Thatching Trilateral Cooperation

Thatching Trilateral Cooperation

December 24， 2019， Chengdu， Sichuan Province： Chinese Premier Li Keqiang （center）， Republic of Korea（ROK） President Moon Jae-in （left） and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gather at the Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum to attend the unveiling ceremony for a commemorative envelope marking the 20th anniversary of trilateral cooperation.

That day， the three countries released the Trilateral Cooperation Vision for the Next Decade and plans for the Trilateral + X Cooperation Early Harvest Projects， vowing to enhance cooperation in multiple areas. The agreement came as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang， ROK President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe jointly visited Sichuan to attend the 8th China-Japan-ROK leaders meeting.

The meeting offered a catalyst to further build consensus and advance ties to a higher level. As the world undergoes profound changes unseen for a century， the three countries enjoy sound momentum of development of their ties thanks to cooperation poised to create huge opportunities.

Reborn Phoenix

December 27， 2019， Wenchang， Hainan Province： A Long March-5 Y3， Chinas largest carrier rocket， blasts off from Wenchang Space Launch Center. About 37 minutes later， the rocket positioned the 8-ton Shijian-20 technological experiment satellite， Chinas heaviest and most advanced communications satellite， in its planned orbit.

After a failure two years ago， the new Long March-5 rocket soared into the sky like a reborn phoenix. The successful launch marked the carrying capacity of Chinas launch vehicles reaching the forefront of space exploration. The rocket is a crucial development for Chinas planned space projects， such as launching Mars exploration， retrieving moon samples and constructing its own space station.

Crystal Slipper

December 11， 2019， Beijing： The illuminated Shougang ski jumping platform at Shougang Park resembles a “crystal slipper” at night. The first new structure completed for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing， the Shougang ski jumping platform officially began service for the 2019 Air & Style Beijing FIS World Cup from December 12 to 14， which attracted 146 athletes from 25 countries and regions.

Celebrating its 10th consecutive year in Beijing， the 2019 Air& Style competition included a free ski event for the first time. And renovated Shougang Park is preparing to serve as the only sporting venue located in downtown Beijing to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Glowing Globally

December 15， 2019， Paris， France： Colorful lanterns from Zigong， a city in Chinas Sichuan Province， light up the Castle of Selles sur Cher. A total of 39 sets of Chinese lanterns in various shapes and colors created a strong festive atmosphere for the millennium-old castle. The Lantern Festival event will continue through Chinese Spring Festival.

In Zigong， making colorful lanterns is a big industry that generates annual revenues of five billion yuan （US$747 million）. The lanterns are so popular that they have even caught foreign attention. Zigong lanterns have been displayed in more than 500 cities in 74 countries and regions， where they catch the eyes of more than 400 million viewers， according to official figures.

Ice-Snow Economics

December 23， 2019， Harbin， Heilongjiang Province： Harbin Ice-Snow World， Chinas largest ice and snow theme park， opens for its 21st winter season. Covering 600，000 square meters， the park features 21 sites of snow and ice carvings and sculptures this winter. It is estimated that 220，000 cubic meters of ice and snow were used.

Every winter， visitors from around the world flock to Harbin， increasing consumption， creating jobs and driving the local economy. In addition， strong consumer demand has boosted winter tourism in many other places in China. A China Tourism Academy report forecast that tourist volume will grow by 15 percent annually to reach 340 million by winter 2021-2022 from about 170 million in winter 2016-2017.