By Wang Hao, People’s Daily

The Yellow River, China’s second-longest river, transports more sediment than any major river in the world. Centuries of silt accumulation have diminished reservoir capacity and elevated its riverbed, creating a “suspended river” that historically threatened downstream regions with flooding.

Since 2002, China has conducted 31 coordinated water-sediment regulation initiatives to ensure the river’s long-term stability. Through multi-reservoir management, over 3.5 billion tons of sediment have been flushed seaward, significantly mitigating the suspended river phenomenon while enhancing flood control and sediment transport capacity.

Central to this system is the Xiaolangdi Reservoir – functioning as both the “control tap” for the middle-lower Yellow River and the “power source” for sediment regulation. At 9 a.m. on Sept. 8, inside a digital twin control center of the Xiaolangdi Multipurpose Dam Project Management Center in central China’s Henan province, massive data streams pulsed on monitoring screens.

“Following a dispatch order to “adjust outflow to 2,500 m³/s,” Engineer Li Xiandong executed operational commands. As sediment-discharge gates lifted, torrents surged downstream, initiating the annual regulation cycle.

“This flow rate releases an Olympic-sized swimming pool’s volume per second – triple the normal discharge,” Li explained. “The powerful current acts like hydraulic brushes, scouring sediment seaward.” Li’s expertise lies in precisely timing gate combinations to optimize this scouring effect. During this year’s operation, 24 gate adjustments following six major commands enabled Xiaolangdi to flush 8.87 million tons of sediment.

Through meticulous water management, a multi-reservoir coordination system now operates across more than 1,000 river kilometers, integrating Xiaolangdi with Sanmenxia and Wanjiazhai reservoirs. This precision engineering has dramatically increased sediment discharge efficiency, alleviating sedimentation burdens throughout the system.

During pre-flood season operations (June 28, 8:00 AM), Xiaolangdi’s outflow peaked at 4,820 m³/s. Concurrently, drones equipped with edge-analysis terminals and dual-spectrum cameras launched automated inspections. “These devices transmit real-time imagery, autonomously identify structural defects, and generate inspection reports,” noted Wang Pengfei, deputy director of the hydraulic engineering department of a company under the Xiaolangdi Multipurpose Dam Project Management Center.

With digital twin technology, an intelligent “mirror” of Xiaolangdi has come to life. More than 2,943 monitoring devices capture precise structural data, while satellites provide full coverage of the 300-square-kilometer reservoir area and 1,300 kilometers of shoreline. In the virtual space, 12 hydrological and engineering models run continuous simulations.

From the dam and reservoir to the river channel and water flow, everything is mapped into the digital twin platform, where virtual and physical systems interact. This enables advanced simulations for sediment flushing, reservoir dispatching, and engineering safety – all tested and refined before real-world implementation.

From Xiaolangdi to the Yellow River section in Jinan and Dongping Lake, the digital twin yellow river project is steadily advancing. More than 550 million data entries have been integrated, bringing the Yellow River into the digital realm.

“We have developed a scientific paradigm of three interconnected models – a prototype Yellow River, a model Yellow River, and a digital twin Yellow River,” said Cao Yongtao, director of the sediment research department at the Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research. “The three systems verify and complement each other, improving forecasting accuracy and refining dispatch plans.” 

Through “micro-Yellow River” experiments and cross-validation among the three systems, the forecast error for flood peak enhancement has been reduced to within 10 percent.

As torrents of water roared downstream during this year’s pre-flood season operation, Lou Guangyan and her team from ecology and environment division the Yellow River institute of water resources protection worked along the river’s monitoring sections, studying the relationship between changes in sediment discharge and aquatic life.

The Yellow River Protection Law, which took effect on April 1, 2023, stipulates in Article 62 that water and sediment regulation shall minimize impacts on aquatic organisms and their habitats.

From 2023 to 2025, Lou’s team has set up 12 monitoring cross-sections between Xiaolangdi and the river mouth, collecting more than 1,300 samples to assess ecological impacts. “In the long run, water and sediment regulation helps stabilize the river’s morphology, improve aquatic habitats, and support biodiversity. Rare species such as the ungeo fish have reappeared,” Lou said.

Data show that since 2008, the structure of plankton communities in the lower Yellow River has remained stable, while the number of fish species in Henan and Shandong provinces has increased by nearly 50. During each operation, water is also released to the Yellow River delta wetland, providing essential support for its restoration and biodiversity enhancement.

The water and sediment regulation of the Yellow River embodies China’s ancient wisdom of water governance combined with modern technological innovation. After more than two decades of practice, this integrated approach has laid a solid foundation for ensuring the river’s long-term stability, while offering valuable experience and insights for the ecological management of major rivers around the world.

By Luo Shanshan, People’s Daily

The 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) will convene in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10. This year’s event will bring together 155 countries, regions, and international organizations, featuring 4,108 overseas enterprises and covering an exhibition area of more than 430,000 square meters – a new record high for both scale and participation. 

Amid profound global economic shifts, the CIIE underscores China’s commitment to stabilizing international trade.

Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping noted that China has maintained its position as the world’s second-largest import market for 16 consecutive years. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the country’s total imports of goods and services are expected to exceed $15 trillion. 

The first seven editions of the CIIE have together generated intended deals worth more than $500 billion, helping enterprises from around the world navigate global market fluctuations and share in the vast opportunities of China’s super-sized market.

This year’s CIIE will feature four distinct highlights.

Commitment to opening-up

The Ministry of Commerce will launch a new initiative under the theme of “Shared Market, Export Opportunities in China,” accompanied by a ceremony inaugurating related events. The China Pavilion at the 8th CIIE will showcase the country’s latest achievements in deepening reform and advancing high-standard opening-up during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The Hongqiao International Economic Forum will release The World Openness Report 2025 and the latest World Openness Index.

Showcasing Frontier Innovations 

The expo will debut 461 new products, technologies, and services, highlighting frontier industries such as low-altitude economy and humanoid robotics. New themes including the silver economy, ice-and-snow economy, sports economy, and automotive tourism will be featured, along with new platforms for digital and health consumption, helping expand goods and services consumption and foster emerging consumption trends.

Strengthening Global Collaboration 

A record 4,108 enterprises (up from 3,496 in 2024), including 290 Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders, will participate across an expanded exhibition area. Over 600 new exhibitors have joined, with 43 trade missions and over 700 sub-delegations attending for procurement negotiations. Registered professional visitors total 449,500.

Inclusive Global Participation

Enterprises from 123 Belt and Road partner countries will participate in the event, up 23.1 percent from last year. A total of 163 companies from the least developed countries will be present, marking a 23.5 percent increase. The African products section has been expanded, with the number of participating African enterprises up by 80 percent year on year. For the first time, the Hongqiao International Economic Forum will host discussions on enhancing economic resilience  and sustainable agricultural development in the Global South.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

Amid rising unilateralism and protectionism, how can nations foster greater stability in regional and global development? China and ASEAN have delivered a compelling response.

On Oct. 28 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the two parties signed the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol. This achievement not only marks another milestone in their shared commitment to open cooperation but also significantly advances the development of an open world economy at a critical moment.

The agreement represents is a landmark outcome from the consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and ASEAN leaders during the ASEAN-China Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations. 

It also represents an important step in implementing the decisions of the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which called for expanding high-standard opening up and creating new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. 

The upgraded partnership between the world’s second- and fifth-largest economies is more than a simple sum of figures, it is a meeting of minds.

Since its full implementation in 2010, the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area(CAFTA) has continuously evolved to meet the demands of accelerating regional integration. Its progressive upgrades – moving from tariffs reductions on goods to expanded service sector access, and now to deeper alignment of regulations and standards – clearly demonstrate the expanding scope and rising ambition of China-ASEAN economic cooperation. The process fully reflects the two sides’ forward-looking vision and strategic understanding of global trends.

Building CAFTA 3.0 is a crucial step towards creating a super-sized market and fostering a community with a shared future. The economic partnership is exceptionally robust: China and ASEAN have been each other’s largest trading partners for five consecutive years, with total trade reaching nearly $1 trillion in 2024 and cumulative two-way investment exceeding $450 billion as of July this year. These deep economic ties form a powerful foundation for an even closer community with a shared future. 

Under the CAFTA 3.0 framework, both sides will jointly promote the development of emerging industries such as digital and green economies, enhance the alignment of standards and regulations, and advance infrastructure and supply chain connectivity. These measures will drive the region toward deeper economic integration and more sustainable long-term growth.

Businesses anticipate that the agreement’s provisions will significantly enhance the region’s appeal as an investment destination and contribute to building stronger, more resilient supply chains. These high expectations underscore the potential for the upgraded free trade area to unlock new dimensions of China-ASEAN cooperation.

The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 fully demonstrates the two sides’ shared and solemn commitment to upholding multilateralism and free trade. Amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry and rampant protectionism, China and ASEAN are providing certainty through mutually beneficial cooperation in an uncertain world. Their joint resolve to build an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional integrated market and a resilient regional industrial and supply chain system that delivers mutual benefits will unlock significant opportunities for businesses across the region and beyond, inject strong confidence and vitality into global economic growth, and set an example for countries working together to address international economic and trade challenges.

Adhering to openness, cooperation, and mutual benefit is an inherent requirement of Chinese modernization. As of early 2025, China had signed 23 free trade agreements with 30 countries and regions. 

With China continuing to expand institutional opening up, foster innovation-driven trade growth, broaden two-way investment channels, and work with partners to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the space for mutual benefit and shared success will only continue to grow. 

Looking ahead, China’s steadfast commitment to openness and cooperation will ensure it remains a stabilizer and source of dynamism for the world economy.

Economic globalization is an irreversible trend of history. China will continue to work with all parties to uphold multilateralism and open cooperation, share development opportunities through openness, and pursue win-win outcomes, so as to promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, build an open world economy, and jointly create a brighter future for all humanity.