Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developer United Aircraft Group said on Thursday that it has won 100 industrial-level UAV orders at the ongoing Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, the UK, reflecting a rising competitive edge held by Chinese aviation companies.
It is the first series of orders received by Chinese companies at the show.
The development reflects Chinese enterprises in the commercial aviation field are actively participating in global competition, seeking to forge new market opportunities, Tian Gangyin, founder and CEO of United Aircraft Group, told the Global Times on Thursday.
The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the manufacturer of the home-made large aircraft C919, brought 1:20 scale C919 and C929 aircraft models to the public at the air show.
COMAC said that it will also carry out special promotion activities to strengthen negotiations and exchanges with customers and partners.
United Aircraft has brought several flagship products at the show, such as the TD550 unmanned helicopter, with a load capacity of 200 kilograms and a maximum endurance of 8 hours, has become an optimal choice for emergency rescue and material transportation.
The helicopter's performance is particularly outstanding in high-altitude and extreme conditions when carrying out firefighting and emergency supply delivery missions.
After more than a decade of development, United Aircraft has established a mature industrial chain system that covers research and development, production, assembly, and testing and verification.
The development of UAV industry is in line with the Chinese government's policy agenda, which emphasizes the development of strategic emerging industries such as commercial aerospace and the low-altitude economy.
The low-altitude economy was defined as a strategic emerging industry at the country's annual central economic work conference in 2023 and written into this year's government work report as a new growth engine.
The size of China's low-altitude economy by 2023 is estimated to surpass 500 billion yuan, with its scale expected to rise to 2 trillion yuan by 2030, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
China's seaborne container shipments to the US jumped 15 percent year-on-year by volume in June, showing resilient supply and demand between the world's two largest economies despite intensified decoupling attempts by the US, industry experts said.
Multiple factors contributed to the growth, including the early preparation and delivery of products for Christmas as well as a seasonal shopping spree that falls in late November.
According to US-based research company Descartes Datamyne, the numbers of 20-foot containers moved from Asia to the US in June increased by 16 percent year-on-year, Nikkei reported on Monday. It was the 10th consecutive month of year-on-year growth.
The Chinese mainland, which accounted for nearly 60 percent of the total volume, rose 15 percent, the Nikkei reported.
All of the top 10 products exceeded the same period last year. The largest increase was in automotive-related products, which grew by 25 percent, followed by textile products, which rose by 24 percent, according to the report.
The figures are in line with data released by China's General Administration of Customs on July 12. In June, China-US trade amounted to 420.94 billion yuan ($57.8 billion), a year-on-year increase of 2.9 percent. China's exports to the US rose by 4.7 percent, maintaining a positive trend.
Chinese experts said that the trend shows that China-US trade relations remain resilient and strong, despite the US government's attempts to decouple from China.
"The resilient state of supply and demand between the two major economies played an important factor in driving the growth," Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Another reason for the rising cargo volume might be that businesses are speculating about possible heavier tariffs, depending on the US presidential election result, so they're ramping up goods production and delivery, Gao said.
But that's unlikely, since it could backfire on American consumers as well, Gao added.
"There is a trend this year - that is, July and August were normally the busiest in terms of the start of the peak season in the US in previous years, but this year it was brought forward from May," Zhong Zhechao, founder of One Shipping, an international logistics service consulting firm, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
There are multiple reasons for this change, including a high demand for Chinese goods.
Businesses are working in full swing to deliver goods for the upcoming Christmas and Black Friday shopping sprees, which are seeing strong demand as the US inflation level is reportedly declining, Zhong said.
Consumers vote with their wallets. The scale of cargo trade shows that China-made goods are still gaining popularity among American consumers as these products offer more value for money, the industry insider noted.
Other driver for the strong trade growth is the speculation about a possible port workers' strike along the US East Coast, after their labor contracts expire in late September, Zhong said.
Zhong said that the strong cargo trend may peak in July and decline after August.
A large US business delegation is visiting China this week, and its members said that the US business community is confident in continuing to deepen cooperation with China and committed to building a strong, balanced bilateral relationship, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
China's Ministry of Science and Technology reported on Saturday detailed cases of academic misconduct in national key research and development (R&D) projects and announced strict measures against researchers involved in plagiarism and unethical lobbying in project applications.
