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“Among the people of the region, the level of harmony and respect is comprehensive and complete,” Bassam Zakarneh, a member of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council of Palestine, told Xinhua during a recent interview.

Zakarneh has paid multiple visits to China. Speaking of some Western governments’ and media’s smear campaign against China about its Xinjiang policy, he said that the West is “trying to exploit anything to undermine China’s progress and development.”

This March, a delegation of members of political parties from Arab countries headed by Zakarneh, visited Xinjiang. “China’s experience in all regions is rich, and with every visit, we feel the magnitude of the benefit we gain in various fields,” Zakarneh said.

During the visit, the delegation learned about Xinjiang’s development in such areas as agricultural technology, livestream shopping and cross-border e-commerce.

“We find agriculture that does not require much space and land,” Zakarneh said. “Many of our products are destroyed due to the inability to sell them in season, but after learning about the agricultural industrialization carried out by China, our countries can enhance communication to exchange experience in this field.”

The delegation visited mosques and some other places of worship. Zakarneh said China preserves and gives each religion care for its sanctities with full and comprehensive support.

Zakarneh said the delegation expressed respect for China’s treatment of freedom of religion and the extent of its respect for human rights, contrary to what the U.S.-led West has said to distort China’s image and hinder its progress.

The delegation attended an exhibition on China’s counter-terrorism effort as well. “China has creativity in confronting terrorism through the awakening and cohesion of its people and the strength of its security services,” Zakarneh said.

The first measures, he added, are to educate citizens about preventing the infiltration of terrorist ideas and stopping anyone from exploiting this to attack China, by rehabilitating these people and educating them in school, so that they graduate with mastery of crafts, not to mention providing job opportunities and supporting various groups so that everyone in the region could become a producer, whether in agriculture, industry, or trade.

“China has faced this with strength and confidence and opened the borders of the Xinjiang region for all delegations to see for themselves the reality as it is. Our visit and observation on the ground were proof that Western propaganda is false,” Zakarneh said.

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Just like the previous revolutions in communication technology, the development of AI cannot escape from the “Collingridge dilemma,” says the report, titled “Responsibility and Mission of News Media in AI Era,” highlighting the quandary between the need for development and the imperative of governance in order to harness AI for the betterment of humanity.

According to the report, released during the ongoing 6th World Media Summit in Urumqi, capital city of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the majority, 66 percent, of the news media surveyed worldwide view the impact of generative AI on the industry positively. Additionally, 51.2 percent of the respondents had already started implementing AI technologies.

Media organizations primarily expected generative AI to enhance the timeliness and productivity of news reporting. However, they also expressed apprehensions about the potential credibility risks associated with AI, particularly regarding the “distortion and inaccuracy of news clues and materials.” A substantial 76.4 percent of respondents shared these concerns.

Additionally, a significant majority, 85.6 percent, of the surveyed news media believed that the application of generative AI required better regulation.

These findings were based on a questionnaire survey conducted in 2024. The survey covered over 1,000 respondents from 53 countries and regions, representing a diverse range of media outlets such as newspapers, periodicals, broadcasting and television stations, news agencies, websites, and mobile application service providers.

“AI is driving a new wave of productivity in news media, creating advanced productive forces across content collection, production, distribution, and evaluation,” the report points out.

It empowers both media organizations and consumers with enhanced experiences that transcend time and space, integrating virtual and real-world interactions, and facilitating human-machine communication.

Additionally, AI is fostering new business models, including a media-centric approach for everything, platform-based media, and a digitalized and intelligent industry.

The report, however, warns against multiple risks and challenges brought about by the uncertainty of AI and its misuse.

False information has escalated in scale, form and distribution, triggering a global crisis of authenticity, it says, noting that the technology’s limitations and the users’ private interests have created a “collusion” effect, polluting public opinion and negatively affecting individual perceptions and societal discourse.

Meanwhile, widespread value disputes and ethical dilemmas have put AI in a dilemma between development and governance.

The “intelligence divide” may further widen the gap between people, urban and rural areas, and between the North and the South, promoting technological hegemony and exacerbating global development imbalances, it adds.

The report proposes that news media should shoulder their social responsibilities, commit to a “people-first” approach and promote “intelligence for good” in the era of AI.

To achieve this goal, news media could accelerate intelligent-driven initiatives to enhance media value, prioritize ethical use of AI to establish robust standards, shoulder social responsibilities to optimize the cognitive environment, and foster dialogue and cooperation to improve global governance.

“In this way, powerful media forces will unite to build a community with a shared future and contribute to a better world,” the report says.

Full Text: Responsibility and Mission of News Media in AI Era

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Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a letter to the RCSC on the occasion of its 12th general congress, which opened in Beijing on Wednesday.

At a fruit trading center in Youyi township, Pingxiang, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, there are always constant streams of trucks loaded with various types of fruits.

As the largest port city for fruit trade between China and ASEAN, Pingxiang saw a total of nearly 1.65 million tons of fruit imported and exported in the first half of this year, up 15.36 percent year on year.

The bustling fruit business in Pingxiang is a vivid example of the thriving fruit trade between China and ASEAN.

With the annual hosting of the China-ASEAN Expo, the full implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) among all 15 participating countries, and the deepening Belt and Road cooperation, the trade cooperation between China and ASEAN countries has been increasingly closer in recent years, with fruit trade becoming a highlight in the agricultural products trade between the two sides.

Currently, China is the largest export market for Vietnamese agricultural products, with Vietnamese fruits such as durian and dragon fruit being highly favored by Chinese consumers.

China is also a major destination for Thai fruits. Sixteen land ports have been permitted by the two sides to deal with the fruit trade.

Fresh food e-commerce platforms have set up vegetable and fruit procurement bases in Vietnam and Thailand, becoming new channels for local agricultural products to enter the Chinese market. In the first seven months of this year, Chinese e-commerce platforms reported a 48.6 percent increase in sales of Thai durian.

With the continuous addition of new fruit varieties from ASEAN countries approved to enter the Chinese market, more and more ASEAN fruits are being favored by Chinese consumers at more favorable prices.

Gao Lingyun, a researcher at the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, attributed the booming fruit trade between China and ASEAN countries to multiple factors.

First, he said, the full implementation of RCEP has continuously released policy dividends, significantly reducing trade costs; second, under the RCEP framework, policies such as rapid inspection and quarantine have promoted the circulation of fruits and other agricultural products.

He also attributed the booming fruit trade to the increasingly strengthened infrastructure connectivity, the upgraded cross-border logistics system, and the diverse choices provided by ASEAN fruits for Chinese consumers.

Since the implementation of the RCEP on Jan. 1, 2022, agricultural products trade cooperation among member countries has become closer. According to statistics, due to the customs facilitation brought by the RCEP, China imported a total of 46.61 billion yuan ($6.57 billion) of fresh durians from RCEP member countries such as Thailand and Vietnam in the first 11 months of 2023, 1.7 times higher than the amount in the same period of 2021, before the agreement took effect.

Furthermore, in recent years, with the implementation of major projects such as the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and the China-Laos Railway, cold chain and refrigeration facilities in the region has been continuously improved, providing important technical support for China’s import of fruits. Today, it has become more convenient for ASEAN countries’ fruits to enter the Chinese market.

As a “golden channel” of logistics between China and ASEAN countries, the China-Laos Railway has shown its increasing significance since its operation. As of Aug. 22, 2024, the China-Laos Railway has transported over 43 million tons of goods, including 13,000 tons of Thai durians, bananas, and other fruits carried by cold chain carriages.

An industry insider pointed out that China and ASEAN countries have shown significant seasonal and category complementarity in fruit production.

China excels in producing temperate fruits such as apples and pears, while ASEAN countries specialize in tropical fruits like mangoes and durians. The fruit trade between the two sides helps optimize the supply and distribution of fruits in the region.

A recent report by Vietnam’s Nhan Dan Newspaper stated that Vietnam is currently the largest supplier of durians and fresh bananas to the Chinese market. The Chinese market is driving strong export momentum for Vietnamese fruits and vegetables.

The governor of Thailand’s Chanthaburi Province Monsit Paisarnthanawat said that the development of the fruit industry has created a large number of job opportunities.

Currently, there are tens of thousands of people working in the fruit industry in the eastern region of Thailand, and the income of farmers has increased. “We look forward to more and closer cooperation with the Chinese market,” the governor added.

Currently, China is constantly working to widen market access, enhance customs clearance facilitation, and establish trading platforms such as the China Import and Export Fair, the China International Import Expo, and the China International Consumer Products Expo to further drive the continuous growth of fruit trade with ASEAN.

Gao said, under cooperation frameworks like the RCEP, China and ASEAN countries will further improve and optimize existing cooperation mechanisms and platforms to deepen cooperation, thus creating better development prospects for ASEAN fruits in the Chinese market.

“Every few steps, there’s a new activity to experience. I’m so immersed in the Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere here,” Chen said.

Focusing on traditional customs and creating immersive experiences, various regions across China actively introduced new cultural and tourism products, models, and consumption scenes during the recent Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, to better meet the diverse needs of consumers.

According to data from the Ministry of Transport, on Sept. 15, the first day of the holiday, Some 215.92 million passenger trips were handled by China’s transportation sectors, up 37.9 percent year on year.

This year, China’s tourism market has steadily rebounded, with immersive experiences powered by smart technology becoming a new trend.

Leveraging diverse settings like scenic spots, museums, and pedestrians, and incorporating technologies such as artificial intelligence, holography, and augmented reality, immersive tourism has introduced new products, scenes, and experiences, enriching people’s travel options and contributing to the high-quality development of the tourism industry.

In a smart tourism immersive experience hall at a tech and art museum in Pingyao ancient city, north China’s Shanxi province, a light show is staged to present the charm of traditional culture to visitors.

The light show employs 16 projectors, which project historical scenes onto a massive hemispherical screen, creating a “time travel” experience for visitors and “transporting” them to historical sites and ancient trade routes where camel bells ring.

The “Land of Dramas” immersive theater complex in Zhengzhou, central China’s Henan province saw over 4 million visits this summer. With 56 chessboard-like courtyards, 21 sub-theaters and 6,500 plays, it presented a cultural feast to tourists.

“There is always something different here. Every visit brings new feelings and experiences,” said Li Yi, a local resident in Zhengzhou.

Chen Hong, deputy director of the Key Laboratory of Interactive Technology and Experience System under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, noted that compared to conventional static displays, immersive tourism, enhanced by technology, provides a more comprehensive interpretation and expression of culture. This better satisfies the evolving needs of tourists for cultural experience while opening up new market opportunities, Chen added.

This summer, immersive experience programs incorporating virtual reality (VR) technology have blossomed across the country. According to statistics released by on-demand local services provider Meituan, the number of orders for VR experience programs during the summer surged by 144 percent year on year, and the search volume for “immersive experiences” saw a significant rise, with consumers under 30 accounting for more than half of the demand.

An immersive party event hosted at the Yellow Crane Tower, a renowned historical site in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province, has attracted a number of foreign visitors. The party features a unique cultural blend of Eastern and Western music, clothing, crafts, and cuisines, creating a vibrant cultural feast that builds a bridge of friendship between East and West.

Zeng Bowei, a professor at Beijing Union University, divides the current immersive experience programs in the cultural and tourism market into two types.

The first includes independently operated immersive products, such as Sleep No More Shanghai, which blends theater with immersive experience.

