Editor's Note:

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most significant traditional holiday in China, symbolizing family reunions and marking a farewell to the old while welcoming the new. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, every Spring Festival, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has taken time out of his busy schedule to reach out to the grassroots level, engaging in conversations with ordinary people and frontline workers from various sectors.

From preparations for the Chinese New Year to local customs celebrated during this festival, Xi's heartfelt conversations with people across the country reflect his genuine blessings and deep care for the populace. These moments also serve as a microcosm of the continuous development of China's economy and society, as well as the ongoing improvement of living standards for the Chinese people.

The Spring Festival has been successfully inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) list of intangible cultural heritage. As this year's Spring Festival approaches, the Global Times is presenting a two-part series that follows in Xi's footsteps to explore the various festival traditions and the joyful lives of people across the country.

This is the first installment of the series. It focuses on Spring Festival foods and purchases highlighted during Xi's pre-festival inspection tours, which embody the romance of this traditional Chinese festival and reflect Xi's genuine care for the people.

The Spring Festival holds a special place in the hearts of the Chinese people, embodying warmth and family joy. During this festive season, the celebrations of ordinary families resonate deeply with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who genuinely cares about whether the Chinese people can enjoy a prosperous New Year filled with abundance.

"My biggest wish is that all of us will have a happy Lunar New Year. Party committees and governments at all levels should earnestly ensure the supply of electricity, gas, and heating during the festival, ensure that necessities such as 'vegetable baskets,' 'rice bags,' and 'fruit plates' are in ample supply, and strengthen supervision over food safety," Xi said ahead of the 2023 Chinese Lunar New Year, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"Letting the people of all ethnic groups have a good life," is Xi's aspiration, which is evident in his thoughtful consideration of New Year goods each year. Reflecting on Xi's annual "Spring Festival footsteps," it is evident that no matter where he goes, he always cares about how the people are living and whether they have prepared their festive goods. This "Spring Festival shopping list" reflects a profound commitment to the well-being of the Chinese people and embodies a beautiful vision for the high-quality development of their lives.

'We were greatly inspired'

The Spring Festival is a wonderful moment to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, always bringing new hope to the people. In China, it is not merely a celebration of the changing seasons and the passage of time; it is also a moment brimming with hope for the future.

In February 2015, shortly before the Spring Festival, a group of villagers gathered at the entrance of Liangjiahe village in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province to welcome Xi. The cave dwellings of Liangjiahe were nestled among the mountains and scattered across the valleys of the Loess Plateau.

As Xi walked with the villagers from the entrance into the heart of the village, memories came rushing back. In 1969, Xi, just shy of turning 16, was sent to live in Liangjiahe as an "educated youth." He would spend the next seven of his most formative years living in that rural hamlet. That area was where the Communist revolutionaries, including his father, rose to found New China, according to Xinhua.

During this visit, Xi brought gifts such as dumpling flour, rice, cooking oil, and meat products, as well as couplets and New Year paintings, ensuring that every household received a share. As they reminisced and exchanged pleasantries, his primary concern remained the villagers' well-being, including their food, clothing, and living conditions.

"President Xi asked how we resolved our water issues and how we were living. His questions were so thoughtful; they warmed my heart," recalled villager Liu Jinlian, as reported by Xinhua. Although the cave dwelling still bore the marks of the past, Liu's life had undergone a remarkable transformation. "At that time, we had no worries about food or clothing; life was much better than before," Liu said. "After his visit, the people in the village were greatly inspired to improve our lives."

In pursuit of poverty alleviation, Liangjiahe established a rural cultural tourism company in 2015, merging tourism development with poverty alleviation efforts. Villagers sprang into action - some opened farm stays, while others became shuttle drivers, finding work right at their doorsteps and benefiting from the burgeoning tourism industry.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Liangjiahe has successfully lifted itself out of poverty by focusing on rural tourism, apple cultivation, and village-enterprise processing. The villagers have transitioned from poverty to prosperity. Per capita net yearly income for villagers soared from 7,917 yuan ($1,093) in 2012 to 18,120 yuan in 2021, Xinhua reported.

