China Media Group (CMG) invited the first batch of guests from the general public to watch the first dress rehearsal for the 2025 Spring Festival Gala on Sunday.
The members of the general public invited this time included Qin Shifang, a farmer in Anyang City of central China's Henan Province, whose story of pursuing dream of traveling to the picturesque scenic spot of the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Yunnan Province touched many people on the Internet; Hu Guichuan, conductor of a slow train connecting Guiyang City and Yuping Dong Autonomous County in southwest China's Guizhou Province, who has been helping its passengers sell goods over the years; and "deliveryman poet" Wang Jibing, who has published several poetry collections covering a range of subjects, including his working experiences in different cities, recollections of his parents and hometown, and observations of society and life.
"I used to watch the Spring Festival Gala on TV at home, which is totally different from watching it on-site. I feel that the music touches me in particular," said Qin, who is now working in a hotel in Xishuangbanna in exchange for accommodation there, realizing her dream of touring Xishuangbanna which boasts many famed tourist attractions.
"It's the first time that I come to the site of a dress rehearsal for the Spring Festival Gala, and I feel so excited. I have been working as a train conductor for over 20 years, during which we would watch the Spring Festival Gala onboard the train, as part of our way to spend a meaningful Spring Festival," Hu said.
"I love writing down my moods at any moment. Like the sketch comedy I watched just now, it made me want to applaud and cry several times, as it was so real and went straight into my heart," Wang said.
CMG invites members of general public to watch rehearsal for 2025 Spring Festival Gala
CMG invites members of general public to watch rehearsal for 2025 Spring Festival Gala
The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a systemic economic shock that has reverberated through energy markets, industrial supply chains and critical maritime routes.
As part of its response to U.S. and Israeli attacks, Iran has restricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, targeting ships associated with the United States and Israel. The blockade of this vital global energy route has driven up oil and gas prices worldwide.
As a key energy shipping lane, the strait saw 20 million barrels crude and oil product flowing through per day, around 25 percent of the world's seaborne oil trade in 2025, according to a report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) this March.
In addition, about 20 percent of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade transited Hormuz in 2024, primarily from Qatar, with a smaller volume from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Over 70 percent of the oil flowing through the strait is transported to the Asian market. Japan and Republic of Korea (ROK) import 90 percent and 95 percent of their respective oil consuption.
The IEA estimates that as of the end of March, Hormuz disruptions have led to an oil supply gap of roughly 10 million to 16 million barrels per day.
Though the IEA made 400 million barrels of emergency oil stocks available in March -- the largest-ever release coordinated by the agency, it still failed to curb the rapid rise in international oil prices.
Based on Fitch Ratings' March outlook, should the Middle East conflict persist until the end of June, it could see global real GDP growth shrink by approximately 0.8 percentage points.
"Shipping costs are rising because of insurance premiums, because of higher fuel costs, and because of longer trips as you have to avoid certain parts. Then that starts feeding through to higher prices of other goods as well. That could be food, commodities, etc. And then the other thing to think about is inventory and supply chain disruptions. And then when you combine all of these factors together, it feeds into producer price indices and consumer price indices," said Cedric Chehab, chief economist at BMI, a Fitch Solutions company.
Middle East tensions hit global economy
