The index tracking the development of China's bulk commodity market rose for the second consecutive month in June, according to data released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) on Saturday.
The China Bulk Merchandise Index stood at 110.8 percent in June, up 0.5 percent month on month, indicating continued improvement in corporate production and operational activities alongside steady market operations and signs of further progress in the commodity industry.
A reading above 100 indicates expansion, while a reading below 100 reflects contraction.
Among the 50 key types of products monitored by the federation, 17 saw prices rise on a monthly basis, the industry data shows.
The price index of chemical products continued to rise. Prices for energy rebounded after a decline, boosted by higher international crude oil prices and increased production costs for gasoline, diesel, and other products. Meanwhile, the agricultural product price index dipped slightly, mainly due to the rising temperatures and the seasonal decline in end-user demand, leading to mild price decrease for some categories.
"The bulk commodity index rallied for two consecutive months, suggesting the generally stable development of commodity market in the second quarter of this year. The momentum of economic recovery is expected to sustain as a series of counter-cyclical adjustment measures are implemented at an accelerating pace in China," said Zhou Xu, vice president of the China Bulk Commodity Circulation Exchange Association of the CFLP.
Experts say that China's industrial production grew steadily in the second quarter, with robust demand in sectors such as industrial robotics, new energy vehicles, and high-tech manufacturing. Additionally, China's trade-in initiatives and strong growth in exports of electromechanical products have laid a solid foundation for stable expansion of the bulk commodity market in the second half of the year.
However, experts also noted that there are still many external uncertainties and unstable factors at present, and problems such as insufficient effective demand and disorderly competition in some industries remain to be addressed. Therefore, further efforts are needed to enhance the role of bulk commodity circulation in boosting domestic demand, stabilizing growth and promoting development to further stimulate market vitality and bolster the internal driving forces of economic growth.
China's bulk commodity index edges up in June
China's bulk commodity index edges up in June
China's bulk commodity index edges up in June
International guests who have dedicated their lives to historical truth joined China's 12th national memorial event honoring the hundreds of thousands of victims killed by Japanese troops in the Nanjing Massacre during World War II.
The memorial was held on Saturday at the public square of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. China's national flag was flown at half-mast in the presence the crowd that included survivors of the massacre, local students, and international guests.
In one of the most barbaric episodes during WWII, the Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the then-Chinese capital Nanjing on Dec 13, 1937. Over the course of six weeks, they proceeded to kill approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers.
Joining the crowd was Christoph Reinhardt, the great-grandson of John Rabe (1882-1950) who was then a representative of German conglomerate Siemens in the war-ravaged Nanjing. During the Nanjing Massacre, Rabe set up an international safety zone with other foreigners, and they together saved the lives of around 250,000 Chinese people between 1937 and 1938 from the Japanese invaders.
Throughout the massacre, Rabe continued to keep a diary. To this day, all his pages remain one of the most comprehensive historical records of the atrocities committed by the Japanese aggressors.
Sayoko Yamauchi, who was also in the crowd of mourners, arrived in Nanjing on Friday from Japan's Osaka to attend Saturday's ceremony, just as she has done almost every year since China designated Dec 13 as the National Memorial Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre in 2014.
Yamauchi's grandfather was one of the Japanese soldiers who invaded Nanjing in January 1938. However, since first setting foot in Nanjing in 1987, she has dedicated herself to uncovering and spreading the truth about Japan's history of aggression and enlightening the Japanese public about their country's wartime atrocities.
In 2014, ahead of China's first National Memorial Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre, Yamauchi, along with 10 other individuals, received an award for her special contribution to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.
By attending the grand memorial event, Reinhardt and Yamauchi both said they hope to convey a message of remembering history and cherishing peace.
"This is my fifth visit to China, and Nanjing, and the third times I visited the ceremony. I have a wish that these survivors survive again and again and again. But my other wish is that the families of the survivors, that they transport the information, the right intention like their ancestors, because anyone must hold a hand (during) this remembering," Reinhardt told China Central Television (CCTV) in an interview before the event began on Saturday.
"Our delegation is on its 20th visit to China, coming to Nanjing to express our heartfelt condolences to those who perished 88 years ago, to remember this history, and to reflect on what we can do for a new future. That's why we are here," Yamauchi told CCTV on board the bus that took her to a local hotel in Nanjing on Friday evening.
Int'l guests call for remembering history at China's national event honoring Nanjing Massacre victims
