China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Leaders Congratulate CKY Railway Agreement Signing
On June 6, the signing ceremony for the intergovernmental agreement on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project was held in Beijing. President Xi Jinping, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev delivered video messages congratulating the signing of the agreement. Xi Jinping pointed out that the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a strategic project for connectivity between China and Central Asia and a landmark project for the Belt and Road cooperation among the three countries. The signing of the intergovernmental agreement will provide a solid legal foundation for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project, marking the transformation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway from a concept into reality, and demonstrating the firm determination of the three countries to work together for cooperation and common development. China is willing to work with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to redouble efforts, make all preparations for the start of the project construction, and complete this strategic passage at an early date, which will benefit the three countries and their peoples and promote regional economic and social development. Japarov stated that the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a flagship project for Belt and Road cooperation among the three countries. Once completed, it will become a new transport route from Asia to Europe and the Persian Gulf countries, which is of great significance for promoting connectivity and strengthening economic and trade ties among the countries along the route and in the entire region. He hoped that the railway would be completed and put into operation soon, providing new impetus for promoting common regional development and enhancing the well-being of the peoples of all countries. Mirziyoyev stated that the signing ceremony today (June 6) is of historical significance and a pragmatic step forward in regional connectivity construction. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will become the shortest land passage connecting China with Central Asian countries and can also open up large markets in South Asia and Middle Eastern countries, which is conducive to further expanding cooperation between regional countries and China, deepening friendly relations between countries, and is in line with the long-term interests of all countries. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway starts from Kashgar, Xinjiang, passes through Kyrgyzstan, enters Uzbekistan, and can extend to West Asia and South Asia in the future. Its completion will greatly promote connectivity among the three countries and drive faster economic and social development in the region.
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Xi Jinping Meets Pakistani Prime Minister
On the afternoon of June 7, President Xi Jinping met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Pakistan are good neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, good friends bound by trust and righteousness, and even better partners who help each other, sharing weal and woe. The China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership continues to deepen, possessing a solid public foundation, strong inherent动力, and broad development prospects. China is willing to firmly support each other with Pakistan, strengthen cooperation ties, deepen strategic coordination, and accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, making greater contributions to regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity. Xi Jinping emphasized that the ironclad friendship between China and Pakistan has grown stronger over time, primarily because both sides have always understood each other, trusted each other, and firmly supported each other. He thanked Pakistan for its long-standing and firm support for China on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns. China will, as always, firmly support Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, support Pakistan in pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions, and support Pakistan in resolutely combating terrorism. China is willing to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation aligning with Pakistan's development plans, and carry out cooperation in agriculture, mining, and social welfare based on local conditions, centering on building an "upgraded version" of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to jointly build "five corridors" of growth, livelihood, innovation, green, and openness, promoting high-quality CPEC construction to go deeper and more solid, and assisting Pakistan's economic and social development. He hoped that Pakistan would continue to create a safe, stable, and predictable business environment and effectively ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan. China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Pakistan in multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, jointly promoting an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, focusing on the development agenda, addressing security challenges, improving global governance, and safeguarding the common interests and international fairness and justice of developing countries. Shehbaz Sharif stated that under President Xi Jinping's wise leadership, China has made world-renowned great achievements in poverty alleviation, anti-corruption, and development. President Xi Jinping's foresight and outstanding leadership have earned the sincere admiration and high praise of the Pakistani people and people of all countries worldwide. President Xi Jinping, focusing on the well-being of all humanity, actively promotes world peace, advocates dialogue over confrontation, and the Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative he proposed provide strategic guidance for solving the problems facing the world today and promoting the building of a more peaceful and better world. Pakistan highly appreciates and fully supports them. The CPEC has vigorously promoted Pakistan's national development and truly benefited the Pakistani people. Pakistan will learn from China's governance experience and continue to jointly build the Belt and Road with China in a high-quality manner, deepening practical cooperation in various fields. The Pakistani government once again expressed deep condolences for the Chinese casualties in the Dasu terrorist attack in March and will resolutely crack down on and severely punish the terrorists involved, taking effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions in Pakistan. I wish to reiterate that no force can stop China's development and growth, and no force can shake the ironclad friendship between Pakistan and China. Pakistan will unswervingly be China's most trustworthy friend and partner. The One-China principle is a firm commitment of the Pakistani government, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. Pakistan will continue to unequivocally and firmly support China's position on all core interest issues, including those related to Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, and the South China Sea. Wang Yi and Zhang Youxia attended the meeting.
