Experts forecast that multiple cities in China will experience extended period of extreme heat in August, with authorities proactively taking measures such as turning off display lights to address challenges posed by peak electricity consumption.
With blistering heat set to once again descend over China, Jia Xiaolong, deputy director from China's National Climate Center (NCC), suggested that the relevant authorities should be ready to make preparations for the energy supply during peak period for electricity consumption, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province has implemented measures such as pausing non-essential landscape lighting and suspending light shows from Monday to Friday to manage the power load during the ongoing extreme heat wave, local authorities announced on Tuesday.
The West Lake, a famed attraction located in Hangzhou, will temporarily suspend the power-generating musical fountains from August 6 to August 9, the site's management department said on Tuesday.
According to the State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co Ltd, the average household electricity consumption of Hangzhou residents in July totaled 549 kilowatt-hours (kWh), ranking first in the province, with 57 percent of the households doubling their electricity consumption from the previous month.
In July, Shanghai authorities released an electricity proposal, prioritizing household energy consumption, essential projects and business activities which support critical services.
A district in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality requested merchants to turn off their electronic advertising billboards from 12 pm to 8 am, suggesting that outdoor digital advertisings should be switched off or keep a low light level, an official from the local government announced in July.
East China's Jiangxi Province urged officials to avoid working with lights turned on during daytime or when offices are unoccupied and leaving the lights on all the time, according to an electricity conservation initiative issued by the local government.
Electricity conservation measures put in place by East China's Anhui Province suggested public institutions to act as standard bearers, such as setting the office air-conditioning higher than 26 C, suspending elevator access to low floors. Also, industrial enterprises are expected to voluntarily carry out staggered schedule for power use to minimize energy consumption and costs.
It is expected that in the first half of August, China will see two periods of extreme heat, of which August 3 to 7 searing heats in southern China will be featured by a wide range and high intensity. Temperatures in cities of East China's provinces, including Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Jiangxi will reach 39 C to 42 C, Jia told Xinhua.
During the Paris Olympics, a Spanish journalist carried and praised a Chinese-made backpack with the Beijing Olympics logo as "the best bag ever" for its exceptional quality. The endorsement sparked a surge in orders for the backpack, again highlighting the global recognition of Made-in-China products through the Olympic spotlight.
"Our company attracted more than 2 million viewers at our live-streaming site on Douyin.com within 18 hours, resulting in total sales of the backpack exceeding 3 million yuan ($419,720), Chen Haining, the manager of Xiangxing Group, the producer of the backpack, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Chen added that the total sales of the backpack surpassed 5 million yuan within two days of live streaming, and the company's Douyin account has swelled with new fans, with the number of the new followers hitting 700,000 within three days, and going on to exceed 800,000 as of Tuesday.
This backpack was designed for media use during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Since then, the backpack was spotted during many international events carried by international journalists.
The Spanish journalist said he has been using the China-made backpack since the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games for 16 years, according to a report by China News Service on July 25.
Chen said that the backpack was specifically designed for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, utilizing advanced technologies of that time to ensure durability and strength, but the backpack cannot be reproduced using the Olympic logo due to copyright issues.
The upgraded version of the backpack, priced at around 100 yuan, is now available and quickly sold out upon release. Other similar products made in China are also in high demand.
The backpack has attracted widespread attention from both domestic and international media in recent days, and its "high-quality" has become a popular description for Chinese-made products at this year's Paris Olympics, market watchers noted.
The success of Made-in-China products in drawing consumers at the Paris Olympic Games lies in a combination of high quality and sharp market insight, Liang Zhenpeng, a senior industry analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
"Seizing such opportunities requires genuine quality, and the market recognition could benefit the company's future market expansion abroad," he said.
"Our team discovered that a foreign journalist mentioned this backpack in a China-related media report, and our company chairman shared the news online, encouraging us to respond proactively," Chen said, "I felt both excited and proud."
"We swiftly formed teams to handle the increased traffic generated by the Paris Olympic Games. During the past few days, our workers are motivated to create enough buzz that resonate with consumers," Chen told the Global Times.
When Manila hypes up so-called Chinese aggression, the Philippine people hold a different view. "China, like most of us Asian nations, are peaceful people. China did not invade us. China did not kill our ancestors. China did not impose their culture on us. China did not force us to speak their language. China did not meddle in our internal politics. But the United States did," wrote Jun Abines (Abines) , a Philippine political commentator. Why does he believe this? What experience could the two countries draw from previous friendly periods? Abines shared his views with Global Times (GT) reporter Li Aixin.
GT: Why do you believe China is peaceful?
