By Qiu Chaoyi, People’s Daily

Chinese manufacturing continues to win over consumers worldwide. According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, overseas visitors spent 263.6 billion yuan ($39.28) in China from January to July this year, up 27.8 percent year on year. The number of overseas travelers who applied for departure tax refunds more than tripled over the same period.

Why has China maintained the world’s largest manufacturing value-added output for 16 consecutive years? An examination of several popular products offers insight into the logic behind building a stronger, more dynamic manufacturing sector.

Yiwu, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, known as the “world’s supermarket,” is neither on the border nor by the sea, yet local businesses have turned small commodities into big business. 

Recently, a “palm-sized hat” went viral overseas. It trended on social media in the morning, entered mass production in Yiwu by the afternoon, and quickly reached markets in Europe and the United States. 

Earlier this year, a “crying horse” toy unexpectedly became popular. Yiwu manufacturers ramped up production within 48 hours. By mid-year, they had already stocked up on blockbuster World Cup merchandise well before the tournament kicked off.

Yiwu has moved beyond its old model of passive OEM manufacturing. It now identifies market demand with “zero time lag” and connects it to production with virtually no barriers.

Rather than waiting for the next trend to emerge, it is increasingly helping drive consumer trends. The shift from “waiting for the wind” to “catching the wind” shows how a flexible market mindset can quickly turn emerging demand into business opportunities.

In May of this year, Chinese tech giant Huawei introduced its Tau Scaling Law, replacing “geometric scaling” with “time scaling” and successfully designing and mass-producing hundreds of chip models.

Similarly, Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer BYD broke away from the conventional cylindrical and prismatic battery designs and developed its Blade Battery, addressing key safety challenges in power batteries through structural innovation. 

Chinese motorcycle manufacturer ZXMOTO took a different route to develop a three-cylinder, water-cooled engine, making a splash on the international racing circuit. 

What these examples demonstrate is not merely a shift in technological approaches, but a broader wisdom in industrial upgrading: by daring to break with convention and pursue new paths, seemingly insurmountable bottlenecks can become breakthroughs in independent innovation.

In recent years, new products have been brought to market in rapid succession, and new technologies have evolved at an accelerating pace. One important reason is that China has planned ahead, laying the groundwork and building capacity to weather changes.

Take AI, for example. The ultimate foundation of AI is electricity. Developing large AI models requires not only cutting-edge AI chips and advanced algorithms, but also abundant and reliable power infrastructure. Through sustained investment over the years, China has built the world’s largest ultra-long-distance power transmission network and a renewable energy system, giving it a distinctive energy advantage in the AI race.

From 5G networks and modern logistics needed to support advanced manufacturing to the cultivation of a large pool of highly skilled engineers and technicians, China has steadily invested in key foundations. These efforts have built a comprehensive, multilayered industrial structure covering all major sectors and strengthened the resilience of the manufacturing sector, enabling it to withstand pressure and adapt to changing conditions.

China has grown its manufacturing sector into a global powerhouse not through beggar-thy-neighbor policies or zero-sum competition, but through openness, cooperation, and mutual benefit.

Recently, the realistic film Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has been a hit, with one line from the movie — “Don’t forget to eat well” — touching the hearts of many foreign viewers. The simple words convey a value that cherishes peace and development, as well as mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. This is closely aligned with the underlying logic of Chinese manufacturing.

As Chinese manufacturing goes global, it is bringing with it an ever-growing list of opportunities.

In Africa, the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone has built up industries spanning new energy and home appliances, generating jobs for over 10,000 people. 

In Southeast Asia, China’s textile sector has forged deep integration with industrial chains of Malaysia and other nations, forming a cooperative model: “China supplies raw materials, ASEAN manufactures finished garments, and the world opens up markets.”

In Latin America, multiple Chinese automakers have set up plants in Brazil, boosting local industrialization via capital investment and homegrown talent development.

