BEIJING, March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from chinadaily.com.cn：

China is expected to achieve its annual growth target of around 5 percent this year and present more business opportunities for both domestic and foreign companies, with its intensified efforts to spur innovation and further boost consumption and investment, economists and business leaders said at the “CEO: Grow with China” Roundtable hosted by China Daily on Friday.

“China’s economy is right on track to meet its preset annual growth target of around 5 percent for 2025, supported by its ultra-large domestic market, strong innovation capability, as well as a string of supportive policies aimed at boosting consumption and emerging industry investment,” said Lin Shen, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of World Economics and Politics.

Government policies aimed at fostering innovation and developing emerging industries have been steadily implemented. Fiscal policies and other innovation-friendly measures will play a crucial role in sustaining economic growth throughout the year, Lin said.

Lin highlighted the structural shifts in the economy, where new growth drivers are replacing old ones, and stressed that new quality productive forces, including AI-powered manufacturing, have begun to take hold. “Our new quality productive forces, coupled with AI empowerment, have integrated well with the manufacturing and the real economy. There will be significant progress in application scenarios.”

“Even though there are certain geopolitical headwinds, we are still very optimistic about China’s economic prospects this year as the country’s fiscal and monetary policies go hand in hand,” said Ole Gerdau, chief operating officer at Deutsche Bank China.

According to him, consumption will be the key driver of the economy, roughly contributing to two-thirds of China’s growth this year. The trade-in program, for which funding has been doubled, is expected to have a positive impact on consumption.

Gerdau said the emergence of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is changing people’s perception about China’s innovation strength and technological advancements. “This creates a wake-up moment for the world that now might be the time to invest in China. We expect this year to be the turning point where international investors are going to shift their focuses and have a higher allocation into the Chinese market,” he said.

China is prioritizing new quality productive forces and enhancing financial services to enterprises in its economic agenda for the year, as policymakers announced recently the rollout of a raft of supportive measures aimed at creating new growth drivers for the world’s second-largest economy.

The People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, said late on Thursday that it will reduce the reserve requirement ratio and interest rates as appropriate based on the domestic and international economic and financial situation as well as the performance of financial markets.

The A-share benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.81 percent to close at 3419.56 points on Friday, while the ChiNext Index, tracking China’s Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, jumped 2.8 percent to close at 2226.72 points.

The National Development and Reform Commission recently announced that it would establish a national venture capital guidance fund, with the goal of enhancing, strengthening and expanding innovative enterprises. The fund is expected to attract nearly 1 trillion yuan ($138 billion) in capital from local governments and the private sector.

The participants at the roundtable emphasized that emerging sectors like artificial intelligence have great potential in China, presenting new opportunities for enterprises.

China’s AI-led innovation is also throwing up opportunities for businesses like Rolls-Royce, said Troy Wang, executive vice-president of Rolls-Royce Greater China.

“China’s focus on innovation-driven growth is making it continue to be an important country for Rolls-Royce, and it’s so much more than just a market for us,” Wang said.

“Rolls-Royce just achieved a record year in 2024 in terms of business performance and we’re confident about 2025,” he said, adding that the company is building Beijing Aero Engine Services Co Ltd, a joint venture in Beijing, into a world-leading digitally enabled aeronautical engine repair and overhaul shop.

Rani Jarkas, chairman of Cedrus Group, said that the development of AI requires a large amount of electricity, chips, and applications, and China has it all. “Technology speaks for itself,” he said.

“I think the innovation will continue and the opportunities will grow for Chinese companies going abroad and for foreign companies to come to explore the market and set up local units here,” he said.

Huang Yanxiang, co-founder and CEO of Shanghai CarbonNewture and ESG expert, said the current wave of AI-led innovation in China is transforming industries by integrating AI with manufacturing, boosting efficiency, and giving rise to new business models. For CarbonNewture, this means deeply integrating AI into its carbon accounting platforms, improving data analysis and reporting capabilities to deliver more precise and actionable insights.

The roundtable was jointly organized by China Daily Institute for Corporate Communication and China Services Information Platform.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-on-track-to-achieve-growth-target-for-2025-say-experts-and-business-leaders-302402346.html

SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission launched at 7:03 p.m. EDT Friday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. The spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. Shortly after docking, the crew will join Expedition 72/73 for a long-duration stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.

“Congratulations to our NASA and SpaceX teams on the 10th crew rotation mission under our commercial crew partnership. This milestone demonstrates NASA’s continued commitment to advancing American leadership in space and driving growth in our national space economy,” said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro. “Through these missions, we are laying the foundation for future exploration, from low Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars. Our international crew will contribute to innovative science research and technology development, delivering benefits to all humanity.”

