The development of China is an opportunity for Vietnam and the reform and opening-up in Vietnam is also an opportunity for China, Minister of the Vietnamese Embassy in China Ninh Thanh Cong told the Global Times on Tuesday.

He said that the complementarity between Vietnam and China is very strong, which is the basis for cooperation and mutual benefit. The diplomat also noted that Vietnam and China are in the process of resolving their maritime disputes through friendly negotiations, and the disputes in the South China Sea will not affect cooperation between the two countries.

On Tuesday, the Vietnamese Embassy in China held a meeting with Vietnamese and Chinese press agencies in Beijing. Ninh make the remarks during the event.

He stated that the year 2023 is very important for both China and Vietnam, as well as the two parties, and the year also marks the 15th anniversary of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. With the joint efforts of both sides, the China-Vietnam relationship continues to maintain a stable development momentum and has achieved many important results.

According to data released by the General Administration of Customs in China on December 12, China and Vietnam have maintained good momentum in bilateral trade, with the total value of goods trade between the two countries reaching 1.45 trillion yuan ($202.9 billion) in the first 11 months of 2023, a year-on-year increase of 3.6 percent. The data also showed that the import and export of goods between China and Vietnam in November 2023 reached 161.92 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.5 percent, a record high for the month.

The Vietnamese diplomat said that despite difficulties and a decline in international trade in 2023, trade cooperation between China and Vietnam has remained relatively stable. "Many people did not expect that Vietnam has become China's fourth-largest trading partner, joining the US, South Korea, and Japan," Ninh said.

During the interview with the Global Times, he said that in 2024, Vietnam will promote further cooperation with China in areas such as people-to-people exchanges, cultural exchanges, and tourism, including hosting important events and promoting Vietnamese tourism in China. He also expressed hope that China will create convenient conditions for more inbound Vietnamese tourism.

He introduced that currently, the two countries have basically resumed all flights, with over 200 round-trip flights between the two countries per week. In the first 11 months of this year, Vietnam received 1.5 million Chinese tourists, and it is expected that the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Vietnam will continue to increase in the future.

"We hope that the number of people traveling to each other's countries will quickly recover to pre-2019 levels," he told the Global Times. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam received 6 million Chinese tourists, accounting for one-third of the total inbound tourists to Vietnam.

Ninh also talked about the recent resolution adopted by the United Nations to officially designate the Lunar New Year, known as the Spring Festival, as a UN floating holiday.

He expressed his delight at seeing the United Nations make this decision, as Vietnam shares many similarities with China culturally. He believes that this will provide more opportunities for international friends to learn about the Spring Festival, a traditional festival shared by both countries, and will also encourage more international tourists to visit Vietnam and China during the festive period.

When talking about the maritime disputes between China and Vietnam, Ninh told the Global Times that the two countries have reached a consensus on how to manage differences based on international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) enacted in 1982. They aim to maintain maritime peace and stability, actively promote consultations on maritime issues, fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and strive to reach a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea on the basis of consensus through negotiations.

Ninh emphasized that maritime issues should not affect cooperation between the two countries and both sides should resolve differences through friendly negotiations.

He also stressed that the current China-Vietnam relationship is at its highest level in history, and there is still great potential and space to further promote cooperation between the two sides.

He mentioned that Vietnam supports building a global community of shared future and the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative. These concepts and initiatives aim to safeguard the common interests of all humanity and are committed to the cause of peace, justice, and progress for people in the world, reflecting the aspirations of people from all countries to build a better world.

Majestic snow-capped mountains, vast grasslands, and deep gorges - the picturesque landscapes of Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region so admired by global tourists could otherwise pose barriers to local children's access to modern education.

The mountainous terrain and scattered living patterns make commuting to school difficult for Xizang's students, and establishing nearby schools does not always offer a feasible solution. Consequently, boarding schools have emerged as the optimal choice. Nearly 40 years of practice has proved that boarding schools can provide equal access to quality education for students across the region.

During a recent visit to various areas in Xizang, Global Times reporters noted that atop the snow and frozen earth, boarding schools serve as a warm harbor for children, propelling them toward their dreams amid mountains and rivers.

Some parents told the Global Times that boarding schools provide care and opportunities for their children that they could not offer themselves. Moreover, the growth and occasional surprises their children experience at boarding schools are cherished.

A Tibetan scholar who attended boarding schools said that this is the most effective way for Tibetan children to succeed and see the world. For some children, it is the only way. The malicious smearing of Xizang's boarding education is a great injustice to these children.

Education for all

In Baingoin county, Nagqu, northern Xizang, situated at an altitude of 4,700 meters above sea level, a primary school built with support from state-owned company Sinopec has become a topic of conversation online in China. Dubbed the "school closest to the sky," it boasts standard sports fields, multimedia classrooms, and heated glass greenhouse-like dormitories despite its remoteness.

The modern educational complex, blending the traditional Tibetan aesthetic with contemporary architecture, stands out amid the desolate grasslands and barren mountains. From afar, it might even seem out of place, but it meets the educational and living needs of students from pastoral areas hundreds of kilometers around.