All this highlights the flexibility, strong execution and openness of Chinese manufacturing. As profound changes unseen in a century accelerate and a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation gains momentum, Chinese manufacturing, by staying dynamic and adapting to changes, will be full of vitality and go on to achieve even greater successes.

By Su Bin, People’s Daily

On the evening of Aug. 22, the second Village Super League national tournament, an amateur football tournament in southwest China’s Guizhou province came to a close after several rounds of competition. In the final, the Jinli Chengjun Football Team from Gaoyao district, Zhaoqing, Guangdong province, defeated the Pumi Team from Wuhua county, Guangdong, in a penalty shootout to successfully defend its title.

Originating in Rongjiang, Guizhou province, the Village Super League has evolved from a local county-level event into a nationwide grassroots sports phenomenon. How did this transformation happen? And now that it has taken center stage, how can it sustain its appeal and continue to create value? People’s Daily looked into these questions.

“We played against football teams from all over the country. We made friends through the sport and gave our all on the pitch, showcasing the pure spirit of grassroots football.” The Jinli Chengjun Football Team wrote in a letter to the Village Super League the day after the tournament concluded.

For the first national tournament, teams were selected on a provincial level, with 51 teams eventually participating. The second tournament expanded its reach by setting up competition zones directly in counties and county-level cities across the country. A total of 102 county-level competition zones were established, each organizing its own preliminary competition to select a representative team. In the end, 105 teams competed in the national tournament.

“Selecting teams at the county level gives more ordinary people a chance to compete. It also creates opportunities for grassroots players and local cultures to take the stage at the Village Super League,” said Wang Yongjie, who oversees publicity for the event.

The larger number of participating teams has also raised the bar for event organization. How could the expanded field be managed effectively?

This year’s tournament introduced an innovative dual-track format combining a cup competition with friendly matches. 48 teams competed in the cup competition, progressing through group and knockout stages to vie for the national title. Another 57 teams took part in friendly matches, with the focus on cross-regional cultural and sports exchanges, intangible cultural heritage showcases and county-level tourism promotion.

The team from Xinhe county in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is made up of local fruit growers, teachers, and company employees. Making its national tournament debut this year, the team advanced through the county-level qualifiers to earn a place on the pitch in Rongjiang.

“For us, the biggest takeaway was the chance to compete and connect with football fans from across the country,” said team leader Kadia.

The tournament has also become a platform for promoting local products.

“Nujiang coffee came with our team to the Village Super League this time. The nationwide exposure provided by the tournament has further raised the profile of Nujiang coffee and delivered tangible benefits to related local industries,” said a letter of thanks from the publicity department of Lushui, Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture, southwest China’s Yunnan province, as the national tournament neared its conclusion. 

The letter noted that the Village Super League had grown beyond a sporting event to become a platform supporting comprehensive rural revitalization in remote areas.

One breakthrough of this year’s national tournament lies in setting up a county-level industrial development alliance for the Village Super League. Driven by the sports event and underpinned by industrial support, the alliance has delivered tangible cooperation across multiple fronts off the pitch, spanning culture and tourism, economy and trade, and agricultural products.

A harvest market was set up at the final, featuring specialty products from dozens of counties, including walnuts from Xinhe county, coffee from Nujiang, pears from Jinzhou in Hebei province and rice from Jixian county in Heilongjiang province. Many counties used the tournament as a platform to connect producers with buyers, helping local specialties ride the Village Super League wave to markets across the country.

During the preliminary competitions organized independently by participating counties, the alliance also provided free services and guidance, encouraging localities to build upon the Village Super League brand and develop tailored programs that would bring tangible benefits to their communities.

Some counties, for example, promoted each other as tourist destinations and jointly designed travel routes combining football matches, intangible cultural heritage experiences, and rural tours. During its qualifying competition, Xiaoyi, Shanxi province in north China, received more than 2.1 million tourist visits, directly driving increases of more than 35 percent in both catering and accommodation consumption.

How can the Village Super League experience be replicated elsewhere? How can the model be adapted to local conditions?

