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Hong Kong officials and social leaders have condemned the disrespectful behavior of some Cathay Pacific crew members toward non-English speaking passengers, and said they had tarnished the city's reputation as an international aviation hub, stressing that such incidents must not occur again.In a viral online post, a passenger who is fluent in Mandarin, English and Cantonese detailed how three flight attendants repeatedly complained in English and Cantonese about passengers who didn't speak English well on a recent Cathay Pacific flight.Cathay Pacific took action by sacking the cabin crew members involved on Tuesday and pledged to conduct a comprehensive review of their service, staff training and relevant mechanisms to improve service quality.Addressing a Wednesday activity in Guangzhou, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said that the disrespectful words and deeds of Cathay Pacific Group cabin crew members hurt the feelings of Hong Kong and Chinese mainland people and undermined the city's consistent values of respect and courtesy.Although the crew members involved have been dismissed, similar incidents must not be allowed to occur in the future, and Hong Kong's image of being respectful and courteous to visitors needs to be restored, he added.Also in response to the incident, Hong Kong's Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said it was a serious breach of Hong Kong's reputation for service excellence, long-standing values and ethical standards.The secretary hoped that a review of the company will be completed as soon as possible and that fundamental improvements will be made to the company's mechanisms and staff attitudes, in order to live up to Hong Kong's reputation as an international aviation hub and a welcoming city.Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, secretary for the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau of Hong Kong, emphasized that such individual incidents could affect the image of Hong Kong and tarnish the promotion of tourism in the city.Noting that the tourism industry is of great importance to the city, Yeung urged every tourism practitioner and Hong Kong resident to be respectful and polite when receiving tourists.Ricky Chu Man-kin, chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission in Hong Kong, told a local radio program on Wednesday that if a service provider requires customers to use a certain language, it may constitute indirect discrimination.Lawmaker Michael Luk Chung-hung, member of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, said that the existing racial discrimination ordinance could not deal with discrimination within the same race.Luk called on the city to enact legislation as soon as possible to prevent Hong Kong residents from discriminating against mainland tourists as soft confrontation against the central government. He hoped related proposals could be tabled to the Legislative Council for discussion in the next legislative year.Ronald Lam, CEO of Cathay Pacific Group, held a news conference about the incident on Wednesday and apologized to the public in Mandarin.Lam acknowledged that the incident has dented the company's reputation, especially in the mainland market. He reiterated that Cathay Pacific has zero tolerance for any serious breach of the company's rules, regulations and code of ethics.Lam said he would lead an interdepartmental working group to conduct a comprehensive review to avoid the recurrence of similar incidents by re-examining the service process, personnel training and related systems.Reporter: MIKE GU

President Xi Jinping reiterated on Wednesday China's readiness to work with Russia to support each other on issues concerning core interests, and he called for enhancing all-around bilateral cooperation between the two countries.Xi made the remarks during a meeting in Beijing with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who made an official visit to China on Tuesday and Wednesday at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang.Xi asked Mishustin to convey his sincere greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he recalled his successful state visit to Russia in March, when the two presidents outlined a blueprint for the development of China-Russia relations and bilateral cooperation in various fields.Consolidating and developing China-Russia relations is not only the shared aspiration of the two peoples, but also the overarching trend of the times, Xi said.He emphasized that China is willing to work with Russia to firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests, and to strengthen mutual coordination within multilateral frameworks, such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and the G20.Both sides should continue to tap the potential for economic partnership, consolidate and expand fundamentals of cooperation in the fields of energy and mutual connectivity, and create more growth points, he added.China is willing to work with Russia and other countries of the Eurasian Economic Union to boost the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, advance the building of a more open regional market, and ensure stable and unimpeded global industrial and supply chains, Xi said.Trade between China and Russia hit a record high of $190.27 billion in 2022. Between January and April, bilateral trade exceeded $73.1 billion, up 41.3 percent over the same period of last year, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.Furthermore, energy cooperation continues to be a major stabilizer for the bilateral ties.During the meeting, Mishustin conveyed Putin's warm greetings and best wishes to Xi, saying that Xi's historic state visit to Russia in March opened a new era of the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.Russia is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, fully utilize the regular meetings between the two prime ministers and relevant cooperation mechanisms, and deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, he said.The prime minister added that Russia stands ready to work with China to promote the multipolarization of the world and consolidate the international order based on international law.Premier Li gave Mishustin a grand welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday before they held official talks. They also witnessed the signing of an array of cooperation documents.Noting that strong resilience, great potential and broad prospects remain in pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, Li said that China is willing to work with Russia to optimize the trade structure, further enrich trade categories, expand cooperation in the fields of agricultural service trade and digital economy, facilitate trade and businesses, and improve customs clearance efficiency.Li called for strengthening subnational cooperation, promoting people-to-people exchanges, and expanding collaboration in such fields as education, science and technology, culture, tourism, sports and health.Mishustin hailed the fruitful cooperation between the two countries, saying that the Russia-China relationship enjoys special, exemplary significance in international relations.Against the backdrop of the turbulent international situation, Russia is willing to work with China to effectively respond to the new challenges faced by both countries, Mishustin said.Reporter: Cao Desheng

Before the ongoing 76th World Health Assembly opened in Geneva on Monday, about 140 member states expressed their objection to Taiwan joining the WHA, of which about 100 issued open statements or sent letters of opposition to the director-general of the World Health Organization.Supported by the United States and some other Western countries, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taipei have applied to participate in the WHA as an observer for the past seven years. Each time they have failed.As Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday, this fully shows that the one-China principle has international support and represents the prevailing trend that cannot be challenged.Tsai Ing-wen and her independence-minded Democratic Progressive Party should reflect on the seven years from 2009 to 2016 when Taiwan did participate in the WHA as an observer.That was the period when the Kuomintang authorities recognized the 1992 Consensus and the cross-Strait relationship warmed up. It was not until Tsai and the DPP took office in 2016 and refused to adhere to the 1992 Consensus that the central government no longer supported the arrangement.It is Tsai and the DPP that have ruined the political basis for Taiwan's participation in the WHA and other international activities as a non-state member.In a statement published on the US Department of State website on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington will continue to support Taiwan's participation in international organizations where statehood is not required, in line with the US' one-China policy.But its actions have exposed how it is simply playing word games.In its statement, the US also said that "Viruses do not respect borders, and no one is safe until everyone around the world is safe from such threats."That is what Beijing has stressed throughout the pandemic. The DPP authorities claim that Taiwan's not being able to attend the WHA as an observer "poses a serious threat to global health". Yet the central authorities have made arrangements for the island's medical and health experts to participate in the WHO's technical meetings and there are points of contact for timely access to and notification of health emergencies.For seven years, Tsai and the DPP have been constantly hijacking the health of the island's 23 million residents for their own political machinations.No matter how many times they try this trick, they will always fail.Assembly英/əˈsembli/ 美/əˈsembli/n.议会，代表大会Principle英/ˈprɪnsəp(ə)l/ 美/ˈprɪnsəp(ə)l/n.原则

After wearing masks in public for three long years, many Japanese are signing up for smiling classes to learn how to smile again without looking awkward.在公共场合戴了长达三年的口罩后，许多日本人都报了微笑培训班，学习如何看起来自然地微笑。Smiling used to be a natural response, but apparently, three years of hiding behind a mask have left many Japanese unable to smile naturally. Some of them are now paying so-called smiling educators to teach them how to display their pearly whites again without looking awkward. They participate in specialized classes where they are taught how to stretch and flex various parts of their faces and even their neck muscles to smile properly and actually convey happiness without looking weird.微笑原本是自然反应，但显然在戴了三年口罩后，许多日本人已经不会自然地微笑了。有些人现在付费给所谓的微笑培训师，让他们来教自己如何再次展露看上去自然的笑颜。他们参加专业课程来学习如何伸展和绷紧脸部的不同部位甚至颈部肌肉来绽放自然的笑容，看上去快乐又不会显得奇怪。"A smile is only a smile if it’s conveyed,” Keiko Kawano, a radio personality-turned-entrepreneur, told The Japan Times. “Even if you’re thinking about smiling or that you’re happy, if you have no expression, it won’t reach the audience.”曾是广播名人的企业家川野惠子告诉《日本时报》：“笑容只有表现在脸上才能算是笑容。即使你心里想微笑或你很快乐，如果你面无表情，观众也不会知道你在笑。”Kawano said that she has taught smiling classes to around 4,000 people so far and has also helped train around 700 certified “smile specialists” since she started her work in 2017. However, demand for her services has skyrocketed recently after people started giving up the medical masks they have been wearing for the last 3 years.川野说，迄今为止她已经给约4000人上了微笑培训课，而且自从2017年开始从事微笑培训以来，已经帮助培训了约700名获得认证的“微笑专家”。然而，自从人们开始摘下戴了三年的医用口罩后，最近她的这一服务需求量暴增。"I’ve heard from people who say that even if they’re able to remove their masks, they don’t want to show the bottom half of their faces, or that they don’t know how to smile anymore,” smile trainer Miho Kitano said. “Some say that they see more wrinkles around their eyes after using them more to smile, or they feel like their face is drooping because they haven’t been using it as much as before.”微笑培训师北野美穗说：“我听人们说，他们即使能摘下口罩，也不愿意露出自己的下半张脸，因为他们已经不知道怎么笑了。有些人说，他们在笑的时候会更多地用到眼部肌肉，结果在眼角看见了更多皱纹，还有人说，因为他们不像以前那样经常笑，所以觉得自己的脸部肌肉开始下垂。”Smiling instructors like Kitano claim that exercising one’s smile is just like training other parts of the body. It’s all about the muscles, so exercising the expressive facial muscles is the most important thing.北野和其他微笑培训师表示，训练如何微笑就和训练身体其他部位一样。微笑就是肌肉运动，因此训练富于表现力的面部肌肉是最重要的。A standard smiling education class begins with a stretching session, after which participants are asked to pick up small handheld mirrors and observe themselves as they follow the instructions of a trainer who teaches them how to flex their facial muscles to convey the warmest and brightest expression of happiness possible.一节标准的微笑培训课是以伸展运动开始的，然后培训师会让参与者拿起一把手持小镜子一边观察自己，一边按照培训师的指令来伸展面部肌肉，尽可能呈现出最温暖最明亮的快乐笑容。Interestingly, instructional smiling classes have been a part of Japanese culture for several decades, because of the people’s notorious difficulty to convey their feelings through facial expressions, but they’ve once again risen in popularity after the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted.有趣的是，微笑培训课作为日本文化的一部分已经有几十年的历史了，因为众所周知日本人难以通过面部表情来传达自己的感受。在新冠疫情限制措施解除后，微笑培训课又再次流行了起来。Smile英/smaɪl/ 美/smaɪl/v.微笑Trainer英/ˈtreɪnə(r)/ 美/ˈtreɪnər/n. 培训师

Cathay Pacific Airways, the largest airline in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, apologized on Monday evening after an online post accused flight attendants from the airline of discrimination against non-English speaking passengers, Beijing Daily reported.近日，有网友在社交平台发帖称，香港最大的航空公司国泰航空中有空乘人员歧视非英语旅客。据《北京日报》报道，5月22晚，国泰航空道歉。The airline said in a statement that it has noted the unpleasant experience of some passengers on flight CX987 and apologized for it. The statement read, "Cathay Pacific, which has been devoted to offering high-quality service to passengers, attaches great importance to this incident. We have contacted concerned passengers for further information about the incident and will investigate and handle the case seriously." At the end of the statement it apologized again for any inconvenience caused by the incident.国泰航空公司在一份声明中表示，已知悉有关旅客在国泰航班CX987上的不愉快经历，对此深表歉意。声明写道：“国泰航空一直以来致力于为旅客提供高品质的服务，对于此次事件高度重视。我们已经联系相关旅客进一步了解情况，并会进行严肃调查处理。在此，我们对于此事件给大家带来的困扰再次致以深深的歉意。”The alleged discrimination was posted on social media on Monday. The writer, who is fluent in Mandarin, English and Cantonese, described in the post how the flight attendants kept complaining in English and Cantonese about passengers who didn't speak English well when taking flight CX987 on Sunday. Seated in the back row, the writer overheard conversations like "If you cannot say blanket, you cannot have it" and "The carpet is on the floor". A voice recording of the incident was shared by the writer in another post.5月22日，社交媒体上出现了指控。在帖子中，一位精通普通话、英语和粤语的网友描述了自己在5月21日乘坐国泰航班CX987时空乘人员如何用英语和粤语不断抱怨英语说得不好的乘客。坐在后排的帖子作者无意中听到了诸如“如果你不会说毛毯的英文，就不配得到毛毯”和“地毯是铺在地板上的”之类的对话。帖子作者在另一篇文章中分享了该事件的录音。The writer speculated that the concerned passenger was trying to get a blanket using known English words but was laughed at by the attendants who "can only speak English."帖子作者推测，这名乘客是想用熟知的英文单词拿毯子，却被“只会说英语”的空乘嘲笑。The writer also mentioned another passenger was answered abruptly when inquiring about how to fill out the landing card.帖子作者还提到，另一名旅客在询问如何填写入境卡时被很粗鲁地回答。In the post, the writer said it was upsetting that the attendants were so malicious to passengers who couldn't speak English or Cantonese and that they lacked even basic respect to passengers. The writer reported the behavior to the chief steward before leaving the plane and would also make a formal complaint about it.帖子作者表示，令人沮丧的是，空乘人员对不会说英语或粤语的乘客有如此恶意，甚至对乘客缺乏基本的尊重。作者在离开飞机前向乘务长说明了情况，表示会对此进行正式投诉。Airways英/'ɛəweiz/ 美/'ɛəweiz/n.航空公司；广播频道Attendant英/əˈtendənt/ 美/əˈtendənt/n.服务人员；侍从，随从；护理者；随员，助手

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed on Tuesday the unique role of auditing in advancing the Party's self-reform, and called for effective auditing work to serve the overall development of the Party and State.Xi, who is also China's president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark while presiding over the first meeting of the central auditing commission under the 20th CPC Central Committee. He is head of the commission.He emphasized that auditing shoulders an important mission in the new journey of strengthening the country and realizing national rejuvenation.Auditing work should focus on its main responsibilities in terms of economic supervision and better perform its unique role in promoting the Party's self-reform, Xi said.Premier Li Qiang and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Li Xi attended the meeting. They are both deputy directors of the central auditing commission.The meeting's participants heard reports from the commission's office on the audit report on the implementation of the central budget and other fiscal expenditure in 2022, as well as a report on promoting the high-quality development of auditing work in the new era, according to a statement released after the meeting.The participants emphasized that auditing is an important part of the oversight system of the Party and State, and it is also significant in promoting the modernization of the country's governance system and governance capabilities.The meeting's participants pointed out that the overall requirement for conducting audits in the new era is to focus on the construction of a centralized, unified, authoritative and efficient auditing system to allow it to better play its supervisory role.In carrying out auditing, there should be no omissions and no exceptions in any areas, departments or organizations engaged in managing and utilizing public funds, State-owned assets and State-owned resources, in order to form a regular and dynamic deterrent, they said.The meeting's participants called for greater efforts in auditing work for this year. They highlighted the importance of promoting the implementation of the decisions and policies of the CPC Central Committee with a focus on high-quality development, and called for enhancing supervision over the implementation of major projects, strategies and measures.The participants also called for greater supervision over work in stabilizing growth, employment and prices and utilizing fiscal funds, as well as in implementing policies and measures related to stabilizing the economy, developing the real economy and ensuring people's livelihoods.While stressing the need to coordinate development and security, they called for closely monitoring key areas, such as local government debt, finance, real estate and food and energy supply, and for firmly guarding against systemic risks.Reform英/rɪˈfɔːm/美/rɪˈfɔːrm/v.改革，革新；改邪归正，改造；（石油炼制）重整n.改革，改良Reporter: Cao Desheng

 China's efforts to protect habitats and biodiversity have contributed to the increase in the population of many endangered species, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said on Monday, the 23rd International Day for Biological Diversity.The day falls on May 22 annually, and this year's theme is "From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity".The administration said that since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), more than 300 rare and endangered wildlife and plant species, including Siberian tigers and orchids, have seen their numbers rise.Over the years, the distribution area of the Siberian tiger has expanded from the Changbai Mountains to the Greater and Lesser Hinggan Mountains, and there is a wild population of around 60.Meanwhile, the distribution area of the crested ibis has expanded from three to seven provinces, with a wild population of more than 7,000, the administration said.It added that the number of Qiaojia pine trees has also grown from 34 in the 1990s to more than 3,000.To further protect these endangered species, China aims to establish an extensive system of national parks across the country that will cover more than 110 million hectares, about 10.3 percent of the country's land area, the administration said.By 2025, the country aims to protect 75 percent of national key terrestrial endangered wildlife species and 80 percent of national key terrestrial endangered plant species, the administration said.Such an example of habitat conservation can be found at Wuyishan National Park, located in Fujian and Jiangxi provinces.The park, covering an area of about 128,000 hectares and home to more than 10,000 species of flora and fauna, has found a way to maintain harmony between local residents and the area's wildlife.The park has dedicated 10 percent of its area to eco-friendly industries, while the remaining 90 percent is devoted to protecting biodiversity.This approach has led to the growth of green industries, such as tea production, tourism and bamboo cultivation, leading to economic growth while also conserving the environment, said the park's management bureau.Local residents have benefited from this model by engaging in eco-friendly tourism and conservation work, and the park has created job opportunities for them. More than 1,600 villagers are employed in positions including hiking tour guides and park maintenance staff.These conservation efforts have also had a positive influence on the surrounding communities.Zhan Jianying, a resident of Aotou village in the hinterland of the park, said that "without these good mountains and waters, we wouldn't have such good tea. If we want to continue to enjoy the benefits of these natural resources, we must protect them".Biodiversity英/ˌbaɪəʊdaɪˈvɜːsəti/ 美/ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɜːrsəti/n.生物多样性（维持着生态环境平衡的大量各种生物的共存）Habitat英/ˈhæbɪtæt/ 美/ˈhæbɪtæt/n.（动植物的）生活环境，栖息地

China's law-based decision to ask its critical information infrastructure operators to stop buying products from Micron Technology is a necessary move to safeguard national security and is in line with international practices, officials and experts said on Monday.The move could reshape the nation's chip supply chains, bringing more opportunities to other competitive domestic and overseas memory chipmakers, they added.The comments came after the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement on Sunday that products of Micron, a United States-based global supplier of semiconductors, sold in China have not passed a recent cybersecurity review, and operators of the country's key information infrastructure should stop purchasing its products.Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a news conference on Monday that the decision is to prevent relevant products' cybersecurity risks from endangering China's critical information infrastructure."China is a country of the rule of law. … All enterprises in China should abide by Chinese law in their operations. Judicial authorities will investigate any suspected illegal activities in accordance with the law," Mao said."As long as enterprises, regardless of which country they are from, comply with Chinese laws and regulations, we welcome them and their products and services to enter the Chinese market. There is nothing to worry about," Mao added.The Cybersecurity Law outlines rules safeguarding critical information infrastructure — technology systems in sectors including telecommunications, transportation and defense — that Chinese regulators believe would be vulnerable if they malfunctioned or leaked data, experts said.Bai Ming, deputy director of international market research at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the decision is in line with international practices in terms of placing greater emphasis on cybersecurity.Countries such as the US are also adopting increasingly tougher security reviews on electronic products concerning data, because data has become a key aspect of national security, Bai said.The move could profoundly affect Micron's business in China, a market accounting for around 11 percent of its $30.8 billion global sales in 2022, said Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance, a telecom industry association."Chinese State-owned enterprises and their affiliates, at least, will stop buying Micron's products. And it could have a broader impact given the clear signal from the statement that Micron's products have cybersecurity risks," said a senior executive of a market research company, on condition of anonymity.Companies in the Chinese market have already started to avoid buying Micron's products since the government announced in March that the company was the subject of a cybersecurity review, the source added.Micron said in a statement on Monday that it had received notification of the review result and is assessing the next steps.Huatai Securities and CITIC Securities both said in research notes that the move will boost demand for the products of Chinese companies such as Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp and South Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.Micron is the world's third-largest maker of DRAM, or dynamic random access memory chips, which are flash memory chips widely used in smartphones, personal computers and servers.Micron accounted for 22.8 percent of the global DRAM market in 2021, behind Samsung's 43.6 percent and SK Hynix's 27.7 percent, according to market research company IC Insights.The Financial Times reported in April that Washington had urged South Korean officials to prevent its chipmakers from filling the market void if Micron was unable to sell its chips to China.Mao from the Foreign Ministry said on Monday that such moves by the US are aimed at safeguarding its own hegemonic interests."Coercing other countries to impose export restrictions on China seriously violates the principles of the market economy and international trade rules. … It is not in the interest of any party," Mao said.Wei Shaojun, a professor of integrated circuits at Tsinghua University, said the reported export restrictions would further accelerate the development of the domestic memory chip sector."China's semiconductor industry is on the rise, with an annual investment of nearly $30 billion," Wei said, adding that China is also the world's largest semiconductor market.Chip英/tʃɪp/ 美/tʃɪp/n.芯片Micron英/ˈmaɪkrɒn/ 美/ˈmaɪkrɑːn/n.美光

