Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state presented flower baskets at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on Monday, paying their tribute to fallen national heroes on the Martyrs' Day.
Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joined representatives from various circles to mark the country's 11th Martyrs' Day, a day ahead of the National Day that falls on Tuesday this year. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Other senior leaders including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng also attended the event. The event began at 10:00, with a military band playing trumpets to commemorate the martyrs.
All participants sang the national anthem and then paid a silent tribute to those who laid down their lives to the liberation of the Chinese people and the construction of the PRC, founded on Oct. 1, 1949.
After a group of children sang a patriotic song, the guard of honor laid flower baskets in front of the Monument to the People's Heroes.
Xi straightened the red ribbons on a flower basket and led other senior officials in a walk around the monument to pay tribute. Children and other attendees also laid flowers at the foot of the monument.
The foundation stone of the Monument to the People's Heroes was laid on Sept 30, 1949.
In 2014, the National People's Congress of China designated Sept. 30 as the Martyrs' Day to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives for national independence and prosperity.
Xi, other leaders present flower baskets to pay tribute to fallen heroes
China's nearshore fishery resources have maintained a maximum sustainable yield of over 10 million tonnes, alleviating the trend of resource decline following a series of measures to promote the sustainable and healthy development of the industry, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said at a press conference in Beijing on Monday.
In recent years, China has optimized its seasonal fishing ban system, and further extended the period to promote the recovery of nearshore fishery resources.
China's summer fishing ban, starting on May 1 annually, is part of the country's efforts to protect marine fishery resources and the ecological environment. No fishing activities are allowed in the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the waters north to 12 degrees north latitude of the South China Sea during the moratorium period.
With the management of total marine fishery resources and the "double control" system aimed at controlling both the total number of fishing vessels and the amount of engine power, China has limited its total domestic marine fisheries catch to within 10 million tonnes, and the number of large and medium-sized fishing vessels within 50,000.
"We have established 169 national-level marine ranches, deployed over 20 million cubic meters of artificial fish reefs, and released more than 20 billion artificially-bred marine life of various species. We are conducting surveys in 51 national marine aquatic germplasm resources conservation areas, and carrying out regular investigations into nearshore fishery resources and ecological monitoring of fishing areas," said Liu Xinzhong, director of the Bureau of Fisheries under the ministry.
According to surveys and monitoring, China's nearshore fishery resources have seen slight fluctuations in recent years, but maintained a steady momentum, with the maximum sustainable yield of the resources staying above 10 million tonnes.
China takes measures to alleviate decline of fishery resources
