At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei will pay a state visit to China from February 5 to 7.
General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the development of winter sports, pointing out that promoting the leapfrog development of China's winter sports is an important part of achieving the second centenary goal. Under the leadership and promotion of General Secretary Xi Jinping, "300 million people participating in winter sports" has become a reality. Winter sports have crossed the Shanhaiguan Pass and spread throughout the country, ushering in a new era for winter sports in China and even globally. This Spring Festival, the upcoming 9th Asian Winter Games is making high-quality preparations, and mass winter sports are also in full swing across the country. The ice and snow economy has become a new growth point, and "cold resources" are rapidly transforming into "hot power" for economic development. As the opening of the Asian Winter Games draws nearer, officials and media reporters from many delegations have arrived in Harbin. When the Asian Winter Games meets the Chinese New Year, everyone is busy with their work while also pasting window decorations and writing Spring Festival couplets. Everyone is looking forward to a grand event where Chinese culture and winter sports passionately collide. Winter sports are an important part of sports. Developing winter sports is an inherent requirement for China to move from a major sports country to a strong sports country. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the development of China's winter sports, pointing out that promoting the leapfrog development of China's winter sports is an important part of achieving the second centenary goal, and also creates rare life opportunities for a large number of winter athletes. Under the leadership and promotion of General Secretary Xi Jinping, China has continuously strengthened its talent reserves for winter sports and intensified scientific preparation and training. After the Beijing Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics, China has won a total of 8 World Championship gold medals and 45 World Cup gold medals in winter sports, and a new pattern of balanced development is gradually emerging between ice and snow events. In this Asian Winter Games, China will participate in all 64 small events, striving for a double harvest in athletic performance and spiritual civilization. A prosperous nation leads to prosperous sports, and a strong nation leads to strong sports. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that building a strong sports nation is an important goal in comprehensively building a socialist modernized country. The foundation of a strong sports nation lies in mass sports. In September 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during his inspection in Heilongjiang that the development of the ice and snow economy should be taken as a new growth point, promoting the full industrial chain development of ice and snow sports, ice and snow culture, ice and snow equipment, and ice and snow tourism. Bearing in mind the General Secretary's instructions, various regions and departments have continued to consolidate and expand the achievements of "driving 300 million people to participate in winter sports," promoting the high-quality development of the ice and snow economy through ice and snow sports and ice and snow tourism. In Xinjiang, world-class ice and snow resources have attracted ice and snow enthusiasts from all over the country; in Chongli, Hebei, various mass ice and snow events and activities are continuously staged, relying on the Beijing Winter Olympics venues; in Harbin, the host city of the Asian Winter Games, the combination of winter cultural tourism activities and the Asian Winter Games effect has kept the "Harbin fever" going this winter. Data shows that since the successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, the participation rate of national residents in winter sports has reached 22.13%, and the number of participants in winter sports has reached 313 million. The total scale of China's ice and snow industry has grown from 270 billion yuan in 2015 to 890 billion yuan in 2023, and is expected to exceed 1 trillion yuan for the first time in 2025. On February 7, the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games will open. This is another major comprehensive international winter sports event hosted by China after the Beijing Winter Olympics. Asia's eyes will converge on the banks of the Songhua River, and "Ice City" Harbin will showcase its unique ice and snow charm and the enterprising spirit of Chinese people in the new era to the world. "Ice and Snow Share Dreams, Asia Shares Heart" also embodies the aspiration of all Asia to move towards the future and participate in a grand event together.