The implicated researchers will face punitive sanctions, including bans from government-supported research activities and having their names added to an academic dishonesty database.
Experts noted that these measures reflect the Chinese government's zero-tolerance toward academic misconduct. They serve as a clear warning to scientific researchers and will help ensure that scientific innovation remains both legitimate and properly regulated.
The published cases included Zhao Ran from China Agricultural University, Zhang Tao from PinYuan (Suizhou) Modern Agriculture Development Co, Zhang Xiaocheng from Yongjiang Laboratory in East China's Zhejiang Province, and Chen Haotai from the Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, according to the announcement.
Each was found to have plagiarized content in their project proposals, copying from previously funded projects, leading to the termination of their applications and a three-year ban from participating in government-funded research. Their misconduct has been recorded as a serious breach in the research integrity database.
In addition, Sun Beicheng, a former researcher at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, was found guilty of trying to influence the evaluation by contacting potential reviewers for favorable treatment, leading to the termination of his project evaluation and a seven-year ban from government-funded research.
Academic misconduct undermines scientific, ethical and legal standards, and is detrimental to the country's long-term sci-tech advancement, Sun Guorui, a professor specializing in intellectual property studies at the Law School of Beihang University, told the Global Times on Sunday.
"Public exposure of those involved sends a strong warning and acts as a future deterrent against such behavior," Sun Guorui said.
According to the announcement, the ministry has instructed the involved institutions to enforce research integrity measures and complete rectification by a set deadline, urging researchers to uphold scientific standards and integrity in academic research and strengthen their sense of responsibility to contribute to achieving high-level technological self-reliance.
Sun Guorui highlighted the government's continuous efforts to encourage innovation while preventing breaches of research ethics, noting this policy is crucial in guiding the future of the country's science development, ensuring the legitimacy and regulation of research innovation.
More than half of the surveyed Japanese companies in China consider China to be one of the most important markets in view of the development of the second largest economy, according to a survey released by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China on Wednesday, indicating the remaining importance that Japanese businesses attached to the Chinese market, despite external uncertainties.
These remarks were made by the Chairman of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China Tetsuro Homma in the preamble for the "White Paper on the Chinese Economy and Japanese Companies."
In preparing this white paper, opinions were solicited from 8,312 Japanese-affiliated companies that are members of the chamber.
China offers significant market opportunities for foreign companies and is a powerful source of corporate profits for many companies that have set up operations in the country, the chamber said.
According to the second survey on the perception of the economic and business environment by the chamber, regarding the amount of investment in China in 2023, of the 1,713 Japanese companies that answered, 15 percent of them plan to "significantly increase" or "increase" investment year-on-year. There were 38 percent of the surveyed companies said that their investment will be the same amount as in 2022.
When asked how they see the Chinese market this year and beyond, 51 percent of the companies said that China is "the most important market" or "one of the three most important markets."
What also noteworthy is that less than 10 percent of the respondents said that they will downsize or withdraw investment, which the chamber said showing that the majority of Japanese companies have a strong commitment to remain firmly entrenched in the Chinese market.
In the second survey, 54 percent of the surveyed companies were "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with the business environment in China.
There were 46 respondents wanting to see improvement or very much improvement, the survey said, noting that there is still plenty of room for improvement in the business environment, as they expressed their desire for visa-free travel to resume among some other issues.
Osamu Onodera, a vice chairman of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, said that China is very important for foreign-funded enterprises, and at the same time, the existence of foreign-funded enterprises in China is also very important, noting that "We hope that both parties can form a win-win relationship," which is also the main reason for conducting and releasing such white paper.
External factors have caused challenges to Japanese companies doing businesses in China. Homma said on Wednesday that the impact of economic and trade frictions between the US and China has brought greater uncertainty to Japanese companies when making major decisions.
Despite challenges, Japanese companies still hope to achieve greater development with the Chinese market, Homma said.
Today, China's GDP is four times that of Japan, and the investment environment for Japanese companies is changing drastically, Homma said.
