On the afternoon of February 24, President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the latter's request. Xi Jinping noted that before the Chinese New Year, he had a video meeting with President Putin, during which they planned and guided the development of China-Russia relations for the entire year and strengthened coordination on a series of major international and regional issues. Departments in both countries are steadily advancing cooperation in various fields in accordance with the consensus reached, including holding activities to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. History and reality show us that China and Russia are good neighbors that cannot be moved, and true friends who share weal and woe, support each other, and develop together. China-Russia relations possess strong internal动力 and unique strategic value, are not aimed at a third party, and are not affected by any third party. The development strategies and foreign policies of China and Russia are long-term. Regardless of how the international landscape changes, China-Russia relations will advance calmly, contributing to their respective development and revitalization, and injecting stability and positive energy into international relations. Putin stated that Russia highly values its relations with China and looks forward to maintaining high-level exchanges in the new year, deepening practical cooperation, and jointly commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Developing relations with China is a strategic choice made by Russia with a long-term perspective, never a matter of expediency, and is not affected by temporary events or external factors. Under the current circumstances, close communication between Russia and China is in line with the spirit of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era between the two countries, and will also send a positive signal about the stabilizing role Russia and China play in international affairs. Putin briefed Xi on the latest developments in Russia-U.S. contacts and Russia's principled position on the Ukraine crisis, stating that Russia is committed to eliminating the root causes of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and achieving a sustainable and lasting peace solution. Xi Jinping emphasized that at the initial stage of the full escalation of the Ukraine crisis, he proposed basic propositions such as the "four musts" for resolving the crisis. In September last year, China, together with Brazil, and some Global South countries, formed the "Friends of Peace" group on the Ukraine crisis to create an atmosphere and accumulate conditions for promoting the political settlement of the crisis. China is pleased to see Russia and all relevant parties make active efforts to resolve the crisis. Both sides agreed to continue to maintain communication and coordination through various means.
The 14th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) held its first plenary session on the morning of the 24th at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Chairman Zhao Leji presided over the meeting. The meeting heard a report by Xin Chunying, Chairperson of the NPC Constitution and Law Committee, on the amendments to the draft Private Economy Promotion Law. The second deliberation draft of the bill further embodies the requirements of the Party Central Committee on building a high-level socialist market economic system and optimizing the development environment for the private economy; it adds provisions for the State Council and people's governments at or above the county level to regularly report to the standing committees of the corresponding people's congresses on the progress of promoting the development of the private economy; it further enriches and improves content related to legal guarantees; and it adds relevant provisions to give play to the role of industry associations and chambers of commerce in promoting the development of the private economy. To safeguard national airspace sovereignty and civil aviation rights, ensure the safe and orderly conduct of civil aviation activities, protect the legitimate rights and interests of all parties involved in civil aviation activities, and promote the high-quality development of civil aviation, the State Council submitted a proposal to deliberate the draft amendment to the Civil Aviation Law. Entrusted by the State Council, Liu Wei, Minister of Transport, made an explanation. An important task of this Standing Committee meeting is to prepare for the Third Session of the 14th National People's Congress. The meeting reviewed the draft work report of the NPC Standing Committee and deliberated proposals from the Council of Chairpersons regarding the draft agenda for the Third Session of the 14th NPC, the draft list of the presidium and secretary-general, and the draft list of non-voting attendees. The meeting heard a report by Yang Xiaochao, Director of the NPC Standing Committee's Deputy Qualification Review Committee, on the qualifications of individual deputies. The meeting also deliberated relevant appointments and removals.
The 39th meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the 14th National People's Congress Standing Committee was held on the afternoon of the 24th at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Chairman Zhao Leji presided over the meeting. The meeting heard reports from Liu Qi, Secretary-General of the NPC Standing Committee, on the deliberation of the draft agenda for the Third Session of the 14th NPC, the draft list of the presidium and secretary-general, and the draft list of non-voting attendees, as well as reports on the deliberation of the qualifications of individual deputies and proposals for appointments and removals. The Council of Chairpersons decided to submit the aforementioned drafts and other proposals to the Standing Committee for deliberation.
The State Council Information Office held a press conference today (February 24), where officials from the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission and the Central Rural Work Leading Group interpreted this year's Central Document No. 1 and introduced relevant information on further deepening rural reform and solidly promoting comprehensive rural revitalization. This year's Central Document No. 1 is the 13th "No. 1 Document" issued consecutively by the Central Committee since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China to guide "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" work, fully demonstrating the Party Central Committee's consistent high regard for "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" work. Document No. 1 is anchored on the goals of promoting comprehensive rural revitalization and building a strong agricultural nation, making systematic arrangements for "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" work for the current and future periods. Its overall framework can be summarized as "two continuations and four focuses." "Two continuations" refer to continuously enhancing the capacity to guarantee the supply of grain and other important agricultural products, and continuously consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation. These are the bottom-line tasks for promoting comprehensive rural revitalization, which must always be firmly upheld to ensure national food security and prevent large-scale relapse into poverty. "Four focuses" refer to focusing on strengthening industries that enrich county-level economies, focusing on promoting rural construction, focusing on improving the rural governance system, and focusing on improving the system and mechanisms for factor guarantee and optimized allocation. These are key tasks for promoting comprehensive rural revitalization.
On the new journey of rural revitalization, various localities are continuously improving policy support and strengthening skills training to further leverage the radiating and driving role of talent, thereby assisting comprehensive rural revitalization through talent revitalization. In the vegetable greenhouses of Xiafan Village, Xiji County, Ningxia, returning entrepreneur technicians are providing guidance to villagers. During poverty alleviation, Xiafan Village fully utilized the leading role of returning entrepreneurs and agricultural technical talents to help villagers establish an industrial structure primarily based on cool-season vegetables and beef cattle breeding. Since the beginning of the year, Xiafan Village has built more than 20 new vegetable greenhouses, helping villagers increase their income and become prosperous. Including Xiafan Village, Xiji County now attracts over 1,000 young people to return to their hometowns to start businesses each year. Some of them bring back high-quality seedlings to improve crop yields, while others bring back advanced technology to assist in the modernization of agriculture. In 2024, Xiji County organized 9 industrial assistance groups, established over 180 mentorship pairs, and cultivated more than 1,400 "local experts" and "field masters." Rural revitalization hinges on people. These days, Kashidai Village in Haidong City, Qinghai, held a Lanzhou hand-pulled noodle skills training. During poverty alleviation, Kashidai Village, with the Lanzhou hand-pulled noodle industry as its focal point, helped impoverished people achieve stable poverty alleviation through the model of "skill-based self-reliance, talent return, and industrial chain strengthening," also invigorating a "pool of spring water" for rural talent revitalization. As a leading figure in Kashidai Village's prosperity, 43-year-old Ma Junhai now has a new identity – a Lanzhou hand-pulled noodle skills training instructor. Having mastered a skill, villagers from Kashidai Village now operate over 150 Lanzhou hand-pulled noodle restaurants outside the village, with an average annual household income of around 200,000 yuan. Hualong County, where Kashidai Village is located, has established 23 village-level Lanzhou hand-pulled noodle skill training centers and an annual online training "Lanzhou Hand-pulled Noodle Cloud Classroom" with over 10,000 participants through the "training + employment + service" model. The Lanzhou hand-pulled noodle industry has become a wealth-generating industry for the local area. Stepping into the Old Eagle Tea base in Yutian Village, Wuxi County, Chongqing, one sees a bustling scene. Guiding seedling transplantation work are experts hired by Wuxi County from the Chongqing Academy of Forestry Sciences, who primarily assist the local area in research and promotion of Old Eagle Tea variety selection and cultivation techniques. In 2019, Yutian Village, located deep in the Daba Mountains, achieved overall poverty alleviation through assistance measures such as industry and employment. In recent years, a series of talent policies, including science and technology commissioner teams and key rural revitalization assistance teams, have been implemented in Yutian Village, providing solid talent guarantees for rural revitalization and assisting local industrial development.
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced that in 2024, the national ambient air quality showed stable improvement, with all annual targets for air pollution prevention and control being met. In 2024, the national ambient air quality significantly improved. The PM2.5 concentration was 29.3 micrograms/cubic meter, a year-on-year decrease of 2.7%; the percentage of good and excellent air quality days was 87.2%, a year-on-year increase of 1.7 percentage points; and the percentage of heavily polluted and worse days was 0.9%, a year-on-year decrease of 0.7 percentage points. All three binding targets were better than the annual goals. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment stated that this year, efforts to control atmospheric pollution will continue to be intensified in key regions such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its surrounding areas, the Fenwei Plain, and the Chengdu-Chongqing region, striving to essentially eliminate heavily polluted weather this year. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment will encourage local governments this year to continue to deepen performance classification in key industries, improve emergency emission reduction lists, enhance forecasting capabilities, and promote further improvement in air quality.
The Ministry of Natural Resources today (February 24) released the "2024 China Marine Economic Statistics Bulletin." The "Bulletin" shows that in 2024, China's total marine economy reached a new level, exceeding 10 trillion yuan for the first time. In 2024, China's marine economy showed strong development momentum, with a total volume of 10,543.8 billion yuan, an increase of 5.9% over the previous year, driving national economic growth by 0.4 percentage points. In 2024, offshore wind power gradually entered a new stage of large-scale and clustered development, with offshore wind power generation increasing by nearly 30% year-on-year, contributing to green and low-carbon economic and social development. Active progress was made in the construction of "blue granaries," with the added value of marine fisheries reaching 488 billion yuan for the entire year, an increase of 4.0% over the previous year. In addition, the marine service industry significantly boosted the marine economy. In 2024, the added value of the marine service industry was 6,284.9 billion yuan, driving marine economic growth by 3.6 percentage points. In 2024, the growth rate of emerging marine industries was even more pronounced, with the increase in added value being 1.3 percentage points higher than that of the gross marine product. China's first pneumatic wave power generation equipment over 100 kilowatts, "Huaqing No.", was successfully launched, and the megawatt-level tidal current generator set "Fenjin No." has accumulated over 4.5 million kilowatt-hours of grid-connected power.
A group of private enterprises are accelerating their foray into new tracks, making forward-looking layouts in emerging industries and future industries such as next-generation artificial intelligence, leading industry development with technological innovation and injecting strong impetus into high-quality economic development. Recently, BYD stated that it will invest a total of 100 billion yuan in the field of intelligent driving to accelerate the popularization and promotion of intelligent driving for everyone. Alibaba Group announced today (February 24) that it will invest over 380 billion yuan in the next three years for the construction of cloud and artificial intelligence hardware infrastructure. From intelligent manufacturing to green technology, from the digital economy to biomedicine, private enterprises are becoming the "new force" for China's high-quality economic development. Data shows that in 2024, the top 500 private enterprises held 667,000 valid patents, a year-on-year increase of 9.4%, achieving nearly double-digit growth. This year, the state will further remove market access barriers for private enterprises and support them in actively participating in "two major projects" and "two new types of infrastructure." By 2026, the state plans to cumulatively support the high-quality development of over 5,000 specialized, refined, unique, and innovative "little giant" enterprises.
Currently, various regions are seizing the agricultural season and leveraging scientific and technological strengths to efficiently advance spring plowing and management. Spring plowing and preparation work in Northeast China are proceeding in an orderly manner. At the saline-alkali land improvement pilot site in Da'an, Jilin, a fertilizer spreader is broadcasting organic fertilizer. This year, with the help of digitized farmland management, the local area is achieving real-time monitoring of the spreading process, ensuring precise and efficient fertilization. Jilin Province aims to develop 1.66 million mu of reserve cultivated land, including saline-alkali land, this year. Rice seedling cultivation is accelerating in the south. In places like Kaizhou, Chongqing, and Xingye, Guangxi, rice seedling workshops are humming with machines. After processes such as traying, soil spreading, watering, and sowing, seedling trays are quickly produced, greatly improving the efficiency and quality of seedling cultivation. This year, Guangdong is actively promoting centralized rice seedling cultivation, with an area exceeding 2 million mu. In Guangzhou, Guangdong, modern three-dimensional seedling beds ensure uniform and appropriate absorption of light, heat, and water by each seedling tray through an intelligent Internet of Things control system, guaranteeing seedling quality. Spring management is also underway in various regions. Henan's 85 million mu of wheat are successively entering the green-up period. In Qixian, Hebi, fertilizer spreaders are top-dressing wheat. Through Beidou satellite positioning, vehicle operation data is transmitted in real-time to the smart center, helping growers scientifically manage spring crops. In Xichong County, Nanchong, Sichuan, over 200 plant protection drones are carrying out wheat pest and disease control, with a daily operation capacity of 50,000 mu, which is convenient and efficient. In Huai'an, Jiangsu, with the help of a smart cloud, growers can upload real-time information on wheat growth in their fields to a digital platform using their mobile phones, and agricultural technicians can promptly guide farmers in field management.
