China's grain production surpassed 1.3 trillion jin (650 million tons) in 2023. The continuous bumper harvests, together with the ongoing optimization of the crop variety structure and abundant grain reserves, have guaranteed the country's food security, Chinese officials said on Tuesday. China's per capita grain resources exceed 490 kilograms, which is above the international food security threshold […]

The People's Bank of China (PBC), China’s central bank, will cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for all banks by 50 basis points, the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves, from February 5, providing the market with approximately 1 trillion yuan ($141.05 billion) of long-term liquidity, PBC governor Pan Gongsheng announced on […]

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday called for global cooperation in various areas to rebuild global trust, including strengthening macroeconomic policy coordination and international industrial specialization and cooperation, warning that lack of trust and fragmentation will risk global economic growth and peaceful development. In a special address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting […]

Cooperation between China and Nauru under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) may accelerate following Nauru's recent decision to sever  "diplomatic ties" with the Taiwan island, Chinese observers said. They noted that the mutually beneficial cooperation between Nauru and China will bring tangible benefits to local residents and provide new momentum for the economic […]

Fish were harvested out of a marine ranch off the coast of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving facility, run by Chinese oil giant CNOOC, on Thursday, in the latest example of harnessing "cold energy" generated from LNG's liquid-to-gas conversion. A total of 1,000 kilograms of red snapper and other Lutjanus fishes have grown accustomed […]

The Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s between China and the US was launched on Friday via video conference. The meeting was co-chaired by Xie Zhenhua, China's special envoy for climate change, and John Kerry, US special presidential envoy for climate, according to China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment.  Other officials from […]

For the first time, scientists have recorded brain waves from freely moving octopuses. The data reveal some unexpected patterns, though it’s too early to know how octopus brains control the animals’ behavior, researchers report February 23 in Current Biology. “Historically, it’s been so hard to do any recordings from octopuses, even if they’re sedated,” says […]

It’s been three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Yet the mystery of how it got started continues to make headlines again and again and to fuel a heated, and oft-time political, debate. While what exactly happened in the earliest days of the pandemic remains an ongoing question, some genetic studies have tipped the scales […]

Within minutes of biting into peanut-tainted food, people with a peanut allergy may find their pulse quickening, blood pressure plummeting and throat closing up. They’re experiencing a rapid and sometimes fatal allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. New research in mice explains how even a small amount of an allergen can quickly trigger such a strong, full-body […]

There’s a big problem where the rubber meets the road: microplastics. Scientists analyzed more than 500 small particles pulled from the air around three busy German highways, and found that the vast majority — 89 percent — came from vehicle tires, brake systems and roads themselves. All together, these particles are classified by the researchers […]