The US is plagued with a drug abuse problem more acute than any other countries as 12 percent of global drug users come from the North American country, two times higher than the proportion of its population.

Provisional data indicates that nearly 110,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2022, the highest of all time, and more than two-thirds of the deaths involved the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, as per US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fentanyl-related deaths among children increased more than 30-fold between 2013 and 2021, the Associated Press reported.

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, when visiting China in late August, claimed that US hopes to cooperate with China to tackle the rapidly increasing rates of fentanyl overdoses. However, the country simultaneously keeps scapegoating China on the issue, imposing sanctions and filing criminal charges against Chinese enterprises and individuals.

Through an investigation into the US' opioid crisis which reveals the country's legislative and law enforcement failures over the decades, the Global Times found that the US is disinclined to find a radical cure, while scapegoating China as a conduit for mounting anger in American society. All this serves the US' strategic rivalry with China.

Painkiller becomes source of pain

There is nothing new under the sun, and the US' fentanyl crisis is a continuation of its forbearer Oxycodone, a strong, semi-synthetic opioid used to treat moderate to severe pain.

The Netflix TV drama Painkiller released in 2023, adapted from a book published in 2003, revealed how the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma colluded with US medicinal regulators and developed aggressive marketing tactics to promote its brand name product OxyContin, an extended-release form of Oxycodone, as less likely to cause addiction, raking in tens of millions of dollars.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), charged with the responsibility of prescription drug use regulation, gave OxyContin the green light in 1995 even though neither long-term studies nor assessments of its addictive capabilities had been thoroughly conducted.

Two principal FDA reviewers who originally approved Purdue's application both took positions at the company after leaving the agency. In the following two decades, more FDA staffers involved in opioid approvals left the FDA to work for opioid makers, according to the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics.

Purdue offered kickbacks, paid lecturers, and organized free seminar vacations to doctors to incentivize them to prescribe OxyContin, leading to a tenfold increase in prescriptions for less serious pain, from about 670,000 in 1997 to about 6.2 million in 2002.
As Purdue earned billions of dollars from oxycodone sales, other drug companies took note; when the numerous unnecessary prescriptions were given to chronic pain patients, addiction and overdose deaths soared.

The US' healthcare system also contributed - "Most insurance, especially for poor people, won't pay for anything but a pill," said Judith Feinberg, a professor at West Virginia University with expertise in infectious diseases associated with drug injection.

The US Department of Health and Human Services estimated that about 11 million people in the US consume oxycodone in a non-medical way annually.

Although Purdue was ultimately brought to justice, addicts are not redeemed. The large, ever expanding group of drug dependence, without proper social support and intervention, easily became the victims of new, more powerful drugs - fentanyl, a synthetic opioid which is also FDA-approved and up to 50 and 100 times stronger than heroine and morphine respectively.

Fentanyl, the cheaper to make yet more lethal drug and its close cousins became the biggest drug-related killers in the US in 2016, the Associated Press reported.

The media has reported on how drug users addicted to other substances unknowingly ingest fentanyl, as local dealers sell "traditional" products like cocaine "cut" with fentanyl, or pills containing fentanyl that are "advertised as legitimate prescription drugs."

Incapable legislation, enforcement

With around 4 percent of the world's population, the US consumes 80 percent of the world's opioids.

Why is the US?

The US' drug problem, including the current fentanyl abuse crisis, is deeply rooted in the country's lobbying political structure and ideology, said Zhang Yifei, an associate research fellow at the Institute of American Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The colossal profits bundle pharmaceutical companies with the FDA, sponsored politicians, academic groups, and the media, making the fentanyl crisis a predictable tragedy in the US that has enriched a few at the expense of many lives lost, Zhang said.

Academic institutions provide "scientific proof," media and think tanks propagate said proof, and drug makers lobby the government - this is a very complete and mature chain, Zhang elaborated, "They have various ways to exchange rights and interests through the 'revolving door' system."

Zhang also pointed to "the pan-liberalism trend in the US, which emphasizes the absolute freedom of individuals."

US governments, be they federal or state, are incapable of exercising effective regulation on many issues, although some of them, like drugs and guns, have endangered the public, Zhang said.

When the public demands for freedom of marijuana use, governments and drug companies "hear" these calls and legalize the drug, milking profits from sales. Even in states where marijuana remains illegal, its use is prevalent and law enforcement efforts to curb use are almost nonexistent.

A Chinese national who used to live in North Carolina, told the Global Times that it is common to see people "getting high" in public in broad daylight when the drug is illegal.

In the same way, only until the fentanyl crisis becomes so critical that the public demands for action to be taken, will the government finally act. The first fentanyl-related act passed in Congress in 2017, four years after lawmakers receiving alert on the drug.
When actions are finally taken, they cannot avoid the trap of US' political wrestling.