Customs' latest data shows that the Yangtze River Delta region's total foreign trade volume reached a new historical high in 2024. As the "ballast stone" of China's foreign trade, the Yangtze River Delta region once again demonstrated its strong economic vitality and level of openness. According to Shanghai Customs statistics, in 2024, the total import and export value of the Yangtze River Delta region was 16.01 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.6%, accounting for 36.5% of the country's total import and export value, an increase from 36.3% in 2023. The contribution of the Yangtze River Delta region to the growth of national foreign trade is becoming increasingly significant. In 2024, the Yangtze River Delta region exported 261.16 billion yuan of high-end equipment, accounting for more than half of the country's exports of similar commodities, reaching 56.7%; the export of mechanical and electrical products reached 5.96 trillion yuan, accounting for 39.4% of the country's similar commodities. Smart manufacturing products such as integrated circuits, lithium batteries, smartphones, and tablet computers are the main force of mechanical and electrical product exports in the Yangtze River Delta region. In terms of expanding foreign trade markets, the Yangtze River Delta region has continued to consolidate traditional markets while actively exploring emerging markets relying on the "Belt and Road" initiative. In 2024, the Yangtze River Delta region's import and export with "Belt and Road" co-construction countries reached 7.7 trillion yuan, with other RCEP member countries reached 4.9 trillion yuan, and with other BRICS countries reached 2.13 trillion yuan. The continuous consolidation and improvement of its global market share and the continuous expansion of its openness have played a positive role in promoting the high-quality development of national foreign trade.
Data from the 2025 Comprehensive Transport Spring Festival Travel Rush Task Force shows that during the 8-day Spring Festival holiday, the total cross-regional passenger flow is expected to exceed 2.3 billion person-times, with single-day passenger flow exceeding 300 million person-times on 5 days. Today (February 4) is the last day of the Spring Festival holiday, and national railways are ushering in the peak of return passenger flow, with an estimated 16.9 million passenger trips and 2,196 additional passenger trains planned. To meet the needs of passengers arriving, departing, and transferring at night, railway stations in Beijing, Chengdu, Harbin, and other places have adopted measures to remain open overnight. In terms of road transport, today's passenger flow is expected to exceed 300 million person-times, and the highway network continues to operate at a high level, with concentrated return traffic on some sections in Guangdong, Hunan, Anhui, and other provinces. Local transportation departments have adopted measures such as tiered control and active diversion of short-distance vehicles within the province to effectively improve traffic efficiency. In terms of civil aviation, today, 18,806 flights are planned nationwide, transporting 2.49 million passengers. The three major airports on Hainan Island are experiencing their peak return flow, and several airlines have adjusted wide-body aircraft to operate on popular routes to enhance capacity. Today, water transport passenger volume is expected to be approximately 1.16 million person-times. Guangdong maritime departments have strengthened safety guarantees for high-speed passenger ships in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, achieving 100% full coverage of passenger ship safety inspections during the Spring Festival holiday to ensure the safe travel of mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao residents during the Spring Festival travel rush.
This Spring Festival, experiencing a unique taste of the New Year has new ways to play. Group night tours, celebrating the New Year at sea, and the "ice and snow season" in the south, various new trends in leisure and vacation have stimulated new vitality in cultural tourism consumption. This Spring Festival, the popularity of night tours in scenic spots and popular streets in Wuhan continues to soar, with the number of tourists received by key scenic spots on the second day of the Lunar New Year increasing by 280% compared to before the Spring Festival. In Beijing, the Badaling Great Wall opened its night tour activities for the first time. From Chinese New Year's Eve to the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, traditional performance troupes such as dry boat, bamboo horse, and dragon dance perform in rotation every night, bringing a unique experience to tourists. And in the evening, in addition to visiting scenic spots, you can also enjoy flowers. The tropical exhibition greenhouse of the National Botanical Garden opened its panoramic lighting for the first time this Spring Festival, with more than 500 species and tens of thousands of flowers dazzling under the lights. At the same time, celebrating the New Year at sea by cruise has also become a new fashion. According to statistics from Shanghai immigration inspection authorities, nearly 70,000 passengers chose to enter and exit by cruise during the Spring Festival, a threefold increase compared to the same period in 2024. As the 9th Asian Winter Games approaches, the "ice and snow fever" continues to heat up in the south. In Guangyuan, Sichuan, local ski resorts have specially added night sessions to cope with the increased passenger flow. In Jiangsu, Hubei, and Hainan, strong market demand has driven the construction and operation of a large number of indoor ski resorts and indoor ice rinks with scale effects. This Spring Festival, data from China Unicom's smart footprint signaling big data shows that by observing 100 popular ski resorts across the country, the number of people participating in ice and snow sports has exceeded 3.953 million, a 31.9% increase over the same period last year.
