Innovation is the hallmark of China's economy and a powerful driver of global economic growth, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Thursday. The Ministry credited Chinese firms' rapid AI innovation to proactive engagement in international innovation cooperation, and expressed firm opposition against the "decoupling" attempt and malicious competition.

During the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2024 (WAIC 2024), Chinese AI firms have showcased a flurry of large language model application scenarios, including generating high-definition videos, identifying farmland plots and crop distributions, and analyzing image and text data, said Lin Jian, the MFA spokesperson.

The WAIC 2024 has revealed the potential of innovative technologies to empower various industries.

Manufacturing and technologies powered by Chinese innovation are not only meeting domestic demands but also enriching global market supply, contributing to the green transformation of the global economy and the development of emerging industries, Lin noted.

China's role in driving global innovation is becoming increasingly significant. A total of 11 Chinese companies were listed in the World Economic Forum's 2024 Technology Pioneers list, the second most by any country. While the forum's Global Lighthouse Network initiative also included 62 Chinese firms, which was the highest number globally, Lin said.

The rapid development of China's AI technology is evident, with 117 large language models officially registered by March 2024, according to the Cyberspace Administration of China.

At WAIC 2024, a diverse range of specialized large language models tailored to specific industries have flourished, showcasing their capabilities across sectors like industrial manufacturing, healthcare, meteorology, education, and scientific research.

Moreover, China is calling for close global cooperation on innovation to foster collective growth. "Innovation is not the domain of a single country or company. New challenges require collective deliberation and new achievements should be shared," Lin stated, emphasizing that innovation cooperation should be a platform for mutual success and growth among nations, but not a zero-sum game of malignant competition. He added that strategies for "decoupling" and building "high fences" are short-sighted and ultimately self-defeating.

China has established 30 national manufacturing innovation centers and has engaged in green energy projects with over 100 countries and regions, creating vivid examples of how innovative technologies support green development, Lin said.

In response to the significant opportunities presented by a new era of technological and industrial transformation, China will continue to accelerate high-quality development and engage in innovation cooperation with countries worldwide, providing robust support for the global economy and contributing to global development, Lin said.

China is also advancing industrial automation, with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reporting that the country now accounts for over 50 percent of global industrial robot installations. And, industrial internet in China now covers all major industrial categories, empowering the new industrialization with artificial intelligence, fostering 421 national intelligent manufacturing demonstration factories.

As to market gossip that BMW China will withdraw from the fierce price competition in the Chinese mainland market, the group said on Thursday that BMW, in the second half of the year, will focus on “business quality” and help support dealers stabilize sales.

From July, BMW China will reduce sales target to ease operational pressure on dealers and help them tackle short-term market challenges and ease business pressure, BMW told the Global Times in a statement.

The statement came after media reports alleging some BMW dealerships in China have raised prices, with certain car models increasing by 30,000 yuan ($4,133), triggering discussion that the German luxurious brand is retreating from a “price war.”

A salesperson at a BMW store in Shanghai named Yu told the Global Times on Thursday that there have been price hikes in the store. For example, the BMW i3 line-up is now priced at around 220,000 yuan, slightly higher than the previous pricing of 210,000 yuan.

“This was a relatively small price adjustment,” Yu said.

The reported price hike by BMW has also raised concerns that other German car brands, such as Mercedes Benz and Audi, may move to increase their selling prices in China too, after price reductions earlier this year.

A salesperson from a Mercedes Benz dealership told the Global Times on Thursday that they have not increased prices, but they do not rule out the possibility of a price hike next month.

“The store is offering a discount of 120,000 yuan on the purchase of the C-Class, which has helped to keep car prices at a low level compared to last year. However, it has led to some pressure on the store," the salesperson said.

A salesperson from Audi indicated the possibility of reducing the discounts the company has offered to Chinese customers.

In the first half of this year, there has been a wave of price changes in the Chinese car market, particularly in the new-energy vehicle (NEV) sector, with many domestic brands continuously cutting prices to expand their sales.

