CHINA MIRROR NEWS WEEKLY ISSUE 56

Xi extends congratulations on DPRK's 74th founding anniversary

BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a message of congratulations to Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the 74th anniversary of the DPRK's founding.

Xi pointed out that over the past 74 years, the people of the DPRK have closely united around the WPK and forged ahead, having made important achievements in promoting socialist construction.

He also said that in recent years, guided by the principles and policies set at the eighth WPK Congress, the DPRK people have constantly scored new outcomes in developing the economy and improving people's livelihood, and fought a successful battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, about which China, as a good comrade, good neighbor and good friend of the DPRK, is sincerely happy.

It is believed that under the leadership of Comrade General Secretary Kim and the WPK, the brotherly DPRK people will surely advance the socialist cause of the country for new development and lift it to a new level, Xi added.

Xi pointed out that China and the DPRK, linked by mountains and rivers, have enjoyed a traditional friendship that grows stronger with

time.

Xi said he has reached a series of important consensuses with Comrade General Secretary on drawing a blueprint for the development of relations between the two parties and states, as well as enriching the China DPRK friendship.

The friendship between China and the DPRK has become more deeply rooted in the hearts of the two people, he said, adding that the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries have continued to advance, and the two sides have supported each other on issues of major concern, demonstrating the vitality of the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK.

Xi stressed that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation as profound changes unseen in a century are evolving rapidly.

He said China is willing to maintain strategic communication with the DPRK, strengthen coordination and cooperation, jointly safeguard, consolidate and develop China DPRK relations so as to better benefit the two countries and their people, and contribute to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the wider world.

Full text of Xi Jinping's Congratulatory

Letter to the 2022 National Conference on Development of

Specialized and Sophisticated SMEs

BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua)

The following is the full text of Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter to the 2022 National Conference on Development of Specialized and Sophisticated SMEs.

On the holding of the 2022 National Conference on Development of Specialized and Sophisticated SMEs, I would like to extend my warm congratulations! Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are important to each household and have been a vital force to advance innovation, facilitate employment and improve people's livelihood. I hope that the specialized and sophisticated SMEs that produce novel and unique products could focus on and refine their main business so as to play an even more important role in stabilizing the industrial and supply chains and promoting economic and social development.

Party committees and governments at all levels should resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and create a favorable environment for the development of SMEs. More efforts should be made to support their growth and boost their confidence. Solid steps should be taken to advance enterprises' innovation, strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights and nurture more specialized and sophisticated SMEs that could produce novel and unique products.

Xi Jinping September 8, 2022

The MidAutumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Inthe LunarCalendarthat is the middle of Autumn, which is how it gets its name. The official holiday in 2022 will be on September 10th.

· Chinese: 中秋节 zhōngqiūjié

· History: Considered to be the official holiday during the Tang Dynasty, it has been celebrated for about 1300 years.

· Date: Falls on the 15th August in the Lunar Calendar

· PopularFood: Mooncakes, Crab, Pomelo, Duck.

· Celebrations:

Family reunion dinner, eat mooncakes, admire the full moon, guess lantern riddles.

Legends: The Lady Chang’e Flying to the Moon, Hou Yi Making Cakes, Wu Gang Cleaving the Sweet Osmanthus Tree, Jade Rabbit Mashing Herbs.

It is a time for family reunions,

starting with a delicious meal together with family members, and then a time to admire the bright moon and eat moon cakes. There are many fascinating legends about the festival, including The Lady Chang’e Flying to the Moon, Jade Rabbit Mashing Herbs, and Wu Gang Cutting Sweet Osmanthus Tree. These stories add romantic charm to this festival.

With the constant evolution of the customs of the Mid Autumn Festival from ancient times until now, there are various ways that people celebrate. Within China’s

vast landscape and numerous populace, a lot of activities take place in different areas, expressing the best wishes of a whole family, just as the romantic Chinese poem says “May we live long and share the beauty of the moon together, even if we are hundreds of miles apart.”

brate the MidAutumn Festival in Ancient and Modern Times

Origin of the Mid Autumn Festival

Many different versions of the Mid Autumn Festival are popular in folk lore. It is generally believed that it originally related to ancient emperors’ worship activities, but there is another version about agricultural production.

