Xi's Key Article on Deepening Reform Published in Qiushi Journal
The second issue of "Qiushi" magazine, published on January 16, featured an important article by Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, titled "Several Major Theoretical and Practical Issues in Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform." The article emphasized that comprehensively deepening reform in the new era has achieved significant practical, institutional, and theoretical results, making it one of the most magnificent chapters in China's history of reform and opening up. It has provided strong impetus and institutional guarantees for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and continuing the "two miracles," while also laying a solid foundation and valuable experience for further comprehensively deepening reform on the new journey. The article pointed out that upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground is a major principle that must be firmly grasped and consistently adhered to in further comprehensively deepening reform. Upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground are dialectically unified; only by upholding fundamental principles can innovation always advance in the correct direction, and only by continuous innovation can fundamental principles be better upheld. It is necessary to adhere to the general goal of improving and developing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and modernizing the national governance system and governance capacity, always advancing in the direction guided by the general goal, resolutely reforming what needs to be reformed, and not reforming what should not be reformed. With indomitable courage and boldness, it is necessary to vigorously promote theoretical innovation, practical innovation, institutional innovation, cultural innovation, and innovation in all other aspects to provide strong impetus and institutional guarantees for Chinese modernization. Emphasize economic system reform as the key point, and comprehensively and coordinately advance reforms in all aspects, striving to form overall effectiveness. The article pointed out that it is necessary to adhere to guiding and promoting reform with scientific methods. Reform is a systematic project that requires handling relationships in all aspects and paying attention to scientific methods. First, adhere to the unity of reform and the rule of law; second, adhere to the dialectical unity of breaking down and establishing; third, adhere to the unity of reform and opening up; fourth, properly handle the relationship between planning and implementation. The article pointed out that it is necessary to create a favorable atmosphere for further comprehensively deepening reform. Correctly understand and interpret the spirit of the Plenum's "Decision," reasonably guide reform expectations, grasp the correct public opinion orientation, and form a synergy of public opinion.
Xi, Monaco Leader Exchange Congratulatory Messages on 30 Years of Diplomatic Ties
On January 16, President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with Prince Albert II, Head of State of Monaco, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Xi Jinping pointed out that over the past 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Monaco, bilateral relations have achieved substantial development. Both sides have adhered to sincere friendship and equal treatment, with continuous deepening of political mutual trust and traditional friendship. Cooperation in fields such as communication, environmental protection, sports, and arts has been distinctive and fruitful, becoming a model of friendly coexistence and common development between countries of different sizes, historical cultures, and social systems. I attach great importance to the development of China-Monaco relations and am willing to work with Prince Albert II to take the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations as a new starting point, promoting continuous new progress in China-Monaco relations to better benefit the two peoples. Prince Albert II stated that although Monaco and China differ in size, culture, and national conditions, they have always adhered to mutual respect, exchanges, and mutual learning, with fruitful cooperation in environmental protection, marine affairs, economy and trade, and culture. President Xi Jinping's state visit to Monaco in 2019 was an unforgettable national event for all Monacan people. Monaco attaches great importance to the development of Monaco-China relations. I am willing to work with Mr. President to deepen mutual trust and expand cooperation, promoting more achievements in Monaco-China relations to better benefit the two peoples.
Book on Xi Jinping's Thought on Party Building Published
To thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and to further deeply understand, accurately grasp, and effectively implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on Party building, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee organized the compilation of "An Introduction to General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Thoughts on Party Building" (hereinafter referred to as "the Introduction"), which has been published by Party Building Reading Press and is now available nationwide. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward a series of new concepts, ideas, and strategies for governing the Party comprehensively and strictly, and strengthening the Party, focusing on the major epochal questions of what kind of long-term governing Marxist party to build and how to build such a party. This has formed General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on Party building. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on Party building are profound and rich in content, greatly enriching and developing Marxist theories on Party building with a series of original achievements. They mark a new height in our Party's understanding of the laws governing the building of a Marxist governing party, constituting the "Party Building Chapter" of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and providing fundamental guidance for deeply advancing the great new project of Party building in the new era and doing a good job in organizational work in the new era. "The Introduction" consists of an introduction, main body, and conclusion. The book systematically expounds the core essence, spiritual substance, rich connotations, and practical requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on Party building, fully reflecting the original contributions of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in the field of Party building. It serves as an authoritative supplementary reading for the vast number of Party members and cadres to deeply study and understand General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on Party building.
