While working in Zhejiang, General Secretary Xi Jinping deeply elaborated on the "sweet potato economy" theory and actively promoted the development of an open economy, laying a solid foundation and injecting continuous momentum for Zhejiang's high-quality development. For over 20 years, Zhejiang has continuously leveraged the "sweet potato economy" theory, constantly expanding its "tuber," making Zhejiang a high ground for reform and opening up and a hotbed for investment and entrepreneurship. At Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, the average daily import and export container volume exceeds 100,000 TEUs, and the cargo throughput has ranked first globally for 16 consecutive years. In Yiwu, Jinhua, there are 18,000 resident foreign businesspeople, and over 9,000 foreign-funded entities are concentrated there, with the International Trade City alone attracting an average daily footfall of 220,000 visitors. Today's Zhejiang is a thriving commercial hub, brimming with vitality. In the past, due to its geographical features of "seven parts mountains, one part water, and two parts farmland," Zhejiang consistently faced factor constraints and resource and environmental pressures in its development. In 2004, Comrade Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, vividly explained "developing Zhejiang by stepping out of Zhejiang" using the "sweet potato economy" theory, clearly defining the development direction for Zhejiang at a critical juncture. In 2005, he further pointed out the need to encourage Zhejiang people to go out and invest and start businesses with strategic thinking, a broad vision, and a pragmatic attitude, while actively creating a favorable development environment to attract domestic and foreign enterprises to invest in Zhejiang and encourage overseas enterprises to return and invest. Under Comrade Xi Jinping's impetus, Zhejiang comprehensively focused on "bringing in," "going out," and optimizing the environment. It boldly explored in practice, continuously opening up new frontiers for reform and development. At that time, Yiwu, which had carved out a large market with small commodities, was in a period of rapid development. As its international trade volume began to exceed its domestic trade volume, as a county-level city, its government management authority could not keep up with the pace of development. Comrade Xi Jinping visited Yiwu for research many times. In November 2005, he requested relevant provincial departments to dispatch an investigation team to study policies to promote Yiwu's development and remove institutional and mechanism barriers to its growth. After another visit in 2006, Comrade Xi Jinping personally promoted the pilot reform of expanding Yiwu City's economic and social management authority in November of that year. This was an unprecedented expansion of power, granting Yiwu over 470 economic and social management authorities at once, including items such as the registration of foreign-funded enterprises and their branches, and the annual inspection of foreign-invested enterprises. In 2007, Yiwu's foreign trade achieved rapid growth, with its GDP increasing by over 12% that year. From improving the investment environment to strengthening investment promotion, Yiwu's development is a microcosm of Zhejiang's reform and opening up. Data shows that from 2003 to 2007, Zhejiang's foreign capital inflow repeatedly hit new highs, with cumulative actual utilized foreign direct investment reaching 39.1 billion US dollars, an average annual growth of 26.8%. The practice of the "sweet potato economy" theory greatly stimulated the vitality of market entities and social creativity. Anchoring its goals, Zhejiang has consistently worked hard, generation after generation, to continuously build an open economy. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited Zhejiang many times to draw up a blueprint for Zhejiang's development in the new era. He emphasized that Zhejiang should continue to write new chapters in deepening reform and expanding opening up, leading institutional and mechanism innovation in all fields with reforms in key areas. Bearing the General Secretary's instructions in mind, Zhejiang plans its reforms with a vision of serving the whole country and looking globally: it has issued 32 measures to promote the high-quality development of the private economy, offering real financial support and empowering enterprises with preferential policies; it has implemented regulations on optimizing the business environment, precisely implementing policies in nine aspects, including improving market access and exit systems, optimizing opening-up and upgrading measures, and strengthening factor supply guarantees. Today, Zhejiang's attractiveness to high-end domestic and international resources and factors is continuously increasing. Nidec Group from Japan has established 16 factories in Pinghu, Jiaxing. Over the past 20 years, the company has increased its investment 33 times, covering multiple fields such as motors and automobiles. As a pilot zone for high-quality foreign investment clustering in Zhejiang, Jiaxing has cumulatively attracted over 10,000 foreign-invested projects from 115 countries and regions. In Hangzhou, the development level of the headquarters economy is accelerating. The city is implementing a "star-rating" cultivation plan for headquarters enterprises, supporting the layout of headquarters enterprises and innovation institutions. Currently, the vivo Global AI Headquarters in Yuhang District is accelerating construction. Once completed, it will promote the clustering of high-end industrial chains of new-generation information technology in the field of artificial intelligence. In 2024, Zhejiang saw 1.625 million new enterprises and individual businesses established, and by the end of the year, the number of registered market entities reached 10.9517 million. Zhejiang's GDP exceeded 9 trillion yuan, with the private economy accounting for 67.4%, contributing over 80% of the province's imports and exports and over 80% of its employment.