Wei Jun, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and a teacher at the Guangxi Sports College, has long focused on the development of grassroots sports. In the year since assuming his duties, he has continuously explored new models for promoting the integrated development of grassroots physical exercise and health care through his research. As the National People's Congress and the CPPCC National Committee annual sessions are about to convene, Committee Member Wei Jun visited the Nanning Railway Cultural Palace to further refine this year's proposals. He discovered that many elderly people suffering from chronic diseases come to exercise with "exercise prescriptions." Under the guidance of doctors, they dynamically adjust their medication and exercise plans to reduce their reliance on drugs. At last year's two sessions, Wei Jun focused on accelerating the construction of a public fitness service system at the grassroots level, proposing the establishment of an exercise prescription system that meets grassroots needs. This proposal received positive responses from the General Administration of Sport of China and the National Health Commission, and was selected as a "good proposal" for the 2024 CPPCC National Committee. Over the past year, many places, including Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangxi, have explored incorporating the integration of sports and health into grassroots health management systems, equipping community health service centers with professional sports facilities, and having experts issue "exercise prescriptions" to residents, achieving good results. With the implementation of the Healthy China and National Fitness strategies, "exercise more, get sick less" has transformed from a social consensus into conscious action. Wei Jun's in-depth research found that the urgent issue to be addressed is the shortage of professional talents for exercise intervention guidance. Currently, the Guangxi Sports College, where Wei Jun works, has added relevant courses, focusing on cultivating复合型人才 who understand both medicine and sports.
Since the Spring Festival this year, cultural industries such as film and cultural tourism have continued to heat up, driving the upgrade of China's service consumption market. Although the Spring Festival holiday has long ended, the popularity of Spring Festival blockbusters remains high, with box office climbing to new records. Many viewers are even watching films for a second or third time in IMAX cinemas to experience ultra-clear and ultra-detailed picture quality. This cinema in Guiyang has upgraded to the widest IMAX-GT screen in Asia, and its daily box office has topped the national cinema list for several consecutive days. The continuously rising film box office has not only boosted cinemas; a variety of activities like "traveling with movies" and "savoring food with movies" have also brought new growth points to catering and cultural tourism consumption. Tourist popularity in places like Xi'an, Shaanxi, Anyang, Henan (Yinxu), and Leling, Shandong, continues to rise. Platform data shows that searches for "hotels near cinemas" and "food near cinemas" doubled during the film release period. The popularity of films has also driven the upgrading of related industries such as cultural and creative design and trendy toys. Taking "Nezha 2" as an example, the film's peripheral derivatives have formed a complete industrial chain from creative IP to design and development, and then to production and retail. A officially authorized cultural and creative enterprise in Hunan has set up a dedicated production line, the "Nezha Special Line," for producing Nezha peripheral products, with an average of about 250,000 figurines shipped from Hunan to various parts of the country every day. Since the beginning of this year, cultural consumption formats such as intangible cultural heritage performances and ice and snow tourism have continuously upgraded. New cultural tourism scenarios, including cultural and museum venues and scenic spots, have continued to be developed, and new consumption spaces that are ultra-high-definition, immersive, and interactive have been continuously expanded. Currently, the annual operating revenue of cultural enterprises above designated size nationwide has exceeded 14 trillion yuan.
The 2025 National Data Resources Statistical Survey Officially Launched Today (February 24), the National Data Bureau announced the official launch of the 2025 National Data Resources Statistical Survey. It covers categories such as public data, enterprise data, financial data, and scientific data, spanning data production, storage, computing, circulation, and security. This year, for the first time, the survey includes the investment and application effectiveness of artificial intelligence in data resource development. Northeast China's Largest Cross-Sea Bridge Project Commences Construction Today (February 24), the Changhai Bridge project, Northeast China's largest cross-sea bridge, commenced construction in Dalian, Liaoning. The project has a total length of approximately 25.5 kilometers, connecting Changhai County in Dalian with Pulandian District. Designed for a speed of 80 kilometers per hour, it is a reserved cross-sea passage for National Highway G507 and is planned to be completed and opened to traffic in 2029. Upon completion, it will provide strong support for the development of the local island region. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport Terminal 1 Renovation Completed and Put into Use Today (February 24), the renovated Terminal 1 of Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport officially began operations, capable of meeting the demand for 50 million passenger throughput per year. This renovation comprehensively upgraded the terminal's digital and intelligent services. Sichuan Airlines and China Southern Airlines domestic inbound and outbound passenger flights will operate from Terminal 1. Guangdong Lufeng Nuclear Power Project Unit 1 Main Construction Commences Today (February 24), the main construction of Unit 1 of the Guangdong Lufeng Nuclear Power Project officially commenced. The project plans to build 6 million-kilowatt-class nuclear power units, including both CAP1000 and Hualong One third-generation nuclear power reactor types. After all 6 units are completed, the annual power generation will be approximately 52 billion kilowatt-hours, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 42.69 million tons annually. The 62nd Plenary Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Opens in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Today (February 24), the 62nd Plenary Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) opened in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Government representatives from over 130 IPCC member countries, representatives from relevant observer organizations, and international organizations attended the meeting. The report formed at the meeting will provide authoritative references for the global climate change field and crucial scientific basis for governments to formulate climate policies and for the international community to carry out climate cooperation.