On May 14, General Secretary Xi Jinping replied to the villagers of Shixia Village, Badaling Town, Yanqing District, Beijing, emphasizing that the Great Wall is a representative symbol of the Chinese nation and an important symbol of Chinese civilization, embodying the Chinese nation's spirit of self-reliance and the patriotic sentiment of solidarity and perseverance. He encouraged the villagers to inspire more people to understand and protect the Great Wall, passing down this precious heritage left by their ancestors for generations. General Secretary Xi Jinping's reply has evoked a warm response from all sectors of society. In early summer, Badaling stands majestic, and amidst the lush forests, the Great Wall winds and stretches magnificently. The villagers of Shixia Village, located at the foot of the Great Wall, were greatly encouraged after receiving the General Secretary's reply. They expressed their determination to bear in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions and diligently fulfill their responsibility to protect the Great Wall. In this small mountain village at the foot of the Great Wall, villagers began to spontaneously pick up trash on the Great Wall and dissuade tourists from climbing unprotected sections of the Great Wall as early as the early 1980s. Later, they even formed a Great Wall Protection Association. With the restoration of the Great Wall's appearance and the improvement of the ecological environment, Shixia Village was selected as a national key village for rural tourism in 2020. Today, the village's homestays host over 40,000 tourists a year. "Spanning two millennia, stretching tens of thousands of miles," the Great Wall is China's largest and most widely distributed existing cultural heritage. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the excavation of the Great Wall's cultural value and the inheritance and protection of cultural relics. In his reply to the villagers of Shixia Village, the General Secretary emphasized: "Protecting and passing on this historical and cultural heritage is our shared responsibility. I hope everyone will continue to work hard and persevere, guarding the Great Wall as you would your own homes." These earnest instructions deeply resonated with cadres and people along the Great Wall, making them feel the weight of their mission. Cultural relics are living history and the foundation of cultural confidence. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping, standing at the strategic height of the overall development of the Party and the country, has made a series of important instructions and profound expositions on the inheritance and development of Chinese culture. In June 2023, at a symposium on cultural inheritance and development, the General Secretary pointed out that the best way to inherit history is to create new history, and the greatest respect for human civilization is to create new forms of human civilization.
Today (May 18) marks the 48th International Museum Day. Museums are preservers and recorders of history, and through creative transformation and innovative development, museums in many places have set new records for visitor numbers, allowing historical culture to enter the public's view in a vivid and tangible way. Today, the Shaanxi History Museum Qin-Han Hall, China's first special museum to fully showcase the origins, development, and contributions of Qin and Han civilizations, officially opened to the public. Featuring stone armor, gilded bronze silkworms, and Han Dynasty terracotta warriors from Yangjiawan, the Qin-Han Hall adopts a "grand history + small专题" narrative approach, combining multimedia installations with cultural relics to clearly present the appearance of the "Qin Moon and Han Pass." Since its trial operation late last year, the Qin-Han Hall has attracted over 300,000 visitors. The Red Mountain C-shaped dragon at the National Museum, the bronze masks at the Sanxingdui Museum, and the oracle bones at the Yinxu Museum are all dazzling cultural treasures that attract many visitors who travel "to a city for one museum." The Hubei Provincial Museum is exhibiting a 3D restored bust of "Xi," the owner of the bamboo slips unearthed from the Shuihudi Qin Tomb; musicians at the Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum in Shanxi are recreating the ancient music scene from the mural "Husband and Wife Feasting"; the Shandong Museum has sampled data from Qi Kingdom musician and dancer figurines to restore the Qi Kingdom music and dance scenes in 3D virtual animation; and the Zhejiang Provincial Museum's Zhijiang Hall has used digital means to transform "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" into a 5-meter-high, 40-meter-long projected scroll, giving viewers the wonderful feeling of "wandering within the painting." With a rich cultural heritage and diverse manifestations, cultural institutions, relying on museums as "universities," are creatively planning based on their characteristics, continuously enriching cultural offerings. According to statistics from the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the total number of registered museums nationwide increased from 3,866 in 2012 to 6,833 in 2023, with an average of one new museum added every 1.2 days, initially forming a diverse, multi-faceted, and universally accessible museum system. In 2023, national museums held over 40,000 exhibitions and more than 380,000 educational activities, attracting 1.29 billion visitors, a historic high. The rich cultural heritage is continuously revitalized and utilized, becoming an important source for people to nourish their spirit and cultivate self-confidence.
In recent days, Hainan, Qinghai, Hubei, and Guangxi, among other regions, have meticulously organized and implemented, strengthened supervision and enforcement, and promoted in-depth and practical Party discipline education. Hainan has refined the key tasks of Party discipline education into 26 work arrangements, implementing list-based management. By organizing study classes, carrying out theoretical study group sessions, diligently implementing "three meetings and one lecture" and themed Party days, and establishing expert teacher pools to deliver education to the grassroots, they are promoting in-depth and practical Party discipline education. Qinghai Province is urging Party organizations at all levels to strictly enforce Party discipline, focusing on warning education, training and interpretation, and establishing and improving systems. They are adhering to the principle of learning, comparing, self-reflecting, and rectifying simultaneously, ensuring that problem rectification runs throughout the education process to ensure Party discipline education is not superficial or discounted. Hubei held a Party discipline education study class, combining chapter-by-chapter guided reading with interpretation and explanation, and combining practical discussions with warning examples. They developed 7 high-quality discipline education courses based on the "Regulations," incorporating them into the teaching content of Party schools (administrative academies) at all levels. Guangxi is using measures such as leading by Party committees (Party groups), follow-up learning by grassroots Party organizations, in-depth self-study by Party members, and discipline Party lectures to truly make the process of studying Party discipline a process of strengthening disciplinary awareness and improving Party spirit, ensuring the "Regulations" are deeply internalized.
The State Council Information Office held a series of press conferences on "Promoting High-Quality Development," where relevant officials from Anhui Province provided updates. Over the past decade, Anhui's economic aggregate has increased from 1.9 trillion yuan to 4.7 trillion yuan, crossing three trillion-yuan thresholds consecutively, becoming an emerging industrial and manufacturing powerhouse. Anhui is committed to building an influential source of scientific and technological innovation, a hub for emerging industries, a new high ground for reform and opening up, and a comprehensive green transformation zone for economic and social development, supporting high-quality development with high-level scientific and technological innovation. Leveraging the University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui established "USTC Silicon Valley." In just over a year, 1,391 innovative enterprises have settled there, with a total scale exceeding 230 billion yuan. Anhui firmly grasps the opportunity to integrate into the Yangtze River Delta's integrated development, deeply participating in industrial division of labor and collaboration. In the past three years, it has introduced over 800 reforms, effectively improving the business environment. At the same time, Anhui is continuously enhancing its green content in high-quality development. Over the past decade, its energy consumption per unit of GDP has cumulatively decreased by nearly 30%. Moving forward, Anhui will accelerate the construction of "seven strong provinces" in science and technology, manufacturing, agriculture, ecology, talent, education, and culture, striving to forge a new path for high-quality development in the new era.
Since entering the space station on April 26, the Shenzhou-18 astronaut crew has successively carried out a series of space science experiments. Last week, the Shenzhou-18 astronauts completed the assembly and testing of the material external exposure experimental device and related work for the second extravehicular installation. Among them, the "Design, Interfacial Interaction Mechanism, and Extravehicular Verification of Solid-Liquid Composite Lubricating Materials for Space Applications" project, based on the solid-liquid composite lubrication tribology experiment box, is expected to achieve "super-lubrication" or near-zero wear of mechanical motion in harsh space environments, and scientifically reveal the evolution process of lubrication and damage mechanisms of lubricating materials in a real space environment. In addition, the three astronauts also completed sample replacement of the experimental chamber of the containerless material experiment cabinet, maintenance of the axial mechanism, and other tasks. Previously, multiple key research projects have been carried out in the containerless cabinet, and multiple batches of experimental samples have been returned to Earth and are currently undergoing testing and analysis in laboratories, with the aim of producing more research results. In the more than 20 days since entering orbit, the crew has also completed various tasks such as environmental monitoring within the space station and in-orbit training for medical rescue. The three astronauts have undergone various medical examinations, including mass measurement and ophthalmoscopy, to comprehensively monitor and ensure their health, and regularly conduct a series of weightlessness protection exercises such as space treadmill training and resistance training to maintain good physical condition and support long-term mission execution.
