National Action Plans (NAPs) are essential tools used by governments to address the global threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). NAPs provide a framework of sequence of actions to align activities of different stakeholders in different sectors toward one large goal of mitigating AMR.
In 2017, the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ), with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) developed its first NAP for AMR (2017-2022)1.
The NAP for AMR (2017-2022) was implemented across the human and animal health, agriculture, and environment sectors. A multi-sectoral coordinating committee was set up, with members from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water & Rural Development (MoLAFWRD) and the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism & Hospitality Industry (MoECTHI) to oversee the implementation of the NAP for AMR (2017-2022).
Zimbabwe’s NAP for AMR (2017-2022) is concluding at the end of this year. Preparations for the new NAP for (2023-2027) are already underway. FAO’s Progressive Management Pathway for AMR tool was used to evaluate the implementation progress, gaps and challenges of the first NAP. One of the gaps identified was poor costing and budgeting. Therefore, the WHO conducted a 3-day training of 14 National Costing Coordinators using the recently launched WHO costing and budgeting tool for the AMR NAP 2. The costing tool seeks to assist countries to coordinate and budget for the successful implementation of AMR NAPs. Costing coordinators are being trained to optimally use resources to achieve the best possible outcome for the implementation of the NAP.
In his welcoming remarks, MoHCC Chief Director of Public Health, Dr Munyaradzi Dobbie emphasized on the importance of planning, costing and budgeting NAPs on AMR.
The training took place in Kadoma from 21-23 June 2022, 14 costing coordinators from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water & Rural Development and the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism & Hospitality Industry now have the technical capacity to cost and budget for the new AMR NAP. The WHO AMR experts Dr Alessandro Patriarchi and Mr Paul Verboom, taught participants key components and functionalities of the tool and provided them with hands-on training of its usage through a series of practical exercises.
“This is one of the most robust, but simplest excel model costing tools that I have ever seen. I can now cost any project using this model, even animal health and welfare, and food safety projects” noted Dr Lawrence Dinginya, Acting Deputy Director of Veterinary Public Health who was one of the participants from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water & Rural Development.
The African Energy Chamber (AEC) proud to announce that Rebecca Enonchong, Chair of the African Center for Technology Innovation and Ventures; founder and CEO of AppsTech and I/O Spaces; and Board Chair of AfriLabs, will be speaking at this year’s edition of the African Energy Week (AEW) (www.AECWeek.com) conference and exhibition, Africa’s premier event for the energy sector, which will take place from October 18-21, 2022, in Cape Town. With discussions during the conference largely centered on the need for an Africa-adapted energy transition; implementing Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) with large-scale energy projects; and the role technology plays in making energy poverty history, speaker confirmations made by industry experts such as Enonchong will be critical.
Describing herself as a tech fanatic, Enonchong represents one of Africa’s leading innovators, promoting the transformative potential of technology in Africa. Having founded several businesses, including her first, AfriLabs – a network organization of over 80 innovation centers across 27 African countries, serving as hubs for future entrepreneurs – Enonchong is committed to expanding the penetration of technological solutions across the African economy at large. Similarly, her business ActivSpaces also serves as an incubator, with centers based predominantly in rural areas in order to improve human capital development and expand technology innovation beyond urban borders. Through her businesses, various programs and outreach initiatives, Enonchong continues to drive the technology of the future in Africa.
Her success as an entrepreneur and tech innovator has also been recognized globally, having been listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the top 10 Female Tech Founders to Watch in Africa in 2014 and named as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans in Science, Tech & Innovation in 2017. As such, backed by a wealth of experience in the technology sector and with a commitment to developing a competitive and tech-driven economy in Africa, Enonchong represents a key speaker at the continent’s premier energy event, AEW 2022.
At a time when the African energy sector is on the cusp of a transformation, owing largely to new oil and gas discoveries translating into large-scale developments; the energy transition calling for the accelerated adoption of renewable energies; and recent commitments to reduce emissions across the entire energy value chain, technological innovation in energy is key. While climate change has become a growing concern, leading to stakeholders calling for significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, over 600 million people in Africa are still without access to electricity and over 900 million people without access to clean cooking solutions. Therefore, unlocking new technology will not only ensure climate change is prevented and the energy transition is fast-tracked but that Africa’s socioeconomic development is accelerated.
