Standing on the observation deck, one is easily captivated by the majestic view of the Xiaowan Hydropower Station (Xiaowan). The massive dam, standing tall and proud, stretches across the roaring Lancang River, creating a mesmerizing sight. It is hard to imagine how the model of an advanced Chinese hydropower station, known as the world's landmark double-curvature arch concrete dam, uses its slender body to generate an impressively large output of clean and sustainable electricity and benefit riparian countries along the Mekong River.

As Lancang-Mekong River countries vowed to work together to promote regional prosperity at a recently concluded foreign ministers' meeting held in Beijing, Global Times reporters, together with envoys from many Mekong countries, visited Xiaowan, one of the leading hydropower stations along the Lancang River, to see how it brings practical benefits to downstream countries through flood control, water supply, power generation, and ecological protection.
Practical benefits witnessed

"It's so impressive!" This is the overall consensus of foreign diplomats who have visited Xiaowan. When the engineers of the Xiaowan Hydropower Station were introducing the specific technical parameters of the hydropower station, the Global Times witnessed foreign diplomats' keen interest and continuous praise, as they displayed a strong curiosity in understanding the "difficulties" associated with the Xiaowan project.

They were amazed that Xiaowan has solved many global challenges, and were amazed by the design and manufacturing of large-capacity, large-range, and high-parameter turbine generators in such a complex geological and topographical environment, and under such construction conditions, as well as the 30 years of round-the-clock hard work by the hydropower station personnel from start to completion.

Together with other hydropower stations, Xiaowan increases the discharge and emergency water supply downstream in a timely fashion, effectively alleviating the drought caused by El Nino in downstream Mekong countries, ensuring agricultural irrigation in downstream countries, and preventing seawater invasion in the Mekong Delta. This has fully demonstrated the significance of practical cooperation in Lancang-Mekong water resource management for the benefits of people in the Lancang-Mekong region.

"I am very grateful that I had the chance to see the great achievements of China in the hydropower industry and water management system. Those achievements are results of good policy guidance and tireless efforts of the Chinese people. I believe that all of us can follow the examples of China and on the other hand, China could also share its experiences with us, as suggested in the theme of the trip: shared river, shared future," said Win Myat Aung, Education Counsellor of Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in China.

Currently, 11 hydropower stations, including Xiaowan, are operational on the Lancang River. From the map, these power stations are like fortresses of hope built upon the river, providing much needed help to downstream countries when they suffer from extreme flooding and droughts.

Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted at the 8th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Beijing on December 7 that by enjoying geographical proximity and cultural affinity and drinking water from the same river, the six LMC countries are as close as one family. With a good start, rapid growth, and extensive benefits, the LMC has been expanding in breadth and depth, injecting new vitality into sub-regional prosperity and development and delivering tangible benefits to sub-regional people.

Wang said that joint working groups in six priority areas, including water resources, are progressing in an orderly manner, and mechanisms such as the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center and the Global Center for Mekong River Studies are operating at high efficiency, making progress daily, delivering results monthly, and reaching new heights annually.

At the meeting, all parties appreciated China's positive contribution to promoting the LMC, and all agreed to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, uphold mutual trust and mutual respect, build a stronger Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Economic Development Belt, and jointly build an even closer Lancang-Mekong community of shared future.

In 2016 and 2019, severe droughts occurred downstream, and China and the Mekong River countries actively cooperated to increase the discharge of reservoirs including at Xiaowan, and provide emergency supplementary water to downstream areas.

In 2016 alone, 12.65 billion cubic meters of water were supplemented to downstream areas, an increase of about 85 percent compared with the natural water inflow during the same period. This effectively alleviated the drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon in downstream countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, ensuring agricultural irrigation in downstream coastal countries.

