General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that major economic provinces should shoulder the heavy responsibility of contributing to the overall development of the country. Currently, these major economic provinces are bravely taking on responsibilities, working diligently, accelerating the integrated development of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, and promoting deep-seated reforms and high-level opening-up. This spring, major economic provinces are shouldering heavy responsibilities, brimming with vitality everywhere. In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, an average of over 1.2 million people conveniently travel between the three places every day, with accelerated flow of factors and resources, and a world-class urban cluster is emerging. On the coast of the Yellow Sea, an average of over 130,000 TEUs of cargo are handled daily, with four new shipping routes opened this year, strengthening China's connection with the world. By the Qiantang River, an average of 720 million yuan in R&D funds is invested in innovation every day, with new products and technologies constantly emerging, and new quality productive forces rapidly forming. Opening up China's economic map, one after another "big players" in economic scale are pulling the "trains" of national economic growth. Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Henan, Hubei, Fujian, Shanghai, and Hunan, these provinces, which ranked among the top ten in economic aggregate in 2024, contributed over 60% of the national GDP with less than 20% of the national area. With great power comes great responsibility. In recent years, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly expressed earnest hopes and clear requirements for major economic provinces. For three consecutive years, during the national "two sessions," he participated in the deliberation of the Jiangsu delegation and mentioned the key phrase "shoulder the heavy responsibility." He emphasized the need to better leverage the radiating and driving role of major economic provinces in regional and even national development. This year, he further profoundly elaborated on the key points that major economic provinces must grasp to shoulder heavy responsibilities, proposing that major economic provinces should take the lead in promoting the integrated development of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, strive to be pioneers in promoting deep-seated reforms and high-level opening-up, lead in implementing major national development strategies, and set an example in promoting common prosperity for all people. General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions and requirements are based on the present and look to the long term, guiding a specific area while planning for the overall situation, pointing the direction for major economic provinces to further promote high-quality development. The accelerated integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation continues to unleash new vitality for development. Over 80% of the country's 77 major scientific facilities are distributed in the ten major provinces, and 6 out of every 10 yuan of national R&D expenditure comes from these ten major provinces. This year, Jiangsu will implement about 40 major scientific and technological research projects and 80 frontier technology R&D projects, striving for more world-first, first-trial, and first-launch achievements. Shandong is accelerating the transformation of old and new growth drivers and green, low-carbon, high-quality development, promoting the clustered development of new-generation information technology, new energy and new materials, biological manufacturing, and other industries. Fujian will cultivate more than 1,000 new "specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative" small and medium-sized enterprises this year. Shanghai's Zhangjiang Science City is accelerating the construction of the world's largest, most comprehensive, and most capable major photon science and technology infrastructure. Reform and opening-up are deepening, continuously shaping new development advantages. Shanghai's Pudong New Area, a leading area for socialist modernization, is actively formulating special measures to relax market access, with over 95% of 450 reform tasks completed. Zhejiang's common prosperity demonstration zone is advancing "expanding the middle and increasing the low" and income distribution system reforms, with the urban-rural income ratio continuously narrowing for 12 consecutive years. Shenzhen, Guangdong, a pilot demonstration zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics, is deepening comprehensive reform pilots, with 3 batches of 48 experiences having been promoted nationwide. Deeply integrating into major national development strategies, continuously unleashing new development momentum. Chengdu and Chongqing are collaborating in a two-way journey, launching a list of integrated and landmark major reforms this year, further improving mechanisms for joint project promotion, policy sharing, and coordinated consultation. Henan, a major central province, innovatively proposed building a national unified market circulation hub, efficiently connecting its "rice" shaped high-speed rail network with the Air Silk Road. Hubei is accelerating new urbanization and coordinating the promotion of integrated urban-rural development and comprehensive rural revitalization. Hunan is accelerating the construction of overseas economic and trade cooperation zones and deeply participating in the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative. From the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta to the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and then to the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, major economic provinces, starting from the national "one chessboard" perspective, are actively working and coordinating, and their radiating and driving role in national development is becoming increasingly prominent, injecting strong impetus into the steady and long-term navigation of the Chinese economic vessel.
