With this year's Mid-Autumn Festival drawing near, China's tourism market is gearing up for another surge in travel and consumption activity, building on the strong momentum from a bustling summer travel season, industry insiders and experts said.
They predict that this year's Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, from September 15 to 17, will see sustained high demand for short-distance travel. Combined with the upcoming National Day holidays, this is expected to inject continued vitality into consumption, contributing to economic growth in the latter half of the year.
Data from China's online travel services platform Fliggy showed a double-digit increase in bookings for hotels, domestic car rentals, and tickets for this popular traditional festival compared to 2019. The overall booking volume for the Mid-Autumn Festival holidays is significantly higher compared to the Dragon Boat Festival, despite both having a three-day duration.
Hotel reservations have surged by around 50 percent from 2019 levels, with high-end and boutique accommodation accounting for 60 percent of total bookings, according to a recent report published by Fliggy.
Several travel service platforms in China have reported that the Mid-Autumn Festival travel trend is dominated by short to mid-distance trips, with "micro-vacations" to nearby cities and provinces being especially popular. Routes within a two-hour drive or three-hour high-speed rail journey are particularly busy.
According to Tuniu, an online travel platform, nearly 40 percent of travelers are planning short trips to local or nearby areas during the festival, with around 30 percent opting to start their journeys 1-2 days before the festival.
Experts attribute the strong travel demand to favorable weather, off-peak prices, and the traditional cultural significance of family reunions during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
"Emerging travel trends, including cultural tours, urban leisure, and sports tourism, not only reflect an expansion in the Chinese consumption preferences but also promise to inject sustained vitality into the domestic economy," Jiang Yiyi, vice dean from the School of Leisure Sports and Tourism at Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times on Saturday.
Tuniu's report revealed that theme parks, resort getaways, and traditional cultural tours are among the most popular bookings for this year. Another online travel service provider Tongcheng reports a 77 percent increase in searches for ancient towns and gardens over the past week.
Moreover, the buzz surrounding China's home-developed blockbuster game Black Myth: Wukong has highlighted the rich cultural heritage of North China's Shanxi Province, where many of its filming locations are situated. As a result, Taiyuan, Datong, and Shuozhou in Shanxi have recently become popular destinations.
Data from the travel platform Mafengwo indicated that Mount Wutai in Shanxi, a notable filming location for the popular video game, topped the list of favored 'moon-viewing' destinations for this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, per media reports.
Yu Jia, a tourism enthusiast from Changzhi in southeastern Shanxi, told the Global Times on Saturday that she has planned a driving holiday with two of her friends to Taiyuan and Datong, inspired by the cultural sites shown during the game.
China's recent summer travel season broke records for passenger volumes and saw strong growth in bookings and spending. Jiang expects this momentum to carry into the coming month, potentially boosting sectors like transportation, hospitality, and cultural products.
China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said in a notice on Thursday that it determined that brandy from the EU has been dumped in the Chinese market, posing a threat to the domestic brandy industry.
It also found that there is a causal relationship between the dumping practice and the threat of substantial harm, the MOFCOM said in the notice on its official website.
Provisional anti-dumping measures will not be implemented in this case for now, according to the notice.
Chinese experts said the probe complies with Chinese law and WTO rules, while the initial decision takes into account the overall China-EU economic and trade relationship, creating a relatively favorable atmosphere for the ongoing consultations over the EU's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), and the EU should cherish China's sincerity.
The decision not to impose provisional anti-dumping measures reflects a consideration of the overall economic and trade relationship with the EU. It is hoped that the EU will handle relevant trade friction in a compliant manner, Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday.
While no measures are being taken now, China reserves the right to take further action if necessary, Cui said.
From the beginning, China has adhered to WTO procedures in addressing trade disputes with the EU. The investigation was initiated at the request of the domestic industry and conducted in line with WTO practices. This stands in contrast to the unilateral trade protectionism measures taken by the EU against some Chinese industries, Cui noted.
China's anti-dumping investigation into brandy from the EU, prompted by a complaint from the domestic brandy industry, neither targets any specific EU member state nor carries predefined findings, said China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao in April.
China will conduct the investigation openly and transparently in accordance with Chinese law and WTO rules, while fully safeguarding the rights of all stakeholders, added the minister.
