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Editor's Note:

In a reply letter to representatives of awardees of the China Youth May Fourth Medal and New Era Youth Pioneer ahead of China's Youth Day, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, commended these exemplary young people, who work in grassroots positions spanning sci-tech innovation, rural revitalization, social services and border defense. He noted that they epitomize the confident, self-reliant and high-spirited outlook of Chinese youth in the new era, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

An ordinary welder diligently studied his craft and became a chief technician; a village official rooted in the deep mountains served the people with hard work, using youthful energy to transform the village; a delivery rider ran every order with dedication and developed a stronger sense of belonging to the city… Recently, 16 awardees who have won the titles since 2012 wrote to the General Secretary to report on their work and insights from serving at the grassroots level, and reaffirmed their resolve to contribute to national development. People's Daily reporters interviewed four representatives of the awardees of the China Youth May Fourth Medal and New Era Youth Pioneer to listen to their stories of great ideals and unwavering determination.

Focusing on small details to achieve great results

Pei Xianfeng, chief welding technician of China Petroleum First Construction Corp

By Zhu Peixian

Pei Xianfeng, who was born after 1990, rose from an ordinary welder to become the chief welding technician of China Petroleum First Construction Corp. He has received honors including the National Model Worker title and the China Youth May Fourth Medal.

Five years ago, during an interview, when asked about the secret to his welding skills, he said: "there is no secret - just dedicated learning and hard practice. If you're a worker, strive to be the best!"

Interviewing him again, Pei's spirit remained undiminished, and his brisk steps now carry more steadiness. He is no longer just a competitor holding a welding torch - he has become a "master teacher" who imparts knowledge and teaches his craft. He leads younger technicians across the country, honing their skills and striving for excellence on national priority projects. "From polishing a single screw to achieving millimeter-level precision, small details hold profound knowledge and can yield great results," Pei said.

He frequently visits schools and workshops, guiding young welders hands-on, sharing all he has learned - from winning individually to teaching others to win. Pei has completed the transition from an outstanding welder to an excellent coach. He is no longer just a brilliant "spark" but a torchbearer igniting countless "stars."

Pei uses his own journey to tell every young person: The best ability is to develop the core skills to ensure that "I can step up when the motherland needs me."

"The times are changing, and new technologies are advancing rapidly. I must continue to study and improve my skills with even younger colleagues, charging forward again, climbing higher peaks, and mastering new technologies," Pei said. "In the future, I will proactively integrate my personal aspirations into the bigger picture of national development, forging outstanding abilities with a fighting spirit, bravely tackling technical challenges and actively innovating, forging a fulfilling youth with solid work and responsibility, and contributing to mastering key technologies."

Devoting youth to deep mountains, serving villagers with hard work

Yang Ning, Party branch secretary of Jiangmen Village, Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

By Zhang Yunhe

As summer begins, the mountain breeze becomes warmer, and spring water flows with a gentle gurgle. Yang Ning walks briskly along the mountain paths.

"Devoting youth to deep mountains and working hard just for the villagers." Hailing from Rongshui, Liuzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Yang has grown from a college-graduate village official to the Party branch secretary of Jiangmen Village, Anchui Township, dedicating 16 years to the mountains.

At the village's mountain spring water factory, production lines run at full capacity. Embracing the philosophy that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," Yang has harnessed the mountain springs to turn good ecology into good livelihoods. As the village's first self-initiated enterprise, the water factory, after starting production in 2025, increased the village's collective income by 200,000 yuan ($29,281.08), pushing per capita annual income across the village past 20,000 yuan.

Initially, Jiangmen Village had no path to prosperity. In 2010, after graduating from university, Yang gave up a job in Nanning and returned to her hometown to lead villagers in finding a way out. "I tried selling bamboo, planting chili peppers, planting kudzu - but with little success," Yang said.

After many setbacks, she calmed down to understand the local landscape's nuances and develop specialty industries suited to local conditions. She successfully cultivated high-mountain spring watermelons, built the "Miao Sisters" brand, utilized slope land for passion fruit, and promoted a "rice - duck - fish" co-cropping model. As she wrote in her social media: "No matter how countless the difficulties may be, I fear neither the high mountains nor the winding roads!"

