China's expressways are expected to see traffic volume of about 62.8 million vehicles per day during the National Day holiday from Oct 1 to 7, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday.
Travel during the holiday is expected to be dominated by long-distance, cross-regional tourism trips and family visits, involving longer travel distances and a broader geographic spread.
From Oct 2 to 6, the total expressway traffic is expected to stay approximately between 62 million and 64 million trips per day.
During the period, new energy vehicles (NEVs) is expected to account for around 16.8 million, roughly 27 percent of the total average daily traffic volume and 1.8 times the daily average.
To facilitate travel for NEV owners, the State Grid Corporation of China, the country's largest state-owned utility company, has planned to pre-deploy 435 emergency charging units at locations where queues are likely, strengthening its emergency support capacity.
"We have currently integrated video monitoring for major charging stations, enabling real-time remote oversight of charging activity. We have also deployed dedicated staff on-site to manage traffic and guide drivers to charge in an orderly manner," said Shi Shuanglong, director of the monitoring center of the smart vehicle network platform under the State Grid.
During the holiday, traffic volume and the number of self-driving trips to Shihu Lake scenic area in east China's Suzhou City increases significantly. To meet the surging tourist charging demand, local power utility has put into operation an intelligent super-charging station, which intelligently allocates power output based on each vehicle's requirements.
Xi'an City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, another popular tourist destination during the holiday, has installed photovoltaic power generation facilities for 40 charging units at a service area, enabling more efficient use of clean energy.
China's expressways to see 62.8 mln vehicles per day during National Day holiday
Iraqis are concerned about the country's security capabilities after the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces.
The United States and its allies have officially ended Operation Inherent Resolve against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
The Iraqi Security Forces, including the Peshmerga and other security forces in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, will "lead the continuing effort to secure Iraq and keep IS remnants suppressed," according to a Pentagon statement.
The primary responsibility for addressing Iraq's remaining security challenges now rests with the Iraqi government, the statement said, adding that the United States will continue to provide "targeted training and intelligence support" to its Iraqi partners.
The Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs of Iraq's Kurdistan Region on Monday warned about security risks following the U.S. withdrawal.
In a statement, the ministry said the withdrawal comes at a sensitive time, amid continued security instability in Iraq and the Middle East. It stressed that the ongoing instability in the region requires vigilance and sound political decisions.
It added that the Kurdistan Region came under more than 1,000 drone and ballistic missile attacks during the war between the U.S. and Iran in recent months, expressing concern over the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region amid complex regional security conditions, without the provision of a defensive system.
"Although Iraq has forces capable of sustained ground operations -- lasting months rather than days -- we still have significant shortcomings in areas such as air power and modern electronic technology," said Baghdad resident Anwar Musawi.
In addition to the external security environment, attention is also focused on how to further integrate Shia militias in Iraq under the unified state control following the foreign troops withdrawal.
The Iraqi government had previously set September 30 as a key deadline and worked to ensure that armed groups outside state institutions completed their disarmament. However, this process has now been extended.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi stated that Iraqi militias will cease armed activities and hand over their weapons in phases, and the government plans to complete the process by June 30, 2027.
"Only by keeping weapons in the hands of the state can we secure the future of the Iraqi people and ensure that we live in safety and stability," said another resident Majid Hasnavi.
The withdrawal of U.S. troops does not mean that U.S. influence in Iraq has come to an end. Iraq's fiscal revenue is heavily dependent on oil, and the U.S. dollar revenue from oil exports has long been managed through the Iraqi central bank's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In recent years, the United States has influenced Iraq's financial system by, for example, tightening scrutiny of U.S. dollar transactions and restricting certain Iraqi banks' use of the U.S. dollar.
"The Americans have many tricks, [and] we may ultimately have no choice but to cooperate with them again," said Anwar Musawi.
"I believe the U.S. will continue to exert influence. First, although U.S. troops have withdrawn from Iraq, they remain deployed in Jordan and Kuwait, which border Iraq. Should an emergency arise in Iraq, the United States would still be able to intervene. The United States will continue to keep a close eye on Iraq and will not allow it to fall into the hands of other powers so easily after its withdrawal," said Majid Hasnavi.
In 2014, the United States and its allies launched their campaign and deployed forces to fight the IS militants in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
In 2024, Washington and Baghdad agreed on a gradual pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq, seven years after the Iraqi government declared the country's full liberation from the IS militants at the end of 2017.
Iraqis concerned about security challenges after U.S. troop withdrawal
