Starting from scratch, we have forged ahead with fearless determination. Data sets ranging from "1" to "N" reflect the great transformation of industry development and also write the miracle of a striving China. Over the 75 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have been brave in exploration and continuous practice, successfully opening up a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, creating development achievements that "surprise the world". The bugle has sounded, and today's China has embarked on a new journey to comprehensively promote the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernization.

From "1" to "4 million" Mobile Communication Iterative Upgrade

From the completion of the first wireless base station in Guangzhou in 1987 to the end of August this year, the total number of 5G base stations in China has reached 4.042 million; from the blank of 1G to the world-leading 5G, mobile communication technology has continuously made breakthroughs in key technologies, the number of core patent applications has increased year by year, and more and more international standards have begun to speak "Chinese"... Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the leapfrog development of the mobile communication industry has reflected the firm pace of China's efforts to promote the construction of a network power.

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Looking back 40 years ago. In 1987, the first wireless base station was built in Guangzhou. In November of the same year, China's first analog mobile phone was dialed in Guangzhou, and the brief sentence "Hello... Hello... Can you hear me..." made everyone present excited.

In the early days, the "big brother" was a communication tool owned by a very few people. In 1994, the then Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications decided to launch the second-generation mobile communication technology GSM, which ignited a strong market demand. By November 2001, the number of mobile phone users in China exceeded 100 million, becoming the country with the most mobile phone users in the world.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has formulated the "Broadband China" strategy and vigorously promoted policies such as the "optical fiber for copper" project and "network speed enhancement and cost reduction".

On June 6, 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued 5G commercial licenses to China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Broadcasting Network, officially entering the 5G era in China.

On the production line of Shandong Steel Group Yongfeng Lin Gang Co., Ltd., the glowing steel billet slowly slides onto the running track. At the moment when the red-hot steel billet approaches the cooling pool after passing through the rolling mill, the water mist spreads; in the control room, the voice broadcast is clear and echoing, timely reminding every step of the steel pouring process.

"Through 100% numerical control and networking, the overall efficiency has increased by more than 20%." Yongfeng Steel staff introduced that the Unicom 5G private network has achieved coverage in scenarios such as intelligent coal blending, blast furnace iron temperature monitoring at the iron outlet, and crane data collection. Only 37 post personnel can achieve key process operations such as raw material, sintering, pelletizing, ironmaking, and power energy.

Not only that, but now on high-speed trains traveling at 300 kilometers per hour, voice calls do not drop, videos do not freeze, and office work is not delayed; in Qingdao Port, giant ships are loaded with goods traveling on the waterway, and staff can remotely control container loading and unloading through computers... 5G applications have been integrated into 74 of the 97 major national economic categories, and have achieved large-scale promotion in industries such as industry, electricity, mining, medical care, and education.Data indicates that over the past five years of commercial use, China has built the world's largest and technologically leading 5G network. As of the end of August this year, the total number of 5G base stations in China reached 4.042 million, and the number of 5G mobile phone users reached 966 million. The 5G network continues to advance from "county-wide coverage" to "village-wide coverage." By May 2024, China's declaration of 5G standard-essential patents accounted for more than 42% globally, maintaining a leading position worldwide.

Hu Jianbo, Vice President of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, stated that the effect of 5G in promoting high-quality economic and social development is evident, and the significant role of 5G in empowering, adding value, and enhancing intelligence, as well as "one industry leading a hundred industries," has been fully unleashed. According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology's estimation, by the end of 2023, 5G directly contributed approximately 5.6 trillion yuan to the economy's total output and indirectly contributed about 14 trillion yuan in total output.

Industry insiders believe that through relentless network construction and optimization upgrades, China's mobile communication network has achieved a leapfrog development from following in 2G, breaking through in 3G, catching up in 4G, to leading in 5G, laying a solid network foundation for the prosperity of China's mobile internet.

The relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said that in the next step, they will work with all parties in the industry to continuously deepen network coverage, continuously consolidate the industrial foundation, accelerate the expansion of integrated applications, actively promote the modernization of the information and communication industry, and provide stronger support for promoting high-quality economic and social development.