Autumn is a season for harvests, the constant reaping of crops and fruits. Farmers celebrate the sheer bliss of harvest by assigning the day in the middle of 8th month in the lunar calendar for celebration. They celebrate not only to express their gratitude to the moon god and nature, but also to expect protection and happiness in the future.

on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. The Mid Autumn Festival has a long history of development from ancient times. In the feudal society, emperors used to worship the sun in spring and sacrifice to the moon in autumn. Later, nobleman and scholars followed suit to appreciate the bright moon of the Mid Autumn Festival. In the Zhou Dynasty, people arranged an altar by placing moon cakes, watermelons, apples, red dates, plums, grapes and other sacrifices, in which moon cakes and lotus shaped watermelons were absolutely vital for symbolizing family harmony. This kind of custom gradually prevailed among folk and became a traditional activity. Right up until the Tang Dynasty, people increasingly paid attention to offering sacrifices to the moon, and so the Mid Autumn Festival became a permanent festival. On the day, people looked up the full moon to expect family reunion. People far

away from home also expressed their homesickness by gazing at the moon.

In ancient times, the custom varied in different periods. In the Song Dynasty, all men and women, both adults and children, whether rich or poor, all of them put on adult clothes to burn incense and worship the moon, to express wishes, and to pray for happiness. In the South Dynasty, friends and families presented moon cakes to each other. Since the Ming and the Qing Dynasty, the customs on Mid Autumn Festival were more popular. They kept traditions which included burning incense, admiring sweet Osmanthus flowers, setting towers alight, burning pagodas, performing the fire dragon, and displaying lanterns.

Today, some customs have disappeared in the city centers, but eating moon cakes and holding a banquet for families are important activities. Everyone

China's rural road network increase over 900,000 km in past decade to inject new life into countryside

(People's Daily Online) September 09, 2022

Data has shown that the total mileage of rural roads in China increased by more than 900,000 kilometers during the period from 2011 to 2021 to reach 4.5 million kilometers by the end of 2021.

Over the past 10 years, a rural road network has taken shape, making 1,040 townships along with 105,000 administrative villages accessible by paved roads.

High quality rural roads that are properly built, operated, managed and maintained have played a very im-

portant role in helping farmers in China shake off poverty and achieve prosperity.

Yu Yanqia is a young woman of the Lisu ethnic group in Bula village on the mountains along the precipitous Nujiang River Grand Canyon in Fugong county, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China’s Yunnan Province. She has witnessed remarkable achievements in her hometown's transport infrastructure over the past decade. Fifteen years ago, a picture of Yu crossing the Nujiang River by zipline on her way to school drew nationwide attention.

Medical University.

Yu Youguang, an engineer of the transport bureau of Fugong county, participated in the construction of those bridges in 2007. Yu, once a local designer of ziplines, became busier after China launched a program to replace ziplines with bridges in 2012.

Thanks to the help received from various sources, the local governments raised donations of more than 1 million yuan (about $143,639) and built three bridges over the Nujiang River, including one near Yu's school.

"At eight years old, I learned to use a makeshift zipline to get to my school. Back then, I thought people in the rest of the world crossed rivers like residents in our village until I walked on the bridge for the first time," said Yu, who is now a medical worker at the People’s Hospital of Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture after she graduated from Kunming

China's foreign trade of goods up 10.1 pct in first 8 months

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua)

China's foreign trade of goods jumped 10.1 percent year on year to 27.3 trillion yuan (about 3.95 trillion U.S. dollars) during the first eight months of the year, official data showed Wednesday. Exports rose 14.2 percent year on year to 15.48 trillion yuan, while imports increased 5.2 percent from a year ago to 11.82 trillion yuan, according to the General Administration of Customs.

22nd China International Fair for Investment and Trade held in Xiamen

(Xinhua) September 09, 2022

People visit the 22nd China International Fair for Investment and Trade in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 8, 2022. The fair, themed "Global Development: Sharing Digital Opportunities, Investing in Green Future", kicked off in Xiamen on Thursday. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

Exhibitors show saki and cake from Nagasaki of Japan during the 22nd China International Fair for Investment and Trade in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 8, 2022. The fair, themed "Global Development: Sharing Digital Opportunities, Investing in Green Future", kicked off in Xiamen on Thursday. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

A model of Embraer E190 E2 aircraft is on display during the 22nd China International Fair for Investment and Trade in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 8, 2022. The fair, themed "Global Development: Sharing Digital Opportunities, Investing in Green Future", kicked off in Xiamen on Thursday. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

China's CPI up 2.5 pct inAugust

BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, rose 2.5 percent year on year in August, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Friday.

