China's foreign exchange reserves totaled $3.316 trillion at the end of September, up 0.86 percent from the previous month, according to data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. Notably, this figure exceeded the estimate of $3.304 trillion, as projected by a Wall Street Journal poll of economists.

The September rise was the third consecutive month of month-on-month growth, with reserves remaining stable above $3.2 trillion for 10 straight months, according to media reports. Additionally, China's foreign exchange reserves have remained the largest in the world for 19 consecutive years.

The growth in China's foreign exchange reserves can be partially attributed to short-term factors such as fluctuations in exchange rates and asset prices. However, the sustained high levels and growth rates that exceeded market expectations strongly indicate the stable development of the Chinese economy. 

This sustained high level of foreign exchange reserves, a key indicator of a country's economic strength and resilience, not only reflects China's robust economic capabilities and its effectiveness in adapting policies to changing conditions, but also suggests that the Chinese economy is well-positioned for continued stable growth.

In the complex and ever-evolving international economic landscape, along with volatile financial markets, China's strong position in its foreign exchange reserves is bolstered by its strong manufacturing capabilities, an increasingly optimized foreign trade structure and attractive conditions for foreign investment. These elements work together to enhance the overall balance of international payments, providing a solid foundation for the country's foreign exchange reserves. 

In turn, China's continued high level of foreign reserves is particularly beneficial for the stability of the yuan's exchange rate and helps China tackle impacts from financial crises in international markets. It facilitates the further optimization of China's foreign trade structure while maintaining sustained growth. It supports the stable development of the Chinese economy on a relatively solid exchange rate foundation, which could attract more foreign investment into the Chinese market.

First, sufficient foreign exchange reserves provide China with a crucial buffer against the uncertainties and fluctuations of the international financial market. In times of external economic downturns, these reserves can be utilized to stabilize the yuan's exchange rate, thereby ensuring the overall stability of the financial market. 

The interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve in September has affected international financial markets, yet significant uncertainty remains regarding the Fed's future policies and the US economic outlook. In this context, China's foreign exchange reserves play a vital role in maintaining exchange rate stability, helping the country withstand external financial risks and avert potential financial crises.

Second, foreign exchange reserves are essential for covering import costs in international trade, supporting the smooth operation of China's foreign trade. Global trade is experiencing significant changes influenced by the trends of the green and digital transitions. Additionally, geopolitical factors and increasing protectionism are contributing to uncertainties in the global trade landscape.

As China's foreign trade structure is steadily improving, innovative forms of foreign trade, including cross-border e-commerce, are continually gaining pace. A substantial level of foreign exchange reserves enhances China's ability to improve the structure of its foreign trade and mitigate the effects of rising protectionism, "decoupling" and geopolitical disruptions.

Third, adequate foreign exchange reserves can enhance foreign investors' confidence in the Chinese market and economy, leading to increased foreign capital inflows. 

A stable exchange rate environment is an important consideration for foreign-invested enterprises, as it reduces exchange rate risk. Having a higher level of foreign exchange reserves provides China with greater flexibility in its economic policy and exchange rate adjustments, enabling it to better respond to economic fluctuations and attract foreign investment.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China announced on Monday the punishments for four officials involved in disciplinary violations or misconduct, as China's war against corruption has continued, with deepened efforts in some key sectors and expanded coverage to safeguard the country's high-quality economic and social development.

One of those officials is Tang Yijun, former chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), who was expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office. Tang's violations include accepting banquets and out-of-line travel arrangements, improperly accepting gifts, cash, and gift cards, and allowing expenses that should have been paid by him to be covered by others. He failed to truthfully explain issues during organizational inquiries and discussions.

Another official is Dou Wangui, a member of the leading Party members group of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee of the CPPCC and vice chairman of the committee. He was found to have leveraged his positions to seek gain for his relatives and friends in business operations and assisting others in gaining advantages in mine exploitation, project contracts and the selection and promotion of officials. In return, he accepted money and gifts. Dou has been expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office.