Recently, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the revised "Regulations on Practicing Economy and Combating Waste in Party and Government Organs" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"), and issued a circular requiring all regions and departments to conscientiously implement them. The circular pointed out that the revision of the "Regulations" adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, combines target orientation with problem orientation, and improves regulations on financial management, domestic travel, temporary overseas trips for official business, official reception, official vehicles, conferences and activities, office buildings, and resource conservation in party and government organs in line with the times. It strengthens the implementation of responsibilities for practicing diligence and economy and combating extravagance and waste, and further tightens the institutional screws for party and government organs to take the lead in living a frugal life, which is of great significance for thoroughly implementing the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation and continuously deepening the rectification of "four forms of undesirable conduct." The circular requires all regions and departments to conscientiously grasp the study, publicity, and implementation of the "Regulations" from the political height of "improving work style relating to the Party's image, popular support, and the success or failure of the Party and state undertakings." They should promote leading party and government organs at all levels and their staff to deeply understand the spirit of the "Regulations," resolutely implement all provisions of the "Regulations," solidly advance the construction of frugal organs, and further foster a strong atmosphere throughout society where waste is shameful and frugality is glorious.
Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, inspected and guided the in-depth implementation of the Central Eight-Point Regulation study and education work in Tangshan City, Hebei Province, from May 16 to 17. He emphasized the need to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourses on strengthening the Party's work style, adhere to problem orientation and strict standards, promote integrated learning, investigation, and rectification, strengthen categorized guidance based on the actual conditions of different levels, regions, fields, and industries, and ensure the study and education are profound and practical. Cai Qi visited Chenjiapu Town and Houjiaqiao Village in Yutian County, and Zhongshan Road Sub-district in Caofeidian District and Shanxibeili Community in Lubei District, where he met with grassroots cadres and the public and learned about convenient services. He pointed out that the study and education must be more practical at the grassroots level, and grassroots Party members and cadres should temper their work style, strengthen their sense of responsibility and initiative, and address problems such as hidden variations of "four forms of undesirable conduct" in conjunction with promoting comprehensive rural revitalization and strengthening grassroots governance; they should continue to rectify formalism to lighten the burden on grassroots cadres, allowing them to devote more energy to serving the people. At Shougang Jingtang United Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., he pointed out that enterprises' study and education should be closely integrated with production and operation, promoting both simultaneously. At the Social Work Departments of the Tangshan Municipal Party Committee and Yutian County Party Committee, he requested that the study and education be used as an opportunity to strengthen Party building in emerging fields, enhance Party leadership in grassroots governance, and do a good job in uniting and serving the masses. At the offices of the Tangshan Municipal Party Committee, Caofeidian District Party Committee, and Yutian County Party Committee, Cai Qi visited the study and education working groups, emphasizing the need to adapt to local conditions, strengthen grassroots guidance, specifically grasp the transformation of learning, organize problem identification, and conduct concentrated rectification. During the discussion, Cai Qi pointed out that carrying out study and education is a key task for Party building this year, and that the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation must be implemented unremittingly to extend the rectification of "four forms of undesirable conduct" and the fostering of new work styles to the grassroots. Problem identification must be specific and thorough, with attention paid to soliciting public opinions, and higher-level Party organizations and working groups must strengthen review and approval. Members of leading bodies at all levels must actively acknowledge problems and precisely formulate rectification measures. Concentrated rectification must be firm and resolute, adhering to solving whatever problems exist and prioritizing the rectification of prominent issues, ensuring each one is implemented. Resolutely rectify problems such as the "eating and drinking indulgence," infringement of public interests, and inaction, and strictly handle and hold accountable those who violate discipline against the trend. Strengthen warning education by publicizing typical cases. Guidance teams must closely rely on local and unit Party committees (Party groups) to carry out their work, working together to address issues and exert efforts in the same direction, promoting solid rectification. Party committees (Party groups) at all levels must shoulder leadership responsibilities, focusing on the study and education of leading cadres, newly promoted cadres, young cadres, and cadres in key positions, and strictly guarding against formalism and "one-off" efforts. Working groups for study and education at all levels must strengthen coordination and supervision. Work style construction should be regularized and long-term, and good work style should ensure high-quality development.
