General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that building a safe, convenient, efficient, green, economical, inclusive, and resilient sustainable transportation system is an important measure to support and serve high-quality economic and social development and realize the beautiful vision of "people enjoying their travel and goods flowing freely". Currently, China is accelerating the construction of a comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network, providing a solid guarantee for high-quality economic development and Chinese modernization. A few days ago, a batch of elevator components arrived at Chongqing Guoyuan Port, one of the first pilot projects for building a country with strong transportation capabilities, by road. After adopting the multimodal transport "single-document system" for the goods, the transportation time to Australia via Shenzhen on the Yuqin railway express was shortened by 10 days, and transportation costs were reduced by 20%. Today, based on the construction of infrastructure such as railways, highways, waterways, civil aviation, and postal services, and relying on the construction of transportation hubs with world-class urban agglomerations such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as the backbone, more transportation methods are being interconnected, gradually solving problems such as poor衔接 (connection) between various transportation modes in China. Transportation is the "artery" of the national economy. In September 2019, when General Secretary Xi Jinping attended the commissioning ceremony of Beijing Daxing International Airport, he emphasized the need to build more and more advanced aviation hubs, a more complete comprehensive transportation system, and accelerate the construction of a country with strong transportation capabilities. In September 2023, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the Global Sustainable Transportation Summit, pointing out that China is accelerating the construction of a country with strong transportation capabilities and will continue to adhere to connecting with the world and keeping pace with the times, committed to promoting global transportation cooperation, and providing new opportunities for the world through its own development. Starting from 2019, the successive promulgation of the "Outline for Building a Country with Strong Transportation Capabilities" and the "Outline of the National Comprehensive Three-dimensional Transportation Network Plan" marked the elevation of the construction of a country with strong transportation capabilities to the national strategic level. To accelerate the construction of a country with strong transportation capabilities, China has continuously improved its planning and policy system, perfected implementation mechanisms, adhered to pilot projects, and adopted multiple measures such as deepening the reform of the transportation system, thoroughly promoting innovation-driven development, and expanding the scale of effective investment. Over the past decade, China has built the world's largest high-speed rail network and expressway network, and aviation and maritime transport reach all corners of the globe. The total mileage of the comprehensive transportation network exceeds 6 million kilometers, of which about 2.7 million kilometers of new and renovated rural roads have been built across the country, solving the problem of hardened roads in about 1,100 townships and over 100,000 administrative villages. The latest data shows that from January to February, China completed 388.5 billion yuan in fixed asset investment in transportation, of which railway investment completed 65.2 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.4%, and civil aviation investment completed 22.4 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 140.6%. Major indicators such as passenger flow, freight volume, and port cargo throughput all achieved rapid growth. This year, China will strive to expand effective investment and focus on connecting, supplementing, and strengthening network projects. A number of major transportation projects such as the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu High-speed Railway and the Xining-Chengdu High-speed Railway are accelerating their progress. This year, China will also improve and expand upon 424 pilot projects for building a country with strong transportation capabilities, while also increasing scientific and technological innovation and promoting smart and green development of transportation. Projects such as the China-Europe freight trains and the China-Europe land-sea express will be accelerated to build a three-dimensional interconnected network for the "Belt and Road" initiative.
Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, met with Kathi Vidal, Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, in Beijing on the 15th. Ding Xuexiang stated that President Xi Jinping and President Biden have initiated the "San Francisco Vision" for China-U.S. relations, and both sides should conscientiously implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state to turn the vision into reality and better benefit the two countries and their peoples. China has always attached great importance to intellectual property protection, and we are willing to expand practical cooperation with the U.S. in the field of intellectual property, focus on resolving mutual concerns, create a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment, and make greater contributions to promoting the stable development of bilateral relations. Vidal stated that the United States Patent and Trademark Office values the development of intellectual property cooperation with China, and is willing to strengthen dialogue, exchanges, and close cooperation to provide good services for innovators and better realize the transformation and application of innovative achievements.
