Special cultural event held in Moscow to mark PRC's 75th anniversary

A special cultural exchange event, part of the "Written in the Sky: My China Story" serial events sponsored by China Media Group (CMG), was held in Moscow, Russia on Tuesday to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which will be celebrated on Oct. 1.

"Written in the Sky: My China Story" is a series of cultural events launched by CMG in March 2024 to gather personal stories about China from around the world.

Addressing the event in Moscow via a video link, Shen Haixiong, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and president of CMG, emphasized the series' deep-rooted Chinese cultural heritage which is rich in humanism, spirituality and artistic expression.

To date, the series has garnered over 1,600 heartwarming stories from more than 60 countries. These diverse accounts, expressed in various languages, converge in a shared sentiment, symbolizing a profound integration of cultures and emotions across the globe, Shen said.

More than 100 attendees from the two countries participated in the event in the Russian capital.

During the event, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Wei said that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. With 2024 and 2025 designated as the China-Russia cultural exchange year, the Chinese side looks forward to expanding interactions and deepening cooperation among media, cultural and educational institutions from both countries, Zhang said.

Andrey Denisov, the first deputy chair of the Russian Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, said Russia and China enjoy a high degree of mutual trust and respect. The Russian side anticipates that the "Written in the Sky: My China Story" initiative will further deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the people of both countries, making even greater contribution to the development of Russia-China relations, he said.

Among other attending guests were Pavel Negoitsa, General Director of Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Galina Kulikova, the First Deputy Chairperson of the Russia-China Friendship Association, Kirill Barsky, vice-chairman of the Russia-China Friendship Association, Vladimir Zakharov, former deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Mikhail Morozov, deputy editor-in-chief of Russia's Trud newspaper, Alexander Lebedev, president of Big Asia TV channel, Pavel Kiparisov, chairman of the Russian-Chinese Guild of Commerce, and Lubov Konyushenko, vice-principal of Moscow High School #548.

In addition, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the Russia-China Friendship Association, Big Asia TV channel, and Moscow High School #548 officially joined the global partnership program of the "Written in the Sky: My China Story" events and were awarded certificates.

Students from Moscow High School #548 performed traditional Chinese martial arts. Attendees also watched the story collection about Russia.

Many mainstream Russian media, such as Rossiyskaya Gazeta and Big Asia TV channel, covered the event.

Special cultural event held in Moscow to mark PRC's 75th anniversary

Special cultural event held in Moscow to mark PRC's 75th anniversary

U.S. stocks ended mixed on Friday as investors digested hotter-than-expected inflation data amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainties.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.56 percent to 47,916.57. The S and P 500 slipped 0.11 percent to 6,816.89. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.35 percent to 22,902.89.

Seven of the 11 primary S and P 500 sectors closed lower. Consumer staples and health care led the declines, falling 1.43 percent and 1.33 percent, respectively. Technology and materials were the top performers, advancing 0.76 percent and 0.64 percent.

The U.S. consumer price index (CPI) jumped 3.3 percent in March from a year earlier, representing nearly a full percentage point increase from February's annual pace, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The energy index surged 10.9 percent in March, propelled by a 21.2-percent jump in gasoline prices, which alone accounted for nearly three quarters of the monthly increase across all items.

The core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy components to measure underlying inflation, increased more modestly, rising 0.2 percent for the month and 2.6 percent year over year.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai stated that the economy "remains on a solid trajectory," while acknowledging that food and gas prices have risen. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett described the current situation as "a temporary energy disruption," adding that the economic effects of the Iran conflict are "a temporary distraction that will very, very quickly go away."

However, Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide, argued that even if a long-lasting deal to end the war is reached and the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened, "it would take months for oil, gasoline, diesel and other commodity supplies to snap back to pre-war levels and thus for prices to settle back to pre-conflict levels."

Meanwhile, the University of Michigan's preliminary April consumer sentiment index fell sharply to a record low of 47.6, down from 53.3 in March and well below analysts' expectations of 52.0, reflecting growing public concern over the impact of the Iran war on household finances.

Shares of the "Magnificent Seven" technology giants were mostly lower on the day. Nvidia stood out as the strongest performer, rising 2.57 percent.

Investors are now turning their attention to the upcoming U.S.-Iran talks scheduled for this weekend.

U.S. stocks close mixed after shocking inflation data