On May 20, President Xi Jinping sent a condolence message to Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber following the unfortunate death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi expressed deep condolences and extended sincere sympathies to First Vice President Mokhber, President Raisi's relatives, and the Iranian government and people. Xi noted that since taking office, President Raisi made important contributions to safeguarding Iran's security and stability and promoting national development and prosperity, and also made active efforts to consolidate and deepen the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership. His unfortunate passing is a great loss to the Iranian people and a loss of a good friend for the Chinese people. The Chinese government and people highly cherish the traditional friendship between China and Iran, and believe that with the joint efforts of both sides, the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership will continue to be consolidated and developed.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that enabling a large number of people with disabilities to live and work in peace, free from worries about food and clothing, and to lead happy and beautiful lives, is an important manifestation of our Party's purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly and an inevitable requirement of China's socialist system. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the basic livelihood of people with disabilities in China has been stably guaranteed, and the environment and conditions for their equal participation in social life have continuously improved. In the process of Chinese modernization, China is continuously improving its social security system and care service system for people with disabilities, promoting the comprehensive development of disability undertakings. At the Hohhot Children's Welfare Institute in Inner Mongolia, children with disabilities are undergoing rehabilitation training in a multi-sensory therapy room. The welfare institute recently underwent a systematic digital transformation, providing a "sample" for children's welfare institutions across the region in terms of technology-assisted disability care. Before the Spring Festival of 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping specifically visited the Hohhot Children's Welfare Institute to see the children living there and emotionally stated that the whole society should show kindness and care for children, especially orphans and children with disabilities, and work together to help them grow up healthily and feel the warmth of the socialist family. The cause of people with disabilities is a "spring cause." General Secretary Xi Jinping has always shown special care and attention to people with disabilities, pointing out that Party committees and governments at all levels should attach great importance to the cause of people with disabilities, treat the advancement of disability undertakings as their responsibility, and incorporate disability undertakings into all construction endeavors, continuously improving the system for protecting the rights and interests of people with disabilities. It is essential to improve the social security system and care service system for people with disabilities, and promote the comprehensive development of disability undertakings. Bearing in mind the General Secretary's instructions, various regions have generally included disability work in the Party committees' and governments' livelihood projects and annual assessment contents, further strengthening the basic livelihood security network for people with disabilities. As of the end of April this year, 11.863 million people with disabilities in need receive living allowances, 1.4631 million instances of rehabilitation assistance have been provided to children with disabilities, and the coverage rate of basic rehabilitation services for people with disabilities remains stable at over 85%. All 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in China have introduced subsidy policies for assistive devices for people with disabilities, and many regions are promoting the inclusion of high-tech assistive devices in the subsidy catalog, such as exoskeleton robots, intelligent prostheses, and AR glasses that convert sound into real-time text, all of which offer more possibilities for the future of people with disabilities. An accessible environment is a necessary condition to ensure the equal participation of people with disabilities in social life. On September 1 last year, with the implementation of China's Law on the Construction of Barrier-Free Environments, work in all aspects, including accessible facilities, accessible public services, and information accessibility, is accelerating. As of the end of March this year, China has completed barrier-free renovations for 914,700 households of severely disabled individuals in need, exceeding 80% of the total "14th Five-Year Plan" target. With the cooperation of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, the Supreme People's Procuratorate has promoted the nationwide rollout of public interest litigation for barrier-free environment construction. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has launched special actions, transforming nearly 3,000 websites and mobile applications for accessibility and elderly-friendliness. Various regions are comprehensively carrying out digital literacy and skills training for people with disabilities. Education is crucial for the future of people with disabilities. As of the end of 2023, China had 2,345 special education schools with 912,000 students, and the enrollment rate of school-age children and adolescents with disabilities in compulsory education exceeded 96%. The level of inclusive education continues to improve, with more and more children with disabilities entering regular schools to grow together with their able-bodied peers, and nearly 100,000 students with disabilities have entered higher education institutions. At Hangzhou Dianzi University, Shao Zhenwei, who has suffered from spinal muscular atrophy since childhood, is leading a team to promote the application of their independently developed multimodal large models to more scenarios, helping people with mobility impairments retrieve and place objects. As of the end of 2023, there were 1.888 million volunteers assisting people with disabilities in China, with 27.76 million instances of assistance provided to people with disabilities. This year, the China Disabled Persons' Federation will also cooperate with the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League and other organizations to carry out volunteer service activities such as the "Youth Volunteer Sunshine Action for Assisting the Disabled," striving to create a positive social atmosphere of caring for and assisting people with disabilities.