Zhang Ping, who was deputy head of Guizhou's discipline inspection commission and provincial commission of supervision, has been expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office for violations such as failing to truthfully explain issues during discussions within the organization, and seeking benefits for others in the selection and appointment of officials.

Du Zi, former deputy head of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has been expelled from the Party over serious violations of Party discipline and laws. Du had allegedly taken advantage of his power to seek benefits for others in matters such as project contracting, coal resource allocation and job adjustment, illegally accepting money and valuables in return.

Authorities in a county in Central China’s Henan Province responded on Monday to a dispute over a betrothal gift after a video that showed the bride’s relatives allegedly demanding an additional 188,000 yuan ($26,791) bride price in cash before allowing the wedding car to leave went viral and sparked heated discussion online.

Local authorities clarified in a statement that investigation showed that because the groom transferred 188,000 yuan of betrothal gift to the bride’s personal bank account, the bride’s family thought that they did not directly receive the bride price, thus they prevented the wedding car from leaving.

A video clip showing a man climbing onto the hood of a wedding car to prevent the bridegroom taking the bride away went viral over the National Day holidays. The publisher of the video alleged that the bride’s elder brother and his wife stopped the car to demand an additional 188,000 yuan of bride price in cash, according to Xiaoxiang Morning Post report. The report added that the original video could not be found on the short video platform on Sunday.

Authorities in Huaibin county, Xinyang, Henan Province, formed a joint team, finding out the incident happened on October 1. According to the statement, police were later called to the scene to handle the situation, and the wedding proceeded smoothly. The local authorities issued a warning to the bride’s brother for his actions and organized mediation between the two parties, leading to a settlement where the groom agreed to pay 30,000 yuan to the bride’s family for the dowry.

Local authorities held a special meeting addressing the matter on Sunday afternoon, stressing the efforts to further update outmoded and undesirable habits and customs, and prevent such incidents from reoccurring.

Fossils of pterosaurs, stegosaurs, plesiosaurs, and more - this dinosaur fossil site in Southwest China's Sichuan Province showcases numerous prehistoric creatures that surpass the diversity seen in the Jurassic World movies.

It is the Dashanpu Middle Jurassic Dinosaur Fossils Site, located in Zigong, a city in southern Sichuan Province. As one of the world's most renowned dinosaur fossil sites, it has an excavated area of nearly 3,000 square meters, uncovering tens of thousands of fossilized bones from over 200 individual dinosaurs and other vertebrates from 160 million years ago.

At the recent 37th International Geological Congress held in Busan, South Korea, the Dashanpu Middle Jurassic Dinosaur Fossils Site was listed as a Geological Heritage Site by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).

"The richness in number, diversity of species, concentration of burial, and the preservation quality of dinosaur and other vertebrate fossils at the site is unmatched globally," Jiang Shan, director of the research department at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum, told the Global Times.

Scientific value

The Dashanpu site was once a lake-delta environment during the ­mid-Jurassic period. This lush and water-rich landscape combined with warm and humid climatic conditions provided a perfect environment for dinosaurs and other vertebrates to thrive.

When dinosaurs died on a large scale for various reasons, periodic large floods swept their bodies into the area. As water flow slowed at the lake's entrance, many dinosaur carcasses settled and were quickly buried, undergoing petrification over millions of years. Over time, the accumulation of fossils created a vast and spectacular dinosaur graveyard.

The fossil site boasts the most concentrated dinosaur fossil deposits, many of which are well preserved. Among the notable finds are the best-preserved eusauropoda known to date and the most complete primitive stegosaur globally.

"This site not only fills a significant gap in the sparse mid-Jurassic dinosaur fossil record, but also provides extremely valuable materials for the study of early dinosaur systematics," said Zeng Xiaoyun, director of the Zigong Dinosaur Museum.

The site also features the richest assemblage of mid-Jurassic terrestrial vertebrate fossils. Prior to this discovery, mid-Jurassic dinosaur fossils were sporadically found in North Africa, East Asia, Western Europe, and Australia, leaving a limited understanding of dinosaurs from this period.

