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

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.

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

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

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

Russia said Sunday that its forces had hit Ukrainian military facilities, while Ukraine said on the same day that it shot down or neutralized 152 Russian drones and launched an attack on a Russian oil terminal.

In a daily report, the Russian Defense Ministry said that over the past 24 hours, the Russian forces struck Ukrainian transport infrastructure, depots for military-technical supplies, and facilities for drone assembly, storage and launch.

The ministry also said that the Russian forces conducted a precision strike on a large dry-cargo ship and destroyed an enemy uncrewed vessel in the Black Sea.

Meanwhile, St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said the city had been hit by a large-scale drone attack, leaving one person dead and five others injured.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down or neutralized 152 Russian drones between 18:00 Saturday and 08:00 Sunday. Ukrainian defense firm Fire Point also reported that Ukrainian forces had used drones to strike an oil terminal, an oil depot and a data center in St. Petersburg. Fires broke out at the oil depot and the terminal, while the data center sustained severe damage.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces had attacked electrical substations in several regions, including Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr, on Saturday night.

Zelenskyy also said he held a phone call with U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss the outcomes of a meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. representatives held on Oct. 9 in Florida, as well as next steps.

He said the two sides had also discussed the possible provision of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. Zelenskyy added that the Russia-Ukraine conflict must end, emphasizing that the U.S. position is crucial to the process.

Russia reports strikes on Ukrainian facilities, Ukraine says it hit Russian oil terminal

Russia reports strikes on Ukrainian facilities, Ukraine says it hit Russian oil terminal