We've put together six of the best stories from China that you may have missed this week...

Chinese villages make prestigious 2023 tourism list

A host of rural travel destinations in China have been included in a prestigious list of tourism destinations curated by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The body recognizes villages around the world that preserve cultures and traditions, celebrates diversity and safeguards biodiversity.

Three Chinese villages: Xiajiang Village in Zhejiang Province, Huangling Village in Jiangxi Province, Zhagana Village in Gansu Province, and Zhujiawan Village in Shaanxi Province were named in the 'Best Tourism Villages List' that included 54 villages from every continent on earth.

China prepares to launch Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceship
China's Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket were transferred to the launch site at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Thursday, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said.

The facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition, according to the CMSA. Follow-up work, including checks and joint tests, will be carried out as planned and the rocket will be launched in the near future.

China launches quantum computing fridge

China has made a breakthrough in cooling capabilities of quantum systems, with a dilution refrigerator independently developed by a Chinese company rolling off the production line recently. 

Dilution refrigerators, one of the key devices in superconducting quantum computers, can provide an ultra-low temperature environment of close to absolute zero. The fridges are used in quantum computing and other fields such as condensed matter physics, materials science and deep space exploration. 

China removes foreign investment restrictions in manufacturing

China has taken its first step to remove all restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector, in a move it hopes will highlight the country's commitment to creating a more open and inviting business environment for foreign investors.

The decision is one of the eight major steps to promote high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation, that Chinese President Xi Jinping articulated in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on Wednesday.

China to host FIBA basketball events

FIBA plans to have more 3x3 basketball events in China in 2024, the organization's 3x3 Head of Events and Partnerships Ignacio Soriano told Xinhua News Agency on Monday. Three x three basketball is a variation of basketball played three-a-side, with one backboard and in a half-court setup.

"China is one of the countries having more activities in the professional level," Soriano said. "We're going to have three (more) World Tours by the end of this year. We had seven challengers, three women's series. So basically, we have been hosting every single different event of the competition network." 

High speed Chinese rail tech exported to Europe

China's high-speed electric multiple units (EMUs) will be exported to Europe, after a commercial contract was signed on Tuesday. It's the first time the country's high-end rail transit equipment has been exported to the bloc.

The deal was made during the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, when the CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., LTD., a subsidiary of China's leading train maker CRRC Corporation Limited, signed a contract with Goran Vesic, Serbia's Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure. 

The contracts include 20 high-speed EMUs, with a top speed of 200 kilometers per hour. The trains are expected to be put into use in 2025.

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