-rooted issues. "Our position for the policy unit is to 'stand higher and look further ahead,'" Wong said, highlighting the important task of providing forward-looking, strategic, and long-term advice for the SAR's future development. GT: Can you introduce the daily work carried out by you and your colleagues in the policy unit? How does the unit support decision-making for the chief executive and the SAR government?
Wong: The CEPU is an internal research institution serving the Chief Executive. Since its establishment at the end of 2022, our work can be summarized as focusing on "four directions" and fulfilling "one task." Currently, the policy unit consists of 47 members, divided into five teams based on these directions and the task.
The task involves coordinating the annual Policy Address of the Chief Executive. The Policy Address is an important task for the SAR government, and we are the main driving force behind it.
Our four research directions are: First, policy research on integrating Hong Kong into the national development framework. For example, the recent Central Financial Work Conference's emphasis on building a strong financial nation and enhancing Hong Kong's status as an international financial center are of great importance to us, and we explore how Hong Kong can align with these national strategies.
The second direction is international situation analysis. This is why we recently visited Beijing for exchanges with the Foreign Ministry's policy research institutions. As an international city, Hong Kong needs to maintain its unique position while serving the country's diplomatic objectives. We are currently conducting researches on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), focusing on relations with the ASEAN and the Middle East, which is crucial for Hong Kong's future international development.
The third direction is conducting forward-looking, strategic, and macroscopic policy research. Our division of labor with Hong Kong's 15 policy bureaus requires us to "stand higher and look further ahead."
We have exchanged with policy research offices of central government ministries, planning long-term strategies well into 2035, and we aim to do similar long-term planning, such as addressing Hong Kong's deep-rooted issues.
The fourth direction involves analyzing Hong Kong's public sentiment, opinions, political trends, and social movements. We use various channels such as surveys, social media analyses, and big data, including interviews with political figures and stakeholders, to grasp these aspects. GT: How does the policy unit interact with the chief executive? To what extent do the unit's findings influence the chief executive's and SAR's policy measures?
Wong: We submit weekly research reports to the Chief Executive and report to him in person. He assigns us tasks directly and supervises our work closely. After receiving his directives on certain content, we continue conducting in-depth analyses with relevant policy bureaus, which ultimately reflects in the annual Policy Address.
GT: We noticed that the CEPU includes an expert group with many well-known professionals from Hong Kong and the mainland. How does this expert group contribute to the governance of the SAR, and to what extent are their opinions adopted?
Wong: The CEPU has an expert group consisting of 56 members, many of whom are renowned policy researchers. We have four major communication mechanisms with these experts to align with their key research findings.
For example, each member of the expert group is paired with a senior researcher from the policy unit, serving as the expert's personal research liaison, providing timely, appropriate, and targeted communication and assistance, including at least quarterly interactions.
The policy unit also listens to the research outcomes of the experts, enriching the perspectives and content of our own research. We also conduct in-depth group exchanges with expert group members on specific research topics.
Additionally, earlier this year, the SAR government established a 34-member Chief Executive advisory group, including influential figures from Hong Kong, the mainland and other countries and regions. The policy unit plays the role of the secretariat or office for the advisory group, incorporating the thoughts and opinions of the advisors into our research.
Moreover, I have previously served as a Legislative Council member, a National People's Congress deputy, and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and interacted with influential individuals in the business and industry sectors. Their opinions also form an important basis for our internal research.
To some extent, the policy unit acts as a "think tank of think tanks," absorbing opinions from various sources and transforming them into the governance philosophy of the SAR government. GT: How frequent do you and your colleagues interact with institutions and enterprises in the mainland?
Wong: Since December 28, 2022, I have been to the mainland nearly 10 times for official purposes. Most of these visits and research objectives were related to the development of the Greater Bay Area, including cities like Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, and Jiangmen, and I also attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.
Earlier December, I, along with 19 colleagues, went to Beijing to attend a workshop on "enhancing strategic planning and policy research capabilities" held at Peking University. During our stay, Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, met with our delegation. He talked with us for a long time and gave us many important instructions and advice.
In addition, in Beijing, we visited six [central government] ministries and their affiliated research institutions for exchanges, including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Commerce, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, to ensure that Hong Kong's policies better align and serve the national development strategy.
I also encourage my colleagues to conduct more researches in the mainland and report back to me, which is very important for our work.
GT: How much attention does the policy unit pay to the national security work of the SAR?
Wong: The policy unit has three deputy heads, and one of whom comes from the Security Bureau [of the SAR government], reflecting the need for Hong Kong to balance "security and development." The Chief Executive is also very concerned about security affairs, so we do a lot of work in this area.