Upstream Xiaowan and Nuozhadu hydropower stations also made efforts to reduce peak inundation during the flood season. Additionally, navigation conditions in the lower reaches of the Lancang-Mekong River have significantly improved. In 2001, the Lancang-Mekong international waterway was officially opened for navigation, thanks to increased flow during the dry season, which helped achieve year-round navigation.

The joint visit held in Southwest China's Yunnan Province from December 11 to 15 gathered representatives from the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Water Resources, as well as diplomats and representatives from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, to better understand the results of the 8th LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting, further consolidate consensus, and deepen cooperation on water resources in the Lancang-Mekong region.

Conquer world-class difficulties

Xiaowan is the world's first 300-meter-high double-curvature arch concrete dam, known as the "shoulder of the giants" among China's dam constructors.

Developed by the Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Development Company, Xiaowan has a total storage capacity of 15 billion cubic meters. The power station is equipped with 6 units at a total installed capacity of 4200MW. It became fully operational in August 2010, with an average annual power generation of 19 billion kilowatt-hours.

Global Times reporters learned that the Xiaowan Hydropower Station is widely recognized as one of the most challenging hydropower projects in the world in terms of construction. The completion of the project has filled many technical gaps in China's hydropower industry and is a milestone in leading the development of global hydropower construction.

After the completion of Xiaowan, downstream cascade power stations are now able to increase their power generation during the dry season by approximately 1.1 million kilowatts-hours, which is equivalent to building a million-kilowatt hydropower station without spending a penny.

Pan Jiazheng, the late Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences once said: "After the construction of the Xiaowan Hydropower Station, it is no more that the Chinese who will go abroad to learn about hydropower construction, but the foreigners who come to China to learn about hydropower construction." This is because challenges in the design and construction of Xiaowan, a 300-meter-high arched dam and the stability of its shoulder under complex geological conditions, have been successfully solved.

The successful construction of Xiaowan has put China at the forefront of the world's hydropower construction in terms of design, scientific research, construction, and management, according to the introductions of the engineers responsible for the construction of the hydropower station during the visit.

Closer community of shared future

Counsellor Sun Lushan from the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the LMC water resources cooperation a "golden model" of Lancang-Mekong cooperation.

"LMC cooperation is characterized by a high starting point, rapid development, deepened cooperation, a wide range of profiting parties, and additional benefits. It is becoming a role model of national cooperation and a benchmark for South-South cooperation, which will go a long way in ensuring prosperity and development of the sub-region," Sun said at the International Symposium on the Multistakeholders' Involvement in LMC Water Resources Cooperation of LM Trip held on December 14.

"Countries in the Lancang-Mekong sub-region are not only China's friendly neighbors, but also strategic partners. We are ready to continue to work with our friends to promote more pragmatic cooperation in the sub-region through Chinese modernization so as to contribute to the development of the region and the world at large," Sun noted.

Looking ahead, China will continue to pursue good neighborhood diplomacy of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness by further deepening water resources cooperation with all parties, sharing development opportunities, addressing common risks and challenges, and building a community in water resources for shared future, Sun added.

Zhou Zhiwei, secretary-general of Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center, revealed at the symposium that since the implementation of the Five-year Action Plan of Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation (2018-2022), the water resources authorities of the six member countries have been actively organizing and implementing more than 50 water-related livelihood projects. The Lancang-Mekong Sweet Spring Project has established a total of 62 rural water supply technology demonstration points, providing local residents with safer drinking water, and technical demonstrations for the member countries as well. It was included in the List of Practical Cooperation Deliverables of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held on October 18, 2023.

Another project, named "Dam Safety Evaluation Action Plan for Lancang-Mekong Countries," has conducted safety inspections and demonstrations on dams in Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Safe wings have been installed for the dam to better serve humanity.

China also supported the carrying out of hydrological monitoring projects and has built a central station and 25 automatic monitoring stations in Laos. "It will help us to better understand rivers and lakes, and better respond to flood and drought disasters," Zhou said.