Li Qiang Meets Sri Lankan President
On the afternoon of January 16, Premier Li Qiang met with Sri Lankan President Dissanayake at the Great Hall of the People. Li Qiang stated that the traditional friendship between China and Sri Lanka spans a millennium. Yesterday, President Xi Jinping held talks with Mr. President, making new plans for deepening the development and cooperation of China-Sri Lanka relations. China is willing to work with Sri Lanka to implement the strategic consensus reached by the two heads of state, carry forward traditional friendship, deepen political mutual trust, strengthen alignment of development strategies, jointly build the "Belt and Road" with high quality, advance cooperation projects such as the Colombo Port City and Hambantota comprehensive development, expand exchanges and cooperation in trade, agriculture, and other fields, and continuously promote the development of the China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership. Dissanayake stated that Sri Lanka attaches great importance to its relationship with China, always adheres to the One-China principle, appreciates and supports the three global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping, and is willing to strengthen practical cooperation in various fields and multilateral coordination with China to write a new chapter in Sri Lanka-China relations. Wu Zhenglong attended the meeting.
Zhao Leji Meets Sri Lankan President
Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, met with Sri Lankan President Dissanayake in Beijing on the 16th. Zhao Leji stated that yesterday, President Xi Jinping held fruitful talks with Mr. President, providing new strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations. China is willing to work with Sri Lanka to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, taking the building of a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future as the main theme, and continuously deepening the strategic cooperative partnership of sincere mutual assistance and generational friendship between the two countries. The National People's Congress of China appreciates the active support of the Sri Lankan Parliament for China-Sri Lanka friendly cooperation and is willing to continue deepening exchanges at all levels between the legislative bodies of the two countries, strengthening exchanges of experience in legislation and supervision, and contributing to their respective national development and bilateral practical cooperation. Dissanayake stated that the friendship between Sri Lanka and China has a long history. Sri Lanka is willing to deepen practical cooperation with China in various fields such as economy, culture, education, and tourism, strengthen exchanges between legislative bodies, and elevate Sri Lanka-China relations to a new height. Wang Dongming attended the meeting. Sri Lankan President Dissanayake visited Tiananmen Square on the afternoon of January 16 to lay a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes.
State Council Issues Measures to Boost Cultural, Tourism Consumption
To implement the deployment requirements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on expanding service consumption and promoting the development of the cultural tourism industry, the General Office of the State Council recently issued "Several Measures on Further Fostering New Growth Points and Prospering Cultural and Tourism Consumption." It proposed 18 specific measures in 6 aspects, including "enriching measures benefiting consumer, holding a series of cultural and tourism promotion activities, and supporting local areas to strengthen cooperation in aspects such as mutual tourist delivery and resource promotion," "meeting the consumption needs of different age groups, launching a batch of high-quality children's stage plays, creating parent-child resort hotels, and optimizing parent-child entertainment services," "expanding the supply of distinctive high-quality products, encouraging local areas to appropriately relax the limits on the number of tickets available for large commercial performances, and no longer requiring repeated content review for touring projects in touring locations," "cultivating consumption scenarios and creating new public cultural spaces," "innovating industrial policies and strengthening fiscal and financial support," and "optimizing the consumption environment."
New Life in the Community: A Spring Festival Series
In the historically significant battle against poverty, China achieved the human miracle of lifting nearly 100 million people out of poverty. Yuexi County in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, was one of the last 52 impoverished counties to be officially delisted. Ahead of this year's Spring Festival, journalists from CCTV's "New Year, Grassroots Stories" visited Gan'en Community in Yuexi County to explore the new lives of relocated residents four years after shaking off poverty. When we arrived at Gan'en Community, the community secretary Wu Jiamu was leading community cadres in a door-to-door survey, helping residents calculate their annual income. The formerly impoverished households in Gan'en Community are managed by a color-coded system based on their income: red for those at highest risk of falling back into poverty, who receive key assistance. Working outside the county is an important channel for employment for the impoverished population. Many of the more than 6,000 residents in Gan'en Community lack specialized skills, so helping them find employment and increase their income is a crucial task for community cadres. In the new round of East-West collaboration, Ningbo provides assistance to Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, offering over 6,000 job opportunities to Yuexi County annually. Shi Qiang, director of the Yuexi County Employment Bureau, recalls that when he first moved here, he brought 20 job postings to Gan'en Community but only managed to recruit two people. For five years, cadres have gone door-to-door recommending suitable jobs to residents, and cadres from the county employment bureau are even stationed in Ningbo to help migrant workers with any difficulties. Today, over 2,600 people from Gan'en Community are working outside the county. Even more difficult to employ are women who stay at home to care for children year-round. Community cadres encourage them to participate in skills training and find jobs close to home. Jia Tiexi'er has a leg disability and three children. Every time she recalls the hardships of living in the mountains, she can't help but cry. To help her find employment, community cadres visited her home more than ten times, persuading her to attend training. Jia Tiexi'er finally mustered the courage to attend a session of Yi embroidery skills training in Xichang, which broadened her horizons. Pan Age, 55, participated in several skills training programs and eventually found her favorite skill in cooking training—making steamed buns—and opened a bun shop at the community entrance. During the interview, an Yi elder sister put a hand-embroidered head ornament on Wu Jiamu. It was then that the journalist realized Wu Jiamu was actually just a 28-year-old girl, at an age when she should be enjoying her beauty. In 2024, "Community Mother" Wu Jiamu truly became a mother, and the lives of the community residents are thriving day by day with her and the community cadres' busy efforts. The per capita income of the more than 6,000 Yi people in Gan'en Community has increased year after year, reaching over 13,000 yuan in 2024. As the Spring Festival approaches, good news keeps coming: the community's poverty alleviation workshop received new orders for cultural and creative products, allowing over 20 women to earn money close to home, and five community residents departed with another group of workers heading to Ningbo. During our interviews in this relocated poverty alleviation community in the Daliang Mountains in recent days, we met many grassroots cadres like Wu Jiamu, who tirelessly and meticulously work from dawn to dusk. From moving from the mountains to the county town, from being at a loss to settling down and enjoying their lives, behind every smiling face is their silent dedication and arduous efforts, lifting a steady happiness for the people who have been lifted out of poverty.
China's Shipbuilding Industry Tops Global Rankings in 2024
Today (January 16), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released data related to China's shipbuilding industry in 2024, showing that all three major indicators of China's shipbuilding industry experienced comprehensive growth in 2024, ranking first globally. The latest data shows that in 2024, China's shipbuilding completion volume, new orders received, and existing orders accounted for 55.7%, 74.1%, and 63.1% of the world market share, respectively. In addition, among the 18 major ship types globally, China ranked first in new orders for 14 types. At Changxing Island in Shanghai, the three major shipyards — Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, Jiangnan Shipyard, and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding — are bustling with activity. Last year, these three shipyards delivered a new ship every five days on average, and this year is expected to reach a new high. While quantity is increasing, quality is also continuously improving. The 114,000 DWT product oil tanker "Ocean Explorer," the 82,600 DWT bulk carrier, the 62,000 DWT heavy-lift multipurpose vessel, and the 7,000-car LNG dual-fuel car carrier are among several high-value ship types delivered by various shipbuilding enterprises since the beginning of the new year.
Rural Tap Water Coverage Reaches 94% Nationwide
The Ministry of Water Resources announced that in 2024, China completed the construction of 23,000 rural water supply projects, improving the water supply security for 110 million rural residents. The national rural tap water coverage rate reached 94%, and the coverage rate of large-scale water supply projects in rural areas reached 65%. All centralized water supply projects serving more than 1,000 people are now equipped with purification and disinfection facilities.
Lunar New Year Markets Thrive Across China
As the Spring Festival draws closer, people are busy making lanterns and preparing fresh flowers, while businesses are stepping up production and markets are bustling with buying and selling. For New Year preparations, lanterns, colorful lights, and Spring Festival mascots are essential. In Danzhai, Guizhou, enterprises are operating at full capacity to produce lanterns, couplets, "Fu" characters, and New Year paintings, with sufficient stock. Thousands of lanterns are transported daily to local markets and surrounding provinces and cities. In Qingyang, Gansu, intangible cultural heritage sachets for the New Year are selling well, with orders increasing by 40% compared to previous years. In Tongliang, Chongqing, orders for colorful lights are continuously increasing, and workers are busy making traditional colorful lights in preparation for large Spring Festival lantern sets. In Shijiazhuang, Hebei, the intangible cultural heritage Gaocheng palace lanterns have entered their peak sales season. With over 200 varieties and more than 30 procedures, villagers are working overtime to produce them for the holiday markets across the country. As the Spring Festival approaches, the main flower-producing areas are filled with fragrance, and sales of New Year flowers are gradually heating up. Guangzhou has released market information for 162 New Year flower growers in the city's eight main flower-producing areas. In Zengcheng, one of the main producing areas alone, thousands of flower vehicles depart daily for various parts of the country. In Kaiyuan City, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan, this year's New Year flower market targets the needs of different cities and customers, with color customization and cultivation innovation. It is expected that over a million new varieties of fresh flowers will be sold to major and medium-sized cities across the country before the Spring Festival. At a flower cultivation base in Zhengzhou, Henan, the number of Phalaenopsis orchids alone has increased to nearly 1.8 million this year, with more than 120 varieties. In the New Year's goods market, Spring Festival cultural elements are rich and colorful. In Zhejiang, a dazzling array of Year of the Snake cultural and creative products are very popular among consumers, and customers are constantly coming to purchase new Chinese-style clothing that combines Chinese aesthetics with modern craftsmanship. In Nanning, Guangxi, special New Year goods not only sell well locally but are also favored by consumers from other regions. Shanghai has launched an online New Year's goods festival, enriching online and offline New Year's markets with a focus on high-quality New Year goods, fashionable consumption, and cultural tourism consumption, making the New Year's customs and atmosphere particularly strong. In Changsha, Hunan, the agricultural and sideline product wholesale market has prepared gift boxes of fruits and various other New Year goods for family reunions, with tens of thousands of merchants busy with wholesale and retail.
Spring Festival Travel Rises, Measures Ensure Smooth Journeys
As the Spring Festival travel rush enters its third day, the flow of people continues to climb, and transportation and other departments are taking multiple measures to ensure smooth travel for the public, with transportation remaining stable and orderly. Data from the 2025 Comprehensive Transportation Spring Festival Travel Rush Working Group shows that today (January 16), the total cross-regional passenger flow across society is expected to reach 194.4 million person-times, including 11.6 million person-times by railway. In response to the large number of passengers traveling with children during the Spring Festival travel rush, stations such as Yan'an Station and Ganzhou West Station have set up dedicated children's play areas. The road passenger flow is expected to exceed 180 million person-times today, with a significant increase in the proportion of long-distance inter-provincial and cross-regional travel compared to normal days. Before the holiday, the flow of people mainly consists of migration from mega-cities and provincial capitals to surrounding cities and major labor-exporting provinces and cities. As the proportion of new energy vehicles in travel gradually increases, transportation, power, and other departments are providing charging convenience for new energy vehicle owners by increasing mobile charging vehicles. In terms of water transport, to alleviate the pressure of new energy vehicles crossing the Qiongzhou Strait, two flat cargo ships specially designed for new energy vehicles have officially begun operating the route from Zhanjiang Haian New Port to Haikou Xiuying Port during this year's Spring Festival travel rush. During loading, a "professional personnel parking assistance" method is adopted, which greatly facilitates new energy vehicle owners boarding the ship and saves time for drivers and passengers.
Disaster Relief Efforts Intensify to Aid Affected Residents
Post-earthquake relief efforts continue in Tingri County, Tibet, following the 6.8-magnitude earthquake. All parties are accelerating resettlement work, including building prefabricated houses, improving infrastructure, and distributing relief supplies. As of 5:00 PM today (January 16), the Tibet Autonomous Region Earthquake Relief Headquarters has secured 13,000 sets of prefabricated houses, with 6,135 sets delivered to the disaster area, 5,152 sets erected, 9,525 stoves (electric heaters) installed, over 40,000 electric blankets and heaters distributed, 759 tons of fuel transported, over 259,700 quilts and blankets distributed, over 180,000 cotton coats distributed, and 560 tons of stored grain and oil mobilized, ensuring that residents stay warm through the winter. Today, reporters in Cuoguo Township, a severely affected area, observed that the construction of prefabricated houses and the installation of supporting facilities are being expedited, with formal handover expected within two to three days. Post-earthquake safety hazard investigations are also progressing in an orderly manner. In Lhatse County, technical personnel from several testing agencies in the Tibet Autonomous Region and Shigatse City are evaluating various indicators, including whether building foundations have settled, if load-bearing walls have cracked, and if beams, slabs, and columns have cracks or spalling. Geological disaster emergency investigations have been completed in 76 townships across 7 counties including Tingri and Lhatse, with a total of 1,851 geological disaster hidden dangers identified.
Domestic News Briefs
Subsidies for mobile phones and other digital products will be progressively implemented across various regions starting January 20. The Ministry of Commerce announced that starting January 20 this year, various regions will successively implement new purchase subsidies for mobile phones and other digital products. Individual consumers purchasing mobile phones, tablets, or smartwatches/bands with a final retail price below 6,000 yuan can enjoy a 15% subsidy on the selling price, with a maximum subsidy of 500 yuan per product type per consumer, limited to one item per product type. The "Spring Breeze Action 2025" has been launched. Eight departments, including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, recently launched the "Spring Breeze Action 2025," focusing on organizing surveys and visits to provide refined and precise employment services for rural laborers and employers with recruitment needs, and organizing labor matching and assisting the implementation of rural entrepreneurial projects. The action will run from mid-January to mid-March. State Grid to invest over 650 billion yuan in key projects this year. State Grid announced that in 2025, China will focus on key tasks such as optimizing the main power grid and strengthening power distribution grid construction. A batch of key projects will commence, including the Shaanxi-Henan UHV line and the Zaozhuang (Shandong) and Tonglu (Zhejiang) pumped-storage power stations, actively expanding effective investment. The total investment by State Grid for the year is expected to exceed 650 billion yuan. Naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" returns home after completing "Harmonious Mission 2024." Today (January 16), the naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" successfully completed its "Harmonious Mission 2024" and returned to a naval base in Zhoushan. Since its departure last year, the "Peace Ark" visited 15 Asian and African countries, including Seychelles, Tanzania, and Madagascar, providing friendly visits and medical services, cumulatively treating over 80,000 people and performing approximately 1,400 surgeries. Special program "Role Models 9" to air tonight. The special program "Role Models 9" will air tonight (January 16) on CCTV-1 at 8:00 PM. The program vividly showcases the noble qualities of firm belief, adherence to purpose, reform and innovation, and responsibility of seven Party members, including Fan Zhenxi, as well as two grassroots Party organizations: Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal Company in Shandong and the Khunjerab Border Defense Company of a certain army border defense regiment. It demonstrates the combat fortress role of grassroots Party organizations and the exemplary vanguard role of Party members.
Israel, Hamas Agree to Gaza Ceasefire
Mediators in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict issued a statement on the 15th, announcing that Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) have reached an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The agreement is divided into three phases, with the first phase starting on January 19 and lasting 42 days, including a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip, and the exchange of detainees from both sides. A representative of the mediators stated that the detailed content of the second and third phases of the agreement will be announced after the completion of the first phase. Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, called the ceasefire agreement a "historic moment" in the Palestinian people's struggle. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa stated that practical measures should now be taken to advance the "two-state solution." The Israeli Prime Minister's Office issued a statement today (January 16) saying that the Israeli cabinet would not convene a meeting to approve the ceasefire agreement until Israel confirmed that Hamas had accepted all its terms. According to Palestinian media reports, Israeli forces attacked multiple areas in the Gaza Strip from Monday night to early Tuesday, causing dozens of casualties.
Russia Claims Strikes on Ukraine Energy, Ukraine Claims Interceptions
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on the 15th that Russian air defense forces shot down 10 US-made HIMARS rockets and 85 Ukrainian drones. The Russian Armed Forces carried out a cluster strike using high-precision weapons and attack drones on critical energy infrastructure supporting the operation of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated on the 15th that Ukraine's energy system remains stable. The Ukrainian military said that Russian forces launched a mixed missile and drone attack on Ukraine that day, and Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 77 Russian aerial targets. In addition, fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces continues in areas such as Pokrovsk and Kupyansk. Both Russia and Ukraine confirmed on the 15th that they had exchanged detainees again that day, with each side handing over 25 individuals.
New Wildfire Threatens Millions in Southern California
Wildfires continue to spread in Southern California, USA. On the 15th, a new wildfire ignited in San Bernardino County, in the southeastern part of the state. Currently, there are 5 active wildfires in California, with the most severe, the Palisades Fire, covering an area of approximately 96 square kilometers and only 21% contained. According to US media reports on the 15th, over 6 million people in the Los Angeles area face a severe fire threat due to strong winds and low humidity.
International News Briefs
South Korea's Constitutional Court held the second debate on Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment case. South Korea's Constitutional Court held the second formal debate on the impeachment case of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol today (January 16), with Yoon Suk-yeol again absent. According to South Korean law, if a party still does not appear for the second formal debate, the Constitutional Court can proceed with the trial in their absence. German economy shrinks for second consecutive year in 2024. Preliminary statistics released by the German Federal Statistical Office on the 15th show that, after price adjustments, Germany's Gross Domestic Product actually decreased by 0.2% in 2024 compared to the previous year, marking the second consecutive year of negative growth. Specifically, German manufacturing output contracted by 3% in 2024; affected by declining exports of electrical equipment, machinery, and other goods, German exports decreased by 0.8% in 2024. Dr. Ruth Brand, President of the German Federal Statistical Office, stated that high energy costs, persistently high interest rates, and uncertainty about economic prospects are among the factors hindering Germany's economic development.