China Daily Podcast China Daily

Discover the exquisite bamboo shoot delicacies that Hangzhou residents cherish. Join us on a flavorful journey through Hangzhou's vibrant cuisine scene and meet the resilient locals who stay flexible to keep up with the changing times, but remain strong and thrive like bamboo. #ChinasHiddenTreasures

The People's Liberation Army announced on Thursday morning that it started two-day joint military drills surrounding the island of Taiwan from 7:45 am Thursday.
In a brief statement, the PLA's Eastern Theater Command declared that the exercise would take place in the Taiwan Strait, the north, south and east of Taiwan Island, as well as areas around the islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin.
In another concurrently released statement, Li Xi, spokesperson for the theater command, emphasized that the exercises serve as a "strong punishment" against the separatist acts of the "Taiwan independence" forces and a "stern warning" to interference and provocation by external forces.
He said the drills, code-named Joint Sword-2024A, scheduled from Thursday to Friday, will involve military services including the army, navy, air force and rocket force of the theater command.
The exercises focus on practicing joint maritime and aerial combat readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive battlefield control, and joint precision strikes of key targets, Li said.
The spokesman added that the drills involve the patrol of vessels and planes closing in on areas around the island of Taiwan and integrated operations inside and outside the island chain to test the joint real combat capabilities of theater command forces.
Reporter: Jiang Chenglong

President Xi Jinping has reached out to all visitors from the United States with a welcoming gesture in a message that he sent to the 14th China-US Tourism Leadership Summit, which opened on Wednesday in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province.
"We cordially welcome US tourists to travel to China to meet Chinese friends, experience Chinese culture, tour scenic mountains and rivers, and get a firsthand look at the real China," he wrote.
US President Joe Biden also sent a congratulatory message to the event.Industry observers have voiced great hopes that both nations will further encourage two-way visits, as the most recent numbers on border entries and direct flights continue to increase, compared with those of last year, yet they are still lower than the highs achieved before the COVID-19 outbreak.
In his message, Xi said that "tourism is an important bridge for the people of China and the US to engage in exchanges and get to better know and bond with each other".He expressed his hope that people from all walks of life in the two countries will take this summit as an opportunity for in-depth exchanges, consensus building and vigorous actions.
The goal is to facilitate people-to-people exchanges through tourism cooperation, to perpetuate China-US friendship through cultural exchanges, and to help translate the San Francisco vision into reality, he added.
The two countries are celebrating the 45th anniversary this year of the establishment of diplomatic relations.Xi said that the foundation of China-US relations was built by the people, the door of China-US ties was opened by the people, the story of the relations is written by the people, and the future of the ties will certainly be created by the two peoples.
In his message, Biden said that both the US and China "are countries of rich cultural diversity, immense natural beauty and vibrant communities, big and small, all of which support travel and tourism industries that promote prosperity and understanding between our nations".
"Four years ago, a global pandemic closed our borders and halted travel and tourism around the world," Biden said when welcoming Chinese tourists to discover US cities and history and to engage with its people.Observers noted that the huge potential of the China-US tourism market could be illustrated by the fact that before the COVID-19 outbreak, more than 300 flights operated between China and the US each week, and over 5 million visits were made between the two countries every year.
Christopher Thompson, president and CEO of Brand USA, an organization that promotes the US as a travel destination, said, "Last August, when the 14th US-China Tourism Leadership Summit was announced, we were all very excited to restart this type of connection between our two nations.
"Related discussions have since had a real impact on advancing tourism between the two economies, as well as fostering better cultural understanding, he told the summit."We're very happy that consumer interest in visiting the US remains quite high," Thompson said, adding that the US remains a popular destination among Chinese travelers.
Experts noted that, as a sign of the recovery of international travel between China and the rest of the world, the country saw 1.78 million visits by inbound travelers and 1.9 million outbound visits during the recent five-day May Day holiday, close to the level in the same period in 2019 before the pandemic.
With fresh joint efforts from both nations, the number of direct flights has grown from 20 per week early last year to 100 per week now, according to a recent speech by Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng.Xie noted that "the flights now are still far from enough, and the tickets are too expensive", and he said the China travel advisory issued by Washington "has deterred many American friends from visiting China".
Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, told the summit that sustainable China-US tourism exchanges and high-quality tourism develo