Abines: More than 10 years ago, I was anti-China because of what I heard from TV, newspapers, and radio. The Philippines had a strong anti-China campaign for three decades. However, in 2014, while running a construction business, I met a client from the Chinese mainland named Mr. Qin. He noticed my criticism of China during discussions about China-Philippines relations amid tension in the South China Sea under President Benigno Aquino III. Mr. Qin invited me to visit China, specifically Guangzhou. That tour changed my perspective. From the moment we landed in Hong Kong and drove four hours to Guangzhou, I saw a China that was very different from what the media portrayed. During my 12-day stay in Guangzhou, I observed it was like Europe: safe, modern, and highly progressive.
I started researching more, and that's how my perspective changed on China. The more I dug into it, the more I realized that China, like the Philippines, has been invaded and bullied. China has actually helped fellow Asian countries that were invaded by the US.
In the last 500 years of history, most of the worst conflicts in the world have not involved China; it's mostly been Western countries. So, I am 100 percent convinced that China is a peaceful country. The narrative in the Philippines that China will invade us is a joke, because history itself will tell that Chinese people are peaceful. They love business and trade.
GT: You also mentioned, "The West and the US already invaded us."
Abines: In 1898, the US came to the Philippines with deception. They said they would assist us in fighting the Spanish, and the Filipino rebellion against the Spanish government welcomed US troops. It was later revealed that Spain had already sold the Philippines to the US for $20 million, deceiving us during their first invasion.
Now, American troops are back, claiming they will enter our country again to help us fight China and be our friends in humanitarian and disaster response. However, look at what happened in Metro Manila recently - the flooding. No American forces were seen in the area offering aid. The rhetoric - the US trying to help - was a lie. We were deceived again.
The US claims it needs nine bases throughout the Philippines. What is their purpose, and why are these bases located in cities full of civilians?
Before the US' return to the Philippines, the world already knew that the US' objective in Southeast Asia is to contain China. This is common knowledge. I think more than 50 percent of Filipinos know this, but most media outlets are silent now, and people like me are being silenced. Many of us face bans or deletions on social media. Our articles are hard to circulate because they want to prevent the truth from coming out.
People like me who are raising our voices are not doing this for anyone else but ourselves. Many Filipinos understand that inviting US forces to the Philippines will only bring trouble and chaos.
GT: In Cebu City, where you live, there is the Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base, which is one of the bases the Philippines is offering the US access to. How do local people feel about the US military presence?
Abines: There's already a movement. Months ago, I saw a rally here advocating against a proxy war. There's a group saying that they oppose war. When interviewed by local media, they said, "We don't want to be the next Ukraine."
Another local group - No to Proxy War - conveyed that we Filipinos understand the US' objective is to contain China, and we don't want to be used as a proxy. We see the dangers ahead on that path. We want US forces to leave the Philippines and let us manage our own country, so we can progress economically. For too long, the Philippines has been poor due to bullying and economic policies dictated by Western countries, especially the US.
GT: After China and the Philippines recently reached a temporary arrangement on managing the situation of Ren'ai Jiao, the Philippine administration quickly reversed its position. How do you interpret Manila's flip-flopping on this hard-won consensus?
Abines: It has been this pattern over the past 12 months. Our current administration lacks a clear stance on peace. We notice this double talk on our side. President Marcos is saying two conflicting things at the same time. He said he wants peace, but his actions don't support it.
Additionally, there are too many spokespersons on the Philippine side. Unfortunately, many will accuse me of being a traitor for saying this - I believe the truth is that the Marcos administration is very incompetent and is primarily serving US interests. If they truly prioritized the Filipino people's interests, they would wholeheartedly go for peace and diplomacy.
It seems that the Marcos administration is aiming to please a master. While their master is supposed to be the Filipino people, they appear to be serving the US instead. Their actions align with what the US dictates. That's why we are very restless in the Philippines because we've seen so much incompetence and abandonment of Filipino welfare.
The Filipinos desire independence for the Philippines from the US. We seek progress, and the path to progress lies in fostering friendship with China, other ASEAN nations, and the US, but not in being a puppet of the US. If we continue to follow Marcos' actions, progress will elude the Philippines.
GT: What are the positive aspects for the Philippines in having better ties with China? And what experiences could the two countries draw from previous friendly periods?
Abines: During his six years in office, former president Rodrigo Duterte adopted a neutral foreign policy and fostered friendly relations with China, which proved to be the best thing that happened to us economically. From 2016 to 2020, we witnessed significant economic growth and progress in our country.
This serves as a prime example of the benefits of an independent foreign policy and maintaining an open mind toward a pro-Asia perspective. This approach is crucial for ASEAN countries, especially the Philippines, to promoting regional peace.
The lesson we can learn from the past period is to set aside differences. The South China Sea is disputed by at least five Asian countries. We should focus on prioritizing what both sides truly need: trade, progress, peace, and order. China, now an economic superpower with advanced technology, presents significant benefits for the Philippines. For a long time, the Philippines was deprived of technology and investment from Western countries, whom we call friends.
There's a lot of hypocrisy in our friendship with the West, as we often hear and read in the news that they claim to be our friends.
But whenever we try to improve our economy, they oppose us. They dictate what we can or cannot do, hindering our progress. For instance, we need nuclear power plants, but they oppose it. We also need to resolve our insurgency problem, but the US doesn't want that to happen. This illustrates the irony of our Western friends. When we apply for visas to the US, about 90 percent of applications are denied. They view Filipinos as mere sources of cheap labor and we cannot enter the US and Europe without showing a lot of money. They think most Filipinos are bad guys. We are not welcome in their country. This is the worst friendship.
The more I dig about our relationship with the West and the more I try to understand our relationship with China, the more I see hypocrisy from the West and sincerity from China.
Most Filipinos truly want peace in the South China Sea and throughout Southeast Asia. During the previous administration, we were very happy. Our economy was growing, and numerous infrastructure projects were underway. We had a strong relationship with China, and the Chinese government funded many projects in the Philippines. However, over the past two years, this progress has halted.
We're frustrated that our mainstream media outlets only focus on negative news involving China, when we could benefit greatly from fostering friendship with, understanding, and embracing China as well as other Asian countries as brothers. That should be our case. But right now, we are disappointed by the fact that we have an administration in the Philippines that is a US puppet, which disgusts me personally. I think many Filipinos share my sentiment.
China's State Council, the country's cabinet, issued guidelines to promote high-quality development of consumption of services sector and expand opening-up of the fields including telecommunications, education, elderly care, medical care, Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday.
The timely and critical move is conducive to unleashing the enormous potential of the service sector and inject new impetus into the high-quality growth of the Chinese economy, which has established a well-developed industrial system in the manufacturing sector and is experiencing rapidly rising demand for improved consumption among residents, experts said.
While emphasizing the exploration of the potential of improvement-oriented consumption in areas such as cultural entertainment, tourism, sports, education and training, and residential services, the guidance also encourages the growth of emerging sectors including cruising, yachts, recreational vehicle camping, low-altitude flight, Xinhua reported.
China's manufacturing industry and the real economy have developed rapidly. Promoting high-quality service consumption will contribute to the balanced and sustainable growth of China's economy, Cao Heping, an economist from Peking University, told the Global Times on Saturday.
Many service consumption areas cited in the guidelines are those that need to be further developed in the process of increasing China's national income levels, according to Cao.
China's growth will remain resilient at around 5 percent in 2024 despite challenges. The country’s service sector is an underutilized driver of growth. Reallocating resources to services has helped boost productivity over the past two decades, according to an IMF article published on Friday.
The proportion of service consumption in urban residents' spending now exceeds that of goods consumption, with a relatively higher growth rate. Promoting the growth of service consumption at this time will aid in the overall recovery of consumption, Tian Yun, a veteran economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Saturday.
China will continue to relax market access restrictions for the service sector, deepen the opening-up of the fields of telecommunications, education, aged care, medical care, and promote the comprehensive implementation of opening-up measures in the fields of technology services, tourism, according to the guideline.
China plans to further streamline border entry policies and enhance the consumption environment to expedite the increase in the number of flights, offer a variety of payment services, explore opportunities to expand visa-free countries, and enhance cultural tourism year activities, according to the guideline.
Expanding openness in these areas will further support the continuous recovery and upgrading of China's industrial structure, according to Tian.
Relaxing market access and expanding opening-up policies will help attract more foreign capital and foreign tourists to engage with China's service consumption market. This will be a favorable policy promotion for the development of related fields, Cao added.
A man who stole a doctor's lab coat to dilute his wife's blood sample at the hospital to help her evade punishment for drunk driving was convicted of aiding the destruction of evidence and sentenced to four months' detention and six months' probation, according to a court ruling in Dongguan, South China's Guangdong Province, on Wednesday.
The judgment is now in effect. The case disclosed by the court revealed that the man's wife, surnamed Huang, was caught by a traffic police while driving a minivan under the influence of alcohol in August 2023. Huang was then taken to the hospital for a blood test before returning home.
The man, surnamed Zhu, came to the hospital on the same day and stole a white coat and gloves from a room to disguise himself as a medic. Zhu found Huang's blood sample test tube from the storage area, then poured water into the test tube to dilute the blood sample, and put it back in its original location.
Staff at the identification center discovered abnormalities in Huang's blood sample and called the police after observing Zhu's actions on surveillance footage. Zhu's actions resulted in Huang's blood samples being unable to be used as evidence, and subsequently the public security organs utilized spare blood samples for re-identification.
