Three-minute news breakfast on Thursday, April 24, 2025

 

1) Xi Jinping issued important instructions on the military-civilian unity work, emphasizing the consolidation and development of the rock-solid military-political and military-civilian unity, and jointly writing a new chapter of the era of loving our people and loving our army. Li Qiang attended the National Model City (County) Naming Conference for Military-Civilian Unity and delivered a speech. On the morning of April 23, Xi Jinping held talks with Azerbaijani President Aliyev, who was paying a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The two heads of state announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Azerbaijan.

 

 

Xi Jinping delivered a speech to the Leaders' Summit on Climate and Just Transition.

2) The Shenzhou 20 manned spacecraft is scheduled to launch at 5:17 pm on April 24. The astronaut crew for the Shenzhou 20 manned flight mission consists of three astronauts: Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, with Chen Dong serving as the commander. The crew includes two space pilots and one flight engineer.

 

 

Shenzhou 20 will conduct life science experiments using zebrafish, planarians, and Streptomyces as research subjects. After completing the in-orbit crew rotation with the Shenzhou 20 astronaut crew, the Shenzhou 19 astronaut crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site on the 29th of this month.

3) China's fourth batch of astronauts are undergoing training as planned, and astronauts from Hong Kong and Macao are expected to fly into space as early as 2026. China has selected and trained two astronauts for Pakistan, and one Pakistani payload specialist will be stationed at the Chinese space station.

4) A national plan has been released to comprehensively strengthen the management of ozone-depleting substances. Ministry of Ecology and Environment: The radiation environment level of China's nuclear facilities is good; resolutely curb the falsification and chaos of motor vehicle emission inspection institutions. The Ministry of Water Resources has launched a three-year action plan for the construction and management of flood storage and detention areas.

5) The Ministry of Emergency Management and six other departments jointly issued the new "Regulations on Fire Statistics Management", which will come into effect on May 1.

6) National Medical Insurance Administration: From January to March, the number of people participating in the employee medical insurance personal account reached 95.8683 million.

7) [Rule of Law] The Intellectual Property Protection Department of the Supreme People's Procuratorate has been launched, dealing a heavy blow to crimes infringing on intellectual property rights. More than 920 Chinese suspects in Myanmar were transferred to China. Lu Kehua, former member of the Standing Committee of the Chongqing Municipal Committee and former secretary of the Political and Legal Committee, was "double-opened" due to long-term gambling addiction and inflated greed. Zhao Jinyun, former vice governor of Gansu Province, was dismissed from public office for serious violations of duty. Zhang Xiaolian, deputy director of the Economic Committee of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was expelled from the party for serious disciplinary and law violations. Zhang Gengsheng, former vice president of the China Construction Bank, was expelled from the party for serious disciplinary and law violations. A 50-year-old auxiliary police officer in Qinyang, Henan Province, was allegedly replaced by someone else to attend a secondary specialized school over 30 years ago? Official report: Basically true, follow-up work will be done in accordance with the law, regulations, and discipline based on the investigation results.

8) [Military] Various activities were held across the country to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Navy. The Xi'an ship and the Yimengshan ship were opened to the public in Shanghai for the first time.

 

 

On April 23, Fujian Maritime Police conducted routine law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen.

9) [Hong Kong and Macao] The Ministry of Finance issued 1.5 billion yuan of 15-year bonds in Hong Kong, with applications totaling approximately 5.95 billion yuan.

10) [Taiwan] Taiwanese people need to "report" before going to the mainland? The DPP has increased control, causing strong public dissatisfaction.

 

 

1) Wang Huning met with a delegation led by Komeito Party leader Tetsuo Saito in Beijing on April 23. Ding Xuexiang met with Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi. The Ministry of Commerce responded to the EU's appeal for arbitration on the WTO dispute case concerning China and Europe: China is pleased to see that the WTO panel supports China's claims, and China will handle it in accordance with the relevant rules of the MPIA and safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. Trump said that US tariffs on Chinese goods would drop significantly after the agreement was reached. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded: If the US really wants to solve the problem through dialogue and negotiation, it should stop threats and coercion and engage in dialogue with China on the basis of equality, respect, and mutual benefit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the UN Security Council's discussion of US tariffs: Each institution has the right to speak out. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs: No lies can cover up the US ambition to control the Panama Canal. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador to Ukraine, and China responded: We firmly oppose groundless accusations and political manipulation. The National Health Commission firmly opposes the White House's炒作of the "lab leak" of the novel coronavirus.

2) 17 countries and international organizations and more than 50 international research institutions have joined the International Lunar Research Station cooperation initiated by China. To promote global biodiversity protection, giant pandas "Hefeng" and "Lanyun" set off for Austria on April 23.

 

 

Due to the US refusal to pay dues and other aid cuts, the WHO has laid off staff and reorganized. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that global financial stability risks have increased significantly. Foreign media: The planned talks on the Ukraine issue in London have been postponed, and the postponement is related to the US's continued pressure on Russia and Ukraine.

3) Trump publicly admitted that the current US tariffs on goods imported from China are too high, and that the tax rate is expected to drop significantly. US Treasury Secretary Besent also said that the tariff war between China and the US will soon cool down. Trump changed his mind and said he had no intention of firing the Fed chairman. The White House: Trump will visit the Middle East in May. The White House said the US government will respond to Harvard University's lawsuit in court. The US Secretary of State announced that the US State Department will undergo a comprehensive reorganization. Musk will gradually withdraw from the Department of Government Efficiency in May, saying he will try his best to urge Trump to lower tariffs. Six major US auto industry organizations jointly opposed the imposition of additional tariffs on auto parts. The production of the "Optimus Prime" humanoid robot is affected by China's restrictions on the export of rare earth magnets, and Musk said that he is "working with Beijing". Tesla's net profit in the first quarter of 2025 fell by 71% year-on-year. The California governor angrily criticized US tariff policies: The "US credit" has been permanently damaged. The US "Lucy" probe sent back photos of its encounter with an asteroid.

 

 

4) Zelensky: Willing to negotiate in "any form" after a ceasefire, but excluding territorial issues. At least 9 people were killed in a drone attack on a town in central Ukraine. Iran said that technical talks with the US have been postponed to April 26.

5) On the evening of April 22, local time, a spokesman for the Houthi armed forces in Yemen said that they had again attacked two US aircraft carriers with missiles and drones. The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile from Yemen.

6) An attack occurred in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, local time, killing at least 26 people. Indian Prime Minister Modi cut short his trip to Saudi Arabia. Trump tweeted that "the US stands firmly with India". India experienced sustained high temperatures earlier than ever in 2025.

7) Japan has developed a 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer.

8) On April 23, a stabbing incident in the Philippines resulted in 7 deaths.

9) A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey at 12:49 pm local time on April 23, with strong tremors felt in Istanbul.

 

 

1) The 2025 National Cultural and Tourism Consumption Promotion Activities launched on April 23 in Zhengzhou, Henan, coinciding with the launch of the National May Day Cultural and Tourism Consumption Week.

2) The total retail sales of consumer goods in the first quarter reached 12.47 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.6%.

3) The added value of China's equipment manufacturing industry increased by 10.9% year-on-year in the first quarter.

4) JD.com responded to the rumor of Richard Liu topping the rider ranking: It's untrue; the ranking is fabricated.

5) BMW announced plans to integrate DeepSeek AI technology into new models for the Chinese market within the year.

6) Yesterday's closing prices:

Shanghai Composite Index: 3296.36/-0.10%

Shenzhen Component Index: 9935.80/+0.67%

ChiNext Index: 1949.16/+1.07%

Hang Seng Index: 22072.62/+2.37%

 

 

1) April 23 is World Book Day. In 2024, the number of digital reading users in China reached 670 million, a year-on-year increase of 17.52%.

2) On April 23, Xiangwai Public Cultural Space, a pilot project for the socialization of public cultural facilities in Chaoyang District, Beijing, officially opened. Simultaneously, a themed event, "Sharing the Beauty of Reading—Exploring Innovative Service Models and Promoting Regional Cultural Development," was launched, marking a new community demonstration chapter for the "15-minute quality cultural life circle".

 

 

3) Liu Guoliang resigned; Wang Liqin was elected chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, with Gao Yuanyi and Ma Long as vice chairmen. Wang Liqin: Setting a strategy for 6 Olympic gold medals.

 

 

4) Due to a controversial penalty against Ke Jie, the Chinese Go Association will not form a team to participate in the LG Cup, but this will not affect Chinese players' participation in other world Go tournaments hosted by South Korea.

 

 

1) Early morning on April 23, the Chaobai River Bridge in Shunyi District, Beijing, was closed in both directions due to a fire. There were no casualties.

2) Shanghai introduces measures to promote the development of its IPO market.

3) 600-ton steel beams "take to the air"! The Foshan super-large bridge of the Guangzhan High-speed Railway was closed on April 22.

 

 

The Mabai Mountain Tunnel of the Xi'an-Tenghzhou High-speed Railway was successfully completed.

4) A kindergarten in Chongqing responded to the requirement of a master's degree for teacher recruitment: The previous requirement was a bachelor's degree; the standard for public recruitment in 2025 has been raised.

5) The controversial tomb of Di Renjie at the Baima Temple in Luoyang has been officially marked; local authorities responded: It is confirmed to be Di Renjie's tomb.

 

 

6) The May Day self-driving travel boom is here, with Xinjiang and Sichuan becoming the hottest destinations.

7) Heavy rain is expected in southern Jiangsu, South China, and other areas, with strong winds in eastern Inner Mongolia and other areas. From 8 pm on April 23 to 8 pm on April 24, light to moderate snow or rain and snow is expected in parts of northeastern Inner Mongolia, northwestern Heilongjiang, the Tianshan area of Xinjiang, southeastern Xinjiang, and southwestern Qinghai. Heavy snow is expected in parts of northeastern Inner Mongolia and the Tianshan area of Xinjiang.

 

 

 

 

1) Eating less regularly not only helps with weight loss and blood sugar control, but also lowers bad cholesterol and improves blood circulation. Many studies have confirmed that moderate "starvation" is beneficial to the body.

2) It is advisable to sleep late and wake up early in spring. "Sleeping late" does not mean staying up late, but rather sleeping a little later, preferably before 11 pm, to avoid staying up late and depleting yang energy.