On September 26th, Luoyang City, Henan Province, the 8th large and medium-sized cities jointly recruited college graduates (autumn). The Luoyang special session of Henan Station roving job fair was held in Henan University of Science and Technology, and job seekers were looking for jobs on the spot. It is reported that this is the largest on-site job fair held in Luoyang this year. Photo courtesy of vision china

　　Employment and epidemic situation make our social pressure intertwined, and all walks of life pay unprecedented attention to the employment of college graduates under the impact of epidemic situation. Before and after the epidemic, did the college graduates’ employment expectation place, employment expectation salary, employment expectation unit nature, employment expectation industry and employment expectation occupation category change?

　　The research group of "Comprehensive Investigation on the Employment Situation of College Graduates in China during the Epidemic Period" led by the author, the key research base of humanities and social sciences of the Ministry of Education, tried to answer the above questions.

　　The research group cooperated with Changsha Yunyan Technology Co., Ltd. and Beijing Xinjincheng Data Technology Co., Ltd. in the important graduation season of college graduates — — From April to June, 2020, a random sampling survey was conducted among college graduates from 34 provincial administrative regions in China. A total of 13,767 students were collected and 13,738 were valid. This survey includes the age group of 18 to 50 years old, and 87% of the sample size is concentrated in the age group of 21-24 years old. There are 1660 college graduates, 11395 undergraduate graduates, and 683 graduate students with master’s degree or above respectively. The universities where the sample data of fresh graduates are located include first-class universities (2.10%), first-class universities with various disciplines (2.30%), national key universities (2.50%), provincial key universities (19.00%), ordinary undergraduate universities (68.90%) and higher vocational colleges (5.10%).

　　The focus of employment has generally shifted to second-tier cities as the most potential winners.

　　Generally speaking, there is little difference in the ideal employment expectation of college graduates in China before and after the COVID-19 epidemic, but the internal structure fluctuates greatly, and the focus of employment expectation moves down slightly. Before the epidemic, the proportion of employment expectations was second-tier cities (31.42%), new first-tier cities (29.15%), prefecture-level cities (18.07%), first-tier cities (14.11%), county towns (5.67%), towns (1.09%) and villages (0.20%). After the epidemic, the selection proportion of employment expectation is second-tier cities (32.13%), new first-tier cities (28.39%), prefecture-level cities (19.66%), first-tier cities (11.56%), county towns (6.50%), towns (1.09%) and villages (0.17%).

　　Before and after the epidemic, the proportion of choosing second-tier cities, prefecture-level cities and county towns as ideal employment expectation places increased slightly, and the rising proportion was prefecture-level cities, county towns and second-tier cities from high to low. The proportion of first-tier cities, new first-tier cities and villages declined slightly, while the proportion of villages and towns was flat. It can be seen that before and after the epidemic, the focus of employment expectation of college graduates in China shifted slightly, and the ratio of outflow and inflow of employment expectation was relatively highest in first-tier cities and prefecture-level cities.

　　The research group further studied the internal changes of employment expectation choices of college graduates, and found that the consistent choices of employment expectation before and after the epidemic were: second-tier cities, prefecture-level cities, new first-tier cities, county towns, first-tier cities, towns and villages. Among them, the relatively highest change rate is the fresh graduates who chose villages before the epidemic, and 65.22% of them changed after the epidemic. Among those who changed, 46.67% chose second-tier cities and 20.00% chose county towns. Secondly, fresh graduates from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan were selected before the epidemic, and 37.50% of them chose new first-tier cities after the epidemic.

　　Among the cities with employment expectation above prefecture level, the change rate from high to low is first-tier cities, new first-tier cities, prefecture-level cities and second-tier cities, among which the first-tier cities have the highest flow, the new first-tier cities have the highest flow, the second-tier cities have the highest flow, the second-tier cities have the highest flow, and the prefecture-level cities have the highest flow, and the second-tier cities and counties have the highest flow.

　　Generally speaking, second-tier cities are the employment expectation places with the smallest fluctuation, the strongest stability, the least outflow and the relatively high inflow willingness among the employment expectation choices of college graduates before and after the epidemic. It can be seen that the epidemic has shifted the overall employment focus of college graduates, and at the same time, second-tier cities have become the most potential winners in the fluctuation of college graduates’ desire to choose employment places.

　　The expected salary of employment has not changed much, and more than 80% is concentrated in 3001-8000 yuan.

　　Before the epidemic, the expected salary of college graduates in China was 1,000-3,000 yuan, 3,001-5,000 yuan, 5,001-8,000 yuan, 8,001-10,000 yuan, 10,001-15,000 yuan and 15,000 yuan, and the proportions were 4.48%, 40.11% and 41.77% respectively. It can be seen that there is little difference in the overall change of expected salary, and more than 80% of fresh graduates expect salary between 3001-8000 yuan.

　　The research group conducted a study on the internal structural changes in the choice of employment expectation salary for college graduates, and found that the stability of employment expectation salary for graduates before and after the epidemic was more than 15,000 yuan (90.37%), 3,001-5,000 yuan (82.05%), 5,001-8,000 yuan (75.76%) and 8,001-10,000 yuan (61. The proportion of graduates who expected to earn more than 15,000 yuan before the epidemic was the most stable, and the consistency reached more than 90%. Nearly 40% of the graduates whose expected salary before the epidemic was 8,001-15,000 yuan and 1,000-3,000 yuan changed after the epidemic, with the highest change ratio and the worst stability. Among them, the most concentrated fluctuation range is the graduates whose expected salary is 1,000-3,000 yuan. Although 38.79% of the graduates in this group chose another salary after the epidemic, as high as 83.42% of the other candidates chose 3,001-5,000 yuan, with the highest degree of concentration.

　　More than 80% of the fresh graduates’ expected salary is 3,001-8,000 yuan, so it is necessary to focus on the fluctuation of expected salary before and after the epidemic in this range. The research of the research group found that, except the graduates whose expected salary before the epidemic was 3,001-5,000 yuan, the expected salary after the epidemic was 3,001-5,000 yuan, and the expected salary before the epidemic was 1,000-3,000 yuan (32.36%), 5,001-8,000 yuan (17.45%) and 10,000 yuan in descending order. Graduates from other groups with expected employment salary of 5,001-8,000 yuan are selected, and the expected employment salary before the epidemic is 8,001-10,000 yuan (28.18%), 3,001-5,000 yuan (13.23%), 1,000-3,000 yuan (3.31%) and 10,001-10 in descending order.