The discovery at Dashanpu opens a window into the mid-Jurassic terrestrial fauna. During this time, the Dashanpu area was home to a variety of carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs, as well as fish, amphibians, crocodiles, and flying pterosaurs, forming a highly concentrated and diverse mid-Jurassic dinosaur fossil community.

The application process for the second batch of 100 geological heritage sites recognized by the IUGS began at the beginning of 2023. A total of 10 geological heritage sites from China were submitted, of which three were selected. After more than a year of evaluation by experts, the final list was announced by competing against 174 candidate sites from 64 countries.

"The inclusion of the Dashanpu Middle Jurassic Dinosaur Fossils Site highlights the scientific value and research standards of the site, as well as the international recognition of the protection measures implemented by the Zigong Dinosaur Museum," Jiang said.
Digitalized preservation

In 1987, the Zigong Dinosaur Museum was established on the fossils site, which is currently the most comprehensive museum in the world for showcasing mid-Jurassic dinosaur fossils. It has served as the core of the Zigong Global Geopark, recognized by UNESCO as a key site for geological and paleontological research.

The museum's collection primarily features Mesozoic dinosaur specimens, covering paleontology, petrology, and mineralogy, including many of the finest specimens from the Dashanpu site, ranging from large and complete dinosaur skeletons to the smaller fossilized remains of other vertebrates.

Among its treasures are a preserved dinosaur fossil area of 1,350 square meters, world-class specimens of significant scientific value, such as the most complete and primitive stegosaur, and China's first stegosaur skin impression fossil.

"These invaluable fossils provide crucial material for research on dinosaur classification, physiological traits, and evolutionary history," Huang Xinyue, deputy director of the office at the museum, said.

The museum has used digital technology to enhance its preservation and research efforts. According to He Xu, a senior engineer at the museum, it has digitized its collections, creating 3D models of its key fossils to ensure that they are accessible to researchers around the world.

"We will continue to strengthen the preservation and utilization of cultural and natural heritage, using modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and virtual reality to establish a digital dinosaur museum," said Zeng, the museum director.

Since the Zigong dinosaur fossils first traveled to Hiroshima, Japan in 1989, they have been exhibited in more than 30 cities across nine countries and regions, including Japan, Thailand, Denmark, the US, South Africa, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, China's Hong Kong SAR, and the island of Taiwan.

The museum also hosts international academic conferences and collaborates with foreign universities and research institutions to promote the study of dinosaur evolution and mid-Jurassic ecosystems.

According to Jiang, the museum has been strengthening collaboration with domestic and international universities and research institutions, such as Stony Brook University in the US, the University of Bonn in Germany, the University of Hong Kong, the China University of Geosciences (Beijing), and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"Through synergistic innovations involving museums, universities, and research institutes, the museum aims to support the advancement of dinosaur fossil research and preservation," Jiang noted.

The "Future World" International Youth Art Festival was held on Saturday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with over 500 participants, including government officials, cultural figures, artists, and youth representatives from both China and Uzbekistan.

The festival was co-hosted by China's State Council Information Office, the Youth Affairs Agency of Uzbekistan, and the Samarkand regional government.

The festival kicked off with the "Future World" International Youth Art Exhibition and the "Future Vision" Digital Cultural Exhibition. The art show featured over 300 pieces of works created by young artists from China, Uzbekistan, and other nations, covering various categories, including painting, calligraphy, and crafts. The works explored diverse themes, including technological innovations, cultural heritage preservation, civilizational exchange, and global challenges. Through vibrant colors and unique perspectives, the young artists conveyed their imagination and deep reflections on the future world.

The "Future Vision" Digital Cultural Exhibition emphasized the importance of knowledge and innovation. It features cutting-edge achievements from nearly 30 institutions in the fields of digital technology, cultural creativity, and science education. More than 600 books aimed at youth, covering a wide range of topics, provided a cultural feast for attendees. Additionally, live performances such as tea ceremonies and robot dances by youngsters from the China Soong Ching Ling Science & Culture Center for Young People captivated the audience and encouraged audience participation and interaction.

