The first batch of juicy Chilean cherries of the year has arrived at a port in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, ready to meet Chinese buyers.
A total of 4,400 tons of fresh cherries, along with 200 tons of blueberries and nectarines, arrived on Tuesday in pristine condition after a non-stop voyage from Chile. Upon their arrival, they were hoisted off the ship and sent to the port's cold storage facilities.
"The cherries were transported directly from Chile to Dalian, covering a total voyage of more than 10,000 nautical miles which took 25 days to reach Dalian. Compared with the traditional transshipment, it saved more than a week," said Wang Chong, deputy manager of the operation department of Dalian Container Terminal Company.
The Dalian Port has become a bustling hub of international trade, with fruit imports increasing steadily year by year. In 2024, the port saw a nearly 10-percent growth in fruit imports from the previous year.
In addition to Chilean cherries, bananas from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Ecuador have also entered the Chinese market through the Dalian Port.
Dalian Port welcomes first batch of Chilean cherries
The Shenzhou-21 crew aboard China's orbiting Tiangong space station completed their mission's third series of extravehicular activities (EVAs) on Friday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
The astronaut trio -- Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang -- worked for roughly five and a half hours and completed their EVAs at 01:36 (Beijing Time), assisted by the space station's robotic arm and a team on Earth.
The trio completed the installation of a space debris protection device for the space station, and extravehicular equipment and facility inspections, among other tasks. Zhang Lu, the commander of the Shenzhou-21 mission, and Wu Fei conducted the spacewalk and returned to the Wentian lab module safely, according to the CMSA.
Zhang Lu has so far carried out seven EVAs, making him one of the Chinese astronauts with the most spacewalks to date.
Since completing their second series of EVAs on March 16, the Shenzhou-21 astronauts have steadily advanced experiments in areas such as space life sciences, human research, and microgravity physical science. They have carries out in-orbit environmental monitoring, equipment inspection and maintenance, and supply management. The crew has also completed a full-system pressure emergency drill, emergency life-support training, and preparations for extravehicular activities.
The three astronauts have been in orbit for more than five months and remain in good working and living condition.
To further validate technologies related to long-term human habitation in orbit and to maximize the comprehensive benefits of using the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft as an emergency launch vehicle to resupply the space station, it has been decided, after careful evaluation and assessment, that the crew's stay in orbit will be extended by approximately one month.
During the upcoming phase of their space journey, the crew will continue to conduct scientific experiments and technical tests, and will also celebrate the Space Day of China, which is marked annually on April 24, and the International Workers' Day on May 1 while in orbit.
Shenzhou-21 astronauts complete 3rd series of extravehicular activities
