Chinese premier conducts inspection in Shandong

Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged Shandong to leverage local strengths to develop new growth drivers and new quality productive forces during his inspection tour to the province on Monday.

Li visited production lines of JIER Machine-Tool Group, a global leader in making heavy-duty metal forming and metal cutting machinery. He learned about the company's subtractive and additive manufacturing technologies, and its use of new materials.

The premier spoke highly of the company's achievements in making itself more competitive through digital and intelligent upgrade.

Li stressed the need to use artificial intelligence technology to restructure the full chain and cycle of the manufacturing sector, advance scientific and technological innovation on the basis of maintaining advantages in scale, and promote the iteration and upgrade of technical products.

He said investment in research and development should be continuously increased in accordance with the development needs of related industries to provide more high-quality supplies.

Visiting a pump station for the "Liaocheng Heat to Jinan" project, Li emphasized the need to strengthen regional coordination in energy use, promote infrastructure connectivity, accelerate the research, development and application of green and low-carbon technologies, and convert industrial waste heat into a stable and clean heat source.

He also listened to reports about the province's energy construction and nuclear power development, calling for an improvement in technical level and supervision capability to better facilitate the building of a new energy system in the province.

Li also presided over a seminar, with representatives from local governments in attendance.

Li called for better service for enterprises, with a focus on improving government efficiency, implementing preferential policies, and addressing their concerns and demands.

In terms of high-quality development, he said major measures and projects should be planned in combination with the formulation and implementation of local 15th five-year plans (2026-2030).

He also urged greater progress in developing new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions, strengthening domestic economy, and boosting people's employment and incomes.

Chinese premier conducts inspection in Shandong

Displaced Palestinians in Egypt expressed hope of reuniting with loved ones after news of the Rafah border reopening, with the chance to reunite with family stirring both hope and painful memories of the war that tore them apart.

Egyptian authorities said tens of thousands of Palestinians have registered for two-way travel through the Rafah border crossing, though the permitted number of daily trips remains unknown.

Nearly a year has passed since Omar Zerib and his wife Hanin escaped the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Now settled in Al Arish, Egypt, Omar remembers with vivid clarity the day the onslaught began.

"I used to own a piece of land, that's where I worked from morning to night. On the morning of Oct 7, when we arrived at the land, we could see rockets flying everywhere. My neighbor was shot dead about 100 meters from where I was standing. His family were all martyred. I collected their remains myself to bury them," he said.

In May 2025, the couple got approval to accompany Zerib's critically ill parents for treatment to Egypt, leaving behind several family members.

"Contacting our relatives in Gaza is extremely difficult. It's nearly impossible because of internet and phone disruptions. Maybe every 10 to 15 days we would be able to contact," Zerib said.

Seeking treatment in Egypt, kidney patient Yasser Mahmoud longs for his sister to join him from Gaza once the border reopens. The war has already taken his son, a loss that shadows his family's flight from home.

"My son was martyred, my house was destroyed, the future of my children is unknown. All that we had been building is suddenly gone. In a minute. Everything just went away," he said.

For Mahmoud, the border offers a chance to reunite with his sister and children in Egypt. For Zerib, it is a path back to Gaza, where he dreams of rebuilding the life that was torn apart.

Displaced Palestinians eager to reunite with families amid Rafah border reopening