The MOFCOM held an anti-dumping hearing on imported EU brandy on July 18, 2024 which covered industrial damage, cause and effect, and public interest in the anti-dumping probe of related brandy products. It aims to ensure that the investigation procedure is fair, just and transparent, the ministry said.
China started the anti-dumping investigation on January 5, following a request from the China Alcoholic Drinks Association on behalf of the domestic industry. The probe is expected to end before January 5, 2025, but may be extended for half a year under special circumstances, according to the MOFCOM.
Fortunate Punungwe, a 20-something African radiographer, starts her daily work on Wednesdays by reviewing the patient list and making sure all the X-ray equipment is set up and working properly. Her work is mainly about using portable devices alongside artificial intelligence (AI) technology to spot tuberculosis (TB) patients in Zimbabwe, where over 40 percent estimated TB cases reportedly go undiagnosed.
The African continent as a whole accounts for 23 percent of TB cases and 33 percent of deaths globally., according to an article published on WHO website.
At the beginning of the year, Zimbabwe in collaboration with Chinese tech company Infervision, applied AI in larger scale in local community TB detection. Punungwe joined the program and received training at that time.
According to her, the wide use of digital technology, especially AI, has been a "game-changer" for Zimbabwe, with far-reaching impact on the country's healthcare system.
"Before, the screening process was slower and relied a lot on the radiographer's experience. Now, with AI, we can analyze X-rays much faster and handle more cases each day without sacrificing quality. This also means patients can get diagnosed and start treatment much sooner, which is crucial in stopping the spread of TB," she told the Global Times on Wednesdays.
Punungwe now could screen about 80 to 150 patients on a busy day. And she believed that the cutting-edge technology imported from China has been "making a real difference" in the lives of local people.
Bilateral cooperation momentum in emerging industries like AI is just a recent example of Chinese companies' active participation in Africa's digital and technological transformation. From building digital infrastructure, launching mobile payment to setting up tech know-how training center, there has been no shortage of evidence underscoring how collaboration between China and Africa complements each other's advantage, leads to win-win result and illustrates South-South cooperation that defies zero-sum mind-set.
This year marks the 11th anniversary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), under which China-Africa cooperation flourished. The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be also held in Beijing from September 4 to 6. Industry insiders expected that the summit to build on previous achievements, while unfolding a new chapter of digital and tech cooperation between the two economies that will close Africa's digital divide and open new avenues to propel its modernization and industrialization push.
Cooperation in tech, digital fields
A spokesperson of Infervision told the Global Times on Wednesday that cooperation in emerging sectors like AI has allowed Chinese companies to fully leverage their advantages, taking account of China's expertise in AI good quality data and leading technology advancement. Also, there's capacity building and knowledge transfer throughout the process, which enable local professionals to improve their skills. The company also plans to further advance to more sub-Saharan African region where rates of TB remain high.
China is currently one of the major countries exporting AI technology and products to Africa. The booming AI cooperation also aligns with the development priorities of the African region, where a number of countries have rolled out AI strategies and stepped up investment in digital infrastructure.
Recent estimates suggest that AI could increase boost Africa's economy by $2.9 trillion by 2030 - the equivalent of increasing annual GDP by 3 percent.
"Collaboration between China and Africa in AI and digital technology has the potential to be revolutionary. Some of the African development problems in Africa can be addressed with the help of China's AI tech breakthroughs," Toumert AI, the General Secretary of the China Morocco Friendship Association, told the Global Times.
As the two economies further spearhead cooperation, he also highlighted the massive opportunities that AI technology could unleash for Africa's modernization efforts across several sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, and education.
Observers stressed that as the expansion of digital infrastructure lays the foundation for widespread application of AI, African nations can also benefit from China's experiences in developing and implementing digital infrastructure to further boost their technological capabilities.
In addition to infrastructure, cooperation between China and Africa in the digital sector has takes taken various forms in the past decades, ranging from information devices, mobile phones and internet applications, which have enhanced Africa's level of digital connectivity and brought technological convenience to its residents, a spokesperson of Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Transsion told the Global Times. Transsion accounts for over 40 percent of Africa's smartphone market.
Setting an example
Since 2000 when the FOCAC was formally founded,Since the founding of the Forum on FOCAC in 2000, Chinese companies have helped African countries build a communications backbone network of 150,000 kilometers and a network service covering nearly 700 million user terminals, according to the white paper entitled "China and Africa in the New Era: A Partnership of Equals." white paper.
