Podcasts about Jiangsu

The provincial Party committee and provincial government of Jiangsu have formed an investigation team to investigate issues related to the management and handling of donated cultural relics at the Nanjing Museum, as well as other concerns about the safety of its collections, CCTV reported on Tuesday.据央视周二报道，江苏省省委、省政府已成立调查组，就南京博物馆受赠文物管理处置问题及馆藏文物安全等相关问题展开调查。A celebrated painting from the museum's collection recently surfaced at an auction and generated widespread attention.博物馆馆藏的一幅著名画作近日现身拍卖会，引发了广泛关注。In a statement released on Wednesday, the Nanjing Museum announced that it had initiated an internal review after receiving court documents in November 2024 concerning Pang Shuling's "gift contract dispute" lawsuit.南京博物馆周三发布声明称，该馆于2024年11月收到庞叔令女士“赠礼合同纠纷”诉讼的法院文件后，已启动内部审查程序。The museum said that it had accepted 137 donated paintings from Pang Zenghe, Pang Shuling's father, in January 1959. Five of these works, including those now under dispute, were determined to beforgeries following two appraisals conducted in the early 1960s.南京博物馆表示，1959年1月曾接受庞增和先生（庞叔令之父）捐赠的137幅收藏画作。其中包括现存争议作品在内的五幅画作，经1960年代初两次鉴定后均被认定为赝品。The museum said that it disposed of the five works in the 1990s in accordance with the regulations governing museum collections at that time, adding that it would cooperate with legal proceedings. If any illegal or non-compliant actions are discovered during their disposal, it will work with the relevant authorities for strict legal handling.南京博物馆表示，其在1990年代处置这五件作品时，均遵循当时博物馆藏品管理规定，并承诺将配合司法程序。若在处置过程中发现存在违法违规行为，将协同相关部门依法严厉处理。The governmental investigation team consists of members from the commission for discipline inspection, the supervisory commission, and departments of publicity, political and legal affairs, public security, culture and tourism, and cultural relics.政府调查组由纪律检查委员会、监察委员会以及宣传、政法、公安、文化旅游、文物等部门的成员组成。Following the investigation, any illegal or non-compliant activities will be addressed with strict measures, with no tolerance for misconduct. The results of the investigation and the actions taken will be disclosed to the public.调查结束后，任何违法违规行为都将受到严厉处置，绝不容忍任何不当行为。调查结果及采取的措施将向公众公布。The National Cultural Heritage Administration released a statement on its website on Tuesday, saying that it had formed a working group. The group is already in Nanjing to investigate issues related to the management of cultural relics at the Nanjing Museum.国家文物局周二在其官网发布公告称，已成立专项工作组，该工作组已赴南京对南京博物馆文物管理相关问题展开调查。forgeryn./ˈfɔːr.dʒɚ.i/赝品

On a wintry weekend with temperatures hovering just above freezing, an indoor ski dome in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi, Jiangsu province, buzzed with the sound of beginners shrieking their way down the slopes, many of whom had never touched a pair of skis before.在一个气温徘徊在零上几度的寒冬周末，位于中国东部江苏省无锡市的一座室内滑雪馆里，初学者的尖叫声此起彼伏。许多人滑下雪坡时都尖叫连连，其中不少人还是第一次接触滑雪板。"It's my first try," said local resident Wang Yue, still brushing off snow after a fall. "But I've already picked up the basics. I'm determined to become a cool, skilled skier this winter."“这是我第一次尝试，”当地居民王悦（音译）说着，仍在拍打身上的积雪，刚摔了一跤，“但我已经掌握了基本技巧。这个冬天，我决心成为一名酷炫又技术娴熟的滑雪者。”The Wuxi facility, mid-sized by regional standards, draws nearly half a million visits a year and generates more than 180 million yuan ($25.5 million) in sports-related spending. It is one example of how regions without natural snowfall are cashing in as China's winter sports season gains momentum.无锡滑雪场按地区标准属于中型规模，每年接待游客近50万人次，创造逾1.8亿元人民币（合2550万美元）的体育相关消费。随着中国冬季运动热潮兴起，该滑雪场成为无天然降雪地区借势盈利的典型案例。As temperatures drop, more regions are turning ice and snow into economic activity. According to an official industry report, China's ice-and-snow sector is expected to surpass 1 trillion yuan this year.随着气温下降，越来越多的地区正将冰雪转化为经济活动。根据官方行业报告，中国冰雪产业规模今年有望突破1万亿元。Sports boom体育热潮Northern China, where winter arrives early and lasts long, remains the country's primary arena for winter sports. On Nov 29, the northernmost city of Mohe in Heilongjiang province welcomed its first snow-tourism charter train of the season as more than 300 travelers set out to chase ice sculptures, forest landscapes and fresh powder.中国北方地区冬季来得早、持续时间长，仍是全国冬季运动的主要舞台。11月29日，黑龙江省最北端的城市漠河迎来今冬首列冰雪旅游专列，300余名游客踏上追寻冰雕、森林景观和新雪的旅程。In Harbin's Yabuli, a steady stream of visitors has arrived since the ski resort opened its slopes on Nov 7. "We now receive more than 2,000 visitors a day, up 12 percent from last year," said Yang Xiaodong of Yabuli's culture and tourism department.自11月7日哈尔滨亚布力滑雪场开放雪道以来，游客络绎不绝。亚布力管委会文旅处负责人杨晓冬表示：“目前日均接待游客超过2000人次，较去年同期增长12%。”As a competition venue for this year's Asian Winter Games, Yabuli plans to stage more than 30 professional events and public activities during the new snow season. It will also addacrobatic shows and other entertainment to enrich visitor experiences.作为今年亚洲冬季运动会的比赛场地，亚布力计划在新雪季期间举办30余场专业赛事和公众活动，还将新增杂技表演等娱乐项目，丰富游客体验。Data from travel platform Trip.com showed that from November to February, bookings for ice-and-snow attractions are expected to jump around 70 percent year-on-year, with inbound tour reservations rising by about half. Ski resort ticket bookings have surged more than twofold since early November.旅游平台携程数据显示，11月至次年2月期间，冰雪旅游产品预订量预计同比增长约70%，入境旅游产品预订量增长约50%。自11月初以来，滑雪场门票预订量已激增逾两倍。Such sports fever is not limited to snowfields. Across stadiums, courts and parks in cities and villages, sports are increasingly being linked with travel, food and shopping in ways that are supporting domestic demand.这种体育热潮不仅限于雪场。在城乡各体育场馆、球场和公园里，体育活动正日益与旅游、餐饮和购物相结合，从而支撑着国民需求。Few stories illustrate this better than Jiangsu's grassroots football sensation, the Su Super League. What began as a provincial competition this year exploded into a national phenomenon, with 85 matches, 2.43 million in-personspectators, average attendance nearing 30,000 and 2.2 billion online views.没有什么故事比江苏草根足球的奇迹——苏超联赛更能说明这一点了。这项今年刚起步的省级赛事，已迅速发展成为全国性的现象：共举办85场比赛，吸引243万现场观众，场均上座率接近3万人次，线上观看量达22亿次。To create a stadium atmosphere for fans unable to secure tickets, organizers set up 573 fan zones across the province, each with giant screens, food stalls, retail booths and late-night entertainment.为让未能购得门票的球迷也能感受现场氛围，主办方在全省设立了573个球迷区，每个区域都配备巨型屏幕、小吃摊、零售摊位及深夜娱乐活动。"Every one yuan spent on a ticket drove 7.3 yuan in additional consumption," said Wu Haiyun, a provincial commerce official, adding that the league brought more than 38 billion yuan in related spending.江苏省商务厅副厅长吴海云表示：“每消费1元购票款，就能带动7.3元的额外消费。”他补充表示联赛带动了超过380亿元的相关消费。Sports-led travel has become one of China's social trends. During the 15th National Games held across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in November, Guangzhou launched 50 sightseeing routes linking venues and city landmarks, alongside more than 2,000 cultural events.体育旅游已成为中国社会潮流之一。11月在粤港澳大湾区举行的第十五届全国运动会期间，广州推出了50条串联赛场与城市地标的观光路线，并举办了2000余场文化活动。Data from Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, showed that during the Games, hotel spending in Guangzhou rose 114.5 percent year-on-year, while leisure and entertainment consumption climbed more than 134 percent. Sales of Games-themed merchandise are expected to reach 1 billion yuan.抖音数据显示，全运会期间广州酒店消费同比增长114.5%，休闲娱乐消费增幅超过134%。全运会主题商品销售额预计将达10亿元。Shanghai delivered a similar surge during its National Day holiday sports calendar. Six major events, including the 2025 Shanghai Masters and the World Rowing Championships, drew more than 800,000 spectators. Luxury hotels hit near-full capacity, and sales in key commercial districts rose 42 percent year-on-year.国庆假期期间，上海的体育赛事同样掀起热潮。包括2025年上海大师赛和世界赛艇锦标赛在内的六项重大赛事，共吸引逾80万观众到场观赛。豪华酒店入住率逼近满额，核心商业区销售额同比增长42%。Beijing, hosting the 2025 China Open and WTT China Smash, also saw unprecedented crowds. The tennis tournament alone drew 360,000 spectators, generating record ticket revenue and brisk sales of licensed merchandise.北京作为2025年中国网球公开赛和WTT中国网球公开赛的举办地，也迎来了空前的观众规模。仅网球赛事就吸引了36万名观众，创下门票收入纪录，并带动了授权商品的热销。Growth engine增长引擎"Sports events, culture and tourism have formed a new ecosystem," said Si Zengchuo, a professor at Jiangsu Normal University. "This integrated model—combining sightseeing, shopping and event experiences—is now spreading nationwide."江苏师范大学教授司增绰（音译）指出：“体育赛事、文化与旅游已形成新的生态系统。这种集观光、购物与赛事体验于一体的融合模式，正在全国范围内推广。”The rise in sports spending aligns with a broader push to upgrade the consumer economy. According to China's latest blueprint, the total output of the sports industry will exceed 7 trillion yuan by 2030, driven by event-related spending and the fusion of sports, culture and tourism.体育消费的增长与推动消费经济升级的整体趋势相契合。根据中国最新规划，到2030年，体育产业总产值将突破7万亿元，其增长动力主要来自赛事相关消费以及体育、文化和旅游产业的融合发展。To accelerate that momentum, Jiangsu has announced plans to expand event-related consumption scenarios, turning stadiums, sports parks and outdoor campsites into immersive commercial hubs.为加速这一势头，江苏宣布计划拓展赛事相关消费场景，将体育场馆、运动公园和户外营地打造成沉浸式商业中心。Local authorities are encouraging the rollout of sportsvouchers, spending rebates and discount programs. Integrated packages bundling tickets, transport, hotels, dining and cultural attractions are being explored across the province.地方政府正积极推广体育活动代金券、消费返现及折扣计划。全省范围内正探索推出整合套票方案，涵盖门票、交通、酒店、餐饮及文化景点等项目。The eastern manufacturing hub also aims to boost its sports equipment sector by building industrial clusters with annual output of more than 3 billion yuan each, focusing on outdoor gear, fitness facilities and materials for sports venues.江苏省这一东部制造业中心还计划通过建设年产值均超过30亿元的产业集群，重点发展户外装备、健身器材和体育场馆材料，以推动其体育器材产业的升级。To spur winter consumption, several northern regions have introduced "snow break", encouraging schools and families to embrace winter sports programs. Ski resorts are offering winter camps, cultural workshops and discounted family packages.为提振冬季消费，北方多个地区推出“雪假”政策，鼓励学校和家庭参与冬季运动项目。滑雪场纷纷推出冬季营地、文化工作坊及家庭优惠套餐。Transport authorities, meanwhile, are adding seasonal trains and flights to meet travel demand. Some railway lines now allow passengers to carry ski equipment on board and offer designated storage space.与此同时，交通部门正增开季节性列车和航班以满足出行需求。部分铁路线路现允许乘客携带滑雪装备上车，并提供专用存放空间。Experts say such measures are turning sports into a driver of economic vitality. According to China's General Administration of Sport, the country's sports industry has grown at an average annual rate of more than 10 percent over the past five years.专家指出，这些举措正推动体育成为经济活力的引擎。据中国国家体育总局统计，过去五年间，我国体育产业年均增速超过10%。Expanded facilities have also boosted participation. By the end of 2024, China boasted 4.84 million sports venues, averaging 3 square meters of sports area per person. The number of ski resorts alone had jumped 136 percent since 2018, rising from 1,133 to 2,678.设施扩建也推动了参与度提升。截至2024年底，中国拥有484万处体育场馆，人均体育场地面积达3平方米。仅滑雪场数量就较2018年激增136%，从1133个增至2678个。"Venues are the foundation, but the real shift happens beyond the arena," said Ding Xiang, an associate professor at Nanjing University. "People are finding emotional connection and even cultural identity through sports in a city, and that's where the long-term economic value lies."南京大学副教授丁翔指出：“场馆是基础，但真正的转变发生在场馆之外。人们通过城市体育活动建立情感纽带，甚至形成文化认同，这才是长远经济价值所在。”spectatorsn./spekˈteɪ.t̬ɚ/（尤指）现场观众vouchern./ˈvaʊ.tʃɚ/代金券acrobaticadj./ˌæk.rəˈbæt̬.ɪk/杂技的

China aims to broaden insurance coverage for childbirth-related medical expenses and strengthen support for pharmaceutical innovation in the coming year, according to the National Healthcare Security Administration.国家医疗保障局表示，中国计划在未来一年扩大生育相关医疗费用的保险覆盖范围，并加强对医药创新的支持力度。The goals were outlined in a report delivered by Zhang Ke, director of the administration, at its annual work conference on Saturday. The report reviewed progress in healthcare security during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) and detailed priority areas for 2026.这些目标由国家医疗保障局主任章轲在周六举行的年度工作会议上提交的报告中提出。该报告回顾了“十四五”规划期间（2021-2025年）医疗保障工作的进展，并详细列出了2026年的重点工作领域。To adapt to demographic shifts marked by declining birth rates and a rapidly aging population, the report said maternity insurance coverage for prenatal checkups will be reasonably expanded within the financial capacity of the insurance fund.为应对生育率下降和人口快速老龄化的人口结构变化，报告指出将在保险基金财力范围内合理扩大孕产妇保险的产前检查覆盖范围。Authorities will explore the creation of a basic service package that incorporates prenatal examinations, aiming to ease the financial burden on families.相关部门将研究推出包含产前检查的基本服务套餐，旨在减轻家庭的经济负担。By next year, the goal is to achieve nationwide full reimbursement for all policy-covered medical expenses related to childbirth, enabling insured expectant mothers to incur almost no out-of-pocket costs for covered services.到明年，目标是实现全国范围内对所有与分娩相关的保险覆盖医疗费用全额报销，使参保孕妇在享受保险覆盖服务时几乎无需承担自付费用。Additional expenses, such as those for premium hospital wards or medications not included in the reimbursement list, will remain uncovered.但例如高级病房费用或未列入报销清单的药品等的额外费用，仍将不予覆盖。So far, seven provincial-level regions, including Jilin, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces, have implemented policies that make childbirth nearly free of charge.迄今为止，包括吉林、江苏和山东在内的七个省级地区已实施政策，使生育费用几乎免费。The administration said the number of women enrolled in the national maternity insurance program has risen to 255 million, and all regions have included fertility treatment in their basic health insurance plans.国家医疗保障局表示，全国生育保险参保女性人数已增至2.55亿，所有地区均已将生育治疗纳入基本医疗保险范围。Nearly 95 percent of fund pooling regions now distribute fertility subsidies directly to beneficiaries' personal accounts rather than through employers.目前近95%的基金池地区已将生育补贴直接发放至受益人个人账户，而非通过雇主发放。For the coming year, authorities will promote participation among flexible workers, migrant workers and individuals in new forms of employment in maternity insurance, while exploring the feasibility of extending coverage to nonemployed urban and rural residents.未来一年，相关部门将推动灵活就业人员、流动务工人员及新型就业形式从业人员参与生育保险，同时研究将覆盖范围扩大至城镇非雇佣居民和农村居民的可行性。All provincial-level regions will be required to cover eligible labor pain relief procedures under insurance and further implement and refine reimbursement policies for assisted reproductive technology services.所有省级行政区都将要求将符合条件的分娩镇痛项目纳入医保范围，并进一步落实和完善辅助生殖技术服务的报销政策。To assist the 220 million people aged 65 and older — who make up 15.6 percent of China's total population as of end of 2024 — the report called for the further development of the long-term care insurance program, which currently covers about 300 million people, and encouraged commercial insurers to develop related products.为帮助2.2亿65岁及以上人口（截至2024年底占中国总人口的15.6%），报告呼吁进一步发展长期护理保险制度，该制度目前覆盖约3亿人；并鼓励商业保险公司开发相关产品。Addressing demographic challenges was also among the priorities set by the annual two-day Central Economic Work Conference that concluded on Thursday. The conference emphasized expanding rehabilitative care services, advancing the long-term care insurance program, and strengthening care and support for vulnerable groups.应对人口结构挑战也是本周四结束的为期两天年度中央经济工作会议确定的重点工作之一。会议强调要扩大康复护理服务范围，推进长期护理保险制度建设，加强对弱势群体的照护与支持。The meeting also stressed the importance of promoting positive views on marriage and childbearing and striving to stabilize the newborn population.会议还强调了倡导积极婚姻生育观念、努力稳定新生儿人口的重要性。The healthcare security report also underscored stepped-up support for innovative drugs and emerging healthcare technologies.该医疗保健安全报告还强调了对创新药物和新兴医疗技术的加强支持。Over the past five years, 949 medicines were added to the national reimbursement drug list, bringing the cumulative total to 3,253.过去五年间，共有949种药品被纳入国家医保药品目录，累计纳入药品总数达到3253种。In the latest update released earlier this month, a record 50 first-in-class novel drugs were added, accounting for nearly half of the 114 newly included products.在本月初发布的最新的医保药品目录更新中，新增了创纪录的50种首创创新药物，占新增的114种产品近半数。At the same time, the administration issued the country's first commercial insurance innovative drug list, covering 19 medicines with significant clinical value, high innovation levels and substantial patient benefits.与此同时，国家医疗保障局发布了全国首份商业保险创新药目录，涵盖19种具有显著临床价值、高创新水平和实质性患者获益的药品。The report called for active implementation of the commercial drug list and encouraged commercial health insurers to cover more reasonable medical expenses outside the basic insurance catalog. Commercial insurers will also be mobilized to increase investment in innovative drugs to support research and development.该报告呼吁积极实施商业药品目录，鼓励商业健康保险公司覆盖基本保险目录外的更多合理医疗费用。同时将动员商业保险公司加大对创新药物的投资力度，以支持研发工作。To further foster innovation, the report highlighted the need to leverage medical insurance's strategic purchasing role, guide the industry toward healthy competition and differentiated innovation, and improve multichannel payment mechanisms for innovative drugs.为进一步促进创新，报告强调需发挥医保战略采购作用，引导行业开展良性竞争和差异化创新，完善创新药多渠道支付机制。The rapid development of artificial intelligence and other smart technologies also presents opportunities to build a more digital healthcare security platform and establish an evaluation system using real-world data to comprehensively assess the value of insurance-covered medications.人工智能及其他智能技术的快速发展，也为构建更完善的数字化医疗安全平台提供了机遇，并能建立基于真实世界数据的评估体系，全面评估医保药品的价值。Authorities will support local governments in launching competitions for healthcare security application scenarios involving advanced technologies such as multimodal AI-assisted diagnosis and noninvasive brain-computer interfaces.政府将支持地方政府开展医疗健康安全应用场景竞赛，涉及多模态人工智能辅助诊断、非侵入式脑机接口等前沿技术。Official data show the national basic medical insurance coverage rate has remained stable at about 95 percent over the past five years, with total expenditures exceeding 13 trillion yuan ($1.82 trillion). Flexible workers, migrant workers and individuals in new forms of employment have increasingly been supported to enroll.官方数据显示，过去五年全国基本医疗保险覆盖率稳定在95%左右，累计支出超过13万亿元（合1.82万亿美元）。灵活就业人员、农民工和新型就业人员参保比例持续提升。During this period, China carried out eight rounds of centralized drug procurement covering treatments for diabetes, cancer, bacterial infections and other common chronic diseases, as well as four rounds of bulk purchasing for high-value medical consumables such as artificial joints, intraocular lenses and cochlear implants.在此期间，中国开展了八轮集中采购，涵盖糖尿病、癌症、细菌感染等常见慢性病的治疗药物，并进行了四轮高价医疗耗材的集中采购，包括人工关节、人工晶体和人工耳蜗等。Local authorities recovered about 120 billion yuan in misused insurance funds and prevented an additional 9.5 billion yuan in losses by using big data and smart monitoring tools. The introduction of drug traceability codes has strengthened efforts to crack down on drug resale and fraudulent reimbursement.地方政府通过运用大数据和智能监控工具，追回约1200亿元被滥用的医保资金，并防止了95亿元的损失。药品追溯码的引入，进一步加强了打击药品转售和虚假报销的力度。maternity insurance[məˈtɜːrnəti]生育保险procurement[prəˈkjʊrmənt]采购full reimbursement[ˌriːɪmˈbɜːrsmənt]全额报销migrant workers流动务工人员

１３日、中国江蘇省南京市の大虐殺記念館で開かれた南京事件８８年の国家追悼式【南京時事】旧日本軍による南京事件から８８年を迎えた１３日、中国江蘇省南京市の大虐殺記念館で国家追悼式が開かれた。 A state memorial ceremony marking the 88th anniversary of the Nanjing incident perpetrated by the former Imperial Japanese Army was held in Nanjing in the eastern China province of Jiangsu on Saturday.

A state memorial ceremony marking the 88th anniversary of the Nanjing incident perpetrated by the former Imperial Japanese Army was held in Nanjing in the eastern China province of Jiangsu on Saturday.

Thursday marked the opening of an institution of learning that aims to upskill over 100,000 delivery workers. China's first "rider academy" was launched in Guangdong province, in a move that reflects the authorities' push to support the expanding courier workforce.周四，一个旨在提升10万余名配送员技能的教育机构正式揭牌。中国首家“骑手学院”在广东成立，体现出政府对不断壮大的快递与配送群体的支持力度。Jointly established by the Guangdong provincial education authority and e-commerce giant JD, the Modern Grassroots Workers Academy, widely referred to as the "rider academy", was inaugurated at Guangzhou Polytechnic University, marking China's first dedicated vocational education platform for full-time delivery personnel.由广东省教育部门与电商巨头京东联合共建的“现代基层劳动者学院”（广称为“骑手学院”）在广州科技职业技术大学揭牌，成为国内首个面向专职配送人员的职业教育平台。Lin Rupeng, director of the Guangdong Department of Education, said the academy reflects Guangdong's push to link education and talent chains more closely with the province's industrial and innovation needs, while building stronger safeguards for workers in emerging forms of employment and empowering them for future changes in the job market.广东省教育厅厅长林如鹏表示，学院体现了广东将教育链、人才链与产业链、创新链深度融合的努力，同时为新就业形态劳动者提供更完善保障，帮助其适应未来就业市场变化。"Through the enabling power of education, we are opening a new pathway for the career development of delivery riders, and by bringing universities and enterprises together, we are creating a more dynamic model of industry-education integration," he said.他说：“通过教育赋能，我们为外卖骑手开辟职业发展新通道；通过高校与企业协同，我们正在打造更加活跃的产教融合模式。”According to Feng Lei, a senior executive with JD, the academy will rely on university facilities, training centers and teaching staff across Guangdong, with Guangzhou Polytechnic University serving as the core base and several other colleges running satellite training points. Over the next three years, it will train more than 100,000 full-time riders and frontline couriers whom JD employs in the province.京东高管冯蕾介绍称，学院将依托广东多所高校的设施、培训中心和师资力量，以广州科技职业技术大学为核心基地，并在多所院校设置培训点。未来三年，学院将在广东培训超过10万名京东全职骑手与一线配送员工。The curriculum is designed to be practical and closely aligned with industry needs and development. Riders will access courses including food safety, mental well-being and English. To prepare for emerging delivery technologies, a training base for drone operators and related high-tech roles will be established, and qualified riders could be channeled into positions such as warehouse supervisors or drone pilots.课程设计强调实用性，与行业需求高度契合。骑手将学习食品安全、心理健康、英语等课程。为应对配送科技发展，学院还将建设无人机操作等高技术岗位的培训基地，合格学员将有机会转岗为仓储主管或无人机驾驶员。Guo Shuzhao, a JD rider, said the courses are closely aligned with their day-to-day work, covering not only operational skills but also safety regulations and service standards.京东骑手郭树钊表示，课程内容与日常工作高度相关，不仅涵盖操作技能，还包括安全规范和服务标准。"By completing the training to get certificates, our opportunities for career advancement will increase significantly," he said.他说：“完成培训并取得证书后，我们的晋升机会会明显增加。”The initiative comes as delivery riders, couriers, online shop owners, livestream sellers and ride-hailing drivers, classified in China as new forms of employment, become increasingly central to urban life. There are already 84 million workers nationwide engaged in such employment, data from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions showed.该举措出台之际，随着外卖骑手、快递员、网店经营者、直播带货者、网约车司机等新就业形态劳动者在城市生活中日益重要，全国已有8400万劳动者从事相关工作（全国总工会数据）。The size of this workforce and the volatility it faces have prompted several provinces to introduce structured training programs. Jiangsu launched a three-year action plan in October to expand skills training for people in these new forms of employment, covering smart-device use, labor rights and e-commerce entrepreneurship.由于这一庞大群体面临就业波动，多地已出台系统培训计划。例如江苏省今年10月启动三年行动方案，涵盖智能设备使用、劳动权益、电子商务创业等内容。The launch of the rider academy also comes amid rapid advances in automated delivery. Companies such as Meituan have expanded drone routes in major cities like Shenzhen in Guangdong, while completing more than 520,000 orders nationwide by early 2025, data from Meituan showed.骑手学院的成立，也正值自动化配送迅速发展之际。美团等企业已在深圳等城市扩大无人机配送航线，截至2025年初已完成52万余单（美团数据）。While drones and robots may reduce labor costs, Feng Lei from JD said that drones and related delivery equipment and technologies will not completely substitute for delivery personnel.尽管无人机和机器人有助于降低成本，但冯蕾表示，它们不会完全取代配送人员。She said emerging technologies "raise the skill requirements rather than eliminate the need for riders". Delivery personnel increasingly need to operate intelligent order systems and collaborate with drones and robots to complete deliveries, she said.她指出，新技术“提升了岗位技能要求，而非消灭岗位本身”。骑手未来需要操作智能派单系统，并与无人机、机器人协同完成配送。Feng Lipan, an e-commerce associate professor at South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, said the new academy is precisely intended to prepare riders for that transition.华南理工大学电子商务系副教授冯立攀表示，新学院正是为骑手应对这一转型而设。"It will reshape the public's stereotypical perception of the delivery rider profession, transforming it into a skilled occupation recognized for both mental agility and technical expertise," he said.他说：“这将重塑公众对配送职业的刻板印象，使其成为兼具思维敏捷与技术能力的技能型岗位。”industry-education integration产教融合emerging forms of employment新就业形态automated delivery自动化配送workforce volatility就业波动

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A powerful cold wave is gripping large parts of China this week, driving temperatures sharply lower and pushing the freezing line steadily south, according to the National Meteorological Center.据国家气象中心称，本周一股强劲寒潮正席卷中国大部分地区，气温急剧下降，冰冻线持续向南推进。The center continued to issue blue alerts — the lowest of a four-tiered color-coded warning system — for a cold wave and strong winds on Tuesday morning, forecasting that the cold air will keep moving east and south through Wednesday.气象中心周二上午继续针对寒潮和大风发布蓝色预警——这是四级颜色编码预警系统中的最低级别——并预测冷空气将持续向东和向南移动至周三。Yang Shunan, chief forecaster at the center, said the cold wave has already gripped the entire northern part of the country and continues to push south.气象中心首席预报员杨舒楠表示，这波寒潮已覆盖全国北方地区，并持续向南推进。As of Tuesday afternoon, temperatures in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Northeast China and North China had fallen by 6 to 10 C, with some areas recording drops of 12 to 14 C. These regions, along with the Shandong and Liaodong peninsulas, have also recorded winds of up to 39 kilometers per hour, Yang said.截至周二下午，内蒙古自治区、东北地区和华北地区气温普遍下降6至10摄氏度，部分地区降温幅度达12至14摄氏度。杨舒楠表示，这些地区以及山东半岛和辽东半岛还出现了时速达39公里的强风。On Tuesday, Beijing and Tianjin recorded their coldest morning of the second half of the year at around minus 5 C, while Changchun in Jilin province, Shenyang in Liaoning province and Shijiazhuang in Hebei province also hit new seasonal lows.周二，北京和天津录得今年下半年最低气温，约为零下5摄氏度；吉林省长春市、辽宁省沈阳市和河北省石家庄市也创下本季新低。The cold wave is set to keep pressing south over the next two days, bringing the coldest conditions of the season so far to large parts of central and eastern China. In some areas of Jiangsu, Anhui and Zhejiang provinces, temperatures are expected to plunge by more than 10 C, with wind chills exacerbating the cold conditions.未来两天，寒潮将继续向南推进，给中国中部和东部大部地区带来今冬迄今最严寒的天气。江苏、安徽和浙江部分地区气温预计将骤降10摄氏度以上，寒风将使体感温度进一步降低。"The most notable features of this cold wave are its complex weather impacts and the significant temperature plunge," Yang said.杨舒楠表示：“此轮寒潮最显著的特征在于其复杂的气象影响和显著的降温幅度。”In addition to strong winds and plummeting temperatures, sand and dust storms were reported in parts of Inner Mongolia and North China in the early stages of the cold air outbreak.在冷空气来袭初期，除强风和气温骤降外，内蒙古和华北部分地区还出现了沙尘暴。Unlike the cold wave in mid-November, which took a more westerly track and brought sharper temperature drops to southern and western regions, the current system is tracking slightly farther north, resulting in the strongest cooling being concentrated north of the Yangtze River, she said.杨舒楠指出，与11月中旬那场偏西路径、导致南方和西部地区气温骤降的冷空气不同，当前这股冷空气路径略偏北，因此强降温主要集中在长江以北地区。On Wednesday morning, the nation's coldest regions will be in parts of the northeast, northwest and North China, according to the center.气象中心称，周三上午，全国最寒冷的地区将出现在东北、西北和华北的部分地区。Minimum temperatures below minus 10 C are forecast across more than 10 provincial-level regions, including the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region as well as the provinces of Qinghai, Gansu and Hebei.预计新疆维吾尔自治区、青海省、甘肃省、河北省等十余个省级行政区最低气温将低于零下10摄氏度。Major northeastern cities such as Harbin and Changchun may see temperatures dip below minus 20 C for the first time this season. Forecasters advise commuters and students to bundle up with hats, gloves and scarves to avoid frostbite.哈尔滨、长春等东北主要城市的气温可能在本季首次跌破零下20摄氏度。气象预报员建议通勤者和学生做好保暖措施，戴好帽子、手套和围巾，以防冻伤。By Thursday, the freezing line will reach its southernmost point during this cold spell, extending into parts of Zhejiang, Anhui and Hubei. The cold wave is expected to weaken and come to an end from late Wednesday into Thursday night, Yang said.到周四，冻线将达到此轮寒潮的南端极限，延伸至浙江、安徽和湖北部分地区。杨舒楠表示，预计寒潮将于周三晚至周四夜间逐渐减弱并结束。bundle up做好保暖措施、裹紧衣物frostbite n./ˈfrɑːst.baɪt/冻伤；冻疮

China's 2026 national civil service exam for central government institutions was held on Sunday amid fierce competition, with an average of 74 applicants vying for each available position this year.2026年中国中央政府机构公务员考试于周日举行，竞争异常激烈，今年平均每个职位有74名考生角逐。A total of 3.718 million candidates passed the initial verification process and about 2.83 million people sat for the exams to compete for only 38,100 positions, making this year's recruitment process the most intense in the exam's history, according to the State Administration of Civil Service.国家公务员局数据显示，共有371.8万名考生通过初审，约283万人实际参加考试，而岗位仅3.81万个，使今年成为公务员考试史上竞争最激烈的一届。The applicant pool has increased dramatically in recent years, rising from about 2.6 million in 2023 to over 3.7 million this year.近年来申请人数激增，从2023年的约260万增至今年的370万以上。One standout example of the exam's competitiveness is a police officer position in Ruili, Yunnan province with the National Immigration Administration, which attracted 6,470 applicants for a single opening.该考试竞争激烈的一个典型例子是云南省国家移民管理局瑞丽遣返中心的一个警官职位，仅一个空缺就吸引了6470名应聘者。A significant reform to this year's exam was the relaxation of age restrictions, which is in line with China's progressive approach to delaying the legal retirement age. The general applicant age limit was raised from 35 to 38, while new graduates with master's and doctoral degrees will now be eligible up to age 43, representing a three-year extension from previous limits.今年考试的一项重大改革是放宽了年龄限制，这与中国逐步推迟法定退休年龄的政策相呼应。普通报考者的年龄上限从35岁提高到38岁，而硕士和博士学位的新毕业生现在最高可至43岁，比以往限制延长了三年。Experts said this year's national civil service exam, the first to break the "age 35 threshold", establishes a significant precedent for more inclusive public sector recruitment processes. The reforms not only expand opportunities for experienced professionals but also set important benchmarks for private sector hiring practices, promoting ability-based talent selection across Chinese society, they said.专家指出，今年全国公务员考试首次打破“35岁年龄限制”，为公共部门招聘流程建立更包容的机制树立了重要先例。他们表示，这项改革不仅为经验丰富的专业人士拓展了职业发展空间，也为私营企业招聘实践树立了重要标杆，推动全社会践行能力本位的人才选拔机制。This policy adjustment acknowledges the valuable experience and capabilities that professionals in their mid-30s have accumulated, said Zhu Lijia, a professor at the National Academy of Governance.国家行政学院教授朱立佳表示，这项政策调整充分认可了35岁左右专业人才所积累的宝贵经验和能力。Including them in the public service can significantly enhance the quality of government departments, he told China News Service.他告诉中国新闻社，将他们纳入公共服务体系，能够显著提升政府部门的质量。The age limit reform has generated substantial social impact, with many provincial-level civil service exams in regions including Shanghai and the provinces of Sichuan and Jiangsu already adopting similar relaxed age policies. Experts anticipate this trend will expand to more regions and public institution recruitment processes.年龄限制改革引发了显著的社会影响，上海、四川、江苏等地的省级公务员考试已纷纷采取类似放宽年龄的政策。专家预测，这一趋势将扩展至更多地区及公共机构的招聘流程。For many older candidates, the policy change represents a second chance at public service careers. Zhou Ming, a 35-year-old professional working in the internet industry in Guangdong province, expressed renewed hope. "This feels like an opportunity to re-enter the competition when I thought my chances had passed."对许多年长的应聘者而言，这项政策调整意味着重返公共服务岗位的第二次机会。在广东从事互联网行业的35岁专业人士周明（音译）重燃希望：“当我以为机会已经错过时，这感觉像是重新获得竞争资格的契机。”However, challenges persist for older applicants. The exam structure continues to show a strong preference for new graduates, with approximately 66.7 percent of the available positions reserved for recent graduates. This leaves limited options for experienced professionals seeking career transitions.然而，年长申请者仍面临诸多挑战。考试结构持续向应届毕业生倾斜，约66.7%的职位名额专为应届毕业生保留。这使得寻求职业转型的资深专业人士选择有限。Yi Dinghong, from Huatu Education, a training institution for civil service exams, said older candidates often face unique challenges. "They typically balance work and family responsibilities while preparing for examinations," he noted. "However, their extensive work experience and developed competencies in communication, coordination, and stress management provide distinct advantages during interview stages."华图教育公务员培训机构的易定宏指出，年长考生常面临独特挑战。“他们通常需要在备考期间兼顾工作与家庭责任，”他强调，“但丰富的职场经验以及在沟通协调、压力管理方面形成的综合能力，使他们在面试环节具备显著优势。”Ma Liang, professor of Peking University's School of Government, said that as retirement ages extend and educational periods lengthen, people enter the workforce later. Relaxing age restrictions represents an inevitable trend that aligns with evolving workforce demographics.北京大学政府管理学院教授马亮指出，随着退休年龄推迟和受教育年限延长，人们进入劳动力市场的年龄不断推迟。放宽年龄限制是顺应劳动力人口结构变化的必然趋势。Ma further suggested that future adjustments might include the complete removal of age limits, though this will be a gradual process and require corresponding reforms in career advancement systems to ensure fair development opportunities for all employees.马亮进一步建议，未来的调整可能包括完全取消年龄限制，但这将是一个渐进的过程，需要对职业晋升体系进行相应改革，以确保所有员工都能获得公平的发展机会。civil service exam国家公务员考试State Administration of Civil Service国家公务员局

①Southern Chinese metropolis fuels China-Thailand trade boom ②Hong Kong visitor arrivals up 12 pct in 10 months ③China diversifies energy mix for winter heating ④Inner Mongolia in north China controls desert area of 66 million mu in five years ⑤Prehistoric site in east China's Jiangsu dates back about 7,500 to 8,100 years

Welcome to 听故事说中文, the podcast where stories come alive to help you improve your Chinese language proficiency and cultural competency. In today's episode, we're sharing a deeply moving and personal account from a factory in Kunshan, Jiangsu in 2014, focusing on the lives of migrant women workers—who are also mothers. down her face as she writes. What she wrote was a heartbreaking, tightly-packed letter explaining one thing: "Why does mom have to go out to work?" And as always, we'd love to hear your thoughts! Share your comments, questions, or favorite parts of the episode with us. -LCTS ************************************************************ Support Our Podcast If our podcast brings value to your life and you'd like to help us continue creating great content, consider becoming a patron for as little as $7 a month. As a patron, you will enjoy: ✨ Ad-free episodes for an uninterrupted listening experience.

Welcome to 听故事说中文, the podcast where stories come alive to help you improve your Chinese language proficiency and cultural competency. In today's episode, we're sharing a deeply moving and personal account from a factory in Kunshan, Jiangsu in 2014, focusing on the lives of migrant women workers—who are also mothers. down her face as she writes. What she wrote was a heartbreaking, tightly-packed letter explaining one thing: "Why does mom have to go out to work?" And as always, we'd love to hear your thoughts! Share your comments, questions, or favorite parts of the episode with us. -LCTS ************************************************************ Support Our Podcast If our podcast brings value to your life and you'd like to help us continue creating great content, consider becoming a patron for as little as $7 a month. As a patron, you will enjoy: ✨ Ad-free episodes for an uninterrupted listening experience.

The eighth edition of the China International Import Expo is set to open in Shanghai on Wednesday, and some overseas exhibitors have already confirmed participation for next year's event, drawn by the exhibition's role as a premier platform for connecting with the Chinese market and global resources.第八届中国国际进口博览会将于周三在上海开幕，部分海外参展商已确认参加明年的展会。该展会作为连接中国市场与全球资源的顶级平台，吸引了众多参展方。International firms and government agencies said the CIIE clearly demonstrates China's dedication to progressing alongside the world and sharing growth prospects.国际企业和政府机构表示，进博会清晰展现了中国与世界共同发展、共享增长机遇的决心。Premier Li Qiang will attend the opening ceremony of this year's CIIE, which will run through Monday, and deliver a keynote speech, He Ya dong, a spokesman for theMinistry of Commerce, announced on Monday.商务部发言人何亚东周一宣布，李强总理将出席本届进博会开幕式并发表主旨演讲，展会将持续至周一。Leaders from other countries, including Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Serbian Prime Minister Djuro Macut, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria Abbas Tajudeen, and President of the National Council of Slovenia Marko Lotric, will attend the opening ceremony of the CIIE and related events.其他国家领导人也将出席进博会开幕式及相关活动，包括格鲁吉亚总理伊拉克利・科巴希泽（Irakli Kobakhidze）、塞尔维亚总理久罗・马楚特（Djuro Macut）、尼日利亚众议院议长阿巴斯・塔朱丁（Abbas Tajudeen）以及斯洛文尼亚国民委员会主席马尔科・洛特里奇（Marko Lotric）。Herbalife, a Los Angeles, United States-based health and wellness company, is among the exhibitors that have signed up for the ninth CIIE. Having participated in every edition of the expo, the company views it as a vital window for showcasing its global innovations.美国洛杉矶健康与wellness企业康宝莱（Herbalife）已签约参加第九届进博会。该公司连续参展每一届进博会，将其视为展示全球创新成果的重要窗口。Many of the company's products have transitioned from exhibits to commodities. The Herbalife24 sports nutrition product line was first showcased at theinaugural CIIE in 2018. The products were launched in China in 2021, following positive feedback from the expo, and have since realizedlocalized production.康宝莱的多款产品已从展品转变为商品。康宝莱24运动营养系列于2018年首届进博会上首次亮相，经展会反馈良好后，于2021年进入中国市场，目前已实现本地化生产。Stella Tsai, managing director of Herbalife China, said, "We are impressed by China's robust economic development and the improving business environment, which offer stability and vast opportunities for multinational companies."康宝莱中国区总经理蔡美琳（Stella Tsai）表示：“中国强劲的经济发展和持续优化的营商环境令人印象深刻，为跨国企业提供了稳定的发展环境和广阔机遇。”She added that the company's global product innovation center, unveiled last month in Shanghai as an upgrade from its former China product innovation center, aims to swiftly transform Chinese consumers' demands into innovative products, leveraging China's unique consumer insights and innovation environment to impact the Asia-Pacific and global markets.她补充道，公司上月在上海揭牌升级了原中国产品创新中心，成立全球产品创新中心。该中心旨在依托中国独特的消费洞察和创新环境，快速将中国消费者需求转化为创新产品，进而影响亚太及全球市场。The state of Mato Grosso, one of Brazil's keyagricultural commodities and livestock producing regions, will participate in this year's CIIE for the third consecutive year with its own booth, and has confirmed its return next year with an expanded presence.马托格罗索州是巴西重要的农产品和畜牧产品产区，该州将连续第三年独立设展参加本届进博会，并已确认明年扩大规模继续参展。This year's booth of Mato Grosso will double in size to 200 square meters, and the delegation will consist of nearly 70 entrepreneurs and industry leaders led by the Mato Grosso Investment Promotion Agency and the Mato Grosso State Secretariat of Economic Development.今年马托格罗索州的展位面积将翻倍至200平方米，代表团由该州投资促进局和经济发展秘书处牵头，近70名企业家和行业领袖组成。Highlighted exhibits will include those with enormous commercial potential, such as the sesame category recently covered by a new origin export agreement with China, various beans and high-quality local beef.重点展品包括具有巨大商业潜力的产品，如近期与中国达成新原产地出口协议的芝麻品类、各类豆类以及优质本地牛肉。Cesar Miranda, secretary of the Economic Development of Mato Grosso, said: "China is currently our largest trading partner and the primary destination for Mato Grosso's agricultural exports. Participating in the CIIE is crucial for reinforcing this relationship and exploring new investment channels."马托格罗索州经济发展秘书塞萨尔・米兰达（Cesar Miranda）表示：“中国目前是我们最大的贸易伙伴，也是马托格罗索州农产品出口的主要目的地。参加进博会对于巩固这一关系、探索新的投资渠道至关重要。”German multinational company Bayer, another regular participant at the CIIE, expressed unwavering confidence in the Chinese market. He Yong, general manager of Bayer Consumer Health China, noted that the Chinese market's progress toward maturity is similar to that of developed markets.德国跨国企业拜耳（Bayer）也是进博会的常客，该公司对中国市场表达了坚定信心。拜耳消费者健康中国区总经理何勇指出，中国市场的成熟进程与发达市场相似。The general manager said the company's strategic moves, including building various mechanisms and innovation platforms as well as renewing partnerships in China, reflect its substantial confidence in the market's future.何勇表示，公司在中国搭建各类机制和创新平台、深化合作伙伴关系等战略举措，充分体现了对中国市场未来的高度信心。The new supply center project of Bayer Consumer Health in Qidong, Jiangsu province, involves a total investment of 750 million yuan ($105 million), with a gross floor area of about 53,000 sq m. Completion is expected in early 2026.拜耳消费者健康在江苏启东的新供应中心项目总投资7.5亿元人民币（约合1.05亿美元），总建筑面积约5.3万平方米，预计2026年初竣工。"The choice of Qidong for the site is due to its strategic position in the global supply chain. A significant portion of the products produced there will be supplied not just within China, but to a network of global cities that make economic sense for our business," said He.何勇表示：“选择启东作为选址，得益于其在全球供应链中的战略地位。该中心生产的大部分产品不仅将供应中国市场，还将输送至对公司业务具有经济价值的全球城市网络。”Experience from the past editions inspired him to describe the CIIE as a massive platform for multidirectional exchanges. "It serves as a venue for everything from product displays to cutting-edge technologies, covering a wide range of categories from specific product lines to almost all-encompassing areas of exhibitions and connections," he added.何勇补充道：“基于往届参展经验，他将进博会形容为一个大型多向交流平台。“这里既是产品展示的场所，也是前沿技术的交流阵地，覆盖从特定产品线到几乎全方位的展览和对接领域。”The eighth edition of the China International Import Expo第八届中国国际进口博览会Ministry of Commerce商务部inaugural/ɪˈnɑː.ɡjə.rəl/adj.就职的，就任的；首次的，初始的localized production本地化生产agricultural commodities and livestock producing regions农产品和畜牧产品产区

Last time we spoke about the fall of Wuhan. In a country frayed by war, the Yangtze became a pulsing artery, carrying both hunger and hope. Chiang Kai-shek faced a brutal choice: defend Wuhan to the last man, or flood the rivers to buy time. He chose both, setting sullen floodwaters loose along the Yellow River to slow the invaders, a temporary mercy that spared some lives while ripping many from their homes. On the river's banks, a plethora of Chinese forces struggled to unite. The NRA, fractured into rival zones, clung to lines with stubborn grit as Japanese forces poured through Anqing, Jiujiang, and beyond, turning the Yangtze into a deadly corridor. Madang's fortifications withstood bombardment and gas, yet the price was paid in troops and civilians drowned or displaced. Commanders like Xue Yue wrestled stubbornly for every foothold, every bend in the river. The Battle of Wanjialing became a symbol: a desperate, months-long pincer where Chinese divisions finally tightened their cordon and halted the enemy's flow. By autumn, the Japanese pressed onward to seize Tianjiazhen and cut supply lines, while Guangzhou fell to a ruthless blockade. The Fall of Wuhan loomed inevitable, yet the story remained one of fierce endurance against overwhelming odds.   #174 The Changsha Fire Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In the summer of 1938, amid the upheaval surrounding Chiang Kai-shek, one of his most important alliances came to an end. On June 22, all German advisers to the Nationalist government were summoned back; any who refused would be deemed guilty of high treason. Since World War I, a peculiar bond had tied the German Weimar Republic and China: two fledgling states, both weak and only partially sovereign. Under the Versailles Treaty of 1919, Germany had lost extraterritorial rights on Chinese soil, which paradoxically allowed Berlin to engage with China as an equal partner rather than a traditional colonizer. This made German interests more welcome in business and politics than those of other Western powers. Chiang's military reorganization depended on German officers such as von Seeckt and von Falkenhausen, and Hitler's rise in 1933 had not immediately severed the connection between the two countries. Chiang did not share Nazi ideology with Germany, but he viewed Berlin as a potential ally and pressed to persuade it to side with China rather than Japan as China's principal East Asian, anti-Communist partner. In June 1937, H. H. Kung led a delegation to Berlin, met Hitler, and argued for an alliance with China. Yet the outbreak of war and the Nationalists' retreat to Wuhan convinced Hitler's government to align with Japan, resulting in the recall of all German advisers. Chiang responded with a speech praising von Falkenhausen, insisting that "our friend's enemy is our enemy too," and lauding the German Army's loyalty and ethics as a model for the Chinese forces. He added, "After we have won the War of Resistance, I believe you'll want to come back to the Far East and advise our country again." Von Falkenhausen would later become the governor of Nazi-occupied Belgium, then be lauded after the war for secretly saving many Jewish lives. As the Germans departed, the roof of the train transporting them bore a prominent German flag with a swastika, a prudent precaution given Wuhan's vulnerability to air bombardment. The Japanese were tightening their grip on the city, even as Chinese forces, numbering around 800,000, made a stubborn stand. The Yellow River floods blocked northern access, so the Japanese chose to advance via the Yangtze, aided by roughly nine divisions and the might of the Imperial Navy. The Chinese fought bravely, but their defenses could not withstand the superior technology of the Japanese fleet. The only substantial external aid came from Soviet pilots flying aircraft bought from the USSR as part of Stalin's effort to keep China in the war; between 1938 and 1940, some 2,000 pilots offered their services. From June 24 to 27, Japanese bombers relentlessly pounded the Madang fortress along the Yangtze until it fell. A month later, on July 26, Chinese defenders abandoned Jiujiang, southeast of Wuhan, and its civilian population endured a wave of atrocities at the hands of the invaders. News of Jiujiang's fate stiffened resolve. Chiang delivered a pointed address to his troops on July 31, arguing that Wuhan's defense was essential and that losing the city would split the country into hostile halves, complicating logistics and movement. He warned that Wuhan's defense would also be a spiritual test: "the place has deep revolutionary ties," and public sympathy for China's plight was growing as Japanese atrocities became known. Yet Chiang worried about the behavior of Chinese soldiers. He condemned looting as a suicidal act that would destroy the citizens' trust in the military. Commanders, he warned, must stay at their posts; the memory of the Madang debacle underscored the consequences of cowardice. Unlike Shanghai, Wuhan had shelters, but he cautioned against retreating into them and leaving soldiers exposed. Officers who failed in loyalty could expect no support in return. This pep talk, combined with the belief that the army was making a last stand, may have slowed the Japanese advance along the Yangtze in August. Under General Xue Yue, about 100,000 Chinese troops pushed back the invaders at Huangmei. At Tianjiazhen, thousands fought until the end of September, with poison gas finally forcing Japanese victory. Yet even then, Chinese generals struggled to coordinate. In Xinyang, Li Zongren's Guangxi troops were exhausted; they expected relief from Hu Zongnan's forces, but Hu instead withdrew, allowing Japan to capture the city without a fight. The fall of Xinyang enabled Japanese control of the Ping-Han railway, signaling Wuhan's doom. Chiang again spoke to Wuhan's defenders, balancing encouragement with a grim realism about possible loss. Although Wuhan's international connections were substantial, foreign aid would be unlikely. If evacuation became necessary, the army should have a clear plan, including designated routes. He recalled the disastrous December retreat from Nanjing, where "foreigners and Chinese alike turned it into an empty city." Troops had been tired and outnumbered; Chiang defended the decision to defend Nanjing, insisting the army had sacrificed itself for the capital and Sun Yat-sen's tomb. Were the army to retreat again, he warned, it would be the greatest shame in five thousand years of Chinese history. The loss of Madang was another humiliation. By defending Wuhan, he argued, China could avenge its fallen comrades and cleanse its conscience; otherwise, it could not honor its martyrs. Mao Zedong, observing the situation from his far-off base at Yan'an, agreed strongly that Chiang should not defend Wuhan to the death. He warned in mid-October that if Wuhan could not be defended, the war's trajectory would shift, potentially strengthening the Nationalists–Communists cooperation, deepening popular mobilization, and expanding guerrilla warfare. The defense of Wuhan, Mao argued, should drain the enemy and buy time to advance the broader struggle, not become a doomed stalemate. In a protracted war, some strongholds might be abandoned temporarily to sustain the longer fight. The Japanese Army captured Wuchang and Hankou on 26 October and captured Hanyang on the 27th, which concluded the campaign in Wuhan. The battle had lasted four and a half months and ended with the Nationalist army's voluntary withdrawal. In the battle itself, the Japanese army captured Wuhan's three towns and held the heartland of China, achieving a tactical victory. Yet strategically, Japan failed to meet its objectives. Imperial Headquarters believed that "capturing Hankou and Guangzhou would allow them to dominate China." Consequently, the Imperial Conference planned the Battle of Wuhan to seize Wuhan quickly and compel the Chinese government to surrender. It also decreed that "national forces should be concentrated to achieve the war objectives within a year and end the war against China." According to Yoshiaki Yoshimi and Seiya Matsuno, Hirohito authorized the use of chemical weapons against China by specific orders known as rinsanmei. During the Battle of Wuhan, Prince Kan'in Kotohito transmitted the emperor's orders to deploy toxic gas 375 times between August and October 1938. Another memorandum uncovered by Yoshimi indicates that Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni authorized the use of poison gas against the Chinese on 16 August 1938. A League of Nations resolution adopted on 14 May condemned the Imperial Japanese Army's use of toxic gas. Japan's heavy use of chemical weapons against China was driven by manpower shortages and China's lack of poison gas stockpiles to retaliate. Poison gas was employed at Hankou in the Battle of Wuhan to break Chinese resistance after conventional assaults had failed. Rana Mitter notes that, under General Xue Yue, approximately 100,000 Chinese troops halted Japanese advances at Huangmei, and at the fortress of Tianjiazhen, thousands fought until the end of September, with Japanese victory secured only through the use of poison gas. Chinese generals also struggled with coordination at Xinyang; Li Zongren's Guangxi troops were exhausted, and Hu Zongnan's forces, believed to be coming to relieve them, instead withdrew. Japan subsequently used poison gas against Chinese Muslim forces at the Battle of Wuyuan and the Battle of West Suiyuan. However, the Chinese government did not surrender with the loss of Wuhan and Guangzhou, nor did Japan's invasion end with Wuhan and Guangzhou's capture. After Wuhan fell, the government issued a reaffirmation: "Temporary changes of advance and retreat will not shake our resolve to resist the Japanese invasion," and "the gain or loss of any city will not affect the overall situation of the war." It pledged to "fight with even greater sorrow, greater perseverance, greater steadfastness, greater diligence, and greater courage," dedicating itself to a long, comprehensive war of resistance. In the Japanese-occupied rear areas, large armed anti-Japanese forces grew, and substantial tracts of territory were recovered. As the Japanese army themselves acknowledged, "the restoration of public security in the occupied areas was actually limited to a few kilometers on both sides of the main transportation lines." Thus, the Battle of Wuhan did not merely inflict a further strategic defeat on Japan; it also marked a turning point in Japan's strategic posture, from offense to defense. Due to the Nationalist Army's resolute resistance, Japan mobilized its largest force to date for the attack, about 250,000 personnel, who were replenished four to five times over the battle, for a total of roughly 300,000. The invaders held clear advantages in land, sea, and air power and fought for four and a half months. Yet they failed to annihilate the Nationalist main force, nor did they break the will to resist or the army's combat effectiveness. Instead, the campaign dealt a severe blow to the Japanese Army's vitality. Japanese-cited casualties totaled 4,506 dead and 17,380 wounded for the 11th Army; the 2nd Army suffered 2,300 killed in action, 7,600 wounded, and 900 died of disease. Including casualties across the navy and the air force, the overall toll was about 35,500. By contrast, the Nationalist Government Military Commission's General Staff Department, drawing on unit-level reports, calculated Japanese casualties at 256,000. The discrepancy between Japanese and Nationalist tallies illustrates the inflationary tendencies of each side's reporting. Following Wuhan, a weakened Japanese force confronted an extended front. Unable to mount large-scale strategic offensives, unlike Shanghai, Xuzhou, or Wuhan itself, the Japanese to a greater extent adopted a defensive posture. This transition shifted China's War of Resistance from a strategic defensive phase into a strategic stalemate, while the invaders found themselves caught in a protracted war—a development they most disliked. Consequently, Japan's invasion strategy pivoted: away from primary frontal offensives toward a greater reliance on political inducements with secondary military action, and toward diverting forces to "security" operations behind enemy lines rather than pushing decisive frontal campaigns. Japan, an island nation with limited strategic resources, depended heavily on imports. By the time of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Japan's gold reserves,including reserves for issuing banknotes, amounted to only about 1.35 billion yen. In effect, Japan's currency reserves constrained the scale of the war from the outset. The country launched its aggression while seeking an early solution to the conflict. To sustain its war of aggression against China, the total value of military supplies imported from overseas in 1937 reached approximately 960 million yen. By June of the following year, for the Battle of Wuhan, even rifles used in training were recalled to outfit the expanding army. The sustained increase in troops also strained domestic labor, food, and energy supplies. By 1939, after Wuhan, Japan's military expenditure had climbed to about 6.156 billion yen, far exceeding national reserves. This stark reality exposed Japan's economic fragility and its inability to guarantee a steady supply of military materiel, increasing pressure on the leadership at the Central Command. The Chief of Staff and the Minister of War lamented the mismatch between outward strength and underlying weakness: "Outwardly strong but weak is a reflection of our country today, and this will not last long." In sum, the Wuhan campaign coincided with a decline in the organization, equipment, and combat effectiveness of the Japanese army compared with before the battle. This erosion of capability helped drive Japan to alter its political and military strategy, shifting toward a method of inflicting pressure on China and attempting to "use China to control China", that is, fighting in ways designed to sustain the broader war effort. Tragically a major element of Chiang Kai-shek's retreat strategy was the age-old "scorched earth" policy. In fact, China originated the phrase and the practice. Shanghai escaped the last-minute torching because of foreigners whose property rights were protected. But in Nanjing, the burning and destruction began with increasing zeal. What could not be moved inland, such as remaining rice stocks, oil in tanks, and other facilities, was to be blown up or devastated. Civilians were told to follow the army inland, to rebuild later behind the natural barrier of Sichuan terrain. Many urban residents complied, but the peasantry did not embrace the plan. The scorched-earth policy served as powerful propaganda for the occupying Japanese army and, even more so, for the Reds. Yet they could hardly have foreseen the propaganda that Changsha would soon supply them. In June, the Changsha Evacuation Guidance Office was established to coordinate land and water evacuation routes. By the end of October, Wuhan's three towns had fallen, and on November 10 the Japanese army captured Yueyang, turning Changsha into the next primary invasion target. Beginning on October 9, Japanese aircraft intensified from sporadic raids on Changsha to large-scale bombing. On October 27, the Changsha Municipal Government urgently evacuated all residents, exempting only able-bodied men, the elderly, the weak, women, and children. The baojia system was mobilized to go door-to-door, enforcing compliance. On November 7, Chiang Kai-shek convened a military meeting at Rongyuan Garden to review the war plan and finalize a "scorched earth war of resistance." Xu Quan, Chief of Staff of the Security Command, drafted the detailed implementation plan. On November 10, Shi Guoji, Chief of Staff of the Security Command, presided over a joint meeting of Changsha's party, government, military, police, and civilian organizations to devise a strategy. The Changsha Destruction Command was immediately established, bringing together district commanders and several arson squads. The command actively prepared arson equipment and stacked flammable materials along major traffic arteries. Chiang decided that the city of Changsha was vulnerable and either gave the impression or the direct order, honestly really depends on the source your reading, to burn the city to the ground to prevent it falling to the enemy. At 9:00 AM on November 12, Chiang Kai-shek telegraphed Zhang Zhizhong: "One hour to arrive, Chairman Zhang, Changsha, confidential. If Changsha falls, the entire city must be burned. Please make thorough preparations in advance and do not delay." And here it seems a game of broken telephone sort of resulted in one of the worst fire disasters of all time. If your asking pro Chiang sources, the message was clearly, put up a defense, once thats fallen, burn the city down before the Japanese enter. Obviously this was to account for getting civilians out safely and so forth. If you read lets call it more modern CPP aligned sources, its the opposite. Chiang intentionally ordering the city to burn down as fast as possible, but in through my research, I think it was a colossal miscommunication. Regardless Zhongzheng Wen, Minister of the Interior, echoed the message. Simultaneously, Lin Wei, Deputy Director of Chiang Kai-shek's Secretariat, instructed Zhang Zhizhong by long-distance telephone: "If Changsha falls, the entire city must be burned." Zhang summoned Feng Ti, Commander of the Provincial Capital Garrison, and Xu Quan, Director of the Provincial Security Bureau, to outline arson procedures. He designated the Garrison Command to shoulder the preparations, with the Security Bureau assisting. At 4:00 PM, Zhang appointed Xu Kun, Commander of the Second Garrison Regiment, as chief commander of the arson operation, with Wang Weining, Captain of the Social Training Corps, and Xu Quan, Chief of Staff of the Garrison Command, as deputies. At 6:00 PM, the Garrison Command held an emergency meeting ordering all government agencies and organizations in the city to be ready for evacuation at any moment. By around 10:15 PM, all urban police posts had withdrawn. Around 2:00 AM (November 13), a false report circulated that "Japanese troops have reached Xinhe" . Firefighters stationed at various locations rushed out with kerosene-fueled devices, burning everything in sight, shops and houses alike. In an instant, Changsha became a sea of flames. The blaze raged for 72 hours. The Hunan Province Anti-Japanese War Loss Statistics, compiled by the Hunan Provincial Government Statistics Office of the Kuomintang, report that the fire inflicted economic losses of more than 1 billion yuan, a sum equivalent to about 1.7 trillion yuan after the victory in the war. This figure represented roughly 43% of Changsha's total economic value at the time. Regarding casualties, contemporary sources provide varying figures. A Xinhua Daily report from November 20, 1938 noted that authorities mobilized manpower to bury more than 600 bodies, though the total number of burned remains could not be precisely counted. A Central News Agency reporter on November 19 stated that in the Xiangyuan fire, more than 2,000 residents could not escape, and most of the bodies had already been buried. There are further claims that in the Changsha Fire, more than 20,000 residents were burned to death. In terms of displacement, Changsha's population before the fire was about 300,000, and by November 12, 90% had been evacuated. After the fire, authorities registered 124,000 victims, including 815 orphans sheltered in Lito and Maosgang.  Building damage constituted the other major dimension of the catastrophe, with the greatest losses occurring to residential houses, shops, schools, factories, government offices, banks, hospitals, newspaper offices, warehouses, and cultural and entertainment venues, as well as numerous historic buildings such as palaces, temples, private gardens, and the former residences of notable figures; among these, residential and commercial structures suffered the most, followed by factories and schools. Inspector Gao Yihan, who conducted a post-fire investigation, observed that the prosperous areas within Changsha's ring road, including Nanzheng Street and Bajiaoting, were almost completely destroyed, and in other major markets only a handful of shops remained, leading to an overall estimate that surviving or stalemated houses were likely less than 20%. Housing and street data from the early post-liberation period reveal that Changsha had more than 1,100 streets and alleys; of these, more than 690 were completely burned and more than 330 had fewer than five surviving houses, accounting for about 29%, with nearly 90% of the city's streets severely damaged. More than 440 streets were not completely destroyed, but among these, over 190 had only one or two houses remaining and over 130 had only three or four houses remaining; about 60 streets, roughly 6% had 30 to 40 surviving houses, around 30 streets, 3% had 11 to 20 houses, 10 streets, 1% had 21 to 30 houses, and three streets ) had more than 30 houses remaining. Housing statistics from 1952 show that 2,538 houses survived the fire, about 6.57% of the city's total housing stock, with private houses totaling 305,800 square meters and public houses 537,900 square meters. By 1956, the surviving area of both private and public housing totaled 843,700 square meters, roughly 12.3% of the city's total housing area at that time. Alongside these losses, all equipment, materials, funds, goods, books, archives, antiques, and cultural relics that had not been moved were also destroyed.  At the time of the Changsha Fire, Zhou Enlai, then Deputy Minister of the Political Department of the Nationalist Government's Military Commission, was in Changsha alongside Ye Jianying, Guo Moruo, and others. On November 12, 1938, Zhou Enlai attended a meeting held by Changsha cultural groups at Changsha Normal School to commemorate Sun Yat-sen's 72nd birthday. Guo Moruo later recalled that Zhou Enlai and Ye Jianying were awakened by the blaze that night; they each carried a suitcase and evacuated to Xiangtan, with Zhou reportedly displaying considerable indignation at the sudden, unprovoked fire. On the 16th, Zhou Enlai rushed back to Changsha and, together with Chen Cheng, Zhang Zhizhong, and others, inspected the disaster. He mobilized personnel from three departments, with Tian Han and Guo Moruo at the forefront, to form the Changsha Fire Aftermath Task Force, which began debris clearance, care for the injured, and the establishment of soup kitchens. A few days later, on the 22nd, the Hunan Provincial Government established the Changsha Fire Temporary Relief Committee to coordinate relief efforts.  On the night of November 16, 1938, Chiang Kai-shek arrived in Changsha and, the next day, ascended Tianxin Pavilion. Sha Wei, head of the Cultural Relics Section of the Changsha Tianxin Pavilion Park Management Office, and a long-time researcher of the pavilion, explained that documentation indicates Chiang Kai-shek, upon seeing the city largely reduced to scorched earth with little left intact, grew visibly angry. After descending from Tianxin Pavilion, Chiang immediately ordered the arrest of Changsha Garrison Commander Feng Ti, Changsha Police Chief Wen Chongfu, and Commander of the Second Garrison Regiment Xu Kun, and arranged a military trial with a two-day deadline. The interrogation began at 7:00 a.m. on November 18. Liang Xiaojin records that Xu Kun and Wen Chongfu insisted their actions followed orders from the Security Command, while Feng Ti admitted negligence and violations of procedure, calling his acts unforgivable. The trial found Feng Ti to be the principal offender, with Wen Chongfu and Xu Kun as accomplices, and sentenced all three to prison terms of varying lengths. The verdict was sent to Chiang Kai-shek for approval, who was deeply dissatisfied and personally annotated the drafts: he asserted that Feng Ti, as the city's security head, was negligent and must be shot immediately; Wen Chongfu, as police chief, disobeyed orders and fled, and must be shot immediately; Xu Kun, for neglect of duty, must be shot immediately. The court then altered the arson charge in the verdict to "insulting his duty and harming the people" in line with Chiang's instructions. Chiang Kai-shek, citing "failure to supervise personnel and precautions," dismissed Zhang from his post, though he remained in office to oversee aftermath operations. Zhang Zhizhong later recalled Chiang Kai-shek's response after addressing the Changsha fire: a pointed admission that the fundamental cause lay not with a single individual but with the collective leadership's mistakes, and that the error must be acknowledged as a collective failure. All eyes now shifted to the new center of resistance, Chongqing, the temporary capital. Chiang's "Free China" no longer meant the whole country; it now encompassed Sichuan, Hunan, and Henan, but not Jiangsu or Zhejiang. The eastern provinces were effectively lost, along with China's major customs revenues, the country's most fertile regions, and its most advanced infrastructure. The center of political gravity moved far to the west, into a country the Nationalists had never controlled, where everything was unfamiliar and unpredictable, from topography and dialects to diets. On the map, it might have seemed that Chiang still ruled much of China, but vast swaths of the north and northwest were sparsely populated; most of China's population lay in the east and south, where Nationalist control was either gone or held only precariously. The combined pressures of events and returning travelers were gradually shifting American attitudes toward the Japanese incident. Europe remained largely indifferent, with Hitler absorbing most attention, but the United States began to worry about developments in the Pacific. Roosevelt initiated a January 1939 appeal to raise a million dollars for Chinese civilians in distress, and the response quickly materialized. While the Chinese did not expect direct intervention, they hoped to deter further American economic cooperation with Japan and to halt Japan's purchases of scrap iron, oil, gasoline, shipping, and, above all, weapons from the United States. Public opinion in America was sufficiently stirred to sustain a campaign against silk stockings, a symbolic gesture of boycott that achieved limited effect; Japan nonetheless continued to procure strategic materials. Within this chorus, the left remained a persistent but often discordant ally to the Nationalists. The Institute of Pacific Relations, sympathetic to communist aims, urged America to act, pressuring policymakers and sounding alarms about China. Yet the party line remained firmly pro-Chiang Kai-shek: the Japanese advance seemed too rapid and threatening to the Reds' interests. Most oil and iron debates stalled; American businessmen resented British trade ties with Japan, and Britain refused to join any mutual cutoff, arguing that the Western powers were not at war with Japan. What occurred in China was still commonly referred to in Western diplomatic circles as "the Incident." Wang Jingwei's would make his final defection, yes in a long ass history of defections. Mr Wang Jingwei had been very busy traveling to Guangzhou, then Northwest to speak with Feng Yuxiang, many telegrams went back and forth. He returned to the Nationalist government showing his face to foreign presses and so forth. While other prominent rivals of Chiang, Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, and others, rallied when they perceived Japan as a real threat; all did so except Wang Jingwei. Wang, who had long believed himself the natural heir to Sun Yat-sen and who had repeatedly sought to ascend to power, seemed willing to cooperate with Japan if it served his own aims. I will just say it, Wang Jingwei was a rat. He had always been a rat, never changed. Opinions on Chiang Kai-Shek vary, but I think almost everyone can agree Wang Jingwei was one of the worst characters of this time period. Now Wang Jingwei could not distinguish between allies and enemies and was prepared to accept help from whomever offered it, believing he could outmaneuver Tokyo when necessary. Friends in Shanghai and abroad whispered that it was not too late to influence events, arguing that the broader struggle was not merely China versus Japan but a clash between principled leaders and a tyrannical, self-serving clique, Western imperialism's apologists who needed Chiang removed. For a time Wang drifted within the Kuomintang, moving between Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, and Chongqing, maintaining discreet lines of communication with his confidants. The Japanese faced a governance problem typical of conquerors who possess conquered territory: how to rule effectively while continuing the war. They imagined Asia under Japanese-led leadership, an East Asia united by a shared Co-Prosperity Sphere but divided by traditional borders. To sustain this vision, they sought local leaders who could cooperate. The search yielded few viable options; would-be collaborators were soon assassinated, proved incompetent, or proved corrupt. The Japanese concluded it would require more time and education. In the end, Wang Jingwei emerged as a preferred figure. Chongqing, meanwhile, seemed surprised by Wang's ascent. He had moved west to Chengde, then to Kunming, attempted, and failed to win over Yunnan's warlords, and eventually proceeded to Hanoi in Indochina, arriving in Hong Kong by year's end. He sent Chiang Kai-shek a telegram suggesting acceptance of Konoe's terms for peace, which Chungking rejected. In time, Wang would establish his own Kuomintang faction in Shanghai, combining rigorous administration with pervasive secret-police activity characteristic of occupied regimes. By 1940, he would be formally installed as "Chairman of China." But that is a story for another episode.  In the north, the Japanese and the CCP were locked in an uneasy stalemate. Mao's army could make it impossible for the Japanese to hold deep countryside far from the railway lines that enabled mass troop movement into China's interior. Yet the Communists could not defeat the occupiers. In the dark days of October 1938—fifteen months after the war began—one constant remained. Observers (Chinese businessmen, British diplomats, Japanese generals) repeatedly predicted that each new disaster would signal the end of Chinese resistance and force a swift surrender, or at least a negotiated settlement in which the government would accept harsher terms from Tokyo. But even after defenders were expelled from Shanghai, Nanjing, and Wuhan, despite the terrifying might Japan had brought to bear on Chinese resistance, and despite the invader's manpower, technology, and resources, China continued to fight. Yet it fought alone. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In a land shredded by war, Wuhan burned under brutal sieges, then Changsha followed, a cruel blaze born of orders and miscommunications. Leaders wrestled with retreat, scorched-earth vows, and moral debts as Japanese force and Chinese resilience clashed for months. Mao urged strategy over martyrdom, Wang Jingwei's scheming shadow loomed, and Chongqing rose as the westward beacon. Yet China endured, a stubborn flame refusing to surrender to the coming storm. The war stretched on, unfinished and unyielding.

Amid deafening cheers from more than 62,000 fans at Nanjing Olympic Sports Center, the final whistle blew on the inaugural season of China's Su Super League, capping an amateur league that has captivated the nation's grassroots sports scene.在南京奥林匹克体育中心6.2万余名球迷震耳欲聋的欢呼声中，中国苏超联赛首个赛季终场哨声吹响。这场牵动全国草根体育界目光的业余联赛，就此落下帷幕。In a nerve-wracking penalty shootout that gripped the entire stadium, underdog Taizhou edged Nantong 4-3, handing the previously undefeated team its first and most painful loss of the season.决赛的点球大战扣人心弦，全场观众屏息关注。实力不被看好的泰州队以4:3的比分险胜南通队，给了此前保持不败的南通队本赛季首场、也是最惨痛的一场失利。"This is the pure beauty of football - raw, real and absolutely thrilling," said Wang Yong, a Taizhou supporter who traveled hours to witness the spectacle.“这就是足球最纯粹的魅力——原始、真实，且令人心潮澎湃。”为见证这场赛事专程驱车数小时赶来的泰州队球迷王永（音译）说道。Nantong launched relentless attacks in the first half, but Taizhou's defense held firm through 90 minutes of pressure, forcing the match into a shootout.上半场，南通队发起猛烈进攻，但泰州队的防守在90分钟的高压下始终坚不可摧，最终将比赛拖入点球大战。As confetti rained down, Taizhou lifted the golden trophy, a cup reminiscent of the FIFA World Cup's iconic design, symbolizing how this province of over 80 million residents has caught the fever ahead of next year's global tournament.当彩屑漫天飘落，泰州队举起了那座设计酷似国际足联世界杯冠军奖杯的金色奖杯。这一画面，也象征着这个拥有8000多万人口的省份，在明年世界杯到来之前，已然掀起了一股足球热潮。Drawing playful inspiration from both the English Premier League and the Chinese Super League, the Su Super League has emerged as a local phenomenon -- packed with derby rivalries, drama and roaring stadiums. Tickets for the final had a success rate of just 1.2 percent, while the record crowd of 62,329 set a new benchmark for amateur football events in China.苏超联赛巧妙借鉴了英格兰超级联赛与中国足球协会超级联赛的运营思路，如今已成为地方热门赛事——赛场内外既有同城德比的激烈对抗，也不乏戏剧性瞬间，座无虚席的体育场内欢呼声此起彼伏。本次决赛门票中签率仅1.2%，而62329人的观赛人数纪录，更创下了中国业余足球赛事的新标杆。Over the course of the season, total live attendance surpassed 2.43 million, averaging more than 28,000 spectators per game -- figures once thought impossible for an amateur competition.本赛季期间，联赛现场观赛总人数突破243万，场均观赛人数超2.8万——这样的数字，曾被认为是业余赛事难以企及的高度。The league's appeal lies in its roots. More than 500 players, from high school students and teachers to office workers and IT engineers, juggle day jobs with nighttime training. Their dedication has struck a chord with residents across Jiangsu, turning football into a shared passion.苏超联赛的吸引力源于其“草根本色”。联赛500余名球员涵盖多个群体，既有高中生、教师，也有上班族和IT工程师。他们白天忙于本职工作，夜晚投身训练，这份执着与热爱引发了江苏民众的强烈共鸣，让足球成为大家共同的热爱。The impact extends beyond the pitch. According to the provincial department of commerce, since the Su Super League's kickoff in May, Jiangsu's major retailers and supermarkets reported 11.64 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) in total sales during match periods, up 34.7 percent year on year, while foot traffic rose 31.2 percent.联赛的影响力早已超越球场。据江苏省商务厅数据，自今年5月苏超联赛开赛以来，赛事期间全省主要零售企业及超市销售额达116.4亿元（约合16亿美元），同比增长34.7%；客流量同比增长31.2%。Tourism also flourished. By the day of the final, host cities welcomed about 24 million visitors to key attractions on match days, a 17.7 percent increase from a year earlier. Out-of-town tourists spent 13.96 billion yuan on cultural and leisure activities via UnionPay transactions, up 26.5 percent year on year.旅游业也随之焕发活力。截至决赛当日，赛事主办城市在比赛日期间接待重点景区游客约2400万人次，同比增长17.7%；外地游客通过银联消费的文化休闲支出达139.6亿元，同比增长26.5%。Encouraged by the league's success, Jiangsu sports authorities announced plans to start next season earlier, align it with major holidays and add rules to promote youth participation, aiming to nurture grassroots talent that could one day fuel China's football ambitions.受联赛成功的鼓舞，江苏省体育部门宣布，下赛季将提前开赛，赛程安排将与重要节假日相衔接，并新增规则鼓励青少年参与，旨在培养草根足球人才，为中国足球的未来发展注入动力。inaugural/ɪˈnɔːɡjərəl/adj.开幕的；创始的；首次的underdog/ˈʌndədɒɡ/n.处于劣势的人juggle /ˈdʒʌɡl/v.尽力同时应对

The mystery of the disappearing autumn has people living in northern China baffled. Only days ago, they were happily wearing T-shirts and skirts; but now, thick coats and down jackets are out in force. Fall was just a fleeting feeling, and indications are that this weather pattern could become the norm in the future.中国北方“秋日消失”的现象让当地民众感到困惑。就在几天前，人们还身着T恤短裙，如今却已纷纷穿上厚外套与羽绒服。秋天仿佛成了转瞬即逝的感觉，且有迹象表明，这种天气模式未来可能成为常态。According to available meteorological data, the transitional period between summer and winter is shrinking in China, with autumn arriving later than usual and ending sooner.现有气象数据显示，我国夏冬两季之间的过渡时段正不断缩短，秋季不仅来得更晚，结束得也更早。Delayed autumn秋季推迟While southwestern cities such as Guiyang in Guizhou province, Chengdu in Sichuan province, and Chongqing still enjoy around 70 to 80 days of cool autumn weather — with Guiyang topping the list at 79 days — people living in the north barely experience 50 days of autumn, said Weather China, a website under the China Meteorological Administration.中国气象局旗下“中国天气网”指出，贵阳（贵州）、成都（四川）、重庆等西南城市仍能享受70至80天左右的凉爽秋季（其中贵阳以79天位居榜首），而北方民众的秋季体验时长却不足50天。An analysis of long-term weather data from the website reveals that since 1991, autumn has been delayed across much of the country. Cities such as Zhengzhou in Henan province, Ningbo in Zhejiang province, and Shenzhen in Guangdong province now see autumn arrive more than 10 days late on average, while Nanjing in Jiangsu province, Fuzhou in Fujian province, and other places have recorded delays of five to nine days.该网站对长期气象数据的分析显示，1991年以来，我国多地秋季均出现推迟现象。河南郑州、浙江宁波、广东深圳等城市的秋季平均推迟超过10天，江苏南京、福建福州等地则推迟了5至9天。Studies show that across China, the duration of winter, spring and autumn is shrinking, and these shifts are more prominent in northern and eastern regions, the website said.中国天气网表示，研究发现我国冬季、春季、秋季的时长均在缩短，且这种变化在北方和东部地区更为显著。"Maybe there will be only three seasons in the future," a netizen said on social media platform Sina Weibo. "A trench coat feels like the most impractical outfit in Beijing, "another said, indicating the sharp transition from cool to cold weather in the capital.“未来或许只剩三个季节了。”一名网友在社交平台新浪微博上留言。另一名网友则调侃道：“风衣在北京成了最不实用的衣服”，暗指北京天气从凉爽到寒冷的急剧转变。Wang Weiyue, a meteorologist at Weather China, said that given global climate change, rising temperatures across various regions have become an indisputable fact, and this delays the onset of autumn, affecting agricultural production and people's daily lives.中国天气网气象专家王伟跃表示，在全球气候变化背景下，各地气温升高已成为不争的事实，这不仅导致秋季来临时间推迟，还对农业生产和民众日常生活产生了影响。Sudden chill寒潮突至This year's northern chill has arrived abruptly.今年北方的寒潮来得格外突然。Li Duo, a senior engineer at the National Climate Center, said that since October, several regions, including parts of Heilongjiang province, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Hebei province, and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, were 1 C to 2 C colder than usual.国家气候中心高级工程师李多介绍，10月以来，黑龙江部分地区、内蒙古自治区、河北省、新疆维吾尔自治区等多地气温较常年偏低1至2摄氏度。The recent temperature drop in northern China was mainly due to two major cold-air events between Oct 9 and 10 and Oct 18 and 19, Li said.李多指出，近期我国北方降温主要受10月9日至10日、10月18日至19日两次强冷空气过程影响。The China Meteorological Administration forecasts that much of northern China will remain colder than average through Friday, while southern regions will also see temperatures drop by up to 5 C by the end of the month.中国气象局预报显示，截至周五，我国北方大部地区气温将持续低于常年同期；月底前，南方地区气温也将下降，降幅最高可达5摄氏度。Experts advised residents to dress warmly, stay alert to weather changes, and ventilate indoor spaces when using heating to avoid carbon monoxide-related risks.专家提醒，民众需注意添衣保暖，密切关注天气变化；使用取暖设备时，要注意室内通风，防范一氧化碳中毒风险。fleeting/ˈfliːtɪŋ/adj.短暂的；转瞬即逝的transitional/trænˈzɪʃənl/adj.过渡的；转变的indisputable/ˌɪndɪˈspjuːtəbl/adj.无可争辩的；不容置疑的

China is experiencing the strongest cold front so far in the second half of this year, with most parts of the nation forecast to see a sharp drop in temperatures, experts said.专家表示，我国正遭遇今年下半年以来最强冷空气，预计全国大部地区气温将显著下降。There is a high possibility that Beijing will see an early start to winter this weekend, and the temperature drop will bring the unusually persistent scorching heat in the eastern and southern provinces to an end, according to the latest forecast by the China Meteorological Administration.中国气象局最新预报显示，本周末北京大概率提前入冬，此次降温还将终结我国东部及南部省份持续多日的异常高温天气。Ma Xuekuan, chief forecaster of the National Meteorological Center, said that a strong cold front will move from the north to the south and continuously affect the nation's central and eastern parts from Thursday to Tuesday, adding that these areas will see temperature drops of 6 to 10 degrees.国家气象中心首席预报员马学款介绍，10月24日（周四）至29日（周二），一股强冷空气将自北向南影响我国中东部地区，上述地区气温预计下降6至10摄氏度。Among these provinces and areas, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and those in the country's central part will see temperatures drop by 10 to 14 degrees, or even over 15 degrees, during the period, Ma noted.马学款指出，其中内蒙古自治区及我国中部部分地区降温幅度可达10至14摄氏度，局部地区甚至超过15摄氏度。"It's so far the strongest cold front affecting China in the year's second half based on its range and degree of influence," he said, adding that the nation's northern provinces will see the temperature keep falling next week.“从影响范围和强度来看，这是今年下半年以来影响我国最强的一股冷空气。”他补充道，下周我国北方省份气温将持续走低。He said that China's central part and provinces along the eastern part of the Yellow River and Huaihe River, including Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan and Shandong, will witness the temperature plunge by 10 degrees in five consecutive days from Saturday, with a higher possibility of the onset of winter.马学款表示，江苏、安徽、河南、山东等我国中部及黄河、淮河东部沿线省份，自28日（周六）起连续5天累计降温幅度将达10摄氏度，入冬可能性较大。Xinxin, a weather analyst from China Weather TV, said there is a very high possibility of Beijing seeing an early arrival of winter on Saturday, as reported by the People's Daily on Friday.据《人民日报》10月27日（周五）报道，中国天气电视台气象分析师信欣称，北京本周六（28日）大概率提前入冬。According to Xin, Beijing will see the average day temperature fall below 10 degrees in continuous 7 days from Saturday. Historically, from 1991 to 2020, the city has seen the start of winter on Oct 31, which will move up now because of the ongoing cold front.信欣分析，自28日起，北京连续7天日平均气温将跌破10摄氏度。1991年至2020年的气候数据显示，北京常年入冬时间为10月31日，受此次冷空气影响，今年入冬时间将有所提前。Affected by the strong cold front, provinces and regions south of the Yangtze River and the nation's southern part, such as Shanghai and Zhejiang, will also see a quick temperature change that will end the unusual heat wave there, according to Ma, the chief forecaster.马学款还提到，受强冷空气影响，上海、浙江等长江以南地区及我国南方省份气温也将快速下降，当地异常高温天气将随之结束。He added that from Sunday to Friday, the southern provinces will see temperatures 2 to 4 degrees lower than usual in previous years.他补充道，10月29日（周日）至11月3日（周五），南方省份气温将较常年同期偏低2至4摄氏度。The meeting of the cold front and warm air currents also brought torrential rains to southwestern provinces and provinces along the Yellow River and Huaihe River such as Sichuan and Chongqing on Thursday and Friday. The rains will ease from Saturday after the cold front moves southward.此外，10月24日（周四）至25日（周五），受冷空气与暖湿气流交汇影响，四川、重庆等我国西南地区及黄河、淮河沿线省份出现强降雨天气。随着冷空气南下，自28日（周六）起，上述地区降雨将趋于减弱。Noting the sharp temperature change, the China Meteorological Administration has reminded the public to be careful of weather-related risks like flu, and to be covered in adequately warm clothing.针对此次大幅降温，中国气象局提醒公众注意防范流感等天气相关健康风险，及时增添衣物，做好保暖措施。cold front/ˌkəʊld ˈfrʌnt/n.冷锋scorching/ˈskɔːtʃɪŋ/adj.酷热的；灼热的torrential/təˈrenʃl/adj.倾盆的；猛烈的

In a significant shift toward improved labor conditions, food delivery platforms Eleme and Meituan are set to abolish financial penalties for delayed deliveries, moving from a punitive model to a positive incentive-based management approach, Jiemian News reported on Tuesday.据界面新闻2月25日报道，为切实改善劳动者工作条件，外卖平台饿了么与美团正推进取消超时配送罚款措施，管理模式将从惩罚性机制转向正向激励机制，这一举措标志着外卖行业劳动保障体系建设迈出重要一步。Eleme is testing a revised service-points mechanism that replaces direct monetary penalties with point deductions to better incentivize performance and reward high-quality service. Cities participating in the trial include Nantong and Changzhou in Jiangsu province, Jieyang in Guangdong province, and Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province. There are plans to expand the initiative to more cities within October.其中，饿了么正试点优化服务积分机制，不再对超时配送直接处以罚款，而是通过积分扣除的方式规范服务，并加大对优质服务的奖励力度。目前试点范围已覆盖江苏省南通市、常州市，广东省揭阳市以及江西省景德镇市，平台计划在10月内将该机制推广至更多城市。Meituan is on a similar track. Having tested a "non-penalty mechanism" in over 30 cities, the company has publicly pledged to completely eliminate late-delivery fines by the end of 2025.美团也同步推进相关改革。此前，美团已在30余个城市试点“无罚款机制”，目前该平台已公开承诺，将于2025年底前全面取消超时配送罚款。Both companies are also upgrading safety and wellness measures, such as introducing AI voice reminders and optimizing mandatory break systems, to create a fairer and safer working environment for their food delivery drivers.此外，两大平台还在持续升级骑手安全与健康保障措施，包括上线人工智能语音提醒功能、优化强制休息制度等，切实为外卖骑手营造更公平、更安全的从业环境，进一步夯实外卖行业劳动者权益保障基础。abolishv.废除，取消/əˈbɒlɪʃ/punitiveadj.惩罚性的，惩戒性的/ˈpjuːnətɪv/incentivizev.激励，鼓励/ɪnˈsentɪvaɪz/

