From selling stones to selling scenery, Yucun, a former small mining village in Anji county, East China's Zhejiang Province, has transformed from a polluting miner to an environmental steward. 

The example of Yucun is a vivid display of China's green transition effort and a successful balance between economic growth and ecological protection as China is moving forward by ramping up more efforts in all areas of socioeconomic development so as to accomplish the goal of building a Beautiful China, which is stressed in the key meeting in July.

Mines in Yucun village have been converted into rapeseed fields and lotus ponds, creating picturesque landscapes. 

This green transition represents a vivid example of making low-carbon development sustainable amid the country's efforts on ecological protection. The green growth model also put President Xi Jinping's vision of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" into practice.

At present, Yucun has afforested more than 500 mu (33 hectares) of the previous mining area and has planted about 3,000 mu of trees, lifting the forest coverage rate from under 70 percent in 2005 to a current 95 percent, according to official statistics. 

How it happened?

In the 1990s, Yucun relied on blasting mountains to build lime kilns, set up brick and cement factories, and once became the richest village in Anji county. However, this prosperity came at the cost of the local environment.

Extensive development has led to dust in the air and mud in rivers, villagers in Yucun told the Global Times. They recalled struggling with the question: Where is the way out? Balancing economic growth with environmental protection seemed like an impossible challenge to resolve. 

From 2003, Yucun closed, within three years, three limestone quarries and a cement factory, which at the time accounted for 95 percent of its annual income. 

In 2005, President Xi, then secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, visited Yucun, where he said that "mountains and rivers green are mountains of silver and gold," the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The site of the demolished cement factory was converted into a plantation, and a large area of land was turned into rapeseed fields and lotus ponds. In 2021, Yucun was named "Best Tourism Village" by the UN World Tourism Organization.

The unique scenery has attracted more tourists to the small village. Thanks to this travel boom, villagers soon made more money than when they relied on mining and cement. 

"Yucun was a village without famous sights and historical sites, and we were uncertain if we could develop local tourism," Yu Xiaoping, deputy Party chief of Yucun village, told the Global Times. "But time has proved that we were on the right path of transition from 'selling stones' to 'selling scenery' and balancing economic development with ecological protection."

"Tourism began to improve in 2006, when I made 300,000 yuan  ($42,189)," Pan Chunlin, a homestay owner in Yuncun, told the Global Times. 

Pan, a former tractor driver in the mining industry, opened his first homestay business in Yucun in 2005, which was also the first of its kind in the village. 
With Pan's success, other villagers have also turned to tourism, opening homestays and organizing fruit picking and canoe tours.

In 2023, Yucun welcomed 1.15 million tourists, realizing a tourism revenue of 55 million yuan ($7.7 million), according to official statistics.

At present, there are more than 100 guesthouses in Yucun. More than 70 percent of villagers are engaged in tourism-related industries, and the per capita annual income has grown from less than 8,000 yuan in 2005 to more than 70,000 yuan in 2023.

Green and beyond

Yucun also actively developed ecological agriculture products. In 2023, the sale of green agricultural products in Yucun exceeded 10 million yuan and were sold throughout the country via e-commerce platforms, domestic news site ceweekly.cn reported. 

At the same time, Yuncun introduced high-tech industries to promote sustainable economic development.

Currently, high-tech industries make up 30 percent of Yucun's economy, according to media report.

"We have been exploring the improvement and upgrading of bee species and bee breeding machines, in order to improve the quality of honey," a manager of a Yucun-based bee industry company told the Global Times.

Beautiful China on the way

"We will ramp up the green transition in all areas of economic and social development and improve the environmental governance system. We will prioritize ecological protection, conserve resources and use them efficiently, and pursue green and low-carbon development, with a view to promoting harmony between humanity and nature," read the resolution adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held in July. 

China has been committed to green and low-carbon development, which acts as a fundamental solution to ecological and environmental problems. The country has made remarkable achievements in ecological conservation and has taken major steps to build a beautiful China.

Over the past decade, China has achieved some historic breakthroughs in the development of green and low-carbon energy and has been moving toward building a clean, diversified, secure and resilient energy supply system, according to a white paper entitled "China's Energy Transition" released on Thursday.

Throughout the comprehensive green transformation, new growth drivers and advantages have been developed and strengthened, fueling China's ongoing high-quality development.

Warships of the Chinese and Singaporean navies have launched the harbor phase of a joint exercise ahead of the sea phase off the southern Chinese coast, a move experts said on Sunday displays how China and Southeast Asian countries can have military cooperation that contributes to peace and stability.

After the frigate Sanya and the minesweeper Hejian of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy as well as the frigate RSS Stalwart of the Singaporean navy assembled at a naval port in Zhanjiang, South China’s Guangdong Province on Thursday for the China-Singapore Exercise Cooperation 2024 joint maritime exercise scheduled from Friday to September 5, these vessels, together with the PLA Navy’s destroyer Zhanjiang, opened to the public as a part of the harbor phase of the exercise on Saturday, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.

The harbor phase will last until Tuesday, after which the participating vessels will embark on the sea phase in waters off Zhanjiang, CCTV reported.

The exercise aims to consolidate a mechanism that sees the two navies host joint drills alternately in their countries every year, expand the drills’ the scale and influence, and build a good situation for China’s military cooperation with countries in Southeast Asia, the PLA Navy said in a press release.

The two sides will organize training courses including joint anti-surface strike, replenishment-at-sea, joint search and rescue, as well as VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure), Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson at China’s Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular press conference on Thursday. He noted that as it is the third edition of this exercise, this year’s drill will further enhance mutual trust and friendship, and promote pragmatic exchanges and cooperation.

A Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday that the frigates and the minesweeper sent by the two sides could serve to maintain the openness of key international shipping lanes in the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca, demonstrating the two navies’ capabilities in safeguarding peace and stability in the region.

It will set a good example for military exchanges and cooperation among Southeast Asian countries, especially the Philippines, against the background of tensions in the South China Sea, the expert said.

Chinese table tennis stars Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha captured the mixed doubles gold medal on Tuesday, defeating North Korea's Ri Jong-sik and Kim Kum-yong 4-2 in a thrilling final.

This victory marks the sixth gold medal for China at the Paris 2024 Olympics and restores the pride of the Chinese table tennis team, known as the Dream Team.

The Chinese team was one mixed doubles gold medal short of a clean sweep at the Tokyo Olympics. Wang and Sun's win sets the stage for a possible golden sweep in Paris.

The much-anticipated event attracted several dignitaries, including International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Sun emphasized the importance of the mixed doubles gold, stating it was even more significant than the singles events.

To prepare, Sun sought help from Ni Xialian, a 61-year-old former Chinese player now representing Luxembourg. Ni's playing style is similar to Kim's, making her an ideal training partner.

The North Korean pair had rarely competed in international tournaments until the Paris Olympics.

As the lowest-ranked 16th seed among the mixed doubles pairs, Ri and Kim's journey to the final was remarkable.

They earned their Paris spot through the Olympic qualifiers and were dubbed the "mysterious team" due to their limited exposure in international competitions.

The North Korean pair's surprise elimination of Japan's second-seeded duo, Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata, in the first round exemplified their unpredictable nature.

An unexpected incident after the final means Wang has to pick up a new paddle in the singles matches, after overenthusiastic photographers broke his winning racket when capturing the duo's celebrations.

"The photographer broke the racket... such behavior probably shouldn't have happened," Wang told reporters.

"I felt a bit out of control in that situation and couldn't understand why it happened. But it did, and there's nothing we can do about it... and I can still play with my spare racket."

Among the five table tennis disciplines, the mixed doubles has been the most unpredictable for Team China in terms of results.

At the Tokyo Olympics, China missed out on the mixed doubles gold when Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen were defeated by Japan's Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito, leaving the Chinese team one gold short of a complete sweep.

"Securing the mixed doubles gold has not only started the table tennis team's Olympic campaign on a high note, but also relieved the immense pressure on the athletes and coaches," Mao Jiale, a Chengdu-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.

"With the mixed doubles title in hand, the national team can now approach the upcoming singles and doubles events with solid confidence and focus on achieving their goal of winning five gold medals in Paris."

Vinesh Phogat, the first Indian female wrestler to qualify for the Olympic final, unfortunately had to leave Paris because she did not meet the weight requirements for the competition. Many Chinese netizens have expressed sympathy for her situation.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Wednesday filed a strong protest with United World Wrestling (UWW) regarding the disqualification of Phogat from the 50kg final at the Paris Olympics due to being "overweight," Xinhua News Agency reported.

Vinesh Phogat is the niece of Mahavir Singh Phogat, the real-life figure portrayed in the popular Indian film Dangal, which was widely acclaimed in China.

Dangal is based on the true story of Mahavir Phogat, a renowned wrestler who trained his two daughters to become wrestling champions. The film moved countless audiences in China.