Botswana's Digital Delta Data Center, undertaken by the Botswanan branch of China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co (CJIC), is another case of Chinese companies' involvement in Africa's digital infrastructure construction. The two-storey date data center, located at the capital of Gaborone, is another milestone of BRI cooperation and has become the country's largest data center when delivered last year.
Li Qing, the manager of the Botswanan branch, told the Global Times that the data center is vital to ensuring Botswana's network data security.
"Network data exchange will no longer be conducted through data centers in other countries. Meanwhile, the internet speed is also expected to greatly improve, which in turn will significantly promote the development of network transaction, data mobile payment, contributing to digital economy growth in Botswana," Li noted.
Africa is a "blue ocean market" with a population exceeding 1.4 billion. It also has the world's youngest population, meaning that its digital economy has great potential and will expand steadily with the penetration of digital infrastructure, the Transsion spokesperson said.
"We look forward that the upcoming summit will deepen bilateral ties and usher a new chapter of cooperation between China and Africa, especially leading to substantial, deeper development in digital and technology fields," the spokesperson said, stressing that China will play an even greater role in Africa's future digital transformation.
While certain Western forces have been spreading false narratives around China-Africa cooperation and stigmata slandering on digital collaboration, observers stressed that China's engagement with Africa is based on mutual benefits and mutual respect, and is voluntary.
"China's approach, which addresses Africa's genuine needs at heart, is fundamentally different from certain Western countries' whose moves which are out of zero-sum and hegemonic mind-set," Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times.
The US government's decision to once again postpone the announcement of a final determination for additional tariffs on a wide range of Chinese products, including electric vehicles (EVs), fully reflected the growing opposition from US businesses and industries, Chinese experts said on Sunday.
As the US continues to intensify its crackdown against Chinese products, the costs for US businesses and consumers will continue to increase, which will in turn translate into growing criticism of the protectionist US actions. Washington should stop politicizing trade issues and focus on addressing disputes through ongoing talks, experts noted.
The US Trade Representative's Office (USTR) was scheduled to announce the final determination for the hefty tariffs last week, but on Friday it delayed the announcement again, Reuters reported on Friday.
A USTR spokesperson was quoted by Reuters as saying that it would make the final determination public "in the coming days."
This was the second time that the US delayed the announcement. At the end of July, the USTR also announced that the implementation of the tariffs, which had been scheduled for August 1, would be delayed for at least two weeks.
The postponements came as the USTR faces growing criticism from US businesses and industries, which are worried about additional costs resulting from the tariffs. Some EV battery makers, including Ford Motor Co, urged the USTR to reduce the proposed 25 percent tariff on graphite used in battery anodes, according to Reuters.
"I think the postponements are due mainly to the opposition from the US domestic industries," Xin Qiang, an expert on US studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Sunday.
Xin said that many US businesses will still have to buy the products from Chinese producers even if the US government imposes additional tariffs, but "only at higher costs."
He said that the US government has previously ignored the opposition of US domestic industries in implementing additional tariffs on Chinese products. However, "the opposition toward the planned tariffs on a new batch of Chinese products has grown louder, which is having a greater impact on the US government's decision-making, because it faces the risks of economic losses if it continues to crack down on China."
Chinese officials have also repeatedly criticized the US crackdown against Chinese businesses and products, as the two sides continue to hold talks.
On August 27 and 28, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, held talks with visiting US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Chinese and US trade officials also plan to hold a meeting in North China's Tianjinon September 7, the Chinese Commerce Ministry announced on Thursday.
Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Sunday that the ongoing talks are conducive for the two sides to exchange views on issues of mutual concern and at least try to find ways to address policies that affect bilateral and even global trade.
Xin noted that Chinese officials repeatedly raised serious concerns over the additional US tariffs during recent talks.
"If the US government hopes to stabilize China-US ties, imposing additional tariffs will only cause further damage," Xin said.
As Japan seeks another record defense budget of 8.5 trillion yen ($59 billion) for fiscal 2025, Chinese experts said on Saturday that the continuous increase reflects the militarism resurgence of the country which has committed serious humanitarian crimes in the past, and that Japan's dangerous ambition warrants global vigilance and should be jointly stopped by the international community.