Facing fierce competition, BMW's sales in the Chinese market have dropped in the first half of the year. BMW (including MINI) sold 375,900 vehicles in the Chinese market in the first half of the year, a decrease of 4.2 percent year-on-year.

Zhang Xiang, secretary general of the International Intelligent Vehicle Engineering Association, told the Global Times on Thursday that the price hike may, to some extent, stimulate some hesitant customers to buy BMW cars.

“The likelihood of Benz and Audi collectively raising prices, following BMW’s move, is low, because the three brands are competitors. Their pricing strategies will take into account market dynamics and competition, and they will individually decide on their own pricing strategies in China,” Zhang said.

Zhang said that in recent years, the market share of German luxury car brands in China is being squeezed, as they are challenged by rapidly rising Chinese electric vehicle brands. And the seemingly irreversible market trend is that the gasoline-powered traditional vehicles will continue to lose market share in China, where German brands own a clear comparative advantage.

In June, nearly half of all new cars sold in China were electric or hybrid vehicles, up from one-third market penetration a year earlier. In the luxury car market, almost 30 percent of vehicles sold were NEVs, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association.

At a time of rising global protectionism, it is not uncommon to see some countries overstretch the security concept in their economic policies, which undermines the mutual benefits and efficiency of global trade and also exacerbates uncertainty and risk in international markets.

Japan and Germany have agreed to create an economic security framework amid fears about what they view as Chinese industrial "overcapacity" and "nonmarket policies and practices," the Japan Times reported on Saturday.

While it remains unclear how the framework will translate into any specific type of cooperation on economic security, the development suggests a possible trend toward an expansion of the security concept in both countries' economic and trade sphere. This is a worrying sign because it could mean more restrictions on foreign investment and trade on national security grounds, more protectionism, and a greater emphasis on political and strategic factors in international economic cooperation.

This approach will reduce market efficiency and stifle the dynamism of the global economy. In sectors like technical cooperation and trade, some Western countries and their allies are showing a growing preference for state intervention and the creation of so-called safe supply chains, which ironically will only expose their supply chains to more uncertainty by contradicting market principles and hindering the openness and innovation of the global economy.

Moreover, the extent of potential economic collaboration between Japan and Germany remains uncertain. This uncertainty stems from the intense competition between their manufacturing sectors in recent decades, notably in key industries like automobiles and industrial manufacturing, where products from both countries are closely matched and fiercely competitive. 

This competitive landscape may pose numerous challenges and impose limitations to practical cooperation. It is important to note that focusing on China does not alleviate this competitive dynamic, nor does it supplant China's significance in their respective economies.

Some European countries' overemphasis on economic security in trade with China is founded on a vague and inaccurate understanding. In recent years, with China's economic growth and expanding economic and trade cooperation, some European countries have recognized the cooperation opportunities with China while perceiving their close economic ties as a threat, which is largely a result of anxiety and misunderstanding of China's economic development.

It is not uncommon to see some in Europe accuse China of "overcapacity" and economic "coercion," but such rhetoric overlooks the economic complementarities in global supply chains and China's contribution to the global economy. 

First, the Chinese manufacturing sector is crucial to many industries around the world. China's production capacity not only meets domestic demand but also provides consumers and businesses around the world with a large number of goods and services. For instance, a recent Japanese government white paper showed that Japan relies heavily on China for imports of more than 1,400 types of consumer and industrial products.

Second, China's rapidly growing consumer market offers immense opportunities for multinationals. Despite the tariff dispute over Chinese electric vehicles, China remains an important market for German carmakers.

Third, China's growing investment in technological innovation and research and development has advanced the development and implementation of new technologies, crucial for the long-term growth of the global economy and efforts to combat climate change. 

It is impossible for some to restructure supply chains to exclude Chinese companies while relying on the China market and China's supply, especially the intermediate goods. If Japan-Germany cooperation solely focuses on the idea of "countering China" and distorts economic policy by overstretching the security concept, it will only hinder these countries' progress and limit their own potential for growth.