Lawmakers, during the US' 2023 legislative session, introduced over 600 bills related to fentanyl. However, in a deeply divided country, many of the fentanyl crime laws are notable for attracting bipartisan support, the New York Times reported in June. When Republican-controlled House reviewed a bill on fentanyl trafficking in May, 132 of the 133 vetoes came from Democrats.

Another incongruous approach is the use of "safer" supervised consumption services (SCS) through which people can use pre-obtained drugs "safety" with the support of trained personnel. Funded by public money, it is hard to say whether such facilities can curb overdoses more than treating those with an addiction, not to mention such "legal sites" can mislead youth to believe addiction and drug use are nothing to worry.

Zeng Lidu, a grassroots narcotic control officer in Central China's Hunan Province, told the Global Times that the US approach of control sounds "odd" in China, which, as one of the countries with the most effective drug control, closely monitors the maker rather than potential user.

"Fentanyl has variable structures, making it more difficult than the traditional drugs to crack down on," Zeng told the Global Times. "In our district, only a few chemical plants and hospitals are allowed the use of fentanyl under close supervision. We trace and regulate every step in their use, transportation, and storage of fentanyl."

Experts told the Global Times that many fentanyl precursors are widely used in the chemical industry. China, as a chemical giant, does not have a fentanyl abuse problem at home, which says a lot about the root cause of the American drug disease.

Not cooperation but scapegoating

Out of humanitarianism, China is willing to cooperate with the US in tackling the proliferation of fentanyl and has established a cooperation mechanism with the US on the issue.

China scheduled and controlled all fentanyl-related substance by class in 2019 - the first country to do so in the world, while the US itself is yet to do the same. China formulated three legal documents to support the filing, prosecution, conviction, and sentencing of offenses involving these substances. To reinforce fentanyl testing and monitoring, five sub-centers of the National Drug Laboratory have been established across the country.

But the US in 2020 unilaterally and arbitrarily imposed sanctions on the institute of forensic science under China's Ministry of Public Security and National Drug Laboratory, severely jeopardizing related cooperation.

A new vilification of China popular in the US is that Chinese firms sell commonly used chemicals to a third country, such as Mexico, where fentanyl is manufactured and later sold to the US. Citing this, the US has sanctioned Chinese companies, even including tablet press machine makers.

Analysts stressed the "know your customer" practice that some in the US have been asking about far exceeds UN obligations. According to international practices, it is up to the importing country to ensure that imported goods are not used for illegal purposes, not the exporter. China has no sovereign right over a third country, and Chinese companies are not capable of verifying all buyers of its product.

Zhang Yifei said scapegoating China on fentanyl is an easy and convenient approach for the US government to unleash domestic anger against ineffective drug control.

Through distorted coverage on the issue, domestic media outlets successfully sell "China responsible" narrative to Americans at home. By repeatedly hyping the narrative at international occasions, the US also adds fentanyl into its recipe cooking "China threat."

In this sense, fentanyl is essentially same to long-term smear campaign against China on many topics including human rights in Xinjiang region, Zhang said.

As the presidential elections approach, blaming China for its domestic social handicaps as a political tactic sounds ridiculous, but quite a number of US politicians and voters buy this logic, Zhang noted. As the US' domestic political infighting escalates, chance of cooperation on this area which the US is in urgent need of, may narrow even further.

Saltwater intrusion in Vietnam's Mekong Delta is forecast to come early this year, Vietnam News reported Thursday.

Localities in the region are preparing plans to ensure adequate water for the winter-spring rice harvest and reduce the damage inflicted by drought and salinity, according to the report.

The rainy season this year is predicted to have remained in the delta only in the previous and the current months, concluding midway through next month.

The early end of the rainy season leads to anticipated water shortage in local farming areas.

Throughout the dry spell of this year and the next, the intrusion of saltwater is expected to appear a month sooner than the multi-year average, commencing in mid to late December.

According to the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research, the total rainfall this year is forecast to be about 1,350 mm, only 1 percent higher than 2015, which saw severe drought, and about 13 percent lower than the average of many years.

Vietnam's Mekong Delta region, which comprises 12 provinces and Can Tho City, is normally affected by saltwater intrusion from the sea during the dry season which lasts from December to April.

In the severely dry season from 2015 to 2016, saltwater intrusion and drought caused the loss of 1 million tons of paddy in the delta, and 500,000 households in the delta suffered a shortage of daily use water.

While terrorist attacks and violence linked to racial division continue to increase in Europe and the US, Chinese experts warned on Tuesday that the Israel-Palestine conflict has brought to light the deep-rooted divisions within Western societies, as well as the contradictions of ethnic antagonism, and the Western countries should reflect on this, rather than evade the problem.

Two Swedish nationals were shot to death and a third one was wounded in central Brussels on Monday night, and a man who identified himself as a member of the Islamic State claimed responsibility in a video posted online, Reuters reported.

