Xi pays tribute to national heroes on Martyrs' Day

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders presented flower baskets to fallen national heroes at Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing on Wednesday morning to mark the country's 13th Martyrs' Day.

Since the first Martyrs' Day, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has maintained the tradition of paying homage to fallen heroes on the day.

The other leaders included Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng. They were joined by representatives from all walks of life at the ceremony.

The ceremony began at 10:00. All attendees sang the national anthem, followed by a moment of silence in tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the Chinese people and the development of the People's Republic of China.

After a group of children sang the official song of the Chinese Young Pioneers, nine large flower baskets, with ribbons reading "Eternal Glory to the People's Heroes," were placed in front of the Monument to the People's Heroes.

The baskets were presented in the name of the CPC Central Committee; the National People's Congress Standing Committee; the State Council; the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; the Central Military Commission; non-Communist parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and patriots without party affiliations; people's organizations and people from all walks of life; veterans, retired senior officials and the relatives of martyrs; and Chinese Young Pioneers.

Xi and other leaders walked up to the foot of the monument, where he straightened the ribbons on the baskets. Then, they walked around the monument to pay their tributes.

Children and other attendees also laid flowers at the foot of the monument.

The ceremony was presided over by Yin Li, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee.

Xi pays tribute to national heroes on Martyrs' Day

U.S. consumer confidence deteriorated for a third straight month in September, sinking to the lowest level in more than 12 years, according to survey results released Tuesday by The Conference Board, a U.S. research organization.

The Consumer Confidence Index fell to 81.9 in September from 88.6 in August, the lowest reading in the Board's survey since April 2014.

Consumer sentiment has been weighed down by Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and ongoing geopolitical tensions. The decline also signals a notable acceleration in household pessimism after two consecutive months of softening sentiment.

Both components of the index trended downward. The Present Situation Index, which tracks consumers' assessments of current business and labor market conditions, fell sharply by 7.9 points to 109.3. The Expectations Index, which measures consumers' short-term outlook for income, business and labor market conditions, declined by 5.9 points to 63.6.

Consumers' views of current business conditions turned negative for the first time since September 2024, while perceptions of the labor market also worsened, according to Dana M. Peterson, chief economist at the board. Looking ahead, consumers expected both business conditions and the labor market to weaken over the next six months, Peterson said.

Consumers also expressed growing concern about prices. References to the high cost of goods and services, particularly oil and gas, rose to new highs in September amid a surge in fuel costs, said the economist.

The preliminary results of the online Consumer Confidence Survey cover the period from September 1 to 23.

U.S. September consumer confidence sinks to lowest level in over 12 years: survey