Chinese automaker SAIC Motor Corp is reportedly considering building its first electric vehicle (EV) factory in Europe in Spain to produce MG-branded EVs. Chinese observers said the move is common among international automakers amid rising local demand. They urged the EU to create a fair and transparent business environment for Chinese companies, saying that the EU should cooperate with China to improve the mutually-independent EV industrial and supply chains to deliver win-win results.

SAIC Motor Corp's MG brand is considering building its first EV plant in Europe in Galicia, Spain, to produce EVs for sale to different European markets, Europa Press, a Spanish news agency, reported recently, citing company sources.

SAIC Motor told the Global Times on Tuesday that the company will disclose relevant information once a final decision is made.

"It's common to see international automakers to build factories in the markets where they sell to tap great market potential, for example, Germany's Volkswagen and BMW and US automaker General Motors have facilities in China," He Weiwen, a senior fellow from the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

As for SAIC Motor, building a factory in Europe will help the company avoid high tariffs imposed on its EVs. Meanwhile, this is what the EU wants to see as the move will help create a large number of jobs, contribute tax revenue and meet the EU's green transition, He said.

France would welcome China's electric vehicle giant BYD if the company wants to open a factory in France, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in May, Reuters reported.

Currently, the EV industries of China and the EU have gradually formed an industrial and supply chain that is highly interdependent. Against this backdrop, encouraging mutual investment from both sides' companies will further improve China-EU EV industrial and supply chain and bring win-win results for the sustained development of both sides' EV industry, He said.

However, as the EU continuously escalates trade frictions with China, and has imposed 31 restrictive trade and investment measures against China since the beginning of this year, it is further deteriorating the EU's business environment for Chinese companies, according to analysts.

On July 4, the EC ruled that the individual duties applying to the three sampled Chinese producers are 17.4 percent for BYD, 19.9 percent for Geely and 37.6 percent for SAIC. Other EV producers in China, which cooperated with the investigation but were not sampled, are subject to the 20.8 percent weighted average duty.

Following the EC's announcement, SAIC Motor said it would formally demand the EC hold a hearing on the tariffs as the company seeks to further exercise its right of defense for safeguarding its own legitimate rights and interests as well as the benefits of its global clients.

The auto sector is a pillar industry for the EU, which is important for the bloc's economic growth and social stability since it creates millions of jobs. For China, the EV sector also plays an important role in driving up exports. Thus, the two sides should appropriately deal with EV trade frictions with talks, analysts said.

"The EU's abuse of trade remedy measures will further disrupt global trade order of the new-energy industry and cause negative impact on global cooperation in handling climate challenges," Cui Fan, a professor of University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times.

Cui said the EU's EV trade barriers will make EU automakers face a dilemma, as it will cause troubles for their EV products made in China to export to European market and thereby impede these automakers' electrification transformation.

In the future, China's EV participants must seek to strengthen cooperation with developing countries, with diversified methods including building factories locally and exporting intermediate products to make better use of global resources, Cui said.

In February, the Ministry of Commerce and eight relevant departments jointly released a guideline to support the healthy development of trade and cooperation involving new-energy vehicles. It called for enhancing the capability and level of international management, and strengthening collaboration with relevant overseas enterprises according to local conditions.

Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops participating in an ongoing bilateral exercise in Laos shared drone and anti-drone technologies with their Lao counterparts, a move experts said on Tuesday further displays the PLA's efforts to integrate unmanned equipment and related tactics into combat.

The China-Laos Friendship Shield-2024 joint drill had a live-fire shooting session on Monday local time under the hot sun at Kommadam Academy in Laos, the PLA Southern Theater Command said in a press release on Tuesday.

During the adaptive training phase of the exercise, the joint drill is organizing live-fire shooting of light machine guns, heavy machine guns, sniper rifles, grenade launchers, vehicle mounted mortars, pistols and assault rifles, according to the press release.