The suspected assailant fled the scene after the shooting spree as a soccer match between Belgium and Sweden was about to start, prompting Belgium to raise its terror alert to the highest level. Hours later on Tuesday, Belgian police said that the suspected gunman was shot dead by police in a cafe, Reuters reported.

The shooting comes at a time of heightened security concerns in some European countries linked to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

A man of Chechen origin stabbed to death a teacher and severely wounded two other adults on Friday at a school in northeastern France, an act that President Emmanuel Macron denounced as "Islamist terror," said AFP.

What's more, an Illinois landlord accused of fatally stabbing a 6-year-old Muslim boy and seriously wounding his mother was charged with a hate crime after police and relatives said he singled out the victims because of their faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas. 

"Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis," the sheriff's statement said.

Experts believed that the Israel-Palestine conflict is the trigger, but the deep divisions in the societies of the US and Europe are the source of increased ethnic hatred. Such a division will inevitably affect the strategic coordination and strategic autonomy between the US and Europe.

In recent days, police in US cities and federal authorities have been on high alert for violence driven by anti-semitic or Islamophobic sentiments. FBI officials, along with Jewish and Muslim groups, have reported an increase of hateful and threatening rhetoric. 

Because Western societies have maintained an attitude of taking sides concerning the issue of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the existing disputes between the two countries have intensified, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

The US and Europe are most affected because the problem was actually created by the two, Li noted. "The US and Europe need to face up to and resolve their own divisions first, rather than evading problems and stirring up conflict elsewhere."

On Thursday afternoon, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again expressed its strong opposition after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) hastily released the comprehensive assessment report on the dump plan of nuclear-contaminated wastewater of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs further reiterated three points at a press conference on Thursday. Firstly, Japan focuses more on saving cost instead of safeguarding marine environment and protecting people's life and health. Second, Japan did not have full consultation with the international community especially with stakeholders. Third, the dumping plan is a gamble with no precedent and it is full of uncertainties.

After the IAEA released its assessment report on Tuesday, relevant government ministries in China expressed strong opposition.

China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment (National Nuclear Safety Administration) said it has deployed environmental monitoring for marine radiation levels and will issue an early warning in time to effectively safeguard the interests of the country and the public health in case of any abnormalities.

Deng Ge, secretary general of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) told the media on Tuesday that the safety report by the IAEA on the Japanese government's plan to dump Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater failed to fully reflect the opinions of all experts involved in the review and the conclusions were limited and biased.

Liu Senlin, an expert with the CAEA, who participated in the IAEA's technical working group for the assessment, said that the report, released in the name of the IAEA director general, was released without sufficient consultation with the experts in the technical working group.

He believes that the report released by the IAEA does not represent the IAEA's recognition of the legitimacy of Japan's decision to dump the treated wastewater into the ocean, nor does it represent the IAEA's approval or authorization of Japan's dump of nuclear-contaminated wastewater.

According to media reports, the Japanese government plans to start the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the defunct Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant as early as this August, bolstered by the IAEA's latest report to greenlight its plan.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday announced that competent departments of the Chinese government will enhance marine environment monitoring and strengthen inspection and quarantine of imported seafood and other products to safeguard people's health and food safety.

Although the IAEA said the plan "meets safety standards," the public, including local fishermen in Japan, and people in neighboring countries remain skeptical and their unease has not subsided. For example, around 33,000 people from Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi in Japan have signed a petition protesting the dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean, making a total of 254,000 signatures collected in these places since 2022 urging the Japanese government to suspend the plan, Japan's Kyodo News reported. Many in Seoul, South Korea also gathered Wednesday in the central Gwanghwamun square to protest Japan's dumping plan despite the IAEA's endorsement, South Korean media reported, noting that the protest has continued for weeks.

In response to Japan's decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, the Global Times has produced a series of cartoons condemning Japan's irresponsible behavior from different perspectives, such as public opposition, the radioactive contamination to marine organisms, and the Japanese government's selfish behavior against the global community.

The Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in Beijing hosted the unveiling ceremony of artwork donated to the Embassy on July 14.

The painting was created and donated by renowned award winning Chinese artist Qu Zhenhui. She has made valuable contributions to female and youth empowerment and to community programs in the field of art.

In 2023, Qu spent half a year to create the giant frescos measuring 3.6 by 2 meters for the embassy and the work now hangs in the parlor of the embassy.

Ambassador Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele attended the ceremony and said, "I truly appreciate Qu's great efforts in the creation of this beautiful piece of art. This impressive piece of art represents Qu's gesture of goodwill and appreciation to our country. We feel honored to have this painting be displayed in the embassy as a constant reminder of our culture and our people back at home."

Such works of art build bridges for China-South Africa cultural exchanges. 

