Passenger, mail, and cargo throughput, as well as aircraft take-offs and landings at 263 transport airports across China reached a historic high in 2024, according to a report released by the Civil Aviation Administration on Friday.
According to the report, data for the airports in the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions will be counted separately.
The data showed that civil transport airports handled a passenger throughput of 1.46 billion in 2024, a 15.9 percent increase from the previous year.
Specifically, international routes recorded a throughput of about 100 million, reflecting a 109.8 percent increase compared to 2023.
The report also showed that transport airports handled over 20 million tonnes of cargo and mail last year, with 34 airports reporting an annual throughput of over 100,000 tonnes -- three more than in 2023.
In addition, aircraft take-offs and landings at transport airports reached 12.4 million, according to the report.
Major indicators at China's transport airports hit record levels in 2024
The Trump administration's move to cut public funding for the Voice of America (VOA), a propaganda tool for the U.S. government, is due to competing interests and struggles between different political factions, a Chinese expert said during an interview on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump on March 14 signed an executive order, which listed the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent agency of VOA, as part of "unnecessary" federal bureaucracy.
More than 1,300 VOA employees, including journalists, producers and assistants, were reportedly placed on administrative leave on Saturday.
Diao Daming, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Renmin University of China, shared his insights on why Trump halted funding for the agency during his second term.
"He feels that VOA has not effectively fulfilled its mission to make the United States great again and serve the country's interests. On the other hand, public opinion institutions under the USAGM, including VOA, have been openly critical of Trump, his team, and his administration, particularly regarding certain policies during his first term. After assuming office for a second term, Trump swiftly implemented this tough measure, which is evidently influenced by competing interests and struggles between different political factions," said Diao.
Founded in 1942, the VOA has long served as a political tool for the U.S. government, engaging in ideological confrontation and shaping public opinion. For over 80 years, regardless of whether the Democratic or Republican Party was in power, funding for institutions like VOA remained uninterrupted.
Experts described the VOA as a propaganda machine aimed at ideological infiltration in certain regions, as many of its programs are inaccessible within the United States and are instead broadcast exclusively to specific countries abroad.
"In the past, when I served as a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, I encountered VOA reporters at domestic events, international conferences, and various occasions. They would, for example, selectively ask questions during interviews, selectively edit our responses, and then selectively report and broadcast them. Given such practices, how much credibility can VOA really have?" said Yang Yujun, dean of the Academy of Media and Public Affairs at the Communication University of China.
Trump's cut to VOA due to struggles between different political factions: expert