携手建设守望相助、共同发展、普遍安全、世代友好的中国－中亚命运共同体Working Together for a China-Central Asia Community with a Shared Future Featuring Mutual Assistance, Common Development, Universal Security, and Everlasting Friendship ——在中国－中亚峰会上的主旨讲话（2023年5月19日）    中华人民共和国主席 习近平    Keynote Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping    President of the People’s Republic of China   At the China-Central Asia Summit   19 May 2023尊敬的各位同事，女士们，先生们，朋友们：Distinguished Colleagues,Ladies and Gentlemen,Friends,欢迎大家来到西安，出席中国－中亚峰会，共商中国同中亚五国合作大计。I’d like to welcome you all to Xi’an for the China-Central Asia Summit to explore together ways for closer cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries. 西安古称长安，是中华文明和中华民族的重要发祥地之一，也是古丝绸之路的东方起点。2100多年前，中国汉代使者张骞自长安出发，出使西域，打开了中国同中亚友好交往的大门。千百年来，中国同中亚各族人民一道推动了丝绸之路的兴起和繁荣，为世界文明交流交融、丰富发展作出了历史性贡献。中国唐代诗人李白曾有过“长安复携手，再顾重千金”的诗句。今天我们在西安相聚，续写千年友谊，开辟崭新未来，具有十分重要的意义。Xi’an, known as Chang’an in ancient times, is an important cradle of the Chinese civilization and nation. It is also the starting point of the ancient Silk Road on the east end. Over 2,100 years ago, Zhang Qian, a Han Dynasty envoy, made his journey to the West from Chang’an, opening the door to the friendship and exchanges between China and Central Asia. With their joint endeavor of hundreds of years, Chinese and Central Asian peoples made the Silk Road expand and prosper, a historic contribution to the interaction, integration, enrichment and development of world civilizations. The Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai (701-761) once wrote, “In Chang’an we meet again, worthy of more than a thousand pieces of gold.” Our gathering in Xi’an today to renew our millennia-old friendship and open up new vistas for the future is of very important significance.2013年，我担任中国国家主席后首次出访中亚，提出共建“丝绸之路经济带”倡议。10年来，中国同中亚国家携手推动丝绸之路全面复兴，倾力打造面向未来的深度合作，将双方关系带入一个崭新时代。Back in 2013, I put forward the initiative of jointly building a Silk Road Economic Belt during my first visit to Central Asia as Chinese president. Over the past decade, China and Central Asian countries have worked closely together to fully revive the Silk Road and actively deepen future-oriented cooperation, steering our relations into a new era.横跨天山的中吉乌公路，征服帕米尔高原的中塔公路，穿越茫茫大漠的中哈原油管道、中国－中亚天然气管道，就是当代的“丝路”；日夜兼程的中欧班列，不绝于途的货运汽车，往来不歇的空中航班，就是当代的“驼队”；寻觅商机的企业家，抗击新冠疫情的医护人员，传递友谊之声的文化工作者，上下求索的留学生，就是当代的友好使者。The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway that runs across the Tianshan Mountain, the China-Tajikistan expressway that defies the Pamir Plateau, and the China-Kazakhstan crude oil pipeline and the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline that traverse the vast desert — they are the present-day Silk Road. The China-Europe Railway Express operating around the clock, the endless streams of freight trucks, and crisscrossing flights — they are the present-day camel caravans. Entrepreneurs seeking business opportunities, health workers fighting the COVID-19, cultural workers delivering message of friendship, and international students pursuing further education — they are the present-day goodwill ambassadors.中国同中亚国家关系有着深厚的历史渊源、广泛的现实需求、坚实的民意基础，在新时代焕发出勃勃生机和旺盛活力。The China-Central Asia relationship is steeped in history, driven by broad actual needs, and built on solid popular support. Our relations are brimming with vigor and vitality in the new era.各位同事！Colleagues,当前，百年变局加速演进，世界之变、时代之变、历史之变正以前所未有的方式展开。中亚是亚欧大陆的中心，处在联通东西、贯穿南北的十字路口。Transformations of the world unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace. Changes of the world, of our times, and of the historical trajectory are taking place in ways like never before. Central Asia, the center of the Eurasian continent, is at a crossroads connecting the East and West, the South and North. 世界需要一个稳定的中亚。中亚国家主权、安全、独立、领土完整必须得到维护，中亚人民自主选择的发展道路必须得到尊重，中亚地区致力于和平、和睦、安宁的努力必须得到支持。The world needs a stable Central Asia. The sovereignty, security, independence and territorial integrity of Central Asian countries must be upheld; their people’s choice of development paths must be respected; and their efforts for peace, harmony and tranquility must be supported.世界需要一个繁荣的中亚。一个充满活力、蒸蒸日上的中亚，将实现地区各国人民对美好生活的向往，也将为世界经济复苏发展注入强劲动力。The world needs a prosperous Central Asia. A dynamic and prospering Central Asia will help people in the region achieve their aspiration for a better life. It will also lend strong impetus to global economic recovery.世界需要一个和谐的中亚。“兄弟情谊胜过一切财富”。民族冲突、宗教纷争、文化隔阂不是中亚的主调，团结、包容、和睦才是中亚人民的追求。任何人都无权在中亚制造不和、对立，更不应该从中谋取政治私利。The world needs a harmonious Central Asia. As a Central Asian saying goes, “Brotherhood is more precious than any treasure.” Ethnic conflicts, religious strife, and cultural estrangement are not the defining feature of the region. Instead, solidarity, inclusiveness, and harmony are the pursuits of the Central Asian people. No one has the right to sow discord or stoke confrontation in the region, let alone seek sel

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill on Wednesday banning TikTok in the state, making it the first state in the United States to ban the social media app completely and drawing wide outrage from industry experts and civil rights groups.Montana legislators passed a bill last month banning TikTok on all personal devices, prohibiting it from operating within the state and barring app stores from offering the app for download.The measure is the most sweeping one compared with other states' attempts to curtail TikTok.Montana's ban on TikTok has been a topic of heated discussion, as it is likely to be challenged in courts for violating free speech rights and the difficulty — or even impossibility — of enforcing it.Since its introduction, the bill has drawn outrage from industry experts and civil rights groups who have called on Gianforte to veto the bill. Despite the pushback, the governor signed the bill into law and said it was "to protect Montanans' personal and private data" in a Twitter post.His post received many comments, most of which question the enforceability and the real motive behind the measure. Quite a number of users sarcastically wished the governor "good luck", as they see major hurdles ahead."Good luck with that. I don't need or want your 'protection'," Twitter user ImpossibleK wrote.Responding to the governor's tweet, another user Blythe Woolston said, "Certain to be challenged as an infringement of free speech and practically unenforceable in any case."The ban goes into effect in January 2024. It does not specify how the state would enforce or monitor it. Some said people can easily circumvent the ban by using a VPN, or virtual private network.Defending users' rightsIn a statement, TikTok said it would push to defend the rights of users in Montana."Governor Gianforte has signed a bill that infringes on the First Amendment rights of the people of Montana by unlawfully banning TikTok, a platform that empowers hundreds of thousands of people across the state," the company said in a statement."We want to reassure Montanans that they can continue using Tik-Tok to express themselves, earn a living, and find community as we continue working to defend the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana."The popular social media app now has 150 million monthly active users in the US. It has been under increased scrutiny over "national security "issues because its parent company ByteDance is based in Beijing.The administration of former president Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok in 2020, but the attempts were blocked in court due in part to free speech concerns.US President Joe Biden's administration initially shelved those plans, but has more recently threatened to ban the app if the company's Chinese owners do not sell their stakes.Wednesday's ban has renewed pushback from industry and rights groups. NetChoice, a technology trade group that includes TikTok as a member, called the Montana bill unconstitutional."The government may not block our ability to access constitutionally protected speech — whether it is in a newspaper, on a website or via an app. In implementing this law, Montana ignores the US Constitution, due process and free speech by denying access to a website and apps their citizens want to use," said Carl Szabo, NetChoice's general counsel.The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement, "With this ban, Governor Gianforte and the Montana legislature have trampled on the free speech of hundreds of thousands of Montanans who use the app to express themselves, gather information, and run their small business in the name of anti-Chinese sentiment."Banning英/ˈbænɪŋ/ 美/ˈbænɪŋ/n.禁止；禁令Speech英/spiːtʃ/ 美/spiːtʃ/n.演说，发言

President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, offered the heads of state from the five Central Asian countries a grand welcoming ceremony teeming with cultural elements of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on Thursday evening.A performance featuring the splendor of the Tang culture was displayed as Xi and Peng welcomed the five presidents and the first ladies of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan in Xi'an, which was China's capital during the Tang Dynasty, for the China-Central Asia Summit.In front of the Ziyun Pavilion in Tang Paradise, a theme park with the architectural style of a Tang royal garden, dancers wearing Tang costumes offered the leaders a feast for the eyes and the ears, with a splendid performance that featured radiant lights, drumbeats and the reading of poems.When addressing a welcoming banquet for the heads of state after the ceremony, Xi noted that Shaanxi, which was the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, witnessed the profound friendship between China and Central Asian countries over the past 2,000-plus years.Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two sides, China and Central Asian countries have gone through an extraordinary journey and secured achievements that attracted worldwide attention, he said.The two sides have always respected each other, upheld good neighborliness, stood in solidarity and sought win-win outcomes despite all the changes in the international landscape, Xi said. State-to-state relations have made a historic leap from good neighborliness to strategic partnership and to a community with a shared future, he added.He underscored that the deepening of ties between China and Central Asia is a strategic choice made by the leaders while eyeing the future, which is also in keeping with major trends of the world and the aspirations of the people.Xi expressed his belief that the summit on Friday will be a success and usher in a new era for China-Central Asia relations.Xi concluded by saying that China sincerely welcomes Central Asian countries in exploring opportunities from China's development and jointly working toward a brighter future for bilateral cooperation.After the banquet, the leaders watched a performance by dancers and singers that also marked the launching ceremony of the Year of Culture and Art of the Peoples of China and Central Asia and the China-Central Asia Youth Arts Festival.Reporter: Xu Wei

If the 10 days when her government's business was suspended during the period of national mourning for the passing of Queen Elizabeth II was deducted, Liz Truss actually served as the United Kingdom's head of government for only 39 days, rather than 49 days. That makes her the shortest-serving prime minister in the UK's history. It is a record that will be hard to beat.Despite her short tenure, she managed to inflict her own damage on the country. To tackle inflation and energy shortage, her government introduced an energy price guarantee policy to cap energy prices, and a mini-budget program of large-scale borrowing and tax cuts. These caused financial instability, and all of them were criticized and quickly reversed. What advice then could Truss, who famously lost out in comparison to a lettuce, offer to the authorities on the island of Taiwan except how to cause chaos.What the Taiwan authorities hope to gain from Truss' five-day visit starting from Tuesday is anybody's guess. Allowing the island to become a catwalk for disgraced Western politicians desperate for the public eye only serves to expose the nature of these visits as marriages of convenience.Such collusion is nothing but a "dangerous political show", as China's embassy in the UK said.The speech Truss gave on Wednesday proved the point, as it showed that the former UK leader, who proved unfit for office, intends to take advantage of the visit to do nothing but parrot Washington's words to pour oil on fire over the Taiwan question.To give Truss her due, she has been consistent in acting as a mouthpiece of Washington. In a speech titled "The Return of Geopolitics" in April 2022, Truss, then the UK's foreign secretary, called on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to be ready to tackle global threats by working with Japan and Australia to ensure order in the Pacific, saying: "We must ensure that democracies like Taiwan are able to defend themselves".It is clear that Truss has nothing of any value to offer for the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question. Her trip is motivated by her desire to earn some personal political capital from it. But in doing so, she is playing an ugly role inciting the Taiwan secessionists to further their collusion with external forces to turn the island into a geopolitical tool for them.The number of visits some "distinguished guests" from the West have made to the island lately has laid bare the fact that it is these Western politicians playing the "Taiwan card" for their own narrow ends that threaten the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and that are taking the initiative to try and change the status quo of the Strait via brinkmanship.

China and Kazakhstan agreed on Wednesday to build up cooperation on economy, trade, production capacity, investment and emerging sectors such as renewable energy, as part of broader steps to strengthen pragmatic cooperation.President Xi Jinping and visiting Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reached the consensus during their talks in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on Wednesday.The two leaders signed a joint statement in which the two nations agreed to promote cooperation on transportation to stabilize industry and supply chains, including steps to explore building a third cross-border railway line and constructing new railway border ports.Both sides underscored the significance of safeguarding political security and opposing foreign interference in the domestic affairs of the two nations, and they agreed to enhance cooperation on preventing "color revolutions".Tokayev arrived in Xi'an on Wednesday for a state visit and to attend the China-Central Asia Summit on Thursday and Friday. Wednesday also was the 70th birthday of Tokayev, the first Central Asian leader to arrive in Xi'an for the summit.During their talks, Xi wished the Kazakh president a happy birthday, saying that his state visit to China on this special occasion spoke volumes for the high level of bilateral relations and again proved the Kazakh president's strong bond with China.He noted that the two nations, as trustworthy friends, brothers and partners to each other, are at a critical stage of development and rejuvenation.Xi underlined the need for the two sides to carry forward their traditional friendship, offer each other steadfast support, closely align development strategies, advance win-win cooperation and build a community with a shared future defined by lasting friendship, a high degree of mutual trust and sharing weal and woe.He pledged Beijing's firm support to the Kazakh side in upholding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and following a path of development that suits its own national conditions.The two nations should strengthen interconnectivity and expand cooperation on e-commerce, innovation, big data and other emerging sectors, Xi said.He urged quicker steps from both sides to establish cultural centers in each other's country and to use the introduction of a visa-free regime to promote people-to-people exchanges.Xi also said he welcomes Kazakhstan hosting events in China over the next year to encourage Chinese tourists to visit the Central Asian country, adding that he believes the establishment of the country's consulate-general in Xi'an will help promote bilateral cooperation at local levels.He called for stronger bilateral cooperation and exchanges among media outlets to better tell the stories of friendship between the two countries.He explained that the China-Central Asia Summit will be a milestone and usher in a new era of cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries.Xi expressed readiness to work together with the five countries to make the China-Central Asia mechanism a key platform for in-depth cooperation among the six countries.Tokayev said that China holds a position of particular importance in his country's foreign policy, and the bilateral relations are built upon a profound friendship and solid mutual trust.Kazakhstan is willing to work with China to strengthen their permanent comprehensive strategic partnership and expand cooperation on trade, tourism, people-to-people exchanges and at local levels, he said.Tokayev expressed delight over the two countries' agreement to establish a visa-free regime, which he said will promote bilateral exchanges.The joint building of the Belt and Road is a great initiative, and Kazakhstan will continue to actively take part in it, said Tokayev, who also spoke highly of the significance of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by the Chinese president.Kazakhstan is willing to work with China to make full use of the China-Central Asia mechanism to jointly promote regional security, stability and growth, he said.

President Xi Jinping will host heads of state from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on Thursday and Friday in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, for the China-Central Asia Summit, a milestone event that is expected to boost the countries' economic cooperation and jointly tackle the region's security challenges at a higher level.5月18日至19日，中国—中亚峰会将在陕西省西安市举行。中国国家主席习近平将主持峰会，哈萨克斯坦、吉尔吉斯斯坦、塔吉克斯坦、土库曼斯坦与乌兹别克斯坦六国元首将出席峰会，这届峰会将会是一个里程碑式的活动，有望促进中国与中亚国家的经济合作，共同在更高水平上应对地区安全相关挑战。The summit takes place against the backdrop of the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, mounting geopolitical competition and the ongoing Ukraine crisis.这次中国—中亚峰会是在新冠疫情持续影响、地缘政治紧张日渐加剧、乌克兰危机延宕的背景下举办的，It is also taking place as the G7 Summit is due to be held from Friday to Sunday in Hiroshima, Japan. The G7 member states are expected to issue a statement on "economic security" that is likely to highlight issues such as countering China's so-called "economic coercion" and ending "dependence" on China in fields such as semiconductors and critical minerals.5月19日至21日，七国集团峰会将在日本广岛举行。成员国将发表一份关于“经济安保”的声明，强调反制中国所谓的“经济胁迫”，并在半导体、关键矿物等领域摆脱对中国的“依赖”等问题。Analysts said that the two summits would differ greatly in their outlook and approach.分析人士表示，中国—中亚峰会和七国集团峰会的展望和途径将大相径庭。They said that the G7 Summit would see Western nations, led by the United States, strive to build small circles that would further divide the international community and even create confrontation.分析人士表示，在七国集团峰会上，西方国家将以美国为首，力图打造小圈子，进一步分化国际社会，甚至制造对立。In marked contrast, the China-Central Asia Summit will help to strengthen solidarity and cooperation among countries in promoting economic recovery as well as regional peace and stability.与此形成鲜明对比的是，在促进经济复苏、地区和平稳定方面。中国—中亚峰会将有助于加强各国的团结合作。Mariam Shah, an independent researcher of conflict studies and military psychology in Islamabad, Pakistan, said that the Xi'an summit shows China's successful diplomatic efforts and growing regional influence by establishing comprehensive strategic partnerships with all five Central Asian countries, demonstrating high levels of trust and cooperation.巴基斯坦伊斯兰堡冲突研究和军事心理学独立研究员玛丽亚姆·沙阿表示，在西安峰会上，通过与中亚五国建立全面战略伙伴关系，中国展示了外交成果和不断扩大的地区影响力，体现了高度信任和合作。Head-of-state diplomacy enhances mutual trust, establishes cooperation mechanisms, and overcomes political obstacles, Shah said.玛丽亚姆·沙阿说，元首外交增进了互相信任，建立了合作机制，克服了政治障碍。"One of the most important highlights is President Xi's active involvement and personal engagement in the summit, highlighting China's commitment to strengthening ties with Central Asian countries."“最重要的亮点之一是习主席亲自积极参与了峰会，这凸显了中国加强与中亚国家关系的努力。”At a virtual summit last year commemorating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Central Asian countries, the presidents of the six countries jointly announced the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, and the China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism came into being, characterized by openness, transparency, mutual benefit, equality, reciprocity and real results.2022年，在中国同中亚五国建交30周年视频峰会上，六国元首共同宣布打造中国—中亚命运共同体，中国同中亚合作机制应运而生，公开透明、互利共赢、平等互惠、务实管用。Addressing the virtual event, Xi said that the key to successful cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries is their abiding commitment to mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times and mutual benefit.习近平总书记在线上峰会中表示，中国同中亚五国30年合作的成功密码，在于我们始终相互尊重、睦邻友好、同舟共济、互利共赢。The Foreign Ministry has said that during the Xi'an summit, the presidents of the six countries will exchange views on the development of the China-Central Asia mechanism, cooperation in various sectors and major international and regional issues of common interest, draw up a new blueprint for China-Central Asia relations and usher in a new era for cooperation between the two sides.外交部表示，中国—中亚峰会期间，各国领导人将就中国—中亚机制建设、各类合作以及共同关心的重大国际和地区问题深入交换意见，制定中亚关系新蓝图，开启中亚合作新时代。Fruitful outcomes in political, economic and security areas are expected as the participants seek new cooperation agreements.随着六国元首探寻新的合作协议，预计政治、经济和安全领域将取得丰硕成果。Shakhrat Nuryshev, the Kazakh ambassador to China, said that the primary objective of the summit is to initiate a new stage of cooperation between Central Asian countries and China.哈萨克斯坦驻华大使努雷舍夫表示，这次峰会的首要目标是开启中国与中亚国家合作的新阶段。"An important point is that the Central Asian region is seen here as an integral entity, not divided into five separate nations, but rather engaging with China in unity in the spirit of neighborly friendship. Therefore, we keenly anticipate it," Nuryshev said in an article published on the website of China Global Television Network.努雷舍夫在接受中国环球电视网采访时表示：“重要的是，中亚地区在这里被视为一个整体，没有被分成五个独立的国家，而是本着睦邻友好的精神与中国团结起来。因此，我们热切期待参加峰会。”BRI collaboration一带一路合作Central Asia is where the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed, and it is also one of the regions to have reaped the early fruits of the initiative.中亚是“一带一路”的首倡之地，也是共建“一带一路”集中取得早期收获的主要地区之一。China's trade with the five countries increased to $70.2 billion in 2022 from $460 million in 1992, when China establ

