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Working during the day and acquiring new skills at night is becoming a new way of life for young people in China. From dancing to vocal training, from traditional handicrafts, beauty, and fitness classes, to wine tasting and vlog filming, the list of possibilities for new learning experiences is seemingly limitless.

These diverse options, cost-effectiveness, and highly qualified teachers have made "night school," a concept that used to carry a sense of nostalgia in China, popular once more, especially among China's younger generation.

This trend first started in Shanghai. During the enrollment of the Citizen Night School for Arts for the autumn semester in September, more than 650,000 people competed for 10,000 course spots, causing the enrollment platform to crash. Then, in a short period of time, the night school trend spread across China.

Night schools hold a special place in the memories of many Chinese people. From literacy classes after the establishment of the People's Republic of China to evening lectures at universities in the 1980s, generations of young people have, for decades, attended night school to supplement their cultural and technical knowledge.

However, the current wave of young people enrolling in night schools is driven more by their interests, with the aim of enriching their personal, spiritual, and cultural fulfillment.

Observers have pointed out that the night school boom is in line with the current economic situation and young people's living conditions.

Unlike the Western media's portrayal of Chinese young people's "lying flat" mindset under work pressure, attending night schools reflects the diversified growth needs of Chinese youth.

"In a stable economic and social situation, the popularity of night classes is a very common situation as many young people can afford them and have leisure time to attend classes they like, and more importantly, seek to improve their cultural knowledge and mental outlook," Zhang Yiwu, a Chinese language and literature professor at Peking University, told the Global Times.

A new nightlife

"Like light, full of anticipation, night school may be the first time our generation has actively developed interests that are non-utilitarian," said Xu Lili, a 27-year-old advertisement planner in Beijing.

Xu told the Global Times that she spent an entire weekend carefully selecting night school institutions and courses on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), a popular lifestyle sharing social media platform in China, before actually attending classes. Finally, she chose a street dance class that was close to her workplace, taught by a graduate from the Beijing Dance Academy. The course cost 700 yuan ($98) for 10 classes and was transferable to friends.

"After experiencing the course, I felt it was really good. The atmosphere was great, and I've made many new friends here," Xu said. "We are also discussing taking Chinese pastry baking and drama appreciation classes together next."

Far from the relatively arduous matriculation process during school days, Xu said that for her, learning about art allows her to temporarily escape from the stresses of her job.

Xu said she did not have any specific expectations for her learning outcomes, but rather wants to try a wide range of courses and find a hobby that can provide her with personal satisfaction.

"Night school allows me to find my passion with minimal cost and also helps me realize that there are more interesting friends and a life beyond work," Xu said.

Chinese people have always had a strong thirst for knowledge. But currently, attending night school now is very different from the nationwide night school craze in the early 1980s. Nowadays, attending night school reflects the diversified growth needs of the contemporary youth.

"It is completely driven by interests, with the aim of enriching our spiritual and cultural lives," Xu said.

In Professor Zhang Yiwu's views, the popularity of night class is one of the best examples, which can dispel the notion that young people in China are "lying flat" for a purposeless life, as portrayed by some Western media outlets.

He noted that in Chinese society, a large portion of young people have enough income to meet basic survival needs and have enough left over to focus on their interests. They don't necessarily have to work extremely hard to earn a stable income, which allows them to easily afford night school or other forms of self-improvement.

In China, there are diverse lifestyle choices that can support both personal growth and a fulfilling leisure life, Zhang pointed out.

"The desire for self-improvement and enrichment is strong among the younger generation, and it extends beyond work. There is a significant proportion of young people who are able to maintain a good living in society and still have time to pursue interests. This phenomenon of enhancing personal development is not surprising and is a natural result of social progress," he said.

A communication channel

"From the beginning, I was worried that the night school courses in a second-tier city would not attract enough people and might not be able to run. But the reality proved that I was overly concerned," Zheng Lifu, who transformed his art training center into a night school in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, told the Global Times.

