The Chinese mainland's strong infrastructure capabilities would provide robust support for upgrading Taiwan's infrastructure after peaceful reunification, Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
After visiting the construction sites of the Xiamen section of a bridge linking Xiamen, Fujian Province, with Kinmen, Taiwan, and the Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport, civil groups from China's Taiwan region hailed the rapid progress of two projects and the mainland's infrastructure capabilities , according to reports.
In response to a media inquiry about the reports, Zhu said that Taiwan compatriots will enjoy greater convenience after peaceful reunification.
"After peaceful reunification, the mainland's strong infrastructure capabilities would provide robust support for updating and upgrading Taiwan's infrastructure. Taiwan region's infrastructure, such as transportation, energy, agriculture and forestry, water resources and urban renewal, will be rebuilt and upgraded, which will bring greater convenience to the lives of our compatriots in Taiwan," she said.
"For example, we can help quickly build a round-island high-speed railway and construct more high-speed rail lines connecting the eastern and western parts of the island. Cross-strait infrastructure connectivity will gradually become a reality. For instance, we can jointly build the cross-strait fast passage that has been studied for many years, turning a deep chasm into a thoroughfare. Taiwan compatriots will be able to start from the island, and drive along the Beijing-Taipei Expressway to visit Beijing," Zhu said.
"In short, peaceful reunification will mark a new beginning for Taiwan's infrastructure and new-type infrastructure. I hope our Taiwan compatriots will strive for peaceful reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait just as they strive for happiness in life, making the places where they work and live more accessible, more convenient, and more pleasant," said the spokeswoman.
Taiwan's infrastructure to get major upgrade after peaceful reunification: spokeswoman
Slovenia has become the first European Union member state to bring in fuel rationing as a way of managing disruption to supply caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
Under the new measure, customers with private vehicles will be restricted to 50 liters per day with a 200-liter limit for companies and other special cases such as farmers. The government had already begun releasing strategic reserves in an effort to stabilize the market.
Across the country, long queues have formed at petrol stations, with some locations reporting limited availability of diesel. Notices warning customers about shortages have become increasingly common, reflecting the strain on supply chains.
Despite the visible pressure, many drivers said they are not engaging in panic buying.
"I think that's nonsense. Even if the price goes up ten cents it is not a disaster," said Robert, a motorcyclist.
Others, however, expressed concern over how the situation has been handled.
"I wish they would have released fuel reserves sooner and bought more reserves of the fuel for which we knew a month ago there was going to be difficulties," said Severin, a car driver.
Even with the release of strategic fuel reserves, logistical challenges remain a key issue. Many distributors store fuel outside the country, and transport capacity has struggled to keep pace with the recent spike in demand.
Analysts said consumption has increased sharply, driven in part by behavior linked to previous crises.
"They still remember 2022, when the prices were higher for a longer period of time, so they are hoarding the gasoline if they can. They're buying as much as they can, and I think that's the main reason," said Karel Lipnik, a financial analyst at Delo, a national daily newspaper in Slovenia.
Cross-border demand is also contributing to the strain. Slovenia's relatively low fuel prices compared to neighboring countries have attracted foreign buyers, further increasing consumption.
"Slovenia has the lowest price within all the neighboring countries, and it's also spring, so a lot of farmers buy gasoline to do some farming on the fields," Lipnik said.
While fuel prices in Slovenia remain state-regulated, the impact of global market disruptions is becoming increasingly evident. Analysts warned that the period of stable and relatively low fuel prices may be coming to an end, as external shocks continue to influence supply and demand.
Slovenia caps fuel purchases amid energy shortage