Last time we spoke about the Battle of Taierzhuang. Following the fall of Nanjing in December 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War entered a brutal phase of attrition as Japan sought to consolidate control and press toward central China. Chinese defense prioritized key rail corridors and urban strongholds, with Xuzhou, the JinPu and Longhai lines, and the Huai River system forming crucial lifelines. By early 1938, Japanese offensives aimed to link with forces around Beijing and Nanjing and encircle Chinese positions in the Central Yangtze region, threatening Wuhan. In response, Chiang Kai-shek fortified Xuzhou and expanded defenses to deter a pincer move, eventually amassing roughly 300,000 troops along strategic lines. Taierzhuang became a focal point when Japanese divisions attempted to press south and link with northern elements. Chinese commanders Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, Tang Enbo, and Sun Lianzhong coordinated to complicate Japanese plans through offensive-defensive actions, counterattacks, and encirclement efforts. The victory, though numerically costly, thwarted immediate Japanese objectives and foreshadowed further attritional struggles ahead.   #171 The Flooding of the Yellow River Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. We last left off with a significant event during the Xuzhou campaign. Three Japanese divisions under General Itagaki Seishiro moved south to attack Taierzhuang and were met by forces commanded by Li Zongren, Sun Lianzhong, and Tang Enbo, whose units possessed a decent amount of artillery. In a two-week engagement from March 22 to April 7, the battle devolved into a costly urban warfare. Fighting was vicious, often conducted in close quarters and at night. The urban environment negated Japanese advantages in armor and artillery, allowing Chinese forces to contend on equal terms. The Chinese also disrupted Japanese logistics by resupplying their own troops and severing rear supply lines, draining Japanese ammunition, supplies, and reinforcements. By April 7, the Japanese were compelled to retreat, marking the first Chinese victory of the war. However both sides suffered heavy losses, with around 20,000 casualties on each side. In the aftermath of this rare victory, Chiang Kai-Shek pushed Tang Enbo and Li Zongren to capitalize on their success and increased deployments in the Taierzhuang theater to about 450,000 troops. Yet the Chinese Army remained hampered by fundamental problems. The parochialism that had crippled Chiang's forces over the preceding months resurfaced. Although the generals had agreed to coordinate in a war of resistance, each still prioritized the safety of his own troops, wary of Chiang's bid to consolidate power. Li Zongren, for example, did not deploy his top Guangxi provincial troops at Taierzhuang and sought to shift most of the fighting onto Tang Enbo's forces. Chiang's colleagues were mindful of the fates of Han Fuju of Shandong and Zhang Xueliang of Manchuria: Han was executed for refusing to fight, while Zhang, after allowing Chiang to reduce the size of his northeastern army, ended up under house arrest. They were right to distrust Chiang. He believed, after all, that provincial armies should come under a unified national command, which he would lead. From a national-unity perspective, his aspiration was not unreasonable. But it fed suspicion among other military leaders that participation in the anti-Japanese war would dilute their power. The divided nature of the command also hindered logistics, making ammunition and food supplies to the front unreliable and easy to cut off. By late April the Chinese had reinforced the Xuzhou area to between 450,000-600,000 to capitalize on their victory. However these armies were plagued with command and control issues. Likewise the Japanese licked their wounds and reinforced the area to roughly 400,000, with fresh troops and supplies flowing in from Tianjin and Nanjing. The Japanese continued with their objective of encircling Chinese forces. The North China Area Army comprised four divisions and two infantry brigades drawn from the Kwantung Army, while the Central China Expeditionary Army consisted of three divisions and the 1st and 2nd Tank Battalions along with motorized support units. The 5th Tank Battalion supported the 3rd Infantry Division as it advanced north along the railway toward Xuzhou. Fighting to the west, east, and north of Xuzhou was intense, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. On 18 April, the Japanese advanced southward toward Pizhou. Tang Enbo's 20th Army Corps, together with the 2nd, 22nd, 46th, and 59th corps, resisted fiercely, culminating in a stalemate by the end of April. The 60th Corps of the Yunnan Army engaged the Japanese 10th Division at Yuwang Mountain for nearly a month, repelling multiple assaults. By the time it ceded its position to the Guizhou 140th Division and withdrew on 15 May, the corps had sustained losses exceeding half of its forces. Simultaneously, the Japanese conducted offensives along both banks of the Huai River, where Chinese defenders held out for several weeks. Nevertheless, Japanese artillery and aerial bombardment gradually tilted the balance, allowing the attackers to seize Mengcheng on 9 May and Hefei on 14 May. From there, the southern flank split into two parts: one force moved west and then north to cut off the Longhai Railway escape route from Xuzhou, while another division moved directly north along the railway toward Suxian, just outside Xuzhou. Simultaneously, to the north, Japanese units from north China massed at Jining and began moving south beyond Tengxian. Along the coast, an amphibious landing was made at Lianyungang to reinforce troops attacking from the east. The remaining portions of Taierzhuang were captured in May, a development symbolically significant to Tokyo. On 17 May, Japanese artillery further tightened the noose around Xuzhou, striking targets inside the city.  To preserve its strength, the Nationalist government ordered the abandonment of Xuzhou and directed its main forces to break out toward northern Jiangsu, northern Anhui, and eastern Henan. To deter the Japanese army's rapid westward advance and penetration into northern Henan and western Shandong, many leading military and political figures within the Nationalist government proposed breaching dams over the Yellow River to delay the offensive, a strategy that would have been highly advantageous to the Nationalist forces at the time. Chiang Kai-shek vetoed the proposal outright, insisting that the Nationalist army could still resist. He understood that with tens of millions of Chinese lives at stake and a sliver of hope remaining, the levee plan must not be undertaken. Then a significant battle broke out at Lanfeng. Chiang also recognized that defeat could allow the elite Japanese mechanized divisions, the 14th, 16th, and 10th, to advance directly toward Zhengzhou. If Zhengzhou fell, the Japanese mechanized forces on the plains could advance unimpeded toward Tongguan. Their southward push would threaten Xi'an, Xiangfan, and Nanyang, directly jeopardizing the southwest's rear defenses. Concurrently, the Japanese would advance along the Huai River north of the Dabie Mountains toward Wuhan, creating a pincer with operations along the Yangtze River.  Now what followed was arguably the most important and skillful Chinese maneuver of the Xuzhou campaign: a brilliantly executed strategic retreat to the south and west across the Jinpu railway line. On May 15, Li Zongren, in consultation with Chiang Kai-shek, decided to withdraw from Xuzhou and focus on an escape plan. The evacuation of civilians and military personnel began that day. Li ordered troops to melt into the countryside and move south and west at night, crossing the Jinpu Railway and splitting into four groups that would head west. The plan was to regroup in the rugged Dabie Mountains region to the south and prepare for the defense of Wuhan. Li's generals departed reluctantly, having held out for so long; Tang Enbo was said to have wept. Under cover of night, about forty divisions, over 200,000 men, marched out of Japanese reach in less than a week. A critical moment occurred on May 18, when fog and a sandstorm obscured the retreating troops as they crossed the Jinpu Railway. By May 21, Li wired Chiang Kai-shek to report that the withdrawal was complete. He mobilized nearly all of the Kuomintang Central Army's elite units, such as the 74th Army, withdrawn from Xuzhou and transferred directly to Lanfeng, with a resolute intent to “burn their boats.” The force engaged the Japanese in a decisive battle at Lanfeng, aiming to secure the last line of defense for the Yellow River, a position carrying the lives of millions of Chinese civilians. Yet Chiang Kai-shek's strategy was not universally understood by all participating generals, who regarded it as akin to striking a rock with an egg. For the battle of Lanfeng the Chinese mobilized nearly all of the Kuomintang Central Army's elite forces, comprising 14 divisions totaling over 150,000 men. Among these, the 46th Division of the 27th Army, formerly the Central Training Brigade and the 36th, 88th, and 87th Divisions of the 71st Army were German-equipped. Additionally, the 8th Army, the Tax Police Corps having been reorganized into the Ministry of Finance's Anti-Smuggling Corps, the 74th Army, and Hu Zongnan's 17th Corps, the new 1st Army, equipped with the 8th Division were elite Nationalist troops that had demonstrated strong performance in the battle of Shanghai and the battle of Nanjing, and were outfitted with advanced matériel. However, these so-called “elite” forces were heavily degraded during the campaigns in Shanghai and Nanjing. The 46th Division and Hu Zongnan's 17th Corps sustained casualties above 85% in Nanjing, while the 88th and 87th Divisions suffered losses of up to 90%. The 74th Army and the 36th Division also endured losses exceeding 75%. Their German-made equipment incurred substantial losses; although replenishment occurred, inventories resembled roughly a half-German and half-Chinese mix. With very limited heavy weapons and a severe shortage of anti-tank artillery, they could not effectively match the elite Japanese regiments. Hu Zongnan's 17th Corps maintained its national equipment via a close relationship with Chiang Kai-shek. In contrast, the 74th Army, after fighting in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Xuzhou, suffered heavy casualties, and the few German weapons it had were largely destroyed at Nanjing, leaving it to rely on a mix of domestically produced and Hanyang-made armaments. The new recruits added to each unit largely lacked combat experience, with nearly half of the intake having received basic training. The hardest hit was Li Hanhun's 64th Army, established less than a year prior and already unpopular within the Guangdong Army. Although classified as one of the three Type A divisions, the 155th, 156th, and 187th Divisions, it was equipped entirely with Hanyang-made firearms. Its direct artillery battalion possessed only about 20 older mortars and three Type 92 infantry guns, limiting its heavy firepower to roughly that of a Japanese battalion. The 195th Division and several miscellaneous units were even less prominent, reorganized from local militias and lacking Hanyang rifles. Additionally, three batches of artillery purchased from the Soviet Union arrived in Lanzhou via Xinjiang between March and June 1938. Except for the 52nd Artillery Regiment assigned to the 200th Division, the other artillery regiments had recently received their weapons and were still undergoing training. The 200th Division, had been fighting awhile for in the Xuzhou area and incurred heavy casualties, was still in training and could only deploy its remaining tank battalion and armored vehicle company. The tank battalion was equipped with T-26 light tanks and a small number of remaining British Vickers tanks, while the armored vehicle company consisted entirely of Italian Fiat CV33 armored cars. The disparity in numbers was substantial, and this tank unit did not participate in the battle.  As for the Japanese, the 14th Division was an elite Type A formation. Originally organized with four regiments totaling over 30,000 men, the division's strength was later augmented. Doihara's 14th Division received supplements, a full infantry regiment and three artillery regiments, to prevent it from being surrounded and annihilated, effectively transforming the unit into a mobile reinforced division. Consequently, the division's mounted strength expanded to more than 40,000 personnel, comprising five infantry regiments and four artillery regiments. The four artillery regiments, the 24th Artillery Regiment, the 3rd Independence Mountain Artillery Regiment, the 5th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment, and the 6th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment, possessed substantial heavy firepower, including 150mm heavy howitzers and 105mm long-range field cannons, placing them far in excess of the Nationalist forces at Lanfeng. In addition, both the 14th and later the 16th Divisions commanded tank regiments with nearly 200 light and medium tanks each, while Nationalist forces were markedly short of anti-tank artillery. At the same time, the Nationalist Air Force, though it had procured more than 200 aircraft of various types from the Soviet Union, remained heavily reliant on Soviet aid-to-China aircraft, amounting to over 100 machines, and could defend only a few cities such as Wuhan, Nanchang, and Chongqing. In this context, Japanese forces effectively dominated the Battle of Lanfeng. Moreover, reports indicate that the Japanese employed poison gas on the battlefield, while elite Nationalist troops possessed only a limited number of gas masks, creating a stark disparity in chemical warfare preparedness. Despite these disparities, Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalist government were initially unaware of the updated strength and composition of the Doihara Division. Faced with constrained options, Chiang chose to press ahead with combat operations. On May 12, 1939, after crossing the Yellow River, the IJA 14th Division continued its southward advance toward Lanfeng. The division's objective was to sever the Longhai Railway, disrupt the main Nationalist retreat toward Zhengzhou, and seize Zhengzhou itself. By May 15, the division split into two columns at Caoxian and moved toward key nodes on the Longhai Line. Major General Toyotomi Fusatarou led two infantry regiments, one cavalry regiment, and one artillery regiment in the main assault toward Kaocheng with the aim of directly capturing Lanfeng. Doihara led three infantry regiments and three artillery regiments toward Neihuang and Minquan, threatening Guide. In response, the Nationalist forces concentrated along the railway from Lanfeng to Guide, uniting Song Xilian's 71st Army, Gui Yongqing's 27th Army, Yu Jishi's 74th Army, Li Hanhun's 64th Army, and Huang Jie's 8th Army. From May 15 to 17, the Fengjiu Brigade, advancing toward Lanfeng, met stubborn resistance near Kaocheng from roughly five divisions under Song Xilian and was forced to shift its effort toward Yejigang and Neihuang. The defense near Neihuang, including Shen Ke's 106th Division and Liang Kai's 195th Division, ultimately faltered, allowing Doihara's division to seize Neihuang, Yejigang, Mazhuangzhai, and Renheji. Nevertheless, the Nationalist forces managed to contain the Japanese advance east and west of the area, preventing a complete encirclement. Chiang Kai-shek ordered Cheng Qian, commander-in-chief of the 1st War Zone, to encircle and annihilate the Japanese 14th Division. The deployment plan mapped three routes: the Eastern Route Army, under Li Hanhun, would include the 74th Army, the 155th Division of the 64th Army, a brigade of the 88th Division, and a regiment of the 87th Division, advancing westward from Guide); the Western Route Army, commanded by Gui Yongqing, would comprise the 27th Army, the 71st Army, the 61st Division, and the 78th Division, advancing eastward from Lanfeng; and the Northern Route Army, formed by Sun Tongxuan's 3rd Army and Shang Zhen's 20th Army, was to cut off the enemy's retreat to the north bank of the Yellow River near Dingtao, Heze, Dongming, and Kaocheng, while attacking the Doihara Division from the east, west, and north to annihilate it in a single decisive operation.  On May 21, the Nationalist Army mounted a full-scale offensive. Yu Jishi's 74th Army, commanded by Wang Yaowu's 51st Division, joined a brigade of Song Xilian's 71st Army, led by the 88th Division, and drove the Japanese forces at Mazhuangzhai into retreat, capturing Neihuang and Renheji. The main Japanese force, more than 6,000 strong, withdrew southwest to Yangjiji and Shuangtaji. Song Xilian, commanding Shen Fazao's 87th Division, launched a sharp assault on Yejigang (Yifeng). The Japanese abandoned the stronghold, but their main body continued advancing toward Yangjiji, with some units retreating to Donggangtou and Maoguzhai. On May 23, Song Xilian's 71st Army and Yu Jishi's 74th Army enveloped and annihilated enemy forces at Donggangtou and Maoguzhai. That evening they seized Ximaoguzhai, Yangzhuang, and Helou, eliminating more than a thousand Japanese troops. The Japanese troops at Donggangtou fled toward Lanfeng. Meanwhile, Gui Yongqing's forces were retreating through Lanfeng. His superior strength, Jiang Fusheng's 36th Division, Li Liangrong's 46th Division, Zhong Song's 61st Division, Li Wen's 78th Division, Long Muhan's 88th Division, and Shen Ke's 106th Division—had held defensive positions along the Lanfeng–Yangji line. Equipped with a tank battalion and armored vehicle company commanded by Qiu Qingquan, they blocked the enemy's westward advance and awaited Japanese exhaustion. However, under the Japanese offensive, Gui Yongqing's poor command led to the loss of Maji and Mengjiaoji, forcing the 27th Army to retreat across its entire front. Its main force fled toward Qixian and Kaifeng. The Japanese seized the opportunity to capture Quxingji, Luowangzhai, and Luowang Railway Station west of Lanfeng. Before retreating, Gui Yongqing ordered Long Muhan to dispatch a brigade to replace the 106th Division in defending Lanfeng, while he directed the 106th Division to fall back to Shiyuan. Frightened by the enemy, Long Muhan unilaterally withdrew his troops on the night of the 23rd, leaving Lanfeng undefended. On the 24th, Japanese troops advancing westward from Donggangtou entered Lanfeng unopposed and, relying on well-fortified fortifications, held their ground until reinforcements arrived. In the initial four days, the Nationalist offensive failed to overwhelm the Japanese, who escaped encirclement and annihilation. The four infantry and artillery regiments and one cavalry regiment on the Japanese side managed to hold the line along Lanfeng, Luowangzhai, Sanyizhai, Lanfengkou, Quxingji, Yang'erzhai, and Chenliukou on the south bank of the Yellow River, offering stubborn resistance. The Longhai Railway was completely cut off. Chiang Kai-shek, furious upon hearing the news while stationed in Zhengzhou, ordered the execution of Long Muhan, commander of the 88th Division, to restore military morale. He also decided to consolidate Hu Zongnan's, Li Hanhun's, Yu Jishi's, Song Xilian's, and Gui Yongqing's troops into the 1st Corps, with Xue Yue as commander-in-chief. On the morning of May 25, they launched a determined counterattack on Doihara's 14th Division. Song Xilian personally led the front lines on May 24 to rally the defeated 88th Division.  Starting on May 25, after three days of intense combat, Li Hanhun's 64th Army advanced to seize Luowang Station and Luowangzhai, while Song Xilian's 71st Army retook Lanfeng City, temporarily reopening the Longhai Line to traffic. At Sanyi Village, Gui Yongqing's 27th Army and Yu Jishi's 74th Army captured a series of outlying positions, including Yang'eyao, Chailou, Cailou, Hezhai, Xuelou, and Baowangsi. Despite these gains, more than 6,000 Japanese troops offered stubborn resistance. During the fighting, Ji Hongru, commander of the 302nd Regiment, was seriously wounded but continued to fight, shouting, “Don't worry about my death! Brothers, fight on!” He ultimately died a heroic death from his wounds. By May 27, Chiang Kai-shek, concerned that the forces had not yet delivered a decisive victory at Lanfeng, personally reprimanded the participating generals and ordered them to completely encircle and annihilate the enemy west of Lanfeng by the following day. He warned that if the opportunity was missed and Japanese reinforcements arrived, the position could be endangered. The next day, Chiang Kai-shek issued another telegram, urging Cheng Qian's First War Zone and all participating units to press the offensive. The telegram allegedly had this in it “It will forever be a laughingstock in the history of warfare.” Meanwhile on the other side, to prevent the annihilation of Doihara's 14th Division, the elite Japanese 16th Division and the 3rd Mixed Brigade, totaling over 40,000 men, launched a westward assault from Dangshan, capturing Yucheng on May 26. They then began probing the outskirts of Guide. Huang Jie's Eighth Army, responsible for the defense, withdrew to the outskirts of Guide that evening. On May 28, Huang Jie again led his troops on his own initiative, retreating to Liuhe and Kaifeng, leaving only the 187th Division to defend Zhuji Station and Guide City. At dawn on May 29, Peng Linsheng, commander of the 187th Division, also withdrew his troops, leaving Guide a deserted city. The Japanese occupied Guide without a fight. The loss of Guide dramatically shifted the tide of the war. Threatened on the flanks by the Japanese 16th Division, the Nationalist forces were forced onto the defensive. On May 28, the Japanese 14th Division concentrated its forces to counterattack Gui Yongqing's troops, but they were defeated again, allowing the Japanese to stabilize their position. At the same time, the fall of Shangqiu compelled Xue Yue's corps to withdraw five divisions to block the enemy in Shangqiu, and the Nationalist Army shifted to a defensive posture with the 14th Division holding Sanyizhai and Quxingji. To the north of the battlefield, the Japanese 4th Mixed Brigade, numbering over 10,000 men, was preparing to force a crossing of the Yellow River in order to join with the nearby 14th Division. More seriously, the 10th Division, together with its 13th Mixed Brigade and totaling more than 40,000 men, had captured Woyang and Bozhou on the Henan-Anhui border and was rapidly encircling eastern Henan. By the time of the Battle of Lanfeng, Japanese forces had deployed more than 100,000 troops, effectively surrounding the Nationalist army. On May 31, the First War Zone decided to withdraw completely, and the Battle of Lanfeng ended in defeat for the Nationalists, forcing Chiang Kai-shek to authorize diverting the Yellow River embankment to relieve pressure. The consequence was a deteriorating strategic situation, as encirclement tightened and reinforcement options dwindled, driving a retreat from the Lanfeng front. The National Army suffered more than 67,000 casualties, killed and wounded more than 10,000 Japanese soldiers, Lanfeng was lost, and Zhengzhou was in danger.  As in Nanjing, this Chinese army might have lived to fight another day, but the effect on Xuzhou itself was horrific. The city had endured Japanese bombardment since August 1937, and the population's mood swung between cautious hope and utter despair. In March, Du Zhongyuan visited Xuzhou. Before he left Wuhan, friends told him that “the city was desolate and the people were terrified, all the inhabitants of Xuzhou were quietly getting on with their business … sometimes it was even calmer than Wuhan.” The Australian journalist Rhodes Farmer recalled a similar image in a book published at war's end, noting the “ordinary townsfolk who became wardens, fire-fighters and first-aid workers during the raid and then went back to their civil jobs.” Yet the mid-May departure of Nationalist troops left the city and its outskirts at the mercy of an angry Imperial Army. Bombing continued through the final days of battle, and a single raid on May 14, 1938 killed 700 people. Around Xuzhou, buildings and bridges were destroyed—some by retreating Chinese forces, some by advancing Japanese troops. Taierzhuang, the scene of the earlier iconic defense, was utterly destroyed. Canadian Jesuits who remained in Xuzhou after its fall recorded that more than a third of the houses were razed, and most of the local population had fled in terror. In rural areas around the city, massacres were repeatedly reported, many witnessed by missionaries. Beyond the atrocities of the Japanese, locals faced banditry in the absence of law enforcement, and vital agricultural work such as planting seed ground to a halt. The loss of Xuzhou was both strategic and symbolic. It dealt a severe blow to Chiang's attempt to hold central China and to control regional troop movements. Morale, which Taierzhuang had briefly boosted, was battered again though not extinguished. The fall signaled that the war would be long, and that swift victory against Japan was no longer likely. Mao Zedong's Yan'an base, far to the northwest, grasped the meaning of defeat there. In May 1938 he delivered one of his most celebrated lectures, “On Protracted War,” chiding those who had over-optimistically claimed the Xuzhou campaign could be a quasi-decisive victory and arguing that, after Taierzhuang, some had become “giddy.” Mao insisted that China would ultimately prevail, yet he warned that it could not be won quickly, and that the War of Resistance would be protracted. In the meantime, the development of guerrilla warfare remained an essential piece of the long-term strategy that the Communist armies would pursue in north China. Yet the loss of Xuzhou did not necessarily portend a long war; it could, instead, presage a war that would be terrifyingly short. By spring 1938 the Chinese defenders were desperate. There was a real danger that the entire war effort could collapse, and the Nationalist governments' notable success as protectors of a shrinking “Free China” lay in avoiding total disaster. Government propaganda had successfully portrayed a plan beyond retreat to foreign observers, yet had Tokyo captured Wuhan in the spring, the Chinese Army would have had to withdraw at speed, reinforcing perceptions of disintegration. Western governments were unlikely to intervene unless convinced it was in their interests. Within the Nationalist leadership, competing instincts persisted. The government pursued welfare measures for the people in the midst of a massive refugee relief effort, the state and local organizations, aided by the International Red Cross, housed large numbers of refugees in 1937–1938. Yet there was a harsher strain within policy circles, with some officials willing to sacrifice individual lives for strategic or political ends as the Japanese threat intensified. Throughout central China, the Yellow River, China's “Sorrow”, loomed as the dominant geographic force shaping history. The loess-laden river, notorious for floods and shifting channels, was banked by massive dikes near Zhengzhou, exactly along the line the Japanese would traverse toward Wuhan. Using the river as a military instrument was discussed as a drastic option: Chiang and Cheng Qian's First War Zone contemplated diverting or breaching the dikes to halt or slow the Japanese advance, a measure that could buy time but would unleash enormous civilian suffering. The idea dated back to 1887 floods that cost hundreds of thousands of lives, and even in 1935 Alexander von Falkenhausen had warned that the Yellow River could become the final line of defense. In 1938 Chiang, recognizing the futility of defeating the Japanese by conventional means at Zhengzhou, considered unleashing the river's force if necessary to impede the invaders. The political and strategic calculus was stark: protect central China and Wuhan, even if it required drastic and morally fraught measures. A more humane leader might have hesitated to break the dikes and spare the dams, allowing the Japanese to take Wuhan. But Chiang Kai-shek believed that if the dikes were not breached and Wuhan fell within days, the Nationalist government might be unable to relocate to Chongqing in time and would likely surrender, leaving Japan in control of almost all of China. Some have compared the choice to France's surrender in June 1940, underscoring that Chiang's decision came during the country's most terrifying assault, with Chinese forces much weaker and less trained than their European counterparts. The dilemma over whether to break the Yellow River dikes grew out of desperation. Chiang ultimately ordered General Wei Rulin to blow the dike that held the Yellow River in central Henan. There was no doubt about the consequences: floods would inundate vast areas of central China, creating a waterlogged barrier that would halt the Japanese advance. Yet for the plan to succeed, it had to be carried out quickly, and the government could offer no public warning in case the Japanese detected it and accelerated their movement. Xiong Xianyu, chief of staff in the 8th Division at the time, recorded the urgency of those hours in his diary. The Japanese were already on the north bank of the Yellow River, briefly delayed when the Chinese army blew up the railway bridge across the river. The destruction of the dikes was the next step: if the area became a sea of mud, there would be no way the Japanese could even attempt to reconstruct the bridge. Blasting the dikes proved easier in theory than in practice. Holding back such a massive body of water required substantial engineering, dams thick and well fortified. The army made its first attempts to blow the dike at the small town of Zhaokou between June 4 and 6, 1938, but the structure proved too durable; another nearby attempt failed as well. Hour by hour, the Japanese moved closer. Division commander Jiang Zaizhen asked Xiong Xianyu for his opinion on where they might breach the dams. Xiong wrote “I discussed the topography, and said that two places, Madukou and Huayuankou, were both possible.” But Madukou was too close to Zhaokou, where the breach had already failed, presenting a danger that the Japanese might reach it very soon. The village of Huayuankou, however, lay farther away and on a bend in the river: “To give ourselves enough time, Huayuankou would be best.” At first, the soldiers treated the task as a military engineering assignment, an “exciting” one in Xiong's words. Xiong and Wei Rulin conducted their first site inspection after dark, late on June 6. The surroundings offered a deceptive calm: Xiong recounted “The wind blew softly, and the river water trickled pleasantly.” Yet gauging the water level proved difficult, hampered by murky moonlight and burned-out flashlights. They spent the night in their car to determine precisely where to break the dike as soon as day broke. But daylight seemed to bring home the consequences of what they planned to do, and the soldiers grew increasingly anxious. Wang Songmei, commander of the 2nd Regiment, addressed the workers about to breach the dike: “My brothers, this plan will be of benefit to our country and our nation, and will lessen the harm that is being done to the people.In the future, you'll find good wives and have plenty of children.” Wang's words were meant to reassure the men of the political necessity of their actions and that fate would not, in the traditional Chinese sense, deny them a family because of the enormity of their deeds. General Wei confirmed that Huayuankou was the right spot, and on June 8 the work began, with about 2,000 men taking part. The Nationalist government was eager to ensure rapid progress. Xiong recorded that the “highest authorities”,, kept making telephone calls from Wuhan to check on progress. In addition, the party sent performers to sing and play music to bolster the workers' spirits. Senior General Shang Zhen announced to the laborers that if they breached the dam by midnight on June 8, each would receive 2,000 yuan; if they achieved it by six the next morning, they would still be paid 1,000 yuan. They needed encouragement, for the diggers had no artificial assistance. After the initial failures at Zhaokou, Wei's troops relied entirely on manual labor, with no explosives used. Yet the workers earned their payments, and the dike was breached in just a few hours. On the morning of June 9, Xiong recorded a rapid shift in mood: the atmosphere became tense and solemn. Initially, the river flow was modest, but by about 1:00 p.m. the water surged “fiercely,” flowing “like 10,000 horses.” Looking toward the distance, Xiong felt as though a sea had appeared before him. “My heart ached,” he wrote. The force of the water widened the breach, and a deadly stream hundreds of feet wide comprising about three-quarters of the river's volume—rushed southeast across the central Chinese plains. “We did this to stop the enemy,” Xiong reflected, “so we didn't regret the huge sacrifice, as it was for a greater victory.” Yet he and the other soldiers also saw a grim reality: the troops who had taken on the task of destroying the railway bridge and the dikes could not bear the flood's consequences alone. It would be up to the government and the people of the nation to provide relief for the countless households uprooted by the flood. In fact, the previous evening Commander Jiang had telephoned to request assistance for those flooded out of their homes.   Wei, Xiong, and their troops managed to escape by wooden boats. Hundreds of thousands of farmers trapped in the floods were far less fortunate. Time magazine's correspondent Theodore White reported on the devastation a few days later “Last week “The Ungovernable” [i.e. the Yellow River] lashed out with a flood which promised to change not only its own course but also the course of the whole Sino-Japanese War. Severe breaks in the dikes near Kaifeng sent a five-foot wall of water fanning out over a 500-squaremile area, spreading death. Toll from Yellow River floods is not so much from quick drowning as from gradual disease and starvation. The river's filth settles ankle-deep on the fields, mothering germs, smothering crops. Last week, about 500,000 peasants were driven from 2,000 communities to await rescue or death on whatever dry ground they could find”. Chiang's government had committed one of the grossest acts of violence against its own people, and he knew that the publicity could be a damaging blow to its reputation. He decided to divert blame by announcing that the dike had been broken, but blaming the breach on Japanese aerial bombing. The Japanese, in turn, fiercely denied having bombed the dikes. White's reporting reflected the immediate response of most foreigners; having heard about the atrocities at Nanjing and Xuzhou, he was disinclined to give the Japanese the benefit of the doubt. Furthermore, at the very time that the Yellow River was flooding central China, the Japanese were heavily bombing Guangzhou, causing thousands of casualties. To White, the Japanese counterargument—that the Chinese themselves were responsible, seemed unthinkable: “These accusations, foreign observers thought, were absurd. For the Chinese to check the Japanese advance at possible sacrifice of half a million lives would be a monstrous pyrrhic victory. Besides, dike-cutting is the blackest of Chinese crimes, and the Chinese Army would hardly risk universal censure for slight tactical gains.” But, of course, that is exactly what they had done. During the war the Nationalists never admitted that they, not the Japanese, had breached the dikes. But the truth quickly became widely known. Just a month later, on July 19, US Ambassador Johnson noted, in private communication, that the “Chinese blocked the advance on Chengchow [Zhengzhou] by breaching the Yellow River dikes.” Eventually some 54,000 square kilometers of central China were inundated by the floods. If the Japanese had committed such an act, it would have been remembered as the prime atrocity of the war, dwarfing even the Nanjing Massacre or the Chongqing air raids in terms of the number of people who suffered. Accurate statistics were impossible to obtain in the midst of wartime chaos and disaster, but in 1948 figures issued by the Nationalists themselves suggested enormous casualties: for the three affected provinces of Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu, the number of dead was put at 844,489, with some 4.8 million becoming refugees. More recent studies place the numbers lower, but still estimate the dead at around 500,000, and 3–5 million refugees. In contrast, the devastating May 1939 air raids on Chongqing killed some thousands. Xiong reflected in his diary that the breaching of the Yellow River dikes was a sacrifice for a greater victory. Even to some Japanese it seemed that the tactic had been successful in the short term: the first secretary at the US Embassy in Wuhan reported that the flood had “completely checked the Japanese advance on Chengchow” and had prevented them taking Wuhan by rail. Instead, he predicted, the attack was likely to come by water and along the north shore of the Yangtze. Supporters of the dike breaches could argue that these acts saved central China and Chiang's headquarters in Wuhan for another five months. The Japanese were indeed prevented from advancing along the Long–Hai railway toward Wuhan. In the short term the floods did what the Nationalists wanted. But the flooding was a tactic, a breathing space, and did not solve the fundamental problem: China's armies needed strong leadership and rapid reform. Some historians suggest that Chiang's decision was pointless anyway, since it merely delayed the inevitable. Theodore White was right: no strategic advantage could make the deaths of 500,000 of China's own people a worthwhile price to pay. However, Chiang Kai-shek's decision can be partly explained, though not excused, by the context. We can now look back at the actions of the Nationalists and argue that they should not have held on to Wuhan, or that their actions in breaching the dam were unjustifiable in the extreme. But for Chiang, in the hot summer of 1938, it seemed his only hope was to deny Japan as much of China for as long as possible and create the best possible circumstances for a long war from China's interior, while keeping the world's attention on what Japan was doing. The short delay won by the flooding was itself part of the strategy. In the struggle raging within the soul of the Nationalist Party, the callous, calculating streak had won, for the time being. The breaking of the dikes marked a turning point as the Nationalists committed an act whose terrible consequences they would eventually have to expiate. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In late 1937, China's frontline trembled as Japanese forces closed in on Wuhan. Chiang Kai-shek faced a brutal choice: endure costly defenses or unleash a desperate gamble. Chiangs' radical plan emerged: breach the Yellow River dikes at Huayuankou to flood central China, buying time. The flood roared, washing villages and futures away, yet slowing the enemy. The battlefield paused, while a nation weighed courage against civilian suffering, victory against devastating costs.

During the just-concluded National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, millions of travelers across China were able to travel light—sending local specialties and souvenirs home through China's fast-growing parcel delivery network. For many, the packages may have even arrived before the travelers themselves.在刚刚结束的国庆中秋双节假期期间，中国数百万游客得以轻装出行——通过中国快速发展的包裹快递网络，将当地特产和纪念品寄回家中。对许多人而言，这些包裹甚至可能比他们先到家。According to the State Post Bureau of China, the nation's postal and courier industry handled 7.23 billion parcels during the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which ended on Wednesday, maintaining stable operations amid a surge in tourism and holiday consumption. The daily average parcel volume exceeded 900 million, reflecting robust consumer demand and the growing vitality of the country's holiday economy.中国国家邮政局数据显示，在周三（10月8日）结束的八天国庆中秋假期期间，全国邮政快递行业共处理包裹72.3亿件，在旅游和假日消费激增的背景下保持了运营稳定。日均包裹量超9亿件，反映出强劲的消费需求和中国假日经济日益增长的活力。Courier companies embraced new "express delivery + culture and tourism" models, setting up service outlets, smart lockers and self-service boxes at railway stations, airports, hotels and scenic areas. The move offered travelers greater convenience while turning tourism flows into new consumption momentum, the bureau said.国家邮政局表示，快递公司推出“快递+文旅”新模式，在火车站、机场、酒店和景区设立服务网点、智能快递柜和自助寄件箱。此举为游客提供了更大便利，同时将旅游人流转化为新的消费动力。In popular destinations such as Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Sanya in Hainan province, and Lhasa in the Xizang autonomous region, shipments of local specialties rose sharply during the holiday. By collaborating with merchants, courier companies helped create a "travel–purchase–ship" consumption loop. At scenic spots like Qiandao Lake in Hangzhou, Gulangyu Island in Xiamen, and Beijing Road in Guangzhou, themed courier stores and parcel lockers catered to tourists' needs for shipping souvenirs and luggage.在新疆维吾尔自治区喀什市、海南省三亚市、西藏自治区拉萨市等热门旅游目的地，假期期间当地特产的寄递量大幅增长。快递公司通过与商家合作，助力打造“旅游—购买—寄递”消费闭环。在杭州千岛湖、厦门鼓浪屿、广州北京路等景区，主题快递门店和包裹寄存柜满足了游客寄递纪念品和行李的需求。This year's "golden week" sparked strong travel and consumption momentum nationwide. By optimizing operations and diversifying services, courier firms enriched travel experiences and unlocked new consumption potential, according to the bureau.国家邮政局指出，今年“黄金周”在全国范围内激发了强劲的旅游和消费势头。快递公司通过优化运营、丰富服务类型，提升了游客的出行体验，并释放了新的消费潜力。Ahead of the holiday, shipments of popular festive goods—including mooncakes, hairy crabs, seafood, meats and fresh fruits—surged. To ensure freshness and efficiency, companies established collection points and cold-chain warehouses in provinces such as Guangdong, Guizhou, Jiangsu and Hubei, allowing goods to be dispatched directly from production sites. They also optimized trunk routes, boosted air freight capacity, and adjusted transport resources dynamically to meet the seasonal rush.假期前夕，月饼、大闸蟹、海鲜、肉类、新鲜水果等热门节庆商品的寄递量大幅上升。为保障商品新鲜度和配送效率，快递公司在广东、贵州、江苏、湖北等省份设立集货点和冷链仓库，实现商品从产地直接发运；同时优化干线运输路线、提升航空货运能力，并动态调整运输资源，以应对季节性物流高峰。On the final leg of delivery, companies adopted multi-warehouse coordination and intelligent dispatching systems to achieve "nearby delivery", speeding up services.在配送末端环节，快递公司采用多仓协同和智能调度系统，实现“就近配送”，提升了配送速度。According to the bureau, China's postal and courier sector continues to enhance service capacity while deepening integration with the cultural and tourism industries. By innovating diversified consumption scenarios, it is injecting new vitality into the holiday economy and supports stable consumption growth.国家邮政局表示，中国邮政快递行业在持续提升服务能力的同时，正深化与文旅产业的融合。通过创新多元化消费场景，快递行业为假日经济注入新活力，并助力消费稳定增长。 State Post Bureau of Chinan.中国国家邮政局 /steɪt pəʊst ˈbjʊərəʊ ɒv ˈtʃaɪnə/courier companies (in China)n.（中国的）快递公司/ˈkʊriə ˈkʌmpəniz (ɪn ˈtʃaɪnə)/

Go to http://DrinkAG1.com/adv to get a FREE Frother with your first purchase of AGZWe uncovered the sinister truth behind China's mega bridge. HAND MACHINE GHOST - LIMITED RUN! - https://thechinashow.threadless.comSupport the show here and see the Monday Exclusive show Xiaban Hou! https://www.patreon.com/advpodcastsSign up for the sticker giveaway!https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdk5BnaNwlkH8yjt-wgUwq6xWBZIgusPRM5ifELKgPdKxLHg/viewform?usp=headerCartoon feat. Jüri Pootsmann - I Remember Uhttps://soundcloud.com/nocopyrightsoundsTrack : Cartoon feat. Jüri Pootsmann - I Remember USome Sources - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/technology/nvidia-chips-china-megaspeed.htmlSalary data in Anlong https://tjgb.hongheiku.com/xjtjgb/xj2020/53025.htmlSalary data in Fenggang https://www.gzfenggang.gov.cn/zwgk/zfxxgkzl/fdzdgknr/ghjh/gmjjhshfzgh/202502/t20250220_86927630.htmlhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/341419632_Bone_Glue_-_The_Final_Frontier_for_Fracture_Repair_and_Implantable_Device_Stabilizationhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9941416/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1934590925002267https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00033/fullhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-025-00930-1https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging/articles/10.3389/fragi.2025.1638168/fullBRIDGE SOURCES - * 1981 Liziyida Bridge (Chengdu–Kunming Railway), Sichuan* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_Chengdu%E2%80%93Kunming_rail_crash* 1999 Qijiang “Rainbow” Pedestrian Bridge, Chongqing* https://www.engineeringcivil.com/civil-engineering-disasters-collapse-of-bridges.html* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qijiang_Rainbow_Bridge_collapse* 2007 Jiujiang Bridge, Foshan (Guangdong)* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse_of_Jiujiang_Bridge* 2007 Fenghuang (Tuojiang) Bridge, Hunan (under construction)* https://www.scmp.com/article/606792/dozens-feared-dead-after-hunan-bridge-collapse* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Fenghuang_Bridge_collapse* 2009 Hongqi Road Viaduct, Zhuzhou (Hunan)* https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-05/18/content_7790004.htm* 2010 Tangying Bridge, Luanchuan (Henan)* https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/556460.shtml* https://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?pid=S0718-915X2022000200193&script=sci_arttext* 2010 Nanjing Overpass (under construction), Jiangsu* https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-11/27/content_11617576.htm* 2011 Gongguan Bridge, Wuyishan (Fujian)* https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-07/15/content_12912763.htm* 2012 Hangzhou Viaduct dismantling accident, Zhejiang* https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/201207/716566.shtml* 2012 East Guangchang River Bridge, Jiangxi* https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/201208/721127.shtml* 2012 Yangmingtan Bridge (ramp), Harbin (Heilongjiang)* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangmingtan_Bridge* 2013 Lianhuo Expressway Bridge (Mianchi, Henan)* https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-bridge-idUSBRE91003D20130201* https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-21300038* 2014 Gaozhou stone-arch bridge, Guangdong* https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-05/05/content_17487284.htm* 2014 Jinshan Bridge, Enshi (Hubei) (under construction)* https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/6/2112* 2016 Ganjiang Bridge (dismantling), Taihe (Jiangxi)* https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/201609/1009862.shtml* 2019 Wuxi S342 Overpass, Jiangsu* https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-bridge-collapse-idUSKBN1WP0JH* https://www.caixinglobal.com/2019-11-01/in-depth-overloaded-and-overturned-inside-the-deadly-wuxi-bridge-collapse-101478011.html* https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/11/deaths-reported-as-bridge-collapses-in-chinas-jiangsu-province* 2021 S2 Ezhou Expressway Ramp Bridge, Hubei* https://www.reuters.com/world/china/bridge-collapse-central-china-kills-four-2021-12-18/* 2024 Lixinsha Bridge, Guangzhou (Guangdong)* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Lixinsha_Bridge_collapse* 2024 Danning (G4015) Expressway Bridge, Zhashui (Shaanxi)* https://apnews.com/article/shaanxi-china-bridge-collapse-river-dead-b077896e4b291ef82a46ed601bfd04ca* 2024 Yakang Expressway Bridge (near Kangding), Sichuan* https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3240129/more-bodies-found-after-mountain-bridge-collapse-china* 2025 Jianzha Yellow River Bridge (under construction), Qinghai* https://abc13.com/post/china-bridge-collapse-today-kills-least-12-construction-workers-yellow-river-qinghai-province/17622521This video features copyrighted material used for commentary and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

China gilt als wirtschaftliche Supermacht, doch im Fußball blieb der große Durchbruch bislang aus. Nun sorgt ausgerechnet eine Amateur-Liga in der Provinz Jiangsu für ein unerwartetes Revival – mit ausverkauften Stadien, Millionenumsätzen und leidenschaftlichen Fans. Analystin Shenwei Li berichtet aus erster Hand, wie Leidenschaft und Lokalstolz den Sport zurückbringen.