Just three days after Zheng posted enrollment information for courses at the night school on Xiaohongshu, he received over 300 private messages inquiring about the courses. Within a week, he had successfully opened classes for Guqin and jazz dance, attracting more than 100 participants.

"The demand for young people today to reconstruct their cultural lives and cultivate their interests after work is real," Zheng said.

Currently, Zheng is expanding his night school business further. "The courses are in high demand overall, and we are further assessing the intentions of the students and planning to recruit new qualified teachers to launch more popular courses," he said, noting that his institution aims to provide inclusive entry-level courses while also creating advanced courses to meet the needs of students who want to further enhance their skills.

The Global Times has found that there are roughly three types of night school operation modes currently available on the market. The first type is night schools with official backgrounds, which are established through the coordination of local governments, community organizations, village committees, and training institutions. The second is night schools initiated by training institutions, similar to Zheng's, which offer affordable introductory courses and target long-term course applicants. The third is night schools run by individuals or teams who act as intermediaries, connecting students with institutions and earning a portion of the enrollment fee. All of these operating models are striving to achieve precise alignment with the knowledge demands of young people.

"There are two types of content that easily attract attention on social platforms: 'Where to go after work' and 'Where to go at weekends'" Kevin Wang, a 32-year-old finance industry worker in Shanghai, has devoted all his free time to operating his self-developed community platform Weekend Charging. This young offline social platform, which has been in operation for over a year, started to focus on night school management a month ago.

Wang noted that the night school operation model of Weekend Charging involves cooperation with training institutions to offer interesting courses that young people may not easily come across, such as ukulele, horse riding, and woodwork and leather goods production, in order to lower the learning threshold and cultivate interests and friendships, thus recharging their energies.

Currently, there are over 1,000 active young people in the Weekend Charging community, participating in more than 20 different courses.
"Young people in big cities live in scattered locations and have diverse interests. We play a role in bridging the information gap between training institutions and colleges, and ensuring the cost-effectiveness of night school, a new learning and communication model for young people," Wang said.

A career opportunity

"The new form of night schools is currently thriving, but still in the early stages of development," said Wang. "Everyone is exploring uncharted territory, hoping to establish a comprehensive and smooth operational system that covers courses, pricing, faculty, and after-sales support, in order to foster positive growth and attract and retain the enthusiasm of young learners."

Wang pointed out that the operation of Weekend Charging night school is still in its infancy, and as all members are part-time, they have not yet achieved substantial profits.

"Our core team consists of only 5-6 people, who have come together out of interest and are truly proud to be involved in the night school industry as a career opportunity," he stressed. Wang added that many people find their work meaningful during the classes and continue to sign up. "Although there is uncertainty; we are full of hope for the future of night schools," he said.

The upgraded night schools are also striving to keep up with the times and maintain their appeal to young people.

As the number of students continues to grow, operational challenges also increase. Wang hopes that in the future, the government and private forces will join forces. "Only when this trend passes can high-quality night schools with unified standards be better sustained."

"For some people, attending night school may be a temporary phase, but overall, this social trend includes enhancing self-cultivation and self-improvement in the fields of aesthetics, art, and culture, among others, and also helps create a new industry that benefits social and economic development," Zhang said. "The trend will not change."

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met and held discussions with London mayor William Russell in Beijing on Wednesday, saying that China welcomes bilateral exchanges and expanding cooperation on trade and economy between China and the UK, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"Economic and trade cooperation between China and the UK is deep and extensive," Han said, adding that China is willing to work with British financial institutions to expand cooperation in various fields, promote cultural exchanges, and build a stable and mutually beneficial China-UK relationship.

Currently, China is advancing Chinese-style modernization on the back of high-quality development, Han said, adding that the nation is firmly committed to further promoting two-way opening-up of the financial market, providing broader investment and development opportunities for financial institutions and investors from around the world, Han said. 

By reiterating the nation's commitment to widening its opening-up to the world, Han expressed his hope that London, a world-renowned financial center, will play a more important role in promoting bilateral exchanges and cooperation on economy and trade between China and the UK.