Moreover, since November 2020, China has provided annual Lancang River hydrological data to the five Mekong countries and the Mekong River Commission. The Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Information Sharing Platform website has been put into operation, and more than 50,000 pieces of information have been shared in a timely manner.

"I highly value an active contribution from member countries, especially China, in Mekong-Lancang development, particularly in 2021 when many projects were adopted by the leaders that supported the LMC special fund, and I do believe that in the coming years, the water related projects will increase productively," said Singhalath Boupha, the third secretary of the Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in Beijing.

"Thailand has seen the benefits of this cooperation," said Wanapol Sangiamsin, deputy consul-general at the Royal Thai Consulate General in Kunming. "As the incoming co-chair of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, Thailand looks forward to collaborating closely with other Lancang-Mekong colleagues toward the realization of a peaceful community of shared future, sustainable development, and prosperity."

China's top anti-graft watchdog has placed four "tigers" under investigation from sectors including public security, finance and state-owned enterprises in the past week, demonstrating the country's strong determination to continue its efforts in deepening the fight against corruption, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said on Tuesday.

Experts noted that the financial and medical sectors will become the key targets of this year's anti-graft campaign, and the high intensity indicates there will be more senior officials to be put under probe than in previous years.

The four senior officials include former anti-terrorism chief Liu Yuejin, former vice president of China Development Bank Li Jiping, former general manager of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Li Yong and vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Heilongjiang Provincial People's Congress Li Xiangang, according to the report published by CCDI's official media outlet on Tuesday.

Liu Yuejin, 65, is the first senior official from the public security system to fall after the conclusion of this year's two sessions. Liu served as the commissioner for counterterrorism from December 2015 until June 2020, which makes him the first and so far the only person to have served in this former vice-minister level post.

With the addition of Liu, the number of senior officials under probe in 2024 has increased to 13, Caixin reported on Tuesday.

Multiple media reports revealed over recent days that Tian Wei, an academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and former president of China's top-tier hospital, the Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, is under investigation on suspicion of corruption.

Tian's case reportedly involves a substantial amount of money, Caixin reported on Sunday, marking a "landmark case" in China's anti-graft campaign in the healthcare sector.

"Corruption is the biggest cancer that undermines the vitality and effectiveness of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and anti-corruption is the most thorough self-revolution," read the CCDI report.

Also on Tuesday, China announced the initiation of the "Sky Net 2024" campaign specially dealing with the pursuit and recovery of corrupt officials and assets overseas. It includes cracking down on the use of offshore companies and underground money transfer networks for illicit funds, conducting special operations to trace and retrieve assets in cases of fugitive suspects and defendants, among others.

"This year's anti-graft campaign features the strong intensity regardless of the corrupt individuals' previous contributions. No matter who you are or what you have achieved in the past, there will be no leniency. This should serve as a significant deterrent to potential offenders," Tang Renwu, dean of the School of Governance of Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

It demonstrates the CPC's commitment to carrying out the anti-corruption campaign to the end, not just in words but also in actions, which is a very important aspect in consolidating the ruling foundation of the Party, Tang said.

Based on the current trend, the number of corrupt officials targeted this year may exceed that of 2023, Tang noted.

According to data, in 2023, the national discipline inspection and supervision organs handled more than 1.7 million problem clues and filed 626,000 cases, 87 of which involved senior officials. And among the 610,000 individuals disciplined, 49 were provincial and ministerial-level officials, the CCDI report revealed on Tuesday.

A communiqué adopted by the 20th CPC Central Commission for CCDI on January 10 pointed to a number of fields of key targets for 2024, including the financial sector, state-owned enterprises, universities, sports, tobacco, medicine, grain purchase and marketing, and statistics.

Tang believes that the financial sector is a critical area of concern. There are some deep-rooted problems in the field, and the impact of corruption in the financial sector poses a great impact on social stability given it is a hub for the national economy. More than 100 officials within the financial system were put under disciplinary review in 2023, involving areas such as banking, insurance, and securities, according to publicly available data.

