Urban renewal projects surpass target for 2024

China exceeded its annual target for urban community renewal by initiating renovations of a total of 58,000 old urban residential communities last year, data from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development showed on Friday.

The country had planned to begin renovating a total of 54,000 residential communities in 2024.

According to data collected by the ministry from local authorities, 11 provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Henan province and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, have exceeded their planned targets.

The ministry has said it will advance urban renewal projects, aiming to complete the renovation of old urban residential communities built before the end of 2000 by the year 2025.

These revamp projects will help make good use of existing buildings and turn some into facilities that help improve residents' livelihoods, the ministry said.

Guidelines issued to increase ratoon rice production

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has issued guidelines aimed at increasing the production of ratoon rice crops, in a move to enhance national grain yield and ensure food security.

The guidelines set out the goal of expanding the planting area of ratoon cropping across the country by approximately 667,000 hectares by 2030.

Ratoon cropping is an innovative rice planting model where rice crops are able to regrow from the stubble left after the first harvest. This method not only maximizes land use but also boosts overall productivity.

The ministry said on Thursday that the newly released guidelines outlined the development goals, regional key tasks and elements to focus on, in phases, for addressing issues throughout the entire industrial chain of ratoon rice production.

Starting this year, the ministry will concentrate efforts on promoting the steady development of ratoon cropping in regions described as "insufficient for two seasons, but more than enough for one season" of rice plantation, according to the guidelines.

'New-type' energy storage given boost by action plan

Chinese authorities unveiled several measures on Feb 17 to promote the "new-type" energy storage manufacturing sector, as part of efforts to accelerate the development of emerging industries and the country's modern industrial system.

According to an action plan jointly issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and seven other government organs, the new-type energy storage manufacturing industry refers to the sector that produces energy storage, information processing, safety control and other products related to new energy storage methods.

By 2027, the sector is expected to demonstrate international competitive advantages across the entire manufacturing chain, with a greater number of leading enterprises, marked improvements in industrial innovation capabilities and overall competitiveness while also achieving advancements in high-end, intelligent and green development, according to the plan.

China will launch initiatives to boost technology innovation in the new-type energy storage sector, it said, adding that these initiatives will include measures to speed up the upgrading of mature technologies such as lithium batteries and support disruptive technological innovations.