With thriving industries, Jiangmen Village has transformed. After lifting itself out of poverty, it built a comprehensive rural revitalization industrial park, housing a cured meat processing plant and the spring water factory, enabling local agricultural products to be processed and sold, developing the village and enriching its people.

This year, under Yang's planning, the village formed a professional sales team for mountain spring water. She said confidently, "we will add new production lines and create online barrel spring water products, selling our village's high-quality water nationwide."

Running every order with heart, repaying a city with love

Chen Yiwen, delivery rider at Paige Network Technology Co, Ganzhou, East China's Jiangxi Province

By Yang Hao

In early summer in southern Jiangxi, vegetation is lush. At 6 am, amid the light mist on the streets of Ruijin, 38-year-old Chen Yiwen, a delivery rider for Paige Network Technology Co, tidied his uniform, fastened his helmet, checked his food box, and set off on his electric scooter, beginning a day of hustle. This has been his routine for eight years.

In 2018, Chen became a food delivery rider. New to the job, he struggled with unfamiliar roads, frequent late deliveries, and difficulty in finding buildings, and he even considered giving up. But with tenacity, he closely studied the distribution of buildings in old neighborhoods, restaurant preparation times, elevator peak-hour waiting times, and office building access rules, continuously improving his delivery efficiency.

On stormy days, he climbed stairs to ensure food arrived on time; when roads were blocked, he detoured 5 kilometers to keep meals warm. Over eight years, Chen's footprints have covered every corner of the city, consistently ranking as the "top rider" at his station.

Running every order with heart, and repaying a city with love. In the summer of 2020, he saw a middle school student fall from a bike and get injured. He immediately paused his orders, took the child for medical treatment, and accompanied him through registration and bandaging. In the winter of 2021, while delivering, he spotted a residential fire. He helped evacuate residents and called emergency services, staying until firefighters arrived before quietly leaving.

A striving youth should not only be about speed, but also about depth. Ruijin established the "Golden Brother Academy" for new employment groups, offering systematic training and career guidance. Chen eagerly signed up. Following his lead, 26 other delivery riders enrolled in training.

During a class on grassroots governance, the instructor said something Chen has never forgotten: "You delivery riders and couriers traverse the streets and alleys every day - you are the 'mobile detectors' of this city."

After class, with help from relevant personnel, Chen took the lead in creating a WeChat group named "Snapshot." Today, the group has over 300 delivery riders and couriers, who have reported over 1,000 leads on road damage, facility hazards, and fire safety risks, among others. With a 98-percent resolution rate, the group has become a vibrant force in grassroots governance.

From a "five-star rider" delivering meals precisely, to a "city hero" stepping up in emergencies, and to a "mobile grid worker" weaving through streets, Chen has run a career path full of warmth, conveying care between people and embodying the responsibility and dedication of new employment groups.

Wang Wei, deputy captain of the Manzhouli Entry-Exit Frontier Inspection Station, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region —

Take root at the frontline of border defense to ensure safe passage

By Zhao Jingfeng

Just past midnight in Manzhouli, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, headlights cut through the night as trucks orderly enter the Manzhouli road port. "Sir, please open the door." Taking his inspection tools and tightening his gear, Wang Wei briskly walks to a truck and politely calls to the driver.

The door opened, and Wang nimbly entered the cab, carefully checking the driver's documents and every corner of the cab while recording the entire inspection with his body-worn camera. "There are many blind spots at night; we must inspect meticulously," Wang said.

The Manzhouli road port requires 24-hour freight clearance. To ensure smooth vehicle entry and exit, staff must be on duty around the clock. Wang, 39, is deputy captain of the Sixth Duty Team at the Manzhouli Entry-Exit Frontier Inspection Station, part of the Inner Mongolia General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection. During busy periods, he assists in inspecting over 200 inbound and outbound trucks daily, alternating between day and night shifts, often leaving him with sore knees and aching back.

During holidays, he always volunteers for duty. He hasn't returned home for the Chinese Lunar New Year for five consecutive years. "My comrades come from all over the country. Many of them are far from home, and it's not easy for them to make the trip back. So during the holidays, I want to prioritize them first," Wang said.

Apart from long separations from family, the harsh climate also tests Wang and his comrades' resilience. Winters in Manzhouli often see temperatures below -30C. Most of their work time is outdoors. For ease of inspection and movement, they can only wear regular cotton shoes. The cold often numbed their soles, so they can only keep moving to generate warmth.