Another target would be the healthcare and education sectors, which relate closely to people's livelihood but had been overlooked in previous years, experts noted.

In addition, Tang believes that with cases accumulating over the past few years, there will be more threads that lead to deeper connections and more complex matters being dug out this year, which may involve those who have been retired for a long time. It will not simply be limited to one sector, but an intertwined story involving multiple sectors," Tang said.

Despite the overwhelming achievements made over the past few years, the anti-corruption situation remains severe and complex, said the report. For example, groups and factions still pose a threat to political security, while the misappropriation of policy dividends hinders the implementation of major policies.

Furthermore, the formation of interest groups between government and business has led to regional corruption, with the means of corruption becoming more hidden.

Chinese experts said on Monday that Australia's move to suspend anti-dumping tariffs targeting wind towers from China is in line with Australia's green development, and is also a "good gesture" by the Australian side ahead of a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Australia announced it would suspend trade remedy measures against China's wind towers when the current measures expire on April 16, 2024, according to a notice released by Australia's Department of Industry, Science and Resources on Friday.

The notice, signed by Australian Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic, said that the Anti-Dumping Commission has completed an inquiry into whether the continuation of anti-dumping measures applying to certain utility scale wind towers exported from China is justified. The inquiry commenced on May 12, 2023, and the measures are in the form of a dumping duty notice applying to all exporters from China except Shanghai Taisheng Wind Power Equipment Co.

Wind towers are used to create cross ventilation and cooling in buildings.

The anti-dumping measures targeting wind towers have not only affected normal operation and business diversification for Chinese businesses, but have also increased the cost for Australia to optimize its energy structure amid its energy transition, Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Monday.

Zhou added that the move is in line with Australia's need for development, noting that the termination also released a positive signal for promoting economic and trade recovery.

This is a good gesture by the Australian side amid Wang's visit, Zhou Fangyin, professor at the Guangdong Research Institute for International Strategies, told the Global Times on Monday. The professor also noted that China is conducting a review of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Australian wine and may eventually cancel those duties.

Zhou Mi said that both Australia and China have been reviewing the cases and making decisions under the WTO framework.

Zhou Fangyin said Wang's visit will help cement the achievements of bilateral relations by reducing impediments, although few new cooperation projects are in sight.

"Many Australian products such as beef, lobster and barley are of good quality and they are competitive in the Chinese market. However, the previous Australian government's provocative behavior put off many Chinese consumers," Zhou Fangyin said.

He said Canberra should figure out where its own interests lie and stop following the US' anti-China policies too closely. "By doing that, China-Australia relations are expected to maintain stable development," he said.

Wang is paying an official visit to New Zealand and Australia from Sunday to Thursday, China's Foreign Ministry announced previously. Australian companies have expressed high hopes for Wang's visit to Australia with the Global Times in recent interviews, saying that they hope to expand their presence in the Chinese market and strengthen mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation with their Chinese partners.

As for the much-watched anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Australian wine, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on March 14 that China will make a final review ruling in accordance with the investigation procedures.

Last week, the ministry disclosed the basic facts regarding the ruling, and gave all parties an opportunity to express their opinions.

China and Australia reached a consensus on resolving their disputes on wine and wind towers properly under the WTO framework, MOFCOM announced in October 2023. The two countries have conducted friendly consultations under the WTO framework governing areas that are of mutual concern, and they have reached consensus on properly resolving them, a MOFCOM spokesperson said in a statement published in October.

Australia's Anti-Dumping Commission in October already proposed to recommend that the anti-dumping measures on wind towers exported to Australia from China expire on April 16, 2024.

The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) on Wednesday voiced its disappointment with the EU's mandate for customs registration of electric vehicle (EV) imports from China while an investigation remains ongoing, according to a statement that the chamber sent to the Global Times.

