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On September 26, the finals of the Global Agrilnno Challenge began. Nine international teams and dozens of young entrepreneurs showcased their artificial intelligence-empowered solutions to address the challenging issues in the global agrifood system transformation.

After nearly three hours of intense on-site competition, the "Identity" team from Peru won gold medal, the team from Tanzania took silver medal for their Climate Smart Irrigator, and the "Smart Tomato" project from China earned bronze.
The Global Agricultural Maker Competition was jointly initiated by Zhejiang University and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and was successfully founded in 2020. This competition is jointly hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Zhejiang University, and supported by the Foreign Economic Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the People's Government of Binjiang District, Hangzhou, and Pinduoduo. This is also Pinduoduo's fourth consecutive support for this competition.

Since the global recruitment notice was released on the FAO's official website in late June, the competition received over 200 applications, with 155 teams entering the preliminary round. After selection, 9 teams advanced, including 3 teams from China. It is reported that representatives of the gold and silver teams in this competition will have the opportunity to travel to Rome in October to showcase their innovative solutions to global agricultural technology entrepreneurs and investors at the 2024 FAO Science and Innovation Forum.

The Global Agrilnno Challenge is a global competition brand aimed at young agricultural entrepreneurs. It aims to unleash the innovation potential in the agricultural field by widely soliciting innovative business models and digital solutions, helping transform the agrifood system, and achieving the "Four Better" goals proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, namely: better production, better nutrition, better environment, and better life.

The competition showcased numerous digital agriculture solutions, innovative concepts, and technologies that are transforming the global agricultural food system. Our innovation and dedication today will become the seeds of changing the future of the agricultural food system, making the global agricultural food system more sustainable and resilient, Wei Longbao, chairman of the judging panel of this competition. Wei is a distinguished professor at Zhejiang University, and the director of the Institute of Food Economy and Agricultural Business Management.

The Chinese "Smart Tomato" team won bronze, while seawater rice is being sold nationwide with the help of Pinduoduo

Since 2020, the Global Agricultural Maker Competition has been held four times. The previous three competitions attracted active participation from 1,044 young agricultural technology entrepreneurs from 65 countries as well as 427 teams, attracting widespread attention worldwide.

At this year's competition, AI technology became the focus of agricultural research innovation for participating teams. Nine teams showcased their solutions for applying artificial intelligence to transform traditional agricultural production systems, covering breeding, planting, management, and sales.
The Peruvian team leading the competition launched a "decentralized interactive protocol system" to address the widespread "digital divide" problem among farmers. It is reported that farmers can synchronize various demands in agricultural production in real time to the system, and accurately match relevant entities such as government, purchasers, and nongovernmental organizations under the recommendation of the system to solve problems faced in the process of production, sales, and other links.

The "Climate Intelligent Irrigation Device" solution of the Tanzanian team won the silver award. Team members introduced that in 2021, the severe drought in East Africa exacerbated the local food shortage, and the cost of using traditional diesel engines for water diversion irrigation was high. In this context, the team developed the "Climate Intelligent Irrigation Device," which uses sensors and other real-time analysis of soil and water conditions, combined with AI and big data technology, to accurately and efficiently irrigate farmland and prevent waste of water resource. The irrigator is powered by solar energy, significantly reducing carbon emissions compared to traditional diesel engines, and promoting environmental sustainability.

The "Smart Tomato" project from China won the bronze award. The team from Guangzhou Guangxin Technology Co Ltd in Guangdong integrated spectral imaging and artificial intelligence technology to monitor the full-cycle growth of tomatoes during the planting process, resulting in higher tomato yields and higher levels of nutrients such as lycopene. "Food safety concerns in underdeveloped regions are significant, and we hope to help farmers around the world grow high-quality tomatoes without posing higher environmental challenges, "said the project members. It is reported that the cost of this equipment has been significantly reduced, and the mature technology has reduced the cost to one-tenth of what it was a few years ago.

