Category: Regional

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Customs and Border Control Department collected
KES 90.053 billion in September 2026, exceeding its Treasury target by KES 965
million and sustaining its strong revenue performance in the 2026/2027 Financial
Year.
The collection surpassed the target of KES 89.088 billion, translating to a
performance rate of 101.1 per cent. It also represented a 5.8 per cent growth
compared to the KES 85.146 billion collected in September 2025.
The performance was underpinned by strong growth in non-oil revenue collections,
which reached KES 57.199 billion against a target of KES 55.422 billion, exceeding
the target by KES 1.778 billion.
The growth in non-oil revenue was driven by a 25.6 per cent increase in the overall
value of imports, with bulk cargo growing by 49.2 per cent. The increase in bulk cargo
was mainly attributed to imports of fertilisers, iron and steel, palm oil and its fractions,
and rice, among other commodities.
The number of imported Motor Vehicles and Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs)
handled for containerised cargo also increased by 8.1 per cent and 8.2 per cent,
respectively.
The results underscore the role of effective Customs administration in facilitating
legitimate trade while safeguarding government revenue. KRA continues to strengthen
compliance through technology-driven customs processes and enhanced enforcement
against illicit trade and revenue leakage.
The Authority is also implementing reforms to make Customs operations more efficient,
transparent and predictable for traders. These include the introduction of Advance
Cargo Declaration (ACD) and the increased use of data to strengthen cargo risk
management, improve the processing of customs declarations and enhance the
identification of high-risk consignments.
The September performance reinforces KRA’s commitment to mobilising revenue
required to finance the Government’s development priorities, support economic growth
and strengthen the country’s fiscal position. The Authority will continue to pursue
reforms that improve compliance, enhance operational efficiency and create a fair and
predictable trading environment for businesses.

*The Long March spirit highlights the firm faith, strong will, and never-give-up attitude of the whole Party and all Chinese people to overcome major challenges during the revolutionary years.

*In today’s environment, people need to hold fast to the same values that made the Long March an epic undertaking in modern Chinese history, said Khairy Tourk, professor of economics at the Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

*The Long March is not only a towering monument in the development of the Chinese nation, but also a precious spiritual asset for all humanity in the pursuit of independence, freedom and liberation, said Etienne Bankuwiha, a Burundian sinologist.

BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) — This year marks the 105th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March. The arduous journey, which lasted from 1934 to 1936, helped lay the foundation for the eventual victory of the Chinese revolution.

Nearly a century later, the Long March remains an important window into China’s history and development. “The Long March is like a spine of your body that goes right through the modern history of China,” said Harold Weldon, an Australian publisher and filmmaker.

For China watchers, understanding this pivotal chapter is essential to understanding the CPC’s founding ideals and enduring mission, as well as the resilient spirit of the Chinese nation.

GREAT TURNING POINT

The victory of the Long March marked a great turning point for the CPC and the Chinese revolution, and stands as a towering monument in the historic process of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

During the epic military trek, the CPC-led Red Army broke through encirclement by Kuomintang forces. Red Army soldiers braved raging rivers, snow-covered mountains and treacherous grasslands, with some marching as far as 12,500 kilometers.

“It was probably the greatest tale of human endurance in recorded history, I think, in terms of the hardships faced,” said Weldon.

The Long March is a classic example of the ability of the Chinese people to defy overwhelming odds, and is ready to put up with huge sacrifices in treasure and blood in order to achieve their goals, said Khairy Tourk, professor of economics at the Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, noting that “sacrifice is an essential part of achieving glorious victories.”

Paul Ilado, editorial director of Kenya’s Radio Africa Group, said the Long March transformed a military retreat into a decisive political and historical turning point. The Red Army was under enormous pressure, he noted, and their ability to survive the encirclement campaign was crucial to the continuation of the movement.

The historical significance of the Long March extends beyond military survival, Ilado said.

As part of the CPC’s revolutional legacy, he said, the Long March demonstrated that hardship had to be overcome, objectives pursued over the long term, and survival under extreme pressure sustained by organization and discipline.

During the Long March, Red Army officers and soldiers were pushed to the extremes of their physical limits, turning this dramatic episode in world military history into a “glorious human miracle.”