On a monthly basis, August's CPI remained stable, reversing the 0.5 percent rise in July to edge down 0.1 percent, thanks to efforts to contain COVID 19 and extreme weather impacts, as well as

efforts to ensure sufficient supply and stable prices, noted Dong Lijuan, a senior statistician with the NBS.

Food prices went up 0.5 percent month on month, which raised the monthly consumer inflation by about 0.1 percentage points.

Specifically, the price of pork, a staple meat in China, inched up 0.4 percent in August, contracting 25.2 percentage points over the previous month, as hog slaughter activities returned to normal and consumer demand saw a seasonal weakening, Dong said.

Non food prices rose 1.7 percent

year on year, lifting the yearly consumer inflation by about 1.38 percentage points.

The prices of gasoline and diesel reported year on year growths of 20.2 percent and 21.9 percent, respectively.

The core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, gained 0.8 percent year on year in August, staying flat from the growth pace logged in July. Friday's data also showed that China's producer price index, which measures costs for goods at the factory gate, went up 2.3 percent year on year in August.

Cultural events held nationwide to celebrate MidAutumn Festival

BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua)

Round shaped white lanterns on top of 33 "moon boats" were lit in the iconic West Lake in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province in east China Saturday night.

The gathering was the highlight of a moon worship activity to celebrate one of the most important traditional festivals in China, the Mid Autumn Festival, which fell on Saturday this year.

The festival is usually marked by family reunions, enjoying the sights of the full moon, and eating mooncakes.

Since ancient times, the Mid Autumn Festival has had the custom of moon worship. Today, people still worship the moon during the festival to express good wishes for home and country and sincere hopes for a happy life.

A slew of cultural activities to celebrate the occasion also took place in other parts of China.

In southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, colorful "jade rabbit" lights and a gigantic moon shaped light lit up the hilltop observation deck at Longmenhao old street.

In addition, the city's lovers of hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, also gathered on the carefully decorated old street Saturday night to enjoy the festival. With bright lights and air filled with the fragrance of osmanthus flowers across the street, residents dressing in hanfu, some with flower lanterns, strolled along. It complemented the vintage street with its many old buildings.

"The old street not only has gorgeous lights but also preserves the traditional architecture featuring Chinese blue bricks and tiles. You won't have the feeling of not fitting in walking here," said Deng Yuhua, a Chongqing resident.

This year's Mid Autumn Festival also coincided with Teacher's Day in China. As Chinese people have the same traditional respect for teachers as they do for family, many have decided to celebrate bigger than usual.

Guo Jiguang, 60, is from east China's Fujian Province, and he used to be a teacher. He is also a practition-

er of the "Fumao Cake" craft, a form of intangible cultural heritage from Fujian. To celebrate the dual festival, Guo designed a special mooncake with four Chinese characters, meaning "Remembering your teachers," sculpted on the surface.

He has made about 60,000 such mooncakes and decided to give them away to local teachers as gifts. "Parents give us life, friends give us support, and teachers give us knowledge and guidance. They are the most important people in our lives. That is my belief," Guo said.

Over the past decade, more than 4,500 teachers across the country have been awarded at the national level for their professionalism and dedication to education.

"The two festivals meeting is a rare and precious occasion. It feels beautiful to see various traditional Chinese values celebrated harmoniously under the full moon," said Wan Jianzhong, a professor at the School of Chinese Language and Literature of Beijing Normal University.

Wang Yi stresses expanding practical bilateral cooperation with Iran

China will continue to expand practical bilateral cooperation with Iran in various fields and push for new progress in China Iran comprehensive strategic partnership, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday.

Wang made the remarks in a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian. No matter how the international situ-

ation changes, China will follow the directions outlined by the two countries' heads of state to unswervingly develop its relations with each other, he said.

Amir Abdollahian wished the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a success, and expressed condolences to China regarding the earthquake that struck Luding County in China's Sichuan Province.

Iran is willing to deepen practical cooperation in various fields with China, such as agriculture, strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, and pro-

mote the continuous development of bilateral relations, said the Iranian foreign minister

He also talked about the latest progress of the negotiations on resuming the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, saying that Iran is always committed to reaching the agreement, but will not accept the U.S. attempt to achieve its own goals through bullying. Iran thanks China for its support, he added.

Wang said that China will continue to support Iran in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests, expressing belief that Iran has the wisdom to properly cope with the changes, firmly safeguard its legitimate and lawful rights and interests, and continue to occupy the international moral high ground.