Non-market practices and economic coercion are the terms Washington often employs when it is pointing an accusing finger at other countries including China. It is absurd that it should do so, given that such expressions best describe what it has been doing.Despite this, it still plans to use such phrases in meeting with the European Union later this month, in which the two sides will talk about ways to contain the rise of China.Given the frequent visits to China by leaders of major EU countries in the past months and the close economic cooperation between China and EU countries, it is clear that Washington is trying to estrange the EU from China.When it comes to the topic of non-market practices, it is well-known all over the world that China's reform and opening-up in the late 1970s turned the country into a market economy with its own characteristics. That transformation has brought China to where it is now. It is that transformation which has also ensured the Chinese economy's integration with the global market.China has never changed its reform and opening-up policies and it has been making efforts to open its door wider and create an even better business environment for foreign investors.It is the US that has abused market rules in its dealings with other countries by taking for granted its position as the world's sole superpower. It is the US that has bullied other countries by taking unilateral actions in raising tariffs or imposing economic sanctions. It is the US that is desperate to suppress China's development in order to maintain its position as the world's sole superpower.When it comes to the alleged economic coercion of China, the example that is cited is Lithuania whose exports to China the Chinese authorities are said to have blocked. However, it is Lithuania that is responsible for its problems with China, as it has failed to abide by the one-China principle that is the prerequisite for bilateral relations.Washington has frequently practiced economic coercion in its economic relations with other countries. By politicizing economic issues, the US has frequently imposed economic sanctions against other countries. Washington has also abused the concept of national security to prohibit the development of other countries.Its attempt to coordinate with the EU on export controls for semiconductors and other goods at their meeting to be held later this month is an apt example. It is a kind of bullying that is meant to keep China and other emerging economies at the lower end of the global industry chain.What Washington has been doing has disrupted and will further disrupt the global supply and industry chains. It is selfish and callous of Washington to do a disservice to the development of the world economy in a bid to contain the rise of China and the development of emerging economies.Coercion英/kəʊˈɜːʃ(ə)n/ 美/koʊˈɜːrʒn/n.强迫，胁迫；高压政治，威压Unilateral英/ˌjuːnɪˈlætrəl/ 美/ˌjuːnəˈlætərəl/adj.单方的，单边的

The long-awaited Swap Connect program, which is poised to attract more overseas capital inflows into the world's second-largest bond market, commenced trading on Monday.Northbound trading of Swap Connect provides a secure channel for international investors to trade interest rate swap products on the mainland via a connection between institutions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the mainland.The program aims to facilitate global investors' management of interest rate risks arising from their allocation to mainland bonds, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said in a statement.Financial institutions such as HSBC, Bank of China (Hong Kong), the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China CITIC Bank and Deutsche Bank executed the first batches of trade for overseas and Hong Kong institutional investors on the first trading day.Guotai Junan International said that its subsidiary Guotai Junan Securities Hong Kong completed the first group of five swap transactions totaling 100 million yuan ($14.37 million).At the online launch ceremony, People's Bank of China Vice-Governor Pan Gongsheng, said the rollout of the program marked an important step in China's financial opening-up and reflected the firm determination of the central government to support the long-term prosperity, stability and development of the HKSAR.Wang Linggui, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said the central government supports Hong Kong, and the mainland is continuously improving the level of financial cooperation in order to "attract more international capital to the nation, share the country's development dividends, and enhance Hong Kong's competitive advantages."Under Swap Connect, the China Foreign Exchange Trade System and overseas electronic trading platforms recognized by the PBOC will jointly provide trading services for Hong Kong and international investors. OTC Clear, the subsidiary of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, and Shanghai Clearing House will provide central clearing services for Hong Kong, international and mainland investors.Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said at the launch ceremony that Swap Connect will have a "synergistic effect" with Bond Connect. Initiated in 2017, Bond Connect allows global investors to trade onshore bonds in the mainland bond market through the trading and settlement platforms of Hong Kong."The new measures will provide international investors with richer investment and risk management tools, and strengthen Hong Kong's position as the world's largest offshore renminbi business center and international risk management center," Lee said.Eddie Yue Wai-man, chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, said at the launch that Swap Connect is another milestone in financial cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland."It will create favorable conditions for global investors to increase their participation in the onshore bond market, and carries special significance for enhancing the recognition of and confidence in RMB (renminbi) bonds in the international market," Wai-man said. Swap Connect will also provide new opportunities for Hong Kong's financial institutions and strengthen the city's role as a global risk-management center and offshore renminbi hub, he added.The HKMA said it will closely monitor the implementation of Swap Connect trading together with relevant Hong Kong and mainland regulators, and enhance operational arrangements in accordance with market developments and investors' needs.HKEX Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Aguzin said that existing financial market connection programs and Swap Connect will facilitate mainland and international investors making diversified investments in different asset classes. This will also help the internationalization process of the renminbi, as the currency is used for bidding, trading and settlement, Aguzin said.Fan Mingxi, head of China Global Markets at Switzerland-based investment bank UBS, said: "The implementation of Swap Connect will stimulate greater enthusiasm to participate in the world's second-largest bond market. The Chinese mainland's derivatives market has great potential for development."Swap Connect's clearing link is a highly novel arrangement that has not been used between two derivatives clearinghouses before, said Terry Yang, a partner at global law firm Clifford Chance Hong Kong, adding that both parties will need to study the differences of the two distinct legal systems.Inflow英/ˈɪnfləʊ/ 美/ˈɪnfloʊ/n.流入Monetary英/ˈmʌnɪtri/ 美/ˈmɑːnɪteri/adj.货币的，金融的

"Military-style" travel has become the latest fashion among Chinese college students, who spend as little much money as possible to travel to as many places as they can during the weekend, rarely taking a break or even sleeping.“特种兵旅游”已成为中国大学生中的最新时尚，大学生们在周末花最少的钱去尽可能多的地方旅行，他们很少休息，甚至可以不睡觉。To save money, they usually hop on a normal-speed train on a Friday night, arrive at the destination city on Saturday morning, travel extensively in the city, sleep at a 24-hour restaurant for a few hours on Saturday, then repeat the same busy schedule on Sunday before returning to their university in time for classes on Monday morning.为了省钱，大学生通常在周五晚上搭乘慢速火车，隔天早上到达目的地城市，在城市里到处游览，在24小时营业的餐厅睡上几个小时，在周日重复同样繁忙的日程安排，然后在周一早上及时返回大学上课。Videos of them taking such trips have been trending on social media platforms, with many netizens praising them for their vitality, energy and high ability to implement their plans. Others, however, question whether such a busy schedule is healthy.大学生“特种兵旅行”的视频在社交媒体平台上走红，许多网友称赞他们充满活力、精力充沛、执行计划能力强。然而，有人质疑如此繁忙的日程安排是否健康。Hu Die, a senior undergraduate student at Inner Mongolia University of Technology, is one such traveler. She put together a 10-day holiday during the recent May Day holiday period and traveled to six cities.内蒙古工业大学大四学生胡蝶（音译）就是“特种兵旅行者”。在最近的五一假期里，她凑出了为期10天的假期，共去了六个城市。On April 26, she took a high-speed train from Hohhot to Beijing and then from Beijing to Tai'an, Shandong province, to climb Mount Tai.4月26日，胡蝶乘坐高铁从呼和浩特到北京，再从北京到山东泰安去攀登泰山。To save money, she climbed the mountain rather than using a cable car. It took her about four hours to arrive at the top of the mountain and, after watching the beautiful sunrise from the mountaintop on April 27, she went down to visit Dai Temple at the foot of the mountain.为了省钱，她没有坐缆车，而是徒步爬山。她用了大约四个小时爬到山顶，4月27日在山顶看了美丽的日出后，胡蝶又下山参观了山脚下的岱庙。She then went to Jinan, the capital of Shandong, in the afternoon, visited Daming Lake and Quancheng Square in the evening, and on the morning of April 28 went to Baotu Spring and Heihu Spring.4月27日下午，胡蝶去往山东省会济南，晚上游览了大明湖和泉城广场，并于4月28日上午去了趵突泉和黑虎泉。She traveled to Zibo afterward and, after eating the famous barbecue in the city, went to Yantai and Weihai before May 4, when she arrived in Luoyang, Henan province. There, she visited the Longmen Grottoes and then returned to her campus on May 5.胡蝶随后前往淄博，吃完淄博有名的烧烤后，在5月4日抵达河南洛阳前，她去了烟台和威海。在洛阳，她参观了龙门石窟，然后于5月5日返回校园。"We do not think we are doing something 'crazy' or 'incredible'. We are young and energetic enough to experience such a tight travel schedule," she said. "Moreover, when you travel with your friends, you are happy, and after the adrenaline kicks in, you do not feel tired."她说：“我们不认为我们在做一些‘疯狂’或‘不可思议’的事情。我们年轻有活力，可以承受如此紧张的旅行日程。而且，和朋友一起旅行，我们心情愉快，肾上腺素分泌后，也不会觉得累。”According to Professor Li Bin at the School of Tourism Science at Beijing International Studies University, the trend of "military-style" travel is essentially a form of budget travel that appeals to specific groups of people.据北京第二外国语学院旅游科学学院李彬教授介绍，“特种兵旅游”风潮本质上是一种针对特定人群的经济型旅游。Li said that for many university students or recent graduates with limited budgets and time constraints, the desire to explore the world and travel independently is a fundamental motivation.李彬说，对于许多预算和时间有限的大学生或应届毕业生来说，探索世界、独立旅行的愿望是一种动力。These young travelers are less concerned with in-depth experiences and more focused on checking off popular tourist destinations on their itineraries. This has led to the emergence of a type of tourism where travelers are willing to sacrifice comfort and luxury for affordability and convenience.这些年轻旅行者不太关心深度体验，他们更注重在行程中“打卡”热门旅游目的地。一种旅行就此出现，在这种旅行中，旅行者愿意为了经济和方便而牺牲舒适和奢华。Twenty-year-old Luo Junyi, a second-year undergraduate student in Shanghai, took one of these busy trips from Shanghai to Nanjing. On April 1, a Saturday, she and one of her classmates took a train at 5 am in Shanghai and arrived in Nanjing at 8 am.20岁的本科二年级学生罗君怡（音译）来自上海，她参加了一次从上海到南京的繁忙旅行。4月1日，一个星期六，她和她的一个同学在早上5点从上海坐火车，在早上8点到达南京。They went to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and Meiling Palace in the morning, then visited Nanjing Museum in the afternoon and Fuzi (Confucius) Temple and Laomendong historic block in the evening. Then they took a 1 am train on Sunday and arrived in Shanghai at 5 am to avoid hotel expenses in Nanjing.罗君怡和她的同学在上午参观了中山陵、明孝陵和美龄宫，下午参观了南京博物院，晚上参观了夫子庙和老门东历史街区。然后，他们在隔天乘坐凌晨1点的火车，于凌晨5点抵达上海，以免去在南京住酒店的费用。"We are in such a hurry because we want to visit as many historical sites as possible, and we do not want to spend much money," Luo said. "We are eager to travel, as the COVID-19 epidemic in the past three years made travel very inconvenient.罗君怡说：“我们这么着急是因为我们想参观尽可能多的历史遗迹，但我们不想花太多钱，我们渴望旅行，因为过去三年的疫情使旅行变得非常不便。”"In the age of social media, you can see many posts of college students traveling on weekends, so you are motivated to also try it yourself," Luo said, adding that most college students choose the cheapest route.罗君怡说：“在社交媒体时代，你可以看到很多大学生周末旅行的帖子，所以你也有动力去尝试一下。”她补充道，大多数大学生会选择最便宜的路线。She said she only spent around 400 yuan ($58

Government officials and political heavyweights strongly condemned a United States report and so-called "hearing" that smeared Hong Kong's judicial system and threatened to sanction Hong Kong judges.They stressed that Hong Kong's judicial independence brooks no interference, and the malicious and despicable trick could not change the Chinese people's resolve to safeguard national security and ensure the sustained success of the "one country, two systems" principle.The US Congressional-Executive Commission on China released a report on Thursday and also held a "hearing", during which it criticized 29 Hong Kong judges and judicial officers who have handled national security-related cases, including the city's Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung. The commission also demanded that the US government consider imposing sanctions on the judges.The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council dismissed on Sunday the US report's smearing of Hong Kong's judicial system, saying the central government firmly supports the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's judiciary in performing its duty in an independent and impartial manner, and never allows US politicians to interfere in the SAR's judicial independence.The office's spokesperson said the National Security Law for Hong Kong has helped the city restore social stability, uphold its rule of law and protect the rights and interests enjoyed by Hong Kong people and overseas investors.However, the spokesperson said, some US politicians have tried every means to interfere with Hong Kong's law enforcement and judicial works, in order to help those who endanger national security and the stability of Hong Kong escape responsibility for their crimes and to try to contain the development of the city and the nation.The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR said the report is another rude interference in the internal affairs of China and the Hong Kong SAR.The US politicians' attempts to obstruct the implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong, disrupt the judicial order in Hong Kong and interfere with the city's independent adjudication of judges is a blatant blasphemy against the spirit of the rule of law, the liaison office said.A spokesperson for the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong SAR said no sanctions or pressure could change the firm determination of the Chinese side to safeguard the prosperity and stability of the Hong Kong SAR and ensure the sustained success of "one country, two systems".Foreign intimidation will only make the Chinese people even more united, and all foreign interference will only fall flat, the office said.The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the city's largest political group, said it firmly supports Hong Kong judges in continuing to perform their duties. The group also urged the Hong Kong government to take necessary measures to protect judges from external interference and safeguard the city's judicial system.Lawmaker Stanley Ng Chau-pei, who also chairs the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, the SAR's largest labor union, said the attempt by US politicians to interfere in Hong Kong's national security trials with threats will not affect Hong Kong people's resolve to safeguard national security, safeguard Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, and uphold the Constitution, the Basic Law and the National Security Law for Hong Kong.Judicial英/dʒuːˈdɪʃəl/ 美/dʒuːˈdɪʃəl/adj.法庭的，司法的Security 英/sɪˈkjʊərəti/ 美/sɪˈkjʊrəti/n.安全

Multinational corporations have voiced optimism and confidence in China's long-term potential for economic growth, despite mounting external uncertainties such as the potential risks of decoupling and supply chains disruptions.尽管外部不确定因素越来越多，如脱钩和供应链中断的潜在风险，但跨国公司对中国经济增长的长期潜力表示乐观。They also are beefing up efforts to expand their presence in the world's second-largest economy through further investment and localized operations.跨国企业正加倍努力，通过进一步投资和本地化运营来扩大在世界第二大经济体——中国的影响力。Economists and industry insiders said any intention of decoupling from China is clearly infeasible and against the historical currents, and attempts to do so would hamper the recovery of the world economy, which is suffering from high inflation and downside risks.经济学家和业内人士表示，任何与中国脱钩的意图显然是行不通的，也是违背历史潮流的，这将阻碍全球经济在高通货膨胀和下行风险中的复苏步伐。They also highlighted China's economic resilience and pivotal position in global industrial and supply chains.经济学家和业内人士还强调了中国经济的韧性和在全球产业链和供应链中举足轻重的地位。Their comments came as Bloomberg quoted anonymous sources as saying that United States President Joe Biden aims to sign an executive order limiting investment by US businesses in key parts of China's economy, around the time of the summit of the Group of Seven advanced economies, which is scheduled to start on Friday in Japan.在上述评论被发表之际，彭博社援引匿名消息人士的话表示，美国总统拜登打算在5月19日召开的七国集团峰会前后签署一项总统行政令，以限制美国企业对中国经济关键领域的投资。Hideki Ozawa, president and CEO of Canon China, said: "The anti-globalization trend has not affected the development of Canon's business in China or the relationship between Canon and our Chinese partners. On the contrary, China's opening-up remains a significant source of new opportunities for Canon."佳能（中国）有限公司总裁兼首席执行官小泽秀树表示：“逆全球化趋势并未影响佳能在中国业务的发展，也没有影响佳能与中国合作伙伴的关系。相反，中国的开放仍是佳能获得新机遇的重要来源。”Ozawa said that with the upgrading of China's industries and consumption, domestic demand for overseas high-end manufacturing and high-tech services is growing rapidly, and Canon will seize the opportunity and continue to extend and deepen cooperation with its Chinese partners.小泽秀树表示，随着中国产业升级和消费升级，中国国内对海外高端制造和高科技服务的需求快速增长，佳能将抓住机遇，继续延伸和深化与中国合作伙伴的合作。"The Chinese economy is very resilient, and China is the most important market for Canon. Canon is confident in the Chinese market. … We will establish a more comprehensive supply chain from research and development to production and sales in China, and invest more here," he added.他还补充道：“中国经济非常有弹性，中国是佳能最重要的市场。佳能对中国市场充满信心......我们将在中国建立从研发到生产和销售的更完善的供应链，并在中国进行更多投资。”Frank Meng, chairman of Qualcomm China, said the company has always been optimistic about the long-term development of the Chinese economy and will continue to increase investment and expand cooperation in China.高通中国区董事长孟樸表示，高通公司始终看好中国经济的长远发展，将继续加大在华投资，扩大合作。"The number of Qualcomm's employees in China has grown by double digits almost every year since 2018," Meng said.孟樸说：“自2018年以来，高通在中国的员工人数几乎每年都以两位数的速度增长。”In addition, Qualcomm has established joint innovation centers with partners, which is an important part of the company's continuous development in China, he said.此外，高通还与合作伙伴建立了联合创新中心，这是高通公司在中国持续发展的重要组成部分。Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland, in terms of actual use, expanded 4.9 percent year-on-year to 408.45 billion yuan ($58.8 billion) in the first quarter of this year. Specifically, FDI in high-tech manufacturing increased 18 percent from the same period a year ago.商务部数据显示，2023年第一季度，中国大陆实际使用外国直接投资额同比增长4.9%，达到4084.5亿元人民币（588亿美元）。具体而言，高科技制造业的外商直接投资同比增长18%。Samson Khaou, executive vice-president of Dassault Systemes Asia-Pacific, said the French industrial software company is highly confident about China's economic growth this year and will continue to invest more in the Chinese market, believing that China's growth will come from both domestic and global demand.达索系统亚太区执行副总裁许善淞表示，法国工业软件公司达索系统对中国2023年的经济增长充满信心，将继续加大对中国市场的投入，相信中国经济将从国内需求和国际需求中得到增长。Charlie Munger, a US billionaire investor and vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, said: "One thing we should do is to get along with China, and we should have a lot of free trade with China. It's in our mutual interest. … Everything that increases the tension between the two … is stupid, stupid and stupid."美国亿万富翁、投资者、伯克希尔·哈撒韦公司副董事长查理·芒格表示：“我们应该与中国和睦相处，与中国进行大量自由贸易。这是符合我们共同利益的。一切加剧与中国之间紧张气氛的行为是愚蠢的，愚蠢的，愚蠢的。”The International Monetary Fund has projected that China's economy will likely expand by 5.2 percent this year, and the country is going to contribute about one-third of global growth this year, which will provide more growth opportunities for other countries.国际货币基金组织预计，今年中国经济有望增长5.2%，对今年全球经济增长的贡献率约为三分之一，这将为其他国家提供更多增长机会。"Technological decoupling would impose significant costs on Asian economies — about 5 percent loss in GDP. That's quite a big number. … In general, technological decoupling is very expensive for not just Asia, but for the rest of the world," said Krishna Srinivasan, director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific department.国际货币基金组织亚洲太平洋部主任克里希纳·斯里尼瓦桑表示：“技术脱钩会给亚洲经济体带来巨大成本——GDP损失

There are many common interests between China and the European countries despite their ideological differences. Among these is a shared desire for peace in Ukraine.An end to the conflict would benefit not just Ukraine and Russia, but also China, the whole of Europe and the rest of the world. The conflict has been one of the factors driving up global inflation. It has caused grain, gas and other material shortages, as supply chains have been broken. Quarrels and antagonism among various parties have also been exacerbated by the hostilities.Since it has taken a principled position on the crisis rather than simply choosing sides, this dissension has been focused on China. As a result, the conflict has prompted intensifying calls within the US-led camp for decoupling from China.But with the spillover effects from the crisis worsening, an increasing number of countries are now acknowledging that "an overly simplified or emotionally driven approach" is not the right way forward. Which was something that Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang stressed during his visit to Germany on Tuesday and Wednesday.Reiterating that China is neither the one that created the conflict nor a party to it, Qin reminded his hosts that China has been a consistent advocate for peace and the building of a balanced, effective and durable European security architecture.Qin was visiting Germany within a month of his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock visiting China. It is to be hoped that Germany is gaining more awareness of China's sincerity in working for peace and urging the two countries to join hands to share the dividends of development.Although German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told European Union lawmakers on Tuesday that he agrees with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that "we should not aim for a de-coupling" from China, he also added his voice to hers in calling for "smart de-risking".In fact, what many in Germany and European countries seem to hope will happen is that they can continue to follow the United States' lead while China will leverage its friendly relations with Russia to accept a peace deal dictated by Washington.But, as Qin told his hosts on Wednesday, what China brings to the world are opportunities, cooperation, stability and reassurance, not crises, confrontation, turmoil or risks. Its 12-point peace proposal is a workable basis on which concerted efforts can be made to secure a cease-fire in Ukraine and get the conflicting parties to negotiate a deal in good faith that will produce durable peace.Inflation英/ɪnˈfleɪʃ(ə)n/ 美/ɪnˈfleɪʃ(ə)n/n.通货膨胀Ideological英/ˌaɪdiəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l/ 美/ˌaɪdiəˈlɑːdʒɪk(ə)l/adj.思想体系的，意识形态的

China will fully restore fast-lane entry and exit services at all ports starting on Monday, facilitating the cross-border travel of Chinese citizens and foreign nationals.The National Immigration Administration issued a circular on Thursday announcing the adjustments to immigration policies.Chinese nationals will be allowed to use fast lanes for expedited border inspection on the following travel documents: Chinese ordinary passports, exit-entry permits for travel to and from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, mainland travel permits for Hong Kong and Macao residents, five-year mainland travel permits for Taiwan residents, and multiple entry permits valid for one year, the administration said in a notice.Foreigners can use the service with their passports and China-issued ID cards for foreign permanent residents, or with their electronic passports and residence permits with a validity period of more than six months, it added.Chinese crewmembers working on scheduled international flights and foreign crewmembers who are visa-free or have obtained flight attendant/employment visas or residence permits for one year or longer can also use the channel, said the circular.China will fully resume group travel permits for mainland residents to Hong Kong and Macao. Mainland residents may submit their applications to any national entry and exit administration center, it said.In addition, mainland residents can apply for permits to visit relatives, and to work and study in Hong Kong and Macao at any exit and entry administration center across the country.Immigration authorities will also adjust the validity period of the visa for mainland students studying in Macao from a maximum of one year to the match the length of their study in Macao.Lin Zhizhuo, a manager of Ctrip, a Chinese travel service provider, said that the adjusted policies will benefit people who are not employed where they have registered residence, and it will greatly ease the visa application process for tourists to Hong Kong and Macao.As immigration policies have become more flexible, more tailored package products will emerge. The policy of applying for travel permits at any immigration center provides great convenience for tourists, who are not restricted to their place of departure, Lin said.Ways of traveling to Hong Kong and Macao are also becoming more diversified. In April, high-speed rail services to and from Hong Kong resumed from cities such as Chongqing, Zhengzhou in Henan province, Changsha in Hunan province and Kunming in Yunnan province.According to Ctrip, orders for group tours to Hong Kong and Macao rose about 70 percent in May from April.Fang Zhibo, head of the border inspection division of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection Station in Guangdong province, said that the station has been using fast-lane services since Jan 8, and the latest policy adjustment will further facilitate the entry and exit of residents from the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign nationals, and the number of cross-border travelers is expected to increase after the implementation of the policy."We will complete the inspection system upgrade and optimize the allocation of police officers, strengthen assistance offered to special groups such as the elderly, and serve the vast number of tourists," Fang said.According to the National Immigration Administration, immigration authorities nationwide conducted about 6.27 million inspections of people exiting or entering the mainland during the five-day May Day holiday this year, and about 3.15 million of them were for those leaving.In addition, data released on May 3 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed that during the holiday, outbound tourism rose nearly sevenfold year-on-year.Fanny Yeung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, said that the new measures are good news for the tourism industry. However, it is not expected that there will be a large increase in mainland visitors very soon, and Hong Kong's reception capacity also needs to be improved.Immigration英/ˌɪmɪˈɡreɪʃ(ə)n/ 美/ˌɪmɪˈɡreɪʃn/n.移民（入境）；移民人数；移民局入境检查Frontier英/ˈfrʌntɪə(r)/ 美/frʌnˈtɪr/n.边境，国界

The first spacecraft to visit China's Tiangong space station this year — the Tianzhou 6 robotic cargo ship — was launched on Wednesday night to transport materials for the next manned missions.5月10日晚，今年首艘造访中国天宫空间站的航天器——天舟六号货运飞船——发射升空，为下一次载人任务运送物资。With the Tianzhou 6 atop, the Long March 7-Y7 carrier rocket blasted off at 9:22 pm at the coastal Wenchang Space Launch Center in the country's southernmost island province of Hainan.晚上9点22分，在海南文昌航天发射场，搭载天舟六号货运飞船的长征七号遥七运载火箭发射升空。After a short flight, the rocket will place Tianzhou 6 into a low-Earth orbit. The three-story cargo ship will then travel a couple of hours to rendezvous with the Tiangong station and then dock with the massive outpost.经过短暂的飞行后，火箭将把天舟六号货运飞船送入近地轨道。这艘有着三层楼高的货运飞船在行驶数小时后与天宫空间站组合体进行交会对接。The cargo vehicle is the ninth vessel to visit the station and the first to do so since the station was completed at the end of 2022.天舟六号是访问中国空间站的第九艘飞船，也自2022年底空间站建成以来第一艘造访空间站的飞船。Tianzhou 6 is carrying about 260 packages with a combined weight of nearly 5.8 metric tons, including supplies to sustain the three-member crew for 280 days. In the food packages, there are about 70 kilograms of fresh fruits, double those carried by the Tianzhou 5.天舟六号载有约260个包裹，总重量近5.8公吨，其中包括三名航天员280天所用的物资。在食品包中，约有70公斤新鲜水果，是天舟五号携带水果重量的两倍。There are 98 packages of scientific equipment, which weigh 714 kikograms and also include spare parts and experimental materials. The payloads will be used in 29 scientific experiments and tests in fields such as life science, biology, fluid physics in microgravity as well as combustion and material sciences.天舟六号载有98件实验样品，重714公斤，其中还包括备件和实验材料。这些产品将用于生命科学、生物学、微重力流体物理与燃烧科学、材料科学等领域的29项科学实验和测试。With a designed life of more than a year, a Tianzhou cargo craft has two parts, a cargo cabin and a propulsion section. The vehicles are 10.6 meters long and 3.35 meters wide.“天舟”飞船设计在轨寿命1年以上，主体包括推进舱和货物舱两部分。飞船全长10.6米，最大直径3.35米。It is the world's best space cargo transporter when it comes to carrying capacity — more than half of its 13.5-ton lift-off weight can be used for payloads, according to designers. Tiangong's current inhabitants — the three members of the Shenzhou XV mission — arrived at the station on Nov 30 to take charge of the massive orbital outpost from the three Shenzhou XIV astronauts.据设计者称，在运载能力方面，天舟六号是世界上最好的太空货物运输工具，它13.5吨的升空重量有一半以上可用于有效载荷。目前生活在天宫空间站的是三名神舟十五号航天员，2022年11月30日，神州十五号乘组进驻空间站并与神舟十四号乘组进行交接轮换。At present, the Shenzhou XV astronauts — mission commander Major General Fei Junlong, Senior Colonel Deng Qingming and Senior Colonel Zhang Lu — have conducted four spacewalks to mount equipment required for extravehicular scientific experiments and technological demonstrations.目前，由费俊龙、邓清明和张陆组成的神舟十五号航天员乘组已经进行了四次太空行走任务，挂载出舱科学实验和技术论证所需的设备。Spacecraft英/ˈspeɪskrɑːft/ 美/ˈspeɪskræft/n.宇宙飞船，航天器Extravehicular英/ˌekstrəvəˈhɪkjələ(r)/ 美/ˌekstrəviˈhɪkjələr/adj.太空船外的；舱外的

Argentine and Paris Saint-Germain footballer Lionel Messi added two prestigious awards to his already illustrious list of achievements, winning the Laureus World Sportsman and the World Team of the Year at the grand ceremony on Monday.5月8日的盛大颁奖典礼上，效力于巴黎圣日耳曼的阿根廷足球运动员莱昂内尔·梅西获得了劳伦斯年度最佳男运动员奖和年度世界最佳团队奖，在他已经很辉煌的成就名单上再添两项殊荣。The 35-year-old veteran, who led Argentina to World Cup victory last year in Qatar, became the first-ever athlete to sweep both awards in the same year.这位35岁的老将在2022年卡塔尔世界杯中带领阿根廷队夺得冠军，成为有史以来第一位在同一年包揽这两个奖项的运动员。Chinese freeskier Gu Ailing, a two-time gold medal winner at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games last year, captured the Action Sportsperson of the Year award.在2022年北京冬奥会上获得两枚金牌的中国自由式滑雪运动员谷爱凌获得了最佳极限运动员奖项。The World Cup-winning captain Messi, who shared the men's prize with Lewis Hamilton in 2020, defeated other nominees including 21-time tennis Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, current Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, world record holder in pole vault Mondo Duplantis, basketball player Stephen Curry, and French football international Kylian Mbappe to secure the award for a second time.曾在2020年与刘易斯·汉密尔顿共享年度最佳男运动员奖的世界杯冠军队长梅西击败了其他提名者，包括21次网球大满贯得主拉菲尔·纳达尔、现任一级方程式赛车世界冠军马克斯·维斯塔潘、撑杆跳世界纪录保持者蒙多·杜普兰蒂斯、 篮球运动员斯蒂芬·库里和法国足球国脚基利安·姆巴佩，这是梅西第二次获得年度最佳男运动员奖。"It's an honour, especially since the Laureus World Sports Awards are taking place this year in Paris, the city that welcomed me and my family," Messi said. "I would like to thank all my teammates, not only those of the national team but also those of PSG. I have not accomplished anything alone and I am grateful to be able to share all this with them."梅西说：“这是一种荣誉，尤其是今年劳伦斯体育奖在巴黎举行，这座城市很欢迎我和我的家人。” “我要感谢我所有的队友，不仅是国家队的队友，还有巴黎圣日耳曼的队友。我一个人不可能取得这样的成就，我很感激能与他们分享这一切。”Messi scored seven goals, including two in the final, and won the Golden Ball in Qatar last December when he led the South American team to their third World Cup title. The Argentine men's football team was given a team award at Laureus.在2022年12月的卡塔尔世界杯中，梅西攻入七球，决赛中攻入两球，带领阿根廷队第三次获得世界杯冠军，他个人也赢得了卡塔尔金球奖。阿根廷男子足球队在劳伦斯获得年度世界最佳团队奖。"And I'm even happier to see that the team I was part of at the World Cup was also honoured by the Laureus Academy tonight," Messi added. "For us, the World Cup was an unforgettable adventure; I cannot describe what it felt like to return to Argentina and see what our victory had brought to our people."梅西补充说：“让我感到更开心的是，世界杯上我效力的球队也得到了劳伦斯奖的认可。”“对于我们来说，那是一次难忘的冒险，我难以形容回到阿根廷以后看到我们的胜利给阿根廷人民带来的影响时的心情。”Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who clinched a fifth world 100m title at Eugene last August, picked up the women's individual award, while tennis US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz was named the best breakthrough of the year.2022年8月在尤金获得第五个100米世界冠军的牙买加短跑选手谢莉-安·弗雷泽-普莱斯获得了年度最佳女运动员奖，而美网男单冠军卡洛斯·阿尔卡拉斯获得劳伦斯年度最佳突破奖。Gu, the first athlete to win three medals in freestyle skiing at a single Olympic Games, was awarded the Action Sportsperson, a prize given to the best athlete in extreme sports of the year.谷爱凌是第一位在单届奥运会上获得三枚自由式滑雪奖牌的运动员，她被授予最佳极限运动员奖，这是一项授予年度极限运动中最佳运动员的奖项。"It's a huge honor to me," said the 19-year-old, who worked on her homework for eight hours on her flight to Paris since she is also pursuing academics at Stanford University.“这对我来说是莫大的荣幸，” 19岁的谷爱凌说，她还在斯坦福大学学习，在飞往巴黎的航班上，她花了8个小时做功课。"I don't want to simply be celebrating this beautiful trophy here today, but also to be speaking to the value that sports have brought to my life and to help contribute that love and passion, confidence and resilience, everything that sports have taught me to more people," Gu told Xinhua.“我今天不想只是在这里庆祝我个人获得的荣誉，而是更希望把体育带给我人生的正能量、教会我的一切传递给更多的人，比如爱、激情、自信和坚韧。”谷爱凌向新华社表示。Manchester United and Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen won Comeback of the Year following his return to football after collapsing on the pitch due to cardiac arrest during Euro 2020.曼彻斯特联队和丹麦队的中场球员克里斯蒂安·埃里克森在2020年欧洲杯期间因心脏骤停在球场上倒下后重返足坛，他赢得了年度最佳复出奖。At the start of 2022, the tough fighter was without a club, and his future in the game was uncertain. But he managed to end the year playing every minute of Denmark's World Cup campaign and earning a regular place in the Man United squad.2022年伊始，埃里克森手无寸铁，赛场前途未卜。但他在2022年结束时打满了丹麦队在世界杯的每一分钟，并在曼联队中赢得了固定位置。The Laureus Award was founded in 2000 to celebrate sporting excellence during the past year. This year's ceremony was held in person after the previous two editions were conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.劳伦斯奖成立于2000年，旨在表彰过去一年体育方面的成就。由于新冠疫情，前两届的劳伦斯奖颁奖典礼在网上举行，今年的颁奖典礼则改为线下举行。Nominee英/ˌnɒmɪˈniː/ 美/ˌnɑːmɪˈniː/n.被提名者Academy英/əˈkædəmi/ 美/əˈkædəmi/n.研究院，学会

The giant panda Hua Hua attracted 264,000 visitors to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which was the second most popular tourist destination in China during the May Day holidays, according to local media reports.The "giant panda economy" has become a bright spot in the country's consumption, with numerous cultural and creative shops in Chengdu and across the country filled with a wide variety of panda-related products.He Hua (nicknamed Hua Hua) will soon be three years old and has captivated the hearts of Chinese people thanks to her mild temperament and her rare inability to climb trees. She is also different from other giant pandas because of her white fur, rather than the more common beige color, and her chubbiness, making her highly recognizable.He Hua's family background further boosts her appeal, as her mother is Chenggong, known for her obsession with cleanliness, and her father is Meilan, who was born in the US.Many young people travel to Southwest China's Sichuan province just to see the giant pandas. Celebrity giant panda Hua Hua boosted ticket sales at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, with all 180,000 tickets selling out for the first three days of this year's May Day holidays. There were so many visitors that the park had to set Hua Hua's viewing time limit to only three minutes."We made this special trip to come here to see Hua Hua," said a tourist. "We plan to stay at the base all day just to see the giant pandas and we plan to continue coming here even tomorrow," he added.On the social media platform Xiaohongshu, a netizen posted a photo of Hua Hua eating an apple and wrote "Hua Hua and her favorite little apple," which quickly garnered more than 2,500 likes.China is in the grip of giant panda fever following a spate of stories about the bears both at home and in overseas zoos, which has sparked a shopping spree for products related to the animal. The sales have prompted the media to dub it the "giant panda economy."The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding rushed to register several trademarks after He Hua became a national darling and a key search word on e-commerce websites. The trademarks are related to fields including clothing, shoes, hats, feed seeds, education and entertainment.The last giant panda to cause a rush was the mascot for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Bing Dwen Dwen, which was created based on the image of a giant panda. More than 1.4 million toy mascots were sold during the Games, according to media reports.Earlier this year, it emerged that Ya Ya's health was failing, sparking national concern in China and demands for her early return. Ya Ya, a giant panda born at Beijing Zoo, was leased to Memphis Zoo in 2003. At the end of last year, it was announced that she would be returned to China at the end of the 20-year lease.In addition to Ya Ya, several other giant pandas living overseas have been returned to China this year, including Xiang Xiang, who returned to China in February from the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo in Japan.Along with Hua Hua, Ya Ya and Xiang Xiang, Meng Lan is also one of the most popular giant pandas across the country. On the first day of the May Day holidays, thousands of people lined up outside the giant panda house at Beijing Zoo, waiting half an hour to get in just to see Meng Lan for five minutes.Behind the "giant panda craze" is the continuous growth of the population of this species amid China's green development. At present, the wild population of giant pandas in China has increased from 1,114 in the 1970s to 1,864. With the advancement of the construction of the Giant Panda National Park, the connectivity and integrity of the giant panda habitat are being improved.