In addition to the winning team, other finalists presented innovative plans. A team from Uganda innovatively proposed to turn kitchen waste into treasure by incubating black soldier flies and other tools to address issues such as food waste. The team from Guangdong Haidaohong Agricultural Technology Co Ltd in China, based on the reality of 1.5 billion acres of saline alkali land in China, efficiently selected and bred a salt tolerant variety ̶ seawater rice using artificial intelligence technology. This not only effectively utilizes saline alkali land but also promotes increased grain production. It is reported that the seawater rice developed by the team has been sold to the national market through Pinduoduo, with nearly 100,000 bags sold by merchants.
induoduo continually supports agricultural research and technology to enhance agriculture

In her speech at the competition, Hou Kaidi, Vice President of Pinduoduo, mentioned her renewed support for the Global Agricultural Maker Competition, stating that the development of AI will inject new vitality into traditional agricultural production. Pinduoduo hopes to build a platform for young agricultural technology entrepreneurs around the world to exchange ideas and explore the possibility of "AI+agriculture" landing together, so that more emerging technologies in the agricultural field can be explored and popularized.

Besides the Global Agricultural Maker Competition, Pinduoduo has been continuously increasing its investment in agricultural research and technology. In 2022, Pinduoduo was awarded the 2022 Innovation Award by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, becoming the only global enterprise winner of the award that year.

In 2023, Pinduoduo donated 100 million yuan to China Agricultural University to establish the "Pinduoduo China Agricultural University Research Fund," supporting China Agricultural University to actively explore the strengthening of basic research and key core agricultural technologies around major national strategic needs, based on the forefront of global agricultural science and technology. Among the 50 ongoing research projects supported by the research fund so far, multiple projects have achieved important interim results, and some of the results have been published in authoritative international academic journals such as Cell and Nature.

In addition to supporting basic agricultural research and tackling bottleneck technologies, exploring the application of emerging technologies such as AI in agriculture has also been a key focus of Pinduoduo in recent years. In the finals of the "4th Duoduo Agricultural Research Technology Competition" that recently kicked off, six teams from enterprises, agricultural research institutes, and universities used AI to subvert traditional agricultural production methods. One team customized a "smart brain" for a container plant factory, allowing operators to complete tasks such as watering, fertilizing, dimming, and warming the entire space with just a few clicks of their fingers; Some teams have also designed and adopted a combination of large and small models to monitor various environmental indicators inside the container in real time and adjust the planting plan in a timely manner.

In addition, Pinduoduo also leverages its platform advantages to bridge the "last mile" of agricultural research commercialization, using market sales to support agricultural research innovation. On September 19, before the opening of China's Harvest Festival, Pinduoduo teamed up with representatives from 17 science and technology schools in Lankao, Henan Province and other places to showcase nearly 20 new agricultural research achievements, including Northeast Sea Buckthorn Health Tea, Guangxi Beihai Fresh Shrimp Crisp, Sichuan Ebian Fresh Bamboo Shoots, and Yunnan Erhai Fragrant Rice, to the on-site audience. Under Pinduoduo's concentrated exposure, the live broadcast attracted a total of 18.5 million netizens to watch and purchase on the spot.

"Pinduoduo is one of the representatives of Chinese e-commerce platforms. We would like to thank Pinduoduo for its support of the Global Agricultural Maker Competition. The future food security and sustainable development depend on our breakthroughs and innovations today. We anticipate these innovations will have a sustainable impact on the global agricultural food system in the future, "Wei Longbao said in his concluding speech.

Hou Kaidi stated that the future of agriculture is promising, and AI will provide greater opportunities for growth. "Pinduoduo will continue to work with young scientific and technological innovators and ambitious individuals from around the world to join this promising cause and bring new vitality to agriculture."

China completed a trial operation of an unmanned heavy-haul train on the railway connecting North China's Hebei and East China's Shandong provinces, marking a key milestone in advancing from automated to unmanned heavy-haul railway technology. 