The 31st Plenary Session of the Consultation Committee for Work of Universities Directly Under the Ministry of Education was held in Beijing on the 17th. Ding Xuexiang, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Ding Xuexiang pointed out that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China's higher education reform and development have achieved historic achievements and undergone fundamental changes. We must deeply understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses," firm up the "Four Confidences," and achieve the "Two Maintenances." We must implement the spirit of the National Education Conference, firmly grasp the political, public, and strategic attributes of education, firmly grasp the historical mission of higher education, adhere to running universities rooted in China, promote a systematic leap in higher education from large to strong, and build a strategic vanguard force for Chinese modernization. Ding Xuexiang emphasized the need to anchor the goal of building a strong education nation and better play the leading role of higher education. We must conscientiously do a good job in Party building and ideological and political work in universities, and implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education. We must promote the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent, accelerate the training of top innovative talents, and organize and implement major scientific and technological projects well. We must advance the reform and development of universities in a categorized manner, accelerate the construction of "Double First-Class" universities, orderly increase the supply of high-quality undergraduate education, and optimize the management and dynamic adjustment of discipline and major catalogs. We must strengthen the construction of the university faculty, carry forward the spirit of educators, and give more care and concern to young teachers. We must further promote the opening up of higher education and improve the level of international education. University Party secretaries and presidents should strictly demand themselves according to the standards of socialist politicians and educators, and serve as role models and guides for teachers and students. Responsible comrades from relevant departments of the central and state organs, major responsible comrades from universities directly under the Ministry of Education and some other universities, and education administrative departments of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps attended the meeting.
The General Office of the CPC Central Committee recently issued the "Notice on Carrying Out In-depth Study and Education on Implementing the Spirit of the Central Eight-point Decision Across the Whole Party" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice"). The "Notice" points out that, in order to persistently implement the spirit of the Central Eight-point Decision and promote the normalization and long-term effectiveness of work style construction, with the approval of the Party Central Committee, in-depth study and education on implementing the spirit of the Central Eight-point Decision (hereinafter referred to as "study and education") will be carried out across the whole Party. The "Notice" specifies that it is necessary to adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, continuously deepen the Party's innovative theoretical armament, organize the entire Party to conscientiously study and grasp General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on strengthening the Party's work style construction, study, understand, and implement the spirit of the Central Eight-point Decision and its detailed rules for implementation, systematically summarize the significant achievements made in deeply implementing the spirit of the Central Eight-point Decision since the 18th National Congress of the Party, concentrate on rectifying prominent problems in violation of the spirit of the Central Eight-point Decision and its detailed rules for implementation, and strengthen warning education by using cases of corruption stemming from undesirable work styles. The "Notice" emphasizes the need to focus on the theme, be simple and practical, without batching or phasing, integrate learning, investigation, and rectification, incorporate it into daily routines and frequently address it, and conscientiously implement work arrangements such as study and discussion, problem identification, concentrated rectification, and open education. The "Notice" requires that Party committees (leading Party groups) at all levels be fully responsible for the study and education in their respective regions, departments, and units, and closely combine it with their central tasks, meticulously organizing and implementing it.
Tianjin and Sichuan are earnestly implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches at the national "two sessions," by building innovation platforms to smoothly connect the innovation chain and industrial chain, not only producing more scientific and technological achievements but also transforming these achievements into tangible productivity. Building Innovation Platforms: Tianjin Accelerates the Commercialization of Scientific and Technological Achievements. At the National Center for Synthetic Biology Technology Innovation in Tianjin, the "microbial fermentation for protein production" technology is undergoing industrial verification. Once successful and mass-produced, the efficiency of protein production will be significantly improved compared to traditional processes, and the price will be lower. The accelerated commercialization of this scientific research achievement benefits from the science and technology innovation platform jointly built by Tianjin Municipality and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which efficiently connects scientific research achievements with industrial demands. To seamlessly connect the innovation chain and industrial chain, currently, more than a hundred R&D achievements are being commercialized on the platform. Next, Tianjin will focus on the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation into industrial development, and around key areas such as new energy, traditional Chinese medicine, and connected vehicles, it will establish a number of industrial innovation consortia composed of enterprises and scientific research institutions, achieving full coverage of key industrial chains. Focusing on "Pilot Production Platforms": Sichuan Deeply Integrates the Innovation Chain and Industrial Chain. In Mianyang Science and Technology City, Sichuan, a new energy enterprise is producing "integrated packaged" lithium alloy batteries. With full support from the local "pilot production platform," this new type of battery went from laboratory to market in less than half a year. The "pilot production platform" consists of an online service platform, an offline operation center, and a pilot production base industrial park. Enterprises publish their technological needs to universities or scientific research institutions, and scientific research institutions or achievement holders announce their achievements to find the market, thereby promoting the effective integration of scientific and technological achievements with production. Since its launch, the platform has provided pilot production services for 50 enterprises and promoted the commercialization of 20 achievements. Next, Sichuan will focus on 15 key industrial chains, including artificial intelligence, aerospace, new energy, and medicine and health, to continuously integrate the innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain, and talent chain, promoting the efficient transformation of scientific and technological achievements into new quality productive forces.
