In today's wave of globalization, industrial strength is still an important indicator of a country's comprehensive national strength. In recent years, with the rapid development of the mainland in a number of high-end manufacturing fields, the "industrial crown" that Western countries once boasted of seems to be beginning to eclipse.
So some netizens joked: "There are only 2 Western industrial pearls left? If you don't work hard, the crown will be bald!"
Behind this ridicule is actually a reflection of the increasing position of China's manufacturing industry in the global competition pattern. So is this really the case?
Looking up at the stars: a leap forward in China's aerospace technology
In 2023, China's aerospace science and technology field ushered in world-renowned achievements, especially major breakthroughs in manned space engineering. The number of space launches in the year was nearly 70, setting a new record for China's space flight. This figure is not only amazing, but also makes people sigh: "This is to use the rocket as a bus!"
The normal operation of China's space station is safe and efficient, and a number of astronaut crews have successfully stationed in the "Tiangong", carried out a wealth of space science experiments and completed many out-of-cabin activities.
In particular, the flight missions of the Shenzhou 15, Shenzhou 16 and Shenzhou 17 crews not only successfully completed the set tasks, but also created many firsts for China's aerospace industry in terms of extravehicular operations.
The astronauts' "spider web walking" in space is reminiscent of scenes from Hollywood sci-fi blockbusters, only this time, the protagonists are our own space heroes.
In terms of space station operations, China's space station has completed two major technological upgrades.
First of all, the propellant of the power system of the space station was successfully replenished, which provided an important guarantee for the long-term orbit maintenance and safe and stable flight of the space station. Secondly, the space station has achieved 100% regeneration of oxygen resources, which marks the remarkable progress of China's aerospace industry in the field of space life support.
Some netizens joked: "This is good, even oxygen can be grown in space, and a moon vacation will not be a dream in the future!"
In addition, the cargo spacecraft of China's space station, Tianzhou-5 and Tianzhou-6, were successfully launched, providing sufficient material support and experimental materials for the space station. In particular, Tianzhou-6, as an improved cargo spacecraft, has increased its cargo carrying capacity to more than 7 tons for the first time, effectively improving the space station's support capacity and reducing operating costs.
Someone joked: "Is this going to open a supermarket in space?" The goods are so plentiful!"
In terms of international cooperation, China's space station has become an open platform for scientific and technological cooperation and exchange for the international community. The first batch of experimental projects jointly selected by the China Manned Space Engineering Office and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs are scheduled to carry out experimental research on China's space station this year.
This attitude of openness and cooperation not only demonstrates China's responsibility as a major country, but also injects new vitality into the development of global aerospace science and technology.
Railroad Tracks: The Magnificent Metamorphosis of China's High-Speed Rail
Speaking of China's "four great inventions", it is now possible to add the fifth - high-speed rail.
Today, the development of China's high-speed rail technology has achieved a gorgeous transformation from catching up to leading, and has become a beautiful business card of national independent innovation. By the end of 2023, the operating mileage of China's railways will reach 159,000 kilometers, of which 45,000 kilometers will be high-speed railways, continuing to rank first in the world.
What does this number mean? If these high-speed railways are paved in a straight line, it is enough to circle the Earth's equator and there is still a surplus!
The rapid development of China's high-speed rail has not only greatly facilitated people's travel, but also promoted the prosperity and development of the regional economy. Someone joked: "Now taking the high-speed train from Beijing to Shanghai is faster than ordering takeout!"
Although it is somewhat exaggerated, it also reflects the great changes that high-speed rail has brought to people's lives.
The breakthrough in China's high-speed rail technology has benefited from the state's continuous investment and support for scientific and technological innovation. Since the completion and operation of the Beijing-Tianjin intercity railway in 2008, China's high-speed rail has achieved a historic leap.
Especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's high-speed rail development has entered the fast lane, and the operating mileage of high-speed rail has increased nearly four times in 11 years. With the construction of the high-speed rail network from "four verticals and four horizontals" to "eight verticals and eight horizontals", China has become the country with the longest operating mileage, the largest scale under construction, the largest number of operating EMUs and the highest commercial operation speed in the world.
The successful R&D and operation of the Fuxing EMU marks that China's high-speed rail technology and equipment level has entered a new era. Fuxing adopts a positive design, the main performance indicators such as vehicle life, traction power and running resistance have been significantly improved, key components and core software have achieved independent breakthroughs, and has achieved full coverage of 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, and achieved the world's highest speed of 350 kilometers per hour commercial operation on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway and other lines.
In addition, China's high-speed rail has also made remarkable achievements in intelligence, such as intelligent Fuxing EMUs, intelligent traction substations and intelligent integrated dispatching systems, demonstrating the advanced and innovative ability of China's high-speed rail technology. These intelligent achievements make people sigh: "This is a car, it's just experiencing technology!"
The construction and operation of China's high-speed railway not only improves the country's comprehensive transportation network, but also provides Chinese solutions and Chinese wisdom for the world's railway development.
With the advancement of the "Belt and Road" initiative, China's high-speed rail technology has also begun to go global, such as the opening and operation of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, marking the successful implementation of China's high-speed rail system, all elements and the whole industrial chain overseas, and contributing China's strength to the global railway development.
Giant ships at sea: the rise of China's LNG carriers
In the field of LNG carriers, China's shipbuilding industry has also made significant progress, with the total global orders in the field of ordering and delivery of large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers accounting for more than 30% in 2022, marking a significant improvement in China's strength and international competitiveness in the field of high-end shipbuilding.
With the continuous improvement of China's LNG ship construction technology, it is now comparable to the international advanced level. Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., as the first shipyard in China to master LNG ship construction technology, ushered in an explosive growth of orders in 2022, with more than 36 orders in hand and the delivery cycle scheduled for 2028. This kind of hot order situation makes people want to ask: "Is the whole world queuing up for Chinese shipbuilding?"
Jiangnan Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. and Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Group Co., Ltd., subsidiaries of China State Shipbuilding Group, have also received orders for large LNG carriers and officially entered this high-end market. This multi-point flowering situation shows the overall strength of China's shipbuilding industry.
Through continuous R&D and technological innovation, CSSC has formed R&D capabilities for multi-type LNG carriers, including 140,000 cubic meters, 150,000 cubic meters and 175,000 cubic meters, which have been recognized by international classification societies.
The fifth-generation "Changheng series" 174,000 cubic meter LNG carrier independently developed and designed by China integrates the latest design concept, the best technical equipment, the strongest environmental performance and the most forward-looking, representing the highest technical level in the field of large-scale LNG carriers in the world today.
This series of ship types has full intellectual property rights and has been certified by many internationally renowned classification societies, attracting global attention and orders.
Moreover, the hot development trend of China's LNG carriers is not limited to shipbuilding itself, but also involves the development of the entire LNG industry chain. For example, Hudong-Zhonghua undertook the core construction task of China's first onshore LNG film tank project, marking a major breakthrough in the process of China's entire LNG industry chain.
In addition, the rapid development of China's LNG carriers is also closely related to the national strategic energy security, which will help promote the adjustment of the energy structure and the stability of energy supply.
Continental's breakthroughs in three high-end manufacturing fields, namely aerospace technology, high-speed rail technology and LNG ship construction, demonstrate the vigor and innovation of China's manufacturing industry.
This is not only a reflection of China's industrial strength, but also an important contribution to global scientific and technological progress and sustainable development.
In the future, China will continue to adhere to the innovation-driven development strategy, and contribute more Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the progress of human civilization in healthy competition and cooperation with other countries.
With the continuous progress of the mainland's science and technology and manufacturing industry, it will gradually catch up with and surpass Western countries and break the various "bottlenecks" of Western countries in science and technology in the past. This also proves that what netizens said is true, if some Western countries continue to insist on going their own way, then their "crown" may really fall!