The reporter learned from the National Development and Reform Commission that last year, China issued an additional 1 trillion yuan in special government bonds to support post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, particularly focusing on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in North China. Currently, out of the 15,000 projects that have been approved, 11,000 have commenced construction, reaching an impressive 72% start-up rate. Efforts are underway to ensure the remaining projects begin construction by the end of June. Notably, projects in the areas of post-disaster recovery and reconstruction and enhancing disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities have the highest start-up rate at 90%. This is followed by other key flood control engineering projects at 87.3%. Additionally, projects for the construction and renovation of irrigation areas and key soil erosion control, as well as backbone flood control projects focusing on northern regions like the Haihe and Songhua River basins, also exhibit high start-up rates of 84.2% and 80%, respectively. Currently, a number of post-disaster reconstruction projects for public welfare, including schools, hospitals, roads, and water supply systems, have been largely completed and are expected to be put into use before the flood season.
Currently, nearly 10% of China's summer grain has been harvested, with large-scale mechanized harvesting about to begin. This year, the acreage of winter wheat in China has remained stable with a slight increase, and its growth is generally better than in previous and last years. The latest agricultural survey shows that nearly 10% of the national summer grain has been harvested. Sichuan's over 9 million mu of wheat acreage has shown stable growth, and per-unit yield is clearly trending upwards. In the Guanghan National Modern Agricultural Industrial Park, ten thousand mu of wheat have been harvested, with good yield results. In Dangyang, Hubei, over 260,000 mu of wheat are being harvested, and the local authorities have pre-trained combine operators to determine appropriate operating speeds based on field conditions, reducing harvest losses. Anhui's over 43 million mu of wheat are ripening successively, with per-unit yield and total output expected to reach new highs. The province has organized 170,000 high-performance combine harvesters and launched a "north-south machine transfer, south-north machine assistance" campaign to ensure every grain is harvested. Henan's over 85 million mu of wheat are expected to recover to historical best levels. Tanghe's over 2.1 million mu of wheat will be fully harvested in a week, requiring about 3,000 agricultural machines. With the support of regional agricultural machinery centers, most fields have completed operational coordination. Jiangsu's over 35 million mu of wheat show a clear trend of increased production, with large-scale harvesting expected in about 10 days. In Gaochun, Nanjing, a local wheat yield measurement team is conducting preliminary yield assessments. Shandong's over 60 million mu of wheat are expected to be harvested in early June, with this year's growth being the best in recent years. In response to recent high temperatures, low rainfall, and strong winds, local authorities promptly organized an additional "one spray, three preventions" in high-risk "dry-hot wind" areas. This year, over 600,000 combine harvesters will participate in the wheat mechanized harvesting battle, with more than 200,000 participating in cross-regional operations, which can meet normal mechanized harvesting needs.
Today (May 18), the National Cultural Heritage Administration announced important archaeological excavation and cultural relic protection findings from Tomb No. 1 at Wuwangdun in Huainan, Anhui, with the tomb owner largely identified as King Kaolie of Chu from the late Warring States period. To date, over 3,000 pieces (sets) of various cultural relics, along with a large number of animal and plant remains, have been extracted from Tomb No. 1 at Wuwangdun in Huainan, Anhui. This afternoon, the largest bronze ding inside the tomb was extracted. Despite being buried for over two millennia, it still retains its original golden color. It is expected to become the largest bronze round ding in terms of caliber and volume unearthed from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in China to date. Although the northern burial chamber of Wuwangdun Tomb No. 1 was heavily looted, over a hundred sets of string instruments, such as qin and se, were still extracted. The artifacts in the two western chambers exhibit strong Chu characteristics, with over 200 lacquered wooden figurines in various standing and sitting postures, each wearing a wooden sword. The bronze ritual vessel combination in the eastern chamber is well preserved. Experts initially judge that the forms, patterns, and combinations of the cultural relics unearthed from Wuwangdun Tomb are typical of late Warring States Chu culture. The ink inscriptions, seals on lacquered woodware, and inscriptions on bronze ritual vessels that have been collected and organized are of great significance for studying the construction process of Chu tombs, official systems, and nomenclature. Among them, the 12-character inscription "Chu Wang Yanqian made and cast this bronze fu to offer annually" on the Chu Wang Yanqian fu strongly suggests the identity of the tomb owner.
Total electricity consumption increased by 7.0% in April. The National Energy Administration released data showing that in April, total electricity consumption across society reached 741.2 billion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 7.0%. Specifically, electricity consumption in the primary industry increased by 10.5%, in the secondary industry by 6.2%, in the tertiary industry by 10.8%, and for urban and rural residents by 5.9%. China's satellite navigation and location services industry output value exceeded 530 billion yuan in 2023. The "2024 White Paper on the Development of China's Satellite Navigation and Location Services Industry," released today (May 18), shows that in 2023, the total output value of China's satellite navigation and location services industry reached 536.2 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.09%. The Beidou system has entered a new phase of large-scale application, with 25 million terminal users/sets, and is fully integrated into national key infrastructure construction in areas such as electricity, telecommunications, and transportation. Lingang New Area releases first batch of general data lists for cross-border data scenarios. Yesterday (May 17), the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lingang New Area released its first batch of general data lists for cross-border data scenarios and accompanying operational guidelines. The first batch of lists covers 11 scenarios in 3 fields: intelligent connected vehicles, public funds, and biomedicine, better meeting the cross-border data needs of various entities. Guangxi Longmen Bridge fully connected. Yesterday (May 17), the Longmen Bridge, Guangxi's longest ongoing cross-sea bridge, was fully connected, laying the foundation for its opening to traffic this year. The Longmen Bridge is approximately 7.6 kilometers long. After its completion and opening to traffic, the driving time between Fangchenggang and Qinzhou Port will be shortened from the original 1.5 hours to about 25 minutes. Hangzhou-Wenzhou High-Speed Railway begins joint debugging and testing. Today (May 18), the Hangzhou-Wenzhou High-Speed Railway, connecting Hangzhou and Wenzhou in Zhejiang, began joint debugging and testing, preparing for its opening to operation within the year. The Hangzhou-Wenzhou High-Speed Railway starts in Tonglu, Hangzhou, and ends in Wenzhou, with a newly built main line of approximately 260 kilometers and a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour. After its opening, Hangzhou, Jinhua, Wenzhou, and other places will form a "1-hour transportation circle." 2,000-ton self-elevating wind power installation platform completed and delivered. Today (May 18), a 2,000-ton self-elevating wind power installation platform was completed and delivered in Haimen, Nantong, Jiangsu. This platform is roughly the size of 18 basketball courts, can withstand typhoons of up to category 16, and can operate in waters up to 70 meters deep, meeting the installation requirements for future 25MW (megawatt) wind turbines. The commissioning of this platform will enhance China's offshore wind power construction capabilities in deeper and more distant waters. Chinese Academy of Sciences holds 20th Public Science Day event. This weekend, the 20th Public Science Day event organized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences will be held, with over a hundred research institutes and three affiliated universities opening to the public to disseminate scientific knowledge through popular science exhibitions, seminars, and other forms. 2024 Beijing Chaoyang International Tea Fragrance Cultural Festival held. The 2024 Beijing Chaoyang International Tea Fragrance Cultural Festival was held recently. The four-day cultural festival gathered China's six major tea categories and new tea beverages, showcasing the inheritance and development of China's thousand-year tea culture through immersive tea cultural performances, trendy national performances, and other forms, allowing visitors to experience new tea consumption scenarios and experiences. Envoys from various countries stationed in China and international friends participated in tea culture experiences, promoting "Belt and Road" international economic and trade exchanges and cooperation through tea. CMG's "From Beijing to Paris - Olympic Journey of Chinese and French Artists" China Art Exhibition successfully held. The "From Beijing to Paris - Olympic Journey of Chinese and French Artists" China Art Exhibition, jointly organized by China Media Group (CMG), the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, the French Professional Football League, and several French art institutions, was successfully held from May 7 to 17 at the Hôtel des Invalides Exhibition Center in Paris, France. The exhibition featured works in various fields, including traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, oil painting, sculpture, multimedia art, and intangible cultural heritage, demonstrating the Chinese nation's approach to civilized coexistence where all cultures are beautiful in their own way and share common beauty, building a bridge for communication and sharing where common ground is sought while differences are preserved. "2024 Chinese Poetry Conference" finals broadcast tonight on CCTV-1. The finals of the "2024 Chinese Poetry Conference" will be broadcast tonight (May 18) at 8 PM on CCTV-1. Six strong contestants will compete through rich question types such as scenario co-answering, "Fei Hua Ling" (a poetry game), and "Poetry in Painting" to contend for the annual championship.