Chinese premier urges new progress in developing Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday urged north China's Hebei Province to make new progress in promoting the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a research trip to the province on the same day.

Li stressed efforts to drive development through innovation, accelerate a comprehensive green transition, and support the high-standard and high-quality construction of the Xiong'an New Area.

During his visit to China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd. in the Xiong'an New Area, Li stressed efforts to attract more competitive enterprises to settle in and cultivate a high-tech industrial system to inject new momentum into the development of the Xiong'an New Area.

He also learned about the ecological environment management and protection of the Baiyangdian Lake, and praised the local efforts in improving the local ecological environment. He said it is crucial to promote the coordinated protection and ecological restoration of the lake and its upstream and downstream areas.

During a visit to a semiconductor company in the city of Baoding, Li was briefed on its progress in scientific and technological innovation. He encouraged the company to grasp cutting-edge trends, increase R&D investment, strive to overcome challenges in key and core technologies, and continuously enhance the competitive advantage.

The premier also visited a dike construction site in the city of Zhuozhou, where he reviewed its latest progress and listened to reports on major post-disaster water conservancy projects in Hebei.

Noting that the province faced unusually heavy rainstorms and floods last year, Li called for accelerated efforts in housing reconstruction, repair and reinforcement, alongside enhanced planning and construction of flood control systems.

Li also urged local officials to give extra attention to the well-being of affected residents as winter approaches, ensuring they stay safe throughout the season.

Chinese premier urges new progress in developing Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

A newly launched shuttle boat service between islands in Sansha, China's southernmost city in Hainan Province and home to numerous islands and reefs, has effectively improved transportation convenience for local residents.

Sansha officially began operating shuttle boats between Yongxing Island and Zhaoshu Island on Tuesday.

This new inter-island traffic route has greatly benefited Wu Chunlin, a project manager of the meteorological department at Haikou Hailyu Construction Engineering Installation Co., Ltd.

Now, he can take a boat from Yongxing to Zhaoshu Island to reach the observation station there in time to measure the size of railings that were blown down by a previous typhoon, ensuring it gets repaired quickly.

"As long as something comes up, upon receiving the report, I can head out to sea immediately," said Wu.

Additionally, when sea conditions permit and the boats are safe to operate, at least two round-trip sailings will be arranged between Yongxing and Zhaoshu per day. If the number of registered passengers exceeds the boat's capacity, more trips will be added based on available resources and actual demand.

"We have arranged eight crew members and three speedboats in the early stage to ensure efficient and safe transport. We are also preparing more transportation routes," said Zhang Tianxue, head of shipping team at Sansha Transportation Investment Development Co., Ltd.

By making residents' travel easier and more efficient, the enhanced boat service also contributes to the urban development of Sansha.

Newly launched inter-island transport in Hainan benefits locals