Export of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region surpasses 207 bln yuan in first two months

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in north China exported a total of over 207 billion yuan (nearly 29 billion U.S.dollars) worth of goods in the first two months of this year, hitting a record high for the same period in history.

Last Wednesday, a freight train fully loaded with goods made in Hebei Province departed a station in Jize County, Handan City.

As the first freight train departing from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and heading towards the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, it helps cut the transportation time by 20 percent.

"The train will operate between the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and Vietnam, and will mainly carry export goods to Vietnam, including those to be transshipped via that country," said Gong Yanjie, head of a supply chain enterprise based in Hebei.

The increased export was driven by private entrepreneurs in particular, whose export value reached over 23 billion yuan (over 3 billion U.S. dollars) in the first two months, marking a 35-percent growth.

"The foreign trade of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region posted strong resilience due to three factors. Firstly, the region has been deepening its institutional opening up, with free trade zones making coordinated plans to help increase the customs clearance efficiency by over 20 percent. Secondly, the region has noticeable advantage in industrial chain, with sectors like automobile and medical industries posting exponential export growth. Thirdly, private enterprises in the region unleashed their vitality and have become a bedrock in maintaining the stability of foreign trade," said Liu Weiheng, deputy head of the comprehensive business division of Beijing Customs.

Customs statistics showed that the foreign trade of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has been increasing steadily. Last year, the total import and export value of the region reached 5.03 trillion yuan (about 0.7 trillion U.S. dollars), maintaining growth for four consecutive years.

Export of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region surpasses 207 bln yuan in first two months

Some 1,300 employees of the Voice of America (VOA), including journalists, producers and assistants had been put on administrative leave, according to media reports Saturday.

This decision follows an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, which designated the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) as part of "unnecessary" federal bureaucracy.

USAGM, the parent agency of VOA, employs approximately 3,500 staff and had a budget of 886 million U.S. dollars for 2024, according to its latest report to Congress.

The affected staff of VOA were informed in a weekend email that they would be barred from their offices and required to surrender their press passes and equipment.

These cuts are part of a broader initiative of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aimed at reducing federal spending and streamlining government agencies.

These workforce reductions have impacted several departments, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where some 80,000 positions have been eliminated. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) could see as many as 45,000 workers lose their jobs.

Additionally, 1,300 employees in the Department of Education have been laid off, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees weather, ocean, and fisheries services, has lost 1,000 workers.

Trump freezes Voice of America, staff put on administrative leave

Trump freezes Voice of America, staff put on administrative leave