Over the past five years, Awati County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has undergone a remarkable ecological transformation, with its once-arid Aximan area changing into a lush wetland teeming with waterfowl and greenery.
Situated at the junction of the Aksu River alluvial fan and the Taklimakan Desert, once known as the "sea of death", Aximan had long suffered from severe desertification.
As a vital part of the headwater region of the Tarim River, China's longest inland river, the area plays a crucial role in the region's ecology.
In 2020, authorities in Xinjiang launched a major conservation and restoration initiative to rehabilitate the ecosystem.
Through a comprehensive strategy featuring urban wastewater recycling, widespread use of drip irrigation, and large-scale forest planting, about 52,500 hectares of land have been rehabilitated with forest coverage surging tenfold from just 4.5 percent to 45 percent.
Today, Aximan has evolved into a thriving wetland ecosystem that is home to abundant vegetation and clear waters, attracting flocks of migratory birds and providing habitat for over 200 wild animal species.
Ecological conservation project turns barren desert into lush wetland in Xinjiang
The United States announced on Wednesday that it will impose a 25-percent tariff on certain imported semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and related derivative products starting Thursday.
According to a proclamation by U.S. President Donald Trump posted on the website of the White House, he outlined a two-phase plan in light of suggestion from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. In the first phase, Trump said, the United States will continue negotiations with foreign authorities capable of strengthening the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Meanwhile, he said the 25-percent tariff is being applied immediately to a small portion of imported semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and derivatives deemed critical to U.S. artificial intelligence and technology policy.
The proclamation said that once the relevant negotiations are completed, the United States will extend tariffs to a wider range of imported semiconductors at a significant rate during the second phase.
The proclamation also said that Lutnick proposed a tariff-offset mechanism, under which companies that invest in semiconductor production and supply chain within the United States will be eligible for preferential tariff treatment.
In early August 2025, Trump declared that the United States would move to impose 100-percent tariffs on imported semiconductor products.
US imposes 25 percent tariff on imports of certain semiconductors