At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office today (March 17), economic data released by the National Bureau of Statistics for the first two months of this year showed that China's economy got off to a stable start and demonstrated a new and improving development trend. The accelerated growth of multiple indicators was a prominent feature of economic performance in the first two months. Industrial added value, service industry production index, total retail sales of consumer goods, and fixed asset investment increased by 5.9%, 5.6%, 4%, and 4.1% year-on-year, respectively, accelerating by 0.1, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.9 percentage points compared to the whole of last year, indicating a stable start for economic operations. While major indicators showed stable and increasing growth, the economic development trend was new and improving. From the perspective of new quality productive forces, new drivers are growing rapidly. From January to February, the added value of high-tech manufacturing increased by 9.1% year-on-year, 2.2 percentage points higher than that of manufacturing. The output of high-tech products such as industrial robots and integrated circuit wafers increased significantly, and the large-scale application of domestically produced general artificial intelligence models in key industrial fields such as electronics and automobiles accelerated. At the same time, green industries are booming. In the first two months, new energy vehicle production increased by 47.7% year-on-year, maintaining a high growth rate. From the perspective of policy effects, since the beginning of this year, policies such as "Two Major Initiatives" and "Two New Types of Infrastructure" have continued to show their pull on production and demand. From January to February, investment related to equipment renewal and transformation increased by 18% year-on-year, accelerating by 2.3 percentage points compared to the whole of last year, and contributing 62.3% to the total investment growth. Retail sales of goods such as excavation and earth-moving machinery, household refrigerators, and furniture all maintained double-digit growth. In the first two months, the real estate market continued to stabilize, and the trading volume and turnover in the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges continued to maintain rapid growth, and business entities' expectations continued to improve. A relevant person in charge from the National Bureau of Statistics stated that with the continued efforts and effectiveness of macro policy "combination punches," the national economy is expected to maintain overall stability and steady progress in the first quarter.
Reporters learned today (March 17) from a press conference held by the State Council Information Office that the recently issued "Special Action Plan for Boosting Consumption" focuses on incremental policies that can be strengthened, are implementable, and are tangible to the public, aiming to comprehensively expand commodity and service consumption. A responsible official from the National Development and Reform Commission stated that the "Special Action Plan for Boosting Consumption" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan") puts forward eight parts and 30 policy measures, and deploys specific implementation of seven major actions, further emphasizing the improvement of various supporting policies for investment, finance, credit, and statistics. This "Plan" strengthens policy efforts on the demand side, focusing on promoting residents' income increase and burden reduction, and for the first time in a consumption promotion document, emphasizes stabilizing the stock market and the real estate market, and proposes corresponding measures. In addition, it combines boosting consumption with benefiting people's livelihoods, aiming to reduce various burdens on families in terms of childbirth, upbringing, education, medical care, and elderly care, implementing an annual action for pediatric services, strengthening support for care services for completely disabled elderly people, and raising the subsidy standards for some students. In the next step, all departments will accelerate the formation of policy synergy around promoting consumption growth. The Ministry of Finance will support the improvement of residents' consumption capacity. This year, the central government will allocate 66.74 billion yuan in employment subsidies to support local governments in implementing employment and entrepreneurship support policies. It will support increasing urban and rural residents' basic pensions and appropriately raising the basic pensions for retirees. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security will implement employment support plans for key areas, key industries, urban and rural grassroots, and small and medium-sized enterprises. The Ministry of Commerce will strengthen and expand the implementation of consumer goods trade-in, and will successively issue detailed implementation rules for various regions. The People's Bank of China will work with financial regulatory and other departments to research and issue special documents on financial support for expanding consumption, actively meeting the diversified funding needs of various entities. The State Administration for Market Regulation will strictly carry out regulatory enforcement, conduct special rectification actions against market ailments such as illegal additives in food, counterfeiting and shoddy goods, price fraud, and false propaganda that are strongly reported by the public, and strengthen supervision over the recall of defective products.
