The red mudflats, green reeds and winding blue rivers together form what resembles a beautiful colorful oil painting in the Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, attracting tourists from across the country.
The nature reserve covers a total area of 800 square kilometers. In the golden September, the endless tidal flats are covered with a red carpet because of the maturity of Suaeda salsa. The geographical environment where the river and the sea meet makes the bright red tidal flats and creates a reed marsh with intact vegetation types. It is home to 494 species of wild animals and is an important stopover and breeding ground for more than 200 migratory birds such as the red-crowned crane.
In recent years, local authorities have enhanced efforts in the comprehensive improvement and ecological protection of the Liaohe River Basin, and actively organized and implemented a Suaeda salsa restoration project. Today, the green reeds and red tidal flats are expanding rapidly, with schools of fish and birds living and feeding in the national-level nature reserve.
Red mudflats, blue rivers form facisnating autumn scenery in northeast China's Liaoning
The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday slashed interest rates by 50 basis points amid cooling inflation and a weakening labor market, marking the first rate cut in over four years.
"The Committee has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent, and judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are roughly in balance," the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the central bank's policy-setting body, said in a statement.
"In light of the progress on inflation and the balance of risks, the Committee decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/2 percentage point to 4-3/4 to 5 percent," the FOMC said.
This signals the start of an easing cycle. Starting from March 2022, the Fed had raised rates consecutively for 11 times to combat inflation not seen in forty years, pushing the target range for the federal funds rate up to between 5.25 percent and 5.5 percent, the highest level in over two decades.
After maintaining rates at the high level for over a year, the Fed's tight monetary policy faced pressure to pivot due to the easing of inflationary pressures, signs of weakening in the job market, and slowing economic growth.
U.S. Fed slashes rates by 50 basis points, first rate cut in four years