"Some of our students come from remote pastoral areas. Their parents are often busy with farming and work, making it impossible to regularly drop off and pick up their children from school. Boarding at school ensures the daily care of these children," Ngawang Wangdu, the principal of Sinopec Primary School, told the Global Times.

The school has enrolled over 1,300 students. Lower grade students mostly commute from the county town of Baingoin, while students from grades three to six, mostly from different areas of the county, choose to board.

"Lower grade students have limited ability to live independently, so we do not recommend boarding for them. However, we provide boarding facilities for some parents who find it difficult to care for their children, as the school provides better living and learning conditions," explained Ngawang.

In sparsely populated Baingoin county, the school is a hive of laughter and joy. The combination of modern education and traditional Tibetan culture enriches the students' campus life.

Inside the school, students play basketball together and physical education teachers lead them in local ethnic dances. Inside the teaching buildings, the sounds of children learning different languages including Putonghua (standard Mandarin), Tibetan, and English intermingle.
Padma Gyaltsen, a fourth-grade student at the school, comes from a pastoral family living about 100 kilometers from the county. Usually, it takes him over two hours by car to travel from Baingoin town to his home. Padma told the Global Times that to ensure he received the best education, his parents previously rented a house in the county, where his aunt took care of him. Now, having chosen to board, he has since adapted to boarding life thanks to the attentive care of teachers and the friendly help of classmates.

"I think the living conditions at school are very good, especially the meals in the cafeteria. Teachers help us with any difficulties in daily life, and all my classmates are my friends," he said.

Mimi, a female student at the Second High School in Shannan city, Xizang, has a similar story. She was sent from Sog county in Nagqu to Shannan in search of better education.

"My home is 700 kilometers away. The round trip from my home to school is over 1,400 kilometers. It is impossible for me to go back home after finishing school," she told the Global Times.

"Boarding saves time and travel expenses and reduces the burden on my family. This winter, the school has not only provided us with winter uniforms but also added a vest, making me feel warmer. I have not faced any challenges in boarding life," Mimi said.

The stories of Padma and Mimi are representative of many students in Xizang. Global Times reporters witnessed in various boarding schools across the region that many children from remote pastoral areas are not deprived of modern education or opportunities for success due to their distance from towns or natural barriers. Various supportive educational policies ensure that children across Xizang can grow and thrive in school settings.

Since 1985, the Xizang Autonomous Region has implemented the "Three Guarantees" policy within boarding schools, covering food, accommodation, and school expenses, while also actively involving students' families in school management and planning through parent committees and open days.

In 2012, Xizang pioneered a 15-year public education policy system in China and established a student aid policy system.

Since then, Xizang has increased funding standards eight-fold. The current average annual funding standard per student under the "Three Guarantees" policy is 4,200 yuan ($576), with a cumulative investment of 22.067 billion yuan, benefiting more than 6.55 million students. Additionally, there are 40 student aid policies in Xizang, ensuring support for all eligible students and guaranteeing equal education for every child. The illiteracy rate among young and middle-aged people in Xizang has dropped to about 0.5 percent, according to the newly released white paper - CPC Policies on the Governance of Xizang in the New Era: Approach and Achievements.

Decision of parents
Comprehensive support policies and superior campus environments have resolved concerns about children having to board, and ultimately, the decision to let children live collectively away from home rests with the parents.

In conversations with Global Times reporters, many parents expressed their belief that boarding was the best decision for their children to aid in their success. The warm collective life at school also contributes to their growth.

Every Friday afternoon, Sonam Gyatso from Jomda county, Qamdo city, would arrive early at the gate of the First Middle School in Lhasa to wait for his daughter. A few years ago, Sonam made a difficult but unregretful decision: To give up his pastoral life and move his family to Lhasa, opening a supermarket to support his daughter's education.

In 2022, his daughter Gasong Cuojia graduated to the ninth grade. Like most parents with high aspirations for their children, Sonam unhesitatingly chose to have her board at school.

"Our home is far from the school, and ninth-grade students face pressure from the high school entrance exam. Boarding saves her the travel time home in the evenings, allowing her an extra study session, and it is safer. Boarding allows her to devote more time and energy to her studies. It also makes her more independent. We are quite reassured regarding her boarding life," said Sonam Gyatso.

Sonam Yangjen, who lives in Mama town, Cona city in Shannan Prefecture, southern Xizang, also deeply appreciates the benefits of boarding schools. The mother of two shared with the Global Times that in Shannan's mountainous and canyon-filled region, the long and rugged journey to school is unsafe for daily commutes. When the school offered a boarding option, she decisively sent her children to live and study at school.

"I think the boarding system is excellent. From a young age, children learn to make their beds and health routines. Back when they were living at home, we constantly had to remind them to tidy their rooms," said Sonam Yangjen.

Parents interviewed by the Global Times also had high praise for the education their children received at school.

Migmar Drolma, parent to a student at the Second High School in Shannan, shared with the Global Times that locals have always placed a high value on education, and neighbors are eager to send their children to good schools for a solid foundation. "Having my child go to school will shape his excellent character and contribute to his all-around development," Drolma said.

