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New Finds Stun Archaeologists

A treasure trove of exquisite bronze,gold,and jade wares has been recently excavated at the Sanxingdui Ruins site in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.The new finds have brought the total number of items discovered in the six pits at Sanxingdui to nearly 13,000,according to the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research lnstitute.Located in Guanghan City,60 kilometers from the provincial capital Chengdu,the 12-square-kilometer area of the Sanxingdui site is believed to be part of the remnants of the Shu Kingdom,dating back some 4,500 to 3,000 years.So far,historians still know very little about the Sanxingdui culture,which left behind no written records or human remains.lt is hoped that the latest finds will shed light on the kingdom,which ruled in the western Sichuan basin along the upper region of the Yangtze River until it was conquered in 316 B.C.

Photo by Wang Qin/Red Star News

A Panda Birthday Party

six pandas celebrate their birthdays together at the Chongqing Zoo on June 10,2022.They are three-year-old shuangshuang,Chongchong,Xixi,and Qingqing and oneyear-old Xingxing and Chenchen.To accommodate the dietary needs of different age groups of giant pandas,two cakes were made for them using nearly 10 kinds of ingredients such as apples,carrots,cherry tomatoes,watermelons,grapes,and bamboo shoots.During the party,visitors also sang birthday songs for them.

Gaokao 2022 Ends

Examinees run out of an exam site of national college entrance exam in Changsha,central China’s Hunan Province,on June 9,2022.The annual national college entrance exam,known asGaokao,is regarded as one of the toughest exams in the world.lt is also the sole way for admission into Chinese universities.This 2022,a new record for the number of applicants was set as it reached 11.93 million.One Chinese saying aptly comparesGaokaoto a stampede of“thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of horses across a single log bridge.”

Harvesting Wheat

This year,alarm bells about the grain harvest have been ringing as the global food supplies had been disrupted by factors such as the COVlD-19 pandemic,extreme weather conditions,and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.ln China,much attention has been paid to safeguarding the interests of farmers and securing food security.ln June,villagers in Zhitian Town of Gongyi City,begin to harvest the ripe wheat in fields near the imperial tombs of the Northern song Dynasty (960-1127)–the Yongtai Mausoleum,in central China’s Henan Province.

Shanghai Disney Reopens

Disneytown and shanghai Disneyland Hotel at shanghai Disney Resort reopen to the public on June 16,2022.stores,restaurants,and the hotel operate at a limited capacity and offer select services.On the same day,many tourists are seen walking around the Resort with their hands full of shopping bags and souvenirs,as they indulge themselves in a family outing,street shopping,and restaurant feasting as the city returns back to normal after containing a voracious coronavirus flare-up during the past two months.

EXCHANGES

“Since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland 25 years ago,the central government has promoted the formation of good governance that is on the basis of the Constitution and the Basic Law and truly in line with ‘one country,two systems,’thus providing a solid institutional guarantee for Hong Kong’s longterm prosperity and stability,as well as the steady and sustained implementation of ‘one country,two systems.’ Practice has proven that the principle of ‘one country,two systems’ is fully applicable,achievable,and popular.’”

–Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng made the remark while attending the Opening Ceremony of the Seminar on Legal Affairs lnvolving Foreign Parties in Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of Hong Kong’s Return to the Motherland on June 9,2022.

“China is willing to work with ASEAN to fully implement the important consensus reached by leaders and solidly promote the building of the‘home with five traits’–a peaceful home,a safe and secure home,a prosperous home,a beautiful home,and an amicable home.Joint efforts will be made to advance Belt and Road cooperation with high quality,promote the effective synergy between the Global Development lnitiative and Global Security lnitiative and the building of the ASEAN community,further deepen and expand practical cooperation in various fields,and constantly enrich the connotation of China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership,so as to make greater contributions to promoting regional peace,stability,and prosperity.”

–Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao pointed out when attending the ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Consultation on June 10,2022.

President Xi Jinping Addresses 25th St.Petersburg International Economic Forum

On the evening of June 17,President Xi Jinping attended and addressed the plenary session of the 25th St.Petersburg International Economic Forum in virtual format upon invitation.

Xi Jinping pointed out that at a time when the international community is so keen about achieving more equitable,sustainable,and secure development,we should seize opportunities,meet challenges head-on,and work on the implementation of the Global Development Initiative to build a shared future of peace and prosperity.Xi then put forward the following four-point proposal.

First,we need to foster an enabling environment for development.It is important that we follow true multilateralism,respect and support all countries’ pursuit of development paths suited to their national conditions,build an open world economy,and increase the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries in global economic governance,with a view to make global development more balanced,coordinated,and inclusive.

Second,we need to strengthen development partnerships.It is important that we enhance North-South and South-South cooperation,pool cooperation resources,platforms and networks of development partnerships,and scale up development assistance,in order to forge greater synergy for development and close the development gap.

Third,we need to advance economic globalization.It is important that we strengthen“soft connectivity”of development policies and international rules and standards,reject attempts at decoupling,supply disruption,unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure,remove trade barriers,keep global industrial and supply chains stable,tackle the worsening food and energy crises,and revive the world economy.

Fourth,we need to pursue innovation-driven development.It is important that we unlock the potential of innovation-driven growth,improve the rules and institutional environment for innovation,break down barriers to the flow of innovation factors,deepen exchanges and cooperation on innovation,facilitate deeper integration of science and technology into the economy,and make sure the fruits of innovation are shared by all.

Xi pointed out that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy—its strong resilience,enormous potential and long-term sustainability—remain unchanged.We have full confidence in China’s economic development.China will continue to promote high-quality development,expand high-standard openingup with firm resolve,and pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.China stands ready to work with Russia and all other countries to explore development prospects,share growth opportunities,and make new contributions to deepening global development cooperation and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The plenary session of the 25th St.Petersburg International Economic Forum was held in an online plus offline format in St.Petersburg,Russia on June 17.Russian President Vladimir Putin,Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi,Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart K.Tokayev,among others,attended the event.

Yang Jiechi Meets with U.S.National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan

Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi met with U.S.National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Luxembourg,on June 13,2022.

Yang Jiechi pointed out that China-U.S.relations now stand at a critical crossroads.he highlighted that the three principles of mutual respect,peaceful coexistence,and win-win cooperation put forward by President Xi Jinping are the right way for China and the United States to get along with each other.The three principles serve the fundamental interests of the Chinese and American people and the common aspirations of the international community,and should lay the foundation for the development of China-U.S.relations.China is ready to discuss ways and means to realize this vision with the United States.

Yang Jiechi stressed that China’s position on safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unequivocal and firm.China’s internal affairs brook no interference from other countries.Any attempt to obstruct or undermine China’s national reunification will be doomed to fail.

Yang Jiechi emphasized that the United States should have positive interactions with China and make joint efforts for the prosperity,stability,and development of the Asia-Pacific region.

Wang Yi Attends the Third“China+Central Asia”Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the third“China+Central Asia”(C+C5) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Nur-Sultan,Kazakhstan on June 8,2022.

Wang Yi said that China and Central Asia are closely intertwined,share weal and woe,and have become a community with a shared future moving forward shoulder to shoulder.No matter how the international landscape may evolve,China will always firmly support Central Asian countries in safeguarding their sovereignty and independence,pursuing development paths suited to their national conditions,and building an independent Central Asia.

China stands ready to uphold the principles of mutual respect,good-neighborly friendship,solidarity in trying times,mutual benefit,and win-win results.There is also a sustained resolve to strengthen solidarity and coordination with Central Asian countries and work together to build a closer China-Central Asian community with a shared future,Wang said.