Tai Chi instructor training program held at the Kandy Wushu School, Kandy, Sri Lanka on 8th and 9th September 2022.

15 individuals from various professions trained to teach basic Sun style Tai Chi form. Training program conducted by Professor Keerthi Walgama of the University of Peradeniya and the President of the Sri Lanka Tai Chi Association Mr. Rohan Muthumala.

China's foreign trade of goods up 10.1 pct in first 8 months

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua)

China's foreign trade of goods jumped 10.1 percent year on year to 27.3 trillion yuan (about 3.95 trillion U.S. dollars) during the first eight months of the year, official data showed Wednesday. Exports rose 14.2 percent year on year to 15.48 trillion yuan, while imports increased 5.2 percent from a year ago to 11.82 trillion yuan, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Aerial photo taken on June 9, 2022 shows a container terminal in Qingdao Port, east China's Shandong Province.

September 08, 2022

On Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节 (Zhong-qiu-jie), on behalf of the Executive Council and the Members of China Maldivian Cultural Association, and on my own, I would like to extend very warm felicitation to the Leadership and Members of Association for Sri Lanka China Social and Cultural Cooperation.

Mid Autumn Festival is a traditional festival in Chinese culture celebrated on the 15th day of the 08th month Chinese lunar calendar, marking end of autumn harvest. In 2022, the festival falls on the September 10th, Saturday. It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, it popularity is on par with that of Chinese New Year. The history of the Mid Autumn Festival dates to 3,000 years. On this day, the Chinese believe that the Moon is at its brightest and fullest size. This festival is also known as the Moon Festival or Moon Cake Festival.

Lanterns of all sizes and shapes, are carried and displayed symbolic beacons that light people’s path to prosperity and good fortune.

With best wishes, Mohamed Rasheed President China Maldivian Cultural Association

'Extinct' Yangtze sturgeon spotted in Hubei

Chinadaily, September 09

The discovery of a Yangtze sturgeon in Hubei province has ignited hope that the species, which was believed to be extinct in the wild, will be able to restore its population in nature.

A large sturgeon was found in shallow water in the Yangtze, Asia's longest river, by a resident in Tuanfeng county, Hubei province, on Wednesday. Officials from the local fishery administration arrived at the site soon after they were notified.

The fish, which was some 96 centimeters in length and weighed 4 kilograms, was recognized as a Yangtze sturgeon.

In July, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources announced the extinction of the wild Yangtze sturgeon in its updated Red List of Threatened Species.

Tao Di, a law enforcement officer with the administration, said on Thursday that the Yangtze sturgeon was released on Wednesday afternoon after researchers had collected some samples from the fish. "It was stranded with slight injuries when found," he said. "It had renewed vigor after being treated. We wanted to release it as soon as possi-

A large sturgeon is found in shallow water in the Yangtze, Asia's longest river, by a resident in Tuanfeng county, Hubei province, on Wednesday. [Photo/ Bjnews.com.cn]

ble so that it can resume eating."

A species endemic to China, the Yangtze sturgeon, which is under first class State protection, was once distributed in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze, said Du Hao, a researcher at the Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei. Du helped identify the fish on the basis of videos and photos. They can live 20 to 30 years in the wild, said Du, whose team has conducted research on rare and endangered fish species in the Yangtze for a long time. Monitoring has shown that the Yangtze sturgeon

had stopped its natural reproduction around the year 2000.

For years, authorities along the Yangtze have made consistent efforts to help restore the Yangtze sturgeon's wild population by releasing fry bred in captivity. In October, for example, 50,000 Yangtze sturgeons, each with a length of about 30 centimeters, were released in the Yangtze section in Yibin, Sichuan province.

In a move to help aquatic species recover, the Chinese government placed all natural waterways of the Yangtze under a 10 year fishing moratorium on Jan 1 last year.

Du estimated that the Yangtze sturgeon found in Tuanfeng was 5 to 6 years old. Du added that he was not sure whether it was bred in captivity.

"But I can tell that it has lived in the wild for a long time, and it's in healthy condition," he said, adding that it's highly possible that it will mature in two to three years. "If the number of mature Yangtze sturgeons can further grow, a new breeding area for the fish may come into being in the middle reaches of the Yangtze."

Children have fun at a scenic area during Mid-Autumn Festival holiday in Yuping DongAutonomous County of Tongren, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Sept. 11, 2022.