News

China Pledges Stability Reform in 2017

December 14， Qidong， Jiangsu Province： A 4，000-ton floating crane vessel for offshore wind turbine installation has begun operation. Thanks to the government’s strong reform efforts in 2016， an innovationdriven economic development model has been established.

From December 14 to 16， 2016， Chinese leaders and officials gathered for the Central Economic Work Conference to map out priorities for 2017， after which a statement confirmed that supply-side structural reform will continue unabated in 2017， and that “seeking progress while maintaining stability” will be the guiding principle in governance and economic work.

China expects substantial reform progress in five key areas in 2017， including cutting overcapacity， eliminating stocking， de-leveraging， lowering costs and improving weaknesses. Efforts to reduce steel， iron and coal capacity will continue in 2017， with a focus on “zombie enterprises，” declared the statement.

Remembering the Nanjing Massacre

December 13， Nanjing， Jiangsu Province： People pay homage to victims at the Memorial Hall of the Nanjing Massacre. The Chinese people hope that their commemoration will inspire the rest of the world to remember the estimated 300，000 victims killed by the invading Japanese Imperial Army in Nanjing 79 years ago. They call for world peace and elimination of hatred across borders.

Recounting the Nanjing Massacre is about morality and historical justice. The world has developed a deeper understanding of the Nanjing Massacre over the past few years thanks to a series of events. China has designated a National Memorial Day， historical documents related to the Nanjing Massacre have been included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register， and a series of exhibitions has been held around the world.

Solar Cultural Heritage

Hangzhou， Zhejiang Province： Farmers pick tea leaves a few days before the Qingming Festival， which falls on the 5th of 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar. China’s Twenty-four Solar Terms are often considered the country’s fifth great invention. They were added to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage on November 30， 2016.

The announcement was made during the 11th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The meeting considered 37 nominations for the 2016 Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. China’s Twenty-four Solar Terms are part of a knowledge system and social practice formed by observing the sun’s annual motion as well as the year’s changes in season， climate and phenology.

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage has inscribed 336 items onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity across its 10 years of service.

Ice Snow Economy

December 15， Harbin， Heilongjiang Province： Ice sculptors carve a large snow sculpture named“Love Song” for the 29th Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo. The headlining snow sculpture， which measures 103 meters long and 31 meters high， has just been completed.

To promote winter tourism and ignite its sluggish economy， the provincial legislature of Heilongjiang recently made the decision to hold an “Ice and Snow Day” on December 20 annually. Stateowned winter sports facilities are open free of charge on that day.

The province’s brutal winter， which lasts about 120 days， was once an obstacle impeding the development of the local economy. However， Heilongjiang has taken measures to transform the cold， snowy season into a resource to boost its economy， which has slowed in recent years amid the country’s economic restructuring.