Recently released leading economic indicators continue to rebound, with significantly accelerated growth, demonstrating that the Chinese economy continues its upward trend and its endogenous drivers are continuously strengthening. The latest data from the National Information Center shows that in March, the national project investment热度 (enthusiasm) index increased by 5.8% year-on-year, showing an accelerating growth momentum, with the manufacturing sector being particularly prominent. From January to February, the manufacturing investment热度 (enthusiasm) index increased by 13.3% year-on-year, and rapidly increased to 40.6% in March. Investment热度 (enthusiasm) related to equipment upgrades, renovations, and improvements increased by 65.5% year-on-year in March. In March, the progress of infrastructure construction and major projects accelerated. Excavator big data shows that the national comprehensive operating rate of construction machinery reached 55.52%, a significant increase compared to January and February. In terms of stimulating domestic demand, consumption performance was even more outstanding. In the first quarter, the national major commercial district pedestrian flow热度 (enthusiasm) index increased by 9.9% compared to the same period last year, with a 17.7% year-on-year increase in March, indicating increasingly active offline consumption. With the strengthening and effectiveness of a series of national policies to promote consumption, "trade-in" services have been welcomed by more consumers. Data from major domestic e-commerce platforms shows that order volume in the first quarter increased by over 30% year-on-year.
The "China Nuclear Energy Development Report 2024" was released today (April 15), showing that China's nuclear power units have maintained safe and stable operation for a long time, and the construction of new units is progressing steadily. In 2023, China approved 5 new nuclear power projects and started construction on 5 new nuclear power units. As of now, China has 26 nuclear power units under construction, with a total installed capacity of 30.3 million kilowatts, maintaining its position as the world leader in both the number of units under construction and installed capacity. In addition, China's independent innovation capabilities in nuclear power have been significantly enhanced, with the first batch of "Hualong One" project units being put into operation successively, achieving a comprehensive leap from second-generation to independent third-generation nuclear power technology. New breakthroughs have also been made in key technologies such as high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, small modular reactors, and fusion reactors. At the same time, China's nuclear power engineering construction capabilities have been comprehensively improved, forming a full life cycle construction capability for nuclear power projects, from preparation to construction, commissioning to commercial operation, involving various reactor types and multiple units simultaneously.
Today (April 15) marks the ninth National Security Education Day. Various regions and departments have carried out diverse publicity and education activities to popularize the holistic view of national security and enhance public awareness of national security. Centering on the theme of "Overall National Security Concept: Ten Years of Innovation-Driven Leadership," Beijing, Shanghai, Shandong, Shaanxi, Hubei, Chongqing, and other places have launched a series of thematic exhibitions, using graphics, videos, and other forms to publicize the overall national security concept. Tianjin, Shanxi, Liaoning, Guangdong, and other regions have leveraged transportation tools such as high-speed rail, subways, and buses to create mobile national security propaganda platforms. Fujian, Hunan, Sichuan, and other places have integrated national security education with traditional culture and artistic activities, vividly narrating national security stories to local residents. In Anhui, Jilin, Guangxi, Qinghai, and other regions, a series of "national security"-themed class meetings and study tours are being carried out to popularize national security knowledge among teachers and students. Jiangxi, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Xinjiang, Tibet, and other regions are promoting national security education in communities and border areas through on-site lectures and other forms, enhancing public awareness of national security. At the same time, the Central National Security Commission Office, the Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of Justice, the National Office for Law Popularization, the Ministry of Education, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, and the General Administration of Customs, among others, are also leveraging their respective functions and responsibilities to promote the concept of comprehensive security through a series of activities such as publishing series of books, conducting law popularization education, holding a national security education class for millions of teachers and students, and themed Youth League Day activities. All military units are widely carrying out diverse publicity and education thematic activities to enhance the sense of mission and responsibility of officers and soldiers in safeguarding national security. In addition, the Hong Kong SAR National Security Committee, with "Overall National Security Concept: Ten Years" as its theme, has organized a series of activities including thematic lectures to raise public awareness and responsibility for safeguarding national security. Responsible officials from the Central Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council attended the opening ceremony via video link in Beijing. The Macao SAR Government and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao jointly held a national security education exhibition for all citizens, using text combined with over 260 photos and multiple videos to highlight a series of historic achievements since the proposal of the overall national security concept ten years ago, thereby enhancing public awareness of national security and solidifying the national security defense line.