The test train, comprising108 cars with a total length of nearly 1,300 meters and a total weight of 10,800 tons, travelled from Huanghua city in Hebei to Dongying city in Shandong in two and a half hours on Thursday, according to China Media Group (CMG). The test route is primarily used for coal transport. 

Once unmanned driving is widely adopted, the average operation speed of nation's trains will be increased by 1.7 kilometers per hour, while the average traction energy consumption will decrease by 2.9 percent, significantly boosting transportation efficiency of China's west-to-east coal transportation, CMG reported. 

Previously, the unmanned train technology was primarily used in urban rail systems both in China and abroad, and has not yet been applied on a large scale on heavy-haul transport railways.

The test train was independently produced and controlled, from key technologies to management models, according to the Economic Information Daily. The research team created China's first smart heavy-haul railway transportation paradigm featuring a centralized station control system and intelligent train driving system. 

Three key technologies of the test train - comprehensive support and simulation, remote control and autonomous driving, and integrated safety monitoring from air, space, and ground - fill critical manufacturing gaps in China. 

The Line 27 phase I of the subway system in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, commenced no-load trial operation on September 19, 2024. It will be the city's second fully automated subway line, after Line 9, which launched in December 2020, China News Service reported. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called for consolidating and developing the unity of the Chinese nation.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the call at a grand meeting held in Beijing to honor role models for ethnic unity and progress.

He urged efforts to advance the building of the community for the Chinese nation.

Shenhai Yihao, or Deep Sea No. 1, China's first homegrown ultra-deepwater gas field project, was completed on Thursday after the construction of its second phase came to an end. The achievement sets a major milestone for the country's self-reliance in accessing deep-sea resources and shows its commitment to securing a sustainable energy supply, China Media Group (CMG) reported.

This breakthrough followed the successful launch of the first phase in June 2021. Operating at a maximum depth of nearly 1,000 meters, the latest development features the deployment of 13 world-leading technological facilities, the CMG reported.

It introduces an innovative development model combining a subsea production system, a shallow-water conductor platform for processing, and a remotely operated deep-water semi-submersible platform, which is designed to facilitate more efficient deep-sea exploitation, according to the producer, China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

In addition to the newly constructed subsea production system and the comprehensive processing platform weighing more than 14,000 tons, the project includes 12 state-of-the-art development wells and five subsea pipelines that stretch around 250 kilometers.

All offshore drilling and completion operations for the project were wrapped up by the end of August, with production testing exceeding expectations, highlighting China's global leadership in deep-water high-pressure drilling technology.

The project also includes the world's first 1,000-meter-deep water manifold constructed by China, along with other key facilities, including the country's longest deep-water oil and gas pipeline, setting multiple industry records in deep-water operations.

These milestones were made possible by the development team's targeted efforts to overcome deep-water construction challenges in the complex, high-temperature, and high-pressure marine environment, according to the producer.

The second phase of Deep Sea No. 1 has revealed more than 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas reserves. When fully operational, it is set to increase peak annual output from 3 billion to 4.5 billion cubic meters, significantly bolstering China's energy security, according to CMG.

Launched in June 2021 in the Lingshui waters off South China's Hainan Province, the initial phase of the Deep Sea No. 1 project has confirmed geological reserves surpassing 100 billion cubic meters, making it the deepest and most challenging offshore gas field currently in operation in China.

In recent years, China has made notable strides in oil and gas resource extraction, transitioning swiftly from shallow to ultra-deepwater operations while developing a series of cutting-edge production equipment, reflecting the country's enhanced self-sufficiency in the sector.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) renewed its call for comprehensive reforms in the US anti-doping system, citing growing concerns about American athletes participating in major international competitions without undergoing adequate testing. 

On Monday the WADA published on its official X account a recent letter to Tobie Smith, board chair of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), in which the WADA revealed that 90 percent of American athletes, particularly those in professional leagues and college sports, compete outside the jurisdiction of the World Anti-Doping Code. WADA vowed in the letter that it will continue applying the World Anti-Doping Code without fear or favor "in the face of ongoing geopolitical interference."