China proposed on Wednesday the creation of an international alliance to formulate new measures to crack down on telecommunication and cyberspace fraud, saying that such transnational crimes call for an innovative combat approach.中国于周三提议成立国际联盟，制定打击电信网络诈骗的新举措。中方表示，此类跨国犯罪需要创新的打击方式。Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong made the proposal during the opening ceremony of the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province.中国公安部部长王小洪在江苏省连云港市举行的全球公共安全合作论坛开幕式上提出了这一倡议。The annual event, which was launched in 2015 as the Lianyungang Forum, brings together officials and experts from various countries to address global public security challenges.该活动每年举办一次，2015年以“连云港论坛”之名启动，旨在汇聚各国官员与专家，共同应对全球公共安全挑战。China's proposal for an alliance against telecom fraud came along with a series of steps it has vowed to take in the coming year to enhance international cooperation on public security.中国在提议成立反电信诈骗联盟的同时，还承诺未来一年将采取一系列举措，加强公共安全领域的国际合作。Over the past year, China joined international efforts to crack down on illicit drugs and telecom and online fraud, Wang said, noting that China also trained more than 3,000 law enforcement officers from various countries and dispatched police advisory teams to Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, Africa and Latin America.王小洪表示，过去一年，中国参与了打击非法毒品及电信网络诈骗的国际行动，为各国培训了3000余名执法人员，并向东南亚、南太平洋、非洲和拉丁美洲地区派遣了警务顾问组。Over the next one year, China will train another 3,000 law enforcement officers from various countries and continue to send advisory teams to countries that have the need, he added.他补充道，未来一年，中国将再为各国培训3000名执法人员，并继续向有需求的国家派遣顾问组。Wang reaffirmed China's support for the United Nations' peacekeeping missions, saying that the country will provide financial support for training UN peacekeepers.王小洪重申中国对联合国维和行动的支持，称中国将为联合国维和人员培训提供资金支持。China is the second-largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget, and has deployed more peacekeepers than any other permanent member of the UN Security Council.中国是联合国维和预算的第二大出资国，派遣的维和人员数量超过联合国安理会其他常任理事国。Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN undersecretary-general for peace operations, urged member states “to pay their assessed contribution in full and on time”. Hailing China as “a steadfast partner of the UN”, he said that the nation's support for UN peacekeeping “is a clear reflection of its commitment to international peace and security”.联合国主管维和行动副秘书长让-皮埃尔·拉克鲁瓦敦促成员国“足额、按时缴纳分摊的维和费用”。他称赞中国是“联合国坚定的合作伙伴”，并表示中国对联合国维和行动的支持“充分体现了其对国际和平与安全的承诺”。Public Security Minister Wang said that destabilizing factors and uncertainties are increasing worldwide, and global public security “is faced with unprecedented challenges and diverse dangers”.公安部部长王小洪表示，当前全球不稳定因素和不确定性增多，全球公共安全“面临前所未有的挑战和多样的危险”。He called for upholding sovereign equality, the international rule of law, multilateralism, and a people-and action-oriented approach to make global security governance more equitable and efficient.他呼吁坚持主权平等、国际法治、多边主义，秉持以人民为中心、行动导向的理念，推动全球安全治理更加公平高效。Speaking on counternarcotics, Wang said that China has fulfilled its international duties to combat synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals, and it has provided assistance to countries facing fentanyl and other synthetic opioid abuse crises.在禁毒问题上，王小洪指出，中国已履行打击合成毒品及易制毒化学品的国际义务，并向面临芬太尼及其他合成阿片类物质滥用危机的国家提供了援助。“We must follow the principle of shared responsibility and comprehensive balance to address the issue of illicit drugs, work hard to reduce the demand for illicit drugs, and engage actively in effective international cooperation,” he said.他表示：“我们必须坚持责任共担、综合平衡原则，解决非法毒品问题，努力减少毒品需求，并积极开展有效的国际合作。”Wednesday's opening ceremony followed a subforum on international counterterrorism cooperation, where participants emphasized the need for new measures, as terrorist groups exploit emerging technologies.周三的开幕式之前，还举办了国际反恐合作分论坛。与会者强调，由于恐怖组织利用新兴技术，因此需要制定新的应对措施。The fruits of the latest round of technological revolution are being abused by terrorist groups, said Chen Zhimin, chairman of the China Association for Friendship.中国人民对外友好协会会长陈至民表示，最新一轮科技革命的成果正被恐怖组织滥用。Many developing countries and those on the front line of combating terrorism lack digital infrastructure, talent and investment to cope with new threats, Chen said, adding that more resources should be channeled to them.陈至民指出，许多发展中国家及处于反恐一线的国家，缺乏应对新威胁所需的数字基础设施、人才和投资，应向这些国家投入更多资源。Zhang Lixun, Party secretary of the China People's Police University, said that priorities should be given to tackling “digital terrorism”. He also called for stronger international cooperation to spur economic growth in developing countries, improve livelihoods, and reduce the risks of radicalization.中国人民警察大学党委书记张利兴表示，应将打击“数字恐怖主义”列为优先任务。他还呼吁加强国际合作，推动发展中国家经济增长、改善民生，降低极端化风险。international anti-fraud alliance .国际反诈骗联盟/ˌɪntəˈnæʃnəl ˌænti-ˈfrɔːd əˈlaɪəns/law enforcement officersn.执法人员/lɔː ɪnˈfɔːsmənt ˈɒfɪsəz/

Chongqing's Datianwan Stadium became the center of excitement on Saturday night as it hosted the opening match of the Chongqing City Football League, also known as Yu Chao. This is the upgraded version of the city's amateur super league, launched in 2016.周六晚间，重庆大田湾体育场成为万众瞩目的焦点，这里举办了重庆城市足球联赛（又称“渝超联赛”）的揭幕战。该联赛是重庆2016年启动的业余足球超级联赛升级后的版本。The stadium and its surroundings were turned into a vibrant carnival with food stands, cultural exhibits and live music performances.The opening match saw Chongqing's Yuzhong team face off against Jiulongpo and clinch a 3-2 victory.体育场及其周边地区化作一场活力四射的嘉年华，现场设有小吃摊、文化展区，并举办了现场音乐表演。揭幕战中，重庆渝中队对阵九龙坡队，最终以3比2的比分获胜。"We had never explored this area before, but tonight our family enjoyed a delightful meal of iron pot spicy fish outside the stadium. I think it has sparked widespread enthusiasm for sports and stimulated local consumption," said Sun Pinpin, 34, who attended the match with her husband and 10-year-old son.“我们以前从没来过这片区域，但今晚我们一家人在体育场外享用了美味的铁锅麻辣鱼。我觉得这不仅点燃了大众对体育的热情，还带动了当地消费。”34岁的孙彬彬说道，她与丈夫及10岁的儿子一同前来观赛。The league is regarded as the largest city soccer competition in China, featuring 41 teams from Chongqing's 38 districts and counties, as well as from the Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing High-tech Industrial Development Zone and Chongqing Wansheng Economic and Technological Development Zone. In total, 178 matches are scheduled this season.该联赛是中国规模最大的城市足球赛事，共有41支球队参赛，分别来自重庆38个区县，以及重庆两江新区、重庆高新技术产业开发区和重庆万盛经济技术开发区。本赛季共计划进行178场比赛。The occasion also marked a significant moment for Datianwan Stadium, which had not seen such vibrancy since it last hosted a Chinese Jia-A League game 22 years ago. Built in 1956, the stadium was the first premier venue established after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Saturday's opener drew 21,680 fans.此次赛事也为大田湾体育场迎来了重要时刻——自22年前承办中国甲A联赛赛事后，这座体育场许久未呈现如此热闹的景象。大田湾体育场始建于1956年，是中华人民共和国成立后建成的首座顶级体育场馆。周六的揭幕战吸引了21680名球迷到场观赛。With the season scheduled to run until March or April next year, given the number of teams and matches, the CQFL is the most extensive city soccer league nationwide, said Zhang Jie, a technical official of the league.联赛技术官员张杰表示，考虑到参赛球队数量和赛事场次，本赛季重庆城市足球联赛（CQFL）赛程将持续至明年3月或4月，是全国规模最广的城市足球联赛。Chongqing, a megacity of 32 million on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, has a rich soccer heritage. Local communities began organizing matches in the 1950s, and by the 1970s had set up a league with a promotion and relegation system. The structure helped develop amateur teams with national influence.重庆是长江上游地区一座拥有3200万人口的超大城市，有着深厚的足球传统。当地社区自20世纪50年代起便开始组织足球比赛，到70年代已建立起带有升降级制度的联赛体系。这一体系助力培养出了具有全国影响力的业余球队。"The primary goal of organizing the league is to enhance public fitness and offer a platform for ordinary people to showcase their skills and express themselves through soccer," Zhang said.“举办该联赛的首要目标是促进全民健身，并为普通人提供一个通过足球展现技艺、表达自我的平台。”张杰说道。During the opening match, Yuzhong's Li Feiya scored the league's first goal. A full-time teacher, Li embodies the league's spirit of community involvement, balancing classroom duties with soccer training.揭幕战中，渝中队的李非亚攻入了联赛首球。身为一名全职教师，李非亚兼顾教学工作与足球训练，是联赛社区参与精神的典型代表。The event energized the local community and boosted tourism and hospitality. Du Xueyong, deputy director of the Chongqing Municipal Sports Bureau, said the league is expected to generate more than 100 million yuan ($14.04 million) in consumption across dining, accommodation and transportation. Tourism revenue in host areas is projected to increase by over 20 percent.此次赛事为当地社区注入了活力，同时推动了旅游业和酒店餐饮业的发展。重庆市体育局副局长杜学勇表示，预计该联赛将带动餐饮、住宿、交通等领域消费超1亿元人民币（折合1404万美元），赛事举办地的旅游收入预计将增长20%以上。In May, the 2025 Jiangsu Football City League in Jiangsu province captured national attention, inspiring more provinces to organize their own amateur "super leagues".Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces launched theirs in July and August. Hunan province kicked off its league six days before Chongqing while Sichuan province is scheduled to kick start its own on Sept 20.今年5月，2025年江苏省足球城市联赛引发全国关注，这也激励了更多省份举办各自的业余“超级联赛”。江西省和广东省分别于7月和8月启动了本地联赛；湖南省在重庆联赛开赛6天前开启了赛事，而四川省则计划于9月20日启动本省联赛。These leagues are driving deeper integration of sports and consumer activities. Meituan Travel reported that during the opening match of the Hunan Super League, bookings for flights and train tickets to Changsha rose 35 percent year-on-year, while five-star hotel reservations increased by 62 percent.这些联赛正推动体育与消费活动的深度融合。美团旅行数据显示，湖南超级联赛揭幕战期间，前往长沙的机票和火车票预订量同比增长35%，五星级酒店预订量同比增长62%。Given the national men's soccer team's struggles for nearly two decades, many see grassroots competitions as a more genuine and promising path for the future of Chinese soccer.鉴于中国国家男子足球队近20年来发展受阻，许多人认为，基层赛事才是中国足球未来更真实、更具前景的发展方向。promotion and relegation system升降级制度/prəˈməʊʃn ənd ˌrelɪˈɡeɪʃn ˈsɪstəm/hospitality酒店餐饮业/ˌhɒspɪˈtæləti/grassroots competitions基层赛事/ˈɡrɑːsruːts ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃnz/

Red tourism, visiting locations with historical significance to the Communist Party of China, is sweeping the nation as China celebrates the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggressionfrom1931 to 1945 and the World Anti-Fascist War.在中国庆祝中国人民抗日战争（1931-45）和世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年之际，参观对中国共产党具有历史意义的地点的红色旅游正在席卷全国。Jinggangshan city in East China's Jiangxi province has seen bookings to its Red tourism scenic spots rise by 22 percent this summer, according to travel portal Qunar. The city is considered a cradle of the Chinese revolution where the CPC established its first rural revolutionary base in 1927.根据旅游门户网站去哪儿网的数据，今年夏天，中国东部江西省井冈山市红色旅游景点的预订量增长了22%。这座城市被认为是中国革命的摇篮，1927年中国共产党在这里建立了第一个农村革命根据地。Bookings to other renowned Red tourism spots such as Yan'an in Shaanxi province and Shaoshan in Hunan province have increased by 20 percent and 12 percent, respectively, year-on-year, according to Qunar.去哪儿网的数据显示，陕西省延安市和湖南省韶山市等其他著名红色旅游景点的预订量同比分别增长了20%和12%。"I'm deeply touched by the perseverance, upbeat and unyielding spirit of Chinese soldiers during their long and arduous fights against the Japanese invasion in the 1930s and 1940s," said Ye Mingsheng, 17, while visiting the Taihang Memorial Museum of the Eighth Route Army in late July with his parents.7月下旬，17岁的叶明生和父母一起参观太行八路军纪念馆时说：“中国士兵在20世纪三四十年代长期艰苦的抗日战争中表现出的毅力、乐观和不屈的精神让我深受感动。”。He said visiting the memorial hall was like attending an immersive history lesson, where he could feel the difficulties the Chinese soldiers had faced during the war, and their optimism and unyielding determination have also inspired him. "The trip has intensified my national ethos," he said.他说，参观纪念馆就像上了一堂身临其境的历史课，在那里他可以感受到中国士兵在战争期间面临的困难，他们的乐观和不屈不挠的决心也激励了他。他说：“这次旅行强化了我的民族精神。”。Cai Miao, a manager from travel agency Tuniu, said that some recently released movies have intensified people's desire for Red tourism this summer.途牛旅行社经理蔡淼表示，最近上映的一些电影加剧了人们对今年夏天红色旅游的渴望。Dead To Rights, for example, which is set during the Nanjing Massacre in 1937, tells the story of a group of Chinese civilians seeking refuge in a photo studio and risking their lives to expose atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese Army. The film was released on July 25, and from that day to Aug 3, travel bookings to Nanjing increased by 16 percent from the period of July 15 to July 24 on Tuniu.以1937年南京大屠杀为背景，告诉了一群中国平民在照相馆避难，冒着生命危险揭露日本帝国军队暴行的故事。这部电影于7月25日上映，从那天到8月3日，途牛的南京旅游预订量比7月15日到7月24日增长了16%。"Tour products to Nanjing, capital city of East China's Jiangsu province, have been some of our bestsellers this summer. Many of our customers said the most important stop of their trips to the city is to visit the Memorial Hall for the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, which memorializes those killed in the Nanjing Massacre by the Imperial Japanese Army," Cai Miao said.蔡淼说：“今年夏天，前往中国东部江苏省省会南京的旅游产品一直是我们最畅销的产品之一。我们的许多客户表示，他们此行最重要的一站是参观日本侵略者南京大屠杀遇难者纪念馆，该纪念馆纪念在日本帝国军队南京大屠杀中遇难的人。”。She added that young Chinese people were the majority taking Red tourism trips this summer, either with their families or during company team building events.她补充说，今年夏天，大多数中国年轻人都会和家人一起或在公司团队建设活动中参加红色旅游。"Places including Beijing, Nanjing in Jiangsu, Guangzhou in Guangdong and Changsha in Hunan province have been the most popular destinations for Red tourism trip goers this summer," she said.她说：“今年夏天，北京、江苏南京、广东广州和湖南长沙等地一直是红色旅游者最受欢迎的目的地。”。Qunar said that several Red tourism destinations have launched theatrical performances or outdoor shows based on stories of the CPC's development to attract tourists.去哪儿网表示，一些红色旅游目的地已经根据中国共产党的发展故事推出了戏剧表演或户外表演，以吸引游客。It said that ticket bookings to the theatrical performance — The Great Turning Point in Zunyi, Guizhou province, had increased threefold this summer. The performance centers on the Zunyi Meeting in 1935, a landmark event in the history of the CPC, as it largely determined the fate of the Party at a critical juncture for its survival.据报道，今年夏天，贵州遵义《大转折》的门票预订量增加了两倍。这场演出以1935年遵义会议为中心，这是中国共产党历史上的一个里程碑事件，因为它在很大程度上决定了党在生死关头的命运。Zhang Jinshan, a tourism planning and development researcher at Beijing Union University, said that Red tourism is a combination of Red culture — a culture related to the CPC and its revolutionary history, and travel.北京联合大学旅游规划与发展研究员张金山表示，红色旅游是红色文化——一种与中国共产党及其革命历史有关的文化——和旅游的结合。"The increasing popularity of Red tourism among Chinese people, especially the young adults and children, enables the nation's younger generations to learn the values and ideals of the CPC, and the hardships Chinese people experienced to establish the People's Republic of China," he said, adding that visiting Red tourism spots can also remind people of safeguarding the homeland and cherishing the hard-won peace.他说：“红色旅游在中国人民，特别是年轻人和儿童中的日益普及，使国家的年轻一代能够了解中国共产党的价值观和理想，以及中国人民为建立中华人民共和国所经历的艰辛。”他补充说，参观红色旅游景点也可以提醒人们保卫家园，珍惜来之不易的和平。atrocitiesn.（尤指战争中的）残暴行为

China is accelerating the construction of an integrated national computing power platform, aiming to enhance the quality and efficiency of computational resources and strengthen the country's capabilities in core technologies such as AI chips, said officials and experts.官员和专家表示，中国正在加快建设国家综合计算能力平台，旨在提高计算资源的质量和效率，加强国家在人工智能芯片等核心技术方面的能力。As the backbone of AI development, computing power has become the battleground for global technological supremacy, and China is charging ahead with unprecedented momentum despite challenges, they said.他们表示，作为人工智能发展的支柱，计算能力已经成为全球技术霸权的战场，尽管面临挑战，中国正以前所未有的势头向前迈进。The move is China's latest plan to scale up the digital infrastructure that is key to buoying its AI economy and to hone its technological prowess in strategic industries.此举是中国扩大数字基础设施的最新计划，数字基础设施对于提振其人工智能经济和磨练其在战略行业的技术实力至关重要。Vice-Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xiong Jijun emphasized the government's commitment to "guiding the orderly development of computing infrastructure and improving the supply quality of computing resources" at the 2025 China Computational Power Conference, which concluded on Sunday in Datong, Shanxi province. 上周日，在山西大同市闭幕的2025中国计算能力大会上，工业和信息化部副部长熊吉军强调，政府致力于“引导计算基础设施有序发展，提高计算资源供应质量”。He emphasized the need to accelerate breakthroughs in key technologies such as graphic processing units and algorithms for large language models, which are crucial for sharpening China's competitive edge in AI.他强调，需要加快在图形处理单元和大型语言模型算法等关键技术上的突破，这对提高中国在人工智能领域的竞争优势至关重要。Roughly defined as the ability to process data, computing power includes technologies such as chips and data centers to support information processing, data storage and network capacity in the digital economy era.计算能力大致定义为处理数据的能力，包括芯片和数据中心等技术，以支持数字经济时代的信息处理、数据存储和网络容量。Wu Hequan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that computing power is an invisible yet indispensable force behind any AI-driven metamorphosis, and that without enough computing power to process data, it is impossible to support large-scale AI applications.中国工程院院士吴贺铨表示，计算能力是任何人工智能驱动的蜕变背后一股无形但不可或缺的力量，没有足够的计算能力来处理数据，就不可能支持大规模的人工智能应用。"Every yuan ($0.14) invested in computing power drives 3 to 4 yuan in GDP growth," Wu said. "In the global race for AI leadership, expanding computing power supply is critical." “在计算能力上每投入1元（0.14美元），就能带动3到4元的GDP增长，”吴说。“在争夺人工智能领导地位的全球竞争中，扩大计算能力供应至关重要。”China's total computing power has been growing at approximately 30 percent annually, driven largely by soaring demand for intelligent computing fueled by AI applications, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed.工业和信息化部的数据显示，受人工智能应用推动的智能计算需求飙升的推动，中国的总计算能力以每年约30%的速度增长。Rao Shaoyang, director of the strategic development research institute of the China Telecom Research Institute, said, "AI is expected to contribute over 11 trillion yuan to China's GDP by 2035."中国电信研究院战略发展研究所所长饶少阳表示：“到2035年，人工智能预计将为中国的GDP贡献超过11万亿元人民币。”"That will account for 4 to 5 percent of the total economy," Rao said. "This growth could multiply computing power demand by 10 or even a hundred times." “这将占到经济总量的4%到5%，”Rao说。“这种增长可能会使计算能力需求增加10倍甚至100倍。”To address this demand, China is building a nationwide computing power platform that integrates resources across regions and industries. The platform, described as a "unified network" for computing power scheduling, already includes subplatforms from 10 provinces and municipalities such as Shanxi, Liaoning, Jiangsu and Shanghai, according to the ministry.为了满足这一需求，中国正在建设一个全国性的计算能力平台，整合跨地区和行业的资源。据该部称，该平台被描述为计算能力调度的“统一网络”，已经包括来自山西、辽宁、江苏和上海等10个省市的子平台。Its intelligent scheduling capabilities allow efficient matching of supply and demand. For example, enabling businesses in eastern China to leverage idle computing resources in western China, significantly reducing costs and improving efficiency.其智能调度功能允许有效匹配供需。例如，使华东地区的企业能够利用西部地区的闲置计算资源，从而显著降低成本，提高效率。In one notable case, a Beijing-based healthcare company completed an AI computing task using resources from the Ningxia Hui autonomous region at a cost of just 10,000 yuan, compared with the typical expense of over 2 million yuan for purchasing and maintaining servers.在一个值得注意的案例中，北京一家医疗保健公司利用宁夏回族自治区的资源完成了一项人工智能计算任务，成本仅为1万元，而购买和维护服务器的典型费用超过200万元。According to Wei Liang, vice-president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, more than 100 computing service providers have joined the platform, along with over 1,000 registered enterprise users, while nearly 100 large language models have been connected, providing diverse online services to more than 1,000 developers.据中国信息通信技术研究院副院长魏亮介绍，已有100多家计算服务提供商加入了该平台，以及1000多名注册企业用户，同时连接了近100种大型语言模型，为1000多名开发人员提供了多样化的在线服务。Meanwhile, Chinese AI chip companies are also working hard to beef up their prowess in graphic processing units, prompting their stocks to be favored by investors, as the US company Nvidia's H20 chips face weak demand in China.与此同时，中国人工智能芯片公司也在努力增强其在图形处理单元方面的实力，这促使它们的股票受到投资者的青睐，因为美国公司英伟达（Nvidia）的H20芯片在中国面临疲软需求。On Monday, Chinese AI chip stocks continued their strong upward trajectory, with Cambricon Technologies emerging as a potential challenger to beverage giant Kweichow Moutai for the title of the highest-priced stock on the A-share market.周一，中国人工智能芯片股票继续强劲上涨，寒武岩科技（Cambricon Technologies）成为饮料巨头贵州茅台（贵州茅台）在a股市场上价格最高股票头衔的潜在挑战者。Cambricon closed at 1,384.93 yuan per share on Monday, surging 11.4 percent for the day. Since mid-July, its share price has more than doubled, and it has skyrocketed by more than 562 percent since September 2024. The company now trails only Moutai, which ended the session at 1,490.33 yuan per share.寒武纪周一收于每股1384.93元，当日上涨11.4%。自7月中旬以来，其股价上涨了一倍多，自2024年9月以来，其股价飙升了562%以上。该公司目前仅次于茅台，该股收于1,490.33元。The AI chip intellectual property products of Cambricon, which was founded in 2016, have powered smartphones and data server chips, including those made by Huawei Technologies Co and Alibaba Group. 寒武纪成立于2016年，其人工智能芯片知识产权产品已为智能手机和数据服务器芯片提供支持，包括华为技术有限公司和阿里巴巴集团生产的芯片。Chen Tianshi, co-founder and CEO of Cambricon Technologies, said in an earlier interview with China Daily that "there is rigid demand for AI chips in China. We don't worry about orders, as long as our technologies are strong enough".寒武纪科技联合创始人兼首席执行官陈天石在早些时候接受《中国日报》采访时表示，“中国对人工智能芯片存在刚性需求。我们不担心订单，只要我们的技术足够强大。”Pan Helin, a member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy, said, "The Nvidia incident offers a strategic window for ambitious Chinese AI chip designers to expand their market share."工业和信息化部信息通信经济专家委员会成员潘鹤林表示：“英伟达事件为雄心勃勃的中国人工智能芯片设计师提供了一个战略窗口，以扩大他们的市场份额。”l integrated national computing power platform n.国家综合计算能力平台/ˈɪntɪɡreɪtɪd ˈnæʃnəl kəmˈpjuːtɪŋ ˈpaʊə ˈplætfɔːm/l AI chips n.人工智能芯片/eɪ aɪ tʃɪps/

Nighttime dining, shopping and travel are thriving across China this summer, injecting fresh momentum to economic growth at a time when the country has prioritized consumption as its top priority this year.今年夏季，我国夜间餐饮、购物、旅游等消费业态蓬勃发展。在国家将消费列为今年工作重点的背景下，夜间经济为经济增长注入了新动能。The market size of China's nighttime economy has so far surpassed 50 trillion yuan ($7 trillion), said marketing consultancy Zhiyanzhan.More restaurants have extended business hours and launched delivery services to attract late-night diners and increase revenue.市场咨询机构智研瞻产业研究院数据显示，目前我国夜间经济市场规模已突破50 万亿元（约合 7 万亿美元）。为吸引夜宵客、提升营收，越来越多餐饮企业延长营业时间，并推出外卖服务。Huda Restaurant, a popular crayfish eatery in Beijing's bustling Guijie Street, is operating four outlets in the same area, cumulatively serving more than 6,500 customers daily on average. During peak hours on some nights, customers sometimes have to wait in line for three hours, according to the restaurant.位于北京繁华簋街的热门小龙虾餐厅“胡大饭店”，在该区域布局了 4 家门店，日均总客流量超 6500 人次。据餐厅介绍，部分夜晚的高峰时段，顾客有时需排队 3 小时才能就餐。"Tourists are often unable to wait that long to dine in. Some choose the takeaway option, or order deliveries to their hotels. Some 70 percent of our takeout orders come from nearby hotels, as many tourists tend to order deliveries at night after their daytime sightseeing in the city," said Zhang Shengtao, deputy general manager of Huda.“很多游客等不了那么久，有的会选择打包带走，有的则直接点外卖送到酒店。我们约 70% 的外卖订单来自周边酒店 —— 不少游客白天在市区观光后，晚上习惯点外卖。” 胡大饭店副总经理张胜涛说。"We take food delivery platforms as an important supplement to our operations, as the platforms allow customers to search for our restaurant from different channels. With no increase in the number of staff members and no change in restaurant areas, delivery services can help raise order volumes and lead to profit growth," Zhang said.他表示：“我们把外卖平台当作经营的重要补充，这些平台能让顾客通过多种渠道找到我们。在不增加员工、不扩大门店面积的情况下，外卖业务能帮助提升订单量，进而带动利润增长。”The restaurant chain said diners aged between 25 and 39 account for a large share of its total customers, while consumers opting for deliveries are mainly aged between 18 and 35.该餐饮连锁品牌透露，25 至 39 岁的顾客占堂食总客流的较大比例，而选择外卖的消费者以 18 至 35 岁人群为主。Hong Yong, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the availability of nighttime dining meets the demand for late night snacking among urban white-collar employees and many young consumers, especially as more people stay up late, work overtime, or venture out for social entertainment, and late night dining gradually becomes a part of their daily routine.中国国际贸易促进委员会国际贸易经济合作研究院副研究员洪勇指出，夜间餐饮的普及，满足了城市白领及众多年轻消费者的夜宵需求。如今熬夜、加班、外出社交娱乐的人群增多，夜宵逐渐成为他们日常生活的一部分。"Nighttime economic activities such as dining, night tours and shopping provide richer consumption scenarios, and meet consumers' demand for leisure and entertainment, social interaction and emotional release," Hong said.“餐饮、夜游、购物等夜间经济活动，提供了更丰富的消费场景，满足了消费者休闲娱乐、社交互动、情感释放的需求。” 洪勇说。"The expansion of nighttime consumption scenarios will help promote the diversification of consumption formats, encourage higher frequencies of spending, effectively stimulate domestic demand and promote sustained economic growth momentum," he added.他补充道：“夜间消费场景的拓展，有助于推动消费业态多元化，提高消费频次，有效激发内需，为经济持续增长注入动力。”According to a report released by the Ministry of Commerce, 60 percent of China's urban consumption takes place after dusk. At large-scale malls, sales between 6 pm and 10 pm usually account for over half of the whole day's revenue.商务部发布的报告显示，我国60% 的城市消费发生在傍晚之后。在大型商场，18 时至 22 时的销售额通常占全天营收的一半以上。Shui Tea Shop, a tea drink brand based in Jinan, Shandong province, now operates some 1,400 stores nationwide, which are mainly located in Shandong, Jiangsu and Hebei provinces, as well as Tianjin and Beijing.总部位于山东济南的茶饮品牌“阿水大杯茶”，目前在全国拥有约 1400 家门店，主要分布在山东、江苏、河北三省及天津、北京两地。Since June, some of its stores began to extend their business hours. Now, over 300 stores operate until 11 pm, more than 100 stores operate until midnight, and a further 100 outlets are open beyond midnight. The extension of business hours will last until the end of September, the company said.该公司表示，自今年6 月起，部分门店开始延长营业时间：目前超 300 家门店营业至 23 时，100 余家营业至次日 0 时，另有 100 家门店营业至凌晨之后，这一延长营业时间的举措将持续至 9 月底。"After extending the business hours, there has been a clear trend of growth in store revenue, and some stores have experienced sales growth of over 100 percent compared with the period before the extension," said Wei Qun, director of delivery services at A-Shui Tea Shop.“延长营业时间后，门店营收增长趋势明显，部分门店销售额较延长前增长超 100%。” 阿水大杯茶外卖业务负责人魏群说。"Nighttime sales have been especially high in Jinan and Qingdao of Shandong, as well as Tianjin. Stores with higher revenues are mainly located in core business circles, and nighttime sales mainly come from orders for deliveries," Wei said.“山东的济南、青岛以及天津等地的夜间销售额表现尤为突出。高营收门店主要集中在核心商圈，夜间销售以外卖订单为主。” 魏群介绍。He added that in summer, many consumers are interested in having barbecues and crayfish at night, and restaurants providing such meals located in core business districts have largely extended their operating hours. Their popularity has also driven the sales growth of beverages, as certain drinks pair nicely with these kinds of food.他还提到，夏季夜晚，不少消费者喜欢吃烧烤、小龙虾，核心商圈内提供这类餐食的餐厅大多延长了营业时间。这些餐饮的火爆也带动了饮品销量—— 部分饮品与这类食物搭配口感更佳。In addition to the catering sector, many sightseeing spots have extended their opening hours this summer, and upgraded night tourism products to meet the diverse demand of travelers. Besides driving an increase in ticket revenue for scenic spots, it has promoted the growth of related businesses such as catering, accommodation and shopping in surrounding areas.除餐饮行业外，今年夏季，多家景区延长开放时间，并升级夜间旅游产品，以满足游客多样化需求。这不仅推动景区门票收入增长，还带动了周边餐饮、住宿、购物等关联业态的发展。The government has encouraged more industry players to actively develop the night tourism economy.政府也积极鼓励更多市场主体参与夜间旅游经济发展。According to a guideline issued earlier this year by the State Council, China's Cabinet, the holding of more nighttime activities such as folk performances, lantern fairs, temple fairs, and light and shadow shows has been encouraged, and different regions could develop water night tours based on local conditions.今年早些时候，国务院印发的指导意见明确，鼓励举办民俗展演、灯会、庙会、光影秀等夜间活动，各地可结合实际发展水上夜游项目。In addition, the government will support the upgrading and renovation of lighting services at night in commercial areas, and the optimization of support facilities such as parking lots and public transportation, according to the document.意见还提出，将支持商业街区夜间照明设施升级改造，优化停车场、公共交通等配套设施。In Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province, a three-day international kite festival that included nighttime events attracted more than 163,000 tourists in July, netting tourism revenue of over 60 million yuan, according to the local government.据贵州省贵阳市政府消息，今年7 月举办的为期三天的国际风筝节（含夜间活动），吸引游客超 16.3 万人次，实现旅游收入超 6000 万元。Night markets, roadside concerts in parks, trunk markets and other nighttime consumption scenes were attractive to tourists.夜市、公园路边音乐会、后备箱集市等夜间消费场景，对游客具有很强的吸引力。"This type of nighttime cultural tourism model, with feature activities as its core, gathers popularity and forms a consumption loop, and has become an effective way to boost the nighttime economy," said Mu Qianyi, an analyst of LeadLeo Research Institute, a market research provider based in Shanghai.“这种以特色活动为核心的夜间文旅模式，能聚集人气、形成消费闭环，已成为拉动夜间经济的有效方式。” 上海市场研究机构头豹研究院分析师穆芊伊说。Mu added that new technologies and scenarios such as drone light shows at night will help enrich the experiences of tourists. The improvement in the quality of scenes naturally enhances the attractiveness and vitality of nighttime cultural tourism, and could help inject new impetus into economic growth.穆芊伊补充道，夜间无人机灯光秀等新技术、新场景，将进一步丰富游客体验。消费场景品质的提升，自然会增强夜间文旅的吸引力与活力，为经济增长注入新动力。Particularly, Shanghai has been developing a booming nighttime economy, and the city's after-dark economy index has maintained the top position in the country for five consecutive years. This year, it has been followed by Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Chengdu, Sichuan province, said Rising Lab, a city-oriented big data platform of Yicai Media Group.值得关注的是，上海夜间经济持续繁荣。第一财经传媒集团旗下城市大数据平台“第一财经研究院” 数据显示，上海夜间经济指数已连续五年位居全国首位，今年紧随其后的是广东广州与四川成都。In Shanghai, nighttime lighting covered 75 percent of the city's area last year, and nighttime public transportation covered 1,975 square kilometers, which significantly helped to improve the local nighttime consumption environment, the platform found.该平台还发现，去年上海夜间照明覆盖面积占全市面积的75%，夜间公共交通覆盖范围达 1975 平方公里，这一配套设施的完善显著改善了当地夜间消费环境。

China's foreign trade will remain resilient in the second half of 2025, fueled by strong growth in high-tech exports, vibrant private sector activity and closer ties with emerging markets, government officials and exporters said on Thursday. 上周四，政府官员和出口商表示，在高科技产品出口强劲增长、私营部门活力十足以及与新兴市场联系日益紧密的推动下，2025 年下半年中国外贸将保持韧性。 They noted that China's steady export performance, particularly driven by private companies, underscores robust global demand for the country's high-tech mechanical and electrical products, and facilitates its deeper integration into regional and global industrial chains. 他们指出，中国出口表现稳健，尤其是在私营企业的推动下，这凸显了全球对中国高科技机电产品的强劲需求，并促进了中国更深入地融入区域和全球产业链。 China's foreign trade grew 3.5 percent year-on-year to 25.7 trillion yuan ($3.6 trillion) in the first seven months of 2025, while its exports rose 7.3 percent year-on-year to 15.31 trillion yuan, data released on Thursday by the General Administration of Customs shows. In July alone, the country's trade value grew 6.7 percent to 3.91 trillion yuan. 海关总署周四发布的数据显示，2025 年 1-7 月，中国外贸进出口总值 25.7 万亿元人民币（约合 3.6 万亿美元），同比增长 3.5%；出口 15.31 万亿元，同比增长 7.3%。仅 7 月当月，中国外贸进出口总值就增长 6.7%，达 3.91 万亿元。 Lyu Daliang, director of the GAC's department of statistics and analysis, said that amid a complex external environment, China's foreign trade has maintained steady growth momentum, while its trade structure has continued to optimize, with high-tech products playing an increasingly key role in supporting overall expansion. 海关总署统计分析司司长吕大良表示，在复杂的外部环境下，中国外贸保持了稳定增长态势，贸易结构持续优化，高科技产品在支撑整体增长中的作用日益关键。 China's trade of high-tech products, including high-end machine tools and electric vehicles, reached 5.1 trillion yuan from January to July, up 8.4 percent year-on-year, contributing 45.4 percent to the overall growth of foreign trade during this period.1-7 月，中国包括高端机床、电动汽车在内的高科技产品贸易额达 5.1 万亿元，同比增长 8.4%，对同期外贸整体增长的贡献率为 45.4%。 "Since the beginning of the year, private businesses have actively responded to changes and continued to serve as a stabilizing force in China's foreign trade," Lyu said. 吕大良称：“今年以来，民营企业积极应对变化，持续发挥中国外贸‘稳定器'作用。” Specifically, the foreign trade value of China's private companies amounted to 14.68 trillion yuan over the past seven months, up 7.4 percent year-on-year, accounting for 57.1 percent of the nation's total foreign trade value, an increase of 2.1 percentage points compared with the same period last year. 具体来看，过去 7 个月，中国民营企业外贸进出口总值达 14.68 万亿元，同比增长 7.4%，占全国外贸总值的 57.1%，较去年同期提升 2.1 个百分点。 Chen Bin, deputy director of the expert committee of the Beijing-based China Machinery Industry Federation, said these trends "have not only laid a solid foundation for China's foreign trade to continue on a stable growth trajectory in the second half, but also reflect a deeper structural realignment". 北京中国机械工业联合会专家委员会副主任陈斌表示，这些趋势 “不仅为下半年中国外贸继续保持稳定增长态势奠定了坚实基础，也反映出更深层次的结构调整”。 Driven by industrial upgrading and the rapid growth of the digital economy, new opportunities are emerging in sectors such as energy storage, industrial robotics and artificial intelligence-enabled manufacturing tools, Chen said, adding that these sectors are fast emerging as new engines of trade growth. 陈斌指出，在产业升级和数字经济快速发展的推动下，储能、工业机器人、人工智能制造工具等领域正涌现新机遇，这些领域正迅速成为贸易增长的新引擎。 Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said that on the demand side, China's strong global product presence and long-standing commitment to free trade are key factors supporting the competitiveness of its foreign trade. 北京中国国际贸易经济合作研究院研究员周密表示，从需求端看，中国产品在全球的强大存在感以及对自由贸易的长期坚持，是支撑中国外贸竞争力的关键因素。 Ahmed bin Sulayem, executive chairman of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre in the United Arab Emirates, said the steady growth of the Chinese economy will encourage economic and trade cooperation with Arab nations and other countries of the world in the long run. 阿联酋迪拜多种商品交易中心执行主席艾哈迈德・本・苏莱耶姆表示，从长远来看，中国经济的稳定增长将促进与阿拉伯国家及世界其他国家的经贸合作。 Zhao Ping, head of the academy of the Beijing-based China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said the projected robust growth in foreign trade during the second half of the year will provide vital support for China's broader economic stability and expansion, reinforcing its resilience amid global uncertainties. 北京中国国际贸易促进委员会研究院院长赵萍表示，预计下半年外贸的强劲增长将为中国整体经济的稳定和扩张提供重要支撑，增强中国在全球不确定性中的韧性。 Also on Thursday, the Ministry of Finance said the government will explore and adjust policy tools to ensure the Chinese economy maintains a stable and positive trajectory, thereby contributing to global economic development. 同样在周四，财政部表示，政府将探索和调整政策工具，确保中国经济保持稳定向好态势，为全球经济发展作出贡献。 The ministry's statement followed S&P Global Ratings' affirmation of its unsolicited 'A+' long-term and 'A-1' short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on China, with a stable outlook for the long-term rating. 此前，标普全球评级确认对中国的长期外币和本币主权信用评级为 “A +”，短期评级为 “A - 1”，长期评级展望为稳定，财政部随后发表了上述声明。 Zhang Yuxian, director of the department of economic forecasting at the State Information Center, warned that China-United States economic and trade frictions will continue to test the resilience of Chinese exports and the adaptability of Chinese exporters in the second half. 国家信息中心经济预测部主任张宇贤警告称，下半年中美经贸摩擦将继续考验中国出口的韧性和出口商的适应能力。 Despite these challenges, China retains substantial potential for optimizing its product mix and enhancing policy support, Zhang said. The country's imports are also expected to become more diversified, providing consumers with a broader range of choices, he added. 张宇贤表示，尽管面临这些挑战，中国在优化产品结构和加强政策支持方面仍有巨大潜力。他补充说，中国的进口预计也将更加多元化，为消费者提供更广泛的选择。 At the company level, Chinese exporters have already taken proactive steps to adapt to external challenges. 在企业层面，中国出口商已采取积极措施应对外部挑战。 Wang Lilong, president of Ningbo Winner Electric Appliances Co, a garden tools manufacturer based in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, said his company has enhanced product adaptability and upgraded noise-reduction solutions this year to help offset the impact of the US tariff pressures. 浙江省宁波市园林工具制造商宁波万泓电器有限公司总裁王利龙表示，为抵消美国关税压力的影响，公司今年提高了产品适应性，并升级了降噪解决方案。 Data from Ningbo Customs shows that in addition to expanding business presence in emerging markets this year, the company saw the export of its products to the US, including lawn mowers and branch shredders, reach 32 million yuan between January and July, surging more than 90 percent year-on-year. 宁波海关数据显示，今年除了在新兴市场扩大业务外，该公司 1-7 月对美出口割草机、树枝粉碎机等产品达 3200 万元，同比激增逾 90%。 With many emerging economies accelerating their industrialization, green and digitally driven modernization, Jiangsu Shangshang Cable Group, a cable manufacturer based in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, exported products worth 420 million yuan during the January-July period, a year-on-year increase of 13.2 percent, according to Nanjing Customs. 南京海关数据显示，随着许多新兴经济体加速工业化、绿色化和数字化驱动的现代化进程，江苏省常州市电缆制造商江苏上上电缆集团 1-7 月出口额达 4.2 亿元，同比增长 13.2%。 Liu Cunyong, head of the company's foreign trade unit, said the robust growth was mainly driven by rising demand in overseas infrastructure projects, especially in economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. 该公司外贸部门负责人刘存勇表示，出口的强劲增长主要得益于海外基础设施项目需求上升，尤其是 “一带一路” 沿线经济体的需求。 "We have been refining our product offerings to better align with the technical and regulatory frameworks of key markets in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa," Liu said. 刘存勇称：“我们一直在优化产品供应，以更好地适应东南亚、中东和非洲重点市场的技术和监管框架。” Resilient /rɪˈzɪliənt/ 有韧性的；适应力强的 Trajectory /trəˈdʒektəri/ 轨迹；发展路径 Sovereign /ˈsɒvrɪn/ 主权的；独立的 Diversified /daɪˈvɜːsɪfaɪd/ 多样化的；多元化的

China launched a group of internet satellites into orbit on Monday evening, marking the third in-orbit deployment of such spacecraft in eight days.周一晚上，中国发射了一组互联网卫星进入轨道，这是八天内此类航天器的第三次在轨部署。The satellites are the seventh group of low-orbit hardware in China's State-owned internet network. They were lifted by a Long March 12 carrier rocket at 6:21 pm on Monday from the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Center—a coastal spaceport in Wenchang, Hainan province—and soon arrived in their orbital positions, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, maker of the Long March 12 rocket.这些卫星是中国国有互联网网络中的第七组低轨道硬件。据长征十二号火箭制造商中国航天科技集团公司称，这些卫星于周一下午6点21分由长征十二号运载火箭从海南省文昌市的沿海航天港海南国际商业航天发射中心升空，很快就到达了轨道位置。The fifth group was launched on July 27 and the sixth on July 30.第五组于7月27日启动，第六组于7日30日启动。The satellites were manufactured by GalaxySpace, a Beijing-based private satellite company, at its "smart factory" in Nantong, Jiangsu province, that features highly intelligent assembly robots and automatic quality testing systems.这些卫星是由总部位于北京的私人卫星公司银河航天在其位于江苏省南通市的“智能工厂”制造的，该工厂拥有高度智能的装配机器人和自动质量检测系统。Monday's launch was the first time that satellites designed and built by a private company were deployed as part of the national mega-constellation project.周一的发射是私营公司设计和建造的卫星首次作为国家大型星座项目的一部分进行部署。The first six groups of space-based assets in this network were made by State-owned entities such as the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Academy of Space Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.该网络中的前六组天基资产是由中国科学院微型卫星创新研究院和中国航天科技集团公司下属的中国空间技术研究院等国有实体制造的。Previously, several GalaxySpace satellites were launched to take part in a technology demonstration for the State-owned internet network, but they are of an experimental nature and are not formal members in the network.此前，发射了几颗银河空间卫星参加国有互联网网络的技术演示，但它们是实验性质的，不是网络的正式成员。Now, the private enterprise has become a leader in the domestic commercial satellite market, with 34 satellites that have been launched, ranging from China's first plate-shaped satellites equipped with foldable solar arrays to the nation's first communications satellite with a transmission capacity of 10 gigabits per second.现在，这家私营企业已经成为国内商业卫星市场的领导者，已经发射了34颗卫星，从中国第一颗配备可折叠太阳能电池板的板状卫星到中国第一颗传输能力为每秒10千兆比特的通信卫星。"Next, GalaxySpace will make all-out efforts to develop core technologies that meet major needs of our nation's space industry, including cutting-edge phased array antennas, mega-constellation networking solutions, on-board large-scale energy systems and digital processing payloads," Hu Zhao, a senior satellite designer at Galaxy-Space, said on Tuesday.“下一步，银河空间将全力开发满足我国航天工业重大需求的核心技术，包括尖端相控阵天线、超大规模网络解决方案、机载大型能源系统和数字处理有效载荷，”银河空间高级卫星设计师胡赵周二表示。He said the company will also speed up the low-cost mass production of satellites and various key equipment, and continuously push the boundaries of technological capabilities, so as to contribute to forming China's independent and reliable space infrastructure.他说，该公司还将加快卫星和各种关键设备的低成本大规模生产，不断突破技术能力的界限，为形成中国独立可靠的太空基础设施做出贡献。Monday's mission marked China's 43rd space launch this year and also the second flight of the Long March 12 rocket model.周一的任务标志着中国今年第43次太空发射，也是长征十二号火箭的第二次飞行。Designed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the Long March 12 is the 22nd member of the Long March family, the backbone of China's space sector, and the 17th in the operating fleet.长征12号由上海航天技术研究院设计，是长征家族的第22位成员，是中国航天事业的中坚力量，也是现役舰队的第17位成员。It is the first Chinese rocket to have a diameter of 3.8 meters—most Chinese rockets have a diameter of 3.35 meters, a standard width set in the 1960s considering constraining factors in rail transport.这是中国第一枚直径为3.8米的火箭——大多数中国火箭的直径为3.35米，这是20世纪60年代考虑到铁路运输的限制因素而设定的标准宽度。Standing 62.6 meters tall, equivalent to the height of 22 stories of a standard residential building, the two-stage model is the second highest in all Chinese rockets, only exceeded by the 62.8-meter Long March 5.两级模型高62.6米，相当于一栋标准住宅楼的22层高度，是中国所有火箭中第二高的，仅次于62.8米的长征五号。cutting-edgen.尖端、先进的/ˈkʌtɪŋ ɛdʒ/orbital positionn.轨道位置/ˈɔːbɪtl pəˈzɪʃən/

Alibaba Group's grocery retail arm Hema, also known as Freshippo, has officially exited the membership store business, shuttering all Hema X locations as it pivots toward more profitable formats amid intensifying competition in China's retail market.阿里巴巴集团旗下的杂货零售部门盒马鲜生（也称为Freshippo）已正式退出会员店业务，关闭了所有盒马X门店，因为它在中国零售市场竞争加剧的情况下转向了更有利可图的模式。Hema said that its Shanghai Senlan store, the last remaining Hema X location, will cease operations on Aug 31. The closure follows the shutdown of stores in Beijing; Suzhou and Nanjing of Jiangsu province in late July. After the Senlan store closure, Hema will no longer operate any stores under the membership model.盒马表示，其上海森兰店是盒马X最后一家门店，将于8月31日停止运营。在北京门店关闭之后，该店也随之关闭；7月下旬，江苏省苏州市和南京市。森兰门店关闭后，盒马将不再以会员模式经营任何门店。Customers holding Hema X memberships — priced at 258 yuan annually for Gold and 658 yuan for Diamond — will be eligible for refunds or can transfer benefits to other Hema formats.持有盒马X会员资格的客户（金卡年费258元，钻石卡年费658元）将有资格获得退款，或者可以将福利转移到其他盒马格式。The move signals the end of Hema's experiment with membership stores, which the company once positioned as a "second growth curve" akin to US membership giants Costco and Sam's Club.此举标志着盒马对会员店的实验结束，该公司曾将会员店定位为类似于美国会员巨头好市多和山姆会员店的“第二增长曲线”。The first Hema X opened in Shanghai in October 2020. By October 2023, the format had expanded to 10 stores across key cities.第一家盒马鲜生X于2020年10月在上海开业。到2023年10月，该模式已扩展到主要城市的10家门店。Hema management made a strategic call earlier this year to concentrate resources on Freshippo and Hema neighbor business, both of which are showing stronger growth momentum.今年早些时候，盒马管理层发出战略呼吁，将资源集中在Freshippo和盒马NB（邻居业务）上，这两家公司都显示出更强劲的增长势头。In an internal letter at the end of 2024, Hema CEO Yan Xiaolei reaffirmed confidence in the company's Hema NB format, with a goal to expand to 300 stores in fiscal year 2025.在2024年底的一封内部信中，盒马首席执行官严筱磊重申了对公司盒马NB模式的信心，目标是在2025财年将门店扩展到300家。According to Alibaba's latest annual report, Hema plans to deepen its presence in emerging cities and counties, with a focus on value-driven formats. The company's gross merchandise value surpassed 75 billion yuan in fiscal year 2025, and its adjusted earnings before interest, taxation and amortization turned positive for the first time. Freshippo now operates over 420 stores, with online orders contributing more than 60 percent of sales.根据阿里巴巴最新的年度报告，盒马计划深化其在新兴城市和县的业务，重点是价值驱动型业态。该公司2025财年的商品总价值超过750亿元，调整后的息税摊销前利润首次转为正值。Freshippo目前经营着420多家商店，在线订单占销售额的60%以上。Analysts said the collapse of Hema X highlights the challenges Chinese retailers face in replicating the US membership model.分析人士表示，盒马鲜生X的倒闭凸显了中国零售商在复制美国会员模式方面面临的挑战。"Hema X charged membership fees, but it never truly validated a mature model," said Jason Yu, general manager of CTR Market Research. "It faced pressure from both global competitors like Sam's Club and domestic players, but lacked strong differentiation in product assortment and customer experience."CTR市场研究总经理Jason Yu表示：“盒马鲜生收取会员费，但它从未真正验证过一个成熟的模式。”。“它面临着来自山姆会员店等全球竞争对手和国内企业的压力，但在产品组合和客户体验方面缺乏强大的差异化。”While Sam's Club benefits from a global supply chain and robust local procurement, most Chinese entrants lack comparable sourcing and private-label development capabilities, said Yu.余表示，虽然山姆会员店受益于全球供应链和强大的本地采购，但大多数中国进入者缺乏可比的采购和自有品牌开发能力。"Costco has started to localize its assortment, but the offering still leans heavily toward an American lifestyle that doesn't fully align with Chinese consumer habits," Yu said. "Omnichannel capabilities also remain weak — there's no front-end warehouse system to support fast delivery expectations."余说：“好市多已经开始对其产品进行本地化，但产品仍然严重倾向于与中国消费者习惯不完全一致的美国生活方式。”。“全渠道能力也仍然薄弱——没有前端仓库系统来支持快速交付的期望。”Hema's retreat from the warehouse format also reflects broader changes in Chinese consumer behavior, particularly among middle- and high-income shoppers.盒马放弃仓储模式也反映了中国消费者行为的更广泛变化，尤其是在中高收入消费者中。"High-income households still value product quality and freshness, but they've become increasingly rational," said Laura Liu, senior research analyst at market observer Mintel China. "We're seeing more of them shift toward fresh-product discount stores, which offer a better price-to-value balance."市场观察机构英敏特中国的高级研究分析师Laura Liu表示：“高收入家庭仍然重视产品质量和新鲜度，但他们已经变得越来越理性。”。“我们看到越来越多的人转向新鲜产品折扣店，这提供了更好的性价比平衡。”According to Mintel, shoppers are no longer loyal to a single retail format. Instead, they alternate between warehouse stores and discount channels depending on purchase scenarios. This crossover trend reflects a broad shift toward flexible, needs-based consumption.据英敏特称，购物者不再忠于单一的零售模式。相反，他们根据购买场景在仓库商店和折扣渠道之间交替。这种交叉趋势反映了向灵活、基于需求的消费的广泛转变。Hema is doubling down on its discount Hema NB format to capture this evolving demand.为了满足这一不断变化的需求，盒马正加倍努力推出折扣版盒马NB。Consultancy Kantar Worldpanel data show that Hema NB boosted its penetration by 1.6 percentage points in eastern China during the first quarter of 2025, outpacing growth in traditional retail formats. Overall, Freshippo's reach grew 1.3 percentage points year-on-year in the first quarter.咨询公司凯度消费者指数的数据显示，2025年第一季度，盒马NB在中国东部的渗透率提高了1.6个百分点，超过了传统零售业态的增长。总体而言，Freshippo的覆盖率在第一季度同比增长了1.3个百分点。The company has also accelerated store openings, averaging one new location every five days in 2024.该公司还加快了店铺的开业速度，2024年平均每五天就有一家新店开业。The NB format, focused on community-based stores offering aggressively priced fresh goods and snacks, has shown particular strength in town-level markets. In the first quarter, discount snack store penetration reached 18 percent, with southern and lower-tier regions seeing the fastest growth.NB模式侧重于以社区为基础的商店，提供价格高昂的新鲜商品和小吃，在城镇市场表现出了特别的优势。第一季度，折扣小吃店的渗透率达到18%，其中南部和低线地区增长最快。"Consumers are seeking more value without compromising on quality," Liu said. "Discount retailers that deliver on both fronts are well-positioned to capture share in this new retail landscape."刘说：“消费者在不牺牲质量的情况下寻求更多的价值。”。“在这两个方面都提供服务的折扣零售商处于有利地位，可以在这个新的零售格局中占据份额。”closuren.（永久地）停业/ˈkləʊʒə/warehousen.仓库、货仓/ˈweəhaʊs/

A video of a 29-year-old railway officer hand-drawing China's entire railway network from memory has gone viral, garnering widespread attention for her exceptional skill and dedication to passenger service.一段视频记录了一位29岁的铁路工作人员凭借记忆手绘出中国全部铁路网络的过程。该视频迅速走红，因其展现的非凡绘图技能以及对乘客服务的执着奉献而受到了广泛的关注。Xing Siyuan, a passenger service duty officer at the Jinhua train depot of China Railway Shanghai Group Co, has memorized and can manually draw a comprehensive diagram of the national rail network. Her detailed map includes 1,092 station names, 388 railway line names, 975 fare calculation stations and 117 non-calculation stations. Using just two pens, she reproduced a version of China's railway map that closely resembles the official printed one.邢思远是上海铁路局金华车辆段的一名客运服务值班员，她能够熟练绘制出全国铁路网的综合图。她的详细地图涵盖了1092个车站名称、388条铁路线名、975个票价计算站和117个非计算站。仅用两支笔，她就绘制出了与官方印刷版极为相似的中国铁路地图。The idea of memorizing the map first came to Xing during the 2018 Spring Festival travel rush, when she assisted an elderly passenger who struggled to plan a journey home without a smartphone or family support.在2018年春节出行高峰期间，邢萌萌首次有了绘制地图记忆路线的想法。当时，她帮助了一位年长的乘客，这位乘客没有智能手机也没有家人陪伴，因而难以规划回家的行程。"That moment made me realize the importance of being able to provide immediate transfer solutions to passengers, especially for those who might not be tech-savvy," she said.她说：“那一刻让我意识到，能够为乘客提供即时的转机服务是多么重要，尤其是对于那些不太熟悉科技操作的乘客而言。”Xing achieved her goal in 2022 by developing a systematic approach of dividing the network into four geographical sections, mastering main lines before progressing to lines at a branch level.邢在2022年实现了她的目标，她采用了系统的方法，将网络划分为四个地理区域，先掌握主要线路，然后再逐步处理分支级别的线路。Her memorization technique combines mnemonic devices with geometric visualization.她的记忆方法将记忆技巧与几何图形的视觉化相结合。"I would take the first character of each station name along a route and create a memorable phrase," she explained.她解释道：“我会选取每条路线上的每个站点名称的第一个字母，然后组合成一个令人难忘的短语。”For the Longhai line stretching from Jiangsu province to the northwest, she developed memory aids using the station names' characters in sequence. She also associates network sections with basic geometric shapes such as triangles and hexagons to enhance recall.对于从江苏省延伸至西北部的陇海铁路线，她利用车站名称中的汉字按顺序编制了记忆辅助工具。她还将铁路线段与三角形和六边形等基本几何图形联系起来，以增强记忆效果。As a passenger service officer, Xing's knowledge has proved invaluable in daily operations. While she can draw the full network in four to five hours, the real benefit lies in her ability to assist passengers instantly.作为一名客运服务人员，邢女士所掌握的知识在日常工作中发挥了至关重要的作用。虽然她能在四到五个小时内绘制出整个线路图，但其真正的价值在于她能够迅速为乘客提供帮助。"When facing elderly passengers or those who need urgent transfer arrangements, I can immediately provide multiple routing options without relying on digital devices," she said. This skill is especially helpful during peak seasons, when tickets may be limited at major transfer stations.她说：“当遇到老年乘客或需要紧急换乘安排的乘客时，我能够立即提供多种换乘路线选择，而无需依赖电子设备。”这种技能在旺季尤其有用，因为此时主要换乘站的车票可能会供应紧张。China's rapidly expanding railway network presents an ongoing challenge.中国迅速扩张的铁路网络一直面临着诸多挑战。"Compared to the past, today's railway map is considerably more complex with its intricate web of intersecting routes," Xing noted.邢指出：“与过去相比，如今的铁路线路图要复杂得多，其纵横交错的线路构成了一张错综复杂的网络。”China's railway system spanned more than 160,000 kilometers by the end of last year, and continues to expand annually.截至去年年底，中国的铁路总长度已超过16万公里，并且还在逐年持续增长。Xing keeps her knowledge up to date by studying official map updates and redrawing the network nearly every other day to reinforce her memory.邢会通过研究官方地图的更新内容来保持自己的知识处于最新状态，并且每隔几天就会重新绘制网络图，以此来强化自己的记忆。Despite being dubbed the railway's "super brain" on social media, Xing remains modest.尽管在社交媒体上被戏称为铁路系统的“超级大脑”，但邢（Xing）本人却依然保持着谦逊的态度。"I don't consider memorizing and drawing the railway network particularly extraordinary," she said. "Many of my colleagues are equally excellent in their ways."“我觉得记住并绘制铁路线路图并不是什么特别了不起的事情，”她说，“我的许多同事在这方面也同样表现出色。”In an era dominated by artificial intelligence and digital tools, Xing's achievement has sparked interest in the role of human expertise. She believes mastering such skills helps develop problem-solving abilities and brings unique value to customer service.在人工智能和数字工具主导的这个时代，邢女士的成就引发了人们对人类专业技能作用的思考。她认为，掌握这些技能有助于培养解决问题的能力，并为客户服务带来独特的价值。"While new technologies such as AI are indeed advanced, mastering this skill has significantly enhanced my professional capabilities," she said.“虽然诸如人工智能这样的新技术确实很先进，但掌握这项技能极大地提升了我的专业能力。”她说道。"More importantly, it enables me to provide immediate, personalized assistance to passengers without relying on technology, especially when quick, alternative solutions are needed," she added.“更重要的是，这使我能够无需依赖技术就能为乘客提供即时、个性化的帮助，尤其是在需要快速、替代性解决方案的情况下。”她补充道。 railway networkn.铁路网络/ˈreɪlweɪˈnetwɜːk/passenger servicen.客运服务/ˈpæsɪndʒəˈsɜːvɪs/

A State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Qiang on Thursday called for stepping up efforts to improve the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies, while arranging the implementation of interest subsidies on personal consumption loans and loans to service sector businesses to better stimulate consumption and enhance market vitality.本周四，国务院常务会议主持李强总理呼吁加大力度提高宏观经济政策的有效性，同时安排对个人消费贷款和服务业企业贷款实施利息补贴，以更好地刺激消费，增强市场活力。As the country's latest step to boost innovation-driven growth, the State Council executive meeting approved a guideline on deeply implementing the AI Plus initiative, calling for promoting the large-scale, commercial application of artificial intelligence and advancing its accelerated adoption and deep integration across various fields of economic and social development.作为中国推动创新驱动增长的最新举措，国务院常务会议批准了一项关于深入实施人工智能+倡议的指导方针，呼吁促进人工智能的大规模商业应用，并推进其在经济和社会发展各个领域的加速采用和深度融合。On Thursday, the National Bureau of Statistics released the latest purchasing managers index, or PMI, data, which suggested the necessity to consolidate the resilience of the manufacturing sector and overall economic momentum in the second half of the year.周四，国家统计局发布了最新的采购经理人指数（PMI）数据，该数据表明，下半年有必要巩固制造业的韧性和整体经济势头。Economists called for further reinforcing support for domestic demand and employment, as the nation's manufacturing activity cooled in July amid unfavorable weather and the traditional off-season. The official PMI for the manufacturing sector stood at 49.3 in July, down from 49.7 in June, the NBS said on Thursday.经济学家呼吁进一步加强对国内需求和就业的支持，因为在不利天气和传统淡季的影响下，该国7月份的制造业活动有所降温。国家统计局周四表示，7月份制造业官方采购经理人指数为49.3，低于6月份的49.7。Despite the moderation, high-tech manufacturing continued to gain traction in July, highlighting the vitality of the country's industrial upgrading and reinforcing the sector's ability to withstand ongoing external challenges, experts said.专家表示，尽管有所放缓，但高科技制造业在7月份继续获得动力，突显了该国产业升级的活力，并增强了该行业抵御持续外部挑战的能力。Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International, said, "With both domestic and external demand softening, the manufacturing PMI ended its two-month rebound and declined within the contraction territory in July."东方金诚首席宏观经济分析师王青表示：“随着国内外需求疲软，制造业采购经理人指数结束了两个月的反弹，7月份在收缩区间内下降。”The official manufacturing PMI has stayed below the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction for the fourth consecutive month. In July, the subindex of new orders — a barometer of market demand — dropped to 49.4 from 50.2 in June, while that of new export orders went down to 47.1 from 47.7 in the previous month.官方制造业采购经理人指数（PMI）连续第四个月保持在50分以下，50分是扩张与收缩的分界线。7月份，作为市场需求晴雨表的新订单分项指数从6月份的50.2降至49.4，而新出口订单分项指数从前一个月的47.7降至47.1。External headwinds dampened export momentum, while the effect of earlier policies to boost domestic demand started to wane in July, Wang said, adding that high temperatures, heavy rains and flooding in some regions disrupted production.王说，外部逆风抑制了出口势头，而早些时候提振内需的政策的效果在7月份开始减弱，并补充说，一些地区的高温、暴雨和洪水扰乱了生产。Downward pressures on economic growth may intensify in the third quarter, said Wang, who expects additional measures to boost domestic demand as China's relatively low levels of sovereign debt and inflation have offered ample policy room to offset a slowdown in external demand.王表示，第三季度经济增长的下行压力可能会加剧。他预计，随着中国相对较低的主权债务和通胀水平为抵消外部需求放缓提供了充足的政策空间，将采取额外措施提振内需。The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee held a meeting on Wednesday that made arrangements for economic work in the second half, emphasizing that macro policies should continue to exert force and be strengthened at an appropriate time.中共中央政治局周三召开会议，对下半年经济工作作出部署，强调宏观政策要继续发挥作用，适时加强。Xiong Yi, Deutsche Bank's chief economist for China, said, "If GDP growth slows faster than expected, a budget deficit increase may become necessary in the fourth quarter."德意志银行中国首席经济学家熊奕表示：“如果GDP增长放缓速度超过预期，第四季度可能需要增加预算赤字。”He said he anticipates that the Chinese economy will grow 4.8 percent in 2025, following its strong resilience in the first half of the year.他说，他预计中国经济在上半年强劲复苏后，到2025年将增长4.8%。According to Xiong, service consumption is expected to become a new driver of economic growth and employment in the second half of the year. China is enhancing its support for service consumption, with a particular focus on cultural tourism, elderly care, healthcare and domestic services.熊表示，服务消费有望成为下半年经济增长和就业的新动力。中国正在加强对服务消费的支持，特别关注文化旅游、养老、医疗保健和家政服务。Despite the overall decline, the PMI for high-tech manufacturing came in at 50.6 in July, while that for equipment manufacturing was at 50.3, the NBS said, indicating the sectors' capability to thrive despite challenges.国家统计局表示，尽管整体下降，但7月份高科技制造业的采购经理人指数为50.6，而设备制造业的PMI为50.3，表明这些行业在面临挑战的情况下仍有能力蓬勃发展。For instance, Nantong Haixing Electronics Co, an electronic energy storage materials producer based in Nantong, Jiangsu province, saw its export value exceeding 50 million yuan in the first half of 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of 67.23 percent, data from Nanjing Customs showed.例如，南京海关的数据显示，总部位于江苏省南通市的电子储能材料生产商南通海星电子有限公司在2025年上半年的出口额超过5000万元人民币（695万美元），同比增长67.23%。Jin Wenhui, the head of the company's foreign trade unit, said that despite intense worldwide competition, sustained investment in innovation has enabled the company to pursue industrial upgrading and remain resilient in a rapidly evolving global landscape.该公司外贸部门负责人金文辉表示，尽管全球竞争激烈，但对创新的持续投资使该公司能够追求产业升级，并在快速发展的全球格局中保持弹性。Guangdong Greenway Technology Co, a manufacturer of electric motorcycles and bicycles, as well as mobile energy storage systems, based in Dongguan, Guangdong province, shipped its products to more than 80 countries and regions across Europe and the Americas in the first half of the year, according to Huangpu Customs in Guangdong.广东黄埔海关表示，总部位于广东省东莞市的电动摩托车和自行车以及移动储能系统制造商广东绿道科技有限公司上半年将其产品运往欧美80多个国家和地区。Wu Jing, head of the company's foreign trade unit, said, "With years of development in lithium battery manufacturing, we've steadily increased our supply of high-quality, eco-friendly products amid the global shift toward energy transition, while actively exploring new markets and opportunities overseas."该公司外贸部门负责人吴京表示：“随着锂电池制造业多年的发展，在全球能源转型的背景下，我们稳步增加了高质量、环保产品的供应，同时积极探索海外新市场和机遇。”economic momentumn.经济势头/ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk məˈmɛntəm/budget deficitn.预算赤字/ˈbʌdʒɪt ˈdɛfɪsɪt/

China will remain a vital innovation hub and manufacturing base for foreign corporations despite global economic uncertainty, said government officials and business leaders.政府官员和商界领袖表示，尽管全球经济形势充满不确定性，但中国仍将作为外国企业的关键创新中心和制造基地而继续发挥重要作用。They noted that foreign firms are maintaining deep engagement with the Chinese market, capitalizing on their technological expertise alongside China's well-developed industrial and supply chains — a synergy that enhances operational efficiency, fosters innovation and strengthens supply chain resilience.他们指出，外国企业正持续深入参与中国市场，充分利用自身的技术专长以及中国完善的工业和供应链体系——这种协同效应能够提高运营效率、促进创新并增强供应链的韧性。Foreign-invested companies in China saw their export and import value grow by 2.4 percent year-on-year to 6.32 trillion yuan ($881.2 billion) in the first half, marking growth for the fifth consecutive quarter, statistics from the General Administration of Customs showed.据海关总署的数据，今年上半年，在华外资企业的出口和进口总额同比增长2.4%，达到6.32万亿元人民币（约合8812亿美元），这是连续第五个季度实现增长。The number of foreign-invested businesses in the country with actual import and export activities amounted to 75,000 in the first six months, the highest level for the same period since 2021, said the administration.该部门表示，上半年在该国开展实际进出口业务的外资企业数量达到75,000家，这是自2021年以来同期的最高水平。China's evolving industrial ecosystem — combining cost, quality and speed with advanced infrastructure — is transforming into a collaborative innovation hub where multinationals co-develop and expand alongside local partners, said Mohamed Kande, global chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd, a London-based global accounting company.普华永道国际有限公司（一家总部位于伦敦的全球性会计师事务所）的全球主席穆罕默德·坎德表示，中国不断发展的工业生态系统——将成本、质量和速度与先进的基础设施相结合——正在转变为一个协同创新的中心，跨国公司与当地合作伙伴共同开发并扩大业务规模。Reflecting on this shift, Lyu Daliang, director of the GAC's department of statistics and analysis, said that among the major manufacturing categories involved in foreign company exports, industries such as specialized equipment, electrical machinery and electronic devices all posted robust growth between January and June.对于这一变化，广汽集团统计分析部门负责人吕大良表示，在外资企业出口所涉及的主要制造业类别中，诸如专用设备、电气机械和电子设备等行业在1月至6月期间均实现了强劲增长。One such company — Global Electric Appliance (Nantong) Co Ltd, a manufacturer of household appliances in Nantong, Jiangsu province and a subsidiary of a Singapore-based industrial group — reported a 31.9 percent year-on-year increase in exports, reaching 343 million yuan in the first half, said Nanjing Customs.其中一家这样的企业——位于江苏省南通市的家用电器制造商“环球电器（南通）有限公司”，该公司隶属于一家总部位于新加坡的工业集团，其出口额同比增长了31.9%，上半年达到3.43亿元，此数据由南京海关公布。Chen Jinxin, head of the company's foreign trade unit, said the company has shipped its products, including vacuum and steam cleaners, to over 90 overseas markets, backed by China's innovative solutions and a highly integrated supply chain that enables rapid product development and efficient global distribution.该公司外贸部门负责人陈金鑫表示，公司已将包括真空吸尘器和蒸汽清洁器在内的产品销往全球90多个市场。这得益于中国的创新解决方案以及高度整合的供应链，该供应链能够实现产品快速开发和高效的全球配送。Apart from investing 3 billion yuan in its Hangzhou plant in Zhejiang province over the past decade, Italian chocolate and confectionery maker Ferrero Group said that the factory now supplies 53 percent of its products to the Chinese market, with the remaining 47 percent exported to more than 20 countries and regions across the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and North America.在过去十年里，意大利巧克力及糖果制造商费列罗集团在浙江省的杭州工厂投入了30亿元资金。该集团表示，目前该工厂生产的53%的产品供应给中国市场，其余47%的产品则出口到亚太地区、中东和北美地区的20多个国家和地区。Yang Lianjun, general manager of Ferrero's Hangzhou plant, said the Chinese market offers significant opportunities, and the company may introduce additional premium product categories in the future, such as ice cream.费罗尔杭州工厂的总经理杨练军表示，中国市场蕴含着巨大的机遇，公司未来可能会推出更多高端产品类别，比如冰淇淋。To bolster its local research and development capabilities, Ferrero established a food innovation center within its Hangzhou facility last year. The center focuses on developing chocolate, confectionery and bakery products tailored to regional preferences and shortening time-to-market cycles.为了增强其本地的研发能力，费列罗公司去年在其杭州工厂内设立了食品创新中心。该中心致力于开发符合当地消费者口味的巧克力、糖果和烘焙产品，并缩短产品上市周期。The Ministry of Commerce said foreign direct investment in China's manufacturing sector reached 109.06 billion yuan in the first half, while high-tech industries attracted 127.87 billion yuan. FDI inflows from Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany rose by 68.6 percent, 59.1 percent, 37.6 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively.商务部表示，上半年中国制造业领域的外国直接投资达到1090.6亿元，而高科技产业吸引了1278.7亿元的投资。来自瑞士、日本、英国和德国的外资流入分别增长了68.6%、59.1%、37.6%和6.3%。Amid a turbulent and uncertain global trade landscape, the stability of China's policy environment and the long-term orientation of its planning have grown increasingly valuable, said Li Xingqian, vice-chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.中国国际贸易促进委员会副会长李兴乾表示，在全球贸易环境动荡且充满不确定性的背景下，中国政策环境的稳定性以及其规划的长期导向性变得愈发重要。Neutrik Technology (Ningbo) Co Ltd, a Ningbo, Zhejiang province-based manufacturer of electronic connectors and a subsidiary of the European company Neutrik AG, reported a 19 percent year-on-year rise in first-half sales to 68.45 million yuan, covering both domestic sales and exports, said Ningbo Customs.位于浙江省宁波市的纽崔克科技（宁波）有限公司是一家电子连接器制造商，隶属于欧洲的纽崔克公司。该公司称，其上半年销售额同比增长19%，达到6845万元人民币，其中包括国内销售额和出口额。此数据由宁波海关提供。Dong Lanju, the company's president, said that China's well-integrated industrial ecosystem and pro-business environment will continue to empower foreign manufacturers to expand production, boost operational efficiency and better capture opportunities in global markets.该公司总裁董兰菊表示，中国完善的工业生态系统以及积极的商业环境将继续助力外国制造商扩大生产规模、提高运营效率，并更好地把握全球市场的机遇。peace talksn.和平谈判/piːs tɔːks/Ukraine crisisn.乌克兰危机/juːˈkreɪnˈkraɪsɪs/

Another in our series of Themed Podcasts focussing on GU Oncology in China. We are joined by our China Editor, Dr Yao Zhu (Fudan University, Shanghai), and Prof Xuedong Wei (Soochow University, Jiangsu). to find out what the current treatment landscape is for mHSPC in China. Is it ADT/ARPI doublets for all?? Anyone still give chemo? Who gets a PSMA PET/CT? And what is the current status and role for radioligand therapy at progression? Plus, when are we taking GU Cast to Chin again?! All this and more! Thanks to our Gold Partner, Bayer China, for supporting our China Themed Episode Series, and for supporting all our GU Cast Conference Highlights. Even better on our YouTube channel 

China ranks second globally in STEM education development, trailing only the United States, according to a new index released on Sunday by the Tongji University STEM Education think tank in Shanghai. 上海同济大学 STEM 教育智库周日发布的一项新指数显示，中国在 STEM 教育发展方面位居全球第二，仅次于美国。 The Global STEM Education Development Index 2025, billed as the world's first comprehensive evaluation tool for national and regional science, technology, engineering and mathematics education development, placed the US in the top position with 86.50 points. China followed closely with 85.46 points. Switzerland, Singapore and Denmark rounded out the top five countries. 《2025 全球 STEM 教育发展指数》被誉为全球首个针对国家和地区科学、技术、工程与数学教育发展的综合评估工具。该指数中，美国以 86.50 分位居榜首，中国以 85.46 分紧随其后，瑞士、新加坡和丹麦跻身前五。 The index, developed with academic guidance from the Chinese Society of Educational Development Strategy and data from Elsevier, systematically assessed the STEM education development levels of 40 major countries and regions worldwide. It established 22 indicators across three dimensions: policy and resources, educational processes, and outcomes and impacts, aiming to provide a scientific benchmark for optimizing national STEM education strategies.该指数在全国教育发展战略学会的学术指导下编制，数据来源于爱思唯尔（Elsevier），系统评估了全球 40 个主要国家和地区的 STEM 教育发展水平。指数从政策与资源、教育过程、成果与影响三个维度设置了 22 项指标，旨在为优化各国 STEM 教育战略提供科学基准。 A representative from Tongji University highlighted the increasing global technological competition, stating that STEM education has become a core pillar supporting national innovation capacity and high-quality development. 同济大学一位代表强调，全球科技竞争日益激烈，STEM 教育已成为支撑国家创新能力和高质量发展的核心支柱。 The release of the index is a direct response to a guideline jointly published in January by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, which called for deepening international STEM education cooperation and creating internationally influential indexes and reports. 该指数的发布是对今年 1 月中共中央、国务院联合印发的一份指导意见的直接响应，意见中呼吁深化 STEM 教育国际合作，打造具有国际影响力的指数和报告。 Further underscoring international recognition of China's STEM practices is the establishment of UNESCO's first Category 1 Center outside Europe and North America — the International Institute for STEM Education — in Shanghai. 联合国教科文组织在上海设立了国际 STEM 教育研究所，这是该组织在欧美以外地区设立的首个一类中心，进一步彰显了国际社会对中国 STEM 教育实践的认可。 The US' top ranking was attributed to its strong institutional and resource advantages, particularly in education funding as a percentage of GDP, its per-student expenditure and abundant education resources. 美国之所以位居榜首，得益于其强大的制度和资源优势，尤其是在教育经费占 GDP 比例、生均教育支出以及丰富的教育资源方面。 China, despite a relative gap in per capita resources, excelled in the "educational processes"dimension. Its outstanding performance in teachers' STEM competency scores, results from the Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA, competition achievements and large-scale STEM graduate output helped offset these resource disparities. 中国尽管在人均资源方面存在相对差距，但在 “教育过程” 维度表现突出。其在教师 STEM 能力评分、国际学生评估项目（PISA）成绩、竞赛成果以及大规模 STEM 毕业生输出等方面的优异表现，弥补了这些资源差距。 Among emerging economies, India produced the world's largest number of STEM graduates at 3.34 million. However, its per-student funding amounted to only 17 percent of US levels, leading to a lower overall ranking of 30th place. 在新兴经济体中，印度的 STEM 毕业生数量全球最多，达 334 万人。但该国生均教育经费仅为美国的 17%，导致其总体排名较低，位列第 30 位。 The report emphasized that high proportions of education funding in GDP and per-student expenditure provide ample hardware support for research and teaching, fostering a virtuous cycle between basic research and talent cultivation. It also validated the significant impact of industry-academia-research collaboration and open international cooperation on the efficiency of STEM research output translation. 报告强调，教育经费占 GDP 比例高、生均教育支出高，能为科研和教学提供充足的硬件支持，促进基础研究与人才培养之间的良性循环。报告还证实，产学研合作以及开放的国际合作对 STEM 研究成果转化效率具有显著影响。 In past international assessments, Chinese students have demonstrated strong performance. The 2018 PISA, hosted every three years by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, found that 15-year-olds in Beijing, Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang ranked No 1 in all three core subjects — reading, science and mathematics — achieving the highest Level 4 rating. While China did not participate in the 2022 PISA test, it has consistently been among the top scorers. 在过去的国际评估中，中国学生表现优异。经济合作与发展组织每三年举办一次 PISA 测试，2018 年的测试显示，北京、上海、江苏、浙江的 15 岁学生在阅读、科学、数学三个核心科目中均排名第一，达到最高的 4 级水平。尽管中国未参加 2022 年 PISA 测试，但此前一直位居高分行列。 Domestically, China is prioritizing AI education. A recent document issued by the Ministry of Education outlines a tiered AI education system covering all levels of primary and secondary education. The system will guide students from basic cognitive understanding in primary school to deeper analysis in middle school and applied innovation in high school. At the higher education level, the development of artificial intelligence education at universities has been a priority. 在国内，中国正优先发展人工智能教育。教育部近期发布的一份文件规划了覆盖中小学各学段的分级人工智能教育体系。该体系将引导学生在小学阶段形成基础认知，初中阶段进行深入分析，高中阶段开展应用创新。在高等教育层面，高校人工智能教育的发展已成为重点。 Since 2018, when the first 35 Chinese universities introduced undergraduate AI programs, the field has expanded significantly, with over 626 institutions nationwide now offering AI-related degrees. 自 2018 年中国首批 35 所高校开设人工智能本科专业以来，该领域发展显著，目前全国已有 626 所院校开设人工智能相关专业。 STEM /stem/ 科学（Science）、技术（Technology）、工程（Engineering）、数学（Mathematics）的缩写 index /ˈɪndeks/ 指数，指标 competency /ˈkɒmpɪtənsi/ 能力，胜任力 collaboration /kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃn/ 合作，协作

Legoland Shanghai Resort, the city's newest theme park and the world's largest Legoland park, has significantly driven up bookings at nearby hotels and boosted consumption growth in surrounding areas after its opening on Saturday.上海乐高乐园度假区是上海最新的主题公园，也是全球最大的乐高乐园。自周六开园以来，它极大地带动了周边酒店的预订量，并促进了周边地区的消费增长。So far this summer, 70 percent of hotel bookings in the city's Jinshan district — where the resort is located — were made by travelers from other regions of the country, while bookings made by locals accounted for more than 50 percent last year, said Qunar, a Beijing-based online travel agency.总部位于北京的在线旅行社去哪儿网表示，今年夏天到目前为止，该度假区所在的上海金山区，70% 的酒店预订来自全国其他地区的游客，而去年本地游客的预订占比超过 50%。Travelers who booked hotel rooms near Legoland mainly came from Shanghai; Beijing; Qingdao, Shandong province; Chengdu, Sichuan province; and Nanjing, Jiangsu province, Qunar said. Many hotels near the theme park said they offer complimentary shuttle services and luggage storage services for holidaymakers.去哪儿网称，预订乐高乐园附近酒店客房的游客主要来自上海、北京、山东青岛、四川成都和江苏南京。乐园附近的许多酒店表示，它们为游客提供免费的班车服务和行李寄存服务。"Summer has been the peak season for travelers going to theme parks, and the popularity of theme parks is expected to have an even more prominent impact on boosting consumption growth of surrounding hotels, restaurants and other amenities," said Chen Xiaoshuang, a researcher at Qunar.去哪儿网研究员陈晓双表示：“夏季一直是主题公园旅游的旺季，主题公园的热度预计将对带动周边酒店、餐饮及其他配套设施的消费增长产生更为显著的影响。”Nationwide, booking volumes for admission tickets at domestic theme parks so far this summer jumped 70 percent on a yearly basis, according to the online travel agency.据该在线旅行社称，今年夏天到目前为止，全国范围内国内主题公园的门票预订量同比增长了 70%。Besides Legoland, theme parks — especially those with popular brand cachets — have been the driving engines of surrounding economies. For instance, bookings of hotels and bed-and-breakfasts near Universal Studios Beijing and Shanghai Disneyland jumped nearly 40 percent over last summer, Qunar said.去哪儿网表示，除了乐高乐园，主题公园 —— 尤其是那些拥有热门品牌影响力的主题公园 —— 一直是周边经济的驱动引擎。例如，北京环球度假区和上海迪士尼乐园附近的酒店及民宿预订量较去年夏天增长了近 40%。"A theme park can bring more fashionable and modern elements to an ancient city and add new vitality," said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy.中国旅游研究院院长戴斌表示：“一座主题公园能够为古城带来更多时尚现代元素，注入新的活力。”Zhongmu county in Zhengzhou, Henan province, was originally known for its abundance of crops such as watermelon and garlic. Now it is home to eight theme parks, including Zhengzhou Haichang Ocean Park and Zhengzhou Fantawild Adventure. So far this summer, hotel booking volumes in Zhongmu surged 50-fold over the same period of 2019, Qunar added.河南省郑州市中牟县原本以盛产西瓜、大蒜等农作物闻名。如今，这里拥有 8 个主题公园，包括郑州海昌海洋公园和郑州方特欢乐世界。去哪儿网补充说，今年夏天到目前为止，中牟县的酒店预订量较 2019 年同期激增了 50 倍。The Zhongmu government said the county would like to further stimulate its vitality based on the popularity of tourism. By 2026, the county plans to build a comprehensive modern industrial system that includes cultural and creative tourism, advanced manufacturing and modern biopharmaceuticals.中牟县政府表示，将依托旅游业的热度进一步激发县域活力。到 2026 年，该县计划构建包含文化创意旅游、高端制造和现代生物医药在内的综合性现代产业体系。"If a theme park generates revenues of 1 yuan (14 cents), it can drive a city's income by 3.8 yuan, thus propelling the incomes of upstream and downstream industries by 6-15 yuan. In addition to its own income, a theme park can make significant contributions to a city," said Lin Huanjie, director of the Institute for Theme Park Studies in China.中国主题公园研究院院长林焕杰表示：“主题公园每产生 1 元收入，就能带动城市收入 3.8 元，进而拉动上下游产业收入 6 至 15 元。除了自身收入外，主题公园还能为城市做出重大贡献。”boom /buːm/ 繁荣，激增surge /sɜːdʒ/ 急剧上升，猛增cachet /ˈkæʃeɪ/ 威望，声誉vitality /vaɪˈtæləti/ 活力，生命力

As graduation season and summer vacation get underway in June and July, students are embarking on trips to domestic and overseas destinations with their peers, boosting the vibrancy of the tourism market, industry players found.随着毕业季和暑假的到来，学生们在六月和七月纷纷与同伴踏上前往国内外目的地的旅程，业内人士发现，这提振了旅游市场的活力。Theme parks, museums, cultural venues, internet-famous scenic spots, trendy business districts, as well as concerts, music festivals and other activities are all popular choices for students, and they have been increasingly pursuing personalized, flexible and new experiences.主题公园、博物馆、文化场馆、网红景点、时尚商业区，以及演唱会、音乐节等活动都是学生们的热门选择，他们也越来越追求个性化、灵活且新颖的体验。In June, the average airfare and hotel prices domestically are nearly 40 percent lower than those in July and August. For some high-school graduates and college students, their peak travel period starts after the National College Entrance Examination on June 10 and lasts until around July 10, said Qunar, a Beijing-based online travel agency.北京在线旅游机构去哪儿网表示，6 月国内机票和酒店均价较 7、8 月低近四成。对一些高中毕业生和大学生来说，他们的旅行高峰期从 6 月 10 日高考结束后开始，持续到 7 月 10 日左右。"Young consumers have become the main force in the cultural tourism market, boosting demand for more personalized and quality travel experiences. And more tourists are willing to explore domestic small towns and seek out some emotional satisfaction during their trips," said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy.中国旅游研究院院长戴斌表示：“年轻消费者已成为文旅市场的主力，推动了对更个性化、高质量旅游体验的需求。更多游客愿意探索国内小镇，并在旅途中寻求情感满足。”For graduation travel, being together is the most important factor for students. For young travelers aged between 22 and 25, their hotel booking volumes in June jumped 22 percent year-on-year. Among these, hotel bookings for multiple guests accounted for over 70 percent of the total, Qunar found.去哪儿网发现，对于毕业旅行，“同伴同行” 是学生们最重要的因素。22 至 25 岁的年轻旅行者 6 月酒店预订量同比增长 22%，其中多人入住的酒店预订占比超过 70%。In terms of hotel bookings, the top five most popular domestic destinations for graduation travel in June are Beijing; Shanghai; Nanjing, Jiangsu province; Guangzhou, Guangdong province; and Chengdu, Sichuan province. Hotel bookings in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region grew the fastest, Qunar found.去哪儿网发现，从酒店预订来看，6 月毕业旅行最热门的国内五大目的地是北京、上海、江苏南京、广东广州和四川成都。其中，新疆维吾尔自治区的酒店预订量增长最快。Meanwhile, since the beginning of this year, there has been a significant increase in tourist demand for niche and in-depth travel products, said Tuniu Corp, a Suzhou, Jiangsu-based online travel agency.与此同时，江苏苏州在线旅游机构途牛旅游网称，今年以来，游客对小众深度旅游产品的需求显著增加。"Going for traditional cultural elements, trips that can help avoid summer heat and seaside leisure trips are among sought-after choices for visitors who take journeys in summer," said Qi Chunguang, vice-president of Tuniu.途牛副总裁齐春光表示：“追求传统文化元素、避暑旅行和海滨休闲旅行是夏季游客的热门选择。”In addition, booking volumes of outbound travel orders by graduates and college students have surged this summer, thanks to multiple countries' favorable visa policies offered to Chinese visitors.此外，由于多个国家对中国游客推出了优惠签证政策，今年夏天毕业生和大学生的出境游订单量激增。"This summer, some niche and emerging overseas destinations have received increasing attention from Chinese tourists," Qi said.齐春光称：“今年夏天，一些小众和新兴的海外目的地越来越受到中国游客的关注。”In particular, bookings of travel packages to Belgium, Luxembourg, Zambia and Greece have more than doubled year-on-year. And the bookings of travel packages to destinations such as Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan have jumped significantly, Tuniu found.途牛发现，特别是比利时、卢森堡、赞比亚和希腊的跟团游预订量同比增长超过一倍，格鲁吉亚、亚美尼亚和阿塞拜疆等目的地的跟团游预订量也显著跃升。For hotel bookings, some top overseas destinations include Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, and the popularity of the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative has been growing the fastest. Chinese visitor bookings for travel products to Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Montenegro, Georgia and Egypt have soared by more than tenfold over last year, Qunar found.去哪儿网发现，从酒店预订来看，日本、韩国、泰国、马来西亚和印度尼西亚等是热门海外目的地，“一带一路” 相关国家和地区的受欢迎程度增长最快。中国游客预订前往卢森堡、哈萨克斯坦、黑山、格鲁吉亚和埃及的旅游产品数量较去年激增十倍以上。In another development, the peak season for the domestic air travel market is approaching, and carriers have ramped up efforts to launch new flights or boost frequency on existing routes bound for popular tourist destinations.另一方面，国内航空旅行市场的旺季即将到来，航空公司已加大力度开通新航班或增加飞往热门旅游目的地的现有航线频次。Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines plans to boost the frequency of flights connecting Beijing Daxing International Airport with Baishan Changbaishan Airport, Jilin province; and Altay Xuedu Airport, Xinjiang.总部位于广州的中国南方航空计划增加北京大兴国际机场至吉林长白山机场、新疆阿勒泰雪都机场的航班频次。The carrier said it will operate wide-body aircraft on popular routes such as those connecting Urumqi, Xinjiang with Guangzhou and Shenzhen of Guangdong province; Beijing; Shanghai; and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and the number of wide-body aircraft used is likely to reach a new high.该航空公司表示，将在新疆乌鲁木齐至广东广州、深圳，北京、上海、浙江杭州等热门航线上运营宽体机，宽体机使用数量可能达到新高。For international flights, it plans to launch new flights connecting Guangzhou with Almaty, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, and new routes connecting Guangzhou with Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent on June 30, as well as a new service linking Harbin, Heilongjiang province with Vladivostok, Russia on July 1.国际航班方面，其计划于周三开通广州至哈萨克斯坦阿拉木图的新航班，6 月 30 日开通广州至乌兹别克斯坦首都塔什干的新航线，7 月 1 日开通黑龙江哈尔滨至俄罗斯符拉迪沃斯托克的新航线。重点词汇graduation travel /ˌɡrædʒuˈeɪʃn ˈtrævəl/ 毕业旅行personalized experience /ˈpɜːrsənəlaɪzd ɪkˈspɪriəns/ 个性化体验outbound travel /ˌaʊtˈbaʊnd ˈtrævəl/ 出境旅游Belt and Road Initiative /belt ənd rəʊd ɪˈnɪʃətɪv/ “一带一路” 倡议

