Journalists from 13 countries effortlessly made online payments with... a single click using e-CNY during their visit to Chengdu's famous "trunk economic zone" - Sanse Road. The journalists enjoyed Sichuan Opera performances, savored local delicacies, participated in interactive games, all while using e-CNY payment. Ali Abbas, Senior Investigative Reporter at in Pakistan, was particularly amazed by the convenience of e-CNY payment. "It is very convenient. With it, you can pay for everything," he said. E-CNY, the first digital currency issued by a major economy, is a central bank digital currency issued in China. After undergoing public testing in 2021, it is now being implemented in 17 provinces as pilot areas. China's leadership in online payment development has greatly improved residents' lives, making everything more convenient. The Sanse Road Block is a vibrant spot along the Jinjiang Lohas Greenway in Chengdu, China. Completed by CCCC-Tianjin Dredging CO., Ltd. in 2021, the greenway has become a bustling "trunk economic zone" where locals flock to the flea market and unwind. #TravelogueofChinashow more

CARNEY’S DIGITAL ID TROJAN HORSE FIRST THE TRADES. THEN... WHO? Carney’s digital ID Trojan horse has arrived and it is being rolled in through the trades. It was not introduced with a sweeping national announcement. It slipped in quietly under the practical-sounding label of “digital verification for tradespeople.” Months after Carney said there were “no current plans” for a common digital identification, he now says, “we agreed,” and that negotiations are underway. That is what makes the Trojan horse so effective. It does not look threatening. It is presented as convenient, efficient and limited to one group. But once the infrastructure is inside the gates, it can be expanded to link credentials, employment, government services, and access to more parts of everyday life. First the trades. Then who? The danger is not that digital ID arrives by force. It is that Canadians welcome it as convenience before realizing what was hidden inside. #MarkCarney #DigitalID #CdnPoli #CanadianPolitics #DigitalFreedomshow more

“There is a tension between what the users of... a currency want – and the users of a currency tend to like freedom, autonomy, and discretion as to what they spent their money on – and what the issuers of a currency want; and bluntly, the issuers of a currency want control. Control of monetary policy, and control of you.” The Bank of England’s consultation papers make very clear the level of control that they wish to exercise over you, and over your supposed financial autonomy, if you were to use their #DigitalPound. (1) You’ll need to provide ID in order to use the #DigitalPound: “For the digital pound, tiered access would allow for different levels of user access and functionality based on the amount of identification (ID) a user is willing or able to provide.” (2) The Bank will dictate how much you can hold: “The Bank would place some limits on holdings of digital pounds, at least during its introductory period.” (3) The digital pound will be programmable, if not by the Bank itself then by third party providers: “Programmability, delivered by Payment Interface Providers, could also enable the use of smart contracts, which carry out specific actions based on pre-defined terms and conditions.” Quotes are from from the Bank of England’s Digital Pound consultation paper: Whatever the #DigitalPound will be, it won’t be cash. Cash does not require me to show ID to use it. I can hold as much cash as I want or need. And, along with #Bitcoin, cash is a bearer instrument whose title is freely transferrable upon delivery, which is very difficult for a central bank to control. And long may it stay this way. A huge shout out and thank you to Lyn Alden, who made this point much more eloquently than I did in her excellent book #BrokenMoney. Thank you! Also I’m aware that my hand gestures in this clip are reminiscent of Richard Hendricks manipulating ‘datas’ on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt in #SiliconValley, and for this I can only apologize: #BitcoinConference #Amsterdam #NoToCBDCsshow more

Visa and Mastercard are moving deeper into stablecoin payments.... Banks are testing tokenized settlements. Fintech teams are building the next payment rails in real time. To some this feels like everyone else is already ahead. But the truth is the opposite. These signals show where global finance is heading. Multicurrency accounts, real time settlement, digital dollars as a default payment layer and seamless payments between crypto and fiat. Exactly the direction we have been building toward. In our recent update we highlighted that the 149 billion dollar neobank market is projected to grow to 5.5 trillion dollars by 2033. This transformation has only just begun and the strongest growth is still ahead. The Scallop App is in its final development phase and in closed beta testing with multicurrency fiat accounts, a full crypto wallet and instant crypto to fiat swap functions. Visa debit cards are on the way. We are not late. We are aligned with the market shift that is happening right now. What we are building is not a reaction. It is part of the foundation for the next era of digital banking. The timing is right. The ecosystem is forming. And Scallop is nearing the moment where it steps into the global finance arena.show more