From "1" to "30 million vehicles," the automotive industry moves towards "new" development.

In 1956, the first domestically produced car was assembled and rolled off the production line. In 2023, China's automobile production and sales respectively completed 30.161 million and 30.094 million vehicles, setting a historical record. From the first "1" vehicle to an annual production and sales volume exceeding 30 million vehicles, this process spanning more than half a century reflects the Chinese automotive industry's development path from non-existence to existence, from small to large, and from weak to strong, following an independent and self-reliant development path.

On July 13, 1956, the first domestically produced Jiefang brand truck rolled off the production line at the First Automobile Works in Changchun, marking an end to the history of China's inability to manufacture automobiles and also opening a new chapter in China's automotive industry.

Entering the 21st century, with the rapid economic development and the improvement of people's living standards, automobiles gradually transformed from luxury goods to necessities for ordinary families. The Chinese automotive market expanded rapidly, with production and sales maintaining high-speed growth for many years.

Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows that since 2009, when China's automobile production and sales respectively exceeded 13.5 million vehicles, to 2023, when both production and sales in China broke through 30 million vehicles, China's total automobile production and sales have remained the world's first for 15 consecutive years.

While the scale continues to expand, China's automotive industry is also continuously upgrading. Keywords such as new energy, autonomous driving, and intelligent networking are shaping the future face of this industry."The first Jiefang automobile, with its simple functions, met the basic needs of society at that time. Today's Jiefang automobiles have undergone earth-shaking changes." Li Dan, Deputy Director of FAW Research Institute (Department of Technology Innovation) and Director of the National Key Laboratory for High-end Automobile Integration and Control, said: "On the one hand, the power source has shifted to electricity. We have launched electric Jiefang trucks, and in the future, we may use new energy sources such as hydrogen, making cars increasingly green. At the same time, autonomous driving technology is also accelerating its promotion. Currently, autonomous driving Jiefang vehicles have been applied in mines, ports, and logistics centers, and the next step is expected to be applied to high-speed logistics."

Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows that as of the end of June this year, the cumulative production and sales volume of domestic new energy vehicles officially exceeded the 30 million mark. Data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows that in 2023, the penetration rate of passenger cars at level L2 (combined driving assistance) reached 47.3%, and from January to May 2024, it broke through 50%. Many car companies have already had the mass production capability of level L3 (conditional autonomous driving) vehicles, leading the international overall level.

Behind the growth and strength of China's automotive industry is the exploration of self-reliance and continuous innovation.

"When I entered the automotive industry, overseas car companies had stronger technology and brand influence. Our country's automotive industry absorbed some technology through joint ventures. Although there is still a generation gap in core technology areas such as internal combustion engines and transmissions, we have adhered to an independent development path. With the profound transformation of the global automotive industry, our country's automotive industry has seized this opportunity and embarked on a new path. In the era of electrification and intelligence, our country has achieved a leading position in the automotive industry." Li Dan said.

Academician Li Jun of the Chinese Academy of Engineering said that the development of China's automotive industry is a process from introduction to digestion, absorption, and then to innovation. The key to the achievements of China's automotive industry today lies in unremitting independent innovation.

"Our automotive industry has grown from small to large and is now undergoing a transformation from large to strong. Behind this is the continuous driving force of the belief that China's automotive industry must achieve autonomy. In the future, China's automotive industry must maintain its competitiveness and must also rely on independent innovation. I believe that with the current development momentum, by the centenary of the founding of New China, China will definitely become a strong automotive country." Li Jun said.

From "1" to "50 trillion yuan" E-commerce blooms in all directions

From the first transaction of China's e-commerce 26 years ago to today's national e-commerce transaction volume reaching about 50 trillion yuan, China's e-commerce has experienced a journey from non-existence to prosperity. Now, e-commerce has penetrated every aspect of production and life, leading the trend of the times in many fields.

