During this year's Two Sessions, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that in the new era and on the new journey, it is imperative to deeply understand the demands of Chinese modernization for education, science and technology, and talent. Education must strengthen its supporting role for science and technology and talent, further fostering a vibrant environment where talent emerges in abundance, everyone can fulfill their potential, and their talents are fully utilized. As spring brings forth a surge of activity and all things compete to flourish, our higher education system, keeping General Secretary Xi's earnest instructions in mind, is deepening reform and innovation. This is injecting strong impetus into achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strengthening Chinese modernization. This spring, a series of major scientific facilities are accelerating their implementation across various regions, unleashing a surge of innovation. In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the "Shenzhen Free Electron Laser" major scientific facility, led by the Southern University of Science and Technology, is rapidly under construction. Once completed, this major national instrument will greatly facilitate original innovation in material science and provide an important platform for cultivating top-tier innovative talent and attracting global top talent. To advance Chinese modernization, science and technology are key, talent is the foundation, and education is fundamental. General Secretary Xi Jinping, standing at the strategic height of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, has made a series of deployments. He pointed out the need to coordinate and implement the strategies of invigorating the country through science and education, strengthening the country through talent, and innovation-driven development, and to integrate the development of education, scientific innovation, and talent cultivation. During this year's Two Sessions, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out that to achieve a virtuous cycle of scientific and technological independent innovation and independent talent cultivation, education must further play a leading, fundamental, and supporting role. To implement the General Secretary's important instructions, various regions are taking the "Outline of the Plan for Building a Strong Education Nation" as a blueprint, accelerating the advancement of breakthrough plans in basic and interdisciplinary subjects, building joint innovation platforms between schools, enterprises, and local governments, and improving the efficiency of scientific and technological achievement transformation. At the forefront of educational reform, Zhejiang University's Institute of Fundamental Interdisciplinary Research is restructuring its innovation model through disciplinary clusters. Interdisciplinary research platforms in fields such as material biology and quantum measurement are bringing together over 20 disciplinary areas, providing platforms for fundamental original research and disruptive industrial innovation. At the Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an Jiaotong University, in collaboration with 85 leading enterprises, has established a deeply integrated innovation consortium that is conducting scientific research focusing on enterprises' innovation demands in areas such as embodied AI and energy power. There is a change in the supply and demand relationship for talent, and education needs to be ahead of the curve. To embrace the tide of the times, currently, more than 100 universities have established artificial intelligence schools, and 12 universities have built national AI industry-education integration innovation platforms, accelerating the cultivation of core forces for AI innovation. To improve the mechanism for adapting talent cultivation to the needs of economic and social development, the Ministry of Education is accelerating the construction of a big data platform for talent supply and demand matching, promoting universities to make adjustments to their disciplines and majors. This year, the undergraduate enrollment scale of "Double First-Class" universities will increase by 20,000, with new quotas primarily directed towards areas of urgent national strategic need, basic disciplines, cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields, and emerging fields. Six universities, including Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, will offer a new major in "Low-Altitude Technology and Engineering" to help the low-altitude economy take off. Fudan University is reorganizing its original departmental structure to establish innovative academies, accelerating the layout of new engineering talent, focusing on six talent-urgently-needed areas such as integrated circuits, computing, and intelligence. In sync with the new development pattern, education's hard power in supporting science and technology and talent is continuously strengthening. Since its establishment half a year ago, the first regional technology transfer and transformation center for universities nationwide has facilitated the transformation and docking of over 2,700 university achievements, providing more than 200 solutions for enterprise technology pain points. Targeting key areas such as life and health, and aerospace, the 12 future technology institutes strategically deployed by the Ministry of Education are venturing into uncharted territory of future technology. By aligning with regional industrial development, the 50 national-level modern industrial colleges co-built by universities and enterprises are continuously increasing their contribution to local economic development.
Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, met with Alexander Babakov, deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma, in Beijing on March 25. Zhao Leji stated that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era is continuously moving forward along a new path of major-country relations characterized by permanent good-neighborliness, comprehensive strategic coordination, and mutually beneficial cooperation. China is willing to work with Russia to firmly support each other, deepen political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, practice true multilateralism, and promote the international order to develop in a more just and reasonable direction. The National People's Congress of China is willing to work with the Russian Federal Assembly to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen communication and exchanges, share experience in legislation, supervision, and other areas, and provide legal guarantees for bilateral cooperation. Babakov said that under the guidance of the two heads of state, the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has continued to yield fruitful results. The Russian Federal Assembly is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the National People's Congress of China to make legislative contributions to deepening bilateral relations.
Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, met with Umurzakov, Special Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan, in Beijing on March 25. Wang Huning stated that President Xi Jinping and President Mirziyoyev met twice in the past year, elevating China-Uzbekistan relations to a new era all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership and drawing a blueprint for the future development of bilateral relations. China is willing to work with Uzbekistan to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and deepen the building of a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future. The CPPCC National Committee is willing to make contributions in this regard. Umurzakov congratulated China on the successful conclusion of the Two Sessions and stated that Uzbekistan highly appreciates President Xi Jinping's "two integrations" theory and closely follows the economic and social development achievements made by the Chinese Communist Party in leading the people. Uzbekistan is willing to learn from China's experience in industrialization, poverty alleviation, and scientific and technological development to achieve new developments in Uzbekistan-China relations. Wang Dongfeng and others attended the meeting.
Vice President Han Zheng met with Italian Senate President Ignazio La Russa in Beijing on March 25. Han Zheng said that last year, President Xi Jinping held a successful meeting with the visiting Italian leader and reached important consensus, pointing the direction for the development of China-Italy relations. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. China is willing to work with Italy, taking a strategic and long-term perspective, to develop a more mature, stable, open, and mutually beneficial China-Italy relationship that will better benefit the people of both countries. China-Italy cooperation is highly complementary and mutually beneficial, and strengthening comprehensive cooperation meets the respective development needs of both countries. China's pursuit of high-level opening-up and high-quality development injects dynamism and stability into the world economy. China is willing to deepen cooperation with Italy in trade, economy, tourism, culture, education, sports, and other fields, and strive for more concrete results. La Russa said that through this visit, he fully felt the vitality and achievements of China's development. Italy is willing to strengthen all-round friendly cooperation with China, enabling the two ancient civilizations of Italy and China to make new contributions to world peace and development.
Starting today (March 25), "Xinwen Lianbo" will launch a series of reports titled "Promoting High-Quality Development of the Private Economy: Authoritative Interviews," showcasing how various regions are thoroughly implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches at the symposium on private enterprises and solidifying their ideas and measures for promoting high-quality development of the private economy. Today's broadcast features an exclusive interview with Huang Qiang, Secretary of the Jilin Provincial Committee of the CPC, conducted by a China Media Group reporter. Huang Qiang stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the symposium on private enterprises pointed the direction for Jilin's development. This year, Jilin will prioritize optimizing the business environment as a breakthrough, defining 12 key tasks for improvement, and listing specific solutions and responsible departments for each. Reforms are being enacted to reduce burdens on enterprises. Currently, Jilin has comprehensively launched a special rectification campaign, focusing on areas of most concern to businesses, and targeting issues such as arbitrary inspections, law enforcement, and fines against enterprises, to foster a fair and just market environment. Efforts in service are optimizing the ecological environment for enterprise development. Jilin is actively building a multi-dimensional communication channel between government and enterprises, enabling full online processing and quick disbursement of preferential policies; utilizing the "Internet + Supervision" information platform to broaden channels for enterprise feedback; and establishing a three-tiered business environment supervision system at the provincial, municipal, and county levels to ensure timely handling of enterprise feedback and accurate resolution of key issues, thereby safeguarding the development of the private economy.
The Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025 opened today (March 25). The four-day conference will host over 50 forum events, bringing together global political, business, and academic representatives to pool wisdom and create the future. Today, the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025 held four sub-forums focusing on topics such as "China's Reform and Economic Outlook" and "Development of Global Free Trade Ports." Participating guests stated that China's comprehensive deepening of reform and further expansion of opening-up will contribute to China's robust and sustainable economic growth, and also benefit the development of Asia and the world as a whole. At today's first press conference, two authoritative reports were released. Among them, the "Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress" report pointed out that Asian economies, particularly China and ASEAN, continue to demonstrate strong resilience and vitality, leading the world in economic growth, goods and services trade, and have become an important force and cornerstone in stabilizing and supporting the world economy.
