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Special English You're listening to Special English.
Here's the news. Beijing reported a surge in inbound tourism in the first quarter of this year as the Chinese capital ramps up its efforts to improve travel and payment convenience for visitors and diversify its tourism experiences.
The city received 891 ,000 inbound tourists in the January through March period, up 61 .3 % year on year, with inbound tourism continuing to heat up following China's further relaxation of its visa -free transit policy.
According to data released by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, visitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan totaled 147 ,000 in the first quarter of this year, up 32 percent year -on -year.
Beijing received 744 ,000 foreign tourists, with that figure surging 68 .7 % and accounting for 83 .5 % of all inbound visitors to the city.
To boost inbound tourism, Beijing has launched one -stop comprehensive service centers for arriving tourists at its two airports.
It is also offering more convenient payment and telecommunication services.
Additionally, the city is providing a greater number of in -depth travel products to allow inbound tourists to visit more parts of the city, rather than just its most famous landmarks, projects, such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and the Temple of Heaven.
In its next step, Beijing plans to enhance its entire tourism service chain, covering areas, including customs clearance, transportation, accommodation, sight seeing, shopping and payments as it seeks to build itself into China's top inbound tourism destination.
This is Special English.
Shanghai in East China has achieved complete 5G network coverage across its whole metro system.
According to the Shanghai Communications Administration, this coverage spans all 21 lines, with a total length of 896 kilometers and 517 stations in the city's subway network, and over 80 percent of the system uses 5G advanced technology.
Test results showed average download speeds exceeding 600 megabytes per second in stations and tunnels, with peak rates surpassing one gigabyte per second.
The high -speed network supports improved passenger services while enhancing operational capabilities, including smart scheduling, equipment monitoring, and emergency response.
According to the administration, further efforts will be made to optimize the network and expand 5G advanced applications to create smarter commuting experiences.
You're listening to Special English, An updated mandatory national standard on the safety of electric vehicle batteries in China is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the revisions include updates to thermal diffusion testing of batteries, further clarifying the temperature requirements, observation time and vehicle testing conditions.
A new bottom impact test has been introduced to assess the protective capabilities of the battery upon impact to its base.
A new safety test following fast charging cycles has also been added, which requires external short circuit testing after 300 fast charge cycles mandating no fire or explosion.
The revised version clearly states that the standard applies to power batteries for electric vehicles, excluding non -propulsion batteries.
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China Petrochemical Corporation, also known as Sinopec Group, which is China's largest hydrogen heavy duty truck route, marking a milestone in terms of advancing hydrogen energy development in China's western regions.
The route, now operational for regular freight services via hydrogen powered heavy duty trucks, spans 1 ,150 kilometers from South West China's Chongqing Municipality to Qinzhou Port in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region passing through Southwestern Guizhou Province.
The route features four hydrogen refueling stations to ensure a reliable hydrogen supply network along the way.
These regions are rich in hydrogen resources, with large -scale deployment of hydrogen production technologies.
With an annual industrial by -product hydrogen output exceeding 400 ,000 tonnes, These regions can collectively meet the fuel demands of 360 ,000 hydrogen -powered logistics vehicles.
Apart from transportation, the corridor serves as an industrial nexus.
It is projected to handle 220 ,000 units of cargo annually in two -way traffic.
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According to a state -owned think tank, China's space tourism sector is expected to reach an early stage of commercial operations within the next 5 to 10 years.
in tandem with the Commercial Space Industry's ongoing rapid sustainable development.
An early -April report on the development of the country's Commercial Space Industry from CCID Consulting, which operates under China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, notes that the entire industrial train has achieved rapid growth.
The report suggests that by the end of China's 15th five -year plan period from 2026 to 2030, or during its next five -year plan period from 2031 until 2035, the country's commercial space industry is likely to become more mature, achieving strengthened profitability and gaining greater global recognition.
Yang Xiaoxian, a lead researcher at the consulting institute, estimates that within the next Just 5 to 10 years, China's space tourism and commercial moon journeys are expected to see policy breakthroughs, pass test verifications or enter an initial operational phase.
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At a terminal in the Port of Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province, the future has arrived.
AI -powered cranes automatically unload cargo ships while driverless vehicles navigate docks with clockwork precision.
This is China's automated port revolution in action.
According to the Ministry of Transport, the Nansha Phase 4 terminal in Guangzhou completed in November 2024 is among the country's 52 fully automated The 52 ports span China's coastline from Bohai Bay to the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong, Hong Kong Macau Greater Bay Area forming a network leading in scale, efficiency and technology worldwide.
According to Young Xuan, a veteran operator at Guangzhou Port, crane operators used to work in 40 meter high cabins straining to see containers below, but now they operate in the intelligent control room hundreds of meters away from the ship, with much higher efficiency and safety.
The terminal integrates cutting edge technologies including Beidou navigation, 5G communications, automated driving and AI.
Its intelligent guided vehicles automatically calculate optimal routes while smart algorithms coordinate all loading equipment.
The advancement is rewriting the rules of productivity.