Trump: losing world reserve currency would be worse than... losing a major war, we wouldn't be the same country anymore And yet, it looks like the US is losing both... a major dollar and the world reserve currency - It has suffered a humiliating defeat against Iran - Is about to lose the petrodollar The petrodollar system only works as long as the US can enforce it... militarily and politically. That was always the deal. Security in exchange for oil being sold in USD and surpluses being recycled into US assets. The GCC are quickly realizing that they got a target on their back instead of security. When this war is over, there won't be any US military presence left in the region. The GCC countries will look for new alliances and make new deals... multipolarity sets in That’s exactly what we are seeing now. - The UAE establishing an integrated cross-border payment system with China - yuan foreign bond issuance is surging up ~70% in H1 2026 - Iran demanding yuan for Hormuz transit Step by step, settlement moves away from USD. Less dollar demand -> less recycling into Treasuries -> higher yields -> more pressure on the systemshow more

This isn’t Shanghai or Beijing. This is Ürümqi, the... capital of Xinjiang. A region once seen as remote is now becoming China’s rising star. Xinjiang stands as a powerful symbol of development at the crossroads of geography, strategy, and ambition. Often in the headlines for geopolitical reasons, Xinjiang is one of the most economically transformative regions in China. Geographically, Xinjiang is huge, over 1.6 million km², sharing borders with eight countries. Historically underdeveloped, it’s now becoming a key node in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), serving as a gateway for trade routes stretching from Central Asia to Europe. Economically, China has poured billions into infrastructure in Xinjiang: 🤜 New railways and expressways connecting the region to coastal hubs 🤜 Smart agriculture in the Taklamakan Basin 🤜 Investments in renewable energy, making Xinjiang one of China’s largest producers of wind and solar power 🤜 Urbanization and digital infrastructure in cities like Urumqi and Kashgar Incomes of Uyghurs are rising, access to education and healthcare is expanding, and industrial zones are attracting businesses in textiles, logistics, and high-tech. Xinjiang’s GDP has more than doubled over the last decade. Xinjiang is a case of regional convergence policy in action, where China invests heavily to reduce the gaps of income and development between western China and the eastern seaboard. China-haters often miss something fundamental! Development in Xinjiang is a part of China’s macroeconomic vision for national resilience, cross-border trade influence, energy and strategic security. As an economist living in China for over a decade, I can say this with confidence, Xinjiang is undergoing undeniable and significant development which is inspiring.show more

China's central bank has now bought gold for 19... months straight, the largest official buyer on earth. And this week, as gold broke 4,000 dollars, China's biggest banks moved to push ordinary Chinese out of leveraged gold trading, with at least one warning it will liquidate any position not closed by month-end. Both are true at once, and together they explain what this crash really is. Start with what is being banned, because the words matter. ICBC and a string of other banks are shutting down retail trading in what the Chinese themselves call paper gold, the margined, leveraged contracts where you bet on the price without ever owning a bar. Some banks lifted the margin requirement to 140 percent to choke the leverage off before closing the products outright. Physical gold, meanwhile, stays wide open. Coins, bars, savings plans, ETFs, all fine. It is only the paper, the leverage, the casino, that is being shut, the last step in a five-year retreat that the crash just finished. Officially this is about protecting small investors, and that part is real. The same kind of leverage wiped out a wave of Chinese retail in a 2020 commodity blowup. But set the ban beside what the state is doing and something larger comes into view. While its citizens are pushed out of the paper, the People's Bank of China has spent those same 19 months buying the physical metal, more than two thousand three hundred tonnes of it now, accumulating straight through a 28 percent crash that scared everyone else out. Beijing is not trading gold. It is hoarding it. That is the strategy in one frame. China looked at the two things both called gold, the paper bet and the physical bar, and made a choice no Western government would make. It is taking the metal for the state and closing the casino for everyone else. The reason sits in a single date. 2022, when Russia's reserves were frozen with a keystroke. That taught every country outside the Western system one lesson: dollars in an account can be switched off, gold in your own vault cannot. So China is building its monetary independence out of the one asset nobody can freeze, and it does not want that foundation in the hands of leveraged traders who panic-sell in a crash, or priced by a paper market it does not control. Watch this month and the two worlds split in real time. Western investors were forced out of their gold by margin calls and a rate scare. China's central bank bought that exact dip with both hands. One side treats gold as a trade. The other treats it as the floor under a currency. The West is selling paper gold and calling it a crash. China is buying physical gold and calling it a foundation. In ten years, only one of them will look like it understood what gold was for. The metal is already moving to that side.show more