Villagers now reside in new homes, operate farm stays, and enjoy paved roads and cultural activity squares. With apple demonstration gardens and modern breeding bases, the people of Liangjiahe are steadily realizing their dreams of a better life through hard work.

In his heart, Xi carries the hopes of countless "Liangjiahes." "The essence of governance is livelihood, and the right way to ensure people's livelihoods is to understand the hardships in their lives." - Xi once cited this ancient proverb to underscore the people-centered philosophy in governance, Xinhua reported.
Stable, fresh supply guaranteed

People's ability to joyfully celebrate the Chinese New Year largely depends on their access to goods in the market. This has been a concern for Xi, who has often reflected on it during pre-festival inspections at various consumer venues over the years, including community supermarkets, rural shops, and stores at highway service areas.

On February 4, 2021, he visited a supermarket called Heli Huimin Fresh in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou Province. At the supermarket, he checked the supply of goods for the Spring Festival holidays and their prices, Xinhua reported.

"When President Xi visited, I was filled with excitement. His warm smile lit up our dining area as he inquired about each dish and its price. Learning that customers could enjoy a hearty meal for around 20 yuan, he praised our affordable pricing, clearly valuing the people's needs," Liu Bing, the technical guidance at the processing department of the supermarket, told the Global Times.

According to Li Dexiang, who works at the supermarket, the store offers 40 essential goods at government-guided prices, typically 10 to 30 percent lower than nearby markets. Items like radishes and cabbages have been staples in the "one-yuan sales area."

"The affordability of produce stems from a decade of government rent subsidies, the establishment of supply bases, and direct sourcing, allowing us to pass savings on to consumers," Li told the Global Times.

This is not the first time Xi has shown concern for the public's festive shopping needs. In February 2024, he visited Tianjin, emphasizing the need for local governments to enhance the supply of essential goods during the holiday season, ensuring abundance, variety, and quality for a worry-free celebration, Xinhua reported.

With the holiday approaching this year, government departments at all levels across China are intensifying their efforts to stabilize prices and secure supplies. Measures include enhancing emergency response and timely monitoring of goods' supply and price changes.
A snack brings smiles

In the vibrant village of Desheng in North China's Hebei Province, villagers believe that a simple snack can bring smiles and prosperity. This festive cake, known as "kai kou xiao," literally translates to "mouth-opening smile" - an apt name for its appearance as golden, fried dough balls with a cracked surface resembling a grinning mouth.

As the Spring Festival approaches, households like that of Liu Guirong, a 65-year-old villager in Desheng, are bustling with frying up these festive treats. For Liu, "kai kou xiao" has transformed from a traditional festive food into a symbol of her village's remarkable journey toward rural revitalization and prosperity.

This transformation began in January 2017 when Xi inspected Desheng village, visiting and chatting with poor families, discussing how they could shake off poverty, Xinhua reported.

During this inspection, Xi sampled the "kai kou xiao" and praised its deliciousness. Liu was among those who prepared the snack that day, and also participated in the discussions in which where Xi helped a villager meticulously calculate household income and expenses. Xi called for more efforts to help the poor develop industries that could grow in a sustainable manner, set up sustainable mechanisms for poverty alleviation, and create ways for them to achieve prosperity, according to Xinhua.

The villagers later embarked on a transformation path. Following the path of "simultaneously focusing on industrial development and infrastructure improvement," they gradually established a thriving rural tourism industry based on homestays, which contributed to the rural revitalization.

The village's economic fortunes have blossomed since 2020. Ye Runbing, the Party secretary of Desheng village, told the Global Times that that the per capita net income of the villagers increased from 5,800 yuan in 2016 to 24,000 yuan in 2024.

The "kai kou xiao," once a simple local delicacy, has blossomed into a village signature dish thanks to the remarkable economic transformation of Desheng village and the recognition it received from Xi. Liu also seized this opportunity and launched her own "kai kou xiao" business in her spare time.