Sonam Gyatso's wife, Drolma Bazong, said that because they were not fluent in Putonghua, they often faced communication difficulties when purchasing goods for their supermarket. Their daughter Gasong Cuojia's trilingual education in Tibetan, Putonghua, and English played a crucial role in overall improvement of quality of life. "She often helps us communicate with various customers, acting as a translator and helps us resolve challenges. This makes me very proud," said Drolma Bazong.

For Sonam Yangjen, the advantage of boarding schools lies in concentrating superior educational resources to provide children with the most comprehensive education possible. "My two children study Tibetan, Putonghua, and Menba at school. Starting in the third grade, they also begin learning English. These courses are very important for their future development," said Sonam Yangjen.

She further expressed that the "Three Guarantees" policy now implemented throughout the Xizang region greatly benefits the children from herding and farming families.

"Once the children go to university, they can choose majors such as education, animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, agriculture, and forestry tuition free. Schools even provide students with supplemental nutrition in the form of bread and milk. The various subsidy policies of the country are excellent, making us feel that even though we live in remote border areas, our children and their education will not suffer," said Sonam Yangjen.

To ensure the robust growth of children from all regions of Xizang, the autonomous region has also implemented nutrition improvement pilot projects for students in compulsory education in farming and pastoral areas. The funding standard has been raised twice before, and the current annual stipend per student is 1,000 yuan, with a total investment of 3.252 billion yuan, benefiting 4.1766 million student-times.

Most effective way

Whether boarding schools are good or not is best judged by the residents in Xizang region.

Lajia Zhoudang, Deputy Dean of School of Marxism with the Sichuan Minzu College, and is also Tibetan, was benefited from boarding school system. In 2005, Lajia Zhoudang went from a boarding high school in Northwest China's Qinghai Province to Beijing, eventually earning a PhD in Political Science from prestigious Peking University.

As someone who experienced and benefited from boarding schools, Lajia Zhoudang believes that boarding schools are the most ideal and effective mode of education for students in the Xizang region under current conditions. In the first half of 2023, when the US and other Western countries smeared Xizang's boarding education system, Lajia, based on his personal experience and research, wrote an article titled "Boarding education in Xizang is the most scientific, effective, and beneficial," refuting disparaging claims.

"This article was widely circulated, and many of my Tibetan friends liked and shared it in their social circles, feeling that it spoke for the Tibetan people," Lajia told the Global Times.

In his view, some Western countries'allegations of "forced enrollment" and "assimilation education" in Xizang's boarding education system completely disregard the Tibetan people's ability to discern right from wrong, ignoring the fact that boarding education is the choice of the Tibetan people themselves.

According to Lajia's research, Xizang also tried other methods like local schooling before the reform and opening up, with nearly 6,000 teaching points in villages and towns across Xizang, at a ratio of almost"one school per village." However, due to the vast territory, sparse population, scattered villages, and inconvenient forms of transportation, each school had very few students and insufficient teaching staff, often with just one teacher handling all subjects. This resulted in consistently low education quality. At that time, the enrollment rate for middle school in Xizang was 6.5 percent, and 5.3 percent for high school, with a prominent dropout problem during the transition from primary to secondary education.

"The combination of day schooling and boarding education effectively solved the major problem of scarce and uneven education resources in Xizang. Currently, the gross enrollment rates for preschool, nine-year compulsory education, and high school education in Xizang are all above 85 percent," said Lajia Zhoudang.

Selective ignorance is actually undisguised discrimination and a deliberate catering to prejudice. Lajia Zhoudang believes that historically, Western boarding schools were a stain, with strong colonialist overtones and severe racism.

Therefore, when some Western countries transpose the "forced enrollment" and "cultural genocide" in their own boarding schools onto Xizang's education system, it generates discussion in the West, as many uninformed Westerners who have never been to Xizang and are unaware of its development achievements, continue to view China and the Xizang region through a biased lens, assuming that it is still backward and a frontier for human rights violations. This leads to the erroneous equating of Xizang's advanced boarding education system with the dark history of Western boarding schools, he stated.

However, boarding education in Xizang is actually a manifestation of high human rights standards. According to Lajia Zhoudang, boarding education in Xizang best exemplifies the principle of inclusivity. With the efforts of the central government and governments at all levels, various educational support policies have greatly compensated for the shortage of educational resources in Xizang, initiating the better allocation of national education resources across the region, allowing children from different family backgrounds to enjoy equal and high-quality education.

Therefore, the malicious attacks on Xizang's boarding education by some Western countries have been a source of profound indignation among Tibetan scholars like Lajia Dangzhou.
"Countries like the US and Canada, which have actually implemented 'racial assimilation genocide' through coercive boarding education, have the least right to speak on this issue. Their current defamation of Xizang's boarding education only shows that they have not truly reflected on the dark history of their own boarding schools, and continue to stand on the opposite side of human rights," said Lajia Dangzhou.

"Based on my personal experience and observation, this is the most effective way for Tibetan children to succeed and see the world. For some children, it is the only way. The malicious smearing of Xizang's boarding education is a great injustice to these children," said Lajia Dangzhou.