The court held that the defendant Zhu ignored the law, and his doing has constituted the aiding and abetting the destruction of evidence, and shall be punished according to law. However, in view of the fact that the defendant Zhu has confessed and meets the conditions for the application of probation, he may be subject to probation in accordance with the law.
Zhu disrupted the normal order of litigation procedure. His action would have made the offender escape legal penalty, and he ought to be punished by the law, according to the court.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for modernizing the country's border, coastal, and air defense to make it strong and solid as he chaired a leadership group study session prior to the country's Army Day, which falls on Aug. 1.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Tuesday.
Five days and six nights, three countries and four cities, over 30 bilateral or multilateral activities… these figures encapsulate Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Europe, the first of its kind in five years.
Chinese national flags adorned the cities, with crowds eagerly welcoming President Xi. The Global Times reporters observed these details during the visit, highlighting the anticipation in the continent to strengthen friendship and cooperation between China and the three countries of France, Serbia, and Hungary. People across the continent hoped that the visit would pave the way for stronger ties between China and the three countries, as well as with Europe as a whole.
During a press conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that President Xi's recent state visits have solidified China's relations with the three European countries and relaunched China-EU cooperation.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, described Xi's Europe trip as a journey to carry forward friendship, enhance mutual trust, boost confidence and chart the course for the future. Personal touch
French President Emmanuel Macron invited Xi to meet at the Pyrenees Mountains, a mountainous area in southern France which is close to the home of Macron's maternal grandmother.
It seems that it has become a routine that the two heads of state treat each other with something beyond the courtesy of a normal state visit. In March 2019, in the French city of Nice, Macron received Xi at Villa Kerylos, a century-old house overlooking the Mediterranean. Later that year, President Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan met with Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai.
In April 2023 when the Chinese and French top leaders met for informal talks in Guangzhou, the capital of South China's Guangdong Province, they listened to the guqin (Chinese zither) melody "High Mountain and Flowing Water" at Baiyun Hall.
This year, on a cold snowy spring day, the two leaders continued to write the story of "High Mountain and Flowing Water," showing the world that despite China and France being an Eastern power and a Western power respectively, they can still cooperate on bilateral, regional and world affairs.
A local resident from a town near the Pyrenees is no stranger to China. He told the Global Times that his niece used to study in Shanghai and now works at a multinational company that has many businesses in China. A cyclist at the Pyrenees Mountains, who cannot speak English very well, said "friendship" when asked about the meeting between Xi and Macron at the mountain.
Xi's visit coincided with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Thanks to former French president general Charles de Gaulle's grand vision and his advocacy for French autonomy, he made this bold decision 60 years ago, making France the first Western country to establish official ties with China.
In 2014, when Xi visited France, he went to the Charles de Gaulle Foundation. This time, the Global Times paid a visit there and had director of the foundation to recall Xi's visit 10 years ago and what prompted general de Gaulle to make the decision.
"President Xi laid a wreath in honor of General de Gaulle in the office where he worked from 1947 to 1958. Gifts were exchanged," Antoine Broussy, director of the foundation, told the Global Times, and showed a guest book on which President Xi wrote: "Paying Tribute to the Great Man and Composing a New Chapter in Chinese and French History."
In a showroom on the ground floor of the Charles de Gaulle Foundation, a bronze half-body statue of de Gaulle stands. He looks contemplative, apparently observing the historical trajectory of China-France relations. Steel-clad friends
During his stay in Serbia, a country Xi visited eight years ago, the Chinese president presented a special gift to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic - steel models in the shape of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, and the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade.
The models were made from steel produced by the HBIS Smederevo steel plant, or Hesteel Serbia, a century-old factory which was invigorated through close cooperation between China and Serbia.
Xi visited the plant in June 2016, months after China's Hesteel Group purchased this venture on the verge of closure and the future of its more than 5,000 employees was unsettled.
Xi interacted with the workers and encouraged them to work hard to bring benefits to local residents. Factory workers presented a round plate with the silhouette of the steel plant to Xi as a gift.
The visit significantly boosted the morale of all the workers, and encouraged the Chinese executive team to optimize production and management. Smiles returned to the faces of Serbian workers as they felt secure and began to "plan for the future."
Hesteel Serbia now has become a major exporter in the Balkan country and a crucial taxpayer. Its success is an embodiment of the "ironclad" friendship between China and Serbia.
Before his state visit this time, Xi replied to a letter written by Serbian steelworkers who shared the progress the steel plant had achieved and expressed their appreciation for Xi's care and support.
