WASHINGTON, Feb. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AI expert James Altucher is issuing a stark warning in a full video presentation: AI 2.0 is not just advancing—it is fundamentally altering how industries function, eliminating jobs, and forcing a rapid economic shift.
“AI will disrupt entire industries…”
According to Altucher, automation and AI-driven decision-making will soon replace many traditional roles, while creating new opportunities for those who can adapt. However, the transition will be faster and more profound than most expect.
“Many other jobs will disappear entirely.” “It’s predicted that 8 out of every 10 American jobs will be affected by AI…”
With AI 2.0 advancing at breakneck speed, March 17, 2025, marks a key moment when businesses, policymakers, and individuals will realize just how deep this transformation runs.
James Altucher is a leading AI expert, author, and entrepreneur with nearly four decades of experience in emerging technologies. He has been featured in major media outlets and is known for his forward-thinking insights on AI’s impact on society.
Media Contact: Derek Warren Public Relations Manager Paradigm Press Group Email: dwarren@paradigmpressgroup.com
Chief Executive John Lee today continued his trip to Harbin by meeting members of the Hong Kong, China Delegation to the 9th Asian Winter Games, in the athletes’ village.
He talked with some of the athletes to learn about their training and preparations. The officials, led by the chief executive, also watched some events, including short track speed skating, and cheered on the Hong Kong participants.
Mr Lee highlighted that the Hong Kong, China Delegation is the largest ever to participate in an Asian Winter Games. He said he was delighted to be able to watch the games in person and encouraged the Hong Kong athletes to give their utmost.
In the evening, Mr Lee attended a dinner with the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC). He thanked the SF&OC for providing extensive assistance to the athletes.
Mr Lee also met some young Hongkongers participating in an exchange programme organised by the InspiringHK Sports Foundation.
Highlighting that the Asian Winter Games is a major sports event that is held only once every four years, he encouraged the youths to seize on such a precious opportunity to experience winter sports, and to learn about the history and culture of Harbin.
Mr Lee and the Hong Kong officials also visited Central Street and nearby cultural and tourism facilities in Harbin to learn more about local developments in those sectors.
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Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“I greatly welcome today’s High Court judgement in the judicial review by NI Retired Police Officers’ Association against the Police Ombudsman.
“For too long the Ombudsman has exceeded the remit of the office to make expansive findings of ‘collusion’ etc which are presented as misconduct, or worse.
“However, in this judgement today we have had an overdue clipping of the Ombudsman’s wings. The language of the judgement is emphatic and clear, “the Ombudsman’s role is investigative and not adjudicative. It is not for the Ombudsman to made determinations (whether express or implied) as to whether criminal conduct or even misconduct has in fact occurred; no more than it is for the police to determine and publicly state that a suspect is guilty of a crime. That is a matter to be determined by others in different processes specifically established for that purpose.”
“Too often the Ombudsman has played to the anti-police gallery by throwing around findings of “collusion” etc – all of which oversteps the investigative role of the office by bolting on adjudicative and prejudicial findings.
“I trust the Ombudsman will take heed of this judgement and not again have to be called into line for overstepping the prescribed functions of the office”.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
By Wang Ningchuan, Gao Dezhen and Ren Ke
Representatives of participating troops from various countries take a group photo at the opening ceremony on Feb. 7, 2025.
KARACHI, Pakistan, Feb. 8 — The opening ceremony of Multinational Maritime Exercise AMAN-2025, hosted and organized by the Pakistani Navy, was kicked off at the Pakistan Navy Dockyard (PN Dockyard) in Karachi on February 7, local time. Commander Pakistan Fleet, Rear Admiral Abdul Munib delivered opening remarks at the ceremony.
Chinese defense attaché to Pakistan, as well as the commander and representatives of Chinese participating naval taskforce presented at the ceremony. The Chinese participating naval taskforce, including guided-missile destroyer Baotou (Hull 133), comprehensive supply ship Gaoyouhu (Hull 904), a ship-borne helicopter and dozens of Marine Corps members, arrived at Port of Karachi on February 6.
The Multinational Maritime Exercise AMAN-2025 will be held in Karachi from February 7 to 12, involving military vessels from countries like China, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia and the US. Moreover, observers sent by 32 other countries will also participate in the exercise.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Feb. 8 — Chinese authorities on Saturday initiated emergency response efforts following a landslide in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has launched a Level-III emergency geological disaster response, while China’s national commission for disaster prevention, reduction and relief has activated a Level-IV national disaster relief emergency response.
The landslide occurred at about 11:50 a.m. in Jinping Village, Junlian County in the city of Yibin, burying 10 houses and leaving over 30 people unaccounted for.
Following the landslide, ministry officials led a working group to the scene to guide rescue operations, after directing local authorities to assess the situation promptly, mobilize professional rescue resources and equipment, and enhance on-site monitoring and control to ensure the safety of rescue efforts.
The ministry has mobilized more than 400 personnel, 100 vehicles and 75 sets of equipment to undertake on-site rescue operations.
China has a four-level emergency disaster relief response system, with Level IV being the lowest level and Level I the highest.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Feb. 8 — China has allocated 50 million yuan (about 6.97 million U.S. dollars) from its central budget to support disaster relief and recovery efforts following a landslide in its southwestern Sichuan Province on Saturday.
The funds, allocated by the National Development and Reform Commission, will be used to restore infrastructure and public facilities in affected areas.
The landslide occurred at about 11:50 a.m. in Jinping Village, which is located in Junlian County in the city of Yibin, burying 10 houses and leaving over 30 people missing.
Taking the latest developments of the situation into consideration, the Ministry of Natural Resources has upgraded an emergency geological disaster control response from Level III to Level II, and dispatched a team led by Vice Minister of Natural Resources Xu Dachun to guide on-site relief efforts.
: Sgt. Austin Steinborn, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
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0:15 4 trends shaping future buildings – Liveable, sustainable, resilient and affordable real estate is essential to our shared future. As populations age, more buildings will have to adapt to the needs of older people, offering qualities such as accessibility and proximity to medical care.
2:07 6 Indigenous voices for change – The Indigenous leaders attended World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos to shed light on the issues affecting their communities and discuss solutions. Though these crises are urgent, the leaders shared what makes them optimistic.
5:52 IMF’s Gita Gopinath’s Outlook for 2025 – While recent inflation drops have sparked talk of early rate cuts, the IMF’s Gita Gopinath warns that the fight isn’t over. Tight labor markets still warrant continued rate hikes, likely in the second half of 2024.
9:37 David Beckham champions kid’s rights – David Beckham is a footballing icon. Since 2005, he’s also been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. In 2015, Beckham launched the 7 Fund, named after his shirt number, to help vulnerable children get the best possible start in life.
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The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
Approximately 200 people have been evacuated to safety after a landslide buried 10 houses and left over 30 people missing in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Saturday. The landslide occurred at 11:50 a.m. in Jinping Village, which is located in Junlian County of the city of Yibin, according to local authorities. A Level I geological disaster emergency response, the highest level, was initiated in the province at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Emergency rescue, fire, public security, transportation, medical, telecommunications, electricity and other forces quickly rushed to the scene to carry out or assist the rescue efforts. Two people were rescued in the afternoon.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered all-out search and rescue efforts to minimize casualties after a landslide buried 10 houses and left over 30 people unaccounted for in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Saturday. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the instruction after the landslide took place at about 11:50 a.m. on Saturday in Jinping Village, Junlian County in the city of Yibin.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Patrick J. Schena, Professor of Practice and International Business, Tufts University
U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order to create a U.S. sovereign wealth fund on Feb. 3, 2025Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Could the United States soon be joining the likes of Norway, Kuwait and Mongolia in having a national reserve to invest on projects of strategic interest? If President Donald Trump gets his way, then perhaps so.
This was not entirely unexpected. After all, the idea had been floated in September 2024 not only by the Trump team, but also by President Joe Biden’s Treasury Department.
Many at the time, including myself, deemed it far-fetched at best. But with the initiative now gaining traction, the time is certainly ripe to imagine what a U.S. sovereign wealth fund might look like.
What is a sovereign wealth fund?
In their most basic form, sovereign wealth funds are pools of government savings, usually accumulated over many years through the sale of commodities, traded goods, government-owned companies and land-use rights, among other sources.
They share a variety of objectives, such as stabilizing government finances, ensuring the funding of retirement or education programs, saving for future generations or even managing state-owned corporations.
They generally diversify investment across assets, geographies and sectors, including some, such as sports and entertainment in the case of Saudi Arabia, that are aligned with national development goals.
Sovereign wealth funds are usually associated with great wealth – Norway’s “oil fund” is estimated to be worth US$1.7 trillion. With regard to scale, Norway is hardly alone. And Norway’s fund is typical in another respect: sovereign wealth funds are often based in smaller countries with outsized natural resources, like Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, or even tiny Guyana in the Caribbean.
In reality, most sovereign wealth funds are more modest in size relative to their gross domestic products.
How long have SWFs been around?
Sovereign wealth funds are hardly new. The so-called modern era of sovereign wealth funds dates to the early 1950s with the creation of the Kuwait Investment Board.
But some government investment funds, such as the Texas Permanent School Fund, established in 1854, long predate the Kuwait Investment Board.
As is evident in the case of Texas, there are many such funds already operating in the U.S., including those in Alaska, New Mexico and Wyoming – all of which identify as “sovereign wealth funds.” These, of course, are state funds, but the term “sovereign” is generously applied.
Sovereign wealth funds often invest outside of their geographies, not only to diversify returns but to avoid stimulating higher inflation that may result from investing at home.
In fact, the U.S. has benefited from investments by other countries’ sovereign wealth funds. Developed market economies like the U.S. are attractive destinations for investment, given the relative strength of their institutions and the scale and liquidity of their financial markets.
Still, over the last decade there has been a rapid expansion in the number of sovereign wealth funds investing domestically, particularly in support of strategic national goals. Some of these include funds in Ireland, India and Indonesia.
Their investment programs target critical sectors and national “champions,” with a goal to mobilize foreign capital for co-investment in local markets.
Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Al-Nassr, in which Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has a controlling stake. Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images
The fundamental questions of a fund
What could a U.S. sovereign wealth fund look like? Would it be well funded? And if so, how? Through taxes, treasury bond proceeds, budget transfers, tariffs?
Would it invest globally or domestically? Could it be used to reinforce the Social Security system? Will it be used to tackle the dual deficits of budget and trade? Or will it have a strategic mandate – to enhance national security, energy security or climate security?
These are all fundamental questions that must be carefully examined; creating a sovereign wealth fund should not be a backroom exercise. It needs to be conducted openly, with expert input and public deliberation.
The process belies even more challenging organizational and governance decisions concerning the legal structure, ownership and management of the fund, the independence of its governing board, and its distance from government influence in its decisions.
After all, the history of sovereign wealth funds is not without failed attempts. Take Malaysia’s 1MDB, which was usurped for political and personal gain and became a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal, or Venezuela’s macrostabilization and development funds, which were both effectively exhausted.
In these cases – and others – the breakdown can be connected to failures in governance, both in design and culture, and ultimately traced back to politics.
Where does the US start?
It is interesting to note that it was George W. Bush’s Treasury Department during the financial crisis in 2008 that was most influential in encouraging sovereign wealth funds to define a framework of governance practices and principles.
Known as the Santiago Principles, this set of 24 precepts, agreed to in 2008, are intended to ensure transparent and sound governance with adequate operational controls, risk management and accountability.
To be successful and in line with the Santiago Principles, a U.S. sovereign wealth fund would have to be grounded in a functional governance structure that allows investment projects to be evaluated based on commercial merit.
It would also need to be free of political interference and operate openly, transparently and at arm’s length from any personal or professional interests of any related parties.
Where would it invest?
The next thing to consider is the fund’s investment objectives and strategy. Trump has suggested that such a fund could be used to buy TikTok. But would that represent a strategic investment that advances the national competitiveness of the U.S.?
Perhaps instead, a sovereign wealth fund might be better placed investing a majority of its capital in private markets and core infrastructure in the U.S. under a focused strategic mandate that directs money to key national priorities.
Essential here is for the fund to be “additional.” That is to say it would invest in projects that other investors would not be able to finance on their own due to scale, difficulty or duration. In essence, the fund would “crowd in” investors, rather than crowding them out.
And what about funding?
Perhaps the most critical question still remains: Where will the money come from?
Increased taxes are a nonstarter due to political will and, of course, Trump’s campaign commitments.
Treasury bond issuances would only increase U.S. debtedness and likely lead to higher inflation. Allocations from the government’s own budget also seem to be a non-starter, as U.S. budget deficits have long been well-entrenched.
Malaysia’s 1MDB financed the Tun Razak Exchange tower, the tallest building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. But it was also the source of the biggest corruption scandal in Malaysian history. Ore Huiying/Getty Images
A more practical option may be a take on the traditional private equity limited partnership. In this model, the U.S. serves as general partner and joins other institutional investors – including other sovereign wealth funds – to invest in the fund.
As general partner, the U.S. would appoint a management team that would select and manage the investments – for a fee, of course. Its mandate would be to target strong market returns, while advancing the strategic national interests of the U.S.
The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund in India is one such example. This approach would require a smaller initial capital commitment from the U.S. and give the manager discretion over where and how to deploy capital. Needless to say, the call for strong foundational governance is reinforced under such a plan.
To be clear: The challenges, constraints and risks of launching a U.S. sovereign wealth fund are orders of magnitude greater than similar endeavors in Guyanaor Suriname.
Imagining the creation of a fund is certainly feasible. But ensuring the fund will genuinely enhance the intergenerational welfare of all Americans may still be far-fetched.
Patrick J. Schena has not in the last 4 years received grant funding to support his research. He collaborates in areas of mutual research interests with the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds for which he receives no compensation.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
CHENGDU, Feb. 8 — Southwest China’s Sichuan Province upgraded its geological disaster emergency response from Level III to Level I — the highest level — at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, after a landslide buried 10 houses and left over 30 people missing.
The landslide occurred at 11:50 a.m. in Jinping Village, which is located in the city of Yibin’s Junlian County, according to the provincial geological disaster prevention and control headquarters.
Two people were rescued in the afternoon, and rescue efforts are ongoing.
Minister of Tourism and Culture John Streicker has issued the following statement:
“The Government of Yukon is proud to support and celebrate the 61st annual Yukon Rendezvous Festival from February 7 to 23, 2025.
“This year’s theme, Rootin’ Tootin’ Rendezvous, promises to deliver a good time! This cherished mid-winter celebration always brightens our days, helping us shake off our cabin fever and say goodbye to our winter blues. Rendezvous 2025 promises to keep us grinning bigger than a coyote in a chicken coop.
“Whatever you might be hankerin’ for, this humdinger of an annual winter festival always delivers. Whether it’s yee-hawing your frostbitten toes off at one of the many hoedowns and hootenannies, saddling up for some feats of skill and strength like chainsaw chucking and flour packing or eyeballing the snow sculptures that are cooler than a cowpoke’s stare at high noon – Rendezvous has something for everyone! So grab your best buckaroos and your sense of fun because this here shindig is all about bringing folks together and saying ‘So long’ to them winter blues.
“With a hearty hat tip to the jim-dandiest bunch of organizers, volunteers, performers and rambunctious participants who make this whole boisterous barndance hum, I wish everyone the rootin’est, tootin’est and Rendezvousin’est time imaginable!”
“OCCRP is a deep state operation. “OCCRP is connected to the CIA. “OCCRP was tasked by USAID to overthrow President Donald Trump.”
How did we end up getting this kind of attention? Old fashioned investigative journalism.
We wrote a simple story in 2019 about how Rudy Giuliani went to Ukraine for some opposition research and ended up working with people connected to organised crime who misled him.
Unbeknown to us, a whistleblower found the story online and added it to a complaint that was the basis of President Trump’s first impeachment. We also wrote a story about Hunter Biden‘s business partners and their ties to organised crime but that hasn’t received the same attention.
Journalism has become a blood sport. It’s harder and harder to tell the truth without someone’s interests getting stepped on.
OCCRP prides itself on being independent and nonpartisan. No donor has any say in our reporting, but we often find ourselves under attack for our funding.
It’s not just political interests but organised crime, businesses, enablers, and other journalists who regularly attack us. What’s common in all of these attacks is that the truth doesn’t matter and it will not protect you.
Few attack the facts in our reporting. Instead we’re left perplexed by how to respond to wild conspiracy theories, outright disinformation, and hyperbolic hatred.
At the same time, we’ve lost 29 percent of our funding because of the US foreign aid freeze. This includes 82 percent of the money we give to newsrooms in our network, many of which operate in places [Pacific Media Watch: Such as in the Pacific] where no one else will support them.
This money did not only fund groundbreaking, prize-winning collaborative journalism but it also trained young investigative reporters to expose wrongdoing. It’s money that kept journalists safe from physical and digital attacks and supported those in exile who continued to report on crooks and dictators back in their home countries.
OCCRP now has 43 less journalists and staff to do our work.
Next week, we’ll take on another set of powerful actors to defend the public interest. And another set the week after that.
We are determined to stay in the fight and keep reporting on organised crime and the corrupt who enable and benefit from it. But it’s getting harder and we need help.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
Guided-missile destroyer Urumqi (Hull 118) attached to a naval flotilla under the Chinese PLA Northern Theater Command practices alongside replenishment-at-sea with comprehensive supply ship Taihu (Hull 889) in a multi-subject training exercise in January, 2025. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xu Taotao)
Assistant Foreign Minister Zhao Zhiyuan on Friday summoned Miguel Humberto Lecaro Barcenas, Panama’s ambassador to China, to lodge solemn representations over Panama’s decision to not renew the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation with China on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Panama recently announced the termination of the Memorandum of Understanding on the BRI, to which the Chinese side expressed deep regret, Zhao said.
Under the framework of the BRI, pragmatic cooperation between China and Panama has rapidly developed across various sectors and achieved a series of fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to Panama and its people, Zhao noted.
More than 150 countries actively participate in the BRI, with achievements benefiting the people of various nations, including Panama, Zhao said. “Any attempts to reverse course on the BRI and go against the expectations of the Chinese and Panamanian peoples do not align with the vital interests of Panama.”
China respects Panama’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and advocates for equality among countries of all sizes, mutual respect, and credibility in commitments, Zhao stressed.
China firmly opposes the United States wantonly undermining China-Panama relations and discrediting and undermining cooperation under the BRI through pressure and threats, Zhao said.
China-Panama relations are never targeted at any third party and should not be disturbed by any third party, Zhao said, adding that it is hoped that Panama will exclude external interference and make the right decision based on the overall situation of bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples.
Lecaro said that Panama values its relationship with China and will promptly report to its government.
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
Russian Science Day was established by decree of the President of the Russian Federation in 1999 in honor of the 275th anniversary of the founding of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This is a professional holiday for those who have dedicated their lives to research that is important for the country, who contribute to scientific and technical progress and strive to look into the future.
The focus of SPbGASU scientists is on such important topics as improving building materials, construction in permafrost conditions, improving labor safety, developing new methods for assessing the condition of historical buildings and their restoration, etc.
Let us list just some of the scientific works of the past year. Mikhail Zhavoronkov, associate professor of the Department of Construction Materials Technology and Metrology, developed a setup for testing fiber concrete for crack resistance. Egor Golov, associate professor of the Department of Transport Systems and Road and Bridge Construction, proposed fundamental solutions for creating a digital twin of the road and transport infrastructure to improve road safety. Anna Grishina, associate professor of the Department of Construction Materials Technology and Metrology of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, created an antifungal modifier that protects building materials.
The laboratory of the Department of Construction Materials Technology and Metrology has completed studies of samples of plaster mortars and other finishing materials from the house of the architect Alexander Bryullov, which will help restore the building to its historical appearance. In the future, they will be used in the restoration of other objects.
The research topic of Andrey Boyarintsev, senior lecturer of the Department of Geotechnics, is composite piles. In 2024, the young scientist patented his fifth invention. Together with a graduate of the master’s program, Alexandra Zybtseva, he created a device for accurately measuring the temperature of the soil, which is very important for construction.
Yuri Zgoda, a postgraduate student at the Department of Information Systems and Technologies at SPbGASU, has developed a web application for high-performance computer modeling of thin-walled shell structures.
In 2024, the university’s teachers and postgraduate students defended one dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Science (Associate Professor of the Department of Information Systems and Technologies Alexey Semenov) and 16 dissertations for the degree of Candidate of Science.
Three patents for an invention, four for a utility model, 12 certificates of state registration of a computer program and two certificates of state registration of a database were received.
The scientific and technical peer-reviewed journal “Bulletin of Civil Engineers” has maintained its status and has been assigned to category 1 in the List of Russian peer-reviewed scientific journals.
The Startup Forsage project of the student scientific society won the competition for grants from the federal budget to support student scientific communities, organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.
Significant events for the university include the scientific and technical conference for the 90th anniversary of the Department of Geotechnics, the international conference “Organization and Safety of Road Traffic in Large Cities”, the international scientific and practical conference “Information Modeling in Construction and Architecture”, and the international scientific and practical conference “Architecture. Construction. Transport. Economy”.
We wish the scientists of SPbGASU progress, creative energy and new discoveries!
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday urged Jilin Province to further implement the Communist Party of China Central Committee’s strategic arrangements for the full revitalization of northeast China in the new era and to play a bigger role in advancing Chinese modernization.
Wan Yuan, 45, dips a knife into melted wax and makes a few strokes with it, resulting in a vivid butterfly pattern appearing on a piece of cloth.
This Miao ethnic craftsman from Qiaohai Village, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, watched his mother make batik when he was a child. Wan practiced and gradually mastered this craft.
Via his skilled hands, an ordinary piece of cloth is transformed into a unique blue-and-white batik work, following multiple processes including wax painting, dyeing, dewaxing, washing and drying.
Wan used to earn a living by working on construction sites and in factories far away from home. However, thanks to his strong interest and excellent skills, he was later able to focus on the batik industry and has now been involved in this field for more than 20 years.
In a stall measuring over 10 square meters at the intangible heritage market in the city of Kaili in Qiandongnan, his batik works are turned into products like clothes, bags and tea mats — which are welcomed by customers. In 2024, his creations generated sales worth 150,000 yuan (about 20,923 U.S. dollars).
The market in Kaili opened to the public in September 2023, featuring hundreds of stalls run by local craftspeople. Items on sale there cover nearly 10 categories, involving more than 6,000 kinds of handicrafts such as embroidery, batik and silver ornaments.
During the recent Spring Festival holiday, which ran from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4, many craftspeople at the market welcomed an increased number of customers. According to Meituan Travel, a major online platform focused on tourism consumption in China, the search volume of “Spring Festival travel” has since January surged by 328 percent year on year, while that of “intangible cultural heritage” has increased by 174 percent compared with the same period in 2024.
The Spring Festival itself, a social practice of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, was added to its intangible cultural heritage list by UNESCO in December last year.
Pan Yuzhen, a 79-year-old embroiderer from Taijiang County, also part of Qiandongnan, opened her stall on the first day of the Chinese New Year. The highest daily sales value achieved by her stall during the holiday was 1,600 yuan.
Pan started learning embroidery from her mother at the age of five and has since been engaged in the industry. Thanks to her exquisite skills, Pan has been invited to five countries — including France, Britain and the United States. She has on many occasions worn her own embroidery costumes for catwalk shows on international stages, while her works have graced the stages of major global fashion weeks.
At her stall, Pan always patiently introduces the cultural implications of her chosen patterns. She hopes that what tourists take away is not only commodities, but also insights into such profound ethnic culture.
“The recognition and love of our handicrafts by domestic and foreign tourists has brought me great confidence,” said Pan.
For both craftspeople and tourists, this market is not merely a space for commodity trading. Instead, it serves as a stage for cultural exchanges — thereby allowing traditional crafts to be inherited and ethnic culture to shine brightly.
A 36-year-old fashion designer from the bustling southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, surnamed Fu, learned about this market online and without any hesitation decided to visit Kaili. She ended up strolling around the market for two days before the eve of the Spring Festival.
Fu shuttled among the stalls and bought handicrafts such as skirts and trousers featuring batik. “Here I can relax myself and learn traditional crafts, while I have gained a lot of design inspiration. It’s really a worthwhile trip,” she said.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SHANGHAI, Feb. 8 — The 2025 Global Developer Conference, scheduled from Feb. 21 to 23 in Shanghai, is expected to bring together approximately 100 developer communities from around the world, the organizer Shanghai AI Industry Association (SAIA) said Friday.
The conference will focus on cutting-edge technologies, including large models, computing power and software platforms. Participating developer communities will represent diverse fields such as hardware development, cloud computing, big data, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, blockchain and the metaverse.
Leading global communities such as Hugging Face, the Microsoft Developer Community, Alibaba’s ModelScope Community, and the Huawei Community will host a variety of engaging activities throughout the event.
The DeepSeek team, which has created a significant buzz recently, will also take part in the conference, according to SAIA.
The conference will offer interactive experiences and workshops, giving developers the chance to engage with industry experts and exchange ideas.
To keep pace with rapid technological advancements, the conference will transition from an annual to a biannual event starting this year, with the next session scheduled for autumn, according to Zhong Junhao, secretary general of SAIA.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Liupanshui City makes efforts to develop ice-and-snow economy
Updated: February 8, 2025 15:09Xinhua
Visitors experience skiing at a ski resort in Liupanshui City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Feb. 7, 2025. Liupanshui City has made efforts to unleash its advantage in ice-and-snow tourism resources to ramp up the development of ice-and-snow economy. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 7, 2025 shows visitors experiencing skiing at a ski resort in Liupanshui City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]A visitor experiences skiing at a ski resort in Liupanshui City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Feb. 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Visitors experience skiing at a ski resort in Liupanshui City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Feb. 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]A visitor experiences skiing at a ski resort in Liupanshui City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Feb. 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 7, 2025 shows visitors experiencing skiing at a ski resort in Liupanshui City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Foreign tourists venture off the beaten path to explore Spring Festival traditions
BEIJING, Feb. 8 — When Sabah El Badaoui from Morocco arrived in China on a business trip, she never expected to be immersed in the full spectacle of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year.
What started as a brief work visit quickly turned into what she called “an unforgettable cultural journey.” Traveling from Shanghai to Suzhou and Anhui in east China, she was captivated by the diverse traditions unique to each region.
“Even within the Yangtze River Delta, every place has its unique customs,” she said. “The smaller the town, the livelier the Chinese New Year festivities.”
Data shows that around 51 townships and villages across China welcomed foreign visitors for the first time, following the country’s expanded visa-free policies. As a result, lesser-known destinations are gaining traction among international tourists beyond major cities and famous landmarks.
Places like Quanzhou in east China’s Fujian Province, known for its traditional hairpin festival, Chaozhou in Guangdong with its dynamic Yingge folk dance, and Zigong in Sichuan famed for its lantern displays, are emerging as sought-after cultural hotspots.
For many foreign travelers, smaller cities and rural areas offer a more immersive cultural experience than China’s metropolitan centers.
In northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, foreign visitors were delighted to see the region’s unique fusion of winter sports and Chinese Lunar New Year festivities.
A Trip.com report revealed a 58 percent increase in international visitors to Xinjiang during the Spring Festival holiday, with the regional capital Urumqi ranking among the top three destinations for ice and snow tourism nationwide.
Foreign visitors can book scenic spot tickets with valid IDs, such as passports or foreign permanent residence cards, while improved payment options have enhanced convenience, said Ma Beitao of Altay Prefecture’s tourism bureau.
In Chibi, a county-level city in central China’s Hubei Province, this year’s Spring Festival saw a surge of visitors eager to experience its local cuisine, rich history and vibrant folk performances.
Most foreign visitors to Yangloudong, an ancient town in Chibi, come from Southeast Asian countries, drawn by their deep interest in the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) and the region’s rich intangible cultural heritage, said Rao Jie, who works with a local tourism investment company.
According to Xu Ying, an associate professor at Renmin University of China, the universal themes of the Spring Festival such as family reunion, gratitude and renewal are key to its global resonance.
“These values transcend cultural and geographic boundaries,” she said. “When foreign visitors experience them firsthand, they gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture beyond just visual symbols.”
Amid booming inbound tourism, cities across China are rolling out services to accommodate international travelers better. From expanding digital payment solutions to providing multilingual assistance at major attractions, efforts are underway to enhance the visitor experience.
During the Spring Festival holiday, Hubei’s top tourist sites introduced online ticketing and seamless entry for foreign permanent residents, while over 1,000 new currency exchange points and foreign card-compatible POS machines were installed to better serve international visitors.
In Wuxi, a rising tourist destination in east China’s Jiangsu Province popular among visitors from the Republic of Korea (ROK) due to its proximity, authorities have streamlined entry procedures and enhanced mobile payment options.
“I saw pictures of Wuxi online and had to see it for myself,” said a visitor from the ROK. “It is even more beautiful than I expected.”
Song Rui, director of the tourism research center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that immersing in the celebrations allows foreign visitors to experience modern China and the festival’s deeper values firsthand.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Full text: China-Thailand joint statement on advancing comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership
BEIJING, Feb. 8 — The government of the People’s Republic of China and the government of the Kingdom of Thailand on Saturday issued a joint statement on advancing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and building a China-Thailand community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity, and sustainability through a forward-looking and people-centered vision.
Please see the attachment for the full text of the statement.
Audience with participants in the study visit for young priests and monks of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, 06.02.2025
This morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the participants in the study visit for young priests and monks of the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
The following is the address prepared by the Pope for the occasion and handed to those present at the audience:
Prepared address
Dear Brothers,
“How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” (Ps 133:1). With these words of the Psalmist, I offer you a warm welcome and I express my joy for this visit of young priests and monks of the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Malankara and Syrian Oriental Orthodox Churches. My fraternal greeting goes to Archbishop Khajag Barsamian and to Bishop Barnabas El-Soryani, who are accompanying you. Through you, I wish to greet my venerable and dear brothers, the heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
This is the fifth Study Visit for young Oriental Orthodox priests and monks organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. Similar visits for Catholic priests have been prepared by the Armenian Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. I am most grateful for this “exchange of gifts” promoted by the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, because it enables the dialogue of charity to go hand in hand with the dialogue of truth.
Your visit has particular significance this year, as we celebrate the seventeenth centenary of the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical Council, which professed the Symbol of Faith shared by all Christians. I would like, then, to reflect with you on that term, “Symbol”, which in its threefold meaning has powerful ecumenical implications.
In the theological sense, a symbol sets forth the ensemble of the principal truths of the Christian faith, which harmoniously complement one another. In this sense, the Nicene Creed, which synthetically sets forth the mystery of our salvation, is exemplary and unparalleled.
The Symbol also has an ecclesiological significance. Not only does it unite truths, it also unites believers. In antiquity, the Greek word symbolon indicated half of a document broken in two, to be presented as a sign of identity. The Symbol thus serves as a sign of identity and communion between believers. Each individual possesses the faith as a “symbol”, which only finds its full unity together with others. We need one another in order to be able to confess the faith. That is why the Nicene Symbol, in its original version, uses the plural form, “We believe”. Carrying this image a step further, I would say that we Christians, still divided, are like “shards” who must recover unity in the confession of the one faith. For we hold the Symbol of our faith like a treasure in vessels of clay (cf. 2 Cor 4:7).
And so, we come to the third meaning of the Symbol, its spiritual significance. We must never forget that the Creed is above all a prayer of praise that unites us to God: union with God necessarily takes place through unity among us Christians who proclaim the same faith. Whereas the devil divides, the Symbol unites! How beautiful it would be if, each time we proclaim the Creed, we felt united with Christians of all traditions! The proclamation of our common faith, in fact, requires before all else that we love one another, as the Eastern liturgy exhorts us to do before the recitation of the Creed: “Let us love one another, that in unity of spirit we may profess our faith in the Father, in the Son and in the Holy Spirit”.
Dear brothers, I hope that your presence will become a “symbol” of our visible communion, as we persevere in pursuit of that full unity that the Lord Jesus so ardently desired (cf. Jn 17:21). I assure you of my prayer for each of you and for your Churches, and I count on your own prayers for me and for my ministry. May the Lord bless you and may the Mother of God protect you.
And now, I would propose that we proclaim together the Nicene Creed, each of us in his own language. [I believe…]