Wang's meticulous work habits have led him to repeatedly identify and eliminate safety risks. Due to his outstanding performance, he was awarded individual third-class merit three times in 2021, 2023 and 2024.

Beyond his main duties, Wang actively participates in education work. Talented and versatile, his self-directed and scripted Party building educational film was recognized as an excellent case by the National Immigration Administration. His original songs, original law promotion series, and various other works have been widely circulated, with millions of clicks.

Wang said he will strictly guard the port control line and ensure smooth and safe crossings, playing a pioneering role for young people, and encouraging more young people to take root at the border and fulfill their duties.

China's finance ministry on Monday commended Moody's decision to affirm China's A1 sovereign credit rating and upgrade its credit outlook to stable.

A ministry official said that this rating has reflected Moody's recognition of the strong resilience demonstrated by China's macroeconomic and fiscal strength amid external shocks, as well as new drivers and progress in the country's high-quality economic development.

According to the official, China's economy exceeded market expectations to achieve a rapid growth rate of 5 percent in the first quarter of 2026, explaining that against the backdrop of a rapidly changing global trade environment and continuously rising geopolitical risks, the Chinese government has implemented a package of macroeconomic regulation policies and strengthened policy coordination.

The Chinese economy has withstood pressure and moved toward innovation-led growth and optimized economic structure while demonstrating the advantages of a supersized market, a complete supply chain system and strong export competitiveness, said the official, noting that these are the cornerstones supporting China's sovereign creditworthiness.

"We will further comprehensively deepen reforms, continue to promote economic structural transformation, steadily enhance fiscal sustainability, accelerate the cultivation and expansion of new quality productive forces, and consolidate the foundation for stable economic operation," the official said.

By leveraging the certainty of its sustained and sound economic and social development, China will contribute more to world economic recovery and prosperity, the official added.

The first Hualong One nuclear project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the Unit 1 of China General Nuclear Power Group's (CGN) Taipingling nuclear power project in Huizhou, South China's Guangdong Province, was officially put into commercial operation on Monday, the Global Times learned from CGN on Monday.

Capable of generating more than 9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, it can cover the annual power consumption of millions of residents across the GBA.

"Unit 1 of the project has completed all performance tests and a 168-hour continuous full-load operation assessment, and currently all parameters are normal and stable, with the unit in good condition," said Zhang Guoqiang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairperson of CGN Huizhou Nuclear Power Co.

Drawing on experience from earlier projects, there have been 26 major design upgrades to Unit 1, and more than 8,300 practical improvements have been adopted, according to Zhang.

The unit has achieved key technological breakthroughs through independent innovation. This included the use of a digital handover 3.0 system for the first time, which allowed the physical plant and digital power station to be completed and delivered together, greatly improving smart nuclear power management.

The GBA is one of China's most dynamic and open economic regions. "The commissioning of this unit comes at an ideal time, providing stable base-load power to support high-quality development across the GBA," said Wang Wei, dean of the Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Technology at Sun Yat-sen University.

Plans for the full Taipingling project call for six Hualong One units to be built in three phases. Upon completion, annual power output will exceed 55 billion kilowatt-hours, saving 16.65 million tons of standard coal and eliminating 50.82 million tons of carbon emissions yearly. 

Follow-up construction work is progressing steadily. Unit 2 of Phase I will carry out its first nuclear fuel loading operation in the near future. For Unit 3 of Phase II, construction of the main building is underway. Preparatory work for Phase III is being actively carried out.

With the commissioning of Unit 1 at the Taipingling Nuclear Power Project, CGN now operates 29 nuclear power units with a total installed capacity of 33.04 million kilowatts. It also has 19 units under construction, amounting to an installed capacity of 23.02 million kilowatts, of which 17 units adopt the third-generation Hualong One nuclear power technology.

A visually impaired person tests an all-terrain smart guide dog in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on April 21, 2026. This robot navigates slopes, uneven roads, and stairs. Featuring HD voice interaction, it supports daily activities such as commuting, shopping, and hospital visits, empowering users with independence through advanced environmental perception and mobility. Photo: VCG

Senior Colonel Xu Chenghua, spokesperson of the PLA Eastern Theater Command said on Friday that from 4:02 to 17:50 on April 17, the Japanese destroyer JS Ikazuchi transited the Taiwan Straits, sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. The PLA Eastern Theater Command (ETC) deployed naval and air assets to track and monitor the vessel throughout the process, ensuring an effective control of the situation, according to a statement released by the PLA Eastern Theater Command on its WeChat account.