China will hold a grand military parade in Beijing on Sept 3 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, senior Chinese officials announced on Tuesday. 中国官方于周二（6月20号）宣布，9月3日将在北京举行盛大阅兵仪式，纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年。On the morning of Sept 3, China will hold a grand ceremony at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of these two wars, including a troop review, said Hu Heping, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.中共中央宣传部副部长胡和平表示，9月3日上午将在北京天安门广场举行纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年大会，包括阅兵式。The ceremony will be held in the name of the CPC Central Committee, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the Central Military Commission, he added in a news conference held by the State Council Information Office.他在国务院新闻办公室举行的记者会上补充道，该仪式将以中共中央委员会、全国人民代表大会常务委员会、国务院、中国人民政治协商会议全国委员会和中央军事委员会的名义联合举行。Wu Zeke, deputy head of the combat operations department of the Central Military Commission's Joint Staff Department, said that the equipment formations participating in the upcoming parade will prominently display the latest achievements in the Chinese military's equipment system development.中央军委联合参谋部作战局副局长吴克杰表示，此次阅兵的装备方队将重点展示我军武器装备体系化发展成就。"All weapons and equipment to be reviewed are domestically produced, active-duty main battle gear," Wu said.吴克杰说："所有受阅装备均为国产现役主战装备。"In addition, leaders, former political dignitaries from relevant countries, main leaders of international organizations, and foreign diplomatic envoys in China will be invited to attend the commemorative activities, Hu said.此外，胡和平表示中方还将邀请相关国家领导人、前政治要员，国际组织主要负责人，以及外国驻华使节出席纪念活动。Representatives of international friends who contributed to China's victory against Japanese aggression, or their descendants, will also receive invitations, he said.胡和平说，中方还将邀请为中国抗战胜利作出贡献的国际友人及其遗属代表出席纪念活动。Additionally, China will host a series of commemorative activities nationwide starting from July. It will also award commemorative medals for the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression to living veterans and old comrades of the war, anti-Japanese war generals or their descendants.此外，7月起全国各地将陆续推出一系列纪念活动。中方还将向健在的抗战老战士、老同志，抗战将领或其遗属颁发中国人民抗日战争胜利80周年纪念章。A ceremony will be held on July 7 at the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing to commemorate the 88th anniversary of the Lugou Bridge Incident, according to Hu.胡和平介绍，7月7日将在中国人民抗日战争纪念馆举行仪式，纪念全民族抗战爆发88周年。The incident is recognized as the start of Japan's full-scale invasion and China's whole-nation resistance against the invaders.1937年7月7日发生的卢沟桥事变标志着日本全面侵华战争爆发，中国全民族抗战开始。Around Oct 25, a conference will be held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's retrocession, Hu said, expressing support to overseas Chinese to organize related commemorative activities in their local areas.胡和平表示，10月25日左右将举行台湾光复80周年纪念大会，支持海外侨胞在当地开展相关纪念活动。OnDec 13, a national memorial ceremony for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre willbe held in Nanjing, Jiangsu province.12月13日将在江苏南京举行南京大屠杀死难者国家公祭仪式。Furthermore, Hong Kong and Macao will also organize a series of commemorative activities.此外，香港和澳门特别行政区也将组织一系列纪念活动。military parade阅兵anniversary/ˌænɪˈvɜː(r)s(ə)ri/n.周年纪念（日）troop review阅兵式full-scale invasion全面入侵commemorative/kəˈmem(ə)rətɪv/adj.纪念的，纪念性的

China's national weather authority activated a Level III emergency response for significant meteorological disasters on Thursday as heavy rainfall continued to lash central and eastern parts of the country, triggering flash floods, disrupting transportation and prompting mass evacuations.上周四，中国国家气象局对重大气象灾害启动了三级应急响应，暴雨继续袭击该国中部和东部地区，引发山洪暴发，扰乱交通，并促使大规模疏散。Since Wednesday, heavy rainfall has hit several regions, including the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Chongqing and the provinces of Sichuan,Hənan and Həbei.Severe convective weather has also been detected in parts ofHənan and Həbei, the China Meteorological Administration said.自周三以来，强降雨袭击了几个地区，包括广西壮族自治区、重庆以及四川、河南和河北省。中国气象局表示，河南和河北部分地区也检测到强对流天气。Over the next three days, heavy rainfall is expected to continue across areas from the eastern part of Southwest China to central and eastern regions. Authorities have warned of risks such as mountain torrents, geological disasters and urban waterlogging.在接下来的三天里，预计从中国西南部东部到中部和东部地区的强降雨将继续。当局警告称，存在山洪、地质灾害和城市内涝等风险。In Chongqing, downpours began on Wednesday, causing flash floods and road interruptions in multiple townships. Railway operations were also affected, with 17 trains suspended on Thursday, including services to major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Guangdong province.在重庆，暴雨于周三开始，造成多个乡镇的山洪暴发和道路中断。铁路运营也受到了影响，周四有17列列车停运，其中包括通往北京、上海和广东省广州等主要城市的列车。In Taiyuan township of Chongqing, torrential rains destroyed large areas of crops. About one thousand and five hundred residents were safely relocated, including eight hundred who were moved to centralized shelters, according to the local government.在重庆太原镇，暴雨摧毁了大片农作物。据当地政府称，约有1500名居民安全搬迁，其中800人被转移到集中避难所。By Thursday afternoon, multiple areas in Henan had issued red alerts for heavy rainfall. In Zhengzhou's aviation port area, rainfall exceeded 100 millimeters, with a maximum recorded precipitation of one hundred and thirty point five millimeters..截至周四下午，河南多个地区已发布暴雨红色预警。在郑州航空港区，降雨量超过100毫米，最大记录降水量为135毫米。Despite the heavy rain, railways and airports inHənan maintained normal operations, local authorities said.当地政府表示，尽管下了大雨，但河南的铁路和机场仍保持正常运行。In Hunan province, a rainstorm battered the northern part of the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture. The township of Da'an in Longshan county recorded three hundred and eighty one point eight millimeters of rain in 24 hours—a local record—causing inland rivers to swell and resulting in severe waterlogging.在湖南省，一场暴雨袭击了湘西土家族苗族自治州北部。龙山县大安镇24小时降雨量381.8毫米，这是当地记录，导致内陆河流泛滥，造成严重内涝。The local hydrologic bureau in Longshan issued a red flood warning as the Guoli River rose by seven point one meters, reaching four hundred and fifty point fifty two meters—surpassing the station's previous highest recorded water level of four hundred and forty nine point ninety six meters.龙山当地水文局发布了红色洪水预警，因为郭里河上涨了7.1米，达到450.52米，超过了该站之前记录的最高水位449.96米。Meanwhile, in Guangdong, which was recently hit by typhoon-triggered rainstorms, authorities on Thursday ended the Level IV flood emergency response as rainfall subsided and water levels in rivers and lakes stabilized.与此同时，在最近遭受台风引发的暴雨袭击的广东，随着降雨消退，河流和湖泊水位稳定，当局周四结束了四级洪水应急响应。In Huaiji county of Zhaoqing, the water level of the Suijiang River had begun to slowly recede from a historic peak of fifty five point twenty two meters recorded on Wednesday. Power supply is gradually being restored in affected areas based on real-time water level changes, local authorities said.在肇庆怀集县，绥江水位已开始从周三创下的55.22米的历史峰值缓慢回落。当地政府表示，根据实时水位变化，受影响地区的电力供应正在逐步恢复。According to the latest forecast from the China Meteorological Administration, heavy to extremely heavy rainfall—ranging from 250 to 280 millimeters—were expected in parts of the provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan and Guizho, as well as Guangxi, between Thursday and Friday.根据中国气象局的最新预报，预计周四至周五，安徽、江苏、湖北、湖南、贵州以及广西部分地区将出现250至280毫米的强降雨。Thunderstorms, strong winds, or hail of level 8 or above are forecast in areas across Northeast, North, Southwest and Southeast China, the administration warned.政府警告称，预计中国东北、华北、西南和东南地区将出现雷暴、强风或8级或以上冰雹。meteorological disastersn.气象灾害urban waterloggingn.城市内涝

rWotD Episode 2954: Lihu Park Welcome to Random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Thursday, 5 June 2025, is Lihu Park.Lihu Park is a park located in Binhu District, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China. It covers an area of 300 acres and it is free to the public. In the late Ming Dynasty, some scholars said that Fan Li and Xi Shi boated here. So, it becomes more popular because of this legend. There is a very big Ferris Wheel in the park which you can see the time you get into the park. There are also other interesting spots in it, such as carousel, maze and The Arctic World. There are many sculptures in it which are featured in the cold world. When you get into it, the guards will give you some thick clothes because it is very cold in it but there many beautiful things in it. The park also has many old buildings behind trees which make them look very mysterious and attractive. It is next to TaiHu, so you can just go there by boating.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:13 UTC on Thursday, 5 June 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Lihu Park on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Aria.

  Last time we spoke about the Xi'an Incident. In December 1936, tensions in China erupted as Nationalist General Chiang Kai-shek faced a revolt led by his commanders, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng. Disillusioned by Chiang's focus on battling communists instead of the Japanese invaders, the generals swiftly captured him in a coup. Confined in Xi'an, Chiang initially resisted their demands for a united front against Japan but eventually engaged in negotiation with Zhang and the Chinese Communist Party. As public sentiment shifted against him, Chiang's predicament led to urgent discussions, culminating in an unexpected alliance with the communists. This pact aimed to consolidate Chinese resistance against Japanese aggression, marking a critical turning point in the Second Sino-Japanese War. By December 26, Chiang was released, and this uneasy collaboration set the stage for a more unified front against a common enemy, though underlying tensions remained between the factions.   #152 China Prepares for War Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Before we jump into the Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945, which I honestly have no idea how long will take us, I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate two episodes to how both China and Japan prepared themselves for war.  Going all the way back to the 1910s, Chinese intellectuals began to view an outright conflict between Japan and China was inevitable. In the discussions about China's strategic options, Jiang Fangzhen pioneered a strategy of protracted warfare, a concept that would later shape China's approach during the Sino-Japanese War. Having studied in Japan during his youth, Jiang developed a keen understanding of the Japanese government and military. As early as 1917, he predicted that China and Japan would become embroiled in a long-term conflict, with the battleground likely to be west of the Peiping–Wuhan and Guangzhou–Wuhan railways. In his work titled "Guofang Lun" or “On National Defense”, Jiang reiterated the importance of protracted warfare as a means to thwart Japan's aspirations for a swift victory. He argued that China should leverage its vast population and extensive territory to extend the conflict, gradually wearing down Japanese strength and turning the situation to its advantage. Jiang recommended that China not focus on defending its coastal regions but instead confront the enemy west of the Peking–Wuhan Railway.   Chiang Kai-shek would eventually come to share Jiang's belief that “the longer the war drags on, the more advantageous it will be for China.” Despite significant public criticism, both the Nationalist government and General Zhang Xueliang, decided against military resistance when Japan invaded Manchuria in September 1931 and attacked Shanghai in 1932. Chiang was particularly hesitant to engage Japan directly, as he was also dealing with a Communist insurgency in central China. He feared that Chinese forces would suffer quick defeat, predicting that Japan would capture key coastal areas and critical infrastructure within just three days, crippling China by dismantling its military and economic lifelines. Following the invasion of North China Chiang was forced to adopt a firmer stance. The Nationalist government proposed a dual strategy of pursuing peace and security while simultaneously preparing for war. If peace proved impossible, China would mobilize its resources for ultimate victory through prolonged conflict. This approach was formalized in the National Defense Plan, which China adopted by prioritizing protracted warfare as its core strategy. After the Sino-Japanese clash in Shanghai on January 28, 1932, the Military Affairs Commission devised a plan that divided China into four defense areas along with a preparation area. While some troops were assigned local security, commanders were directed to concentrate their remaining forces for potential confrontations with Japan. That year, the Military Affairs Commission issued General Defense Guidelines that outlined two strategic responses to a potential Japanese invasion. The first, conservative approach focused on maintaining key positions and utilizing protracted warfare to impede the enemy. The second strategy advocated for decisive battles in key regions to thwart Japan's ambitions and protect China's territorial integrity, prioritizing disengagement from Japanese forces along the Yangtze River and coastline. In August 1935, German military adviser General Alexander von Falkenhausen provided recommendations to Chiang Kai-shek based on his predictions of Japanese advance routes into China. He identified three main routes: one from northern Hebei to Zhengzhou, the second from Shandong toward Xuzhou, and the third crossing the Yangtze River to Nanjing and onwards to Wuhan. He suggested treating the Yangtze River as the primary combat zone and highlighted Sichuan as a possible retreat area. Taking all of this into consideration. in 1936, a draft of a new National Defense Plan divided the country into four zones: a war zone, a defense zone, an internal security zone, and a preparation area. The war zone encompassed ten provinces and established strategies for retreating to predetermined defensive positions when necessary, with Sichuan designated as the main base for the war. In January 1937, the Chinese General Staff Department introduced its annual War Plan, outlining three possible military conflict regions between China and Japan. It proposed two main strategies: Proposal A emphasized sustained combat and retreat to fortified positions if the situation became unfavorable, aiming to eventually go on the offensive against Japan. Proposal B focused on repelling Japanese invasions along the coast and from the north, prioritizing counter offensives against Japanese units stationed near key locations. To prepare, the NRA completed several critical projects outlined in its plans, establishing military supply depots in Nanjing, Bengbu, Xinyang, Huayin, Nanchang, and Wuchang to manage logistics for supplies across various strategic railways. These depots were equipped to sustain the military, with ample ammunition and provisions, including 60 million rounds of small-arms ammunition and food for hundreds of thousands. Despite these preparations, not all projects were completed by the time war broke out in July 1937. In contrast to the Japanese military's tactics, Chinese forces prioritized defensive strategies. For example, at the Mount Lushan Military Officer Training Camp in July 1934, Chiang Kai-shek outlined four possible approaches against Japan, favoring a defense-as-offense strategy. Other options included building fortifications, tenaciously defending key positions, and employing guerrilla warfare through irregular forces to constrain enemy advances. Chiang stressed the importance of national mobilization for the war effort.  There was a significant disparity in equipment between the Japanese and Chinese armies. To give you an idea, each Japanese division included a mechanized group featuring thirty-nine light military vehicles and 21 light armored cars, supplemented by 6,000–7,000 horses, 200–300 automobiles, and specialized troops such as poison gas teams. In contrast, Nationalist divisions lacked any of these capabilities, a typical nationalist division theoretically had an armored regiment, but this unit was equipped with fewer than 72 armored vehicles. Another major weakness of the Nationalist forces was their insufficient artillery. In 1936, a division was officially assigned one artillery battalion, which was divided into three batteries totaling twelve guns. It also included a mechanized cannon company with four direct-fire weapons. By comparison, a Japanese division boasted four infantry regiments and one mountain artillery or field artillery regiment, with each artillery regiment comprising three field artillery battalions and one howitzer battalion. The infantry regiment itself included a mountain artillery section with four mountain guns, while the infantry battalion had one Type 70 mountain gun section with two guns. In total, a Japanese division possessed sixty-four artillery pieces of various calibers, four times the number of a Chinese division and of significantly higher quality. In reality, in 1936, twelve of the twenty elite Chinese “reformed divisions” still lacked artillery battalions. The ordnance available in the “reformed divisions” mostly consisted of the outdated Type 60 mountain gun. Nationwide, very few of the 200 divisions were equipped with any artillery, and those that did often used obsolete field artillery pieces or mountain artillery provided to local forces. Some units even relied on trench mortars as a makeshift solution. The artillery weapons came from various countries, but they frequently lacked necessary observation and signal components, and were often low on ammunition. The majority of mountain guns and field artillery were of the Type 75, which, while capable of providing fire support, had limited range and inflicted minimal damage. To give you an idea of the striking inadequacy of the Chinese artillery, during the Shanghai fighting in 1937, the mountain artillery of the Guangxi 21st Army Group could only reach targets within 1,200 yards, while Japanese field artillery had an effective range of 8,000 yards. Chinese-made mountain artillery suffered due to inferior steel-making technology; the gun shields were constructed from low-quality steel, and the barrels often overheated after firing just a few rounds, increasing the risk of explosions. Additionally, the equipment of local forces varied greatly in quality. In fact, some local units had superior equipment compared to Nationalist units. For example, before the Sino-Japanese War, troops from Yunnan were equipped with French antitank guns and heavy machine guns, which were better than the German water-cooled machine guns used by the Nationalist forces. However, the majority of local troops relied on inferior equipment; the 122nd Division under Wang Mingzhang from Sichuan, noted for its brave defense of Tengxian County during the Xuzhou Battle, was armed with locally produced light and heavy machine guns that frequently malfunctioned, and their Type 79 rifles, also made in Sichuan, were often outdated, with some dating back to the Qing Dynasty. These weapons had limited range and sometimes malfunctioned after fewer than one hundred rounds. Now before the war, both Nationalist and local forces acquired weaponry from diverse foreign and domestic sources. Even domestically produced weapons lacked standardization, with those made in Hanyang and Manchuria differing in design and specifications. Arms manufactured in Germany, France, Russia, Japan, and Italy were similarly inconsistent. Consequently, even within a single unit, the lack of uniformity created significant logistical challenges, undermining combat effectiveness, particularly in the early stages of the war. Despite Nationalist ordnance factories producing over three million rounds of small-arms ammunition daily, the incompatibility of ammunition and weapons diminished the usable quantity of ammunition. Chinese communications infrastructure was inadequate. In the Nationalist army, signal units were integrated into engineering units, leading to low-quality radio communications. In emergencies, telegrams could remain undelivered for days, and orders often had to be dispatched via postal services. By 1937, the entire country boasted only 3,000 military vehicles, necessitating heavy reliance on horses and mules for transport. To effectively equip twenty Nationalist divisions, 10,647 horses and 20,688 mules were needed, but by the end of 1935, only 6,206 horses and 4,351 mules were available. A statistic from 1936 indicated a 5 percent mortality rate among military horses, with some units experiencing a rate as high as 10 percent. The distribution of weaponry led to disputes during army reorganization efforts following the Northern Expedition. Although Chiang Kai-shek's forces were part of the regular army, the quality of their equipment varied significantly. Domestic production of weapons was limited, and imports could not close the gap. Priority was given to small arms; through army reorganization, Chiang aimed to diminish the influence of forces less loyal to him. Nationalist army staff officers observed that troops loyal to Chiang received the best weapons. Northwest and Northeast forces, having cultivated good relations with the KMT, were similarly better equipped, while Shanxi troops received inferior supplies. Troops associated with the Guangxi Clique were given even poorer quality weapons due to their leaders' stronger political ambitions. Troops regarded as “bandit forces,” such as those led by Shi Yousan, Li Hongchang, and Sun Dianying, were naturally assigned the least effective weaponry. This unequal distribution of arms increased some local forces' inclination to align with the KMT while alienating others, which inadvertently led to additional turmoil in the aftermath of the Northern Expedition. Logistical accounting within the Nationalist military was severely lacking. Military expenditures accounted for a significant portion of government spending, roughly 65.48 % in 1937, with personnel costs being the largest component. However, military units prioritized boosting their own resources over accurate accounting. Surpluses were not returned but rather utilized to reward military officers and soldiers for merits in battle, care for the wounded, or to create a reserve. Conversely, if deficits arose, troops would resort to “living off vacancies,” a practice in which they would fail to report desertions promptly and would falsely claim new soldiers had arrived. Military leaders typically appointed their most trusted subordinates to serve as accountants and logistic officers. As the war commenced, these issues became readily apparent. During the Battle of Shanghai in 1937, frontline soldiers sometimes went days without food and went months without pay. Wounded soldiers and civilians had to search tirelessly for medical treatment, and when main forces relocated, they often abandoned grain, ammunition, weapons, and petroleum along the way. General Chen Cheng, the commander in chief during the Battle of Shanghai, noted, “This phenomenon clearly revealed our inability to supply frontline troops, indicating that China remains a backward country with poor management.” Many logistical shortcomings severely impacted troop morale and combat effectiveness. In a 1933 speech, Chiang Kai-shek acknowledged that poor food, inadequate clothing, and ineffective logistics contributed to widespread desertion. Soldiers were further demoralized by reduced or embezzled salaries. A lack of professional medical staff and equipment hampered healthcare efforts, leading to high disease and mortality rates. According to official statistics from 1936, approximately 10 percent of soldiers fell ill annually, with a mortality rate as high as 5 percent. Japanese military authorities reported that one in three wounded Japanese soldiers died, while a Dutch military officer present during the early stages of the Sino-Japanese War observed that one in every two wounded Nationalist soldiers perished. Due to inadequate equipment and limited transport options, Nationalist forces were compelled to recruit farmers and rent vehicles, as they lacked essential facilities such as tents. This reliance on local resources inevitably led to frequent conflicts between military personnel and civilians. China is clearly a vast nation with an extensive coastline, requiring the construction of several significant fortresses during the modern era. These included Wusong, Jiangyin, Zhenjiang, Jiangning, and Wuhan along the Yangtze River, as well as Zhenhai, Humen, and Changzhou along the seacoast. Except for the Wuhan fortress, built in 1929-1930, all other fortifications were established during the late Qing Dynasty and featured uncovered cannon batteries. These fortresses suffered from inadequate maintenance, and many of their components had become outdated and irreplaceable, rendering them militarily negligible. Following the January 1932 Shanghai Incident, the Japanese military destroyed the Wusong forts, leaving the entrance to the Yangtze River completely unfortified. Consequently, there were no defenses along the coastline from Jiangsu to Shandong, allowing the Japanese to land freely. In December 1932, the Military Affairs Commission established a fortress group tasked with constructing fortresses and defensive installations, seeking assistance from German military advisers. After the North China Incident in 1935, the Nationalist government accelerated the construction of defensive structures in line with national war planning, focusing particularly on Nanjing. The Nationalists prioritized building fortifications along the seacoast and the Yellow River, followed by key regions north of the Yellow River. The government also ordered a significant quantity of heavy artillery from Germany. This included several dozen pieces of flat-fire antiaircraft and dual-purpose heavy artillery, which were installed at fortifications in Jiangyin, Zhenjiang, Nanjing, and Wuhan. By the summer of 1937, the construction of nine fortified positions was complete: Nanjing, Zhenjiang, Jiangyin, Ningbo, Humen, Mawei, Xiamen , Nantong, and Lianyungang. In total, China had established 41 forts and equipped them with 273 fortress cannons. Some defensive installations were poorly managed, with many units assigned to their perimeters lacking training and access to proper maps. The barbette positions in the fortresses were not well concealed and could hardly store sufficient ammunition. Troops stationed at these fortresses received little training. Despite these shortcomings, the fortresses and fortifications were not entirely ineffective. They bolstered Chinese positions along the defense line stretching from Cangxian County to Baoding and from Dexian County to Shijiazhuang, as well as in southern Shandong.  Before the war, China's political and economic center was situated along the seacoast and the Yangtze River. As Japanese influence expanded, the Nationalist government was compelled to establish bases in China's inner regions, very similar to how the USSR pulled back its industry further west after Operation barbarossa.The Japanese attack on Shanghai in 1932 prompted the Nationalists to relocate their capital to Luoyang. On March 5, during the Second Plenary Session of the KMT's Fourth Congress, the Western Capital Preparation Committee was formed to plan for the potential relocation of all governmental bodies to Xi'an in the event of full-scale war. In February 1933, the Central Political Conference approved the Northwest Development Bill, and in February 1934, the National Economic Commission set up a northwestern branch to oversee development projects in the region. On October 18, 1934, Chiang Kai-shek traveled to Lanzhou, recording in his diary that “Northwest China has abundant resources. Japan and Russia are poised to bully us. Yet, if we strengthen ourselves and develop northwest China to the fullest extent, we can turn it into a base for China's revival.” Interestingly, it was Sichuan, rather than the northwest, that became China's rear base during the 2nd Sino-Japanese War. In October 1934, the Communist army evacuated its Soviet base in southern China, initiating the Long March that would ultimately end in the northwest. By this time, Chiang Kai-shek had decided to designate Sichuan as the last stronghold for China. In January 1935, the Nanchang Field Headquarters of the Military Affairs Commission, responsible for combatting the Communists and serving as the supreme military and political authority over most provinces along the Yangtze River and central China, dispatched a special advisory group to Chongqing. Following this, the Nationalist army advanced into Sichuan. On February 10, the Nationalists appointed a new provincial government in Sichuan, effectively ending the province's long-standing regionalism. On March 2, Chiang traveled to Chongqing, where he delivered a speech underscoring that “Sichuan should serve as the base for China's revival.” He stated that he was in Sichuan to oversee efforts against the Communist army and to unify the provincial administration.  After the Xinhai revolution, the Republic of China was still suing the Qing Dynasty's conscription system. However, once in power, the Nationalist government sought to establish a national military service program. In 1933, it enacted a military service law, which began implementation in 1936. This law categorized military service into two branches: service in the Nationalist army and in territorial citizen army units. Men aged eighteen to forty-five were expected to serve in the territorial units if they did not enlist in the Nationalist army. The territorial service was structured into three phases: active service lasting two to three years, first reserves for six years, and second reserves until the age of forty-five. The Ministry of Military Affairs divided China into sixty divisional conscription headquarters, initially establishing these headquarters in the six provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, and Hubei. By December 1936, approximately 50,000 new soldiers had been drafted. The military service law disproportionately favored the middle and upper classes. Government personnel were exempt from enlistment, allowing privileged families to register their children with government agencies. Similarly, students in middle and higher education were excused from service, while youth from poorer backgrounds often felt compelled to enlist due to financial constraints that limited their educational opportunities. Village and town leaders were responsible for executing the recruitment process and frequently conspired with army recruiters. Recruitment principles often favored wealthier families, with guidelines stating that one son should be drafted for every three sons, two for five sons, but no drafts if there was only one son. Wealthy families could secure exemptions for all their male children, while poor families might see their only son conscripted if they were unable to provide the requisite bribe. Town and village heads wielded significant power in recruitment. This new recruitment system also created numerous money-making opportunities. Military personnel assigned to escort draftees to their units would often allow draftees to escape for a fee. Additionally, draftees could monetize their service by agreeing to serve as substitutes for others. For some, being drafted became an occupation. For example, in 1936, 600 individuals were drafted in the Wuhu area of Anhui province, and accounts from regional administrators indicated that every draftee had either been traded, replaced, or seized. Beginning in 1929, the Nationalist government also instituted military training for high school students and older individuals. Students were required to participate in one theoretical class and one practical class each week, totaling three hours. Starting in 1934, students had to complete a three-month military training program before graduating. Graduates of military academies were employed as military instructors. By the end of 1936, over 237,000 high school students had undergone military training. This student military training was overseen by the Society for the Implementation of the Three People's Principles of Sun Yat-sen, which also provided political education and sometimes gathered information on students' political beliefs.  Although the Nationalists made significant efforts to improve the military training of both officers and troops, they inherited deep-seated challenges that they were unable to completely overcome. A lack of facilities, outdated training manuals, low regard for military instructors, and the ongoing influence of regionalism and warlordism hindered progress. The Japanese would also later exploit these shortcomings of the Nationalist army. The Central Military Academy, which evolved from the Whampoa Military Academy established in 1923 in Guangzhou to train officers for the Northern Expedition, became the primary training institution for junior military officers. The academy offered a basic course, lasting eighteen months, which included general education, specialized training in various subjects, and field practice. This was followed by a two-year cadet training program focused on developing the skills necessary for junior military officers. Seventeen classes were admitted before the outbreak of war. Admission to the academy was highly competitive, with military officers receiving attractive salaries. For instance, in 1935, the academy received 10,000 applications for the twelfth class, but only 7% were accepted. Upon graduation, cadets were typically assigned to divisions within the Nationalist army loyal to Chiang Kai-shek. Their training, influenced by German advisors, resulted in a high-quality cadre. In modern China, most sergeants were veterans. While some units provided training for sergeants, a lack of formal education led to their diminished status. Truly qualified sergeants were rare. During his tenure as Minister of Military Training, General Bai Chongxi proposed establishing a sergeant school and creating a professional noncommissioned officer system; however, the Ministry of Military Affairs opposed this on financial grounds. While commanding officers enjoyed rapid promotions, military instructors did not. Furthermore, there was no system for transferring instructors to field commands or assigning commanders to military academies for extended periods. Despite minor updates to cover modern warfare concepts such as tank warfare and machine guns, Qing Dynasty military manuals were still in use at the Central Military Academy at the start of the war. Yeah, 1937 they were still rocking the old Qing books. Following the establishment of the Ministry of Military Training, a bureau for military translation was set up to evaluate existing course materials and translate military manuals, but its contributions were limited. Another significant shortcoming of military instruction focused on theory at the expense of practical application.  To enhance the quality of military officers, the Nationalist army instituted specialized schools for artillery, infantry, transport, engineering, and signals starting in 1931. These institutions were considered to have high-quality administrators and facilities. The Nationalists adopted German military training models, replacing the previously used Japanese models. They appointed German advisors to oversee instructor training at military academies and established three instructional divisions. By the onset of the Sino-Japanese War, 15,000 students had graduated from programs with a German military influence, resulting in the creation of about fifty combat divisions from these instructional units. However, the progress of other Nationalist army units was limited because their training was not aligned with contemporary battlefield realities. Before World War I, troops operated in close formations due to limited firepower. The widespread introduction of machine guns after World War I necessitated a shift to dispersed formations. Although a new drill manual issued by the Ministry of Military Training in 1935 introduced small-group tactics, few units adopted these methods. General Chen Cheng highlighted another underlying issue in 1938, commenting on the outmoded focus on parade ground drills and formal military manners. He noted, “We have paid too much attention to stereotypical formality and procedures of no practical use. Sometimes, even though soldiers could not get a haircut or take a bath for several months, their camps had to be in order. They underwent intensive training in close-order drill but learned little about gun handling, marksmanship, or maneuvering. This was inappropriate in peacetime, yet we continued this practice even after the Sino-Japanese War started, even using it on highly educated youth.” In contrast, the Communist army simplified training, emphasizing two essential skills: live-fire exercises and physical endurance, which significantly enhanced troop effectiveness in the challenging terrain characteristic of the Sino-Japanese War. Ultimately, the Nationalist army's training did not reach all soldiers. Only about half of all combat soldiers received adequate training, while the rest were neglected. According to statistics from the time, there were approximately five million military personnel during the Sino-Japanese War, with three million serving in logistics. Most of these logistics personnel had received little training, leading to disastrous consequences for overall combat effectiveness. As warfare has become more complex, the role of highly trained staff officers has become increasingly important. Napoleon developed operational plans close to the front and communicated orders via courier. During World War I, military commanders collected information at their headquarters and utilized telephones and automobiles to relay orders to the front lines. In World War II, with the battlefield expanding to include land, sea, and air, senior commanders often made decisions from headquarters far from the action, relying on a significant number of staff officers with specialized skills to keep them informed. In China, however, the staff officer system was underdeveloped. By 1937, only about 2,000 commanders and staff officers had received training. Prior to the Sino-Japanese War, most commanders managed staff work themselves, with staff officers serving primarily as military secretaries who drafted orders, reports, and maps. Many staff officers had no formal military training, and as a whole, the branch lacked respect, causing the most talented officers to avoid serving in it. The situation was even more dire for staff officer departments within local forces. For example, in March 1937, Liu Ziqing, a graduate of the Whampoa Military Academy, was appointed as the director of political instruction in the Forty-fourth Army, a unit under Sichuan warlord Liu Xiang. Liu Ziqing's account illustrates the dysfunction within the ranks: “The commander in chief was not supposed to manage the army and even did not know its whereabouts... But he could appoint relatives and former subordinates—who were officials and businessmen as well—to the army. Each month they would receive a small stipend. At headquarters, there was a long table and two rows of chairs. Around ten o'clock in the morning, senior officers signed in to indicate their presence. Those with other business would leave, while the remaining officers sat down to leisurely discuss star actresses, fortune-telling, business projects, mah-jongg, and opium. Occasionally they would touch on national affairs, chat about news articles, or share local gossip. In the afternoons, they primarily played mah-jongg, held banquets, and visited madams. Most mornings, the commander usually presided over these activities, and at first, I reported for duty as well. But I soon realized it was a waste of time and came very rarely. At headquarters, most staff members wore long gowns or Western-style suits, while military uniforms were a rare sight.” Most senior military personnel were trained at the Baoding Military Academy during the early republic. 2/3rds of commanders in chief, 37 %of army commanders, and 20 % of division commanders were Baoding graduates. Higher-ranking officers were more likely to have launched their careers there. In contrast, only 10 % of division commanders and a few army commanders were graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy. Additionally, commanders trained in local military schools and those with combat experience accounted for 1/3rd of all commanders. While the prevalence of civil war provided opportunities for rapid promotion, it also hindered officers' ability to update their training or gain experience in different military branches. German advisors expressed their concerns to Chiang Kai-shek, emphasizing that officers should first serve in junior roles before taking command. During one battle in 1938, Chiang noted, “Our commanders in chief are equivalent only to our enemy's regiment commanders, and our army and division commanders are only as competent as our enemy's battalion and company commanders.” Despite not viewing high-ranking Japanese officers as great strategists, Nationalist officers respected them as highly competent, diligent, and professional commanders who rarely made critical errors. The infantry was the primary component of the Nationalist army, with middle and junior infantry officers constituting over 80 %of all army officers. A 1936 registry of military officers listed 1,105 colonels and 2,159 lieutenant colonels within the infantry, demonstrating a significant outnumbering of Baoding graduates at ranks below lieutenant colonel. However, the quality of middle and junior infantry officers declined during the Sino-Japanese War; by 1944, only 27.3 % of these officers were from formal military academies, while those promoted from the ranks increased to 28.1 %. In 1937, 80 % of officers in an ordinary infantry battalion were military academy graduates, but this percentage dropped to 20 % during the war. Its hard to tell how educated soldiers were before the war, but it is generally believed that most were illiterate. In 1929, sociologist Tao Menghe surveyed 946 soldiers from a Shanxi garrison brigade and found that only 13 percent could compose a letter independently, while the rest had either never learned to read or were unable to write. In contrast, in August 1938, General Feng Yuxiang found that 80 percent of a regiment in Hunan were literate. Regardless, during the Sino-Japanese War, the quality of recruits steadily declined. More than 90 percent of soldiers were illiterate, and few possessed any basic scientific knowledge, which hindered their ability to master their weapons. On the battlefield, they heavily relied on middle and junior officers for guidance.  In autumn 1933, General Hans von Seeckt, the architect of the post World War I German army, visited China at the personal invitation of Chiang Kai-shek. In his recommendations for military reform, he identified China's greatest problem as its excessively large forces drawn from diverse backgrounds. He stated, “At present, the most pressing goal is to... establish a small, well-equipped army with high morale and combat effectiveness to replace the numerous poorly armed and trained forces.” He suggested forming an army of sixty divisions and recommended the establishment of a training regiment for military officers to equip them with the skills needed for modern warfare. Chiang Kai-shek accepted von Seeckt's proposals, and on January 26, 1935, he convened a National Military Reorganization Conference in Nanjing. On March 1, the Army Reorganization Bureau was established in Wuchang, under the leadership of General Chen Cheng. In the same month, General Alexander von Falkenhausen took charge of the German Military Advisors Group. Before war broke out, around nineteen divisions, roughly 300,000 troops received training from German advisors and were equipped with German-style weapons. At the onset of the Sino-Japanese War, the forces stemming from the First Army of the National Revolutionary Army and the Whampoa cadets, who had fought in the Northern Expedition, held the highest reputation and were referred to as the “core central forces” by the Japanese. Other notable forces included the Guangxi Army, Northwestern Army, Northeastern Army, some Uyghur units, the Guangdong Army, and the Shanxi Army. In contrast, provincial forces such as the Yunnan Army and Sichuan Army were viewed less favorably. Nationalist forces were generally far inferior to those of the Japanese enemy. In 1937, General He Yingqin noted that Nationalist forces had failed to prevail in 1932 and 1933, even when outnumbering the Japanese by 4-1.  In November 1937, during a national defense conference, Chiang Kai-shek stated, "In recent years we have worked hard, prepared actively, and achieved national unification. By the time of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, we were in a better domestic situation and had improved military preparedness compared to before. Since 1935, our strength has doubled. It increased by more than two to three times since January 1932 or September 1931 [when Japan attacked Shanghai and Mukden]. If peace had been achievable, we should have delayed the war for two or three years. Given an additional three years, our defensive capabilities would have been drastically different... Now, if we merely compare the military strength of China and Japan, we are certainly inferior." However, such assessments were overly optimistic, as Chiang failed to recognize that Japan's military capabilities would not have stagnated. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek certainly was dealt a difficult hand of cards for the upcoming poker match he was to play. Yet the Chinese were resilient and they had to be for the absolute horror that would be inflicted upon them from 1937-1945. Until this point, their enemies had been far more lenient, the Empire of Japan would show no mercy.

