Global Pulse

标签： Asia

亚洲

  • How the US-Iran war is costing China

    How the US-Iran war is costing China

    Escalating geopolitical friction between the United States and Iran has sent ripples across the global economy, and one nation that finds itself navigating a complex mix of challenges and openings is China. In an in-depth analysis from BBC correspondent Laura Bicker, the interconnected nature of global politics and economics means China is not a passive bystander to this regional standoff – it faces tangible economic headwinds even as it could secure quiet strategic advantages.

    First and most immediately, the conflict-driven disruption to energy markets has hit China’s bottom line. As the world’s largest crude oil importer, China relies heavily on stable supplies flowing through the Persian Gulf, a region that is immediately impacted by heightened US-Iran hostilities. When tensions spike, global oil prices invariably jump, inflating China’s import bills for energy. These higher costs trickle through the entire Chinese economy, pushing up operating expenses for manufacturers, raising transportation costs for domestic goods, and putting upward pressure on overall inflation. Beyond energy, broader trade routes through the Middle East also face increased risk of disruption, which raises shipping insurance premiums and creates delivery delays for Chinese goods heading to European and Middle Eastern markets, cutting into the competitiveness of Chinese exports.

    The political landscape, however, presents a different set of dynamics for Beijing. The ongoing focus of the United States on containing Iranian influence and managing conflict in the Middle East diverts American strategic attention and resources away from its competition with China. For years, the US has prioritized great power competition in the Indo-Pacific, but a sustained crisis with Iran forces the US to split its military, diplomatic and economic focus. This creates space for China to advance its own regional and global strategic goals, from expanding trade relationships across the Middle East through its Belt and Road Initiative to strengthening diplomatic ties with nations that are aligned against US policy in the region. Additionally, China can position itself as a neutral broker for peace between the two sides, burnishing its image as a responsible global power committed to diplomatic de-escalation.

    Bicker’s analysis notes that the balance of costs and benefits for China remains deeply dependent on how the conflict evolves. A full-scale, prolonged war would far outweigh any political gains, sending energy prices soaring to unsustainable levels and triggering a global recession that would devastate Chinese export demand. A low-intensity, prolonged standoff, on the other hand, allows China to absorb the limited economic costs while capitalizing on the strategic opportunities that come from a distracted United States.

  • Linyi strengthens global trade links through RCEP expo

    Linyi strengthens global trade links through RCEP expo

    The city of Linyi, located in China’s eastern Shandong province, is cementing its role as a key global trade nexus after successfully hosting the fifth RCEP (Shandong) Import Expo from April 20 to 22, 2026. The three-day trade event drew hundreds of international suppliers and thousands of business leaders from across the world, creating new pathways for cross-border commerce and strengthening economic ties under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership framework.

    A China Daily US-based contributor, Douglas Dueno, was among the attendees who explored the expo’s vast exhibition halls, where vendors displayed a diverse array of goods from across the globe and pitched collaborative opportunities to visiting investors and buyers. Unlike regional trade events limited to single industry sectors, this expo welcomed participants from a wide range of product categories, spanning consumer goods to industrial materials, reflecting the broad scope of RCEP’s trade integration goals.

    Organizers confirmed that the event gathered exhibitors not only from all 15 RCEP member states but also from non-member economies seeking access to China’s massive domestic market and regional trade routes. In total, more than 400 international suppliers set up booths at the expo, while over 5,300 domestic Chinese and overseas buyers traveled to Linyi to source products, negotiate supply agreements, and build long-term business partnerships.

    What sets Linyi apart as a host for large-scale international trade events is its established position as one of China’s top logistics and wholesale trade hubs. For decades, the city has built out a robust infrastructure ecosystem that includes streamlined customs clearance, far-reaching domestic and international distribution networks, and cost-effective logistics solutions that cut down on transit time and operational costs for cross-border traders. These advantages have created a natural backbone for events like the RCEP Import Expo, enabling exhibitors and attendees to move goods faster across borders and reach new consumer markets across the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

    The successful holding of this year’s expo builds on Linyi’s growing reputation as a strategic gateway for regional trade, highlighting how RCEP’s tariff reduction and trade facilitation policies are unlocking new opportunities for businesses of all sizes across member and non-member economies alike.

  • Gansu-Hunan power line delivers 10 billion kWh in Q1

    Gansu-Hunan power line delivers 10 billion kWh in Q1

    China’s flagship West-to-East power transmission infrastructure has notched a major milestone in the first quarter of 2026, with the ±800 kilovolt Gansu-to-Hunan ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission line delivering more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, operator State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company has announced. To put this output in context, the volume is enough to meet the full annual electricity demand of roughly 2.95 million average three-member households across China.

    A core component of China’s national West-to-East power transmission strategy, the 2,383-kilometer transmission corridor stretches from the Qilian converter station in northwestern China’s Gansu province, across Shaanxi, Chongqing and Hubei, all the way to its final terminal at the Shaoshan converter station in central southern Hunan. Since the project entered commercial operation in June 2017, it has cumulatively transmitted more than 200 billion kWh of electricity across regional boundaries, marking it as one of the country’s most productive cross-regional energy arteries.

    What sets this 2026 milestone apart is the growing share of low-carbon energy in the transmission mix: more than 40 percent of the electricity moved via the line so far this year comes from renewable sources. The infrastructure has been instrumental in unlocking large-scale development of Gansu’s abundant wind and solar energy resources, enabling bundled transmission of wind, solar and thermal power from the resource-rich northwest to high power-demand regions in central China. Beyond supporting economic growth in Hunan and surrounding regions, the optimized cross-regional energy allocation brought by the UHV project directly advances China’s national carbon peaking and neutrality goals by increasing the share of renewables in the national energy mix.

    To maintain reliable output amid growing demand, the line has sustained extended high-load operation through the first three months of 2026, with daily transmission volume exceeding 100 million kWh on 41 days this year. As the operating entity responsible for the project, State Grid Gansu Ultra-High Voltage Company has made power supply security its top organizational priority, rolling out a series of enhanced monitoring and maintenance measures to avoid service disruptions.

    The company has upgraded its full-lifecycle safety management framework and integrated a suite of advanced inspection technologies into its operations, including automated routine inspections, drone-based remote monitoring, and infrared and ultraviolet defect detection. These tools have enabled the construction of an all-weather, multi-dimensional monitoring system covering every segment of the line and all core converter station equipment, boosting overall equipment reliability and guaranteeing consistent, stable delivery of clean energy across regions.

  • Israelis blow up house in southern Lebanon ‘in memory’ of slain soldier

    Israelis blow up house in southern Lebanon ‘in memory’ of slain soldier

    Weeks into a fragile nominal truce between Israeli forces and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, Israeli operations in southern Lebanon continue, with newly released footage showing one of the latest strikes carried out as a memorial to a fallen Israeli soldier.

    The video of the attack was shared publicly to the social platform X by far-right Israeli journalist Yinon Magal, who confirmed that the targeted structure was a residential home in Kfar Kila, a border village in southern Lebanon. The strike was executed by Israel’s Battalion 7106 using a remote weapons system, according to the footage.

    In his post accompanying the video, Magal clarified that the detonation was timed to coincide with a memorial siren held for Lidor Porat, a 31-year-old Israeli soldier from the city of Ashdod who was killed the previous weekend. Porat died after the military vehicle his unit was traveling in struck an improvised explosive device, which Israeli officials attribute to Hezbollah operatives. The journalist noted Porat was a member of his battalion’s support unit, killed on Motzaei Shabbat—the evening period that closes the Jewish weekly sabbath.

    Porat’s death brings the total number of Israeli service members killed in cross-border and ground operations in Lebanon to 15, a death toll that has accumulated since February 28, when a joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran dragged multiple regional armed factions into the expanding conflict.

    Even though a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah formally entered into force last Friday, Israeli military activity has not ceased in the southern Lebanese border region. Israeli defense officials argue that the terms of the truce allow them to take military action to counter any planned, imminent, or active attacks against Israeli targets.

    Just on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces announced it had killed two individuals it described as “terrorists who violated the ceasefire understandings” in the Saluki area of southern Lebanon. The Israeli government has repeatedly reaffirmed its long-term goal of maintaining permanent military control over southern Lebanon, a territory Israel occupied from 1982 until its full withdrawal in 2000.