　　Similarly, graduates from other groups with expected employment salary of 1,000-3,000 yuan after the epidemic were selected, and the expected employment salary before the epidemic was 3,001-5,000 yuan (3.72%), more than 15,000 yuan (1.38%), 5,001-8,000 yuan (0.23%) and 8,001-10,000 yuan in descending order. After the epidemic, the expected salary of other groups of graduates is 8,001-10,000 yuan. From high to low, the expected salary before the epidemic is 10,001-15,000 yuan (24.21%), 5,001-8,000 yuan (5.81%), 15,000 yuan (2.29%) and 1,000-3,000 yuan. After the epidemic, the expected salary for employment was selected as 10,001-15,000 yuan for other graduates. From high to low, the expected salary for employment before the epidemic was 8,001-10,000 yuan (7.23%), more than 15,000 yuan (3.67%), 1,000-3,000 yuan (0.78%) and 5,001-8,000 yuan. After the epidemic, graduates from other groups with expected salary of more than 15,000 were selected. From high to low, the expected salary before the epidemic was 10,001-15,000 yuan (10.32%) and 8,001-10,000 yuan.(1.65%), 1,000-3,000 yuan (1.36%), 5,001-8,000 yuan (0.29%) and 3,001-5,000 yuan (0.15%).

　　The expected salary of college graduates before and after the epidemic remained relatively stable, but it still showed obvious intermediate agglomeration effect of expected salary after the epidemic. Among the graduates with expected salary changes before and after the epidemic, with 5,000 yuan as the boundary, graduates with employment expectation salary below 5,000 yuan before the epidemic mainly increased to 5,000 yuan after the epidemic, while graduates with employment expectation salary above 5,000 yuan before the epidemic mainly decreased to 5,000 yuan after the epidemic.

　　The change of unit is "rational", and the change of "kinship" is the main one.

　　Before the epidemic, the proportion of the nature selection of the employment expectation units of college graduates in China was from high to low: state-owned enterprises (22.24%), junior high school education units (18.44%), medical and health units (13.17%), party and government organs (9.35%), private enterprises (9.21%), other institutions (8.50%) and higher education units (8.50%). Wholly foreign-owned enterprises, 4.90%), scientific research and design units (4.18%), urban communities (0.72%), troops (0.59%) and rural villages (0.33%). After the epidemic, the selection ratio from high to low is state-owned enterprises (21.61%), junior high school education units (18.90%), medical and health units (13.21%), party and government organs (9.84%), private enterprises (9.34%), other institutions (8.92%) and higher education units (7.87%).

　　On the whole, before and after the epidemic, the expected employment units of college graduates were stable and consistent. The proportion of graduates who expected employment units were state-owned enterprises, higher education units, foreign-funded enterprises and scientific research and design units decreased slightly, while the proportion of graduates who expected employment units were junior education units, medical and health units, party and government organs, private enterprises, other institutions, urban communities, troops and rural villages increased slightly, but the change was not significant.

　　Looking through the internal structure of the nature selection of employment expectation units for fresh graduates before and after the epidemic, the research group found that the stability of the nature of employment expectation units is medical and health units, middle and early education units, party and government organs, state-owned enterprises, higher education units, other institutions, private enterprises, scientific research and design units, foreign-funded enterprises, urban communities, troops and rural villages in turn. Among them, before and after the epidemic, the stability of the employment expectation unit of fresh graduates was the worst in rural villages. After the epidemic, 65.79% of the graduates chose another employment expectation unit, and the main flows were urban communities, state-owned enterprises, party and government organs, and junior high school education units. 42.65% of the graduates who expected to choose the army before the epidemic mainly flowed to the party and government organs, middle and early education units, state-owned enterprises and higher education units from high to low after the epidemic.

　　Generally speaking, the changes in the nature of employment expectation units of college graduates before and after the epidemic show the characteristics of "rationalization", and the changes are mainly based on the changes in the nature of "kinship". For example, 25.63% graduates chose state-owned enterprises as the expected employment units before the epidemic, and the changes in the nature of expected units mainly flowed to private enterprises; Before the epidemic, 33.27% chose private enterprises as graduates of expected employment units, and the nature of the expected units changed mainly to state-owned enterprises; Before the epidemic, 12.40% of the graduates were selected from junior high school education units as expected employment units, and the nature of the expected units changed mainly to other institutions and higher education units; Before the epidemic, 28.75% of the graduates chose higher education units as expected employment units, and the nature of the expected units changed mainly to middle and junior education units.

　　Education, health and social work have the smallest fluctuations, and the stability of real estate, accommodation and catering industry is at the bottom.

　　Before the epidemic, the proportion of employment expectations of college graduates in China was education (32.48%). Health and social work (13.14%); Financial industry (8.88%), information transmission, software and information technology services (8.15%); Culture, sports and entertainment (7.04%); Manufacturing (5.67%); Public management, social security and social organizations (4.87%); Scientific research and technical services (2.97%); Electricity, heat, gas and water production and supply industries (2.84%); Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery (2.39%); Construction industry (2.17%); Wholesale and retail (1.90%); Transportation, warehousing and postal services (1.61%); Accommodation and catering industry (1.47%); Water conservancy, environment and public facilities management (1.13%); Real estate (0.79%); Leasing and business services (0.71%); Army (0.69%); Residential services, construction and other services (0.48%); Mining industry (0.35%); International organizations (0.27%).

　　Education (33.23%) ranked from high to low after the epidemic. Health and social work (13.42%); Information transmission, software and information technology services (8.11%); Financial industry (7.85%); Culture, sports and entertainment (6.36%); Public management, social security and social organizations (5.72%); Manufacturing (5.59%); Electricity, heat, gas and water production and supply industries (3.02%); Scientific research and technical services (2.81%); Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery (2.37%); Construction industry (2.02%); Wholesale and retail (1.87%); Transportation, warehousing and postal services (1.56%); Accommodation and catering industry (1.23%); Water conservancy, environment and public facilities management (1.13%); Army (0.91%); Real estate (0.74%); Leasing and business services (0.67%); Mining industry (0.55%); Residential services, construction and other services (0.54%); International organizations (0.31%).

　　Generally speaking, there is little change before and after the epidemic. Education, health and social work, information transmission, software and information technology services, financial industry, culture, sports and entertainment are the top five most popular employment expectations for college graduates. Leasing and business services, mining, residents’ services, construction and other services, and international organizations are the last four career choices for college graduates.

