All posts by 0421qq.com

In a recent interview, Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin Auctions, revealed exciting news about the bidding for Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50th home run ball. Ohtani, the talented two-way player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, made history this year by becoming the first player in Major League Baseball (MLB) to achieve a season of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. The commemorative ball, which symbolizes this remarkable achievement, was auctioned off for an astonishing $4.392 million, making it the highest-priced baseball ever sold.

Goldin shared via social media that while there was considerable interest from bidders in Japan, the winning bid ultimately came from a corporation based in Taiwan. This Taiwanese company, passionate about baseball and Ohtani, intends to reveal its identity after the conclusion of the World Series.

In a statement, the Taiwanese company, Youshi Capital, confirmed that they were the fortunate bidders of Ohtani’s 50th home run ball. They expressed their honor in bringing this historically significant baseball back to Taiwan, calling it a “holy grail” for many baseball fans worldwide. They emphasized their belief in Ohtani’s growing impact on baseball across the globe and declared that this decision holds profound meaning.

Youshi Capital also expressed eagerness to collaborate with various institutions in Taiwan and Japan, potentially organizing public displays that would allow fans to see the commemorative ball up close. They noted that their aspirations extend beyond promoting baseball development in Taiwan; they hope to showcase Taiwan to the world through this significant piece of sports history.

In a recent interview, the iconic heavy metal vocalist Paul Di’Anno, best known for his early work with Iron Maiden, passed away at the age of 66. His label, Conquest Music, confirmed that he died at home in Salisbury. Despite facing significant health challenges in recent years that limited him to performing in a wheelchair, Di’Anno continued to entertain fans, having completed over 100 shows worldwide since 2023.

Born Paul Andrews in Chingford, east London, Di’Anno joined Iron Maiden after auditioning in November 1978, a band created by bassist Steve Harris three years earlier. Reflecting on his initial impressions of the group, he stated, “Their old singer had this silly sword and fake blood dripping from his mouth, and my friend and I were laughing uncontrollably. But once we started playing together, it all just clicked.” He also reminisced about the contrast between himself and the other band members: “They were lovely young guys you could introduce to your grandmother. She would have adored them, while I would have left her in shock!”

With his raw, powerful voice, Di’Anno fronted Iron Maiden’s 1980 self-titled debut album, which peaked at No. 4 in the UK charts, as well as the 1981 follow-up, “Killers.” However, he later admitted to struggles with substance abuse, saying, “It wasn’t just a little cocaine; I was on a nonstop binge, day after day. I couldn’t see a way out.” Additionally, he acknowledged conflicts with Harris that ultimately led to his departure after the “Killers” world tour, with Bruce Dickinson taking over as the frontman afterward.

Iron Maiden expressed their condolences, stating, “Paul’s contribution to Iron Maiden was immense and helped set us on the path we have been traveling as a band for nearly five decades. His pioneering presence as a vocalist will be warmly remembered not only by us but by fans around the globe.”

Following his time with Iron Maiden, Di’Anno pursued his own musical projects, initially launching a self-titled band, then forming the supergroup Gogmagog, which included former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr. He found more success with his band Battlezone, releasing two albums in the mid-1980s, and later worked with Praying Mantis and another band, Killers, also releasing two studio albums.

Despite his musical achievements, Di’Anno faced personal turmoil, including a prison sentence in the early 1990s for an incident involving domestic violence. He later expressed remorse for his past actions, stating, “My biggest regrets are those domestic violence incidents… but jail ultimately led me to start turning my life around.” He dealt with further legal issues related to drugs and firearms and was banned from touring in the U.S. for several years. Health issues also plagued him, including knee injuries and a serious illness that required eight months in the hospital due to sepsis in 2015. Yet, his passion for music remained unwavering. Earlier this year, he announced his retirement from touring smaller venues but expressed eagerness to perform at festivals in 2025.

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with representatives from Industrial Bank about their proactive approach in response to the national policy aimed at facilitating stock repurchase loans. They shared impressive updates about their efforts to support the capital market. As of now, they have successfully approved stock repurchase loans for 20 listed companies, with a total funding amount exceeding 4 billion yuan. The bank is actively engaging with over 120 leading companies across various sectors, continuously injecting momentum into the stable development of the capital market.

On October 18th, the People’s Bank of China, in collaboration with the National Financial Supervision Administration and the China Securities Regulatory Commission, released a notification regarding the establishment of stock repurchase loans. This initiative aims to encourage financial institutions to provide loans to qualifying listed companies and major shareholders, supporting their efforts in repurchasing and increasing their ownership of company shares. The initial funding amount allocated for this program is 300 billion yuan.

In line with this notification, Industrial Bank is diligently implementing regulatory requirements and has developed related management measures to effectively guide this business initiative. “We will continue to enhance our lending efforts, ensuring strict supervision and management of loan disbursement,” said a representative from the bank’s investment banking department. “Our goal is to guarantee that the funds are used solely for these intended purposes, encouraging listed companies to actively engage in repurchase and shareholder increase tools as part of their market value management strategies, thereby helping maintain a stable capital market.”

In recent years, Industrial Bank has been deepening its “commercial bank + investment bank” strategy, focusing on three key areas: specialized services, comprehensive support, and integrated operations. They have introduced comprehensive financial service plans for listed and prospective listed companies, offering a wide range of financial services, including debt financing, equity financing, merger transactions, asset revitalization, and wealth management. This approach aims to assist listed companies in optimizing their capital structure and enhancing long-term value. As of the end of September, the bank reported a substantial investment banking scale of 4.47 trillion yuan, with listed companies being one of their key focus areas.

On October 22, the Harbin Customs released a report revealing that from January to September 2024, the total value of goods trade in Heilongjiang Province reached 234.8 billion yuan, setting a record for the same period in history with a year-on-year growth of 7.6%, placing it 16th in growth rate nationwide. Notably, exports accounted for 61.21 billion yuan, marking an increase of 13.3%, while imports totaled 173.59 billion yuan with a growth rate of 5.7%.

Customs officials conducted spot checks on imported coal during this period. According to statistics from the Harbin Customs, the general trade value in Heilongjiang for the first three quarters was 197.81 billion yuan, reflecting a 7.1% increase and comprising 84.2% of the province’s total foreign trade value. State-owned enterprises reported an import and export value of 147.12 billion yuan, which was a notable 15.8% rise, significantly outpacing the overall growth by 8.2 percentage points, and making up 62.7% of the province’s foreign trade total. In contrast, private enterprises reported a drop of 4.9% in their import and export value to 78.46 billion yuan, accounting for 33.4% of the total. Foreign-invested enterprises slightly decreased by 0.2% to 7.98 billion yuan, representing 3.4% of the province’s foreign trade.

During the first three quarters, Heilongjiang’s trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative amounted to 203.72 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 10.5%, which was 2.9 percentage points above the overall growth rate. This segment constituted 86.8% of the province’s foreign trade total, up 2.3 percentage points from last year. Furthermore, trade with the other nine BRICS nations reached 186.33 billion yuan, increasing by 13.4% year-on-year and surpassing the overall growth rate by 5.8 percentage points, contributing 79.4% to the province’s foreign trade total, an increase of 4.1 percentage points.

In terms of exports over the same period, Heilongjiang Province saw a significant surge in electromechanical products, amounting to 28.43 billion yuan, which represented a remarkable increase of 35.9% and constituted 46.4% of the total export value, up 7.7 percentage points compared to last year. Individual product categories such as passenger cars, mobile phones, and automatic data processing equipment witnessed remarkable growth rates of 106.1%, 402%, and 143.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, labor-intensive products exported totaled 11.73 billion yuan, marking an 8.3% increase and accounting for 19.2% of the total export value, with clothing and accessories, furniture and its parts, and plastic products experiencing growth rates of 23.3%, 43.4%, and 18.6%, respectively.

Heilongjiang’s imports of major commodities increased by 11.7% year-on-year, including energy products like crude oil, natural gas, and coal, which totaled 46.91 million tons, reflecting a 14.9% increase. Additionally, the import volume of metal ores such as iron and aluminum amounted to 10.13 million tons, increasing by 12.3%.

As the electric bicycle market rapidly evolves, traditional bicycle manufacturers in China are strategically aligning with market demands, focusing on product technology, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. This proactive approach is driving domestic electric bicycle companies to expand their footprint in overseas markets.

On October 22, Guangzhou Customs released data revealing that from January to September this year, the region exported 309,000 electric motorcycles and bicycles—marking a 27.2% increase from the previous year.