Journalists learned today (May 20) from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology that China's three major shipbuilding indicators maintained synchronized growth in the first quarter, with shipbuilding provinces showing outstanding performance, and 90% of the national shipbuilding completion volume being export vessels. From January to March this year, China's shipbuilding completion volume reached 12.35 million deadweight tons, a year-on-year increase of 34.7%; new orders received amounted to 24.14 million deadweight tons, a year-on-year increase of 59.0%; and orders on hand reached 154.04 million deadweight tons, a year-on-year increase of 34.5%. Measured in deadweight tons, the three major indicators accounted for 53.8%, 69.6%, and 56.7% of the global total, respectively. In terms of the distribution of shipbuilding provinces and cities, the total shipbuilding completion volume of Jiangsu, Shanghai, Liaoning, Shandong, and Zhejiang accounted for 90.1% of the national total. Among them, Jiangsu, a major shipbuilding province, accounted for 50.1% of the national shipbuilding completion volume in the first quarter, securing over 30% of global orders. While the quantity is large, the digital, intelligent, and green levels of ships are also becoming increasingly high. Not long ago, several high-tech ships from Jiangsu were successively undergoing sea trials or being delivered, such as this container ship with the world's largest heavy container capacity, which has achieved world-leading levels in multiple indicators. Building such a ship currently only takes 14 months. From January to March, China's ship exports amounted to 9.92 billion US dollars, with ship exports accounting for 90% of the national shipbuilding completion volume.
Recent surveys by the Ministry of Commerce indicate that since the beginning of this year, as global trade continues its recovery, China's key foreign trade enterprises have seen an improvement in new orders, and confidence in the development of foreign trade enterprises has continued to rise. In the first four months of this year, China's total import and export volume increased by 5.7%. In April, China's import and export growth significantly accelerated to 8%. Behind the growth in foreign trade scale is the continuous improvement of the international competitiveness of Chinese foreign trade enterprises' products, and their use of new technologies to explore overseas markets and secure new international orders. In Yiwu, Zhejiang, a large number of foreign trade enterprises have keenly seized business opportunities related to sports events such as the Olympic Games and the European Cup. In the first four months, Yiwu's exports of sporting goods increased by 45.6%. China's cross-border e-commerce platforms have also established multilingual sites and launched AI foreign trade assistants, which can achieve real-time multilingual translation and one-click generation of graphic and video content. From a market perspective, China's trade with both traditional and emerging markets has shown growth. In April, driven by factors such as inventory digestion and demand recovery, China's imports and exports to traditional markets shifted from decline to growth, with increases of 3.3% to the EU and 6.2% to the US. At the same time, imports and exports to emerging markets continued to maintain high growth rates, with increases of 14.4% to ASEAN and 9% to Belt and Road Initiative countries. Recent surveys by the Ministry of Commerce show that new orders for key foreign trade enterprises have improved for four consecutive months, and over 80% of Canton Fair exhibitors reported stable or increased order values.
Today (May 20), the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Data Administration, and two other departments issued guidance, proposing 13 specific measures to promote the digital transformation of cities across all fields, processes, and aspects. In terms of fostering and expanding the urban digital economy, relevant departments will deepen the integration of digital technology with the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, and encourage platform enterprises to build multi-level industrial internet service platforms. Concurrently, they will promote the digital transformation of productive service industries such as finance and logistics, and lifestyle service industries such as commerce, culture, tourism, and elderly care. The guidance also proposes exploring the establishment of a resident service "all-in-one card" using the social security card as a carrier. It also suggests exploring the construction of personal and enterprise carbon accounts and carbon footprint data space applications to better serve efficient urban governance and advance the construction of modernized Chinese cities.
The State Council Information Office held a series of press conferences on "Promoting High-Quality Development" today (May 20), where relevant officials from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region provided an overview of the situation. In 2023, Ningxia's GDP grew by 6.6%, ranking fifth nationwide in terms of increase; the modern coal chemical industry accelerated its development, with a construction scale exceeding 30 million tons, of which coal-to-oil production continuously surpassed 4 million tons for three consecutive years, ranking first nationwide. In recent years, Ningxia has vigorously promoted the development of the digital economy, not only building the only "dual center" for computing power and internet exchange in the western region but also achieving internationally advanced levels for high-tech manufacturing products such as intelligent casting, intelligent instruments, and intelligent machine tools. As the only province-level administrative region entirely within the Yellow River basin, the water quality of the Yellow River in the Ningxia section has consistently maintained Class II for seven consecutive years. It is estimated that 8.2 million mu of desertification control tasks will be completed by 2027, continuously consolidating the ecological foundation of a safe, clean, and beautiful Yellow River. In the next step, Ningxia will adhere to the construction of a pioneering zone for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin as the guiding principle, further expanding, strengthening, and optimizing green and characteristic industries; developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions and promoting the intelligent upgrading of traditional industries; optimizing the business environment, and vigorously building a national new energy comprehensive demonstration zone, a modern coal chemical industry demonstration zone, and a pioneering zone for green agricultural development, contributing Ningxia's efforts to the new chapter of western development.
During the "Three Summers" season (summer harvest, summer management, and summer planting), various regions are seizing the agricultural season to fully manage the summer harvest, summer management, and summer planting, laying a solid foundation for a bumper grain harvest throughout the year. The golden wheat waves are being rapidly harvested. In Sichuan Province, nearly 80% of the 9.1 million mu of wheat has been harvested. To accelerate the harvest, Youxian District in Mianyang is promoting rural land trusteeship services, guiding farmers to consolidate scattered land for unified field management and centralized harvesting. In the southern wheat-producing areas of Hubei, the harvest is nearing its end, while the northern main producing areas have begun large-scale machine harvesting. Many regions have set up reception stations for cross-regional agricultural machinery operators, providing logistical support. In Anhui, a major grain-producing province, the harvest of over 43 million mu of wheat is successively starting from south to north. The province plans to deploy approximately 170,000 high-performance combine harvesters and seize the clear weather in the coming days to accelerate the harvest. At the same time, Anhui is preparing for storage and warehousing to ensure every grain of summer harvest is collected. Provinces and regions such as Shaanxi and Xinjiang are adopting new equipment and technologies to assist summer management based on local conditions. At Da Cao Zhuang Farm in Xingtai, Hebei, a self-propelled sprinkler is in operation, combining watering, fertilizing, and spraying, capable of irrigating 600 mu per day.萊西 in Shandong has established a smart agriculture big data platform, where farmers can set programs on their mobile phones, allowing sprinklers and drones to "cooperate" in carrying out "three-in-one spraying" operations. The Hexi Corridor in Gansu is vigorously promoting new wheat irrigation technologies, with drip irrigation being more precise, saving both water and fertilizer. This year, Jiuquan City is focusing on developing over 1.3 million mu of efficient water-saving farmland. Currently, 2.1 million mu of early rice in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, has entered the tillering stage, and pest and disease control is particularly crucial. This year, the local area is actively promoting the application of multi-level control methods such as solar insecticidal lamps and plant protection drones to improve pest control efficiency and lay a solid foundation for a bumper grain harvest.
Today (May 20), in "Cultural China Tour," we will take you to Zhejiang, where the local authorities have focused on cultural inheritance in the protection, utilization, and improvement of historical and cultural blocks and residential environments, preserving their unique historical charm and allowing cities to retain memories and people to remember their hometowns. Located on the southern shore of Lake Tai, Nanxun Ancient Town in Huzhou was built during the Chunyou period of the Southern Song Dynasty. The ancient town features "an arch every three steps, a bridge every five steps," with white walls and black tiles, and exquisitely arranged courtyards. It is the first Jiangnan ancient town in China to be entirely included in the World Cultural Heritage List. As early as the Southern Song Dynasty, the Nanxun area was already known for its "richness in farming and sericulture, ranking first in western Zhejiang." The Jili silk from Nanxun, which began to emerge in the Ming Dynasty, became "famous throughout the world" in the Qing Dynasty due to its superior quality. You see, a single strand of Jili silk is less than one-tenth the thickness of a human hair, yet it can easily string together more than 8 copper coins, making it extremely strong. It is not only a synonym for high-quality silk but is also used in various applications and fields, such as string making for musical instruments and cultural relic restoration. In the ancient town, the Jiaye Library, with a history of a hundred years, is a famous private library and a renowned garden in the Jiangnan region during modern times. At its peak, it collected 882 boxes and 600,000 volumes of ancient books, as well as a large number of precious woodblock prints from the Song and Yuan dynasties. Today, the library is affiliated with the Zhejiang Library and is open to the public. Zhejiang Province has a profound cultural heritage, boasting 20 historical and cultural cities, 94 famous towns, 218 famous villages, and 107 historical blocks. The number of famous cities, towns, and villages, as well as historical buildings, ranks first nationwide. Songyang County, located in southwestern Zhejiang, was established in the fourth year of Jian'an in the Eastern Han Dynasty, with a history of over 1,800 years. Its old street, with a total length of 1.9 kilometers, has undergone thousands of years of changes and still retains a relatively complete farming and reading culture, a large number of architectural cultural heritage, and traditional handicraft industries, earning it the title of "specimen of classical Chinese county." It is like a flowing historical scroll, telling the story of the inheritance of cultural脉. On the stone pavement of the old street, every few meters, you will see a drainage grate shaped like a copper coin pattern. This is an architectural feature of Jiangnan streets and alleys in the Qing Dynasty, which served both practical and decorative purposes, symbolizing a prosperous life and flourishing business. ===
Yongding River Beijing Section Flood Damage Repair Project Nears Completion Recently, various flood damage repair projects along the Beijing section of the Yongding River have been largely completed. These projects include 10 items, such as the main river dike of the Yongding River and the Yongding River flood retention reservoir. Currently, the flood discharge function of the river channel has been mostly restored and will return to normal use when the flood season officially begins on June 1. China Qualifies for 19 Major Events at Paris Paralympics Today (May 20) marks 100 days until the Paris Paralympics. Currently, China has qualified for 19 major events, including track and field and swimming. These Paralympic Games will feature 22 major categories and 549 sub-events, including archery, powerlifting, and wheelchair basketball, with an estimated 4,400 athletes from over 160 countries and regions participating. World Metrology Day China Main Event Held in Anhui Today (May 20) is the 25th "World Metrology Day." The main event in China was held in Hefei, Anhui, with the theme "Metrology Foundations New Quality Productive Forces, Promoting Sustainable Development." As of now, China has established 200 national metrology benchmarks and has obtained international recognition for 1,869 calibration and measurement capabilities. Yangtze River Delta Region's Foreign Trade Exceeds 5 Trillion Yuan in First Four Months of This Year Reporters learned from Shanghai Customs that in the first four months of this year, the total foreign trade import and export value of the Yangtze River Delta region reached 5.04 trillion yuan, a new historical high, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.6% and accounting for 36.5% of the national total import and export value. Xiajiang Irrigation Area in Jiangxi Commences Construction Today Today (May 20), the Xiajiang Irrigation Area project in Ji'an, Jiangxi, commenced construction. The project has a total investment of 4.019 billion yuan and covers 32 townships and 291 administrative villages in four counties, including Xingan and Xiajiang. Upon completion, it will ensure water supply for 226,100 urban and rural residents and irrigate 670,000 mu of farmland. Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant Cumulatively Transmits Over 400 Billion kWh of Electricity Reporters learned from State Grid that as of May 20, the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant, the world's largest nuclear power base in terms of total installed capacity, has cumulatively transmitted 400.346 billion kWh of clean electricity to the Yangtze River Delta region, equivalent to one year's electricity consumption for 108 million households and an equivalent reduction of 320 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. China's 10th Peacekeeping Police Unit to Deploy to South Sudan China's tenth peacekeeping police unit to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan will depart to carry out peacekeeping duties. This deployment marks China's first dispatch of a peacekeeping police unit to the South Sudan mission area after the stable transition of pandemic prevention and control, serving as a concrete manifestation of Chinese public security agencies' commitment to the Global Security Initiative and fulfillment of their responsibilities as a major power. First National Mass Fitness Games Opens in Shenyang, Liaoning The First National Mass Fitness Games opened today (May 20) in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. The games de-emphasize competitive aspects, aiming to create a national mass fitness event that integrates competitions, performances, learning, and exchanges. Following the opening ceremony, various events of the First National Mass Fitness Games will take place in seven competition zones: North China, Northeast China, East China, Central China, South China, Southwest China, and Northwest China. Heavy Rainfall Continues in South China; Beware of Strong Convective Weather The Central Meteorological Observatory forecasts that today (May 20) and tomorrow, parts of Hainan Island, coastal Guangdong, and southeastern Fujian will experience moderate to heavy rain, with some areas in central coastal Guangdong and central Hainan Island experiencing torrential rain. Locally, there may also be strong convective weather such as thunderstorms and gales, requiring vigilance.