Local organizers have developed a range of approaches. In terms of coordination, Rongjiang has established a three-tier service system consisting of follow-up visits to competition zones, on-site guidance, and training programs in Rongjiang. For event services, it has shared its volunteer recruitment system and security system featuring identity verification and facial recognition at separate entrances, while establishing service standards covering medical care, transportation, accommodation, catering, and sanitation.

Can the Village Super League retain its appeal beyond Rongjiang?

“Whenever the model is introduced elsewhere, it has to be adapted to local characteristics. We hope to help more counties organize successful events in ways that suit their own conditions,” Wang said.

In the Jixian competition zone in Heilongjiang, local intangible cultural heritage has been incorporated into the tournament, bringing football together with local culture. The Chuxiong competition zone in Yunnan has used the event to promote its flower industry. Yiyang in east China’s Jiangxi province has linked the tournament with local opera traditions.

“This cooperative approach preserves the grassroots character of the Village Super League while unleashing the creativity of different localities,” said Han Wenbo, an official with the education and sports bureau of Fuping county, Baoding, Hebei province. 

During the qualifying competition in Fuping, related content generated more than 447 million online views and directly drove 80 million yuan ($11.89 million) in consumption, turning the event into a new engine for integrating culture and tourism and promoting rural development.

By using sports to boost county-level development and competitions to benefit local communities, the Village Super League is becoming a shared development story, with localities across China joining hands to write new chapters.

By Huan Yuping, People’s Daily

On the afternoon of Sept. 12, local time, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the Session I of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India. 

Xi reviewed the achievements of BRICS cooperation over the past 20 years and stressed that BRICS must stand firmly on the right side of history, strive to be a pioneer of our times, steer the international order in a direction that is more just and equitable, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of BRICS cooperation. BRICS countries have come together in pursuit of common development, in line with the prevailing trend of peace and development in the world.

From the original “BRIC” to “BRICS,” followed by historic expansion, and from the innovative “BRICS Plus” cooperation model to the steadily improving partner country mechanism, BRICS has consistently upheld the spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation. It has grown into a leading force within the Global South.

Today, the BRICS family accounts for more than half of the world’s population and around 30 percent of the global economy, while contributing more than 50 percent of global economic growth. It has become a strong force on the international stage — dedicated to upholding peace, promoting development, and defending justice. The historic expansion of BRICS has given rise to a comprehensive, multi-tiered cooperation framework, ushering “greater BRICS” cooperation into a new stage of high-quality development.

In recent years, the Global South has grown remarkably stronger, driving profound shifts in the balance of international forces and making the trend toward a multipolar world unstoppable. As a model of unity and self-reliance among emerging markets and developing countries, BRICS now shoulders greater responsibilities and carries higher expectations. It should therefore do more to promote solidarity and cooperation across the Global South and contribute more to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity, and progress.

China has always been a driving force and builder of BRICS cooperation. From proposing the “BRICS Plus” model at the 2017 BRICS Summit in Xiamen, southeast China’s Fujian province, to launching the BRICS expansion process during China’s BRICS presidency in 2022, and then advancing the vision of high-quality “greater BRICS” cooperation at the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, China has played a pivotal role at every key juncture of BRICS development, leaving a distinctive Chinese imprint.

A series of Chinese proposals have been translated into tangible cooperation outcomes, fully demonstrating China’s important role as a mainstay of BRICS cooperation and a core member of the Global South. 

At the 2024 summit, Xi said that BRICS should be a pioneer in advancing innovation-driven development, a pioneer in upholding peace and stability, a pioneer in facilitating mutual learning between civilizations, and a pioneer in reforming and improving global governance. This Chinese approach to ensuring steady and sustained progress in BRICS cooperation will inject greater certainty, stability, and positive energy into a world marked by turbulence and transformation.

In 2027, China will take over the BRICS presidency and host the 19th BRICS Summit. China stands ready to work with all parties to build consensus, create a brighter future, usher in the third “Golden Decade” of BRICS cooperation, and elevate “greater BRICS” cooperation to new heights.