A white paper released by China on global governance reflects the propositions and suggestions of Global South countries, providing new policy directions and actionable measures for the next phase of global governance, said experts on Wednesday.
China's State Council Information Office on Wednesday released a white paper titled "More Just and Equitable Global Governance: China's Principles, Proposals and Actions." Published in eight languages, the document aims to introduce China's principles, proposals and actions on global governance, foster broader consensus within the international community, ensure more effective responses to global challenges, and build a more just and equitable global governance system.
On the sidelines of the Seminar on 70 Years of China-Africa and China-Arab Diplomatic Relations: Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future, ongoing in Beijing on the same day, several experts offered their views on the white paper's publication.
"It fully reflects the propositions and suggestions of Global South countries and China on global governance, (which is a highly favorable response to) the questions regarding the future direction of the world," said Wang Guangda, secretary-general of the China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development.
"The newly-released white paper has reviewed the major challenges in global governance and the achievements of China's strategic cooperation with the Global South and developing countries in global governance. It provides new policy directions and actionable measures for the next phase of global governance," said Liu Hongwu, dean of the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University.
"For us as the League of Arab States, we reacted positively, highly positively with (China's) initiatives, and especially the [Global] Governance [Initiative]," said Ahmed Mustafa Fahmy, head of the League of Arab States' China representative office.
White paper on global governance provides favorable response to Global South suggestions
Holiday cheer is building across China, with seasonal products driving a boom in the consumer market, as the Dragon Boat Festival and its holiday are approaching.
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. This year, the festival falls on June 19, with the three-day holiday running through June 21.
In Shanghai, many time-honored food brands have entered their peak sales season. Classic varieties of zongzi, the sticky rice dumplings, with fillings such as pork and red bean remain strong sellers. At the same time, many vendors in the city have also introduced innovative flavors to attract customers. New offerings such as black glutinous rice with red bean paste zongzi have proven particularly popular.
In major grocery stores across Lanzhou City, northwest China's Gansu Province, zongzi incorporating local specialty ingredients, such as lily bulbs and roses, have become top choices for shoppers.
Beyond festive foods, traditional customs are also driving seasonal demand. The Dragon Boat Festival is typically marked by the hanging of mugwort and calamus - a custom believed to ward off illness and evil spirits.
In Qidong City, east China's Jiangsu Province, mugwort farms have entered their busiest harvest period of the year, as they are producing more than 100,000 bundles daily for shipment to major supermarkets across the Yangtze River Delta region.
To the southwest of Qidong, Kunming City in Yunnan Province has seen a growing demand for festival-themed plants, such as calamus, fragrant wood and craspedia. The city's largest online fresh flower wholesale platform reported sales of 295,000 bundles of Dragon Boat Festival flowers so far this month, double the volume recorded during the same period last year.
In addition, local governments across China have also rolled out various service measures to ensure smooth operation of cultural and tourism markets during the holiday period.
East China's Fujian Province will offer more than 350 cultural and tourism activities and over 120 public welfare measures during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday.
Multiple scenic spots in south China's Guangdong Province have activated holiday support mechanisms to extend store operating hours and optimize time-slot reservations to enhance visitor experience.
Up north, in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, cultural and tourism consumption vouchers worth 15 million yuan (about 2.1 million U.S. dollars) have been issued for key sectors such as major scenic areas, hotels, homestays and cultural entertainment venues to further stimulate holiday spending.
Dragon Boat Festival spurs seasonal sales as festive atmosphere builds