In the booming Spring Festival tourism market, the sinking cultural tourism market, characterized by "county tourism" and "rural tourism," has become a new hot spot. Town markets in various places are bustling with activity, and tourists enjoy food, appreciate intangible cultural heritage, and seek the taste of the New Year in the countryside, celebrating the New Year lively. Data from the Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism shows that during this Spring Festival holiday, tourist flow between different regions across the country was active, and county-level central towns and rural areas became new hot spots. Continuously improving infrastructure and public services, as well as rich natural, rural, and folk resources, have strong attractions in today's increasingly personalized and diversified tourism demands. Walking into Taoping Village in Aba Prefecture, Sichuan, one of the world's "best tourism villages," ancient sheepskin drum dances, melodious Huaer Naji, and Qiang flute and mouth harps are performed in rotation. A series of intangible cultural heritage exhibitions bring surprises to tourists, who can not only experience the ancient culture of the Qiang people up close and immersively but also experience a different New Year flavor. In Antu County, Jilin Province, ice and snow cultural tourism reached a new peak during this Spring Festival. Since Chinese New Year's Eve, some rural areas have received nearly 2,000 tourists per day, and the occupancy rate of homestays has reached 98%.
With China's optimized transit visa-free policy and the successful UNESCO listing of the Spring Festival, the enthusiasm of foreign tourists to visit China has surged, becoming a major highlight of the 2025 Spring Festival tourism market. Data from online travel platforms shows that the number of foreigners celebrating the Spring Festival in China this year increased by 1.5 times year-on-year. Among many tourist destinations, Shanghai, with its blend of modern and traditional charm, has attracted a large number of foreign visitors. During the Spring Festival, inbound tourism orders in Shanghai increased by 93% year-on-year, bringing new highlights to Shanghai's tourism consumption market. As the popularity of "China tours" rises, travel methods are also quietly changing: the proportion of large group tours is decreasing, while free and small customized tours are increasing; in addition to traditional popular destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an, foreign tourists are also venturing into rural areas in China, which brings opportunities for rural tourism to expand its international market. Data shows that the number of rural tourism orders from overseas in 2024 increased by 71% compared to the previous year. In January alone this year, 15,000 foreign tourists visited Wuzhen Scenic Area, three times the number of the same period last year. During the Spring Festival, the scenic area worked to address pain points and difficulties in terms of humanities, facilities, and publicity, providing precise and efficient tourism reception services for overseas tourists. During the Spring Festival, a group of foreign tourists from the United States and Australia planned to spend three days along the high-speed rail line, visiting Shangrao, Jingdezhen, and Nanchang in Jiangxi. As night fell, the crane lanterns in the hands of the craftsmen danced vividly, and a hundred-meter-long bench dragon weaved through the ancient village, a spectacular scene. They recorded every novel experience in China with their cameras and words. The booming "China tours" are most directly driven by open policies. As of now, China has achieved comprehensive mutual visa exemption with 25 countries, implemented unilateral visa-free policies for 38 countries, and transit visa-free policies for 54 countries. Various visa-free policies coordinate and complement each other, effectively promoting personnel exchanges between relevant countries and China.