Noting that the prospects for cooperation in the financial field between the UK and China are broad, Russell said the UK appreciates China's achievements in economic and social development. The UK is willing to actively participate in China's high-level opening-up, strengthen bilateral cooperation in green finance and promote economic and trade ties with China, said Russell.

On Tuesday, Chinese authorities issued a broad plan to attract foreign investment, with targeted measures, in an effort to advance high-level opening-up and attract and utilize foreign investment. The action plan has demonstrated the Chinese government's determination and efforts in attracting foreign investment, which plays a positive role in promoting high-level opening-up, Chinese experts said.

China has always been open to global free trade and is willing to provide opportunities in the Chinese market for foreign-invested enterprises, Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Wednesday, adding that the country continues to act as an important market for international investors.

The export markets of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) are undergoing a diversification process, with more focus shifting toward emerging markets amid a decrease in exports to traditional markets such as the US and Europe, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in a post on his blog over the weekend. 

He highlighted expanding trade ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose share of exports by value reached 7.9 percent in 2023, compared with 6.1 percent in 2022, making it Hong Kong's second-largest export market after the Chinese mainland.

As the global trade landscape evolves, the city's exports to the US dropped from 18.6 percent of the total in 2003 to just 6.5 percent last year, while exports to the EU decreased from 10.5 percent to 6.6 percent in the same period, according to Chan. 

The changes in Hong Kong's trade structure reflect the changes of the global economic landscape and an adjustment in Hong Kong's role, Liang Haiming, an expert on the Hong Kong economy and chairman of the China Silk Road iValley Research Institute, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The prospects of Hong Kong's industrial and export development are promising, Liang said, while taking note of Hong Kong's unchanged status as an international financial and commercial hub, which will continue to attract multinational corporations.  

Hong Kong's active participation in regional cooperation also opens up more trade opportunities. By actively participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and trade cooperation with ASEAN member countries, Hong Kong explores broader markets and investment opportunities for local businesses, Liang stated.

Amid the rapid shifts in exports, Hong Kong's trade has seen a quick recovery, with exports in January seeing a year-on-year increase of 33.6 percent, the largest rise since February 2021, to HK$388.7 billion ($49.7 billion). Its imports grew by 21.7 percent, reaching HK$385.1 billion, according to the Census and Statistics Department of the HKSAR government.

"As global economies transform and the importance of services trade increases, Hong Kong is well-positioned to expand its share in the services sector, leveraging its strengths in finance, law, logistics and professional services." Liang said.

The city is ramping up efforts to create new economic growth opportunities. The 2024-2025 Hong Kong Budget proposed building the HKSAR into a multinational supply chain management center, offering one-stop services for supply chain management, trade finance, consulting and talent training.

The initiative also aims to attract Chinese mainland manufacturers to establish offshore trading regional headquarters in Hong Kong, taking advantage of the city's rich management experience and favorable market conditions, said Chan.

Hong Kong has been actively moving to attract foreign investment. On February 2, Invest Hong Kong, a department of the HKSAR government responsible for foreign direct investment, announced that in 2023, it assisted 382 companies from 45 economies to establish operations in Hong Kong, bringing in investment of HK$61.6 billion and creating more than 4,100 new jobs, news website 21jingji.com reported.

Alpha Lau, director-general of Invest Hong Kong, was quoted as saying in the report that efforts will continue in exploring emerging markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) were subject to a special customs registration process starting from Thursday by the European Commission (EC), as the EU is moving closer to adopting new protectionist measures such as punitive tariffs targeting Chinese EVs in the bloc.

The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) on Wednesday evening voiced its disappointment with this move, according to a statement the chamber sent to the Global Times.

The mandate may have some impact on EV exports to Europe, as it may possibly be followed by punitive tariffs, according to experts and media reports. However, the impact will be short-term and limited, as the EU still needs Chinese EVs for its green transformation, a Chinese industry expert said Thursday.

The EU issued on Wednesday the Official Journal of the EU regarding its commission's implementation regulation that makes imports of battery EVs designed for passenger use originating in China subject to registration.

This regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, according to the Official Journal of the EU.

The CCCEU said that the chamber has observed that a new implementation regulation was issued on Wednesday, concerning the registration of EV imports from China by the EU. The purpose of the registration requirement is to address Chinese imports and potential retrospective measures, the chamber said.

Both the chamber and its members expressed concern over potential retroactive measures in the future, the CCCEU said.

According to EC data, between October 2023 and January 2024, the EU imported 177,839 Chinese EVs. Compared with the coverage period of the "countervailing investigation" (from October 2022 to September 2023), the average monthly import volume increased by 11 percent.

The chamber highlighted that the recent surge in Chinese EV imports reflected increasing demand for EVs in Europe and underscored Chinese car companies' commitment to fostering the European market.

"We earnestly hope that the European side will effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and establish a fair, impartial and non-discriminatory business environment for them," the China chamber said.

"This, in turn, will facilitate our joint contribution to the global low-carbon and green transformation," the chamber further noted.

In February, China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said that China is highly concerned about the trade remedy investigation targeting Chinese EVs and other products, and he also expressed strong dissatisfaction regarding the investigation, which he said lacked a factual basis.

The EU's latest move came in response to alleged subsidies for EVs by the Chinese government, even though China has largely ended early-stage NEV subsidies.

Subsidies for both public buses and private passenger cars stopped in 2022, Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, told the Global Times. "When there were subsidies in China, they were on a much smaller scale than those in European countries."

The EU's action aimed at Chinese EVs was much as expected as part of its trade protectionism measures against China, Cui said.

The customs registration targeting Chinese EVs could be an initial step, and it's likely to be followed by further measures such as punitive tariffs, he warned.

Despite the foreseeable impact on Chinese EVs exported to Europe, Cui said that it will only be temporary and won't undermine the competitiveness of Chinese EVs in the global market.

China is the world's largest car exporter, having surpassed Germany and outpacing Japan. By destination, the EU held the majority share, accounting for 47 percent of China's EV exports in value last year, according to a report by Citi Research in January.

As the EU is in great need of more cost-effective and high-quality products for its green transformation, demand will only grow stronger in the long run, Cui said.

While the travel craze during the Spring Festival holidays has only just ended, Chinese tourists are eagerly planning their upcoming trips for the May Day holidays, summer vacation and even National Day holidays in October, with bookings for outbound trips already picking up steam, according to online travel agencies.

Experts on Tuesday noted that as China continues to ease conditions for entry and exit, coupled with the increasingly robust economic recovery, Chinese outbound tourism will further rebound in 2024, significantly contributing to the global tourism market's recovery.

The number of users who have shown an early interest in travel for the upcoming May Day holidays is up more than 50 percent compared with 2023, according to data sent to the Global Times by Tongcheng Travel on Tuesday.

For outbound flight bookings, the week after the Spring Festival holidays saw a nearly twofold increase in reservations for the May Day holidays, compared with the period before the holidays. Tickets for flights to tourism destinations like Thailand, South Korea and Malaysia are the most popular, Tongcheng said.

With international flights resuming, this summer is set to see a boom in outbound travel, with smart travelers already making visa applications and booking flights, travel platform Qunar said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Tuesday.

On Qunar's platform, flights from Shanghai to Manila in the Philippines, Seoul in South Korea, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Bangkok in Thailand in early July are now all priced at under 1,000 yuan ($139).

The impressive recovery of the tourism market during the just concluded Spring Festival holidays has boosted confidence in the industry and spurred growth in related consumption sectors, setting a continued positive tone for the tourism industry in the first half of 2024, experts said.

China's outbound tourism has been on a steady path to recovery since last year. While it has not yet fully rebounded to pre-pandemic levels due to factors such as limited flight capacity, it is showing an accelerating trend toward recovery, Jiang Yiyi, a deputy head of the School of Leisure Sports and Tourism at Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Mao Ning, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a press briefing on Monday that China has rolled out six new measures to facilitate cross-border travels.