Since the beginning of this year, driven by "two major" projects, the construction of major engineering projects in many places has accelerated, and the implementation of major national strategies and the construction of security capabilities in key areas have continued to deepen. Currently, a batch of major landmark projects spanning regions and river basins are accelerating construction. In Hubei, the Wuhan-Yichang section of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu High-Speed Railway has entered the joint commissioning and trial operation phase. The 2,360-kilometer-long high-speed rail corridor along the Yangtze River is being intensified, accelerating the connection of the Yangtze River Delta, the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomerations. At the same time, efforts are being made to strengthen the allocation of transport resources and continuously enhance the resilience of the road network. In Inner Mongolia, over half of the annual target for high-standard farmland construction has successively commenced. This year, the scope of "two major" construction support has been extended to 720 key counties for grain production capacity enhancement and 83 typical black soil counties in Northeast China, while actively guiding farmers and large grain growers to participate in post-construction management to ensure the long-term effectiveness of facilities. In Heilongjiang, over 9 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special national bonds are upgrading and renewing nearly 300 underground pipeline network projects. Driven by "two major" projects, over 140,000 kilometers of urban underground pipelines for gas, water supply and drainage, and heating have been promoted for construction and renovation across the country this year, and the operational management mechanism of urban underground pipelines has been continuously improved. This year, China will continue to promote integrated comprehensive governance of sewage treatment plants, networks, rivers, and lakes, support the implementation of comprehensive treatment of desertified land, afforestation and grass planting, as well as degraded forest restoration and grassland improvement, and support the establishment of a national venture capital guidance fund to promote the growth and expansion of technology-based enterprises. Next, the National Development and Reform Commission will strive to complete the issuance of all "two major" construction project lists for this year by the end of June, and continue to promote "soft construction" measures such as planning, policies, and institutional mechanisms, pushing for new progress and achievements in "two major" construction.
Since the beginning of this year, various regions have continued to increase investment in livelihood areas, from funding to policies, intensifying support for key project construction. Focus is being placed on increasing investment for the "elderly and children." In Jiangsu, civil affairs departments will invest approximately 1 billion yuan this year for subsidies for the construction and operation of elderly care facilities, age-appropriate renovations for elderly households, and home-based care services. Relying on an "Internet + smart elderly care platform + call center + smart terminal," home and community elderly care services can be accessed with one click, providing meal assistance, bathing assistance, medical assistance, and mobility assistance for the elderly in need. In Hunan, the "smart playgrounds" in primary and secondary schools, with a total investment of over 80 million yuan, have been fully put into use. Currently, more than 400 schools across the province have applied artificial intelligence technology to teacher instruction, student learning, and home-school co-education. This year, Hunan will fully promote the computer and equipment upgrade and quality improvement project for rural compulsory education schools, supplementing and configuring 300,000 computers. Various regions are also accelerating the urban renewal process. In Yichang, Hubei, residents of the first "original demolition and original construction" pilot project community are busy with renovations and will move into their new homes in the second half of the year. This year, Yichang plans to implement six more pilot projects in the central urban area to further expand and improve the pilot for cooperative renovation of dilapidated houses. In Jiangbei District, Chongqing, the Guanyinqiao commercial district is undergoing expansion and upgrading. This year, Chongqing launched 295 urban renewal demonstration projects, involving communities, factory areas, commercial areas, street areas, and public spaces, of which 72 projects have already been completed and put into use.
