Stories from beijing · China

China plans to launch the Tianwen-3 mission around 2028 and return Mars samples to Earth by 2031. This information was released during the 11th China Space Day launch ceremony on April 24. The mission follows China's efforts to improve intellectual property protection standards, which have reached 82.81 percent. The announcement occurred at a main event celebrating China's space achievements. China's space station is expected to achieve greater international recognition and effectiveness in the near future, potentially contributing to local, provincial, and national economies. Engineers intend to dock a new multifunctional unit to the main compartment to enable permanent orbital presence. The plan was reported by state broadcaster CCTV.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang presided over a State Council executive meeting on April 17. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 1 percent, closing at 25,679 points. Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Tokyo markets all saw declines, with Tokyo down 1 percent. Xi Jinping presided over a Communist Party of China economic meeting in Beijing to call for concrete measures to bolster economic work. Beijing pledged to strengthen national energy security and respond to external shocks by pursuing rapid technological development and greater control over supply chains. The meeting said the necessity of high-quality development. The mainland economy grew by 5 percent in the first quarter and is projected to expand by 4.5 to 5 percent for the full year. Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over a meeting said the use of macroeconomic policies to tap into domestic demand.

China's new energy vehicle market share is projected to exceed 70% by 2030. Ouyang Minggao, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor at Tsinghua University, predicts new energy vehicles will exceed 70% of the market by 2030. China predicts new energy vehicles (NEVs) will account for over 70% of the automotive market by 2030. This growth is driven by increasing reliance on renewable and new energy sources. This transition is occurring as fossil fuel dependency remains a global concern. The number of new energy vehicles on the road is expected to exceed 100 million by 2030, with projections of 200 to 300 million by 2035. This implies a need for improved and faster charging infrastructure, as the current system is accelerating its refinement.

China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs conducted routine quality and safety monitoring for the first quarter of 2026. The monitoring covered 125 varieties of vegetables, fruits, livestock, and aquatic products. A total of 7,517 samples were tested for 132 parameters, including pesticide residues. The overall compliance rate for these agricultural products was recorded at 98.5%.

China reported that the volume of blue crab parent stock has declined for nine consecutive months.

China's domestic film market has reached a total box office of 12.8 billion yuan for the year 2026. The data was reported based on network platform statistics. The broadcast also mentioned that the Yuncheng Temple extended its holiday hours for tourists, and visitors experienced cultural fusion there. Additionally, a new road connecting Longyan and Fenning districts was mentioned. The 2026 Chinese New Year film holiday box office, including pre-sales, reached 397 million yuan by Friday morning. The broadcast also mentioned that traditional cultural elements are being used to promote cultural tourism and enhance the sense of happiness. The broadcast also mentioned Shuanghui's fresh meat products and the concept of new productive forces, including drone delivery services.

The Chinese Foreign Minister stated that relations between China and the United States enjoy bright prospects.

Premier Li Qiang chaired a State Council executive meeting on April 17 to review progress on free trade zone construction. A large Chinese refinery has officially denied engaging in trade with Iran following the imposition of US sanctions.

The AI programming landscape is transitioning from 'vibe coding' to 'wish coding,' signaling a turning point for consumer-end applications. Tools like Cursor and Claude Code are significantly increasing software development efficiency for engineers.

Five types of malaria parasites are known to infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae, and the recently reported Plasmodium knowlesi.