"The South African Embassy in Beijing will continue to promote people-to-people exchanges in the field of art and culture between South Africa and China so as to further strengthen our bilateral friendship relations." he said. 

The 8th Contemporary Mexican Film Cycle will kick off in several Chinese cities, brining filmgoers and Mexican cultural enthusiasts in China six classic Mexican movies, the Global Times learned from Mexican Consulate General in Shanghai.

Started in 2013, the film cycle China is held to celebrate Día del Cine Mexicano, or the National Mexican Cinema Day, which falls on August 15 each year.

The film cycle presents audiences in China with the latest Mexican film productions by some of Mexico's most outstanding directors. They are committed to exploring various forms of film expression, showcasing to the world the colorful and infinite possibilities of today's Mexican film industry, said the Mexican Consulate General in Shanghai

The film cycle will be held in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. In Shanghai, the first film - Alamar (To the Sea) directed by Pedro González-Rubio - will be screened on Saturday afternoon at The Miguel de Cervantes Library.

Alamar was shot at Banco Chinchorro, which was listed as a biosphere reserve by the UNESCO in 2004. It tells the story of a five-year-old Italian-Mexican boy reuniting and going sea fishing with his fisherman father during holidays.

The other five movies scheduled to be screened are: Noche de fuego (Prayers for the Stolen), El camino de Xico (Xico's Journey), Güeros, Post Tenebras Lux (Light after Darkness), and A morir a los desiertos (To Die in the Desert).

El camino de Xico will be screened with a Chinese dubbing track. The remaining films will be screened in Spanish with Chinese subtitles.

The film cycle is jointly being held by the representative office of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in China, the Mexican Embassy in China, as well as the Mexican consulates general in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The public can register to the screenings in Shanghai through the WeChat account of the Miguel de Cervantes Library

Editor's Note:

In his report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, proposed to comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization - the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development. 

Advancing Chinese modernization is a systematic endeavor and also an exploratory undertaking. It is through this framework that we wish to illustrate the process of the Chinese path to modernization through a series of landmark projects, touching stories, and visionary plans. 

In this installment, we trace along the stream of the Xin'an River, which flows in East China's Anhui and Zhejiang provinces, some of China's most-developed regions facing the dilemmas of industrial development and ecological protection. Through a collaborative and creative way, a cross-provincial ecological compensation mechanism has been built, setting a model in pursuing harmony between humanity and nature.

Xin'an River, which originates in Huangshan, East China's Anhui Province starting at an altitude of 1,629.8 meters, winds its way for over 300 kilometers through picturesque mountains and valleys, and eventually converges in Chun'an county, East China's Zhejiang Province, creating the Qiandao Lake before flowing into the Qiantang River.

With rapid economic and social development, in the early years, the upper reaches of the Xin'an River basin suffered from ecological degradation due to rapid industrialization and urbanization. Industrial pollution, domestic waste, and agricultural runoff expanded sharply, leading to a year-on-year decline in water quality. 

The once clear river water became a source of concern for the people on both banks. The shared fate of drinking from the same river made the people of Anhui and Zhejiang realize the urgency of working together to protect their "mother river."

In the new era, the relationship between key breakthroughs and collaborative governance in major river basins has become a subject of Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization, evolving from theoretical innovation to practical exploration. 

"We shall protect ecosystems as preciously as we protect our eyes, and cherish them as dearly as we cherish our lives," Xi has said, stressing that the development model of "killing the hens for eggs" and "draining the lake for fish" is at a dead end, and the future will be illuminated by eco-friendly development that is in accordance with the rules of nature.

As China's first pilot program for cross-provincial ecological compensation mechanisms, the ecological governance of the Xin'an River basin has provided a new approach for cross-regional ecological mechanisms, especially for the local governments facing the dilemmas of industrial development and ecological protection.

From being a pilot to becoming a model, from financial compensation to industrial cooperation, from collaborative governance to mutual development, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces have continuously innovated their cross-provincial ecological compensation mechanism, gradually forging a path of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

Explore a new path

The Qiandao Lake is known for its picturesque landscapes characterized by mountains, pristine waters, and an archipelago of islands. The ever-changing scenery of the lake and mountains resembles paradise on Earth. Today, it attracts a multitude of tourists and serves as a habitat for many wild animals.

However, in the past, the area presented a different picture. At that time, Huangshan city was undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization. Some wastewater and garbage made its way into Qiandao Lake through the Xin'an River, causing deterioration of water quality in certain areas and the proliferation of blue-green algae, which posed a threat to the survival of fish.

How were the emergent pollution issues addressed in the Xin'an River basin? In 2011, Xi gave an important instruction, emphasizing the significance of protecting Qiandao Lake's high-quality water resources, stating that Zhejiang and Anhui should consider the overall situation, control pollution at its source, and pursue a mutually beneficial and win-win path.