“Industrializing Africa will require significant innovation within the technological space and stakeholders such as Enonchong are driving success in this regard. With a passion for technology and Africa, Enonchong has and continues to be instrumental in developing Africa’s economies through the widespread adoption of technological solutions. As AEW 2022 moves to make energy poverty history on the back of every energy resource in Africa, having African-led solutions will be key for unlocking a new era of growth and development. This is what AEW 2022 stands for and what experts such as Enonchong will drive at the event in Cape Town,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber (AEC).
CHANGCHUN, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) — Economic operation has progressed steadily in northeast China’s Jilin Province over the past decade, with industrial structure optimized and the business environment improved, according to a press briefing in the provincial capital of Changchun on Monday.
Jilin has strived to develop three major industries, including the automobile industry, food processing industry and ecological tourism.
In 2021, the province saw its gross domestic product grow 6.6 percent year on year and attracted over 10,000 high-caliber talents.
In the past 10 years, Jilin has been increasing its grain production capacity, with annual grain output exceeding 35 million tonnes for nine consecutive years, according to the press briefing.
In addition, grain output in Jilin has reached some 40.39 million tonnes in 2021, up 20 percent compared with that of 2012.
Boasting over 3 million market entities, the province will continue to foster an efficient and conducive business environment to benefit enterprises.
Meanwhile, it will accelerate to build the digital government and inject strong impetus into revitalization and development. ■
In 2013, the idea of targeted poverty alleviation was first introduced in Shibadong Village. This pioneering notion focused on tailoring poverty alleviation efforts to different individuals, local conditions and causes of poverty.
* Over the years, Shibadong Village has developed several industries that draw on its strengths. In 2013, the per-capita net annual income in the village was 1,668 yuan, only 18.8 percent of the average income in other rural areas. In 2021, the figure surged to more than 20,000 yuan.
* With the victory in poverty alleviation, China is forging ahead with rural vitalization in an all-round way. More young people are contributing to the cause.
By Xinhua writers Tan Jian, Liu Fangzhou, Peng Peigen
CHANGSHA, July 22 (Xinhua) — Life has dealt Long Xianlan, 35, a bad hand: His mother left home for ever due to despair of life, his father died 20 years ago from illness, and his only sister drowned two years later.
The village in which he lives, Shibadong in central China’s Hunan Province, has a history of poverty. In 2013, 130 households, or 60 percent of the village population, lived below the poverty line. Long was one of them, living alone, with little hope.
Back then, he would never have imagined that, in less than a decade, his village would become a success in eradicating poverty, nor that he would regain control of his life, becoming a local cooperative manager.
Long Xianlan (L), a beekeeper and head of a local cooperative, poses for a group photo with his family members in Shibadong Village in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hunan Province, July 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)
In 2013, the idea of targeted poverty alleviation was first introduced in Shibadong Village. This pioneering notion focused on tailoring poverty alleviation efforts to different individuals, local conditions and causes of poverty.
In February 2021, China announced the country had eliminated absolute poverty, with nearly 100 million rural poor lifted out of poverty over the previous eight years.
In Long’s case, it meant getting targeted help and opportunities that he lacked. At his lowest point, Long Xiulin, a local poverty alleviation official, helped him draft a plan to learn the skills he needed to lead an independent life.
In 2014, Long Xiulin suggested that Long Xianlan learn beekeeping and helped him secure a loan of 20,000 yuan (about 2,972 U.S. dollars), as the mountainous village was found to be an ideal habitat for bees.
Long Xianlan, a beekeeper and head of a local cooperative, checks the condition of bees in Shibadong Village in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hunan Province, July 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)
“Long Xiulin treated me like his brother and offered me all the help and support he could,” Long Xianlan said. “I never had such strong determination to change my life through hard work.”
He earned his first pot of gold, selling 5,000 yuan worth of honey in 2016. In the same year, Shibadong was among the first batch of villages in the province that lifted all its households out of poverty.
Since then, Long’s life has been on an upward trajectory. Today, as a beekeeper and head of a local cooperative, he has registered a trademark for the honey, leading over 80 households in joining the beekeeping industry.
INDUSTRY ABOUNDS
Shibadong Village gets its name from 18 natural karst caves located nearby. Set in the highlands of the Wuling Mountains, at an altitude of about 700 meters, it overlooks a valley and green sloping terrain.
The village is picturesque, but a decade ago it lacked infrastructure, industry and investment. Many villagers left to make a living in various cities that offered more job opportunities.
