About 600,000 metric tons of apples are grown each year in Aksu of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [Photo Provided to China Daily] The harsh climate of Aksu prefecture of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is ideal for growing sweet apples. The sugar content of the apples is so high that the inner flesh is translucent. Although about 600,000 metric tons of apples are grown each year in Aksu, tens of millions of so-called Aksu apples are sold annually. This means that more than 90 percent of these apples bought in stores or online are not actually Aksu apples, a Xinjiang agriculture expert says. To help Xinjiang farmers use e-commerce, the government of Zhejiang province, a center of e-commerce, has sent experts to help the Aksu farmers learn how to sell online. Song Yu, a director of Zhejiang's e-commerce commission and a team member of one such mission to Aksu, says: In Aksu, e-commerce is at the starting point. It was only in the last year or so that apples from there started being sold online in large quantities. Aksu apples have been popular on Alibaba's Taobao online platform for several years. The competition from non-genuine Aksu apples affects the price that growers of the real Aksu can get for their apples. Farmers get around 4.5 yuan per kilogram, but including transportation, storage and promotion, the total price can be around 16 yuan per kilogram, which is close to the online price, Song says. This kills profits. In Aksu, roughly 60 percent of people live in rural areas. Most of them are Uygur, and agriculture is their only industry, he says. They are not familiar with the national market.. and can't respond to the market needs in a timely way. They know little of the fast-developing online market, Song says. The non-genuine apples make the situation worse. Song gives another example of how not knowing the market hurts farmers. Many farmers heard that dates got a good price last year and chose to plant dates this year, which caused the price to collapse. An earlier team from Zhejiang helped the locals develop an e-commerce platform that allows the farmers to take advantage of their special products. In 2014, they set up an e-commerce industrial park in the city of Aksu. Using this facility, farmers can sell the apples and other fruit via the internet and improve the efficiency of their businesses. Thirty-two online stores have joined the Aksu E-commerce Association, which is building storage centers to facilitate sales to big cities. It now has four - in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province; Chengdu, Sichuan province; Yuncheng, Shanxi province; and Guangzhou, Guangdong province. The association has registered a trademark for Aksu apples and developed a system by which customers can scan the QR codes on the apples' package to find out whether they are genuine and on which farm they were grown. In 2017, 10,000 metric tons of genuine Aksu apples were sold via the platform. [email protected]wristbands canadacustom silicone bracelets canadarubber bracelets canadasilicone bracelets canadasilicone wristbands canadacustom wristbands canadacanadian wristbandswristbands canada
Leaders of two partners in venture mark first completion of EPR reactor President Xi Jinping shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron after meeting the press at the Great Hall of the People on Tuesday in Beijing. [Photo by FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY] President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron marked the first completion of a European pressurized water reactor at a ceremony and witnessed the signing of 20 bilateral cooperative documents after their Tuesday talk in Beijing. The leaders, meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, unveiled a plaque to mark completion of the EPR project, located at the Taishan nuclear power plant in Guangdong province. The project is a third-generation reactor and one of the most advanced in the world in terms of nuclear safety and performance. The project, which has taken eight years to complete, is the largest cooperative project on energy completed between the two nations as well as a great example of bilateral economic cooperation, said Nur Bekri, vice-chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission and director of China's National Energy Administration. During his talk with Macron, Xi said that the two countries should deepen concerted efforts in their traditional fields of cooperation, including nuclear energy and aerospace. Beijing and Paris should also nurture new highlights for growth, such as agriculture, medical care and sustainable development, Xi said. Macron echoed Xi's call on reinforcing bilateral cooperation within the framework of building the Belt and Road, saying that such collaboration is of great strategic significance. Paris looks to boost communication and dialogue at a high level and in various fields during this visit, reinforce cooperation in key areas such as aerospace and nuclear power, and introduce a new chapter of bilateral cooperation, Macron said. As China will host the Winter Olympic Games in 2022 and Paris will host the 2024 Summer Games, Xi said the two countries should reinforce exchanges and cooperation in areas including tourism and youth. Macron is making his first state visit to China from Monday to Wednesday. It is also his first trip to the country since assuming office in May last year. The 20 deals signed by China and France on Tuesday covered areas such as nuclear power, aerospace and health. After their talk, Xi and Macron jointly met with delegates attending the first meeting of the France-China entrepreneurs' council. When addressing the business leaders, Xi reaffirmed China's opening-up policy as well as China's commitment to an open economy at a greater level. China is ready to uphold reciprocal opening-up with France and with Europe, and promote the strengthening of the global economic governance system. When jointly meeting the press, Xi said he and Macron agreed on reinforcing bilateral cooperation in the international context, jointly addressing global challenges including climate change and terrorism. On China-Europe ties, Xi said China firmly supports the integration of Europe and welcomes France's greater contribution to China-Europe ties. Macron said China enjoys great strength in artificial intelligence, and the two countries' cooperation on promising sectors will yield a positive influence.