The second type enhances visitors’ immersive experiences by integrating new technologies with performances, facilities, and activities at scenic spots, such as a light show at Slender West Lake in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, and the Flight Theater in Changbai Mountain, Jilin province, which simulates a flight over the mountain.

According to the Specialized Committee of Immersive Smart Tourism of the China Culture and Entertainment Industry Association, immersive tourism experiences characterized by high-tech and creative content, as well as strong interaction, are particularly popular with tourists, especially the younger generation. These immersive programs have become a new hotspot in China’s cultural and tourism consumption market.

An expert stressed that while technology is a tool, it is the inherent resources and cultural appeal of a destination or activity that are key to retaining visitors. Tailoring digital technology to align with local cultural and tourism resources is crucial for creating successful immersive products, the expert added.

An immersive Tang-style cultural block in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi province has launched several cultural and tourism activities this summer, including a carnival co-launched with popular online game Westward Journey, which attracted significant attention from tourists, especially younger audiences. With these events, the cultural block saw over 7,000 visits per day this summer.

Leveraging pilot applications of intelligent transport, China is putting autonomous driving technologies into trial use on a larger scale, focusing on typical freight transport scenarios including road freight, delivery, intra-park transport and port freight services.

Statistics indicate that as of the end of 2023, around 1,000 autonomous driving trucks had been put into operation by over 100 entities joining pilot projects for intelligent transportation applications, and autonomous driving container trucks had been employed at some 20 ports.

On a morning, a red heavy-duty truck, about 16 meters long, was running steadily on the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway. After passing a toll gate in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu province, the driver Sun Yefu activated an intelligent pilot mode. Henceforward, all he needed to do was to sit on the driver’s seat and watch, as the truck would automatically drive, avoid obstacles or switch lanes according to actual traffic.

“The driver’s compartment of the heavy-duty truck is equipped with multiple types of sensors, including millimeter wave radars, laser radars and high-definition cameras. They serve as the ‘eyes’ of the truck that enable it to see traffic hundreds of meters ahead,” said Cui Dixiao, chief scientist of Smartxtruck, a developer of autonomous driving solutions headquartered in Suzhou.

According to Cui, the heavy-duty truck’s multi-sensing capabilities allow it to be resilient even in heavy rain and fog. It can detect traffic congestion in advance and adjust its speed accordingly, ensuring a steady drive while saving fuel.

Last year, in collaboration with Chinese automaker JAC Group, Smartxtruck tailored an intelligent heavy-duty truck model for the courier industry. So far, the model has been employed by logistics companies in the Yangtze River delta, Pearl River delta and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. No accident has been reported, and the model saves as much as 10 percent of fuel.

At the Nantong port in east China’s Jiangsu province, five autonomous driving container trucks were working in an orderly manner in an enclosed operation area. They drove to a designated spot along a planned route and docked with a gantry crane. Later, the crane lifted containers and put them on the trucks’ trailers.

It is the first fleet of autonomous driving container trucks in Jiangsu province. “In the past, it took a lot of time and energy for drivers to get this job done, but now, with the intelligent trucks, the error can be controlled within five centimeters,” said Jiang Haozhou, an employee at the port.

Jiang said that with technological advancements, the emergence of truly unmanned and intelligent transport equipment has become possible. Not only are they more flexible and intelligent, but they also do not require infrastructure modifications at the docks, which makes them suitable for over 95 percent of traditional docks across China. This upgrade in freight transportation methods will elevate the industry to a new level.

On an open road in the Wuxi New District Free Trade Zone, Jiangsu province, a modified autonomous logistics vehicle was carrying 10 tons of raw materials and components, on its way from a bonded warehouse of Jiangsu JD-Link International Logistics Co., Ltd. to a warehouse of a U.S.-funded enterprise in the free trade zone.

Safety inspector Xu Hongming told People’s Daily that guided by high-definition maps and an intelligent driving system, the vehicle could automatically start, accelerate, switch lanes, and park. Since the vehicle was put into use last September, there has been no chance that Xu needs to intervene in the truck’s operation.