James Fitzgerald, head of media relations with the WADA, told the Global Times on Wednesday that USADA's CEO Travis Tygart seems to recognize that anti-doping in college sports is a joke and has even said that he wonders if foreign athletes are coming to US universities to enjoy a "doping vacation" in America.

"This is a shocking admission and it is strange that Tygart does not seem in a hurry to improve things. We feel the USADA board should lead the way and push for reforms within its anti-doping system," said Fitzgerald.

"Of primary concern is the matter of college sports, which account for so many athletes who go on to compete at the very highest levels, including the Olympic Games," the WADA said in the letter. 

"75 percent of US athletes competing in Paris came through the collegiate system. That is three-quarters of American Olympians who were at one time part of an elite system that operates far below the globally recognized clean sport standard."

WADA also published a reply letter in response to a letter sent in July from the Central European Anti-Doping Organization, representing 32 National and Regional Anti-Doping Organizations from Europe, Asia, and Africa. The letter requested clarification regarding the worldwide enforcement of the World Anti-Doping Code.

In the letter to Smith, WADA reproached USADA's testing efforts as insufficient, pointing out that in 2023, USADA collected only 7,773 samples from 3,011 athletes, based on its own data. WADA deemed this figure "disappointing," considering the US population, its vast athlete base, and the size of its Olympic team.

"The French National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) collects significantly more samples than USADA, despite having a budget that is just a little more than one-third of USADA's. USADA also collected fewer samples than the NADOs in China, Russia, Italy, and Great Britain," WADA noted.

In August, the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) called for an independent investigation into USADA's misconduct and for intensified testing on US track and field athletes to rebuild global trust in fair competition, after the USADA allowed American sprinter Erriyon Knighton to compete in the Paris Olympic Games without suspension, despite him having tested positive for banned steroid trenbolone in March. 

WADA also expressed concern about the wider implications, emphasizing that the issue affects more than just US athletes. Media reports indicated that National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schools sent over 1,000 former, current, and incoming student-athletes, representing more than 100 countries and regions, to the Paris Olympic Games. Among them, 272 athletes secured 330 medals for 26 different countries and regions.

"We are sure it horrifies you to know that top overseas athletes may be taking 'doping vacations' on US soil," said WADA in the letter to Smith.

WADA also criticized USADA for allegedly operating a scheme that permitted athletes guilty of serious doping violations to go undercover and continue competing for several years. WADA viewed this practice as unfair to clean athletes.

WADA emphasized that "In the face of ongoing geopolitical interference, WADA will continue applying the World Anti-Doping Code without fear or favor, working with athletes, the sport movement, national and regional anti-doping organizations, and governments."

"The completion of the supercharging station has brought great convenience to the surrounding residents. It used to take three hours to fully charge my car at home, but now it only takes five minutes," Liu Wei, a new energy vehicle owner from Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province, said with surprise at the New Energy Theme Pocket Park in Jiangyan District on September 10.

In March 2024, while continuously following up on the construction needs of the New Energy Theme Pocket Park, State Grid Taizhou Electric Power Supply Company constructively proposed the idea of building an integrated demonstration station for photovoltaic storage supercharging and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) interaction.

In response, State Grid Taizhou Electric Power Supply Company arranged personnel to actively visit several new station-grid interaction demonstration centers in the power system across various locations, strengthened communication with designers from Jiangzheng Jinjiao Company, fully considered the characteristics and needs of each subsystem during the design phase, and formulated a scientific and reasonable system design plan. Meanwhile, the company continuously invested in research and development resources, paid attention to the latest advancements in photovoltaic storage charging and discharging technology, introduced advanced technology and equipment, and improved the overall integrity and stability of the system. The final design was finalized in April 2024. The new installation includes a distributed photovoltaic capacity of 45.25kW and one 100kW/215kWh energy storage device. The modern, intelligent, and new charging station, integrating photovoltaic storage, charging, discharging, advanced charging technology, and smart energy control, was completed and put into operation on August 28, 2024.

