Beijing News You Might Have Missed This Week, Nov 18

Irene Li, Associate Editor | Nov 18, 2023 1:35 pm | Add a comment | 183 reads

Beijing is a happening city! Don't miss a thing with our weekend roundup of the latest news.

Tourist train service connecting Beijing and Vientiane has begun operations: A new cross-border tourist train service running from Beijing to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, was launched Monday on the China-Laos Railway, reports CGTN. Departing from Beijing Fengtai Railway Station, the train traverses multiple provinces, making stops at notable destinations like Luang Prabang before reaching Vientiane. The return trip highlights Chinese attractions like Xishuangbanna and Chibi City, culminating in a 15-day round trip.

This railway, a significant project under the Belt and Road Initiative, has been operational since December 2021. It has boosted commerce significantly, transporting a staggering 9.62 million tons of cargo in the first half of 2023 alone. The cargo primarily includes goods like fruit, barley, and beer.

Moreover, it has served over 3 million passengers since its inception, with 1,759,900 passengers recorded in just over eight months of 2023.

Extended Traffic Management Measures for Wenchang Avenue Bridge Construction: Authorities have decided to enact stricter traffic safety measures while construction continues on Wenchang Avenue Bridge, which crosses the Liangshui River in Fengtai district, not far from Beijing Polytechnic. Authorities have decided to extend the traffic measures to prohibit the movement of motor vehicles, non-motor vehicles, and pedestrians at intersections, which are in line with the relevant road traffic safety laws and regulations. The set rules are expected to last until Dec 26.

Beijing Inaugurates Pioneering Humanoid Robotics Innovation Hub: The Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area is now home to the newly established Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center Company.

This move aligns with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's guidelines, aiming to foster innovation in humanoid robots. By 2025, China hopes to have two to three humanoid robot companies and numerous SMEs specializing in the humanoid robot market.

Beijing hosts a national robot standards technical committee, a national robot inspection and testing platform, and is in the process of setting up the Beijing robot industry development fund. To cater to the demands of robot production, a shared processing center is also under construction.