At the 136th China Import and Export Fair, Guangzhou Weihua Bicycle Co., Ltd., a manufacturer with over 30 years of experience and a customs AEO certification, showcased its innovative electric bicycles. The company has tailored its products to meet consumer preferences, introducing features like dual battery systems, GPS navigation, and automatic distress signals. According to Global Sales Director Zhan Xirong, “Our electric bicycles utilize a battery as a supplementary power source, integrating motors and controllers to maintain the traditional aerobic exercise benefits of manual cycling, while also offering the electrification needed for daily commutes and weekend adventures.” The company has already attracted interest from four prospective clients at the fair, amounting to approximately $1 million in potential orders.

Located in the Huadu District of Guangzhou, Xinyi Vehicle Co. specializes in electric bicycles with an annual production capacity of 80,000 units. The company’s electric bikes are powered by motors and lithium batteries, allowing them to exceed the speed of traditional bicycles while keeping the weight lighter than conventional electric bikes.

Chen Junjun, the company’s customs compliance manager, described their latest offering: an electric off-road mountain bike. This model features enhanced motor performance and battery capacity, equipped with a 2-kilowatt motor and two 48-volt, 18-amp-hour batteries, capable of 110 kilometers in pure electric mode, setting a competitive standard in the market. “Cycling is quite popular in Europe and the U.S. Based on thorough market research, we developed lithium mountain bikes that have been well-received by consumers there. In the first three quarters of this year, our exports of lithium mountain bikes exceeded 45 million yuan,” he noted.

Chen emphasized that with the support and guidance from customs policies, his company is actively advancing its cross-border e-commerce strategy, already establishing partnerships with multiple overseas warehouses in the U.S., Canada, Poland, and Germany, boasting a total inventory value exceeding 80 million yuan.

How Many People Are Being Deceived by “Title Evaluation Services” and “Guaranteed Pass” Schemes?

Human Resources Department: Full-Service Evaluations and Handling are Suspected of Fraud

In recent years, numerous agencies have emerged, promoting “exclusive channels,” “guaranteed pass refunds,” and “fast-track applications” for professional title evaluations. Staff at the HR department have pointed out that the title application and evaluation process follows a set protocol, and these so-called “full-service” offers raise suspicions of fraud.

“Is there a real need for title services?” Many professionals, like Gao Yewai, who works in engineering supervision, have found themselves inundated with promotional calls for title evaluation services since the annual application period began. The issue began when Gao paid 8,000 yuan to a training institution to help him obtain a senior title, leaving behind his contact number. In the end, he did not receive the title, and the agency only refunded him 3,200 yuan.

Professional titles are critical for recognizing the technical capabilities, work accomplishments, and academic levels of professionals. They are also significant for salary increases and promotions. Our investigation reveals a growing presence of agencies promoting “exclusive channels” and “internal connections” for title applications. Despite ongoing warnings and targeted efforts from regulatory bodies to combat scams, many individuals seeking shortcuts have become victims.

Agencies Claiming “Full Service” and “Guaranteed Pass”

In March 2023, Gao Yewai searched for “title evaluations” on Baidu and found a Beijing-based educational consulting agency boasting six years of experience. With his busy schedule on construction sites, Gao opted to pay for assistance, thinking it would save him time and effort.

By the end of August, Gao had yet to see any progress on his application materials. The agency claimed his evaluation was unsuccessful but offered to expedite the process for an additional “settling” fee of 6,000 yuan. Frustrated, Gao sought a refund, only to learn that the agency would only return 40% of his payment due to an agreement he had signed.

A quick search on various social media platforms and search engines revealed a multitude of agencies advertising title services. Phrases like “guarantee refund, all degrees accepted, intermediate titles for 8,000 yuan” and “official channels for a quick pass, please do not disturb civil service units” were commonplace. Many agencies asserted that by simply providing contact information and application details, they could handle the documentation and submission process for applicants.

Some accounts even uploaded videos offering “free consultations” for title evaluations. However, the comments sections were filled with promotional messages claiming “guaranteed passes” and “exclusive channels.”

We reached out to the HR department for clarification. They stated that the application and evaluation process are regulated, and individuals seeking titles must apply through their organization’s account. The applicant’s unit is responsible for auditing the materials, which should then be submitted up the hierarchy according to evaluation management regulations. Freelancers can have personnel agencies perform audits and submissions, but agencies may only submit title materials for those within their own organization.

A representative emphasized that “full-service evaluations” and “guaranteed passes” are deceptive practices that clearly violate the regulations governing title evaluations. They also underscored that applications cannot be submitted across different cities, rendering claims of cross-region applications untrustworthy.

Struggling to Get Refunds After Being Defrauded

This year, Gao Yewai meticulously prepared his application materials. Once his organization announced the title evaluation call, he confidently submitted his paperwork, hoping for a successful outcome.