"China is no longer just a manufacturing and consumption powerhouse, but has become an innovation and engineering powerhouse, and winning in the fast-paced and highly competitive Chinese market is to serve as a training center to enhance its competitiveness in the international market," the chamber head noted.
Official data showed that China's exports of mechanical and electrical products, including cars, surged in the first half of 2024, and contributed to over half of China's total exports of goods, which analysts said underscored the nation's progress in high-end manufacturing and industrial transformation.
However, some Western media, such as Reuters, hyped that China's increase in exports, a year-on-year growth of 6.9 percent in the first half, suggested that "manufacturers are front-loading orders in anticipation of tariffs from a growing number of trade partners."
Concerning imports, foreign media reports continued to hype "the weakened consumption sector in China." Media including Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal specifically pointed out that China's imports in June dropped 0.6 percent year-on-year, pointing to "weak domestic demand."
When asked to comment on the Western media's attribution of the fall in June imports to weak domestic demand, Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, said that such attribution is not scrupulous, and somewhat misleadingly generalized. What would the Western media say when China's imports in May increased by 5.2 percent and in Jan-May increased by 6.4 percent year-on-year? Why didn't Western media say it was the result of strong demand?
"The drop in June import is not an indication of weakening domestic demand," Li told the Global Times on Friday.
It is only seasonal, and one month's worth of data does not point to the weakening health of the economy. Even with the June drop, the total imports for the first half of the year registered an increase of 5.2 percent, Li noted. "Isn't it odd that Western media ignored that part of the trade performance and focused on interpreting the cause of June number missing expectations?"
Western media's reading on China's economic data is politically-driven and aims to satisfy the West's need to distort China's economic development and discredit China. Foreign media's interpretation of China's trade growth figures is unprofessional, unscientific, and biased, Li stressed.
Zhu Qiucheng, CEO of Ningbo New Oriental Electric Industrial Development, an exporter of pet furniture and home furnishing products, told the Global Times on Friday that a decrease in the imports of intermediate goods could be a major reason for the drop in imports in June.
"As a result of industrial upgrading and transformation, Chinese enterprises can now produce some of the intermediate goods, which they used to rely on imports, by themselves or by domestic manufacturers," said Zhu.
Intermediate goods are used to produce other goods and services in the production process, including raw materials, parts and semi-finished products.
Regarding exports, Zhu said that judging from experience, foreign tariffs have little impact on overall export performance.
At present, China's foreign trade enterprises are actively carrying out high-quality development, and exporting high-value-added products with scientific and technological content and patents, Zhu noted.
"Western media's argument about tariffs is an interpretation of trade behavior in the last month or two based on current market sentiment, which distorts trade facts," Li noted.
From January to June this year, China exported 7.14 trillion yuan ($980 billion) of mechanical and electrical products, up 8.2 percent year-on-year, whose value accounted for 58.9 percent of the nation's overall export volume during the period, China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) said on Friday.
Specifically, the export value of ships saw an increase of 91.1 percent year-on-year to reach 76.82 billion yuan. The value of vehicle exports reached 391.76 billion yuan, up by 22.2 percent year-on-year, and the export value of integrated circuits reached 542.74 billion yuan, an increase of 25.6 percent year-on-year.
"Our company and other foreign trade companies above the designated size (enterprises with annual business revenue over 20 million yuan) have witnessed stable growth in imports and exports of goods in the first half of the year," said Zhu.
Zhu noted that there are necessarily major differences among different categories. Goods of high value-added perform better in exports than low value-added products.
"China's goods export structure is in the process of shifting from traditional products to new products, such as the 'new three' products - new-energy vehicles (NEVs), lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products," Ma Jihua, a veteran economic observer, told the Global Times on Friday, attributing the growth to the nation's foreign trade structure optimization and upgrade.
"The structural adjustment of China's export goods aligns with the trade needs of major trading partners. From the perspective of high-tech products, the US and some other Western countries have politicized high-tech products," said Li.
More exports of high-value-added goods fueled China's exports in the first half of 2024, which totaled 12.13 trillion yuan, up 6.9 percent year-on-year. Imports totaled 9.04 trillion yuan, up 5.2 percent. According to GAC data, total foreign trade topped 21.17 trillion yuan, reaching a new high.