Thus, in the 2023 Policy Address, we mentioned the legislation of Article 23, the establishment of an office to promote Chinese culture under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, setting up two museums to introduce the country's history and the history of resistance against Japanese aggression, and the implementation of patriotic education in primary and secondary schools and in various sectors of Hong Kong society. All these are important aspects of building a national security system.
China has approved the addition of 24 new majors for undergraduate programs, including national security studies and electronic information materials. Experts said on Tuesday that the adjustment was guided by the goal of supporting the high-quality development of the economy so as to better serve the country's national strategy.
The addition was released by China's Ministry of Education (MOE) on Tuesday, with the ministry saying that the newly approved majors will be open for undergraduate admission in 2024.
According to the MOE, the addition of majors such as national security studies and overseas interests security is based on serving the needs of national strategy, while the establishment of majors such as electronic information materials and intelligent marine equipment aims to cultivate talents in the fields of cutting-edge science and key technologies.
Other important new majors include Chinese classical studies, as well as soccer and sports health preservation, respectively aiming to promote the innovative development of traditional Chinese culture and to help establish China as a leading sporting nation.
The ministry also released the latest version of the undergraduate major catalog for regular higher education institutions, which includes 93 major categories and 816 majors.
The new majors were added in response to overarching development requirements at the national level, spurred by the evolving needs of emerging industries and formats, Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
The addition also reflected the guidance and support for universities to establish new majors urgently needed for national strategies and regional development, with a focus on serving the high-quality economic and social development, analysts said.
Regarding the major of national security studies, observers pointed out that it aims to cultivate talents with a solid foundation in national security theory and technical skills, as the current international order is undergoing significant changes.
In addition to adjusting the disciplines and majors of universities according to changes in social demand, Xiong said that each college should also set up relevant majors based on its own situation and characteristics to ensure the quality of talent cultivation in their chosen majors.
In 2023, the MOE issued a reform plan for adjusting and optimizing majors in higher education, stating that by 2025, a new range of disciplines and majors that are in line with new technologies and industries will be established, while those that lag behind in economic and social development will be eliminated.
The optimization and adjustment of undergraduate majors is a long-term process, and it is essential to offer effective teaching and training programs to support the development of each student, so that the academic majors offered by universities are aligned with the evolving demands of the job market, Chu Zhaohui, a research fellow at the National Institute of Education Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
The MOE will persist in advancing the dynamic adjustment of majors, tailored cultivation of national strategic and high-demand talents, so as to bolster the role and impact of education in fostering high-quality development.
Airlines from China and the US are on a stable path to increase flights between the two countries, recording the biggest jump since the outbreak of the pandemic, amid recent efforts by the Chinese and US governments to increase flights.
On Monday, US-based Delta Air Lines said that it would increase the frequency of nonstop services between Shanghai-Pudong and Detroit to daily flights, beginning on May 23. Delta is currently operating daily flights from Shanghai-Pudong to Seattle and three-times-weekly services to Detroit.
After the change, Delta will operate two daily flights from Shanghai to its US gateways.
Delta is not alone.
United Airlines said earlier this month that it would add four weekly flights between Los Angeles and Shanghai starting on August 29. Further, in late October, the Shanghai-Los Angeles route will be increased to daily service. This service complements United's daily service between San Francisco-Shanghai and San Francisco-Beijing.
In addition, six Chinese airlines including Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines, which serve routes between the two countries, all announced new flight schedules to the US.
Air China will add one flight per week between Beijing and Los Angeles and two flights per week between Beijing and New York from March 31, and China Eastern will add two weekly flights from Shanghai to Los Angeles and one weekly flight from Shanghai to San Francisco starting from March 31.
China Southern will add one new weekly flight from Guangzhou to Los Angeles on March 31, and two new weekly flights from Guangzhou to San Francisco on April 2. The new flights between China and the US operated by Chinese airlines are still mostly concentrated in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the western US.
The announcements came after the agreement made by the Chinese and US governments recently. Starting on March 31, airlines from China and the US can operate a total of 100 scheduled round trips per week, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China on February 29.
China and the US have seen increasing flights in recent years, and this round of increases is the biggest jump since the outbreak of the pandemic. There were three rounds of increases in 2023, and the latest was up from 48 flights to 70 flights, starting from November.
However, the total number of flights linking China and the US is still lagging behind the level of 2019. Even after this increase in flights, the level of recovery still lagged behind those among other countries.
In 2019, daily passenger flights between China and the US averaged 165, with a daily peak of 181, data from information provider VariFlight showed.