Business groups and economists have welcomed the tariff adjustment measures announced by China and the United States on Monday, expressing the hope that the 90-day triple-digit tariff respite will allow both countries to further de-escalate trade tensions.中美两国周一宣布的关税调整措施受到商界团体和经济学家的欢迎，他们希望这项为期90天的三位数关税缓和政策能够为两国进一步缓解贸易紧张关系创造条件。While this provisional agreement marks a notable development in China-US trade relations, analysts warned that business communities should maintain a measured approach, rather than be overly optimistic, as uncertainties still surround the sustainability of the deal and future trade negotiations.尽管这项临时协议标志着中美贸易关系取得显著进展，但分析人士警告称，商界应保持审慎态度，不应过度乐观，因为该协议的可持续性和未来的贸易谈判仍然存在不确定性。According to a joint statement released by the world's two largest economies after a high-level meeting held over the weekend in Geneva, Switzerland, the US has agreed to slash its 145 percent tariffs on Chinese imports to 30 percent, while China has agreed to lower its tariffs on US goods to 10 percent from 125 percent.根据世界两大经济体上周末在瑞士日内瓦举行的高层会晤后发表的联合声明，美国同意将对中国进口商品征收的145%的关税削减至30%，而中国同意将对美国商品征收的关税从125%降至10%。Thomas Fullerton, an economist and a professor of economics at the University of Texas at El Paso, told China Daily that the 90-day triple-digit tariff respite "will help reduce the odds of a deep 2025 business-cycle contraction in both (the US and China), as well as in Latin America and other regions".德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校经济学家兼经济学教授托马斯·富勒顿告诉《中国日报》，为期90天的三位数关税暂缓期“将有助于降低中美以及拉丁美洲和其他地区在2025年出现严重经济周期性衰退的可能性”。"International trade volumes will temporarily accelerate as companies place merchandise import orders that had previously been sidelined," he said.他表示：“随着企业下达此前被搁置的商品进口订单，国际贸易量将暂时加速增长。”Pesitro Healthcare Products Co, a manufacturer of oral care products based in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, and a longtime supplier to Walmart in the US, expects a significant increase in orders from North American customers.总部位于江苏扬州的口腔护理产品制造商华腾个人护理用品有限公司，是美国沃尔玛的长期供应商，该公司预计来自北美客户的订单将大幅增长。"People are accelerating their purchases because no one can predict future tariff dynamics," said Mu Longsheng, the company's marketing director. "The looming possibility of tariffs rising to 54 percent after 90 days has created additional urgency among North American buyers to secure inventory while rates are still low."“由于无人能够预测未来的关税走势，大家都在加快采购。”该公司市场总监穆龙生说，“90天后关税可能升至54%的预期，使得北美买家更急于在当前税率较低时确定库存。”"The return of the US market is largely attributed to China's resolute countermeasures. Standing firm has earned us the respect and the orders we deserve," Mu added.“美国市场的复苏很大程度上归功于中方的坚决反制。我们的坚定立场为我们赢得了应有的尊重和订单，”穆补充道。Jake Colvin, president of the National Foreign Trade Council based in Washington, DC, said the temporary agreement "cools the rapidly escalating trade war and gives some reprieve to US businesses and consumers".位于华盛顿特区的美国全国对外贸易委员会主席杰克·科尔文表示，这项临时协议“为迅速升级的贸易战降温，并给美国企业和消费者带来了一些喘息的机会”。"However, a temporary pause is just that," he said in a statement. "We urge the administration to continue engagement with China to come to a lasting agreement that will allow American companies to make long-term plans in a more stable and certain environment."“然而，暂时的停摆也只是暂时的，”他在一份声明中表示。“我们敦促政府继续与中方接触，达成一项持久的协议，使美国企业能够在更稳定、更确定的环境中制定长期计划。”US President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that he was certain a long-term deal would be reached. If it is not, the tariffs will not go back to 145 percent after the 90-day pause ends, but "will go up substantially", he said.美国总统唐纳德·特朗普周一告诉记者，他确信会达成一项长期协议。他表示，如果未能达成，关税在90天的停摆期结束后不会恢复到145%，而是“将大幅上调”。Long battle ahead旷日持久的战斗Analysts expect a long-drawn-out battle ahead, because they believe the gaps between China and the US on existing tariffs and nontariff barriers have further complicated the negotiations.分析人士预计，未来将是一场旷日持久的博弈，因为他们认为，中美在现有关税和非关税壁垒方面的分歧进一步加剧了谈判的复杂性。Gao Lingyun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of World Economics and Politics, said that despite the progress made in tariff reduction, the current overall duty rates continue to weigh heavily on companies and consumers on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.中国社会科学院世界经济与政治研究所研究员高凌云表示，尽管在降低关税方面取得了进展，但目前整体税率依然对两岸企业和消费者造成较大压力。Resolving this hefty tariff issue will, therefore, remain a key priority during upcoming negotiations, he said.因此，他表示，解决这一高额关税问题仍将是即将举行的谈判的首要任务。More important, the discussions are expected to expand into the realm of nontariff barriers. Areas such as investment regulations, market access and the supply of critical raw materials are likely to feature prominently on the agenda, he added.更重要的是，预计谈判将扩展到非关税壁垒领域。他补充说，投资监管、市场准入和关键原材料供应等领域可能会成为谈判的重点。Gao noted that both China and the US have long-standing concerns in these areas, and addressing them will be crucial for achieving a comprehensive and durable trade agreement.高凌云指出，中美双方长期以来都对这些领域存在关切，解决这些问题对于达成一项全面持久的贸易协定至关重要。Luo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities, said, "The results of any future negotiations will ultimately be determined by how each side leverages its power and economic resilience."粤开证券首席经济学家罗志恒表示：“未来任何谈判的结果最终都将取决于双方如何利用各自的实力和经济韧性。”The outcome of the talks represented a notable shift from the "maximum pressure" approach that had characterized the previous China trade policy of the US, he said.他表示，此次谈判的结果标志着美国对华贸易政策明显偏离了以往“极限施压”的策略。When confronted with China's firm countermeasures, the effectiveness of such unilateral actions proved less substantial than initially projected, leading to a necessary recalibration of the US' negotiating position, Luo said.罗志恒表示，面对中国的强硬反制措施，此类单边行动未能产生预期效果，因此美国有必要重新调整谈判立场。respite/ˈrespɪt/n.暂缓，喘息calibration/ˌkælɪˈbreɪʃən/n.校准；调适nontariff barriern.非关税壁垒durable/ˈdjʊərəbl/adj.持久的，耐用的

With tariffs of up to 145% on US imports from China, we take a look at how its playing out in the country. China's leaders are downplaying the potential impact of the trade war - we speak to Chinese exporters and economists to find out what's really happening and whether the country's economy is as resilient as senior officials are saying. The impact is already being felt in factories - so will the US or China blink first?Presenter: Will Bain Producer: Josh Martin(Image: Employees work on a production line of caps that will be exported to the US at a factory in Suqian, in eastern China's Jiangsu province on 7 April 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

The world's first half-marathon featuring humanoid robots is set to begin at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday in Beijing, with about 20 teams from across China ready to compete in a test of both technology and endurance.全球首个以人形机器人为特色的半程马拉松赛事将于周六上午7点30分北京开跑，来自全国各地的约20支队伍将齐聚一堂，角逐这项对技术和耐力的双重考验。The race, which includes human and humanoid robot runners, will begin in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town. Research institutes, universities and companies from Beijing, Shanghai, provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu are among those fielding teams.这场由真人和人形机器人参赛的比赛将在北京经济技术开发区（亦称北京亦庄）拉开帷幕。来自北京、上海、广东和江苏等地的科研机构、高校和企业均派出参赛队伍参赛。"This marks the first time humanoid robots will undergo a comprehensive test in an open-field setting, facing long distances and complex environments," said Liang Liang, deputy director of the E-Town management committee.“这是人形机器人首次在开阔场地、长距离和复杂环境下接受全面测试，”亦庄管理委员会副主任梁靓说道。Teams have already arrived at the training base in E-Town to make final adjustments, he said. The event, in planning for four months, is designed to push the limits of robotic mobility in real-world conditions.他表示，各参赛队伍已经抵达亦庄市的训练基地进行最后的调试。这项筹备了四个月的赛事旨在挑战机器人在现实环境中的移动极限。The competition will adopt a timed race format. Teams can choose to either replace the batteries of a single robot or use a relay method, though each battery change comes with a 10-minute penalty—a measure aimed at encouraging innovation and teamwork, Liang said.比赛将采用计时赛制。参赛队伍可以选择更换同一台机器人的电池，也可以选择接力赛，但每次更换电池都会被罚10分钟。梁靓表示，此举旨在鼓励创新和团队协作。Although participating robots have undergone multiple simulated tests, organizers said the real course still presents significant uncertainties. Robots will have to navigate complex ground conditions, sudden wind gusts, fluctuating communication signals and various obstacles.尽管参赛机器人已经进行了多次模拟测试，但主办方表示，真实赛道仍然存在很大的不确定性。机器人必须应对复杂路况、突发强风、通信信号波动及多种障碍。"During the first road test last Wednesday, a robot slipped and produced abnormal data, forcing the team to urgently adjust its algorithms before completing the test," Liang said.“在上周三的首次路试中，一个机器人出现滑倒并产生异常数据，迫使团队在完成测试前紧急调整算法，”梁军说道。He described the race as an "extreme test" that will expose technical flaws and offer a foundation for future standardization.他将这场比赛描述为一次“极限测试”，它将暴露技术缺陷，并为未来的标准化奠定基础。The participating robots reflect a variety of design concepts and technological breakthroughs.参赛机器人体现了多种设计理念和技术突破。The "Tiangong" robot, standing 1.8 meters tall, features large strides, optimized joint torque and human motion data integration to achieve a more natural running gait.“天宫”机器人身高1.8米，拥有大步幅、优化的关节扭矩以及融合人类运动数据的系统，可实现更自然的跑步姿态。"The core significance of this event is to allow the public to vividly experience the progress of robotics," said Guo Yijie, technical lead of the Tiangong team. "The 21-kilometer distance will shatter the public's abstract understanding of robot capabilities."“本次赛事的核心意义在于让公众生动体验机器人技术的进步，”天宫团队技术负责人郭宜劼说道。“21公里的赛程将打破公众对机器人能力的抽象认知。”Noetix Robotics, a team from Beijing's Haidian district, has entered smaller robots designed for endurance. Their goal is for one robot to complete the entire race without replacement.来自北京海淀区的松延动力团队带来了专为耐力设计的小型机器人。他们的目标是让一个机器人完成整个比赛，无需替换。"As long as our robot crosses the finish line, it means a lot to us," said Jiang Zheyuan, founder of Noetix Robotics.“只要我们的机器人冲过终点线，对我们来说就意义非凡，”松延动力创始人姜哲源说道。Local residents are also enthusiastic about the race. Chu Han, a young robot enthusiast, called it "the embodiment of technological imagination".当地居民也对这场比赛充满热情。年轻的机器人爱好者楚涵称其为“科技想象力的体现”。"Regardless of the results, when a humanoid robot crosses the finish line, the footprints it leaves behind are more precious than any medal," Chu said.“无论结果如何，当一个类人机器人冲过终点线时，它留下的足迹比任何奖牌都更加珍贵，”楚涵说道。endurance/ɪnˈdjʊərəns/n.耐力navigate/ˈnævɪɡeɪt/v.驾驶；导航；设法应对algorithm/ˈælɡərɪðəm/n.算法；运算规则standardization/ˌstændədaɪˈzeɪʃn/n.标准化

Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post detailed daily reminders to pray for China (www.PrayforChina.us). BTW, X is also the best way to get in touch with me. Either tag me with a question or comment, or follow and send a DM. Finally, PrayGiveGo.us has easy access to almost everything that I am involved in, including books, Substack, this podcast, and our dedicated pray for China website. Today we begin with some North Korea news (1:07), followed by a look at some 214 year old preaching advice from missionary William Milne (34:18). Next, we look at how to pray for China this week (39:20) and hear a number of stories, especially the one about the Chrisitan hotel near North Korea in Lucky Forest. This Week’s (North Korea) News Why China is wary of North Korea’s embrace of Russia https://www.ft.com/content/d4094f65-de08-4fcf-ab11-424ef152e89e Families of Captured North Koreans to be Executed https://www.yahoo.com/news/families-captured-north-korean-troops-090313885.html North Korea Reopens After Five Years https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/north-korea-reopens-foreign-tourists-special-economic-zone-pyongyang-closed-4966381 Western Tourists Shocked by North Korea https://www.yahoo.com/news/western-tourists-given-rare-glimpse-112527445.html North Korea Tours Quickly Suspended https://www.rfa.org/english/korea/2025/03/06/north-korea-foreign-tour-suspension/ South Korean Travel to China Surges https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2025/03/113_392898.html On This Day… 200 Year Old Preaching Advice from William Milne https://chinacall.substack.com/p/200-year-old-preaching-advice The Memoirs of William Milne (200th Anniversary Edition!) https://a.co/d/bALLtAf Pray for China (March 9-15, 2025) Systematically and Strategically Interceding for All of China https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-march-9-15-2025 Mar 9 - Pray for Jiaozuo (“Gee’ao-dzwah”) in heavily populated Henan Province, one of the few Chinese prefectures that I've never previously heard of. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiaozuo Henan is paired up with Kentucky and West Virginia for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us Here's my Henan podcast (and more): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/henan/ Mar 10 - Pray for Jianli in Hubei Province's Jingzhou Prefecture, one of China's many million+ cities almost no one has heard of: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jianli Hubei (“Who-bay”) is matched with Illinois for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Hubei (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/hubei/ Mar 11 - Pray for Zhangjiajie City in the breathtaking mountains of NW Hunan: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhangjiajie. Hunan literally translates to “south of the lake” and is paired with both Indiana and Ohio for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Hunan (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/hunan/ Mar 12 - Pray for Kunshan City in Suzhou Prefecture in eastern China's Jiangsu Province: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunshan. Jiangsu Province is paired with Tennessee for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Jiangsu (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Jiangsu/ Mar 13 - Pray for Fengcheng (“Fungchung”) City in Yichun Prefecture in SE China’s Jiangxi Province: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fengcheng,_Jiangxi Jiangxi is paired with Georgia for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Jiangxi (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Jiangxi/ Mar 14 - Pray for Meihekou City in Jilin Province’s Tonghua Prefecture, home of the Christian hotel I visited back in 2003: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meihekou Jilin (“Lucky Forest”) is paired with all of New England for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Jilin (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/jilin/ Mar 15 - Pray for Panjin Prefecture in NE China's Liaoning Province, a place I visited one day back in 2003: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panjin. Liaoning is paired for prayer with New York, PA, NJ & Delaware: https://prayforchina.us/states/new-york.html For more about Liaoning (& my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Liaoning/ If you enjoy this podcast, follow or subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you use. And don’t forget to check out everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10, Verse 2!

Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post detailed daily reminders to pray for China (www.PrayforChina.us). BTW, X is also the best way to get in touch with me. Either tag me with a question or comment, or follow and send a DM. Finally, PrayGiveGo.us has easy access to almost everything that I am involved in, including books, Substack, this podcast, and our dedicated pray for China website. Today we begin with some North Korea news (1:07), followed by a look at some 214 year old preaching advice from missionary William Milne (34:18). Next, we look at how to pray for China this week (39:20) and hear a number of stories, especially the one about the Chrisitan hotel near North Korea in Lucky Forest. This Week’s (North Korea) News Why China is wary of North Korea’s embrace of Russia https://www.ft.com/content/d4094f65-de08-4fcf-ab11-424ef152e89e Families of Captured North Koreans to be Executed https://www.yahoo.com/news/families-captured-north-korean-troops-090313885.html North Korea Reopens After Five Years https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/north-korea-reopens-foreign-tourists-special-economic-zone-pyongyang-closed-4966381 Western Tourists Shocked by North Korea https://www.yahoo.com/news/western-tourists-given-rare-glimpse-112527445.html North Korea Tours Quickly Suspended https://www.rfa.org/english/korea/2025/03/06/north-korea-foreign-tour-suspension/ South Korean Travel to China Surges https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2025/03/113_392898.html On This Day… 200 Year Old Preaching Advice from William Milne https://chinacall.substack.com/p/200-year-old-preaching-advice The Memoirs of William Milne (200th Anniversary Edition!) https://a.co/d/bALLtAf Pray for China (March 9-15, 2025) Systematically and Strategically Interceding for All of China https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-march-9-15-2025 Mar 9 - Pray for Jiaozuo (“Gee’ao-dzwah”) in heavily populated Henan Province, one of the few Chinese prefectures that I've never previously heard of. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiaozuo Henan is paired up with Kentucky and West Virginia for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us Here's my Henan podcast (and more): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/henan/ Mar 10 - Pray for Jianli in Hubei Province's Jingzhou Prefecture, one of China's many million+ cities almost no one has heard of: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jianli Hubei (“Who-bay”) is matched with Illinois for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Hubei (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/hubei/ Mar 11 - Pray for Zhangjiajie City in the breathtaking mountains of NW Hunan: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhangjiajie. Hunan literally translates to “south of the lake” and is paired with both Indiana and Ohio for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Hunan (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/hunan/ Mar 12 - Pray for Kunshan City in Suzhou Prefecture in eastern China's Jiangsu Province: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunshan. Jiangsu Province is paired with Tennessee for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Jiangsu (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Jiangsu/ Mar 13 - Pray for Fengcheng (“Fungchung”) City in Yichun Prefecture in SE China’s Jiangxi Province: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fengcheng,_Jiangxi Jiangxi is paired with Georgia for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Jiangxi (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Jiangxi/ Mar 14 - Pray for Meihekou City in Jilin Province’s Tonghua Prefecture, home of the Christian hotel I visited back in 2003: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meihekou Jilin (“Lucky Forest”) is paired with all of New England for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Jilin (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/jilin/ Mar 15 - Pray for Panjin Prefecture in NE China's Liaoning Province, a place I visited one day back in 2003: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panjin. Liaoning is paired for prayer with New York, PA, NJ & Delaware: https://prayforchina.us/states/new-york.html For more about Liaoning (& my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Liaoning/ If you enjoy this podcast, follow or subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you use. And don’t forget to check out everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10, Verse 2!

Last time we spoke about the Chiang-Gui War. China was reunified, but not was all well in Camelot. Chiang Kai-Shek initially popular, faced opposition from various factions, including Northern warlords and rival generals. The KMT decided to relocate the capital from Beijing to Nanking, which sparked resistance from those attached to Beijing's rich history. The KMT then struggled with demobilizing the massive National Revolutionary Army, which had over 2 million troops. Chiang Kai-Shek aimed to reduce this number significantly but faced challenges, including discontent among warlords like Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan. Tensions escalated into the Chiang-Gui War, where Chiang defeated the Guangxi Clique led by Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi. This victory, however, did not end the turmoil as Feng and Yan formed an anti-Chiang coalition with Wang Jingwei. The struggle led to a dramatic showdown, culminating in the Taiyuan Conference where Yan Xishan was promoted to commander-in-chief, setting the stage for further conflict.   #123 The Central Plains War  Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. We last left off with basically every other big dog in China getting ready to gang up on Chiang Kai-Shek. Yan Xishan was now the commander in chief of an anti-chiang coalition with his deputy commanders being Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren and Zhang Xueliang….however Zhang Xueliang was nowhere to be found. During what has been referred to as the “telegram war” period, the Young Marshal had actually spent the entire time in Mukden frantically telegraming all the significant North Chinese warlords and generals to not join the anti-chiang movement.  To take a small sidestep. In the last episode I explained why Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi and their Guangxi clique turned against Chiang Kai-Shek, but what motivations did someone like Feng Yuxiang and his Guominjun have to do so? A severe famine hit the Guanzhong region of Shaanxi, where Feng Yuxiang held power. This famine, which occurred in the 18th year of the Republic of China, is also referred to as the "Famine of the 18th Year of the Republic of China." Within Shaanxi, a year without any harvest is called a famine year, two consecutive years of poor harvest are also labeled famine years, and three consecutive years are considered a severe famine. During the 18th year of the Republic of China, the region faced an extreme famine with virtually no harvest for six consecutive seasons over three years. Some considered it a once-in-a-century event, while others claimed it was a disaster seen once in 300 years. According to modern historical records and newspaper reports, Shaanxi experienced drought in 1928, which caused poor summer wheat yields, while autumn and winter crops could not be planted due to a lack of rain. By 1929, the drought worsened. No rain fell from spring through autumn, drying up wells and rivers like the Jing, Wei, Han, and Bao. Most trees withered, and crops failed—summer harvests only amounted to 20%, and autumn yields were nonexistent. The famine was so severe that grass roots and tree bark became scarce, with the roads littered with corpses and countless people fleeing the area. According to a report by the Shaanxi Disaster Relief Committee on September 5 of that year, 91 of the province's 92 counties were affected by the drought. Except for a few counties along the Wei River that had some green crops, the rest were barren. Among the 91 counties, 24 were extremely severely affected, 27 severely affected, 15 moderately affected, and 25 slightly affected. The most severely hit areas included Chang'an, Wugong, Fengxiang, Fufeng, Qianxian, Qishan, Meixian, Xingping, Xianyang, Lintong, Weinan, Zhouzhi, and others. Out of a total population of over 9.4 million, 2.5 million people died of starvation, approximately 400,000 fled, and over 200,000 women were sold to other regions such as Henan, Shanxi, Beiping, Tianjin, and Shandong. Back in 1927, Chiang Kai-shek established the KMT's new government in Nanking. By June, Chiang and Feng Yuxiang succeeded in uniting the two Kuomintang warlord factions during the Xuzhou Conference. In February 1928, Chiang and Feng solidified their alliance by becoming sworn brothers. Before the launch of the "Second Northern Expedition," Chiang Kai-shek had control over the central KMT government and occupied affluent areas like Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou. Feng Yuxiang, on the other hand, controlled the impoverished and remote northwest, where transportation was difficult. He saw the Northern Expedition as an opportunity to expand his own influence, particularly eyeing Beijing and Tianjin for their wealth and strategic transportation routes. After the expedition, Chiang Kai-shek, concerned about Feng's growing power, exploited tensions between Yan Xishan and Feng Yuxiang. He ceded control of Hebei, Beijing, and Tianjin to Yan Xishan, appointing him commander of the Beijing-Tianjin garrison and allowing his 3rd Army to enter Beijing. Feng's 2nd Army, however, was restricted to Nanyuan and denied entry into the city, which greatly displeased Feng. In response, he ordered his troops to retreat to Shandong and Henan, and feigned illness in Xinxiang, Henan, refusing to travel to Beijing. In the political realm Feng Yuxiang advocated for "civilian politics" and stood against dictatorship. Within the Kuomintang, he opposed Chiang Kai-shek's views, calling for the establishment of a clean government, promoting joint industrial development, providing aid to disaster victims, and fighting corruption. He also opposed salary increases for central government officials, argued for distributing leadership roles based on the strength of different factions, and rejected Chiang Kai-shek's dominance over party matters and the Nanjing government. These positions sharply conflicted with Chiang Kai-shek's ideas. After the success of the "Northern Expedition," Chiang Kai-shek proposed a reorganization of the army. This initiative sparked intense conflict between Chiang and Feng Yuxiang. On July 6, 1928, Chiang invited Feng, Yan Xishan, Li Zongren, and Bai Chongxi to a symposium in Beiping. However, Feng and other faction leaders strongly opposed Chiang's plan to reduce the army, leading to an unsatisfactory end to the meeting. On August 8, 1928, Chiang presided over the Fifth Plenary Session of the Kuomintang's Second Central Committee in Nanjing, where he sought to force the various factions to comply with his military reduction plan. Supported by the Guangdong-born members of the Central Committee, the proposal was passed, and the army reduction plan became part of the Kuomintang's official resolution. Feeling threatened by this plan, Feng traveled along the Longhai Railway, inspecting the Northwest Army, and held a commemorative military parade marking the second anniversary of the Northwest Army's Wuyuan Oath-taking Ceremony. In October 1928, after the reorganization of the Nanjing National Government, Chiang appointed Feng as Vice President of the Executive Yuan and Minister of Military Affairs, asking him to report to Nanjing immediately. Feng, however, refused, citing various excuses. Under increasing public pressure, Feng and other faction leaders were eventually forced to attend the demobilization meeting in Nanjing. On December 26, 1928, Chiang chaired a preparatory meeting for the demobilization conference, using factional politics to manipulate and divide his rivals. Feng proposed a "three haves and three demobilizations" plan, which was initially opposed by Yan Xishan and Li Zongren. Secretly, Chiang won over Yan, encouraging him to submit a proposal that would counter Feng's influence. When the National Demobilization Meeting convened on January 1, 1929, most attendees supported Yan's proposal over Feng's. The "Outline of the Procedure for the Demobilization Committee of the National Army" was passed, favoring Chiang's position. Eventually, Feng, Yan, and Li shifted from opposing each other to uniting against the demobilization process. In March 1929, as we saw in last episode, the Chiang-Gui War broke out. In order to concentrate military forces and eliminate the Guangxi clique, Chiang Kai-shek sent Shao Lizi and others to Huashan to win over Feng Yuxiang. They offered Feng the chance to continue cooperating with Chiang and send troops to help Chiang defeat Guangxi in exchange for the premiership of the Executive Yuan and the territory of Hubei and Hunan provinces. Feng agreed to Chiang's request on the surface. He then frequently deployed troops on the border between Henan and Hubei, hoping to seize the opportunity to send troops to occupy Wuhan when Chiang and Guangxi were both defeated. However, Chiang soon defeated the Guangxi clique, which increased Chiang Kai-shek's resentment and made the contradiction between Chiang and Feng irreconcilable. Now that pretty much covers Feng Yuxiang's motivations, but what about Yan Xishan? In January 1930, after Yan Xishan returned to Taiyuan from Zhengzhou, central Henan began to experience increasing turmoil. On February 10, Yan sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek, urging a spirit of courtesy for the country's sake that they "share the burden" to resolve party conflicts. Chiang responded on February 12 with a telegram stating, "Revolution to save the country is an obligation, not a right. The country is in dire straits, and it is not the time for us to be arrogant." By February 21, Li Zongren, Huang Shaohong, Bai Chongxi, Zhang Fakui, and Hu Zongduo all stated supported Yan Xishan to be the commander-in-chief of the anti-chiang national army, navy, and air force. In many ways the issue was simply thrust onto him. Meanwhile Yan Xishan's army went to Peiping, current day Beijing, disarming the KMT forces there and setting up a HQ. With perhaps a stronger backing, Chiang Kai-Shek would have gone to war against the anti-chiang cabal much earlier, but was reluctant to do so now. The terrain was the difficulty, he would have to fight his way into Shandong, where the local sympathy rested on Feng Yuxiang. So for now he battled them through the use of diplomacy. Within the chaos, the CCP also managed to cut their own piece of the pie by capturing Changsha in late July. They would only hold the city for a few days however, before burning it down and fleeing. Early into the conflict Chiang Kai-Shek's attention was drawn to Manchuria. The Young Marshal had not made a move in either direction and he was sitting upon an army 200,000 plus strong. Where did his sympathies truly lie, everyone was waiting to see. Chiang Kai-Shek believed chances were slim the Young Marshal would rebel against him, he was not very much like his tiger of a father. Zhang Xueliang was a thinker, an idealistic and most importantly he had been an opium addict for a long time. Such a life conditioned the young man to be a lot more passive. Zhang Xueliang seemed to be looking to pledge himself to a real leader who could deliver salvation to China. But who was the better choice for him? Chiang Kai-Shek or Wang Jingwei? Chiang Kai-Shek did not wait for an official answer to this question he hastily announced that Zhang Xueliang was his new deputy commander in chief. Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan followed this up by offering Zhang Xueliang a place in the Peiping state council, yet Zhang Xueliang remained quiet until the middle of September. It was a real nail bitter for both sides, Zhang Xueliang had a large, decently trained and pretty well armed army, he would tip the tides for either side. The waiting game had Yan Xishan thinking strongly about pulling out of the coalition. In the meantime the war truly began to heat up in May when Chiang Kai-Shek swore a public oath to attack Yan Xishan and Feng Yuxiang. On May 11th, both sides began engaged another along a north and south front. The main battlefield in the north was centered around Henan with a secondary front in Shandong fought mainly along the Pinghan, Longhai and Jinpu railways. In the southern theater the fighting was fought mainly in the Yuezhou, Changsha and Xiangjiang river areas. To be more specific the anti-Chiang Kai-shek army organized a total of 8 war front areas: the Guangxi clique army was the 1st front, led by Li Zongren, going north from Hunan and heading towards Wuhan; the Northwest Army was the 2nd front, led by Feng Yuxiang, with Lu Zhonglin being responsible for the Longhai and Pinghan lines in Henan; the Shanxi Army was the 3rd front, led by Yan Xishan, with Xu Yongchang responsible for the Jinpu and Jiaoji lines and the eastern section of the Longhai line in Shandong; Shi Yousan's troops were the 4th front; the Northeast Army, which was designated by Zhang Xueliang, was the 5th front though whether he took up the post or not was yet to be seen; Liu Wenhui's troops were the 6th front; He Jian's troops were the 7th front, and Fan Zhongxiu's troops were the 8th front. The Northwest Army and the Shanxi Army, as the main forces, had been fully mobilized and marched to the Longhai, Pinghan, and Jinpu lines. Yan also appointed Shi Yousan as the chairman of Shandong Province, leading his troops to attack Shandong from Henan, and appointed Sun Dianying as the chairman of Anhui Province, attacking the Bozhou area of ​​Anhui. Altogether the Anti-Chiang forces were about 260,000 men strong The fighting kicked off in mid May. The strategy of the anti-Chiang army was for the first front army, the Guangxi army led by Li Zongren to march into Hunan and advance towards Wuhan; the second front army, the Northwestern Army of Feng Yuxiang, was responsible for the Longhai and Pinghan routes in Henan Province, and would attack Xuzhou and Wuhan respectively; the third front army, the Shanxi Army of Yan Xishan was responsible for the operations along the Jinpu and Jiaoji routes in Shandong Province. It would join Feng Yuxiang to attack Xuzhou, then advance southward along the Jinpu Line and attack Nanking; Shi Yousan was in charge of the Fourth Front Army, which would use its main forces to attack Jining and Yanzhou, and would use part of its forces to join the Third Front Army in the attack on Jinan; Zhang Xueliang's Northeast Army was designated as the Fifth Front Army, and efforts were made to jointly fight against Chiang Kai-shek, but again his status was still unknown; Liu Wenhui of Sichuan was appointed as the Sixth Front Army, and He Jian of Hunan was appointed as the Seventh Front Army. In order to encourage generals of non-directly affiliated units, Shi Yousan was appointed as the chairman of Shandong Province, Wan Xuancai as the chairman of Henan Province, and Sun Dianying as the chairman of Anhui Province. After this, Fan Zhongxiu was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Eighth Front Army. Chiang Kai-Shek deployed the NRA 2nd Corps led by Liu Zhi along the Longhai railway line; the 3rd Crops of H Chengjun was deployed on the Pinhan line; the 1st Corps of Han Fuju was deployed along the Jinpu line and Chiang Kai-Shek set up his HQ in Xuzhou to personally command forces. On May 11th, Chiang Kai-Shek issued his general attack orders, with the 2nd corps attacking Guide from Xuzhou. The two sides began clashing, with the KMT gaining the upper hand rather quickly as they held an advantage in air power. A NRA division led by Chen Jicheng occupied Mamuji due east of Guide. Then Liu Maoen defected to Chiang Kai-Shek handing his forces over at Ningling while also luring Colonel Wan Xuancai into a trap. This left Guide to be easily captured by Chiang's forces as the only other enemy division was that of Sun Dianying who withdrew to Bozhou. Although Chiang Kai-Shek had won technically the first major battle, his situation was not at all enviable.  After losing Guide, Yan Xishan urgently reinforced the Longhai Railway line area with divisions led by Yang Yaofang, Sun Laingcheng and Ji Hongchang. This saw Chiang Kai-Sheks forces suffer extremely heavy losses over the course of 10 days of fighting. Chiang Kai-Sheks forces were reeling from the fierce fighting and forced to retreat into the southwestern portion of Shandong. Along the Pinghan railway, Chiang Kai-Shek ordered He Chengjun's 3rd Corps to depart the Yancheng area and attack northwards. The 3rd Corps quickly found themselves fighting the northwest Army in the Linying and Xuchang areas. The 3rd Corps were trying to contain and isolate the northwest army who were currently receiving reinforcements along the Longhai line.  On May 25th, He Jians forces began occupying Linying and by Juny 7th Xuchang. At this time the Guangxi army invaded Hunan and by the 28th of May had taken Yongzhou, Qiyang, Hangzhou and Baoqing. On June 8th they took Changsha and Yueyang, with their vanguard entering Hubei. Feng Yuxiang took advantage of the situation to launch a full scale attack along the Pingham line. After two days of fighting, Chiang Kai-Sheks men were retreating south to Luohe. However, Feng Yuxiang made an error. His subordinates urged him to link up with the Guangxi army and attack Wuhan. Instead he ordered his forces to advance into eastern Henan where he might annihilate a large portion of Chiang Kai-Sheks army. Meanwhile Chiang Kai-Shek had suffered major defeats across the Longhai and Pingham lines and lost the key city of Changsha, his men were demoralized. By mid June Feng Yuxiang adjusted his battle plan and launched another offensive along the Longhai line as Chiang Kai-Shek came to Liuhe to supervise the battle. Chiang Kai-Shek tossed some of his elite divisions equipped with heavy artillery to attack Feng Yuxiang from Qixian to Taikang, hoping to seize Kaifeng and Chenliu. Yet he fell directly into a pocket-sized encirclement and his forces were battered. Over on the Jinpu line front, Yan Xishan had organized 6 divisions and 3 artillery regiments to perform an offensive against Jinan. They advanced south along the Jinpu line and formed two pincers against the city. Han Fuju knew he would lose considerable forces in a defense of the city and ended up simply pulling out to conserve his strength, handing Jinan over.  July brought significant change to the war. Over in Hunan, Chiang Kai-Shek organized 3 armies to counterattack Changsha; a naval fleet under Chen Skaokuan would assist them and he ordered the 8th route army under Jiang Hauangnai and Cai Tingkai to retake Hengyang. The Guangxi army could not focus on two fronts, so they abandoned Yueyang and Changsha to meet the enemy at Hengyang. The two sides fought bitterly in southern Hunan, but by July 4th the Guangxi army was forced to retreat to the province of Guangxi. Afterwards Chiang Kai-Shek's forces took Bozhou within the Longhai/Jinpu triangle area, effectively trapping forces led by Sun Dianying. On July 8th Chiang Kai-Shek diverted a bunch of divisions from the Longhai line to the Jinpu Line. By the end of the month Chiang Kai-Shek unleashed a general offensive along the Jinpu line. Feng Yuxiang retaliated by launching an offensive over the Longhai line trying to seize Xuzhou. Feng Yuxiang hoped by doing so he could unite the Jinpu and Longhai lines for a combined assault of Xuzhou. Chiang Kai-Sheks Longhai forces were quickly pushed back to an area south of Guide, but mother nature tossed a curveball. Colossal amounts of rain caused river floodings, forcing Feng Yuxiangs men to advance through mud greatly diminishing his supply lines. It was enough to give Chiang Kai-Shek time to stabilize the front as his offensive on the Jinpu line successfully recaptured Jinan by August 15th.  On August 21st Chiang Kai-Shek convened a meeting in Jinan where it was decided they would divert forces from the Jinpu line to the Longhai and Pinghan lines. They would focus the most on the Pinghan line while forces on the Longhai line would try to cut off the retreat of Feng Yuxiang's army. Chiang Kai-Shek even offered 200,00 yuan for the first unit to take Gongxian and 1 million yuan for the occupation of Luoyang and Zhengzhou. On September 6th, Chiang Kai-Shek unleashed another general offensive. Feng Yuxiang believed he had the numbers to win, so he deployed his forces pretty evenly over the Pinghan, Longhai and Zhengzhou fronts. He did urge Yan Xishan to try and help him out if his fronts could afford to spare units. Yet Yan Xishan sought to preserve his strength, and moved his Longhai forces to pull back north of the Yellow River. This action made linking up with Feng Yuxiang pretty much impossible. By the 17th Chiang Kai-Shek captured Longmen very close to Luoyang, effectively cutting off Feng Yuxiang's line of retreat heading west. Thus Feng Yuxiang had no choice but to retreat into northern Henan. Taking another sidestep, you may have noticed one of the largest players remains unmentioned, what about the Young Marshal? Back in March, Zhang Xueliang issued a telegram expressing his neutrality. This of course prompted Chiang Kai-Shek to personally call him, whence negotiations began. On June 10th, Li Shi and Zhang Xueliang discussed the conditions for him to send troops to help the NRA out. The first condition was 2 million yuan to cover the cost of deployment. On June 21st the KMT officially appointed Zhang Xueliang as deputy commander. The next day Zhang Xueliang telegramed everyone suggesting that both sides agree to a cease-fire and establish a buffer zone. In August Li Shi came to meet with Zhang Xueliang again, where the Young Marshal then demanded 5 million yuan for military use and a loan of 10 million yuan to stabilize the northeast economy. Chiang Kai-Shek agreed to the terms on the spot. Then Zhang Xueliang said if Chiang Kai-Shek could capture Jinan, he would send troops. As mentioned this occurred on August 15th. Thus Zhang Xueliang began speaking with his generals. Meanwhile on the other side, the Anti-Chiang leadership began establishing a competing government in Peiping in July whereupon they appointed many Fengtian clique members to be the heads of certain departments. Yet on September 2nd, Zhang Xueliang told Fu Zuoyi, a anti-Chiang representative that he did not support their Peiping government. Then Zhang Xueliang recalled all the Fengtian members they had appointed as officials.  Then on September 18th, Zhang Xueliang issued a telegram urging "all parties to stop fighting immediately to relieve the people's suffering and wait for Nanking to take action." At the same time, he dispatched Yu Xuzhong and Wang Shuchang with the 1st and 2nd armies of the Northeast Frontier Defense army to enter the pass. On October 9th, he officially took up office as the deputy commander for the NRA. Yan Xishan soon received word from forces in Tangshan that Zhang Xuliang was advancing, so he called for a meeting to figure out countermeasures. Zhang Xueliang then sent word to Yan Xishan that he should withdraw from occupied areas. Yan Xishan did indeed comply as Zhang Xueliang quickly occupied Ping and Tianjin without firing a shot. To maintain cordial relations with Yan Xishan, Zhang Xueliang had his army only advance into Hubei and Chahar, but left Shanxi alone. This prompted Yan Xishans forces to cross the Yellow River and retreat back into Shanxi using two routes.  Meanwhile a wave of defections to Chiang Kai-Shek began in late September, severely crippling the Pinghan line for Feng Yuxiang. Along the Longhai line, Chiang Kai-Shek's forces took Kaifeng on October 3rd and were advancing towards Zhangzhou. The KMT government then began announcing amnesty for all Generals if they would stand down. The next days many of Feng Yuxiang's subordinates called upon him to issue a ceasefire. Feng Yuxiang was basically screwed, Chiang and Zhang were surrounding him slowly as his own Generals defected or abandoned the cause. On the 5th Feng Yuxiangs deputy commander withdrew to Xinxiang, due north of the Yellow River. The next day Zhengzhou fell to the NRA 11th division of Chen Cheng. On the 5th Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang and Wang Jingwei jointly telegrammed Zhang Xueliang expressing their desire for a ceasefire and to open up negotiations.  By the 15th Yan Xishan and Feng Yuxiang stepped down together as commanders in chief. Yan Xishan handed command to Xu Yongchang and Feng Yuxiang to Lu Zhonglin. Both men then stated they would go temporarily abroad, though neither truly did. In truth Yan Xishan fled to Dalian under the protection of the Japanese and Feng Yuxiang hid in Yudaohe in Shanxi. That same day Lu Zhonglin telegramed to the Northwest army "withdraw defense immediately upon order inform all injured units to stop fighting and rest the people." On November 4th, Yan Xishan and Feng Yuxiang telegramed the dissolution of the anti-chiang movement, ending the war. The Central Plains War lasted roughly seven months, with both sides mobilizing more than 1.1 million troops, spending 500 million yuan, and suffering 300,000 casualties. At least half of them were young and middle-aged men from Hebei, Shandong, Henan and other provinces. It was the largest civil war in China after the Northern Expedition to unify China. The war spread to Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi and other provinces. Most of the national troops originally prepared to suppress the Communists were mobilized, allowing the Chinese Communist Party to breathe and develop. Warlords imposed additional donations and taxes on the common people and issued paper money indiscriminately. As usual the ones to suffer the most were of course the common people. Within the Central Plains, 27 counties including Luoyang in Henan Province were severely affected, with agricultural losses amounting to 160.2% of the annual output value; farmers in more than a dozen counties including lost an average of 0.22 heads of livestock and 0.07 carts per household. Within Henan Province, it was said “over 120,000 people died in the war, over 19,500 were injured, over 1,185,000 fled, and over 1,297,700 were forced into exile by the army, of which over 30,000 died in combat, not including soldiers. The total property losses, including the destruction and burning of houses, amounted to over 651,469,000 yuan. It is estimated that it will take 10 years to recover all the losses.” Source in Zhengzhou stated “Since the beginning of the war, planes have been arriving every day, dropping bombs. … Every time a bomb is dropped, five or six people are killed and several buildings are destroyed. This situation is not limited to Zhengzhou. It is the same everywhere in the battlefield cities, the counties and villages near the Longhai and Pinghan railways, even in broad daylight.”  Industry declined and agriculture went bankrupt. The war caused great damage to industrial and agricultural production, seriously hindering the development of the social economy. “The national finances and social economy were both exhausted.” For railway transportation alone saw  “capital losses amounted to 22,165,504 yuan; withdrawals from garrison troops amounted to 4,206,155 yuan; military transport losses amounted to 29,958,042 yuan; and operating losses amounted to 17,018,271 yuan. The total was more than 73 million yuan.Among agricultural products, tobacco leaves were harvested in the three provinces of Henan, Shandong and Anhui, and the war was at its most intense. The losses were between 20 and 30 million yuan. The losses were twice as much as the war expenses.”  Chiang Kai-Shek had won the war, utterly breaking his opponents. Feng Yuxiangs northwest disintegrated into four factions. Yan Xishans Shanxi army took heavy losses that they would not recover from. Zhang Xueliang profited the most, his northeast army gained further territory in North China. He would gradually incorporate a large part of the forces in Shanxi and Suiyuan and would emerge the second largest military faction in China. However, when Zhang Xueliang depleted the northeast of her military forces, this left the borders weak. Zhang Xueliang soon became focused on governing North China, taking his eyes off his powerbase of Manchuria, which Japanese eyes looked upon enviously.  Overall the Central plains war weakened the NRA, the KMT, depleted China of her overall strength and lessened efforts against the CCP. Within the background of the warlord-NRA conflict, the CCP would benefit greatly. The CCP had spread to 11 provinces, including Jiangxi, Hubei, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Henan, Sichuan, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. Their Red Army formed a total of 14 armies with a total of about 100,000 people. But with the Central Plains War ended, now Chiang Kai-Shek could redirect his efforts against the Red Menace.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Chiang Kai-Shek had certainly faced a formidable enemy in the former of his past comrades in arms, Feng Yuxiang, Yan Xishan, Li Zongren and many others. At the last minute the Young Marshal saved the day, allowing the Generalissimo to retain control over the new Republic, yet in the background lurked enemies everywhere still.

