OPINION: XINJIANG COTTON PLOT P.31 | FEATURES: -EUROPE RAILS P.34

VOL.64 NO.15 APRIL 15, 2021 WWW.BJREVIEW.COM

A WHOLE NEW WORLD Boao 2021 aims to reshape growth confidence

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CONTENTS

EDITOR’S DESK 22 Risk Assessment FEATURES Potential economic risks in the 02 Return of the 34 Rails Rolling Out post-COVID-19 era China-Europe freight trains pick up steam Boao Forum 36 Opportunity Lab OPINION THIS WEEK FTZ offers new opportunities to 26 Understanding the CPC young entrepreneurs COVER STORY Dispelling myths about 38 When Women Pull the Purse Strings 12 Setting a New Agenda China’s ruling Party “Sheconomy” is progressively noteworthy Boao 2021 addresses the 28 Intensive Efforts to 40 A New Frame of Mind needs of a world in change Address Climate Change Mental health awareness on the rise 16 For a Shared Future Upping the ante on climate 42 Critical Makeover The BFA vision and mission commitments Medical reform offers lower drug prices go beyond 30 The U.S. Propaganda 19 Silk Road for Health Warfare Against China CULTURE meets How claims of Uygur 46 global health governance “genocide” might stir up panic Scenes From Xinjiang Exploring the beauty and color of 20 Getting Ready to Invest 31 The Truth About the autonomous region Abroad Xinjiang Cotton

China is ready to further Ban on Xinjiang to have engage in OFDI little effect EXPAT’S EYE 48 Encountering the Palace Cats Cover Design: Cui Xiaodong The unofficial feline guards of the Palace Museum

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MEDIA PARTNER BREAKING NEWS » SCAN ME » Using a QR code reader Please recycle EDITOR’S DESK Return of the Boao Forum A News Weekly Magazine The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual tional cooperation, as well as provided Published Since 1958 Conference 2021, set to take place on an “Asian perspective” for the improve- April 18-21 in Boao, Province, ment of global governance. This in turn President: Yafang will center around the theme A World explains the theme of this year’s BFA Associate Editor in Chief: Li Jianguo Associate President: Yan Ying in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen edition. Global Governance and Advance Belt China was the only major world Executive Editor: Yan Wei Associate Executive Editors: Zan Jifang, Liu Yunyun, Ding Ying and Road Cooperation. economy that realized positive growth Production Director: Yao Bin This year’s BFA annual conference in 2020 despite the setbacks brought Editorial Administrators: Zeng Wenhui, Hou Beibei Assistant Executive Editor: Li Fangfang is a special one as it occurs under the on by the pandemic, and it will take Commentator: Lan Xinzhen as of yet unrelenting influence of the on a more active role with its contri- Editors: Wang Hairong, Li Nan Editorial Consultants: Sudeshna Sarkar, Madhusudan Chaubey, COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, it is butions to global economic growth. Elsbeth van Paridon officially the world’s first major large- Consequently, this year’s BFA annual Reporters: Tang Yuankai, Wang Jun, Pan Xiaoqiao, Yuan Yuan, Ji Jing, Lu Yan, Wen Qing, Li Qing, Li Xiaoyang, Ma Miaomiao, scale international conference to take conference will include a module called Zhang Shasha, Tao Xing, Tao Zihui place mainly offline this year. This con- Explore China, discussing China’s de- Visual Director: Pamela Tobey Photo Editor: Wang Xiang ference will see dozens of leaders from velopment trends and its impact on the Photographer: Wei Yao countries and international organiza- recovery of the world economy. Art: Li Shigong Design Director: Wang Yajuan tions and former dignitaries, as well as Furthermore, this year marks the Chief Designer: Cui Xiaodong a number of prominent figures from the 20th anniversary of the forum. As a Designer: Zhao Boyu Proofreading: Ma Xin political and business circles, attending non-governmental, non-profit and open Human Resources: Zhang Yajie both online and offline. international organization convening on Legal Counsel: Yue Cheng Given the impact of the pandemic a regular basis, at a fixed location, the North America Bureau on the global economy, the primary task BFA advocates equality, mutual benefit Chief: Yu Shujun Tel/Fax: 1-201-792-0334 of this year’s BFA annual conference is and win-win cooperation. After 20 years E-mail: [email protected] to help countries build a consensus on of development, it has become one of the Africa Bureau Chief Correspondent: Ni Yanshuo development and reshape growth confi- most influential cooperation platforms in Tel: 27-71-6132053 dence for the post-pandemic era. all of Asia. E-mail: [email protected] General Editorial Office With the flow of production factors Whereas the current multilateral Tel: 86-10-68996252 disrupted, the Belt and Road coopera- cooperation mechanism is facing se- Fax: 86-10-68326628 English Edition tion has promoted economic recovery vere challenges, the BFA is bound to Tel: 86-10-68996250 across Asia and its adjacent regions, play a more crucial role in safeguarding Advertising Department Tel: 86-10-68995807 demonstrated the determination of globalization and the multilateral trade E-mail: [email protected] Asian countries to promote interna- system. BR Distribution Department Tel: 86-10-68310644 E-mail: [email protected]

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2 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 15, 2021 http://www.bjreview.com THIS WEEK XINHUA

CITY OF THE FUTURE An aerial photo taken on April 1 shows the Xiongan Railway Station of the Beijing-Xiongan intercity railway in Xiongan New Area, Hebei Province. Xiongan celebrated its fourth anniversary that day. The new area was constructed with the intention of relieving Beijing of functions non-essential to its role as national capital and to advance the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Over the past four years, Xiongan has made new breakthroughs in key areas of transportation, ecology and industry, and basic public services have continued to improve.

http://www.bjreview.com APRIL 15, 2021 BEIJING REVIEW 3 THIS WEEK SOCIETY XINHUA holiday in China, according to the Ministry of Transport. Compared with the same pe- riod last year, the figure surged 142.4 percent for the three-day holiday, which lasted from April 3 to 5 this year, it said. Airlines handled nearly 4.33 million passenger trips during the holiday, a jump of 256.4 per- cent year on year, the ministry estimated. Meanwhile, the passenger load factor, which measures how much of an airline’s available seating capacity is used, was estimated to be 73.4 percent, up 8.1 percentage points from a year ago. Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, was observed on April 4 this year. It is a traditional Chinese holiday Unique Landform during which people pay tribute A view of the Lanzhou Shuimo Danxia Scenic Spot, soon to be open for tourism in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, to deceased family members. on April 5. Many also spend the holiday traveling. Poverty after being found guilty of separatism, violence, terrorism, Identification Separatist Group crimes of separatism, taking and religious extremism in the Poverty identification in China Authorities in Xinjiang Uygur bribes and several other crimes. 2003 and 2009 editions of the has been a dynamic process, Autonomous Region revealed Sawut, born in November textbooks. which helps ensure its accuracy, on April 6 that they had busted 1947 in Toksun County, Xinjiang, Under the influence of Xia Gengsheng, deputy head of a separatist criminal group in the pleaded guilty to the crimes and the textbooks, several people the national administration for educational sector. did not file an appeal against the (already convicted) participated rural vitalization, said at a press The group’s leader was verdict. in terrorist attacks in Urumqi conference on April 6. Sattar Sawut, former Director of Sawut took advantage of on July 5, 2009, and April 30, In China, identification of the the Xinjiang education depart- compiling and publishing ethnic 2014, respectively, or became poor is not a once-and-for-all ment and former head of the assessment and regular adjust- language textbooks for primary key members of a separatist region’s leading group on basic- ments are being made to make and secondary schools to split group headed by former college education curriculum reform. the results more precise, Xia said. the country, starting in 2002. He teacher Ilham Tohti, the court They incorporated ethnic sepa- Some 89.62 million people then instructed others to pick found. ratism, violence, terrorism, and were identified as poor in 2014, several people with separatist Sawut also took advantage religious extremism content into while re-examinations were views to join the textbook compi- of his government posts to minority-language textbooks. lation team. conducted between 2015 and accept bribes amounting to a These books had been in use Sawut demanded they in- 2016 to exclude those who had total of 15.05 million yuan ($2.3 for 13 years. It had grave conse- corporate content that preached been wrongly identified and million). quences, Wang Langtao, Vice ethnic separatism, violence, ter- enlist those not included initially. President of the Xinjiang regional rorism, and religious extremism Starting from 2017, adjustments higher people’s court, said at a into the textbooks to split the Increased Trips have been made every year to press conference on April 6. state. It is estimated 144.52 million improve the accuracy of the Sawut was sentenced to The investigation also domestic trips were made dur- identification process. death with a two-year reprieve found 84 texts preaching ethnic ing the Tomb-Sweeping Day Expounding on the process,

