Stories from Beijing · China

China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment will accelerate the development of a modernized ecological monitoring system during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Local villagers report that after eight years, the site contains only a cemetery instead of the promised tourism infrastructure. The project is located approximately one kilometer from nearby villages. The Yangtze Ecological Park is undergoing development and expansion. The current forest area covers approximately 22,192.91 square meters. An undeveloped area of 511.5 mu west of Jinxiu Court is designated for future development. This area was previously classified as farmland and has been a priority for remediation since 2024. China has established seven monitoring transects to provide all-weather visibility and control in key protected areas.

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions will hold an awards ceremony on April 28. China will honor 3,024 advanced collectives and individuals for their contributions to the national economy. China will honor 749 individuals, including the China Youth Five-Color Medal recipients, for their contributions to labor and energy sectors. The Communist Youth League Central Committee has announced the results for the 2026 'China Youth May Fourth' speech and medal awards. A ceremony to honor the 2026 National May Day Labor Awards was held today at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. China has awarded National May Day Labor Medals to 1,462 individual workers, including Wu Yong. The 22nd meeting of the 14th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress convened at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 27.

Major Chinese automotive companies are launching new vehicle models equipped with assisted driving technology at the current Beijing Auto Show. Overseas sales for these companies are now at a 1:1 ratio internally. Students are engaging with historical texts, calligraphy, and traditional poetry, finding new perspectives and dreams through these cultural exchanges. One student has lived in Chengdu for three years, integrating into local life by visiting tea houses and sharing ancient poetry with schoolchildren. A German school principal believes that students gain new perspectives and potentially new dreams by engaging with unfamiliar subjects like Chinese culture and traditional medicine. The school is proud to offer Chinese language courses, hoping more students will learn to understand Chinese culture and medicine more deeply.

China's National Bureau of Statistics reported that profits from industrial enterprises above designated size grew by 15.8% year-on-year in March. Operating income for large-scale industrial enterprises in China rose 0.46% year-on-year in the first quarter. This growth occurred despite Middle East conflict impacting global oil markets and increasing raw material costs. March profits for specific firms jumped 15.8%, exceeding the 15.2% growth seen during the January-February period. The data indicates an uneven economic recovery within the country. China's Ministry of Commerce has formally submitted its assessment of the EU's Industrial Accelerator Act to the European Commission. China has stated its official position and serious concerns regarding the legislation.

Watermelon prices have dropped sharply for wholesalers and retailers due to a complete halt in exports. Watermelon prices have experienced a sharp decline affecting growers and wholesalers. Consequently, importers in the Gulf are no longer purchasing the fruit. The sudden cessation of export demand has left wholesalers and growers facing a market downturn. Watermelon export to the Gulf region has completely stopped due to heightened tensions in that area. Watermelon prices in China have plummeted because exports to the Gulf region have completely stopped.

A social media account affiliated with Chinese state media suggests the delayed release of DeepSeek's V4 model indicates a shift toward deeper integration with China's domestic chip ecosystem. The preview release for the model is expected to occur this Friday. This development follows recent discussions regarding the integration of AI models with specific hardware infrastructures.

New developments in domestic large language models, including Mini Max, suggest potential breakthroughs this week. Recent updates, such as DeepSeek announcing a new version capable of integrating with certain domestic GPUs, have bolstered confidence in the local AI industry chain. These advancements are driving interest in hardware stocks related to the artificial intelligence sector. New software versions can now interface with certain domestic GPU components, boosting hardware stocks in the AI supply chain. However, competition among LLM operators remains intense globally. Companies are facing high capital expenditures and increased volatility in the sector. The competition involved over 100 teams and hundreds of robots. Humanoid machines are transitioning from laboratories to real-world applications, demonstrating the ability to compete with or exceed human physical capabilities.

China's electric vehicle charging infrastructure reached a total of 21.481 million units by the end of the month. Discussions regarding security in the Hormuz Strait have been noted, with mentions of potential meetings between US officials and leadership. The context involves the strategic importance of the strait and its impact on regional stability. Potential maritime tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are expected to significantly impact global supply chain logic, risk management, and cost structures. Shipping costs and risk pricing are projected to see jumps and increased volatility. Brent crude futures rose by $2.22 to $107.55 per barrel following reports of continued transport restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. Global crude supplies are tightening due to stalled peace negotiations between the United States and Iran.

China's 168 comprehensive bonded zones achieved an import and export value of 7.2 trillion yuan in 2025. The zones also contributed approximately one-seventh of the country's total import and export value. New policies aim to transition these zones from traditional processing and logistics toward high-end production and services, including bonded repair and testing. This shift aims to enhance supply chain resilience and national strategic security. China's General Administration of Customs is transitioning bonded zone supervision from traditional network management to a digital collaborative system. Pan Cheng, Deputy Director of the Free Trade Zone and Special Area Development Department, stated that the customs administration will accelerate the research and issuance of supporting institutional documents.

China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment reported an overall improvement in air quality during the first quarter of 2026. PM2.5 average concentrations in the Yangtze River Delta decreased by 2.3% year-on-year, and heavy pollution days fell to 1.6% of the total. Surface water quality remained stable, with 89.5% of water categorized as types 1 to 3 (excellent/good). The proportion of days with heavy or severe pollution fell to 1.6%, a 0.2 percentage point decrease from the previous year. President Xi Jinping has issued instructions to summarize and apply development experiences from Yiwu to promote high-quality growth. PM2.5 concentrations in 339 cities averaged 40.6 micrograms per cubic meter, a 1.2% year-on-year decrease, while PM10 averaged 63 micrograms per cubic meter.