On April 7, 1998, the first transaction of China's e-commerce was generated, with the protagonists being Beijing Haixing Kai卓 Computer Company and Shaanxi Huaxing Import and Export Company. They used the China Commodity Trading Center e-commerce system running on the international Internet for the first electronic transaction, with a transaction amount of 1.66 million yuan. A week later, a container truck full of Compaq computers arrived in Beijing from Xi'an, marking the successful completion of this transaction.

This transaction opened the door to the development of e-commerce. Three months later, in July 1998, the China Commodity Trading Market was officially announced. In October 1998, the State Economic and Trade Commission and the Ministry of Information Industry jointly announced the launch of the "Golden Trade Project" with electronic trade as the main content. In 1998, cities such as Beijing and Shanghai launched e-commerce projects to carry out online shopping and online transactions.In September of the following year, Alibaba was established. Subsequently, e-commerce websites emerged like mushrooms after rain, initially forming an emerging service industry with an increasingly clear industrial chain.

At the same time, the scale of China's Internet users expanded rapidly. The "China Internet Network Development Status Statistical Report" shows that as of June 2024, the scale of netizens in China was nearly 1.1 billion people, and the Internet penetration rate reached 78.0%.

With the growth of users and the increasing richness of online service scenarios, the e-commerce market is also growing rapidly. The "14th Five-Year Plan" e-commerce development plan shows that China's e-commerce transaction volume has maintained rapid growth, reaching 37.2 trillion yuan in 2020, and the expected target for 2025 is 46 trillion yuan.

According to institutional calculations, the scale of China's e-commerce market has already reached this target in 2023. The "2023 China E-commerce Market Data Report" released by the e-commerce research center of the social think tank Wangjingshe shows that the scale of China's e-commerce market in 2023 reached 50.57 trillion yuan. The domestic e-commerce scale from 2019 to 2022 was 35.63 trillion yuan, 38.16 trillion yuan, 42.13 trillion yuan, and 47.57 trillion yuan, respectively.

Experts said that although different algorithms lead to different results, they still generally reflect the huge scale and growth trend of China's e-commerce.

Among them, new e-commerce represented by live e-commerce, content e-commerce, interest e-commerce, short video e-commerce, social e-commerce, reverse customization, community e-commerce, etc., is booming and has become an important driving force for consumption upgrading. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that from January to August this year, the online retail sales of physical goods in China increased by 8.1% year-on-year, accounting for 25.6% of the total retail sales of consumer goods.

While activating business formats, China's e-commerce has also gradually cultivated strong comparative advantages, and foreign trade formats such as cross-border e-commerce have emerged rapidly. After experiencing rapid development with a growth of more than 10 times in 5 years, the momentum of China's cross-border e-commerce remains strong. In the first half of 2024, China's cross-border e-commerce import and export was 1.22 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.5%, 4.4 percentage points higher than the overall growth rate of China's foreign trade during the same period.

"China's e-commerce has grown from nothing to something, from small to large, and from '1' to various fields with continuously increasing numbers, playing an important role in promoting economic and social development," said Hong Yong, a think tank expert at the China Digital Real Integration 50 People's Forum. With the continuous progress and innovation of technology, e-commerce will be more closely integrated with the physical industry, promoting in-depth integration of online and offline. This will not only promote the transformation of consumption patterns but also drive the optimization and upgrading of supply chain management, logistics distribution, and other aspects, injecting more momentum into economic development and industrial upgrading. (Reporter Wang Wenbo)

From "1" to "160,000 kilometers" China's Railway Leads the World

On September 20, the first phase of the new Shantou Station, the largest-scale comprehensive high-speed rail hub with the most complete transportation connection functions in the eastern part of Guangdong, China, built by China Railway Construction, was officially put into use. This is the first large station building delivered after the operating mileage of China's railway exceeded 160,000 kilometers.Connecting dots to form lines, and weaving lines into a network, from the first railway of New China in 1952—the Chengdu-Chongqing Railway—to the current "eight vertical and eight horizontal" high-speed main channels with 80% operational scale, the world's most modern railway network and the most developed high-speed railway network are rapidly expanding across the land of China. The复兴号 trains race day and night, reshaping time and space, injecting strong momentum into the high-quality development of the economy and society.