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Xi Jinping Meets Brazilian Vice President
On the afternoon of June 7, President Xi Jinping met with Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Brazil are like-minded good friends and good partners moving forward hand in hand. Last April, President Lula and I reached important consensus on leading the opening of a new future for China-Brazil relations in the new era. Over the past year and more, with the joint efforts of both sides, bilateral strategic mutual trust has deepened, practical cooperation has continued to advance, and close coordination has been maintained on international occasions, which has not only promoted their respective development but also effectively safeguarded the common interests of the vast number of developing countries. Xi Jinping emphasized that the world is currently undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. As major developing countries and important emerging market economies, China and Brazil share broad common strategic interests, and their relationship far exceeds the bilateral scope, serving as a model for promoting unity and cooperation among developing countries and world peace and stability. Both sides should grasp the strategic nature of their relationship, enhance its win-win nature, and demonstrate its comprehensive nature, constantly strengthening strategic coordination and giving new contemporary connotations to China-Brazil friendship. China is willing to continue to uphold the pioneering spirit with Brazil, make strategic plans for bilateral relations with a more forward-looking perspective, clarify the long-term goal of building a China-Brazil community with a shared future, fully leverage the role of the China-Brazil High-Level Coordination and Cooperation Committee, consolidate cooperation in traditional areas, expand cooperation in emerging areas such as the green economy, digital economy, and innovation, and strengthen the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with Brazil's "reindustrialization" and "South American integration route" development strategies. Taking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations as an opportunity, comprehensively strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields such as legislative bodies, political parties, localities, culture, education, tourism, and youth, to gather more friendly forces and provide more strong support for China-Brazil cooperation. China supports Brazil in playing a greater role on the international stage and supports Brazil in successfully hosting this year's G20 Leaders' Summit. It is willing to maintain close communication with all parties of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), including Brazil, to promote the further development of China-Latin America relations in the new era. Alckmin conveyed President Lula's cordial greetings to Xi Jinping and stated that yesterday, I successfully co-chaired the Seventh Meeting of the Brazil-China High-Level Coordination and Cooperation Committee with Vice President Han Zheng, achieving positive results. In recent years, hundreds of millions of Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty, which is a world miracle, and relevant experiences are of great significance for Brazil to learn from. The Brazilian government is committed to achieving inclusive and sustainable growth and is willing to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with China, welcoming more Chinese enterprises to invest in Brazil and strengthening cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture, mining, new energy vehicles, and climate change. Both Brazil and China are committed to defending multilateralism and free trade, share similar philosophies on many important issues, and have great cooperation potential and broad prospects. Brazil is willing to take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations as a new starting point, work with China, strengthen bilateral and multilateral strategic coordination, elevate bilateral relations to a new level, and contribute to building a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world. Wang Yi attended the meeting.
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Li Qiang Chairs State Council Executive Meeting
Premier Li Qiang chaired an executive meeting of the State Council on June 7, which discussed policy measures to promote the high-quality development of venture capital, heard a report on the current real estate market situation and considerations for building a new real estate development model, deliberated and adopted the "Guiding Opinions on Improving the Long-term Mechanism for Basic Medical Insurance Enrollment" and the "Regulations of the State Council on the Administration of Registered Capital Registration for the Implementation of the Company Law of the People's Republic of China (Draft)," and discussed the "Law of the People's Republic of China on Responses to Public Health Emergencies (Draft)." The meeting pointed out that developing venture capital is an important measure to promote the virtuous cycle of science and technology, industry, and finance. It is necessary to optimize support policies across the entire "fundraising, investment, management, and exit" chain, encourage insurance funds, social security funds, and other long-term investments, actively attract foreign venture capital funds, broaden exit channels, improve policies such as mergers and acquisitions, and create a good ecosystem supporting the development of venture capital. Differentiated supervision should be implemented according to the characteristics of venture capital, tax preferential policies should be refined, the development of professional institutions should be supported, and the role of venture capital in early-stage, small-scale, and hard-tech investment should be fully utilized. The meeting pointed out that the development of the real estate industry concerns the vital interests of the people and the overall situation of economic operation and financial stability. It is necessary to fully recognize the new changes in the supply and demand relationship of the real estate market, respond to the people's new expectations for high-quality housing, strive to promote the implementation of existing policy measures, and continue to study and reserve new policies and measures for destocking and stabilizing the market. For the digestion and revitalization of existing housing and land, it is necessary to both emancipate the mind and broaden ideas, and to grasp them steadily and advance them solidly. It is necessary to accelerate the construction of a new real estate development model, improve the "market + guarantee" housing supply system, and promote the stable and healthy development of the real estate market. The meeting pointed out that China has built a basic medical security network covering all people, and it is necessary to continuously optimize the enrollment structure and improve the quality of enrollment. It is necessary to further relax household registration restrictions for enrollment, broaden the scope of mutual aid for employee medical insurance personal accounts, establish an incentive mechanism for continuous enrollment and zero fund reimbursement, set fixed waiting periods and variable waiting periods, improve medical insurance management and medical services, and effectively enhance people's sense of gain from enrollment and convenience of medical treatment. The meeting pointed out that improving the registered capital registration and management system is a requirement for implementing the newly revised Company Law and optimizing the business environment. It is necessary to steadily promote the implementation of policies such as adjusting the capital contribution period for existing companies, guide companies to regulate shareholders' performance of their capital contribution obligations according to law, optimize registration services, do a good job in policy publicity and interpretation, and continuously create a first-class business environment. The meeting discussed and adopted in principle the "Law of the People's Republic of China on Responses to Public Health Emergencies (Draft)" and decided to submit the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation. The meeting also studied other matters.
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Li Qiang Holds Welcoming Ceremony for Pakistani Prime Minister's Visit
On the morning of the 7th, Premier Li Qiang held a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is on an official visit to China. State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong and others attended the welcoming ceremony. The military band played the national anthems of Pakistan and China. Afterwards, Li Qiang accompanied Shehbaz Sharif to inspect the guard of honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
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Li Qiang Holds Talks With Pakistani Prime Minister
After the welcoming ceremony, Li Qiang held talks with Shehbaz Sharif. Li Qiang stated that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. For 73 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, both sides have always treated each other with sincerity and shared weal and woe, forging an unbreakable "ironclad" friendship. President Xi Jinping's meeting with the Prime Minister has made plans and guidance for the development of China-Pakistan relations. China is willing to work with Pakistan to carry forward traditional friendship, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era. Li Qiang pointed out that China firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and supports Pakistan in achieving unity, stability, security, and prosperity. China is willing to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Pakistan, focusing on building an "upgraded version" of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, steadily advancing the construction of key projects, deepening cooperation in industry, agriculture, aerospace, and other fields, and expanding the scale of trade and investment cooperation. China will continue to support Pakistan in improving social welfare and post-disaster reconstruction, and is willing to actively carry out cultural and people-to-people exchanges with Pakistan. China supports Pakistan in strengthening its counter-terrorism capacity building and hopes that Pakistan will continue to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan without relaxation. Shehbaz Sharif stated that Pakistan-China friendship is enduring and unbreakable, and they are as close as brothers. Pakistan firmly supports China's positions on issues concerning Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea. Pakistan is willing to work with China to deeply advance the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in economy, trade, investment, agriculture, culture, and other fields, and promote more fruitful results in the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and the building of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future. Pakistan expressed deep condolences for the Chinese citizens who died in the Dasu terrorist attack and will use all its power to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions in Pakistan. I wish to reiterate that no force can stop China's development and growth, and no force can shake the ironclad friendship between Pakistan and China. Pakistan will unswervingly be China's most trustworthy friend and partner. The One-China principle is a firm commitment of the Pakistani government, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. Pakistan will continue to unequivocally and firmly support China's position on all core interest issues, including those related to Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, and the South China Sea. After the talks, the two prime ministers jointly witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in transportation, industry, agriculture, people's livelihood, and other fields. Wu Zhenglong attended the above activities.
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Zhao Leji Meets Pakistani Prime Minister
Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing on June 7. Zhao Leji stated that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and ironclad friends. For over 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the mutual trust and friendship between the two countries have remained rock-solid, serving as a model of friendly coexistence between nations. China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus of the two leaders, firmly support each other, deepen cooperation in various fields, promote the in-depth development of China-Pakistan relations, and contribute to accelerating the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era. The National People's Congress of China is willing to strengthen friendly exchanges with the Parliament of Pakistan, provide legal support for practical cooperation, strengthen communication in multilateral organizations, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Shehbaz Sharif stated that Pakistan-China relations are unbreakable. Pakistan supports the major concepts and initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping, adheres to the One-China principle, and is willing to promote cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries. Shohrat Zakir attended the meeting.
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Wang Huning Meets Venezuelan Foreign Minister
Wang Huning, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, met with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil in Beijing on June 7. Wang Huning stated that last September, President Xi Jinping and President Maduro jointly announced the elevation of China-Venezuela relations to an all-weather strategic partnership, ushering in a new historical period for bilateral relations. China is willing to work with Venezuela, taking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations as a new starting point, to translate the important consensus of the two heads of state into concrete actions to continue China-Venezuela friendship, and jointly open up a more beautiful next 50 years for China-Venezuela relations. The CPPCC National Committee is willing to create a favorable environment for China-Venezuela cooperation and gather more positive energy. Gil stated that under the guidance of the two heads of state, Venezuela-China relations have entered their best historical period. Venezuela fully supports the series of important global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping, will continue to be China's most trusted friend, firmly adhere to the One-China principle, and work hand in hand to advance the Venezuela-China all-weather strategic partnership. Wang Dongfeng and others attended the meeting.
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Li Xi Meets Special Envoy of Cuban President, Foreign Minister Rodriguez
Li Xi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, met with Cuban President's Special Envoy and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla in Beijing on June 7. Li Xi stated that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Miguel Díaz-Canel, the building of a China-Cuba community with a shared future has deepened and become more concrete. China and Cuba are good friends, good comrades, and good brothers who have gone through thick and thin together. China will continue to support Cuba in taking a socialist path that suits its national conditions, support Cuba in defending national sovereignty and dignity, and is willing to deepen political mutual trust, promote practical cooperation, and strengthen strategic coordination with Cuba to achieve new developments in the special friendly relations between the two parties and two countries. Li Xi also introduced General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on the Party's self-revolution and the work of full and strict governance over the Party and anti-corruption. Rodríguez stated that he thanked China for its strong support for Cuba's just cause, and Cuba firmly adheres to the One-China principle and will unswervingly deepen Cuba-China friendship and resolutely defend the socialist cause.
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China's Foreign Trade Continues Upward Trend
Customs data released today (June 7) by the General Administration of Customs shows that China's goods trade imports and exports increased by 6.3% year-on-year in the first five months of this year, with the positive trend in foreign trade continuing to solidify. According to customs statistics, in the first five months of this year, China's total import and export value of goods trade was 17.5 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.3%. Specifically, exports reached 9.95 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.1%. High-end, intelligent, and green products showed strong export momentum, with exports of ships, electric vehicles, and home appliances increasing by 100.1%, 26.3%, and 17.8%, respectively. Imports reached 7.55 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.4%, of which intermediate goods imports were 6.07 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.4%. In May alone, imports and exports amounted to 3.71 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.6%, 0.6 percentage points higher than in April. Customs statistics show that in the first five months of this year, China's imports and exports with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative totaled 8.31 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.2%, accounting for 47.5% of the total import and export value.
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Dragon Boat Festival Approaches Amid Thriving Market, Rising Consumption
As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, the festive atmosphere is growing. Seasonal goods are selling well, and traditional folk culture is booming, driving a continuous warm-up of the consumer market. With the festival approaching, the market is vibrant. Monitoring data from key supermarkets and e-commerce platforms show that in the past week, sales of seasonal fresh produce and outdoor goods have doubled. The wave of traditional culture has driven innovation in folk products. At the Beijing Flower Trading Center, florists are busy making Dragon Boat Festival bouquets with auspicious meanings, with daily orders reaching up to 15,000. A time-honored Zongzi manufacturer in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, has developed more than twenty new healthy flavors, and over 1.2 million Zongzi are sold daily, not only to various parts of the country but also exported to more than a dozen countries and regions. Combining Dragon Boat Festival customs and seasonal characteristics, many places are promoting the deep integration of commerce, culture, and tourism. Hangzhou's commerce department is collaborating with over 30,000 local businesses to launch interactive check-in activities based on ancient poems in scenic spots like West Lake. Suzhou has brought intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, cultural and creative products, and local delicacies into creative markets, creating new consumption scenarios. In the cultural streets of Zhengzhou, Henan, handicraft techniques such as handmade lacquer fans and self-made sachets have attracted many citizens to participate. According to data monitored by the Ministry of Commerce, the supply of daily necessities in the national market is currently sufficient, and prices are generally stable. During the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, various localities will increase their stock and enrich product categories according to festival consumption characteristics to ensure holiday consumption needs are met.
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CMG Presents Diverse Dragon Boat Festival Programs
During the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, China Media Group (CMG) will present a variety of exciting programs to celebrate the festival with you. CMG's CCTV News Channel will launch a special program during the Dragon Boat Festival, "Dragon Boat Race: Home and Country Dragon Boat Festival," showcasing distinctive dragon boat activities across the country and highlighting the new vitality generated by the combination of traditional culture and modern life. CCTV's General Channel, Variety Channel, Music Channel, and multiple other platforms will simultaneously broadcast the Dragon Boat Festival special program "Striving for the Nation - Ode to the Dragon Boat in Green Waters 2024," which innovatively blends beautiful landscapes, humanistic spirit, and artistic performances through creative songs and dances, traditional opera, folk music, and other forms. During the Dragon Boat Festival, CCTV's General Channel will also broadcast "Beauty and Harmony" and "Exploring China with Bamboo Slips." The Variety Channel will present "National Treasure" (Season 4). The Sports Channel will broadcast the 2024 China Dragon Boat Series, showcasing the long heritage of Chinese dragon boat culture and promoting the spirit of striving for excellence. In addition, other CMG television channels, radio frequencies, and new media platforms will also launch special programming to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival holiday with you.
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National College Entrance Exam Kicks Off Today
The 2024 National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) began today (June 7). This year, the number of Gaokao applicants reached 13.42 million, an increase of 510,000 from last year. On the first day of the Gaokao, candidates took the Chinese language and mathematics exams. This year, a total of 7,926 examination centers were set up nationwide, with 359,000 regular examination rooms and 22,000 backup examination rooms. All examination centers across the country have implemented full coverage of smart security gates. The Ministry of Education also actively promotes real-time intelligent patrols in examination rooms and real-time intelligent inspections in confidential rooms to maintain fairness and impartiality in the examination. This year, a total of over 11,000 disabled candidates participated in the Gaokao. The Ministry of Education guided various localities to provide reasonable examination accommodations for them, including specially prepared braille test papers for 15 visually impaired candidates in 11 provinces (regions). Various localities have also strengthened service guarantees in areas such as travel, accommodation, medical hygiene, and noise control, striving to create a warm and comfortable examination environment for candidates.