Photos attached to the Chinese press release show that the Lao soldiers got their hands on Chinese weapons, including the PLA's new QBZ-191 assault rifle, with the Chinese soldiers giving instructions on shooting techniques so they could master the Chinese equipment.

The PLA troops also shared their equipment and tactical approaches in anti-drone tasks.

A Lao soldier test-fired a Chinese anti-drone gun at an in-flight multi-rotor drone. The gun, which uses a pistol grip but has three large barrels, fired a net that captured the drone, according to a report by the PLA Daily on Monday.

The PLA Daily report also showed that the Chinese side introduced an anti-mine robot to the exercise. The unmanned equipment, about the size of an adult, runs on caterpillar tracks and has a long arm to dispose of mines.

This is not the first time the PLA has brought unmanned equipment to a joint exercise with another country, as its robot dog attracted media attention during the Golden Dragon-2024 joint exercise in Cambodia.

Against the background of fast development in unmanned technologies and their wide application in real combat in recent conflicts elsewhere in the world, China is ramping up exploration and application of drones and robots, as well as their counters, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Bringing those gadgets to joint drills abroad shows that the PLA is actively testing their capabilities in unfamiliar environments and circumstances, while also introducing them to friendly militaries in a move to deepen friendship, widen exchanges and enhance pragmatic cooperation, the expert said.

Under the theme of a joint defensive operation, the China-Laos Friendship Shield-2024 joint exercise is being held from July 5 to 18 in Laos, the PLA Daily reported. More than 1,200 troops, including over 300 from the Chinese side, are participating in the drill.

In addition to light arms, robots and drones, the PLA also sent Z-20 utility helicopters, Type-08 wheeled infantry fighting vehicles and Mengshi off-road tactical vehicles via air, railway and road transport, according to the PLA Daily.

Chinese police have repatriated a Red Notice fugitive wanted by the US, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Thursday. The repatriation marks another collaboration between the law enforcement agencies of China and the US. 

The fugitive, a US national, who was wanted for alleged sexual aggression against children, was handed over to the US side on Wednesday at the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai. He was taken back to the US by officers from the diplomatic security service under the US Department of State, according to Chinese police, as cited by Xinhua.

This follows the repatriation of two fugitives suspected of serious criminal offenses from the US to China in June.

In May 2014, the fugitive was wanted by US law enforcement authorities for suspected child sex abuse crimes. In October 2018, Interpol issued a red notice for him. At the request of the US, Chinese public security authorities conducted a thorough investigation, ultimately locating and lawfully detaining the fugitive. After an investigation, it was determined that the fugitive did not commit any crimes of child sexual abuse in China, Xinhua reported.

An official from the Ministry of Public Security noted that, as per the consensus reached by the leaders of China and the US at the San Francisco meeting, the law enforcement departments of both countries have recently engaged in practical cooperation, covering areas such as narcotics control, illegal immigration repatriation, fugitive pursuit and cross-border crime investigations, according to Xinhua.

The two countries have stepped up efforts in cooperation in related fields since the two heads of state met in San Francisco in November 2023, when mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as counternarcotics, judicial and law enforcement affairs, AI, and science and technology was stressed.

Earlier on July 2, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a release that the department, through US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, conducted a removal flight to China this week. It was the first large charter flight since 2018 and was conducted in close coordination with China's National Immigration Administration.

The DHS continues to work with China's Ministry of Public Security and National Immigration Administration on additional removal flights, according to the release.

In the picturesque city of Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province, the well-known tourist attraction the West Lake - known as "a paradise on earth" - now treats visitors to a free selection of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal tea. This news has immediately ignited the social media, becoming a hot topic of discussion.

Starting from July 6, volunteers have been serving free herbal tea for tourists at the West Lake, which offers special "coolness" to sightseers and frontline workers, at 10 permanent locations within the lake, and three temporary stalls in the parking lots.

The service will continue until October 7, covering a total of 95 days. 