Mahavir Phogat, known as the "Father of Indian Women's Wrestling," is the father of famous wrestlers Babita and Geeta Phogat.

Vinesh Phogat, also trained by Mahavir, has achieved remarkable success in international wrestling, including winning medals at the Commonwealth Games.

However, Vinesh faced issues with the weight check before Wednesday's match. Despite the efforts of her coach, who worked through the night to help her shed weight - including cutting her hair - she still weighed 110 grams over the limit and was disqualified from the final.

If Vinesh had claimed an injury before the morning weigh-in, she might have been awarded a silver medal without having to weigh in. Her failure to make weight meant she ended up with nothing.

Her coach stated on social media that she usually weighs 57 kg, but before the semifinals yesterday, she weighed only 49.9 kg. After eating, her weight increased to 52.7 kg. Despite their best efforts - skipping sleep, not drinking water, and even cutting her hair - they were unable to make the required weight.

Upon hearing the news, Chinese netizens left comments on various social media platforms.

A netizen with the username SportsDreamer said, "Vinesh put in tremendous effort for this competition, and the weight issue is truly unfortunate. Regardless, her spirit and perseverance are admirable."

A netizen named Zhang Jiawei commented, "Dangal is my favorite movie, and it has always inspired me. Vinesh's story is equally uplifting. I hope she can make it back to the Olympic stage."

Xie Yu, the Chinese gold medalist in the men's 10m air pistol event at the Paris Olympics, has recently refuted several rumors circulating since his victory. In response to claims that his win had "broken his family's poverty" and online harassment toward his sick mother, Xie said that his success did not bring any additional benefit to his family and he urged the public to respect their privacy, reported thepaper.cn.

After Xie, 24, won the championship, some fans began calling for sponsors to help Xie's family overcome poverty. In response, Xie said that he did not wish for his achievements to create further complications for his family.

Xie also revealed in the interview that his mother had recently faced online harassment for unknown reasons. Previous reports indicate that some marketing accounts had depicted Xie's mother as an irresponsible person exploiting Xie's success to earn money, however the rumors have not been confirmed. Reportedly, his mother has recently been discharged from the hospital after battling cancer, and Xie asked for kindness, hoping people will refrain from making negative comments about her.

Xie said that his father has a small business specializing in the delivery of water barrels,which, though still in its early stages, is enough to make ends meet.

The rumor that Xie's victory "breaks his family's poverty cycle" sparked controversy. Many residents from Heitang village in Guizhou Province, Xie's hometown, expressed dissatisfaction with the portrayal. "We were hurt when we heard it. Heitang is not as poor as people think, and Xie's family is not in dire straits."

Wang Mingjiang, the Party secretary of the village, noted that Xie's father earned 3,000-5,000 (about $400 to $700) per month. The family lives in a two-story building, so while they aren't wealthy, they aren't struggling with life either. Wang added that the village had helped Xie's aged grandparents apply for subsidies before his rise to fame, the Red Star News reported.

According to Xie's aunt Tang Shiqiao, Xie's mother has been working in the Qianxinan autonomous region in Guizhou for years as a real estate agent to support the family. Even after being diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, she did not stop her job. 

Tang showed a screenshot of Xie's mother's post on WeChat after Xie won the championship, saying: "Son, your dream has come true." Aside from this, she made no further public display of pride in her son, as reported by the Red Star News.

A colleague of Xie's mother noted that many people have been trying to contact her since the win, but she is a modest person who prefers to avoid the spotlight and does not wish to exploit her son's achievement.

Xie also refuted the rumor that he has been "withdrawn by the national team twice," saying that he simply did not pass the selection process at the time. His equipment for the competition was provided by the provincial team, and the national team's selection process was fair and impartial.

Xie disclosed that he had briefly given up shooting due to stagnation and chose to work instead. He said that his persistence over the past 10 years was driven by the unwavering support of his coach and the challenging economic situation of his family, which motivated him to change his circumstances and become self-sufficient.

Xie won the third gold medal for the Chinese sports delegation in the men's 10m air pistol final on July 28 at the Paris Olympics. 

While Xie's inspirational story has garnered widespread admiration, it has also brought a wave of controversy. Various viral statements such as "one shot breaks family's poverty," "twice withdrawn by the national team" and "self-funded equipment for competition" have put Xie and his family under intense scrutiny.

"I just hope that people don't get too caught up in viral online content," Xie said.

