Over two weeks, the programme took participants through cities and rural communities, university lecture halls, businesses, an international investment fair and centres of technological development. Held in China from 7 to 20 September 2026, the international seminar examined the country’s modernisation at the level where public policy becomes part of everyday life. Discussions in Xiamen focused on openness and urban governance; in Zhejiang, on rural development and the economic value of the natural environment; and in Shanghai, on the quality of urban life and the application of artificial intelligence.
Officially titled the “Seminar on the Chinese Local Development Practice of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”, the programme brought together government representatives, experts and media professionals from different countries.
The programme took place under China Aid, with the participation of the Global Development Promotion Center (GDPC) of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA). The centre helps translate the objectives of the Global Development Initiative into practical cooperation, including the exchange of knowledge and experience in governance.
Throughout September, Delovoy Kazakhstan covered individual stages of the visit in its Silk Road section. With the journey now complete, the connections between them are clearer. The approaches presented sought to combine entrepreneurial initiative with long-term governance and to assess development through changes in people’s lives. Each location offered its own account of how this could be achieved.
International cooperation through the exchange of experience
The seminar’s format reflected the work of the Global Development Promotion Center. GDPC brings partners together to implement the Global Development Initiative, supports collaboration on projects and promotes the exchange of professional knowledge. One strand of that work is its Innovation Training Base, established with the support of the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution Innovation Center in Xiamen.
For international participants, the value of this format lies in being able to compare what they hear with how a particular locality operates. A discussion of rural policy was followed by a village visit; a session on county-level economic development, by a visit to a trading or industrial centre. This made it possible to ask more precise questions: who is responsible for implementing a programme, how do local authorities and entrepreneurs work together, and what do residents gain?
The English-language programme set out ten thematic lectures, field visits and professional discussions. Its sequence took participants from a broad introduction to China to an examination of specific development mechanisms. The group’s international composition added a comparative dimension: employment, the quality of public services and access to technology are concerns shared by many countries, even though the conditions in which they must be addressed differ considerably.
Xiamen and the art of long-term governance
The seminar opened in Xiamen on 7 September. Its first working venue was the BRICS Industrial Cooperation and Go Global Comprehensive Service Hub. That choice immediately established the programme’s practical focus: regional development was considered in the context of international industrial and trade relationships.
An introductory lecture by Professor Fu Siyi of Xiamen University explored China’s diversity, social values and intercultural communication. It helped explain why the same national objectives require different solutions in densely populated coastal areas, rural communities and major cities. The country’s scale and diversity repeatedly brought participants back to the question of how policy should respond to local conditions.
A report published on 9 September examined Professor Hu Yonghong’s lecture on Xi Jinping’s work in Fujian. Xiamen, Ningde and Fuzhou were presented as places where approaches to understanding residents’ needs and strategic planning had taken shape. Examples included Xiamen’s economic and social development strategy for 1985–2000 and Fuzhou’s long-term “3820” project.
This part of the seminar raised an important question of governance: how can a region maintain its direction over many years while responding to changing circumstances? A long planning horizon makes it possible to coordinate infrastructure construction with business growth and skills development with future demand for labour. Consistent decision-making reduces uncertainty for those investing in a region and building their lives there.
On 8 September, participants visited the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT). The discussion of openness continued in the exhibition halls, where two-way investment and international economic cooperation were on the agenda. For regions, such a platform offers the opportunity to present a specific project and find a partner able to help deliver it.
The lecture and the fair illustrated two aspects of the same task. A long-term plan establishes a direction, while investment partnerships help translate it into businesses, technology and jobs. Ultimately, the strength of that connection depends on how well projects are prepared and whether local institutions can support them beyond the initial negotiations.
Jinjiang and the economic foundations of prosperity
On 9 September, the programme combined a discussion of China’s experience in poverty reduction with a visit to the Jinjiang Experience Hall. The pairing was meaningful. Support for households produces more lasting results when people also gain opportunities to earn a living, improve their skills and participate in their local economy.
In Jinjiang, participants explored the history of private enterprise and industrial clusters. The exhibition showed how small manufacturers gradually developed their own brands, improved their products and adopted more sophisticated ways of organising their businesses. Anta, 361°, Xtep and Septwolves were among the brands featured. This experience was the subject of a separate September report in Delovoy Kazakhstan.
In assessing the visit as a whole, the connection between industrial specialisation and opportunities for local entrepreneurs stands out. When manufacturers, suppliers and service businesses operate close to one another, individual companies gain access to a wider range of expertise. This creates conditions for specialisation, improvements in quality and entry into new markets.
Such relationships take time to develop. Entrepreneurs need clear rules, infrastructure and confidence that investment in equipment and staff training will have a future. The discussion of governance therefore led naturally to the subject of private enterprise. The quality of institutions helps determine whether an individual’s initiative can grow into a viable business.
Jinjiang also offered a useful perspective on traditional industries. Clothing and footwear manufacturing can become more technologically sophisticated, develop proprietary products and generate greater added value. For a regional economy, this means being able to build on existing skills while steadily extending them.
Ecology and the cultural environment of a coastal city
On 10 September, attention turned to Xiamen’s experience in ecological restoration. The programme included a case study of the comprehensive rehabilitation of Yundang and a visit to the associated educational venue. The story of this urban body of water connected pollution control with the broader task of improving the city’s environment.
Restoring such places requires coordinated action. The sources of pollution, the operation of municipal utilities and the effects of economic activity on water quality all need to be understood. Infrastructure must then be maintained and results monitored. An environmental project thus also tests the ability of different city departments to work together.
Over time, clean water and well-maintained public spaces affect a city’s appeal as a place to live. Their value is felt in residents’ daily journeys, opportunities for recreation and attachment to their surroundings. This focus on everyday life would reappear later in the Shanghai section of the seminar.
The same day’s programme provided for a visit to Xiamen Airlines, focusing on the development and innovation of a modern state-owned enterprise, followed by a visit to Gulangyu Island. The economic and cultural elements complemented one another. The discussion of the contemporary city encompassed both the organisation of its economy and the preservation of its distinctive character.
Cultural activities continued during later stages of the journey, with the programme including introductions to bamboo applications and traditional indigo dyeing. Crafts were considered in relation to local life: the preservation of skills, entrepreneurship and tourism opportunities. This approach treats cultural heritage as an active part of the rural economy.
Zhejiang and continuity in rural policy
After the move to Hangzhou, sessions continued at Zhejiang University. A central contribution was Gu Yikang’s lecture on the “Thousand-Village Demonstration and Ten-Thousand-Village Renovation” programme. Of particular value to participants was the opportunity to hear it explained by a specialist directly involved in shaping and implementing the province’s rural policies.
Initiated by Xi Jinping during his time in Zhejiang, the programme began in 2003. It initially addressed problems familiar to rural residents: poor living conditions, household waste, pollution and inadequate amenities. These practical concerns provided a starting point for broader change.
Gu’s materials explained the implementation arrangements in detail. Government contributed funding and resources, residents took part in improvements, and counties played an important organisational role. Cooperation across departments made it possible to connect road projects with water supplies, environmental measures and cultural facilities.
The way experience was shared was also revealing. Working conferences held in counties making good progress allowed officials to examine specific solutions. Local practices became the subject of comparison, discussion and subsequent adaptation to conditions elsewhere. In such a system, the ability to explain precisely how a result was achieved matters.
The programme’s scope gradually expanded. As basic problems were addressed, the appeal of rural life, economic activity and links with cities gained prominence. Digital tools and new forms of service provision were added later. Continuity meant that infrastructure already in place could support the next stage of development.
The lecture stressed the need to respond to local conditions and avoid vanity projects. This is an important consideration when assessing rural policy. An improved street must remain useful to residents once construction is complete. Public spaces require upkeep, and a new business facility needs demand for its products or services.
Zhejiang’s experience demonstrates the importance of sustained attention to these everyday concerns. Consistency means seeing an initiative through until it works in practice, while updating the tools used to deliver it when necessary. That lesson in governance makes the rural programme’s history relevant well beyond a single province.