　　The research group analyzed the internal structure of the choice of employment expectation industries for college graduates in China before and after the epidemic, and found that the stability of employment expectation industries from high to low is: health and social work, education, information transmission, software and information technology services, manufacturing, finance, electricity, heat, gas and water production and supply, public management, social security and social organizations, water conservancy, environment and public facilities management, culture, sports and entertainment, and construction. Scientific research and technical services, transportation, warehousing and postal services, agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery, military, international organizations, residential services, repairs and other services, wholesale and retail, mining, leasing and business services, accommodation and catering, real estate.

　　Before and after the epidemic, employment expectations were relatively poor in real estate, accommodation and catering, and leasing and business services. After the epidemic, graduates chose education, finance, information transmission, software and information technology services, and the proportion was relatively higher. The education, health and social work industries have become the industries with the least fluctuation, the strongest stability and the least outflow before and after the epidemic, but with the highest inflow willingness.

　　Marketing type jobs have the worst stability, and functional type jobs are the most popular.

　　Before the epidemic, the proportion of career categories that fresh graduates expected from high to low was functional positions (such as administration, personnel and finance, 37.53%), other positions (17.56%), technical research and development positions (such as R&D engineers and testing, 15.32%), management positions (9.95%) and operation planning positions (such as operations, products and operations) The post-epidemic situation is completely consistent with that before the epidemic situation, and the selection ratio from high to low is functional posts (37.65%), other posts (18.08%), technology research and development posts (14.67%), management posts (9.79%), operation planning posts (8.40%), service posts (3.53%) and production operation posts.

　　Among the job categories expected by graduates after the epidemic, the selection proportion of functional posts, other types of posts, marketing posts, service posts and production operation posts increased slightly, while the selection proportion of technology research and development posts, management posts and operation planning posts decreased slightly, but the change was still not significant.

　　Before and after the epidemic, the stability of employment expectations of college graduates from high to low is: other types of jobs, functional types of jobs, technology research and development jobs, operation planning jobs, management types of jobs, service types of jobs, production operation jobs, marketing types of jobs. Among them, the stability of marketing jobs is the worst, with 42.96% of graduates who chose this job before the epidemic, and the expected jobs selected after the epidemic are mainly functional jobs, technology research and development jobs, operation planning jobs and management jobs from high to low. Functional jobs are the most popular occupational category for fresh graduates before and after the epidemic, and the absolute number of job category choices, stability and inflow attraction rate for graduates after the epidemic are the highest.

　　(The author is a professor at Northeast Normal University and a top-notch young talent in the National Ten Thousand Talents Program.)

　　Building a new development pattern is an original achievement of great theoretical and practical significance in the supreme leader’s economic thought. In April, 2020, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader proposed at the meeting of the Central Financial and Economic Committee to build a new development pattern with the domestic big cycle as the main body and the domestic and international double cycles promoting each other. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee systematically expounded the construction of a new development pattern, and the 20th CPC National Congress made important strategic arrangements to accelerate the construction of a new development pattern and focus on promoting high-quality development. Recently, during the second collective study in the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader made a profound exposition and put forward clear requirements on speeding up the construction of a new development pattern and enhancing the security initiative of development, which provided a powerful ideological motivation and scientific action guide for opening up a new look with confidence on the new journey.

　　Building a new development pattern is related to the overall situation and has far-reaching influence.

　　Building a new development pattern is a strategic decision based on achieving the goal of the second century, overall development and security, and a strategic deployment to grasp the initiative of future development, which is of great and far-reaching significance for building a socialist modernization power in an all-round way and promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese modernization.

　　First, focusing on coordinating the "two overall situations" is related to achieving the goal of the second century as scheduled. At present, we are closer, more confident and capable of achieving the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation than at any time in history. At the same time, the world’s unprecedented changes in a hundred years have accelerated its evolution, and the global economic map and governance pattern are facing reshaping. We are now in a time when it is more urgent to wander in the middle of a boat and steeper when people reach the middle of a mountain road. It is a time when it is more difficult and more dangerous to advance, but if you don’t advance, you will retreat and have to enter. It is a strategic choice to realize China’s economic modernization to put the development foothold at home, smooth the domestic big cycle and promote the mutual promotion of domestic and international double cycles. Only by speeding up the construction of a new development pattern, stabilizing the basic economic disk, and promoting the effective improvement of quality and reasonable growth of quantity can we continuously enhance the viability, competitiveness, development and sustainability of China’s economy and successfully achieve the goal of building a socialist modern power in an all-round way.

　　Second, focusing on expanding domestic demand as a whole and deepening supply-side structural reform is related to consolidating the foundation of China’s economic development. China has a super-large domestic market, the most complete industrial system, perfect supporting capacity and rich human resources. Building a new development pattern is conducive to cultivating a complete domestic demand system, improving the adaptability and flexibility of the supply structure, making the supply system better adapt to the changes in the demand structure, and achieving a leap to a high level of supply and demand balance. Only by accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, organically combining the implementation of the strategy of expanding domestic demand with deepening the structural reform on the supply side, forming a higher level dynamic balance of demand pulling supply and supply creating demand, and realizing a virtuous circle of the national economy, can we continuously improve the quality of economic development, consolidate the foundation of economic development, cross the important barrier of economic development in big countries, and continuously enhance China’s economic strength, scientific and technological strength and comprehensive national strength.

　　Third, focusing on overall development and security is related to enhancing the security and stability of development. At present, the epidemic situation in the century has a far-reaching impact, the anti-globalization trend is on the rise, unilateralism and protectionism are obviously rising, the recovery of the world economy is weak, local conflicts and turmoil are frequent, global geopolitical and security risks are increasing, and the uncertainty and instability of China’s development external environment are obviously rising. Strengthening the security and stability of development has become a top priority. Only by speeding up the construction of a new development pattern, breaking through the blocking point of the national economic cycle, coping with the instability of the international cycle with the reliability of the domestic big cycle, realizing the self-reliance of high-level science and technology, and improving the quality and level of the domestic and international double cycle, can we firmly hold the bottom line of safe development and ensure the stability and far-reaching development of China’s economic giant.

　　Fourth, focusing on coordinating international cooperation and competition is related to firmly grasping the initiative in future development. At present, the pattern of international economic cycle is accelerating reconstruction, the global division of labor system is deeply adjusted, and the competition is becoming increasingly fierce. Accelerating the construction of a new development pattern is an active choice to reshape China’s new advantages in international cooperation and competition based on the characteristics of super-large-scale economies. Only by speeding up the construction of a new development pattern, participating in the international division of labor more effectively, actively participating in shaping the supply chain value chain of the international industrial chain, and improving the global resource allocation ability in the cooperative competition, can we reach a broad consensus, carry out in-depth cooperation, cultivate and enhance China’s new advantages in international cooperation and competition, and win the strategic initiative in the open development.

　　Building a new development pattern, making solid progress and achieving results

　　Under the scientific guidance of the supreme leader’s economic thought, we have taken the initiative to build a new development pattern, the ideological consensus has been continuously condensed, the ability level has been continuously improved, the work foundation has been continuously consolidated, the policy system has been continuously improved, the leading role of the domestic grand cycle has been further strengthened, and the benign interaction and mutual promotion between the domestic and international double cycles have accelerated, effectively supporting the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China’s economy and laying a solid foundation for achieving high-quality development.

　　First, consumer demand continues to be released. In recent years, by improving consumption capacity, improving consumption conditions and creating consumption scenarios, China’s consumption potential has been released rapidly, and the traction and driving effect of consumption on the economic cycle has continued to emerge. China has become the second largest consumer market in the world, and the total retail sales of social consumer goods will reach 44 trillion yuan in 2022. The consumption structure has been accelerated and upgraded, and mass consumption such as automobiles is in the ascendant. Service consumption is accelerating expansion and upgrading, and new consumer demand such as online consumption and green consumption is effectively stimulated. During the Spring Festival of 2023, the sales revenue of consumer-related industries in China increased by 12.2% year-on-year, the domestic tourism revenue increased by 30% year-on-year, and the movie box office exceeded 6.7 billion yuan, ranking second in the box office of China Film History during the Spring Festival. While consumer demand continues to be released, China’s consumer prices have maintained a stable trend. In the past 10 years, the increase in consumer prices has stabilized at a low level of around 2%, creating good conditions for expanding consumption.

　　Second, effective investment continues to expand. Focusing on high-quality development and comprehensively improving quality and efficiency, China’s total investment has continued to grow steadily and the investment structure has continued to be optimized. In 2022, when the investment in real estate development decreased by 10% year-on-year, China’s fixed assets investment increased by 5.1% year-on-year, exceeding 57 trillion yuan, of which the investment in manufacturing industry increased by 9.1% year-on-year and the investment in high-tech manufacturing industry increased by 22.2% year-on-year, achieving a double improvement in investment scale and quality. Investment in infrastructure construction has been promoted in an orderly manner, major projects such as Wudongde and Baihetan Hydropower Station have been put into operation, and major projects such as sichuan-tibet railway and "Counting East and Calculating West" have been fully implemented, which has played a leading role in the economic cycle. Driven by the reform of investment and financing system, the investment environment has been continuously optimized and investment confidence has been further enhanced.

　　Third, science and technology have taken solid steps towards self-reliance. China’s scientific and technological strength is moving from quantitative accumulation to qualitative leap, from point breakthrough to system capability improvement. The overall strength of science and technology has been significantly enhanced, and the ranking of global innovation index has been continuously improved, ranking 11th in the world in 2022. The investment in science and technology has greatly increased. The total social R&D expenditure has exceeded 3 trillion yuan, ranking second in the world, and the R&D intensity has increased to 2.55%, which is close to the national average of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education and strengthening the country through talents has been solidly promoted, and the total number of R&D personnel ranks first in the world. The innovation platform system has been continuously improved, the construction of the State Key Laboratory has been accelerated, and Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area rank among the top 10 global science and technology clusters. The reform of the science and technology system has been deepened, and the innovation system and mechanism have been accelerated. Take the initiative to design and take the lead in launching international large-scale scientific plans and large-scale scientific projects, and establish a science and technology partnership plan. The "circle of friends" for scientific and technological innovation and open cooperation is growing.

　　Fourth, the modern industrial system is becoming more and more perfect. The pace of high-end development, digital empowerment and green transformation of China’s industries has accelerated, and the industrial basic capacity and industrial modernization level have improved rapidly. In 2022, the added value of high-tech manufacturing and equipment manufacturing increased by 7.4% and 5.6% respectively, which played a leading role in the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing industry. With the rapid development of digital economy, industrial digitalization and digital industrialization are accelerating. Industrial Internet has been applied to 45 categories of national economy, covering R&D, design, manufacturing and marketing services. The "green content" of industrial development has been significantly improved, and green industry has become a new kinetic energy for economic growth. The total installed capacity of renewable energy exceeds 1.2 billion kilowatts. The new energy automobile industry ushered in explosive growth, and its production and sales volume ranked first in the world for eight consecutive years.

　　Fifth, the pace of coordinated development between urban and rural areas has accelerated. Consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation and effectively link with rural revitalization, the two-way flow of urban and rural factors is smoother, and the income gap between urban and rural residents continues to narrow. The strategy of coordinated regional development, major regional strategies and the strategy of main functional areas have been solidly promoted, the carrying capacity of areas with economic development advantages such as central cities and urban agglomerations has been further enhanced, and the regional economic layout with complementary advantages and high-quality development has been accelerated. In 2022, the GDP of nine cities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Mainland reached 49.5 trillion yuan, exceeding 40% of the national total, which played an important role in the national economic ballast and high-quality development power source. The effect of comprehensive management of ecological environment in large rivers has been further manifested. The urbanization construction with the county as an important carrier has been carried out in a solid way, and a series of policy systems of "1+N+X" have taken shape.

　　Sixth, the construction of a unified national market was accelerated. The basic market system has been continuously improved, and the opinions of speeding up the construction of a unified national market have been issued. The negative list system for market access has been fully implemented and updated, and the reform of the commercial system has been continuously implemented. The institutional transaction costs of business entities have been continuously reduced, and the reform of "separation of licenses" has been fully covered, which has accelerated the cleaning up and abolition of various regulations and practices that hinder the unified national market and fair competition. The pace of market-oriented allocation of factors has been obviously accelerated, the reform of stock issuance and registration system has been fully implemented, the unified urban and rural construction land market has been accelerated, and the reform of household registration system has been continuously promoted. Significant progress has been made in the construction of modern circulation system, the national backbone circulation network has been gradually improved, and the ratio of total social logistics costs to GDP has been declining.