As the Spring Festival approaches, Desheng village gears up for a series of cultural events, which has led to a booming "kai kou xiao" business for local villagers.

"Many tourists come to our village specifically to buy this snack as a New Year's gift to take back home and share with their loved ones," Liu said. With each 0.5-kilogram package selling for 25 yuan, she sells at least 10 kilograms daily.

"Seeing the village come alive, with smiles brightening everyone's faces, fills me with joy," Liu shared. "Today, life in Desheng village is as cheerful as its namesake treat, flourishing more with each passing day," she said.

The bustling scene surrounding the procurement of "kai kou xiao" epitomizes the vibrant atmosphere found in markets across China at this moment. Each small bundle of New Year goods carries with it the hopes and memories of the people, as well as a reflection of the nation's prosperity. This year, as China celebrates the Spring Festival, the country stands confident and resilient, forging ahead on the path toward modernization and a brighter future.

The rampant telecom fraud in northern and eastern Myanmar has recently made headlines again following the rescue of Chinese actor Wang Xing who claimed to have fallen into a scam park after being brought to Myawaddy, a city in east Myanmar across the Thai-Myanmar border, where Thai police reported that Wang was a victim of human trafficking.

Media reports have revealed that fraudsters view Chinese individuals lured to border regions of Myanmar by high salaries and organized smuggling as essential profit tools, often trading them between different scam operations. They refer to these victims as piglets, or "Zhu Zai (in Chinese)," evoking the image of livestock crammed into cages, awaiting sale.

These villainous activities targeting Chinese individuals have faced several rounds of vigorous crackdowns by China, after having partnered with local authorities in Myanmar and Thailand over the past two years.

At a press conference on January 10, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) spokesperson Zhang Ming announced that by the end of 2024, over 53,000 Chinese suspects linked to fraud had been captured, effectively dismantling the notorious "four families" crime syndicate in northern Myanmar. Large-scale scam operations near China's border have been eradicated, resulting in a significant decline in telecom fraud cases and financial losses nationwide. However, the situation remains dire, and efforts to combat these crimes have increased.

To delve into the harrowing experiences of Chinese individuals trapped to Myawaddy and to unravel the intricate web of human trafficking and fraud behind it, the Global Times spoke with a survivor, the families of those still missing in Myanmar, and researchers, uncovering the evolving tactics and alarming trends.
A survivor's harrowing experiences in Myawaddy

"Never again do I want to go through that," Dr Zhang, a survivor of a harrowing ordeal in Myawaddy, Myanmar, told the Global Times, recalling fragments of his nightmare trapped in the forced scam center. In 2022, Zhang, a PhD holder from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, found himself ensnared in a web of deceit that led him to a fraudulent operation in the eastern Myanmar city of Myawaddy. The catalyst for his descent into this hellish experience was the dire need for funds to cover medical expenses for his ailing family members and girlfriend.

After resigning from his stable position at a botanical researcher, where he earned a modest salary of 5,000 yuan ($681.8) a month, Zhang turned to an online "agency" that promised a lucrative job as a translator in Singapore. What followed was a betrayal that would change his life forever.

Instead of the bright lights of Singapore, he was thrust into a dark world where he was forced to impersonate Asian women online, luring men in North America, working 18 hours a day.

The deception began long before Zhang set foot in Myanmar. The agency assured him that the job was in Singapore, with a temporary location in Thailand.

"They asked for my diploma, English proficiency certificates, a health report, and a clean criminal record," he recounted. "They even provided a job invitation letter and bought my flight ticket. It all seemed very credible."

Zhang was then taken to the border between Thailand and Myanmar, crossing the river into Myawaddy, Myanmar. "At the time, I had no idea that river was the border. They never mentioned Myanmar, always referring to it as Thailand. By the time I realized I had been deceived, I was already in a scam center in Myanmar," he recalled.