China still has policy room to further stabilize the property market by boosting demand and optimizing supply without excessive stimulus, thereby further reining in the industry's downturn, experts said.
专家表示，中国仍有政策空间通过提振需求和优化供应来进一步稳定房地产市场，而无需过度刺激，从而进一步遏制房地产业的低迷。
However, the country needs to ramp up efforts to restructure both the property industry and the broader economy, to ensure high-quality development, they said.
然而，他们表示，国家需要加大力度重组房地产业和整体经济，以确保高质量发展。
We believe that there's still a high possibility of more supportive policies aimed at stimulating sales in the short run, which will help constrain the decline in property sales," said Wang Xingping, senior analyst of the corporates department at rating agency Fitch Bohua.
评级机构惠誉博华工商企业部高级分析师王兴萍表示：“我们认为，短期内出台更多旨在刺激销售的支持性政策的可能性很大，这将有助于抑制房地产销售的下滑。”
"The purchase restrictions in some districts of tier-1 cities are expected to be eased. However, the complete cancellation of such curbs in core areas of tier-1 cities may not happen in the short run as regulators aim to stabilize the property market while avoiding overheating again."
“一线城市部分地区的限购政策有望放宽。然而，一线城市核心地区可能不会在短期内完全取消此类限制，因为监管机构的目标是稳定房地产市场，同时避免再次过热。”
The Chinese authorities announced a new round of policy easing measures on Friday. They rolled out a series of significant supportive policies nationwide, including further reduction in the down payment ratio to a historic low, lifting of the lower limit for personal mortgage loan interest rates, lowering of the provident fund loan interest rates and establishment of the special-purpose re-lending program for affordable housing. The new policies' aim is to boost homebuyer sentiment and ease developer liquidity stress.
5月17日，中国相关机构宣布了新一轮政策宽松措施。他们在全国范围内推出了一系列重大支持政策，包括进一步降低首付比例至历史最低水平，取消个人按揭贷款利率下限，降低公积金贷款利率，以及建立保障性住房专项再贷款计划。新政策的目的是提振购房者情绪，缓解开发商的流动性压力。
Robin Xing, chief China economist at Morgan Stanley, forecast that housing support measures may continue to evolve in the coming quarters. "We see more urgency to execute home completion with better utilization of policy banking tools," Xing said.
摩根士丹利中国首席经济学家邢自强预测，未来几个季度，住房支持措施可能会继续出台。邢自强说：“我们认为，通过更好地利用政策性银行工具来执行竣工验收更为紧迫。”
With further home purchase relaxations anticipated, the announced policies should facilitate faster market clearing, support liquidity among developers, restore homebuyer confidence and improve housing investment, albeit with a lag, he said.
他说，预计将进一步放宽购房限制，已宣布的政策应有助于加快市场出清，支持开发商的流动性，恢复购房者的信心，并改善住房投资，尽管会有一定的滞后性。
Amid a challenging period of sluggish demand and liquidity stress, the combined revenues of Chinese mainland developers listed in the A-share and Hong Kong markets reached 4.1 trillion yuan ($570 billion) in 2023, up 3.4 percent year-on-year, according to a report by Chinese-language newspaper Securities Times. Half of the developers realized revenue growth last year, having seen their revenue plunge in 2022.
根据中文报纸《证券时报》的一份报告，在需求疲软

Massive crowds filled the main square of Tabriz in northwestern Iran as well as mosques in Teheran and elsewhere on Tuesday as Iranians prayed for and held funeral ceremonies for President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who were killed on Sunday in a helicopter crash.
Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian are credited with resounding achievements in foreign relations that are likely to continue even after the new presidential election that is scheduled next month, according to analysts.
Following mourning announcements by Iranian authorities tasked with arranging the services, funeral ceremonies for those who died in the crash were first conducted in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, on Tuesday morning, the second day of the five-day national period of mourning.
Huge processions of mourners were seen in online videos posted by Iran's Tasnim News Agency. Using their mobile phones, some mourners recorded their glimpses of the fallen leaders' caskets, which were draped in the colors of the Iranian flag.
The mourning services will lead up to a funeral and burial ceremony for Raisi on Thursday in the holy city of Mashhad, his hometown, according to Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency.
Speaking at the Tabriz ceremony, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that Iran "mourned the death of a beloved, popular and humble president", adding that the nation was also saddened by the death of a foreign minister "who left active diplomacy in the critical moments of the resistance as his legacy".
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari on Tuesday in Astana, Kazakhstan, and again expressed his condolences over the deaths of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian.
Wang and Safari were in Astana for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's foreign ministers' meeting.No matter how the situation changes, China will as always strengthen strategic cooperation with Iran, safeguard the common interests of both sides and continue to make efforts for regional and world peace, Wang said.
Safari emphasized that Iran's domestic and foreign policies will not change.
Teheran attaches great importance to its relationship with Beijing and is committed to strengthening bilateral cooperation in various areas including politics, the economy and culture, Safari said.Ali Khansari, an international affairs analyst at Allameh Tabataba'i University in Teheran, said that Iran has come together despite the political and ideological differences of political parties, journalists, university professors and "even ordinary people".
"In their eyes, this tragedy is very bad and sad," Khansari said.Mehran Kamrava, a professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, said that Raisi "did have measurable successes" when it came to his foreign policy, and did so on "two fronts" in particular — in improving relations with Iran's neighbors as well as with Russia, India and China.During Raisi's time in office, Iran made strides in its relationship with its regional and Asian neighbors, including its acceptance into BRICS in August, with official membership beginning on Jan 1. 
In addition, Iran gained full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in July.Carlos Martinez, a British political commentator, said, "Ebrahim Raisi fought with honor in the struggle against imperialism, for sovereignty, for peace and multipolarity.
"Martinez said that Raisi's legacy includes resolute support for Palestinian liberation, Iran's membership in BRICS and the SCO, a significant deepening of Iran-China relations, and a total refusal to succumb to the West's bullying and intimidation. 
Raisi also rejected speculation that only through rapprochement amid sanctions from the West could Iran achieve its economic success, Martinez added.Iran will hold a presidential election on June 28, according to a statement by the agency headed by acting president Mohammad Mokhber.Registration of candidates will