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on the 23rd that Russian forces launched offensives in multiple locations, destroying several Ukrainian electronic warfare bases, ammunition depots, and other targets. Russian forces also struck Ukrainian commander gathering points, drone operator training sites, fuel storage facilities, and more. In the Donetsk region, Russian forces gained control of two new settlements. The Ukrainian side stated on the 23rd that fighting continued, and Ukrainian forces repelled multiple Russian attacks in the Kharkiv, Pokrovsk, and other directions. Ukraine also claimed that Russian forces launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine using 267 drones, of which over 100 were shot down by Ukrainian forces. Russian President Putin states he is achieving special military operation goals. Russian President Putin stated on the 23rd that Russia is achieving the stated goals of the special military operation. According to Russian media reports on the same day, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Russia remains open to a negotiated settlement of the Ukrainian issue, and that it is important to ensure that the political will to start a peaceful settlement process for the Ukrainian issue is not hindered. Ukrainian President Zelensky states he is willing to resign on condition of Ukraine joining NATO. Ukrainian President Zelensky stated on the 23rd that he is willing to resign on the condition of Ukraine joining NATO or achieving peace. Zelensky also said that Ukraine is negotiating with the United States on signing a mineral resources agreement, and that security guarantees for Ukraine should be part of the agreement. According to American media reports, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jay Shambaugh stated on the 23rd that the relevant agreement does not include "military security guarantees." European Council President Costa states Ukraine and European security are at a decisive moment. European Council President Charles Michel stated on the 23rd that the current moment is decisive for Ukraine and European security, and that the European Council will hold a special meeting on the 6th of next month to discuss continued support for Ukraine and European defense issues. The UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council are scheduled to hold separate meetings on the 24th to discuss the situation in Ukraine and vote on relevant draft resolutions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the 23rd local time that the Israeli army is ready to resume intense fighting in the Gaza Strip at any time. Hamas stated on the 23rd that it would not engage in any negotiations with Israel until Israel released more than 600 Palestinian detainees in accordance with the ceasefire agreement. Israel Says IDF Will Remain in West Bank Refugee Camps, Palestine Condemns Israeli Aggression in West Bank On the same day, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he had instructed the Israeli army to be prepared to remain in certain Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank for the "next year." Rawhi Fattouh, Chairman of the Palestinian National Council, issued a statement on the 23rd, condemning Israel's aggression against the West Bank. Israeli Army Attacks Southern Lebanon, Hezbollah Says It Will Not Abandon Resistance On the 23rd, the Israeli army said it had struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army also stated that it had lifted all restrictions imposed on communities in northern Israel. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said at the funeral of the organization's former leader Hassan Nasrallah on the 23rd that resistance operations would continue. He accused Israel of violating the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire agreement and still not withdrawing from five strongholds in southern Lebanon. On the same day, multiple Israeli warplanes flew at low altitude over the funeral site twice.
Germany's Union Party Wins Federal Election The German Federal Election Commission announced early this morning (February 24) the preliminary results of Germany's federal parliamentary election, also known as the lower house of parliament. The Union Party led with 28.6% of the votes, winning the election. The far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), came in second with 20.8% of the votes. The Social Democratic Party (SPD), with current Chancellor Olaf Scholz as its candidate, ranked third with 16.4% of the votes. The Union Party's chancellor candidate, Friedrich Merz, announced victory on the evening of the 23rd and stated that Europe should break free from its dependence on the United States and achieve "independence" in defense. As the Union Party did not secure more than half of the seats in the federal parliament, it will need to form a governing coalition with other parties. Merz has indicated that he hopes to form a new government within eight weeks. American Airlines Plane Diverted to Rome Due to Security Concerns American Airlines stated on the 23rd that one of its Boeing planes carrying over 200 people, en route from New York to New Delhi, India, was diverted to Rome, Italy, due to a possible security threat. Local police subsequently inspected and cleared the aircraft, confirming that no security threat existed. The flight is scheduled to depart for New Delhi again on the 24th local time. According to American media reports, the aircraft received a false bomb threat during the flight.
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