Once in Myawaddy, the reality was far from what he had imagined. Zhang quickly realized that escape was nearly impossible. Those who attempted to flee faced brutal consequences. "Two men held me down and beat me with a thick wooden stick," he recalled. "They left my lower body black and swollen, and I was so disoriented I could barely stand." He was confined in a cage-like structure made of steel pipes, alongside others who had either tried to escape, leaked information, or simply slacked off. Their hands were shackled to the pipes, and they were forced to stand for hours on end as punishment.

Until September 2023, a post about a PhD-holder from the Chinese Academy of Sciences being lured into a telecom fraud operation in Myanmar went viral on Chinese social media, raising public concern. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of Chinese police, the Chinese embassy in Myanmar and Thailand, and Thai authorities, he was successfully rescued.

After returning to China, Zhang shared his experience on Weibo to warn others avoid similar traps, expressing gratitude for the support he received from the government and society.

Vanishing signals at the border

A joint letter asking for help from the families of 174 individuals trapped in Myanmar has been trending on China's social media platform Sina Weibo recently, following the rescue of Chinese actor Wang Xing. The families of the 174 individuals trapped in northern and eastern Myanmar expressed concern that their missing relatives might be victims of human trafficking who have been unaccounted for, for a few months to three years.

In a WeChat group the families established, the Global Times found a document containing information about their missing relatives including the age, origin, time, and routes of disappearance. Thousands of messages flooded the group daily, highlighting the vanishing signals at the border. Mothers, brothers, wives, and sons waited desperately for any sign from their loved ones, sending each other words of encouragement.

After analyzing the information in the document, the Global Times found that the missing relatives' disappearance primarily follows two routes: Some went missing after entering Myanmar near the Thai-Myanmar border, while others disappeared after crossing the border from China's border city of Yunnan into Myanmar.

One family member, surnamed Bai, shared with the Global Times that his son went missing in early August 2024 after entering Myanmar to "discuss an investment opportunity pitched by a friend." The son later managed to send a covert signal to his family 10 days later, indicating that he was in fact trapped in a telecom fraud park and forced to engage in illegal transactions, working 17 hours a day with a monthly performance target of 100,000 yuan. Failure to meet the target resulted in severe beatings, and in some cases, death.

Based on the messages he occasionally sent back covertly, Bai's son revealed that they were coerced into using popular Chinese social media apps to find victims, and were often subjected to physical abuse and psychological manipulation. His son said he has multiple bruises and injuries. Due to underperformance, his fingers were broken, leaving only those that do not affect typing. To prevent their escape, their shoes were burned, and everyone in the compound was made to wear flip-flops, according to the messages.

Based on information from his son, at the end of October 2024, after hearing the news of a "cleanup operation," the scam syndicate quickly relocated its personnel, cramming everyone into a large truck while handcuffed. As the cross-border crackdown on these operations intensified, the scammers adapted, moving their operations to different locations to evade law enforcement.

Bai learned from his son that some stranded individuals had managed to buy their freedom for ransoms of at least 300,000 yuan, but his family lacked the funds to secure their son's release.

In a chilling advertisement circulating online, a scam operation in Myawaddy was seeking new recruits, offering high salaries for those willing to engage in fraudulent activities. The price of one recruitment is clearly marked: "Ordinary people: 100,000 yuan; fast typists: 120,000 yuan; aged between 20 and 30."

When Dai, a family member of another missing, first received a request for an interview from the Global Times, she was cautious. It wasn't until the Global Times sent official identification that she finally let her guard down, responding with three crying emojis. Dai shared that during the search for their missing relatives, many families had encountered "scammers." In their desperation to rescue their loved ones, some had been tricked out of hundreds of thousands of yuan, suffering a second blow.

On September 30, 2024, Dai's younger brother traveled from Hangzhou to Southwest China's border city Xishuangbanna and subsequently vanished. Local police later informed Dai that her brother's phone signal was last detected in Wa State, north Myanmar. After that, there was no trace of him.