Yang Zhengbang cleans a table in his homestay in Shibadong Village in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hunan Province, July 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)
Among them is Yang Zhengbang, 44, who spent years as a migrant worker in the cities. In 2017, after learning of the tourism boom in the village, he returned home.
From 2013, Shibadong became increasingly accessible to tourists thanks to the construction of infrastructure there. With the passage of time, the village also became known for its success in poverty alleviation.
Yang was able to tap into these developments, starting a rural homestay in 2018, providing food and accommodation to visitors. This summer, Yang’s homestay receives more than 400 visitors per day on average.
“The villagers are very motivated to work and start our own businesses, and we feel that we have a promising life ahead,” Yang said.
Yang Zhengbang, who runs a rural homestay, poses for a group photo with his family members in Shibadong Village in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hunan Province, April 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)
Over the years, Shibadong Village has developed several industries that draw on its strengths. Located in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, the village has fostered ethnic Miao embroidery as its distinctive industry. It has also capitalized on its mountain spring water resources, forming the Shibadong Mountain Spring Water Co., Ltd. in 2017. In addition, the village has been promoting various forms of farming.
In 2013, the per-capita net annual income was 1,668 yuan, only 18.8 percent of the average income in other rural areas. In 2021, the figure surged to more than 20,000 yuan.
RURAL VITALIZATION
With the victory in poverty alleviation, China is forging ahead with rural vitalization in an all-round way. Young people are playing an important role in this process.
The success of Shibadong’s poverty-reduction efforts has attracted more youths to the village. Mei Yao, a non-local graduate from a famous Chinese university, became the director of the village’s women’s federation in 2018. She considers it a great opportunity to learn about how to guide and support rural residents in developing industries.
Mei Yao, director of the village’s women’s federation, talks with students who are on summer vacation in Shibadong Village in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hunan Province, July 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)
“For me, a village is like a book, and Shibadong is definitely the one most worth reading,” said Mei. “From here, I can become part of the grand scheme of China’s rural vitalization and of the promising future of the rural areas.”
Shi Kang, 22, returned to the village in 2019 after studying a media-related major in the provincial capital Changsha.
Shi grew up in the village while his parents worked in the cities. Back then, he was timid and ashamed to talk to others about his hometown due to its dire poverty. Today, the mindset has changed.
“Many of my peers are willing to come back now, and we would feel proud to say Shibadong is our village,” he said.
Shi Kang promotes village produce on a livestream in Shibadong Village in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hunan Province, July 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)
Taking advantage of his major, Shi shoots videos about village life, local cuisine and folk stories, and publishes them on short-video platforms.
He has also formed a team with several like-minded young people to regularly livestream online, sharing the stories of Shibadong and promoting village produce such as honey, cured pork and chili peppers.
Their account on Douyin has attracted around 20,000 followers and garnered 84,000 likes. He plans to continue to improve the brand certification of the agricultural products they sell on the platform.
“We would like to take Shibadong’s products further through the internet,” said Shi. “I am full of confidence about the future of the village.” ■
(Video reporter: Yao Yu; video editor: Hong Liang, Mu Xuyao, Wang Houyuan.)
NANCHANG, July 22 (Xinhua) — Comprehensive strength has achieved great leaps in east China’s Jiangxi Province through vigorous implementation of the primary strategy of high-quality and leap-frog development, local authorities said.
Over the past decade, Jiangxi’s gross domestic product has grown at an average annual rate of 8.4 percent and its growth rate of major economic indicators continued to maintain a leading position in the country.
Meanwhile, the province has made great efforts to carry out in-depth reforms and improve and upgrade its business environment.
Jiangxi has also further improved and strengthened its digital economy, speeding up the building of a new national hub for developing the digital economy.
The digital economy in Jiangxi registered 19.5 percent year-on-year growth in 2021, reaching nearly 1.04 trillion yuan (around 154 billion U.S. dollars), according to local authorities.
In addition, the province has integrated into the development of the Belt and Road Initiative and joined in expanding the international logistics channels. ■
The Pearl River Delta in south China’s Guangdong Province has transformed from a base of traditional manufacturing industries — with low technical content and added value — into an international highland for science and technology.
* Dubbed the city of home appliances in China, Shunde District of Foshan City has promoted more than 33 percent of major industrial enterprises to realize digital transformation and intelligent production in recent years.
* Taking advantage of leading economic strengths in the country, Guangdong has also been devoted to building scientific apparatus and attracting national-level research institutes.