Data from Fly Master showed that China's outbound passenger flights during the Spring Festival period recovered to 69.3 percent of the level in 2019.
The destinations were concentrated in East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Korea, Thailand and Japan ranking in the top three. In terms of the recovery rate, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the UK exceeded 100 percent.
The US Senate's homeland security committee approved a bill on Wednesday (US time) to prohibit contracts with Chinese biotech providers including BGI Group, MGI and Complete Genomics, in the latest move by Washington to expand its suppression of Chinese companies in this new field of medicine under the guise of national security.
While the bill has a long way to go before becoming law, it reportedly aims to ban US federal agencies and the US government from contracting with these Chinese firms.
"BGI, WuXi AppTec and other highly subsidized companies seek to undercut their way into dominating the US biotech market while aggressively collecting the genetic and other sensitive medical data of tens of millions of Americans and transferring it back to China for malign or unknown purposes," US Senator Bill Hagerty alleged, according to a post on Hagerty's official website on Wednesday.
In a response, BGI Group said it fully supports the bill's premise of protecting Americans' personal data, but driving BGI out of the US, which is what this bill is intended to achieve, is unlikely to accomplish its goal since BGI does not have access to that data.
"The bill will limit competition and strengthen the market monopoly in the important field of human genome sequencing by using the legislative process to pick winners and losers," BGI told the Global Times on Thursday.
In a statement released on Thursday, WuXi AppTec said that it strongly disagrees with the US Senate's "preemptive and unfair" move of designating it as a "biotechnology company of concern" in its draft bill.
"WuXi AppTec has not posed, does not pose, and will not pose a security risk to the US or any other country," the company said.
Wuxi Biologics (Cayman) Inc clarified on Thursday that it is not a subsidiary of Wuxi AppTec Co. The company said it does not have a human genomics business, nor does it collect human genomic data in any of its businesses, while also stressing that it does not pose any national security risk to the US or any other country.
Chinese observers blasted US politicians, who they said were portraying China as an "imagined enemy" and expanding a crackdown on Chinese bio-tech and new-energy vehicle (NEV) companies.They said that American politicians are purposely setting obstacles to impede normal China-US economic and trade ties.
"This is another typical case in which US politicians purposely make China an 'imagined enemy' to step up suppression of Chinese companies for their own political gains, as the US presidential election draws near," Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Thursday.
What US politicians are concerned about is that they cannot live in a world led by Chinese companies, and they have come up with every excuse to hinder China's development in a wide range of sectors including telecommunications, NEVs and now bio-technology, Li said.
"While China and the US are expanding their dialogues, what the US is doing has posed impediments to normal China-US trade," he said. He urged the US to correct its wrongdoing.
Recent media reports said that US President Joe Biden will sign an executive order to prevent foreign entities from accessing troves of Americans' personal data.
"The US overstretches the concept of national security, falsely accuses China of purchasing Americans' personal and sensitive data for malicious activities, and prevents the transfer of data to so-called 'countries of concern' including China," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a recent press conference on February 29, 2024.
"The Chinese government takes data privacy and security very seriously. We have never asked and will never ask any company or individual to collect or provide data, information or intelligence located abroad against local laws for the Chinese government," Mao noted.
In a bid to enhance services for flexible workers, China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MHRSS) issued a comprehensive set of guidelines aimed at standardizing flexible job markets on Monday, aiming to provide workers with transparent and regulated services. The notice is in line with its commitment to integrate this sector into the broader employment public service system.
In the notice, the MHRSS outlined several key areas related to flexible job markets that require attention and improvement.
China has a vast population of flexibly employed individuals, and the rapid development of the internet industry has sparked changes in the job market, making it easier for young people to find such jobs, but the market remains largely unregulated, Tian Yun, a veteran economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Monday.
The notice emphasized the need to clearly define the service orientation of flexible job markets. The markets, which often operate outside the public service sector, will now be brought under the umbrella of the public employment service system, providing accessible, flexible and inclusive labor services.
The ministry also said it aims to improve services in the markets, stressing the importance of providing comprehensive services such as job matching, career guidance, and skills training, which is particularly significant in light of China's rapidly evolving job market, where new sectors and opportunities are constantly emerging.
The notice also highlighted the opening and operation of flexible job markets, and called for building service stations and recruiting sites that meet local workers' conditions and demands. It also clarified the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in managing and overseeing the markets.
Data analysis is an important part of the notice, as job markets will be asked to publish key indicators, such as the ratio of job seekers to available positions. The information is critical for job seekers and employers in making decisions.