Welcome to China Compass! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. You can follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post daily reminders to pray for China (PrayforChina.us). You can also email me any questions or comments @ bfwesten at gmail dot com. And if you want to learn more about everything we are doing, visit PrayGiveGo.us I've been in Malaysia for more than a week now, and finally finished editing, just a few days ago, The Memoirs of William Milne. The Kindle book is now live on Amazon for just $2: https://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-William-Milne-Missionary-1785-1822-ebook/dp/B0DJ1Q4HNR/ China News: Chinese Nuclear Sub SInks in Wuhan: https://notthebee.com/article/chinas-new-nuclear-sub-just-sank-while-at-dock-according-to-us-officials Blaze News guest overstates China case: https://centerforsecuritypolicy.org/j-michael-waller-discusses-if-tim-walz-is-compromised-by-the-ccp/ 9 Things to Know about Christianity and Communist China https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-you-should-know-about-christianity-and-communist-china/ Crazy Taiping Rebellion Connections... William Milne and Robert Morrison, Afo and Hong Xiu Quan (aka Jesus younger brother), Univ. of Idaho Prof and George Grant https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/ngier/ https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/ngier/taiping.htm#_edn14 https://www.history.com/topics/asian-history/taiping-rebellion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Rebellion Jiangsu is our Pray for China province of the week, and is matched up with Tennessee… Jiangsu's Name & Geography Asia Harvest on Jiangsu: https://www.asiaharvest.org/china-resources/jiangsu Jiangsu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiangsu Jiangsu Missionaries & Martyrs Jack Vinson: https://www.asiaharvest.org/china-resources/jiangsu/1931-jack-vinson John Birch: https://www.asiaharvest.org/china-resources/jiangsu/1945-john-birch

Last time we spoke about the finale of the Northern Expedition, the reunification of China. In May the NRA advanced from the Yellow River bridgehead despite losing access to the Tianjin-Pukou railway, forcing a 60-mile march. General Chen Tiaoyuan captured Tehzhou on the 13th, as the NRA cleared northern Shandong. They then converged on Beijing, with Feng Yuxiang's 2nd Collective Army and Yan Xishan's 3rd Collective Army advancing from different directions. Yan Xishan fought the NPA, recapturing territories and capturing Nankou, which led to speculation he would enter Beijing first. Despite NPA counterattacks, the NRA forces continued their advance. By late May, the NRA's combined efforts and internal NPA issues led to a general retreat of the NPA forces. On June 6, Yan Xishan's troops entered Beijing. The NPA's Zhang Zuolin was assassinated by Japanese officers, leading to a power shift to his son Zhang Xueliang, who later aligned with Chiang Kai-Shek. By December 1928, China was unified under the KMT.   #118 The Chinese Civil War Draws First Blood Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. So I said a few times during the northern expedition that I wanted to push aside the emerging Chinese civil war. Although we loosely covered a lot of the major events, this episode is going to try and narrow and focus it down. Now please note, up until this point I have to admit I had been using sources that were either skewed towards the Chinese nationalist views or were trying to be non biased. For some of these episodes I intentionally am using some CCP aligned sources, I will try my best to balance things out. Also a large part of this is going to be a retelling of the Shanghai Massacre, but more from the point of view of the CCP. All the way back in 1926, Chiang Kai-Shek had managed to seize power over the Kuomintang. He exerted control over the party and army as he unleashed the Northern Expedition. By November 9th Chiang Kai-Shek set up a new headquarters in Nanchang. Chiang Kai-Shek was determined to purge the party of communists and began to do so here. He began by recruiting a large number of right-wing Kuomintang members such as Dai Jitao and Wu Tiecheng. Dai Jitao was a member of the Kuomintang Central Executive Committee and had served as the Minister of the KMT's propaganda department. After the death of Sun Yat-Sen, Dai Jitao had actively promoted an anti-communist movement, drawing support from warlords, right wingers and those the CCP would describe as “imperialists”. In May of 1925 with the support of Chiang Kai-Shek, Dai Jitao began an anti-communist campaign in Shanghai. He ran two successful pamphlets loosely translated in English as "The Philosophical Foundation of Sun Yat-senism" and "National Revolution and the Chinese Kuomintang”. Both worked to promote the teachings of Confucius and Mencius while distorting Sun Yat-sen's thoughts. Dai Jitao was arguing that Sun Yat-Sen's ideology chiefly came from Confucianism instead of western philosophy and that in fact the man was a traditionalist. He twisted Sun Yat-Sen's three principles, castrating them of revolutionary content. All of this quickly became a "banner" for the Kuomintang right-winger to carry out anti-communist activities. After Chiang Kai-Shek arrived in Nanchang, he immediately invited him to go north to jointly plan the purge of the party and anti-communism. Wu Tiecheng joined Dai Jitao, he was the director of the Guangzhou Public security Bureau and a well known KMT right-winger. Prior to the Zhongshan ship incident, Wu Tiecheng stated he had suggested to Chiang Kai-Shek that they impose sanctions on the CCP. In his words “with the registration materials of the special household registration of our Public Security Bureau, we can immediately arrest a dozen of the main Communist Party members, and then use a ship to transport them to a small island near Zhongshan County , or send them to Shanghai. As for the minor members, they will be temporarily detained." Chiang Kai-Shek said "I will think about it first." After the Zhongshan incident, Chiang Kai-Shek pretended to dismiss him from his post, but specially invited him later to Nanchang and dispatched him to Japan as a liaison. Another large figure who was invited over was Huang Fu, who had served as the Minister of Foreign affairs and Education for the Beiyang Government and as its Prime Minister. When Chiang Kai-Shek came to Nanchang he wrote to Huang Fu twice inviting him to come south. On December 31st, Zhang Jingjiang and Chen Guofu were also invited to Nanchang. Zhang Jingjiang was a member of the KMT's Central Supervisory Committee. After the secondary Plenary session of the second central committee, he became chairman of it. He used his authority and colluded with Chen Guofu, the Minister of Organization to dissolve the Guangzhou Municipal Party committee, which at the time was being led by left winger KMT. They did this by placing confidants in various positions to steal power. Simultaneously, they suppressed worker and peasant movements in Guangdong, even dispatching gangsters to kill their leaders and burn down the provincial and Hong Kong strike committee HQ. All of these people gathered at Nanchang formed a anti-communist cabal backing Chiang Kai-Shek. In January of 1927 these men went up Mount Lushan to a famous hotel called Xianyan where they plotted. After several days of meetings, as my source argues, mostly based on the advice of Huang Fu, these following decisions were obtained. Number 1, they would enact a policy of separating from the USSR and purging the party of CCP. Number 2, the NRA must settle the southeast by forming an alliance with the gentry and merchant class there. Number 3 in their diplomatic efforts they had to abandon the USSR and ally themselves to Japan. Number 4, to increase their military power they had to unite with Feng Yuxiangs Guominjun and Yan Xishan.   Upon returning to Nanchang, Chiang Kai-Shek took action, first by attacking Borodin. He sent a telegram to Xu Qian, the chairman of the Wuhan joint conference, stating Borodin had insulted him in public at Wuhan and demanded he be removed from his advisory position. He also recomended expell Borodin back to the USSR. The source I am reading states Chiang Kai-Shek had two rationales for going after Borodin. "Chiang Kai-Shek felt that except for Borodin, the Kuomintang leaders in Wuhan were all politically incompetent. ... As long as Borodin was there, he could not gain a dominant position. Secondly, he was using Borodin like a scape goat to hide his real anti-Soviet purpose'. At this time Chiang Kai-Shek was being labeled a USSR stooge by the NPA and a Japanese stooge by the CCP. In response, Chiang Kai-Shek stated publicly "Our alliance with Russia was left by the Prime Minister. Although its representatives have been arrogant for a long time and oppressed our party leaders in many ways, I believe that this has nothing to do with the Soviet Union's spirit of treating us equally. No matter what their personal attitudes are, we will never change our relationship with the Soviet Union towards Japan. Why should we unite with the Soviet Union? It is because the Soviet Union can treat China equally. Since the Soviet Union has not given up treating us equally, how can we give up the policy of alliance with Russia. ... Not only Japan, but any country, if it can treat China equally, then we will treat them the same way as we treat the Soviet Union. It is not impossible to unite with them. We unite with the Soviet Union to seek freedom and equality for China. It is completely based on the meaning of treating our nation equally, so we must unite with the Soviet Union. If the Soviet Union does not treat us equally and oppresses us in the same way, we will also oppose them in the same way. I have said for a long time." In regards to the CCP Chiang Kai-Shek stated to his close confidants “When I was in Guangzhou, I was always paying attention to the actions of the CCP. I wanted to implement my proposal to overthrow the CCP in Guangzhou, however I did not do so. I was unable to do so because it could mean the end of the Kuomintang”. After the success of the Northern Expedition, Chiang Kai-Shek lamented to his confidants “although our army has won a great victory, I still worry the enemy is not at our front but at our rear. The CCP is causing much trouble within, we must make sure it does not split out party or even collapse our army. There are thorns everywhere”. Publically Chiang Kai-Shek stated "Now there is a rumor that I distrust and alienate my Communist comrades and have a tendency to oppose them. In fact, it cannot be said that I will not oppose the Communist Party. I has always supported the Communist Party... But that is to say, if the Communist Party becomes strong in the future and its members are arrogant and tyrannical, I will definitely correct them and punish them. ... Now many Communist Party members are actually oppressing the Kuomintang members, showing an overbearing attitude, and tend to exclude Kuomintang members, making Kuomintang members embarrassed. In this way, I can no longer treat Communist Party members with the same preferential treatment as before. If I still have the same attitude as before, then I am not in the position of a Kuomintang member, and I cannot be a Kuomintang member. Although I am not a Communist Party member, from a revolutionary perspective, I have to take some responsibility for the success or failure of the Communist Party! I am the leader of the Chinese revolution, not just the leader of the Kuomintang. The Communist Party is a part of the Chinese revolutionary forces. Therefore, if Communist Party members do something wrong or act tyrannically, I have the responsibility and power to intervene and punish them." As you can see, publicly Chiang Kai-Shek was always walking on eggshells when attacking the CCP. If you know the old boiling frog analogy, it's more or less like Chiang Kai-Shek gradually getting the public to attack the CCP. At the ceremony where Li Liejun was appointed chairman of Jiangxi, Chiang Kai-shek once again gave a speech, saying that communism was only a method of economic development, which might be applicable in some countries, but if China adopted communism, it would be a great harm and would only lead to the overthrow and revolution of China. In late January, Chiang Kai-Shek met with Momuro Keijiro, a representative sent by Japan's minister of Finance and Navy at Lushan. Chiang Kai-Shek explained to Keijiro that he understood the importance of the political and economic relationship between Manchuria and Japan. He understood the Japanese had spilt a lot of blood there during the Russo-Japanese War. He believed Manchuria required special consideration and hoped the Japanese would correctly evaluate the KMT's struggle to reunify China. Chiang Kai-Shek then met with the Japanese consul General in Jiujiang, Edo Sentaro, explaining he did not only intend to abolish the unequal treaties but would try to respect the existing conditions as much as possible, such as guaranteeing the recognition of foreign loans and repayments and respecting foreign owned enterprises.  After these meetings Chiang Kai-Shek met with representatives of the Imperial Japanese Military such as Nagami Masuki and Matsumuro Takayoshi. It was Dai Jitao who set up these meetings. Chiang Kai-Shek began the talks by making it clear the KMT would not work with the CCP and was willing to work with Japan to prevent the spread of Communism in China. Chiang Kai-Shek also met with the Japanese politician Yamamoto Jotario who would go on to say in Beijing that he believed the Generalissimo was an outstanding military leader. Needless to say, as my source would put it “Chiang Kai-Shek was closely colluding with Japanese imperialism”. He was also establishing contacts with the US. He dispatched Wang Zhengting to Shanghai to meet the American consul general there. Wang Zhengting told him the KMT had washed their hands of the communists and that there would be nor more incidents such as the one that befell Hankou. The American consul general in Guangzhou was likewise contacted through the finance minister of Guangdong, Kong Xiangxi. What the American consuls told their government was “if the powers want to drive the Soviets out of China, they should establish direct contact with Chiang Kai-Shek”. Chiang Kai-Shek also publicly expressed regret to numerous nations for incidents such as the one in Nanjing. He was gaining a reputation as being the only leader in China capable of restoring order amongst the chaos. Many of these foreign diplomats privately told Chiang Kai-Shek that if he wanted to really brush shoulders with them he had to purge the communists and soon. To truly purge the communists Chiang Kai-Shek reaches a deal with the bourgeoisie of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. They will support him economically if he helps suppress the worker movements in Shanghai. They fund Chiang Kai-Shek some 500,000 Yuan in early March, then on the 29th the Shanghai Commercial Federation pledges 5 million Yuan, with another 3 million on April 1st. Around this time Chiang Kai-Shek secretly send Wang Boling, the deputy commander of the 1st army; Yang Hu, chief of the special affairs department of the general HQ and Chen Qun the director of the political department of the eastern route army to Shanghai in disguise to meet Huang Jinrong. Huang Jinrong was a chief detective working in the French concession of Shanghai. He also happened to be one of the top three gangsters working under Du Yuesheng of the Green Gang. Huang Jinrong summoned Du Yuesheng and the other Green Gang leader Zhang Xiaolin, as they all discussed how to purge the communists. The Green Gang leaders seized the opportunity to help the KMT. They began monitoring the CCP, armed their gang members and began to attack anyone who was picketing. They formed the “China Progress Association”, which in reality was just Green Gang members. This association proceeded to attack the Shanghai General Labor Union, providing the perfect pretext for Chiang Kai-Shek to act.  On April 1st Wang Jingwei returns to Shanghai from aboard. By the 3rd Chiang Kai-Shek telegrams that Wang Jingwei is reinstated and holds secret talks with him. On the 8th Chiang Kai-Shek organizes a Shanghai Provisional Political Committee, stipulating it will decide all military, political and financial decisions and will replace the Shanghai special municipality provincial government that was established after the third Shanghai worker uprising. On the 9th he unleashes martial law prohibiting assemblies, strikes and marches, and established the Songhu Martial Law Command, with Bai Chongxi and Zhou Fengqi as the commander and deputy commander. Chiang Kai-Shek then takes his leave for Nanjing, leaving the job to Bai Chongxi who will supervise a coup in Shanghai. In a vain attempt Chen Duxiu tells the CCP to ease up on the Anti-Chiang Kai-Shek stuff. Then its announced to them that Chen Duxiu had managed to form a deal with Wang Jingwei. Chiang Kai-Shek send word from Nanjing to carry out the purge, in a very “execute order 66 fashion”.  April the 12th takes a wild turn in Shanghai. In the early morning a signal is raised over a warship anchored near the Gaochang temple. Hundreds of well armed Green Gang, Triads and some secret agents wearing blue shorts and white cloth  armbands with a black gongs on them, dispersed from the French concession in several cars. From 1 to 5am they attacked the picketing workers in Zhabei, Nanshi, Huxi, Wusong, Hongkou and other districts. The workers resisted immediately causing fierce street battles to break out. The 26th Army of the NRA, an old Sun Chuanfang unit that recently defected, came to forcibly confiscate guns while stating they were “mediating an internal strife amongst the workers”. Over 2700 armed workers in Shanghai were disarmed. More than 120 were killed with another 180 injured. The Shanghai General Labor Union club and all their associated pickets in the districts were occupied. Within the foreign concessions, foreign military and police forces arrested more than 1000 CCP members and workers who were immediately handed over to Chiang Kai-Shek's men. On the morning of the 13th, the workers from Shanghai's tobacco, silk factories, trams, municipal administration, postal services, sailors and various other industries went on strike. Over 200,000 workers took to the streets and the Shanghai General Labor Union held a mass rally in Qingyun Road Square in Zhabei with over 100,000 participants. They held a quick conference calling for resolutions. The first resolution was to hand over their weapons. Secondly those who destroyed their unions should be severely punished. Third the families of those killed needed to be compensated. Fourth protests should be made against the imperialists within the concessions. Fifth a telegram needed to be sent to the central government, then whole nation and world to demand assistance. Lastly the military authorities should be responsible for protecting the Shanghai trade unions. After the conference, the masses marched upon the headquarters of the 2nd division of the 26th army along Baoshan road to petition for the release of their comrades and for their weapons to be returned to them. They marched for a kilometer and upon reaching the Sandeli area of Baoshan road, soldiers of the 2nd division rushed out and opened fire upon them killing more than 100 on the spot. It was said Baoshan road was flooded with blood. That afternoon Chiang Kai-Sheks forces occupied the Shanghai General Labor Union and General Command of the Shanghai workers. They closed down and disbanded numerous revolutionary organizations and carried out searches and murders. Within 3 days after the Shanghai incident, more than 300 Shanghai CCP members were killed, another 500 were arrested and 5000 went “missing”. Like I said in the previous podcast on this very subject, I will leave it to you as to what missing meant. On the 15th of april the Kuomintang in Guangzhou launched their own coup. On that day more than 2000 CCP members and their supporters were arrested, 200 trade unions were closed. This all would b followed by similar activities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian and Guangxi where CCP members were purged. The NPA in the north would likewise crack down on communists. Li Dazhao had been placed on the Beiyang governments list of most wanted back in 1926 following the March 18th massacre. Since then he was hiding in the Soviet Embassy in Beijing, continuing to lead political maneuvers against the warlords. When the first united front collapsed as a result of Chiang Kai-Sheks purges, Zhang Zuolin ordered troops to raid the Soviet embassy. Li Dazhao, his wife and daughter were all arrested. Among 19 other communists, Li Dazhao was executed on April 28th of 1927 by strangulation. One of the behemoths who ushered in the New Culture Movement and was a founder of the CCP had become one of its greatest martyrs. The first united front was no more and in response to this the CCP declared "Chiang Kai-shek has become an open enemy of the national revolution, a tool of imperialism, and the culprit of the white terror of massacring workers, peasants and revolutionary masses”. This was followed by a call to mobilize, unite and form a solid front to fight the warlords and KMT. In May of 1927 the Communist International issued “the May Emergency Directive” to the CCP. (1) Without land revolution, victory is impossible; without land revolution, the Kuomintang Central Committee will become a pitiful plaything in the hands of unreliable generals. Excessive behavior must be opposed, but not by the army, but through the peasant associations. (2) It is necessary to make concessions to artisans, merchants and small landowners, and to unite with these strata. Only the land of large and medium-sized landowners should be confiscated; the land of officers and soldiers should not be touched. (3) Some old leaders of the KMT Central Committee will waver and compromise. We should recruit more new leaders of workers and peasants from below to join the KMT Central Committee and renew the KMT's upper echelons. (4) Mobilize 20,000 Communist Party members and 50,000 revolutionary workers and peasants in Hunan and Hubei to form several new armies and build our own reliable army. (5) A revolutionary military tribunal headed by prominent Kuomintang and non-Communists should be established to punish those officers who persecute workers and peasants.  Wang Jingwei obtained this document from Luo Yi, the representative of the Communist International. The high-ranking officials of the Kuomintang believed that this was the Communist International's armed seizure of power and they were determined to purge the party. Thus began the Wuhan-Nanjing war. However as we saw, Wang Jingwei would perform his own purge of the communists on May 21st as he found out the Soviets were pushing the CCP to seize control over his regime. In order to resist the KMT's massacres, or as the CCP put it “the white terror”, the CCP Central Committee reorganized itself on July 12th of 1927. Chen Duxiu and other early CCP leaders who had insisted on compromising with the KMT were dismissed from their posts and labeled right-wing capitulationists. The CCP formed an alliance with left wing KMT members forming a quasi second front where they planned an armed uprising in Nanchang hoping it would spark a large peasant uprising. They were led by He Long and Zhou Enlai. He Long a ethnic Tujia and Hunanese native was born to a poor peasant family. He received no formal education and worked as a cowherder during his youth. When he was 20 he killed a local Qing tax assessor who had killed his uncle for defaulting on his taxes. From this point he fled and became an outlaw, apparently his signature weapon was a butcher knife. In 1918 he raised a volunteer revolutionary army aligned with an emerging Hunanese warlord. By 1920 he joined the NRA and began brushing shoulders with CCP members. During the northern expedition he commanded the 1st division, 9th corps and served under Zhang Fakui. By late 1926 he joined the CCP. When the first united front collapsed he joined up with the CCP and took command of the 20th corps, 1st column of the Red Army. Zhou Enlai was born in Huai'an of Jiangsu in 1898. He was born to a scholarly family, many of them officials, but like many during the late 19th century in China suffered tremendously. Zhou Enlai was adopted by his fathers youngest brother Zhou Yigan who was also ill with tuberculosis. The adoption was more of a way to cover Zhou Yigans lack of an heir. Zhou Yigan died soon after and Zhou Enlai was raised by his widow Chen. He received a traditional literacy education. Zhou Enlai's biological mother died when he was 9 and Chen when he was 10. He then fell into the care of his uncle Zho Yigeng in Fengtian. Zhou Enlai continued his education at Nankai Middle School who were adopting an educational model used at the Philipps academy in the US. Zhou Enlai excelled at debate, acting, drama the sort of skill sets needed for public service. Like many students of his day he went to Japan in 1917 for further studies. He tried to learn Japanese to enter Japanese schools but failed to do so. He also faced a lot of racism in Japan, prompting him to become quite anti japanese. While in Japan he became very interested in news about the Russian Revolution. This led him to read works from Chen Duxiu.  In 1919 he returned to Tianjin where it is said he led student protests during the May Fourth movement, though a lot of modern scholars don't believe he did. Zhou Enlai then became a university student at Nankai and an activist. He led the Awakening Society and would find himself arrested. During this time he became familiar with Li Dazhao and Chen Duxiu. Then in 1920 he went to study in Marseille. In 1921 he joined a Chinese Communist Cell while in Paris. By 1922 he helped found a European branch of the CCP. When the first United Front began he joined the KMT and in 1924 was summoned back to China. He joined the Political department of the Whampoa military academy. He was made Whampoa's chief political officer, but he also took the post as secretary of the CCP of Guangdong, Guangxi and served as a Major-General. Soon he became the secretary of the CCP's Guangdong Provincial committee. In 1925 he got his first taste of military command against Chen Jiongming, accompanying the Whampoa cadets as a political officer. When Chen Jiongming regrouped and attacked Guangzhou again that year, Chiang Kai-Shek personally appointed Zhou Enlai as director of the 1st corps political department. Soon after he was appointed a KMT party representative as chief commissar of the 1st corps. With the newfound position he began appointing communists as commissars in 4 out of the 5 corps divisions. However his work at Whampoa came to an end during the Zhongshan Warship incident as Chiang Kai-Shek began purging communists from high ranking positions. Whampoa was a significant part of his career providing him with skills and a network. Until the first united fronts collapse he worked to form numerous armed CPP groups. He was sent to Shanghai where he was part of the effort to stage an uprising there. During the massacre he was arrested and nearly killed if not for the work of Zhao Shu, a representative of the 26th army who released him. From there he fled to Hankou where he participated in the CCP's 5th national congress. When Wang Jingwei unleashed his purge, Zhou Enlai went into hiding. When the CCP called for an uprising in Nanchang, Zhou Enlai as a CCP secretary was in a unique position to lead it. The CCP designated Zhou Enlai, Li Lisan, Yun Daiying and Peng Pai to form a Front Committee. The troops available to them were the 24th and 10th divisions of the 11th army of the 2nd front army, the entire 20th army, 73rd and 75th regiment of the 25th division of the 4th army and part of the officer training corps of the 3rd army of the 5th front army led by Zhu De. He Long was the commander in chief of the 2nd front army, Ye Ting was his deputy and acting front line commander. Zhou Enlai was the chief of staff with Liu Bocheng as director of the political directorate. At this time, the main force of the 3rd Army of the 5th Front Army of the Kuomintang Wuhan Government was located in Zhangshu, Ji'an; the main force of the 9th Army was located in Jinxian and Linchuan; and the main force of the 6th Army was advancing to Nanchang via Pingxiang; the rest of the 2md Front Army was located in Jiujiang; only the 5th Front Army Guard Regiment and parts of the 3rd, 6th, and 9th Armies, totaling more than 3,000 people, were stationed in Nanchang and its suburbs. The CCP Front Committee decided to launch an uprising on August 1 before the arrival of reinforcements. At 2:00am on August 1st the Nanchang uprising began. The 1st and 2nd division of the 20th army launched attacks against the defenders of the Old Fantai Yamen, Dashiyuan street and the  Niuxing railway station. Meanwhile the 24th division of the 11th army attacked the Songbaixiang catholic church, Xinyingfang and Baihuazhou. The bloody battle lasted until dawn inflicting 3000 casualties and capturing more than 5000 small arms of various types, 700,000 rounds of ammunition and a few cannons. During the afternoon the 73rd regiment of the 25th division station at Mahuiling, 3 battalions of the 75th regiment and a machine gun company of the 74th regiment led by Nie Rongzhen and Zhou Shidi revolted and came to Nanchang by the 2nd of august.  For the moment it seemed the CCP had achieved a grand success at Nanchang. The CCP then began proclaiming Chiang Kai-Shek and Wang Jingwei had betrayed the revolution and that of Sun Yat-Sens three principles by choosing to side with the imperialists and warlords. Meanwhile the CCP aligned military units began to gather in Nanchang requiring a reorganization. It was decided the uprising army would continue to use the designation of 2nd front army of the NRA with He Long serving as its commander in chief and Ye Ting as his deputy. Ye Ting would also command the 11th army consisting of the 24th, 25th and 10th divisions, Nie Rongzhen would be his CCP party representative; He Long would command the 20th Army consisting of the 1st and 2nd divisions with Liao Qianwu as his CCP party representative. Zhou Enlai with Zhu De as his deputy would lead the 9th army with Zhu Kejing as his CCP party representative. Altogether they were 20,000 strong and now very well armed. There was to be a great celebration, it seemed this was the grand moment the CCP would take the center stage. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Chinese Civil War had officially just begun. Chiang Kai-Shek and Wang Jingwei purged their respective regimes of communists unleashing a white terror. In a scramble to survive the CCP reorganized itself and sought revenge with their first target being Nanchang. From here until 1949, the CCP and KMT would fight for the future of China.  

Last time we spoke about the creation of the September Government. On August 12, 1927, Chiang Kai-Shek shocked everyone by agreeing to step down as the NRA faced decisive defeats and fled south of the Yangtze River. Despite attempts at reconciliation, the KMT remained fragmented, and many of Chiang Kai-Shek's supporters followed him into exile. Meanwhile, the NRA tried to regroup as they lost territory, and the NPA, led by Sun Chuanfang, launched attacks. The KMT factions eventually formed a temporary coalition, the "September Government," but struggled with internal divisions and external threats from the NPA and CCP insurgents. This time it was Wang Jingwei who walked away. After Sun Chuanfang's defeat, Tang Shengchih resisted the coalition, leading to more conflict. By late 1927, the NRA began to make advances but faced fierce resistance from NPA forces fortified by Zhang Zongchang. The KMT's instability persisted, with Wang Jingwei attempting to rebuild his power base in Guangdong amidst a CCP coup that was quickly suppressed.   #116 The Northern Expedition Part 7: The Return of the Generalissimo  Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Wang Jingwei yet again boarded a ship bound for France. With him gone, the KMT now shifted their attention back to Chiang Kai-Shek. Everyone agreed, no other figurehead could wield the unruly NRA confederacy into a coordinated fighting force. For all of his banter about the dangers of the CCP, well he had been right. While in exile, Chiang Kai-Shek had married the sister of T.V Soong, Soong Meiling in early December. Since T.V Soon was the finance Minister of the KMT, it was a given that if Chiang Kai-Shek came back he was guaranteed support from the bankers and industrialists. On December 20th, General Ho Yingqing telegraphed Nanking from the northern front line calling for an all-KMT assembly and for the Generalissimo to return as Commander in Chief, the NRA simply needed him. The Shanghai branch of the KMT began petitioning for Chiang Kai-Shek to return, then most of Nanking began petitioning. Finally on January 1st of 1928, the KTM government invited Chiang Kai-Shek by telegraph to take back the chain of command. As early as December of 1927, Chiang Kai-Shek knew the KMT would be inviting him back over. He had been working behind the scenes to make sure of that. In late December he had dispatched Lu Hosheng into northern China as a secret agent, trying to persuade some warlord leaders and their lesser subordinates to defect to the NRA from the NPA. Lu Hosheng used foreign concessions as bases of operations in numerous ports, the most significant one being Tianjin. Meanwhile Chiang Kai-Shek had also been promoting a new Central Military Academy at Nanking, whose graduates might replenish the absolutely battered ranks of the NRA corps. The academy, similar to Whampoa would be indoctrinated in KMT ideology. It was Chiang Kai-Sheks hope in the future when China was reunified to create academies in all the provinces, so the nation could have a real modern military.  Once back Chiang Kai-Shek worked to reconstruct the party. It was the repeated process of smoothing things over with specific groups within the KMT. On January 4th the former Wuhan clique Sun Fo was named Minister of Construction; T.V Soon resumed his role as finance minister and the old Guangdong base reverted to the control of Li Jishen and Huang Shaoxiung. On January 7th a lot of reshuffling occurred. The Central Political council was restored and its members included Hu Hanmin, Tan Yenkai, Qu Peiteh, CC Wu, Sun Fo, T.V Soong, Chiang Kai-Shek, Yi Peichi and Yu Yujen. A new Standing Committee was created consisting of Chiang Kai-Shek, Tan Yenkai. Yu Yujen, Tai Chitao and Ting Weifen. Tan Yenkai became the chairman of the National Government Committee. Chiang Kai-Shek regained his chairmanship over the now 73 man military council with their highest ranking member being Generals Li Zongren, Li Jishen, Bai Congxi, Qu Peiteh, Cheng Chen, Ho Yingqin, Tan Yenkai, Feng Yuxiang, Yan Xishan and Admiral Yang Shuchuang.  Along with the reconstruction came a process of centralizing power. Chiang Kai-Shek began providing financial support to the conglomeration of armies vowing loyalty to Nanking. Early on at Guangzhou, the Central Bank under T.V Soong had managed to attract generals and their troops, the same was being done at Nanking, just on a larger scale. Revenue control was something looked over with a fine-toothed comb. The first provinces to be investigated were Zhejiang and Jiangsu. On the 7th T.V Soong announced both provinces would see a monthly revenue of 10 million. After January's intense governmental restructure, Chiang finally felt secure enough to concentrate on the Northern Expedition. On February 9th, Chiang Kai-Shek got aboard a train with his general staff to inspect the frontlines near Xuzhou. Together they inspected the lines and prepared for a major spring campaign. The lines had been fairly stationary since mid December as the snow and cold took over the terrain of northern china. On February 11th, they received a message from the national government ordering them to complete plans for a final campaign to take all of northern china. The plans for such a campaign would see a rapid seizure of the north from Jiangsu to Beijing in 3 months. From Xuzhou Chiang Kai-Shek and his team traveled over the Lunghai railay to meet Feng Yuxiang at his HQ in Kaifeng. On the 16th Chiang Kai-Shek and Feng Yuxiang discussed how they would cooperate during the final campaign. Chiang Kai-Shek would also have to discuss matters with Yan Xishan, both he and Feng Yuxiang were regional commanders outside the KMT whom held considerable autonomy and status. Both also controlled highly defensible bases; the Guominjun territory ran from Shaanxi and Yan Xishan held the Shanxi…yeah that gets confusing a bit. Chiang Kai-Shek always needed to make sure their forces were content, for if they broke off from the NRA to join the NPA it would really put a damper on the northern expedition. Even if they simply became neutral it would have a profound effect. To compromise, Nanking offered nominal subordination and cooperation. Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan would gain material aid and status almost equal to Chiang Kai-Shek. There was also a new military restructure as the NRA had grown by a lot. The NRA had grown to nearly a million men and would now be divided into 4 collective armies. Chiang Kai-Shek was commander in chief with He Yingqin as his chief of staff. The first collective army consisted mostly of the 40 original NRA army corps that began the northern expedition. The second collective army would be led by Feng Yuxiang controlling Shaanxi and Honan. The 3rd collective army was led by Yan Xishan, controlling the north china plain. The 4th collective army was led by Li Zongren and would control Guangxi, Hunan and Hubei. Although the 4 commands were relatively equal, Chiang Kai-Shek and the Nanking government held the purse strings, which essentially made them suzerain.  Chiang Kai-Shek believed if properly coordinated the 4 collective armies would be able to perform a lightning fast campaign to take the north china plain. By 1928 the KMT was the largest political force in China. With his status and influence amongst the leadership in the KMT, Chiang Kai-Shek sought a position where he would not become dependent on some clique within the KMT, as was the case with the Wuhan situation. Thus on March 7th, he managed to get the party to appoint him as chairman. After that was settled the political council then divided up political authority amongst the other 4 commanders based on the regions they controlled. Li Jishen became the chairman of Guangzhou; Li Zongren over Wuhan; Feng Yuxiang over Kaifeng and Yan Xishan over Taiyuan. Since Chiang Kai-Shek had to focus on the northern expedition he had Tan Yenkai appointed as chairman of the Political council to manage stuff. By late March, the 1st collective Army was assembling to resume their advance after the mid-winter halt. On the other side of the east-west Lunhai railway stood a well rested and reinforced NPA. Zhang Zuolin, Zhang Zongchang and Sun Chuanfang coordinated their efforts into northern Shandong. Yet alongside them was another enemy even more dangerous, the Japanese. Going back in time somewhat, in March of 1927 when the NRA was taking over Nanking and Hankou later in April, many foreign concessions and consulates were attacked by NRA soldiers and Chinese civilians. These became known as the Nanking and Hankou incidents. Following the incidents Chiang Kai-Shek made repeated statements trying to juggle between appeasing the foreign powers and looking anti-imperialistic to the people of China. Despite all of the assurances, the foreign powers, one being the Empire of Japan, remained very concerned about the safety of their people, economic and political interests within China. Many of these foreign powers resolved not to let another Nanking incident occur again.  Now back in 1927 as the NRA were approaching Shandong the first time, the Japanese had sprung into action. Japan saw Shandong province, ever since the 21 demands debacle, as their sphere of influence. They deployed 4000 troops from the Kwangtung army over to the cities of Qingdao and Jinan, calling them the First Shandong Expeditionary forces. Their justification for this was to protect Japanese civilians against potential NRA attacks. Chiang Kai-Shek was well aware of the severe danger provoking the Japanese would provide, so he wanted to keep his forces as far away from Jinan as possible. Japanese prime minister Tanaka Giichi knew the deployment of such forces could result in another conflict with China, ironically endangering the very citizens they were trying to protect. Then all of a sudden Japan found out the split between Wuhan and Nanjing was resolved and Chiang Kai-Shek had stepped down. It was quite a surprise to the Japanese who withdrew their forces from Jinan. In his exile, Chiang Kai-Shek went to Japan and would meet on multiple occasions with prime minister Tanaka Giichi. During some of these meetings, Tanaka suggested Japan was fully willing to support Chiang Kai-Shek and not interfere in Chinese domestic affairs. Chiang Kai-Shek responded that he understood Japan's interests in China. Tanak then suggested the KMT focus on consolidating their power within the territories they already controlled, rather than advancing further north, especially not towards the Fengtian clique territory, which of course the Japanese saw as their sphere of influence. Chiang Kai-Shek had to reply that that was simply impossible. Thus their little meetings ended rather inconclusively. It put the KMT and Japanese into a sort of limbo. On one hand Chiang Kai-Shek was literally running on a platform promising to end foreign encroachment into China. On the other hand, he was not an idiot and knew he had to avoid conflict with foreign powers like Japan. By April of 1928 Feng Yuxiangs 2nd collective army and Yan Xishan's 3rd had began to battle the NPA along the Honan-Shandong border and along the Beijing-Suiyuan railway line. For Chiang Kai-Shek's 1st collective army, the northern expedition officially kicked back off on April 7th. With Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan softened up the NPA, Chiang Kai-Shek easily drove into Shandong along the Tianjin- Pukou railway, capturing Tengzhou by the 16th. Meanwhile Feng Yuxiangs forces pushed east, capturing Jiaxiang on the 15th. Sun Chuanfang attempted a two-pronged counter offensive against the 1st and 2nd collective NRA armies, managing to push the first back to the Longhai railway, but his attack against the 2nd failed utterly. By the 21st the combined NRA forces pushed his NPA forces from Jining towards Jinan.According to an American eye witness of Sun Chuanfangs retreat, “the great majority of the troops in this retreat literally walked the soles off their shoes, and this, combined with the scarcity of food and total lack of shelter left the vast horde without any idea of further resistance" When the Japanese learned of Sun Chuanfangs utter defeat and failure to defend the Shandong border, they yet again deployed troops. This time Japan sent the 6th IJA division on the 19th, calling them the second Shandong expeditionary force. Tanaka was actually very hesitant about sending the force but his platform had been running on protecting nationals, thus he was hamstrung. Even before he gave the order to dispatch forces, General Fukuda Hikosuke had been arriving in Jinan via the Qingdao-Jinan railway as early as April 10th. This of course was a classic example of insubordination by IJA officers in China during the late 1920's to late 1930s period. If you are interested I recommend my podcast series on General Ishiwara Kanji found over at the Pacific War Channel on Youtube or all podcast platforms. Basically Ishiwara was the number one example of insubordination leading to insane outcomes. Regardless the first group of 475 troops began to arrive by the 20th and would be followed up by 4000 more over the next few days. Now it just so happened the Japanese began arriving exactly at the same time the NPA forces were withdrawing to Jinan. To the public it looked like the NPA called upon the Japanese to come. The KMT immediately used this as propaganda against the NPA. Both the Nanking and Beiyang governments began protesting against the Japanese intervention, which never stopped the Japanese ever. Sun Chuanfang had established a second line of defense strung along the mountainous backbone of the Shandong peninsula. To the north was the railway from Jinan heading for Qingdao. As the first collective army advancing towards the line on the 27th they performed a pincer maneuver against the Lunshan railway station. After a 2 day battle around Lunshan, Chen Tiaoyuan and the 26th NRA army managed to cut the NPA off from the railway line. Again using their better mobility and speed, the NRA evaded the enemy's railway artillery by simply sweeping around behind and cutting the railway communications. After this the NRA advanced west along the railway towards the Yellow River bridge just before arriving at Jinan. This would effectively see the NPA forces around the capital region becoming isolated on the south bank of the river. To prevent the NPA's retreat out onto the peninsula along the railway, a battalion of engineers sabotaged the railway line with explosives. Within a frantic rush to escape Lungshan, Sun Chuanfang had left behind 30 boxcars full of food, ammunition and 300 soldiers. Now the first NRA units to advance into Shandong had done so along the Tianjin-Pukou railway, avoiding the main pass between Taian and Jinan. Instead they advanced up the adjoining mountains capturing some elevated points where they could deploy artillery to hit the NPA from. Although the NRA was weaker in heavy artillery, taking such heights to deploy what they had compensated that, with added flanking maneuvers. Once the NRA had blocked the NPA from retreating via rail onto the Shandong peninsula, the yellow rail bridge remained their last avenue of escape. The NPA elected to evacuate to the north bank, crossing the bridge on the 19th, yet all order soon collapsed in a mayhem of men running for it under fire. Back over in Jinan, violence and looting erupted as NPA troops grabbed what they could and fled north. Defending the barricaded perimeter of the Japanese concession area, the Kwantung army prepared to fight anyone who dared come near them.  On the 30th, the Chinese media began reporting scuffles breaking out at Jinan between Japanese and Chinese, specifically mentioning some Chinese were stabbed. Since the NRA engineers had sabotaged the railway to Qingdao on the 28th, they most likely had come into contact with Japanese patrols. As more and more Japanese landed at Qingdao enroute to Jinan, the Chinese public assumed this was a pretext for an invasion of Shandong, similar to what had occurred during WW1. There was wide scale public outcry over the supposed invasion. By this time 3000 crack Kwangtung troops with heavy artillery pieces were guarding 2000 Japanese civilians as another 2000 Japanese troops patrolling the railway to Qingdao.  The first NRA units to enter Jinan were wearing civilian clothing, encouraging civilian cooperation and gathering intelligence. On May 1st the NRA vanguard began securing a bridgehead over the north bank of the yellow river after fighting some NPA at Sangtzutien. As the main bulk of the collective first army approached Jinan they did so with extreme precaution. On the 2nd day as the NRA secured the area, Chiang Kai-Shek proclaimed order would be maintained in Jinan. That day Chiang Kai-Shek began negotiating with the Japanese to withdraw their troops, giving assurance to Major General Ryu Saito, everything would be secured in Jinan as he would have his NRA forces simply advance past Jinan further north in haste. After their talks Saito elected to begin preparing for a withdrawal and said he would entrust Jinan to Chiang Kai-Shek. General Fukuda authorized the decision and Japanese forces began withdrawing that night. However the morning of May 3rd erupted in conflict. The exact story as to what happened is a he said she said situation. The Japanese began destroying a Chinese wireless station after a clash had broken out. This left the Japanese with the only working line of communication out of Jinan, forcing all foreign media to depend on the Japanese accounts. Yes a large hmmmmm moment. According to a report given by General Fukuda, a group of Chinese soldiers, allegedly Guominjun under the command of General He Yaozu who were also responsible for the Nanking incident, broke into the Manshu Nippo newspaper office and assaulted its owner at 9:30am. A group of Japanese soldiers led by Captain Yoshiharu Kumekawa rushed to the scene and were fired upon by the Chinese soldiers. The Chinese version of what happened, had it that a sick Chinese soldier had attempted to seek treatment at a local Christian hospital with the help of a local worker, but was blocked from going down a street to the hospital by Japanese soldiers. They began shouting at another until the Japanese shot and killed both Chinese. I would like to note, after all the Pacific War is kind of my thing. There would be other famous incidents quite similar to the one in Jinan, for example the Huanggutun incident and Mukden incident, both instigated by the Kwantung army trying to perform false flag operations. It would seem very likely what occurred at Jinan was an early attempt by the Kwantung army to force an invasion of China.  Regardless from this small clash a full scale conflict broke out between the NRA and Japanese. The Japanese media reported the NRA then began destroying property and massacring Japanese civilians. A British consul general reported seeing dead Japanese corpses allegedly with their penises cut off. The Japanese eventually stormed a office that was to be a point of negotiation between the two sides. Chinese diplomat Cai Gongshi, 8 staff members, 7 NRA soldiers and a cook were killed. What went down there is contested. The Japanese would claim they were attacked from the upper floors and had no idea the office was being used for negotiations. The chinese state the building had been marked, and that Cai Gongshi's nose, ears and tongue were cut out, his eyes were gouged out, all occurring before he was executed. The other staff members were stripped naked, whipped, dragged out back over the lawn and executed with machine guns. In response to those graphic reports, Major General Ryu Saito wrote it off as Chinese propaganda, stating Cai Gongshi was simply shot in a firefight and that one cannot cut off ears, noses and such with a bayonet. I admit the Chinese account does reek of propaganda, hell they wrote such account ever since the first sino-japanese war.  Negotiations to halt the violence began quickly thereafter. Chiang Kai-Shek and General Fukuda agreed to a truce and came to an agreement very fast. The Japanese would withdraw, leaving just a small detachment to keep order and the NRA would advance north to continue their expedition. Then on the 4th the Japanese reported their chief negotiator, Colonel Sasaki Toichi was robbed and beaten nearly to death, only saved by one of Chiang Kai-Shek's officers. Chiang Kai-Shek had promised his troops would be removed by this time, thus the Japanese accused him of lying. The Japanese were outraged at what happened to Sasaki, Major General Tatekawa Yoshitsugu stated “that it was necessary for Japan to chastise the lawless Chinese soldiers in order to maintain Japan's national and military prestige". Because of this incident, General Fukuda asked prime minister tanaka to despatch reinforcements from Korea and Manchuria, which would be known as the third shandong expedition. They began arriving to Jinan on the 7th of May. With more force in Jinan, General Fukuda began issuing demands of the Chinese to be met within 12 hours. His demands were as follows: Punishment of responsible Chinese officers; the disarming of responsible Chinese troops before the Japanese army; evacuation of two military barracks near Jinan; prohibition of all anti-Japanese propaganda, and withdrawal of all Chinese troops beyond 20 li on both sides of the Qingdao–Jinan railway The Japanese knew these demands were impossible to fulfill within 12 hours. It was basically a show of force, orchestrated to humiliate the Chinese. In response Chiang Kai-Shek who had already departed the area, sent a courier to the Japanese garrison stating they would meet some of their demands, but not all. General Fukuda proclaimed their demands had not been met and launched a full scale attack upon the Chinese in Jinan beginning in the afternoon of May 8th. The fighting became quite fierce over the next two days. The Japanese used heavy artillery against the old walled city where NRA troops were desperately using as defense. The civilian population of the old parts of Jinan had not been warned about the bombardment and thus heavy casualties were incurred. By May 11th the last Chinese troops evacuated the city as the Japanese took full control over Jinan. The city would be occupied by Japan until March of 1929, whence an agreement was reached. The Chinese and Japanese would share responsibility for the Jinan Incident and all Japanese troops would be withdrawn from Shandong. The Chinese would report the Japanese occupation of Jinan to be full of murder, rape, looting and other debauchery. Chiang Kai-Shek was forced to issue an apology on May 10th and he removed a local commander, He Yaozu from his post. Its alleged after the Jinan incident Chiang Kai-Shek would begin writing in his diary each day “one way to kill the Japanese”. Henceforth Chiang Kai-Shek would note the Japanese were China's greatest enemy and that China only backed down at Jinan because "before one can settle scores, one must be strong". The Jinan incident did not only hurt the NRA, but also the NPA. Zhang Zuolin, who had always been labeled a Japanese puppet was forced to take dramatic steps to distance himself from the Japanese henceforth. In fact its alleged he even began urging the KMT to drop the war against him and unite the north and south against Japan. On May 9th he issued a public telegram stating “… in view of the situation I have ordered my troops to cease hostilities to save the country.” Now because I am the Pacific War guy I do want to mention, the Jinan Incident was one of the first events that showcased the weak nature of the Japanese chain of command. In particular that of the Kwantung army, which happened to be made up of many junior officers who would go on to join the Kodoha faction. As pointed out by historian Akira Iriye, the weak chain of command combined with the powerlessness of the Japanese civilian government would basically allow these types of junior officers to run amok on the mainland. For much of the 1930's this podcast will have to explain many developments in the Japanese military, for example I mentioned the Kodoha faction. I won't get into it here, but this radical faction would have a profound effect in the early 1930's and would push junior officers of the Kwantung army to perform numerous false flag operations trying to entice a war with China. A lot of this was the brainchild of General Kanji Ishiwara, who I really have to say is not spoken about a lot despite him arguably being a single individual who changed the world dramatically. Literally one could argue Kanji Ishiwara began WW2. Its quite a rabbit hole to explain that statement, but if you are interested I did a long 4 part series on his insane story. The man had an incredible foresight into military history and actually predicted a lot that would happen during WW2. For example he believed just after WW1 that warfare would change to heavy bombing campaigns that would wipe out entire cities, little errie. Again if its of interest to you check it out at the Pacific War Channe on Youtube or on all major podcast platforms. Now back to the war, on May 1st, the NRA vanguard had secured the north bank of the Yellow River around Santzutien. There they halted to allow the main body to catch up. To avoid Jinan and the much feared Japanese heavy artillery. Chiang Kai-Shek had first ordered the men to detour south of the city and then advance upstream to some fording points. The largest of these points was Tunga. As the NRA regrouped on the north bank, the NPA set up a new defensive line south of Tehchou and Xunteh. The first week of May say the Beiyang government toss some peace feelers. Wu Zhihui declared that rather than join the Fengtian Clique “the Northern Expedition will be continued and completed in the shortest possible time.” I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Generalissimo was back, the Northern Expedition was back on track and the NPA was running for their lives heading north. However the Jinan incident with the Japanese struck a major nerve in China, one that would come back to haunt them in the form of a 15 year long war. Yet until then, there was a grand march to be made in the direction of Beijing.