Hello and welcome to the 31st issue of Beijing Review.  

(Cover Photo: Courtesy Photo)  

Peaceful Coexistence looks at the peaceful co-existence between the different ethnic minorities and religions in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. A new white paper explains how Xinjiang has long been an inseparable part of China, sharing progress and challenges with the rest of the country.  

Understanding China's Foreign Assistance Policy analyzes how the Chinese assistance differs from the conditional aid given by developed nations. Once the recipient of external assistance, China today is discharging the debt by helping other developing countries benefit from its expertise and progress. The helping hand is offered in a spirit of solidarity, without interfering in recipients’ internal affairs.  

How Should China's National Flower Be Selected? takes a look at the pros and cons of making the peony China’s national flower.  Summer is not only the time for a thousand flowers to bloom but also the time for the revival of the persistent debate about whether China should have a national flower. An NGO recently did a survey, asking people to choose from nine flowers and the respondents opted for the peony over other candidates such as the plum blossom and the Chinese rose. 

Copyedited by Pamela Tobey 

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