"The construction of the integrated 'photovoltaic storage, charging, and discharging' demonstration station helps reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and the emission of vehicle exhaust, which is of great significance for improving urban air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the promotion of V2G technology will also facilitate the utilization of renewable energy and enhance the scheduling flexibility and stability of the power grid," introduced the relevant person in charge of the company's marketing department.

A recent protest against a lithium mining project broke out in Serbia, with demonstrators filling the streets of capital Belgrade. They reportedly obstructed the tracks at two railway stations in the city, and briefly halted traffic on a major highway.

While Serbian government believes that the mine is an opportunity for economic development, protesters say it would cause pollution on the Jadar Valley.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters that although the main protest was done democratically, the blockage of traffic on the highway amounted to "terror of the minority over the majority."

"It is part of the hybrid approach" designed to topple the government, Vucic said, adding that he had been tipped off by Russian intelligence services that a "mass unrest and a coup" were being prepared in Serbia by unspecified Western powers that wish to oust him from power.

Analysts said that under the environmental protection slogans are probably subversive activities by the West, in an attempt to stage a coup d'état in Serbia and install pro-American opposition forces in power.

And this protest, similar to the previous ones, was ostensibly spontaneous, organized by Serbian citizens and ENGOs (environmental non-governmental organizations), but in reality the influence of a few Western countries including the US was lurking behind the scenes, analysts noted.
Whitewashed 'color revolution'?

Earlier this month, tens of thousands took to the streets in Belgrade against a government-approved lithium mining project in western Serbia's Jadar Valley. It is a cooperative project between the Serbian government and Rio Tinto, a British-Australian multinational metals and mining corporation.

The protest, which Western media outlets described as "one of the biggest in recent years" in the country, was allegedly organized by the country's ENGOs and environmentalists concerned about the project's potential impact on the environment.

According to Western media, the protest seemed reasonable and reflected public sentiment, as many mainstream Western news outlets shone the spotlight on a protester named Zlatko Kokanovic in their stories, introducing him as an individual who loves environmental protection.

In a Reuters story on August 9, for instance, Kokanovic was described as "a 48-year-old Serbian farmer" and "a father of five." An Associated Press (AP) story on the same day used a similar description, calling Kokanovic a 48-year-old farmer who has five children. Another individual, Marijana Petkovic, has also been frequently covered in some stories as a "local resident" or "neighbor" of a villager close to Jadar Valley.

However, the two names above are president and key member of the ENGO "Ne damo Jadar" respectively, a main initiator of the protest, the Global Times found. In a story published by Belgrade-based newspaper Danas, Kokanovic "called on all citizens of Serbia to come to the protest in Belgrade."

Rather than making their roles in the protest public, some Western media outlets seemingly preferred to carefully portray them as ordinary citizens who are purely passionate about environmental protection and who happened to participate in the demonstration. Clearly, they made every effort to depict this riot as a spontaneous act by the Serbian people based on their will.

But various signs have indicated that, as Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on August 11, this was no ordinary protest but rather "part of Western-backed 'hybrid' warfare" against his government. "We knew everything in detail," AP cited Vucic as saying. "You think you have surprised someone… we have always been restrained, without violence we ensured order in the country, without a problem."

According to a TASS article published on August 10, Vucic told the media that Moscow had warned Belgrade of preparations for mass riots initiated by representatives of Western countries. "Today, we received official information from the Russian Federation," said Vucic. He added that the information was provided through formal channels, and the Security and Information Agency - Serbia's intelligence body - was responsible for that.

The TASS article also noted that, Serbian newspaper Vecernje Novosti earlier reported that members of Serbia's opposition were ready to take advantage of the pro-Western protests in Belgrade planned for August 10, "to seize the presidential palace, eliminate the head of state, and launch a similar scenario as in Ukraine."

It has obviously gone far beyond just a simple environmental protest. In an interview with news agency RIA Novosti, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin implied that the nature of the protest was a color revolution and foreign interference.

