Author: Andrew Rogers

Hunan province is seeing rapid growth in its forest-based non-timber industry, turning local bamboo and medicinal herb resources into a major economic driver. The sector has created jobs, increased incomes, and transformed rural livelihoods. Yang Peiru’s bamboo shoots processing company in Huitong County exemplifies this trend. His factory processes 10,000 metric tons of preserved bamboo shoots each year. With a 60-strong team, demand often exceeds production capacity, requiring temporary workers for peak periods. Local government policies have played a key role in supporting this growth. Since last year, ten new bamboo shoot processing companies have been established in Huitong. Authorities…

Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co has announced a new framework agreement for crude oil storage, setting an annual cap of RMB114 million, including VAT. The agreement involves the company’s Baishawan Branch and Sinopec Reserve, and takes effect on December 29, 2025. The storage cap is based on historical transaction costs and a competitive pricing process. At least two independent third-party storage providers in nearby regions were consulted to ensure the unit price of RMB10 per cubic meter per month aligns with current market rates. The agreement covers roughly 950,000 cubic meters of crude oil storage per month for an expected period…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump on Sunday at Mar-a-Lago to discuss a revised 20-point peace plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Zelensky temporarily left missile-battered Kyiv for the talks, seeking Trump’s approval on the plan. After more than three hours of discussion, neither leader announced a breakthrough. Both emphasized that the peace process is complex and will take additional time. Trump, who spoke by phone earlier with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressed a relatively sympathetic view toward Moscow’s positions but remained hopeful that progress is near. “I do think we’re getting a lot…

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting criticism after the resurfacing of controversial social media posts by British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah. The backlash comes days after Starmer welcomed Abdel Fattah’s return to the UK following years of diplomatic efforts to secure his release from Egypt. Abdel Fattah returned to Britain after Egypt lifted its travel ban, marking the end of a prolonged detention. However, old posts from 2010 emerged showing the activist calling for violence against Zionists and law enforcement. The content has been widely condemned, with opposition Conservatives demanding he be stripped of his UK citizenship and…

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday visited Cheong Wa Dae, the country’s traditional presidential palace, for the first time since taking office in June. This marks a return to the Blue House more than three years after former President Yoon Suk Yeol moved the presidential office to the Defense Ministry compound. Lee assumed office following a snap election in June after Yoon was removed over a brief declaration of martial law in December 2024. Since then, Lee has overseen the relocation of the presidential office back to Cheong Wa Dae, aiming to reverse the legacy of his jailed…

In a dramatic escalation at sea, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has seized a foreign vessel carrying four million liters of oil, detaining 16 foreign sailors. The move comes days after the United States intercepted an Iranian oil tanker near Venezuela, signaling Tehran’s firm stance against what it calls American maritime aggression. The operation unfolded on December 24 in the Persian Gulf, where a large oil tanker was observed moving suspiciously without clear identification or a set route. As soon as the ship appeared on Iranian radar, the IRGC launched speedboats at high speed to surround the vessel. Despite attempts…

The Shandong Peninsula is building a high-end industrial cluster to strengthen its marine economy. The project focuses on integrating shipbuilding and marine engineering equipment to drive high-quality regional development. In Qingdao, at the Haixi Bay Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Industrial Base, the China State Shipbuilding Corporation Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. has been actively expanding its operations. Drone images taken on Dec. 24, 2025, show ongoing shipbuilding work, highlighting the rapid growth of the marine sector in the region. Over recent years, Shandong has focused on creating an industrial ecosystem that combines advanced shipbuilding, marine engineering, and supporting technologies. This…

Hainan Province has become a hotspot for global tourism and shopping after launching a landmark duty-free policy under its Free Trade Port (FTP) initiative. The policy, introduced on Dec 18, has transformed the island into a leading destination for international shoppers and multinational brands. On Sanya’s Dadonghai Beach, tourists from Russia and other countries enjoyed the winter sun and sea waves. At the same time, in Haikou, long lines formed outside an Apple store at a duty-free complex. Customers took advantage of government consumption vouchers and duty-free pricing, saving hundreds of dollars on products like the iPhone 17 Pro Max.…

Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has seen strong growth in its forest-based non-timber economy over the past decade. The region has worked to use its rich forest resources to boost local incomes and support rural development. By the end of last year, the output value of Guangxi’s forest-based non-timber economy reached 138.8 billion yuan ($19.5 billion), up from 71.4 billion yuan in 2015, according to the regional forestry bureau. The growth has benefited more than 12 million forest farmers, with each seeing an average income increase of over 4,000 yuan per year. Officials say 2011 was a turning point for the…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is focusing on securing legally binding guarantees from the United States ahead of his Sunday meeting with President Donald Trump in Florida. Both Kyiv and Washington aim to end Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine. Overnight, Russia launched about 40 missiles and nearly 500 drones at Kyiv, leaving large parts of the capital without power and killing at least one civilian. Zelenskyy said the attacks show why Ukraine needs strong international security guarantees before considering any peace measures. “It is very important for us that there is a signal that we want legally binding security guarantees,”…