    Diplomatic movement is unfolding alongside continued military operations: the ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel to the United States are scheduled to hold a second round of talks in Washington DC this Thursday. Their first meeting last week marked the first direct diplomatic encounter between the two nations’ top envoys to the US since 1993.

    In the hours immediately after the ceasefire was announced, tens of thousands of Lebanese civilians who had been displaced by months of fighting began traveling back to their homes in southern Lebanon, ignoring official Israeli warnings to avoid the region. Many of those who returned have since been forced to retreat back to shelters in Beirut and other safer areas of the country after discovering widespread damage to their residential areas, with no access to critical utilities including electricity and basic internet connectivity.

    Israeli forces have maintained military positions south of the Litani River to monitor alleged Hezbollah activity, and have repeatedly warned Lebanese civilians against returning to that zone. Both the Lebanese national army and Hezbollah have also echoed warnings urging residents of southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern Dahieh suburb, and the Bekaa Valley to delay their return home until security and infrastructure conditions can be stabilized to protect civilian safety.

  • Labour councillor defending seat in election posed with rifle in Israeli army uniform

    Labour councillor defending seat in election posed with rifle in Israeli army uniform

    As the United Kingdom prepares for local elections across 136 councils on May 7, a sitting Labour Party councillor seeking re-election has found herself at the center of a growing political firestorm over her past participation in an Israeli military training program.

    Izzy Lenga, who represents London’s South Hampstead ward in Camden, holds multiple senior positions within UK Labour-linked and pro-Zionist organizations: she serves on the Labour Party’s London executive committee, and is currently one of two national vice chairs of the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM), an influential group officially affiliated with the Labour Party. The JLM itself operates within the structure of the World Zionist Organisation (WZO), a global group with documented ties to the establishment of illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory. Lenga previously served as JLM’s international officer, leading engagement with the WZO and its UK affiliate, the Zionist Federation UK (ZFUK).

    Pictures published of Lenga posing in an Israel Defense Forces uniform alongside an assault rifle first raised questions about her military ties back in 2021, when alternative news outlet Electronic Intifada reported the images indicated she had completed Marva, a paramilitary course overseen by the Israeli military. Two years later, Jewish News confirmed Lenga had indeed participated in basic training with the IDF.

    The controversy comes at a moment of intense global scrutiny of Israeli military actions in Gaza. The Israeli military is widely identified as the primary force responsible for ongoing civilian harm in Gaza, with multiple documented accounts of war crimes ranging from deliberate killing of unarmed civilians to sexual violence against detainees. The International Court of Justice has already ruled there is a plausible case that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide, and the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. It was Gallant who famously described Gaza civilians as “human animals” in a public statement shortly after the October 2023 outbreak of hostilities.

    Recent reporting has further underscored the links between the WZO and illegal settlement activity. A September 2024 BBC documentary uncovered that the WZO’s Settlement Division, the body tasked with managing land in the occupied Palestinian territories, has repeatedly allocated state and private Palestinian land for the construction of illegal Israeli outposts. In at least four confirmed cases, unauthorised outposts were built on land allocated directly by the division, including one 2018 contract signed by Zvi Bar Yosef – an Israeli official sanctioned by both the UK and US in 2024 for organized violence and intimidation targeting Palestinian civilians. The ZFUK, the WZO’s UK affiliate that works closely with JLM, was removed from the UK’s official charities register in August 2024, just weeks before the documentary was released.

    In June 2025, the UK-based International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) submitted a formal recommendation for British sanctions against the WZO’s Settlement Division, outlining a pattern of violations including the seizure of private Palestinian land for settlers without owner consent, unregulated land management with no required compensation for displaced owners, and preferential financial treatment for settlers. The ICJP also identified two UK-based organizations that facilitate the WZO’s activities: ZFUK and Mizrachi UK, a registered UK charity that receives direct funding from the WZO.

    The JLM remains a highly influential force within the current Labour Party, counting sitting parliamentarians, councillors, and grassroots activists among its membership. In a January 2024 speech to a JLM conference – delivered months before Keir Starmer took office as UK prime minister – Starmer publicly thanked the movement for “saving the party”, and pledged to block what he described as antisemitism hiding behind pro-Palestinian advocacy.

    For the upcoming May 7 local elections, Starmer’s Labour government faces electoral pressure on two fronts: the right-wing populist Reform UK party on one side, and left-leaning and progressive opposition groups including the Green Party and local independent campaigns on the other. More than 5,000 council seats across the country are up for election. The Green Party has made its opposition to the UK’s financial ties to Israel’s actions in Gaza a central campaign plank, with senior party officials confirming the Greens are pushing for local councils to divest pension funds that hold investments in companies profiting from the Gaza conflict, fossil fuel extraction, and arms manufacturing.

    Middle East Eye, the independent outlet that broke the latest details of the controversy, attempted to contact Izzy Lenga for comment prior to publication, but received no response before the article went live.

  • Warm-up to sweep China after cold spell, temperatures to jump

    Warm-up to sweep China after cold spell, temperatures to jump

    After weeks of unseasonably damp, chilly conditions that have kept much of the country well below average spring temperatures, a sweeping temperature surge is set to cover most regions of China this weekend, with thermometers in some urban centers predicted to jump as much as 17 degrees Celsius, national meteorological authorities have announced. Forecasters have also issued a public warning about extreme gaps between daytime and nighttime temperatures that could leave many residents unprepared for sudden weather shifts.

    In the first half of this week, lingering cold air and widespread rainfall will keep temperatures suppressed in two major regions: the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin, and China’s northeast. According to Weather China, the official public weather portal operated by the China Meteorological Administration, high temperatures in most of these areas will remain below 20°C through Thursday, with some locations only climbing to around 10°C. For context, Hefei, the capital of east China’s Anhui province, is forecast to top out at just 11°C on Wednesday – more than 12°C lower than the long-term average temperature for this time of year.

    The weather shift will begin as early as Friday, when rainfall tapers off across most of the country. A combination of increasing solar radiation and warm air advection will drive a rapid, sustained temperature rise that will push readings above the seasonal average across most regions. Harbin, the capital of northern Heilongjiang province, is expected to hit a high of 21°C on Friday, marking the first time the city has recorded a high temperature above 20°C in 2026.

    Through the weekend extending into Monday, a majority of Chinese cities will see daytime highs rebound to 25°C or higher, with multiple locations in central and southern China reaching the 30°C threshold. The most dramatic swing will be seen in Hefei, which is forecast to hit 28°C on Sunday – a stunning 17°C increase from its midweek high. On the same day, Changsha, the capital of southern Hunan province, is predicted to reach 30°C.

    Northern China will see a different pattern, with frequent weak cold fronts creating alternating temperature fluctuations, most noticeably in the northeast. Most of northern China will start its warming trend on Thursday: parts of Heilongjiang will reach 20°C by Friday, while some areas of Liaoning province will see highs climb above 25°C.

    Across northwestern, northern and northeastern parts of the country, the difference between daytime highs and nighttime lows could reach 15°C, and in some locations even exceed 20°C. Following this widespread warm-up period, weak cold air masses will remain the norm across China, but their impact will be limited. The size of daily temperature swings will shrink gradually in most regions, while the summer heat zone in southern China will expand slowly, bringing the country closer to the official start of summer.

  • A hanfu encounter in Heze’s peony fields

    A hanfu encounter in Heze’s peony fields

    As spring unfolds across northern China, Heze, a city in eastern Shandong Province renowned as the country’s peony capital, enters its most visually stunning season of the year. Millions of peony plants burst into full bloom across the city’s sprawling cultivation fields, painting rolling landscapes in vivid hues of crimson, blush pink, ivory white, golden yellow and soft lavender, turning the entire region into an endless, breathing sea of color that draws visitors from across the globe every April.

    Against this postcard-perfect backdrop, a unique cultural encounter has unfolded that blends traditional Chinese aesthetics with cross-cultural exchange. Samar Kerkeni, an international expert working with China Daily Website, stepped into this dreamlike spring setting to experience two of Heze’s most iconic cultural treasures: its world-famous peonies and China’s centuries-old traditional hanfu attire.

    Draped in an elegantly tailored hanfu, a traditional Han Chinese garment defined by its flowing silhouettes, delicate embroidery and soft, breathable fabrics, Kerkeni wandered slowly through the rows of blooming peonies. The gentle spring breeze lifted the hem of her garment as she moved, blending the graceful lines of the traditional outfit seamlessly with the vibrant natural scenery around her, creating a scene that feels pulled straight from a classical Chinese landscape painting. The experience offers a gentle, vivid example of how traditional Chinese culture can be shared and enjoyed by visitors from around the world, bridging cultural gaps through shared appreciation for beauty and heritage.

  • China reports significant drop in workplace accidents, deaths in Q1

    China reports significant drop in workplace accidents, deaths in Q1

    China has recorded a substantial improvement in national workplace safety conditions during the first quarter of 2026, with year-on-year declines of more than 20% recorded for both total workplace accidents and associated fatalities, according to official data released Wednesday by the country’s Ministry of Emergency Management. Ministry spokeswoman Shen Zhanli announced the new figures during a press briefing held in Beijing, outlining the detailed progress of national workplace safety oversight efforts for the first three months of the year.

    Between January and March, 3,258 work-related safety accidents were documented across the country, marking a 27% decrease compared to the same period in 2025. Critically, no extraordinarily serious workplace accidents — the highest severity classification for industrial incidents in China — were recorded in the quarter. The total number of people killed or missing due to workplace incidents reached 3,122, representing a 23% year-on-year reduction, Shen confirmed.

    Despite these encouraging gains, the spokeswoman struck a cautious note, warning that high-severity major accidents continue to occur at unacceptably frequent rates in a number of specific regions and industry sectors. She also highlighted a recent rebound in unlicensed, illegal production operations across high-risk sectors including mining, chemical manufacturing, fire safety-sensitive industries, and fireworks production.

    Shen emphasized that the overall pressure to prevent and control major and extraordinarily serious workplace accidents has continued to grow, and that the national workplace safety landscape still faces significant ongoing challenges that require targeted, sustained intervention.

    In addition to updating the public on workplace safety trends, the spokeswoman also shared preliminary statistics on natural disaster impacts across China during the first quarter. The primary natural disasters affecting the country in the first three months of 2026 included low-temperature rain, snow and freezing events, snowstorms, wind and hailstorms, and seismic activity. Droughts, flooding, forest fires, and geological disasters were also recorded, with each causing impacts of varying degrees across different regions.

    Preliminary government data shows that approximately 750,800 people across the country were affected by these natural disasters to varying extents. The events resulted in six people being killed or declared missing, and caused more than 1 billion yuan ($146 million) in direct economic losses, Shen added.

  • FedEx targeted by French lawsuit over ‘complicity’ in Gaza genocide

    FedEx targeted by French lawsuit over ‘complicity’ in Gaza genocide

    A high-stakes legal action has rocked France’s logistics and political spheres this week, as a prominent pro-Palestine advocacy organization has brought an unprecedented accusation of “complicity in genocide” against global shipping giant FedEx over its alleged role in moving military aircraft components bound for Israeli forces operating in the Gaza Strip.

    The French Jewish Union for Peace (UJFP) filed the complaint Tuesday with France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT), leveling allegations that the U.S.-headquartered carrier’s French subsidiary deliberately facilitated the transfer, routing, and delivery of critical aircraft parts from the United States to Israel, with France serving as a transit hub. According to the legal filing, the shipped components are used to service and repair F-35 fighter jets operated by the Israeli Air Force for bombing and intelligence surveillance missions across Gaza. The complaint categorizes the company’s actions as potential participation in three violations of international law: war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

    In an immediate response to reporters from AFP, FedEx France flatly rejected all claims laid out in the filing. The company issued a clear statement emphasizing that it never handles international deliveries of weapons or ammunition, denying any wrongdoing in the matter.

    The UJFP’s complaint draws on shipment tracking data compiled by a coalition of pro-Palestine groups, including People’s Embargo for Palestine and Urgence Palestine. The filing documents 117 separate shipments that transited Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport between early April and late October 2025, all managed by FedEx Express FR. Of those, 22 were shipped directly from Paris to Israel, with at least three carried on French-registered FedEx aircraft. The plaintiffs argue that FedEx could not have been unaware of the contents of these packages, noting that many contain mechanical and aeronautical parts classified as dual-use—items that can serve both civilian and military purposes—specifically suited for military aircraft.

    Speaking to independent French outlet Mediapart, UJFP’s legal counsel Damia Taharraoui dismissed any claims of civilian utility for the tracked shipments. “There’s no scenario where these parts are for civilian use. We have casings, parachutes, all destined for Israeli military bases. These are components explicitly identified as functional for F-35 jets, and also potentially for F-15 and F-16 models,” Taharraoui explained.

    Under French national trade rules, any transit or export of military-grade or dual-use goods requires formal government authorization. The complaint calls on prosecutors to launch a full judicial inquiry to determine whether French officials granted FedEx approval for these shipments. Taharraoui stressed that if official authorizations are confirmed, they would directly violate international treaties France has ratified, most notably the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

    The legal filing comes amid a years-long period of tense diplomatic and political friction between France and pro-Palestine movements, tied to Paris’ longstanding stance on the Gaza conflict. Since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in October 2023, France has maintained broad public support for the operation, which the United Nations and multiple leading human rights organizations have classified as a genocide. As of the latest counts, the conflict has killed more than 72,500 people in Gaza and left most of the densely populated enclave in ruins.

    The French government has consistently pushed back against accusations that it supplies lethal arms to Israel, stating that it only exports non-lethal components for Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system, along with items marked for re-export. Still, tensions rose between Paris and Tel Aviv last month when Israel announced it would suspend security-related imports from France, accusing the French government of adopting a “hostile” posture—an action widely linked to France’s September 2024 decision to formally recognize the State of Palestine.

    Despite this diplomatic rift, the French government has continued to crack down on domestic pro-Palestine advocacy, restricting the movement of Palestinian human rights activists within the country. Just last week, French authorities denied a visa to Shawan Jabarin, general director of Ramallah-based leading Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq, blocking him from attending a series of high-profile diplomatic and legislative briefings at the French National Assembly, French Foreign Ministry, and the Council of Europe.

    This marked the second time French and European authorities have rejected Jabarin’s visa application since September 2024, when the United States imposed sanctions on Al-Haq. Jabarin, who was awarded the French Republic’s human rights prize in 2018 and met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in 2022, was also scheduled to attend meetings at the European Parliament’s human rights committee in Strasbourg and policy briefings in Belgium. The last-minute visa refusal meant he was forced to cancel all planned engagements across the region.

  • Health authority warns of rising flu, disease risks ahead of May Day holiday

    Health authority warns of rising flu, disease risks ahead of May Day holiday

    As China prepares for the upcoming five-day May Day holiday starting May 1, the country’s top public health authority has issued a formal warning over growing infectious disease threats, calling for stepped-up public vigilance to curb outbreaks during a period expected to see surges in travel and large-scale public gatherings. In a press briefing held in Beijing on Wednesday, April 22, Xi Jingjing, spokesperson for the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, announced that influenza and rhinovirus transmission across China has followed a steady upward trajectory since the beginning of April 2026.

    With warmer spring temperatures shifting toward summer conditions, the authority is also urging heightened awareness of mosquito-borne and intestinal infectious diseases that typically become more active during this seasonal transition. Xi specifically highlighted four diseases as key priorities for precaution: dengue fever, chikungunya fever, norovirus infection, and hand, foot and mouth disease, all of which carry heightened transmission risk when crowds of travelers converge in shared spaces.

    Noting that weather patterns during the shift from spring to summer can be highly unpredictable, with sudden shifts in temperature, Xi offered targeted guidance for the public to reduce their risk of illness. She recommended that travelers pack flexible clothing options to adapt to changing conditions, and that all people planning trips check the latest infectious disease activity updates at their destination before departing. Food and water hygiene, she emphasized, is a critical line of defense against intestinal pathogens spread through contaminated consumption.

    For travelers and residents engaging in outdoor activities, Xi urged consistent measures to prevent bites from mosquitoes and ticks, which are increasingly active as temperatures rise. She also advised the public to avoid close contact with wild marmots when hiking or visiting natural areas, a precaution designed to reduce the risk of tick-borne or zoonotic disease transmission.

    The National Disease Control and Prevention Administration closed its warning with additional public guidance: all residents, particularly caregivers for children and guardians of older adults, should monitor health closely for any signs of infectious disease in the weeks surrounding the holiday. Anyone who develops symptoms consistent with the highlighted diseases is encouraged to seek prompt medical evaluation to prevent further spread and ensure timely care.