China Underlines Nigeria Importance

By: Michael Mike

China has underlined Nigeria importance to its plan in Africa, stating that the West African country remains one of its most reliable allies.

Speaking at the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China(PRC), China’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai said Nigeria remains China’s largest project contracting market, the second largest export market, third largest trading partner, and a major investment destination in Africa.

The Ambassador said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971, China and Nigeria have been enjoying a long-standing friendship, with strengthened high-level engagements, consolidated political mutual trust, deepened people-to-people exchanges, and fruitful outcomes of practical cooperation.

He said: “Nigeria remains China’s largest project contracting market, the second largest export market, third largest trading partner, and a major investment destination in Africa.

“In 2023, bilateral trade between our two countries reached $22.5 billion.

“Our practical cooperation has achieved fruitful results in areas such as infrastructure, investment, trade, agriculture and green economy, covering projects for aviation, on land and in the sea.”

The envoy said over the past 75 years since the founding of the PRC, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese nation has forged ahead in unity and has achieved tremendous transformation from standing upright to becoming prosperous and growing in strength

He noted that over the past decade, the CPC has rallied and led the entire Chinese nation to win the largest battle against poverty in human history.

He said: “Each year , an average of 10 million people were lifted out of poverty, which is equivalent to the population of a medium-sized country.

“At present, nearly 100 million Chinese people in total have shaken off poverty. China has accomplished the historic mission of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

“The living standards of Chinese people have grown from bare subsistence to moderate prosperity, while China has moved from weakness and poverty to strength and prosperity, achieving the twin miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability in human history.

“Between 2013 and 2023, China contributed over 30 percent on average to global economic growth, making it the largest driving force for the world economy.”

Yu also added that presently, the Chinese people have embarked on the new journey toward the Second Centenary Goal, which is, 2049, to build our country into a great modern socialist country in all respects that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.

Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, who was at hand to celebrate with China, congratulated the country on its 75th anniversary and its growth and achievements.

He also announced that the House of Representatives will be actively engaging through our China-Nigeria Parliamentary Friendship Group initiative to explore various areas for collaboration and cooperation, focusing on sectors such as trade, technology transfer, infrastructure development, and cultural exchange.

He said: “By learning from China’s experience in leveraging its legislature for national advancement, we can better position ourselves to address the challenges facing our own country.

“We reaffirm our commitment to enhancing cooperation between Nigeria and China because we believe that it is imperative that we work hand-in-hand to address common challenges while seizng opportunities for growth that benefit both nations.”Tajudeen said.

The founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is a significant moment in China’s history following the Chinese Civil War and victory of Mao Zedong’s Communist forces over the Kuomintang forces of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of PRC on 1 October 1949.

China Underlines Nigeria Importance

Night economy thrives across China

By Lin Lili, Huang Xiaohui, Wang Xinyue, People’s Daily

On a weekend night, on an open stage in the Ninth Street of Guanyinqiao business area, Jiangbei district, southwest China’s Chongqing municipality, people were singing and dancing, creating a lively atmosphere.
“We come here to listen to music, enjoy food, and go shopping. The Ninth Street never sleeps at night,” said Chen Qi, a young local resident.

Just across the street, at the Beicang Cultural and Creative Block, a 24-hour bookstore was filled with young readers, who are drawn to the artistic night market.

The night economy is an important part of urban commerce. In China, the booming night economy has evolved from traditional night markets centered around dining and shopping to integrated hubs for culture, tourism, and entertainment.

Cities across the country are striving to boost nighttime cultural and tourism consumption and offer a wide range of nighttime activities in line with local conditions, injecting fresh energy into the consumer market.

For instance, the 5th Tianjin Nighttime Life Festival was recently held in north China’s Tianjin municipality, including over 100 events integrating shopping, tourism, culture, and sports.

In Shenyang, capital of northeast China’s Liaoning province, the First Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Culture Night Market was launched, where people could learn traditional Chinese fitness exercises like Baduanjin, Wuqinxi, and Tai Chi from experts.
Shijiazhuang, capital of north China’s Hebei province, has integrated business models such as nighttime entertainment, tourism, and sports, providing a range of sports activities for its residents.

Apart from diverse and vibrant urban nighttime activities, the night economy in Chinese rural areas also has its unique appeal.

For example, in Wangjiazhuang village, Lingtai county, Pingliang, northwest China’s Gansu province, people came together for vibrant bonfire parties and village basketball competitions, also known as “CunBA” usually held after sunset.

Local farmers in Shuijing village, Zhenning county, Anshun, southwest China’s Guizhou province, tapped into the beauty of a vast lotus pond to attract visitors to come and appreciate the lotus flowers while tasting local snacks.

