China to accelerate modern water network construction to cope with new circumstances: expert

China is accelerating the development of a modern water network in response to new circumstances, said an official from China's General Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Planning and Design under the Ministry of Water Resources.

Li Yunling, deputy dean of the institute, highlighted the importance of the strategic move which was mentioned in outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development.

She said that in the past, China prioritized water supply security, economic security, and food security by implementing large-scale water conservancy projects.

With basic needs met, the focus shifts to a systematic approach: harnessing synergies among water conservancy projects, optimizing water resource allocation, and strengthening water security resilience, Li said.

"The 15th Five-Year Plan outlines the accelerated advancement of the national water network as a major national project. This marks a shift in China's water security governance from addressing localized shortcomings to systematically constructing a national water network. It also represents a comprehensive upgrade of China's water security from ensuring basic need towards supporting high-quality development," said Li.

Li said that to achieve the goals set forth in the National Water Network Construction Plan, sustained efforts need to be carried out across the 14th, 15th, and 16th Five-Year Plans.

She highlighted three key priorities for advancing China's national water network.

"First, China will accelerate the construction of the main framework and major arteries of the national water network, such as promoting the construction of the western route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Second, we will accelerate the development of a number of key water conveyance and drainage channels as well as storage and regulation projects to improve the regional water network layout and enhance the capacity for strategic water reserves. Third, we will focus on advancing the construction of a digital twin water network to raise the level of intelligent operation, management, and dispatching of the water network," said Li.

China to accelerate modern water network construction to cope with new circumstances: expert

Spanish students have expressed their expectation that a healthy China-U.S. economic and trade relationship will inject greater stability into the global economy and create greater opportunities for Spain.

On Sunday, Chinese and U.S. delegations convened in Paris, France for talks on economic and trade issues. Guided by the consensus reached by the two heads of state in Busan and their subsequent phone talks, the two sides will conduct consultations on economic and trade matters of mutual concern.

Ahead of the talks, members of the public in Madrid, Spain, shared their views on China–U.S. economic and trade relations with China Media Group (CMG). They agreed that reaching an agreement between the world’s two largest economies would have a direct impact on the global landscape.

"They are the two countries that contribute the most economically, in a manner of speaking, to the rest of the countries. They are major importers and exporters. So I think that a satisfactory relationship between them can be very beneficial for all other countries," said Claudia, an engineering student.

Noting that both sides are important trading partners of Spain, the interviewees stated that a healthy, stable and sustainable China-U.S. economic and trade relationship also affects various aspects of the Spanish society, and that agreements between the two countries would help promote Spain's economic growth.

"I do think that it could have a certain effect on the Spanish economy, both in terms of prices, and I would dare say employment as well. Because I think that if those two great powers reach an agreement, Spain could also get in on the action. It would create quite a few jobs in Chinese and American multinationals for all Spaniards," said Claudia.

"Spain is caught in the middle; it has good relations with both the U.S. and China. If it gets on the bad side of either one, it could be hit hard, because Spain mainly relies on tourism -- well, other things too, but essentially tourism, construction and agriculture. It's very important to have more help and trade with all countries around the world," said Denis, a law student.

Spanish students say stable China-US ties benefit global economy