Dai recounted that her brother had always dreamed of becoming a vlogger and was passionate about the live-streaming business. Through friends, she learned that he had taken out online loans to support a female streamer he admired, who had repeatedly encouraged her fans to tip her. The streamer's account has since been deactivated. Dai suspected that her brother's disappearance might be linked to this online loan.

New tactics, new challenges

The 2023 Rule of Law Blue Book published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences reveals that telecom fraud has become the most concerning crime for the public, with 80 percent of fraud call parks located overseas.

Reports of Red Star News affiliated with the Chengdu Commercial Daily indicate that fraud groups first appeared in Myanmar around 2010, initially in northern Myanmar, with rapid growth after 2015, peaking around 2020. An insider estimates that during its peak, a typical fraud park could generate billions annually.

Jian Kunyi, deputy dean of the School of Law and Political Science at Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, cautioned against the resurgence of the "slave trading in modern society," noting that the scope of telecom fraud in Myawaddy is broadening to target celebrities and intellectuals for greater profits.

Bao Zhipeng, an assistant researcher at the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies of the China Institute of International Studies, also warned that telecom crime in some Southeast Asian countries remains acute critical, with localized criminal activities evolving in tactics and targets. "Under pressure from cross-border law enforcement, scammers in northern Myanmar are shifting operations to the Thai-Myanmar border, and even to the Middle East. Some scam operations in Myawaddy continue to expand their infrastructure, while certain groups were reportedly returning to Thailand and Cambodia," said Bao.

Both Jian and Bao believe that China's collaborative cross-border law enforcement operations have made significant progress, as evidenced by the frequent relocation of criminal gangs, their changing targets, and the increasing cost and difficulty of baiting.

Although significant progress has been made in combating and addressing the issue, the current criminal situation remains severe and complex, MPS's spokesperson Zhang said on Friday.

The crime exhibits clear transnational and organized characteristics, with fraud syndicates having tight organizational structures. Fraud leaders and key members coordinate with domestic personnel to engage in various illegal activities, according to MPS.

Fraud methods are also rapidly evolving, with fraudsters closely following social trends and tailoring scams to individuals' preferences. They create customized fraud scripts for people of all age groups, professions, and educational backgrounds, leading to a wide range of victims, the spokesperson said.

"Myawaddy's armed forces are more powerful and the scam hubs are larger and more organized than those in northern Myanmar, complicating law enforcement efforts. Local armed groups, often in conflict with the government, collaborate with criminal organizations to sustain their operations. Compared to northern Myanmar, Myawaddy is more isolated both regionally and culturally from China, making it harder to combat crime and rescue victims," Jian analyzed based on his long-term studies on relevant issues.

Bao noted that the geographical advantages of areas like Myawaddy, with developed and complicated transport networks, make them hotspots for transnational crimes, including human trafficking.

He pointed out that recent trends show increasingly covert methods and a broader international target base, with fraud groups expanding their reach to citizens from various countries, leveraging new technologies like generative AI.

In addition to Chinese nationals, there have been cases of citizens from Russia, Mongolia, Japan, South Korea, and India being lured to Southeast Asia, particularly Myawaddy, to engage in telecom fraud, according to Bao.

Regarding cases where Hong Kong residents are suspected of being lured to Southeast Asian countries and detained to engage in illegal work, the city's Security Bureau (SB) said on Sunday that SB officials will lead members of the dedicated task force to Thailand on Sunday to further follow-up on the request for assistance cases.

Commenting on a recent global public opinion survey conducted by the Global Times, which covered 46 countries and 51,000 participants, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said relevant data shows China's circle of friends keeps expanding.

"I have noticed this survey," he said in response to a media inquiry.

The Global Times survey reveals that China's comprehensive national strength and various other strengths are generally evaluated as "strong/high" by international respondents. The country's economic strength has the highest favorable rating at 77 percent, followed by sci-tech strength (75 percent), and financial strength (72 percent).

Regardless of changes in the international landscape, China remains committed to being a force for peace, working with all nations to uphold global stability, promote mutual learning among civilizations, and collaboratively build a community with a shared future for humanity, Guo said.

Guo emphasized that as the world's second-largest economy, China adheres to high-quality development and high-level opening-up, contributing significantly to global economic growth over the long term. As the largest developing country, China remains deeply rooted in and attentive to the Global South, supporting these nations in achieving social development and improving livelihoods. 

Additionally, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China champions true multilateralism, maintains an objective and impartial stance, and plays a constructive role in promoting political resolutions to hotspot issues - a role that has garnered widespread recognition from the international community, Guo added.

The survey finds that a majority of international respondents have a positive outlook regarding the prospects of China's economic growth and development potential. Nearly 80 percent of foreign respondents show confidence in China's development prospect. More than 90 percent of foreign respondents believe that China's economy will continue to grow in the next decade, and nearly 60 percent believe that China is a major driving force of world economic growth.

In response to claims by the US that China is expanding its nuclear arsenal, including statements by US President-elect Donald Trump suggesting China might have more nukes than the US in the future, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun emphasized that as a responsible major country, China adheres to the path of peaceful development and strives for friendly cooperation with all nations. 

He said China's development of nuclear weapons started during a unique historical period as a necessary response to nuclear threats, to break nuclear monopolies, and to prevent nuclear war. "China was forced to make this historic decision," Guo added.

China follows a no-first-use policy on nuclear weapons, keeps maintaining a defensive nuclear strategy, and has always kept its nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security. China does not engage in any arms race with other countries, said Guo.

A tourist surnamed Cao threw a Coke bottle at female giant panda Lanxiang in Chongqing Zoo on Sunday afternoon, causing her to be frightened. Cao claimed that he only intended to invite the giant panda to drink Coke. Cao is now suspected of disturbing public order and has been administratively punished by the public security authorities in accordance with the law, according to a release by Chongqing Zoo on Monday evening.

Lanxiang was lying on the ground enjoying bamboo when a drink bottle was suddenly thrown at her, causing her to scream and sit up instantly, according to a video of the scene provided by eyewitnesses, said the CNR on Monday.

As reported by CNR, nearby visitors then called for security and condemned Cao, for which he arrogantly retorted, "is it wrong for me to invite the giant pandas to drink Coke?"

The security personnel in the zoo immediately intervened upon noticing the incident, according to the release.

After the incident, the keepers promptly removed the Coke bottle from Lanxiang's activity area, and professionals conducted an examination and observation for her, said the statement, noting that Lanxiang is in good physical condition.

Cao is suspected of disturbing public order, and has now been administratively disciplined by the public security organs in accordance with the law, said the statement.

The zoo also said they will further strengthen security, set up a platform to expose uncivilized behavior, and establish a "blacklist" system.

A total of 126 people have been confirmed dead and 188 others injured as of 7 p.m. Tuesday, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Tuesday morning.

Following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake that took a heavy toll after jolting a county in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region Tuesday morning, Chinese President Xi Jinping made an important instruction, demanding utmost efforts to carry out search and rescue and provide medical treatment for the injured, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Wednesday. 

Chen said residents from various sectors in Taiwan island have expressed their concern and condolences to the victims in the disaster area in multiple ways, reflecting the deep bond and mutual assistance between compatriots across the Taiwan Straits. 

"We express our gratitude for this," according to Chen.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, on Wednesday sent a New Year card in return to representatives of middle school teachers and students in the US State of Washington, extending their New Year wishes.

In the card, Xi and Peng said the year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

During the Second World War, China and the United States fought together for peace and justice, and the friendship between the two peoples stood the test of blood and fire and is growing ever stronger, they said.

The couple expressed their hope that the youth of China and the United States will continue to participate in China's initiative of inviting 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs in a five-year span, strengthen exchanges and interactions, enhance mutual understanding, carry forward traditional friendship, and contribute to the development of China-U.S. relations and world peace.

Earlier, the U.S.-China Youth and Student Exchange Association, as well as representatives of teachers and students from Lincoln High School and Stadium High School, who have visited China through the initiative, sent a New Year card to Xi, Peng and the Chinese people. More than 100 teachers and students signed the card.

They wrote in Chinese on the card to extend New Year greetings and wish for an everlasting friendship between China and the United States.

As of 10 pm on Friday, a series of earthquakes in Yinchuan, the capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, which began on Thursday morning and continued into the early hours of Friday, resulted in six minor injuries, with no fatalities or structural collapses, local officials said on Saturday, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

They also said that the recent increase in earthquake activities in the region does not indicate the likelihood of a major earthquake, but they do not rule out the possibility of noticeable aftershocks occurring in the original earthquake area and nearby areas in the coming days.

According to officials, the locations of the 4.8 and 4.6 magnitude earthquakes that occurred on Thursday align with the rupture zone of the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in 1739, which occurred just less than 300 years ago. The energy accumulated in this area remains insufficient to trigger a major earthquake. According to investigations, this rupture segment does not have the tectonic background necessary for a strong earthquake.

As for the recent spate of small earthquakes, local officials explained that seismic activity in a region often experiences fluctuations between calm and heightened activity. Therefore, since the seismic activity in the first half of 2024 was relatively subdued, there is a noticeable increase in seismic activity in the second half of the year.

According to the authorities, the seasonal pattern of increased earthquake frequency during winter and spring in Ningxia has also contributed to the recent rise in seismic activity.

In addition, the two earthquakes that occurred on Thursday marked the strongest seismic events in Ningxia since 1998. Generally, the energy accumulated from a larger earthquake cannot be released all at once; the residual energy will continue to be released in the form of smaller earthquakes, said officials, noting that due to the earthquakes’ occurrence in the Yinchuan Basin, which has relatively thick sedimentary layers, the seismic waves were amplified.

Since the activation of the level-4 earthquake emergency response on Thursday, local authorities promptly initiated their emergency market assurance plan. Currently, the city’s supply of essential goods and refined oil remains stable, officials said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway is a strategic decision made by the three governments to promote regional connectivity, prosperity, and stability. Xi made the remarks in his congratulatory letter to the commencement ceremony of the railway project.

Noting that the construction of the railway reflects the shared aspiration of the three countries to open up this strategic corridor, Xi said that the commencement ceremony marks the transition of the project from conception to implementation, taking a critical step toward the goal of completion and operation.

The commencement ceremony of the CKU railway project was held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan on Friday.  Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov was present at the event and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also sent a congratulatory message to the ceremony.

President Xi Jinping's Special Envoy and director of the National Development and Reform Commission, Zheng Shanjie, attended the launch ceremony of the CKU railway project in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan.

The launch ceremony marks a significant progress in its preliminary phase and lays a solid foundation for the project's construction at an early date, China Railway said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Friday.

The commencement of the long-anticipated connectivity project, which has been under planning for more than 20 years, will mark a new milestone in China-Central Asia cooperation and is a vivid display of how high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) leads to mutually beneficial results based on the principle of equality and mutual benefits, according to analysts reached by the Global Times. 

Once completed, the project could open a new Eurasian corridor connecting China, Central Asia, and even Europe. The new link not only carries strategic significance in boosting local trade, economic and industrial development, but also in facilitating the deeper integration of Central Asia as a whole and further elevating the region's influence on the global economy and supply chain, analysts said. 

Based on the current progress, the project is scheduled to officially commence construction in July 2025, with a construction period of six years, the China Railway statement noted. The railway is a flagship BRI project promoted by the leaders of the three countries involved, and a strategic connectivity project between China and Central Asia, a spokesperson for China Railway was quoted as saying in the statement. 

The CKU railway starts from Kashi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, passes through the Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, continues westward through the Kyrgyz border city of Jalalabad, and ends in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan.

China will be responsible for the construction of the Chinese section, while Uzbekistan will be in charge of the upgrade and renovation of the Uzbek section. The CKU Railway Co, a joint venture established by companies authorized by the three governments, will be responsible for the financing, construction, and operation of the Kyrgyz section, according to China Railway.

