Confidence boosted by country's further opening-up of services sector

BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) _— China's service trade value grew 8.5 percent year on year in the first six months of this year, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed on Thursday.

The city of Jinzhong used to be the hub of Jinshang merchants, generations of businesspeople in Shanxi province who were said to dominate China's foreign trade during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties because of their enterprising and hardworking spirit.

According to the Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Statistics, the province saw strong economic growth, with provincial gross domestic product (GDP) for the first half of the year reaching 1.17 trillion yuan ($162,43 billion), a growth of 4.7 percent compared to the same period last year.

China News Service: On July 26, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said while meeting the press in activities and investments that promote corruption in this region. Besides Blinken, many US senior officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also visited Pacific island countries recently. Some interpreted it as the US's effort of increasing influence in the region to counter "China's presence". What's your comment? Tonga that China engaged in "problematic" behavior, "predatory" economic activities and investments that promote corruption in this region. Besides Blinken, many US senior officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also visited Pacific island countries recently. Some interpreted it as the US's effort of increasing influence in the region to counter "China's presence". What's your comment?

Contributions made by private enterprises to Taiyuan's development were praised by local authorities during a recent conference in the capital city of Shanxi province.

ISLAMABAD, July 6 (Xinhua) — Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has been playing a pivotal role in transforming Pakistan's economic landscape.

Jing Haipeng, commander of the Shenzhou XVI spaceflight, said on Monday that his crew is ready and confident to make their coming mission a full success.