China Development Bank announced recently that it had allocated an additional 381.7 billion yuan (approximately 52 billion U.S. dollars) in special loans to support China's urban village renovation program in 2024.
The increased funding has benefited renovation programs in 723 projects across cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou, Jinan, and Zhengzhou, improving the housing supply structure and enhancing the well-being of residents, the bank said.
China has been intensifying its efforts to redevelop urban villages. At a press briefing in late December, Ni Hong, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, announced that China will further prioritize the renovation of urban villages and dilapidated houses, while promoting monetized resettlement in 2025.
CDB increases special loans to support China's urban village renovation
Large protests took place in Rome on Saturday as trade unions and social groups rallied against military actions by the United States and Israel targeting Iran.
Demonstrators said the escalating tensions in the Middle East risk further destabilizing the region and increasing global tensions.
Saturday's rally was one of the largest recent demonstrations in the Italian capital opposing the strikes on Iran. Protesters said European countries should avoid being drawn into new military confrontations and instead push for diplomacy and dialogue to ease regional tensions.
For some, the strikes reflect a broader narrative of heightened tensions around the world, which they hope will be reigned in.
"The genocide in Palestine is still ongoing. Venezuela has been subjected to aggression. And now Iran is being bombed. We oppose dragging the world into war. We demand the right of people in every country to live in peace, and we call for peaceful diplomatic solutions," said Giuliano Granato, spokesperson of Power to the People, a political party in Italy.
Others emphasized that military conflicts may be used by governments as a distraction from the plight of everyday people.
"We are paying the price for these wars. It is workers, retirees and people on fixed incomes who are bearing the cost. We hope the government will take measures to address these economic impacts," said Guido Lutrario, member of the national executive of Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), an Italian labor union.
More than 1,300 people have been killed in Israeli and American strikes, Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday, citing Iranian officials.
Protesters in Rome rally against US, Israeli strikes on Iran
