News

Xi-Trump Talks Lay Foundation for Future

April 6， Palm Beach， Florida， USA： U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcome visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan to Mar-a-Lago. During Xis two-day trip， the two leaders compared notes on a wide range of topics for more than seven hours in total， and agreed to expand win-win cooperation and manage differences with mutual respect.

Xi noted that cooperation is the only choice for China and the United States， and that the two countries could become great cooperative partners. Trump said the U.S. side stands ready to work with China to overcome issues impeding stronger bilateral ties and to build a better relationship.

The talks took place at a time of uncertainty marked by rising tension on trade， maritime issues and the Korean Peninsula， sending a strong signal that the two countries are seeking to explore meaningful ways to communicate and bridge differences.

Chinas First Cargo Spacecraft Launched

April 17， Hainan Province： Chinas first cargo spacecraft， Tianzhou-1， nicknamed “Space Courier，”blasts off from Wenchang Space Launch Center. Tianzhou-1 successfully entered orbit 596 seconds after blasting off on the back of a Long March-7 Y2 carrier rocket.

Measuring 10.6 meters in length and up to 3.35 meters in diameter， the tube-shaped Tianzhou-1 is designed to accommodate up to 6.5 tons of payload. It is Chinas biggest-ever spacecraft.

So far， it has successfully performed the first docking with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab and will conduct two more dockings from different directions. These are key steps in Chinas plan to establish a permanently-manned space station by 2022. Along with refueling capabilities， Tianzhou-1 can also supply astronauts with food， water and other provisions. Construction of the space station will begin next year.

Sprinkling Good Fortune

April 15， Jinghong City， Yunnan Province： People sprinkle water on each other to celebrate the water-sprinkling festival. The mid-April festival has a history of over 700 years as the New Year celebration of Chinas Dai ethnic group.

The traditional folk activity is also practiced by people in Thailand， Cambodia， Myanmar and other places in Southeast Asia. Participants sprinkle water on each other to pray for good fortune and safety.

Stars Shine at 7th BIFF

April 23， Beijing： Chinese actress Lin Chi-ling poses in front of a group of movie fans at the closing ceremony of the 7th Beijing International Film Festival （BIFF）.

Beginning on April 16， the festival screened 424 films from 59 countries， of which 15 were nominated for the prestigious Tiantan Award. Composed of over 300 activities， the 7th BIFF featured an Opening Ceremony， the Beijing Film Panorama， a Theme Forum， a Film Carnival and Closing and Awards ceremonies as well as a wealth of related activities. Since its launch in 2011， the BIFF has attracted heavy participation from international executives， directors， producers and studio heads.