Forces of the ETC will remain on high alert at all times, and resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability, Xu said.

A reliable security guarantee mechanism involving the UN Security Council, China, Russia and other major powers, as well as Pakistan, needs to be established to safeguard overall stability in the Middle East, the Iranian ambassador to China Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said at a Wednesday press conference at the embassy.

The ambassador made the remarks in response to a Global Times inquiry on what key issues Iran believes should be prioritized in the upcoming formal negotiations between the US and Iran in Islamabad over the next two weeks, including navigation rules in the Strait of Hormuz, the withdrawal of US forces from the Middle East, the lifting of sanctions and war reparations, as well as whether Tehran has set clear negotiation red lines and plans for advancing the talks, and whether military operations would continue if no agreement is reached.

He said Iran has already put forward a 10-point proposal, which has been received by the US side. "We hope all the proposals can be effectively implemented and that dialogue will help promote peace across the region," Ambassador Fazli said.

"We also hope relevant parties can provide credible guarantees to ensure that the US will not once again ignite war in the region," he added, vowing to promote multilateralism and oppose unilateralism.

Iran and the US have agreed to a 2-week ceasefire less than two hours before the deadline set by US President Donald Trump, and will hold negotiations in Pakistan, Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday.

Trump said the US side had received a 10-point proposal from Iran, depicting it as "a workable basis on which to negotiate."

According to Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency, the 10-point proposal includes a US commitment to ensure no further acts of aggression, continued Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of Iran's nuclear enrichment rights, and the lifting of sanctions, among others.

In response to a question regarding reports that Iranian Ambassador claimed that he hopes China will become a guarantor of security in the Middle East, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said that "China hopes all parties can properly resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiation. China will also maintain communication with all parties and continue to make efforts to ease the situation and fully end the conflict."

With Oracle reportedly cutting thousands of jobs and becoming the latest US technology giant to announce massive layoffs while ramping up artificial intelligence (AI) investment, the debate over AI's impact on jobs is again in the spotlight. The pressing questions remain: Is the rise of AI destined to bring about massive job losses? Will the "AI-related layoffs" model embraced by US tech giants become the global industry's standard response to the AI era?

To answer these questions, it is necessary to look back at a similar period of technological change for a more rational perspective based on industrial reality. Over the past decades, automation has become a critical tool for boosting productivity, and robot density - the number of industrial robots per 10,000 employees - is a key indicator of each economy's performance in the global automation race.

Years ago, when industrial robots began to enter factories on a large scale and replace some manual labor, there were worries about a wave of mass unemployment as workers would face the risk of being replaced. However, the answer given by reality has dispelled this anxiety. China, with a robot density of 470 robots - far above the global average - did not experience mass unemployment. Instead, the widespread use of robots significantly improved automation levels, production efficiency, and product quality, strengthening the competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing.

At the same time, the automation process has led to a host of new jobs in robot research and development (R&D), manufacturing, maintenance, and system integration. Past experience clearly shows that technological progress itself is not equivalent to job losses. Its essence is the optimization and upgrading of production methods, which ultimately drives industrial iteration and creates new jobs.

The same logic applies to AI. As a core driving force of the new technological revolution and industrial transformation, AI's forward momentum is irreversible. Just like industrial robots in the past, AI will inevitably affect some traditional jobs. The wave of layoffs at US tech giants - Oracle, Amazon, Microsoft and others - is a direct manifestation of this impact. To gain a competitive edge, these companies are betting on efficiency gains from AI, which allows them to cut jobs in certain traditional roles. However, it must be made clear that "AI-related layoffs" are not the only path for AI development, nor should they be seen as the "standard answer."

Economies around the world are actively developing their AI industries. Given differences in national conditions, industrial structures, and policy orientations, the outcomes of AI development are bound to be diverse. Take China as an example: the deep integration of AI with various industries has given rise to new sectors such as intelligent healthcare, smart transportation, and smart agriculture. These not only drive the prosperity of related industrial chains but also create new jobs. In recent years, a wide range of AI-related new professions has emerged in China, spanning technological R&D, data services, product applications, and content creation.