When presenting the steel models to Vucic on Wednesday, Xi said we are now "steel-clad friends with even stronger ties than iron-clad friends."
In a signed article by Xi published on Serbian local media outlet Politika before his arrival, he wrote "the China-Serbia friendship, forged with the blood of our compatriots," citing NATO's flagrant bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia on May 7, 1999.
In his first public event during the 2016 visit, Xi and Serbian leaders paid homage to three Chinese martyrs in the bombing at a memorial erected on the site where the embassy once stood.
Now standing on the site is the China Cultural Center, for which Xi laid the foundation stone in 2016. This site has now gained a new life while retaining the sentiment of friendship.
Carefully decorated with Chinese elements, the center offers courses on Chinese, calligraphy, Tai Chi, and guzheng, a traditional musical instrument. The center also holds a library which has a collection ranging from language learning materials and dictionaries, to popular novels and classics.
Various cultural events are held here, and the center issues commemorative stamps with Serbian Post biannually, the Global Times learned from the center.
Many locals also come to the center for classes out of interest, gain better knowledge of China and Chinese culture.
Milica Milovic, the first Serbian employee at the center, told the Global Times that working at the center is really a pride as she is now part of the strong China-Serbia friendship.
This ironclad friendship has become deeper and deeper through efforts of every ordinary Chinese and Serbian who are contributing to bilateral exchanges and friendliness.
A East-West model
Upon President Xi's arrival in Budapest, the final stop on his five-day European visit, Chinese national flags were placed next to Hungarian flags on the Elisabeth Bridge in this beautiful capital.
Xi previously visited Hungary in 2009. Some things have changed, while some have not. The Danube River still flows silently and gently, witnessing the development of relations between China and Hungary. During Xi's visit this time, the two countries elevated bilateral relations to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era.
What deeply impressed President Xi during his state visit to Hungary, he said, was a Hungarian girl who presented flowers to him when he landed in Budapest. She was the same girl who presented flowers to Xi 15 years ago. The president recollected that encounter: "You've grown up. You were only this tall back then," he said, making a gesture with his hand.
The girl can speak fluent Chinese. So can many young Hungarians, who have cultivated a strong interest in China and the Chinese language as exchanges between China and Hungary have flourished over the last couple of years. In Buda Castle, the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian Kings, nearly half of the tourists come from China, and they have a tourist guide who can speak Chinese very well.
Many Hungarians who speak fluent Chinese learned the language at the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school in Budapest. Established in 2004, the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school is a 12-year all-through public school that teaches in both Chinese and Hungarian.
In October 2009, Xi, then Chinese vice president, visited the school during his visit to Hungary. Today, a group photo of Xi and the school's students and teachers, as well as Xi's reply letter to the students in early 2023, hangs on the wall in the school's hallway.
Xin Hua, director and chair professor of the Center for European Union Studies, Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times that an important reason that China and Hungary can develop friendly ties is that the two countries have similar historical and cultural traditions.
"Welcome home!" Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban greeted Xi at the airport. The next day, Xi was received with a military ceremony in the Lion Courtyard of Buda Castle.
In an interview with Chinese media, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban explained what "home" means.
"We are settled here in the West, but the origin is very important. So, we know that relatives are somewhere, they are far away. So, when somebody from the East is coming to Hungary, especially with the high civilization for several thousands of years as China, it always has a special emotional element of that meeting," Orban said.
More than 181,000 visitors from the Chinese mainland entered Hong Kong on Wednesday, the first day of the five-day May Day holidays, surpassing numbers for the same period in 2023, data from the Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government revealed.
About 468,000 people entered the city on Wednesday. Among them, visitors from the Chinese mainland numbered over 181,000, it said.
Departures from Hong Kong totaled around 340,000 people, with nearly 60 percent being residents of the city. Despite the single-day holiday, many residents in Hong Kong opted to travel out of the city for leisure.
The Immigration Department previously estimated that passenger arrivals and departures will total 5.9 million from Tuesday to Sunday, among which more than 800,000 trips will be made by tourists from the Chinese mainland.
Timothy Chui, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, said that the number of visitors from the Chines mainland on Wednesday was satisfactory, similar to last year's figures, with hotel occupancy rates being at strong levels, reported the Chinese News Service.
He said that the numbers could have been higher if not for weather conditions. Chu noted that he learned some visitors came to Hong Kong to witness fireworks displays, which he believed was influenced by the promotional efforts of the government on social media platforms.
Starting at 8 pm on Wednesday, the 10-minute display blended in with the night view of the Victoria Harbor and is accompanied by a light and music show. The gold-toned fireworks were set off from a boat 130 meters offshore.