The reporter learned from the Ministry of Commerce today (March 25) that the state has intensified and expanded the implementation of consumer goods trade-in this year, further expanding the supported categories and subsidy scope, with policy effects gradually becoming apparent. As of March 24, the cumulative number of applications for car trade-ins nationwide exceeded 1.5 million. Consumers purchased over 28 million units of 12 major categories of home appliances through trade-in programs. More than 45 million consumers applied for new purchase subsidies for over 56 million mobile phones and other digital products, and over 2.2 million electric bicycles were traded in. In the next step, the Ministry of Commerce will closely monitor and supervise, optimize convenient services, and smooth the recycling chain, ensuring that "real money" reaches consumers more efficiently and conveniently.
Since the beginning of this year, Shanghai has vigorously launched global debut store openings, new product launches, and trendy debut events, continuously stimulating the vitality of the consumer market. Why has Shanghai become a global hub for the debut economy? Let's look at the reporter's investigation. This spring, across 36 fashion landmarks in Shanghai, nearly a hundred brand new product debuts, 11 exhibitions, and over 20 fashion events are taking place one after another, showcasing Shanghai's unique charm as an international consumption center. Not only in major commercial districts, but also in industrial parks transformed from old factories, creative debut exhibitions are being held one after another. Currently, many enterprises have moved their research and development centers to these parks, constantly increasing the speed from samples to debut products. The vibrancy of the debut economy provides nourishment for the growth of domestic original brands, and a series of innovative measures also provide fertile ground for international brands to take root in Shanghai. The Nanjing West Road commercial district, covering an area of 1.8 square kilometers, gathers more than 2,000 well-known domestic and international brands. In this prime commercial area, there is Shanghai's smallest bonded warehouse – the Zhangyuan Bonded Warehouse. It not only provides enterprises with comprehensive services such as efficient transportation and professional customs declaration, but also creates new consumption spaces. When the reporter visited, a batch of new international brand products had just entered the warehouse and were undergoing one-stop exhibition, inspection, and transaction. Debuts gather popularity, but how can they be made more sustainable? Shanghai focuses on innovation as the key core, building a system network that includes new product research and development, release and display, and promotion and sales. It creates an industrial ecosystem centered on new products, new business formats, new models, and the agglomeration of debut stores and headquarters, while also guiding local brands to improve product and service quality through innovation. Not long ago, Shanghai introduced 10 measures to support the debut economy, including exhibition support, customs convenience, and financial incentives, to attract more domestic and international brands to choose Shanghai as their preferred global debut location. Today, an average of three debut stores open in Shanghai every day, with over 17% being high-level debut stores. With the debut economy as an engine, new consumption momentum is continuously being stimulated.
Currently, spring irrigation is being carried out across the country on a large scale, effectively and orderly ensuring spring farming and field management. Since the beginning of this year, national precipitation and inflow into major rivers have been less than the same period in normal years. Various regions have promptly optimized irrigation plans and improved soil moisture conditions based on planting structures, water resource allocation, and other factors. In recent days, Feixiang, Hebei, has entered the peak of spring irrigation. Farmers turn on the valves of the anti-seepage pipeline network at the edge of the fields, and river water from two kilometers away reaches the wheat fields directly through underground pipelines. This year, Feixiang utilized three main canals to connect 28 branch canals and more than 500 field ditches, forming a "10-minute irrigation circle," precisely delivering Yellow River water and reservoir storage to every farmland. Heze, Shandong, invested 291 million yuan last year to continue building, supporting, and renovating five medium-sized Yellow River diversion irrigation areas. Currently, these irrigation areas are successively opening their gates to release water. This year, Shandong is utilizing large and medium-sized irrigation areas and water diversion projects to scientifically formulate irrigation water plans, with 132 large and medium-sized irrigation areas having already started spring irrigation. During this spring irrigation, several digital twin irrigation areas are undergoing pilot implementation to optimize water resource allocation. Before spring irrigation, the digital twin Heilongtan Reservoir platform in the Dujiangyan Irrigation District, Sichuan, was launched, collecting real-time data on upstream inflow, reservoir water levels, and flow rates, forming a "water situation information map" and automatically generating water allocation plans. The latest dispatch from the Ministry of Water Resources shows that the total storage capacity of over 9,500 key reservoirs nationwide exceeds 480 billion cubic meters, nearly 10% more than the same period in normal years, which can effectively guarantee water demand for spring irrigation. Currently, 16 provinces across the country have started spring irrigation, with a cumulative irrigated area exceeding 64 million mu.