Meanwhile, Chen Feibei, who works in traffic communications at a transportation company in Liaoning Province, faced repeated challenges, failing two consecutive applications for a senior title in five years. After reviewing the results, she was surprised to find two individuals ranked below her on the list had passed. Confused and in dire straits, Chen turned to evaluation agencies.

In May 2023, Lin Ying invested 2,800 yuan to an educational technology firm to handle her title application. After making the payment, however, she began to regret her decision, yet customer service refused to address her concerns or offer a refund. Left with no options, Lin consulted the market supervision authority, who merely suggested mediation between both parties. If illegal actions were detected, the case could be escalated to law enforcement. After getting minimal help from the HR department, which informed her they lacked enforcement authority, Lin filed a complaint on a major consumer complaint platform, but her issue remains unresolved.

A search on that platform for “title evaluations” revealed over 1,000 complaints, many relating to “failed evaluations with no refunds” and “false advertising about applications.” Some complaints mentioned issues like “disappearing agencies and running off with funds.”

Building a More Scientific Title Evaluation System

Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security issued interim regulations stipulating that titles obtained through false documents would be revoked and logged in a trustworthiness database for three years.

“Those who purchase fraudulent materials through agencies also face severe legal consequences,” warned Meng Yuping, a legal expert from Liaoning’s Labor and Human Resources Dispute Research Association. He stressed the need for stringent action against illegal entities disrupting title evaluations. There must also be efforts to educate applicants on avoiding the temptation of purchasing fraudulent titles and the risks of engaging with dubious agencies.

Meng suggested that anyone encountering intermediaries boosting “guaranteed passes” for title evaluations should report them to relevant authorities. For false advertising, complaints can be lodged with online regulatory bodies or market supervision departments; refund disputes can be resolved through civil litigation; and fraud should be reported to law enforcement.

“A more scientific, transparent, and diversified title evaluation system tailored to the realities of various industries is the most viable solution,” stated Wang Lei, director of Sociology at Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. He believes that cleaning up the title evaluation environment requires comprehensive measures, including enhanced training for evaluators, optimizing supervision mechanisms, and imposing stricter penalties for violations.

Recent reports from U.S. media highlight a troubling escalation of gun violence in Chicago, Illinois, where at least 27 individuals have been shot and five have lost their lives in recent incidents.

According to the Chicago Police, around noon on October 13, officers discovered a 27-year-old man slumped in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in the South Side, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to the hospital but unfortunately, medical efforts were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead.

Earlier that same morning, at approximately 9 a.m., a shooting occurred in the Southwest Side. A 41-year-old woman, sitting in her car, was shot at close range by an assailant who then fled the scene. She sustained gunshot wounds to her chest and head and later died after being transported to a hospital.

In addition, on the morning of October 13, a 23-year-old man was shot to death in the greater Crossroads area of South Chicago. Authorities have not yet determined the circumstances surrounding that incident.

Additionally, on the evening of October 11, a 38-year-old man was shot and killed while he was a passenger in a car in the West Side. The vehicle was struck by gunfire while in motion, as reported by police. On the same evening, another shooting in the West Side resulted in one woman’s death and injuries to two other women.

Meanwhile, in the North Side that evening, a 16-year-old was seriously injured in a shooting. In another incident in the South Side on the same day, a 10-year-old child suffered a graze wound to the right arm from gunfire, with the suspect still unknown.

Data from the Gun Violence Archive indicates that there have been 421 mass shooting incidents in the United States this year, resulting in over 13,000 deaths related to gun violence.