An ethical guideline for human genome editing research was released by China's Ministry of Science and Technology on Monday, which includes a strict prohibition on the use of edited germ cells, fertilized eggs, or human embryos for pregnancy and reproduction.
The guideline aims to regulate the conduct of human genome editing research and promote healthy development in this field, as the risks involved are unpredictable and have implications for the dignity and well-being of individuals, as well as potential ethical, legal, and social issues that could impact human society.
It is currently forbidden to conduct any clinical research on germline genome editing, according to the guideline. Clinical research should only be considered if the benefits and risks, as well as other available options, are fully understood and weighed, safety and efficacy issues have been addressed, a broad social consensus has been achieved, and the study has been subjected to rigorous and prudent assessment.
He Jiankui, a genome-editing researcher at the Southern University of Science and Technology of China in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, shocked the world in 2018 when he claimed to have created the world's first genetically modified humans.
He was sentenced to three years in prison in December 2019 for illegally conducting human embryo gene editing.
The basic principles outlined in the guideline include enhancing human well-being, respecting human dignity, and safeguarding the fundamental rights and interests of research participants, including the right to information, privacy, and autonomy.
The research must be carried out by carefully assessing the conditions for the use of human genome editing technologies, and ensuring risk monitoring throughout the process with appropriate supervision, according to the guideline. It also puts forward principles of fairness and impartiality, as well as openness and transparency.
The guideline also noted general requirements and special requirements for human genome editing research, which should be given special attention at different stages of basic and preclinical research and clinical research into human genome editing.
China's widely watched annual "two sessions" kicked off on Monday this year. The "two sessions" refers to the annual sessions of National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which are known as the country's top legislature and national political advisory body respectively.
The two sessions is a grand occasion that gathers ideas and wisdom of people of all walks of life across the country. It is an important opportunity for the world to better understand China's whole-process people's democracy, in which the people engage in democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight according to the law. Such democracy is not only shown in the votes taking place at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, but also embodied in a motion submitted by a NPC deputy coming from a remote area, or a consultative meeting held among some residents living in a city suburb. It can be felt in many details of Chinese people's daily life.
During this year's two sessions, the Global Times is launching a series of stories to illustrate the whole-process people's democracy from some of such details. The second story is about the birth of a well researched, high-demand NPC motion, which shows that China's NPC deputies exercise the right to respond to the real voices of the people and demonstrate the process and values of people's democracy.
As the high-speed train zoomed from Beidaihe in North China's Hebei Province to Beijing on Sunday, Li Dandan, residents' committee director of Dongjing Road Community in Beidaihe district of Qinhuangdao, was carefully reviewing the motions she was going to put forward at this year's two sessions.
She knew that she carried the hopes of the elderly residents in her community, the valuable input from nursing home staff, and the aspirations of other community workers like her across the nation.
As the train raced toward the capital, with a solid and practical motion, Li, a deputy to the NPC from Qinhuangdao, is determined to make a difference for those people she represents.
A motion of actual demand
"Work hard and present confidently when you get to Beijing!" On March 1, 86-year-old Sun Xiujuan, a resident of Li's precinct, shared her genuine concern for Li in a warm and casual manner at her home.
Watching the news about the upcoming NPC, Sun knew that Li, who she treats as a granddaughter, was about to set off on a new journey.
During their conversation, Li updated Sun on various community matters: "The elderly canteen was closed for the Spring Festival holidays, but will reopen soon. I have made sure that the menu plan will be shared in our WeChat group before reopening."
"On March 5 we will be hosting a free clinic event in our community offering services like massages, blood pressure checks for the elderly. If you're interested, just sign up through the 'Fuka (Card of good fortune in English) applet' on WeChat, our community workers will take you there," Li explained earnestly.
With a large number of elderly residents in the Dongjing Road community, where 36 percent of them are over the age of 60, Li has always prioritized providing services for them in her community work.
In 2023, Li was elected as a deputy to the 14th NPC. Throughout the year, she visited households, engaged in discussions, and had heart-to-heart talks with elderly residents to enhance community elderly care services.