At the opening ceremony, the organizers expressed their hope that the art festival would help deepen the connections, interactions, and mutual understanding between the youth of China and Uzbekistan. By fostering artistic exchanges, they aim to strengthen the ties between the two peoples, building bridges of friendship and contributing to the growth of the all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Uzbekistan in the new era, as well as advancing the shared future of the two nations.

Samarkand's Deputy Governor, Khaitov Orif Bolikulovich, said that China and Uzbekistan are geographically close, culturally connected, and share a deep mutual affinity. For over 2,000 years, these two civilizations have shared a long history of cultural exchange along the Silk Road. He hopes that the youth of both nations will forge strong friendships and walk side by side, becoming the next generation of ambassadors, builders, and promoters of China-Uzbekistan relations.

In a video message, Chinese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Yu Jun noted that the young generations are living in a golden age of China-Uzbekistan relations. He expressed his sincere hope that this event will allow the youth of both nations to deepen their understanding of one another, becoming the future ambassadors, builders, and champions of China-Uzbekistan friendship, offering their talents and efforts to national revitalization and the development of bilateral ties.

Chinese airports have maintained the travel fever since the week-long National Day holidays kicked off, and the visa-free policy, along with frequent flights, continues to boost inbound and outbound travel.

Civil aviation passenger volumes have exceeded 2.2 million trips per day for three consecutive days since the holidays began on October 1, according to data from the Ministry of Transport.

Beijing Daxing International Airport is expected to handle 146,900 inbound and outbound passenger trips on Friday, with over 1 million trips anticipated throughout the holidays, according to airport data. 

The two airports in Shanghai are expected to transport nearly 370,000 passenger trips per day on average, an increase of 14.4 percent compared to the same period last year. 

The travel boom is not limited to first-tier cities. During the National Day holidays, the number of inbound and outbound passengers at Harbin Taiping International Airport is expected to reach 14,000, with the number of inbound and outbound passenger flights totaling 100, an increase of 41.9 percent and 1.1 percent year-on-year respectively.

Outbound air tickets and hotel bookings for the National Day holidays have spanned 1,597 cities in 144 countries and regions, data from the travel platform qunar.com showed. When examining the cities with the highest number of outbound air ticket orders, it's notable that all of them are within a 5-hour flight radius. The top five cities are Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, and Osaka.

Hong Kong and Macao remain highly appealing. The Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region estimates that about 10.03 million people will pass through Hong Kong's sea, land and air control points from September 28 to October 7.

Thanks to the 144-hour visa-free policy, inbound tourism has grown rapidly. Traditional domestic tourist cities such as Guangzhou, Xi'an, and Zhangjiajie have continuously added new international routes, attracting a large number of foreign tourists to China. 

The source of inbound tourists to Zhangjiajie, which bears a striking resemblance to the landscapes depicted in James Cameron's film Avatar, located in Central China's Hunan Province, has increased from 133 countries and regions in 2019 to 171 now.

Meanwhile, cruise travel is also playing a significant role in outbound travel. 

Da Wang, a Beijing-based tourist, chose a seven-day cruise tour to the cities of Japan. She told the Global Times on Friday that she was surprised to see at least 40 buses leaving the Fukuoka port in Japan when she disembarked at her first stop on Thursday. Each bus was full of 50 Chinese travelers, and there were many tour guides holding signs waiting for the Chinese tourists, Da said, noting that "it is quite spectacular." 

Experts believe that the booming inbound and outbound tourism reflects the strong pulse of the holiday economy. They assert that this trend will further drive economic development, and as people's demand for travel experiences continues to grow, the future holiday economy is likely to become more diversified and enriched.

Yan Xi (center), the author of Zaoshen Niandai, or The Age of God Creation, receives his award for Best Novel at the 35th Galaxy Awards in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, on September 28, 2024. The awards are China's most prestigious science-fiction literature awards. Photo: Courtesy of the 35th Galaxy Award

China has launched an inquiry platform for permanent basic farmland on Monday to enforce protection and strengthen social supervision, according to Ministry of Natural Resources.