"The lithium protests are not so much about the environment. Their goal is to overthrow the government," said Vulin, according to a Sputnik article on August 12.

Connections with US

Some of the ENGOs involved in the protests against the lithium mining project actually have connections with the US, although such connections are not well known to the public, the Global Times discovered.

Ekoloski Ustanak, or "Ecological Uprising," for instance, is one of the most active organizations engaged in the protests against the lithium-mining project. Early in June, Ecological Uprising reportedly "called for mobilization" of Serbia's opposition parties, civic environmental organizations, and activists "for a joint front" against the project, according to local media reports.

The biggest funders of environmentalist groups are "certainly, from the United States of America," Serbian President of the National Assembly Ana Brnabic once said in January 2022, according to website Balkan Green Energy News.

Mass protests were organized by the Ecological Uprising and other groups to demonstrate against the same lithium mine in December, 2021, Balkan Green Energy News reported.

"I lack words to describe the hypocrisy of foreigners that finance these organizations and these foreigners," Brnabic criticized. She listed some of the biggest US funders - the Rockefeller Foundation, USAID, the Open Society Foundations, the NED, and Edge Funders Alliance. Some on the list are disreputable veterans of inciting color revolutions.

"The infiltration of American influence in Serbia is often evident in environmental protection matters. By providing support to environmental organizations at a relatively low cost, the US is able to achieve significant results efficiently. The so-called NGOs that represent American interests can take a moral high ground in shaping agendas and garnering support from local pro-American factions," Ju Weiwei, deputy director of the Central and Eastern Europe Office, Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

An anonymous scholar who has conducted multiple research trips to Serbia told the Global Times that American support for opposition forces is almost an "open secret."

Attacking Chinese projects

For the ENGOs in Serbia, Chinese observers may be more familiar with Tvrdjava ("Fortress"), a health and environmental NGO that hyped the "carcinogenic Chinese-owned steel company" rumor in late 2021.

A Reuters report in November 2021 cited data obtained by Tvrdjava, alleging that Smederevo Steelworks in central Serbia caused more pollution, after being purchased by China's HeSteel Group (HBIS) in 2016. Tvrdjava said that "the municipality (Smederevo) of around 100,000 people reported 6,866 cancer cases in 2019, up from 1,738 in 2011."

Chinese media outlets later refuted the accusation, and provided solid data proving that China's takeover didn't increase, but largely decreased, the pollution emitted by Smederevo Steelwork.

It's worth noting that, Tvrdjava, "as Reuters mentioned, is found to have a connection with the USAID," the Xinhua News Agency reported in January 2022. The Washington-based agency has a bad reputation of interfering in other countries' internal affairs under the White House's instructions, said Xinhua.

The US' "white gloves" have long been colluding with some Serbian NGOs, in defaming China and Chinese-invested projects. "NED-backed Serbian NGOs coordinated with CNN's Serbia branch to fabricate China-related fake news, slandering projects undertaken by the Chinese side and hyping up so-called environmental protection, labor, and corruption issues," pointed out a report released by Chinese Foreign Ministry on August 9.

The NED's website showed it funded various Serbian NGOs in 2021. With the NED's backing, some recipient organizations were found slandering Chinese-invested companies and projects in Serbia.

The "Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia" was one of the recipients on NED's list, receiving $59,000 in 2021. In a report it released in 2022 that specifically attacked China-Serbia relations, the "committee" groundlessly accused Chinese employers of "inhumane and humiliating treatment."

All these tricks just expose that, the US is dissatisfied with the significant practical investment and cooperation between China and Serbia. As a result, they have allegedly influenced some local opposition forces to oppose Chinese investment in Serbia and undermine the projects involving China, Ju said.

Ju, who had been in Serbia before for field research, discovered that some individuals, despite knowing the lack of evidence in their lawsuits, persisted in suing Chinese companies under the guise of environmental concerns. He noted that it is not ruled out that there may be support from other foreign forces behind this.