Each tea drink formula is carefully prepared by TCM practitioners, consisting of wolfberry, chrysanthemum, tangerine peel, red dates, and other ingredients. The drinks often have a mellow taste and a fragrant aroma, which are also helpful in harnessing human body and improving health.

One of Zhejiang's famous TCM practitioner, Wan Xiaoqing, was quoted by local media as saying that many of the free herbal teas are derived from classic Chinese medicine formulas and they are safe and suitable for human consumption. 

Weng Yunyi, a staff worked employed at the West Lake scenic area, explained that this year's herbal tea stalls have been upgraded with the scenic area jointly launching different health tea drinks based on the changes in ancient Chinese solar terms. 

The special TCM herbal tea treat is undoubtedly a pleasant surprise for tourists. The news of "West Lake treats visitors to free TCM herbal tea" quickly sparked vehement discussions on social media, with many netizens sharing photos and videos of themselves enjoying the tea at the West Lake. 

Now, visitors are frequently spotted, holding tea cups, leaning on the railing to gaze into the distance, strolling along the lakeside, or sitting on the ground, savoring the tea fragrance, and enjoying the serene West Lake. The scenes will certainly enhance the popularity of the West Lake.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to the eighth China-Russia Expo, which opened the same day in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, which borders Russia.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties, Xi noted, saying that standing at a new historical starting point, bilateral relations will embrace new historical opportunities and show broader prospects for development.

Stressing that after years of cultivation and development, the China-Russia Expo has become an important platform for promoting bilateral economic and trade cooperation, Xi added it is hoped that all sectors of the two countries will make full use of the opportunity presented by the current China-Russia Expo to deepen exchanges and share opportunities, jointly contribute to the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Russia, and inject new impetus into the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, Xinhua reported on Friday.

Expo attendees expressed their high expectation for the future of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, which will not only facilitate the growth of both countries, inject momentum into regional development, but also stabilize industrial chain, paving way to strengthening regional strategic security and stability, analysts said.

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin jointly attended the opening ceremony of the expo. Han read Xi's congratulatory letter and delivered a speech.

Putin said he had a fruitful meeting with President Xi in Beijing and pinpointed areas to further expand cooperation such as economy, trade, investment, energy, industry, high and new technology, cross-border transportation, tourism, agriculture and local affairs, to bring more benefits to the two peoples.

In meeting with Putin after the opening ceremony, Han said that China-Russia cooperation has enjoyed a sound momentum in recent years.

The Belt and Road Initiative has been further aligned with the Eurasian Economic Union, and a number of major projects have been smoothly advanced, Han said, adding that the China-Russia Expo was a beautiful "business card" of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Han expressed expectations for bilateral cooperation to achieve more results, benefit the two peoples and contribute to world development and progress.

Putin noted the two sides should enhance coordination and push forward the cooperation between the Far East and China's northeast region.
Economic potential

"There is great potential for the two countries to expand trade in energy, raw materials as well as deepen cooperation in industry, infrastructure as well as provincial cooperation," Zhang Hong, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

Evgeny Bazhov, General Manager of United Confectionery (Uniconf) China subsidiary company told the Global Times that the company is attending the China-Russia Expo this year in order to seize the opportunity to expand its presence in the Chinese market through e-commerce.

"We have witnessed the inclusiveness and high efficiency of the Chinese market, as well as its high-level opening-up over recent years," Bazhov said, noting that he is optimistic about the vast potential of the China market.

Mutual trust in the future can become the basis for the formation of common research and development (R&D) and value chains between Russia and China, Alexander Lomanov, Deputy Director for Scientific Work, Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences, told the Global Times.

"Confidence that your partner will never use sanctions and other illegitimate restrictions against you can help economic rapprochement between Russia and China and pave the way for a new model of globalization that is fair and beneficial to all," Lomanov said.

New paradigm of relations

The steady growth and great potential of China-Russia trade is a symbol of the stable and sound development of bilateral relationship; Interactions between the two heads of state have always served as crucial guidance, according to observers.