National Air Quality Continues to Improve Year-on-Year in February. The latest monitoring by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment shows that in February this year, the average concentration of PM2.5 in 339 cities at or above prefecture level across the country was 37.3 micrograms/cubic meter, a year-on-year decrease of 16.4%; the proportion of days with excellent or good air quality averaged 90.1%, a year-on-year increase of 8.3 percentage points, indicating continued year-on-year improvement in air quality. Interim Provisions on Administrative Penalties for Illegal Concentrations of Business Operators Released. The State Administration for Market Regulation today (March 25) released the "Interim Provisions on Administrative Penalties for Illegal Concentrations of Business Operators (Trial)." Simply put, concentration of business operators refers to investment and mergers and acquisitions. These provisions clarify five types of illegal behavior, including failing to report in advance when reaching the reporting threshold, implementing concentration without approval after reporting, and violating additional restrictive conditions. The document specifically addresses and resolves issues related to the calculation steps and methods of fines, which are generally of concern to business entities. Over 900,000 Medical Institutions Connected to Medical Insurance Drug and Consumables Traceability Platform. The reporter learned from the National Healthcare Security Administration today (March 25) that over 900,000 designated medical institutions, accounting for over 95%, have been connected to the national medical insurance drug and consumables traceability information collection and application platform. Medical insurance departments can achieve full-process supervision of drug production and circulation, prevent fraud and embezzlement of medical insurance funds, such as reselling drugs and swiping medical insurance cards, and ensure drug quality and the safety of medical insurance funds. Human Cell Lineage Large Science Research Facility Launched. Today (March 25), the national "14th Five-Year Plan" major scientific and technological infrastructure – the Human Cell Lineage Large Science Research Facility – was officially launched in Guangzhou. Once completed, it is expected to create a human digital cell AI large model, building a "digital physiological human" that can simulate drug toxicity testing and metabolism, providing an important scientific research platform for drug development, cell therapy, and more. National Cultural Heritage Administration Launches Xia-Shang Civilization Research Project. The reporter learned from the National Cultural Heritage Administration today (March 25) that the Xia-Shang Civilization Research Project will be launched this year. The National Cultural Heritage Administration will organize domestic scientific research institutions and universities to conduct multiple research tasks around building a complete archaeological culture framework and historical context of the Xia and Shang dynasties. These include archaeological excavations of key sites, precise dating, research on animals, plants, and ancient DNA, ancient environment reconstruction, and exploration of metallurgical and pottery technologies, striving to present high-quality scientific research results and fully reveal a clearer and more complete history of the Xia and Shang dynasties. Cold Wave Hits, Many Regions Across the Country Experience Strong Winds, Temperature Drops, and Sand-Dust Weather. The Central Meteorological Observatory predicts that affected by the cold wave, from today (March 25) to March 30, temperatures in northwestern China and most of the central and eastern regions will drop by 8-14 degrees Celsius. In western Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, and some southern regions, the temperature drop could reach 16-18 degrees Celsius. Many northern regions will experience strong winds of 5-6 levels, with gusts of 7-9 levels. Today and tomorrow, sand-dust weather will appear from northwestern China to southern North China, reminding the public to take precautions.
Russia's Ministry of Defense announced on March 24 that over the past day, Russian forces shot down 227 Ukrainian drones and struck Ukrainian military targets in 143 areas. In the border areas of Russia's Belgorod region, several Ukrainian armored vehicles and engineering vehicles attempting to break through the border were destroyed. The Russian Ministry of Defense also stated that on March 24, Ukrainian drones attacked an oil transshipment station in Russia's Krasnodar Krai. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated on the same day that Ukrainian forces struck 13 concentrations of Russian weapons and military equipment, 3 drone control points, and other targets, and repelled Russian attacks in the Pokrovsk direction. The Ukrainian side also stated that on March 24, Russian forces attacked the center of Sumy, causing dozens of injuries and damaging multiple buildings and urban infrastructure. Russian media reported that no joint statement was reached in the Russia-US talks, and Ukraine-US held a second round of talks. Russian and US delegations concluded talks in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on the evening of March 24. According to Russian media reports on March 25, Russia and the US failed to reach a joint statement due to Ukraine's position. Dmitry Peskov, Russian Presidential Press Secretary, said on March 25 that the specific content of the talks would not be disclosed. There are currently no plans for trilateral Russia-US-Ukraine talks or a meeting between the Russian and US presidents. According to Ukrainian media reports, the second round of talks between Ukrainian and US delegations in Riyadh concluded on March 25, with details to be announced later. Previously, the two sides discussed key issues such as energy in Riyadh on March 23.
