Thursday, September 4, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

“Strengthening China-Sweden scientific, technological and innovative cooperation”

The modern China

Sweden and China have a common tradition of scientific and technological innovation and should work together to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, writes China's Ambassador to Sweden, Cui Aimin.

Published 11 January 2024
Chinese Ambassador to Sweden, Cui Aimin.
6 minute read
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

Recently I read a story about a Nobel laureate introducing a special map of innovation. Each time after he’s done with his scientific research, he’d show gratitude to all the team members from the laboratory, sometimes not only by announcing their names, but also taking out a world map and pinning their birthplaces on it. He exclaims over the spectacular map, which reflects the geographical diversity of the team members who come from Asia, Europe and the Americas, and they’ve also been trying to include more members from Africa and South America.

This story shows that science knows no borders. Scientific research is increasingly relying on big teams, big data, big devices and big collaboration. Major scientific and technological innovations are never created by one country or individual team alone, but are the result of large-scale international cooperation.

China and Sweden have something in common regarding innovation. China has a tradition of innovation since ancient times. The inscription on the bathtub of ancient King Tang of Shang Dynasty from 1600 BC says 苟日新,日日新,又日新, meaning to pursue new development, new changes and strive to innovate every day. Ancient China gave rise to the world-famous Four Great Inventions, including paper-making, the compass, gunpowder and printing, which have propelled the progress of human civilization.

China and Sweden have something in common regarding innovation.

China has an inexhaustible driving force to pursue scientific and technological progress. In recent decades, China has succeded in innovation by “leapfrogging”, entered the ranks of innovative countries and become an important participant of international cutting-edge innovation and a significant contributor to the solutions of global issues. China ranked 12th on the Global Innovation Index in 2023, climbing more than 20 places in the past decade. China published 24.6% of the global total scientific research papers and the number of valid invention patents in China has reached 4.805 million, both ranking the first in the world.

In quantum information, stem cells, brain-like chips and other frontier directions, China has made a number of major original achievements with international influence. A number of major scientific and technological infrastructure facilities with world-class standards, such as the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) and the China Spallation Neutron Source have been completed and played an important role. Scientific and technological innovation has injected strong vitality into China’s modern industrial system. China’s domestically-developed large passenger aircraft was put into market operation, and a 600kph maglev test vehicle rolled off the assembly line, setting an international benchmark for high-speed rail construction.

Sweden has always attached importance to innovation and respected innovation and is the world’s leading country in scientific and technological innovation, ranking very high on the Global Innovation Index and the EU innovation Scoreboard for years and leading in sustainable development, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and other fields in the world. Swedish inventions have had a profound impact on the world. Zippers, Celsius thermometers, Bluetooth technology, Tetra Pak packaging are facilitating our lives. Gamma Knife, cardiac pacemaker, artificial kidneys and echocardiography are providing treatments to countless patients.

Swedish inventions have had a profound impact on the world.

Sweden was the first country to carry out environmental protection, and also the first to introduce the concept of sustainable development. Fossil-free steel, hydrogen fuel cell trucks, waste recycling and re-usage, renewable energy and other leading environmental products and technologies contribute to the sustainable development process. Large-scale scientific research infrastructure such as the MAX IV Laboratory and the European Spallation Source, which Sweden has participated in, have provided an important platform for groundbreaking and innovative research across fields and borders.

Over the past decade, scientific and technological innovation cooperation between Sweden and China has grown rapidly, and China has become one of Sweden’s most important partners in scientific research. The practical outcomes can be seen in various fields. At the outbreak of covid-19, 50 experts from both countries quickly formed a joint research and treatment team to conduct international multi-center joint research, and the clinical research results were proved effective. Leading institutes of life sciences of the two countries have continued to deepen cooperation in clinical treatment and disease research, and expressed their willingness to jointly address global health challenges and make greater contributions to the development of global health.

Universities and research institutions of the two sides have actively carried out cooperation and personnel exchanges in the fields of natural science, engineering and technology, especially green environmental protection, smart cities and clean energy. In recent years, the number of papers jointly published by the two sides has doubled with the impact factor also higher. A number of joint research and development technologies have been among the world’s leading level. New solar energy storage and power generation system jointly developed by China and Sweden can convert solar energy into electricity with a storage time of up to 18 years. China is one of the key partners of Swedish research funding institutions. The science funds of the two countries have actively deepened policy dialogue and exchanges to jointly promote the research and development of high-quality scientific and technological innovation results.

China is one of the key partners of Swedish research funding institutions.

The cooperation in scientific and technological industries between the two countries continues to expand and unleash new vitality, making contributions to the global reduction of carbon emission and promoting sustainable development. Atlas Copco, AstraZeneca, Scania trucks, Sandvik and other large Swedish technological manufacturing enterprises have invested in setting up factories and R&D centers in China. A series of investment and cooperation projects have successfully landed in the fields of automobile manufacturing, energy conservation and environmental protection, smart cities etc. Sweden’s leading enterprises in new energy and new materials have accelerated their convergence with Chinese enterprises. A burgeoning round of scientific and technological cooperation in clean energy has taken place. The first Eco City project of China-Sweden Hammarby Eco City Alliance, covering an area of 670,000 square meters, was established in Yantai, which received wide recognition from the market.

Recently, China has released the Global AI Governance Initiative, proposing a people-centered and “AI for Good” approach, upholding the principles of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit in AI development, building consensus through dialogue and cooperation, developing open, fair, and efficient governing mechanisms, in a bid to promote AI technologies to benefit humanity. Not long ago, China proposed the International Science and Technology Cooperation Initiative for the first time, calling for advocating and practicing the concept of open, fair, just and non-discriminatory international cooperation in science and technology, adhering to the principle that “science knows no borders and benefits all mankind”, enhancing international cooperation, openness and sharing, and to jointly build a global science and technology community.

Sweden also attaches great importance to international scientific and technological cooperation, continuously enhancing the level of internationalization of scientific research and encouraging researchers to engage in international exchange, responding to global challenges and economic and social development demands with high-level scientific research outcomes. The wish to expand international cooperation in science and technology and the notion to promote the common well-being of the two peoples and all mankind through scientific and technological innovation of China and Sweden coincide with each other.

Chinese president Xi Jinping (then vice president) visiting Hammarby Sjöstad “eco city” in Stockholm in 2010. Photo: CHINA-SWEDEN Hammarby Eco City Alliance

In my communication with researchers, students, scholars and entrepreneurs from both China and Sweden, I have heard many stories of cooperation, development and friendship. Researchers of the two countries believe that the joint research has complementary advantages and has been pleasant, having raised the level of innovation of the two countries, promoted sustainable economic and social development, and contributed to addressing the common challenges of mankind. In order to thank the Swedish mentors for decades of education and cultivation, Chinese researchers have produced a beautiful commemorative book with photos documenting the efforts of researchers of the two countries to work together to overcome difficulties and jointly develop world-leading technologies.

Partners of scientific and technological enterprises of the two countries said that the two sides are highly complementary in research and development, and the exchange and cooperation would effectively promote the development of industrial technology and enhance the global competitiveness of enterprises. Some Swedish entrepreneurs who have set up factories in China have praised China’s excellent environment for innovation and entrepreneurship and advanced R & D and manufacturing, and are full of confidence in the development of their enterprises in China.

Scientific and technological innovation is an important engine for human development, and international cooperation has become a must to promote it. China is committed to expanding high-level opening-up, promoting international scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation with a more open mind and measures, sharing scientific and technological innovation achievements with other countries, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. I hope that more Chinese and Swedish researchers, experts, scholars, businessmen and entrepreneurs will make friends and become partners, promote, participate in and lead the innovation cooperation between the two countries, and jointly develop the rich mine of “innovation”, create more practical results and enhance the common well-being of mankind.

 

Cui Aimin, China’s Ambassador to Sweden

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Putin and Kim Jong-un attend as China displays 100 new weapons systems

The modern China

Published today 12:53
– By Editorial Staff
Approximately 12,000 soldiers reportedly participated in the parade, making it one of the largest in modern times.
5 minute read

For the first time in 66 years, the leaders of China, Russia and North Korea gathered in Beijing.

The extensive military parade marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with over 100 new domestically produced weapons systems – including nuclear missiles, hypersonic weapons and unmanned vehicles.

China conducted its second-ever military parade on Wednesday to mark Victory Day – 80 years after the end of World War II. The massive display at Tiananmen Square in Beijing became a demonstration of power where Chinese President Xi Jinping received 26 world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The parade, witnessed by 50,000 spectators and 10,000 participating soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army, Navy and Air Force, marked the first time in 66 years that the leaders of China, Russia and North Korea gathered in Beijing. The last time this occurred was in 1959, during perhaps the most tense period of the Cold War.

Dressed in a gray Mao suit, Xi Jinping spoke from the Gate of Heavenly Peace. He focused on China’s victory over “Japanese aggression” in what he called the “global anti-fascist war”, but chose not to mention the United States by name despite the country’s decisive role in the war’s final stages.

