Xiao Long, a planetary geoscientist at the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), estimates that the first human landing on Mars will occur in around 2050. 

We no longer face any significant technological barriers in unmanned missions to Mars, but still have difficulty in completing manned missions, which require larger rockets with greater thrust and the technology to safely return from Mars to Earth, Xiao said in an exclusive interview with the Global Times. 

He noted that both the US and China are currently developing heavy launch vehicles. The technology for a safe return from Mars is expected to be preliminarily validated by around 2030.

"In addition, there is also a significant amount of work to be done regarding the physiological and psychological issues faced by astronauts during the interstellar long-distance journey, which would last at least 500 days," he said. 

Xiao started his career in planetary geology research exactly 20 years ago when China kicked off its Chang'e lunar exploration program [in 2004]. Before that, he focused on Earth studies. 

Mars shares many similarities with Earth and holds special significance in our understanding of the formation and evolution of planets and the solar system, as well as the search for extraterrestrial life, Xiao continued. 

To Xiao, the ultimate goal of Mars studies is to scientifically elucidate the formation and evolution process of Mars from its early stages to the present and into the future, find out the driving factors behind the process, and discover whether life exists on the planet. 

From an application perspective, scientists like Xiao are also trying to figure out whether Mars can become a second home for humans. "Short-term visits or immigration to Mars are possible for some individuals and are likely to be realized within this century. However, it is impossible for the entire human population to migrate to Mars," Xiao said.

Xiao shared with the audience at a New Year's Eve event hosted by the Beijing Association for Science and Technology how his team analyzed scientific data from China's Mars rover Zhurong's multispectral camera and for the first time found petrological evidence of marine sedimentary rocks on the surface of Mars. 

"We analyzed the 106 groups of photos from Zhurong daily, trying our best to look for a tale-tell signature of the existence of an ocean on Mars. But before finding any evidence, my teammates and I started to have similar dreams about oceans on Mars. In my dream, the ocean on Mars was restored and was surrounded by lush and dense forests. I could even identify each type of vegetation in the forests," Xiao told the audience.

"It is not rare for people to dream of things that are on their minds during the day. But for scientists, it could be a problem as we have to stay objective throughout the research and prevent our subjective interpretation from getting in the way," Xiao said. He and his teammates kept reminding each other to stay cautious and realistic until evidence waw found.

"This case clearly illustrates how we do science research. We have to stay grounded while looking up to the sea of stars," Xiao said. 

Xiao also shared a global image map, created by China's Tianwen-1 Mars probe using data captured by a medium-resolution camera at the event. He said that the image has a spatial resolution of 76 meters, making it the highest-resolution global color image of Mars publicly available to date. This image also demonstrates that China's Mars exploration capabilities have reached a high level, he noted.

Currently, humans have conducted nearly 50 Mars explorations, and our understanding of the macroscopic topography and geomorphological features of Mars is relatively clear. However, exploration is still ongoing regarding the early Martian atmosphere, climate, geological environment, magnetic field evolution, and whether conditions for the creation of life exist. China has successfully achieved its first Mars exploration, accomplishing the three major objectives of orbiting, landing, and rover exploration in this single mission. China is the first country to have accomplished this in the history of Mars exploration and the second country globally to have completed a similar mission, according to Xiao. 

Stepping into 2024, Xiao hopes China can continue to make progress in lunar, Mars, and asteroid exploration missions. "We hope that the Tianwen-1 satellite will return more high-quality data, and that the Zhurong rover will be able to continue its work. We also hope that the Tianwen-2 asteroid sample return mission will be implemented on schedule, and that the Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission will be approved as soon as possible," he told the Global Times.

The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World kicked off on Monday, with the aim to promote exquisite Italian cooking, the Mediterranean diet, Italian agri-food products and wine. In the 2023 edition, as in past years, the week will be further enhanced by activities organized by the Italian Embassy in China together with the Italian business community operating in China. 

Several Italian restaurants in Beijing, Tianjin, and Qingdao have been preparing special menus and typical dishes for Chinese friends and expatriates residing in China to enjoy throughout the Italian cuisine week that is set to run until November 19. Beijing's ABBOCCA restaurant, for instance, has provided a special selection for homemade fresh cheeses called "TRILOGY," which includes mozzarella, stracciatella, and ricotta, and has been dubbed a tasty journey through salty and sweet to stimulate all senses complete with fresh basil leaves, cherry tomatoes.

China's ambassador to the US Xie Feng said that the cooperation between China and the US makes for a better future, urging the US government to stop using a microscope to examine the Chinese economy, for it doesn't solve one's own challenges.

Xie also said the two giant economies so closely intertwined and a forced "de-coupling" by Washington could be too expensive.

Xie's remarks was made in a speech at the US' session of the "Opportunities in China" Global Media Dialogue on Wednesday, according to the official website of the Chinese embassy.

Viewing e-vehicles as "iphone(s) on wheels" or describing cargo cranes as "Trojan horses" only gets one into a never-ending cycle, because "overstretching national security leads to excessive anxiety," Xie noted.

If "de-risking" is all about China, it means lost opportunities and lose-lose outcomes. After all, with over 70,000 American companies investing in China and the two economies so closely connected, a forced "de-coupling" can be costly, Xie said.

Xie's speech was made amid the backdrop that the US is escalating its restless assault on Chinese companies, often citing the so-called "national security risks," and, the US is planning to invest billions in domestic manufacturing of cargo cranes to replace ones made in China.

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a recent interview that "cars these days are like an iPhone on wheels… You connect your phone and you might receive the text message… Imagine a world with 3 million Chinese vehicles on the roads of America, and Beijing can turn them off at the same time."

However, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co (ZPMC), a major maker of ship-to-shore cargo cranes, said in a statement on Sunday that its cranes do not pose a cybersecurity risk to any port, while the US government allegations about its products, not supported by the facts, could easily mislead the general public.

China's Foreign Ministry refuted recent remarks by high-ranking US officials denigrating Chinese-made cars, noting they are creating a false narrative, which clearly reflects Washington's practice of always politicalizing economic and trade issues.

In the speech, Xie highlighted the bright prospects of the Chinese economy and underscored that confidence is more important than gold and that cooperation makes a better future for both peoples.

The Chinese people are confident in growing the GDP by around 5 percent this year. China's development has its best days lying ahead, he said, adding that China is building up a market-oriented, law-based and world-class business environment.

Regarding enormous business opportunities in China, Xie said China remains a popular destination for global investment, citing data that last year shows the number of foreign-invested companies in China increased by 39.7 percent. Paid-in investment from France, the UK and the Netherlands grew by 84.1 percent, 81 percent and 31.5 percent, respectively.

"China is ready to work with the US side to garner stronger momentum for cooperation and build a breakwater to protect bilateral relations," Xie said.

Senior executives from US chipmaker Micron Technology recently met with officials from Northwest China's Shaanxi Province and vowed to further enhance their investment in the Chinese market. It comes after the firm reached a legal settlement with chip producer Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co.

Chen Chunjiang, vice governor of Shaanxi, along with other government officials met with the Micron executives including CFO Mark Murphy, Micron said on Monday, adding that the company will keep investing in China, and will assist with industrial upgrading.

Chen expressed appreciation for Micron's investment and development in Shaanxi, and exchanged views on China's semiconductor market and Micron's local operation. Ma Xianping, an official from Xi'an Hi-tech Industries Development Zone, also expressed enthusiasm for Micron's development strategy in China.

The US-based semiconductor producer announced in June last year that it would invest 4.3 billion yuan in its packaging and testing plant in Xi'an, including purchasing a local company and building new factories, in order to meet demand from local clients, according to Micron's social media account.

Micron in December 2023 reached a global settlement agreement with Fujian Jinhua. It had taken legal action in 2017 against Fujian Jinhua and another Taiwan-based firm, United Microelectronics Corp, accusing the two of stealing the company's memory chip trade secrets.

On February 27, 2024, a US District Judge in San Francisco found Fujian Jinhua not guilty following a non-jury trial, clearing the Chinese company of economic espionage and other criminal charges. Fujian Jinhua had been blacklisted by the US Commerce Department for more than five years.

China's Government Work Report of 2024 emphasized that state-owned enterprises, private businesses, and foreign-funded companies all play an important role in China's modernization drive, and vowed to further attract foreign investment.

Foreign investors are now accelerating expansion in the Chinese market. Disney announced on Monday it will build a new themed attraction at the Shanghai Disney Resort and the preparations have started. Apple also announced it will open a flagship store in Shanghai with investment exceeding 83.4 million yuan ($11.61 million). It will be the second-largest apple store worldwide, after the one on Fifth Avenue in New York.

China's Government Work Report has set a GDP growth target of around 5 percent for 2024. Considering the international and domestic economic conditions, with a potential annual growth rate of 8 percent, it is entirely possible for China to achieve an economic growth rate of above 5 percent.

China has enough room for elevation of technological innovation, industrial upgrade and productivity level. The country has a high savings rate, abundant investment resources, and a commitment to develop its economy.

China, as a major developing economy, is still in a process of industrial upgrade and still faces a big gap with developed countries, but this creates a latecomer's advantage. During this catch-up stage, other economies such as Japan, South Korea and Germany achieved a growth rate of 8 percent or above. If they can achieve that, China also has the potential to achieve it.

Compared with those countries, China also has another advantage in the new economy, represented by artificial intelligence and digital economy. China is placed at the same start line as those developed countries, but it has demonstrated a significant advantage in tech innovation involving new economy.

There are three reasons. First, China has abundant human capital. With a population of 1.4 billion, China possesses a vast pool of talent who possess entrepreneurial spirit and technical skills.

Second, China has already become the world's largest economy based on purchasing power parity calculations. That means any technological innovation or new product development can swiftly enter the domestic market and benefit from economies of scale. Even when competing with developed countries, China can surpass them in economies of scale thanks to its enormous domestic market size.

Thirdly, China has the best industrial supporting capability of almost any economy globally.

'China peaked' rebuttal

Some foreign scholars have made claims over "peak China" claim or asserted that the Chinese economy is already on a downward trend toward "Japanification." However, there are key differences between China and Japan back then. Japan experienced relative stagnation in technological innovation, industrial upgrading, and productivity improvement, with no emergence of new industries after the 1980s and 1990s.

In contrast, China has the advantage of being a latecomer. It can utilize the gap with developed countries to introduce, digest, absorb, and then innovate new technologies, and make them a source of industrial upgrade. Across the new economy, China is starting from the same place as developed countries, with a large pool of talent, massive market, and comprehensive industrial infrastructure. So the situation that occurred in Japan is unlikely to occur in China.

As long as we continue our technological innovation and industrial upgrading, and improve productivity levels, per capita GDP will grow faster than that of the US.

China's per capita GDP is already over $12,500, which is very close to the threshold of $13,000 for becoming a high-income nation. As long as we make good use of the favorable conditions for technological innovation and industrial upgrading, I believe we can become a high-income country - if not in 2025, then 2026.

With a growth rate of between 5 percent and 6 percent and a potential annual growth rate of 8 percent through 2035, and 3 percent and 4 percent from 2036 to 2050 with a potential growth rate of 6 percent, China's per capita GDP will hit half that of the US by 2049.Considering China's population is four times that of the US, China's economic size will then be twice that of the US. China will become the world's largest economy and contribute the most to the world economic growth every year.

Population turning point

China's population has reached a turning point and is currently facing the challenges of an aging population. In the 1990s, Japan also experienced population aging issue and an economic growth slowdown. When it comes to economic growth, labor force is important, but what matters more is effective labor, which is the product of both the quantity and quality of labor force.

China has anticipated challenges around an aging population, and has significantly increased its investment in education. Consequently, the education years of the younger workforce have significantly improved. So from the perspective of effective labor, we used to talk about demographic dividend, but now it's the dividend of quality.

Among the 53 countries in the world that are currently facing an aging population, there are 27 countries whose per capita GDP, upon entering the aging population phase, has already reached half or more of that of the US, meaning they are already developed countries. The remaining 26 countries, upon entering the aging population phase, still have a per capita GDP below 50 percent of that of the US, indicating they are "getting old before getting rich," and are in a catch-up phase.

For the first group of countries, in the decade before entering the aging population phase, their economic growth rate only experienced a slight decline, but their per capita GDP remained largely unchanged. This is because their education levels stay basically the same before and after entering the aging population phase, as they already had high levels of education.

Therefore, the increase in human capital was limited. For the second group of countries, their economies still improve after entering aging population phase. This is because their labor force's education level is also increasing, leading to an increase in effective labor, which is beneficial for technological innovation and industrial upgrade.

I believe under the guidance of the new development philosophy, China will put innovation first, its productivity level will continue to improve, and it will not grow old before it gets rich.

The article is based on an interview with Justin Lin Yifu, dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University and a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, the top political advisory body.

More than half of the world's manned deep diving missions have been completed by China's three deep-sea manned submersibles, Jiaolong, Shenhai Yongshi (Deep Sea Warrior) and Fendouzhe (Striver) during the past three years, Ye Cong, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and chief designer of Fendouzhe, said on Monday.

The remarks were made as China's top political advisory body, the CPPCC National Committee, opened its annual session on Monday in Beijing. On the occasion, CPPCC representatives and NPC deputies from all walks of life gather at the annual two sessions, discussing important matters pertaining to the nation's development and needs of the people.

The deep-sea manned submersibles are a significant example of the nation's achievements in homegrown tech innovation as well as China's active participation in helping the world to better understand, protect and explore the deep sea.

Over the past four years, Fendouzhe has completed a total of 230 dives, 25 of which were deeper than 10,000 meters, allowing 32 people to reach the seabed at 10,000 meters below the surface to carry out operations, Ye said.

Fendouzhe is China's first manned submersible that can reach the deepest part of the world's oceans for scientific research and exploration. In 2020, Fendouzhe made history on November 10, 2020, when it successfully landed on the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean, the deepest point of the Earth, reaching a depth of 10,909 meters and setting a new record for the Chinese manned deep-diving mission, according to Ye.

The submersible also achieved the first live video interaction from a 10,000-meter seabed location.

From 2022 to 2023, Fendouzhe completed its first scientific research mission around Oceania. The dive locations included the Kermadec Trench area of the southwest Pacific Ocean and the Diamantina Trench in the southeastern Indian Ocean, with a total of 63 dives, setting record for a single-voyage dive, according to Ye.

Many foreign scientists have also participated in the deep-sea exploration using Chinese submersibles, Ye said, an example of China's deep-sea exploration has been open and inclusive for international cooperation.

Just now, Fendouzhe is doing deep-sea exploration at Sunda Trench or the Java Trench in the Indian Ocean, as part of the cooperation between China and Indonesia, Ye said.

During the past three years, more than half of the world's manned deep diving missions have been completed by China's three deep-sea manned submersibles, Jiaolong, Shenhai Yongshi and Fendouzhe. The three submersibles have made more than 1,100 dives so far, Ye said.

In an interview with the Global Times on Monday, Ye said that the achievements on deep-sea scientific research are inseparable from the country's advanced shipbuilding industry, which leads the world.

"Only with the solid foundation can we better support the development of our deep-sea scientific exploration and the improvement of our tools," Ye said.

When asked by media about deep-sea explorations, Ye emphasized the importance of taking into account of their potential environmental impact on maritime ecosystem. "We are equally concerned about the environmental ramifications and believe that comprehensive assessments and analyses are imperative," Ye said.

Regarding explorations in the future, he said: "We will strive to extend our works in more deep-sea areas, including the polar areas. Also, we will carry out systematic work and build a detection operation and development system from space to the sea surface, and from underwater to the seabed, in order to improve our perception of the entire ocean system," Ye said.

"As marine science and technology workers, we must continue to sum up experiences from the extreme deep dives of Fendouzhe, climb to the peak of deep-sea science and technology, and continue to make new contributions to the better understanding, protection, and development of the ocean system for the mankind," Ye said.

"There is no problem with the power supply line in the factory area, and the distribution cabinet is operating normally. If there are any difficulties or problems with electricity in the future, please feel free to contact us at any time."On February 20th, members of the Rainbow Communist Party Member Service Team of State Grid Pingyuan County Power Supply Company visited Ruiming Clothing Factory in Pingyuan County to provide on-site services, helping the enterprise inspect electrical equipment and solve problems, to ensure reliable electricity use, and assist the enterprise in resuming work and production after the Chinese New Year holidays.
After the Spring Festival, various enterprises in Pingyuan County, Dezhou City, resumed work and production. In order to ensure the reliability of electricity production for enterprises, 12 Rainbow Party Member Service Teams of State Grid Pingyuan County Power Supply Company went deep into the enterprises under their jurisdictions to get the production status and electricity demand of the companies and factories after resuming work. They conducted a comprehensive "physical examination" of the enterprise's electricity equipment, conducted detailed inspections of distribution equipment, switch cabinets, distribution rooms, etc. Service teams provided a detailed interpretation of industrial electricity policies, guided enterprises to promptly eliminate safety hazards and took corresponding preventive measures, which will boost production.
While organizing a Rainbow Communist Party member service team to conduct on-site inspections of enterprise equipment, the State Grid Pingyuan County Power Supply Company has also launched a typical industry "power supply service package" tailored to different production situations and electricity needs of enterprises. The "one enterprise, one policy" power supply plan is tailored to accurately implement policies. Those policies guide enterprises to use electricity reasonably and scientifically, reduce electricity expenses, comprehensively do a good job in power supply guarantee services, help enterprises reduce energy costs, and help them to improve efficiency.

"Power supply workers regularly come to the factory to help check the safety of electricity use and timely remind us of and help us eliminate hidden dangers. High quality power supply services have given us more confidence in making a good start in the first quarter." Wang Xiuming, the director of Ruiming Clothing Factory in Pingyuan County, said confidently.

The State Grid Pingyuan County Power Supply Company will continue to play the role of the leader in electricity, adhere to the work concept of "proactive docking and advanced service", continuously optimize the electricity business environment, continuously upgrade service measures through regular consultation and precise service, and use "full grid electricity" to help enterprises accelerate production.

Chinese firms are urging South Korea to lower the barriers to entry for foreign investment, enhance the stability and transparency of business policies and regulations, and strengthen innovation cooperation with China in the fields of the digital economy, clean energy, new-energy vehicles (NEVs) and others, a survey showed.

The 2023 South Korea Business Environment Report was produced by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) based on in-depth investigations of Chinese firms operating in South Korea, Yang Fan, a spokesperson for the CCPIT, said on Wednesday during a regular press conference.

"Chinese enterprises attach great importance to investment and operation in South Korea, given the close economic ties between China and South Korea and the deep integration of industry and supply chains," said Yang.

Chinese firms operating in South Korea had an overall good performance in 2023, with 56.3 percent of those surveyed reporting profitability, 48.2 percent reporting revenue growth and 42.2 percent reporting profit growth, according to the report.

The report also included five expectations of Chinese firms regarding the business climate: lower market access barriers for foreign enterprises; improved stability and transparency of enterprise-related policies and regulations; enhanced support for foreign enterprises in South Korea and guarantees of equal access to supportive policies; continuous optimization of the employment environment for foreign firms, and closer innovative cooperation with China in such fields as the digital economy, clean energy and NEVs.

Improving the business environment for foreign firms can boost investment and trade cooperation, analysts said.

China and South Korea maintain strong economic ties. Bilateral trade stood at $310.74 billion in 2023. Although the amount dropped by 13.5 percent year-on-year, China remained South Korea's largest trade partner, according to the General Administration of Customs of China.

The two economies are closely connected, as are the two industry and supply chains, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on February 6 during a phone call with the South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul at the latter's request, according to a readout published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Wang called on both sides to jointly keep the industry and supply chains stable and smooth and jointly steer clear of politicizing and instrumentalizing economic issues and overstretching the concept of security.

The ongoing 14th National Winter Games, which are being held in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, have given a big boost to the development of the local winter sports sector, as shown by remarkable tourism and spending levels during the Spring Festival holidays. The event runs from February 17 to Tuesday.

Experts noted that large-scale sports events can boost local cultural and tourism development, as well as stimulating consumption. 

Yang Xuedong, director of the Economic Department of the State General Administration of Sport (GAS), said that four game areas of the 14th National Winter Games - Hulun Buir, Hohhot, Ulanqab and Chifeng - had 13.15 million visitors during the Spring Festival holidays, and spending in the cultural, sports and tourism sectors reached 10.12 billion yuan ($1.42 billion), the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

During the holidays, Hulun Buir, the main game area, had 1.67 million visitors, which spurred 1.14 billion yuan in related consumption and boosted the local ice-snow economy's development, said Yang. 

Behind the bustling travel and consumption lie detailed plans and arrangements by the government and the GAS. 

In December, the GAS and relevant departments launched special tourism campaigns targeting certain winter sports, as well as promoting ice-snow consumption activities across the country.

As the 14th National Winter Games partly coincided with the Spring Festival holidays and well-prepared sports-related tourism products, the consumption potential was fully released, Jiang Yiyi, deputy head of the School of Leisure Sports and Tourism at Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times on Sunday, noting that sports events can generate large-scale economic effects.

Major sports events held in 2023 included the 31st Summer World University Games in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, and China's first Student (Youth) Game in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Altogether, these events attracted about 220 million tourists with more than 100 billion yuan in spending, according to the GAS.

Yang noted that the GAS will support efforts to foster the sports event economy in 2024, and further play an active role in lifting consumption and the economics of event venues. 

China's three major A-share indexes continued to close higher across the board on Friday trading, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index regaining 3,000 points and recovering all losses since the beginning of 2024. Experts said they were mainly boosted by effective support policies to stabilize the stock market and continuous improvement of economic fundamentals.

Based on the strong drive of the domestic consumption market, stable foreign trade as well as increasing foreign investment, analysts noted that the stock market will remain stable and the country is expected to see economic growth of above 5 percent in the first quarter of 2024, laying a solid foundation for the economic rebound throughout the year.

The Shanghai Composite Index rose for the eighth straight day on Friday, up 0.55 percent to close at 3,004.88 points. The Shenzhen Component Index increased by 0.28 percent and the ChiNext Index, which tracks China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, rose 0.02 percent.

Over 4,300 individual stocks closed higher, and 141 stocks rose to their daily limit. Trading at Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets reached 922 billion yuan ($128.1 billion). Sora concept stocks led the two markets throughout the day, with robotics concept stocks and auto industry chain higher in afternoon trading.

"This week, the A-share market saw a sustained uptrend with a continuation of the pre-holiday upward trend. The regaining of the 3,000 points is a reflection of rising market confidence, and the eight-day gains have effectively enhanced market expectations, indicating that the stock market is expected to remain stable," Yang Delong, chief economist at Shenzhen-based First Seafront Fund Management Co, told the Global Times on Friday.

Yang noted that the stock performance is mainly because the state-owned Central Huijin Investment - seen as a key player in the "national team" - pledged to ramp up investment in the A-share market.

In addition, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), the country's top securities regulator, has rolled out an array of reform policies, sending positive signals to the capital market, Yang added.

The commission, led by its newly appointed chairman Wu Qing, held more than 10 back-to-back meetings this week with a wide range of market participants to solicit suggestions on regulations, risk prevention and high-quality development.

In the first press briefing in the Year of the Dragon on Friday, the CSRC vowed that it will adhere to an investor-centered approach, scrutinize enterprises that are to be listed, and severely punish those who violate the law and infringe upon the interests of investors, so as to improve the quality of listed companies from the source.

"Both companies under review for listing and those already listed are subject to continued strict supervision by the CSRC," it noted.

The commission also vowed to build a "penetrating" screening system using multiple technological measures, including all-round monitoring, big data, multi-channel collection and intelligent analysis to identify and crack down on illicit market manipulation and insider trading. Penalties for market illicit practice will increase, and the cost of law breaking will also be higher, it said.

Tian Xuan, associate dean and chair professor of finance with the PBC School of Finance at Tsinghua University, who attended a CSRC meeting on Sunday morning chaired by Wu, told the Global Times that these meetings demonstrated the sincere attitude of the CSRC to fully listen to and respect the views of all parties in the market and respond to their concerns, releasing a warm policy signal of jointly building the market and making continuous efforts to stabilize the market and confidence.

Vigorous economic prospects

"The positive stock performance is also thanks to the continuous improvement of the economic indicators, especially the Spring Festival holiday spending," Tian Yun, a veteran economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Friday.

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of trips made during the holidays represented a 19 percent rise from the same period in 2019 before the pandemic, and total spending increased by 7.7 percent from that of the same period in 2019.

Looking ahead, Tian Yun expected economic growth of above 5 percent in the first quarter of this year, as the country's foreign trade and foreign investment are expected to see stable development.

Although China's foreign trade figures for the first two months have yet to be disclosed, the number of the country's container shipments to the US increased by 20 percent year-on-year in January, domestic media outlet ifeng.com reported on Thursday, citing data from US research firm Descartes Datamyne.

Noting that the figures may point to the recovery of China-US trade exchanges, Tian Yun said that if the imports and exports of China and the US can maintain positive growth this year, foreign trade will make a vital contribution to the country's economic recovery.

Multinational corporations also remain optimistic about the opportunities for the development of the Chinese market, and continue to step up their efforts to invest in China.

On Friday, Premier Li Qiang convened an executive meeting of the State Council to study policy initiatives to attract and utilize foreign investment more vigorously. On the same day, the Ministry of Commerce said that in January, foreign investors set up 4,588 new foreign-funded enterprises, a year-on-year increase of 74.4 percent against the backdrop of last year's sustained growth.

Those positive signals came before the country is slated to set a slew of development targets, including the GDP growth rate for 2024, during the upcoming annual two sessions, which are scheduled to kick off in early March.

In 2023, among the 31 Chinese provinces, regions and cities, the number of Chinese cities with GDP exceeding one trillion yuan increased from 24 to 26. The economies of each province and city, like rivers, flow together and form the vast ocean of the Chinese economy. They provide an inexhaustible source of dynamism and potential for China's development, China's Foreign Ministry told a press conference on Friday.