This tactic, commonly employed by American-backed NGOs, aims to disrupt Chinese companies under the pretext of human rights and labor issues, tarnishing their reputation in the process, said Ju.

However, due to the current Serbian government's commitment to an independent foreign policy and stable diplomatic ties with the EU, China, Russia, and other nations, along with Chinese companies' adherence to legal and ethical business practices, these attempts to tarnish our reputation are unlikely to succeed. It is evident that Chinese companies and the Chinese economy have greatly enhanced the quality of life for the local population, the expert stressed.

A total of 20 Australian companies, organizations and institutions, including a number of universities, are attending the ongoing 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, as they look for opportunities to boost cooperation amid improving ties.

The attendance to CIFTIS by Australian entities in 2024 has improved markedly from last year, amid an improvement of bilateral relations highlighted by a series of recent high-level interactions between officials of the two countries after years of frayed ties.
At the CIFTIS, Dale Pinto, global president of CPA Australia, a global accountant organization, told the Global Times that the relationship with China, Australia’s leading trade partner, is “absolutely critical.”

“It is really important to us, in the opening ceremony on Thursday, to hear that China is ready to increase its collaboration and cooperation [with the world],” Pinto said.

According to Pinto, many of the challenges people face today cannot be addressed by one country alone and needs collaboration, such as emission control, and that’s what makes the CIFTIS platform, which reinforces people-to-people exchange and cooperation, significant.

“We like to work with China. China is very advanced in many ways and can help Australia,” Pinto said, noting that in other areas, Australia can help China as well. “It is a mutually beneficial relationship.”

Australian representatives at the CIFTIS noted that a series of trade talks, high-level communications and official visits in the past two years sent really positive signals that the dialogue is really moving in a positive direction. And Australian companies and institutions are looking for opportunities in enhancing bilateral cooperation in several areas, including international education, green financing, digital transformation, and technological innovation.

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers is visiting China later this month, according to Bloomberg, in another high-level visit by officials of the two countries.

“Those high-level visits between the two sides have sent a signal to our business communities that we are talking and we are engaging. And that's really important,” Dominic Trindade, minister (commercial) at the Australian Embassy in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Trade in services from Australia is quite diverse. A very large element of that is in the visitor economy – tourists, students, people visiting family and friends, and short-term business visitors. Those were affected during the pandemic years, according to the trade official.

“We'd like to see those links, those strong people-to-people links continue to build, but also looking at new avenues, new services, particularly in the technology areas, and in those areas around sustainability, environmental services [at the CIFTIS],” Trindade said.

“Australia’s multi-year attendance to the CIFTIS attests to the long tradition of cooperation between our two countries in services trade. Also, we will have a range of other events during the next 12 months that will culminate in Australia being the CIFTIS country of honor in 2025,” said Trindade.

Australia is China’s seventh-largest trading partner, and China has become Australia's largest services export partner in 2023, public data showed.

Australia’s services exports to China surged by more than A$5 billion ($3.36 billion) in 2023, reaching A$14.7 billion, accounting for 12.9 percent of the total service exports in the year.

The Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Beijing hosted a reception to celebrate the 59th National Day of the Republic of Singapore and Singapore Armed Force Day on August 13. Delegates from all walks of life attended the event.
The National Day of the Republic of Singapore falls on August 9 and Singapore Armed Force Day, July 1.

China's Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong and Major General He Shuhong with the People's Liberation Army Academy of Military Science attended the event.

The international choir of the China Children's Performing Art Troupe sang the Singaporean national anthem and the Chinese national anthem with great spirit.

Singaporean brands showcased their products at the event, sharing a taste of Singapore with friends in China.

Singaporean music producer Billy Ko, as well as renowned Singaporean director, producer, and actor Jack Neo and his team Hu Jing, Terence Cao and Glenn Yong in I Not Stupid 3 also participated in the event.

During their visit to a cultural exhibition in Beijing on Monday, a group of officials from Belt and Road Initiative member countries and some developing countries gained a better understanding of the historical legacy of Chinese civilization and the unifying bonds of the Chinese nation.