Data from the State Post Bureau shows that from January to April, China's postal industry completed a cumulative 67.4 billion express delivery transactions, a year-on-year increase of 18.3%. Of these, express delivery volume reached 61.45 billion pieces, a year-on-year increase of 20.9%. In terms of business scale, since the beginning of this year, express delivery companies have deeply cultivated industries such as agricultural products, fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, medicine, and auto parts, actively serving modern agriculture and advanced manufacturing, meeting diverse consumer delivery needs, and promoting steady business growth. In terms of development capabilities, express delivery companies are promoting unmanned terminal equipment, deploying unmanned vehicles and drones in many parts of the country. At the same time, they are also accelerating the construction of overseas warehouses and steadily expanding the international express delivery market. From January to April, international and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan express delivery volume reached 1.35 billion pieces, a year-on-year increase of 25.4%.
The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing announced today (May 18) the cold chain logistics operating data for the first quarter. Driven by policies to stabilize growth and promote consumption, cold chain logistics demand has shown steady growth, and the market size has continued to expand. In the first quarter of this year, the total value of cold chain logistics reached 2.21 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4%. Catering consumption remained strong, with online retail sales of fruits and vegetables increasing by over 15% year-on-year. In the first quarter of this year, investment in cold storage projects amounted to 8.746 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.42%. Currently, a number of high-standard cold storages are under accelerated construction. In addition, driven by national subsidy policies, sales of new energy refrigerated vehicles maintained high growth. In the first quarter, sales of new energy refrigerated vehicles increased by over 70% year-on-year. As the weather warms, fresh agricultural products are gradually entering their peak consumption season. It is expected that sales of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and quick-frozen foods will see significant growth, and the cold chain logistics market size is expected to continue to expand in the second quarter.
Today (May 18) marks the 49th International Museum Day. Through creative transformation and innovative development, China's museum industry is flourishing, with a steady increase in the number of museums. A museum system that is diverse in types, multi-faceted in subjects, and universally accessible has largely taken shape. In the past two days, a new batch of museums has successively been completed and opened across the country. In Jiangsu, the Suzhou Archaeology Museum, located next to the Yuecheng site, takes years of urban archaeological discoveries as its units, packaging the development process of archaeology into its exhibition halls, highlighting a sense of immersion and participation, and exploring a new model of museums where archaeology empowers exhibitions. In Zhejiang, the Yujia Mountain Archaeological Museum fully reveals the entire process of the rise and development of Liangzhu civilization over 5,000 years ago. Visitors can encounter ancient rice cultivation and jade artifacts inside the museum, and stroll through the ruins park outside to appreciate the beauty of the Liangzhu settlement. The latest data shows that China has registered 7,046 museums. The creation of world-class museums and the construction of national key thematic museums are continuously advancing. A large number of museums, including the Museum of the Communist Party of China, the National Archives of Publications and Culture, the Beijing Grand Canal Museum, and the Taosi Museum, have been built. The total number of national first, second, and third-class museums has increased to 1,660. Plans for upgrading small and medium-sized museums and pilot projects for rural museum construction are being implemented. Currently, the free admission rate of museums in China has reached 91.46%, with universal access and equality increasingly becoming prominent features of museums in the new era. With the development of technology and multidisciplinary integration, new methods for systematic protection, research, and display of cultural relics in museum collections are constantly emerging. The Hunan Museum has achieved a breakthrough in restoring Mawangdui silk fabrics with millimeter-level precision, and for the first time dynamically presented the wearing effect and drape of silk clothing. The application of digital technologies such as VR museum tours, real-time rendering, and naked-eye 3D makes cultural relics "come alive," breaking spatio-temporal boundaries and allowing audiences to immerse themselves in historical scenes. Cloud exhibitions, digital twins, museum night tours... more and more museums are moving their exhibitions online, allowing visitors to encounter national treasures at their fingertips. "Museum fever" has become a cultural phenomenon, and "going to the museum" has become a new trend. According to statistics from the National Cultural Heritage Administration, in 2024, national museums held 43,000 exhibitions and 511,000 educational activities, receiving 1.491 billion visitors, a year-on-year increase of 15.5%.
