Beijing 2022 medal design revealed

CGTN took a closer look at the design of the medals for the 2022 Winter Olympics that will begin in Beijing on February 4.

Named "Tong Xin," meaning "together as one," the medals are composed of five rings and are based on China's traditional jade concentric circle pendants.

There is a link to the medals of the 2008 Olympics to signify that Beijing will be the first city to host both Summer and Winter Games.

On the back, the emblem of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 is placed in the center with the full Chinese name of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games（北京2022年第24届冬季奥林匹克运动会) engraved around it.

COMAC plane ready for delivery this year

This year is expected to be a big one for China's aviation sector as the first passenger aircraft to be designed and built solely in China will make its maiden flight. 

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China's (COMAC) deputy general manager Wu Yongliang told The Paper, this week that the order placed by China Eastern Airlines will be delivered within this calendar year. 

COMAC has developed the C919 passenger aircraft with up to 168 seats on board, in its initial steps to challenge Airbus and Boeing's duopoly in the commercial airline market.

To find out more about the range, size and speed of the C919 and how it got its name click here.

Transport infrastructure plans for 2025

Plans to improve and decarbonize China's transportation network by 2025 have been finalized and there is particular emphasis on the rail network and green modes of transport.

There will be a further 12,000 kilometers of high-speed railway added to the network over the next three years, which is an increase of almost a third on the current sections, which include a new link between Beijing and Zhangjiakou for the Winter Olympics.

The transportation system will also be greener. There will be an increase in the number of City buses powered by new energy and the target is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 5 percent.

Ready meals proving popular

One of the societal changes exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic has been an increase in the popularity of convenience food, especially self-heating instant meals.

The younger generations of China are adding these meals to their weekly menu as it saves time and energy buying groceries, preparing food and washing the dishes.

In a CGTN survey on reasons for purchasing semi-finished food products, 88 percent cited convenience, 17 percent said they felt curious and wanted to try it, while 8 percent termed it nutritionally balanced.

President Xi addresses World Economic Forum

China's President Xi Jinping delivered a special address to the 2022 World Economic Forum virtual session on Monday praising the global effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Xi described the collaboration as "a giant ship on which our shared destiny hangs." 

The forum, which is usually held in Davos, Switzerland had to be turned into an online event because of coronavirus restrictions and Xi told the audience "Strong confidence and cooperation represent the only right way to defeat the pandemic."

He added: "Holding each other back or shifting blame would only cause needless delay in response and distract us from the overall objective."

Xi reminded global business leaders that China has already delivered 2 billion doses of vaccines to 120 countries and pledged another 1 billion for Africa.

Echoing the stance China took at the COP26 climate summit last year, Xi said: "We need to uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and promote international cooperation on climate change in the context of development."

For more of Xi's key quotes click here.

Beijing records first snowfall of 2022

Beijing is about to become the first dual Olympic city, hosting both Summer and Winter Olympics. And right on cue the first snowfall of the year has settled on the city. It also coincides with the first day of the "Major Cold," the last solar term of a year on the Chinese lunar calendar, marking the dead of winter and ushering in the Chinese New Year.

To see our photo gallery click here.

GalaxySpace delivers six new satellites

GalaxySpace, China's private satellite manufacturer, has delivered six new Low Earth Orbit (LEO) devices as part of plans to trial a new broadband communication.

The company said these satellites are part of a testing network of satellite internet, nicknamed "Mini-spider Constellation," which will be able to provide uninterrupted low-orbit satellite broadband communication services for more than 30 minutes at a time.

They will be launched atop a Long March-2C carrier rocket in the first quarter of 2022, the company said in a press release.

Baihetan hydropower station nears completion

What is to be the world's second largest hydropower station is about to spring into action after the last rotor was installed this week. The output from the Baihetan station in Southwest China will only be exceeded by the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei Province.

The station is expected to be operational by July 2022 when it will generate 62.4 billion kWh of electricity every year, enough to power 5.6 million homes.

Interest rate cuts for homeowners

China cut its benchmark lending rates for corporate and household loans for a second straight month at its January fixing on Thursday, while lowering a mortgage reference rate for the first time in nearly two years.

The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was lowered by 10 basis points to 3.70 percent and the five-year LPR was reduced by five basis points to 4.60 percent.

"The cuts come as China's economy is currently facing a downturn and cutting the rate at the beginning of the year reflects the country's economic policy aimed at stabilizing growth and increasing currency liquidity during 2022," said Yan Yuejin, research director at the E-House China R&D Institute.

Plans to speed up restoration of central Beijing

The restoration of a historic strip of land in central Beijing is being fast-tracked as part of a bid to win UNESCO world heritage site status for the area around the Forbidden City. 

Known as "Beijing's Central Axis," the 7.8km-long area represents the core of the ancient city – from Yongding Gate in the south, to the Bell and Drum Towers in the north. With 750 years of history, it includes a huge number of historic buildings, relics, and cultural sites. 

Chen Mingjie, head of the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau, told CGTN: "We've carried out a number of detailed studies on this area. And we've put together a restoration plan based on our research, aimed at improving things like urban landscaping, public space maintenance, and the restoration of cultural sites."