A cold wave has blanketed areas in northern China, bringing snow to some regions and prompting the National Meteorological Center to continuously issue blue cold wave warnings on Sunday.
China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe weather, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Parts of northern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China have experienced widespread snowfall and temperature drops in recent days. The railway authorities have taken measures such as suspending some passenger trains and mobilizing hundreds of workers overnight to carry out snow and ice removal operations.
At present, affected passenger trains are gradually resuming service.
Multiple regions of northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces have experienced moderate to heavy snowfall from Saturday night to Sunday.
Road maintenance and traffic police departments have promptly carried out traffic management and snow removal operations to ensure smooth passage.
In some areas of Gansu's Zhangye City, snow accumulation reached up to 16 centimeters. While continuing snow removal on key road sections, local authorities have also increased patrols on bridges, culverts, and steep slopes to ensure the safety of travelers.
On Sunday morning, the Shaanxi Provincial Meteorological Bureau issued a blue snowstorm warning. From 10:00 Sunday to 10:00 Monday, most areas of northern Shaanxi, the northern part of the Guanzhong Plain, and parts of the Qinling-Bashan mountain range are expected to experience sleet or snow.
The National Meteorological Center predicts that from Sunday until Nov 28, temperatures will drop by 6 to 10 degrees Celsius across most of China.
During this period, many northern regions will experience widespread rain and snow, with Inner Mongolia and northeast region of China being the key areas for this rain and snow event.
It is expected that the heaviest snowfall will begin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Tuesday, with local areas in the north possibly experiencing heavy to extremely heavy snowfall.
Cold wave brings snowfall, temperature drops to China's northern regions
China has experienced remarkable technological and industrial innovations over the past year, with new quality productive forces transforming production and lifestyles, said Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.
Since last year, the term "new quality productive forces" has emerged as a key concept in China's economic discourse. Innovations such as AI large models, humanoid robots, and domestically developed original drugs are not only gaining traction within the country but are also making waves internationally.
Speaking at the press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), Zheng emphasized that these technological breakthroughs are accelerating amid external pressures, showcasing China's progress in independent innovation.
"Integrated circuits have drawn significant attention, with both production and exports hitting historic highs, as an increasing number of products are now powered by 'China-made chips.' Large-scale AI models are vying for dominance and emerging as a new force, industrial robot density has risen markedly, humanoid robots are accelerating their practical application, and a wave of internationally competitive, homegrown original drugs continues to break new ground. These advancements underscore a clear truth: the greater the external pressure and containment efforts against us, the more they fuel our drive to accelerate self-reliant innovation," said Zheng.
China's industrial upgrading is also accelerating, helping to usher in economic and social development, according to the official.
"Last year, China's high-tech manufacturing and equipment manufacturing sectors accounted for 16.3 percent and 34.6 percent of the value added in industrial enterprises above the designated size (those with main business revenue greater than 20 million yuan or more, or about 2.7 million U.S. dollars), respectively. Meanwhile, electromechanical products such as smartphones and computers made up nearly 60 percent of total exports. The new energy vehicle (NEV) industry, honed over a decade of dedicated development, has now established a fully integrated industrial chain. These developments highlight the accelerating shift of China's industrial chains toward the medium- and high-end," he said.
China's technological breakthroughs reshape economic, social development: official