Both the chamber and its members expressed worries regarding potential retroactive measures in the future, the statement said.

The EU issued on Wednesday the Official Journal of the European Union regarding its commission's implementation regulation that makes imports of new battery electric vehicles designed for the transport of persons originating in China subject to registration.

This regulation enters into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, according to the Official Journal of the EU.

The CCCEU said that the chamber has observed that a new implementation regulation was issued on Wednesday, concerning the registration of electric vehicle imports from China by the EU. The purpose of the registration requirement is to address Chinese imports and potential retrospective measures, the chamber said.

According to European Commission data, between October 2023 and January 2024, the EU imported a total of 177,839 Chinese EVs. Compared with the coverage period of the "countervailing investigation" (October 2022 to September 2023), the average monthly import volume increased by 11 percent.

The chamber highlighted that the recent surge in Chinese EV imports mirrors the increasing demand for EVs in Europe and underscores Chinese car companies' commitment to fostering the European market.

"We earnestly hope that the European side will effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and establish a fair, impartial, and non-discriminatory business environment for them," the chamber said.

"This, in turn, will facilitate our joint contribution to the global low-carbon and green transformation," the chamber further noted.

In February, China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said that China is highly concerned about the trade remedy investigation targeting Chinese EVs and other products, while also expressing strong dissatisfaction regarding the investigation, which lacks a factual basis.

China is committed to promoting high-level openness, fostering mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and welcomes foreign diplomats stationed in China to observe China's annual two sessions, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning highlighted the significance of the two sessions not only for China's political landscape but also as a crucial window through which the international community could better understand China. "We welcome foreign diplomats stationed in China to attend the two sessions," Mao said.

The Government Work Report conveyed a key message that China will broaden high-level openness through enhanced foreign investment, deeper economic cooperation, and active participation in global governance reforms, Mao noted.

By providing better service to foreign investment, especially in the manufacturing and service sectors, China aims to create a more attractive environment for foreign businesses. The country is dedicated to improving the quality of services for foreign investors, and facilitating a more welcoming atmosphere for foreigners living, working, or studying in China, Mao said.

The spokesperson stated that China is set to drive high-quality development via the Belt and Road Initiative, focusing on broad cooperation in digital, green, innovation, health, tourism and poverty reduction in partner economies. 

Mao emphasized that China intends to deepen multilateral, bilateral, and regional economic cooperation, working towards implementing existing free trade agreements (FTAs) and negotiating high-standard FTAs and investment deals with more countries and regions.

The country will actively participate in the reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and promote the construction of an open world economy to share the benefits of cooperation and win-win outcomes across the global community, Mao added.

"Openness leads to progress, and cooperation creates the future. China's determination to expand its high-level openness will not change, nor will its resolve to share development opportunities with the world. China will continue to uphold the concept of openness and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries to achieve common development," Mao said.

Tilting social welfare policies in favor of young people to encourage new births in the face of a low birth rate has been a common view in Chinese society. However, the idea of offering a house as a gift to young parents upon the birth of a child, proposed by a Chinese professor, hasn't received as much support. The suggestion has ignited a firestorm of online discussions and debates.

Professor Di Dongsheng from the Renmin University of China put forward the proposal in a recent episode of the program "China Is Speaking" aired on Southeast Television, in 2023. 

He began by noting that young women giving birth to children is a valuable contribution to labor and has profound significance for the country and society. He then expressed his belief that the state should provide corresponding subsidies to these young women to recognize their contributions to society.

Di further proposed that such subsidies can be diversified, and one direct way is to provide housing subsidies for young women, adding that the house needn't be big, but rather a modest single-bedroom house to accommodate a one-child family. 

"What if I said yes, would you gift one one-bedroom house to me?" Chenchen, a netizen posted, throwing the question back to the professor, questioning the practicality of the scheme. 

