Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol.64/No.40-41 i Beijing Review

UNITED NATIONS A high-level meeting to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action, a political document to carry forward the fight against racism and racial discrimination, takes place at the UN headquarters in New York on September 22 SAUDI ARABIA Children sit on the roof of a car to watch a National Day airshow at the Um Ajlan Park in capital city Riyadh on September 23 UNITED STATES Students at the entrance of the campus library of the University of California, Los Angeles, on September 23. Following an academic year during which all classes and other operations were conducted remotely, students have once again set foot on campus as the new semester kicked off RUSSIA People visit the Chinese section of the…

For the first time, the Chinese military organized an international peacekeeping drill with the participation of troops from other countries, including Mongolia, Pakistan and Thailand. Codenamed Shared Destiny-2021, the drill took place at a training base of the People’s Liberation Army in Henan Province, central China. In the context of multinational peacekeeping forces’ joint operations, the drill simulated a close-to-real battlefield scenario. The participating troops conducted exercises ranging from armed escorts to urgent responses to terrorist attacks. Drones, robots and other unmanned intelligent equipment were employed. The event, running from September 6 to 15, was also notable as part of commemorations marking the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China in the UN. Comments to yanwei@bjreview.com…

Will Washington lose the future? Yes and no. If the U.S. stays with its reckless and counterproductive policy of hegemony, then yes. If it drops its policy of hegemony and pursues a restrained and prudent course, then the answer might be no. Since World War II (WWII), the U.S. has lost four unnecessary wars: in the Korea Peninsula, Viet Nam, Iraq and Afghanistan. In recent days, the debacle of the U.S. retreat from Afghanistan reminded the world of the debacle of its retreat from Viet Nam. A military pullout from Iraq (and Syria) is inevitable. Losing four unnecessary wars of choice with an untold cost in blood and treasure suggests that the U.S. has a leadership as well as a governance problem. President Dwight Eisenhower campaigned on getting the U.S.…

At a workshop in Pingxiang, Jiangxi Province, workers pour resin into models to make wind turbine blades more than 60 meters long. With their special design, they are able to catch the air currents from all directions, turning wind energy into electricity. “Against the backdrop of low-carbon development, we are confident about our market prospects,” Wen Jingbo, Vice General Manager of the company, a subsidiary of hi-tech giant Sinoma Science and Technology Co. Ltd., said. Pingxiang, which once relied heavily on coal and steel, has switched to emerging industries such as equipment manufacturing, electronics and environmental protection. The city’s transformation illustrates the way in which central China is pursuing sustainable development as the country moves up the industrial ladder. New guidelines released by China’s central authorities in July have named…

Celebrating Harvest Farmers dry peppers in Wuji, a township in Hengyang, Hunan Province, on September 22, ahead of the fourth Farmers’ Harvest Festival, which fell on September 23. Cultural Expo The Fifth China Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo and the 10th Dunhuang Tour-Silk Road International Tourism Festival kicked off on September 24 in Dunhuang, a major hub of the ancient Silk Road in Gansu Province. The three-day Expo and Festival featured summit conferences, cultural fora, exhibitions and art performances. Zhang Xu, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism, said at the opening ceremony that by holding these two events, China hopes to further strengthen both official and non-governmental cooperation on people-to-people exchanges between countries along the Belt and Road, so as to contribute to building a community of shared future.…

The active involvement of China in UN peacekeeping operations in the past three decades has earned it the status of global peace provider. Ever since China first deployed troops to the UN’s blue helmets in 1990, when it sent five military observers to the Middle East, its commitment to serving the wellbeing of humanity through UN peacekeeping remains a key initiative showcasing the country’s soft power. Peacekeeping has undeniably been an integral part of China’s endeavor in global multilateral commitment. This is demonstrated by its largest troop contribution to the UN peacekeeping force among the permanent members of the UN Security Council, with 50,000 peacekeepers on 25 missions. The China-UN Peace and Development Fund has provided $67.7 million for 80 projects related to peacekeeping operations since President Xi Jinping first…

