Xi urges all-out rescue efforts after shoe factory fire in east China

China's consumer prices maintained mild growth in the first half (H1) of 2026, while factory-gate prices registered a slightly expanded year-on-year increase in June, official data showed on Thursday, pointing to overall stable price levels as the economy maintains steady operation.

Giant panda Yuan Zai is seen during a birthday party at Taipei Zoo in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, July 6, 2026. Taipei's beloved panda star Yuan Zai, the first giant panda born in Taiwan and the offspring of a panda pair gifted by the Chinese mainland, celebrated her 13th birthday on Monday with a soccer-themed feast at Taipei Zoo.

In late March, the hillsides around Dongshaoqu village in Beijing were blanketed with peach and apricot blossoms. Delicate pink and white petals drifted gently onto the windowsills of the village school, the quiet courtyard of an elderly woman's home, and the freshly tilled soil of the spring fields.

An open-air sightseeing train through a blooming lotus pond has become a popular summer draw at Taochong Lake Park in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, with local authorities reporting a threefold increase in park visitors. Lotus flowers are now in full bloom at the park, located in Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Industrial Development Zone, with vast stretches of green leaves covering the water surface.

China recently released a plan for building a new energy system during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). According to the plan, China aims to basically establish a clean, low-carbon, secure and efficient new energy system by 2030. Wang Hongzhi, head of the National Energy Administration, outlined four key features China's energy sector will boast after five years of development.