According to the approved feasibility study report, the section in Kyrgyzstan will be a single-track railway operating with diesel locomotives with provisions for future electrification, with a designed speed of 120 kilometers an hour. It will have 20 stations, including Torugart station, Markmal transshipment station and Jalalabad station. 

A decades-long dream realized

The project was first proposed in the 1990s, and China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding on constructing the railway in 1997. Step by step, the project has moved from planning, discussion, and preliminary work to the launch ceremony. 

Friday's launch marks the realization of a decades-old dream for Central Asia, which is largely made up of landlocked countries that want to be land-linked and become a strategic bridge between East and West, according to a Central Asia scholar.

Maryam Agharabi, a research coordinator at the China and Central Asia Studies Center in Kazakhstan, hailed the commencement as an "important, long-awaited and highly-anticipated development" from various perspectives. She told the Global Times that the project launch is a positive development not only for China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan - which will see direct and immediate economic benefits - but also for the rest of the Central Asian states and even beyond. 

It is said that the railway is projected to handle 15 million tons of cargo annually, as reported by qalampir.uz, a local media outlet.

Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday that the railway represents a significant opportunity for enhancing cooperation between Asia and Europe, as it will probably offer the shortest route for transporting goods from China to Europe and the Middle East via the China-Europe freight train.

In December, the 100,000th China-Europe freight train arrived in Duisburg, Germany, underscoring the booming trade and economic exchanges across the Eurasian continent, which are set to jump further with the stepped-up implementation of BRI cooperation.

Across Central Asia, there is more growth potential to be tapped and unleashed, as geographic constraints such as high mountains and long distances that have long weighed on the Central Asian economy are expected to be gradually lifted, analysts said. 

Li Hongchang, a researcher at the Sustainable Transportation Innovation Center and a professor from Beijing Jiaotong University, told the Global Times that the three countries involved - China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan - each have their own comparative advantages in industries such as energy, minerals, processing, and markets. These advantages can create synergies with the CKU railway, playing a role in driving regional economic development.

According to Agharabi, the CKU railway project contributes to the cooperative approach within the Central Asian region, meaning that it not only helps diversify trade and transit by adding an extra route connecting Central Asian countries, but also demonstrates a commitment to the development of the region as a whole in the spirit of regional economic cooperation.

Regarding the benefits to China, Chinese analysts also noted that the construction of the CKU railway will undoubtedly inject vitality into the development of western China and the economy of Xinjiang, which borders a number of Central Asian countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and further facilitates the region's opening-up.

High level of mutual trust

In the congratulatory letter on Friday, Xi emphasized the need for close collaboration among the relevant departments and enterprises of the three countries to ensure high standards and high-quality progress in the construction of the railway. 

Xi said that efforts should be made to build the railway into a new demonstration project for Belt and Road cooperation, so as to better contribute to the economic and social development and the improvement of people's well-being in the region along the route and to inject new momentum into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

In July, during Xi's state visit to Kazakhstan, Xi and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev jointly attended an opening ceremony of the Trans-Caspian international transportation route via video link in Astana, Kazakhstan. 

The route is another landmark BRI connectivity project in Central Asia that connects Asia and Europe.

Li said that Friday's launch is built on the high level of political trust and solid cooperation results between China and Central Asia, and riding on the momentum, the railway will further consolidate the mutual political trust, while also promoting more pragmatic cooperation between China and Central Asia on agendas such as regional security and political stability. 

Those BRI projects that span a long timeline provide a vivid display of China's sincerity in collaborating with Central Asian nations, and the process itself exemplified how BRI spearheads cooperation based on the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, Zhang stressed. 

"The railway is not a geopolitical tool [as hyped by some Western media outlets], but a project for regional collaborative development. Both being developing countries, China understands Central Asian nations' development needs and challenges. China provides help to partner countries within its capacity in terms of financing, technology and construction, and sincerely works with Central Asian partners for mutual development," Zhang added.