Today (May 18) marks the 35th National Disability Day. This year's theme for Disability Day is "Promoting the Spirit of Self-Reliance and Helping the Disabled, Building Strength for Unity and Progress." Various regions and departments are organizing a series of activities around this theme. In recent days, Beijing, Qinghai, Jilin, and other places have held special job fairs for people with disabilities. These events offer employment opportunities through on-site recruitment and live-streamed job promotion. In Shanhaiguan, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 174 people with physical disabilities, with the help of volunteers, ascended the Great Wall and overlooked the sea. Taking advantage of International Museum Day, today, representatives of visually impaired students from Weifang School for the Blind in Shandong visited the Qingdao Jiaoji Railway Museum. Dozens of touchable exhibits allowed the children to experience a special "touching history" journey. In Zhuhai, Guangdong, people with disabilities from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao jointly took an accessible bus to visit and experience the Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, feeling the convenience of interconnectedness in the Greater Bay Area.
"14th Five-Year Plan" Technology Contract Turnover Target Achieved Ahead of Schedule Reporters learned from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology that from January to April this year, a total of 228,000 technology contracts were registered nationwide, with a contract turnover of 1.6 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13.3%. In 2024, the national technology contract turnover reached 6.8 trillion yuan, maintaining double-digit growth for 8 consecutive years, and completing the 5 trillion yuan technology contract turnover target set in the "14th Five-Year Plan for Special Planning of Technology Factor Market" ahead of schedule. Three Gorges Reservoir Replenishment Dispatch Effectively Improves Irrigation Conditions for Over 7 Million Mu of Farmland The Three Gorges Reservoir increased its discharge flow to approximately 12,000 cubic meters per second and maintained it from May 15, effectively improving irrigation water conditions for over 7 million mu of farmland in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Jianghan Plain. Since the start of this dry season replenishment dispatch in December last year, the Three Gorges Reservoir has cumulatively replenished 8.4 billion cubic meters of water to the middle and lower reaches. First AG600 Production Aircraft Completes Production Test Flight Reporters learned today (May 18) from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China that the first production aircraft of China's independently developed large amphibious aircraft AG600 has completed its production test flight in Zhuhai, indicating that the aircraft has reached a safe and usable state and is ready for factory delivery. Tianwen-2 Probe Smoothly Transferred to Launch Area Reporters learned today (May 18) from the China National Space Administration that the Tianwen-2 probe for the planetary exploration project has successfully been transferred to the launch area after completing assembly, testing, fueling, and other work in the technical area as planned at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Subsequent work will include functional checks and joint tests as planned, with a launch scheduled for late May, subject to favorable conditions. 27th Cross-Strait Economy and Trade Fair Opens in Fuzhou The 27th Cross-Strait Economy and Trade Fair opened today (May 18) in Fuzhou, Fujian. The fair will feature a series of cross-strait economic and trade exchange activities, provide platforms for industrial cooperation promotion, and promote deeper and broader cooperation between Fujian and Taiwan. National Treasure Cultural Relics "Zidan Ku Silk Manuscripts (Volumes II and III)" Return to China Early this morning (May 18), the second volume of the Zidan Ku Silk Manuscripts, "Wuxing Ling," and the third volume, "Gongshou Zhan," which were lost overseas, safely arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport. After inspection by relevant staff from the National Cultural Heritage Administration, they passed through customs via a fast track. These precious cultural relics, lost in the United States for 79 years, have successfully returned to China and are expected to be exhibited to the public for the first time at the National Museum in July. Large-Scale Food and Culture Tourism Program "Three Meals Four Seasons" Season 2 Enters Zhejiang Tonight The second season of the large-scale food and culture tourism seasonal program "Three Meals Four Seasons: Zhejiang Chapter" will be broadcast tonight (May 18) on CCTV-1. This episode will visit Huzhou, the "land of fish and rice," and Jinhua, a "national historical and cultural city," embarking on a journey to savor the flavors of Jiangnan. The program will also be live-streamed simultaneously on the央视频 (Yangshipin) client.