Currently, 15.6% of China's spring grain sowing has been completed, and progress is smooth. This year, various regions are comprehensively improving the quality and standards of high-standard farmland construction to accelerate the increase of grain production capacity. The construction of high-standard farmland is a major supporting project for the new round of the "one hundred billion jin grain production capacity enhancement" action. This year, the central government has raised investment standards, almost doubling them compared to previous years, to comprehensively improve the quality and standards of high-standard farmland construction. Hunan will build and upgrade over 3 million mu of high-standard farmland this year. In recent days, 250,000 mu of newly built high-standard farmland in Yiyang has welcomed spring sowing. Along the newly built machine-plowed roads, rice transplanters can go directly from the provincial roads to the fields. Zhejiang has invested 458 million yuan to improve the digitalization level of high-standard farmland. Jiashan has built over 10,000 mu of digital high-standard farmland. Thanks to digital management, the efficiency and quality of spring plowing and management in the area have both improved this year. All 141 high-standard farmland construction projects in Heilongjiang have currently started construction. This year, the focus will be on intensifying efforts to control erosion gullies, with an estimated completion of 12,000 erosion gullies, enhancing the farmland's ability to resist disasters. Sichuan is accelerating the implementation of the Tianfu Good Farmland Enhancement Action, proceeding from easy to difficult and advancing piece by piece, to gradually transform all permanent basic farmland into high-standard farmland. Hongya has delineated three areas based on different topographies such as plains and mountainous areas, and is promoting construction by category. Currently, over 1 billion mu of high-standard farmland have been built nationwide, accounting for more than half of the cultivated land area, with an average per-mu yield increase of about 10%. This year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will optimize the construction layout, prioritizing the construction of high-standard farmland in the Northeast Black Soil Region, plain areas, and areas with irrigation conditions.
Today (April 15), the 135th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) opened in Guangzhou. This Canton Fair will be held in three phases from April 15 to May 5 for the offline exhibition. The total exhibition area is 1.55 million square meters, with approximately 74,000 booths and 29,000 participating enterprises, setting a new record for the number of exhibitors. The first phase of the exhibition focuses on "advanced manufacturing," showcasing new products in fields such as electronic appliances, new energy vehicles, and smart travel. More than half of the participating enterprises at this Canton Fair have transformed their production and operations by applying digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data analysis, improving product quality and competitiveness through new quality productive forces. In addition, the first phase of this Canton Fair's import exhibition has 197 enterprises from 30 countries and regions, with enterprises from "Belt and Road" co-construction countries accounting for about 74%. This Canton Fair also features, for the first time, a cross-border e-commerce and overseas warehouse exhibition area, with 158 enterprises participating. On the first day of the opening, overseas purchasers enthusiastically attended. As of 5 p.m. today, 60,178 overseas purchasers had attended offline, from 205 countries and regions worldwide, an 18.5% increase compared to the same period of the previous session.
At the ongoing 4th China International Consumer Products Expo in Hainan, exhibitors and buyers from around the world are seeking opportunities and cooperation. Multinational corporations state that the immense Chinese consumer market provides vast space for global economic growth. At the first supply-demand matchmaking event held during this expo, 48 negotiation tables were filled with domestic and international exhibitors and buyers. 60 enterprises from 12 countries and regions worldwide held one-on-one and one-to-many talks with over 80 buyers, reaching 92 cooperation intentions. Global consumer精品 (boutique) products and new products such as mobile phones, food and health products, and handicrafts are expected to enter more Chinese households. Nearly 60,000 professional buyers attended this expo, and the advantage of a super-large market has attracted more and more countries to participate as delegations. The UK and Malaysia, among others, participated for the first time in the form of national pavilions, with exhibits covering important consumer areas such as clothing, cosmetics, and jewelry. Expanding the market in China has become a consensus for many multinational corporations, and the "circle of friends" of the Consumer Expo is growing.
Fujian is a major manufacturing province with a high proportion of traditional industries. Since the beginning of this year, Fujian has based itself on the actual development and transformation needs of its key industries, coordinating the promotion of "intelligent transformation and digital upgrading" of traditional industries, driving industrial innovation, and developing new quality productive forces adapted to local conditions. In the production workshop of an enterprise in Changle District, Fuzhou City, reporters saw dozens of textile machines operating at high speed. To deliver orders on time, the enterprise worked closely with several surrounding factories. The basis for efficient collaboration between enterprises is the local public industrial internet platform. Nearly a thousand small and medium-sized enterprises in Changle District have been connected to the platform through digital and intelligent transformation, sharing information such as production progress and product quality, and uniformly allocating production capacity. Currently, the average production efficiency of local textile SMEs has increased by about 20%, and energy consumption has decreased by about 20%. Currently, Fujian has built over 40 national and provincial industrial internet platforms, providing digital solutions for more than 4,000 enterprises. The proportion of enterprises with comprehensive digitalization in key business segments has reached 69.5%, ranking among the top in the country. While accelerating the revitalization of traditional manufacturing, Fujian has also strengthened the principal position of enterprise technological innovation. During this period, a car glass enterprise in Fuqing is conducting final tests on its newly developed 5G antenna glass. Through innovative integration with wireless communication technology, this seemingly ordinary glass will increase the transmission efficiency of 5G signals to more than twice that of traditional car antennas, allowing future smart cars to travel light. To promote the deep integration of industrial chains and innovation chains, Fujian encourages enterprises, research institutions, etc., to build nearly 300 provincial key innovation platforms across the province, covering areas such as new materials for shoes and apparel, special steel manufacturing, and machine vision, continuously injecting new momentum into new quality productive forces.