🚩Indians are sharing an extract of Modhi’s speech in... Auckland yesterday where he announces that the NZ - India agreement includes connecting UPI while Luxon the stammering piglet looks on lovingly. The UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is an instant, real-time payment system developed by India for the diaspora to use to transfer funds directly between bank accounts using a UPI ID (linked to Indias Digital ID system called Aadhaaar) This will also allow remittances to increase, which hit $ US 135 billion world wide last year. Indian remittances from NZ is currently 0.25% of our GDP, this will accelerate quickly with more indians coming to NZ. Remember according to our own treasury report, this garbage FTA is only expected to increase our GDP by 0.7% …. and - AFTER 15 - 20 years ! Over the last decade India has assiduously worked to develop international payment gateways, and Modhi has made no secret of his ambition for India to be the architect of a global money network. Read the attached post for more detail on UPI’s and also the clause in the NZ- India FTA where Te Gimp has negotiated a joint venture with India to develop CBDC… yes the most corrupt nation on earth will design our dystopian Central Bank Digital Currency.show more

Iran war, day 51! Surprise attack coming? The war... with Iran isn't over yet, and "new developments" are possible soon, says Netanyahu. -Israeli and US efforts against Iran "are not yet over," per Israeli PM Netanyahu during a speech with Argentine president Milei. -"New developments could occur at any moment," Netanyahu said. "Who knows what tomorrow or the day after tomorrow will bring." Is Iran expecting an attack? Senior Iranian officials believe the U.S. and Israel may be preparing for a surprise attack even before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday – Axios In fact, -Iranian ship Touska was attacked by US forces in gulf of Oman coming from China and heading to Iran. US CENTCOM published footage showing US Navy USS Spruance intercepting and firing upon Iranian-flagged M/V Touska cargo ship at the North of the Arabian Sea! Below. This is a clear violation of the ceasefire and Trump is bragging about it. -Iranian forces attacked a number of US military ships using drones after the US attack. Meanwhile Israel continues to bomb Lebanon and Hezbollah has responded. The UAE is running out of USD! UAE to Trump Administration: "You started this war; if we run short of USDs as a result of it, either you will give us USD swap lines, or we will be forced to start transacting oil and gas in CNY and other currencies." -Total blow of the U.S. dollar! Market expectation? -INSIDERS are dumping heavily except for oil right now ahead of market opening tomorrow. -EVERY SINGLE INSIDER IS SELLING BILLIONS NONSTOP: 0 BUYS. 1,382 SELLS. $13.58 BILLION IN VOLUME. CHINA dumped ¥900.8 B IN US TREASURY HOLDINGS BEFORE THE US MARKET OPEN TOMORROW HISTORICALLY, every major dump by China has been followed by a 21% DUMP IN BTC, which has dropped to around $74k so far.show more

This is from Shenzhen. The road is full of... homeless people, while China often claims it has provided housing to 100% of its population. So maybe they are just outside enjoying some fresh air. Disclaimer: I am not anti-China. In fact, I admire China's progress and development. This post is only for those ₹2 trolls who constantly mock India by saying China is living in 2070 while India is far behind. China has done remarkably well and transformed many of its cities, no doubt about that. But trolling India is foolish. Travel a few hundred kilometers beyond the major Chinese cities and you will find many underdeveloped areas as well. China is working to reduce those problems, and India is doing the same. There is no need for this endless India vs China comparison. Both countries have their own strengths, challenges, and development journeys. #China #Indiashow more

BOOM! 🚨 The Ripple $XRP takeover of global finance... is unfolding! STEP BY STEP! Ripple is now fully licensed to operate in the Middle East, with Bahrain added as a strategic payment hub alongside Dubai. This move finalizes a cross-border regulatory corridor across UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, and sets the stage for $RLUSD to become the institutional bridge currency for the region. ZOOM OUT! The Middle East handles over $156B in cross-border payments annually and Ripple now has the greenlight to absorb that flow. On top of that, the tokenized RWA market in the region is projected to cross $500B+ in the coming decade. Ripple is not chasing headlines. It’s building financial plumbing. By the time everyone realizes what $XRP is powering, it’ll be too late to be early. If you still don’t get it, study my free course at Academy. You’ll understand what blockchain is and how it’s transforming the future of finance. Repost and follow if you want to learn the truth they’ve been hiding from you. I am buying the $XRP dips. You?show more

Show these videos to most Westerners and they could... never believe this exists in China 🤯 China has some of the best restaurants in the world. International and local chefs are constantly coming up with new concepts, unique menus, and creative decorations 🥘 While China’s economy isn’t as strong as before, deflation has kept food prices down and every night in the city I go out and see restaurants filled with people 🍲 Most people think China is cut off from the outside world. Instead when you visit China you’ll see China is learning and becoming more modern and international 🌎 There are now more high end coffee shops in Shanghai than NYC and London combined. Bakeries filled with artisan breads and pastries are all over China now showing foreign tastes have been developed on mass scale in China ☕️ China is opening up. Dozens of EU countries can now travel to China visa free. Yesterday New Zealand was added to the list. Foreigner visits to China is up 305% in Q1 2024, when measures from the same period last year ✈️ More foreigners are coming to China and it’s a great thing. The world needs to learn more about China. This country is simply amazing and truly changing the future of the world 🇨🇳 Come here to see a nation who is embracing their commitments to producing clean energy. It’s simply incredible how much of the auto industry is now dominated by EVs 🚗 Visiting China is taking a step in the future. Such an absolute pleasure to be back in the country for an extended stay 😃show more

Madain Saleh, also known as Al-Hijr, is a pre-Islamic... archaeological site located in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Middle East and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Madain Saleh is a place of great historical and cultural significance, and it is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in the history and culture of the Arabian Peninsula. Madain Saleh was the second city of the Nabataean kingdom, which was established in 2nd Century BC. The Nabataeans were an Arab tribe who were known for their expertise in carving tombs and buildings out of rock. They were also skilled in agriculture, trade, and commerce. The Nabataean kingdom was centered in Petra, which is located in modern-day Jordan. Madain Saleh served as a strategic outpost for Nabataeans, and it was an important stop on the trade routes that connected the Arabian Peninsula with the Mediterranean world. Archaeological site of Madain Saleh covers an area of 13 square kilometers. It is located in a remote desert region, and it is surrounded by rocky mountains and valleys. The site contains around 130 tombs, which were carved out of the sandstone cliffs. The tombs are adorned with intricate carvings and inscriptions, which provide insights into the culture and religion of the Nabataeans. The most famous tomb at Madain Saleh is the Qasr Al-Farid, which means "the lonely castle." This tomb is located on a hilltop and is surrounded by a large courtyard. It is the largest tomb at the site, and it is considered to be one of the finest examples of Nabataean architecture. The tomb was never completed, and it is believed that it was abandoned after the death of the Nabataean king who commissioned it. Another important tomb at Madain Saleh is the Tomb of Lihyan son of Kuza. This tomb is located in the southern part of the site and is carved into a rock cliff. It features a large entrance hall, a central chamber, and a series of smaller rooms. The tomb is decorated with intricate carvings and inscriptions, which provide insights into the religious beliefs of Nabataeans. Madain Saleh is not just a site of tombs; it also contains a number of other important structures. These include the Al-Khuraymat and Al-Sabika temples, which were used for religious ceremonies and rituals. The site also contains a number of houses, wells, and cisterns, which provide insights into the daily lives of the Nabataeans. Madain Saleh was abandoned in the 3rd Century AD, after decline of the Nabataean kingdom. The site was rediscovered in the 19th Century by the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Since then, it has been studied by archaeologists from all over the world. The site is now managed by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, which has carried out extensive restoration and preservation work. Madain Saleh is not just a site of historical and cultural significance; it is also a place of great natural beauty. The site is surrounded by rugged mountains and valleys, and it is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. Visitors to the site can enjoy hiking and camping, as well as exploring the ancient ruins. Madain Saleh is a site of great historical and cultural significance, and it is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in the history and culture of the Arabian Peninsula. Ancient ruins at Madain Saleh provide a glimpse into the engineering and architectural skills of the Nabataeans, as well as their religious beliefs and cultural practices. However, as the site becomes an increasingly popular tourist destination, there are concerns about its preservation and the impact of tourism on the local environment. It is important that the Saudi government and local communities work together to ensure that the site is protected and that tourism is managed in a sustainable way. 🎥© Paris Verra #archaeohistoriesshow more

As I sit here in DC this week, we... are closer to something I was not sure I would ever see. I have been working in this industry since 2015. For most of those years, the defining feature of crypto in Washington was not policy. It was the absence of it. A gray zone where serious people built serious things under a constant cloud, never quite sure which rules applied or whether the ground would move beneath them. This week the CLARITY Act sits on the Senate calendar. A federal framework for digital asset market structure, the thing this industry has wanted for the better part of a decade, is closer than it has ever been. It is not law yet, and there are real hurdles left. But the distance between where we stood a few years ago and where we are sitting today is hard to put into words. I keep thinking about the work that got us here. Over the past year I watched Chainlink move from outside these conversations to inside them. Sergey at the White House for the signing of the GENIUS Act. The Department of Commerce putting government economic data onchain. Meetings with the SEC that became real interpretive guidance. Conversations with the lawmakers now writing the rules. None of that happens by accident. It happens because people keep showing up, year after year, and make the case in rooms where it is not yet obvious. And there is something fitting in it. The entire premise of what we build is verification. Making truth provable. Removing the question of what is real. The work here in DC is the same thing in a different form. Trading a decade of ambiguity for something the industry has never actually had. We are not at the finish line. But sitting here, it is hard not to feel the weight of it. The gray zone is ending. What comes next is something this industry has never had. Clarity.show more

My friend @saschaCodes is traveling in 🇨🇳 China right... now Videos here are in Lijiang in Yunnan province which is in the south and borders on Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, so very close to SEA! I always see Americans and Europeans talk about Asia and then only visit Japan, which is nice but there's so much more to Asia and barely anyone these days visits China anymore China is in many ways a lot like Japan, with cute little walkable traditional villages, and then these massive neon-lit mega cities with the highest speed trains in the world and extreme convenience just like in other Asian cities like Bangkok Anything you hear these days about China is highly politicized, which is sad because it's an amazing country to visit and the people are some of the friendliest I've ever met China has 8 entirely different regional cuisines, my fav being Sichuan, which is spicy and famous for the hotpot And using their high speed train (going 300-400km/h) you can essentially travel the entire country now with ease Obviously the politics is another thing but not everything has to always be about politics, and more foreigners visiting China would long term actually help their politics Politics keeps people apart while travel brings people together I thinkshow more

Lessons from Indonesia highlight the critical role of small... businesses in economic growth and national stability. During our recent visit, I accompanied Mr. Peter Obi in engaging with Indonesia’s Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and key policymakers. Indonesia has strengthened its economy by prioritizing the protection and support of SMEs, which contribute 61% to GDP and employ 97% of the workforce. Their government recognizes that small businesses are the engine of growth, ensuring job creation and economic stability. In contrast, Nigeria continues to see the indiscriminate shutdown of markets, worsening economic hardship for millions. Entire markets are being closed due to the actions of a few bad actors, particularly in relation to illegal drugs. Mr. Peter Obi has strongly advocated that if we genuinely understand the importance of small businesses, a more precise approach should be adopted, one that targets perpetrators directly rather than crippling the entire economy. Indonesia has established a comprehensive support framework for MSMEs, including mentorship, training, equipment provision, and financial support. Over $20 billion in bank loans is dedicated to MSMEs, with interest rates ranging from 3% to 6%, subsidized by the government to offset the commercial rate of 12% to 13%. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the total loans available to over 40 million SMEs amount to less than 10% of what is allocated in Indonesia, making access to credit almost impossible for many. This is further compounded by an unfavorable business environment, including arbitrary market closures. As governor, Mr. Peter Obi demonstrated a governance model rooted in economic logic rather than arbitrary decisions. Anambra became the first state to seek a partnership with the Bank of Industry to support SMEs. Unlike others, he refused to ban okada riders, recognizing their role in the economy. Instead, he worked to improve their operations and enhance their contributions. Even NAFDAC officials acknowledged that under his leadership, enforcement was handled with fairness and transparency. What we see today is the opposite of strategic governance. People are struggling, yet instead of implementing solutions, markets are being shut down indiscriminately, an action that amounts to economic sabotage. If we are serious about building a productive nation, small businesses must be protected, not destroyed. -DrMoshow more

This is Mbare Road, near Majubheki, directly opposite the... Harare Municipal offices yeCouncil ya Mayor of Harare, Jacob Mafume along Remembrance Road. Just a short distance further, another pile of rotting vegetable waste lies unattended. Which waste is Geo Pomona Waste Management Pvt Ltd collecting? Hanzi na 𝑲𝒖𝒅𝒛𝒂𝒊 𝑴𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒊 plastic is being recycled in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s waste management crisis stems largely from its continued reliance on a linear economic model. While many countries have moved towards circular economies—which minimise material waste, reduce plastic use, promote recycling, and encourage material and container package reuse—Zimbabwe remains trapped in an outdated system. The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) E.M.A has completely failed in its duty to regulate and enforce environmental standards in this country. It needs urgent reforms and be institutionalised as a quasi independent body detached from the Ministry. It needs highly dedicated qualified environmental academics to put forward to government a research paper that transforms Zimbabwe form its linearity into a more circular economy. But the greater responsibility lies with the central government—particularly the Ministry of Finance led by Hon Prof Mthuli Ncube—which appears to lack both the urgency and the understanding required to transition Zimbabwe to a circular economy. This transition is not merely environmental—it is essential for achieving long-term economic efficiency and productivity. The informal sector, while critical to livelihoods, has become a major contributor to urban pollution, discharging large amounts of plastic onto pavements and open spaces. Former industrial zones are now overwhelmed by an influx of cheap Chinese plastic products, including household items and wearables, adding to the country’s plastic burden. Waste management under a linear economy comes at an unsustainable cost. Millions spent on road construction and repair are lost with every rainy season, as clogged drains prevent proper water runoff. Rainwater pools into potholes or flows along road surfaces, eroding the tarmac and damaging infrastructure. Zimbabwe is drowning in plastic—and no one appears to be paying attention. The clogged drainage systems are a primary cause of deteriorating roads, and these poor roads are now impeding economic activity across urban centres. Zimbabwe must modernise and align with global economic and environmental trends—or risk deeper collapse.show more

Watching and hearing about the stampede in Bangalore made... me wonder where we are going ! This is not a national team winning the World Cup ! It’s a mere franchise called RCB which works on commercial lines and does not have a single Hyderabad player in it !? It’s not even a #Hyderabad based team ! The night round officers were totally taken by surprise at 12 in the midnight as hordes of youngsters and revellers descended on Tank bund ,NTR marg and Necklace road and behaved in an unruly manner, sample of which you can see in the videos below, quite alarmingly. Traffic got jammed in all directions . Seeing the situation and the hooliganism , extra forces were rushed and a lathi charge done to disperse the unruly crowd.From a police officer’s perspective, this unannounced celebrations on the streets by large gatherings are a big danger to public safety and may lead to exactly what we saw in Bengaluru. What if there were some deaths in Hyderabad too ? Can anyone expect celebrations for RCB in Hyderabad city ! But with the social media playing a huge role across the country and the globe , perhaps police has to be alert for everyone and everything in future ! Is it humanely possible to do so - is what I am wondering 🤔show more