This year, Li decided to bring two motions to Beijing, one of which is about the optimization of the construction of smart elderly care application platform. "The progress of the era and our country demands a shift toward intelligent elderly care services," Li told the Global Times.
According to the seventh national census released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China in May 2021, in 2020, the population aged 60 or above in China reached 260 million, accounting for 18.7 percent of the total population, of which 190 million were aged 65 or above, accounting for 13.5 percent of the total population.
In 2021, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the National Health Commission jointly released a statement, which required that by 2025, the scientific and technological support capacity of the smart elderly care industry will be significantly enhanced, highlighted the importance of narrowing the "digital divide" for the elderly and improving their overall well-being through technological advancements.
In Beidaihe district, Li has been involved in the pilot work of smart elderly care applications, introducing innovative services through the "Beidaihe Fuka Smart Platform" mobile app. Serving over 40,000 people, the platform offers a wide range of intelligent services, making it easier for individuals to access essential services from the comfort of their homes.
Through these exploration, Li learned the importance and the prospect of using smart technology to analyze and monitor the body index of the elderly in real-time, providing more effective and precise home services, especially for those living alone.
"As an NPC deputy, based on the fruitful practice of our district, Hebei Province, and even the whole country, I want to further enhance the grass-roots smart elderly care application platform, addressing challenges faced by the elderly and ensuring that the technology serves its intended purpose effectively,"Li said.
An idea based on practice
On the eve of the two sessions, Li is still busy in her visits with community residents and representatives from elderly health institutions.
This is not just a last-minute effort for her.
"I hope to gain inspiration from the latest interactions and see how I can further enhance my motions," she expressed passionately.
For Li, being an NPC deputy is a continuous process of learning and growth. "Ideas don't just appear out of nowhere, they are shaped by what we observe, hear and contemplate in our daily work."
Reflecting on her journey, Li recalled that a year ago, she had never imagined that she would submit a motion on the development of a smart elderly care application platform.
A visit to a smart elderly care community in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province last year planted a seed in her heart. "The modern facilities and innovative elderly care services left a deep impression on me. Subsequently, I participated in a training course, where I gained more insights on the elderly care services, particularly in the realm of smart elderly care platform development."
Li observed that in recent years, elderly care services have expanded to residential areas across China. Initiatives such as community canteens, improved rehabilitation equipment leasing, elderly-friendly home renovations, and volunteer's help like home bathing assistance, health check-ups, have been introduced.
However, through her interactions and research, Li found that there are some problems with using smart technology to care for elderly people. For example, the number of the elderly who uses the platform is relatively small; there is a shortage in the financial support for the development and maintenance of the mobile apps; and there is a lack of instructions to the group from professional personnel.
"This year, with this motion, I aim to address the obstacles faced by the elderly in utilizing smart applications, enabling the true potential of technology to benefit them," Li emphasized.
At the end of last year, Li participated in the sessions of Hebei Provincial People's Congress, focusing on elderly care issues. She engaged in fruitful discussions with provincial NPC deputies on smart elderly care, consolidating their ideas into a comprehensive reference for her motion.
Before leaving for Beijing, Li also visited the local commercial elderly nursing institutions in Beidaihe again, in order to collect more information to perfect her motion.
During this visit, Li met Shang Wenbin, deputy director of the Yanshanhui Health Care Center of China Health And Elderly Care Group, and had extensive discussions with Shang on how to establish a smart elderly care platform so that companies can contribute more to the government's efforts in promoting inclusive elderly care service.
In an interview with the Global Times, Shang shared that through interactions with NPC deputies at various levels, he recognized the significance of the smart elderly care service industry as not just a reform initiative, but a vital livelihood project linked to local economic and social progress. A fare forth of confidence
A pen and a notebook are always by Li's side in her car, serving as her faithful companions for her duties as an NPC deputy.
This notebook has traveled with Li to countless places over the past year, witnessing her diligent note-taking during visits to residents' homes and attendance at various training and sharing sessions.
What truly inspires Li are the stories shared by experienced NPC deputies.
