“After a year’s hard work, Chinese people should be able to experience the joy of New Year and have the right to appreciate fireworks. With the 2024 Lunar New Year approaching, it’s time for local governments to respond to appeals from the legislation working committee of the National People’s Congress to revise the full ban on fireworks according to the law.”
A commentary piece published on the China Central Television Station (CCTV) website on December 27, 2023 about the fireworks ban in place over environmental concerns
“If growth in household consumption cannot be based on sustained income growth and stable expectations for such growth, households will save any subsidies the government provides, if any, for rainy days. In short, unless there is an unexpected positive external shock (such as a technological breakthrough), a virtuous cycle of economic growth needs to be initiated by the growth of infrastructure investment.”
Yu Yongding, economist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, analyzing China’s economic development in 2024, in an interview with China Finance 40 Forum (CF40) in early January
“The source of many scientific innovations is not whether they are useful, but rather that ‘I cannot sleep unless I solve this problem.’ That is the scientific spirit. The biggest driving force of science is curiosity.”
Wang Pinxian, a professor at the School of Ocean and Earth Science of Shanghai’s Tongji University, on what he believes China’s scientists lack in their approach to innovation in an interview with NewsChina’s Chinese edition in late 2023
“Scholars do innovative work. It definitely is an adventure, which may not necessarily get results or even have a clear direction.”
Luo Xin, a history professor at Peking University, in an interview with NewsChina’s Chinese edition in late 2023
“In developed countries, the scale of producer services often account for 40-50 percent of total GDP. However, in China it only makes up 20 percent... So, increasing the ratio of producer service industries is an important link for China’s further development of high-quality manufacturing.”
Huang Qifan, former mayor of Chongqing, in an interview at the Shanghai Bund Summit in September 2023, and published by CF40 in January
“A long-term, stable Sino-US relationship should come down to following public opinion and supporting exchanges between the two peoples. The firmer its foundation in public opinion, the greater the space and impetus the bilateral relationship will have.”
Yang Wanming, director of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, in an interview with news portal The Paper for the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the US
“In general, China and Vietnam are not so competitive in terms of trade, but can enhance the competitiveness of both countries through more pragmatic cooperation. So, we have been working hard to promote the development of cross-border economic cooperative zones between the two countries.”
Pan Jin’e, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in an interview with NewsChina’s Chinese edition following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s official visit to Vietnam from December 12-13, 2023
“Green trade barriers have had a ‘trap effect’ on Chinese enterprises: Although enterprises have successively broken through the barriers by upgrading green technologies, their dependence on imported technologies has deepened. Moreover, as the costs of upgrading green technologies increase, enterprises’ capabilities of developing indigenous innovation will weaken, increasing the likelihood of Chinese manufacturing being stuck in the middle links of the global industrial chain for a long time.”
Xu Qiyuan and Lu Ting, researchers at the Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, calling for the government to issue more policies to encourage enterprises to break green trade barriers through innovation, in their joint article published in monthly journal Finance & Trade Economics in late 2023
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