Many tourists and Hong Kong residents had arrived three hours early for the show to find the perfect viewing spot despite the drizzles throughout the day, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
"I anticipate the fireworks the most for my four-day Hong Kong tour this Labor Day holiday,"said a tourist surnamed Lu from South China's Guangdong Province.
In addition, in preparation for the May Day holidays, which last from Wednesday to Sunday in the Chinese mainland this year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board announced that 16,000 travel vouchers would be distributed free of charge to individual travelers from Xi'an and Qingdao, which could be used at more than 100 premium Hong Kong brands and 2,000 shopping outlets.
Citizens in Xi'an and Qingdao have been eligible to visit the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions on an individual basis starting from March 6.
The Tourism Industry Council of Hong Kong estimated a 50% increase in visitors from these two cities following the opening of individual travel arrangements, the China News Service reported.
On April 23, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu stated that Hong Kong government had made comprehensive preparations for the May Day holidays, estimating that there would be at least 800,000 mainland visitors and around 5.9 million people passing through various immigration control points.
Lee noted that many operators in the service industry have developed promotional plans and experiential activities, aiming to provide a positive experience for travelers in dining, shopping and other aspects, with the hope of promoting Hong Kong even after their return home, media outlet ifeng reported .
According to CCTV, citing words from the Ministry of Transport, it's expected that there will be a total inter-regional population movement of 280 million people, a 15.9 percent increase compared with the same period in 2019 on Wednesday.
Railway passenger volume is expected to reach 20.4 million, while inter-regional road traffic is projected to hit 257 million. Waterway passenger traffic is estimated at 900,000, with civil aviation passenger volume forecasted at 2.11 million.
As in previous years, during this year's May Day holidays, small passenger cars with seven seats or fewer will continue to enjoy toll-free passage on highways.
Additionally, many tourist attractions in various cities will implement policies of free or reduced admission during the May Day period. Viral videos online showed that across China, people are packed in railways stations, tourist attractions and even less-popular traveling cities.
US payment company Mastercard's Chinese joint venture (JV) opened for business on Thursday, after the People's Bank of China approved the arrangement for the bank card clearing operations in November 2023.
The opening marks Mastercard as the second overseas bank card clearing institution to enter the Chinese market, after American Express in 2020, which industry analysts said demonstrates the country's determination to open wider to the outside world in the financial sector.
The move is conducive to promoting a more open and internationalized development of China's payment and clearing services, providing diversified and differentiated services for all parties in finance, as well as deepening the supply-side structural reform of the payment industry, analysts noted.
In2023, China's central bank and the National Financial Regulatory Administration approved an application by Mastercard NetsUnion Information Technology (Beijing) Co, a JV between Mastercard and NetsUnion Clearing Corp, to conduct bank card clearing operations in the country.
According to the official Mastercard website, its Chinese JV has begun processing payments made in China with Mastercard cards issued by the country's banks. In addition, the JV confirmed that Mastercard-branded cards will now be accepted for both domestic and international purchases.
"This is another significant milestone for Mastercard... Our goal is to simplify the payments experience for China's Mastercard cardholders both at home and overseas," Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard, was quoted in a statement sent to the Global Times on Thursday.
"To offer more choices and deliver greater value for Chinese consumers and businesses of all sizes, we will expand the availability of Mastercard-branded products, facilitate the addition of millions of new acceptance locations across the country, and deliver seamless and safe payments experiences every day," said Ling Hai, chairman of the board of Mastercard NetsUnion and president of Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa for Mastercard.
The JV reinforced its commitment to continue providing comprehensive support for Mastercard NetsUnion's operations, under the guidance and support of Chinese regulators.
To facilitate seamless, secure payments for Chinese cardholders at home and overseas, Mastercard NetsUnion will collaborate with local acquirers to expand its acceptance network in China, bolstering its extensive network of more than 130 million acceptance locations worldwide, according to the statement.
Clearing agencies want to operate in China because of the huge demand for cross-border payments with the externally oriented character of its economy. High-quality opening-up is creating the conditions for these clearing agencies to conduct business in the country, economist Pan Helin told the Global Times on Thursday.
"The establishment of JV clearing agencies is a notable sign of the opening-up of the financial market. It has not only allowed the entry of foreign capital, but also facilitated exchanges of technology and knowledge, all of which are direct results of the opening-up policy," said Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.
In addition to providing consumers and businesses with a wider choice of financial services and products, Wang told the Global Times that the move is also an important step in the internationalization of China's financial market, as cooperation with internationally recognized financial institutions helps the country's banking industry introduce advanced technology and management practices.
"China's banking industry needs to cooperate with foreign clearing organizations to develop overseas business, in order to expand its incremental banking business," Pan noted.
Mastercard's move to boost its presence in the Chinese market has debunked Western claims of foreign capital leaving China, analysts said.
