Chinese authorities battle cold wave as snow-covered roads disrupt traffic

Authorities in China's northern provinces are implementing temporary road closures and conducting ice and snow removal operations on highways and urban roads since Saturday, as a cold wave gripping the country has caused a sharp drop in temperature in recent days.

Many areas in the provinces of Hebei and Shanxi have been experiencing continuous rain and snow since Sunday, leading to snow-covered and icy conditions on some highways. In Hebei's Zhangjiakou City, several highways have accumulated snow depths of four to five centimeters.

Due to adverse weather conditions, local authorities have closed specific road sections and deployed road maintenance crews to remove ice and snow.Currently, the impacted highway sections in both provinces are gradually reopening for traffic.

Heading west, Aksay Kazakh Autonomous County in Gansu Province encountered snow and a sharp drop in temperature since Saturday, reaching a low of minus 17 degrees Celsius.

As a result, a section of the G215 Highway, linking Gansu with neighboring Qinghai Province, was severely covered in ice and snow, leading to several trucks being stranded.

Local authorities promptly activated the emergency plan to implement temporary traffic controls on the highway, provided hot water, food, and emergency power supply to the stranded drivers, and carried out ice and snow removal operations.

In addition to the impact on highway traffic, snow accumulation and icy surfaces have also affected numerous urban roads in northeastern Jilin Province due to heavy rain, snow, and a the plunge in temperature. Temperatures have decreased by 10 to 14 degrees Celsius in most parts of the province, with some areas experiencing even greater drops, surpassing 16 degrees Celsius.

Local authorities promptly deployed multiple snow-clearing vehicles to conduct ice and snow removal operations. Concurrently, emergency repair teams consisting of electricians, welders, and specialized workers have been established to strengthen heating, power supply inspections, and maintenance.

Starting from Sunday night, Beijing experienced rain, snow, and strong winds. Forecasts show that the minimum temperature in urban areas over the next two days will drop to around minus five degrees Celsius, with a temperature decrease of up to eight degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, the China Meteorological Administration maintained a yellow alert for blizzards at 6:00 on Tuesday. It is forecasts that from 8:00 on Tuesday until 8:00 on Wednesday, there will be heavy snow to blizzards in certain areas of northeastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the majority of Heilongjiang Province, eastern Jilin, and the northern part of the Shandong Peninsula.

In these regions, the snow accumulation is expected to reach five to 10 centimeters, with some areas potentially exceeding 15 centimeters.

Chinese authorities battle cold wave as snow-covered roads disrupt traffic

China hosted the 15th International Agricultural Trade Policy Conference in Beijing on Monday, with the aim of enhancing global cooperation, sharing governance experiences, and injecting momentum into building a secure, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural trade system.

At the conference, over 300 participants discussed topics such as digitalization, green transformation, and inclusive growth in agriculture.

The event also highlighted opportunities for affordable and advanced Chinese farming equipment in Africa.

"What we have seen with Chinese equipment; it's more advanced; it's more modern, but it's still more affordable. Because issue of affordability to African and South African farmers is quite critical. So we are hope for greater cooperation, either in the distribution of your machinery or local assembly of some of your equipment which you have produced over the recent years," said Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele, South African Ambassador to China.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China will take pragmatic measures to help Africa increase agricultural production capacity, including that for grain crops, assist Africa in securing food security and agricultural modernization at an early date, and strive to promote trade value in agricultural products to more than 20 billion U.S. dollars by 2033.

Beijing hosts 15th Int'l Agricultural Trade Policy Conference