Since the beginning of this year, with the rapid development of the digital economy, data centers, computing power centers, and other facilities have become major electricity consumers. How to provide sufficient and stable power supply for the rapid growth of emerging industries? Reporters recently conducted a survey and interview in Zhejiang, a major digital economy province. Upon arriving in Hangzhou for the interview, a power data caught the reporter's attention. In the first two months, Hangzhou's internet data service industry's electricity consumption increased by 231% year-on-year, accounting for 50% of Hangzhou's newly added electricity consumption. Not only has electricity consumption increased, but reporters found during the survey that these high-tech enterprises have higher demands for electricity reliability. In Hangzhou's Future Sci-Tech City, an enterprise producing cochlear implants is running its production line at full capacity. With the aid of a 30x microscope, reporters saw that there were more than 500 solder joints in an area the size of a thumbnail on the coil, and any slight tremor of the welding machine could lead to serious consequences for the product. Every precise grab of the robotic arm and every second of smooth operation of the server are inseparable from reliable power supply. In the underground pipelines of Hangzhou's technology industry concentrated area, a brand-new distribution network is operating, providing double power supply guarantees. Relying on a powerful digital foundation, Hangzhou has also built a digital twin power grid. Through cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other technologies, the operating status of more than 3,800 distribution stations is monitored and analyzed in real time, which is equivalent to equipping power grid operation and maintenance with "thousand-mile eyes" and "sharp ears." With the support of innovative methods and digital technology, Hangzhou's power supply reliability has now reached 99.99886%, and highly stable power supply provides strong support for Hangzhou's high-quality economic development.
With the arrival of spring and its beautiful scenery, people are going out to enjoy nature and appreciate the flowers, savoring the wonderful spring time. The splendid spring light is beautiful, and it's the perfect time to enjoy the flowers. In Zhaoqing, Guangdong, the Gongfen Bauhinia flowers at Qixingyan Scenic Area are in full bloom, blending with the surrounding mountains and rivers to create a unique spring beauty. In Yiliang, Yunnan, cherry blossoms are entering their peak blooming period all over the mountains, layers upon layers, presenting a breathtaking sight. In Taihe, Anhui, over 2,000 mu of cherry blossoms are competing to bloom, and tourists stroll among them, taking photos as souvenirs. Taking flowers as a medium, cultural tourism empowers development. In Shouning, Fujian, pear blossoms are in full bloom across the mountains, and tourists enjoy flowers and tea, savoring the leisure of spring. The local area develops "flower economy" by creating a travel route integrating sightseeing, entertainment, and ecological leisure, driving local tourism development. In Yuzhou, Henan, apricot blossoms are in full bloom, like clouds and rosy clouds. In recent years, the local area has transformed barren hills and ditches into apricot blossom viewing bases, continuously introducing new varieties to extend the blooming period and promote the integration of culture and tourism. Beautiful economy, assisting rural revitalization. Currently, 200,000 mu of rape flowers in Zhongxian, Chongqing, are entering their best viewing period. In Fuxing Town's rape planting base, the local area is carrying out a series of flower viewing activities, vigorously exploring the functions of rape in oil pressing, vegetable use, and honey production, and continuously broadening farmers' income channels. Nearly 100,000 mu of rape flowers in Ningdu, Jiangxi, are welcoming their peak blooming period. In Huangshi Town, the golden sea of flowers and the ancient villages form a beautiful pastoral painting, and tourists are immersed in it, lingering. The local area makes full use of "idle winter fields" to plant rape, effectively assisting rural revitalization through the integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism. ===
New "Methods and Requirements for After-Sales Service of Consumer Products" National Standard to be Implemented from May 1. The new "Methods and Requirements for After-Sales Service of Consumer Products" national standard will be implemented from May 1 this year. The new standard adds four overall principles for after-sales service: timely response, professional reliability, convenience and accessibility, and openness and transparency. It also supplements types of after-sales service such as delivery and extended warranty, and further strengthens the requirements for after-sales service organizations and their service personnel. China's Commercial Housing Sales Prices Continued to Stabilize in February. The National Bureau of Statistics announced today (March 17) that in February, China's housing prices continued to show a trend of stabilization. Among the 70 large and medium-sized cities, the year-on-year decline in sales prices of new commercial residential buildings and existing residential buildings continued to narrow. From the perspective of the 40 key cities monitored, in the first two months, the sales area and sales amount of new commercial housing increased by 1.3% and 7.1% year-on-year, respectively. 2025 National Boutique First Release Season Activity Launched in Shanghai. Reporters learned from the Ministry of Commerce that the 2025 National Boutique First Release Season activity was recently launched in Shanghai. The Ministry of Commerce will organize various regions to carry out rich and distinctive boutique first release activities focusing on boutique shopping, exquisite cuisine, classic tourism, and wonderful performances, to stimulate new consumption momentum and continuously unleash consumption potential. Urumqi Customs Introduces Twenty New Measures to Optimize Port Business Environment. Recently, Urumqi Customs introduced twenty measures to promote high-level development and opening up in Xinjiang, from assisting in cultivating new foreign trade drivers, supporting optimized foreign trade import and export, helping enterprises reduce costs and improve efficiency, and continuously enhancing trade facilitation, to strengthen the implementation of policies and measures to optimize the business environment and further serve Xinjiang's large-scale opening up to promote large-scale development. China Successfully Launches 8 Satellites Including Yunhai-1 55-60 Star. At 16:07 today (March 17), China successfully launched Yunhai-1 55-60 Star from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, and the satellite successfully entered its predetermined orbit. This mission also carried and launched Zhongke Satellite 06 and 07. 942 People Selected as Sixth Batch of National-Level Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Inheritors. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced today (March 17) the sixth batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage representative inheritors. After recommendation, public announcement, review, and other procedures, a total of 942 people were selected. As of now, China has identified 3,998 national-level intangible cultural heritage representative inheritors. CMG's Large-Scale Cultural Program "Chinese Calligraphy Conference" (Season 2) Launched. China Media Group's large-scale cultural program "Chinese Calligraphy Conference" (Season 2) was launched today (March 17). The program focuses on highly representative calligraphy works from six calligraphy holy places such as Yinxu in Anyang, Henan, Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong, and Forest of Steles in Xi'an, Shaanxi, using virtual reality, artificial intelligence and other technological means combined with expert interpretations to explore the deep roots of Chinese culture.
