ECONOMY/SOCIETY

Tibet’s Robust Growth over the Past Decade

Over the past decade,Tibet has achieved robust economic growth.lndustrial development advantages have been formed at a faster pace,infrastructure conditions have been continuously improved,and people’s living standards have risen significantly.

Over 1 Mln Tonnes of Goods Transported Along the China-Laos Railway

The customs office of Kunming,capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province,released data recently showed that as of August 7,it had handled 1,996 international freight trains via the China-Laos Railway since the service opened up in December 2021.

During the period,the total volume of imported and exported goods transported along the railway reached 1.02 million tonnes,with a total worth of RMB 9.14 billion (about US $1.35 billion).

In China,30 provincial-level regions have been connected to Laos,Thailand,Singapore and other countries and regions by the railway.

To guarantee the efficient operation of international freight trains along the China-Laos Railway,Kunming customs had rolled out a series of targeted measures for optimized customs supervision,better port services,and special services for emerging industries.

China’s Digital Economy Hits US $7.1 trln

China’s digital economy reached US $7.1 trillion in 2021,accounting for over 18 percent of the total value of the sector in 47 major countries around the world,according to a white paper on global digital economy issued by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

China’s digital economy ranks second after the U.S.,said the white paper.

For China,digital economy is a key force in driving the country’s economic development.The white paper showed that from 2012 to 2021,the average growth rate of China’s digital economy was 15.9 percent,and the share of digital economy in GDP increased from 20.9 percent to 39.8 percent.Besides,the overall input-output efficiency of the sector increased from 0.9 in 2002 to 2.8 in 2020.

1.7 Mln 5G Base Stations

By the end of May,China had built 1.7 million 5G base stations,covering all prefecture-level cities and urban areas of counties across the country,and 92 percent of township regions.On average,every 10,000 residents have access to more than 12 base stations.

China’s Machinery Industry Reports Steady Revenue Growth in H1 of 2022

China’s machinery industry registered steady expansion in revenue during the first half of the year with the value added to the sector rising 0.7 percent year-on-year,according to the China Machinery Industry Federation (CMIF).

The operating revenue of businesses in the sector totaled RMB 12.95 trillion (about US$1.9 trillion) during the period,up 5.44 percent year-on-year,according to data from the CMIF.

Since earlier this year,the industry has been facing headwinds due to unexpected factors like epidemic flare-ups.But the risks have been forestalled as local governments took active measures to stabilize the growth of the sector.

RMB 1.7 Trln

The value of China’s loT industry exceeded RMB 1.7 trillion (US $251 billion) in 2021 and is expected to reach RMB 2 trillion this year,according to a report issued by the lnternet Society of China.The report estimates that users of mobile loT will hit 8.01 billion in number by 2025.

Disaster Management System to Be Upgraded

China has unveiled an ambitious plan to enhance its capability in disaster prevention and mitigation during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25),vowing to build up an emergency management system that can better adapt to the global crisis of climate change.

The plan aims to shore up weak spots in the country’s infrastructure for preventing and mitigating disasters,bringing them up to speed with the modernization process of the country’s governance system and capacity.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20),the goal was less than 1.3 natural disaster-related deaths among every million people in a year,with the actual outcome only 0.7,according to the ministry.The country will endeavor to reduce disaster hazards to the upmost.

The plan includes many arrangements that are made especially against the backdrop of global warming.One of the priorities in the plan is to make breakthroughs in developing disaster prevention and mitigation technologies based on research to better know how natural disaster-causing events form and develop with climate change.

China is among the countries most affected by extreme weather events with over 70 percent of natural disasters in the country related to such events.

Black Soil Protection Made into Law

A law on the protection of chernozem soil,or black soil,came into effect on August 1.There are only four areas of black soil worldwide,accounting for less than seven percent of the global landmass.The lot in China totals 1.09 million square meters and is located in the northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang,Jilin,and Liaoning as well as Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.It produces about a quarter of the country’s total grain output,making it crucial to China’s food supply.

In recent decades,degradation,poaching,and illegal trading have posed grave threats to this fertile soil.The new law aims to intensify the conservation,rehabilitation,and treatment of black soil,all of which have great significance to China’s food security and biosecurity.It will boost China’s efforts to increase scientific and technological support for black soil protection and to establish a conservation system in which the government takes the lead,farmers are the main players,and different sectors of the society are also involved.

In the first half of the ongoing year,6.54 millionurban jobs were created across China,making up59 percentof the goal for 2022.By the end of June,32.23 millionrural residents who formerly lived below the poverty line had found employment,an increase of1.6 millionover the same period last year.The surveyed urban unemployment rate was5.5 percentin the first quarter,climbing up to6.1 percentin April,and then dropping to5.9 percentin May and5.5 percentin June.

Fresh Additions for Aiding Tibet,Qinghai Programs

In late July,the 10th and fifth groups of officials and professionals selected respectively for the Tibet and Qinghai aid programs arrived in the two regions,starting their three-year tenure.Of them,2,114 went to Tibet Autonomous Region and 371 to the neighboring Qinghai Province,where half of the population are ethnic minorities.

The new inductees hail from 17 inland provinces and municipalities.As many as 99.3 percent of them have at least a bachelor’s degree,and most are professionals in a particular field,including 332 medical workers and 400 teachers.They received training in their home provinces/cities and then the regional capitals of Lhasa and Xining before moving to their new positions in Tibet and Qinghai.

National Carbon Market Operating Smoothly

China’s national carbon market,inaugurated in July 2021,reported a total trading volume of 194 million tonnes in its first year of operation,with the transaction value exceeding RMB 8.49 billion.The largest of its kind worldwide,the market covers 2,162 major power generation companies,representing 4.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

The national carbon market is one of China’s policy tools to cope with climate change and curb greenhouse gas emissions.It serves as a reference for other developing countries in establishing such markets and is important for the creation of a global carbon pricing mechanism — thus drawing extensive attention globally.

The market is still in an early stage.Relevant authorities will strengthen data supervision,improve management,increase information transparency,and heighten punishment for violation of laws and rules.