Chinese youths are returning to island hometowns to launch businesses, as authorities in south China's Guangdong improve housing and convert idle land into public spaces to create new growth opportunities.
On Guishan Island in Zhuhai, once deserted by young residents, Party secretary Zou Xinglun recalled that when he returned in 2016 fewer than five young people remained, their departure driven by poor infrastructure, such as leaking houses and overhead wires tangled like spider webs.
"Now you can see there's not a single electric wire overhead. Through the project on 'underground relocation of three types of wires (for electric power, communication, radio and television)', all the wires have been buried under such cable wells," said Zou, Party secretary of Guishan Village.
"Our village's building-facade upgrade and renovation project is funded by the money for Guangdong's 'Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Project', and villagers don't need to spend a single penny," said Zou.
Guangdong's "Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Project" is aimed at promoting high-quality development of 100 counties, 1,000 towns, and 10,000 villages.
Parking spaces and small gardens were built around the houses, marking an improved environment which brought rising numbers of tourists and business opportunities.
More and more local young people are returning.
"Zou and I are neighbors. We grew up playing together. He explained many rural revitalization policies to me and told me that I have a promising development prospect in this village," said Wu Zhichen, who came back two years ago after graduated from a university in Guangzhou.
Local youth An Qi quit her urban job and returned home, turning her family house into a coffee shop.
"The great change of our village two years ago triggered my idea of coming back to the island to start a business," she said.
China's Guangdong island renewal draws youth back home
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, said on Monday that the relationship between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) stands at a new historical starting point.
Xi arrived in the DPRK capital of Pyongyang earlier on Monday to begin a two-day state visit at the invitation of Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, marking his first trip to the country in seven years.
Delivering a speech at a welcome banquet hosted by Kim, Xi pointed out that China and the DPRK, linked by mountains and rivers and sharing a common future, have seen their traditional friendship passed down across generations and grow ever stronger over time through the test of the evolving international landscape.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, and the China-DPRK relationship stands at a new historical starting point, Xi said, noting that he has reached important consensus with Kim during his visit.
From the strategic perspective of the future and destiny of socialism, both leaders have agreed to seize the general trend of the times, respond to the shared aspirations of the two peoples, strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen strategic communication, expand practical cooperation, enhance people-to-people bonds, promote the high-level development of China-DPRK relations, jointly open up brighter prospects for the socialist cause of both countries, and contribute to the continuous progress of human society, Xi said.
The successful convening of the Ninth Congress of the WPK this year has made strategic plans and major arrangements for the long-term development of the Party and the country's cause, ushering in a new period of comprehensive development of the DPRK's socialist cause, Xi said.
As good neighbors, good friends and good comrades, the Chinese side sincerely wishes that, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the WPK headed by General Secretary Kim, the DPRK people will successfully accomplish the goals and tasks set by the Ninth Congress of the WPK and make constant new achievements in the socialist cause of the DPRK, Xi said.
On behalf of the WPK, the government and the people of the DPRK, Kim extended the warmest welcome to Xi on his visit. Kim said that Pyongyang was filled with an atmosphere of friendship on this special day as the DPRK's Party, government and people warmly welcomed their most distinguished guest.
Noting that Xi's first overseas trip of the year had brought him to the DPRK, Kim said this fully demonstrated the great importance Xi attached to developing relations between the two parties and the two countries, and constituted the most valuable support for the DPRK's socialist cause.
Noting the meeting with Xi came nine months after their previous meeting, Kim said that during this meeting, they reached important consensus on further advancing DPRK-China relations with new contemporary connotations in light of new changing circumstances, and exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern, which will surely accelerate the development of the DPRK-China friendship with profound historical traditions, and contribute to peace and stability in the region and the world.
The DPRK people take heartfelt joy in the remarkable achievements made by the brotherly Chinese people, Kim said, expressing belief that under the leadership of the CPC with Xi at its core, the great Chinese people will surely create greater achievements in building a great modern socialist country in all respects, realizing the Second Centenary Goal, and completing the new journey toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Xi says China-DPRK ties stand at new historical starting point