Digital villages and access to opportunity
The digitalisation of the rural economy was the next subject discussed at the university. The September report on Professor Guo Hongdong’s presentation highlighted the relationship between information technology, production, e-commerce and services for residents. Understood in this way, a digital village involves much more than an internet connection.
For rural producers, the entire journey from product to customer matters. Connectivity makes it possible to identify demand and accept an order, but packaging, storage and delivery must follow. The better these activities work together, the greater the opportunities for a small producer to earn an income. Training entrepreneurs is as important a condition for success as providing equipment.
A visit to Meilin Village in Xiaoshan District offered a practical example of cooperation between rural communities. The report published after the visit described the “Greater Meilin” model, which connects neighbouring villages and an industrial zone. Cooperation broadens access to infrastructure, jobs and public services that a small settlement would struggle to develop on its own.
On 14 September, the route continued to Lizu Village, where the programme focused on digital tools for local governance and rural revitalisation. The central question was how to organise development in a small community while maintaining its ability to attract people and entrepreneurial activity.
These examples help define the task of rural modernisation more precisely. Residents need access to education, healthcare and employment without excessive costs in time or money. Technology is useful to the extent that it helps meet those needs. The quality of connectivity, users’ skills and the availability of conventional ways to access services therefore need to be considered together.
Yiwu and the infrastructure of small business
A visit to Yiwu International Trade City on the same day complemented the rural theme with a discussion of global markets. Participants saw the scale that a local economic specialisation can attain when trade and supporting infrastructure develop steadily around it.
A separate report on Yiwu had already traced its transformation from small-scale trading practices into an international centre. For the seminar’s broader conclusions, the way it now operates is especially significant: buyers can combine goods from different suppliers, consolidate shipments and use established logistics services. This organisation makes it easier for smaller companies to take part in international trade.
Economically, this is an example of shared infrastructure. An individual entrepreneur would find it difficult to create the full range of services required for foreign trade independently. Having those services available in one business environment allows companies to focus on their product range, quality and customer relationships.
Yiwu also offers a fresh perspective on regional markets. Their value lies in how effectively they connect producers with buyers and enable transactions to be completed. From this perspective, transport, warehousing and information services are designed around actual business needs.
For Kazakhstan, this has practical relevance. International transport routes create opportunities for local businesses when entrepreneurs can use them on clear and accessible terms. Services for small consignments, access to information and the quality of supporting services deserve as much attention as the capacity of major transport facilities.
Yucun and the economic value of nature
On 15 September, the programme took participants to Yucun Village in Anji County. It was here in 2005 that Xi Jinping articulated the concept known as the “Two Mountains” theory: lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.
The learning materials described Yucun’s economic history in detail. Limestone quarrying and cement production generated income while damaging the environment. The decision to close polluting operations was accompanied by a search for alternative livelihoods. Tourism and services dependent on the quality of the natural surroundings gradually assumed greater importance.
Figures presented in the materials illustrate the economic dimension of the transition. In 2024, Yucun recorded 1.22 million tourist visits, the village’s collective economy generated income of 22.05 million yuan, and per capita income reached 74,000 yuan. These figures describe different aspects of the outcome: visitor numbers, income generated by the village’s collective economy and residents’ prosperity.
Behind them lies the difficult task of transition. Closing an existing business does not, in itself, create new employment. Environmental restoration, skills development and conditions conducive to enterprise are also required. It matters, too, that income from new activities contributes to the wellbeing of the local community.
Materials by Professor Han Hongyun of Zhejiang University provided the theoretical foundation for this part of the programme. They examined natural resources, ecosystem resilience and the constraints that economic activity needs to respect. Particular attention was given to shortcomings in market and governance mechanisms that can lead to inefficient resource use.
This approach adds substance to environmental discussions. If a company does not bear the full cost of the pollution it causes, society absorbs part of that cost. If public bodies act without coordination, even a sound overall objective may fail to deliver the expected result. Environmentally sustainable development therefore requires clear responsibility and continuing assessment of the consequences of decisions.
The theme continued with an introduction to an exhibition centre dedicated to replacing plastic with bamboo. Attention shifted from environmental restoration to the commercial potential of renewable raw materials. Assessing such solutions requires consideration of processing methods, product lifespan and eventual disposal. An environmental idea gains a viable economic foundation when these questions are addressed alongside production and sales.
Deqing and new opportunities for county economies
On 16 September, the programme included Deqing’s Geoinformation Town. Its specialisation illustrated how a county-level economy can participate in technologically sophisticated activities. The visit focused on the development of an industry cluster and the use of geospatial solutions across different sectors.
Data about a territory are needed for a wide range of practical tasks, including development planning, infrastructure management and environmental monitoring. Economic value emerges when those data support better decisions. The industry’s development therefore depends on cooperation between specialists and the people who use their work.
Deqing broadened the discussion of how smaller localities might specialise. Their role in a modern economy can be built on focused expertise, skills development and links with larger scientific and business centres. This calls for a deliberate choice of direction and conditions that allow companies to operate, rather than simply the construction of a new site.
The same day’s programme provided for a visit to Wusi Village to explore local governance and a trip to Naked Castle in Moganshan, an example of development combining mountain landscapes with culture and tourism. These contrasting locations made it possible to compare technological specialisation with the economic opportunities available to rural areas.
A particularly important question is how new activities become part of life in the surrounding communities. A tourism business can generate demand for local products and services, create jobs and sustain crafts. What matters to the locality is how widely those economic benefits are shared and how they compare with the pressure placed on nature and infrastructure.
At this stage, the value of the approach offered by the hosts and the Global Development Promotion Center became apparent. A single programme brought together different levels of economic activity, from a small rural community to a technology cluster. This provided material for professional comparison and helped participants frame questions relevant to their own countries more precisely.
Shanghai and a city designed for everyday life
The Shanghai section of the seminar began with a discussion of urban modernisation. On 18 September, the programme at the Shanghai Administration Institute examined urban development centred on people’s needs. Professor Wang Zhongqi’s materials explored the subject through urban space, public services and governance.
Attention focused on the issues through which residents assess their city every day: housing conditions, the usability of public spaces, support for older people and services for families with children. How well these needs are met determines the quality of life in a major metropolis.
One approach presented was to organise everyday services within a 15-minute neighbourhood. Its purpose is best understood through specific needs: being able to deal with routine matters close to home, obtain support and use spaces for socialising and recreation. Here, planning is directly connected to saving people time.
The lecture paid particular attention to accessible environments and helping older people overcome difficulties with digital services. This is an important test of modern governance. The convenience of an electronic system must be assessed with those who struggle to use it in mind. Technological development needs to preserve access to services across different age and social groups.
The programme also considered the renewal of older residential neighbourhoods, the opening of public spaces and the preservation of the city’s cultural identity. These tasks demand careful work within an established urban environment. Every decision affects residents’ interests, longstanding relationships and the history of a place.
The lectures were complemented by a visit to an exhibition hall showcasing the practices of the “People’s City”. This made it possible to discuss urban renewal through specific examples. The Shanghai stage thus continued a theme introduced in Xiamen: the quality of governance is reflected in how well major plans respond to people’s everyday needs.
Artificial intelligence and responsibility for outcomes
On 19 September, the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies hosted a session on the development and governance of artificial intelligence. Feng Shuai’s materials covered technological trends and questions of responsibility in AI deployment. Topics included computer vision, large models, robotics and the use of intelligent systems in the economy.
The subject had direct relevance to a seminar on local development. A region benefits from AI when the technology helps solve a specific problem, whether in production control, information processing or the organisation of services. It also requires trained staff, suitable data and an understanding of how to verify a system’s outputs.
The learning materials emphasised combining support for innovation with safety and security. Data protection, ethical review and the responsibilities of technology providers were among the subjects considered. These issues are integral to implementation: users’ trust and the sustained application of new solutions depend on them.
For smaller companies, access to computing resources and professional expertise is particularly important. If only the largest organisations can obtain them, technological development risks widening the gap between market participants. Discussion of shared services and conditions for young companies therefore connects innovation policy with broader access to economic opportunity.
On 20 September, the programme provided for an exchange at the Shanghai Institute of Artificial Intelligence on the role of science and technology in local economies, followed by the closing ceremony. This conclusion brought together the main themes of the fortnight. The question of whom development benefits, and how, remained relevant both to an environmentally sustainable village and to a technology-driven metropolis.
Media and understanding other countries’ experience
A discussion at Shanghai Media Group had a distinct place in the Shanghai programme. It addressed implementation of the Global Development Initiative and strengthening the voice of the Global South. For international media professionals, this connects directly with the quality of reporting on the experiences of developing countries.
Reporting on modernisation becomes more substantive when it reveals the people, functioning institutions and sequence of decisions behind a result. Readers need to understand how an outcome was achieved, under what conditions and with what limitations. An account of practice abroad can then inform thinking about challenges at home.
Delovoy Kazakhstan’s September reports sought to examine China’s development at precisely this level. Individual articles offered a closer look at Fujian, Jinjiang, rural change in Zhejiang and Yiwu. A view of the seminar as a whole adds the connections between industry, the environment and public services.
The route itself also had professional value. Direct exposure to a locality helps journalists ask more precise questions and distinguish between an overarching concept and the specific means of implementing it. Visits to successful projects provide evidence about selected practices. Broader conclusions about a country require attention to differences between regions and the conditions in which those practices emerged.
What the experience means for Kazakhstan
For readers in Kazakhstan, the visit’s significance lies in the opportunity to frame regional development questions in a new way. Kazakhstan’s natural conditions, distances and population density differ from those of China’s coastal provinces. Practical work therefore begins with understanding which elements of overseas experience may be useful in a particular local setting.
Zhejiang’s rural programme offers a reason to look more closely at the coordination of infrastructure investment. Roads, connectivity and access to services become more effective when they support a credible local economic future. For a small community, that future might lie in processing local products, providing services to a nearby city or developing a tourism specialisation where demand can be sustained.
Jinjiang and Yiwu demonstrate the importance of the business environment. Companies’ development depends on access to suppliers and services, opportunities to train staff, the ability to find customers and the scope to improve products. Business support policy becomes more tangible when it responds to these everyday needs.
Yucun provides material for a discussion of the economics of natural areas. Landscape conservation can support employment and enterprise, but it requires management of visitor pressure and a share of the income for local residents. Without these conditions, rising visitor numbers can create new problems for the area itself.
Shanghai’s experience brings attention back to the accessibility of urban services. Simple questions are useful in assessing modernisation: how much time does a resident spend on routine tasks, how easy are services for an older person to use, and how are residents’ interests taken into account when a neighbourhood is renewed? Such criteria bring governance closer to everyday life.
The seminar’s overall value lay in the opportunity to consider these questions together. Economic activity needs infrastructure and capable governance. Environmental quality affects a place’s appeal. Accessible services help people take advantage of emerging opportunities. Development becomes more sustainable when decisions in these areas reinforce one another.
Appreciation for a substantive exchange
The journey from 7 to 20 September made it possible to trace how approaches to regional development take different forms in an industrial city, a rural community and a major metropolis. An important outcome was a deeper understanding of the role of consistent work: examining local conditions, reconciling interests and supporting decisions through long-term implementation.
For the Global Development Promotion Center of CIDCA, programmes of this kind are a practical form of international knowledge exchange. For participants, they offer the chance to meet the people who design and carry out change, discuss the questions that arise and maintain professional contacts after the visit.
The editorial team of Delovoy Kazakhstan and DKNews.kz International News Agency extends its sincere thanks to the Global Development Promotion Center of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the organisers of the China Aid programme and all the host institutions for the invitation and the opportunity to participate in the seminar. Special appreciation goes to the lecturers, experts, coordinators and interpreters for their contributions, attentive support and hospitality. Open professional dialogue of this kind deepens mutual understanding and strengthens the foundations for further cooperation.