After their meeting at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday, Xi and Putin had a restrictive meeting at Zhongnanhai in Beijing. The two leaders took a walk in the garden, sat by the water, and engaged in in-depth discussions on strategic issues of common concern in a relaxed atmosphere with aromatic tea.

Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the China-Russia bilateral trade volume hit a new record of $240.1 billion in 2023, crossing the $200 billion target ahead of schedule, and has maintained fast growth in 2024.

"China-Russia relations are not a military-political alliance. The economic trade cooperation between the two countries is limited to general trade, and does not target any third party," Zhang said.

The smooth development of China-Russia economic ties will also contribute to the stability and development of the Eurasia continent by bridging the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union, Zhang said.

Such economic cooperation will also contribute to establishing a multi-polar world at a time when the US-led West is creating closed and exclusive small circles and advocating trade protectionism and unilateralism," he said.

Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui told the Global Times in an exclusive interview that China and Russia are both major powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council and adhere to the principle of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of any third party.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times that the West always interprets China-Russia relations through a Cold War and camp confrontation lens, and falls short of understanding the true meaning of "non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party."

Bilateral economic ties have stabilized the industrial chain and provided strategic security, Li said.

Such security, plus the long-term high-level mutual trust, not only serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, but also helps promote global fairness and justice, as China and Russia can jointly withstand hegemony and unilateralism, and uphold multipolarity, Li said.

China-Russia cooperation is completely above-board. China and Russia have set a new paradigm of major-country relations that challenges the US-led hegemonic acts, which is why the US keeps slandering China-Russia cooperation, observers said.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Washington continues to assault normal China-Russia trade, and has intensified its crackdown on selected Chinese companies.

The US imposed a new round of sanctions against 20 companies based in China on May 1, claiming they are involved in supporting Russia's defense-industrial base.

Following the release of the China-Russia joint statement on Thursday, US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said that China can't "have its cake and eat it too."

"You cannot want to have deepened relations with Europe… while simultaneously continuing to fuel the biggest threat to European security in a long time," Patel said, the Associated Press reported.

The US' logic is "either black or white," which is an attitude of seeking enemies rather than peace, and is a continuation of the Cold War mentality. This is a reflection of the Cold War mentality that still dominates US thinking, which bears unshirkable responsibility for the eruption and escalation of the Ukraine crisis, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at Friday's routine press briefing.

China is neither the creator of nor a party involved in the Ukraine crisis. We always stand on the side of peace and dialogue, are committed to promoting peace talks, and actively support the construction of a balanced, effective, and sustainable European security architecture, Wang said, adding that China's objective and just position and constructive role have been widely recognized by the international community.

"To solve the problem, the one who started it should end it," Wang said, urging the US not to blame China, not to try to sow discord between China and Europe, not to continue to add fuel to the fire, but to do something practical for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

The Ethiopia-Djibouti railway is the first standard-gauge railway in East Africa and a flagship project between China and the two countries under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Having created more than 55,000 jobs for locals, the railway has greatly strengthened connectivity between Ethiopia and Djibouti and injected strong impetus into their economic and social development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.

A Chinese saying goes, "It is more important to teach people how to fish than just giving them fish." The Ethiopia-Djibouti railway is a good example, Wang said at a regular press conference.

China has not only constructed a modern railway in cooperation with Ethiopia and Djibouti, but also trained more than 2,800 local professionals, helping build an excellent local team, Wang said.

The Chinese management consortium of the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway recently transferred management responsibility to Ethiopia and Djibouti after six years of successful operation.

Since entering commercial operation on January 1, 2018, the 752-kilometer-long Ethiopia-Djibouti railway has operated over 2,500 passenger trains with a passenger volume of 680,000. 

It has also operated more than 7,700 freight trains, with a cargo volume of 9.5 million tons in the same period, according to data the Chinese management contractor sent to the Global Times.