"One of the deputies who has been re-elected for decades is my role model," Li shared with enthusiasm. "She started as a rural woman with little political knowledge, but her honest and practical motions that truly reflected the voice from grass-roots farmers have made a significant impact on national policies in agricultural field. I aspire to follow in her footsteps."
This year, during her time in Beijing for the two sessions, Li plans to seek advice from veteran deputies, present her ideas and carefully study their feedback.
Her dedication paid off when her motion on improving the lease contract of rehabilitation aids for the disabled was well received at the two sessions 2023, earning praise from the China's Ministry of Finance.
"After sharing the good news with a disabled elderly couple in our community, seeing their tears of joy was truly heartwarming," Li recounted.
"As an NPC deputy, I have come to realize the power of advocating for the voices and needs of our residents," she noted.
"For me, putting forward a high-quality motion is to reflect the most authentic voice and needs of our residents to the central government. When the motion receives feedback from the central government and is put into practice, I felt it is a 'two-way efforts' between the government and the people," Li said.
According to official data, during the two sessions in 2023, deputies performed their duties in accordance with the law and put forward 8,314 motions. These motions have been fully processed and replied by 204 agents as of December 2023. Among them, the deputies adhered to the practice of whole-process people's democracy, maintained close ties with the people, and put forward an increasing motions on the basis of research, inspections, discussions, and visits.
As Li bid farewell to Sun, she left with a promise: "I will work tirelessly in Beijing and return to share my accomplishments with you."
Now in Beijing, with unwavering determination in her heart, Li is eagerly anticipating another wave of positive feedback that will truly impact the lives of those she tirelessly represents.
In China, an increasing number of people are enjoying the companionship of pets and treating them as part of the family.
Against the backdrop of rapid development in the pet economy, China's pet food market has experienced explosive growth. However, as the market expands, issues with product quality have emerged.
Recently, a series of news reports have uncovered that some pet food manufacturers, in pursuit of higher profits, resort to using low-quality ingredients for dog, and even falsely label nutritional content, misleading consumers.
In March, a scandal involving "toxic dog food" from Xingtai in North China's Hebei Province, the largest dog food production cluster in China, came to light, causing panic among pet owners across China.
This incident exposed the dark underbelly of the industry and the lack of effective regulation. Some unscrupulous companies have been found falsifying the nutritional content and ingredients of their products, such as overstating the chicken content while using cheaper chicken meal as a substitute.
Worse still, to mask the risks of inferior ingredients, some manufacturers excessively add montmorillonite to pet food, which could severely impact pet health over time.
Given the ineffective enforcement of industry standards, pet owners often find themselves in a battle of wits with unscrupulous manufacturers to ensure the dietary safety of their pets.
With the pet market continuing to grow, there is an urgent need to improve industry standards and strengthen regulation. The question of how to expose the chaos in the industry, attract attention from all sectors of society, and drive the pet food industry toward a healthier and more transparent direction is now a major concern, analysts pointed out.
'Toxic' pet food
In Xingtai's Nanhe district, recognized as the nation's largest pet food production base with an annual output of over 1.3 million tons, accounting for 60 percent of China's market share, the practice of "using the worst materials for the most expensive feed" was once an unwritten industry rule.
Investigations have revealed that some manufacturers produced pet food with inferior materials for higher profits, even mixing stone and feather meal into their products, as reported by the China National Radio (CNR).
Following the exposure, the Hebei Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs responded by investigating the involved companies and taking samples for testing. An official from the Nanhe district agricultural department told the Global Times that the pet food industry is a key development focus for the region, and the scandal has had a significant impact.
A pet food manufacturer in Xingtai confirmed to the Global Times that recent inspections by relevant departments have been strict. He said that dog food purchases are now reliable.
On the sales page of a manufacturer selling pet food on 1688, Alibaba's B2B trading platform, the cheapest dog and cat food from Xingtai sells for less than 10 yuan ($1.43) per kilogram, with different products claiming to cater to puppies, small, medium, or large dogs, and containing various ingredients like beef, fruits and vegetables.