On the sidelines of the Exhibition of Cultural Relics and Ancient Books on Forging a Strong Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation held in the capital's Cultural Palace of Nationalities, the officials said they learned a lot of successful experiences from Chinese authorities in governing ethnic affairs and promoting ethnic cultural exchanges, emphasizing that they could implement some of the examples in their own countries.

John Hodgson, political secretary of the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region of Nicaragua, told the Global Times that he appreciated the endeavors made by the Chinese government to build unity in diversity and promote the development of ethnic groups.

"I have learned a lot about the history of China during this trip. Unity in diversity is one of the key words that I have seen in China. This is important for me to take back to Nicaragua. There are 56 ethnic groups in China while we have 12 ethnic groups. China offered us a successful example of ensuring a stable economic development of ethnic groups while preserving their identity," he said.

The visit is part of a two-week research and training program for these officials organized by the Ministry of Commerce and National Ethnic Affairs Commission (NEAC).

Since its inception in 2015, the program has seen the participation of 433 officials, experts, and other professionals from 48 countries. This current session marks the 19th installment, with 42 participants hailing from seven countries: Nicaragua, Tanzania, Myanmar, Laos, the Philippines, Afghanistan and Mongolia. The participants include both government officials working in ethnic group affairs and scholars specializing in ethnic studies.

The program is designed to enhance exchanges and mutual learning as China aims to share its experience in ethnic affairs, centered on fostering a strong sense of community among all ethnic groups, with counterparts from other countries, according to an official from the NEAC.
Important takeaways

Hosted by the NEAC, the cultural exhibition features over 1,500 ancient books and artifacts to demonstrate the development of Chinese civilization, presenting a historical panorama of the formation and development of the community that is the Chinese nation.

Divided into three sections of Unity, Integration and Solidarity, the exhibition tells the stories of interactions, exchanges and integration among various ethnic groups. These sections explore the historical, cultural and economic dimensions, highlighting the enduring legacy of Chinese civilization, the unifying historical bonds of the Chinese nation, and the profound ideas and rich practices of national unity, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Versions of the book "Mencius" in the Chinese, Manchu and Mongolian languages, and the artifacts and documents on display reflect the deep thoughts and rich practices of national unity upheld by the Communist Party of China since its establishment, according to BRTV.

Another participant of the program, Sherrila Sawah, regional director of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos of the Philippines, told the Global Times on Monday that she admires the Chinese government's efforts in preserving the culture of the ethnic groups.

"The Chinese authorities have done a lot to protect and promote the culture and history of the ethnic groups. There are some that I'd really like to adopt in the Philippines. For example, the legal services offered to the ethnic groups, such as mobile courts and cloud mediation," Sawah noted.

It's really important because there are some ethnic groups who live in rural areas in the Philippines and therefore have difficulty in going to the city to seek legal services. It is really a big help for them, she said.

The online legal services are part of the efforts implemented in many provinces and regions across China to protect the rights of the ethnic population and safeguard ethnic unity with technological innovations.

Stand better

This year's program also took the officials to Ongniud Banner in Chifeng, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to observe and learn about the interactions, exchanges, and integration among the local ethnic groups.

Covering a diverse landscape that includes arable land in the south with grassy hills, and a mixture of grassland and desert in the northeast, the banner is notable for its ethnic diversity and cultural heritage, reflected in its local customs and interactions among different ethnic groups.

"The way China has united the ethnic groups together is great. Under the spirit of national unity, China will surely make greater progress in the political, economic, and cultural fields, and stand better among the world's nations," noted Ndaune Shamte Said, a Labor, Economic Affairs, and Investment official, President's Office of Tanzania, during the trip to the banner.

Omarzai Mohammad Shapoor, an official at the Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs of Afghanistan, told the Global Times that he has learned a lot about China's efforts in bringing the 56 ethnic groups together.

"If China can bring the 56 ethnic groups together, I believe they have the ability to bring all the world together," said the official.