During Dragon’s flight, SpaceX will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California. NASA will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA’s live coverage resumes at 9:45 p.m., March 15, on NASA+ with rendezvous, docking, and hatching opening. After docking, the crew will change out of their spacesuits and prepare cargo for offload before opening the hatch between Dragon and the space station’s Harmony module around 1:05 a.m., Sunday, March 16. Once the new crew is aboard the orbital outpost, NASA will broadcast welcome remarks from Crew-10 and farewell remarks from the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 crew, beginning at about 1:40 a.m.

Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

The number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 for a short time as Crew-10 joins NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Don Pettit, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Aleksandr Gorbunov, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner. Following a brief handover period, Hague, Williams, Wilmore, and Gorbunov will return to Earth no earlier than Wednesday, March 19.Ahead of Crew-9’s departure from station, mission teams will review weather conditions at the splashdown sites off the coast of Florida. 

During their mission, Crew-10 is scheduled to conduct material flammability tests to contribute to future spacecraft and facility designs. The crew will engage with students worldwide via the ISS Ham Radio program and use the program’s existing hardware to test a backup lunar navigation solution. The astronauts also will serve as test subjects, with one crew member conducting an integrated study to better understand physiological and psychological changes to the human body to provide valuable insights for future deep space missions.

With this mission, NASA continues to maximize the use of the orbiting laboratory, where people have lived and worked continuously for more than 24 years, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to operate future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit and explore farther from our home planet. Research conducted at the space station benefits people on Earth and paves the way for future long-duration missions to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign and beyond.

More about Crew-10
McClain is the commander of Crew-10 and is making her second trip to the orbital outpost since her selection as an astronaut in 2013. She will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73 aboard the space station. Follow McClain on X.

Ayers is the pilot of Crew-10 and is flying her first mission. Selected as an astronaut in 2021, Ayers will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73. Follow Ayers on X and Instagram.

Onishi is a mission specialist for Crew-10 and is making his second flight to the space station. He will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73. Follow Onishi on X.

Peskov is a mission specialist for Crew-10 and is making his first flight to the space station. Peskov will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73.

Learn more about NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission and the agency’s Commercial Crew Program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasas-spacex-crew-10-launches-to-international-space-station-302402325.html

SOURCE NASA

LOS ANGELES, March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CASEKOO recently hosted an enchanting “Tarot and Tea” soirée in Sai Wan, Hong Kong, to celebrate the grand launch of its collaborative collection, The Luminous Enigma series. This exquisite line of four phone cases, crafted in partnership with COCORRINA and renowned Tarot Reader Peter, draws inspiration from the celestial symbolism of the Sun and Moon tarot cards. The event welcomed passersby with open arms, offering each guest a comforting cup of spiced apple cinnamon tea upon entering the park. While many attendees were newcomers to the world of tarot, they were captivated by the intricate designs of the phone cases and the mystical allure of tarot itself. CASEKOO also unveiled the stories behind the collection, sharing the profound insights and intentions the designers imbued into each piece, hoping to inspire those who carry these cases to connect with their deeper meanings.

The Helios and Celene cases were born from the breathtaking beauty of Kefalonia, an island that holds deep personal significance for Corina, the visionary designer behind COCORRINA. Each morning, she finds herself nourished by the Sun’s radiant energy, feeling a harmonious connection with the natural world. By night, she is guided by the Moon’s gentle glow and the vast expanse of the sky, navigating life’s ebbs and flows with grace. Through these meticulously crafted cases, Corina invites consumers to experience the celestial wonders that illuminate her daily life, offering a glimpse into her world with every creation.

Meanwhile, the Illuminating Sunlight and Midnight Moonlight designs were inspired by Tarot Reader Peter’s profound connection to the Sun’s boundless warmth and the Moon’s quiet magic. The phrase “Let the sun shine heal you” encapsulates the Sun’s restorative power, encouraging resilience and positivity in the face of life’s challenges. Conversely, the Moon-inspired designs whisper “Embrace the Unknown,” a gentle reminder to trust one’s intuition, while “You look so beautiful tonight” celebrates the profound beauty found in darkness and the depths of emotion. Each piece in the collection pays homage to the enchanting interplay between the Sun’s life-giving energy and the Moon’s captivating mystique, offering a timeless connection to the cosmos and its profound duality.

Both designers, Corina and Peter, wish for more people to experience the breathtaking and awe-inspiring sights of the sun and moon that they cherish. They hope that whoever carries these cases will be enveloped in the sun’s positive energy and drawn to the moon’s enchanting gravity, finding inspiration and balance in their celestial harmony. Together, CASEKOO hopes that the owners of these cases will embrace the beauty of tarot, feeling their mysterious power and carrying it with them wherever they go.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/casekoo-explore-the-luminous-enigma-and-let-the-enchanting-artistry-of-tarot-ignite-your-intuition-and-enlightenment-302398220.html

SOURCE CASEKOO