Others opined that such a policy would not move them into parenthood. "It is true that I am tempted, but if marriage protection and psychological care for women are not enough, I still refuse to give birth," Jiuer wrote. "It seems like one house is a once-and-for-all solution for those who don't want a child… [it is useless] unless you sent the money for the milk powder, too," Weile, another netizen commented.

But "some families may force the mother to have one child after another in order to get more houses. Eventually, it may lead to female reproductive exploitation," Liubao, another commenter argued. "It really depends on the city in which the house is located. Presenting me with a house in the middle of nowhere wouldn't prompt me to move in," Lingling said. 

One online poll, in which over 225,000 people participated, revealed an overwhelming support for the professor's idea among netizens. Out of the total respondents, 141,000 expressed their desire to have a child if they were offered a one-bedroom house as a gift, while the remaining 83,000 opted to not have children .

Demographers reached by the Global Times generally pointed out the fanciful nature of Di's remarks, noting that housing is just one of the factors contributing to young people's reluctance to have children. Boosting people's desire to have children requires a comprehensive strategy on how to build a "birth-friendly society."

A Tianjin-based demographer who spoke on condition of anonymity described Di's remarks as short-sighted and poorly thought out.

Clearly, purely relying on material rewards cannot solve the problem, Peng Xizhe, director of the Fudan University Center for Population and Development Policy Studies, said.

The government's preferential policies should not be aimed at reversing people's attitudes toward childbearing or persuading them to have children. Instead, preferential policies should aim to provide as much support and welfare as possible to those who are willing to have children, Peng told the Global Times. 

Some of the supporting measures reported by the media include granting parental leave, childcare allowances, and flexible work arrangements on a family basis, in order to increase paternal involvement in childcare, reduce employment discrimination against women due to childbirth, and alleviate women's concerns about having children.

Linze County in Gansu, for instance, issued a document to provide annual childcare subsidies worth 5,000 yuan for every second child and 10,000 yuan for every third child until the child is 3 years old.

To actively respond to the population worries and effectively address the dilemma of declining birth rates, Li Ting, a professor at the School of Sociology and Population Studies at the Renmin University of China, suggests an overall practical plan for a "birth-friendly society," establish a long-term, comprehensive, and strategic reproductive support childbirth system.

Peng noted that the most crucial issue is still finding a balance between women's career development and their family responsibilities. This requires not only comprehensive government policies but also the cultivation of a culture that supports childbearing, as well as greater tolerance and support for women from the society as a whole, Peng said.

Developed countries, including Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, have comprehensive policies to encourage childbirth, but their birth rates have not increased significantly. It is more about a change in people's lifestyles and their overall concept, Peng said.

The total number of births nationally was 9.56 million in 2022. Among the births in 2022, second children accounted for 38.9 percent of the total, while the proportion of third children and above accounted for 15.0 percent, according to the National Health Commission.

China's civil aviation industry aims to promote a significant increase in direct flights between China and the US, and promote the operation of the domestically manufactured C919 in more countries, as part of new moves to further lift air travel.

The remarks were made at the annual meeting of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Thursday, which summarized the industry's performance in 2023 and mapped out tasks for 2024.

Expanding overseas flights is among the CAAC's priorities. The CAAC forecast that China's international passenger traffic will continue to recover, and the number of flights is expected to reach 6,000 per week by year-end, recovering to 80 percent of pre-epidemic levels.

Further increasing direct flights between China and the US is at the top of the list.

International flights in 2023 recovered to more than 4,600 per week, compared with fewer than 500 per week at the beginning of last year.

Flights from China to Europe recovered to more than 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels. The number of regular direct flights between China and the US stands at 63 per week now.

Regarding Chinese-made aircraft, the CAAC said it will promote the approval review of the C919 aircraft for the European Aviation Safety Agency, which aims to allow the aircraft to operate in more countries.