According to US media reports on the 16th, with recent tariff policy adjustments, some US companies are stepping up their inventory procurement. Vizion, a global ocean freight order tracking system developer, stated that this week, the volume of freight orders from China to the US increased by nearly 300% week-on-week. German Shipping Giant Optimistic About China's Container Shipping Market Hapag-Lloyd, Germany's largest container shipping company, signed contracts last year with two Chinese shipyards for the supply of 24 container ships. The company's Chief Operating Officer recently told a CCTV reporter that while the uncertainty of US tariff policies affects the global economy, he remains confident in the Chinese shipping market.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on the 17th that Russian forces had taken control of another settlement in Donetsk, shot down 3 guided aerial bombs, 1 HIMARS rocket, and 80 drones. The Ukrainian side stated that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian air defense systems and repelled several Russian offensives in directions such as Pokrovsk. Russia Says Priority is to Exchange Ceasefire Condition Lists with Ukraine; Ukraine Says Prisoner Exchange Next Week Regarding the negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations held in Turkey on the 16th, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated on the 17th that the immediate task for Russia and Ukraine is to exchange the main lists of ceasefire conditions. He said that a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents would only be possible after the Russian and Ukrainian delegations reach specific agreements. Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate, stated on the 17th that Ukraine and Russia are expected to exchange 1,000 captured personnel with each other next week.
Palestine Claims Israeli Attacks in Gaza Kill Over 150 Palestinian media reported that from May 17 to 18, Israeli forces continued to bomb areas including Khan Younis and Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza health authority stated on May 17 that Israeli operations in the past 24 hours resulted in over 150 deaths and 459 injuries. The 34th Arab League Summit was held in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, on May 17. Participants issued the "Baghdad Declaration," condemning Israel's illegal actions that deprive the Palestinian people of their rights, demanding an immediate cessation of the war in the Gaza Strip and hostilities against civilians, and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip. Yemeni Houthi Rebels Vow to Continue Striking Israeli Targets The Yemeni Houthi rebels stated today (May 18) that due to the escalation of the situation in the Gaza Strip and Israeli aggression against Yemen, Houthi attacks against Israeli targets will not cease, and all Israeli airports are unsafe, advising airlines to stop flights to Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces stated that Israeli forces intercepted a missile from the direction of Yemen today. Air raid sirens sounded in central Israel. Mexican Training Ship Collides with Bridge in New York, 2 Dead, 17 Injured Around 8:30 PM EDT on May 17, and 8:30 AM Beijing time today (May 18), a Mexican Navy sailing training ship's mast collided with the Brooklyn Bridge while sailing on the East River in New York City. New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated that the accident resulted in 2 deaths and 17 injuries, and the bridge was temporarily closed. New York police officials said the ship may have experienced power and mechanical failures, and was carried towards the bridge by the current. The specific cause of the accident is still under investigation. Severe Weather Continues in Multiple US States, Death Toll Rises to 27 According to US media reports on May 17, the death toll from severe weather in multiple states across the Midwest and Eastern US has risen to 27, with over 460,000 households still without power. In Kentucky, the worst-hit state, 18 people have died due to the severe weather, and the state has declared a state of emergency. The US National Weather Service stated on May 17 that the severe weather will spread to the southern plains of the US, bringing hail, strong winds, and tornadoes.
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