Northwest China's Xinjiang regional Party chief Ma Xingrui and Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of the regional government met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni in Urumqi on Thursday and expressed willingness to further strengthen exchanges at all levels, and deepen cooperation in industries, trade, investment, and other areas, Xinjiang Daily reported on Friday.

During their meeting, Ma welcomed Sihamoni and introduced the economic and social development of Xinjiang. Ma noted that the friendship between China and Cambodia has a long history, with the traditional friendship meticulously cultivated by the older generations of leaders from both countries remaining strong. Under the joint leadership of the two heads of state, China-Cambodia relations have entered a new era of building a high-quality, high-level, and high-standard community with a shared future.

In recent years, exchanges and cooperation between the Xinjiang region and Cambodia have developed steadily, with strong growth in trade between the two sides, Ma said.

We will earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, further strengthen exchanges at all levels, deepen cooperation in industries, trade, investment, and other areas, said Ma.

Ma also noted that the two sides will use the Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year 2024 as an opportunity to promote mutual understanding and exchanges in culture and tourism, enhance friendly interactions and mutually beneficial cooperation, and make new contributions to building a new era community with a shared future for China and Cambodia.

Sihamoni said that the friendship between Cambodia and China is profound, with the peoples of the two countries sharing a brotherly bond established by the older generations of leaders and continuing to this day.

Sihamoni noted that during his first visit to the Xinjiang region, he observed that the region has achieved remarkable successes.

Sihamoni said he hopes that this visit will serve as a new starting point to promote deeper exchanges and cooperation between Cambodia and the Xinjiang region, strengthen the close ties between the peoples of both sides, and advance the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Cambodia and China.

China and Thailand will hold a joint air force exercise in Thailand this month, with the Chinese side sending multiple types of warplanes and special operations forces. Experts said on Wednesday that the drill could feature practice relating to aircraft combat, airborne tasks as well as attack and defense of airports and anti-aircraft positions.

Based on an annual drill schedule between the Chinese and Thai militaries, the China-Thailand Falcon Strike-2024 air force joint exercise will be held at a Thai air force base in August, Chinese Defense Ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.

The Chinese side will send multiple types of planes in addition to its special operations forces to Thailand for the drill, which is aimed at enhancing the tactical levels and skills of both sides' participating forces, as well as strengthening pragmatic exchanges and cooperation between the two countries' militaries, the Chinese Defense Ministry said.

According to a press release by the Thai air force, the exercise is scheduled from Sunday to August 29, as the drill will boost capabilities in air combat operations, air tactics, and joint air operations, promote mutual understanding between the air forces of both countries, as well as enhancing regional security.

China and Thailand hold the Falcon Strike joint air force exercise generally on an annual basis, and in previous editions, the drills have mainly focused on air combat, but this year's exercise also features Chinese special operations forces, possibly airborne troops, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Special operations missions could include reconnaissance and assault on positions behind hostile defense lines, including air fields, surface-to-air missile positions and ports, Fu said.

As for the traditional air combat part, Fu said that the two countries' warplanes will likely hold confrontational exercises, which will enhance technical and tactical exchanges and boost mutual trust.

During last year's Falcon Strike-2023, the Chinese side sent warplanes including the J-10C fighter jet, the JH-7A fighter bomber, the J-11B fighter jet and the KJ-500 early warning aircraft, while the Thai side sent the Saab JAS 39 Gripen, the Alpha Jet and the Saab 340 early warning aircraft, according to media reports.

Thailand typically uses Western built aircraft and adopts combat tactics based on a Western model, and they could be good additions to China's domestic training programs, observers said.

China will award the Medals of the Republic and national honorary titles to distinguished individuals in recognition of their exceptional contributions to the establishment and progress of the People's Republic of China on its 75th anniversary.

A list of recommendations has been unveiled, including four nominees for the Medals of the Republic and 10 for national honorary titles.

The nominees for the Medals of the Republic are the late missile and rocket expert Wang Yongzhi, a pioneer of China's manned space program, renowned medical scientist Wang Zhenyi, wheat breeding and agricultural strategy expert Li Zhensheng and veteran war hero Huang Zongde.

The proposed list for national honorary titles includes the late renowned radar expert Wang Xiaomo, prominent jurist Zhang Jinfan, and the late distinguished strategic scientist and geophysicist Huang Danian, among others.

Among the 14 nominees, many are from the field of science. 

Wang Yongzhi was one of the pioneers of China's manned space engineering, overseeing the development of various types of missiles in China and rocket research. He participated in the formulation of China's manned space development blueprint, making outstanding contributions to national defense modernization and manned spaceflight. 

Wang Zhenyi is a renowned medical scientist and medical educator who successfully transformed malignant cells into benign cells with a new clinical treatment strategy for leukemia, establishing the clinical foundation of induced differentiation theory. He established the "Shanghai Plan" for treating "acute promyelocytic leukemia," and made significant contributions to medical practice and theoretical innovation. 

Li Zhensheng is a pioneer in China's distant hybridization breeding of wheat and an expert in agricultural development strategies, playing an important role in promoting increased grain production in China and ensuring national food security. 

Wang Xiaomo is a renowned radar expert in China and a pioneer and founder of the modern early warning aircraft industry. He led the development of China's first three-coordinate radar and other world-class advanced radars, as well as China's first generation of airborne early warning systems. 

Zhao Zhongxian is a major advocate, promoter and practitioner of high-temperature superconductivity research in China, leading his team in research, making outstanding contributions to the rooting and advancement of high-temperature superconductivity research in China.

Among the highest state honors are also a previous border guard from Tajik ethnicity in the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County Tiznapu Township, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. For three generations spanning 70 years, Baiyika and his family have guarded the border on the Pamir Plateau. 

Since starting as a guide for border guards with his father in 1972, Baiyika has patrolled more than 700 times, covering over 30,000 kilometers, helping border guards keep the area safe, earning him the title of "living map" in the eyes of the troops. His son, Laqini, continued the border guard duty. Tragically he lost his life while bravely trying to rescue children who had fallen into an ice cave. 

Zhang Xielin, former deputy director of the table tennis and badminton management center of the General Administration of Sport, was also nominated. He is a renowned table tennis player and coach in China. He represented the Chinese team and won the men's team championship at the 27th World Table Tennis Championships, as well as the men's doubles and mixed doubles world titles for China for the first time. 

Under his guidance, the Chinese women's table tennis team has won the women's team championship at the World Table Tennis Championships 10 times, producing numerous world champions and making outstanding contributions to sport in China. 

The Medal of the Republic is awarded to outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the cause of the Party, the country and the people, establishing remarkable achievements, possessing noble moral qualities and being widely recognized by the masses. 

Among them are scientist Tu Youyou for her discovery of artemisinin, "father of China's hydrogen bomb" Yu Min, China's first-generation nuclear submarine chief designer Huang Xuhua, and the "father of hybrid rice" Yuan Longping. 

National honorary titles are awarded to outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields and industries, enjoying high reputation, possessing noble moral qualities and being widely recognized by the masses.

The outstanding contributions made by these individuals highlight the remarkable achievements of the Party and the country in various aspects since the founding of the People's Republic of China, particularly since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, observers noted.

4 Chinese nationals dead in Nepal helicopter crash: Chinese Embassy

China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, edged up 0.5 percent year-on-year in July, data released by the National Bureau of Statistic showed on Thursday. It marked the sixth consecutive month that the reading records an expansion.

NBS statistician Dong Lijuan attributed it to continuous pick-up in domestic consumer demand and the impact of high temperatures and rainfall in some regions which drove up food price.

The index also accelerated from a 0.2-percent year-on-year growth recorded in June. On a monthly basis, China's CPI also gained 0.5 percent in July, reversing from a contraction of 0.2 percent in June. The month-on-month growth rate is "relatively high" compared to the same period in recent years, according to Dong.

Food price remained the same in July. The price of pork, a staple meat in China, rose 20.4 percent in July compared with a year earlier, while the price of fresh vegetables and meat also rose 3.3 percent and 0.8 percent respectively year-on-year in July. 

Non-food prices rose 0.7 percent year-on-year, lifting the CPI by 0.54 percentage points.

The core CPI, deducting food and energy prices, went up 0.3 percent in July compared with that of June, making the reading "higher than the average level for the same period in the past decade." In year-on-year terms, the index rose 0.4 percent in July, maintaining a moderate increase.

Chinese observers predicted that China's CPI will continue showing "moderate rebound" in the second half, thanks to the release of more consumption demands, food price rise and last year's low base effect. 

Research released by the Peking University National Economic Research Center expected China's CPI to grow by 0.4 percent year-on-year in 2024, edging up from the 0.2-percent expansion registered in 2023. 

The NBS data also showed that China's producer price index (PPI), which measures costs for goods at the factory gate, dropped by 0.8 percent year-on-year in July. NBS said that it was a result of "insufficient market demand and the decline in prices of some international commodities, among other factors."