Xi visits flower industrial park on inspection in southwest China's Yunnan

China

Xi visits flower industrial park on inspection in southwest China's Yunnan

2025-03-20 11:00 Last Updated At：20:57

Chinese President Xi Jinping Wednesday visited a modern flower industrial park in the city of Lijiang, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

During the visit, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talked with villagers and technicians working at the flower industrial park, asking about the flower varieties, market sales and their incomes.

The Lijiang Modern Flower Industrial Park, located in Lijiang's Gucheng District, sits at an altitude of approximately 2,300 meters, covering an area of about 1,100 mu (about 73.3 hectares).

It serves as a key hub for China's flower industry, cultivating 48 varieties of fresh-cut roses, with an annual output of 39.56 million stems.

In addition to roses, the park also produces 18 varieties of colored calla lilies, with an output of 900,000 stems each year which accounts for 90 percent of the national market share, making the park the country's largest greenhouse-cultivated colored calla lily production site.

To better cultivate the flower crops, the park utilizes advanced agricultural techniques, including smart greenhouses and soil-less cultivation methods.

Beyond flower cultivation, it also engages in cold-chain logistics, leisure tourism and multi-channel sales expanding into value-added sectors, such as producing rose essential oils, floral fragrances and edible flower products.

With its products reaching major cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, as well as international markets in Japan, Vietnam and Russia, the park has become a significant driver of local economic growth. It has also contributed to the country's rural development by creating jobs for over 300 people living in the surrounding areas.

US oil prices climb back above 4 US dollars per gallon amid its continued conflict with Iran

The average price of regular gasoline across the United States has risen back above 4 U.S. dollars per gallon, according to the latest data released by the American Automobile Association (AAA) on Monday.

The current price marks a sharp increase from 3.14 U.S. dollars per gallon during the same period of last year, representing a year-on-year surge of over 27 percent.

Driven by factors including the ongoing military conflict between the United States and Iran, the national average price for regular gasoline breached the 4 U.S. dollars-per-gallon threshold at the end of March, reaching a nearly four-year high before continuing to climb.

After the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June, prices fell back below 4 U.S. dollars per gallon and trended downward for a period. However, as the military confrontation between the two countries has escalated over the recent weeks, fuel costs have once again surged.

In addition, the escalation of the U.S.-Iran conflict has coincided with Russia's implementation of a diesel export ban, pushing the national average price of diesel back toward 5 U.S. dollars per gallon.

Industry insiders in the American freight sector have pointed out that rising diesel prices will directly increase transportation costs, which will be reflected in freight quotes and package surcharges, ultimately passing through to retail prices and further fueling inflation in the United States.

Analysts predict that the longer the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, the greater the impact on the global economy, and oil prices may continue to climb.

As the November congressional midterm elections approach, elevated fuel costs are already placing political pressure on President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. A recent poll released by American media showed that approximately 67 percent of respondents expect the U.S. economy to deteriorate further over the coming year.