The Long March spirit highlights the firm faith, strong will, and never-give-up attitude of the whole Party and all Chinese people to overcome major challenges during the revolutionary years.

Wagner Lacerda Dantas, a Brazilian journalist with China International Communications Group, described the spirit as the determination to continue fighting for a collective goal even when circumstances appear almost impossible, bringing together conviction, courage, discipline, solidarity, sacrifice and confidence in victory.

“What impressed me the most was the organizational cohesion and belief of the Red Army, although under extremely tough conditions,” said Balew Demissie, senior consultant at the Policy Studies Institute of Ethiopia.

When facing extreme natural environments such as snow-capped mountains and marshlands, as well as the chasing and interception by the enemy’s materially superior forces, this army did not collapse, but instead demonstrated astonishing discipline and idealism, and ultimately achieved success, he added.

Yuri Tavrovsky, head of the Expert Council of the Russian-Chinese Committee for Friendship, Peace and Development, likewise identifies endurance, sacrifice, patriotism and wisdom as qualities forged during the Long March. In his view, the experience helped shape a generation of leaders capable of confronting crises, assessing changing circumstances and finding a way forward.

CONTEMPORARY ECHO

The Long March belongs to a specific historical period, and China’s circumstances today are vastly different from those of the 1930s, but foreign observers see its enduring relevance in the CPC’s strong leadership and China’s rapid development.

In today’s environment, people need to hold fast to the same values that made the Long March an epic undertaking in modern Chinese history, said Tourk, the economics professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. “Without values such as sacrifice, patriotism, perseverance, and firmness, the people would lose their sense of direction,” he said.

“I believe that understanding the Long March is truly one of the best ways to understand how the Communist Party of China managed to grow under such adverse circumstances,” said Dantas, the Brazilian journalist, adding that it demonstrated characteristics such as discipline, unity, organizational capacity, independence and autonomy, seeking truth from facts, and, above all, confidence in the masses.

“The great strength of the Party during that period lay not only in its weapons, but in its ability to maintain close ties with the people,” he said.

Etienne Bankuwiha, a Burundian sinologist, said that amid life-and-death trials, Chinese Communists demonstrated unshakable ideals and convictions and made strategic choices decisive for the future of the Chinese revolution. “For China today, it remains a powerful source of motivation that encourages the people to overcome difficulties, advance Chinese modernization, and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” he added.

During a visit to China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Ilado, the editorial director of Kenya’s Radio Africa Group, was struck by the transformation of land that had once been difficult to cultivate, which offered him a tangible way to think about the legacy of the Long March.

“When I arrived in China and went to Ningxia, I was amazed at how a desert had been turned into productive land, and how today that area has become a breadbasket for the country and the world,” he said.

The connection, Ilado stressed, is the idea of undertaking a difficult journey over a long period without losing sight of the destination.

A farmer cultivating difficult land, an engineer building irrigation infrastructure, a technician improving food processing or a young person leaving a poor rural community to pursue education may seem far removed from the Red Army of the 1930s, yet all can be understood through the determination to continue when the destination is still far away, Ilado noted.

Joshua Kingdom, a research fellow at Uganda’s Development Watch Center, sees the Long March spirit reflected in China’s response to contemporary challenges. He said China’s efforts to withstand external pressure demonstrated resilience and a determination to deepen cooperation with Global South economies rather than succumb to difficulties.

BEYOND CHINA

The significance of the Long March extends beyond the history of China. The Long March spirit of unwavering faith, perseverance and collective spirit transcends borders and ideologies, inspiring humanity to overcome adversity and strive for a brighter future.

Demissie, the senior consultant at Ethiopia’s Policy Studies Institute, said the success of the Long March contributed directly to the eventual victory of the Chinese revolution. In his view, the independent and modern state that emerged from that history has since become an important force in promoting multipolarity, South-South cooperation and the rise of the Global South.

The Long March is not only a towering monument in the development of the Chinese nation, but also a precious spiritual asset for all humanity in the pursuit of independence, freedom and liberation, said Etienne, the Burundian sinologist.

“Seen from the broader perspective of the Global South, the Long March proves a compelling point: to achieve genuine liberation and prosperity, a country and its people must proceed from their own conditions, uphold independence and self-reliance, and defeat every obstacle through unity and struggle,” he said.

Dennis Munene, executive director of the China-Africa Center at the Africa Policy Institute, said the Long March spirit could encourage the international community to unite around common goals and pursue dialogue across civilizations to address conflicts, climate change and poverty.

These challenges cannot be resolved overnight; they require sustained commitment, cooperation and a willingness to keep working despite setbacks, he added.

Kingdom, the research fellow at Uganda’s Development Watch Center, said that writings by people like Edgar Snow about the Long March have moved people across the globe, “because every individual, wherever they are living, they usually have fears to conquer.”

“So, I feel like when you have examples of people who have gone the extra mile to conquer different things that are really relatable in some sense, it moves people,” he said. (Video reporters: Zhu Yinan, Chu Yi and Du Zheyu; Video editors: Wu You, Liu Xiaorui, Zhang Yueyuan, Wei Yin, Liang Wanshan and Wang Han)■

NANCHANG, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) — The former ferry crossing is about half an hour’s walk from the home of Sun Guanfa, 77, in Yudu, a hilly county in east China’s Jiangxi Province.

For his father, the journey from this riverbank more than nine decades ago was part of an epic.

In October 1934, some 86,000 soldiers of the Red Army crossed the Yudu River to embark on what later came to be known as the Long March.

In a country beset by foreign invasion, social turmoil and destitution, the fledgling Red Army, led by the Communist Party of China (CPC), was fighting for national independence and the liberation of the Chinese people. But at the time, it was encircled by the overwhelming and much better-armed Kuomintang forces.

What followed was an epic military maneuver: from Yudu, Red Army troops trekked roughly 12,500 kilometers across China, crossing snow-covered mountains and treacherous marshlands, all the while battling enemy forces. They eventually reached the country’s northwest, where, in 1936, they were joined by several other Red Army branches, marking the victorious conclusion of the Long March.

This military maneuver preserved the Red Army. It also gave the CPC a new foothold in northwest China, from which it built up its strength, fought back against invading Japanese troops and eventually toppled the corrupt Kuomintang regime, leading to the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

In Yudu, the Long March is not simply a chapter in a history book. It is a family story.

More than 17,000 residents joined the departing army. Only 277 were recorded as eventually returning home, said Zhong Min, a guide at a museum built beside the river to commemorate the departure.

Her voice still catches when she says that number.

Her maternal great-grandfather died fighting the encirclement campaigns. Her husband’s grandfather marched away with the troops and was never heard from again. Sun’s father fell in a battle that saw the forces of the Red Army reduced to just over 30,000.

“We are not telling other people’s stories,” Zhong said. “We are telling our own families’.”

Here, the Long March is measured not only in kilometers and battles, but in the people who left home knowing they might never return.

For Sun, the legacy of that generation is deeply personal. Under a local tradition, Sun was adopted as the son of the soldier who left the riverbank and never returned, so that the soldier’s family line could continue.

“People of my father’s generation were willing to give their lives so ordinary people could be liberated,” Sun said.

On the same riverbank in 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of what had enabled the Party and the Red Army to come back from the brink of destruction time and again: firm ideals and convictions, and strong willpower.

“We must not forget our Party’s original aspiration and founding mission,” said Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission. The Party’s long-stated mission, dating to its founding in 1921, is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation.

During the visit, Xi placed a flower basket at a monument commemorating the Red Army’s departure and bowed in tribute. He then walked behind the monument to a railing overlooking the river and stood there for a long while.

The river remains. For Xi, it was also a place from which to look ahead to China’s future.

“We came to this place to revisit what it was like when the Red Army set out,” he told local people gathered nearby. “Today we are on a new journey — to build a modern socialist country. We must carry on the work of those who came before us, gear up anew, and set out once more.”

That new journey was unfolding against a vastly changed backdrop. When Xi visited Yudu, the nationwide campaign he had launched to combat poverty was entering its final stage.

It would culminate in the elimination of absolute poverty in a nation of 1.4 billion. Nearly 100 million rural residents were lifted out of poverty under Xi’s “targeted poverty alleviation” campaign, which mobilized the entire Party and the nation.

Xi announced the victory, as a key part of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, in 2021 when the CPC marked its centenary.

During his 2019 visit, Xi saw for himself whether the former revolutionary base areas were on track to meet their poverty-reduction targets.

At Sun’s home, he walked through the main hall to the backyard and checked the kitchen and the bedrooms. There was rice and cooking oil in the kitchen, and the bathroom was clean.

Xi asked about the family’s income and how Sun’s son and daughter-in-law made a living, where their children went to school, and what the school meals were like.

“By the time they grow up, we will have achieved the rejuvenation of our nation,” Xi said, pointing to Sun’s two grandchildren.

China aims to basically realize socialist modernization by 2035 and build a great modern socialist country in all respects by the middle of this century, according to the vision set by the Party.

Earlier, at the museum where Zhong served as a guide, Xi had stopped before a map of China made from straw sandals.

The display recalled how local people worked through the night to make straw sandals for the soldiers, many of whom fought barefoot. They also dismantled doors, bed boards, roof beams and even timber intended for coffins to build pontoon bridges, helping the soldiers cross the Yudu River.

“The country has developed and people’s lives have improved, but we must remember where it all came from,” Xi said. “We must not forget our revolutionary forefathers and those who died for the revolution, or the people of the old revolutionary base areas.”

Nowadays, golden waves of selenium-rich rice ripple around the 700-year-old village, and rows of modern vegetable greenhouses stand nearby. In the residential area, white-walled houses with gray-tiled roofs sit amid trees, while pavilions nestle between them.

“Now we have wages from working, rent from our guesthouses and dividends from our shares,” Sun said. “Our annual income has tripled to more than 200,000 yuan (around 29,000 U.S. dollars).”

The transformation extends well beyond Yudu.

Much of southern Jiangxi, once cut off from the outside world by rugged mountains, is far more connected. High-speed rail links it with the city of Shenzhen, the country’s economic powerhouse close to Hong Kong. Expressways also reach every county, and paved roads now extend into villages.

For local business owners, it no longer means spending two days and two nights on the road to source a critical part. Now they can hop on a high-speed train, pick up what they need in the morning and return that afternoon, drastically speeding up the development of a prototype.

The change is not only about getting around. Industries such as non-ferrous metals and advanced materials, electronics and information technology, and textiles and apparel have taken root here. For ordinary people, the changes are closer to home. Housing has improved, drinking water is safer, and schools and medical care are more accessible.

More people can now earn a living without leaving their hometowns. In March, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University launched a facility dedicated to research into smart wearables and smart clothing in Xingguo, a county next to Yudu.

This summer, Yudu welcomed students from more than 170 universities across China who came to retrace the Long March at the places where it began. Many realized that the Red Army soldiers who set out were their age.

“Standing where those young soldiers began their journey gave me a deeper understanding of what they accomplished,” said Liu Fanshuo, an undergraduate studying automation.

Today, five modern bridges span the Yudu River near the crossings where local people once built pontoon bridges to help the Red Army cross.

On the banks, Sun pours hot tea for tourists whose lives might have been very different had those soldiers never crossed.  ■

MACAO, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) — China’s Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) reaffirmed its appeal as a tourism hub over the seven-day National Day holiday, with both average daily and single-day visitor arrivals the highest for any National Day holiday on record, the Macao Government Tourism Office said Thursday.

Daily arrivals averaged 163,000 during the Oct. 1-7 holiday, up 15.5 percent from last year’s holiday, and peaked at 210,000 on Oct. 4, according to preliminary data.

More than nine in 10 hotel rooms were occupied on average during the holiday, with the occupancy rate rising 3.1 percentage points from last year’s holiday, according to industry figures cited by the office.

Holiday attractions included fireworks displays and a carnival featuring food, performances and games, the office said. ■

BEIJING, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) — From bustling transport hubs and crowded scenic areas to fully booked restaurants and busy shopping districts, strong travel flows and vibrant consumption during the National Day holiday highlighted the resilience and momentum of China’s holiday economy.

Data from the Ministry of Transport showed that during this National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to 7, known as “Golden Week,” cross-regional passenger trips reached 2.14 billion, averaging 306 million a day, slightly above the daily average recorded a year earlier.

Longer breaks, richer local experiences, rising inbound travel and policy-supported consumption… What stood out this year was not just the sheer number of travelers, but how the holiday economy was changing shape.

LONGER JOURNEYS, DEEPER EXPERIENCES

With the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays separated by only three working days this year, some travelers took three days of leave to link the two breaks into a 13-day extended holiday. Data from Trip.com Group showed that one in every 10 travelers combined the two holidays into such a break.

That extra stretch has helped reshape travel preferences, driving demand for longer-distance trips, a more relaxed pace and more immersive experiences.

Online travel platform Qunar said bookings for flights covering more than 2,000 kilometers rose by more than 40 percent year on year during the National Day holiday, while hotel bookings involving stays across four or more cities jumped 53 percent year on year.

Improved transport links are making long-distance trips more accessible than ever. Before the holiday, new high-speed rail sections, including the Xiong’an-Shangqiu, Xi’an-Ankang, and Harbin-Yichun lines, began operation, connecting more destinations across the country.

For families like Wang Lei’s from Harbin, who traveled to Yichun to enjoy the autumn scenery, a journey that once took seven hours now takes just over one hour. “The time we used to spend on the road can now be spent enjoying the destination,” Wang said.

Experts said longer breaks extend the consumption chain and expand spending opportunities, giving transport, hospitality, catering and scenic spots a longer operating window and deeper spending potential.

Official data showed that during the National Day holiday, average daily sales in service sectors rose 19.5 percent year on year, with tourism, sightseeing and entertainment services up 23.6 percent, catering services up 9 percent, cultural and arts services up 20.9 percent, and sports services up 29.4 percent year on year.

A noticeable shift unfolded during this year’s National Day holiday: more travelers are looking beyond big-name cities and turning to smaller counties for their getaways.

In Mile City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, tourist Chen Jinhui from Shanghai in east China ordered a cup of local coffee and joined a community concert. “Coming to a small city, basking in the sun and relaxing — that’s the Yunnan way of life,” he said.

Data from Qunar showed that hotel bookings in popular counties rose 32 percent year on year, with Jiuzhaigou County in southwest China’s Sichuan and Burqin County in northwest China’s Xinjiang among the most sought-after destinations.

In August, nine government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, jointly issued guidelines to energize lower-tier markets and boost county-level consumption. The measures aim to streamline consumption channels, broaden the range of available brands, improve service quality, and create diverse and locally tailored consumption experiences in smaller cities and towns.

Small counties are no longer marginal players in the consumption landscape; they are becoming an important source of new domestic demand. McKinsey has projected that by 2030, more than 60 percent of China’s personal consumption growth will come from third-tier cities and below, as well as county and rural markets.

Inbound tourism also remained robust during the holiday. Data from the National Immigration Administration showed that during the holiday, 682,000 foreign nationals entered China, of whom 505,000 arrived under visa-free policies, up 5.4 percent and 9.2 percent, respectively, from a year earlier.

As October arrives, autumn colors are spreading across Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in central China’s Hunan Province. Tourists of different nationalities can be seen pausing for photos, listening to guides explain the area’s unusual landscape, or watching local Tujia ethnic performances.

“Zhangjiajie is beautiful. We walked through the forest, felt close to nature, and it was very relaxing,” said Noah, a tourist from Germany. He said he was especially impressed by the Tujia intangible cultural heritage performances and that the warmth of the local people made the visit truly memorable.

POLICY TAILWINDS, SMARTER SPENDING

Strong storefront demand and supportive policies are boosting consumption momentum. In the first six days of the National Day holiday, foot traffic and revenue at 78 major shopping streets and commercial districts monitored by the Ministry of Commerce rose 2.5 percent and 4.7 percent year on year, respectively.

Notably, the government’s consumer goods trade-in program drove 33.48 billion yuan (about 4.97 billion U.S. dollars) in sales over the same period, benefiting 6.39 million consumers.

“During the holiday, we bought a new refrigerator. The subsidy saved us more than 1,000 yuan,” said a Tianjin resident surnamed Wang.

The National Development and Reform Commission said before the holiday that it, together with the Ministry of Finance, had allocated the fourth and final batch of 62.5 billion yuan in ultra-long special treasury bonds for consumer goods trade-in programs, bringing this year’s total to 250 billion yuan.

Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that from Oct. 1 to 6, sales of embodied AI robots on key platforms surged 130 percent year on year, while sales of smart glasses doubled.

In Huaqiangbei, a sprawling electronics marketplace in south China’s tech hub Shenzhen, new robots, AI translators and other tech gadgets have become popular purchases among foreign tourists.

“The number of overseas visitors has clearly increased. Most of them are buying tech products. Many come empty-handed and leave with full suitcases,” said a local shop owner.

More international travelers are flocking to China to experience the country firsthand, riding a rising wave of global fascination with everything from the scenery and culture to its lifestyles and, more recently, Chinese brands and design.

From “China Travel” to “China Haul,” the trend not only shows how Chinese manufacturing and innovation are winning over global visitors, but also confirms the potential and resilience of China’s vast domestic market, supported by visa-free entry, expanded duty-free shopping and improved tax refund services for international visitors, said Zou Yunhan, a researcher with the State Information Center.  ■

BEIJING, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) — China’s railways saw the peak of the holiday return rush on Wednesday, with 24.15 million passenger trips expected on the final day of the National Day holiday, amid strong travel demand and vibrant tourism activity across the country.

A total of 2,449 additional passenger trains were scheduled on Wednesday to cope with the surge in demand, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

On Tuesday, the country’s railways handled 21.6 million passenger trips, marking the third consecutive day with more than 20 million journeys.

Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Chongqing and Shanghai were among the busiest cities for departures and arrivals, while passenger flows were particularly heavy on routes including Beijing-Shanghai, Wuhan-Shanghai, Wuhan-Shenzhen and Xi’an-Chengdu.

Railway authorities across the country added services and expanded overnight operations to facilitate the return rush as China’s tourism market remained vibrant during the seven-day holiday, with county-level destinations and nighttime consumption emerging as notable trends.

County-level destinations gained popularity as travelers increasingly sought slower-paced and more immersive experiences away from major cities.

From the coastal county of Lingshui in south China’s Hainan Province to Mohe, a county-level city on the country’s northern frontier, smaller destinations are drawing visitors with distinctive local experiences.

Meanwhile, nighttime consumption flourished in many cities, with cultural performances, night markets, light shows and food fairs extending visitor stays and enriching holiday experiences.  ■

BEIJING, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) — For Zhang Yang and his family in Ankang, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, this year’s National Day holiday was a memorable one. On Oct. 1, following the opening of the Xi’an-Ankang high-speed railway, they took a direct high-speed train from Ankang to Yan’an, a city known for its revolutionary history.

The journey, which used to take more than seven hours, now takes just over two hours.

The Zhang family was among millions on the move during the National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to 7, one of China’s peak periods for travel and spending.

Data from the Ministry of Transport showed cross-regional passenger trips exceeded 300 million on each of the first three days of the holiday. China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) said the country’s railways handled over 25.2 million passenger trips on Oct. 1, setting a new single-day record.

For a country as vast as China, moving hundreds of millions of people during a holiday rush is a feat of scale. Behind this feat lies a transport network built up over decades.

By the end of 2025, China’s comprehensive transport network spanned more than 6 million km, including the world’s largest high-speed rail network. High-speed railways, expressways, airports and ports connect cities, towns and rural areas across the country.

The network is continuing to expand. On Sept. 28, China opened four major high-speed railway sections across northern, northwestern, central and northeastern China, with a combined length of more than 1,100 km. The new lines further shorten travel times and put more destinations within easy reach of families like Zhang’s.

China’s transport development goes beyond faster journeys. Better supporting services are also making travel more convenient.

New energy vehicles (NEVs) have become increasingly common among Chinese households and are now a popular choice for long-distance travel. The Ministry of Transport expects NEV trips on expressways during the holiday to reach 1.8 times the usual level, pushing up demand for charging services.

China’s extensive charging infrastructure is helping to meet growing demand. The country now has more than 24 million EV charging facilities, forming the world’s largest EV charging network. Highway service areas have about 89,000 charging facilities in total, covering virtually all service areas.

To handle the holiday peak, mobile emergency chargers have been added at key service areas, while drivers are encouraged to leave after charging their batteries to 80 percent to improve charging turnover.

Faster connections and more convenient services are making it easier for travelers to visit more destinations in a single trip. Data from online travel platform Qunar showed that nearly 30 percent of travelers had booked hotels in at least two cities, while bookings involving stays in four or more cities surged 53 percent year on year.

The trend extends beyond China’s borders. China’s expanding transport links are supporting a rise in cross-border travel, with Chinese airlines operating regular international passenger routes connecting 177 cities in 80 countries.

For outbound travel, Qunar data showed that hotel bookings for multi-country trips more than doubled year on year during the holiday. Inbound tourism also recorded double-digit growth, according to Trip.com Group, with day-tour bookings up more than fourfold and train ticket bookings up more than 170 percent year on year during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day breaks.

The transport network that carries millions of travelers is also keeping goods moving, linking businesses and markets and sustaining economic activity across the country.

Even during the holiday, the Liujing operating area of Nanning Port in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region bustles with activity, as ship horns sound and workers load and unload goods.

The increase in cargo traffic is closely linked to the opening of the Pinglu Canal. Stretching 134.2 km from Hengzhou in Guangxi to the Beibu Gulf, the canal opened to navigation on Sept. 16, providing a shorter river-sea route for cargo from southwest China to international markets.

Bulk cargo, including construction materials, auto parts and grain, is being shipped from Nanning Port via the Pinglu Canal to the Beibu Gulf for export. On average, the route now handles an additional 20,000 tonnes of cargo per day.

“We expect to transport 200,000 tonnes of cargo during the National Day holiday,” said You Tong, deputy manager of the production operations center at Nanning Port Development and Investment Co., Ltd.

You said the port has optimized operations and maintained round-the-clock staffing to keep cargo moving smoothly during the holiday surge.  ■

SHANGHAI, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) — With one month to go before the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE), companies from around the world are preparing to gather in Shanghai in east China, bringing products ranging from advanced manufacturing equipment and medical technologies to African coffee and Syrian soap.

The annual expo, the world’s first national-level exhibition dedicated to imports, has become a major platform for foreign companies seeking access to the vast consumer and industrial markets of the world’s second-largest economy.

Since its launch in 2018, the CIIE has drawn participants from more than 180 countries, regions and international organizations. Overseas exhibitors have made about 27,000 appearances at its business exhibitions, with over 3,400 new products, technologies and services making their debuts.

This year’s event, scheduled from Nov. 5 to 10, comes as China begins its 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) with a renewed push for high-standard opening up and stronger domestic demand.

For some companies, this year’s CIIE will be their first.

Austria’s WFL Millturn Technologies, a machine tool manufacturer that entered the Chinese market more than 20 years ago, shipped its exhibits from the industrial city of Linz in August.

WFL Managing Director Stefan Hackl said the company decided to join the CIIE given China’s role at the heart of the global manufacturing chain, and hopes to use the expo to expand further in the Chinese and Asia-Pacific markets.

“I don’t see any good reason why we will not be successful in China in the upcoming decades,” Hackl said.

Singapore-based Perennial Holdings Private Limited is another newcomer.

The company has established China’s first wholly foreign-owned tertiary general hospital in Tianjin in northern China. Since opening, the hospital has received patients from more than 40 countries and regions, while the company is pursuing further healthcare investments in more Chinese cities.

“When you invest in China, you are investing in the most competitive market in the world,” said Pua Seck Guan, executive chairman and CEO of Perennial Holdings.

Pua added that China’s opening up of its healthcare sector could create more opportunities for foreign investors.

