The expedition of Chinese explorer Zhang Qian more than 2,000 years ago is considered to be the foundation of the ancient Silk Road. Today, his legendary exploration of the ancient Silk Road is renowned worldwide. Venturing across the Eurasian continent with camel caravans laden with silk, spices, tea, and other Chinese goods, he forged vital trade routes of the Silk Road. Xinjiang has had a central role in that trade.   Fast forward thousands of years, and Xinjiang finds itself at…

From 13 to 18 January, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited four African countries in keeping with the more than three decades of tradition where Chinese foreign ministers start their yearly overseas visits with a trip to Africa. However, while these visits have become a routine for China’s diplomatic practice, they are not an empty ritual. They represent a tradition of China-Africa pragmatic cooperation defined by mutual consultations and tangible outcomes. It is neither opportunistic nor paternalistic, but rather engagement…

The annual sessions of China’s National People’s Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, commonly known as Two Sessions, held in March in Beijing, not only provided details about China’s development in the past year, but also outlined the development trajectory for the future.    Under normal circumstances, one country’s economic recovery shouldn’t be of great significance to countries in another continent. But that is not the case with China. The ongoing recovery of the world’s…

Some people, mainly in the West, were taken by surprise when six Chinese warships were seen near the Red Sea in October 2023 amid the conflict in Gaza. Some Western media and politicians tried to frame China’s mission as an escalatory move in the Middle East. However, according to Chinese media, the ships are part of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s escort taskforce responsible for safeguarding commercial vessels and fighting piracy.  As the conflict between Israel and Hamas is…

China’s Two Sessions that take place in early March provide an opportunity for the world to look into the country’s unique democracy – the whole-process people’s democracy. It is a concept that is misunderstood and wrongly criticised by most Western politicians as it differs from the Western notion of democracy.   As Zhang Weiwei, dean of the China Institute of Fudan University in Shanghai, said, China’s political system does not claim to be universal. Unlike Western democracy, it does not seek…

Winter is not the prime season to visit the rice fields in the village of Xiaotanzi in Dalu Town, Jungar Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China. More than 1,000 mu (about 67 hectares) of land transformed from saline wasteland is left with rows of stubble.   Summer is when this fertile land truly reveals its splendour with its green paddy fields and water full of fish and crabs, said Qiao Xu, deputy secretary of the village’s Party branch. The…

Every winter, flocks of ruddy shelducks fly to Xiaotanzi, a village on the bank of the Yellow River in Jungar Banner in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Here they blithely play over and on the waters, providing a lovely view to people.  The past few years have witnessed the issuance of numerous measures aimed at protecting the Yellow River’s Jungar Banner section that runs 238 km, notably for controlling desertification and industrial wastewater, as well as the introduction of…

As the train engine roars, doors of the wagons gently open at 07:30 a.m., with crew members waiting for the passengers to board before starting the journey for their next destination.  An hour before the departure, Marriam Gadesa heads to the locomotive cabin and quickly tests the locomotive’s power supply, and then starts the engine.   “After the engine is started, I do the electrical and air brake tests. Once all the passengers are onboard, the driver is given a signal…

Jungar Banner in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region boasts abundant coal deposits. With proven coal reserves of 54.4 billion tonnes and potential reserves of over 100 billion tonnes, the banner itself ensures coal supplies of 25 provincial regions across China.  Given that China has committed to peak its carbon emissions by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060, Jungar Banner has been constantly exploring new ways for high-quality development. Through building intelligent coal mines and developing new-type coal chemical…

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China Africa Industrial Forum (CAIF). An outcome of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the mechanism has facilitated China-Africa exchanges and engagement in diverse fields. In the past 15 years, CAIF has helped hundreds of Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa, which has speeded up the continent’s industrialisation in terms of manufacturing, technological training and managerial expertise. ChinAfrica spoke to CAIF Secretary General Cheng Zhigang to learn more about how CAIF facilitates China-Africa…