China will continue to cooperate with Ethiopia and Djibouti to build the railway toward win-win cooperation and prosperity, and will jointly promote the high-quality development of the BRI and contribute to the mutual development of China and Africa, Wang said.

After handing over management responsibility, the Chinese side will continue to provide technical support. The two sides also plan to continue cooperation in expanding supporting facilities so as to better unleash the potential of the railway to bring benefits to local people, Dai Hegen, chairman of China Railway Construction Corp, which is a contractor of the railway, was quoted as saying in a press release.

The project is a demonstration that underscores China's commitment to supporting Africa in realizing regional economic and social integration, Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Such BRI projects have not only boosted geopolitical and political ties across Africa but also strengthened the continent's self-sufficiency, Song said, noting that China, as a committed supporter, has helped enlarge the development scope for Africa by providing more funds.

Song refuted US claims alleging Chinese aid to African countries had led to a "debt trap," saying that Washington is still stuck in the Cold War thinking and zero-sum games by smearing China. As China's influence in Africa grows, the US heavily emphasizes the concept of a "debt trap" to undermine China's relations with its African allies as well as China's own global reputation, according to Song.

"China's aid to Africa is geared toward fostering the continent's development, especially for nations that have challenges in securing external funding," Song said.

No country has fallen into debt difficulty because of cooperation with China, and no partner believes that China has led them into a "debt trap," a spokesperson from the China International Development Cooperation Agency said in April.

Local economies in China fared well in the first quarter by developing new quality productive forces, while domestic demand revived and industries grew robustly. The momentum will be sustained, observers said on Tuesday, after 31 provincial-level regions reported GDP growth figures. 

A total of 13 province-level regions achieved GDP levels of more than 1 trillion yuan ($141.18 billion). The economies of South China's Guangdong Province and East China's Jiangsu Province, China's manufacturing hubs, each exceeded 3 trillion yuan - 3.15 trillion yuan for Guangdong and 3.10 trillion yuan for Jiangsu. 

In terms of growth rates, 16 regions grew faster higher than the country's 5.3 percent increase, and eight localities reported GDP growth of more than 6 percent. Northeast China's Jilin Province led the nation with a 6.5 percent expansion, followed by Jiangsu and Chongqing at 6.2 percent each.

Economic powerhouse provinces played a vital role in bolstering China' s economic development and stabilizing the nation's fundamentals. Local economic progress was achieved by developing new quality productive forces, as their traditional industries are relatively mature, Hu Qimu, a deputy secretary-general of the digital-real economies integration Forum 50, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The stable growth of the powerhouses demonstrated the country's economic resilience and vitality, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Investment in emerging industries in Guangdong remained robust in the first quarter - up 22.4 percent in the advanced manufacturing sector and up 33.3 percent in the high-tech manufacturing sector.

Output of new-energy vehicles in Beijing grew by 2.4 times year-on-year in the first quarter while production of integrated circuits increased by 22.6 percent, according to media reports.

The added value of Jiangsu's manufacturing industry rose by 7.3 percent year-on-year, accounting for 35.9 percent of the provincial GDP. The rapid development of the private economy in Chongqing contributed 67.5 percent of its economic growth, driving up the local economy by 4.2 percentage points. 

Thanks to its large real economy, China's monetary and fiscal policies have been able to diverge from global policies in a bid to stabilize economic growth, and policy implementation is dedicated to domestic market entities, Hu said.

China has been optimizing and adjusting its industrial structure by replacing low-end production capacity with high-end production capacity, Hu added. 

Experts remain upbeat on China's economic recovery given these favorable conditions. 

Supportive policies, a consumption rebound, the fast development of emerging industries and steady investment growth will continue to provide impetus to China's GDP growth, especially given the optimized industrial structure, Wang said.

The first-quarter figures were influenced by the resumption of production activities after the Spring Festival holidays. Hu said that second-quarter GDP growth should improve, and growth in the second half may further accelerate if the momentum is sustained.