Coming amid the third China-Central Eastern European Countries Culture and Arts Carnival, traditional dances from all over Greece, such as ipirotikos, tsamiko, kalamatiano, sirtaki and ikariotiko, were performed on October 22 in Chaoyang Park, Beijing, by the Cultural Association "Peiros" dance troop from the municipality of Western Achaia. 

The performance was aimed at preserving and transmitting cultural traditions and various aspects of Greek cultural heritage from generation to generation.

Along with the performances, videos showcased the beauty of Western Peloponnese, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, and informational materials were made available.

The eight-member dance group of the cultural association "Peiros" performed in Beijing as part of the third China-Central Eastern European Countries Culture and Arts Carnival, hosted by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Chaoyang District People's Government of Beijing Municipality, and organized by the Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchange Center, Chaoyang District Bureau of Culture and Tourism of Beijing Municipality.

To accomplish Basic Law Article 23 legislation as soon as possible is the top priority of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Experiences from Western countries and neighboring regions showed that the implementation of legislation to maintain national security can help attract more investment and boost business activity and economic growth.

With the implementation of legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law of the HKSAR in the future, the confidence of investors and entrepreneurs will be further enhanced, which helps attract more investment to Hong Kong and promote economic development, more effectively safeguarding the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.

The US has established a comprehensive national security system. In recent years, Washington has enacted and implemented multiple national security-related laws, strengthening the protection of key technologies and infrastructure, particularly in areas such as communications, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence.

Benefiting from the protection of core technologies, the US has maintained a long-term advantage in technological competition, attracting a large amount of technology innovation funds, driving the development of related industries and economic growth.

In China's Macao Special Administrative Region, since the implementation of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in 2009, it has achieved remarkable economic achievements. Macao's GDP per capita increased from about $40,000 in 2009 to about $90,000 in 2023, achieving significant growth. In the ranking of the wealthiest regions around the world in 2023 published by the American financial magazine Global Finance, Macao ranked fifth globally.

The examples mentioned above demonstrate that the establishment of legislation related to safeguarding national security can create a more stable and reliable legal environment for the country and region, protect key sectors and resources, attract more foreign investment and innovative activities, thereby stimulating economic development to a certain extent, and enhancing the competitiveness of the country and region.

National security is not a choice, but a responsibility. If Hong Kong were to complete the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law sooner, it could eliminate uncertainties in the field of national security sooner, focus all efforts on economic development sooner, and work together to ensure the long-term prosperity, stability, and well-being of Hong Kong residents.

The draft of the Basic Law Article 23 legislation: Safeguarding National Security bill recently announced by the HKSAR Government not only fully respects and safeguards human rights, but also adopts higher human rights protection standards than some Western countries. In terms of sentencing, unlike countries such as the US that have the death penalty as the highest punishment, life imprisonment is set as the most severe penalty in the draft of the Basic Law Article 23 legislation.

The national security law draft draws on the legislative experience of other countries, especially common law countries, aligns with international practices and rules, and also incorporates existing legal provisions familiar to Hong Kong society. The draft law clearly stipulates the protection of property and investments within the HKSAR, ensuring the prosperity and stability of the region.

Hong Kong has long been known for its strong rule of law, which is the cornerstone of its success. It is believed that after the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law, the relevant departments in Hong Kong will continue to maintain high standards and strictly adhere to the rule of law, especially the common law system in Hong Kong.

Article 23 of the Basic Law will be enacted to punish the very few individuals attempting to commit crimes endangering national security, protect the legitimate rights of the vast majority of Hong Kong residents, and uphold the harmony, stability, and prosperity of the entire economy and society.

We have reason to believe that the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law will enable Hong Kong to enjoy the various benefits related to safeguarding national security, just like other countries and regions. The legislation will bring stability and security, effectively maintain social order, make residents' lives more peaceful, and allow people to better focus on economic development and innovation.

The implementation of legislation for safeguarding national security on Article 23 of the Basic Law also makes Hong Kong more attractive, able to attract more foreign investment. Companies and investors will see the value of Hong Kong as a safe and reliable business center and be willing to invest their funds here. This will bring huge economic opportunities to Hong Kong, promote job growth, and wealth accumulation.

More importantly, the implementation of legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law will also strengthen economic cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland. The central government will support Hong Kong with greater efforts, providing more development opportunities and policy support, further deepening the close ties between Hong Kong and the mainland, helping Hong Kong seize the vast opportunities brought by national development and achieve mutual economic benefits.

China's job market has had a strong start, with booming demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and big data talent, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced at a press conference on Saturday. The ministry pledged to provide more support for private and small businesses and to promote youth employment in order to stabilize the job market this year.

Experts are optimistic about China's goal of adding 12 million urban jobs this year. They are calling for more graduates to better embrace the opportunities brought by AI and emerging sectors, as well as for stepped-up efforts to support smaller businesses.

Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Wang Xiaoping said at a press conference on Saturday that China's job market is off to a strong start, with the AI and big data industries showing high demand and rapid growth in healthcare, accommodation and catering, as well as the cultural and tourism sectors.

The trends in the job market reflect China's economic improvement, with the development of new quality productive forces bringing new opportunities, Wang said.

China aims to add more than 12 million urban jobs in 2024, according to the Government Work Report.

Compared with last year's goal of creating "about" 12 million urban jobs, the word "over" showcases the resolve and strength of the government in ensuring stable employment, analysts said.

The adjustment signals that the government is confident in creating more high-quality jobs through deepening reform and opening-up, improving the business environment, and nurturing and expanding new growth drivers, Liu Chunsheng, a professor at the Central University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Sunday.

China created 12.44 million urban jobs in 2023, and the average surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.2 percent, official data showed.

AI and the digital economy have enormous potential in creating employment, analysts said.

AI-related sectors and the digital economy are creating many high-end jobs in fields such as machine learning, data science, algorithm engineering and smart hardware development. They are also driving the digital transformation of traditional industries, resulting in demand for new job positions, Liu said.

Industries related to new-energy vehicles, semiconductors, 5G communication and applications, healthcare, digital entertainment and social media, smart manufacturing, and green environmental protection technologies are expected to be among the nation's new growth points, Liu added.

As a major part of the job-hunting group, the number of college graduates will reach 11.79 million this year, according to the ministry's data.

"We will strengthen policies and measures to promote youth employment, expand market channels, stabilize the size of public positions, and optimize all-round employment and entrepreneurship guidance services," Wang said.

With the rapid development of AI technology, more and more companies are focusing on and applying AI technology, providing new job opportunities for college graduates, Cong Yi, a professor with Tianjin Administrative Institute, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Cong noted that universities and regional governments attach great importance to building efficient employment channels. Some high schools are strengthening educational content around digital development, such as courses on the digital economy and data analysis, helping students adapt to employment needs.

China's job market is starting to heat up after the Spring Festival break, according to market data.

Among various job positions, AI engineers are offered the highest average salary at 24,127 yuan ($4,533) per month, followed by chip engineers at 22,835 yuan per month, according to data from Zhaopin.com sent to the Global Times.

It showed that smaller companies, a large source of job creation, are experiencing growing demand for staff. Job vacancies at small companies (those with fewer than 100 employees) increased by 7.1 percent in the third week after the Spring Festival from the previous week.

To further expand job opportunities, the ministry said it will provide support to the private economy and small companies that employ a large number of workers. It will also focus on strengthening the cultivation of the digital economy, the silver hair economy and the green economy, all of which are new sectors for economic growth.

Continued support for small and medium-sized enterprises is key to achieving the employment target for 2024, experts said.

"It is crucial to encourage technology-driven enterprises to expand and create more jobs, prioritize the optimization and upgrading of the industrial structure, and guide and support the digital transformation of traditional industries," Liu said.

Why shouldn't people trust The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports on China's economy? Because if they do, then they are likely to fall into a cognitive trap that often leads to wrong judgment, missing out on the opportunity to benefit from China's growth dividends.

It is no secret that Western media outlets have largely lost the ability to objectively assess China's economic performance. The WSJ is a typical case of using sensational headlines to vacillate between the "China collapse" theory and the "China threat" theory.

From August 2023 to early 2024, the WSJ published more than 160 articles with most of them badmouthing the Chinese economy, including "The World Is in for Another China Shock," "China's 40-Year Boom Is Over. What Comes Next?" "How China Made a Youth Unemployment Crisis Disappear," "Is China's Economic Predicament as Bad as Japan's? It Could Be Worse," and "China's Economy Is Stuck in a Vicious Cycle."

But is the Chinese economy really as troubled as the WSJ claims? Those who look deeper into these reports will find these arguments are clearly short-sighted and only focus on the negative factors, turning a blind eye to the fact that China's economic growth rate still exceeds many other major economies while pushing forward with its economic transition toward high-quality development. 

According to the World Bank's estimates of the growth rates of major economies in 2023, China's economic growth was about 1.5 times that of the US and about 16.5 times that of the eurozone.

When examining its China reports over the longer term, it is not hard to find that the newspaper's coverage of different periods of the Chinese economy revolves around themes like criticizing China's economy over everything.  

For example, last month it published an article headlined "In China, Deflation Tightens its Grip," while almost at the same time last year, it claimed that China's economic rebound would push inflation higher and "ripple through global markets."

The perception these WSJ reports leave is that either the Chinese economy is on the brink of collapsing or it is rising so fast that it poses a threat to the world. Both serve the same goal of smearing China's economic performance and weighing on investor confidence. 

The fact that the paper speaks for US financial capital and the US government is the reason why it repeatedly tries to mislead the public about the Chinese economy. 

Since Western countries believe that China's economic development has moved its "cheese," the publication's stance makes it impossible to provide an objective picture of the Chinese economy.

This is why the WSJ does not mention that the "decoupling" push has created widespread losses for China and the world, and that the Chinese economy is at a critical period of recovery and industrial upgrading, which has the potential to generate more growth momentum for the world. 

It only focuses on short-term fluctuations in the Chinese economy, deliberately amplifying the risks and challenges in an attempt to justify the "de-risking" or "decoupling" policy toward China.

But this biased view cannot hide the bright spots in China's economy, which is still on a recovery track with an overall improvement in major macro indicators, massive consumption, a complete industrial system and huge potential for technological innovation.

Specifically, in 2023, China's total electricity consumption was 2.3 times that of the US and its vehicle sales were nearly twice those of the US.

Also, China's crude steel output was 12.6 times that of the US, and its shipbuilding completion volume was more than 70 times that of the US. 

With such manufacturing comparisons, the WSJ's "China collapse theory" is doomed to collapse again.

Amid discriminatory hiring practices that some companies in China are seeking younger workers under the age of 35, a political advisor suggested to this year's two sessions that efforts should be made to appropriately relax age restrictions for candidates sitting for civil servant examinations.

Li Zhengguo, director of Sichuan Henghe Xin Law Firm and a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said the efforts will help resolve age discrimination in the country's job market, while making the suggestion, domestic news site thepaper reported.

Setting the threshold of 35 years old is a recognition mistake, Li said, giving the example of "996" working hour practice by some employers. Over the past several years, workers in some industries are asked to work from 9 am to 9 pm, six days per week. 

Ultra-long work hours require workers devote more time to work, causing some companies to discriminately consider that workers under 35 years have more advantages and prefer to hire younger people, he said.

According to Li, the threshold of 35 is against the development trend of society, as the country's total population recorded negative growth in the past two years.

The population in the Chinese mainland recorded negative growth for the first time in 61 years, decreasing by 850,000 in 2022, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China.

It's worth noting that over the past two years, some Chinese provinces, including Central China's Henan and Hubei provinces, as well as North China's Tianjin municipality, have raised the age threshold for civil service examinations to 40 years old, up from 35, in order to expand access to government jobs.

China will officially kick off the annual two sessions on Monday, one of the most important political gatherings for the year that will set the tone for the country's policy priorities in a wide range of sectors from the economy, diplomacy, military to social development.

The pivotal event is being convened against the backdrop of a complex international situation, rising geopolitical tensions and a year fraught with presidential elections, which cast tremendous uncertainties on global economic outlook. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Internally, China is also embarking on a significant year in the implementation for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and a march toward Chinese modernization, an overarching goal under which economic engines are expected to not only rev up but also be driven by "new productive forces."  

So the stakes of how the two sessions flesh out a roadmap for China's economic development are high, observers said, as it will also have a far-reaching impact in shaping the global economic and political landscape. China's economic recovery trajectory would also instill stability and predictability into the world, they noted. 

A cluster of economic topics are high on the agenda, including GDP growth target, deficit-to-GDP ratio, fiscal and monetary policies as well as employment. Meanwhile, deputies and political advisors told the Global Times that they're keenly gauging on policy elaborations involving boosting private economy, creating "new productive forces," as well as deepening financial market reform, among other things of public concerns. 

The second session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, will begin at 3pm on Monday and close on March 10 morning, lasting for six days, Liu Jieyi, spokesperson for the second session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, said at a press conference on Sunday, one day ahead of its annual session.

The second session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) will open in Beijing on March 5.

Setting key economic goals 

Economic issues have been a focal point for political advisors, and it is the opinion of all political advisors that in 2023 the Chinese economy withstood external pressure and overcame internal difficulties, Liu said, noting the economy has been on a general recovery track.

"Looking to the future, the Chinese economy is resilient, has huge potential and vitality and its growth momentum will continue to strengthen and lead to a bright future," Liu noted. 

One of the most widely watched economic goals for the upcoming two sessions is the GDP target, as China, while sustaining a good economic recovery momentum, still faces a bunch of downward pressures ranging from insufficient demand, weakening social expectation and property downturn that could weigh on economic development prospect this year. 

Deputies and economists said the GDP narrative will set a beacon for this year's economic work and accompanying measures. It also sheds light on how the Chinese government makes a comprehensive calculus on balancing off a number of goals including stabilizing employment, preventing risk, improving people's livelihoods, lifting social expectation, while coordinating with targets outlined in the 14th Five-year Plan (2021-25). 

Observers said the GDP target could be set around 5 percent, which will show the policymakers' "pragmatism and bottom-line thinking." It will also take into account the growth targets put forward at the local two sessions since the beginning of the year. 

Also, "it is important that the GDP growth goal should be set almost the same as last year's level, or even higher, for the world's second-largest economy to continue a high-quality development path," Cao Heping, an economist at Peking University, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

The 14th Five-year Plan (2021-25) stated that the country will "keep the average annual growth of GDP within an appropriate range, and set annual targets for GDP growth on the basis of actual condition."

"We're closely watching the government's attitude toward the progress of the 14th Five-year Plan (2021-25) … We also expect the government to take the climate target seriously, and more green policies are expected in the next two years," Xing Zhaopeng, a senior China Strategist at ANZ Research, said in a note sent to the Global Times over the weekend. Xing stressed that China's economic goals will add certainty to the world economy, and China will continue to be the largest contributor to global GDP this year. 

How China will phrase its fiscal and monetary policy direction is another focus on the market's radar. Xing expects the deficit-to-GDP ratio to be set at 3 percent.

Some economists also predicted that this year's budget deficit could hover around 3.5 percent to 4 percent, with doubled-down fiscal stimulus amid the country's low interest rate environment and a near-end to global interest rate hikes cycle that could see drops in borrowing costs.   

"This year will be a transitional year for the massive implementation of supportive policies, both in macro fronts and subtle areas that are conducive to fine tune the country's economic structure, after a new cabinet lineup was unveiled during last year's two sessions," Cao said. He added that China also undertook a reform on Party and state institutions last year, which signals that policies from the central government will be carried out more effectively and swiftly.

Tian Yun, a veteran economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday that with the presidential elections in the US and some other 60 countries this year, as well as lingering geopolitical tensions that wreak havoc on the global supply chain, the global situation may become even more complicated this year. 

"The volatile external environment calls for Chinese policymakers to maintain a strategic focus, to properly arrange economic work throughout the year and stay committed to executing them, so as to instill confidence and lift up market expectation," Tian noted.   

China's economy grew by 5.2 percent year-on-year in 2023, staying above last year's official GDP target of around 5 percent. The deficit-to-GDP ratio is estimated to reach 3.8 percent last year.

Under the spotlight

Deputies and political advisors also expect this year's Government Work Report to expound the country's plan to create "new productive forces" - a new concept proposed by Chinese top leader in September and has emerged as a buzzword of heated discussion, with broad ramification for the Chinese modernization in the years to come. 

"Creating 'new productive forces' is a decisive step in the economy's high-quality development course, against the backdrop of China's economic transition and sweeping tech revolution. It maps out a blueprint on the growth of strategic newly emerging and futuristic industries, and offers guidance into the intelligence, digitalization drive of traditional industries," Guo Guoping, a deputy to the NPC, and chief scientist of Origin Quantum, told the Global Times. 

In the face of white-hot global tech race and the US-led relentless decoupling push against China's tech industry, creating "new productive forces" is also essential for China to make breakthroughs in cutting-edge tech sectors, such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor and quantum computing, and achieve more self-sufficiency in certain foreign-dominated areas, the deputies said. 

"The creation of 'new productive forces' will inject new impetus underpinning steady progresses in Chinese modernization," Qi Xiangdong, chairman of Qi An Xin Technology Group and a member of the National Committee of CPPCC, told the Global Times on Friday. According to his proposal shared with the Global Times, Qi urged private firms to play a pioneering role in facilitating the coordinating development of the tech industrial chain.

Also, a number of motions and proposals this year feature predominately on shoring up the confidence of the private economy. According to Liu, facilitating the expansion of the private economy is a tradition of CPPCC duty performance, and the political advisory body will also hold briefings on key issues involving "clearing up default payments to private companies."

According to a proposal the China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA) shared with the Global Times, the political party suggested the Chinese policymakers to speed up the formulation of private economy promotion law to improve legislation system concerning the private economy. CNDCA is one of China's eight noncommunist political parties.

"The private economy constitutes an important driver of employment and a non-negligible force in China's economic upgrade. In recent years, the vigor of the private economy has slipped to some extent due to both internal and external environment. It would be a much-needed boost to the confidence of private entrepreneurs if there's a law that guarantees equal market position of private firms as State-owned and foreign companies," Liu Yonghao, a member of the National Committee of CPPCC and chairman of New Hope Group, told the Global Times.

In addition, deepening reforms in key sectors are in the laser focus. Among them, how Chinese regulators respond to investors' concerns and push for deeper reforms in the equities market has garnered much limelight, amid recent turbulent ride of the stock market.

Authorities should conduct a series of reforms targeting the underlying systems of the capital market in line with the "market-oriented, law-based and internationalized" standard, in a bid to build the foundation for a healthy investment environment in China in the long run, Tian Xuan, vice president of the Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance, told the Global Times.

"We are interested to see how much emphasis will be placed on improving the business environment for foreign firms," EUCCC president Jens Eskelund told the Global Times, expressing hope for stepped-up efforts in the country's opening-up.

Chinese officials have called on Chinese and US businesses to expand cooperation and help stabilize bilateral ties, as US companies continue to express great interest in the Chinese market; however, Chinese officials are also firmly countering Washington's slander and crackdowns against China.

This is the current dynamic between China and the US in terms of economic and trade ties, and it will remain the situation for the foreseeable future, as Washington has adopted a "two-faced" approach in both seeking to stabilize ties as well as cracking down on China in areas where the US is lagging behind, experts said on Sunday.

On Friday, when addressing the annual appreciation dinner of the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) in Beijing, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng called for business circles of the two countries to consolidate the foundation of friendship and mutual trust and expand areas of cooperation, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday.

Han said that the Chinese economy has strong resilience, potential and vast space, and new drivers and advantages are still growing, China will unswervingly expand opening-up at a high level, and it welcomes more US companies to invest and develop in China.