Early this morning (March 17), local time, the U.S. military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen for the second consecutive day. U.S. Central Command released a video of U.S. aircraft taking off. U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel said on the 16th that the U.S. military would not stop airstrikes unless the Houthis stopped attacking U.S. ships. U.S. National Security Advisor Waltz said on the same day that U.S. airstrikes killed several senior Houthi officials. The Houthis have not yet responded to this. The Yemeni Houthi armed forces said today that parts of Hodeidah Province were attacked by the U.S. military. In response to the continuous U.S. attacks, the organization launched two attacks against the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Truman fleet in the Red Sea using ballistic missiles and drones in the past 24 hours. The Houthis also said that U.S. attacks on Yemen have killed 53 people and injured 98. If U.S. aggression against Yemen continues, they will take more escalating actions. Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) issued statements on the 16th, condemning the U.S. airstrikes on various parts of Yemen that caused heavy civilian casualties. UN Secretary-General Guterres called on all parties on the 16th to "exercise maximum restraint" and stop "all military activities."
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 16th that in the past day, Russian forces launched multiple offensives in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and other directions, destroying Ukrainian electronic warfare stations, material depots, and other targets. Russian air defense forces shot down over 140 Ukrainian drones. In addition, Russian media reported on the 16th that about 30 military officers from NATO countries were surrounded in Russia's Kursk region. NATO countries and Ukraine have not responded to this. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that fighting continued in the Kharkiv, Toretsk, and other directions, and Ukrainian forces took necessary measures to prevent Russian advances. The Ukrainian side also stated that Ukrainian President Zelensky signed a decree appointing Hnatov as the Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Bargilevich, who previously held this position, will be appointed as the Inspector General of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, warned on the 16th that if NATO countries such as the United Kingdom and France send so-called peacekeepers to Ukraine, it will lead to war. In addition, Russian media reported today (March 17) that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grushko stated that as part of the conflict resolution, Russia demands that Ukraine's neutral status and Ukraine's non-membership in NATO be included in a future agreement.
Severe weather in the U.S. has killed 40 people and caused widespread power outages. Under the continuous impact of a large storm system, multiple states in the central and southern United States were hit by tornadoes, sandstorms, thunderstorms, etc., affecting approximately 100 million people. As of the 16th, the death toll caused by extreme weather has risen to 40. According to preliminary statistics, Missouri, the state with the most severe casualties, was hit by at least 19 tornadoes. In addition, in Oklahoma, strong winds also caused wildfires to spread rapidly, with a burned area of 688 square kilometers and over 400 houses damaged. The severe weather also caused power outages for hundreds of thousands of users in multiple states. According to U.S. media reports, as the storm system moves, the U.S. East Coast is also expected to experience severe weather. ECB official says U.S. tariff policy causes economic instability. According to news released by the European Central Bank on the 16th, ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos stated in an interview with British media that the U.S. tariff policy is an important reason for the current very unstable economic situation. He also said that the possibility of a trade war would affect consumer confidence, leading to a lose-lose situation. Bushfire spreads near Perth, Australia; roads closed. Early this morning (March 17), local time, a bushfire broke out north of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The fire has burned an area of approximately 11 square kilometers, and multiple roads have been closed. The fire is currently moving northwest. The local Department of Fire and Emergency Services stated that the fire poses a threat to residents' lives and homes, and urged local residents to evacuate immediately. The fire is currently not under control. The cause of the fire is still unclear.
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