Despite many pet food companies claiming to offer high-quality customized dog and cat food, actual product quality remains poor, with nutritional values often misrepresented. An investigation published by the CNR into a company that outsources dog food production found significant discrepancies between claimed and actual protein content.
Additionally, the use of montmorillonite to absorb toxins has been excessive in "toxic" dog food, reaching about 5 percent when only 0.2 percent is necessary. Overuse of such substances and flavor enhancers to mask the taste of poor-quality feed can have detrimental effects on pet health, according to media reports.
Pet owners vs manufacturers Xin Rui heard of "toxic dog food" for the first time when she adopted a dog from a stray dog shelter in Beijing.
She bought some dog food and dog snacks on the e-commerce platform Tmall the day the dog shelter owner sent the dog to her home.
"Toxic dog food," the stray dog shelter owner said disdainfully with a sideways glance at the bags of dog food casually lying in the living room.
"Honestly, I totally had no idea what she meant when she said the word 'toxic dog food.' I mean, I trust in Tmall supermarket and have bought many things, including food and snacks for myself on the platform. I carefully selected those products to welcome the dog. I did not understand why she said so. I felt so confused," Xin told the Global Times.
Xin bought another bag of dog food from the shelter owner as she recommended in consideration to help the dog get used to its new home sooner. It did not take a long time for Xin to tell the differences between these products. It took a few days for the dog to get used to the food recommended by the stray dog base owner. But the dog entirely refused to eat the food bought on Tmall, even when Xin mixed it with canned meat.
"Dogs are smart. They are helping owners to select safe food," Xin said.
She tried four brands of dog food in the nearly two years after adopting the dog. "I do not trust the base owner as she did not tell me where she got the food. Her price is much lower than that in official stores, making me suspicious about the quality and authenticity of the food," Xin said.
Now Xin buys food from a pet shop near her home. "The employees at the shop can provide official pet nutritionist certificates and they treat pets very nicely, so I choose to trust them. I hope they do not disappoint me," she said.
Actually, Xingtai's case is not unique, and Xin's worry is not unprovoked either.
Many pet owners have taken to social media platforms complaining that their dogs died or got seriously sick, for example by getting pancreatitis, after eating cheap food bought from online channels. Some of the cheap foods were revealed to have had dust and saw powder mixed in.
Even well-known pet food brands are not always trustworthy.
In April 2022, a pet owner in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, reported that his cats were poisoned after consuming Singen cat food, with one of them dying. After seeking information online, he discovered that many other families had encountered similar issues. Statistics gathered from 90 individuals revealed similar issues happened with 239 cats, resulting death of 95 cats, reported the Jiemian News.
Singen, founded in the island of Taiwan, claims to have a 50-year history of production. The company's business scope includes the production of veterinary drugs, feed, and feed additives.
Besides the issue of manufacturers falsifying their own products, there have been instances of factories producing counterfeit pet food of major brands.
On March 21, Shanghai-based Observer News reported that the local police department, after thorough investigations, dismantled three dark factories in Central China's Hunan Province and South China's Guangdong Province involved in manufacturing and selling counterfeit cat food of a certain brand.
According to a report on pet market consumption released by e-commerce platform JD.com in late 2023, the number of pet-owning households in China exceeded 100 million in 2023, increasing from 98 million in 2022 to 105.65 million. Among them, the number of pet dogs in 2023 was 51.75 million, a 1.1 percent increase from 2022.
"For China, there is a great potential for the improvement and development of the pet industry. With the improvement of residents' income levels and quality of life, the concept of pet ownership is gradually shifting from guarding the home to emotional companionship. It is expected that in the next 10 years, China will become the world's largest pet market," said Qin Yuchang, president of the pet food branch of the China Feed Industry Association.
Regulating the industry
According to Qin, China's pet industry already reached over 490 billion yuan in 2020, becoming the third-largest service market after Europe and the US. The market size is estimated to reach 800 billion yuan by 2025.
In addition, there has been a significant increase in demand for imported pet feed, with over 600 pet feed import registration certificates issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2021, a 7.3-fold increase from 2016.
However, compared with the rapidly growing industry, there is still a significant gap in the standards of pet feed in China, which seriously slows the industry's development needs, especially in the standards for pet food additives, with only over 100 of the more than 400 additives having been standardized.