"The difficulty of the Shu Road is harder than climbing to the blue sky." The Chengdu-Chongqing Railway was planned at the end of the Qing Dynasty, but until 1949, it was just a dotted line on the map. After the founding of New China, more than 100,000 soldiers and civilians carried and lifted, and this 505-kilometer route took only two years from the start of construction to smooth operation. At that time, it took 30 hours to travel from Chengdu to Chongqing.

Now, the "Fuxing" intelligent bullet train races on the Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway, and the one-hour life circle of Chengdu-Chongqing has become a reality. The Chengdu-Chongqing central line high-speed railway with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour is under construction, and it is expected that by 2027, it will take only 50 minutes to travel from Chengdu to Chongqing.

The change from "Shu Road is difficult" to "Shu Road is smooth" is not an isolated case. Over the past 75 years, China's railways have experienced a historic transformation from following to running alongside to leading, becoming a vivid footnote to the Chinese path.

—In 1 year, the modern railway network has increased by about 3,600 kilometers, and China's progress is solid.

In 1949, it was 21,000 kilometers; in 1978, it was 52,000 kilometers; in 2003, it was 73,000 kilometers; in 2012, it was 98,000 kilometers; in 2024, it was 160,000 kilometers... The total mileage of China's railways outlines an exponential growth curve.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's high-speed railway construction has entered the fast lane, with an average annual production of more than 3,000 kilometers of new high-speed railway lines. At present, China's high-speed railway business mileage exceeds 46,000 kilometers, ranking first in the world.

"Our country's overall level of railway infrastructure is among the forefront in the world, and it has the foundation and conditions to move towards a higher level of modernization," said Liu Zhenfang, Secretary of the Party Group and Chairman of China National Railway Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "China Railway Group"), by 2025, the national railway business mileage will reach 165,000 kilometers, of which about 50,000 kilometers will be high-speed railways.

—In 1 day, China's railways carry tens of millions of passengers, and the vitality of China's flow is abundant.

At present, railways cover 99% of cities with a population of more than 200,000 nationwide, and since 2012, 145 counties have ended the history of not having railways; high-speed railways cover 96% of cities with a population of more than 500,000 nationwide, and 19 major urban agglomerations across the country have achieved high-speed railway connectivity.Looking at the southeast coast, the Guangzhou-Shantou high-speed railway is creating a "new engine" for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, while the Shanghai-Nanjing Yangtze River high-speed railway is accelerating the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta; looking at the western hinterland, the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway connects more than 30 ethnic regions, and the Lijiang-Xianggelila railway ignites the tourism economy along the line... Today's China has a stable position at the top of the world in terms of railway passenger traffic, passenger turnover, freight volume, and freight turnover. Among them, the freight volume exceeds the total freight volume of the United States and Russia, which rank second and third in the world.

—In 1 hour, the Fuxing Hao "flies close to the ground" at 350 kilometers, with China's power surging with innovation.

Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese mainland was running 4069 steam locomotives of 98 models from 9 countries, which was humorously referred to as the "World Locomotive Expo."

Today, China is the only country in the world that has achieved commercial operation of high-speed railways at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour. On June 24th this year, the "Fuxing Hao high-speed train" won the Special Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award.

Liu Dawei, the Chief Information Security Officer of the Science and Information Technology Department of the China Railway Group, introduced that currently, the overall technical level of China's railways has entered the world's advanced ranks. High-speed, plateau, cold, and heavy-load railway technologies have reached the world's leading level, intelligent high-speed railway technologies have fully achieved autonomy, and high-speed railway technologies have set an international benchmark.

At present, the CR450 scientific and technological innovation project led by the China Railway Group is fully advancing. The project mainly includes technological innovations in CR450 bullet trains and infrastructure such as high-speed railway lines, bridges, and tunnels with a speed of 400 kilometers per hour. Among them, the prototype of the CR450 bullet train will be rolled out by the end of 2024.

Seventy-five years of magnificent waves, surging forward in the new era. Filled with the glorious mission of Chinese modernization, the Fuxing Hao sets off with a whistle, moving forward bravely...