GUANGZHOU, July 9 (Xinhua) — The Pearl River Delta in south China’s Guangdong Province has over the past decade gradually transformed from a base of traditional manufacturing industries — with low technical content and added value — into an international highland for science and technology.
A host of traditional manufacturing enterprises in the Pearl River Delta have embraced a digital transformation over the past 10 years. Guangdong Province has also made efforts to strengthen weak areas in basic scientific research and accelerate its cultivation of strategic emerging industries.
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
In a production workshop at Midea Group, a Chinese home appliance giant based in Foshan City of Guangdong, lines of industrial robots perform operations while two uniformed technicians monitor parameters on a digital screen.
Midea Group, which owns four “lighthouse factories,” has transformed from a traditional home appliance manufacturing company into a benchmark company for digital production in the Pearl River Delta.
Midea started its digital transformation in 2011. “By the end of 2021, our revenue had increased by 156 percent and net profit had increased by 333 percent,” said Zhang Xiaoyi, vice president of the company.
Photo taken on April 1, 2021 shows a workshop of a microwave oven factory of Midea Group, a Chinese home appliance giant, in Foshan City, south China’s Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Li Jiale)
Dubbed the city of home appliances in China, Shunde District of Foshan City has promoted more than 33 percent of major industrial enterprises to realize digital transformation and intelligent production in recent years.
More than 80 percent of the major enterprises in Foshan are expected to achieve digital transformation by the year 2026, said Zheng Ke, secretary of the Foshan Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China.
In addition to Midea, more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the area are striving to achieve digital transformation.
Foshan has established a manufacturing transformation and development fund to promote the digital transformation of SMEs.
Guangdong KEDA Hydraulic Technology Co., Ltd. in Foshan has been exploring digital transformation since 2005. Up to now, the company has achieved full 5G coverage in its production workshops. General Manager Yang Xuexian said the company has saved 40 percent of its energy consumption through digital transformation, and its per capita output value has increased by more than 60 percent.
Shiling Township in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, is known as China’s leather capital. About 8,800 bag and suitcase companies there manufacture more than 700 million bags and other leather products every year. Facing the adverse influence of COVID-19, many enterprises are seeking the help of digitalized machines.
Longzhuo Leather Co., Ltd. chose to introduce robots to help improve efficiency. Huang Haifeng, general manager of the company, said that production efficiency has increased by 10 percent in just half a year. “The investment in digital transformation is 800,000 yuan, and it helps save 800,000 yuan a year. So why not try digital transformation?” Huang added.
Guangdong has promoted the digital transformation of about 22,500 major industrial enterprises. The province aims to realize digital transformation for an accumulative number of 50,000 enterprises by 2025, according to the Guangdong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology.
STRENGTHEN WEAK LINKS
Insufficient research in basic science has long been a constraint on Guangdong’s development. Taking advantage of leading economic strengths in the country, Guangdong has been devoted to building scientific apparatus and attracting national-level research institutes in recent years.
Construction of the China Spallation Neutron Source, China’s first pulsed neutron source facility, started a decade ago in Dongguan City. Chen Hesheng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, served as chief commander and project manager of the engineering headquarters at the age of 65.
As an advanced experimental platform for multi-disciplinary research, the facility is able to boost high-tech development in many application fields such as material sciences, life sciences, resource environments and new energy.
“The successful construction of the spallation neutron source in Dongguan shows the determination and achievements of Guangdong Province to promote scientific and technological innovation,” Chen said.
Aerial photo shows the China Spallation Neutron Source in Dongguan City, south China’s Guangdong Province, on July 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
A batch of major scientific and technological infrastructure has taken a leap forward in the Pearl River Delta, including the national supercomputer centers in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the underground neutrino observatory in Jiangmen, and the high-intensity heavy-ion accelerator facility in Huizhou.
The expenditure on basic research in Guangdong has doubled in the past five years. More than one-third of provincial financial funds for science and technology during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) will be invested in basic research, according to Wu Shiwen, deputy director of the provincial department of science and technology.
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has developed complete industrial chains. An open and inclusive innovation atmosphere has been formed in the region, attracting talent, capital and other resources from all over the world, said Lionel M. Ni, president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), which is scheduled to open in September.