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on May 17 that Israeli forces expanded their operations in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza, killing dozens of Palestinian armed personnel. According to Israeli media reports, the IDF operation primarily focused on the heart of the Jabalia refugee camp, where some of the most intense fighting since the start of the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict occurred. Additionally, the IDF stated that it destroyed a long-range rocket launcher position belonging to Palestinian armed personnel in eastern Rafah. The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) released a video on May 17 of its recent ambushes of Israeli forces in Jabalia and eastern Rafah. Hamas also claimed to have struck an Israeli military command center in the Netzarim Corridor in the Gaza Strip. IDF claims airstrike in West Bank city of Jenin; Palestinian armed group claims commander killed. According to a statement released by the IDF on May 18, Israeli forces conducted an airstrike in Jenin, a city in the Palestinian West Bank, killing a senior member of a Palestinian armed group. The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), claimed that one of its commanders was killed in the Israeli airstrike. The temporary pier built by the United States on the central coast of the Gaza Strip was put into operation on May 17. However, UN officials stated that delivering humanitarian aid in this manner is merely a drop in the ocean compared to the urgent needs of the people in the Gaza Strip.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on May 17 that over the past week, Russian forces had taken control of 12 settlements in the Kharkiv region, including Vovchansk. Russian forces gained more advantageous frontline positions in various areas. Russian President Vladimir Putin, when answering media questions on the same day, said that Russian forces were making progress in Kharkiv, but currently Russia has no plans to seize Kharkiv. He added that in light of frequent shelling in Russia's Belgorod, Russia needs to establish a security zone. According to Russian media reports, from May 16 to 17, Crimea and multiple areas in Russia's Krasnodar Krai were subjected to large-scale attacks by Ukrainian drones and unmanned boats. Russian forces destroyed and intercepted over a hundred drones and 25 unmanned boats. The Ukrainian military stated on May 17 that Ukrainian forces had struck Russian personnel and military equipment in the Kharkiv direction. Ukrainian media reported on the same day that Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated that the situation on the Kharkiv front was difficult but under control, and that Ukrainian forces needed more weapons to stabilize the situation.
Yemen's Houthi group claims to have shot down a US MQ-9 drone. Yemen's Houthi group stated on May 17 that it shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone on May 16 in Marib province, central Yemen, using a "locally made surface-to-air missile." The drone was reportedly conducting "hostile operations" against the Houthis at the time. The US military has not yet commented on the incident. The MQ-9 is a combat drone capable of both reconnaissance and surveillance missions, and can also carry missiles to strike ground targets. Previously, the Houthi group had claimed to have shot down this type of drone three times. Protests continue at multiple US universities, more arrests made. Protests at several prominent US universities against US military aid to Israel and demanding a ceasefire in Gaza are ongoing. According to US media reports, on the evening of May 17, hundreds of protesters once again occupied a building at the University of Pennsylvania. Protesters were dispersed by a joint force of campus police and Philadelphia police, and several people were arrested. In recent days, clashes between police and protesters have also occurred at the University of California, Berkeley, UC Irvine, and DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, with dozens of arrests made. Several South Asian regions experience extreme heatwave. The Indian Meteorological Department stated that on May 17, parts of southwestern Delhi recorded a high temperature of 47.4 degrees Celsius, with most other areas of Delhi also experiencing temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius. The Indian Meteorological Department said in a statement that high temperatures are expected in Delhi and surrounding areas in the coming days. In Pakistan, local media reported that several areas in Punjab province also experienced temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius on May 17. The local meteorological department expects temperatures to rise by another 6 to 8 degrees Celsius in the coming days.
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