We’re constantly told that passion is what makes work fulfilling. But can being head over heels have its downsides?
Tessa WestMon 14 Oct 2024 07.30 EDTLast modified on Tue 15 Oct 2024 11.42 EDTShareA few years ago, I went to a retirement event for someone who, in his late 80s at the time, had spent more than 60 years as a professor at New York University. He had been embedded in every aspect of academic life, from mentoring and research to fundraising. Over the years he had managed to teach 100,000 students the university’s Introduction to Psychology course. Ted is one of those institutional pillars who can tell you what the place was like in 1965. These days, most people don’t last more than four years in one job.
I walked into Ted’s party thinking it would be full of students and teachers, but I was wrong. There were guests from his theatre days, people who hung out at his favourite piano bar, as well as the “techno music” people. Ted had a smorgasbord of identities he had fostered in the city, some related to his career as a scholar, but most not.
Now an emeritus, Ted still comes to his office for a few hours each day to socialise. Some might think that he’s having a hard time “letting go” – he’s so married to his job, he doesn’t know what to do with himself. But Ted’s not suffering from separation anxiety. In fact, quite the opposite.
Throughout those 60 years, he maintained a healthy separation from his work. Being a professor was never his be-all and end-all, his central identity, pulling the strings on his self worth like a puppet master. Instead, it was one of many facets of his life. And although he loved parts of his job, there were plenty of aspects of it he didn’t. Ted had as many career lows as he did highs, yet he was always able to maintain a healthy relationship with being a professor.
I like to contrast Ted’s approach to what the modern careerist often tries to achieve; the one who values “purpose-driven” professions above all else, and who is willing to make huge sacrifices in order to succeed in them.
Gone are the days in which jobs were just jobs. Despite all the talk of work-life balance, the importance of having psychological distance from our careers is not an especially fashionable value. Even those who want that distance – who don’t define themselves by their professional achievements and lean on other identities instead – are often afraid to admit it. They worry that people will interpret their mindset as a sign that they’re apathetic, lack passion, aren’t dedicated enough.
Ironically, expecting to love your job means you’re more likely to quit itAnd it’s not surprising that we’ve got here, given the messages we’re chronically exposed to. Social media feeds are full of carefully curated posts that make “doing what you love” seem easy and natural, often inducing painful comparisons with our own situations. Business leaders talk about how finding passion at work is what has enabled them to achieve success. This narrative has led us to believe that if we only play our cards right, we can enjoy the same kind of unqualified contentment.
Having researched the sources of work-related unhappiness, and studied thousands of people at various places along the spectrum of fulfilment, I worry that this narrative – that loving your job is a necessary condition for both happiness and efficacy – is not only problematic, it’s dangerous for our mental health.
There are three main reasons: first, many of us will never find this love, yet there’s a “pluralistic ignorance” that makes us believe everyone else has. Pluralistic ignorance is when you think everyone around you is engaging in some behaviour, or has a set of beliefs, when it isn’t actually true. (My favourite example of this in social science is from a paper called Pluralistic Ignorance and Hooking Up. It’s about how, on college campuses, there’s a belief that everyone is having one-night stands and loving them – but actually no one really does.) Believing that other people love their job more than you can breed jealousy, resentment and, in some cases, depression. These negative experiences lead to poorer performance and, sometimes, selfish behaviours such as hiding knowledge from co-workers. The quest for love can bring out the worst in us.
Second, we’ve come to believe that falling in love with your career should happen instantly – within months of starting the job. But in reality it takes time and experience to appreciate the good things. It can be hard to take in the highs without experiencing some lows, for example, including long stretches of doing nothing but monotonous, tedious work that characterises a large part of many roles. Ted weathered these storms by dedicating himself to other pursuits, but the modern careerist interprets such stretches as red flags that say “this isn’t right for me”. Ironically, expecting to love your job means you’re more likely to quit it.
Third, even those who do find love are often at risk of negative outcomes such as chronic stress and burnout. Love means dedicating your whole self to the job, and, in turn, feeling every failure and setback like a punch to the gut. Having multiple “contingencies of self-worth” – things you can turn to feel good about yourself when one aspect is going poorly – is the key to buffering yourself from stress.
Love can distort your perception of reality, too: loving your job could also mean ignoring clear signs that it isn’t, in reality, a good fit for you. It might encourage you to put up with the toxic boss and unfair workload, rather than looking for something better elsewhere.
In his book The All-or-Nothing Marriage, relationship scholar Eli Finkel describes how we’ve gradually come to expect our romantic partners to meet all of our needs: personal growth and self-discovery, romance and friendship. We’re seeing the same trend with our careers, wanting them to provide us with an all‑encompassing sense of meaning. The consequences of this mindset are similar to what we’ve seen with marriages: there are a lot more divorces.
skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Bookmarks
Free weekly newsletterDiscover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews, interviews and news stories. Literary delights delivered direct to you
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotion
To develop a healthy, long-term relationship with our careers, we should kiss the “love” trope goodbye. Instead, let’s try to have a healthy amount of psychological distance from work. Relish parts of your job, but don’t expect to feel passionate about the whole thing. And, above all, drop the expectation that to be really good at something, you’ve got to be head over heels.
Tessa West is a professor of psychology at New York University.
Further readingThe All-or-Nothing Marriage: How the Best Marriages Work by Eli J Finkel (Dutton, £16.99)
The Squiggly Career: Ditch the Ladder, Discover Opportunity, Design Your Career by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis (Portfolio Penguin, £16.99)
The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living by Russ Harris (Robinson, £12.99)

On October 17th, during the Frankfurt Book Fair, the English version of “The Power of Datafication,” part of the “Chinese Entrepreneurs Series,” was officially launched. This book, authored by Guo Wei, Chairman of Digital China, encapsulates over 30 years of industry experience.

