The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council has announced that the policy of exempting import duties on 34 agricultural products, including fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood originating from China’s Taiwan region, will be suspended from September 25. The relevant import tariffs on these agricultural products will be applied in accordance with the current regulations,...
China has recorded a net increase in the total area of farmland for three consecutive years, reversing a long-standing trend of shrinking arable land, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Natural Resources on Thursday. Since 2021, the country’s farmland has expanded by 17.58 million mu (approximately 1.17 million hectares), stated Liu Guohong, vice...
After about 75 years in business, the Oriental Trading Company Hong Kong Limited, a long-standing toy giant, is shutting down, much to the sadness of Hong Kong residents who fondly remember the company for shaping their childhoods. The closure was announced through a social media post by reseller Tai Fook Hong, revealing that the toy...
East China’s Zhejiang Province has initiated a Level-IV emergency response in preparation for Typhoon Pulasan, the 14th typhoon of the year. The storm is currently moving northwest at a speed of 45 kilometers per hour, with wind speeds near the center reaching 23 meters per second. As of 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Pulasan was located...
Shenzhen experienced a remarkable surge in tourism during this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, with an influx of 3.32 million tourists, resulting in a total of 1.812 billion yuan (US$256 million) in tourism revenue. This marked a 6.5% increase in tourist numbers compared to the same period in 2023. The city’s 23 major scenic spots attracted...
Hong Kong education authorities have voiced concerns about a series of pranks involving the renaming of schools on Google Maps, causing incorrect names to appear on other platforms like Uber. On Thursday, the Education Bureau reported that several schools had their names altered on the popular map service by pranksters. “[We] learned that some schools...
China successfully launched the last pair of backup satellites for the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3) on Thursday, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s space ambitions. The satellites, the 59th and 60th of the BeiDou family, were launched at 9:14 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province aboard a...
In China’s northeastern rust-belt provinces—Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang—pension fund shortfalls have emerged as a significant long-term challenge. These provinces, which have some of the highest ageing rates in the nation, are facing economic and financial difficulties, including a slowdown worse than the national average. The region, home to 99 million people, borders North Korea, Russia,...
Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi, celebrated Olympic champions and members of China’s synchronized swimming team, have been named blood donation ambassadors for Shenzhen by the Shenzhen Blood Center. The appointment took place during a ceremony held at the center, where the twin sisters engaged in discussions about the connection between blood donation, health, and exercise....
Typhoon Bebinca, the 13th typhoon of the year, made landfall in Shanghai at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Monday, according to the Shanghai meteorological observatory. The typhoon struck the Lingang area of Pudong District, bringing maximum wind speeds near its center of 42 meters per second. Bebinca is believed to be the strongest typhoon to hit...