Xi's commitment to the people: Sci-tech self-reliance key to building great modern socialist country

After a late-night drive through the desert from Turpan, my morning began in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang and one of the world's most landlocked cities. It's a strange thing to sit with, a metropolis of several million people, ringed by mountains, about as far from an ocean as a place can be, and yet everywhere I looked that morning, the world seemed to be arriving anyway.

People visit the 2026 Shanghai Book Fair at the Shanghai Exhibition Center in Shanghai, east China, Aug. 12, 2026. Opening on Wednesday, the ongoing 2026 Shanghai Book Fair features two main venues, the Shanghai Exhibition Center and the Shanghai Book City. The cultural event will last until Aug. 18.

Visitors try out a multilingual AI transparent screen capable of real-timClad in a red volunteer vest bearing a badge in the shape of a jade-inlaid lacquer cup, one of her favorite Liangzhu artifacts, American Emma Chen greeted visitors to the Liangzhu Museum in east China, and then shared stories of a civilization that flourished more than 5,000 years ago.

As extreme heatwaves grip many parts of the world, a growing number of foreign travelers are flocking to China for a "coolcation." Their journeys have spawned a new social media buzzword, "China Cool." What lies behind the trend? In short: a genuinely cool China.

On Aug. 4, 2026, the Fifth Silk Road Friendship Ceremony was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The event was jointly hosted by the China International Culture Exchange Center, Global People magazine, and the Publicity Department of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee.