When you order the new folding-screen smartphone in an online live-streaming room, do you remember the excitement of queuing in front of a telecom service counter to buy your first mobile phone at the beginning of the century? When you drive a new energy vehicle and experience the convenience brought by smart driving technology, do you recall the countless families' aspirations for a better life that once rested on the "Three Olds" cars from years ago? The bells of 2026 are about to ring. Standing at this new starting point and looking back, a scale quietly passes through the gears of history, realizing that a quarter of the 21st century is nearly complete.
In 2001, terms and concepts that seemed quite novel at the time, such as ISDN, ADSL, e-commerce, and broadband transmission networks, began to frequently appear in media reports. Assembling a "Pentium 4" computer to go online without occupying the telephone line was both fashionable and a demonstration of advanced technology. That year, Beijing successfully bid for the Olympics, Shanghai hosted the APEC meeting, the men's soccer team qualified for the World Cup, and China joined the WTO. It was also the year when "Sea Guardian" Wang Wei sacrificed his life to protect national sovereignty and dignity while tracking and monitoring a U.S. military reconnaissance plane. The September 11 attacks and the Afghan War brought long-lasting and irreversible changes to global progress and the international landscape.
Looking back over this quarter of a century, what were once considered "futures" have now become the backdrop of our everyday lives on this journey. By September 2024, the total railway length in China exceeded 160,000 kilometers; by December 2025, the operating mileage of China's high-speed rail surpassed 50,000 kilometers, with the Fuxing train leading the world. On December 31, 2022, the Chinese space station was officially announced as fully constructed; on October 29, 2024, the "Haolong" cargo spacecraft program obtained a contract for the engineering flight verification phase. In 2009, China became the world's largest automobile producer and consumer for the first time; from January to November 2025, China's automobile production and sales reached 31.23 million and 31.12 million, respectively. In 2010, China's total box office revenue exceeded 10 billion yuan for the first time; in 2025, the box office for "Ne Zha 2" surpassed 15 billion yuan, entering the top five in global box office rankings.
As the 14th Five-Year Plan approaches its conclusion in 2025, China's economic strength, technological power, and comprehensive national strength have reached new heights. The Fujian aircraft carrier has been commissioned, the Dongfeng-5C made an appearance at the September 3 military parade, the Huajiang Canyon Bridge officially opened to traffic, and the C919 aircraft expanded its flight routes. Major national projects and super-engineering feats continuously refresh the "progress bar."
DeepSeek emerged, Labubu ignited the trendy play economy, consumer subsidies and parenting allowances frequently topped the hot searches, and the Jiangsu Football City League meme continuously gained popularity.
As time's train rolls past 2025, some depart, while others return. We bid farewell to Huang Xuhua and Yang Zhenning; their academic achievements and scholarly integrity have crossed mountains and seas, inspiring admiration worldwide. The twelfth batch of remains of volunteers who fought in South Korea returns home, welcoming the wanderers.
Faced with a few countries' attempts to "decouple and sever ties" and build "small yards with high walls," we respond with high-level openness, further expanding the "visa-free circle" for inbound tourism and shopping in China, releasing new vitality.
We must also remember that as the first quarter of the 21st century nears its end, the number of global armed conflicts has risen to post-World War II peaks, with unilateral sanctions and bullying severely impacting international security order. The specter of militarism still wanders in Japan, and the sinister thoughts of right-wing extremists are intolerable; people worldwide, including the Chinese people, must be prepared to resolutely defend peace and justice.
The Chinese nation's understanding of time is measured in hundreds and thousands of years; a quarter of a century in the historical river is but a fragment.
👋Goodbye, 2025—onward to 2026👋.
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