In East China's Shandong Province, the automated terminal of Qingdao port set its 11th world record for loading speed in December last year with each crane handling 60 .6 containers per hour on average, more than double that of traditional docks around 25 to 28 containers per hour.
Collaboration between automated ports has greatly improved the efficiency of shipping.
The fast shipping route between Shanghai and Guangzhou has slashed logistics costs by 65 percent compared to road transport.
Behind the scenes, China's port automation surge relies on domestically developed systems. According to a report on 2024 global automated container terminals, Chinese terminal operating systems have matured since 1997, when the first domestic version was introduced.
Ningbo Zhoushan Port's NTOS system optimizes operations through intelligent bay planning and automatic stowage while Shanghai ports ITOS system streamlines vessel operations.
These innovations have enabled major ports to complete comprehensive automation upgrades.
Ports across China are also increasingly integrating AI solutions.
In March this year, SinoTrends South China company launched an AI assistant, powered by DeepSeek's language models allowing clients to run queries on their shipment status in plain language.
Ye Zengjian, a support engineer at the company, said that whether inquiring about birth plans container movements or loading progress customers get instant accurate responses through simple commands.
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Scientists have uncovered a natural defense mechanism against citrus greening disease.
a deadly plant illness that has devastated citrus farms worldwide.
The breakthrough, led by a research team from the Institute of Microbiology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been published in the journal Science.
Citrus greening disease, also called Huang Long Bing is often referred to as the cancer of citrus because it slowly kills trees and has no known cure.
Spread by tiny insects, the disease has ruined millions of acres of citrus crops across 50 countries, costing farmers billions of dollars each year.
Once a tree is infected, it usually dies within a few years.
The research team discovered that some citrus -related plants, like the curry leaf plant and Sichuan pepper plant, naturally resist the disease.
They found that these plants produce a special protein that helps them fight off the bacteria.
By studying this protein, scientists were able to modify citrus trees to make them more resistant.
The team also used artificial intelligence to design small protein fragments, called peptides, that can block the disease.
In tests, one of these peptides reduced infection rates by up to 80 percent in a single season.
Ye Jian, a professor at the institute, said that this discovery offers two powerful tools.
One is to develop eco -friendly treatments to protect trees.
Second, this method could help fight other plant diseases that are hard to control.
Ye added that the findings bring new hope to citrus farmers struggling with disease and may lead to similar solutions for other crop diseases such as maize rust fungus and olive tree infections.
This is Special English.
That's the end of this edition of Special English.
To recap, I'm going to read two of the news items again at normal speed.
Please listen carefully.
Beijing reported a surge in inbound tourism in the first quarter of this year as the Chinese capital ramps up its efforts to improve travel and payment convenience for visitors and diversify its tourism experiences.
The city received 891 ,000 inbound tourists in the January through March period, up 61 .3 % year on year, with inbound tourism continuing to heat up following China's further relaxation of its visa -free transit policy.
According to data released by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, visitors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan totaled 147 ,000 in the first quarter of this year, up 32 % year on year.
Beijing received 744 ,000 foreign tourists, with that figure surging 68 .7 % and accounting for 83 .5 % of all inbound visitors to the city.
3. To boost inbound tourism, Beijing has launched one -stop comprehensive service centers for arriving tourists at its two airports.
It is also offering more convenient payment and telecommunication services.
Additionally, the city is providing a greater number of in -depth travel products to allow inbound tourists to visit more parts of the city rather than just its most famous landmarks such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and the Temple of Heaven.
In its next step, Beijing plans to enhance its entire tourism service chain covering areas including customs clearance, transportation, accommodation, sightseeing, shopping, and payments as it seeks to build itself into China's top inbound tourism destination.
You're listening to Special English.
Scientists have uncovered a natural defense mechanism against Citrus Greening Disease, a deadly plant illness that has devastated citrus farms worldwide.
The breakthrough led by a Research team from the Institute of Microbiology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been published in the journal Science.
Citrus greening disease, also called Huanglongbing, is often referred to as the cancer of citrus because it slowly kills trees and has no known cure.
Spread by tiny insects, the disease has ruined millions of acres of citrus crops across 50 countries, costing farmers billions of dollars each year.
Once a tree is infected, it usually dies within a few years.
The research team discovered that some citrus -related plants, like the curry leaf plant and the Sichuan pepper plant, naturally resist the disease.
They found that these plants produce a special protein that helps them fight off the bacteria.
By studying this protein, scientists were able to modify citrus trees to make them more resistant.
The team also use artificial intelligence to design small protein fragments called peptides that can block the disease.
In tests, one of these peptides reduce infection rates by up to 80 % in a single season.
Yez Tien, a professor at the Institute, said that this discovery offers two powerful tools.
One is to develop eco -friendly treatments to protect trees.
Second, this method could help fight other plant diseases that are hard to control.
Yet added that the findings bring new hope to citrus farmers struggling with disease and may lead to similar solutions for other crop diseases such as maize rust fungus and olive tree infections.
This is the end of today's program.
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