In July 2024, a breach occurred in the dike along the Dongting Lake in Tuanzhouyuan, Huarong, Yueyang, Hunan, causing damage to houses in some villages. Since then, all parties have worked together to help the affected people rebuild their homes, and now, the first phase of the local centralized resettlement housing project has been delivered. How are the villagers who have just moved into their new homes living this Spring Festival? Today (February 4), in "Walking to the Grassroots in the New Year," we will follow the reporter to find out. The Tuanzhouyuan centralized resettlement housing project is located in the safe area of Tuanzhou Township, with convenient transportation, and is named Tuanzhou New Village. The first phase has 14 residential buildings, all with elevators, and 360 households have been delivered so far. Sister Zhang Zhijuan from Tuanbei Village moved into a new 120-square-meter apartment. Before the Spring Festival, Sister Zhang was busy buying furniture and home appliances and decorating her new home, all for the purpose of celebrating the New Year in her new home. Tuanzhou New Village is a 1-hour drive from Huarong County. Furniture and home appliances are delivered and installed. The sofa that Sister Zhang chose, in addition to the "furniture to the countryside" subsidy policy, also enjoyed a special subsidy from the state for the disaster-stricken people in Tuanzhou Township. Thanks to favorable policies and convenient services, Sister Zhang and her family decorated their new home warmly and festively in less than a month after receiving the keys. On Chinese New Year's Eve, the family got up early to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner. Egg dumplings, braised osmanthus fish... a variety of special dishes were steaming hot and full of New Year's flavor. The family gathered around, warm and happy. To ensure that the people live and work in peace and contentment, and have a more promising life in the new year, the local government is also actively taking action. The county plans to strive for projects such as the construction of national grain reserve bases to enhance industrial development capabilities; on the other hand, it ensures full employment of disaster-stricken people by organizing recruitment. Mao Jinlian, a villager from Tuandong Village, moved into a new house and, with the recommendation of the township government, got a public welfare position, which is convenient for both work and family. At present, the second and third phases of the Tuanzhou New Village resettlement housing project, totaling 1876 units, are also being promoted simultaneously and are expected to be delivered before this year's flood season. According to the plan, within a 15-minute walk of Tuanzhou New Village, small supermarkets, health centers, gas stations, etc., will be fully equipped. The adjacent Tuanzhouyuan School covers 10 grades, from pre-kindergarten to junior high school graduation. Everyone is full of hope for their future life.
Today (February 4), reporters learned from the National Development and Reform Commission that with the effective implementation of a series of measures, China's social logistics costs are steadily declining. The latest statistical calculation results show that in 2024, the ratio of China's total social logistics costs to GDP was 14.1%, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from the previous year, reaching the lowest level since official statistics were established in 2006. Next, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments will accelerate the implementation of railway freight network projects and inland waterway transport system connection projects, support eligible regions in building international logistics hub centers and bulk commodity resource allocation hubs, and strive to reduce the ratio of total social logistics costs to GDP to around 13.5% by 2027.
Overall stable national safety situation during Spring Festival holiday. Reporters learned from the Ministry of Emergency Management that during the Spring Festival holiday, the national safety situation was generally stable, and as of now, no major or above disaster accidents have occurred. The State Council Safety Committee Office and the Ministry of Emergency Management promptly convened and deployed local authorities to strengthen safety precautions and responses in key areas. National comprehensive fire and rescue teams were stationed in advance for patrols, eliminating safety hazards and carrying out various disaster relief and rescue operations. In 2024, national inter-provincial power transmission reached 2 trillion kWh. Reporters learned from the China Electricity Council that in 2024, national inter-provincial power transmission reached 2 trillion kWh, a year-on-year increase of 7.1%. Among them, the net power output of five provinces, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Shanxi, Sichuan, and Xinjiang, all exceeded 100 billion kWh, accelerating the construction of a unified national electricity market. China's "Dayang Yi Hao" scientific research vessel to undergo upgrade and renovation. Reporters recently learned from the China Ocean Affairs Administration that "Dayang Yi Hao," China's first modern comprehensive oceanographic research vessel, will be upgraded and renovated with new equipment such as unmanned remotely operated submersibles. After the renovation, "Dayang Yi Hao" will significantly improve its ship survey operation capabilities and overall efficiency. China team achieves first victory at 9th Asian Winter Games. Today (February 4), the 9th Asian Winter Games entered its second day of competition, and the Chinese delegation made its debut. In the first round of the curling mixed doubles round robin, the Chinese pair Han Yu/Wang Zhiyu defeated the Kazakh pair 11-5, achieving a "good start." Tonight, the Chinese men's ice hockey team will make its first appearance, facing the South Korean team.
