In the northern border of China, there is a “city of music” – Harbin. In the early days, with the influx of foreign immigrants, Western music culture also entered Harbin, and the fusion of eastern and western cultures has created the character of Harbin people’s love of music. In 1961, the first Harbin Summer Music Concert of China opened. To this day, the Harbin Summer Music Concert of China has been deeply integrated into the bloodline of Harbin, becoming China’s longest-running and most frequent national-level music and art event, and has also become Harbin’s cultural business card. This year’s Harbin Summer Music Concert of China has attracted foreign vloggers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Georgia and other countries to join the music event. During the 36th Harbin Summer Music Concert of China, a visiting activity of “Travel of China ·

Foreign Bloggers’ Summer Journey to Harbin” was held in Harbin. Foreign Vloggers such as “Living in China”, “Shaun-Gibson”, “Rafa Goes Around!”, “China Matters”, “Karyna”, “TAMO”, “Smith Jason” and “Miriam” from Xigua Videos and Toutiao News have embarked on a romantic musical journey in Harbin. The group of foreign vloggers from different countries gathered for music, displayed piano skills in the Old Synagogue Concert Hall, interacted with the children’s choir at the Glazunov Music School, felt art and culture at the Sofia Church, and sang with local folk bands on the Songhua River. They have fully experienced the charm of Harbin’s “City of Music” through this music tour and recorded the story of Harbin from the perspective of a third party with a short video. The opening performance of this Harbin Summer Concert adopts the form of “Symphony +”. Through the three chapters of “Melody in the Landscape”, “Beautiful String Music on the Stage” and “Deep Love for the Future”, the symphony is integrated with vocal music, ballet, domestic and foreign special instrumental music, electroacoustic bands and other performance forms, and rich art forms such as music, poetry, painting, songs are added to show the unique charm of Chinese music. Foreign Vloggers were often crying out “It is so amazing!” in awe. The visit was co-sponsored by the Publicity Department of the Harbin Municipal Party Committee of the CPC and the Xufang International Media of CICG.

Contact: Li Dongyan

Tel: 0086-451-87173507

Email: wxbzhc325@163.com

On August 20, the 2023 Youyang International Conference on Rural Development, jointly hosted by China Institute for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (CRISSCA) of CAU, National Institute of Rural Revitalisation of CAU, and the People’s Government of Youyang County, was held in Hejiayan Village, Huatian Township, Youyang, Chongqing, where experts and scholars from around the world in the field of rural development, and leaders in the industry, convened to exchange views and ideas upon “From poverty eradication to rural revitalization — the international significance of China’s rural development”. The conference launched mutual exchanges from the global rural development of the great vision, magnificent ideas, and extraordinary patterns, discussing rural revitalization and talking about the picture of common wealth, contributing wisdom and empowering the global rural development. The conference released the “Rural Construction of Common Wealth – Youyang Practice of Promoting Rural Revitalization”, and identified Youyang as the permanent venue of the International Conference on Rural Development.

Du Taisheng, vice president of CAU, Zhou Song, deputy director of the Chongqing Rural Revitalization Bureau, and Chen Juhong, vice president of Tencent Group, delivered speeches respectively. Qi Meiwen, secretary of the CPC Committee in Youyang county, talked about the following points in his speech. Goals of self and others can be unified, thus the world can be harmonized. Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to accelerate the implementation of global development initiatives, cultivate new momentum for global development, and build a global development community. The conference gathered nearly 100 domestic and foreign experts, scholars and guest representatives to make better rural development and happier lives of the people as a common starting point, focusing on the practice of common wealth in the rural area of Youyang to discuss and exchange ideas, and answering the question of the times on the “rural development” from different cultural perspectives.

Youyang adheres to consolidate and expand the results of poverty alleviation as the bottom line task, the revitalization of the rural area as the greatest potential, making the promotion of the accelerated development of the county as the main direction of endeavors in order to create a great ecological environment and to accelerate the creation of a new model of a beautiful place with enchanting scenery; Youyang aims to make every effort to develop the rural area and accelerating the construction of a new demonstration of rural revitalization across the country; make every effort to explore a new path of modernization that enriches the people in the mountainous areas. To revitalize the rural area, the county is the key.

Youyang will fully take advantage of the results of this meeting, promote experts and scholars at home and abroad to carry out exchanges of ideas in a wider range of fields, accelerate the transformation of the utilization, and continue to open up new areas of new track, shaping the new momentum and new advantages for the development of the rural area in Chongqing, China and even to provide valuable insights into rural revitalization for application worldwide.

James Putzel, Professor of Development Studies and served as the Director of the Crisis States Research Centre of the London School of Economics and Political Science, Prof. Taro Hirai of Hirosaki University, Joshua Mugambwa, president of Makerere University Business School in Uganda have delivered keynote speeches on the significance of China’s rural transformation and development for the world, China’s development as seen by Westerners, Japan’s rural development experience, and the inspiration of China’s development experience for Africa.

By Yusuf Yunus

Shareholders of TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria Plc have  approved N8.49 billion dividend payout for 2022 financial year that translated to N25 per ordinary share for shareholders.

The sharholders gave the approval at the company’s 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Thursday in Lagos, while approving all resolutions.

The shareholders of the company commended the Board and management for an impressive result.

The company, despite inflationary pressure, recorded  N141.12 billion or 41 per cent increase in 2022 turnover to close at N482.47 billion when compared with N341.35 billion recorded during the corresponding period of 2021.

However, Profit After Tax (PAT) decreased by four per cent from N16.86 billion to N16.11 billion due to rising costs.

They also congratulated Mrs Bunmi Popoola- Mordi, former Company Secretary of Totalenergies for being appointed as an Executive Director, which took effective from April 1.

Speaking at the AGM, the Chairman of the company, Mr Jean-Phillipe Torres, said in 2022 financial year, the environment was replete with incidents of insecurity, gunmen attacked and insurgency and banditry across the nation.

According to him, the development was a huge challenge in the country.

Torres said that the negative effect of inflation had been far-reaching, as the company saw prices rise exponentially across food, goods and services, while inflation surged dramatically month on month.

“By December, inflation had risen to 21.34 per cent year-on-year and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) had increased to 18.85 per cent year-on-year. The Naira continued on a downward spiral.

“The Russia Ukraine war which began in February 2022 had reaching implications well beyond security, the borders of the two countries and several continents.

“Nigeria was not exempted from the impact of the war as there were significant increases in wheat and energy prices in the country.

“The price of bread and some other wheat-related products increased by as much as 100 per cent. Coupled with supply chain challenges AGO opened the year at N350 per litre and close at N850.

“On the local aviation market, we saw air fares double in response to inflation and rising costs of aviation fuel,” he added.

He, however, reiterated the company’s ambition to become the responsible energy major and a world class player in sustainable energy, saying that “this what we will continue to focus our efforts”. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa