China's Ministry of Commerce will leverage the free trade zones (FTZs) to further expand opening up in sectors of commodities, services, capital and some other fields, an official with the ministry said in Beijing on Friday.
Speaking at a press conference, Zhu Bing, director of the Department of Foreign Investment Administration, said the ministry will promote the FTZs to carry out pilot explorations on further opening up.
According to Zhu, the ministry is in the process of formulating a series of documents to introduce a set of reform measures aimed at finding more successful experiences that are replicable and scalable in further deepening reform comprehensively.
"In the opening up of key areas, we will conduct in-depth research on leveraging the FTZs to further open the markets of commodities, services and capital. We will focus on the negative lists for foreign investment and cross-border trade to pioneer opening up in relevant sectors," said Zhu.
The ministry will also support the FTZs to conduct differentiated explorations in areas such as bulk commodities and biomedicine, aiming to promote innovation and development across entire industry chains.
China's commerce ministry to leverage FTZs to further expand opening up
China Media Group's (CMG's) Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, which is set to air on Tuesday night to celebrate the moon-themed traditional festival, will stage a warm scene of family reunion and artistic interpretation of major events of the year from the perspective of ordinary people.
The annual gala, also known as "Qiuwan" in Chinese, will spotlight key topics of interest for audiences at home and abroad, including the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to China, and significant milestones such as the Chang'e-6 space missions and the Paris Olympics.
The gala was recorded in Shenyang City of northeast China's Liaoning Province, a 2,300-year-old city boasting three world cultural heritage sites and over 1,500 historical and cultural sites. The city is also one of the most well-known industrial cities in China.
Many performances of the gala will incorporate local elements such as Shenyang Guan's Shadow Puppetry, Errenzhuan (a blend of storytelling, singing and dancing between two performers) and 13 landmarks including the Shenyang Imperial Palace, the Liaoning Provincial Museum, the China Industrial Museum, and the Old North Market, to present the audience Shenyang's history and cultural charm, according to Yang Qifang, general planner of the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala.
"Many performances are on very serious topics, such as the return of People's Volunteer Army veterans and the rejuvenation of the old heavy industrial base. We will present them in a very tender way," Yang said, referring to return of remains of Chinese soldiers who fell in action in the 1950-1953 Korean War.
French pianist Richard Clayderman, Hungarian pianist Balazs Havasi and Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen will also join the grand event to share the warm and romantic moments with global audience.
In addition, full moon pictures collected through global social media will also be displayed at the gala, allowing the audience to appreciate the beauty of the moonlight from all over the world.
"The Chinese people have a deep devotion to circle. When the moon becomes a full circle, families reunite, symbolizing a perfect conclusion after a year of anticipation and waiting," Yang said.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, is a cherished occasion for family reunions in China. It falls on Tuesday this year.
CMG's 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala to highlight family reunion, major events