Lai Ching-te has sent a dangerous signal of seeking "Taiwan independence" and making provocations to undermine cross-Strait peace and stability in his speech after assuming the role of the Taiwan region's new leader on Monday, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said.
中国大陆发言人表示，赖清德在2024年5月20日就任台湾地区新领导人后的讲话中发出了寻求“台独”的危险信号，并进行了破坏两岸和平与稳定的挑衅。
Chen Binhua, a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Lai's speech wantonly advocated separatism, incited cross-Strait confrontation and sought "independence" by relying on foreign support and by force.
国务院台湾事务办公室发言人陈斌华表示，赖清德的讲话是在大肆鼓吹分裂主义，煽动两岸对抗，依靠外国支持和武力谋求“台独”。
"The mainstream public aspiration on the island is to pursue peace over war, development over decline, communication over separation and cooperation over confrontation," Chen said, adding that Lai has ignored public opinion, exposing his nature of being a "'Taiwan independence' worker". Lai, 64, once described himself as a "pragmatic worker for 'Taiwan independence'".
陈斌华表示，赖清德无视民意，暴露了他是“台独”工作者的本质。“台湾民众的主流愿望是要和平不要战争，要发展不要衰落，要沟通不要分离，要合作不要对抗，” 赖清德曾形容自己是“台独的务实工作者”。
Chen said the current complex situation across the Taiwan Strait is rooted in the fact that the Democratic Progressive Party stubbornly clings to a separatist stance of "Taiwan independence", refuses to acknowledge the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle, and colludes with external forces to continuously provoke separatist activities.
陈斌华表示，当前海峡两岸的复杂局面，根源在于民进党顽固坚持“台独”分裂立场，拒不承认体现一个中国原则的“九二共识”，勾连外部势力不断挑起分裂活动。
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, the spokesman said, emphasizing that "Taiwan independence" and peace across the Strait are as incompatible as fire and water.
台湾是中国不可分割的一部分，“台独”与两岸和平是水火不容的。
No matter how the situation on the island changes, no matter who is in power, it cannot alter the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China, nor can it impede the historical trend of national reunification, Chen said.
无论岛内局势如何变化，无论谁执政，都改变不了两岸同属一个中国的事实，也阻挡不了国家统一的历史潮流。
"We have firm determination to resolve the Taiwan question and realize national reunification; we have strong capabilities to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity; and we will take resolute actions to fight separatist activities seeking 'Taiwan independence' and external interference," he said.
“我们解决台湾问题、实现祖国统一的决心坚定不移;我们有维护国家主权和领土完整的强大能力;我们将坚决打击‘台独’分裂活动和外部干涉。”
The mainland will work together with Taiwan compatriots to promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and cross-Strait integrated development, and resolutely advance the reunification of the motherland, he added.
大陆将与台湾同胞共同努力，推动两岸关系和平发展和两岸融合发展，坚决推进祖国统一大业。
Referring to Lai's speech, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that the one-China principle is the solid anchor for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and anyone who attempts to challenge the principle will ultimately fail.
5月20日，外交部长王毅在谈到赖的讲话时表示，一个中国原则是台海和平与稳定的坚实支柱，任何人试图挑战这