Procuratorates nationwide approved the arrest of 10,923 people on suspicion of fraud in the first quarter of this year, ranking second on the list of all recorded crimes, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate.They also initiated public lawsuits against 18,146 people involved in fraud in the quarter, ranking fifth among prosecuted crimes, it said.The form of fraud crimes is constantly changing, and in addition to telecom network fraud and financial fraud, new types of fraud involving pensions, medical insurance and investing in art continue to emerge, affecting the public's sense of gain, happiness and security, the SPP said.Some fraudsters pretend to provide "pension services" and investment in "elderly-care projects" to target the elderly, it added.In one case from May 2016, a man surnamed Fang in Handan, Hebei province, pretended to be a pension director, claiming to be able to handle pension insurance for people without work.He defrauded hundreds of people totaling about 3.7 million yuan ($535,000). He did pay out to some victims a total of 784,000 yuan in the name of "pensions "and "living expenses", but the rest was used for himself.The SPP said that more than half of the prosecuted fraud cases were well-organized and committed by multiple offenders. Fraud gangs have a clear division of labor, and some set up specialized companies under the cover of a so-called legal company, and they rent high-end office buildings and use a network platform for publicity and recruitment.Prosecutors found that fraudsters used means such as the telephone, the internet, artificial intelligence, big data analysis and others to commit fraud, as traditional cash transactions are gradually changing to online banking and payment platforms.Fraud in the network environment often spreads fast and involves a wide range of victims, yet the cost of crime is low and fraud can easily be copied by other criminals. All of these make the cost of case handling higher and prevention more difficult, said the SPP.Procuratorial organs have closely worked with public security organs to form a long-term cooperation mechanism in the joint crackdown, information exchange and evidence gathering. Procuratorates have also strengthened cooperation with functional departments of finance, telecommunications and market supervision as well as internet enterprises, and have promoted the formation of a systematic joint force to curb cybercrimes, the SPP added.Procuratorate英/ˈprɒkjʊəreɪtərɪt/n.[法]检察院Fraud英/frɔːd/ 美/frɔːd/n.欺诈

May 8, the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism held a news conference, introducing the prevention and control work after the COVID-19 pandemic no longer constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.5月8日下午，国务院联防联控机制召开新闻发布会，介绍新冠疫情不再构成“国际关注的突发公共卫生事件”后防控工作有关情况。Discussions of COVID-19 re-infections were popular online recently as some netizens suffered from COVID-like symptoms after the May Day holidays, during which large gatherings and mass movements increased the risks of getting the coronavirus.近日，关于新冠疫情“二阳”的讨论在网上很流行，因为一些网民在“五一”假期间的经历大型聚集、迁徙后出现了类似新冠的症状。Officials said that the virus has kept mutating, and sporadic cases have been reported across the country with the harm of the disease still existing, officials from China's National Health Commission (NHC) said during a press conference on Monday.5月8日的新闻发布会上，国家卫生健康委员会的成员表示，新冠病毒在不断变异，全国各地都有零星的病例报告，疾病的危害仍然存在。According to Liu Qing, official of the National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention, the recent monitoring results of nationwide fever outpatient departments show a small increase in the epidemic in some areas during the "May Day" holiday, but the number of serious cases in hospitals around the country does not increase significantly. And medical institutions are not affected. Overall, there are sporadic outbreaks of scattered infections and no large-scale epidemic nationwide.国家疾控局传染病防控司副司长刘清表示，近期，全国发热门诊监测结果显示，“五一”期间部分地区疫情出现小幅上升，但各地在院重症病例数均未出现大幅增加，医疗机构正常诊疗秩序也未受到影响。总体来看，国内疫情目前仍处于局部零星散发状态，各地医疗服务秩序正常，全国未出现规模性疫情。According to Chen Cao, a researcher from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, with China increasing its foreign exchanges, the composition of the main epidemic strains of the COVID-19 in China is increasingly affected by international influences. The XBB variants account for 97.5% of all imported cases in late April, which is close to the global proportion.中国疾控中心病毒病所研究员陈操表示，随着我国对外交流的不断增加，我国新冠病毒主要流行株的构成也受国际影响明显增大。从监测数据看，今年4月下旬，在输入病例当中，XBB系列变异株的构成已经达到了97.5%，与全球的XBB系列变异株占比基本保持一致。According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the highly transmissible XBB variant has become the dominant strain on the mainland, with its percentage among total COVID-19 infections rising from 0.2 in mid-February to 74.4 in April.据中国疾病预防控制中心称，高传染性XBB系列变异株已成为主要毒株，在本土病例中，XBB变异株的占比自今年2月份明显升高，从2月中旬的0.2%增长到了4月下旬的74.4%。According to Chen during the Monday briefing, the XBB variants have stronger transmissibility and immune escape ability than the earlier prevalent Omicron variants, but with no significant change in their pathogenicity.5月8日，新闻发布会上，陈操表示，XBB系列变异株是一种奥密克戎重组变异株，其传播力和免疫逃逸能力均强于早期流行的奥密克戎变异株，但致病力没有明显的变化。Wang Guiqiang, Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases of Peking University First Hospital, said there are many reasons for sore throat, including COVID-19, flu, and bacterial infections, so they should be treated differently. The clinical manifestations of a secondary COVID-19 infection and XBB variant infection are similar at present. It is a necessity to maintain personal hygiene, including wearing a mask, to avoid or reduce the risk of further transmission.北京大学第一医院感染疾病科主任王贵强表示，导致咽喉痛的原因有很多，包括新冠、流感以及很多细菌感染等，所以要区别对待，如果感染新冠，无论是二次感染还是新变异株导致的感染，目前看临床表现都是类似的，要做好个人卫生，包括戴口罩，避免或者减少进一步传播的风险。Pan Hongying, director of the Department of Infection at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, said that it has been found in clinical practice that patients with secondary infection of COVID-19 generally have milder symptoms and fewer cases of significant sore throat. If the patient does not develop a fever, then the patient is indicated as asymptomatic or mild, then it is equally unlikely to develop a sore throat.浙江省人民医院感染科主任潘红英表示，临床中发现，二次感染新冠的患者，普遍症状较轻，出现明显咽喉痛的情况较少。若患者没有出现发烧，说明是无症状或轻症，那么也就同样不可能出现咽喉痛。In general, when sore throat due to acute pharyngitis occurs, oral antipyretic and analgesic medications can be taken and attention should be paid to daily throat protection. Patients with strong immunity can recover in 2 to 4 days. If the inflammation is more serious, it may take 1 week or more to recover, and the patient needs to seek medical examination and take antibacterial drugs and other treatments as prescribed by the doctor.一般情况下，出现急性咽炎导致的咽喉疼痛，可口服解热、镇痛的药物，注意日常护嗓。抵抗力较强的患者2~4天能自行缓解。若炎症较严重，可能需要1周或更长时间恢复，需就医检查，遵医嘱服用抗菌药物等进行治疗。Here are five ways to relieve a sore throat and protect the throat on a daily basis.日常中可以通过下面5个方法，缓解嗓子疼，保护咽喉。It is recommended that healthy male adult drink 1,700 ml of water a day and women 1,500 ml a day. Drink small amounts of water many times and never wait until you are thirsty.一定的湿度对咽部黏膜有滋润和保护作用。建议健康成年男性每天喝1700毫升水，女性每天喝1500毫升水。多次、少量喝水，千万不要等到口渴再喝。Studies have shown that saline irrigation of the mucous membranes in the throat can kill bacteria and relieve inflammation.&nb

The upcoming China-Central Asia Summit, to be chaired by President Xi Jinping, will further elevate ties between China and the five Central Asian countries, bring economic and trade cooperation to a higher level and deliver more tangible benefits to the people, officials and analysts said.Xi will chair the summit on May 18 and 19 in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced on Monday.The summit will bring together President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan, and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, she said.The gathering, one of the major diplomatic events to be hosted by China this year, will be a significant milestone in the history of ties between the two sides, Wang Wenbin, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said at a news briefing on Monday.Xi will deliver an important speech at the summit, and the six heads of state will exchange views on the development of the China-Central Asia mechanism, cooperation in various sectors and major international and regional issues of common concern, he said.Key political documents will also be signed during the summit, he said. "It is our belief that under the joint efforts from various sides, the summit will draw up a new blueprint for China-Central Asia relations and usher in a new era for cooperation."Total trade volume between China and the five Central Asian countries reached a record $70 billion last year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.Li Yongquan, head of the China Society for Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, said China has always respected the five Central Asian countries' sovereignty, independence and their right to choose development paths suited to their own national conditions."China has always seen Central Asia as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, while the stability and development of the region is directly related to China's own development," Li said.Last year, Xi chaired a virtual summit in Beijing to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Central Asian countries, during which he announced a plan to provide grant assistance of $500 million to the countries to support livelihood programs.Xi also made Kazakhstan the destination of his first foreign trip since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, paying a state visit to the nation in September.Going forward, the building of an even closer community with a shared future between China and Central Asia will give fresh impetus to bilateral ties and contribute to the region's security, stability and development, said Li from the China Society for Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies.Zhao Huirong, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, said that the elevation of the multilateral mechanism between China and the five countries indicated a new level of emphasis placed on the relationship."A summit between heads of state will help build a strong pillar for the building of a community with a shared future between the two sides and lead the way for the future growth of ties," she said.Central Asia is the place where Xi proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt, the forerunner of the Belt and Road Initiative. The region has also played pivotal roles in the BRI going global, Zhao added."The five nations are active participants and beneficiaries from the BRI, and we have reasons to believe that the summit will help scale up pragmatic cooperation and enable the region to continue leading the way for BRI cooperation," she said.China and the five countries agreed during a foreign ministers' meeting last year to establish the China-Central Asia Summit mechanism, with the six countries to hold biennial summits starting this year.Summit英/ˈsʌmɪt/ 美/ˈsʌmɪt/n.（政府间的）首脑会议，峰会Anniversary英/ˌænɪˈvɜːsəri/ 美/ˌænɪˈvɜːrsəri/n.周年纪念（日）

China took the lead in sharing COVID-19 information and virus control experience, as well as in supplying vaccines and sending medical teams, during the global fight against the disease, experts and officials said on Monday, after the World Health Organization announced the downgrading of the pandemic last week.The nation's antivirus battle also demonstrated advantages of its political system and capabilities of its medical professionals, researchers and grassroots workers, which can help guide the handling of other contagious diseases in the future, they added.On Friday, the WHO announced that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC, more than three years after it was declared a pandemic.Liang Wannian, head of the National Health Commission's epidemic emergency response expert panel, said that when the first domestic COVID-19 cases emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, in December 2019, China reported them to the WHO at the earliest possible time, and later promptly identified the pathogen and shared genome sequences with the rest of the world, as well as published treatment and disease control protocols."China offered scientific evidence to aid the global community's efforts in developing vaccines and testing kits to tackle the disease," he said.The country provided antivirus gear, including respirators, protective clothing and masks, for 153 countries and 15 international organizations, and sent 37 expert teams to 34 countries."As the first country to pledge making COVID-19 vaccines 'a global public good' and also the first to cooperate with developing nations to manufacture vaccines, China supplied over 2.2 billion doses (of vaccines) to more than 120 countries and international groups," Liang said.Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said, "China not only protected ... its own people but also functioned as a key supplier of virus control materials and the backbone of the global fight against COVID-19."The nation fended off more than 100 local outbreaks, with its institutional advantages and the commitment of the whole society playing a pivotal role."The fundamental rule for and the prerequisite of all our virus control strategies is putting lives and the health of our people above everything else," Liang said, adding that joint public efforts and the dedication of health workers helped the nation prevail in its fight against the virus."From vaccine research to development of testing equipment, our scientific capabilities have also improved greatly," Liang said, emphasizing the deployment of big data and artificial intelligence tools to increase the efficiency of tracking and managing infections."Over the past three years, China has formulated relatively smooth and effective community management systems and accumulated experience at the grassroots level," he said. "These will play a greater role in handling other public health emergencies and in curbing chronic diseases."Experts noted that the WHO's decision to downgrade COVID-19's public health emergency status does not mean that there should be complacency toward implementing virus control measures.Liu Qing, an official from the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control, said the threat of COVID-19 still remains, as eased restrictions could promote global travel and accelerate the spread of the virus.According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the highly transmissible XBB variant has become the dominant strain on the mainland, with its percentage among total COVID-19 infections rising from 0.2 in mid-February to 74.4 in April.China will use its multichannel surveillance systems, which cover viral mutation, fever clinics, sentinel hospitals, urban sewage systems and communities, to closely monitor the domestic and global epidemic trajectory, Liu said."It is also important to step up monitoring of imported cases and novel variants to reduce the risks of them triggering large-scale outbreaks," he said.Special attention will be paid to schools, senior care homes and social welfare centers, Liu said, adding that vaccination among the elderly, people who have never been infected and those who have not completed primary immunization will be strengthened.Pandemic英/pænˈdemɪk/ 美/pænˈdemɪk/n.<正式>大流行病Vaccine英/ˈvæksiːn/ 美/vækˈsiːn/n.疫苗Multichannel英/ˈmʌltitʃænl/ 美/ˈmʌltitʃænl/adj.多频道的Surveillance英/sɜːˈveɪləns/ 美/sɜːrˈveɪləns/n.监视，监察

China will step up its policy support to increase consumer spending and unleash the country's purchasing potential, a key force that propels the nation's economic recovery and underpins its endeavors toward modernization and prosperity, experts said.      The policy push, including the removal of administrative restrictions in the housing and automobile markets, is among China's priorities in order to revive the vibrancy of its consumer market because the central leadership has identified insufficient domestic demand as an acute challenge facing the nation's economic and social development, especially after three years of COVID-19 disruptions.Policymakers are also expected to deepen reforms to boost household incomes and bridge the wealth gap between urban and rural residents, as President Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of expanding the country's consumption demand supported by stable income growth.Experts said they believe that strong and sustainable development of the Chinese consumer market underscores the country's larger strategic move toward building the dual-circulation development pattern because a healthy and prosperous consumer market is an integral part of China's domestic economic circulation, which actively interacts with the global markets.In his article published in April in Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Xi urged the country to better coordinate the expansion of domestic demand and supply-side structural reform in order to enhance the strength and reliability of domestic economic circulation, increase its driving force and vitality, and boost its interaction with the international markets.Xi also called on policymakers to form a complete domestic demand system as soon as possible, and establish and improve a long-term mechanism for expanding residents' consumption, so that residents can consume with a stable income, dare to consume without worries and are willing to consume due to the excellent consumption environment and strong sense of gain.Consumption growth reflects people's increasing desire for a better life and is closely linked with the country's goal of achieving common prosperity and building a modern socialist country in all respects, which is why the central and local authorities have spared no efforts in introducing policies to boost consumption, said Fu Yifu, a senior research fellow at the Star Atlas Institute of Finance.China has started to implement the outline of the strategic plan for expanding domestic demand (2022-35), which was issued in December by the central leadership. The action plan has identified boosting consumer spending and accelerating consumption upgrading as key tasks of the central government."There is significant room for rebound in the consumer market, especially when China's exports are facing uncertainties and domestic investment is gradually reaching saturation. The resurgence in consumer demand can drive the recovery of industrial production and business operation, and further promote China's economic growth," Fu said.The strong policy push shows that China is further defining the crucial role of consumption as a persistent pull on the economy and a lasting driving force for growth. It reflects that the country's consumer market will usher in a new development paradigm in which consumer demand is constantly upgraded, requiring high-quality products and services to satisfy material and spiritual consumption needs, global accounting firm Deloitte said in its 2023 China Consumer Insight and Market Outlook report.Consumption in China has rebounded strongly since the country lifted its COVID-related restrictions. Retail sales in the first quarter rose 5.8 percent year-on-year, reversing the decline of 2.7 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.To further promote consumption growth, policymakers will likely remove administrative restrictions that impede people's consumption abilities in areas such as automobile and housing, and offer more policy incentives such as lower mortgage rates and smaller down payment requirements for home buyers in lower-tier cities, said Wang Yun, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research."The (central) government should increase fiscal support through greater tax relief, improve social security coverage and more targeted transfer payments to effectively bridge urban-rural income gaps, improve the country's overall social welfare program and substantially raise the income of low-income families," Wang said.China's prosperity, with its 1.4 billion consumers, affects the fates of domestic and foreign businesses and the prospects of global economic growth. The country's demand has served as a crucial driver of global growth in the past decades and will continue to do so in the years to come, experts said.Over the next decade, China may add more consumption t

Charles III was on Saturday crowned monarch of the United Kingdom (UK) and 14 other Commonwealth realms in the UK's first coronation since 1953 at Westminster Abbey in central London.5月6日，英国国王查尔斯三世在伦敦威斯敏斯特大教堂举行英国自1953年以来的首次加冕仪式，查尔斯三世成为英国和14个英联邦国家的元首。The coronation service lasted about two hours and involved various stages, including recognition, oath, anointing, investiture and crowning, followed by enthronement and homage.加冕仪式持续了约2小时，其中步骤包括承认、宣誓、受膏、授权和加冕、而后是登基和致敬。At 12:02 pm (1102 GMT), Charles III was formally crowned as the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed St Edward's Crown onto the head of the monarch. The congregation sang a hymn; bells at the historic church rang; trumpets sounded, and gun salutes were fired across the country to mark the moment.当地时间下午12:02（格林威治标准时间1102），随着坎特伯雷大主教贾斯汀·韦尔比将圣爱德华王冠戴在查尔斯三世头上，查尔斯三世正式加冕。为了纪念这一时刻，会众唱起了赞美诗，古老教堂敲响钟声，小号声响起，全国各地鸣枪致敬。King Charles III, 74, ascended to the throne in September last year following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.在查尔斯三世的母亲伊丽莎白二世女王去世后，74岁的国王查尔斯三世于2022年9月登上王位。Queen Camilla was also coronated on Saturday in a much simpler ceremony, as she was anointed and crowned with Queen Mary's Crown.5月6日，王后卡米拉也举行了更为简单的加冕仪式，她被涂上了圣油，并戴上了玛丽王后的王冠。King Charles III and Queen Camilla will return to Buckingham Palace in procession after the service at Westminster Abbey, using the same route they took this morning in reverse, with thousands of spectators lining the streets.在威斯敏斯特教堂的行程结束后，国王查尔斯三世和王后卡米拉将返回白金汉宫，沿着早晨来时的路途返回，返程街道两旁有数千名观众。The ceremonial events concluded with the royal couple and members of the royal family watching a large formation fly-past on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in the afternoon.5月6日下午，随着国王、王后和英国王室其他成员在白金汉宫阳台上观看飞行表演，加冕仪式结束。Monarch英/ˈmɒnək/ 美/ˈmɑːnərk/n.君主Coronation英/ˌkɒrəˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ 美/ˌkɔːrəˈneɪʃn/n.加冕礼