After the vehicle entered its destination warehouse, it parked in front of a platform 1.3 meters above the ground. A self-driving forklift directly entered the cargo tank, unloaded the cargo, and moved it onto a conveyor belt. The automated conveyor belt then sorted the cargo and placed it on a shelf.

Qian Shaohua, head of an innovation research institute of Jiangsu JD-Link International Logistics Co., Ltd., told People’s Daily that the route in this scenario is simple and fixed, making it ideal for autonomous driving.

This technology enables 24/7 real-time response for precise deliveries, facilitating seamless integration and deep collaboration between the logistics and manufacturing industries. It enables small-batch, high-frequency, and customized flexible production, which is shaping the future of manufacturing as it continues to transform and upgrade, Qian added.

This year’s FOCAC is the fourth to be held at the summit level, with leaders from China and African countries as well as representatives from regional and international organizations gathering to chart a course for the future of China-Africa relations.

So, what can we expect from this year’s FOCAC Summit？

Elevating China-Africa relations in the new era

As the world’s largest developing country and the continent with the highest concentration of developing nations, China and Africa are bound by similar historical experiences and a shared mission.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said he attaches great importance to China-Africa relations. During his first overseas visit as president in 2013, he visited Africa, where he proposed pursuing relations based on the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, as well as acting together for the greater good and shared interests.

Under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, China-Africa relations have entered a new phase of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. The 2024 FOCAC Summit offers an opportunity for partnerships to be strengthened, the spirit of friendship and cooperation to be carried forward, and the bonds of the China-Africa community in the new era to be further tightened.

Embracing closer economic, trade ties

China and African countries have developed increasingly close economic and trade ties, with an ever-growing trade volume and a diversification of commodities and services.

For the past 15 consecutive years, China has been Africa’s largest trading partner. According to data from China’s General Administration of Customs, China-Africa trade reached a record high of $282.1 billion in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 1.5 percent. Additionally, trade between China and Africa saw a 5.5 percent year-on-year increase, reaching 1.19 trillion yuan (approximately $166.6 billion), from January to July this year.

The Chinese economy and the economies of African countries are highly complementary as China possesses mature and applicable technologies, equipment and sufficient capital, while African countries have significant advantages in terms of manpower and natural resources. The 2024 FOCAC summit will be a crucial opportunity for China and African countries to deepen their economic and trade relationships, achieve mutual benefits and advance shared development goals.

Aligning with global climate goals

The Adama Wind Power Project, located in Ethiopia and built by Chinese companies, is a symbol of the growing green cooperation between China and Africa.

Since it began operating in 2015, the wind farm has powered approximately 600,000 households, created 2,100 local jobs and contributed to Ethiopia’s green energy goals. The collaboration has also fueled the growth of Adama city, with its population increasing from 324,000 in 2015 to over 480,000 in 2023, while improved infrastructure has enhanced the quality of life for nearby villagers.

In recent years, China has developed advanced technologies in areas such as renewable energy, waste management and water conservation. Sharing these technologies with African nations, coupled with training programs to build local expertise, could accelerate the continent’s green transition.

This would empower African countries to adopt sustainable practices and also innovate and develop their own solutions to environmental challenges. The 2024 FOCAC Summit is also a platform from which China and African countries can reaffirm their commitment to international climate agreements.

Paving the way for Africa’s modernization and a shared future

As African nations and their peoples forge ahead on the path of modernization, with China as a steadfast supporter and companion, the “Support for Africa’s Industrialization Initiative,” the “China-Africa Agricultural Modernization Plan” and the “China-Africa Talent Development Cooperation Program” will continue to be important drivers.

The initiatives address key areas essential to Africa’s modernization, showcasing China’s commitment to supporting the development of countries across the continent. Working together, China and African nations are poised to create a brighter future for their peoples and set an example in building a community with a shared future for mankind.