　　Seventh, the high level of opening up has achieved remarkable results. In the face of a more complicated and severe external environment, China’s foreign trade has shown great resilience and vitality, and the domestic and international double-cycle linkage effect has been continuously enhanced. The scale of trade has reached a new level. In 2022, China’s total trade in goods reached a record high, reaching 42.1 trillion yuan, maintaining its position as the world’s largest trade country in goods for six consecutive years; The total trade in services was about 6 trillion yuan, up 12.9% year-on-year. The trade structure continued to be optimized, the proportion of general trade increased steadily, the export of capital-intensive and technology-intensive products increased rapidly, and the export of high value-added services increased strongly. In the context of global cross-border investment downturn, China’s foreign investment has grown against the trend, and the actual use of foreign capital has increased from $144.37 billion in 2020 to $189.13 billion in 2022. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) came into effect, the leading role of innovation demonstration in the Pilot Free Trade Zone has been continuously enhanced, and the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port has been accelerated. The international trains are connected to China Unicom in many directions, and the trains in China and Europe continue to grow. In 2022, 16,000 trains will be opened and 1.6 million TEUs will be sent, and the trains in the new land and sea channel in the west will grow rapidly. Especially during the epidemic, the China-Europe train, as an important stable channel to smooth the trade of goods between Asia and Europe, has become an important achievement and highlight of building the "Belt and Road".

　　Eighth, the ability of safe development has been significantly enhanced. Faced with the increase of uncertainties and unpredictable factors in the international development environment and the increasing fluctuation of global primary product supply, China insists on overall development and safety, pays special attention to primary product production based on itself, and responds to the uncertainty of external environment with the certainty of stable domestic supply. Firmly hold the red line of 1.8 billion mu of cultivated land, and the grain output has reached more than 1.3 trillion Jin for eight consecutive years. The domestic energy production support capacity has been continuously enhanced, and a diversified clean power supply system has been vigorously developed. In 2022, the production of major energy products such as kerosene, gas and electricity in industrial enterprises above designated size has maintained growth, and the dependence on foreign countries for oil and gas has declined. We will make overall plans to make up short boards and forge long boards, implement industrial base reconstruction projects and strengthen manufacturing chains to make up chains, and the resilience and competitiveness of the supply chain of the industrial chain will continue to improve. After the outbreak, relying on a complete industrial system, strong mobilization organization and industrial transformation ability, China quickly formed a strong production and supply capacity of epidemic prevention and control materials in a relatively short period of time, and the industrial chain supply chain showed strong resilience in the stress test of epidemic impact.

　　To build a new development pattern, we must deepen our understanding and highlight the key points

　　All great achievements are the result of continuous struggle, and all great undertakings need to be promoted in the future. Summing up experience and deepening understanding are important magic weapons for continuing struggle. In practice, we feel more deeply the great strategic significance of building a new development pattern for building a socialist modern power in an all-round way, and more deeply understand the great practical significance of building a new development pattern for coping with the great changes that have never happened in a century.

　　First, we must firmly grasp the key of smooth circulation. The key to building a new development pattern lies in the unimpeded economic cycle. If there are blocking points and breakpoints in the process of economic cycle, the cycle will be blocked, which will be manifested as the decline of growth rate, the increase of unemployment, the accumulation of risks, the imbalance of international payments, etc., and will be manifested as overcapacity, the decline of enterprise benefits, and the decline of residents’ income, etc. We must solve the blocking problems of production, distribution, exchange, consumption and other links in the domestic macro-cycle, strive to break the local small cycle, smooth the domestic macro-cycle, make overall plans to expand domestic demand and deepen the supply-side structural reform, improve the adaptability between supply and demand, and effectively enhance the endogenous motivation and stability of the domestic macro-cycle. At the same time, according to the change of comparative advantage, we should dynamically adjust the key areas and methods of China’s participation in international circulation, strive to improve the quality and level of international circulation, form an interactive relationship in which supply and demand match each other and domestic circulation and international circulation promote each other, and constantly promote a virtuous circle of the national economy that goes round and round and spirals.

　　Second, we must correctly grasp the dialectical relationship between internal and external circulation. It is necessary to realize that both internal and external circulation promote each other and cannot be neglected, whether it is coordinating development and security or participating in international competition and cooperation. In the process of building a new development pattern, we must take the domestic macro-cycle as the main body, constantly strengthen the leading role of the domestic macro-cycle, persist in putting the development of the country and the nation on the basis of our own strength, and enhance our ability and confidence to cope with various risk challenges with a solid domestic basic disk. At the same time, we must unswervingly implement the basic national policy of opening to the outside world and create a new open economic system at a higher level. To realize domestic and international double-cycle mutual promotion and common progress, it is necessary to give full play to the demand advantage of super-large-scale market and the supply advantage of complete industrial system, attract and gather high-end global resource elements, form a gravitational field for global resource elements, attract and utilize foreign capital more vigorously, and also go out steadily to strengthen overseas investment services, supervision and risk prevention and control.

　　Third, we must adhere to the problem-oriented and systematic concept. Adhering to the problem-oriented and systematic concept is an important methodology of the supreme leader’s economic thought. To build a new development pattern by adhering to the problem orientation, we should focus on major risk challenges, identify key links in key areas, work hard from unblocking blocking points, promoting advantages, filling shortcomings and strong and weak items, and strive to turn crises into opportunities and create conditions to improve the quality and level of economic cycles. Adhering to the concept of system to build a new development pattern, we must realize that the economic system is a complete and continuous whole in time and space, and it is a complex system that is interrelated and constantly moving. We should strengthen forward-looking thinking, overall planning, strategic layout and overall promotion, strengthen policy coordination and cooperation, drive the overall promotion with key breakthroughs, achieve key breakthroughs with overall promotion, and strive to achieve the combination of overall and local, gradual and breakthrough.

　　Fourth, we must guard against misunderstanding and action deviation. Building a new development pattern is a complex systematic project, and there are still some misunderstandings and action deviations in practice, which must be corrected in time. In understanding, we should not only avoid one-sided understanding that only emphasizes internal circulation or external circulation, but also avoid misunderstanding that the long-term task of building a new development pattern is regarded as a short-term emergency measure, and also avoid understanding self-reliance and self-improvement of science and technology as small and comprehensive repeated construction behind closed doors. In action, we should prevent ourselves from fighting each other, only consider the small market in this region and engage in our own small cycle, and also prevent selfish departmentalism. We think that building a new development pattern has little to do with our own departments, and we can’t form a joint effort if we only care about our own "one acre and three points".

　　Resolutely unify understanding and action with the decision-making and deployment of the CPC Central Committee.

　　Report to the 20th CPC National Congress of the Party pointed out that a new development pattern should be formed by 2035. We must profoundly understand and accurately grasp the decision-making arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, and with more firm ideological consciousness, hard work, precise and pragmatic policy measures, effectively incorporate the work in this field in this region into the construction of a new development pattern, make efforts to smooth the domestic economic cycle, promote the benign interaction between domestic and international double cycles, and effectively enhance the security and initiative of development.

　　First, accelerate the formation of a complete domestic demand system and form a higher level of dynamic balance. Adhere to the strategic starting point of expanding domestic demand, expand the domestic demand system according to the whole chain of production, distribution, circulation, consumption and investment reproduction, break through the difficulties that restrict the economic cycle, such as insufficient effective supply capacity, large income distribution gap, low modernization of circulation system, imperfect consumption system and mechanism, and investment structure still needs to be optimized, and strive to expand consumer demand with income support, investment demand with reasonable return, and financial demand with principal and debt constraints. Focus on tapping the potential of domestic demand, promoting consumption upgrading and expanding investment space. Efforts will be made to optimize the market structure, improve the market mechanism, stimulate market vitality, enhance market resilience, further enlarge and strengthen the domestic market, and continuously improve the attractiveness and allocation capacity of global resource elements.

　　The second is to speed up the pace of self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology and shape the new advantages of domestic and international double circulation. Improve the new national system, strengthen the national strategic scientific and technological strength, promote the construction of international and regional scientific and technological innovation centers as a whole, and enhance the overall efficiency of the national innovation system. Deepen the reform of the scientific and technological system, strengthen the dominant position of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, form a basic system to support innovation, optimize the allocation of innovative resources at home and abroad, strengthen basic research, implement a number of forward-looking and strategic national major scientific and technological projects in frontier fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum information and brain science, and speed up the conquest of "stuck-neck" technologies in important fields. We will promote the effective linkage between the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the country through talents and the strategy of innovation-driven development, and promote the work of educational science and technology talents as a whole with the guidance of high-level science and technology self-reliance, so as to realize the deep integration of innovation chain’s industrial chain capital chain talent chain.

　　The third is to accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system and enhance the status of a global manufacturing center. Focus on the real economy, solidly promote new industrialization, and accelerate the construction of a manufacturing power, a quality power, a space power, a transportation power, a network power and a digital China. Actively promote short-board industries to supplement the chain, advantageous industries to extend the chain, traditional industries to upgrade the chain, and emerging industries to build the chain. Accelerate the development of high-end, intelligent and green manufacturing. We will promote the development of strategic emerging industries and foster a number of new growth engines such as information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, new energy, new materials, high-end equipment and environmental protection. Build a high-quality and efficient new service industry system, promote the deep integration of modern service industry with advanced manufacturing industry and modern agriculture, and promote the deep integration of digital economy and real economy. Build a modern infrastructure system. Strengthen the security of grain, energy resources and important industrial chain supply chains.

　　Fourth, solidly promote the coordinated development of urban and rural areas and expand the vast and deep circulation space. Solidly promote the major strategic deployment of urban and rural areas, enhance the integrity and coordination of development, and provide multi-gradient growth, diversified development and strong and resilient urban and rural regional power support for building a new development pattern. We will further implement the rural revitalization strategy, accelerate the construction of an agricultural power, accelerate the pace of agricultural and rural modernization, further promote the new urbanization with people as the core, promote the integrated development of urban and rural areas, smooth the urban-rural economic cycle, and improve the coverage of the domestic macro-cycle. Establish and improve the cross-regional linkage development mechanism, improve the regional cooperation and interest adjustment mechanism, optimize the layout of major productive forces, focus on improving the power source function of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to lead high-quality development, strengthen the support capacity of major agricultural products producing areas, key ecological functional areas, energy-rich areas and border areas, promote the deep integration and development of regional coordinated development strategies, major regional strategies and major functional areas strategies, and build a regional economic layout and land space system with complementary advantages and high-quality development.

　　Fifth, comprehensively deepen reform and opening up and enhance the dynamic vitality of internal and external circulation. Promote the market-oriented reform of land, labor, capital, technology, data and other factors, promote the independent and orderly flow of factors, and improve the efficiency of factor allocation. Open up the key blocking points that restrict the economic cycle and speed up the construction of a unified national market with high efficiency, standardization, fair competition and full opening. Strengthen the construction of business environment, improve the basic system of market economy such as property rights protection, market access, fair competition and social credit, and strengthen anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition. We will steadily expand the institutional opening of rules, regulations, management and standards, innovate the development mechanism of service trade, accelerate the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port, and implement the strategy of upgrading the Pilot Free Trade Zone. Promote the high-quality development of the "Belt and Road" and expand new space for cooperation in the fields of health, green, digital and innovation. We will promote the stable scale and excellent structure of foreign trade and increase investment in key countries and manufacturing industries.

　　(Author Shi Yulong is the director of the Economic Thought Research Center of the Supreme Leader. Source: Economic Daily)

Original: Diqing Earth Youth Picture Book

△ Zhao Bin participated in the 16th Pyongyang International Film Festival.

Twelve years ago, Zhao Bin, a native of Shenyang, began to engage in Sino-Korean trade. He traveled between Liaoning and North Korea, doing business in used computers, clothing, building materials, etc., and thus gained a deeper understanding of North Korea.

The following is Zhao Bin’s self-report.

△ North Korean street

I first traveled to North Korea in 2003, when I was still in college, and I went there just out of curiosity. I’m from Liaoning, and I’m close to North Korea, so I’ll go and have a look. At that time, North Korea was still in the period of suffering March (Korean famine), the economy was relatively difficult, the power supply was tight, there were no lights at night, and even Pyongyang was dark at night. As I went to North Korea again and again in the later period, the power supply was more adequate.

△ Pyongyang subway station

When I was traveling in North Korea in the early days, I had some observations and thought I could do trade, so I naturally started to do it later. It’s not easy for Chinese to go to North Korea to do trade. If he doesn’t know people in North Korea and doesn’t understand the situation in North Korea, it’s still difficult to achieve. He needs someone to bring him to join the trade. I also found a relationship at first.