NEW DEVELOPMENT DRIVERS
In Nansha District of Guangzhou, passengers are able to find the whereabouts of 500 stops for self-driving taxis using the mobile application PonyPilot+. Chinese autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai has introduced the “Robotaxi” services in the district’s core area covering 300 square kilometers.
“With the continuous growth of research and development as well as the application of autonomous driving in China in recent years, China is no longer a follower, but a global leader in terms of policy openness, technological development and user acceptance in this field,” said Mo Luyi, vice president of Pony.ai.
A self-driving taxi using the mobile application PonyPilot+ waits for passengers in Nansha District of Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, on June 15, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
Pony.ai is just one of the enterprises in the Pearl River Delta area that play a leading role in various sectors. In the past decade, Huawei has risen rapidly in the fields of network communication and intelligent terminals, BYD in electric vehicles, DJI in civil drones, Tencent in the mobile internet, and BGI in life sciences. All of these rises have taken a place in the global technology industry.
Statistics from the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province show that the total number of high-tech enterprises in Guangdong exceeded 60,000 in 2021, ranking first in China for six consecutive years. Science and technology enterprises have become an important force in Guangdong’s efforts to create a new development pattern.
A number of leading science and technology enterprises that are internationally competitive have emerged, and a number of hard and core technology enterprises in emerging industries have been cultivated in Guangdong, and they have become the backbone of the province’s high-quality economic development, said Gong Guoping, director of the provincial department of science and technology.
(Video reporters: Zhang Jiajin, Wang Pan, Sun Fei, Li Sijia; Video editors: Chen Sihong, Yin Le, Liu Xiaorui) ■
Once a poverty-stricken region blighted by adverse geographical factors and poor infrastructure, the city of Ningde has come a long way in the past decade, shaking off poverty while developing an array of leading industries.
* Ningde is ushering in a bright future with the rise of a new industrial town. The city is now home to a number of world-class enterprises including automotive lithium-ion battery maker CATL.
* The city’s four leading industries — lithium-ion batteries, new-energy vehicles, novel stainless steel and copper — are developing into a complementary industrial cluster.
FUZHOU, July 8 (Xinhua) — Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) has been drawing increasing attention from the global electric vehicle (EV) market over the past few years.
The world’s leading automotive lithium-ion battery maker, with around one-third of the global market share, is headquartered in the city of Ningde, east China’s Fujian Province.
Aerial photo taken on June 24, 2022 shows the headquarters of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) and its manufacturing base in Ningde, east China’s Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)
Once a poverty-stricken region blighted by adverse geographical factors and poor infrastructure, the city has come a long way in the past decade, shaking off poverty while developing an array of leading industries. And it is now striving to become a globally influential industrial landmark.
NEW LOOK
Fourteen years ago, when Zhan Shuzhi, along with more than 100 colleagues, was posted to a new manufacturing base in Ningde by his former employer in neighboring Guangdong Province, some colleagues grumbled about the likelihood of success given the muddy roads, inadequate facilities and inconvenient transportation.
“We will make it. I can feel the enterprising spirit of this city,” Zhan, a native of Ningde, recalled his words reassuring his colleagues at that time.
Back then, Ningde was determined and committed, more than ever, to the fight against poverty, with an aim to change its economic backwater image.
“When we first came here, only four factory buildings and two dormitory buildings stood beside mudflat,” recalled Zhan, who is now the chairman of CATL’s labor union.
Along with the rapid rise of CATL, which was founded in 2011 in Ningde, the mudflat areas have given way to rows of manufacturing plants where EV batteries are produced around the clock.
From 2012 to 2021, the city’s gross domestic product has nearly tripled to 315.1 billion yuan (about 47 billion U.S. dollars), with per capita GDP exceeding 100,000 yuan for the first time.
The boomtown has taken on a fresh new look after bidding farewell to extreme poverty. A large transport network has been built. In areas where bug swarms and villagers’ motorbikes were earlier the loudest sounds, factories are now buzzing while ports are busy handling containers.
NEW INDUSTRIAL TOWN
Ningde is ushering in a bright future with the rise of a new industrial town. The city is now home to a number of world-class enterprises besides CATL.
The world’s largest stainless steel producer Tsingtuo Group has a presence here. China’s leading carmaker SAIC Motor has built a smart factory with the largest car assembly workshop in Asia.
Stainless steel wires and bars are displayed in an exhibition area of Tsingtuo Group in Ningde, east China’s Fujian Province, June 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)
The city’s four leading industries — lithium-ion batteries, new-energy vehicles, novel stainless steel and copper — are developing into a complementary industrial cluster.
“Thanks to a world-class natural deep-water harbor, comprehensive transportation networks and an industrial cluster, Ningde is now full of development possibilities,” said Zhou Xiaoming, chief engineer of the Research Center of Tsingtuo Group.
The city boasts a rather comprehensive industrial chain for the four leading industries. It has more than 80 lithium-ion battery-related projects, 46 suppliers for the SAIC Ningde factory, and more than 70 projects to support Tsingtuo’s stainless steel industry.
This has greatly reduced the costs of procurement and logistics, helping the four leading industries enhance their competitiveness. In 2021, their value-added industrial output increased 59.1 percent over the previous year.
FROM POVERTY TO PROSPERITY
“As an innovation-driven new-energy enterprise, CATL has transformed itself from an industry follower to an industry leader,” said CATL’s founder Zeng Yuqun, also known as Robin Zeng.
CATL is committed to advancing the high-quality and sustainable growth of the global battery industry.
Aerial photo taken on June 24, 2022 shows an intelligent BESS charging station in the headquarters of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) in Ningde, east China’s Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)
Likewise, the thriving city is determined to not only provide its people with better lives but make more contributions to global industries.
Over the past decade, nearly 190,000 people in Ningde have been lifted out of poverty, and 140,000 people have been relocated from remote mountainous areas.
“We have achieved leapfrog development in the past decade and become a new growth engine of Fujian Province,” said Liang Weixin, Party chief of Ningde.
“As scientists, we firmly believe that the cutting-edge scientific and technological progress in the new energy sector will greatly benefit the entire society,” said Wei Yimin, director of the digital research and development center of CATL’s 21C Lab.
“We are seeking to gain an advantage in the new-energy industry and lithium-ion batteries play a significant role in global energy transition,” Wei added.
“In the future, Ningde will focus on its four pillar industries and act rapidly to attain a trillion yuan in industrial output,” said Zhang Yongning, mayor of Ningde.
(Reporting by Gu Qianjiang, Li Huiying, Ceng Yan, Zhao Xuetong, Li Baojie; Video reporters: Hong Yan, Chen Wang; Video editors: Yang Zhixiang, Mu Xuyao, Yin Le, Cao Ying) ■
* With heavy spending on the construction of railway and road facilities, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region has seen rapid development and constant improvements to the lives of the locals.
* Since 2012, more than 337 billion yuan (about 50.4 billion U.S. dollars) has been spent as fixed-asset investment in Tibet’s transport sector.
* Over the past decade, three railway lines have formed a “Y” shape on the plateau region, and the total length of roads in Tibet has increased by some 55,000 km to 120,000 km, including more than 90,000 km of rural roads.
Train attendant Goin’gyi Chadron talks with passengers aboard the train of the Lhasa-Xigaze Railway in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Chogo)
by Xinhua writers Lin Jianyang, Lyu Qiuping, Liu Hongming and Liu Ying
LHASA, July 3 (Xinhua) — Passengers carrying luggage of varying sizes, many in Tibetan costumes, chat with each other or bury themselves in their phones while queuing on the platform for their trains.
Such scenes play out daily at the railway station in Lhasa, capital of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, and stand in stark contrast to what existed 16 years ago.
When the station opened on July 1, 2006, marking the start of the official operation of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the region’s first railway line, the platform was more like a tourist attraction packed with visitors.
“Curious about trains, many Tibetans just bought a platform ticket and brought snacks for a picnic here,” said Tsogpa, who has been working at the station since its opening and is now office director of the Lhasa railway station.
With heavy spending on the construction of railway and road facilities, Tibet has seen rapid development and constant improvements to the lives of the locals.
Since 2012, more than 337 billion yuan (about 50.4 billion U.S. dollars) has been spent as fixed-asset investment in Tibet’s transport sector, according to the region’s transport department.
DRIVING ECONOMIC GROWTH
Over the past decade, three railway lines have formed a “Y” shape on the plateau region, with the latest Lhasa-Nyingchi line, the region’s first electrified railway line, kicking off operation on June 25, 2021. The Lhasa railway station, where the three lines meet, has witnessed explosive growth in passenger flow, surging from 2.24 million in 2007 to more than 4 million in 2021.
Bullet trains have brought tourists to the city of Shannan, through which the Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway passes.