China posted a robust growth in consumption during the five-day May Day holiday that ended Wednesday as many businesses across sectors made all-out efforts to tap pent-up demand, which experts said will further consolidate economic recovery and sustain sound development.5月3日结束的为期五天的“五一”假期期间，中国消费强劲增长，各行业企业全力挖掘被压抑的需求，专家表示，这将进一步促进经济复苏并保持良好发展。Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that consumer spending picked up rapidly during the holiday, especially on eating out, as evidenced by an almost 58 percent year-on-year increase in sales figures of key catering enterprises monitored by the ministry.商务部数据显示，“五一”假期期间，消费支出快速回升，尤其是外出就餐支出，商务部监测的重点餐饮企业销售额同比增长近58%。Consumer footfalls on national demonstration pedestrian streets surged by some 121 percent year-on-year, boosting business turnover by around 88 percent, the ministry said.商务部数据显示，今年“五一”假期，全国示范步行街客流量同比增长约121%，营业额增长约88%。Sales of gold, silver and jewelry rose nearly 23 percent year-on-year; consumer spending on clothing climbed 18-plus percent and cosmetics by 16.5 percent; tobacco and alcohol sales rose by over 15 percent year-on-year; and sales of home appliances expanded by nearly 14 percent, the ministry said.商务部表示，金银珠宝销售额同比增长近23%；服装销售额增长超18%；化妆品销售额增长16.5%；烟酒销售额同比增长超15%；家电销售额增长近14%。Reviving and expanding demand is key to a sustained recovery in the economy, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee held on Friday.4月28日，中共中央政治局召开会议，明确了恢复和扩大需求是当前经济持续回升向好的关键所在。The consumption rebound illustrated people's strong willingness to spend during the holiday. The consumer flow in various regions recovered to 2019 levels, with some regions recording figures better than those of the pre-COVID levels, said Liu Tao, a researcher with the Development Research Center of the State Council.消费回暖，说明节假日消费意愿强烈。国务院发展研究中心研究员刘涛表示，多地的消费客流已恢复甚至超过2019年的同期水平。Liu said businesses across the country lost no time in launching a flurry of promotional activities, and relevant government departments fully leveraged the holiday to shape new forms of consumption after China largely brought the pandemic under control. The combined efforts boosted the notable growth of consumer spending.刘涛表示，在中国基本控制住疫情之后，全国各地的企业不失时机地推出多样化促销活动，政府相关部门因势利导，利用假期积极打造新的消费业态。这两者结合，刺激了消费的明显增长。The consumption spree during the holiday revealed that China boasts huge potential and vitality in domestic demand and that the role of consumption as a major engine of economic growth has been further brought out, which will help cement the current momentum of economic recovery, he said.刘涛说，“五一”假期消费热潮表明我国内需市场潜力巨大，消费活力进一步显现，消费拉动经济增长的主动力进一步发挥，有利于当前消费保持恢复性增长。On top of the brick-and-mortar consumption boom, consumer spending via various online platforms gained steam as well during the May Day holiday.除了实体消费热潮之外，“五一”假期期间，依托网络平台的消费也出现增长。According to data from on-demand service platform Meituan, the average daily online spending on consumer services soared 133 percent over the same period in 2019, hitting a record high for the past five years. In particular, food and beverage consumption rose by 92 percent, and ticket bookings for tourist attractions doubled.按需服务平台“美团”数据显示，全国生活服务业线上日均消费规模较2019年同期增长133%，其中，全国餐饮消费规模较2019年同期增长92%，景点门票订票量实现翻倍增长。Data from online food delivery platform Ele.me also showed that visitors' demand for instant on-demand delivery services skyrocketed during the five-day holiday.在线外卖平台“饿了么”数据显示，五天的“五一”假期期间，游客对即时外卖的需求猛增。Delivery of maternity and newborn care products, personal care items, daily necessities and other retail merchandise increased by more than two times compared to the same period last year, according to the company.“饿了么”称，母婴护理用品、个人护理用品、日用品和其他零售商品的交易量环比增长了两倍以上。Going forward, efforts to further expand domestic demand and unlock greater consumption potential should remain high on government work agenda, in a bid to strengthen the intrinsic impetus for the country's pursuit of high-quality development, said Su Jian, director of the National Center for Economic Research at Peking University.北京大学国民经济研究中心主任苏剑表示，下一步，要把进一步扩大内需、释放更大消费潜力作为政府工作重点，增强国家高质量发展的内生动力。The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Friday urged efforts to boost household incomes through multiple channels, improve the consumption environment and promote services consumption in such fields as culture and tourism.4月28日，中共中央政治局召开会议，要求多渠道增加居民收入，改善消费环境，促进文化旅游等领域的服务消费。Su said a stable recovery and continuous growth in consumption relies much on fuller and better employment as salary raises have a direct bearing on people's spending power. Only by taking concrete steps to help raise people's incomes can the expansion of consumption over the long run be realized.苏剑表示，消费的稳定复苏和持续增长在很大程度上取决于更充分和更好的就业，因为工资增长直接关系到人们的消费能力。只有采取切实措施，帮助提高人民收入，才能实现扩大消费的长远目标。In addition, businesses should explore every possible means to improve the quality of goods and services and better harness digital technologies to widen consumption channels and bolster consumers' willingness to spend, he said.苏剑表示，在

China's Ding Liren had to overcome his own anxiety as well as his Russian opponent to become the country's first men's world chess champion in a tense final on Sunday.4月30日，中国棋手丁立人克服焦虑，在紧张的决赛中战胜俄罗斯棋手涅波姆尼亚奇，成为首位夺得国际象棋个人世界冠军的中国男子棋手。Ding, 30, defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia 2.5-1.5 in a tiebreaker at the 2023 International Chess Federation World Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan.在哈萨克斯坦首都阿斯塔纳举行的2023国际棋联国际象棋世界冠军赛中，30岁的丁立人以2.5比1.5力克俄罗斯棋手伊恩·涅波姆尼亚奇。The classical portion of the match ended in a 7-7 tie on Saturday. Ding fell behind on three occasions, but managed to equal his opponent each time. After a final round that lasted six hours and 33 minutes, the two met on Sunday in a playoff.4月29日，在常规的慢棋赛中，丁立人与对手战成7比7平。丁立人三度落后，又三度追平。在历时6小时33分钟的最后一轮比赛之后，两人在4月30日的加时赛中相遇。"I'm anxious and I think too much. My friends said the anxiety is normal ahead of big matches," Ding said after winning the title, comparing the occasion to the 2022 World Cup Final in Qatar.“我很焦虑，我想得太多了。我的朋友说，在大型比赛之前，这种焦虑是正常的，”丁立人在夺冠后说，他把这场比赛比作2022年的卡塔尔世界杯决赛。Ding revealed that his friends had helped him deal with the pressure.丁立人透露，他的朋友们帮助他应对了压力。"I think I've done everything that I can in chess and I have put all that I have into the games. Now, I won't be happy if there are no matches. And it's hard for me to find another hobby."“我想，我已经在国际象棋中做了我能做的一切，我把我的全部都投入到比赛中。如果现在没有比赛，我并不会高兴。而且我很难再找到别的爱好。”Ding's triumph means China holds both the men's and women's world titles, with current women's champion Ju Wenjun set to defend her title against compatriot Lei Tingjie in July.丁立人夺冠意味着中国国际象棋同时拥有了男子和女子两位世界冠军，今年7月，现任女子冠军居文君将于今年7月与同胞雷挺婕进行卫冕战。Ding's title is a dream come true not only for him, but generations of Chinese chess players past and present.丁立人夺冠不仅实现了他自己的梦想，也实现了几代中国国际象棋棋手的梦想。His world title victory trended widely on Chinese social media. The hashtag "Ding Liren becomes chess world champion" had been viewed over 22 million times on Sina Weibo as of Monday, with most expressing their excitement about the win and congratulating Ding.丁立人的世界冠军头衔在中国社交媒体上引起了广泛关注。截至5月1日，“丁立人夺国际象棋世界冠军”的标签在新浪微博上的浏览量超过2200万，其中大多数都表达了对胜利的兴奋和对丁立人的祝贺。Among his greatest supporters is Xie Jun, a Chinese chess giant who won the nation's first women's world title in 1991.丁立人的支持者中包括谢军，后者曾在1991年为中国夺得首个国际象棋女子世界冠军。"The meaning of this men's title is equal to the title that I won 32 years ago. After three decades of effort, it's like Chinese chess has built an oasis in the middle of a desert," Xie told Xinhua News Agency.“这个男子冠军的意义和我32年前赢得的冠军是一样的。经过三十年的努力，中国的国际象棋在沙漠中建立了一片绿洲，”谢军向新华社表示。"It means Chinese men's chess has also reached the world's top level. We have been waiting for this moment for too long.“这标志着中国男子棋手到达了国际象棋职业棋赛的顶峰，我们期待这个时刻太久了。”"With a role model like Ding, I believe more youngsters will participate in chess. And the game will earn more attention and support from different sectors in society and the government."“有了丁立人做榜样，我相信更多的年轻人会参与到国际象棋中。国际象棋也会得到来自社会各界与政府更多的关注与支持。”Championship英/ˈtʃæmpiənʃɪp/ 美/ˈtʃæmpiənʃɪp/n.锦标赛Chess英/tʃes/ 美/tʃes/n.国际象棋

China is witnessing a travel boom during this year's five-day May Day holiday, the first such holiday since the country optimized its COVID-19 response measures. Domestic travel bookings for the holiday, which starts on April 29 this year, have surged more than 700 percent from last year, the latest data from online travel agency Trip.com Group shows.今年五一假期是中国优化新冠疫情防控措施后的第一个假期，中国正在经历一场旅游热潮。据在线旅游机构携程旅行网最新数据显示，今年五一假期，国内旅游预订量同比增长超过700%。Below are seven Chinese cities that are among the top holiday travel choices for tourists. Apart from first-tier cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, smaller ones like Zibo of Shandong province are gaining prominence due to their various attractions.以下7个城市是游客最喜欢的热门旅游目的地。除了北京、上海等一线城市外，山东淄博等规模较小的城市也因其各具魅力而名列前茅。Beijing北京As a historic and cultural city, the Chinese capital is undoubtedly one of the most popular destinations. This year, Beijing recommends 16 tourism routes highlighting the city's ancient relics, royal gardens, parks, museums and venues for the Olympic Games and Winter Olympics. The Great Wall, the Palace Museum, the Summer Palace and the National Stadium, also known as Bird's Nest, are covered by the routes.Nearly 300 plays and 1,170 performances will be put on during the holiday, including symphonies and dance dramas, providing a cultural feast for audiences to enjoy in the country's cultural center.作为一座历史文化名城，中国首都无疑是最受欢迎的旅游目的地之一。今年，北京推荐了16条旅游线路，重点介绍了北京的古迹、皇家园林、公园、博物馆和奥运会及冬奥会场馆。长城、故宫博物院、颐和园和国家体育场，也包含在这些路线中。五一期间，北京上演近300部戏剧和1170场演出，包括交响乐和舞蹈剧，让人们在这个文化中心享受美妙的文化体验。Shanghai上海Boasting the Bund, the Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai Disney Resort, Shanghai is listed among the top 10 destinations by multiple online travel platforms.As an emerging means of travel following COVID-19, more and more tourists prefer a city walk, enjoying the historic buildings and street views along various interesting roads, such as Wukang Road and Anfu Road.Located in the core area of the Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai has also witnessed a growth in regional tours radiating out from the city. Train tickets from Shanghai to nearby tourist cities such as Suzhou, which is famous for its traditional gardens, and Hangzhou, where West Lake is located, have almost sold out.上海因其拥有外滩、东方明珠塔和上海迪士尼度假区等著名景点，被多个在线旅游平台列为目的地前十名之一。在新冠疫情之后，越来越多的游客更喜欢步行游览城市，欣赏沿途历史建筑和街景，如武康路和安福路。作为长江三角洲核心地带，上海还见证了从城市辐射出去的区域旅游的增长。从上海到周边旅游城市（如以传统园林闻名的苏州和西湖所在地杭州）的火车票几乎已售罄。Xi'an西安Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, is home to the Terracotta Warriors, Weiyang Palace and the ancient city wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).After visiting the cultural ruins in the daytime, tourists can dress in traditional Chinese costumes to immerse themselves in the historic city in the evening, strolling through ancient buildings, having a taste of local snacks and watching the acrobatics and lion-dance shows in the street imitating the ancient street scenes of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).西安是一座拥有3100多年历史的城市，有兵马俑、未央宫和明代（1368-1644）古城墙等著名景点。白天游览文化遗址后，可以穿上中国传统服饰，傍晚沉浸在历史名城中，漫步古建筑，品尝当地小吃，在街道上观看模仿唐代（618-907）古街景的杂技和舞狮表演。Guangzhou广州The southern city of Guangzhou attracts tourists with its landmark Guangzhou Tower, old and famous Cantonese restaurants, street night markets and night-cruise tours along the Zhujiang River.The Guangzhou Chimelong Tourist Resort is a must-see destination for families with children. Not only can visitors find some 20,000 precious wild animals, including the giant panda triplets, in the safari park, but they can also watch an international circus attended by more than 300 performers from more than 20 countries. A fair featuring Chinese traditional costumes and an electric music night party are also held in the resort during the holiday.南方城市广州以其地标性的广州塔、古老而著名的粤菜餐厅、街头夜市和珠江夜游吸引着游客。对于带孩子的家庭来说，广州长隆旅游度假区是一个必去的目的地。游客不仅可以在野生动物园里看到2万多只珍贵的野生动物，包括大熊猫三胞胎，还可以观看来自20多个国家的300多名表演者参加的国际马戏团。五一期间，度假村还将举办中国传统服装博览会和电子音乐晚会。Chongqing重庆Known as a "mountain city," Chongqing in Southwest China attracts people with its beautiful scenery, such as uneven roads and architecture built on hills and along the Yangtze River.Among the famous destinations are two UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Wulong Karst Scenic Area and the Dazu Rock Carvings. The former is famous for its giant sinkholes, natural bridges and caves, while the latter features an exceptional series of rock carvings dating from the 9th to the 13th century.In the city proper, the ancient town of Ciqikou, dating back some 1,000 years to the Song Dynasty, the temple fair and night tours allow tourists to enjoy the culture in the "mountain city."重庆素有“山城”之称，以崎岖不平的山路、长江沿岸的建筑风光吸引着人们。在著名的旅游景点中有两处联合国教科文组织评选的世界遗产：五龙喀斯特风景区和大足石刻。前者以其巨大的天坑、天然桥梁和洞穴而闻名，后者则以9世纪至13世纪的一系列不同寻常的石刻为特色。在市区内，具有1000多年历史的宋代古镇磁器口、寺庙庙会和夜游让游客充分感受这座“山城”的文化。Sanya三亚Nicknamed "Oriental Hawaii," Sanya, in the island province of Hainan, has long been on the list of hot destinations for tourists in China.In the past, the site mainly relied on its sea views to attract visitors, but nowadays, it offers a variety of tourism programs, as Sanya i

Japanese activists are calling for the return of Chinese cultural relics looted by Japan during the country's wars in China, as a civil group advocating the restoration underlines that returning these relics is the responsible thing to do.日本相关人士要求日本政府主动归还在侵华战争期间掠夺的中国文物，倡导归还文物的日本民间团体强调，归还这些文物才是负责任的做法。Kazuo Morimoto, representative of the association for promoting the return of Chinese cultural properties, said that recent years have witnessed France and other European countries returning looted cultural relics to their former colonial countries in Africa and Asia.“中国文物返还运动推进会”的代表森本和男表示，近年来，法国和其他欧洲国家正向非洲、亚洲前殖民地国家归还掠夺文物。"There has been a wave of returning looted cultural relics around the world, but this momentum is still weak in Japan," Morimoto told the Global Times on Sunday, stressing that Japan has barely mentioned its wartime looting and destruction of cultural relics.4月23日，森本和男向《环球时报》表示：“世界上出现归还掠夺文物的风潮，但这股势头在日本仍然很弱。”森本还强调，日本几乎没有提及其战时掠夺、破坏文物的行为。"The Japanese government concealed this disgraceful history from the people after World War II so many people in Japanese society do not know about it. As a Japanese, I'm ashamed of that."“在二战后，日本政府向日本人民隐瞒了这段不光彩的历史，以至于日本社会很多人对此一无所知。作为一个日本人，我对此感到很羞愧。”The association held a rally on Saturday in Tokyo, urging the Japanese government to return Chinese cultural relics plundered during the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) and the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).4月22日，“中国文物返还运动推进会”在东京组织集会，要求日本政府主动归还甲午战争、日俄战争、日本全面侵华战争期间掠夺至日本的中国文物。The civil group was founded to encourage Japan to return Chinese cultural relics, achieve "historical reconciliation" between the two countries, and further promote the development of bilateral relations.“中国文物返还运动推进会”的成立是为了促进日本归还中国文物，实现中日“历史和解”，并进一步促进中日双边关系的发展。The civil group initially called for the return of three Chinese stone lions that were looted from the Sanxue Temple in Haicheng, Northeast China's Liaoning province. Two of these lions are now located outside the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo and the other is in the Yamagata Aritomo Memorial Museum in the Tochigi prefecture.“中国文物返还运动推进会”最初要求归还从中国辽宁省海城市三学寺掠夺的三尊中国石狮子。其中两尊石狮子现在位于东京的靖国神社外，另一尊位于栃木县的山县有朋纪念馆。Atsushi Koketsu, emeritus professor at Yamaguchi University of Japan and also co-representative of the association, told the Global Times that it had held talks with the Yasukuni Shrine, which stated: "It is necessary to re-investigate what happened at that time."“中国文物返还运动推进会”联合代表、日本山口大学名誉教授纐缬厚在集会上表示，推进会已与靖国神社举行会谈，对方表示：“有必要重新调查当时发生的事。”The civil groups also sent two petitions to the museum, but they were unanswered, Koketsu told the Global Times.纐缬厚向《环球时报》表示，“中国文物返还运动推进会”曾两次向山县有朋纪念馆送去有关返还文物的请愿书，但均未收到回复。The organization has also called for the return of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) Honglujing Stele, which was looted from Lüshun in Liaoning and is now located in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.“中国文物返还运动推进会”还呼吁归还从辽宁旅顺掠夺的唐鸿胪井刻石，该碑现在位于东京的日本皇宫。However, the Imperial Household Agency of Japan which oversees matters concerning the Japanese imperial family was not forthcoming when reached by the association concerning the return of the stele.然而，当“中国文物返还运动推进会”就归还鸿胪井刻石一事与负责管理日本皇室事务的日本宫内厅交涉时，对方并没有主动提供帮助。There is good news as well. Koketsu said that some members of the Japanese Parliament have expressed their support and are willing to help mediate the issue.还有一个好消息。纐缬厚表示，日本国会部分议员已表示支持，愿意帮忙沟通斡旋。"We will continue to hold rallies and seminars this year to raise awareness among more Japanese people and urge the Japanese government to return Chinese cultural relics looted by Japan as soon as possible," he said. "We have this determination."纐缬厚说：“我们今年将继续举行集会和研讨会，唤起更多日本人的关注，敦促日本政府尽早归还被日本掠夺的中国文物。我们有这样的决心。”Morimoto told the Global Times that these issues should have been resolved in the last century and not have been left to the next generation, adding that Japanese society needs to face history.森本和男向《环球时报》表示，这些问题原本应该在上个世纪被解决，但却被拖到了现在，绝不能再留给下一代，他还补充道，日本社会需要正视历史。He also said that calling for the Japanese government to return looted Chinese cultural relics is not just a responsibility but something that must be done.森本和男还表示，敦促政府早日归还中国文物是日本人的责任，这是必须要做的事情。Relic英/ˈrelɪk/ 美/ˈrelɪk/n.遗物，遗迹Loot英/luːt/ 美/luːt/v.（尤指在战争或暴乱中）抢劫，掠夺

春日美如斯，正是读书时。本期#围炉漫话#节目中，三位外籍嘉宾相约南京世界文学客厅，畅谈《三国演义》《孙子兵法》和《红楼梦》等文学作品。#中国唯一的世界文学之都是南京#，中国日报外籍记者石花姐来到南京后，想起了对她影响颇深的作品《大地》，感慨“作者赛珍珠对于在西方世界中塑造一个正面积极的中国形象、弥合文化鸿沟，起到了深远的影响”。今天你读了哪本书？