— Humanity is again faced with a choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, and win-win outcomes or zero-sum games, Xi declared and continued:

— The Chinese people will stand firmly on the right side of history and on the side of human progress, adhere to the path of peaceful development, and join hands with the rest of the world to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

Photo: Kremlin/CC BY 4.0

Nuclear arsenal in focus

Al Jazeera correspondent Katrina Yu emphasized the historical significance of the speech from Beijing:

— It really is difficult to understate how much of this is a part of the national psyche, the psyche of the Communist Party that, in the previous 100 years, China was repressed, invaded and humiliated by foreign forces.

Over 100 types of domestically produced weapons rolled along Chang’an Avenue. Particular attention was given to the new nuclear-capable missiles. For the first time, submarine-based JL-3 missiles were also displayed, whose extended range theoretically allows the entire US mainland to be reached from the South China Sea without submarines needing to advance into the Pacific Ocean.

The new intercontinental ballistic missile DF-61 also made its debut. It is estimated to be over 20 meters long with a range exceeding 12,000 kilometers. Additionally, the DF-5C was presented, which may have a range over 20,000 kilometers, carry ten nuclear warheads and reach speeds over Mach 10.

The hypersonic missile YJ-21, called the “carrier killer”, was also presented. The weapon is said to be able to strike aircraft carriers at Mach 10 – ten times the speed of sound – at a distance of 2,000 kilometers.

Trump’s sarcastic reaction

US President Donald Trump reacted to the parade with a sarcastic post on Truth Social:

“The big question to be answered is whether or not President Xi of China will mention the massive amount of support and ‘blood’ that The United States of America gave to China in order to help it to secure its FREEDOM from a very unfriendly foreign invader”, he wrote and continued:

“Many Americans died in China’s quest for Victory and Glory… May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration. Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America”.

Photo: screenshot/Trump/Truth Social

The Kremlin later commented on Trump’s statement and briefly explained that “no one even had this in their thoughts”.

New warfare technology presented

During the parade, China showcased its investment in modern warfare technology. Unmanned surface vessels (USV), underwater drones and unmanned aerial vehicles were presented alongside the new LY-1 laser system for shooting down drones and missiles. According to China, the new HQ-29 air defense system can defend against hypersonic missiles – a claim that has yet to be verified.

“For Xi, the point is to reinforce the impression that the People’s Republic of China has arrived as a great power under his leadership. Another is the array of leaders at the parade, which suggests that the PRC cannot be isolated, and is unafraid of pressure and bullying, particularly from the United States”, comments Ian Chong, political scientist at the National University of Singapore.

Above the parade, the air force conducted flyovers with helicopters carrying banners with messages such as “Justice will prevail”, “Peace will prevail” and “The people will win”.

US deploys missile systems

China declared that all of the more than 100 weapon types displayed were domestically produced. Despite the Chinese economy slowing down, the country’s defense spending has increased by more than 7 percent for four consecutive years and now amounts to approximately 4.2 times Japan’s defense budget. The military balance in the region has thus shifted markedly and China is gaining increasingly greater military influence.

Unmanned watercraft on display. Photo: Xinhua

Parallel to this development, the US and Japan are conducting extensive military exercises together. The US Army will for the first time deploy its medium-range missile system Typhon in Japan during the Resolute Dragon 25 exercise taking place September 11-25. Typhon can launch both Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles from land.

In July, the US placed two new weapons systems at its base in Okinawa: the MADIS air defense system and the NMESIS robot system that can combat ships. Both systems will also be used on Ishigaki Island during the Japanese-American exercise and military activities in the region are expected to intensify in coming years.

Modi abstained

Military parades on Victory Day are a relatively new phenomenon under Xi Jinping’s era – the first was held in 2015 to mark the 70th anniversary, and this year’s parade was thus only the second of its kind.

Despite friendly meetings with Xi Jinping and Putin during the SCO summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose to leave China before the military parade.

According to analysts, this was partly to avoid offending Japan, but also to signal that New Delhi certainly has strategic alternatives to the US but simultaneously remains concerned about maintaining its Western partnerships and cooperation.

“Remembering history to build a brighter future”

The modern China

All peace-loving peoples share a responsibility to defend the postwar international order and build a community with a shared future for humanity, writes China's Ambassador to Sweden, Cui Aimin.

Published 2 September 2025
5 minute read
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Eighty years ago, the forces of justice around the world united in courageous battles against their common foes, defeated the overbearing fascist powers, and won the great victory recorded in history. Eighty years later today, the international landscape is fraught with turbulence and transformation, global challenges keep emerging, and the world is standing at a crossroads where choices must be made. We must look back on history to illuminate the present and look toward the future, and draw wisdom and strength from the hard lessons of the Second World War and from the great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. We must build on past achievements, refute false narratives to set the record straight, cherish peace, pursue common development, and work together to build a better future for humanity.

