Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng has called for accelerating efforts to advance breakthroughs in core technologies, accelerate the building of a modernized industrial system, and foster new drivers of economic growth during an inspection tour in southwest China's Sichuan Province from Thursday to Sunday.
During visits to the cities of Chengdu, Deyang and Mianyang, He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected equipment manufacturers and enterprises that use special and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products, learning about their technological innovation, foreign trade exports and project development. He also visited a land-port logistics hub to examine its operations.
He stressed the importance of leveraging the leading and driving role of major technological and engineering equipment and projects, advancing breakthroughs in key core technologies, achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, enhancing the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains, and better serving the country's major national strategies.
He also called for reinforcing the leading role of enterprises in technological innovation, promoting collaboration among industry, universities and research institutes as well as cooperation between state-owned and private enterprises, fostering competitive industrial clusters, accelerating digital and intelligent upgrading, developing new quality productive forces in light of local conditions, and speeding up the building of a modernized industrial system.
He urged further efforts to unlock the potential of foreign trade by leveraging the China-Europe Railway Express and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor to support the development of inland areas as hubs of opening up and promote high-quality foreign trade growth.
He also emphasized balancing development and security, strengthening efforts to prevent and defuse risks in key sectors, and safeguarding local economic and financial stability.
He called on relevant authorities to carefully analyze common issues and practical difficulties faced by local governments and businesses, formulate targeted policy measures in a timely manner, and make every effort to sustain the country's economic recovery and growth.
Chinese vice premier urges speeding up efforts to build modernized industrial system
The United States and Iran carried out fresh strikes on each other's targets, as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz escalated after the U.S. accused Iran of attacking commercial shipping and Iran said it was responding to recent U.S. "aggression".
Iranian state television reported early Sunday local time that several explosions were heard in the Sirik area of Hormozgan Province in southern Iran. It also said Qeshm Island and areas near Bandar Lengeh, both in southern Iran, had come under attack.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday afternoon U.S. time that American forces had launched a new round of strikes on multiple targets inside Iran. It said the operation came after Iranian forces launched an attack drone early Saturday that hit an oil tanker sailing near the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM said the U.S. strikes targeted 10 Iranian military sites in and around the strait, including surveillance facilities, communications systems, air defense positions, drone storage facilities and mine-laying equipment. It called the operation a direct response to what it described as Iran's continued actions against commercial shipping.
Shortly afterward, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its naval and air forces had used missiles and drones to strike eight key U.S. military facilities at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
The IRGC said the strikes were a decisive response to recent U.S. "aggression," accusing the U.S. of repeatedly breaking its commitments and using the IRGC Navy's "interception of a violating vessel" as a pretext to attack five Iranian coastal outposts.
In a separate statement, the IRGC Navy said U.S. strikes on the Sirik area would not change Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz. It said Iran's warning shots at "violating" vessels were intended to remind ships to follow designated routes through the waterway.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday also accused Iran of again violating the ceasefire agreement in a social media post.
The latest exchange of fire followed U.S. strikes on Iran on Friday, which CENTCOM said were launched in response to an Iranian drone attack on a commercial vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. airstrikes, saying they violated a memorandum of understanding between the two sides and that Iran would defend its sovereignty and security under international law.
US, Iran trade strikes again as tensions flare around Hormuz