Giant panda Ya Ya arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Thursday from Memphis, Tennessee.4月27日，大熊猫“丫丫”从田纳西州的孟菲斯飞抵上海浦东国际机场。Ya Ya returned to China from the United States after a 20-year loan for a joint research and conservation project, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.据国家林业和草原局称，在获得为期20年的联合研究和保护项目贷款后，“丫丫”即将从美国返回中国。In December, the Memphis Zoo announced that it would return Ya Ya, who arrived in the US in 2003.2022年12月，孟菲斯动物园宣布将归还2003年抵达美国的“丫丫”。The zoo hosted a farewell party for the 23-year-old female panda on April 8, with hundreds of people attending the event, Xinhua News Agency reported.据新华社报道，4月8日，孟菲斯动物园为23岁的雌性大熊猫“丫丫”举办了欢送会，数百人参加了此次活动。In January, Chinese netizens showed their concern for Ya Ya, who appeared somewhat malnourished in pictures and videos posted.1月，中国网民表达了对“丫丫”的关注，在发布的照片和视频中，“丫丫”显得有些营养不良。In response, the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens said in an announcement that the zoo had taken good care of her, and there is no indication that she was neglected, based on videos of her and the results of monthly health reports and annual physical examinations.对此，中国动物园协会在一份公告中表示，从“丫丫”的视频、月度健康报告和年度体检结果看来，动物园将“丫丫”照顾得很好，并没有任何忽视“丫丫”的迹象。In 2006, Ya Ya began to shed fur, a condition that worsened in 2014. Experts at the Memphis Zoo and in China tried various forms of treatment but were unable to resolve the problem, the association said.中国动物园协会表示，2006年，“丫丫”的毛发开始脱落，2014年，毛发脱落的情况恶化。孟菲斯动物园和中国的专家尝试了各种形式的治疗，但无法解决这个问题。Zoological英/ˌzuːəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l/ 美/ˌzuːəˈlɑːdʒɪk(ə)l/adj.动物学的

China will send a special representative on Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communications with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday, reiterating that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out of the crisis.Xi made the remarks in a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Both leaders exchanged views on bilateral ties and the Ukraine crisis.Xi said that the complex evolution of the Ukraine crisis has had a major impact on the international landscape. Regarding the crisis, China has always stood on the side of peace, and its core position is to promote peace through talks, he said.China did not create the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to the crisis, Xi said. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a responsible major country, China would not sit idly by, add oil to the fire or exploit the situation for self-gain, he said.Everything China does is aboveboard, Xi told Zelensky.Noting that there would be no winner in a nuclear war, Xi said that all parties must stay calm and exercise restraint, truly act in the interests of their own future and that of humanity, and jointly manage the crisis.With rational thinking and voices now on the rise, Xi stressed the need to seize the opportunity to build up favorable conditions for political settlement of the crisis.Xi reiterated that China remains committed to facilitating peace talks and will make efforts for an early cease-fire and restoration of peace.China has sent multiple shipments of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and will continue providing help to the best of its ability, he added.China issued a position paper on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis in February. Xi has emphasized facilitating peace talks to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on many occasions, including during his meetings with foreign leaders who have visited China in recent months, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.On bilateral ties, Xi said that China-Ukraine relations, after 31 years of development, have reached a level of strategic partnership, boosting development and revitalization of the two countries.Xi commended Zelensky for stating, on multiple occasions, the importance the Ukrainian leader attaches to developing the bilateral relationship and advancing cooperation with China, and he thanked the Ukrainian side for its strong assistance in the evacuation of Chinese nationals last year.Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the political foundation of China-Ukraine relations, he said.No matter how the international situation evolves, China will work with Ukraine to advance mutually beneficial cooperation, Xi said.Zelensky said that China upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in international affairs and has significant influence on the international stage.Ukraine is committed to the one-China policy and hopes to advance all-around bilateral cooperation with China, open a new chapter in Ukraine-China relations and jointly safeguard world peace and stability, he said.Zelensky thanked China for providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and welcomed China's important role in restoring peace.Shortly after the phone conversation, Zelensky tweeted: "I had a long and meaningful phone call with President Xi Jinping. I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations."Zelensky named a former Cabinet minister as Ukraine's new ambassador to Beijing, Reuters reported on Wednesday.Reporter: Cao Desheng

US President Joe Biden, despite a majority of Americans polled not supporting his run for a second term, announced via video on Tuesday that he will seek the White House again in 2024.4月25日，美国总统乔·拜登通过视频正式宣布2024年竞选连任，尽管民调显示大部分受访者不支持他连任。Biden, 80, a Democrat, is gearing up for a possible showdown with his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, 76, who announced on Nov 15 that he plans to seek another term.现年80岁的民主党人拜登正准备与76岁的共和党人唐纳德·特朗普再次对决，此前，特朗普于2022年11月15日宣布正式竞选2024年大选。In declaring his formal entry into the 2024 campaign, Biden said he decided to run again because the "battle for the soul of America" is continuing, and he also referenced "MAGA extremists" in a jab at Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.在宣布正式加入2024年的竞选活动时，拜登说，他决定再次参选是因为美国仍处于“为国家灵魂而战”的斗争中，他还提到了“MAGA极端分子”，讽刺特朗普的“让美国再次伟大”口号。On the campaign trail in 2020, Biden told voters that his presidency would be a bridge to the next generation, a comment that some interpreted as a signal that he would serve only one term, but he has decided to forge ahead.在2020年的总统大选中，拜登告诉选民，他的总统任期将成为通向下一代的桥梁，一些人将此评论解读为拜登只有一届任期的信号，暗示，但拜登已决定再次参选。There also had been speculation as to whether Vice-President Kamala Harris would remain on the ticket. But she appeared frequently in the three-minute campaign video, which concluded with a "Biden-Harris" logo.也有人猜测副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯是否会参与竞选。但哈里斯频繁出现在三分钟的竞选视频中，视频以“拜登-哈里斯”的标志结束。"Joe and I look forward to finishing the job, winning this battle for the soul of the nation, and serving the American people for four more years in the White House," Harris said in her own statement.哈里斯在自己的声明中说：“我和拜登期待着完成这项工作，为国家的灵魂赢得这场战斗，并在白宫再为美国人民服务四年。”Trump released his own video Monday ahead of Biden's announcement, whom he said has done more "damage" than the "five worst presidents in American history" combined. Trump went after Biden on issues ranging from the strength of the dollar, inflation, border security and the deadly withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in August 2022.4月24日，在拜登宣布参选之前，特朗普发布了自己的视频，特朗普说拜登造成的“破坏”比“美国历史上最糟糕的五位总统”加起来还多。2022年8月，特朗普在美元强势、通货膨胀、边境安全以及美军从阿富汗撤军等问题上炮轰拜登。"Banks are failing. Our currency is crashing, and the dollar will soon no longer be the world standard, which will be our greatest defeat in over 200 years," Trump said.特朗普说：“银行正在倒闭，美元正在崩溃，很快将不是‘世界标准’，这是我们200多年来的最大失败。”Analysts and pollsters said that US voters are ambivalent about both likely candidates, as there has been somewhat of a national fatigue over a potential Trump-Biden rematch in 2024.分析人士和民调机构表示，美国选民对两位可能的候选人都持矛盾态度，因为对于2024年特朗普和拜登潜在的再次对决，美国人民都感到了“疲乏”。Polls found that the majority of Americans, to whom Biden has appealed for support to finish the job, show no enthusiasm about his possible second term.民调显示，尽管拜登积极寻求民众支持，但大多数美国人对拜登可能的第二任期表现消极态度。Biden also will face a primary challenge from Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who announced last week that he will seek the Democratic nomination.拜登还将面临来自小罗伯特·肯尼迪的挑战，后者在上周宣布角逐民主党总统大选党内提名。Trump also will face a primary opponent in Nikki Haley, who previously was governor of South Carolina and US ambassador to the United Nations, and likely former vice-president Mike Pence and US Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina. But Trump's biggest potential challenger could be Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has yet to announce whether he will run.特朗普还将面对美国前驻联合国大使与前南卡罗来纳州州长妮基·黑莉、前副总统迈克·彭斯和南卡罗来纳州的参议员蒂姆·斯科特。但特朗普最大的潜在对手可能是佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯，德桑蒂斯尚未宣布是否参选。"The American public is ambivalent about both President Biden and former president Trump, but they are the likely nominees of their parties. Once those nominations are confirmed in the summer national party conventions, partisans on both sides will line up behind their candidates," said Cal Jillson, a political scientist and historian at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.达拉斯南卫理公会大学的政治学家和历史学家卡尔·吉尔森说：“美国公众对总统拜登和前总统特朗普都持矛盾态度，但拜登和特朗普很可能是各自政党提名的总统候选人。一旦这些提名在夏季全国党代会上得到确认，双方的党派人士都会支持他们的候选人。”"Biden's suggestion in 2020 that he might serve only one term as president, because many were concerned about his age at that time, was overcome by his sense that there was more he wanted to accomplish and that his conduct in office had shown that age had not slowed him down," Jillson told China Daily.吉尔森告诉《中国日报》：“拜登在2020年表示自己可能只担任一届总统，因为当时许多人担心他的年龄，但他觉得自己想完成更多的事情，而且他在任期间的行为表明，年龄并没有拖累他。”"No one wants the rematch — the Trump fans because they don't like Biden but fear that Trump will lose to him again, and the Biden fans because they have done this once already," William C. Banks, distinguished professor emeritus at Syracuse University College of Law in New York, said in an email.纽约雪城大学法学院名誉教授威廉·C·班克斯在一封电子邮件中表示：“没有人想看拜登和特朗普之间的重赛，特朗普的粉丝不想看是因为他们不喜欢拜登，但又担心特朗普会再次输给他，而拜登的粉丝则不想看，则是因为他们已经经历了一次。”Both the current and former president could face resistance from the public as a whole in a general election, according to The Associated Press, whose poll released on Friday found only 26 percent of Americans overall want to see Biden run again, and only about half of his own party members think he should do so.据美联社报道，现任总统和前任总统在大选中都可能面临

Whenever the word Taiwan is uttered by certain Western politicians it has become their habit to accompany it with an accusing finger pointed at Beijing. Sticking faithfully to the script written by Washington, they try to paint the picture that Beijing is using "threats, coercion, intimidation or the use of force" in a bid to change the status quo.每当某些西方政客提到台湾这个词时，他们就会习惯性地将矛头转过来指责中国。这些政客奉美国谱写的剧本为圭臬，试图描绘出一副中国正用“威胁、胁迫、恐吓或使用武力”来改变现状的画面。Some have even tried to link the Taiwan question with the conflict in Ukraine.有些政客甚至试图将台湾问题与乌克兰冲突联系起来。Such talk is irresponsible and has been firmly rebutted by Beijing, which has repeatedly clarified that the Taiwan question is an internal affair and therefore fundamentally different from the Ukraine issue. Which is something that even the countries hyping up the claim that the Chinese mainland is itching to use force implicitly acknowledge as they all say they adhere to the one-China policy.中国坚决反驳这种不负责任的言论，中国一再强调，台湾问题是中国内政，与乌克兰问题有着本质的区别。即使是那些大肆宣扬中国迫不及待要使用武力的国家也都承认这一点，因为他们都表示坚持一个中国政策。The United States has made no bones about the fact that it is using the Taiwan question as part of its "Indo-Pacific" China-containment strategy, and many of its allies, such as the United Kingdom and Japan, are tagging along for the ride as they have forgotten how to stand on their own two feet.美国毫不掩饰将台湾问题作为其用来遏制中国的“印太战略”的一部分，包括英国、日本在内的美国盟友们也纷纷行动，它们尾随美国之后，已经忘记了如何自食其力。Some countries in the European Union, however, seem caught on the horns of a dilemma, as whether to go all-in with the US or not in its efforts to suppress China's rise has become a pressing question that will determine if the bloc asserts or surrenders its strategic autonomy.然而，欧盟的一些国家似乎陷入了两难的境地，在美国压制中国崛起的行动中，是否与美国同流合污已成为一个紧迫的问题，这将决定欧盟是坚持还是放弃其战略自主权。The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell shed some light on the pickle the EU has got itself into in an article published in a French weekly on Sunday.4月23日，欧盟外交与安全事务高级代表何塞·博雷利（音译）在法国某周刊发表的一篇文章中阐明了欧盟陷入的困境。Calling for European nations to send warships to the Taiwan Strait to "signify Europe's commitment to freedom of navigation", he said that Taiwan "concerns us economically, commercially and technologically". And he explained why — "because Taiwan has a strategic role in the production of the most advanced semiconductors". That this comment came after he attended the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Japan is probably no coincidence. It echoes similar remarks of the top diplomat of the US in the meeting.博雷利呼吁欧洲国家向台湾海峡派遣军舰以“表明欧洲对航行自由的承诺”，他说台湾“在经济、商业和技术上都与欧盟有关”。他解释了原因——“因为台湾在生产最先进的半导体方面具有战略作用”。博雷利发表此番言论的时间正好在出席了日本举办的七国集团外长会议后，恐怕并非巧合。这与七国集团外长会议上美国国务卿的类似言论相呼应。But putting aside the fact the semiconductor risk comes from Washington, which is trying to get an exclusive and iron grip on the production of the most advanced semiconductors, it shows that the EU hierarchy at least is still intent on toeing Washington's line. The only reason Borrell would call for European warships to patrol the Taiwan Strait is to please Washington. Why? Because, the EU leaders, who are of a certain generation, believe the bloc has "a major security concern, Ukraine".但抛开半导体风险是美国制造这一事实不谈，美国正试图牢牢地、独裁地掌控最先进半导体的生产，这表明欧盟高层至少仍打算听从美国的安排。博雷利呼吁欧洲军舰巡逻台湾海峡的唯一原因是为了取悦美国。为什么呢？因为这一代的欧盟领导人认为欧盟有“一个主要的安全问题“，即乌克兰。But Borrell — and other Western politicians — should know that European warships sailing though the Taiwan Strait is not conducive to peace and stability. Every time they do so, it will be a provocative move to intervene in China's internal affairs.但博雷利和其他西方政客应该知道，欧洲军舰在台湾海峡航行不利于和平与稳定。他们每次这样做，都将是干涉中国内政的挑衅行为。Any such provocation risks disaster as it is foolishly playing with fire.任何此类挑衅都可能引发灾难，因为这是在愚蠢地玩火。Internal英/ɪnˈtɜːn(ə)l/ 美/ɪnˈtɜːrn(ə)l/adj.内政的，国内的Strait英/streɪt/ 美/streɪt/n.海峡Semiconductor英/ˌsemikənˈdʌktə(r)/ 美/ˈsemikəndʌktər/n.半导体

Female giant panda Ya Ya, having lived in the United States for two decades, will return to China within the next few days, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.据国家林草局消息，旅美20年的雌性大熊猫“丫丫”将于近日回到祖国。As arranged by the Chinese and US sides, she will board a homeward-bound plane to Shanghai.按照中美双方安排，“丫丫”将登上回国的航班，飞往上海。Ya Ya was born at the Beijing Zoo on Aug. 3, 2000. She arrived at the Memphis Zoo in April 2003, along with giant panda Le Le as envoys of friendship, and was warmly welcomed.2000年8月3日，“丫丫”在北京动物园出生，2003年4月，她与大熊猫“乐乐”一起作为友好使者来到孟菲斯动物园，受到了热烈欢迎。The Memphis Zoo announced in December 2022 that it would return Ya Ya to China, concluding 20 years of cooperative research on time. Hundreds of people said goodbye to Ya Ya on April 8 at her farewell event at the zoo ahead of her return to China.2022年12月，孟菲斯动物园宣布将“丫丫”送回中国，按时结束长达20年的合作研究。2023年4月8日，在“丫丫”返回中国之前，数百人在动物园举行的告别活动中与她道别。The initial agreement for Ya Ya's stay in the US was for 10 years. It was extended for another decade in 2013.“丫丫”最初旅居美国协议期限为10年，2013年时，这份协议又延长了10年。In February, a Chinese expert group arrived at the Memphis Zoo to check Ya Ya's health. According to their evaluation, a skin disease caused hair loss in Ya Ya, but she had a good appetite, normal excrement, and stable weight.2月，中国专家组抵达孟菲斯动物园，对“丫丫”进行健康检查。据专家组评估，除了皮肤病导致的毛发脱落外，“丫丫”食欲良好，粪便性状正常，体重稳定。A veterinarian and a keeper from the Beijing Zoo reached the Memphis Zoo last month and worked with the experts from the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens, who had arrived earlier, to get familiar with the living habits and feeding conditions of Ya Ya.3月，北京动物园的一名兽医和一名饲养员抵达孟菲斯动物园，与先期抵达的中国动物园协会专家一道，熟悉了解“丫丫”的生活习性和饲养情况。They also worked along with staff on the US side for Ya Ya's breeding, nursing, and health assessment and made further preparations for her return to ensure a safe and sound trip.中方工作人员与美方工作人员共同做好了“丫丫”的饲养护理与健康评估等工作，进一步细化回国前的准备工作，确保“丫丫”平安回国。The Memphis Zoo has a relatively sound management system and operation procedures, said the veterinarian, noting that Ya Ya's body weight and health condition are stable now.兽医表示，孟菲斯动物园有比较完善的管理制度和操作规程，“丫丫”目前的体重和健康状况都比较稳定。Keepers at the Memphis Zoo would record the time, type, and weight of food provided to Ya Ya every day, as well as the situation of her excrement, while veterinarians would conduct health examinations on Ya Ya on time. This data is provided to the Chinese side regularly, according to the veterinarian.孟菲斯动物园的饲养员会每天记录给“丫丫”提供食物的时间、种类、重量，以及粪便的情况，兽医也会按时对“丫丫”进行健康检查。据兽医介绍，这些数据会定期提供给中方。"To better breed Ya Ya after she returns to China, we also learned some gestures and commands for behavior training from US keepers at Memphis," said the Beijing Zoo keeper sent to Memphis.赴美的北京动物园饲养员表示：“为了能在回国后更好地饲养‘丫丫’，我们在孟菲斯也跟美方饲养员学习了一些行为训练的手势和口令。”The veterinarian said that the Chinese staff learned about how Ya Ya is fed and cared for in Memphis and had some interactions with her.兽医说，中方工作人员了解了“丫丫”在孟菲斯动物园的喂养和照顾情况，并与“丫丫”进行了一些互动。The panda has recently been feeding on biscuits from China so that her digestive system can adapt as soon as possible. Training has also been conducted to help her get accustomed to the shipping crate for the cross-ocean flight.最近，“丫丫”在食用中国提供的饼干，以便消化系统能够尽快适应。同时，“丫丫”还接受了对运输笼的适应训练，以便到时能顺利渡过跨洋旅程。The Memphis Zoo has been feeding Ya Ya with different types of bamboo, and how much she eats varies seasonally, said Associate Curator Lauren Caskey at Memphis Zoo, adding that sugar canes, grapes, and biscuits are also provided.孟菲斯动物园副馆长劳伦·卡斯基表示，孟菲斯动物园一直在用不同种类的竹子喂养“丫丫”，“丫丫”的食量随季节变化，此外，动物园还提供甘蔗、葡萄和饼干。Special care is needed for an aging panda, and zoo staff take detailed notes on Ya Ya's diet and carefully look at her mouth, back, and hands daily, said Caskey.卡斯基表示，年迈的熊猫需要特别照顾，动物园工作人员会详细记录“丫丫”的饮食状况，每天仔细检查她的嘴巴、背部和手掌。In her eyes, Ya Ya is funny and likes to be close with people. "When Ya Ya sees you, she always comes over to say hi and you actually do see a smile on her face."在卡斯基看来，“丫丫”十分有趣，喜欢与人亲近。她说：“‘丫丫’见到人来，总会过来打声招呼，你真的能从‘丫丫’脸上看见笑容。”"We've had a wonderful opportunity to have our colleagues from China here, and we've been helping give them all the information about our wonderful Ya Ya," said Caskey.卡斯基说：“中国同事的到来是个很好的机会，我们一直帮助提供关于‘丫丫’的所有信息。”"Ya Ya is so smart and adaptable, and I know she is gonna do great when she goes back to China," she said.她说：“‘丫丫’非常聪明，适应能力也很强，我相信她回到中国后会一切都好。”Homeward英/ˈhəʊmwəd/ 美/ˈhoʊmwərd/adj.在归途上的，向家的Veterinarian英/ˌvetərɪˈneəriən/ 美/ˌvetərɪˈneriən/n.兽医