According to Palestinian media reports, Israeli forces continued to bomb the Gaza Strip from March 24 to the early hours of March 25, with attacks reported in Nuseirat in the central region, Rafah and Khan Younis in the south, and Jabalia in the north. The Gaza health department stated that at least 65 people were killed in the Israeli attacks. Israeli media reported on March 24 that Israeli forces killed 20 Palestinian militants and arrested about 30 in Rafah, and raided a Hamas command center in the area. On the same day, the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claimed to have launched rockets towards multiple locations in southern Israel. The Israeli military stated that it intercepted the rockets. ICRC Office Attacked by Israeli Military, UN to Reduce Staff in Gaza Strip. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a statement on March 24 saying that its office in Rafah was hit by an explosion on that day, causing no casualties. The committee strongly condemned the attack. The Israeli military stated on the same day that the attack was an accidental bombing by the Israeli military and that an investigation had been launched. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through his spokesperson, issued a statement on March 24 saying that he had decided to reduce UN personnel activities in the Gaza Strip, planning to evacuate about 30 staff members this week. Egypt Proposes Emergency Proposal to Resume Gaza Ceasefire Agreement. Egyptian security sources stated on March 24 that Egypt presented an emergency proposal to Israel and Hamas on the evening of March 23 to resume the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The proposal suggested Hamas release 5 living Israeli hostages in exchange for a 40-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, in preparation for resuming the second phase of ceasefire negotiations. Sources said that Hamas has agreed to the proposal, but Israel has not yet responded.
Yahya Saree, spokesman for Yemen's Houthi rebels, stated on March 25 that the group launched two ballistic missiles at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel early that day, and also attacked several U.S. Navy destroyers and the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea using missiles and drones. The Israeli military stated on the evening of March 24 that it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen. Separately, Yemeni media reported on March 25 that U.S. warplanes launched 12 airstrikes on Saada city, Saqayn, and other areas in Saada province, Yemen, on the evening of March 24. US Journalist Claims Being Added to Classified Chat Group, Knew About US Airstrike Plans Against Houthis in Advance. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, stated on March 24 that on March 11, four days before the U.S. military's airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, high-level U.S. national security officials added him to an 18-person classified chat group discussing U.S. military operational plans on a publicly accessible communication platform. Approximately two hours before the U.S. military conducted airstrikes on Yemen on March 15, a user in the chat group with the same name as U.S. Secretary of Defense Hagseth posted information about the impending U.S. military operation, including details on targets, attack sequence, and weapons to be deployed by the U.S. side. Shortly after, multiple Houthi targets were air-struck. Goldberg stated that he initially thought the chat group information was not real until chat participants sent multiple congratulatory messages and emojis after the U.S. airstrikes, at which point he realized the content discussed in the chat group was likely authentic. U.S. Secretary of Defense Hagseth denied on March 24 posting relevant operational plans in the chat group. U.S. President Donald Trump said he was unaware of it. White House Press Secretary Levitt said Trump continues to have "full confidence" in his national security team. The U.S. State Department declined to comment. Democrats in the U.S. said the incident jeopardized U.S. national security and should be thoroughly investigated.
Italian President Says US Tariff Policy Distorts Market Competition. According to Italian media reports, Italian President Sergio Mattarella stated in Rome on March 24 that the US tariff policy distorts market competition, and countries should oppose it. Mattarella emphasized that open markets promote peace, while tariffs create market barriers and harm quality products. The key to solving problems is not imposing tariffs, but ensuring strict enforcement of rules. Wildfires Continue to Spread in Various Parts of South Korea, Thousands Evacuated. According to news released by South Korea's Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters today (March 25), as of this morning local time, large-scale wildfires in various parts of southeastern South Korea are still ongoing, with the affected area expanding to 14,700 hectares, and more than 3,300 residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters. The department stated that firefighting efforts are difficult due to strong winds, dry weather, and heavy smoke. Separately, Yonhap News Agency reported on March 24 that relevant South Korean departments additionally designated three areas as "special disaster areas" on that day. 6.8 Magnitude Earthquake Occurs Off the Coast of New Zealand. According to New Zealand's seismic monitoring agency, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of New Zealand today (March 25) at 2:43 PM local time, 9:43 AM Beijing time. The epicenter was located approximately 155 kilometers northwest of the Snares Islands. There are currently no reports of casualties or property damage, and no tsunami warning has been issued.
分享到Twitter: