Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Police can now advise one person has died in a crash on State Highway 3 in Taranaki this afternoon.
The crash, involving two cars, was reported to Police at 2.30pm.
In addition to the fatality, two people sustained serious injuries and two people have moderate injuries.
State Highway 3 is closed between Mangamaio Road and Pukaruhe Road.
Motorists are asked to take alternative routes where possible, or delay travel.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre.
Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Police can confirm one person has died following a crash on Waipapa Road, Mangakino earlier today.
The two-vehicle crash was reported just after 4pm.
One person died at the scene, two others have been seriously injured.
The road remains closed, motorists are advised to avoid the area.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Emergency services are responding to a serious crash on State Highway 3, near Urenui in Taranaki.
Police were notified of the crash at 2.30pm.
The crash, involving two cars, took place between Wharekauri Road and Mangamaio Road.
The road is blocked and motorists are asked to take alternative routes where possible.
At this stage we do not have confirmed information regarding injuries, but we will provide that as soon as we are able to.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre.
Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Waipapa Road, Mangakino is closed following a crash.
The two-vehicle crash happened between Scott Road and Moncarch Road just after 4pm.
Three people have been seriously injured.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
As Asia and the Pacific faces an unprecedented urban transformation, with cities preparing to absorb 1.2 billion more people by 2050 – roughly twice the population of ASEAN – government leaders, city planners and development experts opened the 81st session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) today, calling for stronger regional cooperation to shape resilient and sustainable urban futures.
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana underscored the urgency of rethinking how cities grow and function. “Urbanization is more than just managing growth – it’s about transforming cities into hubs of innovation, resilience and equity,” she said.
While cities have long been drivers of economic growth, the region’s rapid urbanization is intensifying social and environmental pressures. One in three urban residents still lack access to basic services. Climate change is raising temperatures, while rising sea levels and extreme floods threaten coastal megacities. A significant share of the urban population remains locked in poverty, with many living in slums or informal settlements.
“This is the paradox we face,” added Alisjahbana. “Our cities are engines of opportunity but also centres of vulnerability. But there is hope.”
“With over 2.2 billion urban residents and seven of the world’s largest megacities, [the Asia-Pacific] region stands at the forefront of global urban solutions. By working together, we can close inequalities, mitigate climate impacts and empower women while driving investments that propel multiple SDGs forward,” said United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohamed.
“Urban areas across the region continue to experience the impacts of social, economic and climate vulnerabilities in vastly different ways. This prevents the benefits of economic growth from reaching all urban dwellers equally,” shared Philemon Yang, President of the United Nations General Assembly.
The Prime Minister of Thailand, the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, as well as several ministers from across the region made remarks on the first day of the session. They highlighted priorities for governments to focus on such as harmonizing national and local policies in areas such as housing and transport, improving subnational data collection to drive evidence-based urban policy, strengthening urban planning to meet the needs of ageing populations and growing migrant communities and diversifying urban financing through stronger municipal revenue systems.
“We must have well-planned urban development to ensure that we achieve resilient and sustainable urban development. We must invest in cities that are inclusive, green and resilient, strengthening urban network and city-to-city cooperation, plan proactively for demographic transition and mobilize diversified financing,” said Arzu Rana Deuba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, who was elected as Chair of the 81st session.
Deliberations at the session are informed by findings of a new ESCAP study Urban Transformation in Asia and the Pacific: From Growth to Resilience which offers policy solutions and showcases cities in the region that are already pioneering change. The report highlights the transformative role of green infrastructure, smart technologies and inclusive urban planning in building cities that work for everyone. It also calls for coordinated action at all levels, warning that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved without cities at the forefront.
“Local and regional authorities are crucial for developing and implementing sustainable solutions to these urban challenges. In fact, two-thirds of SDG targets depend on action at the local level,” stressed Bob Rae, President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The 81st ESCAP session is expected to culminate on Friday with the endorsement of regional resolutions covering, among others, strengthening cooperation on the water and climate change nexus, sustainable urban development and advancing the sustainable development of middle-income countries.
For further information: https://www.unescap.org/events/commission81
19 April 2025 – Following the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) large-scale ground offensive on Zamzam camp that started on 11 April, hundreds of thousands of people have joined the communities already besieged and deprived of lifesaving aid in El Fasher, the neighbouring capital city of North Darfur. 25,000 more reached Tawila further west, where overwhelmed MSF teams are currently expanding activities to cope with the most pressing medical needs. We are making an urgent appeal to put an end to the siege and the atrocities, to deliver humanitarian aid, including by airdropping food and medicines to El Fasher if necessary, and to allow those who wish to flee to do so safely.
The RSF and their allied armed groups stormed Zamzam, Sudan’s largest displacement camp, which used to host at least 500,000 people near El Fasher, after months of an increasingly tight siege on the area. By 16 April, the camp, by then largely destroyed, was reportedly under RSF control. The majority of the Zamzam population is believed to have fled to El Fasher, where they remain trapped, out of reach of humanitarian aid and exposed to ongoing attacks and further mass violence.
While MSF in Tawila saw over 25,000 people arriving from Zamzam and nearby areas between 12 and 15 April, displaced people are now arriving more sporadically and at great risk for their lives along the way. Our teams set up a health post at the entrance of Tawila to provide the new arrivals with water and immediate nutritional and medical support. We refer critical cases to the local hospital where we have been working since last October. About 1,600 patients so far have required emergency outpatient services, mainly because of severe dehydration.
“We are treating children who were literally dying of thirst on their journeys. We have received so far over 170 people with gunshot and blast injuries and 40 per cent of them are women and girls”, said Marion Ramstein, MSF project coordinator in Tawila. “People tell us that many injured and vulnerable people could not make the trip to Tawila and were left behind. Almost everyone we talk to said they lost at least one family member during the attack”.
Horrific reports emerge from Zamzam camp, where hundreds of people are estimated to have been killed. Fighters were said to be going door-to-door, shooting people hiding in their homes and burning large parts of the camp. Casualties include eleven staff from the humanitarian organisation Relief International, which was running the only remaining clinic in the camp after MSF suspended all its activities in Zamzam in February due to escalating violence and blockades.
We urge the Rapid Support Forces and all armed groups in the area to spare and protect civilians and ensure that those who want to flee can do so without further harm. States and diplomatic actors must use their leverage to translate hollow statements into concrete actions. There have been repeated warnings from the UN and many observers about the risks of mass killings and ethnic violence in El Fasher and the surroundings displacement camps, mostly inhabited by people from the non-Arab Zaghawa and Fur ethnic groups, while most of the RSF fighters and their allies originate from Arab tribes.
After two years of a catastrophic war on people met by neglectful indifference, it remains inconceivable to simply resign ourselves to the current collective failure to provide vital assistance where it’s most needed. “A massive humanitarian response is needed, now more urgently than ever. If the roads to El Fasher are blocked, then air operations must be launched to bring food and medicines to the estimated one million people trapped there and being starved. A scaled-up response is also needed in Tawila, where some of the survivors are arriving and where NGOs are overwhelmed”, said Rasmane Kabore, MSF Head of mission in Sudan. MSF and several other actors are launching emergency interventions in Tawila, but much more is needed in terms of water, food, medical care and shelter.
MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au
Source: China State Council Information Office
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) inaugurated its Beijing office on April 18, aiming to strengthen business relationships with Chinese customers and partners.
ADNOC also announced three liquefied natural gas (LNG) agreements at the ceremony, including the largest LNG deal ever between China and the United Arab Emirates.
Executives and officials from the UAE and China attend the inauguration ceremony for Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s new China office in Beijing, April 18, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
Senior officials and business leaders attended the ceremony, including representatives from ADNOC partners China National Petroleum Corporation, Zhenhua Oil and Wanhua Chemical Group. The new office will focus on sales and marketing activities in China, according to ADNOC.
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE minister of industry and advanced technology and ADNOC CEO, addresses attendees at the inauguration of ADNOC’s new China office in Beijing, April 18, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE minister of industry and advanced technology and ADNOC CEO, said the Beijing office marks a new chapter in the company’s long-term energy cooperation with Chinese partners and customers.
Al Jaber said ADNOC would use the new office and LNG agreements to “join hands with Chinese partners to further explore the potential of all aspects of the energy industry chain” and contribute to China’s energy security.
The LNG agreements include a 15-year sales and purchase deal with ENN Natural Gas subsidiary ENN LNG (Singapore), which will supply up to 1 million metric tons of LNG annually from the low-carbon Ruwais project. This represents the largest LNG agreement ever between China and the UAE.
In addition, ADNOC Trading, a wholly owned subsidiary of ADNOC, signed the other two LNG agreements with CNOOC Gas & Power Group and Zhenhua Oil.
After years of close cooperation and strategic coordination, China has become an important importer of ADNOC’s products. ADNOC said it will continue to be a long-term, reliable energy partner for China, deepening business ties and promoting sustainable economic growth.
Source: Reserve Bank of India
Ajit Prasad Press Release: 2025-2026/142 |
Source: Reserve Bank of India
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Source: Panasonic
Headline: Group Regional Head for North America, Megan Myungwon Lee: Curiosity Opens the Door to Endless Possibilities and Growth
On April 1, 2025, Panasonic Holdings Corporation (PHD) introduced the position of Group Regional Head for North America to strengthen Panasonic Group’s management base and external relations functions in the United States, an important market that is home to Group businesses with outstanding growth and profitability potential, such as Panasonic Avionics and Hussmann, as well as businesses that are the focus of significant investment, including the automotive battery business and supply chain management specialist Blue Yonder.
The same day, Megan Myungwon Lee—who has been and continues to serve as President of Panasonic Operational Excellence North America and Chairperson and CEO of Panasonic Corporation of North America (PNA)—became an executive officer of PHD. Megan, who is responsible for governance and external relations in the North America region, also assumed the role of Group Regional Head for North America.
Megan discusses what she hopes to achieve in this new role, her expectations for strengthening diversity within the management team, and her focus areas and work philosophy.
As the newly appointed Executive Officer, Group Regional Head for North America, what are your aspirations for this role?
I am truly humbled to have been made an executive officer and appointed Group Regional Head for North America. Panasonic has been investing heavily in the North America market over the past several years, so I believe the decision reflects both recognition of and expectations for the region.
It’s exciting not just to be part of the growth taking place in North America, but also to be in a position where I can help make sure that these investments are protected and that growth continues as planned.
Based on your long-standing leadership experience in the region, could you please explain the characteristics and significance of the North America business from Panasonic Group’s perspective?
The year ahead will be one of transformation for the Panasonic Group. North America is performing well in some areas, but there is still plenty of room for growth. For example, I believe that we have the opportunity to explore how technologies and ideas from North America can contribute to Panasonic’s top and bottom lines globally.
Every transformation is a challenge, and I think it’s important to remind ourselves that while every challenge may involve the risk of failure, it also offers potential for success. My perspective on transformation can be explained by my favorite quote: “Replace your fear of the unknown with curiosity—it opens the door to endless possibilities and growth.”
As you lead the team in your new roles, how do you perceive the responsibilities of this position? How do you plan to leverage your career and expertise in this new role?
I understand that I’m expected to focus not only on the North America business but also to contribute global perspectives and ideas to the broader Group. As an American citizen, I believe the United States—with its people and market—can bring unique value to other regions, including Japan.
I hope to help create positive synergies by working collaboratively with others. Leading with a mindset of gratitude, cooperation, and adaptability is not a traditional leadership style—but I believe it’s a more evolved, modern one. The idea behind “empathetic” or “people-first leadership” is that a leader is most effective when they focus on creating an environment in which their team or organization can thrive.
I believe that people-first leadership is essential for navigating today’s complex and fast-changing environment—especially when we are working with teams of diverse talent who offer multi-faceted perspectives. This contrasts with more traditional hierarchical or charismatic styles.
With your upcoming appointment, how do you see your role in fostering a culture on the PHD executive team where diverse perspectives actively shape decisions and strategy?
I feel fortunate to be a student of Panasonic founder Konosuke Matsushita’s leadership philosophy. He once said, “A company is its people. (事業は人なり),” and I couldn’t agree more. I firmly believe that we do our best work, and derive the most enjoyment from the work we do, when people act with integrity and passion—for the business, for society, and for each other. The most important aspect of my role as a leader is to help create an environment that makes this possible.
I believe I am the only non-Japanese member of the PHD executive team. So my first order of business will be to work hard to understand the context—how the team operates, both individually and collectively. I look forward to learning and adapting.
At the same time, I’ll do my best to contribute my own ideas and perspectives. I like the Japanese term 切磋琢磨 (sessa takuma), which loosely translates as “respectfully challenge and grow together.” In English, I’d say “respectfully disagree and explain why.” Open and honest exchange is not simply the key to innovation—it also makes collaboration fun.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday sent a ritual offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of the country’s past brutal militarism, on the occasion of its spring festival.
Ishiba sent the ritual tree, called “masakaki,” on the first day of the three-day ceremony at the war-linked shrine located in central Tokyo’s Chiyoda district.
He is not expected to visit the shrine in person during the festival, national broadcaster NHK reported.
The Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II, including Hideki Tojo. It has long been a source of diplomatic friction for Japan and its neighbors.
For a long time, some Japanese politicians and members of parliament have insisted on visiting the shrine, which has been strongly opposed by many peace-loving people at home and abroad.
Source: APEC – Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
Media registration is now open for the APEC ministerial meetings to be held in Jeju, Republic of Korea, from 12 to 16 May 2025. These include the APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting, the APEC Education Ministerial Meeting and the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting.
These back-to-back high-level meetings will bring together ministers, senior officials and stakeholders across the APEC region to advance collaboration on workforce development, inclusive education and trade and investment policy amid ongoing global transitions.
The 7th APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting, taking place on 12 May, will mark the first such meeting in over a decade since 2014. It will focus on two key priorities: building flexible and vibrant labor markets and advancing policies that prepare workers and employers for jobs of the future. Ministers will also discuss how APEC can respond to workforce disruptions triggered by digital transformation, demographic shifts and global uncertainties.
The 7th APEC Education Ministerial Meeting, convening on 14 May, will highlight APEC regional strategies to bridge educational gaps and foster innovation in the era of artificial intelligence and digital transformation. Ministers will explore how to drive personalized education innovation through digital technology, strengthen global learning partnerships and achieve shared prosperity in the APEC region through sustainable education.
The APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting, taking place on 15 and 16 May will discuss key priorities, including: 1) promoting innovation for trade facilitation; 2) strengthening connectivity through the multilateral trading system; and 3) advancing collaboration to achieve prosperity through sustainable trade. The meeting will serve as a key moment to reinforce regional economic cooperation in the lead-up to the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting later this year.
Key Media Opportunities (KST, UTC+9):
Please note the schedule is subject to change. Updates will be posted in the media lounge.
Media Accreditation:
Media representatives must be accredited in advance. To request the media registration link, please email [email protected] with the subject line: MEDIA [Economy name/organization name].
Accredited media will receive an ID badge, which will grant access to the press conferences. Badges can be collected starting 11 May 2025 at the APEC Information Desk in ICC JEJU.
Media Lounge:
A dedicated media lounge will be available on the second floor of ICC JEJU for all accredited media from 11 to 16 May 2025, operating at the following times (KST, UTC+9):
For media inquiries, please contact:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Source: Reserve Bank of India
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Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today delivered remarks at the Opening Session of the Regional Workshop on Climate Change in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. The workshop is aimed at advancing the operationalisation of the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change. In his remarks, SG Dr. Kao expressed appreciation for Brunei Darussalam’s leadership in hosting the Centre, which serves as a testament of ASEAN’s collective commitment to climate action. The Opening Session also featured remarks from the Honourable Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, Minister of Foreign Affairs II of Brunei Darussalam, and Mr. Tetsuya Watanabe, President of ERIA.
Download the full remarks here.
The post Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers remarks at Opening Session of the Regional Workshop on Climate Change, in Brunei Darussalam appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 21, 2025.
A secret mathematical rule has shaped the beaks of birds and other dinosaurs for 200 million years
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathleen Garland, PhD Candidate, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University The faces of living and extinct theropod dinosaurs. Left: Riya Bidaye; right: Indian Roller model (NHMUK S1987) from TEMPO bird project – MorphoSource. Bird beaks come in almost every shape and size – from the straw-like beak
Curious Kids: if heat rises, why does it get colder in the mountains?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Renwick, Professor, Physical Geography (Climate Science), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Shutterstock/EvaL Miko If heat rises, why does it get colder as you climb up mountains? – Ollie, 8, Christchurch, New Zealand That is an excellent and thoughtful question Ollie – why indeed?
From the doable to the downright impossible: your guide to making sense of election promises
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Rindert Algra-Maschio, PhD Candidate, Social and Political Sciences, Monash University Three weeks into the federal election campaign and both major parties have already pledged to spend billions in taxpayer dollars if elected on May 3. But with so many policies announced — and surely more to
Security without submarines: the military strategy Australia should pursue instead of AUKUS
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Palazzo, Adjunct Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at UNSW Canberra, UNSW Sydney For more than a century, Australia has followed the same defence policy: dependence on a great power. This was first the United Kingdom and then the United States. Without properly
Prison needle programs could save double what they cost – our new modelling shows how
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Farah Houdroge, Mathematical Modeller, Burnet Institute ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock Needle and syringe programs are a proven public health intervention that provide free, sterile injecting equipment to people who use drugs. By reducing needle sharing, these programs help prevent the spread of blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis C and HIV
‘Puppy blues’: how to cope with the exhaustion and stress of raising a puppy
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Hazel, Associate Professor, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide Lucigerma/Shutterstock Caring for a new puppy can be wonderful, but it can also bring feelings of depression, extreme stress and exhaustion. This is sometimes referred to as “the puppy blues”, and can begin anytime
A survey of Australian uni students suggests more than half are worried about food or don’t have enough to eat
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Kent, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Wollongong StoryTime Studio/ Shutterstock Being a university student has long been associated with eating instant noodles, taking advantage of pub meal deals and generally living frugally. But for several years, researchers have been tracking how students are
Low effort, high visibility: what bumper stickers say about our values and identity
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Harrison, Director, Master of Business Administration Program (MBA); Co-Director, Better Consumption Lab, Deakin University Justin Sullivan/Getty You may have seen them around town or in the news. Bumper stickers on Teslas broadcasting to anyone who looks: “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy.” You
How a new ‘Fishheart’ project is combining science, community and Indigenous art to restore life in the Baaka-Darling River
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Hooker, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator, Health and Medical Humanities, University of Sydney A new state-of-the-art tube fishway technology called the “Fishheart” has been launched at Menindee Lakes, located on the Baaka-Darling River, New South Wales. The technology – part of the NSW government’s Restoring the Darling-Baaka
Election Diary: Coalition makes ‘law-and-order’ pitch, with plan to invest proceeds of drug crime into communities
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As it seeks to gain some momentum for its campaign, the Coalition on Monday will focus on law and order, announcing $355 million for a National Drug Enforcement and Organised Crime Strike Team to fight the illicit drug trade. A
Newspoll steady as both leaders’ ratings fall; Labor surging in poll of marginal seats
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne With less than two weeks to go now until the federal election, the polls continue to favour the government being returned. Newspoll was steady at 52–48 to
Caitlin Johnstone: ‘I want a death that the world will hear’ – journalist assassinated by Israel for telling the truth
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone Israel assassinated a photojournalist in Gaza in an airstrike targeting her family’s home on Wednesday, the day after it was announced that a documentary she appears in would premier in Cannes next month. Her name was Fatima Hassouna. Nine members of her
Indicators of alien life may have been found – astrophysicist explains what the new research means
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Whittaker, Senior Lecturer in Physics, Nottingham Trent University Darryl Fonseka/Shutterstocl What do you think of when it comes to extra terrestrial life? Most popular sci-fi books and TV shows suggest humanoid beings could live on other planets. But when astronomers are searching for extra-terrestrial life, it
ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 20, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 20, 2025.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
This photo taken on Sept. 2, 2024 shows part of a solid-state lithium metal battery in Yibin, southwest China’s Sichuan province. [Photo/Xinhua]
In a significant advancement that could reshape the future of electric vehicles, Chinese researchers have identified a mechanism behind solid-state lithium battery failures.
It came as China has risen to become a global leader in the lithium battery industry. The country is now racing with its international rivals, particularly those from Japan and the Republic of Korea, to embrace the next-generation battery technologies.
Solid-state batteries, widely regarded as one of the most promising solutions in the coming decade, could revolutionize energy storage. However, overcoming their technical hurdles remains the greatest current challenge.
Finding root cause
Unlike liquid electrolytes used in conventional batteries, solid electrolytes struggle to absorb the stresses caused by lithium expansion and contraction during charging cycles.
These stresses can cause cracking or the formation of dendrites — tiny, needle-like structures that can trigger short circuits — thus posing major challenges to the industrialization of the technology.
In their new study, the researchers from Tongji University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology found that solid-state battery failures are closely linked to cycle fatigue of the lithium metal anode.
They also observed that this fatigue adheres to well-defined mechanical principles, like repeatedly bending a paperclip weakens it until it finally breaks.
This discovery, published on Friday in the journal Science, provides a quantitative framework for predicting battery life cycles and opens new pathways for designing longer-lasting energy storage systems.
“The work recognizes the importance of fatigue in the performance of lithium metal anodes in solid-state batteries,” noted Jagjit Nanda and Sergiy Kalnaus, two U.S. battery scientists, in a perspective on the research.
Battery revolution
This research underscores China’s sustained R&D investments in electrochemistry in recent years. These breakthroughs are now fueling China’s industrial edge and setting the stage for the country to repeat its success in the upcoming revolution in battery technology.
Solid-state batteries, using solid electrolytes instead of liquid ones, achieve much higher energy density (up to 500 Wh/kg) than traditional liquid lithium-ion batteries (200-300 Wh/kg). This provides more energy in the same volume and reduces battery size.
They also feature better thermal stability, non-flammability, and no risk of liquid leakage, significantly lowering the risk of self-ignition and explosion.
Ouyang Minggao, an expert on new energy power systems and a professor at Tsinghua University, predicted that reaching an energy density of 500 Wh/kg will depend on critical advancements in materials science, with 2027 poised to be a pivotal year for breakthrough innovations.
Chinese battery giants CATL and BYD have set 2027 as their target for small-scale production of solid-state batteries.
Scientific teams are intensifying their collaboration with frontline battery companies to accelerate the commercialization of technologies.
The Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has signed a cooperation agreement with BYD, focusing on cutting-edge areas such as solid-state batteries.
Sun Huajun, CTO of BYD’s battery division, predicted that solid-state batteries would achieve a large-scale application around 2030.
China’s edge in mass-producing all-solid-state batteries lies in its vast industry and market scales.
“With the most complete industrial chain, the largest market, and the most researchers, we are highly confident in China’s approach and roadmap for this technology,” said Zu Sijie, vice president of SAIC Motor.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Animal images play significant roles in every civilization. In Cambodia, the Naga, a snake deity shared by Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, is seen as the guardian of national prosperity, and symbolizes auspiciousness and peace. In Yunnan province just across the border, cattle enjoyed similar cultural connotations of prosperity and wealth during the Dian kingdom, which existed from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220).
An ongoing exhibition by the Yunnan International Communication Center for South and Southeast Asia and the Yunnan Provincial Museum in Cambodia’s Siem Reap Angkor International Airport’s China-Cambodia cultural corridor shines a light on the two symbolic animals through 70 photos and 55 items of handicrafts, highlighting a link between Yunnan and Cambodia.
The photos are of artifacts and folk customs, and the handicrafts include replicas of artifacts and the cultural and creative products derived from them.
According to Zhang Ruogu, deputy director of the Yunnan International Communication Center for South and Southeast Asia, the display not only highlights the beauty of Dian bronze culture in Yunnan, but also the beauty of ancient Cambodian civilization.
“Through the two elements of the auspicious cattle and the spirit snake, the exhibition explores the spiritual beliefs associated with them and illustrates the rich history and culture of Yunnan and Cambodia to passengers using the airport,” says Zhang.
He adds that the cultures of parts of Southeast Asia and Yunnan are closely connected, laying a foundation for dialogue and understanding.
“China and Cambodia share close geographical proximity and cultural affinity. From the Maritime Silk Road facilitating trade exchange, to Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Admiral Zheng He’s seven voyages (during which he landed in present-day Cambodia), the two countries have a deep friendship cultivated over millennia that exemplifies cultural exchange,” he says.
Guo Jia, director of the research and exchange department at the Yunnan Provincial Museum, says one of the highlights of the exhibition is a replica bronze animal ritual vessel, one of the museum’s most famous exhibits, which is believed to have been used for sacrifices.
The vessel is in the form of a large cow, its tail in the grip of a tiger, with a baby cow beneath its belly. It appears to depict a mother cow protecting its calf from attack. “The shape illuminates the ancient Dian people’s concepts of life and death and their mastery of advanced bronze casting techniques,” says Guo.
She adds that as important source of labor in farming, the Dian viewed cattle as symbols of family wealth. Appearing often on Dian bronzes, they are viewed as symbols of Yunnan’s Bronze Age civilization and this artifact is an outstanding example.
Likewise in Cambodia, a nation rooted in agriculture, cattle enjoy prominence. They play essential roles in Buddhist culture, and prominently feature on artifacts and in everyday life.
Snake patterns can be seen at most temples in Cambodia, while the Dian also used snake depiction on their artifacts.
Siem Reap is famous for the Angkor Wat temple complex, and the Cambodian artifacts on display, including wooden carvings, Buddhist statues and lacquerware, are mostly related to the site.
“Through the exhibition we are showing the connections and comparisons between the culture around snakes and cattle in Yunnan and Cambodia,” says Zhang.
The China-Cambodia cultural corridor is located in the international arrival and departure areas of the airport, which was put into use in August last year. From Aug 1 to Jan 31, the corridor received more than 780,000 visits, according to Yang Shaokai, general manager of Yunnan Airinvestment (Cambodia) Airport Management, which runs the airport.
Neth Pheaktra, Cambodia’s Minister of Information, says the airport “is the first gate through which international passengers enter Siem Reap”. He believes the exhibition will surprise and inform tourists from around the world.
Source: China State Council Information Office
China’s domestically developed C909 passenger jet has begun commercial operation in Vietnam, further expanding its presence in Southeast Asia, according to Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC).
Two C909 aircraft, wet leased by Chengdu Airlines to Vietnam’s Vietjet Air, began service on Saturday on the Hanoi-Con Dao-Ho Chi Minh City route, the aircraft maker said.
Wet leasing is a common global aircraft leasing model in which the lessor provides not only the aircraft but also crew, maintenance, insurance, and operational support.
Vietjet, Vietnam’s first private airline, is a major operator in domestic and Asia-Pacific regional routes. Industry insiders believe that the addition of the C909 jets is expected to boost its fleet capacity and support the development of Vietnam’s aviation market.
Formerly known as ARJ21, the C909 is a Chinese-developed regional jetliner with a range of 2,225 to 3,700 km.
In December 2022, this model was delivered to its first overseas client TransNusa, an Indonesian airline. In March this year, COMAC delivered another aircraft to Lao Airlines. Vietjet is the third overseas operator of the aircraft.
To date, the three overseas airlines have collectively launched 15 routes using the C909 in Southeast Asia, transporting over 250,000 passengers.
Source: China State Council Information Office
A freight train, loaded with polyester chips made in southwest China’s Chongqing, departed from the municipality on Sunday morning heading for Uzbekistan, marking the inauguration of a new regular freight train route from Chongqing to Central Asian countries.
The train is expected to arrive in the Uzbek capital roughly 4,700 kilometers away in about 12 days. It will exit China through Horgos Port in Xinjiang and pass through Kazakhstan.
According to the China Railway Chengdu Group Co., Ltd. each month two trains are scheduled to start from Chongqing to Central Asia.
Xu Meiqiong, an engineer with the China Railway Chengdu Group Co., Ltd., told Xinhua that such regular services could ensure fast customs clearance, timely transportation and reduced costs, so as to guarantee cross-border transportation of better quality.
It was believed that the regular train route could reduce the transportation duration between Chongqing and Central Asia by 30 percent.
Cargoes in the freight train on Sunday were from the Chongqing Wankai New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. Lin Zheng, the company’s manager in charge of logistics, noted that the launch of the new route would be good for them to expand their market in Central Asia.
In recent years, Chongqing has been striving to elevate itself into a comprehensive inland hub, with the number of China-Europe freight trains and those heading to Central Asian countries departing from the city, along with cargo volumes, growing.
As of February, more than 18,000 trains covering over 50 regular routes linking the city with European and Central Asian countries have been dispatched, reaching over 100 hub cities and regions across Asia and Europe.
Source: China State Council Information Office
At the recently concluded Hong Kong Tourism Development Forum, many attendees shared the belief that Hong Kong remains an international tourist city deeply desired by travelers.
The forum, co-hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and China Tourism Group, brought together over 600 industry representatives to discuss future trends and directions of Hong Kong’s tourism industry.
Hong Kong’s tourism sector is uncovering new pathways for cultural tourism transformation, forging ahead toward the goal of becoming a “world-class premier tourism destination.”
Facing both opportunities and challenges, Hong Kong has been proactive and visionary. Since 2023, China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has prioritized the development of an event economy to attract tourists and stimulate local spending, showcasing the city’s vibrancy as the “Capital of Events.”
The HKSAR government’s events calendar features a wide range of activities encompassing culture, arts, finance, and trade. The event economy has already shown impressive results.
In 2024, Hong Kong hosted over 240 events, attracting more than two million visitors. These events generated approximately 7.5 billion HK dollars (about 966 million U.S. dollars) in consumer spending and 4.5 billion HK dollars in economic added value.
Michael Wong, deputy financial secretary of the HKSAR government, estimated that events in the first half of 2025 will draw about 840,000 tourists, a year-on-year increase of over 50 percent. This is expected to result in 3.3 billion HK dollars in consumer spending and 1.8 billion HK dollars in economic added value.
At the end of last year, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the HKSAR government unveiled the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0, proposing four development strategies and 133 measures aimed at achieving the vision of “tourism is everywhere,” setting the direction for the next five years.
According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s latest statistics, the spending of Chinese mainland overnight visitors on entertainment grew by 61.3 percent to 4.19 billion HK dollars last year. Activities such as exhibitions, theater shows, and concerts have become trending attractions for Chinese mainland tourists.
In 2024, non-Chinese mainland visitors to Hong Kong exceeded 10 million. Research by a globally recognized consumer market consultancy ranked Hong Kong as the fourth most popular city for international tourists worldwide in 2024.
Dai Bin, director of China Tourism Academy, emphasized that maintaining the prosperity and growth of Hong Kong’s tourism industry is an important part of ensuring the economic and social prosperity of Hong Kong within the framework of “one country, two systems.” Industrial sectors in Hong Kong must strengthen collaboration and embrace global opportunities for tourism development.
Yiu Pak-leung, a member of the HKSAR Legislative Council, said that enhancing the competitiveness of tourism products and services aligned with ocean, eco-tourism, heritage, sightseeing, and red tourism themes is crucial to boosting Hong Kong’s tourism industry.
Peter Lam, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, noted that the board will actively collaborate with other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to attract more international tourists to experience unique journeys in the GBA. (1 US dollar = 7.76 HK dollars)
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
China’s military has expelled a Philippine naval vessel that illegally intruded into the territorial waters of China’s Huangyan Dao on Sunday, according to a military spokesperson.
Senior Captain Zhao Zhiwei, spokesperson for the navy of the Southern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), said that the theater command organized forces to lawfully track, monitor, issue warnings, and expel the Philippine vessel, which entered the territorial waters of Huangyan Dao without authorization from the Chinese government.
The Philippine actions severely violated China’s sovereignty and contravened both Chinese law and relevant provisions of international law, Zhao said.
“We sternly warn the Philippines to immediately cease its infringements and provocations; otherwise, it will bear full responsibility for all consequences,” he added.
Zhao said forces of the Southern Theater Command remain on high alert at all times to resolutely defend national sovereignty and security and firmly uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea region.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
From bustling ports brimming with goods to digital arenas buzzing with new opportunities, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are increasingly coming together in a partnership that promises common prosperity and a shared future filled with boundless potential.
Since establishing a dialogue relationship more than three decades ago, China and ASEAN have stood together and supported each other through thick and thin, developing a model featuring the most dynamic and fruitful cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.
As the world’s second and fifth-largest economies, respectively, China and ASEAN represent a quarter of the global population, and their commitment to win-win cooperation could offer stability and growth for a world overshadowed by rising economic uncertainty and fragmentation.
Win-win cooperation
How fast can a Malaysian fresh durian reach Chinese consumers from its orchard of origin? This time may well be shorter than many can imagine.
Thanks to an efficient logistics network as well as rapid inspection and expedited clearance procedures between China and the Southeast Asian country, this delicacy can be harvested and appear in a Chinese supermarket thousands of kilometers away within just 24 hours — a sprint that allows consumers to relish the fruit at its freshest.
Grown across tropical Southeast Asia, durian is known as the “king of fruits,” cherished by consumers for its creamy texture and intense aroma.
China’s appetite for this thorny fruit has soared in recent years, with its imports reaching a record of 1.56 million tonnes in 2024, according to customs data.
The story of the durian is just one example of the fruitful outcomes resulting from win-win cooperation between China and ASEAN. Numbers and facts paint the picture of a partnership in full bloom.
Notably, China and ASEAN have been each other’s largest trading partners for five consecutive years. Bilateral trade value has soared from less than 8 billion U.S. dollars in 1991 to nearly one trillion dollars in 2024. Accumulated two-way investment has also been booming — and it had surpassed 400 billion dollars as of July 2024.
This vigorous growth has come amid the two sides’ continued efforts to enhance trade and investment facilitation, including upgrading of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA).
Officials and analysts have seen the CAFTA as a cornerstone of China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation, and are expecting the upgraded CAFTA to take this role a step further, opening up more sectors for trade and investment, while promoting greater regulatory alignment.
China and ASEAN have substantially concluded upgrade negotiations concerning Version 3.0 CAFTA, and “we believe that with the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, economic and trade cooperation between the two sides will surely achieve new and greater development,” Lyu Daliang, spokesperson of China’s General Administration of Customs, said this week.
Closer bond
About two hours’ drive from downtown Bangkok, near the Laem Chabang port in eastern Thailand, lies a well-planned industrial zone, known as the Thai-Chinese Rayong industrial zone.
Jointly built by China’s Holley Group and Amata Group of Thailand in 2006, this industrial zone was one of the first Chinese overseas industrial sites, serving as a witness and contributor to the expanding industrial cooperation between China and ASEAN.
Now home to 270 companies, most of which are Chinese-invested, the industrial zone has attracted a combined investment of more than 5.2 billion U.S. dollars and provided over 60,000 local jobs, said Zhao Bin, president of the Thai-Chinese Rayong Industrial Realty Development Co.
Zhao sees Belt and Road cooperation and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as catalysts for the industrial zone’s development, which not only helps Chinese companies to invest in Southeast Asia, but also facilitates technology transfer to Thailand and skills development in local workforce.
Belt and Road cooperation, the RCEP and various other arrangements have enhanced partnership between China and ASEAN countries, with the two sides weaving a tighter economic fabric and unlocking new development potential, analysts said.
Numerous infrastructure projects are having positive impacts across the region, enhancing connectivity and reducing logistics costs.
In Laos, the over 1,000-km-long China-Laos Railway linking Vientiane, the capital of Laos, with Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, has helped convert the landlocked country into a land-linked hub, and significantly facilitated cross-border movement of people and goods since it started operating in December 2021.
On the financial front, ASEAN and China are also working to strengthen the regional safety net against financial risks. An ASEAN+3 meeting, featuring ASEAN, China, Japan and Republic of Korea, was held early this month in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during which financial officials reached consensus on deepening policy coordination and strengthening regional financial safeguards.
Moreover, collaborative efforts span a wide range of activities, with people-to-people and cultural exchanges, such as educational cooperation and visa-free travel arrangements, flourishing.
Kheang Hong Kry, a Cambodian student studying electrical engineering at Guangxi University in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, was excited about the establishment of the China-ASEAN Institute of Energy last month. Calling it “a bridge” of learning and cooperation, he said the institute gives international students access to cutting-edge knowledge in China’s energy and power sectors, laying a foundation for their future career development.
New cooperation frontiers
Emerging fields such as digital economy, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and clean energy are adding to the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and ASEAN.
In Vietnam, Chinese-made agricultural drones are helping farmers spray pesticide, making their work easier and safer, while at Laem Chabang port in Thailand, China’s electric and self-driving trucks have become reliable partners of port workers. In addition, Malaysian national automaker Proton has launched its first electric vehicle model, which was co-developed with Chinese automaker Geely. In Indonesia, the Cirata floating solar power plant, constructed by a Chinese company, has boosted the country’s supply of renewable energy.
Dato’ Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, president of the Malaysia-China Friendship Association, told media that emerging fields such as green energy, electric vehicles and digital technology have provided new impetus for the expansion of cooperation between these two countries.
Such cooperation will help Malaysia improve productivity, promote technology transfer and train talent, and contribute to Malaysia’s development and prosperity, he said.
Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, noted that the close ties between China and ASEAN are of great significance — not only to Asia but also to the broader international community.
Zhou said deepening cooperation between the two sides will effectively facilitate the complementarity of their respective advantages. “It also provides a model for regional economic and trade rules integration, effectively boosting economic globalization.”
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
China’s foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow saw marginal recovery in March, in contrast to a decline seen in the first three months, official data showed Friday.
FDI in the Chinese mainland in actual use climbed by 13.2 percent year on year last month, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. In the first three months, FDI inflow totaled 269.2 billion yuan (about 37.35 billion U.S. dollars), down 10.8 percent year on year.
During the January-March period, 12,603 new foreign-invested enterprises were established nationwide, representing a year-on-year growth of 4.3 percent, the ministry said.
In breakdown, actual use of FDI in the manufacturing and services industries during the three-month period stood at 71.51 billion yuan and 193.33 billion yuan, respectively.
Meanwhile, actual use of FDI in high-tech sectors reached 78.61 billion yuan, with FDI in the e-commerce services sector, bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, aerospace equipment manufacturing sector and medical instrument manufacturing sector growing by 100.5 percent, 63.8 percent, 42.5 percent and 12.4 percent, respectively.
Investments from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries jumped by 56.2 percent during the period, while those from the European Union increased by 11.7 percent, the data showed. Investments from Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the Republic of Korea grew by 76.8 percent, 60.5 percent, 29.1 percent, and 12.9 percent, respectively.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
China’s military has expelled a Philippine naval vessel that illegally intruded into the territorial waters of China’s Huangyan Dao on Sunday, according to a military spokesperson.
Senior Captain Zhao Zhiwei, spokesperson for the navy of the Southern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), said that the theater command organized forces to lawfully track, monitor, issue warnings, and expel the Philippine vessel, which entered the territorial waters of Huangyan Dao without authorization from the Chinese government.
The Philippine actions severely violated China’s sovereignty and contravened both Chinese law and relevant provisions of international law, Zhao said.
“We sternly warn the Philippines to immediately cease its infringements and provocations; otherwise, it will bear full responsibility for all consequences,” he added.
Zhao said forces of the Southern Theater Command remain on high alert at all times to resolutely defend national sovereignty and security and firmly uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea region.
Source: China State Council Information Office
In the first quarter of this year, the total import and export value of southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region reached 2.308 billion yuan (about 320.25 million U.S. dollars), a 5.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the customs of Lhasa, capital of the region.
The figure exceeded the national foreign trade growth rate by 4.6 percentage points, Lhasa Customs said.
Of the total, Xizang’s exports totaled 1.95 billion yuan, remaining stable compared with last year, while its imports amounted to 358 million yuan, marking a 56.7 percent year-on-year increase.
This year, Xizang has fully leveraged its strategic location as a key gateway to South Asia, effectively connecting with the new western land-sea corridor, with the total volume of import and export cargo reaching 57,100 tonnes, a 27 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Customs data shows that among the many exported products, new energy vehicles and agricultural products continued solid performance. In the first quarter, 2,955 new energy vehicles were exported, an increase of 76.7 percent, while agricultural product exports reached 18,000 tonnes, growing by 10.4 percent.
Source: China State Council Information Office
The 5th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) attracted the participation of a record-breaking 1,767 companies and 4,209 consumer brands from 71 countries and regions this year, according to a press briefing on Friday.
Events targeting global brands, e-commerce and country-specific suppliers led to 52 intended cooperation agreements, the value of which amounted to approximately 92 billion yuan (about 12.6 billion U.S. dollars), said Zeng Rong, chief economist at Hainan provincial bureau of international economic development.
Countries including Slovakia, Singapore, Brazil, Armenia and Kazakhstan debuted their national pavilions at this year’s CICPE in south China’s Hainan Province. The United Kingdom, as the 2025 guest country of honor, occupied an exhibition area of over 1,300 square meters, showcasing 53 brands across the fashion, beauty, homeware, health and jewelry industries, doubling its 2024 presence.
More than 60,000 professional purchasers attended — representing a 10 percent increase from last year. In tandem with the expo, the Ministry of Commerce also launched the “Shopping in China” campaign to stimulate domestic consumption, and introduced a dedicated exhibition to facilitate cooperation between foreign trade firms and domestic purchasers.
Preparations for the 6th CICPE are underway, with hundreds of companies already registered or signed on to participate in the next edition of this event.
Source: China State Council Information Office
China’s pro-consumption initiatives — a top priority of the country’s policy agenda for this year — are expected to shore up consumer confidence and unleash the potential of domestic demand to stimulate economic growth, while hedging the impact of the United States’ tariff hikes, said officials, economists and executives.
They noted that China has demonstrated firm determination to further vitalize the consumer market and address prominent constraints on consumption by bolstering people’s well-being amid rising trade protectionism and external uncertainties, with a particular focus on stabilizing jobs, increasing household income and alleviating financial burdens.
A comprehensive policy package to boost consumption will accelerate the country’s shift toward a consumption-driven growth model from an export- and investment-led growth model, they said. The economists and executives also projected a robust recovery for China’s consumer market this year, with concrete measures aimed at strengthening consumers’ ability and willingness to spend gradually taking effect.
President Xi Jinping has emphasized efforts to expand domestic demand, as well as establish and improve a long-term mechanism for expanding residents’ consumption, so that residents can consume with the help of stable income, dare to consume without worries, and are willing to consume due to the excellent consumption environment and strong sense of gain. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when attending the second group study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee in January 2023.
According to the Central Economic Work Conference held in December last year, the foremost priority for policymakers in 2025 is to vigorously boost consumption, improve investment efficiency and expand domestic demand on all fronts. This year’s Government Work Report also listed boosting consumption as a top priority among major tasks for 2025.
China will make expanding domestic demand a long-term strategy, while solid measures should be taken to stabilize employment, boost incomes and create demand with high-quality supply, Premier Li Qiang said earlier this month when chairing a symposium on the economic situation.
The fifth China International Consumer Products Expo, which was held last week in Haikou, Hainan province, is a strong testimony to the vitality and resilience of the nation’s consumer market. The event attracted more than 60,000 professional purchasers, a 10 percent increase from last year, with the value of intended deals reaching around 92 billion yuan ($12.6 billion).
To stimulate domestic demand and solve key challenges weighing on consumer sentiment, the general offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China’s Cabinet, recently issued a special action plan for boosting consumption.
Li Chunlin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that unlike past policies that primarily targeted the supply side, the new plan places great emphasis on stepping up policy support on the demand side by raising people’s income and reducing financial burdens.
The plan calls for promoting wage growth by strengthening employment support and raising minimum wage standards in a scientific and reasonable manner, and it includes stabilizing the stock market to expand property income channels, he said, adding that these measures will give consumers more stable expectations and greater confidence in their spending power.
He said that dedicated efforts have been outlined in the plan to integrate consumption growth with improving people’s livelihoods, such as easing household burdens in areas like child care, education, healthcare and old-age insurance.
The country is drafting a child care subsidy plan and will expand financial assistance for basic medical insurance.
“China’s efforts to boost domestic demand can offset the impact of US tariff hikes,” said Sun Xuegong, director of the department of policy study and consultation at the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research, an NDRC think tank, while emphasizing that the nation’s economic fundamentals are sound, with a strong manufacturing sector and great market potential.
Sun highlighted the need for a comprehensive policy mix to spur consumption, including short-term moves such as issuing consumption coupons, as well as long-term spending on strengthening the social security network.
Pan Helin, a member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy, said that expanding domestic demand by boosting consumption could effectively help buffer external headwinds and prop up economic vibrancy.
The consumer-centered stimulus measures will reduce China’s reliance on exports and investment for growth and facilitate its transition to a more consumption-led economy in the face of an increasingly complicated international situation and sluggish global recovery, Pan said.
Driving force
Consumption has become the main driving force behind China’s economic growth. Last year, the final consumption expenditure contributed 44.5 percent to the nation’s GDP growth, surpassing investment and exports, and drove a 2.2 percentage point increase in GDP, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics. Robin Xing, chief China economist at Morgan Stanley, said it would be “a brilliant idea” for China to take bigger reform steps to transfer more State-owned capital to the social security system, in order to enhance migrant workers’ benefits as a key means to driving consumption growth.
“China is trying something new — a more proactive fiscal policy with a greater focus on consumption,” he said, adding that about one-fourth of this year’s increment in augmented fiscal deficit, worth around 2 trillion yuan, will be spent on consumption-related areas such as subsidizing an expanded consumer goods trade-in program and boosting social welfare.
Xing said that apart from short-term consumption subsidies, the more fundamental solution lies in social security reforms, such as offering easier access to public housing and healthcare for migrant workers, which will reduce their precautionary saving habits and unleash huge consumption potential.
According to the 2025 Government Work Report, China will double its ultra-long-term special treasury bonds earmarked for expansion of the consumer goods trade-in program to 300 billion yuan this year, amid a broader drive to boost domestic demand and spur economic growth.
Data from the NDRC shows that under the trade-in program, retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles nationwide reached around 1.34 million units in the first two months, up 26 percent year-on-year, while sales of home appliances featuring the highest level of energy efficiency surged 36 percent year-on-year to 24.1 billion yuan during the same period.
Jia Shaoqian, chairman of Chinese home appliance manufacturer Hisense Group, said the country’s trade-in program has not only stimulated the consumer market and bolstered consumption upgrades, but has also significantly promoted the green transformation of the home appliance industry, while improving people’s quality of life.
Purchasing appetite
In order to further stimulate the purchasing appetite of consumers, Li Gang, director of the department of market operation and consumption promotion at the Ministry of Commerce, underscored that more efforts will be made to accelerate the development of service-based consumption.
Efforts will also be made to nurture diversified purchasing scenarios and new types of consumption in the digital, green and intelligent fields, Li added.
Zou Yunhan, deputy director of the Macroeconomic Research Office at the State Information Center’s Department of Economic Forecasting, said that China’s consumption market is poised for steady growth this year fueled by a series of supportive measures.
Zou highlighted that new business forms and new models related to consumption can better meet people’s demand for consumption, upgrading and motivating their purchasing enthusiasm, which in turn will provide fresh momentum and robust support for the sustained growth of the consumer market.
Hideki Ozawa, executive vice-president of Japanese tech company Canon, said, “We are confident that with the support of national consumption promotion policies, we can return to the golden era of the camera market.”
China’s focus on consumption-led growth serves as a powerful driver of economic stability and will contribute to the country’s overall economic recovery, Ozawa added.
Source: China State Council Information Office
The seventh batch of emergency humanitarian aid supplies dispatched by the Chinese government arrives at Yangon International Airport in Myanmar on April 20, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
The seventh batch of emergency humanitarian aid supplies dispatched by the Chinese government on Sunday arrived at Yangon International Airport, Myanmar, which was hit by a devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake on March 28.
The aid supplies include 800,000 boxes of amoxicillin capsules, 122,000 bottles of paracetamol and mannitol injection, 225,000 boxes of cefradine capsules, and 480,000 bottles of ibuprofen tablets, with a total weight of 95 tons.
The earthquake has claimed 3,726 lives and injuring 5,105 people, with 129 others remaining unaccounted for as of April 18, according to Myanmar’s official data.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SYDNEY, Australia, April 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — XenDex is set to Launch as the Strategic Hidden Road Acquisition by Ripple founders signals XRP price surge.
The recent news of Hidden Road being acquired by the Ripple’s founding stakeholder has sent a wave of renewed excitement and hope to the Ripple community.
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Hooker, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator, Health and Medical Humanities, University of Sydney
A new state-of-the-art tube fishway technology called the “Fishheart” has been launched at Menindee Lakes, located on the Baaka-Darling River, New South Wales.
The technology – part of the NSW government’s Restoring the Darling-Baaka program – will allow native fish to move past large barriers, such as dams, weirs and regulators, when they need to. It’s hoped this will help the fish reproduce and survive, and reduce the risk of mass fish deaths in the Baaka.
At the same time, meaningful policy reform and implementation can’t be achieved without input from First Nations communities. So how do we do this? One creative collaboration on the Fishheart project suggests art may have a big role to play.
Several deeply distressing mass fish death events have occurred in the river since 2018, with millions of native fish, including golden perch, silver perch and Murray cod, dying due to insufficient oxygen in the water.
These events are the outcome of compounding challenges in managing the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia’s largest inland river system. The basin, which stretches from Southern Queensland to South Australia, is a water source for some three million people.
But the construction of infrastructure such as dams, weirs and regulators has profoundly disrupted the natural processes that once sustained healthy river systems. This disruption has been made worse by ineffective and conflict-ridden governance.
The Baaka is a source of life and wellbeing for numerous communities. It should be cared for with the same urgency and coordination as a critically ill patient. If too many doctors or nurses are involved without a clear shared treatment plan, the patient suffers. Likewise, when multiple agencies attempt to manage a sick river, the system can break down.
So how can better care be achieved? For Barkindji Elder David Doyle the answer lies in doing it together.
Aboriginal peoples have been explaining the importance of Australia’s inland rivers for generations. The Aboriginal community at Menindee held protests about the health of the Baaka two years before the first mass fish deaths. Yet their voices and cultural knowledges have not reconfigured river policy.
A report by the NSW Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer into the March 2023 mass fish deaths on the Lower Baaka identified the importance of including Aboriginal cultural knowledges in strategies for fish species regeneration and management.
However, according to Barkindji Ngnukuu elder Barbara Quayle, the community’s experience of “consultation” has been a tick-box activity. She says there is no trust that cultural knowledges or community perspectives will actually be listened to.
Traditional cultural knowledges are often held and expressed through various artforms, from story, to dance, to gallery arts. Within rural and remote communities, the arts and art-making create conditions that can help people work together to address complex issues. In fact, there’s a long history of the arts being used to address social conflict.
Can the Fishheart help prevent fish kills? We don’t know. But the Barkindji community’s artistic input in the project is enabling a more integrated approach to finding out.
Elders and community members have come together with regional arts organisation, The Cad Factory, and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s Fisheries branch, to design traditional knowledge-inspired art for the Fishheart pipes.
This art was painted onto the pipes by members of Barkindji community over the past month. Other community art, including collaborations with the local school, was also placed around the site.
Making the art gave everyone involved the time, space and tools to consider and discuss the project. We learned how the Fishheart technology is inspired by the human heart, with tubes resembling “veins” and “arteries” that can take fish in and “pump” them over barriers through a siphon effect, letting them circulate throughout the river.
We discussed important details on how this technology works, which includes using artificial intelligence used to detect fish in the pipes and collect real-time data and photos of the migration. We also considered how we might further care for the river, by potentially allowing the removal of invasive species, or monitoring for diseases.
The project also provided fisheries managers with the opportunity to hear community concerns, such as whether the installation of fishways might be perceived in ways associated with colonisation, or eventually lead to fish removal from the waterways.
Most importantly, seeing the pipes visually transformed by Barkindji art connected the Fishheart to place and Country. The art provides a tangible expression of uninterrupted Barkindji custodianship for the river and the species that depend on it.
With art, there is hope for creating policy together – policy that might promote the health of the river as a whole, rather than treating the symptoms of the problem.
Claire Hooker receives funding from the NHMRC, MRFF, ARC, and University of Sydney. She is affiliated with Arts Health Network NSW/ACT.
Barbara Quayle is the Vice-president of the Menindee Aboriginal Elders Council, sits on the Barkindji Native Title Board and NSW Aboriginal Water Strategy Board and is a founding guide of Barkindji cultural immersion tour group, Wontanella Tours.
Dave Doyle is a member of the Menindee Aboriginal Elders Council, a previous member of the Barkindji Native Title Board, sits on the NSW Aboriginal Water Strategy Board and is a founding guide of Barkindji cultural immersion tour group, Wontanella Tours.
Reakeeta Smallwood has received funding from ARC and NHMRC, in partnership with University of Sydney, University of Newcastle and University of New England. These funding sources are not relevant to this article or project.
– ref. How a new ‘Fishheart’ project is combining science, community and Indigenous art to restore life in the Baaka-Darling River – https://theconversation.com/how-a-new-fishheart-project-is-combining-science-community-and-indigenous-art-to-restore-life-in-the-baaka-darling-river-254594