Japan's Defense Ministry requested a record budget of 8.5 trillion yen for fiscal 2025 on Friday, aiming to enhance remote island security by deploying unmanned vehicles "amid China's growing military assertiveness," Japanese media outlet Kyodo News reported.
The ministry also wants to use its budget to prompt acquisition of foreign missiles and expand the domestic production base for those capable of striking distant targets, according to the report.
Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of National Defense, said at a press conference on Thursday that in recent years, Japan has continuously hollowed out the pacifist constitution, seeking to break free from the constitutional restraints, significantly increase its defense budget, intensify military connections with countries outside the region, and continued to run wildly on the dangerous path of expanding military preparations. This deserves high vigilance from neighboring countries and the international community, Wu said.
"We urge Japan to face up to and deeply reflect on its history of aggression, and gain the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community through concrete actions. We will never allow militarism to rise again," the spokesperson said.
Chen Hong, executive director at the Asia Pacific Studies Center of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Saturday that Japan's planned record defense budget is driven by its ambition to expand military presence, particularly to strengthen its influence in the Southeast Asia region.
Chen added that the continuous rise can also be attributed to the ongoing pressure from the US on its ally to bolster Japan's budget to support Washington's military deployment in the so-called Indo-Pacific region.
Lü Chao, dean of the Institute of American and East Asian Studies at Liaoning University and research fellow at the Charhar Institute, underscored that the hype of "China's growing military assertiveness" by Japan as an excuse to expand defense budget is completely groundless. "China has never made any so-called military threats against any country, including Japan, and the development of the Chinese military is entirely for self-defense," Lü said.
In contrast, Japan has continued to provoke China on the South China Sea issue, the Taiwan question, and the Diaoyu Dao issue, with the aim of creating tension and shifting the blame to China for increasing defense budget, Lü told the Global Times on Saturday.
According to the Japan Times, the country's budget request for fiscal 2025, a roughly 10 percent increase over last year's record 7.7 trillion yen, is the third of a five-year spending plan of around 43 trillion yen, as Japan aims to spend two percent of its gross domestic product on defense by 2027.
Experts emphasized that Japan's remarkably high defense budget, which far exceeds its actual defense needs, is raising concerns among neighboring countries and the international community. They warned that it's crucial to remain vigilant to prevent a resurgence of militarism in Japan.
Japan must learn from the lessons of history, take concrete actions to completely forgo militarism, and avoid losing credibility with neighboring Asian countries and the international community, Chen said.
The US is also urged to abandon unilateralism as well as double standards, given the fact that its promotion of the "Indo-Pacific strategy" is a contributing factor to the resurgence of Japanese militarism, Lü said.
The "Abay Poetry Recitation" event was held at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in China on August 9 to commemorate Abay Qunanbayev, a great poet, philosopher, statesman, and founder of modern Kazakh literature. In his speech, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to China Shakhrat Nuryshev highlighted Qunanbayev's historical significance to the Kazakh people lies in his important cultural heritage and instructions to the next generation. The ambassador explained the poet's philosophical thoughts to the audience by reciting Qunanbayev's poems.
Qunanbayev was not only a poet, but also a learned thinker and outstanding genius, who laid the foundations of Kazakh written literature in the second half of the 19th century and introduced new and unprecedented poetic forms to Kazakh poetry, the ambassador introduced.
Today, Qunanbayev's creative legacy has become an integral part of world culture, and his wise personality has found a place among the great philosophers respected around the world.
As a guest, Liu Jiangping, deputy director-general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Department of European-Central Asian Affairs, gave a speech, recalling that in September 2013, during Chinese President Xi Jinping's address at the Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, Xi quoted the great Kazakh poet and philosopher Qunanbayev who noted, "The world is like an ocean and our time is like strong wind. Waves in the front are the cider brother while those behind are the younger brother. Driven by wind, the waves from behind constantly press on those in the front. This has been the case since ancient times."
During the event, student representatives recited Qunanbayev's poems in Kazakh and Chinese, and artists from the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra affiliated with the Beijing Chinese Orchestra played Abay's songs using traditional Kazakh and Chinese national instruments.
Born on August 10, 1845, Qunanbayev is considered one of Kazakhstan's most important poets who played a central role in the development of Kazakh as a legitimate written language.
Participating in the annual "Abay Poetry Recitation" event has become a fine tradition for lovers of literature, art, and artistic calligraphy in Beijing.
