A BALANCED AGENDA

1 DECEMBER 23, 2021 2-922 CN11-1576/G2 OPINION: A CURIOUS XINJIANG CRUSADE | FEATURES: NEW CHINA-LAOS CONNECTION JPY188 JPY188A BALANCED AGENDAP lease recycle BREAKING NEWS SCAN ME Using a QR code readerFollow us Design: Wang YajuanMEDIA PARTNER 2021 Beijing Review, all rights reserved. OPINION22 A Shift in DemocracyThe 21st century requires a bolder political mindset and paradigm24 Beyond the Rails New steel artery proves game changer in regional logistics 26 Washington s War Drums Productive diplomacy must outrank destructive war policy 28 Does It All Make Zenz? The credentials of a self-declared German expert on Xinjiang30 Tough Love Going hard on China: the new American politically correct 31 A New Vision for Human RightsPeople-centered democracy is a unique and tangible phenomenon CONTENTSEDITOR S DESK02 Stability Powers Progress THIS WEEKCOVER STORY 12 The Greater Calling China will roll out new measures to boost the economy18 Promise and PracticeOpening up is a fundamental driving force for development 20 Belt and Road Unites China and Latin AmericaPursuing growth exchanges in a relationship of equalityFEATURES 34 A Land-Linked Future China and Laos lay down the tracks for regional connectivity38 No Gravity.

2 All Gravitas A class from space sees students explore water buoyancy 40 Crossing the StraitsThe mainland is the best investment destination for Taiwan enterprises42 The BodyguardZhang Meili, China s most striking female protection officer CULTURE46 Going With the Ancient Grain Shangshan culture, the ancient architects behind global rice-farmingEXPAT S EYE48 A Tale of Tribes and TraditionsDesigners dig deep into their ancestral heritage2 BEIJING REVIEW DECEMBER 23, 2021 News Weekly Magazine Published Since 1958 EDITOR S DESK 24 100037 (010) 68996252 (010) 68310644 2021 51 ISSN 1000-9140 CN11-1576/G2 2-922 0171 733 WRITE TO US Please provide your name and address along with your submissions.

3 Submissions may be edited. Send an e-mail: Powers Progress The essence of China s economic policy for 2022 is to prioritize stability while pur-suing steady progress, as signaled by the annual Central Economic Work Conference which took place from December 8 to 10. This shows that the Chinese Government has a clear understanding of the risks hid-den within the country s current economic operations and has thus far paid these the proportional attention. The conference also studied the current situation at home and abroad before setting clear targets for eco-nomic development in session further outlined the 2022 economic tasks from seven aspects.

4 Con-tinuing the implementation of a proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policies, the uninterrupted stimulation of market entity vitality via macroeconomic poli-cies, a deepening of supply-side structural reform with a focus on smoothing out national economy circulation, the promo-tion and concrete application of sci-tech policies, growth vitalization through reform and opening-up strategies, the upgrade to a more BALANCED and coordinated regional development, as well as the guarantee that China s social policies protect the people s wellbeing. Here, the emphasis lies on both the quantity and quality of economic growth as these are the means to rapid and high-quality the time being, China s economic growth faces unprecedented difficulties.

5 The meeting pointed out that, whereas economic success should indeed be confirmed, down-ward pressures from shrinking demand, supply shocks and weakening expectations must not be ignored. This realization of cur-rent circumstances also implies that despite an upward trend, steady growth is not an easy feat amid unilateral practices on the part of certain countries and a devastating global pandemic. The Central Government presented corresponding policies to cope with the veiled perils, including tax and fee cuts in designated areas, sufficient fiscal ex-penditure, accelerating spending pace and investing in basic infrastructure reasonably in key to steady economic growth wholly depends on China s own perfor-mance.