Demand on tourism bursts as the Minsu market's recovery speeds up with the upcoming the May Day holiday, ThePaper reported on Tuesday.4月18日，据澎湃新闻报道，随着五一假期的到来，民宿市场的复苏速度加快，旅游需求迸发。As of April 17, bookings of Minsu (a Chinese-style bed-and-breakfast establishment) surged twofold compared with same period of 2019, with average room price reaching 534 yuan ($77.64), according to data from online Minsu booking platform Tujia.根据在线民宿预订平台途家的数据，截至4月17日，民宿的预订量与2019年同期相比激增了两倍，平均房价达到534元（约合77.64美元）。During this past month, Zibo's barbecue in East China's Shandong province has gone viral and that has driven its Minsu market to boom with May Day holiday booking numbers jumping twelve-fold from 2019.在过去的一个月里，山东淄博烧烤走红推动了其民宿市场的繁荣，相较2019年，五一假期的淄博民俗预订人数猛增了12倍。According to the online booking platform, the booking number for Minsu increased threefold in Shandong province during the May Day holiday while its average room price of 522 yuan remains lower than national average level.据在线预订平台的数据，五一假期期间，山东的民宿预订数量增加了三倍，而其平均房价为522元，仍然低于全国平均水平。Moreover, other cities in Shandong province are also showing a auspicious performance on Minsu bookings, said Tujia platform.此外，途家平台表示，山东省其他城市的民宿预订情况也表现不俗。Among China's top 10 popular tourism destinations, Shandong has two cites with positions - Qingdao and Weihai - and Qingdao surpassed Chengdu and Chongqing for the first time to take the number one spot.在中国十大热门旅游目的地中，山东占两席——青岛和威海，而且青岛首次超过成都和重庆，占据了全国第一的位置。In addition, the booking numbers in Yantai, Jinan, Rizhao and Tai'an of Shandong province have also seen a good performance.此外，山东省的烟台、济南、日照和泰安的民俗预订量也表现良好。This year, seaside destinations are also seeing a spike in bookings.今年，海滨目的地的预订量也出现了激增。Ten cities' Minsu bookings surged fourfold in anticipation of the May Day holiday, with 8 cities located in the seaside, according to Tujia. Weihai takes the 1st spot with its booking number surging 14.6 times, followed by Rizhao, Fuzhou, Taizhou and Shantou.据途家报道，为了迎接五一假期，十个城市的民宿预订量激增四倍，其中八个城市位于海边。威海以其预订量激增14.6倍位居第一，其次是日照、福州、台州和汕头。The Minsu in rural areas are still popular, with the booking number accounting for nearly 40 percent of the total, said Tujia.途家表示，农村地区的民宿仍然很受欢迎，预订数量占总数的近40%。The top 10 cities with large booking numbers for Minsu in rural areas are Dali, Beijing, Xiamen, Lijiang, Suzhou, Qingdao, Shanghai, Fuzhou, Hangzhou and Beihai.农村地区民宿预订量较大的前十个城市是大理、北京、厦门、丽江、苏州、青岛、上海、福州、杭州和北海。Among customers booking the Minsu in rural areas, the "post-80s" and "post-90s" generations are still the mainstream, accounting for more than 60 percent. Lofts, inns and single-family villas are popular room types, as well as fruit and vegetable picking, diy and delicacies as the most popular experience activities.在农村地区预订民宿的客户中，"80后"和"90后"仍是主流，占比超过60%。公寓、客栈和独栋别墅是热门房型，果蔬采摘、diy和美食是最受欢迎的体验活动。Auspicious英/ɔːˈspɪʃəs/ 美/ɔːˈspɪʃəs/adj.有助于成功的，有利的Spike英/spaɪk/ 美/spaɪk/n.猛增

Top executives from global carmakers and auto parts suppliers have voiced their commitment to the Chinese market at 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, or Auto Shanghai 2023, the first major auto exhibition they have attended in the country since the outbreak of COVID-19.The biennial event, which runs from Tuesday through April 27, is one of the most important platforms to showcase latest car models and automotive technologies. Over 1,000 foreign and Chinese companies are participating in the event, according to its organizers.Volkswagen, the best-selling international carmaker in China, is presenting a big lineup of models, including 20 fully or partially electric ones.Volkswagen is the first international carmaker after a joint venture in the country. Its CEO Oliver Blume said his visit to China "is a bit like coming home". After 40 years of operating in the country, Volkswagen is "sometimes perceived as a Chinese brand", he said.According to Blume, China's auto industry has seen great progress in the past decades, with some local carmakers having launched "very competitive" products. He said that Volkswagen is speeding up its local decision-making and R&D to tap into China's dynamic growth and high speed of innovation.Last year, German carmaker BMW AG sold 790,000 vehicles in China, accounting for over one-third of its global total."We are very confident about the development of the Chinese market, and will continue to expand our footprint here," said Oliver Zipse, chairman of BMW AG's board of management."We feel at home here in China. The growth and success of BMW in the country has created prosperity in both China and Germany," he added.Toyota's Executive Vice-President Hiroki Nakajima emphasized the Japanese carmaker's commitment to China, especially in the new energy vehicle segment.Toyota is showcasing four electric models at the Shanghai auto show. It will launch at least 10 by 2026 to hit its global EV sales goal of 1.5 million units, with China as one of the leading markets.French marque Peugeot launched its first global model 408 X, while its electric concept — the Inception — made its Asian debut on the first day of the event."China will continue to be both the world's largest car producer and the world's largest car market," Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson said.German auto parts supplier Brose expects China to account for 25 percent of its global revenue by 2025, up from 20 percent now, CEO Ulrich Schrickel said.Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, said the brimming enthusiasm and cutting-edge products on display at the auto show will boost the Chinese market.Statistics from the CPCA show that 6.08 million vehicles were sold in the first quarter of 2023, down 6.7 percent year-on-year. However, sales in March saw a rising trajectory, with 2.5 million units sold, up 9.7 percent year-on-year.New energy vehicles have been a driving force. In March, NEV sales hit 653,000 units, up 34.8 percent year-on-year. The CPCA estimates that China's NEV sales will reach 9 million units this year, up from 6.9 million in 2022.Reporter: Fu Sheng

China's economy grew by 4.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, versus 2.9 percent in the last quarter of 2022, posting a steady economic rebound, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday. 4月18日，中国国家统计局表示，2023年第一季度中国经济同比增长4.5%，而2022年第四季度为2.9%，经济稳步回升。The country's first-quarter gross domestic product came in at around 28.5 trillion yuan ($4.15 trillion). On a quarter-on-quarter basis, China's GDP grew by 2.2 percent in the first three months of the year, the NBS said.2023年第一季度，中国国内生产总值约为28.5万亿元人民币，约合4.15万亿美元。国家统计局表示，按季度计算，今年前三个月中国的国内生产总值增长了2.2%。Despite the improvement in key economic indicators, the NBS warned of pressures from a complicated international environment and insufficient domestic demand, saying the recovery trend is not yet solid.国家统计局称，尽管主要经济指标有所改善，但由于国际环境复杂、国内需求不足，经济复苏趋势仍不稳固。More efforts should be made to promote high-quality growth, fully unleash the potential of the domestic demand, deepen reforms and expand high-level opening-up, the NBS said. 国家统计局称，应全力以赴促进高质量增长，充分释放内需潜力，深化改革，推进高水平对外开放。Figures released by the NBS showed China's value-added industrial output, a gauge of activity in the manufacturing, mining and utilities sectors, grew by 3.9 percent in March from a year earlier after a 2.4 percent rise in the first two months. 国家统计局公布的数据显示，继前两个月增长2.4%之后，中国工业产值（用于衡量制造业、采矿业和公用事业部门活动的指标）在3月份同比增长3.9%。In the first quarter, value-added industrial output grew by 3 percent compared to the same period last year, while in the last quarter of 2022, it rose by 2.7 percent from a year earlier. 2023年第一季度，中国工业产值同比增长3%，2022年第四季度，中国工业产值同比增长2.7%。Retail sales, a key measurement of consumer spending, grew by 10.6 percent year-on-year in March, from the 3.5 percent growth in the first two months. 社会消费品零售总额（衡量消费者支出的关键指标）3月份同比增长10.6%，高于前两个月3.5%的增幅。In the first quarter, retail sales rose by 5.8 percent compared to the same period last year, while in the last quarter of 2022, they declined 2.7 percent from a year earlier. 在第一季度，零售总额与同比增长5.8%，在2022年第四季度，零售总额同比下降2.7%。Fixed-asset investment – a gauge of expenditures on items including infrastructure, property, machinery and equipment – rose by 5.1 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, flat with the growth in 2022 and down from the 5.5 percent rise in the first two months. 固定资产投资（衡量基础设施、房地产、机械和设备等项目支出的指标）第一季度同比增长5.1%，与2022年的增长持平，低于第一季度前两个月5.5%的增幅。The surveyed urban jobless rate came in at 5.3 percent in March from 5.6 percent in February, according to the NBS.国家统计局的数据显示，3月份城镇调查失业率从2月份的5.6%降至5.3%。Indicator英/ˈɪndɪkeɪtə(r)/ 美/ˈɪndɪkeɪtər/n.指示器，指标Measurement英/ˈmeʒəmənt/ 美/ˈmeʒərmənt/n.测量结果，衡量

Zibo city in Shandong province has unexpectedly gone viral on Chinese social media since late February for its local barbecue specialty, and continues to trend as the local government takes the opportunity to spur tourism and spending.自2月下旬以来，山东省淄博市因当地的特产烤肉意外在社交媒体上走红，随着当地政府借机刺激旅游和消费，淄博持续走红。The latest promotion gives visitors free admission to 10 scenic spots in the city with their train ticket as long as their final destination is Zibo, according to the city's culture and tourism bureau.淄博市文旅局表示，在最新的宣传活动中，只要游客的最终目的地是淄博，就可以凭火车票免费进入淄博的10个景区。This move follows another on March 31 under which the Jinan bureau of China Railway added a weekend special round-trip "barbecue tour" train between Jinan, the capital city of Shandong and Zibo.此举是继3月31日中国铁路济南局集团有限公司加开周末往返济南和淄博的“烧烤专列”后的又一举措。Passengers who board the train are greeted by a banner reading "Welcome to the Special BBQ Train "at the entrance of the carriage. They also receive items including leaflets about Zibo's culture and tourism draws, as well as small souvenirs and snacks. Many also took videos and posted them on social media, drawing more visitors.登上该专列的乘客会在车厢入口处看到"欢迎乘坐烧烤专列 "的横幅。乘客们会收到一些物品，包括有关淄博文化和旅游景点的传单、小纪念品和小吃。许多乘客还拍摄了视频并发布在社交媒体上，吸引了更多游客。"The high-speed trains are packed with passengers and the air smells of cumin," wrote one netizen.一位网友写道：“高速列车上挤满了乘客，空气中弥漫着孜然的味道。”Barbecue is popular in China, but Zibo's barbecue is different on three counts; it's made on a stove, and is served with flatbread and dressings. The skewers are 70-80 percent cooked before they are brought to the table, where diners can finish cooking them on their own stoves, which lends a sense of participation. Diners are served flatbreads, scallions and other dressings at the table so they are able to assemble their own barbecue parcels, in much the same way Peking duck is eaten.烧烤在中国很受欢迎，但淄博的烧烤有三点不同；淄博烧烤是在炉子上制作的，配有面饼，还要调料一起吃。烧烤在被端上餐桌之前已经达到70-80%的熟度，食客可以在自己的炉子上完成烹饪，这给食客一种参与感。餐桌上有面饼、葱和其他调料，因此食客能够组装自己的烧烤包，这和北京烤鸭的吃法基本相同。The barbecue suddenly went viral after a group of college students shot videos of themselves enjoying a meal and posted them on social media in late February.2月下旬，一群大学生拍摄了他们吃淄博烧烤的视频并发布在了社交媒体上，而后，淄博烧烤突然走红。Since then, many people, mostly young, have flocked to the city from all over the country to try the dish.从那时起，许多人从全国各地涌向淄博来品尝烧烤，其中大部分是年轻人。According to local media reports on Wednesday, searches for "barbecue" increased by 370 percent in March, and searches for "Zibo barbecue" on the platform as a whole have increased by 770 percent year-on-year.4月12日，据淄博当地媒体报道，3月份“烧烤”搜索量增长370%，而整个平台上“淄博烧烤”的搜索量同比增长770%。On several streets, lines can be seen outside barbecue restaurants, which stretch for more than 100 meters on the weekend.在周末时，淄博一些街道上烧烤店外排起了百余米的长队。"Zibo barbecue is bringing more and more people to the city, and the local government needs to think about how to promote the city as a whole, its culture and tourism, as well as its living and business environment," said Sun Xiaorong, a member of the expert panel of tourism marketing and promotion that is supervised by the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.山东省文旅厅主管的山东旅游营销专家委员会成员孙小荣说：“淄博烧烤给这个城市带来了越来越多的人，当地政府需要思考如何从整体上推广这个城市，推广它的文化和旅游，以及它的生活和商业环境。”The trend will eventually end if the local government doesn't take proper follow-up measures, he added.孙小荣补充说，如果淄博地方政府不采取适当的后续措施，这种热潮最终会结束。Specialty英/ˈspeʃəlti/ 美/ˈspeʃəlti/n.特色食品，特产

Last year, Liu Zitong shelved her plan to study abroad due to COVID-19 and other safety concerns, and instead prepared for the national postgraduate entrance exam to enroll in a Chinese university.2022年，出于对新冠疫情与其他安全问题的顾虑，刘梓童（音译）搁置了自己出国留学的计划，转而准备参加全国研究生入学考试以进入国内大学读研。However, after the 22-year-old senior undergraduate student performed poorly in the exam, she decided to sign up for tutoring courses at Beijing-based overseas education consultancy EIC Education.然而，这位22岁的大四学生考研时发挥不佳，刘梓童决定在北京的启德留学集团报读辅导课程。"I have always longed to study abroad to experience a different lifestyle and broaden my horizons. English was my preferred subject in school, so it is easy for me to pass the language threshold for overseas study," she said.她说：“我一直渴望出国留学，去体验不同的生活方式，开阔自己的视野。英语是我在学校的首选科目，所以对我来说，跨过出国留学的语言门槛很容易。”Liu is looking at options in Singapore and Hong Kong because her parents are worried about her safety in other countries and regions where Chinese students have been discriminated against.刘梓童正在考虑去新加坡或香港留学，因为父母担心她在其他中国学生受歧视的国家和地区会遇到安全问题。Like Liu, many Chinese students, who found it unsafe to go to study abroad in the past three years, are reconsidering their decision.与刘梓童一样，在过去三年中，许多中国学生发现出国留学不安全，他们正在重新考虑自己的决定。The number of Chinese students studying abroad this year is likely to reach or even exceed the level before COVID-19 hit in 2019, with a strong recovery already seen in the sector after travel restrictions were lifted, according to several overseas education consultancies.据几家海外教育咨询机构表示，今年中国学生出国留学的人数有可能达到甚至超过2019年新冠疫情出现之前的水平，在取消旅行限制之后，出国留学行业已经出现了强劲的复苏。Liu Wei, vice-president of New Channel International Education Group, said the number of online, in-person and phone call inquiries for overseas study increased by 45 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023.新航道国际教育集团副总裁刘威表示，2023年第一季度，线上、面谈和电话咨询海外留学的数量同比增长45%。"The overseas study market is highly likely to return to its pre-pandemic levels this year and the number of students pursuing their studies abroad will increase steadily in the future," he said.他说：“今年海外留学市场极有可能恢复到新冠疫情前的水平，未来出国留学的学生数量将稳步增长。”This is mainly due to the fact that the demand for international education has not decreased. The tough competition in getting into good schools and finding decent jobs in China has also prompted students to look for high-quality education opportunities abroad, he said.这个现象主要是由于人们对国际教育的需求并没有减少。刘威说，在中国进入好学校和找到体面工作的竞争很激烈，这也促使学生到国外寻找高质量的教育机会。The pandemic had dealt a major blow to enrollment in foreign universities, so now it is a good time for Chinese students to study abroad, he added.他补充说，新冠疫情对国外大学的招生造成了重大打击，因此，现在是中国学生出国留学的好时机。Wang Ting, deputy general manager of EIC Education Beijing Branch, said their number of applications for overseas study grew by 46 percent in the first quarter of 2023 compared with the same period last year.启德教育北京分公司副总经理王婷表示，2023年第一季度，启德收到的留学申请数量与去年同期相比增长了46%。Applications for Australia and New Zealand grew by 129 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, for the United Kingdom 44 percent and for Canada 95 percent, she said.她说，澳大利亚和新西兰的申请在第一季度同比增长了129%，英国增长了44%，加拿大增长了95%。While the United States is still the most popular overseas destination among Chinese students, given the quality of its higher education, the growth rate is decreasing due to incidents of discrimination, visa restrictions and safety concerns, Wang said.王婷表示，考虑到美国高等教育的质量，美国仍然是最受中国学生欢迎的海外留学目的地，但由于美国的歧视事件、签证限制和安全问题，其增长率正在下降。With more countries implementing favorable policies to attract international candidates, Chinese students have diversified their interests in overseas study destinations.随着越来越多的国家实施吸引国际学生的优惠政策，中国学生对留学目的地的兴趣也变得更加多元化。Zhang Chaowei, a third-year undergraduate student at Beijing Foreign Studies University, was thrilled when China optimized its epidemic control measures, making it easier for him to study abroad.当中国优化调整疫情管控措施时，北京外国语大学大三学生张超伟（音译）感到很兴奋，因为这让他出国留学变得更容易了。As an avid fan of Manchester United soccer club, he said he wants to go to the UK for his postgraduate studies, but admits that Hong Kong and Singapore are also good options. "The pressure of getting into a good university in China is too high, so studying overseas is always a good option," he said.作为曼联足球俱乐部的狂热粉丝，张超伟说自己想去英国读研究生，但他也觉得香港和新加坡是不错的选择。他说：“在中国考上好大学的压力太大，所以出国留学总是一个不错的选择。”Living in a foreign country is different than traveling for a short period, as one gets to have a better experience of the country's culture, Zhang added.张超伟补充道，不同于短期旅行，在国外生活能让人更好地体验该国的文化。Bai Yuqian, 20, wants to study finance at a US university. Her ideal schools are Columbia University, the University of Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania.20岁的白玉倩（音译）想去美国学习金融。她的理想学校是哥伦比亚大学、芝加哥大学和宾夕法尼亚大学。"I just want to go see the world. By studying in the US, I can get more internship opportunities at financial companies and also practice my English," she said.白玉倩说：“我只是想去看看世界。通过在美国学习，我可以获得更多在金融公司实习的机会，也可以锻炼我的英语。”As her parents are worried about her safety in the US, she is not ruling out schools in the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong.由于白玉倩的父母担心她在美