During the first Spring Festival after its successful UNESCO listing, diverse celebratory activities were held around the world. Chinese New Year flavors and folk customs entered many countries, allowing people of different nationalities to share the joy. On February 2, the "Happy Spring Festival in Paris, Dragon and Lion Dance on the Champs-Élysées" Spring Festival parade was held on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France. Dragon and lion dance teams, Yingge dance teams, Chinese and French children's choirs and dance troupes, and other formations paraded along the street, attracting a large number of people to watch. In Milan, Italy, the "Celebrating Spring Festival with Dragon and Lion Dances" grand carnival was grandly held on February 2 in Piazza Sempione, with about 30,000 spectators participating. Rufuo bronze drums, traditional opera, and kung fu fan performances took turns, and the audience's applause and cheers were incessant. On February 2, the World Museum in Vienna, Austria, welcomed a Chinese Spring Festival celebration. Festive waist drums and enthusiastic Yangge dance performances echoed throughout the venue, and visitors could not only interact closely with lion and dragon dances but also participate in activities such as writing Spring Festival couplets and pasting "Fu" characters. On February 2, Melbourne's Chinatown in Australia also held a grand Spring Festival celebration. A giant dragon, over 60 meters long, meandered through the main streets near Chinatown, sending New Year's blessings to local residents amidst cheerful gongs and drums. At the Spring Festival celebration in Sun City, South Africa, performances such as dragon and lion dances, Chinese martial arts, and traditional dances showcased the diverse charm of Chinese culture to the local Chinese community and South African people.
China assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council on February 1. The Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations stated on February 3 that China proposed that the Security Council hold a high-level open debate on February 18, with the theme of "Practicing Multilateralism, Reforming and Improving Global Governance." The meeting aims to encourage countries, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, to revisit the original aspirations of the UN's founding, reaffirm their firm commitment to multilateralism, attach importance to the role of the UN and the Security Council, and build consensus on strengthening the multilateral system, including reforming and improving global governance.
Russia claims offensive against Ukraine, Ukraine claims strike on Russian command post. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on February 3 that Russian forces repelled Ukrainian attacks and launched multiple offensives in the Kharkiv and Avdiivka directions. Russian air defense forces shot down one Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet and 199 drones, and intercepted multiple US-made HIMARS rockets. The Ukrainian military stated on the same day that 53 battles occurred in frontline areas. Ukrainian forces repelled Russian attacks in the Kupyansk and Pokrovsk directions. Ukrainian forces also struck Russian command posts, electronic warfare platforms, and other targets. Israeli army continues operations in West Bank. The Israeli army stated on February 3 that it continued operations in the Palestinian West Bank, raiding the southern suburbs of Tulkarm city and arresting six Palestinians. The Palestinian Ministry of Health stated on February 3 that Israeli military operations in the West Bank have killed 70 Palestinians since 2025. Hokkaido, Japan hit by heavy snowfall, snow depth exceeds 1 meter. According to Japanese media reports today (February 4), due to a cold wave, some areas of Hokkaido, Japan experienced heavy snowfall. In Obihiro City, Hokkaido, the new snow depth reached 120 centimeters in 12 hours, setting a new record for all observation points in Japan since statistics began. Due to the snowfall, several Japanese airlines canceled dozens of flights to and from Hokkaido. The Japan Meteorological Agency stated that this cold wave will last for a week. Consecutive earthquakes near Santorini Island, Greece. The tourist destination of Santorini Island in Greece has been hit by a series of earthquakes above magnitude 4 in recent days. According to Greek media reports on February 3, more than 100 earthquakes, with the strongest reaching magnitude 5.1, occurred in the waters near Santorini Island and Amorgos Island in the past 24 hours. Some local residents and tourists have been evacuated. The Greek government announced that from February 3, many schools would be closed, large indoor gatherings would be avoided, and ship access to relevant ports would be restricted.
The Spring Festival is full of joy, and the land of China is happy and peaceful. To conclude the program, let's feel the vibrant and festive Chinese New Year together.
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