Wheat harvest is in full swing across China, with more than 61 percent of the ripe crops already harvested, according to the latest official data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
The ministry reported that as of 17:00 Sunday, about 14 million hectares, or 61.82 percent, of the ripe wheat crops had been harvested nationwide.
Divided by major wheat-producing regions, the summer harvest in east China's Anhui Province has been basically completed, and the harvest in central China's Henan Province is coming to an end. Also, over 65 percent of the ripe wheat crops has been harvested in east China's Jiangsu Province.
In addition, over 30 percent of the summer grain has been harvested in east China's Shandong Province. Northwest China's Shaanxi Province has passed the 25 percent mark. Meanwhile, north China's Shanxi Province is over 10 percent, and Hebei Province is close to 10 percent.
So far, about 18,666.67 hectares of winter wheat in Jize County of Hebei's Handan City has entered the annual harvest season successively.
In recent years, the local area has been continuously promoting the growing of high-quality wheat varieties to improve both the yield and quality of crops. At the same time, the contract-based crop growing model has also enabled farmers to increase their income.
"Now, the advantages of this variety are that it has very good resistance, including disease resistance, and its cold resistance is also very good. And the yield is also very high," said Zhang Yufeng, manager of the Jize experimental station, China Agricultural University.
China completes 60 percent of wheat harvest with high yields expected
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, said on Monday that the relationship between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) stands at a new historical starting point.
Xi arrived in the DPRK capital of Pyongyang earlier on Monday to begin a two-day state visit at the invitation of Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, marking his first trip to the country in seven years.
Delivering a speech at a welcome banquet hosted by Kim, Xi pointed out that China and the DPRK, linked by mountains and rivers and sharing a common future, have seen their traditional friendship passed down across generations and grow ever stronger over time through the test of the evolving international landscape.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, and the China-DPRK relationship stands at a new historical starting point, Xi said, noting that he has reached important consensus with Kim during his visit.
From the strategic perspective of the future and destiny of socialism, both leaders have agreed to seize the general trend of the times, respond to the shared aspirations of the two peoples, strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen strategic communication, expand practical cooperation, enhance people-to-people bonds, promote the high-level development of China-DPRK relations, jointly open up brighter prospects for the socialist cause of both countries, and contribute to the continuous progress of human society, Xi said.
The successful convening of the Ninth Congress of the WPK this year has made strategic plans and major arrangements for the long-term development of the Party and the country's cause, ushering in a new period of comprehensive development of the DPRK's socialist cause, Xi said.
As good neighbors, good friends and good comrades, the Chinese side sincerely wishes that, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the WPK headed by General Secretary Kim, the DPRK people will successfully accomplish the goals and tasks set by the Ninth Congress of the WPK and make constant new achievements in the socialist cause of the DPRK, Xi said.
On behalf of the WPK, the government and the people of the DPRK, Kim extended the warmest welcome to Xi on his visit. Kim said that Pyongyang was filled with an atmosphere of friendship on this special day as the DPRK's Party, government and people warmly welcomed their most distinguished guest.
Noting that Xi's first overseas trip of the year had brought him to the DPRK, Kim said this fully demonstrated the great importance Xi attached to developing relations between the two parties and the two countries, and constituted the most valuable support for the DPRK's socialist cause.
Noting the meeting with Xi came nine months after their previous meeting, Kim said that during this meeting, they reached important consensus on further advancing DPRK-China relations with new contemporary connotations in light of new changing circumstances, and exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern, which will surely accelerate the development of the DPRK-China friendship with profound historical traditions, and contribute to peace and stability in the region and the world.
The DPRK people take heartfelt joy in the remarkable achievements made by the brotherly Chinese people, Kim said, expressing belief that under the leadership of the CPC with Xi at its core, the great Chinese people will surely create greater achievements in building a great modern socialist country in all respects, realizing the Second Centenary Goal, and completing the new journey toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Xi says China-DPRK ties stand at new historical starting point