In 2023, domestically built aircraft made a number of notable breakthroughs, such as the ARJ21 aircraft achieving large-scale operation and being exported to Indonesia. The model carried more than 10 million passengers in 2023.

On January 1, 2024, China Eastern Airlines welcomed its fourth C919 aircraft. The C919 completed its maiden commercial flight in May 2023. As of December 31, China Eastern Airlines' C919 fleet had operated 655 commercial flights, carrying a total of nearly 82,000 passengers.

The CAAC said that it will further improve tech innovation and prevent and resolve systemic risks that affect the long-term development of the industry.

The Chinese aviation industry is shrugging off the impact of the epidemic. CAAC data showed that domestic passenger traffic surpassed the pre-epidemic level of 2019 by 1.5 percent last year, the fastest recovery among all modes in China.

In 2024, China's domestic passenger transport will continue to grow steadily, and ridership on domestic routes is expected to reach 630 million people by year-end, exceeding 2019 by 7.7 percentage points, CAAC said.

The market watchdog in a county in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province sealed up joss paper shops and confiscated paper money in an effort to eliminate fire hazards, ahead of the traditional Chinese Winter Solstice, or Dongzhi, which falls on December 22 this year, when Chinese people burn ghost money to honor their deceased family members. 

Some joss paper merchants in Huanan county in Jiamusi city, Heilongjiang, told Chengdu-based Red Star News that their shops, warehouses and production workshops were closed down and their commodities were confiscated. 

Some photos provided by the sellers show that large quantities of confiscated ghost money were seen piled up in the courtyard of the local market supervision bureau. 

While the local market watchdog declined the interview request from media, the local government’s citizen service hotline told the media that it was a move to remove security hazards and advocated to discard outdated superstitions. 

A joss paper merchant surnamed Wang told the Red Star News that the shutting down of the paper money businesses in the county started in early December. Several major wholesalers’ shops and warehouses with particularly huge inventories have been closed down. The value of their goods amounts up to 1 million yuan ($139,237). 

According to Wang, the market supervision bureau employee told him that decision to suspend paper money shops came after a fire disaster happened to a ghost money warehouse in Zhaozhou county in Daqing city, Heilongjiang. The Huanan county market watchdog took the action in a bid to remove security risks. 

According to a news report by China Central Television (CCTV), a fire disaster causing seven deaths occurred in an aging wooden warehouse built illegally for storing ghost money in Zhaozhou county on November 20. 

The warehouse was built with poor quality and highly flammable material which was identified for the reason for multiple casualties, thepaper.cn reported on Wednesday. 

A joss paper warehouse operator surnamed Zhao from Huanan county said his processing equipment of joss paper used to produce ghost money provided to surrounding villages and towns. His warehouse was closed down around December 1 and his inventory was confiscated and that he would also be fined possibly. 

According to Wang, the local authorities in Jiamusi issued regulations on the civilized sacrifices and worshipping in 2020. According to the regulations enacted on January 1, 2021, those who produce or sell feudal superstitious sacrificial articles shall be punished with confiscation of their goods by the local market supervision and administration department together with the civil affairs department. They may also be imposed a fine of with the amount of higher than one time and lower than three times the value of the production and sales. 

According to a law enforcement notification issued by the Huanan county people’s government, the production and sales of ghost money, joss paper, and gold and silver ingots made of tin foil, paper figures, paper cows, paper horses and all kinds of houses, transportation tools, daily necessities, certificates made of paper and other feudal superstitious sacrificial articles, are prohibited in the administrative area of the county. Burning and using sacrificial articles are prohibited in the whole county under the regulation. 

According to Red Star News, the county has carried out multiple rectification campaigns over the past two years to prohibit business of feudal superstitious sacrificial articles. 

Chinese mainland has detected seven cases of contracting COVID-19 subvariant JN.1 in about one month. The possibility of the variant becoming a dominant strain in the country cannot be ruled out, according to the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration.

Experts suggested the public not to overact about the new variant as infectious diseases are inevitable for all mankind but warned health threats posed by overlapping of various pathogens, including the dominant influenza and mycoplasma pneumonia with COVID-19.

Outside of China, since November this year, the proportion of JN.1 variant as a share of circulating strains has increased rapidly, from about 4 percent in early November to about 30 percent in early December. As of December 10, the variant has been detected in at least 40 countries worldwide.

The proportion of JN.1 variant in Europe was the highest, and its proportion in the US and other continents also showed a rapid growth trend.

On the Chinese mainland, the main strains at this stage are still EG.5 and its subvariants. Since the local JN.1 variant was first discovered in November, as of December 10, a total of seven JN.1 variants have been detected in the country.

"Although the current prevalence level of the JN.1 variant in China is extremely low, due to the subsequent impact of international epidemic strains and imported cases, the possibility of the JN.1 variant becoming a dominant epidemic strain in the country cannot be ruled out," the administration noted.

A Beijing-based immunologist who preferred not to be named told the Global Times more cases of JN.1 variant are expected as virus has no boundary and infectious diseases are the common destiny of all mankind. But it is not a concern of the public because new variants of the novel coronavirus can appear in the future anytime.

Only by improving immunity system can the public manage various pathogens infection and improve overall resistance to respiratory infections, the immunologist said.

Lu Hongzhou, head of the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, pointed out that although the immune escape ability of JN.1 had increased, there was no evidence to show that the pathogenicity of JN.1 variant had increased. According to the ministry, the seven JN.1 infections are mild and asymptomatic cases.

Some Chinese experts said people who have had the flu are more susceptible to contracting COVID-19. After being infected with the flu, it takes several months for CD4+ T cells in the body to recover. During the recovery process, the body's immune system is weaker, making it more susceptible to infection with the COVID-19.

According to latest weekly report by China CDC, the positive rate of influenza virus in southern and northern provinces of China slowed down between December 4 and 10, and some provinces showed a downward trend. The subtype A(H3N2) was predominant, followed by B(Victoria).

A US government report on Monday found no evidence that foreign governments compromised the vote during the 2022 midterms, but experts said the investigation itself shows the intensifying political divisions in the US have led American politicians to eagerly promote the topic of foreign interference in elections to smear their competitors and win votes. 

"There is no evidence that this activity prevented voting, changed votes, or disrupted the ability to tally votes or to transmit election results in a timely manner; altered any technical aspect of the voting process; or otherwise compromised the integrity of voter registration information or any ballots cast during the 2022 federal elections," the report issued by the US Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security concluded, Reuters reported.

The report represents a declassified overview of the US government's assessment of election security in 2023, according to the AP.

US politicians have a "habit" of describing its external environment as being threatened, so they can constantly create rumors in this regard, while also using these rumors to vilify their so-called competitors, experts pointed out. 

When they spread rumors about foreign interference in elections, they usually point fingers at China or Russia, depending on the preferences of different political parties. They completely fabricate a story based on their own competitive situation, and once it becomes a focal point of public opinion, relevant departments will claim to investigate, but the result is always without evidence, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

This kind of sensationalism is not uncommon, and in recent years, due to intensified partisan struggles, these American politicians are even more eager to tarnish each other by accusing their main rivals of receiving support from foreign governments, in order to gain votes from the electorate, experts said.

However, experts believe that the release of such reports still carry a strong partisan bias to some extent. 

"It is an attempt to shift the blame for their failure of governance onto China and Russia. In the 2024 US election, the narrative of foreign interference, especially Chinese and Russian interference, is unlikely to disappear. On the contrary, it will be hyped up by certain political factions or media outlets in the US because this topic can attract wide attention and increase viewership. Therefore, from the perspective of narrow political self-interest and expanding media influence, such a narrative will continue to proliferate in the US, which actually reflects the extremely unhealthy political and public opinion atmosphere in the US," Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.