All parties spoke highly of the C+C5 cooperation mechanism,saying that China is a good neighbor and partner of the Central Asian countries as well as their largest trade and investment partner.

The issues related to Xinjiang are not about ethnicity,religion,or human rights.They are about countering violent terrorism,radicalization,and separatism and have everything to do with protecting China’s sovereignty,territorial integrity,and national security.Over the past 60 years and more,the Uygur population grew from 2.2 million to about 12 million,and the average life expectancy increased from 30 years to 74.7 years.The so-called resolution of the European Parliament is purely based on the“lie of the century”concocted by extreme anti-China forces.This is just another preposterous show designed to smear and stigmatize China.Any lie and show like this will not change tranquility and unity in Xinjiang.

–Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a regular press conference on June 10,2022.

“This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the ROK and the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan relations.As important countries in the region and major economies in the world,the three countries need to enhance mutual trust,actively conduct positive interactions,and project useful messages of long-term peace,friendship,and cooperation among the three countries.”

–Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press conference on June 15,2022.

ECONOMY/SOCIETY

China Has World’s Largest Higher Education System

Over the past 10 years,Chinese youth have enjoyed wider access to higher education.China has built the world’s largest higher education system,with the population who have received and are receiving higher education reaching 240 million.

In 2022,the Chinese government budgeted overRMB 68.8 billionfor student aid and subsidies,which are used to implement the state aid policy for regular senior high schools,secondary vocational education,and higher education.

Central Government to Provide Subsidies to Farmers

The Chinese government has pledged to earmark a lump sum of RMB 10 billion this year to directly subsidize grain farmers,trying to support summer harvest and autumn sowing,mitigate the impact of rising prices for agricultural supplies related to grain production,and encourage farmers to grow grain.

It is made clear that the recipients of the subsidies are actual grain growers who bear the cost of rising agricultural supplies’prices,which include farmers growing grain with self-owned contracted land,family farms,farmers’ cooperatives,agricultural enterprises,and other new agricultural business entities growing grain on transferred arable land,including organizations that provide socialized services for grain cultivation and harvest.

Besides ensuring that subsidy funds reach those that need them most,the government also requires that the subsidy standard be determined by each region and should be unified within each county in principle.

The Ministry of Finance urged local governments to make full use of modern technologies to timely and fully distribute subsidy funds.

New Western Land-sea Trade Corridor Maintains Robust Momentum

From January to May,the new western land-sea corridor freight train service maintained strong growth,sending 310,000 TEUs of cargo,up 85,000 TEUs year-on-year or 37.7 percent,according to China Railway.

Since this year,further boosted by the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and other policies,the western land-sea corridor construction ushered in new opportunities.More sea-rail transport lines were opened,and the transportation of characteristic products such as sugar from India and automobiles from the Middle East increased,making the corridor a powerful engine in driving economic and social development in China’s western region.

RMB 23 billion

is the amount allocated by the Ministry of Finance to support the development of preschool education in China,an increase of RMB 3 billion over the previous year.These funds will be mainly used for the construction and reconstruction of public kindergartens and government-subsidized private ones.

Operating Revenue of Cultural Enterprises Increased in Q1

According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics,in the first quarter,enterprises in culture and related industries above a designated size achieved an operating revenue of RMB 2,697.3 billion,an increase of five percent over the same period last year,continuing the recovery growth trend.

Among those,steady growth was witnessed in the core cultural sector.In the first quarter,the core cultural sector achieved a revenue of RMB 1,675.8 billion,an increase of 6.4 percent over the same period last year.

Besides,the proportion of new cultural business revenue increased.Represented by digital publishing and smart cultural equipment manufacturing,16 industry subcategories of new cultural businesses achieved a revenue of RMB 940.7 billion,an increase of 6.3 percent year on year,1.3 percentage points higher than the average level of cultural enterprises.

Ranks of Nurses on the Rise

The number of nurses in China has been growing at an average eight percent over the past decade,exceeding five million last year.The share of male nurses is also increasing,and the overall education and professional skills of nurses have improved.

According to the plan of the National health Commission,China will increase the number of its nurses to 5.5 million by 2025,which means there will be 3.8 nurses per 1,000 citizens,and the doctor-nurse ration will reach 1:1.2–which was 1:1.17 in 2021,compared with 1:1.09 in 2012.It will also improve nursing services in various categories,including care for the elderly,traditional Chinese medicine,and community-based and inhome care.

Extra attention will be paid to nurses working at primary-level medical institutions.The size of this group of medical professionals has doubled from 528,000 to 1.15 million during the past decade.

RMB 1 trillion

lnvestment in major water conservancy projects under construction nationwide exceeded RMB 1 trillion.Major water conservancy projects have long industrial chains,demand large amounts of investment,and can create a large number of jobs.lt is estimated that every RMB 100 billion invested in major water conservancy projects can boost GDP growth by 0.15 percentage points and create 490,000 new jobs,playing an important role in promoting steady economic growth.

Insurance Payments Deferred for More Sectors

Four central authorities,including the Ministry of human Resources,recently announced the temporary deferment of social insurance premium payments for more firms that have been hit hard by the pandemic.

Firms in 17 pandemichit industries,including auto manufacturing and general machinery manufacturing,will be allowed to defer the corporate shares of social insurance payments.Previously,this policy covered five sectors that were more exposed to the pandemic,namely catering,retail,tourism,civil aviation,and road,rail,and water transport.

These central authorities also called for moves to be made to stabilize employment,such as providing subsidies to firms that had been more seriously affected and offering allowances to enterprises that hire college graduates.

The Press Sector Remains Robust

All-China Journalists Association recently published the latest Development of China’s News Media Report.

As of December 31,2021,China had 3,208 Internet news information service providers,providing 12,625 licensed service items,including 1,846 Internet sites,2,910 applications,and 7,671 public accounts,the report says.

Despite the fact that the circulation of printed newspapers continues to shrink,convergence has boosted their revenues.A total of 1,810 types of newspapers were published in China in 2020,a decrease of 2.22 percent from the previous year;the total newspaper circulation was 28,914 million,down 8.96 percent;revenue reached RMB 53,945 million,down 6.36 percent,and the total profits reached RMB 5,043 million,an increase of 32.12 percent.

In 2020,China produced 8,210,400 hours of radio programs and 3,282,400 hours of TV programs.Online audiovisual content increased by 220 million hours in length.The average time Internet users spend watching online videos was about 100 minutes per person per day and listening to online audio content was 20 minutes per person per day.

Building Water-Frugal Cities

Water conservation has been systematically promoted in Chinese cities during recent years.Since 2015,50 cities have been selected to host the pilot program of building sponge cities,which aims to address both urban flooding and water shortage by harvesting rainwater.As of the end of 2021,130 cities had met the national criterion for water conservation.

Meanwhile solid progress has been made in the reuse of wastewater.Last year 16.1 billion cubic meters of water was reclaimed in Chinese cities,an increase of 18.9 percent over 2020.According to relevant authorities,functioning water circulation systems will be developed in urban areas,and the awareness of water conservation will be promoted among urban residents as part of the effort to pursue high-quality urban development.

CULTURE

2021/2022 Season Closing Concert

Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra

Date:July 9,2022

Venue:Xinghai Concert Hall

Gustav Mahler directs us to ponder the meaning of life and suffering in hisSymphony No.2.The work opens as a funeral rite,while the second and third movements recount memories of bliss before conveying hopelessness and futility.A sliver of hope glimmers in the fourth movement,and eventually the power of faith vanquishes desperation.As Mahler once described this masterpiece:“One is battered to the ground and then raised on angel’s wings to the highest heights”—an apt description indeed of theResurrection Symphony.

NCPA Resident Singers Concert

National Centre for the Performing Arts

Date:June 25-26,2022

Venue:National Center for the Performing Arts

Adhering to the NCPA’s principle of“for the people,for art,for the world,”NCPA Resident Singers have staged a number of performances.They have co-performed nearly 60 operas in collaboration with renowned artists at home and abroad.Besides performing in a number of operas,resident opera singers have been actively participating in activities such as concerts,education and outreach,contributing to the cultivation of Chinese opera audiences and the popularization of this refined art form.

Art Competition Boosts China,Hungary Youth Exchanges

The award ceremony of the“One Step”Chinese-hungarian Drawing Competition was held onine and offline simultaneously in central China’s hubei and henan provinces,and hungary’s Gyor-Moson-Sopron County on June 8.

The event,which attracted nearly 100 participants including students,teachers,and government representatives,was jointly hosted by the respective local governments.

It was aimed at deepening the friendship between China and hungary through friendly exchanges between teenagers,according to the organizing committee in hubei.

From March to May 2022,students from middle schools in China’s hubei and henan provinces and Gyor-Moson-Sopron County of hungary,submitted more than 120 creative works themed on bilateral friendship,inventions of the two countries,and environmental protection.

huang Shihui from Xianning Xiangcheng Middle School in hubei Province won the first prize for her paintingChina in the Rubik’s Cube.her work features a huge Rubik’s cube occupying a tableau,with things that embody Chinese history and contemporary development,such as a compass,traditional Chinese medicine book,the Great Wall,FAST telescope,andShenzhouspaceship,painted in each square of the cube.

“The Rubik’s cube was invented in hungary.I want to introduce China to hungarian friends through their familiar invention,”huang said,adding that she hopes her painting can help deepen the friendship between the two peoples.

Fanni Kotrics-Szabo also won the first prize.Speaking at the award ceremony in Gyor-Moson-Sopron,she said she likes Chinese culture,so she decided to take part in this competition.“I’m so proud of my work and I will continue to create more paintings,”she said.

hubei and Gyor-Moson-Sopron became sister provinces in 2014,and various bilateral exchanges and cooperation initiatives,including student exchange programs,have been carried out between the two.

NYU Shanghai Holds Online Graduation Ceremony

Shanghai New York University (NYU Shanghai) held a graduation ceremony for undergraduates of the 2022 Class on May 26,conducting the event online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The virtual event honored about 400 graduates from NYU Shanghai and other NYU degree-granting campuses from 34 countries and regions.

The university managed to preserve some of its rituals for the ceremony despite the online format.Photos of the graduates flashed by on the screen,while the university anthem was presented in the form of a music video.

According to NYU Shanghai,many of the graduates had managed to gain places in renowned universities and companies,both in China and abroad,despite challenges posed by the pandemic.

NYU Shanghai was established in 2012 as China’s first China-U.S.university operating as an independent legal entity.

Chinese,Ghanaian Vocational Colleges Set up Campus to Cultivate Talent

A Chinese vocational college and a Ghanaian technical university jointly announced on May 20 to set up a campus in Kumasi,the second-largest city in Ghana,to help cultivate more vocational talent in the West African country.

China’s Rizhao Polytechnic,together with the Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) where the new campus will be located,will help further boost bilateral exchanges in the vocational education.

Speaking at the signing ceremony of the project,Osei Wusu Achaw,the vice-chancellor of KsTU,indicated that the signing will pave the way for the establishment of the campus to extend Ghana’s vocational education in many more disciplines and offer opportunities to more Ghanaian students to receive quality education.

Describing technical and vocational education as the bedrock of Ghana’s industrialization agenda,Tina Abrefa Gyan,deputy director-general of the Ghanaian Education Ministry’s commission for technical and vocational education and training,said the Ghanaian government has made a massive investment in the area,and is upgrading a number of technical universities and institutes with the construction of workshops and installation of equipment for the use of these institutions.