Window to China - African Times

China Learns to Extract Drinking Water From Air

The innovation is particularly useful for countries and regions experiencing water shortages. Photo: Garfieldbigberm / iStock

Specialists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University have developed a technology that makes it possible to collect drinking water from the atmosphere. This was reported by China Daily, a partner of TV BRICS. The development is based on three processes: condensation, liquid absorption by an absorbent or adsorbent, and a heat pump. Experts explained that the… Continue reading China Learns to Extract Drinking Water From Air

Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization Makes Significant Original Contributions to Global Sustainable Development: Report

This photo shows copies of the think tank report titled "Joining Hands to Advance Toward an Eco-Friendly Modernization -- The Theoretical Contributions and Practical Leadership of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization To Global Sustainable Development." A report focusing on the global significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization was released at the Global Panda Partners 2025 conference in Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province on Friday. The report was co-authored by the National High-Level Think Tank of Xinhua News Agency and the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) — The formation and development of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization have contributed Chinese wisdom and solutions to the global sustainable development predicament, according to a latest think tank report. This thought represents a deep understanding of the laws of evolution of human civilization and the changing landscape of world… Continue reading Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization Makes Significant Original Contributions to Global Sustainable Development: Report

China Achieves Remarkable Results in Improving Residents’ Housing Conditions

This photo taken on Oct. 29, 2025 shows a toilet (L) and a kitchen after renovation at a household in Yangpu District of east China's Shanghai. Shanghai grappled for decades with a deeply personal challenge for many residents: the humble chamber pot. Cramped living spaces nestled within labyrinthine alleyways transformed even the most basic human needs into a challenging daily struggle. In the early 1990s, per capita living space averaged just 6.6 square meters in Shanghai. This was exacerbated by the architectural design of most the traditional Shikumen residences, which lacked private sanitary facilities. As a result, entire lanes often shared a single public toilet. To improve the overall living conditions for local residents, Shanghai embarked a redevelopment project for old neighborhoods in 1992. Through three decades of hard work, by the end of this September, Shanghai had largely completed its mission to eliminate the last of these "hand-carried toilets," a monumental task targeting the final 14,082 households identified just last year. The decades-long effort to retire the chamber pot tells a story of persistent, fine-grained urban governance in China's most populous city. (Xinhua/Chen Haoming)

BEIJING, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) — China has seen remarkable results in improving its residents’ housing conditions since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, an official said on the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency. To address the housing difficulties of… Continue reading China Achieves Remarkable Results in Improving Residents’ Housing Conditions

Unremitting High-Quality Urban Renewal, a Practice of China’s People-Centred Development

China has persistently advanced high-quality urban renewal to improve residents’ sense of happiness, consciously practicing the people-centered development philosophy, and the efforts have paid off. Officials and experts discussed in the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency, how China has continuously improved living conditions and the… Continue reading Unremitting High-Quality Urban Renewal, a Practice of China’s People-Centred Development

Inner Mongolia’s Practice of the Two Mountains Theory

A visitor poses for a photo in the Horqin Sandy Land in Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on 29 July (HU FAN)

Twenty years ago, during an inspection tour of Yucun, a heavily polluted village in Zhejiang Province, Xi Jinping, then secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, put forward a profound idea: “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” This insight, now widely known as the “Two Mountains” theory, has since become a cornerstone of… Continue reading Inner Mongolia’s Practice of the Two Mountains Theory

From Desert Dunes to Green Forests and Fertile Farmland, Tongliao in Inner Mongolia Offers a Blueprint for Ecological and Economic Restoration

Locals plant trees in the Horqin Sandy Land in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (COURTESY)

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 a 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… Continue reading From Desert Dunes to Green Forests and Fertile Farmland, Tongliao in Inner Mongolia Offers a Blueprint for Ecological and Economic Restoration

Hulun Buir’s Grasslands Rebound Through Modern Herding and Sustainable, Cooperative Practices

Sheep are grazing at the Red-Headed Sheep breeding base in Old Barag Banner on 1 August (HU FAN)

On the vast Hulun Buir steppe in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, grasslands stretch as far as the eye can see. Known as one of the world’s four great grasslands and celebrated as the “kingdom of flora and fauna in north China,” the region has long been a cradle of traditional nomadic culture and… Continue reading Hulun Buir’s Grasslands Rebound Through Modern Herding and Sustainable, Cooperative Practices

Clean Energy Boosts Industrial Development in Tongliao

Wind turbines rise above the forest in Nugusitai Town, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on 28 July (HU FAN)

Energy has long played an indispensable role in the economic growth of Tongliao, a city on the eastern edge of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The city’s abundant coal reserves once provided a competitive advantage, fuelling the energy-intensive process of aluminium production. Over the years, Tongliao grew into the largest aluminium industry base in northeast China,… Continue reading Clean Energy Boosts Industrial Development in Tongliao

Inner Mongolia’s Forest Protection Paves the Way for Sustainable Development

Fu Lihong (right) and her students at an educational workshop in the forest in Arxan, Hinggan League, on 31 July (HU FAN)

Tucked away in the northeastern corner of China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the vast forests of the Greater Hinggan Mountains have undergone a remarkable transformation. Once heavily threatened by commercial logging, this region now exemplifies the transition to ecological preservation, with local communities incorporating conservation into their daily lives and future plans. Caring for the… Continue reading Inner Mongolia’s Forest Protection Paves the Way for Sustainable Development

China’s Vast Market Opportunities on Full Display at CIIE

The 8th CIIE, which runs from Nov. 5 to 10, has seen an ever-growing number of enterprises flocking to Shanghai to tap the great potential of consumption and innovation on offer there. The CIIE serves as a tangible part of China’s major policy to push for a new round of high-standard opening up, and provides… Continue reading China’s Vast Market Opportunities on Full Display at CIIE