**Doris Yin Speech at China Guizhou Zunyi GCV Barter... Conference** Hello to the community leaders, GCV ambassadors, merchants, and pioneers of GCV Guizhou in China! Today is January 12, 2025, marking the first GCV Barter Conference in China in New Year and the 13th Barter Conference overall. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the organizers of this conference, the Guizhou Zunyi GCV Community, and the co-organizers, Barter Huishang (Guizhou) Digital Economy Industry Group Co., Ltd. I also want to acknowledge the following GCV ambassadors for their active dedication and contributions to this conference: **GCV Ambassador of China:** - Yang Zhizhong - Cai Zaiqiao **Ambassadors of Guizhou Province GCV:** - Wang Shiqiong - Cai Weisheng - Guo Jiaqing **Zunyi GCV Ambassadors:** - Wang Jianbo - Luo Nanlu **GCV ambassadors at the district and county level in Zunyi City** Additionally, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to our numerous GCV merchants and sponsors. Without your support, we would not have been able to hold such a grand and large-scale event. Today's gathering in Zunyi, a sacred site of the revolution, reminds me of the Red Army's 25,000-mile Long March. Their perseverance and sacrifice continue to inspire us. The Zunyi Conference took place from January 15 to 17, 1935, and exactly 90 years later, we are gathered here today. The defining characteristics of the Zunyi Conference included the commitment to uphold the truth, correct mistakes, establish the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee, and creatively develop and implement strategies that fit the nature of the Chinese revolution. Today, our Zunyi Conference will also be recorded in the history of blockchain, as every effort you have put in has contributed to building a strong network ecosystem. Our partial fiat and partial distribution policy serves as a solution for the rapid development of the ecosystem during the closed mainnet of the Pi Network. As we all know, the first quarter of this year will bring about the successful mainnet launch of Pi Network. After six long years of challenges and perseverance, all of our pioneers will have the opportunity to witness this significant historical moment. What an exciting and proud day this will be! It has not been easy for everyone to persist through these six years; it requires great blessings, unwavering faith, and the courage to overcome difficulties. Today, our pioneers in Zunyi, Guizhou Province, gathering for this GCV barter conference holds great significance. I see that ten companies are providing products for barter, with nine companies, including Guizhou Meitan County Daoqin Hospital and Barter Huishang (Guizhou) Digital Economy Industry Group Co., Ltd., sponsoring this event. Once again, I extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you. The GCV Barter Conference serves multiple purposes. It is not only about creating GCV data or demonstrating the strength of our China region to CT, but also about showing how closely we align with their vision and mission. Additionally, it provides robust evidence for a substantial number of KYC and migration initiatives in China. More importantly, what we do today aims to boost China’s future economic development. Once the main network of the Pi Network is launched, we anticipate a significant demand for Chinese products from numerous international pioneers, which will in turn generate a large volume of export orders. At the same time, there will be international merchants looking to export their products to China. Once OM, import and export transactions will be conducted using the new currency, facilitating the vision of a stable currency and enabling seamless and reliable exchanges with fiat currency. Therefore, the merchants who engage now will have the advantage of being early adopters. The Pi Network offers a partner program and a MapofPi program. To participate in the partnership, businesses are required to have a company website. We invite businesses with websites to join us. However, if you do not have a company website, you can still join the Mapofpi program, which encompasses a wide range of industries, allowing participation from both large companies and small traders. Registration for the Mapofpi does not require a business license or website; various entities including shops, hospitals, schools, hair salons, accounting firms, law firms, restaurants, and hotels are welcome to register. Please select an active merchant and support GCV at $314,159. Prior to the OM launch, it is advisable to use partial fiat currency and partial Pi to ensure that merchants can cover their costs and fulfill their tax obligations. Recently, on January 9, we established the China GCV Industry Chain Alliance, which aims to create an industrial chain that facilitates the circulation of Pi among merchants, thereby reducing the burden of exchanging fiat currency after OM. During the enclosed mainnet, you can assist merchants in registering as Pi Network Partners and Mapofpi . Ms. Lumari is our Global GCV CT executive director and her goal is to have 200,000 registered Mapofpi merchants worldwide. My personal target is to reach 100,000 registered merchants in China alone. This goal is achievable given the over 58 million enterprises and more than 20 million pioneers in China. If we can effectively convey that Pi Network WEB 3.0 blockchain technology will significantly enhance human productivity and that the business opportunities from accepting partial Pi and partial FIAT during the 60 days before OM will present numerous benefits and minimal risks to merchants, then it is likely that no merchant will be unfavorably surprised by the initiative. This strategy offers a multitude of advantages with virtually no downsides. Furthermore, it benefits pioneers by allowing them to transfer purchasing power to the community and minimize fiat currency expenses in their daily life. Consequently, the GCV data we generate will significantly benefit the Chinese pioneers, as a large number of registered merchants can transform the China region from a high-risk area to a safe zone. Not only can this region be promoted to a VIP area, which would enjoy expedited KYC and mapping processes, but it will also allow pioneers and merchants to thrive together in our ecosystem. This collaboration will enhance the prosperity of our country and empower the China region to contribute to the welfare of communities worldwide. Once OM, it will play a crucial role in the economic development of both China and the world. If you pay attention to our migrartion speed, you might have noticed that it has slowed down recently. From December 17th to around the 30th, the migrating speed was over 50,000 to 100,000 per day, but now it has dropped to just over 10,000. What is the reason for this decline? If it was previously possible to migrate over 100,000 per day, why has it changed? The CT has stated that they will OM until the first quarter of this year to bring the migratiion in line with KYC amounts. However, if it's technically feasible to achieve a higher migration speed, why isn’t it being done? The answer is quite simple: it depends on what everyone does with the Pi after such large migration numbers. If pioneers rush to buy and sell, hold onto their Pi coins, or trade at low value, it will impact the speed and efficiency of the next migration in these regions. This principle is not only theoretically valid but has proven true in practice. For instance, countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia have a solid educational foundation in GCV. Most pioneers there are highly aware of the risks involved in participating in the black market, which allows them to generate a substantial amount of GCV data. As a result, their migration speed is notably fast, and there are many large wallet migrated. To help the CT regain momentum, we all need to cooperate. Engage with the migrated Pi and participate in the GCV barter ecosystem. Be cautious of individuals who aim to deceive you for personal gain; devaluing the Pi often serves as a tactic to exchange something small for your valuable treasure. It's crucial to educate pioneers about the true value of what they hold and encourage them to avoid dishonest practices. I urge everyone to actively participate in partial Pi and partial FIAT barter. The more GCV data we generate, the more secure our wallets will be. Therefore, it's important for everyone to read and share the Pioneer Handbook I wrote which has been translated into 30 languages to raise awareness among pioneers. By learning from the Pioneer Handbook and participating in GCV bartering, we can improve China's migration efforts and foster ecological development. This stability can ensure that the value of our Pi endures for future generations, rather than becoming worthless in a few years. Wouldn't that be something we want to preserve for our children and grandchildren? Today's message is lengthy but very important, and I hope you take the time to understand it. I wish our Guizhou Zunyi Conference great success! Thank you to all GCV Ambassadors, Merchants, and Pioneers for your incredible support! Your efforts today are planting the seeds for a prosperous future, and I hope you find safety and fulfillment in the days to come. May your wishes come true! Wishing you health and happiness! Let’s work together to create a better future! I also hope you all have a joyful Chinese New Year! Doris Yin 🪷🪷🪷 Founder, Global GCV Movement January 12, 2025show more

It is already possible to speak about the outcome... of the Russia-China talks, to which Putin traveled as a partner, appeared at as a guest, and bargained like a supplicant. ▪️ The greeting ceremony as a mirror of relations The difference in protocol between the two visits - Trump’s and Putin’s - became the clearest symbolic indicator. President Trump was greeted on the tarmac by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, while Putin was met by the lower-ranking Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Trump’s delegation was accompanied by the heads of Apple, Tesla, and Nvidia, while Putin’s delegation was accompanied by square-jawed security personnel and a few officials. Xi demonstrated that he can host both Washington and Moscow in the same week - and that both come to him, not the other way around. Beijing placed itself at the center of the U.S.-China-Russia triangle. Despite the same red-carpet ceremony, Putin’s visit stood in sharp contrast to President Trump’s trip a week earlier. Putin quoted a Chinese proverb - "not seeing you for a day is like not seeing you for three autumns" - and invited Xi to Moscow next year. Xi responded with generic remarks about "development and rejuvenation" and never once stepped beyond protocol. ▪️ Economic and political dependence Economically, China is not a better trading partner for Russia than the European Union once was. It buys oil and gas at discounted prices, invests far less in Russia, and its products are often technologically inferior. Unlike the West, which provided Ukraine with billions in grants, Russia pays full price for Chinese imports. But in the absence of alternatives, China has become Russia’s economic lifeline. Russia’s dependence on China for sanctioned technology imports has risen to 90%, up from roughly 80% a year earlier. This comes despite Kremlin efforts to promote import substitution and achieve "technological sovereignty." China has purchased more than $367 billion worth of Russian oil and gas since the war began. At the same time, between April 2022 and February 2026, China’s average discount on Russian oil reached 7.7%, saving Beijing approximately $18.3 billion. Russia sells - China sets the price. The key evidence of this asymmetry is Power of Siberia 2. For Russia, it is a strategically critical project meant to compensate for the loss of the European gas market. Yet once again, no full agreement was signed during the visit: there is only a "general understanding," without pricing, timelines, or a final contractual framework. Politically, the dependence runs even deeper. Russia receives from China what it cannot secure on its own: an international stage, symbolic normalization, proof of "non-isolation," a shared language about a "multipolar world," and an anti-American framework. But China does not offer Moscow a formal alliance and does not allow Russia to dictate economic terms. The conclusion is straightforward: Russia received a stage, a declaration, and symbolic confirmation of status. China demonstrated that it fully controls its junior partner.show more