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Domestic News Briefs
China's foreign exchange reserves reached $3,232.0 billion in May. The latest data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange shows that in May, China's foreign exchange reserves stood at $3,232.0 billion, an increase of $31.2 billion from the end of April, indicating stable growth. 2024 "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day" to feature intangible cultural heritage exhibitions and activities. The 2024 "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day" intangible cultural heritage exhibition and activity officially launched today (June 7) at the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum. Various regions will host over 12,000 special activities under the theme of "Protecting and Inheriting Intangible Cultural Heritage, Continuing Historical Lineage, and Writing a New Chapter of the Times," including the "Myriad Aspects - China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Practice Theme Exhibition" and the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Shopping Festival." Three-year coastal city marine litter cleanup action launched today. Today (June 7), the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and three other departments jointly issued the "Coastal City Marine Litter Cleanup Action Plan," proposing a three-year dragnet cleanup action in 65 bays in coastal cities across the country, requiring a significant reduction in the density of floating marine litter by 2025, with no obvious large patches of marine litter. ARJ21, China's domestically produced passenger jet, opens its first Central Asian route. Reporters learned from COMAC that today (June 7), China's independently developed ARJ21 regional jet took off from Xinjiang Airport for Tajikistan, marking ARJ21's first route to Central Asia. As of now, ARJ21 aircraft have cumulatively operated 549 routes and safely transported over 13 million passengers. CMG Research Institute established. The China Media Group (CMG) Research Institute was unveiled and established today (June 7). The Institute's core positioning is "based on CMG,面向 the industry, and targeting international high-end think tanks," conducting forward-looking, targeted, and reserve policy research around major national strategic needs. CMG awarded certificates to the first batch of invited expert representatives for the Institute and jointly released the first batch of research projects with authoritative institutions. "High-end Dialogue" to air exclusive interview with ICRC President Spoljaric tonight. Tonight (June 7), CMG's CCTV News Channel program "High-end Dialogue" will air an exclusive interview with Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Spoljaric stated that China is a key contributor to humanitarian efforts, and the ICRC looks forward to deepening cooperation with China to jointly contribute to world peace and development. The program will also be simultaneously available on new media platforms such as CCTV News, Yangshipin, and https://www.google.com/search?q=CCTV.com.
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Building in Central Gaza Refugee Camp Attacked
Sources in the Gaza Strip said today (June 7) that the Israeli military attacked a building in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on June 6, killing five people, including the camp's manager. Israel has not yet responded to this. The United Nations condemns the Israeli military's airstrike on a school in the Gaza Strip refugee camp. The United Nations said today that, according to local officials in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military's airstrike on a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp on June 6 killed 40 people. Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), stated that the school in the Nuseirat refugee camp attacked by the Israeli military on June 6 was operated by UNRWA and housed 6,000 displaced Gazans. UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement on June 6 condemning the attack.
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International News Briefs
UN General Assembly Elects New President and Non-Permanent Members of Security Council. The United Nations General Assembly on June 6 elected Philemon Yang, former Prime Minister of Cameroon, as the President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. Yang, 76, will assume office in September this year for a one-year term. The General Assembly also elected Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. European Central Bank Announces 25 Basis Point Cut to Three Key Interest Rates. The European Central Bank (ECB) decided on June 6 to cut all three key interest rates for the eurozone by 25 basis points, with the new rates taking effect on June 12. Since beginning its rate-hiking cycle in July 2022, the ECB had raised rates 10 consecutive times, totaling 450 basis points. The ECB has maintained interest rates unchanged since October 2023. European industry insiders believe that this rate cut is aimed at boosting the weak European economy, but the ECB's communiqué also noted that inflationary pressures in the eurozone remain high.