When one steps inside Caoxian’s Youai Cloud Warehouse, a livestreaming base dedicated to hanfu, it feels less like a clothing warehouse and more like a time capsule. Thousands of intricately embroidered garments line the racks – from elegant horse-face skirts to modernised editions of traditional Chinese clothing.  On one side, livestreamers dressed in hanfu smile at their smartphone cameras, twirling for their online audiences while the chime of incoming orders punctuates the air. Behind them, visitors run their hands over organza fabrics, marvelling…

In the sweltering heat of summer, a visitor to Nugusitai Town of Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, might find it hard to recognise the landscape. Once desolate expanse of drifting sand, the hillsides are now cloaked in lush forest. Tall wind turbines rotate quietly, and wetlands glimmer between groves of forest, providing a haven for waterfowl.  What used to be a land of flying sand unable to even provide fodder for cattle has now become a place where residents…

The signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Kigali, Rwanda, on 21 March 2018 spurred a wave of optimism in street markets and corporate boardrooms alike. The 44 countries joining this single market pledged to remove tariffs on 90 percent of goods, knitting economies together in an unprecedented fashion.  Just over a year later, on 30 May 2019, the AfCFTA formally came into force, and trading began on 1 January 2021 – creating the world’s largest free trade area by…

Vigorous discussions surrounding DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence (AI) models, which began early this year, continued at the Two Sessions – the annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – held from 4 to 11 March. It shows how China is rapidly growing into a vast market for AI technologies, with cutting-edge innovations increasingly integrated across various sectors of the economy.   NPC deputies, CPPCC National Committee members, and observers…

Propelled by the synergy of policy, technology, and market demand, the low-altitude economy has emerged as a powerful driver of high-quality development in China. This burgeoning sector is reshaping traditional industries while forging new strategic pathways for China to excel in the global competitive arena.  In recent years, the sector has experienced rapid expansion. By 2023, China’s low-altitude economy surpassed 500 billion yuan ($68.6 billion), with an annual growth rate of 33.8 percent, according to the China Centre for Information…

Volocopter, a pioneering German company in the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft sector, recently filed for bankruptcy, drawing significant international attention. Founded in 2011, Volocopter was hailed as a leader in the emerging air taxi industry, benefitting from technological breakthroughs and substantial international investment.  The reasons for Volocopter’s collapse, analysts suggest, include a lack of funding, cumbersome regulatory processes, and insufficient policy support. This bankruptcy underscores the ongoing problems in the eVTOL industry, which still faces challenges of…

The 16th sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) concluded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 14 December 2024. Centred around the theme Our Land Our Future, the conference adopted 39 resolutions addressing drought response, scientific innovation, dust storms, and future budgeting after 13 days of deliberations. These efforts have set a new blueprint for combating desertification and land degradation worldwide, opening a fresh chapter in global cooperation.  Notably, the conference…

Tanzanian exhibitors were in the spotlight at the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) held in Shanghai, east China, from 5 to 10 November. Participating in the expo for the seventh time, the country was among one of the six guests of honour for this year and saw more Tanzanian firms joining in.  Jackson Mponela, production manager for commerce and development of a Tanzanian processor of agricultural products such as beeswax and honey, saw the CIIE as a good opportunity…