4 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 15, 2021 http://www.bjreview.com THIS WEEK XINHUA Xia said the identification is car- illegal pollutant emissions along ried out in three ways and poor the Yangtze River. households can either report A total of 8,024 suspects their difficulties to the authorities were apprehended, and 427 themselves or seek help from criminal rings were dismantled community-level officials, who amid a three-year campaign are familiar with their situation, against illegal fishing on the for the reporting. river, which was launched last Government departments June. would also learn about the cir- cumstances of the poor through Pig Clones big data such as sudden changes Chinese scientists have com- in their medical expenditure or pleted a somatic cell cloning employment status, Xia said. experiment, successfully facilitat- ing the births of five pigs native Anti-Crime Efforts to China, which will help reduce Law enforcement targeting the threat of African swine fever illegal fishing and sand mining to pig breeding, Xinhua News along the Yangtze River will Agency reported on April 2. Practice Makes Perfect become more effective as The pigs, marked by their Students from Oymak Boarding School ride horses during an police forces along the river black hair and white feet, were equestrian class in Burqin County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous and customs authorities inked cloned by a scientific team in Region, on March 29. The Oymak Boarding School began to offer a cooperation agreement on Taicang City, Jiangsu Province. equestrian classes at the end of 2019. Most students are from April 1. They are currently in good herdsmen families. The effort will see the health. Yangtze River Shipping Public If an outbreak of African Security Bureau, which is in swine fever were to occur at charge of law and order along a breeding farm, it would the river’s primary stream, join- pose a risk to genetic porcine far been infected. tubes of somatic cells since last ing hands with anti-smuggling resources, therefore the bio- China reported its first case year. forces in customs departments. logical breeding technologies of the disease in August 2018 “Using somatic cells to clone They will also join police from are necessary to strengthen the in Liaoning Province. Later pigs can realize the preserva- 11 provincial-level areas along protection of such resources, outbreaks were reported across tion of 100 percent of genetic the river, the Ministry of Public said Gong Yuqing, who is a several other provinces. materials,” Wu Shenglong, a Security announced. team researcher. Gong said that the team has team member, said, adding that China has continued to in- African swine fever is be- collected ear tissue samples such cloning technologies can tensify its crackdowns on illegal lieved to infect only pigs, and no from six types of pigs native to replicate particularly good native fishing, illegal sand mining, and human or other species has thus China and cryopreserved 1,217 pigs in large numbers. XINHUA

Fun Times Macaques have fun at the Nanwan Monkey Islet in Lingshui County, Hainan Province, on April 4. Nanwan Monkey Islet is a nature reserve with over 2500 macaques.

http://www.bjreview.com APRIL 15, 2021 BEIJING REVIEW 5 THIS WEEKECONOMY

cars and Shanghai more than 4 Requiring only adjustments revenue growth will be signifi- Vehicle Ownership million. to parts of business rules, market cantly higher than the global In the first quarter of the year, products, technical systems, and average of 101 percent, making 9.66 million new motor vehicles, Boards Merged issuance and listing arrange- China one of the leading poten- including 7.5 million cars, were ments, the merger will have little tial markets. registered in China, the Ministry The Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) on April 6 merged its impact on market operations and The number of potential of Public Security said on April 6. investors’ transactions in general, cloud game users in China is According to the ministry, main board with its board the exchange said. expected to reach 60.65 million this brought the total number of of small and medium-sized According to the SZSE, fixed in 2021. motor vehicles in the country to enterprises amid efforts to unify income products, futures, and As many educational, enter- 378 million, including 287 mil- business rules and supervision options products would remain tainment and social functions of lion cars. modes. mostly unaffected, and the televisions have been activated Newly registered new-energy After 16 years of develop- Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock during the COVID-19 pandemic cars reached 466,000, account- ment, listed firms on both boards connect program would not be and the ensuing recovery period, ing for over 6 percent of total have converged in terms of affected either. interactive entertainment in living registrations. China currently has market value, performance and rooms may provide additional 5.51 million new-energy cars. trading characteristics, according opportunities for the develop- Altogether 8.39 million peo- to the exchange. Cloud Gaming ment of cloud gaming, the report ple obtained the driver’s license The merger conforms to the The revenue of China’s cloud said. in the first quarter. The number law of market development and gaming market is expected to of licensed motor vehicle drivers it is also an inherent requirement grow at a compound annual reached 463 million, 425 million for building a concise and clear rate of 135 percent from 2020 Foreign Investment of whom were car drivers. market system, the SZSE said. to 2023, according to a report China’s securities market saw Seventy-two cities had more Issuance and listing condi- jointly released by the Tencent net inflows of overseas funds than 1 million cars by the end of tions, investor thresholds, trading Research Institute and Newzoo, totaling $254.7 billion last year, March, five more than during the mechanisms, and stock codes a global gaming and e-sports a surge of 73 percent year on same period last year. Among and abbreviations remain un- analytics provider. year, the State Administration them, Beijing had over 6 million changed after the merger. The report said the estimated of Foreign Exchange (SAFE)

Comprehensive Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI)

60 55.7 54.2 54.1 54.5 55.1 55.3 55.1 55.3 55 53.0 53.4 53.4 52.8 51.6 Over 50 = Expansion 50 Under 50 = Contraction 45

40

35

30

25

20 MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR 2020 2021

6 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 15, 2021 http://www.bjreview.com THIS WEEK said in a report. June and October of last year. It A total of 300 billion yuan Chongqing FTZ since its creation A total of $190.5 billion went is expected to attract purchasers ($45.75 billion) under a special in 2017, Zhang Zhikui, Director of to bonds, up 86 percent from from more than 220 countries loan program for innovation the commission, said at a press a year ago, and $64.1 billion to and regions, Chu Shijia, an of- and research will be arranged briefing on March 31. equities, up 43 percent. ficial with the organizer, said. for the next five years, the bank More than 75 percent of the The report attributed the During the pandemic, the said, adding that 50 billion yuan newly registered enterprises are significant growth in Chinese online fair will not only help do- ($7.62 billion) will be offered this engaged in the transportation, in- securities’ overseas holdings to mestic foreign trade enterprises year. formation transmission, software China’s promising economic receive more orders and expand The special loan program and information technology development prospects, prudent market opportunities, but also will mainly be used for support- services, and hi-tech industries, monetary policy, and high- inject momentum into the global ing fundamental research and Zhang added. level opening up of the financial economic recovery by contribut- original innovation to facilitate The FTZ is now home to one market. ing to the stability of the global the implementation of strategic fourth of Chongqing’s foreign industrial and supply chains, projects on science and technol- trade firms, contributing approxi- Trade Fair Chu added. ogy, according to the bank. mately 70 percent of its import A total of 2.63 million exhibits Founded in 1957, the Canton and export volume and attract- had been submitted by 25,000 Fair is seen as an important ba- Chongqing FTZ ing over 40 percent of foreign enterprises registered for the rometer of China’s foreign trade. The pilot free trade zone (FTZ) in direct investment. 129th Session of the China Import Chongqing Municipality has re- Chongqing was approved and Export Fair, also known as Innovation Support corded a boom in market entity as a port of entry for imported the Canton Fair, according to , one registrations over the last four pharmaceutical products in the China Foreign Trade Center of the country’s policy banks, years, with emerging industries February. It is the only such port (Group), the organizer of the has pledged to beef up its finan- accounting for the lion’s share, in west China and the fourth event, on April 2. cial support for scientific and according to the municipal com- in the Chinese mainland fol- The fair will take place technological innovation during mission of commerce. lowing Beijing, Shanghai and online between April 15 and 24, the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) Over 50,000 enterprises Guangzhou in Guangdong following two virtual events in period. have been established in the Province.

Manufacturing PMI Non-Manufacturing PMI

60 60 56.4 55.2 55.9 56.2 55.7 56.3 53.2 53.6 54.4 54.2 55 52.0 52.1 51.9 51.9 55 52.3 52.4 50.8 50.6 50.9 51.1 51.0 51.5 51.4 51.3 50.6 51.4 50 50

45 45

40 40

35 35

30 30

25 25

20 20 MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR 2020 2021 2020 2021

(Source: National Bureau of Statistics) http://www.bjreview.com APRIL 15, 2021 BEIJING REVIEW 7 THIS WEEK WORLD XINHUA XINHUA   UNITED STATES RWANDA People march across New York President Paul Kagame and first lady City’s Brooklyn Bridge in protest Jeannette Kagame light the Flame of against anti-Asian hate crimes Remembrance for the 27th commemoration on April 4 of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, at the Kigali Genocide Memorial on April 7  IMF International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief Economist Gita Gopinath speaks at a virtual press briefing in Washington,

XINHUA D.C., the U.S., on April 6. The IMF has projected that the global economy will grow by 6 percent in 2021

8 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 15, 2021 http://www.bjreview.com THIS WEEK 

YEMEN Local residents pay tribute to the Chinese martyrs who sacrificed their lives promoting the friendship between China and Yemen at a cemetery in Sanaa on April 5 XINHUA XINHUA  PORTUGAL People ride their bike past the Belem Tower in Lisbon on April 5, the day when the country’s deconfinement program’s second phase started

 CAMBODIA Police block National Road 5 to prevent cars from entering and leaving Phnom Penh on April 7. A 14-day ban on cross-province travel was imposed in an attempt

XINHUA to halt the spread of COVID-19 http://www.bjreview.com APRIL 15, 2021 BEIJING REVIEW 9 THIS WEEK PEOPLE & POINTS

 CHINESE BASKETBALL ICON MAKES FIBA HALL OF FAME CLASS Nine players and three coaches featured on the list for the FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2021, announced by the world basketball governing body on April 1. Former center of the Chinese women’s team, Zheng Haixia, was one of them. She became the first Chinese player to earn such an accolade. A long-serving member of the Chinese team, Zheng, born in 1967, led it to win Olympic bronze in 1984 and silver in 1992. She also finished third in 1983 and came in second in 1994 at the World Championships. The Chinese Basketball Association on April 2 sent Zheng a con- gratulatory letter. “Zheng’s achievements in the national team are not only her personal glory, but also the results of the concerted efforts from all members on the team. Their fighting spirit and determination on the court set a good example for young players,” the letter said. Created in 2007, the FIBA Hall of Fame currently features over 110 exceptional players and coaches from 37 countries and regions.

standard and introduce an evaluation Customized Tour mechanism. Beijing Youth Daily Selling personalized services should not become the cradle of legitimate loop- April 5 holes. Today, the contracts drafted by each Customized tours have been gaining individual company reduce the number more favor with Chinese people. It has of clauses clarifying the liabilities of the To Have More Children become an alternative option, aside from companies and advisors and shift some of Oriental Outlook the traditional group or independent the responsibilities onto the consumers. April 1 tours. Bearing in mind their consumers’ Additionally, they fail to highlight the risks specific needs, travel advisors help them which are necessary to remind people of China’s population policy has been design routes and arrange various affairs before they pay for the products. changing with time and demands. Since within their budgets. Hence, authorities such as the Ministry 2013, having two children is encouraged. Thanks to more enterprises operating of Culture and Tourism and the State Today, besides the financial burden, within the business, residents living in Administration for Market Regulation how to further your career is a major third- and fourth-tier cities can also enjoy should investigate any problems in this worry for many, especially women, when the services at lower prices. However, the regard and draw up a standard model for coming face to face with the topic of industry still needs to establish a uniform tour agencies to follow.

“As the demand for Chinese vaccines “Clearly, ASEAN won’t involve itself grows, it means that the international in any geopolitical games and the community has a positive evaluation ASEAN mechanism can’t be of the high level and safety of downplayed. With or without the U.S., Chinese vaccines.” China-ASEAN momentum will grow in Seymur Mammadov, Director of the international expert view of the fast trade volume growth club EurAsiaAz, in an article on the China Daily website on April 3 last year in spite of the epidemic.” Xu Liping, Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, in an interview with Global Times on April 5

“Keeping international markets 10 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 15, 2021 http://www.bjreview.com