"The Xin'an River basin is the pioneer in the construction of ecological compensation mechanisms in China," said Wu Zhixu, deputy director of the Chun'an sub-bureau of ecology and environment in Hangzhou. Wu revealed that the Anhui segment of the upper Xin'an River accounts for over 60 percent of the total inflow into the Qiandao Lake, making it crucial for the lake's water quality.

In 2012, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces initiated the first nationwide pilot project for a cross-provincial ecological compensation mechanism along the Xin'an River. They established a compensation standard system with the philosophy "those who benefit compensate, and those who protect receive compensation." 

The agreement stipulated that as long as Anhui Province achieved water quality standards at the provincial boundary, Zhejiang Province's downstream region would compensate Anhui to the tune of 100 million yuan ($13.8 million) annually. If water quality standards were not met, Anhui Province would need to compensate Zhejiang with the same amount.

During the implementation of this policy, with increasing exchanges between upstream and downstream areas, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces learned from each other's governance experiences, and gradually formed a collaborative work pattern encompassing joint planning, water quality monitoring, garbage collection, law enforcement emergencies, and multilateral exchanges.

Through the joint efforts of both provinces, three phases of pilot projects were conducted in the periods of 2012 to 2014, 2015 to 2017, and 2018 to 2020. Over the course of more than a decade of implementing the Xin'an River ecological compensation mechanism, the central government and the two provinces of Zhejiang and Anhui collectively allocated a total of 5.7 billion yuan in compensation funds. 

Chun'an county received a total of 7.5 billion yuan in ecological and environmental protection subsidies, driving the investment of 11.2 billion yuan in ecological and environmental protection. Additionally, 31 projects were incentivized through specialized financial incentives for green transformation, attracting an investment of 4.52 billion yuan.

Today, the comprehensive governance level of the Xin'an River basin has significantly improved. The Qiandao Lake continues to maintain excellent water quality, and its water source is categorized as one of the first "China Good Water" water sources, earning the honor of being one of the first national-level ecological protection and construction demonstration areas, among others.

Moreover, the two provinces of Zhejiang and Anhui have transitioned from a single fund compensation approach to engaging in diverse explorations. The potential value of the ecological compensation mechanism in driving local economic structural transformation and promoting high-quality economic development has gradually become evident.

For instance, in the agricultural sector, an agreement was signed between Jiukeng town in Chun'an, Zhejiang, and Huangtian town in Shexian county, Anhui, to collaboratively cultivate talent in the field of tea and enhance the cooperative efforts in breeding excellent tea varieties. This has turned tea cultivation and tourism into pillar industries driving rural revitalization in the local area. In the field of culture and tourism, the Xin'an River basin has interconnected multiple 5A-level scenic spots and traditional villages along its course.

The Xin'an River basin, serving as an exemplary model, is transitioning from the "joint protection of one river" to the "shared prosperity of one region," providing one of the finest illustrations of the Chinese path to modernization, showing that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the "master key" for analyzing and resolving issues.

An inspiring reference

Experiences in the cross-provincial ecological compensation practice in the Xin'an River-Qiandao Lake region also provides a good reference for many other cities and villages in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Xiayang village in Zhejiang's Anji county, for instance, is a popular camping destination with a plethora of natural attractions. It received more than 5,000 camping tourists in 2021, with annual tourism income reaching 2.13 million yuan ($293,324).

But that year, while happy with their booming tourism, some local villagers were also worried about a possible decrease in tourists in the near future because of the then polluted Xiayang stream flowing through the village. 

"The industrial wastewater and household waste discharged from the upstream villages can cause pollution and hurt the water environment, and that may discourage campers and affect our village's tourism business," Bao Xin, secretary of the Xiayang village branch of the Communist Party of China (CPC), told the Global Times.

The upper reach of Xiayang stream passes through several villages in Anhui's Guangde city. Due to problems including inadequate communication and different water protection standards, it was difficult to carry out cross-provincial water pollution control work initially, Bao recalled.

The "Xin'an River mode" inspired Xiayang's villagers, who voluntarily went to the upstream villages at the beginning of 2022 and discussed joint management and protection of Xiayang stream's water environment with the residents there. After eight months of concerted efforts on both sides, they issued a series of water quality assessment measures, which involve four villages in Zhejiang and Anhui through which Xiayang stream flows.

According to the measures, each month, the downstream Xiayang village tests the quality of the water in the stream's cross-provincial sections. If the quality reaches the agreed-upon standard, Xiayang village will pay the involved upstream villages 300,000 yuan that month as an ecological compensation.

Encouraged by eco-compensation policy and the consensus on green development, the upstream villages started to work harder in improving Xiayang stream's water quality. In 2022, one of the villages, Shijun, spent 800,000 yuan in building two sewage treatment terminals, and local villagers spontaneously set up a volunteer team to patrol along the stream. Now the clear stream has become Shijun village's popular water rafting destination, bringing it new opportunities to develop ecotourism.