"The active participation of foreign organizations in China demonstrates their long-term optimism in the world's second-largest economy's development. This confidence stems from the huge potential of the Chinese market, including a large consumer base and growing economic strength," Wang said.
Guo Tingting, a vice commerce minister, said that the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises in the first quarter of this year came at 12,000, an increase of 20.7 percent year-on-year, maintaining the rapid growth trend of last year.
In terms of investment scale, the actual use of foreign capital reached 301.67 billion yuan ($41.67 billion), a record high, the vice minister said.
With its continued financial market opening-up, China, which has the world's largest banking system and the second-largest insurance, stock and bond markets, is creating broad opportunities for global financial institutions, Wang noted.
China has implemented more than 50 financial opening-up measures in recent years, including eliminating foreign ownership limitations in the banking and insurance sectors and lowering access criteria for foreign investors.
Standing on the observation deck, one is easily captivated by the majestic view of the Xiaowan Hydropower Station (Xiaowan). The massive dam, standing tall and proud, stretches across the roaring Lancang River, creating a mesmerizing sight. It is hard to imagine how the model of an advanced Chinese hydropower station, known as the world's landmark double-curvature arch concrete dam, uses its slender body to generate an impressively large output of clean and sustainable electricity and benefit riparian countries along the Mekong River.
As Lancang-Mekong River countries vowed to work together to promote regional prosperity at a recently concluded foreign ministers' meeting held in Beijing, Global Times reporters, together with envoys from many Mekong countries, visited Xiaowan, one of the leading hydropower stations along the Lancang River, to see how it brings practical benefits to downstream countries through flood control, water supply, power generation, and ecological protection. Practical benefits witnessed
"It's so impressive!" This is the overall consensus of foreign diplomats who have visited Xiaowan. When the engineers of the Xiaowan Hydropower Station were introducing the specific technical parameters of the hydropower station, the Global Times witnessed foreign diplomats' keen interest and continuous praise, as they displayed a strong curiosity in understanding the "difficulties" associated with the Xiaowan project.
They were amazed that Xiaowan has solved many global challenges, and were amazed by the design and manufacturing of large-capacity, large-range, and high-parameter turbine generators in such a complex geological and topographical environment, and under such construction conditions, as well as the 30 years of round-the-clock hard work by the hydropower station personnel from start to completion.
Together with other hydropower stations, Xiaowan increases the discharge and emergency water supply downstream in a timely fashion, effectively alleviating the drought caused by El Nino in downstream Mekong countries, ensuring agricultural irrigation in downstream countries, and preventing seawater invasion in the Mekong Delta. This has fully demonstrated the significance of practical cooperation in Lancang-Mekong water resource management for the benefits of people in the Lancang-Mekong region.
"I am very grateful that I had the chance to see the great achievements of China in the hydropower industry and water management system. Those achievements are results of good policy guidance and tireless efforts of the Chinese people. I believe that all of us can follow the examples of China and on the other hand, China could also share its experiences with us, as suggested in the theme of the trip: shared river, shared future," said Win Myat Aung, Education Counsellor of Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in China.
Currently, 11 hydropower stations, including Xiaowan, are operational on the Lancang River. From the map, these power stations are like fortresses of hope built upon the river, providing much needed help to downstream countries when they suffer from extreme flooding and droughts.
Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted at the 8th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Beijing on December 7 that by enjoying geographical proximity and cultural affinity and drinking water from the same river, the six LMC countries are as close as one family. With a good start, rapid growth, and extensive benefits, the LMC has been expanding in breadth and depth, injecting new vitality into sub-regional prosperity and development and delivering tangible benefits to sub-regional people.
Wang said that joint working groups in six priority areas, including water resources, are progressing in an orderly manner, and mechanisms such as the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center and the Global Center for Mekong River Studies are operating at high efficiency, making progress daily, delivering results monthly, and reaching new heights annually.
At the meeting, all parties appreciated China's positive contribution to promoting the LMC, and all agreed to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, uphold mutual trust and mutual respect, build a stronger Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Economic Development Belt, and jointly build an even closer Lancang-Mekong community of shared future.
In 2016 and 2019, severe droughts occurred downstream, and China and the Mekong River countries actively cooperated to increase the discharge of reservoirs including at Xiaowan, and provide emergency supplementary water to downstream areas.
In 2016 alone, 12.65 billion cubic meters of water were supplemented to downstream areas, an increase of about 85 percent compared with the natural water inflow during the same period. This effectively alleviated the drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon in downstream countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, ensuring agricultural irrigation in downstream coastal countries.