A helicopter carrying several high-ranking Iranian officials crashed in Iran's northwestern East Azerbaijan province on May 19, killing Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and others. Raisi, Amir-Abdollahian, and other Iranian officials were returning from an event in Khodaafarin County, East Azerbaijan Province, to Tabriz, the provincial capital, when their helicopter lost contact en route, according to Iranian official media reports. Iran immediately dispatched over 70 search and rescue teams. The crash site was a mountainous area with complex terrain, and the weather was severe, foggy, and cold at the time of the incident, increasing the difficulty of the search and rescue operation. On May 20, search and rescue personnel found the helicopter wreckage and confirmed that all on board had died. Iranian media reported that there were eight people on board, and the specific cause of the crash is under investigation. Khamenei Approves Mokhber to Assume Interim Presidential Powers On May 20, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed condolences for the deaths of Raisi, Amir-Abdollahian, and others, and declared five days of public mourning. Khamenei has approved First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber to assume interim presidential powers. Raisi was born in Mashhad, northeastern Iran, in 1960. He had served as the head of Iran's National Inspectorate Organization, Prosecutor-General, and Chief Justice. On June 19, 2021, Raisi was elected President of Iran.
The Israeli military stated on May 19 that it continued military operations in Jabalia in northern Gaza and Rafah in the south, launching multiple strikes against Palestinian armed group targets and killing several Palestinian militants. The Israeli military also claimed to have killed a senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in an airstrike on May 18. Palestinian armed groups stated on May 19 that their members fiercely retaliated against Israeli forces in Jabalia, Rafah, and other areas, using mortars and other weapons to strike Israeli targets. The Palestinian side claimed on the same day that their forces had gradually stabilized front-line positions in Khan Yunis. Palestinians state thousands of aid trucks prevented from entering Gaza Strip by Israeli forces The Gaza Strip media office stated on May 19 that due to the continued closure of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings connecting to the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces, approximately 3,000 trucks carrying aid supplies have been unable to enter the Gaza Strip, and about 690 patients in urgent need of medical treatment have been unable to leave the Gaza Strip. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) stated on May 19 that 500,000 children in the Gaza Strip are currently living among ruins and are deeply traumatized.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on May 19 that Russian forces continued their offensive in Kharkiv and other areas, striking concentrations of Ukrainian personnel and equipment, and destroying Ukrainian tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, and other equipment. Russian air defense units also intercepted multiple Ukrainian tactical missiles and rockets, and shot down over a hundred Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated on May 19 that Ukrainian forces continued fierce battles with Russian forces in Kharkiv and other areas, and took all necessary measures to weaken the Russian offensive. The Ukrainian side stated on the same day that Ukrainian forces had gradually stabilized their front-line positions in Kharkiv.
10th World Water Forum Opens in Indonesia The 10th World Water Forum opened today (May 20) in Bali, Indonesia. This year's forum theme is "Water for Shared Prosperity." At the forum, China will focus on important topics such as water security and prosperity, providing a platform for participants to exchange successful water governance concepts, experiences, and policies from China, and contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions to global water issues. US to Withdraw All Troops from Niger by September 15 Representatives from Niger and the US Department of Defense issued a joint communiqué in Niamey, the capital of Niger, on May 19, stating that US troops will be completely withdrawn from Nigerien territory by September 15 this year at the latest. The US has maintained military presence in Niger since 2013. In March this year, Niger's transitional government announced its intention to terminate the military cooperation agreement "imposed" by the US on Niger. Congo (DRC) Military Claims to Have Foiled Coup Attempt Congolese (DRC) military spokesperson Ekenge stated on May 19 that the military foiled a coup attempt in the capital Kinshasa on the same day. Four people, including the coup leader, exiled Congolese politician Malanga, were killed, and over 40 armed individuals were arrested, including several Americans. Currently, the situation in the capital has returned to normal. Metonto National Forest Fire Spreads Rapidly According to US media reports on May 19, a wildfire broke out in the northeastern part of Tonto National Forest in Arizona on May 18, and has rapidly spread, burning approximately 20 square kilometers of land as of May 19. Currently, the wildfire is not under control. The Tonto National Forest issued a statement urging the public to stay away from the wildfire area. The cause of the fire is under investigation. British Scholar Says UK Should Confront History of Slave Trade and Pay Reparations According to British media reports on May 19, Cambridge University scholar Michael Banner stated in an interview on the same day that the British government has been evading responsibility and refusing to confront its history of slave trade. The report stated that Michael Banner claimed that as the main country involved in the slave trade, the UK should pay 205 billion pounds in compensation to several Caribbean countries, which is approximately 1.88 trillion yuan. British media also reported that a report led by a UN judge showed that the UK should pay 18.8 trillion pounds in compensation for its slave trade activities, which is approximately 17.3 trillion yuan.
Xiaoman, the second solar term of summer, sees rivers in southern China gradually filling up. In northern China, wheat grains are gradually plumping up, soon to be ready for harvest. To conclude our program, let's go out into the vast expanse of nature and experience Xiaoman, feel the vibrancy, and the power of growth.
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