In this sense, some US tech giants' "layoffs" script is not the only answer to AI development. The application of robots from the industrial automation era has shown that the ultimate goal of technological progress is to empower people and drive social progress - not to fuel anxiety over job losses. Different economies will likely give different answers to AI's employment impact. 

Faced with AI-driven changes, each economy needs to refer to its own national conditions and explore a path that balances innovation and stability, so as to promote AI development while actively fostering new job growth, thus making AI a true driver of high-quality development and improved public well-being.

China and Belarus are all-weather comprehensive strategic partners, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday in response to a question on bilateral relations. "In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Belarus relations have maintained sound and steady growth, with cooperation across various fields continuing to deepen. Bilateral trade reached $8.86 billion last year, up 5.5 percent year-on-year," Mao said. 

China stands ready to work with Belarus, following the important consensus reached by the two heads of state as the fundamental guidance, to keep bilateral relations moving forward and deliver greater benefits to the two peoples, Mao said.

Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Cai Wei held China-Russia Consultations on the United Nations and Security Council Affairs with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alimov Alexander Sergeevitch in Beijing on Wednesday. The two sides conducted in-depth exchange of views on the current international situation, UN and Security Council affairs, as well as regional and international hotspot issues, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.

Both sides agreed to jointly uphold multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on international law, and make positive efforts to promote the political settlement of hotspot issues, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

In a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, a wide range of issues on the agendas of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly were thoroughly reviewed, including the reform of the UN Security Council, the UN80 Initiative, elections for non-permanent members of the Security Council and the president of the 81st session of the General Assembly, as well as a number of regional issues with a focus on exploring political and diplomatic solutions to the situation surrounding Iran and cooperation between the two countries on this issue in the Security Council.

The UN80 Initiative is a wide-ranging reform effort launched on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the UN's founding. In a statement, the established Group of Friends of Global Governance highlighted three key points: the initiative must focus on improving both the effectiveness and efficiency of the UN's work; it must address the concerns of developing countries; and its process must remain transparent and inclusive, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"This round of China-Russia consultations sent a clear signal of the two sides' commitment to defending multilateralism and promoting a rules-based functioning of the UN Security Council and advancing a political solution to the Iran situation," Cui Heng, a scholar at the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times on Thursday.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the two sides also paid special attention to the upcoming election of the UN Secretary-General. It stressed that the future head of the world organization should maintain equidistance and neutrality, approach the principles of the UN Charter conscientiously and without selectivity, and work to build bridges among member states of the global body, the ministry added.

The consultations came after China and Russia vetoed a draft that "strongly encourages" states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts of a defensive nature to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait, including through the escort of merchant and commercial vessels, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Eleven members of the Security Council voted in favor of the draft resolution, China and Russia voted against it, while Colombia and Pakistan abstained, per Xinhua.

This vote also shows the two countries' shared opposition to unilateral pressure and the use of force, and their support for balancing the concerns of all parties through dialogue to prevent further escalation and provide legal and diplomatic support for easing regional tensions, Cui said.

Overall, the consultations represent coordinated alignment by China and Russia within the UN framework—aimed at stabilizing current hotspots while laying the groundwork for upcoming elections and reforms, outlining a clear line of cooperation for the multilateral agenda in the second half of the year, the expert added.

A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced on Wednesday that the nomination period for the 2025 Legislative Council (LegCo) General Election will be scheduled for Oct. 24 to Nov. 6 this year.

According to the Legislative Council Ordinance, the HKSAR chief executive may, before the end of a term of office of the LegCo, prorogue the LegCo to terminate its operation.

The chief executive has specified the commencement date of the nomination period as the date from which the seventh-term LegCo shall stand prorogued, so as to ensure that all candidates (including serving LegCo members) will compete on a level playing field, the spokesperson said.

The chief executive, having taken into consideration the relevant electoral legislation and the practice adopted in the past public elections, has specified Oct. 24, 2025, as the date from which the seventh-term LegCo shall stand prorogued and its operation shall then be terminated, the spokesperson noted.

Voting for the eighth LegCo General Election is scheduled for Dec. 7, 2025, during which 90 members will be elected.