Xiayang stream is a part of the Xitiao Stream - an important tributary of the Taihu Lake. Traversing Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, the 2,445-square-kilometer Taihu Lake is China's third-largest freshwater lake, as well as an essential "water tank" for people in the Yangtze River Delta region.

From the previous blue-green algae's "hard-hit area" to the current boundless clear water, Taihu Lake is a good example of Yangtze River Delta provinces and cities working together to improve water quality and the ecological environment in recent years.

Since 2007, Jiangsu's Wuxi city has spent 110 billion yuan in improving the water environment of Taihu Lake. It has salvaged a total 20.55 billion tons of blue-green algae between 2007 and 2022, accounting for more than 90 percent of the whole blue-green algae being salvaged in the lake.

In Zhejiang, Huzhou city shut down or relocated all the industrial companies within five kilometers of Taihu Lake. It has also removed more than 1,000 mu (0.67 square kilometers) of aquaculture nets from Taihu Lake and its surrounding waters.

More cross-provincial policies and measures were carried out to better protect water quality. In September 2022, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang together released an announcement to establish and improve an integrated mechanism in protecting local cross-border water sources. Earlier in September 2020, the three sides jointly introduced a special protection plan for the cross-border waters there.

Ecological conservation is of vital importance for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, Xi said as the country marks its first National Ecology Day on August 15, calling it a major political issue that concerns the mission and purpose of the CPC as well as a major social issue that bears upon public wellbeing.

He noted that on the new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, efforts should be made to maintain strategic resolve in advancing ecological progress and promote high-quality development in sync with high-standard protection.

Li Junjie and Dou Hao are People's Daily reporters; Shan Jie and Huang Lanlan are Global Times reporters

A giant engraved "Great Stone" stands at the entrance of the China-Belarus Industrial Park in Minsk, capital of Belarus. Advertisements for "Great Stone" can also be seen on highways linking the city center to the park. The name "Great Stone" was given by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to the park as it embodies "the cornerstone of the friendship between the peoples of China and Belarus." Nobody could ever have imagined the forest would one day turn into a shining pearl of the Belt and Road Initiative.
From a "piece of white paper" to "a shining new city," what has made the industrial park what it is today? What difficulties did the park weather to keep thriving amid today's complicated geopolitical atmosphere? Reporters from the Global Times entered the largest foreign investment project in Belarus to find out the secret of its prosperity. 

Miraculous development 

At the entrance of the park, there's a giant display board that says "time is money, efficiency is life" in both Chinese and Russian. In Belarus, local people, amazed by the speed of construction of the industrial park, developed an idiom that says, "You will never step into the same China-Belarus Industrial Park."

The park is located near the center of Belarus and sits on transport links within easy reach of the Moscow-Berlin international highway to Russia and Central Europe. The Belarus government set up a customs office inside of the park, to speed up customs clearance and provide quick service for commerce, bonded warehouse storage and others.

Foundation of the park was laid in 2014. Since the second half of 2015, the China-Belarus Industrial Park has developed rapidly. Developed within the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the park has witnessed rapid expansion.

In an exclusive interview with the Xinhua News Agency earlier this year,  Lukashenko noted it is the largest project attracting investment in Belarus and a landmark cooperation project within the BRI framework as it was promoted by the two heads of state personally and prized by the two governments.

As of August, a total of 114 enterprises had settled in the China-Belarus Industrial Park, involving various fields such as machinery manufacturing, e-commerce, new materials, traditional Chinese medicine, artificial intelligence and 5G network development. Intended investment exceeds $1.3 billion.

If there's any secret behind the park's rapid development, it is the high-quality coordination between China and Belarus, as well as support from leaders from both countries, head of the park's administration Alexander Yaroshenko told the Global Times. 

Yaroshenko once served as deputy minister of the Ministry of Economy of Belarus and was appointed as head of the park's administration in 2016. 
"When President Lukashenko handed me this job, he told me, 'We have a bunch of deputy ministers, but we have only one China-Belarus Industrial Park, so your job as head of the park's administration is very important.' So you can see how much importance he attached to the industrial park and his high expectations," said Yaroshenko.

Rapid development of the park also mirrored the elevation of bilateral ties. According to statistics, the bilateral trade volume between China and Belarus in 2022 reached $5.08 billion, setting a new record. On a diplomatic level, the two countries established an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022.

Special appeal 

Enterprise in the park come from 16 countries. Apart from China and Belarus, there are companies from the US, EU, Switzerland and Singapore, Yaroshenko, standing in front of a world map, introduced to the Global Times reporters. "Our industrial park is very international."

One of Yaroshenko's favorite stories when it comes to attracting investment goes like this. "Six years ago, owners of a US company came to the industrial park by private jet. Said he wanted to see the park with his own eyes. Later he told me he made a huge mistake, for he bought too little land in the park. 'I should have bought land twice as big here!'" 

Apart from the advanced infrastructure, the park's considerate policy services are also what makes it so appealing to companies. The park has a "one-stop" efficient service system for enterprises. All approvals involving enterprises are completed in the park, providing full-process services such as investment negotiation, company registration, project access and land transfer.  

"In the one-stop service hall, companies can complete all procedures within one or two hours. Yet in other places, it may take seven hours to a month," Deputy Director General of the Industrial Park Development Company Ren Fei told the Global Times. The one-stop service hall is a lesson learned from China's Suzhou Industrial Park. Moreover, companies who settle in the China-Belarus Industrial Park can enjoy preferential policies on visas, customs clearance and taxes. 

The Belarusian company Human Craft, which manufactures medical prostheses, settled in the park at the end of 2022. Anton Naczyński, general manager of the company, told the Global Times that the reason the company chose this park is because the park's management helps every company develop and expand into the overseas market. He hopes that within such an environment, his company and Belarus' medical prostheses can reach the world's advanced level.

New Silicon Valley 

However, the park has encountered challenges from COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine crisis in recent years. Yet Ren brushed off the impact of those events on its development.

"In 2017, there were 10 companies in the park. Since 2018, the number of companies settled in the park stayed at 18 to 20 annually. Despite the impact of COVID-19, 20 new companies chose our park in 2021, and the number in 2022 was 19," said Ren. He expects a record 23 or 24 new companies will be landing in the park this year. 

The reason for such growth is the park's timely adjusting of measures to weather the impact of geopolitical shock and Western countries' sanctions. Ren said since the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the park has adjusted the source structure for attracting investment. 

"Previously, many enterprises that came here were oriented toward the European and US markets. Now, the focus is mainly on the Eurasian Economic Union market, as well as investments from member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization," said Ren. 

Meanwhile, when facing sanctions from the West, several banks in Belarus have also received assistance from the park in accessing the Chinese yuan payment system. This has helped resolve many payment difficulties for enterprises through bilateral currency settlements, said Ren.

He also told the Global Times that they are intensifying efforts to address transportation issues through the China-Europe Railway Express, partially offsetting the impact of disrupted maritime shipping in Belarus following the Russia-Ukraine crisis. 

In the eyes of many, the park is not only an industrial park, it is also an "intelligence new city" that is endowed with a beautiful and pleasant environment.

In the medium to long term, the park aims to attract more than 100,000 industrial population and become an international comprehensive development zone.

Shymanovich Aliaksandr, an employee from the China National Machinery Industry Corporation (Sinomach)'s Belarus branch, told the Global Times that the park is full of happiness because there are many green trees here, and one can breathe the freshest air at any time. The production space, living space, and natural space are also all well integrated.

Alexey Kliuchnikov, chief of the R&D department of YTO Technology, a leading agricultural machinery supplier in China that also opened an office in the industrial park, said that working in the company not only offers a significantly higher income compared to the average level in Minsk, but also provides many opportunities to exchange ideas with Chinese counterparts and learn the latest technologies.

"Our goal is to make this place a 'new Silicon Valley in Central and Eastern Europe,'" Ren said proudly. In his eyes, the park is not just a project, but a manifestation of the passion and ideals of a group of people.

Standing on the observation platform of the Jawa 7 coal-fired Power Plant in Indonesia, one enjoys a panoramic view of the lush and vibrant mangrove forest, where numerous marine birds frolic and mate. It is difficult to associate this idyllic scene with the image of a traditional power plant, billowing black smoke engulfing the surroundings and causing air pollution. And yet the image couldn't be further from the truth as this is one of the most efficient, stable and environmentally friendly power plants in Indonesia, co-built by Chinese and Indonesian constructors under the framework of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

On December 13, 2019, Unit 1 of Java 7 was put into power generation four months ahead of schedule, and the whole plant was put into commercial operation on July 8, 2021. The project, built through a joint venture between China Shenhua Energy and Indonesia's state-run power company PT Pembangkit Jawa Bali (PJB), consists of two sets of 1050 mW-generating units, with an annual power generation capacity of approximately 15 billion kilowatt-hours, marking it the largest single capacity, highest parameter, and most advanced power plant in Indonesia.

The main environmental indicators are considerably superior than the local emission standards, and it has become a model for local low-carbon and environmentally friendly power generation with advanced technology, Zhao Zhigang, head of the plant's developer PT Shenhua Guohua Power Jawa Bali, told the Global Times.

"The project placed significant emphasis on environmental protection during construction and operation, resulting in the creation of this wetland landscape where people and nature coexist in harmony," Zhao said. He noted that in Southeast Asian countries, local residents attach great importance to environmental protection and consider the good natural environment to be an important foundation for sustainable development. Based on this common recognition, protecting the region's mangrove forest has become a shared responsibility for Chinese and Indonesian operators of the power plant.