According to Pan Helin, an official with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Chinese night economy is flourishing with numerous highlights: themed night markets with cultural and creative products and delicious food have enriched the options for nighttime consumption; nighttime bookstores and museums are merging with technology and cultural tourism sectors to create new consumption models. “All these services cater to the unique and wide-ranging demands of Chinese consumers,” Pan added.
However, as the night economy develops, residents living near commercial districts inevitably face disturbances such as nighttime noise, lights, and cooking fumes. While promoting the night economy, regions across the country have improved their management and provided better public services to minimize the negative impacts on the surrounding environment.
For instance, Maoming North Road located in Nanjing West Road business circle in Shanghai’s Jing’an district has turned into a pedestrian street every weekend and on all Chinese national holidays. This year, during events like the UEFA EURO football championship and the Paris Olympics Games, some bars and restaurants there were allowed to extend their opening hours from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. on weekends.
It is reported that relevant local government departments have reached agreements with nearby businesses and shop owners on the allocation of outdoor business areas, maintaining consistent LED brightness levels and prohibiting outdoor loudspeaker advertisements at night. In addition, the property management company of the pedestrian has set up a self-regulating committee for shop owners to oversee and enforce these regulations.
The Chinese night economy is developing in tandem with new business forms such as on-demand retail and community e-commerce, better meeting consumers’ nighttime consumption needs.
“I was worried about my child getting cold while swimming at night, so I ordered a few cups of hot ginger tea and some snacks. To my surprise, they arrived in just over 10 minutes,” said Yu Mengying, a resident in Lianyungang, east China’s Jiangsu province, who was unfolding a picnic blanket on a beach.
“Now we can travel light as we don’t need to take too many things with us. We can place orders on our phones anytime, and the delivery is fast,” she said.
New technologies like big data have also improved the management and service quality of the Chinese night economy.
At the Caita night market in Shenyang, a market regulation enforcement officer was checking food vendors using a smart monitoring platform while recording his findings on a mobile application. The inspection was completed in just five minutes.
“We don’t need to carry inspection documents with us, which removes the burden of managing and storing the paperwork, leading to a notable improvement in regulatory efficiency,” said Zhang Zhaoyu, an official with the Shenyang Administration for Market Regulation.
It is reported that Shenyang has included nighttime food safety regulation into a smart supervision platform, aiming to achieve comprehensive smart supervision through mobile terminals.

Night economy thrives across China

Autonomous driving technology makes freight services more intelligent

By Yao Xueqing, Han Xin, People’s Daily

Autonomous freight transport is making rapid progress in China as the country continuously improves relevant policies and standards and strengthens pilot and demonstration projects.
Leveraging pilot applications of intelligent transport, China is putting autonomous driving technologies into trial use on a larger scale, focusing on typical freight transport scenarios including road freight, delivery, intra-park transport and port freight services.
Statistics indicate that as of the end of 2023, around 1,000 autonomous driving trucks had been put into operation by over 100 entities joining pilot projects for intelligent transportation applications, and autonomous driving container trucks had been employed at some 20 ports.
On a morning, a red heavy-duty truck, about 16 meters long, was running steadily on the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway. After passing a toll gate in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu province, the driver Sun Yefu activated an intelligent pilot mode. Henceforward, all he needed to do was to sit on the driver’s seat and watch, as the truck would automatically drive, avoid obstacles or switch lanes according to actual traffic.
“The driver’s compartment of the heavy-duty truck is equipped with multiple types of sensors, including millimeter wave radars, laser radars and high-definition cameras. They serve as the ‘eyes’ of the truck that enable it to see traffic hundreds of meters ahead,” said Cui Dixiao, chief scientist of Smartxtruck, a developer of autonomous driving solutions headquartered in Suzhou.
According to Cui, the heavy-duty truck’s multi-sensing capabilities allow it to be resilient even in heavy rain and fog. It can detect traffic congestion in advance and adjust its speed accordingly, ensuring a steady drive while saving fuel.
Last year, in collaboration with Chinese automaker JAC Group, Smartxtruck tailored an intelligent heavy-duty truck model for the courier industry. So far, the model has been employed by logistics companies in the Yangtze River delta, Pearl River delta and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. No accident has been reported, and the model saves as much as 10 percent of fuel.
At the Nantong port in east China’s Jiangsu province, five autonomous driving container trucks were working in an orderly manner in an enclosed operation area. They drove to a designated spot along a planned route and docked with a gantry crane. Later, the crane lifted containers and put them on the trucks’ trailers.
It is the first fleet of autonomous driving container trucks in Jiangsu province. “In the past, it took a lot of time and energy for drivers to get this job done, but now, with the intelligent trucks, the error can be controlled within five centimeters,” said Jiang Haozhou, an employee at the port.
Jiang said that with technological advancements, the emergence of truly unmanned and intelligent transport equipment has become possible. Not only are they more flexible and intelligent, but they also do not require infrastructure modifications at the docks, which makes them suitable for over 95 percent of traditional docks across China. This upgrade in freight transportation methods will elevate the industry to a new level.
On an open road in the Wuxi New District Free Trade Zone, Jiangsu province, a modified autonomous logistics vehicle was carrying 10 tons of raw materials and components, on its way from a bonded warehouse of Jiangsu JD-Link International Logistics Co., Ltd. to a warehouse of a U.S.-funded enterprise in the free trade zone.
Safety inspector Xu Hongming told People’s Daily that guided by high-definition maps and an intelligent driving system, the vehicle could automatically start, accelerate, switch lanes, and park. Since the vehicle was put into use last September, there has been no chance that Xu needs to intervene in the truck’s operation.
After the vehicle entered its destination warehouse, it parked in front of a platform 1.3 meters above the ground. A self-driving forklift directly entered the cargo tank, unloaded the cargo, and moved it onto a conveyor belt. The automated conveyor belt then sorted the cargo and placed it on a shelf.
Qian Shaohua, head of an innovation research institute of Jiangsu JD-Link International Logistics Co., Ltd., told People’s Daily that the route in this scenario is simple and fixed, making it ideal for autonomous driving.
This technology enables 24/7 real-time response for precise deliveries, facilitating seamless integration and deep collaboration between the logistics and manufacturing industries. It enables small-batch, high-frequency, and customized flexible production, which is shaping the future of manufacturing as it continues to transform and upgrade, Qian added.

Autonomous driving technology makes freight services more intelligent