Upstream Xiaowan and Nuozhadu hydropower stations also made efforts to reduce peak inundation during the flood season. Additionally, navigation conditions in the lower reaches of the Lancang-Mekong River have significantly improved. In 2001, the Lancang-Mekong international waterway was officially opened for navigation, thanks to increased flow during the dry season, which helped achieve year-round navigation.
The joint visit held in Southwest China's Yunnan Province from December 11 to 15 gathered representatives from the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Water Resources, as well as diplomats and representatives from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, to better understand the results of the 8th LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting, further consolidate consensus, and deepen cooperation on water resources in the Lancang-Mekong region.
Conquer world-class difficulties
Xiaowan is the world's first 300-meter-high double-curvature arch concrete dam, known as the "shoulder of the giants" among China's dam constructors.
Developed by the Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Development Company, Xiaowan has a total storage capacity of 15 billion cubic meters. The power station is equipped with 6 units at a total installed capacity of 4200MW. It became fully operational in August 2010, with an average annual power generation of 19 billion kilowatt-hours.
Global Times reporters learned that the Xiaowan Hydropower Station is widely recognized as one of the most challenging hydropower projects in the world in terms of construction. The completion of the project has filled many technical gaps in China's hydropower industry and is a milestone in leading the development of global hydropower construction.
After the completion of Xiaowan, downstream cascade power stations are now able to increase their power generation during the dry season by approximately 1.1 million kilowatts-hours, which is equivalent to building a million-kilowatt hydropower station without spending a penny.
Pan Jiazheng, the late Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences once said: "After the construction of the Xiaowan Hydropower Station, it is no more that the Chinese who will go abroad to learn about hydropower construction, but the foreigners who come to China to learn about hydropower construction." This is because challenges in the design and construction of Xiaowan, a 300-meter-high arched dam and the stability of its shoulder under complex geological conditions, have been successfully solved.
The successful construction of Xiaowan has put China at the forefront of the world's hydropower construction in terms of design, scientific research, construction, and management, according to the introductions of the engineers responsible for the construction of the hydropower station during the visit.
Closer community of shared future
Counsellor Sun Lushan from the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the LMC water resources cooperation a "golden model" of Lancang-Mekong cooperation.
"LMC cooperation is characterized by a high starting point, rapid development, deepened cooperation, a wide range of profiting parties, and additional benefits. It is becoming a role model of national cooperation and a benchmark for South-South cooperation, which will go a long way in ensuring prosperity and development of the sub-region," Sun said at the International Symposium on the Multistakeholders' Involvement in LMC Water Resources Cooperation of LM Trip held on December 14.
"Countries in the Lancang-Mekong sub-region are not only China's friendly neighbors, but also strategic partners. We are ready to continue to work with our friends to promote more pragmatic cooperation in the sub-region through Chinese modernization so as to contribute to the development of the region and the world at large," Sun noted.
Looking ahead, China will continue to pursue good neighborhood diplomacy of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness by further deepening water resources cooperation with all parties, sharing development opportunities, addressing common risks and challenges, and building a community in water resources for shared future, Sun added.
Zhou Zhiwei, secretary-general of Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center, revealed at the symposium that since the implementation of the Five-year Action Plan of Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation (2018-2022), the water resources authorities of the six member countries have been actively organizing and implementing more than 50 water-related livelihood projects. The Lancang-Mekong Sweet Spring Project has established a total of 62 rural water supply technology demonstration points, providing local residents with safer drinking water, and technical demonstrations for the member countries as well. It was included in the List of Practical Cooperation Deliverables of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held on October 18, 2023.
Another project, named "Dam Safety Evaluation Action Plan for Lancang-Mekong Countries," has conducted safety inspections and demonstrations on dams in Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Safe wings have been installed for the dam to better serve humanity.
China also supported the carrying out of hydrological monitoring projects and has built a central station and 25 automatic monitoring stations in Laos. "It will help us to better understand rivers and lakes, and better respond to flood and drought disasters," Zhou said.
Moreover, since November 2020, China has provided annual Lancang River hydrological data to the five Mekong countries and the Mekong River Commission. The Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Information Sharing Platform website has been put into operation, and more than 50,000 pieces of information have been shared in a timely manner.
"I highly value an active contribution from member countries, especially China, in Mekong-Lancang development, particularly in 2021 when many projects were adopted by the leaders that supported the LMC special fund, and I do believe that in the coming years, the water related projects will increase productively," said Singhalath Boupha, the third secretary of the Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in Beijing.
"Thailand has seen the benefits of this cooperation," said Wanapol Sangiamsin, deputy consul-general at the Royal Thai Consulate General in Kunming. "As the incoming co-chair of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, Thailand looks forward to collaborating closely with other Lancang-Mekong colleagues toward the realization of a peaceful community of shared future, sustainable development, and prosperity."