To safeguard the rare mangrove forest from harm, a series of measures have been put into action, including the planning of mangrove ecological protection zones, the reintroduction of dominant mangrove tree species, the installation of mangrove protection signage, and the appointment of dedicated personnel to oversee mangrove preservation in various regions. Chinese contractors also take the initiative to seek cooperation with local mangrove conservation agencies, and the company spends more than 200,000 yuan ($27,443.12) a year on mangrove protection, Zhao said.

Zhao mentioned that throughout the construction period, any large construction machinery had to follow alternative routes to circumvent the mangrove forest.

When Global Times reporters visited the power plant in July, the area of the mangrove forest had expanded from 9 hectares when the construction began to approximately 17 hectares. It has become an ideal home for marine birds, lizards, mongooses, and other animals. Nearly 3,000 different marine bird species nest in this mangrove forest. Lizards, otters, snakes, crabs, fish, and other species safely reproduce here.

As the sun sets, a 4-kilometer-long pipeline, coated in seven-color anti-corrosion paint, comes into sight, representing the coal transport facilities. It serves as the "lifeline" of the power plant, connecting it to the dedicated coal terminal like a rainbow ribbon. Zhao elaborated that the coal conveying system on the bridge employs a green and environmentally friendly enclosed conveyor belt, significantly reducing coal dust emissions. "It is the longest and fastest pipe belt conveyor for coal transportation in Indonesia," said Zhao.

Additionally, the power plant utilizes new generation low-nitrogen burners, and seawater desulfurization processes, achieving an overall desulfurization efficiency of up to 99.65 percent, significantly higher than local standards. The company has also left room for further optimization of emission standards.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo inaugurated Jawa 7 in 2017. "The PLTU adopts ultra-supercritical technology which is environmentally friendly and allows higher energy conversion efficiency compared to the previous PLTU conventional technology," the Indonesian Energy Ministry spokesman Dadan Kusdiana stated in a press release upon Widodo's visit.

Zhou Lisha, a researcher with the research institute of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of China's State Council, believes that as the first independently developed supercritical million-kilowatt thermal power unit with independent intellectual property rights, the Jawa 7 will be practical in showing the world that China's international energy cooperation under the BRI is not about exporting outdated production capacity, but about exporting the most advanced and efficient clean energy technologies.

Indonesia is strategically located between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, with unique advantages in location, population, market, and resources, and holds enormous potential. However, the shortage of electricity supply has been constraining its development.

As of the end of 2022, the plant has generated a total of 31.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and paid $45.64 million in taxes. It greatly alleviates electricity shortages in the Java region, and is also a strong driver for local economic growth and social development.

The Global Times has learned that the power plant is an industry reliant on advanced technology; however, Indonesia faces a shortage of relevant academic programs in universities and talent development systems to support it. Job opportunities provided by Chinese companies are seen as good learning opportunities for many local people after graduation. It is estimated that during the operation period, it has provided nearly 700 jobs for local graduates.

Rizka Anggraini, a local employee at the project, told the Global Times that currently, Indonesian employees account for about 70 to 80 percent of the project's workforce. After graduating, she chose to join a Chinese company in the hope of seeing how traditional energy technologies in China achieve near-zero emissions.

"We implement a mentorship system in the project, and my Chinese mentor provides me with detailed guidance. Indonesians also have good opportunities for promotion," Anggraini said.

She also mentioned that Chinese companies annually organize visits for top Indonesian employees to power plants in China for educational purposes, and she eagerly anticipates the chance to participate in one of these visits.

The first leg of the 8th EU-China Literary Festival took place at the Xi Yue Tang Library, Cultural, and Creative Park in Beijing, on Tuesday, to further deepen contemporary literary dialogue between China and Europe.

With the theme "Voices of the Present: Contemporary Literature," and an emphasis on the diversity of the contemporary literary landscape, the festival aims to depict the perspectives and cultural nuances of contemporary European writers.

Renowned Greek author Amanda Michalopoulou, participated in the 8th EU-China Literature Festival along with well-known Chinese writer Sheng Keyi. Together they engaged in a literary dialogue, on issues related to "Identity and Belonging" in contemporary European literature. Diplomats from the Greek Embassy attended the event.

Michalopoulou also discussed "Gender and Sexuality" with the Chinese writer and literary critic Wang Hongtu on Thursday at Shanghai's Fandeng Bookstore - C·PARK.

Aside from the writer dialogue, people have the opportunity to enjoy reading Greek books and participate in the "European literature reading corners" in six well-known bookstores throughout the country in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Guangzhou, in a series of events that promoted cultural and literary exchanges between China, Greece, and Europe. 

The reading corners activity runs until November 30.