Stories from beijing · China

The 22nd meeting of the 14th National People's Congress Standing Committee is convening in Beijing. The Agriculture Law revision aims to improve the agricultural support and protection system and increase farmers' income. Additionally, the committee will conduct its first review of an amended Agricultural Law aimed at improving the agricultural support and protection system and increasing farmer income. The National Bureau of Statistics is also expected to release industrial enterprise profit data for the first quarter of the year. The 139th Canton Fair's second phase, themed around quality home goods, concludes today with 515,000 square meters of exhibition area and 25,000 booths. Chairman Zhao Leji presided over the session. Additionally, Central Political Bureau Standing Committee member and Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary Li Xi met in Beijing on April 27.

China will operate 179 specialized tourist trains starting in late April to accommodate May Day holiday travel. Some routes and time slots still have available tickets according to the 12306 platform. As of 8:00 AM on April 29, the 12306 railway service has sold 83.02 million tickets. The Ministry of Transport expects daily highway traffic to reach approximately 64 million vehicles during the holiday. Congestion is anticipated in Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, and Anhui provinces, as well as on major expressways like the Shenhai and Hu Yu highways. China State Railway Group Limited announced that railway transportation for the May Day holiday will run from April 29 to May 6. Approximately 12,000 passenger trains are planned for the duration, with May 1 identified as the peak travel day. A video dispatch meeting said safety prevention and risk mitigation to maintain social stability.

China has implemented stricter regulations targeting government officials whose family members reside abroad.

Parents in China are reporting skin redness, swelling, eczema, and allergic reactions in children following the use of certain cosmetics. Journalists investigated products marketed for children that lack the required 'Xiao Jianduan' safety logo. Some merchants are selling children's cosmetics that lack the required mandatory safety certification marks. Reports indicate that certain vendors have attempted to obstruct journalists by seizing products and driving them away from stores to prevent photography. These merchants are allegedly aware of the products' true attributes but continue to sell them. The investigation highlights a lack of compliance with strict regulatory processes for children's goods. Merchants in Beijing are reportedly evading inspections by obstructing journalists and preventing photography of non-compliant products.

China has completed construction of its largest capacity liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier. The vessel marks a major breakthrough in China's high-end clean energy transmission and manufacturing sector.

The German Berle Chinese Choir delivered a specialized performance featuring songs in Chinese. The event aimed to provide students with new perspectives and cultural exposure through the Chinese language. The performance included the song 'Miraculous Traditional Chinese Medicine'.

Pan Gang ironworks successfully utilized a conventional wet-link method to produce molten iron.

China's Przewalski's horse population has risen above 900 individuals. This follows forty years of the 'Wild Horse Return Program' aimed at restoring the world's only surviving wild horse species.

The 2026 Beijing Spring Birdwatching Competition concluded after one week of competition. The competition involved 42 teams and 168 participants over one week. The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce and the Municipal Bureau of Greenery released a recommended list of 55 birdwatching locations across the city. Locations include urban parks, forest parks, Songzhuang Town, Yao Budong Village, and Shunyi Zhang Town. Xue Yang, Director of the Greenery Resource Protection Center, presented the recommendations during the event. The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment released the 2026 Beijing Birdwatching Guide during the 44th annual spring birdwatching event at the Chaobai Forest Park. The guide recommends 55 specific locations for birdwatching, including urban parks, forest parks, and areas in Songzhuang Town and Shunyi District.

The Tiantan Awards have released their first shortlist of nominated films. A total of 1,826 feature films were submitted from 139 countries and regions. International films accounted for 1,607 of the entries, representing 88% of the total submissions. The jury includes prominent film industry figures such as Zhang Xiaofei and Zhang Yi.