The newcomers arrive as China continues to widen market access for foreign businesses. In 2025, the country registered 70,392 newly established foreign-invested firms, a record high and up 19.1 percent year on year. In the first half of 2026, the number rose 5.3 percent from a year earlier, with foreign direct investment in actual use reaching 402.14 billion yuan (roughly 59.71 billion U.S. dollars).

China is also seeking to expand imports as it works to boost domestic consumption and pursue more balanced trade. In August, imports increased by 21.7 percent, with growth exceeding that of exports for a sixth successive month.

The opportunities offered by the CIIE extend beyond large multinational companies. Nearly 13,000 overseas micro, small and medium-sized enterprises have participated in the first eight editions.

Syrian businessman Muhannad Shakally is preparing for his 9th CIIE. When he brought traditional Syrian soap to the inaugural expo in 2018, he was testing the Chinese market.

Today, monthly orders exceed five tonnes, equivalent to around 20,000 bars. “They sell almost as soon as they arrive. I don’t even keep inventory,” he said.

This year, he plans to introduce aromatherapy products and Syrian herbal teas, hoping to bring more products from his country to Chinese consumers.

For years, the CIIE has provided free booths to exhibitors from the world’s least developed countries. This year, organizers will upgrade a dedicated section for Asian and African products, with measures to help African businesses tap opportunities created by China’s zero-tariff policy.

Since May 1, China has applied zero-tariff treatment to imports from all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, while expanding market access through measures including upgraded “green channels” for products such as dried chilies, coffee beans, cashews and wild aquatic items.

An official delegation from Cote d’Ivoire will make its first appearance at the CIIE’s business exhibition, showcasing cocoa, coffee, cashews and kola nuts.

“We are very happy to participate for the first time. This will be a good opportunity to showcase Cote d’Ivoire to the world,” said Rami Koné, an official with the country’s export agency.

Einar Tangen, a senior fellow at the Center for International Governance Innovation, said small and medium-sized enterprises from the Global South, particularly those in Africa, were once on the margins of global trade. China, he said, has provided them with opportunities to share in the benefits of its opening up and development.  ■

China’s National Day holiday saw a vibrant wave of cultural and tourism activities across the country, with intangible cultural heritage adding festive cheer and enriching visitors’ holiday experiences. #NationalDay #CulturalHeritage #ChinaTravel

Sierra Leone on Monday highlighted major regulatory achievements and telecommunications progress during the Regional ICT Regulators’ Forum in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, pointing to cross-border knowledge sharing and capacity-building programs as crucial drivers of its digital growth.

Delegates representing the National Telecommunications Authority (NaTCA) of Sierra Leone joined peer regulators, regional ICT organizations, and international development partners for the opening of the 8th Cohort of the ICT Policy and Regulation – Institutional Strengthening Programme (iPRIS).

Speaking at the forum, the Sierra Leonean delegation noted that participating in peer-to-peer regulatory platforms and technical exchange programs has strengthened the country’s capacity to modernize its legal frameworks, improve quality-of-service standards, and accelerate network rollout to unserved rural areas.

Sierra Leone’s representatives emphasized that direct engagement with regional regulators has helped national authorities implement practical solutions to complex regulatory challenges, including spectrum allocation, universal access fund management, and infrastructure sharing.

The Nairobi forum, hosted in collaboration with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), brought together delegates from Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Liberia, as well as regional bodies including the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), the East African Communications Organisation (EACO), and the Communication Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA).

Delivering welcome remarks on behalf of the host institution, Communications Authority of Kenya officials stressed that digital transformation across Africa has shifted from a future goal into an active reality, calling on regulators to collaborate so that digital growth remains secure, inclusive, and beneficial to citizens.

Mannaiah Baion, Manager at National Telecommunications Authority (NaTCA) of Sierra Leone, commended the active participation of Sierra Leone and other West African member states in regional harmonization efforts, stressing that unified regulatory approaches are vital to lowering market entry barriers and bolstering cyber resilience across the continent.

The gathering also featured international development partners, including representatives from the European Union, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, and Stockholm University through the Swedish Programme for ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER).

Over the course of the Nairobi forum, delegates will deliberate on critical sector priorities, including 5G network rollout, cross-border fiber deployment, digital platform governance, and updating regulatory frameworks to match the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.