China will step up its support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad. President Xi Jinping made the announcement at the general debate of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly on September 21. These new commitments once again prove that China is serious about addressing climate change, according to Shakeel Ramay, CEO of the Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research and Development. “China doesn’t only talk. It also delivers,” he said to Xinhua News Agency. One year ago, Xi said, while addressing the general debate of the 75th UN General Assembly, that China aims to have its carbon dioxide emissions peak before 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. From then on, China has demonstrated unprecedented…

Today, growing peaches has become a totally different business for Jia Yufu. The 65-year-old has been working in the industry for decades in Pinggu District, Beijing. Operating a 2,000-square-meter orchard, Jia had to manage every step in the process, from watering plants to fertilizing the soil, by himself—and by hand. It used to occupy him from early spring to late autumn every year. However, the future orchard project with its advanced technologies initiated in recent years has relieved his burden. Progress in research has provided top-notch scientific guidance for the growing of high-quality peaches, with machines replacing the most labor-intensive, strenuous tasks. Located some 80 km northeast from downtown Beijing, Pinggu’s residents started growing peaches over 1,700 years ago. Thanks to its preferential natural conditions, Pinggu still functions as one…

‘Wearing the blue helmet makes you feel like a heavyweight in the pursuit and support of peace,” He Yongxue, a battalion commander in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), told Beijing-based PLA Daily. Selected as a member of the new peacekeeping infantry battalion to South Sudan, he needs to switch roles and throw himself into the intense training schedule before leaving China to embark on his new mission. He participated in the Shared Destiny-2021 UN peacekeeping field training exercise from September 6 to 15. This is the first-ever such event to be organized by the Chinese military, and also the first multilateral drill to assess the achievements of China’s peacekeeping standby force. Joint events like Shared Destiny-2021 are important as a means of improving UN peacekeeping capabilities as well as…

The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) was born out of the efforts of member countries to pursue independence and seek strength in unity. The group has played an important part in maintaining peace and stability and promoting common development in the region. The Sixth CELAC Summit took place in Mexico on September 18, following a four-year hiatus. At the invitation of host country Mexico, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the event virtually, expressing China’s support for integration across the region as well as China’s willingness to enhance bilateral cooperation on all fronts. However, regional integration efforts have hit the rocks in the past four years due to political disparity across governments and external influences, with the vitality of both CELAC and the South American Community of Nations…

In the southern part of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a key battlefield in the fight against terrorism and extremism in China, extremist ideas once strongly influenced people’s minds, particularly prior to 2016. Deceived and manipulated by extremists, local residents were not able to live a normal life. “Those plagued by extremist ideas wouldn’t hold banquets for weddings. They wouldn’t sing or dance; at funerals, some wouldn’t even cry,” Mahmut Saidil, a former village head in Aksu Prefecture in south Xinjiang, told Beijing Review. Many people there fell prey to extremist thoughts because of poverty. According to the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism published by the United Nations, the absence of alternative employment opportunities can make violent extremist organizations an attractive source of income. Vocational education has played a…

In China, the Dazu Rock Carvings enjoy the same fame as the Dunhuang Grottoes, with 50,000 statues dating all the way back to the ninth century. On September 17, an exhibition featuring the valuable rock carvings opened at the National Museum of China. Entitled Remarkable and Graceful: Special Exhibition of Dazu Rock Carvings, it presents a centralized display of 82 of the finest pieces from the Dazu Rock Carvings Museum in Chongqing. The rock carvings, an outstanding example of China’s grotto art in the middle and late periods of ancient China, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on December 1, 1999. Among the pieces are figurines such as dignified and elegant bodhisattvas, merciful and solemn buddhas, humble-looking almsgivers, and intricately patterned incense burners. Once upon a time, these…