Standardizing service requirements is another part of the notice. The MHRSS has asked local departments to standardize naming rules for local job markets, to unify business processes and service standards, and implement clear regulations to ensure transparency in services. The ministry will soon publish a unified national logo for the markets across the country.
The notice also underscored the importance of capacity building within the sector, which includes measures such as enhancing staff training and expanding the workforce through multiple channels to cater to the growing demands of this dynamic market.
Many flexible workers lack adequate protection for their labor rights. The notice from the MHRSS provides directional guidance for developing the flexible job markets, but concrete implementation by local authorities is needed to ensure compliance. Regulating flexible employment requires a concerted effort from the relevant authorities, as well as support and cooperation from society, Tian said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Wednesday said the world cannot return to a state of isolation and that China opposes all forms of unilateralism and protectionism in response to International Monetary Fund (IMF) warning that fragmentation of the global economy and increasing national security restrictions could lead to a 7 percent loss in global GDP.
Whether it is trade wars or technological battles, the underlying objective is to politicize, instrumentalize, and weaponize economic and trade issues. The aim is to secure a monopoly on their own developmental advantages, impede the growth of emerging markets and developing nations, and deny the 7 billion people worldwide their right to pursue a happy life, Wang said.
Wang said that China is willing to work with all parties to promote universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. China firmly opposes deglobalization and overstretching the national security concept, and opposes all forms of unilateralism and protectionism.
The remarks come as the IMF warned that global economic fragmentation could lead to a 7 percent loss in global GDP.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told CNN in an interview aired on Tuesday local time that restrictions related to "national security" are increasing, and geopolitical factors are causing economic divisions worldwide.
Allowed to continue, this could ultimately reduce Global GDP by 7 percent - roughly equal to the annual output of France and Germany, she said.
"So we are all better off to find ways to reduce frictions, to concentrate on security concerns that are real and meaningful, and not go willy-nilly in fragmenting the world economy. We would end up with a smaller pie," she said.
Wang said that the world cannot return to a state of isolation and cannot be arbitrarily divided. Any practice of seeking selfish gains at the expense of neighbors, any mindset of confrontation between camps, and any arrogance of self-centeredness will not lead to good results.
China will promote equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal rules for all countries, safeguarding the development rights of all countries, and working toward common development and prosperity.
The IMF's report in October 2023 predicted a slowdown in global economic growth from 3.0 percent in 2023 to 2.9 percent in 2024.
China's veteran short track speed skater Fan Kexin kissed the ice surface at the Capital Indoor Stadium again on December 9 at the ISU Short Track World Cup in Beijing, as she returned to competition after a nearly two-year hiatus after the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Fan, who is among China's squad that won a gold medal in the 2,000-meter mixed relay at the home Olympics, finished her events on Saturday with two silver medals.
Fan clocked the women's 500 meters with 43.117 seconds, followed by her younger teammate Wang Ye with 43.176 seconds. At the awarding ceremony for the race, Fans kissed the ice surface again.
"I just love this ice so much," Fan, a three-time Olympian, told reporters after Saturday's races at the ISU short track World Cup event in Beijing. "As long as I have chances to compete, I will do my best."
Fan noted that now she is enjoying skating, thanks to the overwhelming support from Chinese fans.
"Their support means a lot to us. Now we are receiving massive attention from the fans compared to the past, which also boosted our confidence and performances," the 30-year-old said.
Fan's kiss on the ice surface at the Olympics was remembered as one of the emotional moments at the quadrennial event by Chinese short track fans.
Speculation was rampant that the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics would be Fan's swansong, as she had not participated in any competition since.
Her return has been considered a boost for the Chinese women's short track team, which is currently in a rebuilding phase as it aims to return to the sport's top-tier.
Along with her younger teammates, Fan is also among the team that won a silver medal in the 2,000-meter mixed relay at the World Cup event. Her younger teammate Wang, who is just 18, has welcomed her return, crediting Fan who "strengthened" the whole team's confidence with competing.
Speaking about the winning inheritance of the short track team, which is the most successful Chinese winter sports team, Fan said it is not just "talk the talk."
"The inheritance is in their hearts to take on the task and responsibility to grow, rather than just talking out loud about inheritance," Fan said.
"It feels great to compete with my young teammates side by side. I hope these young athletes could participate in the World Cup, World Championships, the Olympics step by step and achieve better results."
Short track competitions are currently the most popular winter sports races in China, as the stadium hosting Chinese athletes often has near-capacity attendance drawn by the chance to witness the star-studded national squad.
Saturday's race saw Team China bag four silver and one bronze medals. The competitions will continue on Sunday, including a highly-anticipated men's 5,000-meter relay final.