The new policies include shortening visa application forms, lowering visa fees for the entire year, streamlining approval procedures for foreign students, exempting certain applicants from fingerprinting, providing walk-in visa application services and extending the unilateral visa-free policy to France, Germany and some other countries on a trial basis, Mao said.

These efforts have not only promoted a more open approach to inbound tourism, but also contributed to the recovery of outbound tourism, Jiang said.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, about 6.83 million cross-border trips were made during the Spring Festival holidays. Outbound travel accounted for about 3.6 million trips, close to the levels seen during the same period in 2019.

Qunar data indicated that during the Spring Festival holidays, Chinese tourists visited 125 countries and regions around the world. There was a notable increase in bookings for the three latest countries to reciprocally waive visas with China: Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

Since 2013, Chinese tourists have become the primary source of visitor arrivals for many popular overseas destinations. This is attributed to their substantial numbers and robust spending power, Jiang said.

"As China continues to facilitate travel and with its economy steadily recovering, the number of outbound tourists is expected to further increase this year, providing additional momentum for the global tourism market's recovery," Jiang noted.

Chinese diplomacy will adhere to the principle of confidence and self-reliance, openness and inclusiveness, fairness and justice and win-win cooperation to promote the common path to modernization for the people of all countries, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said at a seminar on Tuesday, as he reviewed the accomplishments China made in diplomacy in the previous year and reaffirmed the mission for 2024 that was set by the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs. 

Analysts believe that with the comprehensive plans outlined at the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs, which was held in Beijing from December 27 to 28, 2023, China will continue to collaborate with the international community in addressing the increasing uncertainties and fulfill its role as a stabilizing and global engine.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the 2023 International Situation and China's Diplomacy Seminar held in Beijing on Tuesday. 

Wang noted that 2023 was a year of profound changes in international relations and a year of solid progress in China's modernization, as well as a year of exploration and harvest for China's diplomacy. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, Chinese diplomacy has adhered to its principles, made new contributions and innovation to the construction of a strong country and the national rejuvenation, as well as to maintaining world peace and promoting common development in 2023. 

Wang emphasized that in the past year, facing major issues concerning the future and development of humanity and the world, Chinese diplomacy has always stood on the side of historical correctness and progress, making decisions that have withstood the test of practice and time. 

"In the face of cooperation and confrontation, we firmly choose cooperation; in the face of unity and division, we firmly choose unity; in the face of openness and closure, we firmly choose openness; in the face of peace and war, we firmly choose peace; in the face of multilateralism and unilateralism, we firmly choose multilateralism; in the face of justice and power, we firmly choose justice," said Wang. 

With the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs guiding the direction of China's external work in 2024, the country will make further contributions to global governance amid growing challenges, observers said. 

New challenges

At the Tuesday seminar, Wang reviewed the six highlights of China's diplomacy in 2023, including the head-of-state diplomacy, building a community with a shared future for mankind, the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, the expansion of the BRICS mechanism, the China-Central Asia Summit, and the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

On head-of-state diplomacy, Wang noted that throughout 2023, President Xi personally led and participated in two major diplomatic events, attended three multilateral summits, conducted four important visits, and held over 100 meetings, as well as  conversations via video links and phone calls. These have showcased the diverse aspects of China in the new era, promoted China's two-way interactions with the world, and opened up a new chapter in China's foreign relations.

The interactions between President Xi and other top leaders have never been suspended in the past three years, and they only strengthened in 2023, providing strategic guidance to bilateral relations, Wang Huiyao, founder and president of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), who also attended the Wednesday seminar, told the Global Times.

The expert noted that in 2023, China's diplomacy has been marked by both head-of-state diplomacy and home diplomacy. This includes having invited a large number of foreign leaders, ministers, officials and individuals from various sectors to visit China. Moreover, high-level exchanges have been accompanied by increased people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries, further solidifying the foundations of these bilateral relations.

Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the Department of International and Strategic Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said that the year 2023 also held great significance for China as the country had implemented major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, resulting in significant achievements.

For instance, following a meeting between their top leaders in San Francisco, China-US relations have gradually stabilized. Su noted that although there are still uncertainties in the bilateral relations, promoting stable China-US relations will benefit both countries and meet the expectations of the international community.

China's diplomatic achievements in 2023 did not happen by chance, Su told the Global Times, noting that China has actively worked to strengthen relations with neighboring countries and build consensus with developing countries in order to create a community of a shared future. 

The expansion of the BRICS bloc highlights the growing influence of emerging economies in global governance, with China playing an increasingly important role. Additionally, China's commitment to promoting peace talks, justice, and fairness has helped facilitate reconciliation in the Middle East, Su said.

Su warned of uncertainties, especially those brought about by the US due to the US presidential election in 2024, coupled with intense domestic conflicts and polarization. The uncertainties will not only impact US domestic politics but also influence its foreign policies, causing growing concerns worldwide.

Su noted that the year 2024 holds significance as it marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Chinese diplomacy will primarily prioritize domestic development and strive to create a favorable environment for growth. Consequently, China will place great emphasis on safeguarding global peace and stability.

All these highlights of Chinese diplomacy in 2023 have showcased the achievements and effectiveness of China's external work guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. Moreover, with the implementation of China's pragmatic diplomatic work and close collaboration with the Global South, the influence of China, one of the responsible major powers, has also increased, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Moreover, as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East persist into 2024, the international situation has become entangled with chaos and uncertainties. In light of this, the international community is also eagerly anticipating China's increased involvement, Li said.

In 2024, China is poised to assume the role of a stabilizer and an engine, fostering international collaboration and propelling the world toward prosperity, Li said.

During the Wednesday seminar, Wang emphasized that in 2024, Chinese diplomacy, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi at the core, will continue to combine China's development with the world's development and combine the interests of the Chinese people with the interests of the people of the world. 

Together with other countries, we will shoulder the responsibilities of the times, work together to meet challenges, and promote the world toward a better and brighter future with a broader vision and more proactive actions, Wang said.

Chinese financial authorities vowed to strengthen policy support and funding to boost the real economy's revival and improve people's livelihood.

Lan Fo'an, the finance minister, stressed in an interview published on the People's Daily on Thursday that a "cautious and reasonable fiscal deficit" approach can facilitate expanded government expenditure, which could remain within a reasonable adjustment range to hedge against market risks.

In order to support China's post-disaster reconstruction and enhance resilience against future extreme weather events, the central government announced in October 2023 the issuance of an additional 1 trillion yuan ($137 billion) in special treasury bonds, which lifted the nation's fiscal deficit ratio from 3 to 3.8 percent of the country's GDP, Lan said.

"However, the government's debt ratio remains in an appropriate range despite an increased fiscal deficit ratio. Public budget expenditures are being maintained at a relatively high level in recent years by properly adjusting the deficit ratio, and securing the implementation of a national development strategy and welfare programs," said the minister.

Policies for cutting taxes and fees should be optimized to support the development of the real economy, especially for qualified manufacturing enterprises and research and development companies involved in integrated circuit and industrial mainframes, Lan noted, adding that special bonds should play an important role in government-led financing activities to leverage larger scale of social investment.

The annual Central Economic Work Conference held in December emphasized the need to introduce more polices to promote quality growth across the economy.

Lan said that the introduction of multiple policy tools including special government bonds, cutting taxes and fees, financing assurance and others will expand the expenditure scale and stabilize market expectations. He pledged to conduct standardized financial management in accordance with rule of law, to ensure that policy outcomes met designed goals.

From January to November 2023, China's general public budget revenue crossed the 20 trillion yuan milestone, up 7.9 percent year-on-year, which met expectations and was in line with the country's economic growth, said Lan.

Amid global headwinds including high inflation, rising interest rates and sluggish growth rate, China realized a steady economic recovery in 2023 which remains as a major engine for global economy growth, the minister noted.

China's finance ministry will further promote consumer spending, investment and stabilize foreign trade. Public services such as education, employment and public health will receive more financial support, Lan added.

China's top internet regulator published a notice on Tuesday, announcing a one-month special campaign to rectify negative content orientation in short videos, in an effort to comprehensively regulate the short video platforms and promote healthy competition within the industry. 

According to the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission (CAC), the campaign is targeting three typical problems — the spread of false information, the display of inappropriate content and spread of wrong values. 

The notice listed the example of staged photography and dissemination of rumors related to people's livelihoods, such as fabricating plots of helping disadvantaged groups to exploit public sympathy, or staging fake scenes at the site of emergencies and spreading panic. 

The second example of false information were fake videos generated or edited by technologies such as artificial intelligence, using people's portraits or voices illegally in deepfake or voice cloning. The notice also specified to regulate videos that distorting or interpreting authoritative information released by official sources out of context. 

Display of inappropriate content includes deliberately showcasing actions with sexual implications, and marketing with such contents; and intentionally using special effects and props to deliberately create an ugly image to attract attention, or using cross-dressing to create vulgar personas against public aesthetics. 

The notice clarified that videos showing online celebrities' malicious marketing and highly dangerous behaviors, such as suicide, self-harm and animal abuse, as well as parkour and drag racing will be regulated. 

Short videos spreading wrong values include intentionally challenging ethnic and traditional customs, inciting ethnic hatred or regional discrimination, and spreading incorrect views on marriage and relationships, and deliberately creating gender opposition. 

Short videos spreading wrong values, such as boasting for an incorrect career view, unscrupulous means, negative nihilism, flaunting wealth, worshiping materialism, and indulging in extravagance, will be subject to supervision. 

According to the CAC, the recommendation mechanism should be optimized to focus on algorithm orientation and insufficient recommendation of high-quality short videos.  

It is also necessary to address problems such as the review mechanisms lack standards or the standards are not comprehensive. 

The campaign is launched to urge short video platforms to tackle the frequent occurrence of inappropriate contents and values, strengthen their content review mechanisms. It also aimed to create a healthy competition environment for orderly development of the industry, the office said. 

The CAC stated that during the campaign, it will close and penalize a batch of accounts and platforms that have serious violations of laws and regulations. It will also promptly release information to the society, ensure smooth reporting channels, and encourage the public to participate. 

Experts and officials called for enhanced international cooperation and discussed the direction for future policies to promote the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the 4th China and International Development Forum that kicked off Friday in Beijing. A report released at the forum unveiled that only 15 of the 169 SDGs are moving as planned.

The Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

According to the report, titled "China and International Development Report: Insights and Outlooks: 2023-2024" released by the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC), among the 169 goals, only 15 are currently progressing according to plan, with nearly half of the goals severely off track.

About 30 percent of the goals have stagnated or even fallen below the 2015 baseline. Over the past three years, approximately 160 million people in 46 of the world's least developed countries have fallen below the poverty line. 

By 2030, the global poverty rate is projected to be around 7 percent, with 575 million people still living in extreme poverty, according to the report the CAITEC shared with the Global Times. 

The report pointed out that, in recent years, global development has faced multiple crises and challenges. The scale of development cooperation funding has reached a historic high, while the development financing gap remains difficult to bridge. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, development financing for developing countries, excluding China, has decreased by 17 percent, while the funding gap has increased by 70 percent. 

The self-interest of Western aid has become more pronounced. In 2022, Western countries' aid to Ukraine increased nearly 20 times from $918 million to $16.1 billion. However, at the same time, official development assistance to over 40 least developed countries decreased to $32 billion, compared to 2021, the report said. 

Data within the report fully illustrates that the current international situation is complex and volatile, with numerous risks and challenges, difficult economic recovery and shifting development issues, Wu Junru, an official from the China International Development Cooperation Agency, said at the forum. 

The implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda has clearly slowed down, and global development is facing multiple and severe challenges. Facing the stagnation of global development, China continues to believe that development should be achieved together, and only sustainable development is good development. China is not only a developing country in its own right but also a natural member of the Global South. China has long attached importance to both our own modernization and global development cooperation, Wu noted.