Not everyone in North Korea can do business, but all clubs (trade clubs under the army or state-owned enterprises) or trade representatives do foreign trade. North Korea is allowed to do business in the name of clubs, and the staff of trade clubs can get rewards and rewards from the state if they want to complete sales or production tasks. Many North Korean staff lived in China in those years.

Go to North Korea for gold

△ I visited Pyongyang No.1 Middle School, and students used laptops in class.

When I was a child, I remember that some people sent a lot of old TVs to North Korea. Probably in the early 1990s, when it was a big old TV set, it was not ultra-thin. In 2007, I saw someone buying a large number of laptops in Shenyang computer market. I was curious about how so many laptops were bought. The store told me that they were sold to North Korea. Because first-hand computers are too expensive for Koreans, many computers sold in many North Korean shopping malls are old.

△ Overlooking Pyongyang

I started looking for people with Korean relations, and I started slowly. I transported the recovered used computers from Dandong to North Korea by truck through an international freight company, and wrote down the contact information of the recipient of the DPRK. Trucks can be transported across the border, and trains can also be transported through international transport. At that time, North Korea did not have so many international sanctions, and trucks ran every day.

△ North Korean street

Trade is ever-changing and all-encompassing. We will do whatever North Korea needs, bit by bit, from small to big, and with the expansion of contacts, we will know more and more partners.

△ Pyongyang Dacheng Clothing Factory

Second-hand household appliances and clothing have had trade peaks in North Korea. After reselling used computers, I went on to do clothing trade. Xiliu Wholesale Market in Liaoning and Wuai Market in Shenyang are very famous in Northeast Asia. In the past, Russians and Mongolians would go there to purchase goods. We pack the clothes here, transport them to clubs in North Korea and sell them locally.

Many Koreans come to China with goods. Some North Koreans go to the wholesale market to buy a lot of clothes on business trips. Because they are cheap, they go back and add money to sell them. Now it is also the case.

△ I am accompanied by Ms. Hua Qing from North Korea.

Besides selling clothes, I have also done building materials, bulk commodities and so on. What North Korea lacked in the past, we immediately prepared it, and this kind of trade is very easy to do. When it was not sanctioned, the funds were relatively abundant. Now, after years of sanctions, North Korea’s economy is relatively weak. For example, it needs cash, but it can’t give you a refund immediately. Now both sides are afraid of being cheated in business, and there have been tragedies of being cheated before, so North Korea needs people like us.

△ I went to Pyongyang to have an interview with people from the club.

In the early years, I didn’t have to go to North Korea often. I communicated with clubs or trade representatives by sending international faxes and making phone calls. Conditional units would have a landline and fax to receive international calls. We couldn’t call their mobile phones, but only the landline. As soon as a dozen landline phones are called for someone, the person who answers the phone will shout all over the building, and then he will hear the footsteps of someone running to answer the phone.

I still use my computer to send emails. The other party needs to register my email address with the communication department before sending it to North Korea, mainly to prevent espionage. North Korea’s network is disconnected from the Internet. As soon as the club staff turns on their computers, they log on to the e-mail page and can only send and receive e-mails, but other websites can’t be opened.

△ Visit Pyongyang Dacheng Garment Factory

North Korean personnel are also very smart now. They have a relatively accurate understanding of the prices in China. They send an email directly in the form of a list, write down the prices clearly and ask me if I can do a certain price. Recently, I cooperated with the largest air-conditioning factory in North Korea, as well as the refrigerator and washing machine factory, which required tens of thousands of parts, and these parts were not new, and they were all used.

Go out accompanied by three Koreans.

△ I and North Korea accompanied Ms. Hua Qing to say goodbye at Pyongyang Railway Station.

△ stewardess of Koryo Airlines

In the past five years, I have traveled to and from North Korea more frequently because I gradually started to do business and cultural exchange of bulk commodities. Every time I go to North Korea, I take a train or a plane. It takes me 40 minutes to fly from Shenyang to Pyongyang. People from the Korean club will meet us at the airport or the railway station. Generally, there are three people, one driver and two escorts.

△ I am staying in a foreign-related hotel.

Then drive us to foreign-related hotels in Pyongyang. These hotels only allow foreigners to stay, such as Koryo Hotel, but the reception staff of the North Korean unit will accompany us throughout those days, so all of them will stay in hotels. Accompanied by North Korean personnel, you can ask where you want to go, and you can go to most places.

Sometimes the North Korean club entertains, and the atmosphere comes together, singing and dancing, and shouting "Long live the friendship between China and North Korea", which is often the case. Among all countries in the world, North Koreans should have the deepest feelings for Chinese.

△ at the entrance of international communication bureau

△ Inside the business hall of the International Telecommunication Bureau

Every time I enter the country, I will take my mobile phone card to the business hall of the International Telecommunication Bureau to activate it. I used to run a mobile phone card for foreigners in North Korea. It costs 200 dollars to open a 3G card, and the traffic fee is particularly expensive. I have to activate it before I can use it. When I went to North Korea in 2003, there was no internet, and I was not allowed to bring my mobile phone into the country. I had to stay in Dandong.

△ Jiangsu and Zhejiang businessmen cut the ribbon for opening a small shopping mall.

△ Small commodities sold in the shopping mall of Yimitai

Some time ago, I took businessmen from Jiangsu and Zhejiang to cut the ribbon in a small shopping mall opened in Pyongyang, and I planned to try it first. They are all bosses of small commodities in Yiwu, and some have their own factories, which make stationery, fabrics and clothing. They also contacted the clubs in North Korea through intermediaries and found the docking unit in North Korea before opening the shopping mall.

△ Small multifunctional ATM

North Korea Future Bank has recently developed a small multi-functional cash machine, and a small number of them are currently being promoted and used. North Korea develops software and we provide hardware equipment for the machine. These deposit machines look very simple. Insert the bank card, and the screen shows that you can withdraw money, recharge your mobile phone, and buy games and movies on them.

Korean people all have mobile phones, and you can also see low-headed people on the subway. But mobile phones have to pay to download games and movies, which is very cheap. A movie costs 1,000 to 2,000 won, which is equivalent to 2 yuan, and ordinary people can afford it.

△ I am wearing a portrait stamp with the head of the North Korean leader printed on it.