We should firmly uphold a correct historical perspective on WWII and protect the historical truth. History may fade with time, but historical memory must never be erased. The Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War represent the decisive battle between justice and evil, light and darkness, and the forces for progress and the reactionary. Japanese militarists burned, killed, and plundered on Chinese soil, committed the horrific Nanjing Massacre, waged appalling biological and chemical warfare, and conducted “human experimentation.” These heinous atrocities were a brutal trampling on life and human rights, and a grave challenge to human civilization. Under the banner of the Chinese united front against Japanese aggression, which was advocated and established by the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people launched a relentless struggle and held ground in the principal theater in the East of the World Anti-Fascist War after making immense sacrifices of over 35 million military and civilian casualties and economic losses amounting to hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars.

They defeated the brutal Japanese militarists, and carved out an immortal epic of heroic resistance and ultimate victory against Japanese aggression. Eighty years after the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, there are still a few people who ignore the clear historical facts that countless innocent lives were lost during the wars, and repeatedly attempt to deny or glorify the history of aggression, arousing strong condemnation among all peace-loving peoples of the world, including the Chinese people. History cannot be rewritten, and facts cannot be denied. Any attempt to distort the historical truth of WWII, to whitewash the history of aggression and crimes, to overturn the verdict on militarism, or to turn back the wheel of history will never be accepted by the Chinese people, nor by the people across the world.

We should resolutely uphold the postwar international order and jointly meet the challenges of the times. History is the best textbook and the best remedy. The history of WWII is not only a record of the past, but also has a profound impact on contemporary international relations and on the postwar international order. The U.N.-centered international system is the embodiment of the victorious outcome of WWII. It has underpinned global stability and prosperity, ensured overall peace, and propelled the progress of human civilization. At present, the world faces various challenges. Unilateralism and power politics are severely impacting the U.N. and the multilateral system.

Certain countries are aggressively putting their own interests first, practicing power politics, bullying others, and attempting to replace multilateralism with unilateralism and to substitute the postwar international order with so-called rules of their own making. The painful lessons of WWII remain vivid. Hegemonism and the law of the jungle, where might makes right, must never be allowed to return. All peace-loving people of the world must remember the history written with blood and sacrifice, firmly defend the victorious outcome of WWII, uphold true multilateralism, defend the authority and sanctity of the U.N., uphold the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, jointly oppose hegemonism, power politics and bullying, promote greater democracy in international relations, and defend international fairness and justice.

We should build a community with a shared future for humanity and create a brighter future. History cannot be changed, but the future can be shaped. Facing the important question of “what kind of world we need and how to build such a world”, President Xi Jinping has put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. They provide China’s wisdom and solutions from multiple dimensions for meeting global changes and addressing the challenges confronting humanity, and respond to the universal aspiration of all peoples for peace, development and cooperation. They set clearer goals and chart a brighter course for humanity’s future, demonstrate China’s sense of responsibility as a major country through concrete actions, and are widely recognized and supported by the international community.

No matter how the international landscape evolves, China will stay committed to the path of peaceful development and the mutually beneficial strategy of opening up, and will remain a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of international order and a provider of public goods. China will continue to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and work with other countries to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security, and shared prosperity. In advancing the great cause of building a community with a shared future for humanity, countries must draw lessons from history and stand together in solidarity. We need to replace confrontation with cooperation, prevent lose-lose situations through win-win solutions, actively promote friendly cooperation, firmly resist the Cold-War mentality and zero-sum games, and strive to advance world peace and security and the common progress of humanity.

The smoke of WWII has long cleared, but the warning bells of history will always ring. We must follow the logic of history and keep pace with the trend of the times. China will walk hand in hand with countries around the world to uphold what is right, safeguard global stability, deepen win-win cooperation, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, thereby passing on the torch of peace and development from generation to generation.

Cui Aimin,
Chinese Ambassador to Sweden

China introduces national child allowances to reverse demographic decline

The modern China

Published 29 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Many local Chinese authorities, such as Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia, have already introduced their own child allowances to encourage childbearing.
3 minute read

China is implementing its largest-ever initiative to increase the country’s declining birth rate by offering all parents national child allowances. Each child under three years old entitles parents to approximately €500 annually in state support.

The Chinese government presented a comprehensive reform on Monday where parents will annually receive about $500 per child under three years old, equivalent to approximately €500. The decision comes as a direct response to the country’s serious demographic crisis where the population has declined for three consecutive years, reports AFP according to France 24.

According to UN population projections, China risks seeing its population drop from today’s 1.4 billion inhabitants to 800 million by 2100. Last year, only 9.54 million children were born in the country – half as many as in 2016, the year when the controversial one-child policy was abolished after more than three decades.

“This is a major nationwide policy aimed at improving public wellbeing”, reported the state television channel CCTV. The support applies retroactively from January 1 this year and is based on a decision from the ruling Communist Party and the State Council.

Parents welcome initiative but want more

In Beijing, parents have received the news positively, but many believe significantly more is needed for them to consider having more children.

For young couples who just got married and already have a baby, it might actually encourage them to consider having a second child, says Wang Xue, who is mother to a nine-year-old son.

The subsidy does help ease their burdens… and also offers some psychological comfort, Wang continues.

The 36-year-old mother emphasizes, however, that the new measures are not enough to convince her to have another child.

Having one child is manageable, but if I had two, I might feel a bit of financial pressure, she says.

Zhang Wei, a 34-year-old father of a daughter and a son, calls the new allowances “a good start” as the costs of raising children continue to rise.

Compared to our generation, the costs have definitely increased exponentially, he notes.

Analysts: Right direction but insufficient

Economic experts believe the allowances are a step in the right direction but warn that the measures alone will not reverse population decline or stimulate domestic consumption.

It is encouraging that the government finally moved to use fiscal subsidies to boost fertility, says Zhiwei Zhang, CEO and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management.

Zichun Huang, China economist at Capital Economics, describes the policy as a “major milestone” regarding direct payments to households and believes it could lay the foundation for more tax transfers in the future. He notes, however, that the amounts are too small to have “any short-term impact on birth rates or consumption.”

Local initiatives already in place

Many local authorities have already introduced their own child allowances to encourage childbearing. In March, Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia, began offering residents up to 100,000 yuan (€12,000) per newborn child for couples with three or more children. First and second children entitle parents to 10,000 and 50,000 yuan in allowances respectively.

In Shenyang, in northeastern Liaoning province, families who have a third child receive 500 yuan per month until the child turns three. More than 20 provincial authorities now offer various forms of child allowances according to official statistics.

Prime Minister Li Qiang promised to provide national child allowances during the government’s annual work report in March.

Aging population creates concern

China’s shrinking population is also aging rapidly, raising concerns about the country’s future pension system. In 2024, there were nearly 310 million inhabitants who were 60 years or older.

The country also lost its position as the world’s most populous nation to India in 2023, after the population decreased by 1.39 million last year. Low marriage rates and young couples’ concerns about high child-rearing costs and career impact contribute to the continued decline in the number of births.

China’s economy grows faster than expected despite trade war

The modern China

Published 16 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The Bund's historic waterfront promenade in Shanghai — once the heart of international trade and finance in Asia — still bears witness today to the city's unique role as China's open port to the world and center for global business exchange along the bustling waters of the Huangpu River.
2 minute read

The world’s second-largest economy grew by 5.2 percent in the second quarter and is on track to meet this year’s growth target. Exports and investments are driving growth while domestic demand remains weak.

China’s economy grew by 5.2 percent in the second quarter compared to the same period last year, which was slightly better than the 5.1 percent that economists had predicted. The growth means the country is on track to meet its full-year target of around 5 percent, despite ongoing trade tensions with the United States, reports Financial Times.

Exports sustain growth

The results show how China has managed to keep its economy on track through strong exports and investments, even though demand in the domestic market is weak. Industrial production increased by 6.8 percent in June, significantly more than analysts’ forecast of 5.7 percent.

Manufacturing and high-tech industries are leading industrial growth, with standout gains in, for example, robotics, new energy vehicles and equipment, says Yuhan Zhang, chief economist at The Conference Board’s China Center.

Retail sales, however, grew only 4.8 percent in June, which was lower than expected and a decline from the previous month’s 6.5 percent.

Challenges ahead

Economists warn that the second half of the year could be more challenging. Shuang Ding, chief economist for China at Standard Chartered, points out that first-half growth has benefited from companies rushing to export ahead of potential US tariffs.

Higher tariffs will take a toll on China’s exports, says Ding.

The real estate sector continues to drag down growth, with new housing prices falling 3.7 percent compared to the previous year. Economists are also concerned that overproduction combined with weak demand is driving deflationary pressure.

China is likely to need more policy stimulus as well as structural reform measures in the second half of 2025 to bolster the economy’s performance and make growth more balanced, says Eswar Prasad, economics professor at Cornell University.

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