In Tashi Chodan, a community in Nedong District of Shannan known for its Tibetan opera, some 30 artists perform for tourist groups from across the country.
Photo taken on May 14, 2021 with a mobile phone shows the view of a road to Gyirong County, Xigaze of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Shen Hongbing)
Dawa Drolma, 52, one of the performers, said they have shows every night during the peak season.
Dawa Drolma and her family have also refurbished their house into a homestay with six beds. “During the busiest time, all rooms are full,” she said, adding that the opera performance and homestay business bring the family an extra income of more than 50,000 yuan every year.
In 2019, the Nedong district government spent some 50 million yuan for improving the living conditions of the community, including upgrading road facilities. The 2.5-meter-wide cement road was replaced by an 8-meter-wide asphalt one, allowing tourist coaches to arrive at the community.
Over the past 10 years, the per capita disposable income of the community more than doubled to 25,000 yuan a year in 2021, which is largely attributable to the burgeoning tourism industry.
“Tourists would not possibly come without convenient transportation,” said Basang Tsering, Party chief of the community.
Furthermore, a handloom fabric cooperative in Nedong District supplies its textile products, such as handmade scarves and purses, via logistic services. The cooperative, which has helped more than 400 farmers sell their fabric products, raked in a sales revenue of 10.5 million yuan last year, a whopping increase of 20 times from 2010.
“With convenient transportation, we can sell our products to big cities such as Beijing and Shenzhen,” said Basang, head of the cooperative.
Aerial photo taken on Aug. 3, 2019 shows a road along the Banggong Co in Ngari Prefecture, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)
Over the past decade, the total length of roads in Tibet has increased by some 55,000 km to 120,000 km, including more than 90,000 km of rural roads, according to official figures.
PROPELLING PROSPERITY
In Medog, Nyingchi City, daily necessities were earlier brought home on shoulders or horseback. Students had to trek for days to school, and ailing patients had to be carried on shoulders to a hospital in the city proper.
Tenzin Gyatso, a former porter, vividly remembers the challenging past. Once, he and his fellow villagers transported a 19-year-old woman who suffered from a stroke to a hospital in winter, taking turns to carry her on their backs.
“We had to walk at night to avoid an avalanche,” said Tenzin Gyatso, 48, adding that it took four days for them to arrive at the nearest highway from where they could hire a car.
The situation changed following the opening of the Medog Highway in October 2013, with vehicles, machines and a large amount of construction material flowing in.
Residents have moved into brand-new houses and they can drive their children to school, and patients can easily visit a hospital whenever needed.
Aerial photo taken on Feb. 8, 2021 shows the entrance of Galongla Tunnel in Medog County, Nyingchi of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)
Tenzin Gyatso now has an excavator which he leases to construction sites. He also runs a homestay and rents out rooms to construction workers. The income from the tea plantation and other sources together brings his family more than 100,000 yuan annually.
Wei Changqi, Party chief of the county, said the Medog Highway has made travel for local people much easier and ensured the supply of daily necessities and construction materials. The quality of healthcare and education has also significantly improved from 10 years ago.
Medog was lifted out of poverty by the end of 2019. The disposable income of rural residents skyrocketed from 4,875 yuan in 2012 to 15,278 yuan in 2021, with major industries including tea plantations and bamboo wickerworks flourishing there.
During the same period, Tibet’s regional GDP ballooned to 208 billion yuan from 71 billion yuan. The region eradicated absolute poverty by the end of 2019, with 628,000 impoverished residents shaking off poverty.
(Video reporters: Tenzing Nima Qadhup, Liu Ying; Video editors: Jia Xiaotong, Zhu Cong, Zhu Jianhui.) ■
Women’s lobby organizationsMaendeleo Ya Wanawake on Thursday hailed Kenyan voters for electing women as leaders in the just concluded August general elections.
Chairperson Mrs Rahab Muiu told journalists in Nairobi that Kenya elected more women leaders in 2022 as compared to the 2017 elections.
“We want to congratulate all women who have been elected as governors, senators, MPS and MPs,” Muiu said.
William Ruto was declared the winner of Kenya’s presidential elections after garnering about 7.17 million or 50.49 percent of votes cast.
Muiu also commended the courage, determination and resilience of all women who stood for elective positions.
“Together we have built stong social and political capital which we will keep on enhancing into the future,” she added.
MYWO also said that it will continue to pray for peace and urged all Kenyans to continue upholding peace until everything is concluded.
