The total Inter-regional passenger trips across China during the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, also known as chunyun, are expected to hit a record high of 9.5 billion, Li Chunlin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said in Beijing on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference, Li said the travel rush will last 40 days from February 2 to March 13.
"Based on comprehensive analysis, the total inter-regional passenger trips across the country are projected to reach 9.5 billion, setting a new record high. Self-driving is expected to remain the predominant mode of travel, accounting for around 80 percent of the total. Railway trips are forecasted to reach 540 million, while civil aviation is estimated to handle 95 million passenger trips. Both the overall volume and daily peak numbers for rail and air travel are expected to exceed historical records for the same period," said Li.
The Spring Festival travel rush, the world's largest annual human migration, always witness an immense surge in transportation demand as hundreds of millions of people journey home for family reunions.
This year's Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on February 17.
China expects record-high passenger trips during 2026 Spring Festival travel rush
Global food commodity prices climbed for a second consecutive month in March, driven mainly by higher energy costs linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in report released on Friday.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago.
According to the report, the FAO Vegetable Oil Index and Sugar Price Index showed the largest increases, up 5.1 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.
The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.5 percent from the previous month, driven primarily by higher world wheat prices, which rose 4.3 percent.
The FAO Meat Price Index rose by 1.0 percent from the previous month, and the FAO All-Rice Price Index declined by 3.0 percent in March, according to the report.
FAO stated that rising energy and fertilizer prices have been driving up agricultural input costs.
If the conflict stretches beyond 40 days, farmers will have to choose to farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertilizer crops, according to FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero.
These choices will hit future yields and shape food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and beyond, Torero said.
Global food prices rise for 2nd consecutive month in March amid Middle East conflict: FAO