"Some companies' pet food cannot meet the nutritional requirements for young animals, as reflected in the high failure rates of water-soluble chlorides, total calcium, and total phosphorus content. The quality control of animal-derived raw materials, such as meat meal, by companies is insufficient," said Fan Xia, executive deputy director of the National Feed Quality Inspection and Testing Center in Beijing.
In 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China issued the "Regulations on the Management of Pet Feed," establishing a standardized management system and placing the pet feed industry onto a path of standardized development.
The vast majority of pet feed products have already achieved production certification, but from the market response, there are still some cases of substandard production and production without certification in the production process. It is necessary to increase the publicity and implementation of regulations, and companies must carry out production and operation in accordance with the law and regulations, experts said.
Moreover, many pet feed operators, especially e-commerce and cross-border e-commerce platforms on the internet, have not strictly controlled the quality and safety of their products, leading to the influx of products of varying quality into the market. This requires the strengthening of the supervision of the pet feed industry, continuously improving inspection and testing technology, optimizing the regulatory system. Companies must strictly adhere to the bottom line of quality and safety, experts pointed out.
At the same time, enterprises and operators who violate relevant laws and regulations must be resolutely ordered to rectify, and those who cause serious injury will be held accountable, in order to effectively create a healthy dog food market, Qin stressed.
The new Argentine government is looking to cooperate with China, Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Monday.
She also said that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is very important for Argentina, and the Argentine government will continue to maintain an open attitude toward foreign investment, including from China.
From April 27 to May 1, Argentina's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina, Mondino, visited China. This visit marked the first visit to China by Mondino since the current government took office, and it coincided with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Argentina.
China looks forward to further enhancing political mutual trust and opening up broader prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation through this visit, continuously enriching the content of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Argentina, and helping both countries achieve common prosperity and development, according to media reports.
Mondino told the Global Times that her visit to China is expected to enhance friendship with China and strengthen links in the economy, politics, diplomacy, and business.
Accompanying her on her visit to China were the President of the Central Bank of Argentina, the Vice Minister of Economy, and representatives from more than 20 Argentine companies, all of whom engaged in dialogues with Chinese partners.
She said that a series of meetings and agendas in China have been very successful. "Everybody is trying to foster these very good relations," she said.
According to Mondino, during this visit, she and her colleagues explained to China the economic and social changes Argentina is undergoing, as well as some measures taken by the new government over the last four months.
She stressed that Argentina is trying to further open up to foreign investment and the economy, while reducing inflation and the fiscal deficit.
She said that China is very cautious in its monetary policy and has been very successful in its openness to the outside world. Argentina hopes to continue to be China's trading partner and an investment destination, and the new government will seek deeper cooperation with China.
"The cooperation between Argentina and China is very good, very fast, and very expeditious," she said.
She also noted to the Global Times that Argentina's participation in the BRI is "really very important" for the country.
Argentina has a huge demand for infrastructure construction. In addition, there is potential for both countries to further strengthen cooperation in agriculture, and in the mining of minerals such as lithium, and in energy. She said that Chinese investments will receive fair and equal treatment in Argentina.
According to public information, China is currently Argentina's second-largest trading partner, accounting for 13.8 percent of Argentina's total foreign trade. China is also Argentina's third-largest export market and second-largest source of imports, accounting for 8 percent of Argentina's total exports and 19 percent of total imports. Chinese direct investment in Argentina is mainly concentrated in three major areas: infrastructure, energy, and the new energy industry.
During the interview, Mondino denied claims that "China-Argentina relations are at their worst historical time."
"Maybe (those people) do not understand Spanish," she jokingly told the Global Times. She mentioned that the bilateral trade volume between China and Argentina may have temporarily declined, mainly due to Argentina experiencing a severe drought, which has led to crop yields reduction and, consequently, exports to China.
However, overall, there are no issues in China-Argentina relations. "You should not believe everything you read."
The Argentine diplomat also stressed that Argentina has always firmly adhered to the one-China policy, and the new government will continue to uphold this policy.