After years of trading, I was awarded a portrait seal by the North Korean government. This chapter is awarded to people who have made outstanding contributions to North Korea and needs the help of relevant units and clubs to apply. There is also a small ceremony when you wear it. It is very formal. A circle of people or several people surround you. A leader gives a speech first, praising his contribution to North Korea, then puts it on my chest, and then the people around him applaud.

If I continue to develop in Pyongyang, I may prepare to open an office in Pyongyang next year, that is, a branch. The Koreans call it a branch, so I can be more free. I can buy a car in Pyongyang and hang a red license plate for foreigners, which means "outside" in Chinese.

Life and consumption of Koreans

△ High-rise buildings on the streets of Pyongyang

△ Korea Hospital

Although I have been doing business with North Korea for more than ten years, I can only understand Korean, but I can’t speak it very well. The accompanying staff often introduce me. The North Korean government attaches great importance to education, and it is difficult for the country, but the welfare policy is better, providing free housing and education for the people. Although there are some signs of buying and selling real estate, there are not many, and the government does not advocate or oppose it. Medical care is also free, which is called the national health insurance system.

I have visited the Learning Hall of Renmin University in Kim Il Sung Square, where people are taught many things for free, such as five foreign languages, Chinese, English, Russian, Japanese and Spanish. North Koreans are now working hard to learn foreign languages, and they are full of learning spirit. Their homes are all for people to study and train college students.

△ Pyongyang people like to eat cold noodles in Yuliu Pavilion.

After Kim Jong-un took office, North Korea can be said to have undergone earth-shaking changes. Many new high-rise buildings have been built, and large national projects have been completed one after another. The whole North Korea has also set off a wave of making money. It is not shameful to make money, and the people also have the determination to invigorate the economy. In the past, North Korea did not allow consumption, even if it had money, it might not dare to spend it. Now it’s all liberalized. As long as you have money and can make money, you can spend it.

△ Department Store in Guangfu District of Pyongyang

The newly opened Dacheng department store in Pyongyang has luxury goods and international cosmetics, and many people go shopping. In the past, Koreans were not allowed to sell things secretly, but now they all turn a blind eye. At night, there are many stalls in bridge opening, a bicycle lane. Everyone sets up a stall and supports an LED lamp. The lamps are all the same, so many people go there to buy things.

△ Accompanied by North Korea who hosted me

Walking on the streets of Pyongyang, you can see that women’s clothes are also very popular, and all kinds of colors look pleasing to the eye. People don’t save much money. Without that concept, they spend money and pay more attention to the quality of life. North Koreans make their homes beautiful, and they are willing to spend money on decoration.

After all, it is the capital. Ordinary people have money. Some people also spend RMB in their wallets. There are exchange rates in shops. Many foreign currencies in North Korea are in circulation, including US dollars, British pounds, euros, RMB and Japanese yen. Some markets can only use Korean currency. I can only change RMB into US dollars first, and then change US dollars into Korean currency.

△ Round restaurant

The signs of shops on the street are particularly simple and interesting. In some places, restaurants just write the word "restaurant", which is called canteen in Korean, and shops only write shops, and the place where hair is cut is called barber shop, and it’s over, unlike our ever-changing signs here. North Korea’s signboards are not allowed to go too far, and their names must be approved, and they must be famous, such as Donghai Hotel and Yinhe Shopping Mall.

△ North Korean couple’s wedding

I once met a Korean couple getting married at the entrance of the hotel, and the escort told me that the red envelope given by the Koreans when they got married was US dollars, which was 50 dollars for a normal relationship, 100 dollars for a better one, and 1,000 dollars for relatives and friends.

North Korea’s fertility rate is not high, and the country now attaches great importance to improving the fertility rate and is slowly carrying out reforms. Women who give birth to more than five children in North Korea will be called "heroic mothers" and the state will issue certificates. If twins are born, a gold ring will be given to the boy, and a silver makeup knife will be given to the girl. The silver makeup knife is a dowry item, and it is a knife made of silver.

△ North Korean street

Visiting and trading in North Korea, I also saw more about the daily life of North Koreans. There are many taboos in wearing clothes in North Korea, such as clothes that are too exotic, jeans and more exposed ones. There are discipline pickets in North Korea. On the way, I saw the retired old lady standing on the street and watching. As soon as any girl wore something special, she immediately came out to stop: Why did you come out dressed like this? Not next time. Which unit is it?

△ Hanging paintings in North Korean hospitals

North Korea attaches great importance to the education of the main idea, and often holds meetings. In the supermarket, books with red covers are also sold, which are political and ideological study report books. Koreans will buy them, and the unit will organize study every Saturday, which has become a habit. Foreigners are not allowed to buy it, but I secretly asked the Koreans to buy one.

△ In the Enqing Hotel of Pyongyang Acrobatics Institute, North Korea accompanied the singing performance.

△ Korean people dancing in the park

The Korean nation has been a nation that can sing and dance since ancient times. In Pyongyang’s parks, people often dance together, and children can basically play one or two musical instruments, which seems to be very happy. Although North Korea is now cut off from the international community, to a certain extent, I feel that people sometimes don’t know too much and have no pressure.

△ Indoor volleyball court in Wanjingtai Children’s Palace

Koreans love sports very much. Every unit has a dual-purpose court, volleyball and basketball. They especially like playing volleyball and table tennis. From 12 noon to 2 pm, all units are closed. The whole company, regardless of men, women and children, came out to dance in groups, which was very passionate.

△ At the Pyongyang Marathon, Europeans and Americans came to participate.

△ I participated in the marathon in Pyongyang.

I have run two marathons in Pyongyang, and I have met many people from Chinese and Europe and America. Foreigners are so energetic that they are particularly curious about North Korea, but they don’t feel much after reading it.

△ I am accompanied by North Korea

North Korea is not mysterious, nor is it as terrible as outsiders think. In fact, it has been trying to integrate into the international community. It is a very normal country, but outsiders don’t understand it.

I feel honored to engage in economic activities and cultural exchanges with North Korea now, which can enhance the outside world’s understanding of North Korea. The longer I have been in contact with North Korea, I will have some feelings for this nation, and I hope that the friendship between the two countries will last forever.

Oral | Zhao Bin

Author | Lu Xiaoxi

Edit | Tula

Intern | Zou Wenchang

Phoenix news client Phoenix. com produced in the human studio.

The picture is provided by the interviewee

Read the original text