China, Australia Sign Landmark Free Trade Agreement

June 17， Canberra， Australia： Chinas Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng （left） and Australias Trade Minister Andrew Robb （right） pose for photos with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott（center） after signing the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement（ChAFTA） at the National Gallery. The historic agreement finalized negotiations that began 10 years ago and followed the Declaration of Intent signed in November by the two countries heads， Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “The signing of ChAFTA will provide a better platform and improved institutional guarantee for the two countries to complement each other and engage in win-win cooperation，”remarked Chinese President Xi Jinping in a message to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. While celebrating the signing， Ab- bott noted that the ChAFTA signifies mutual trust between the two countries. ChAFTA， which covers more than 10 sectors including goods， services and investment， is “the highest level of overall trade and investment liberalization” among all such agreements involving China， according to a statement released by the Chinese government. Under the agreement， tarrifs on 85 percent of goods traded between both sides will drop to zero immediately. About 97 percent of Australian exports to China will become tariff free step-by-step， following a carefully designed timeline. Australia will eventually reduce tariffs to zero on all goods imported from China. So far， China has signed 14 FTAs involving 22 countries and regions in the world， including New Zealand， ASEAN countries， Hong Kong and Switzerland. Qian Jun/Xinhua

yhd.com Signs Deal with Agri-Food Canada

June 11， Shanghai： Canadian ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques （left） and Zhu Pengcheng （right）， chief merchandising officer of yhd.com， cook a meal during the AAFC-Yihaodian Strategic Cooperation Signing Ceremony. At the ceremony， yhd.com， the largest Chinese online business-to-consumer e-commerce grocery website， signed a contract with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada （AAFC） to launch a Canadian Fresh Food Pavilion and promote the first Canadian Food Festival on its website. Over 500 fresh Canadian foods are available online. Today， China has become Canadas second largest export market for agricultural products， among which beef， lobster， pork， shrimps and wine are especially welcomed by Chinese customers. According to insiders， yhd.com has been devoted to enhancing its advantages in selling imported foods since 2013. By cooperating directly with foreign governments and organizations in China， it has ensured access to the best foreign suppliers and brand resources. Now， it offers over 80，000 foods， of which 12，000 are imported fresh foods from 43 foreign countries. CFP

Mourning the Dead

June 5， Jianli County， Hubei Province： Rescuers work to raise the capsized cruise ship Eastern Star. On the night of June 1， the Eastern Star， carrying 454 people on board， was struck by a tornado and capsized in the Jianli section of the Yangtze River on the way from Nanjing to Chongqing. According to the official estimates， as of June 13 the final death toll rose to 442 when the bodies of the last few missing people were found. Only 12 passengers survived the disaster. All the dead were identified after DNA testing and bodies were transported to relatives. Rescue and search operations have now ended， but investigation of the disaster is still underway. Chen Zhuo/Asianewsphoto

Let the Dragon Boat Sail！

June 20， Hong Kong： Participants compete in a dragon boat race. The event was held to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival， also called Duanwu Festival， which is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. This year， it fell on June 20. For thousands of years， the festival has been observed by eating zongzi （glutinous rice wrapped in the shape of a pyramid with bamboo or reed leaves） and racing dragon boats to commemorate the death of Qu Yuan （340–278 BC）， a patriotic poet of State of Chu during the Warring States Period（475–221 BC）. Tradition holds that he committed suicide by drowning himself into the Miluo River， when his dream of saving the country was shattered. Tyrone Siu/ REUTERS

“Floating Islands”

June 4， Deqing County， Zhejiang Province： A boat floats along a river in Xingfu Village， Qianyuan Town. In early summer， the “floating islands” on the central river are all green， creating special and stunning scenery of the water town. Over 70 households live along its 4-kilometer-long river banks. In February 2015， administrators of Xingfu Village launched a harnessing project and poured 150 kilograms of fish larvae into the river to improve its scenery and water quality. Moreover， “floating islands”composed of floating aquatic plants were launched to further clean the water with their roots and decorate the river. Xu Yu/Xinhua

Bubble Run Fun

June 13， Shenyang City， Liaoning Province： Over ten thousand people join the first China Bubble Run at the Olympic Center. The Bubble Run， originating in the U.S.， was dubbed the “happiest five kilometers on earth” and swept the world rapidly. Every year， it attracts about 3 million participants worldwide. Along the 5-km track are four Bubble Stations， where colored foam covers runners from head to toe. To ensure the safety of participants， all foam is composed of 100% nontoxic ingredients such as natural coconut oil， biodegradable materials and edible pigment， so the Bubble Run is also known as a “Good Clean Run.” CFP

Swimming by the Harbour

June 18， Hong Kong： A sculpture at the “Swimming by the Harbour” Public Art Exhibition. The solo exhibition of prominent US hyperrealist sculptor Carole A. Feuermans work opened in Harbour City， Hong Kongs largest shopping mall. Six life-sized sculptures of beautiful figures in swimsuits appeared at the Ocean Terminal Forecourt and Ocean Centre of Harbour City. Feuerman has been honored by several global art awards. The swimming-themed exhibition marked her first solo exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region. The sculptor hopes viewers can find inner peace in their hearts and absorb the beauty of life through her work. The exhibition runs through July 5. IC