Stories from China

International flight bookings to China have increased by over four times as travelers flock to the country for the Lunar New Year celebrations. This surge highlights the growing global appeal of Chinese cultural festivities. China expects cross-regional passenger flows to reach 1.52 billion people during the upcoming holiday period. China's May Day Cultural Tourism Week will run from late April through the end of the May Day holiday. China's Ministry of Transport announced that cross-regional passenger travel during the upcoming May Day holiday is expected to reach a record high for this period. China expects highway traffic to account for 91.6% of holiday travel, with approximately 64 million vehicles expected on national expressways. China expects 107 million railway passengers and 11.75 million civil aviation passengers during the upcoming May Day holiday.

Reports from the PLA Daily suggest a continued purge of military and political leadership to address 'residual corruption.' This follows the arrest of Zhang Youxia and signals a deepening internal crackdown within the People's Liberation Army.

The 2025 version of the 'Guidelines for the Construction of the Standard System for the Technology Service Industry' has been released in Beijing. This update aims to optimize the layout and development of the technology service sector following a major annual meeting. China's State Administration for Market Regulation has released new mandatory national standards for hazardous substances in indoor decoration and renovation materials.

China's exports of batteries, electric vehicles, and solar products surged to $21.9 billion in March. This represents a significant 70% increase compared to the same period last year. The growth highlights China's expanding dominance in the global green energy supply chain. China's energy storage and virtual power plant infrastructure require megawatt-scale batteries. This demand significantly exceeds the capacity used in electric vehicles, which typically use 80 kilowatt-scale batteries. The scale of grid-related requirements is rapidly absorbing existing battery manufacturing capacity. This shift is impacting the supply chain for domestic automotive manufacturers. Customs data shows China's thermos flask exports reached 5 billion yuan in the first quarter of the year.

Ten Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Cyberspace Administration, have issued new measures regarding AI technology ethics review and services. The initiative aims to guide long-term capital toward the technology sector through insurance innovation.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has expressed a desire for increased cooperation between China and the United States. This statement comes amid ongoing diplomatic tensions and discussions regarding global stability.

China Pacific Insurance's Hubei branch has been penalized by regulators, contributing to a cumulative total of 16 penalties for the company so far this year. This indicates heightened regulatory scrutiny on the insurer's regional operations.

Four Chinese government departments have jointly released opinions regarding technology insurance coverage and protection. The guidelines aim to clarify what technologies are eligible for insurance and how the protection process should be implemented.

The Chinese government has issued a strong protest against Japanese politician Sanae Takaichi for offering tributes at the Yasukuni Shrine. The move is seen as a significant escalation in regional rhetoric. China has issued a statement condemning the United States and its allies for actions in the Persian Gulf, Oman Bay, and Strait of Hormuz. The statement claims that illegal seizures of Iranian merchant ships and crew members violate international law and the UN Charter. China asserts that any disruption to maritime transport in these regions is the direct responsibility of the US and its supporters. The rhetoric characterizes these maritime interventions as illegal and destabilizing. China and Russia have accused the United States and Israel of causing current regional instability through illegal military operations against Iran.

China has successfully conducted an in-flight test of liquid-hydrogen propulsion technology. This milestone signals increasing technical confidence in cryogenic powertrains for future aviation. The development represents a significant step in the pursuit of sustainable, high-efficiency aerospace propulsion systems. The C909 aircraft project, a national high-tech initiative with independent intellectual property rights, has successfully completed three major ground and flight tests.