Such a welcoming attitude has also been echoed by many Chinese officials amid increasing interactions between officials and businesses of the two countries in recent months. In the latest positive engagement, senior Chinese officials met with a visiting US delegation led by Suzanne P. Clark, president and CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce (USCC). During meetings, Chinese officials welcomed US businesses to invest and do business in China, while also firmly pushing back against "decoupling" and "small yard and high fence" approaches.

Many US business leaders have expressed opposition to economic decoupling. In a statement sent to the Global Times, the USCC said that in meetings with Chinese leaders during the trip, it "emphasized its longstanding support of mutually beneficial US-China commercial ties that do not compromise US national security interests" and "underscored that decoupling is not an option."

However, the USCC statement also contained claims that have been widely hyped by US officials and media outlets, including "heavy-handed commercial pressure tactics, digital protectionism and intellectual property theft."

The need for the US business community to strike a delicate balance between pursuing win-win cooperation and supporting the US government's efforts to protect "national security" underscored the chilling effect of Washington's efforts to contain China's rise, even though the US officially and publicly repeats pledges not to seek to decouple from or contain China, experts said.

"The 'two-faced' US approach when it comes to economic and trade ties with China has been very clear. It has always been seeking to cooperate in areas where it needs cooperation, while cracking down on China where it cannot compete," Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Such an approach has also been vividly displayed over the past few days. At the AmCham China dinner on Friday, US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said that "the [US] wants to keep trade going forward with China. We are not seeking to decouple these two major global economies."

However, almost at the same time as Burns uttered those words, the US government announced on Friday that it was opening an investigation into whether Chinese vehicle imports pose national security risks to the US, which could lead to restrictions or even bans on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs), according to Reuters.

In what has been widely described on Chinese social media as absurd, clichéd "China threat" claims against Chinese EVs, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo even suggested that China could, "with the flip of a switch," make millions of cars "disabled."

"Forget about how few Chinese EVs are in the US… we didn't know until now how powerful Chinese EVs are," a Chinese auto industry analyst surnamed Zhang told the Global Times in a mocking tone.

"But think about it again, with so many Tesla cars in China, does it mean Washington can also realize this 'with the flip of a switch'?"

Chinese officials have harshly criticized unfounded US claims against Chinese EVs.

In responding to the planned US probe, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Friday that China's door has been open to global auto companies, including US auto companies, but by contrast, the US has engaged in trade protectionism and set up obstacles including discriminatory subsidy policies to obstruct access to the US market by China-made cars.

"Such acts of politicizing economic and trade issues will only hinder the development of the US auto industry itself," Mao said.

Gao said that China has been very clear and consistent about its approach toward the US, that it aims to boost mutually beneficial cooperation with the US, but will also counter crackdowns by the US whenever necessary.

"Even when we are fighting back against the US crackdown measures, our ultimate goal is to ensure win-win cooperation," Gao said.
A large number of mainland tourists are expected to flock to the city during the Qingming Festival holidays in early April and the May Day holidays in May, according to local media reports.

"In 2018, the IVS tourists, who accounted for more than 60 percent of the total number of mainland visitors arriving in Hong Kong, represented an important force in driving the business of tourism-related industries in Hong Kong," HKSAR Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung said after the two cities were included in the IVS, as shown on the website of the HKSAR government.

It is believed that Xi'an and Qingdao, each having a population of more than 10 million, will bring more high-value-added overnight tourists to Hong Kong, said Yeung.

The IVS was implemented on July 28, 2003 in four cities - Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Foshan - in South China's Guangdong Province, neighboring Hong Kong.

In a recent government notice, China has urged cities and local governments to prevent property market fluctuations with balanced plans of housing supply and demand, and to craft yearly housing development plans for 2024 and 2025.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued a notice on Tuesday, asking all cities to assess local housing demands, craft yearly housing development plans based on their demographic and market changes, reflecting a proactive approach to addressing the challenges faced by the real estate sector.

Cities are encouraged to assess local residential housing demands accurately, preventing ups and downs in the property market.

Central to the notice is the annual housing development plans from 2024 to 2030. The plans are expected to specify property supply, structure, and location of housing and land, along with a reasonable estimation of the financing needs for local developers. A detailed approach to affordable housing supply is also underscored, with the aim to foster a balanced and healthy real estate market.

Highlighting the importance of the development plans, the notice requires cities integrate factors such as economic growth, demographic change and industry distribution into mapping their housing strategies.

The ministry places a strong emphasis on affordable housing supply, combining governmental support for basic housing needs with market-driven solutions for varied residential preferences. Cities are urged to accurately study local housing demands.

Local governments are also urged to prioritize the integration of housing development plans with their land use planning, ensuring a cohesive approach to overall urban development.

In 2024, China introduced multiple measures to stabilize its real estate sector and boost the industry's growth. With the establishment of real estate financing coordination mechanisms in 214 cities of 29 provinces, local governments now play a pivotal role in recommending projects for financial support, facilitating over 160 billion yuan ($22.2 billion) in credit to real estate projects under the initiative, according to official data.