The public can conveniently and quickly access information about the areas and location of permanent basic farmland through the ministry's website, app and a WeChat tool, according to the ministry.

This marks the first time at the national level that inquiry services for permanent basic farmland have been made available to the public online. The platform has maximized the data accessible to the public but some data needs further processing and refinement.

Some information related to land use approval, supervision and law enforcement needs confirmation with local county-level natural resources authorities. The platform will be updated and improved annually, with the goal of full coverage over time.

Permanent basic farmland is high-quality arable land that has been designated in accordance with the law and is under special protection, playing an important role in guaranteeing national food security, according to the ministry. Once designed, the farmland cannot be occupied by any entities or individuals or change its purpose of use. 

The public can check the categorization of farmlands on the platform. They can report to county authorities if they discover activities on permanent basic farmland including planting fruit trees, flowers, or excavating ponds for fish farming, or when permanent basic farmland is being occupied for residential or other construction purposes, or planting conditions of the permanent basic farmland are damaged due to the dumping of construction waste and other activities. Local authorities will verify the situation and take prompt actions.

The platform is an important supplement to the ongoing efforts across various regions to disclose information about permanent basic farmland and provides the public with more diverse channels to actively participate in the supervision and protection of permanent basic farmland.

As one of the events of the 2024 Beijing Culture Forum, "The Temple of Earth and Me" book fair kicked off on Friday and will run through September 23 at Beijing's Ditan Park, also known as the Temple of Earth Park. 

Many eager book enthusiasts flocked to the venue in the morning to embark on a cultural "city walk" that promises to be both enlightening and entertaining. The book coupons issued by the book fair were quickly snapped up.

In a nod to the rising trend of night tourism during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the organizers told the Global Times that the book fair will extend its hours until 8 pm. Meanwhile, some cultural activities, including a poetry event related to the Mid-Autumn Festival, will be held in the central area of the book fair.

According to a press release from the local publicity department, this year's book fair boasts an exhibition and sales area of approximately 18,000 square meters and will feature 10 exhibition areas and host over 160 cultural activities.

The exhibition area has expanded by 3,000 square meters compared to 2023 and now encompasses 10 exhibition areas, three activity zones, and several supporting service points. The fair has gathered over 330 publishers, physical bookstores, and specialty exhibitors from across the nation, offering a vast selection of 400,000 book titles, reaching a new peak in scale.

The book fair boasts 10 sections with different themes, such as a brick-and-mortar bookstore district, a children's books and parent-child reading area, a foreign language book section, and a cultural and creative products area. 

The thematic special exhibition area will focus on hot topics such as the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, recommending key books and reading lists.

One of the highlights is the "Old Books, New Knowledge" section which has arranged a special exhibition called Five Prominent Features of Chinese Civilization - Classical Works, featuring over 60 ancient and rare documents across 42 categories. 

Liu Yichen, the person in charge of this section, told the Global Times that the ancient books with wisdom are vital carriers of the Chinese civilization.

Media has reported that the physical bookstore section has attracted the participation of 135 brick-and-mortar bookstores, which is 1.5 times more than 2023. 

The Palace Museum Bookstore is one of the main attractions. Xu Mei, the person in charge of the bookstore, told the Global Times that they have been the top-selling participant at the book fair for several consecutive years. 

"We sold for over 400,000 yuan ($56,173) last year," she said, noting that the Forbidden City Calendar was the most popular product that often ends up in short supply.

Not far from this cultural icon, the Chengdu Panda Bookstore was also swarmed with visitors, captivating the hearts of many young tourists with its array of panda-themed cultural and creative products. 

In addition to well-known IPs like pandas, the children's picture book district also features popular characters such as Harry Potter, Japan's Detective Conan, and Black Cat Detective from Chinese animation whose books and cultural products are also highly sought after.

With a long history, the Temple of Earth, which used to serve as the site for worshiping the Earth God during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), is the second largest imperial altar in the city of Beijing.

As the world faces challenges from threats, disputes, and misunderstandings, we need to work together to showcase different cultures, learn about them, respect them, and learn from each one, said various scholars and experts at the 2024 Beijing Culture Forum on Thursday.

In his video speech, former French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said that the High-level People-to-people Exchange Mechanism between China and France has showcased the mutual respect between the two great civilizations.

As today's world grapples with threats and challenges, Chinese people, French people, or other people with good intentions "must ensure that culture powers cooperation. The world must choose cooperation instead of tension and confrontation," he said.

With a permanent theme of "Inheritance, Creativity, Mutual Learning," the forum has "Enhance Culture Exchanges for Common Progress" as its theme for this year. A main forum, six sub-forums, and 32 professional seminars and relevant cultural activities will be held during the three-day event.

Over 800 participants from home and abroad including Raffarin, Irina Bokova, former director-general of UNESCO and Yukio Hatoyama, former Japanese prime minister, held in-depth discussions on topics including mutual learning between civilizations and common progress, spiritual life and industrial development, cultural heritage protection and inheritance, and new cultural business forms and technology integration.

GCI, a shared solution

China's Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) has called for the upholding of the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations. The initiative advocates respect for the diversity of civilizations, the common values of humanity, the importance of inheritance and innovation of civilizations, as well as robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

From languages to customs, history… All of these elements make up cultural diversity, which is the basis for mutual respect among people of all countries and influences international relationships.

"That's the reason why France and China decided to take turns hosting the Sino-French Cultural Forum," Raffarin explained.

Christine Cayol, French vice president of the Sino-French Cultural Forum, told the Global Times that she has been expecting the upcoming forum, to be held in the French city of Deauville in November this year, which aims to "share our mutual perspective about transmission."
Thanks to GCI's ideas of mutual learning and exchanges, she said she had the chance to attend the forum twice together with other guests.

"It is not a political or financial forum, but a cultural one. It is very special and even more precious," she said.

In contrast to the Western claims of the "superiority of certain civilizations and a clash of civilizations," China has called for the upholding of the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations. It emphasizes the importance of cultural exchanges transcending estrangement, mutual learning transcending clashes, and coexistence transcending feelings of superiority.

Robert Walker, a fellow at the Academy of Social Sciences in the UK, told the Global Times that the world "is experiencing enormous tensions. We have to work together to solve common problems" as well as hosting events like the Beijing Culture Forum, a platform for people to share and communicate.

Alexandros Modiano, chairman of the West-East Urban Governance Institute in Greece said, "Culture is a slippery, but yet very safe place to invite people from different horizons to be together [and] understand each other. And when we understand each other, we ­appreciate each other. We learn from our differences, and we are richer every day, because we understand how complementary our own culture is vis-à-vis Chinese culture."

Positive trajectory

The Report on China's Cultural Exchanges with the World was released at the forum on Thursday. Based on publicly available documents, data, and case studies from various institutions, it is the result of research on China's cultural exchanges with the world in 2023.

The report reveals that, in the face of challenges and opportunities, cultural exchanges between China and other countries in 2023 showed a rapid recovery and a positive trajectory, thanks to a focus on balancing security and development while prioritizing cooperation and mutual benefit. Such exchanges not only expanded in scale quickly approaching pre-pandemic levels, but also became more diverse in form, innovative in approach, and more in-depth in dialogue, entering a new phase of high-quality development.

As China's cultural center, Beijing has played an important role in such exchanges and seen so many foreign visits and people-to-people exchanges. Irina Bokova has been to Beijing, a historical city with a long history, many times. In her speech, she introduced the city's cultural and creativity resources.

In 2012, she witnessed the moment when Beijing joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) as a City of Design for its sci-tech and cultural innovation. In July, Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming China's 59th World Heritage Site.

A series of activities and events to promote Beijing's cultural achievement and preservation work will be held during the forum.