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress officially launched an enforcement inspection of the Agricultural Law on the 15th. From April to July, the enforcement inspection team will conduct on-site inspections in six provinces (autonomous regions or municipalities), including Jiangsu, Anhui, Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Xinjiang. The standing committees of the people's congresses of Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Henan, and Hubei (6 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities) have been entrusted to simultaneously inspect the implementation of the Agricultural Law within their respective administrative regions. This enforcement inspection will focus on eight aspects: strengthening the protection and construction of cultivated land, improving the agricultural production and operation system, promoting the revitalization of the seed industry, protecting agricultural resources and environment, increasing agricultural investment, safeguarding farmers' rights and interests, major problems existing in the implementation of the law, and opinions and suggestions for amending and improving the Agricultural Law.
The revised "Procedures for Handling Credit Complaints" officially came into effect today. The "Procedures for Handling Credit Complaints" revised and released by the People's Bank of China officially came into effect today (April 15). When an institution or individual believes that their legitimate rights and interests in credit have been infringed upon, they can file a complaint with the local branch of the People's Bank of China, and complaints that meet the acceptance conditions must be accepted. At the same time, the identity verification of the complainant, handling procedures, etc., have been simplified, reducing the cost of complaints. Shanghai Gold Exchange raises margin requirements for gold deferred contracts. Today (April 15), the Shanghai Gold Exchange raised the margin requirements and price limits for gold deferred contracts. The margin requirement was adjusted from 8% to 9%, and the price limit was adjusted from 7% to 8%. This will help enhance investors' risk tolerance, reduce the overall market risk level, and maintain stable market operation. China successfully launched Gaofen-3 01 satellite. At 12:12 on April 15, China successfully launched Gaofen-3 01 satellite using a Long March 2D carrier rocket at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The satellite mainly provides commercial remote sensing data services for digital agriculture, real-scene 3D, disaster prevention and mitigation, and maritime monitoring. National Cancer Prevention and Control Publicity Week activities launched today. From today (April 15) to April 21, it is the 30th National Cancer Prevention and Control Publicity Week. This year's theme is "Comprehensive Measures, Scientific Cancer Prevention." Various regions have launched a series of activities such as publicity and education, and free clinics to promote cancer prevention in communities, rural areas, and families. The National Health Commission requires all regions to improve the integrated cancer prevention and control system to effectively curb the harm of cancer. All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives builds a "national network" for recycling of renewable resources. Reporters learned from the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives today (April 15) that the supply and marketing cooperative system will accelerate the construction of a recycling network for renewable resources, with leading enterprises as the guide, county-level sorting centers as the support, and village and town recycling points as the front end, to help promote large-scale equipment renewal and consumer goods trade-in. Currently, the supply and marketing cooperative system has 35,000 recycling points for renewable resources. Significant results achieved in one year of operation of "Dongguan-Hong Kong International Airport Center." Reporters learned from Huangpu Customs that since its operation one year ago, the "Dongguan-Hong Kong International Airport Center" has seen its import and export value exceed 3.8 billion yuan, and the types of import and export commodities have expanded to 447, with direct access to 220 countries and regions worldwide. Xinjiang Yining Airport Aviation Port successfully launched its first international passenger route. Today (April 15), the international route between Yining, Xinjiang, and Almaty, Kazakhstan, was officially opened, marking that Xinjiang now has Urumqi, Kashgar, and Yining as three open aviation ports. Urumqi Customs has for the first time realized simultaneous supervision of baggage and health quarantine, allowing transit passengers to enjoy "seamless customs clearance," making the customs clearance process more efficient and convenient. The longest continuous beam of Ruimei Railway's longest bridge successfully closed. The longest bridge of the national key project Ruimei Railway, the Mianshui Grand Bridge, completed the closure of its continuous beam today (April 15). The Ruimei Railway connects Ruijin City in Jiangxi Province and Meizhou City in Guangdong Province, with a main line length of 240.29 kilometers and a designed speed of 160 kilometers per hour. It is expected to be completed and opened to traffic in June 2027. After completion, it will greatly improve the traffic conditions in old revolutionary areas such as southern Jiangxi and northern Guangdong. Beijing Pinggu International Peach Blossom Festival held. The Beijing Pinggu International Peach Blossom Festival was held today (April 15). During the one-month period, tourists can participate in a series of sightseeing and interactive activities such as rainbow runs and garden parties. At the same time, they can also visit thousands of acres of terraced fields, enjoy kite performances, and purchase agricultural products with Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei characteristics. Northern dust weather to weaken, southern rainfall to continue. Today (April 15), central and eastern Inner Mongolia, North China, and Northeast China experienced strong winds and temperature drops, with some areas experiencing dust and light to moderate rain, and local temperature drops of 8-10℃. It is expected that the northern dust weather will weaken starting tonight. The National Meteorological Center predicts that in the next three days, there will be moderate to heavy rain or torrential rain in areas such as Jiangnan, Jianghan, northern South China, eastern Sichuan Basin, and central and eastern Guizhou, with local areas accompanied by short-term heavy rainfall, strong convective weather such as thunderstorms and gales or hail, requiring attention to prevention.