People across China are bidding farewell to 2024 and set to enter 2025 with various activities.
In Xilingol League of Inner Mongolia in north China, the snow-covered grasslands of Taipusi Banner have turned into a spectacular stage where visitors watch 260,000 horses galloping through the snow.
In Horgos, a border city in northwest China's Xinjiang, herders, mostly from Kazakh ethnic group, greet the New Year with traditional games of horse racing, goat grabbing, and girl-chasing featuring a young man on horseback chasing a galloping mounted young lady. There are also tug-of-war on snow and horseback wresting.
In Yinjiang, a Tujia and Miao autonomous county in Guizhou of southwest China, Tujia people prepare their traditional delicacy of rice cake to greet 2025. This cherished food symbolizes their best wishes and hopes for the new year.
According to local villagers, their rice cakes are of two colors: red and white. The white ones are mainly for rituals to commemorate their ancestors, while the red ones are for festivals and celebrations, standing for good luck.
"We Tujia people greet the New Year with these rice cakes, which symbolize a prosperous life," said Tan Guangshe, a villager of Muling.
Chinese to enter New Year with various activities
Amid widespread opposition, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed two executive orders on the so-called "reciprocal tariffs," imposing a 10-percent "minimum baseline tariff" and higher rates on certain trading partners.
Trump announced these tariffs in a speech in the White House Rose Garden, during which he also said a 25-percent tariff on cars and car parts imported into the U.S. will take effect on Thursday.
Many trading partners of the U.S. have previously expressed their opposition, saying that they will take countermeasures in response.
On Wednesday, President of the European Council Antonio Costa said the European Union must react in a "firm but smart manner" to the reciprocal tariffs.
"This is truly a major economic mistake for the United States and also for Europe and the entire world," Costa said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the introduction of new U.S. tariffs would have heavy repercussions for Italian producers, adding that she did not rule out "adequate responses" to defend Italian products.
While stating that the UK is engaging in constructive talks to reach a broader economic prosperity deal with the U.S., British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also said that the country is prepared for all possible scenarios and will not rule out any possibilities
Trump imposes "reciprocal tariffs" amid widespread opposition