6 In the coming year, the policies issued by the economic work conference will come into effect. To accurately identify challenges and adequately address them, executing aggressive reforms and adapta-tion when necessary, will help ensure a more effective, equitable and sustainable economic : Li YafangEditor in Chief: Li JianguoAssociate President: Yan YingContent Director: Liu YunyunExecutive Editor: Yan Wei Associate Executive Editors: Zan Jifang, Ding Ying Production Director: Yao BinEditorial Administrators: Zeng Wenhui, Hou BeibeiAssistant Executive Editor: Li FangfangCommentator: Lan XinzhenEditors: Wang Hairong, Li NanEditorial Consultant: Elsbeth van ParidonReporters: Tang Yuankai, Wang Jun, Pan Xiaoqiao, Yuan Yuan, Ji Jing, Lu Yan, Wen Qing, Li Qing, Li xiaoyang , Ma Miaomiao, Zhang Shasha, Tao Xing, Tao Zihui Visual Director: Pamela TobeyPhoto Editor: Wang XiangPhotographer: Wei YaoArt: Li ShigongDesign Director: Wang YajuanChief Designer: Cui XiaodongDesigner: Zhao Boyu Proofreading: Ma XinHuman Resources: Zhang YajieLegal Counsel: Yue ChengNorth America BureauChief: Yu ShujunTel/Fax: 1-201-792-0334E-mail: Africa Bureau Chief Correspondent: Ni Yanshuo Tel: 27-71-6132053 E-mail: Editorial OfficeTel: 86-10-68996252 Fax: 86-10-68326628 English EditionTel: 86-10-68996250 Advertising DepartmentTel: 86-10-68995807E-mail: DepartmentTel: 86-10-68310644E-mail.

7 Every Thursday by BEIJING REVIEW, 24 Baiwanzhuang Lu, Beijing 100037, China. Overseas Distributor: China International Book TradingCorporation (Guoji Shudian), P. O. BOX 399, Beijing 100044, ChinaTel: 86-10-68413849, 1-416-497-8096 (Canada)Fax: 86-10-68412166E-mail: Distributor for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan:Peace Book Co. , Paramount Bldg, 12 Ka Yip St, Chai Wan, HKTel: 852-28046687 Fax: 852-28046409 Beijing Review (ISSN 1000-9140 USPS 2812) is distributed weekly in the United States for US$ per year by Cypress Books, 360 Swift Avenue, Suite 48, South San Francisco, CA 94080 News Postage Paid at South San Francisco, CA 94080 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Beijing Review, Cypress Books, 360 Swift Avenue, Suite 48, South San Francisco, CA 94080 DECEMBER 23, 2021 BEIJING REVIEW 3 WEEKXINHUAVIDEO MEETING President Xi Jinping holds talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing on December 15 via video link.

8 It was their second virtual meeting this year, which covered a wide range of topics including democracy, the joint pandemic response and bilateral trade. The two leaders agreed to have an in-person meeting in February 2022 when Putin will travel to China for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. 4 BEIJING REVIEW DECEMBER 23, 2021 WEEKSOCIETYN ational MemorialChina s national flag flew at half-mast in front of a darkly-dressed crowd as the country held its eighth national memo-rial ceremony for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre on December the winter chill, thou-sands of people attended the ceremony in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, with white flowers on their lapels conveying their Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops cap-tured the city on December 13, 1937.

9 Over six weeks, they killed more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of World War 2014, China s top legis-lature designated December 13 as the national memorial day for the victims of the Nanjing BanBeijing municipal authorities will ban the use of fireworks through-out the city from January next the ban, fireworks will not be available at retail outlets in the city during the Spring Festival holiday of 2022, the office of the Beijing Municipal Fireworks Safety Management Coordination Group announced on December 14. Any official firework displays during cel-ebrations and holidays will be approved and announced by the Beijing Municipal far, all districts except Fangshan and Mentougou have already placed bans on fireworks.

10 These two suburban districts will start the complete 12 percent in the early 1980s to percent currently, and its forest stock volume grew from billion to billion cubic meters. The green coverage in urban areas expanded to percent during the same citizens can partici-pate in tree planting in more than 50 ways, including by adopting trees and making donations, wich can also be done Base StationThe first plateau 5G base station in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region began providing 5G services on December at 3,700 meters above sea level, the 5G base station was built in Xeyidula Township in Hotan Prefecture, at the foot of the Karakorum Mountains, according to the Communications Administration of s four major telecom firms, China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Tower have cooperated on the building, use and maintenance of the 5G base station.