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council issued a statement on the evening of the 14th regarding Iran's military action against Israel, stating that Iran had taken necessary and minimal retaliatory measures against Israel's crossing of Iran's "red lines" to ensure Iran's national interests and national security. Currently, Iran has no plans for further military action. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated on the same day that Iran only carried out limited strikes against Israeli military targets, and that Iran had notified neighboring and regional countries about 72 hours before the operation. Iran's actions were "legitimate defense." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a war cabinet security meeting on the 14th. Israeli media reported that the meeting had not yet made a decision on matters related to responding to Iran's military action. Starting from midnight local time on the 15th, most areas of Israel resumed schooling. UN Security Council holds emergency meeting on Iran's military strike against Israel. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on the 14th. The Chinese representative called on all relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint and avoid further escalation of tensions. The Chinese representative pointed out that this round of escalation is the latest manifestation of the spillover of the Gaza conflict. The Palestinian issue is the core of the Middle East issue, concerning regional peace, stability, and long-term security. The urgent task is to effectively implement Security Council Resolution 2728 and achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The fundamental solution is to fully implement the "two-state solution" and completely break out of the vicious cycle of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. China calls on the international community, especially influential countries, to play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability. Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq warned on the 14th about the risk of war due to escalating regional tensions and called for an immediate cessation of the Gaza conflict to protect the region from its effects. In addition, U.S. media reported on the 14th that a senior U.S. official said that U.S. President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call after the attack that the U.S. would not participate in retaliatory strikes against Iran.
According to the Palestinian news agency on the 14th, the Israeli military bombed the Nuseirat refugee camp and other areas in the central Gaza Strip on that day, and opened fire on people attempting to return to the northern Gaza Strip, resulting in at least 12 deaths. The Israeli military issued a statement on the 14th, stating that the IDF is calling up approximately two reserve brigades and will carry out operations on the Gaza Strip front line. The Israeli military also stated that the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is holding some of the detained individuals in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Previously, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly claimed that the Israeli military would launch a ground offensive on Rafah. Currently, over 1.5 million Palestinian civilians are seeking refuge in Rafah. The international community is concerned that if the Israeli military launches a ground offensive on Rafah, it will cause more civilian casualties. In addition, according to multiple Palestinian media reports, the Israeli military conducted search and arrest operations in Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, and other areas in the West Bank today (April 15), arresting more than 10 Palestinians.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on the 14th that Russian forces attacked Ukrainian personnel in Kupyansk, Donetsk, and other areas, destroying Western-provided weapons including American-made M777 howitzers, and air defense missile systems. Russian air defense systems shot down multiple Ukrainian drones over Russia's Belgorod region on the same day. Ukraine's National News Agency reported on the 14th that Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed three Russian missiles in the Dnipropetrovsk region and Black Sea waters. Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on the same day that Ukrainian forces had strengthened their defenses in the direction of the key town of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region.
On the 14th, a wildfire broke out in Tarbena, Alicante Province, Spain. The fire quickly spread to surrounding areas and was out of control, leading to the urgent evacuation of nearby residents. The cause of the fire is currently unknown. The head of local emergency services stated that high temperatures fueled the blaze. Recently, Spain has experienced abnormally high temperatures, with many areas seeing temperatures about 10℃ higher than the same period in previous years.
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