Two years ago, China proposed the Global Development Initiative, aiming to link and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 agenda, reuniting development consensus and promoting common development. 

China is willing to work together with all development partners, including the institutions present here and high-end think tanks such as the CAITEC, to gather consensus, pool wisdom, and mobilize resources to jointly promote the implementation of the 2030 agenda and inject new momentum into global development, Wu noted.

Following three years of parallel shocks and crises including the pandemic, war and conflicts, most developing countries are faced with increasingly constrained fiscal space and spiraling debt. The combined impact of these challenges has set back global development progress by decades. Furthermore, the climate crisis continues to worsen - threatening humanity's very existence. The year 2023 is set to be the warmest year on record, Beate Trankmann, representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in China, said in her speech at the forum. 

No single country or actor can tackle these challenges alone. Strengthened international development cooperation is essential to driving forward global progress on the SDGs, and maximize effectiveness in light of scarce resources and ever-growing demands, she stressed. 

"The world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, and global sustainable development is facing multiple challenges. In this new situation, China is accelerating its transformation towards international development cooperation. In this process, it is necessary for the government, industry, academies and researchers to strengthen collaboration. It is even more important to open up exchanges and deepen cooperation with the international community and jointly build a global development partnership," Gu Xueming, Dean of CAITEC said at the forum. 

Against this background, this year's forum is themed "Jointly Forging Global Development Partnerships to Accelerate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," aiming to build a dialogue platform, jointly explore the concepts, mechanisms, and best practices of international development cooperation in the new situation, and consolidate consensus and contribute wisdom to promote global sustainable development, Gu noted.

A total of 160 guests and representatives from various agencies attended the forum. 

Multiple cities in East China's Jiangsu and Anhui provinces suspended schools on Tuesday due to the impact caused by rain, snow, and freezing weather, a precautionary measure taken to prioritize the safety of students and teachers.

Cities including Jiangsu's Nanjing, Changzhou and Zhenjiang, as well as Anhui's Lu'an, Wuhu and Chuzhou all have suspended classes or implemented flexible school hours to reduce risk and transportation pressure caused by the cold weather.  

All primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, vocational and technician schools in Changzhou were closed on Tuesday due to the impact of the weather. Parents can apply for in-school care services if needed, and the schools will coordinate and arrange for care services, according to the Changzhou education authority on Monday.

Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, implemented flexible school hours from Tuesday to Friday. "Students who don't meet the conditions for attending school can choose not to come to school, while other students can arrive late or leave early according to their actual situation," the Nanjing education authority said.

A local teacher in Nanjing surnamed Zhang told the Global Times on Tuesday that her school held classes normally while students could decide for themselves whether or not to attend based on their own situation.

Several parents from Anhui confirmed with the Global Times that local schools suspended classes on Tuesday due to the snowy weather. 

"The teachers held classes online and gave homework to the children to complete at home. We totally understand the decision as the weather poses transportation as well as safety risks," Zhang, a parent of a primary school student from Anhui's Wuhu, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Since Sunday night, the regions along the south of the Huaihe River have seen moderate to heavy snowfall, with some parts experiencing blizzards. As of 8 am on Tuesday, a total of 43 cities and counties within Anhui Province had accumulated one to nine centimeters of snow. Another cold air front is expected to affect the province from Tuesday tonight to Thursday, according to a notice released by the Anhui provincial meteorological bureau on Tuesday. 

An additional work team has been dispatched to Anhui to guide the prevention of and response to disasters from rain, snow and freezing conditions, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management on Monday. The move was made as part of requirements for increased efforts in enhancing monitoring, forecasting, and issuing alerts to the public in a timely manner.

Jiangsu provincial education authorities issued a notice on strengthening prevention and response to low-temperature rain, snow, and ice disasters on Sunday. It stipulated the need to enhance risk prevention for outdoor group activities, and suspend teaching and outdoor activities if necessary.