The English edition is being represented by the China National Publications Import and Export Corporation, underlining its significance as a key achievement within the “Chinese Entrepreneurs Series.” It has been published by the UK-based LID Publishing Group.

During the launch event, Zhao Haiyun, Deputy Director and Senior Inspector of the General Administration of Press and Publication of China, emphasized that “The Power of Datafication” integrates the development accomplishments of Digital China, the outstanding international communication capabilities of China Publishing Group, and the professional standards of the LID Publishing Group. He noted that the book serves as an important example of deepening interaction between Chinese enterprises and the international community. He expressed hope that this publication would facilitate the global spread of exemplary Chinese corporate culture, creating new opportunities for cooperation and vibrant cultural exchange.

Wu Pengfei, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate in Frankfurt, remarked that “The Power of Datafication,” as Guo Wei’s first major work in the field of digitalization, embodies the wisdom of Chinese entrepreneurs and showcases the achievements of China’s information technology sector. He expressed confidence that the English publication will help German and global readers understand the stories of Chinese entrepreneurs in the digitalization arena, thereby enhancing communication between Chinese companies and the world.

Claudia Kaiser, Deputy General Manager of the Frankfurt Book Fair, looked forward to more exceptional books utilizing the fair as a platform for publishing and exchange activities.

In his address, Guo Wei clarified his viewpoint on digitalization, stating that it is distinct from mere informatization. He highlighted the recent recognition of AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton with the Nobel Prize in Physics, noting that he is only the second scholar, following Herbert Simon, to win both the Turing Award and the Nobel Prize. This underscores the advent of the digital age, where “Datafication” becomes a new form of productive force by transforming and upgrading all industries through digital technology, accumulating data assets, and replacing traditional assets with data-driven growth.

Zhang Hong, Deputy General Manager of the China Publishing Group, added that this book represents a significant outcome of the “Chinese Entrepreneurs Series.” The China Publishing Group will continue to collaborate with China National Publications Import and Export Corporation on translation and publication projects surrounding Guo Wei’s latest work, aiming to enhance the brand’s impact and showcase Chinese entrepreneurial insights and strategic vision to international audiences, contributing to global economic development.

At the event, the signing ceremony for Guo Wei’s next book, “The Power of Time,” took place concurrently, and China National Publications Import and Export Corporation established a strategic partnership with LID Publishing Group. Additionally, a roundtable discussion was held on the theme “Digitalization: A Global Perspective and Chinese Stories,” where guests shared insights on the core concepts of the book, narratives of Chinese digitalization, and the global interest in China’s digital stories from various perspectives, including hands-on practices of Chinese enterprises and the relevance of these narratives to European readers. Guo Wei also held a book signing session for attendees.

The Chinese edition of “The Power of Datafication” was published in June 2022. It creatively introduces the AI-driven strategy of data-cloud integration and presents a unique perspective that the digital era signifies not just the second half of industrial civilization but a brand new beginning for civilization. The book has earned several prestigious literary awards and has sold nearly 100,000 copies to date.

On October 14, a promotional event was held in Kuala Lumpur for the comic collection and scholarly commentary titled “50 Years of China-Malaysia Friendship: Building a Community with a Shared Future.” The event was attended by Zheng Xuefang, the chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, and Mustapha, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia. Both officials delivered speeches during the occasion.

Zheng addressed the recent Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, highlighting the promising rebound of the Chinese economy. He underscored the essence of the Belt and Road Initiative, stating, “The world prospers when China prospers; and when China thrives, the world benefits.” He emphasized China’s commitment to actively integrating into the global economy, positioning China’s vast market as a significant opportunity for the world.

Zheng also pointed out the bright prospects for China-Malaysia relations, expressing hope that various sectors in both countries will continue to support the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, contributing to the construction of a community with a shared future between China and Malaysia.

Mustapha praised the partnership between Malaysia and China, particularly their joint efforts in the Belt and Road Initiative. He affirmed the potential for deepening cooperation to enhance people-to-people connections and build a future that is both prosperous and sustainable.