The city of Khorgos and the Panfilov district of Kazakhstan have established sister city relations.

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Beijing, January 30 (Xinhua) — Horgos City in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Panfilov District of Kazakhstan's Zhetysu Region have officially established sister-city relations, according to a post on the official WeChat account of the Horgos Omnimedia Center.

On Thursday, a signing ceremony for the corresponding agreement took place in Khorgos, attended by Deputy Head of the Party Committee and Mayor of Khorgos, Pi Luiping, and Akim of the Panfilov District, Sagymbek Marat Rakhymberdievich.

Pi Luiping called the establishment of sister-city relations with the Panfilovsky District an important step, in line with current trends and aimed at joint development planning. He expressed hope that the two sides would leverage their respective advantages to unlock new opportunities in areas such as simplified customs procedures, trade liberalization, optimized trade logistics, and infrastructure construction, and would engage in comprehensive and in-depth cooperation, thereby jointly creating a model of cross-border interaction and friendly exchanges.

Pi Luiping also assured that Khorgos will fully utilize its professional advantages in medical equipment and technology to comprehensively support the construction of a smart healthcare system in the Panfilov District.

During the event, hospitals in Khorgos and the Panfilov district signed a memorandum on cross-border medical cooperation, laying the foundation for practical interaction between the parties in the healthcare sector in the future. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Kyrgyzstan's international reserves exceeded USD 10 billion for the first time in history.

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Bishkek, January 30 /Xinhua/ — Kyrgyzstan's international reserves have exceeded $10 billion for the first time in history, the Kyrgyz National News Agency Kabar reported on Friday, citing Daiyrbek Orunbekov, head of the presidential administration's information policy service.

He emphasized that the accumulated reserves are almost twice the size of the republic's public foreign debt. This reliably protects the country's foreign exchange market from potential external shocks and ensures import coverage for almost nine months.

The growth of international reserves is an important indicator of macroeconomic stability and confidence in the financial system of Kyrgyzstan, he added. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

China to see 3.5 percent growth in interregional passenger travel in 2025 /detailed version-1/

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, January 30 (Xinhua) — The number of interregional passenger trips across China increased by 3.5 percent year-on-year to 66.86 billion by the end of 2025, the Ministry of Transport of China reported on Friday.

Last year, passenger traffic on rail transport increased by 6.7 percent, while civil aviation and road transport grew by 5.5 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively, ministry spokesperson Li Ying said at a press conference.

“Overall, the transport sector operated stably and made steady progress in 2025,” Li Ying stated.

According to her data, 58.7 billion tons of commercial cargo were transported in the country in 2025, a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, China's express delivery companies processed 199 billion parcels, a 13.7 percent increase from the 2024 level.

Total cargo turnover at Chinese ports reached 18.34 billion tons last year, an increase of 4.2 percent. Container handling increased by 6.8 percent to 350 million twenty-foot equivalent units.

Funding for the transport sector also remained at a relatively high level in 2025. Investment in fixed assets for the sector by the end of the year is estimated to exceed 3.6 trillion yuan (almost $517 billion).

Of this, approximately 901.5 billion yuan is accounted for by rail transport, more than 2.6 trillion yuan by automobile and water transport, and 120 billion yuan by civil aviation. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Canada's Prime Minister said the United States must respect the country's sovereignty.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

OTTAWA, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday he expects the United States to "respect Canada's sovereignty" after media reports that U.S. officials met with the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), a pro-independence group in Alberta.

At a press conference following a meeting with the heads of the country's provinces and territories, M. Carney answered a question about this meeting.

"I expect the US administration to respect Canada's sovereignty," the prime minister said, adding that the issue of separatism had not been raised in his conversations with US President Donald Trump.

M. Carney's comments echoed those of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who also spoke at a press conference on Thursday. "I expect the U.S. administration to respect Canada's sovereignty and limit discussion of the democratic process in Alberta to Albertans and Canadians," Smith said.

She mentioned that she would instruct her government representative in Washington to convey her concerns to the US administration.

Other provincial leaders also condemned the meetings between US and APP officials, with British Columbia Premier David Eby calling them "treason."

"Going to another country and asking for help in breaking up Canada—there's an old-fashioned word for that, and it's treason," D. Eby told reporters on Thursday.

The controversy arose after the Financial Times reported that APP leaders had met several times with US State Department officials in Washington since April last year.

The APP is reportedly seeking another meeting to request a $500 billion loan to support the province in the event of a successful independence referendum. This is not currently planned.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Azerbaijan will not allow its territory to be used against Iran – Foreign Ministry

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Baku, January 30 /Xinhua/ — The Republic of Azerbaijan will not allow its territory or airspace to be used for military operations against neighboring Iran. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov stated this during a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi.

According to a statement from the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, J. Bayramov made this statement during a telephone conversation late Thursday evening with Iranian Foreign Minister A. Araghchi. During the conversation, the two discussed the current situation surrounding Iran amid heightened regional tensions.

J. Bayramov expressed serious concern over the recent escalation of tensions in the region. He emphasized Azerbaijan's consistent position calling on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that could destabilize the situation in and around Iran.

The head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry particularly emphasized the need to resolve existing problems exclusively in accordance with the norms and principles of international law, through dialogue and diplomatic means.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

V. Zelensky expressed hope that Russia will comply with the agreement to end attacks on the energy sector.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Kyiv, January 30 (Xinhua) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope on Friday night that Russia will fulfill its agreement with the United States to cease attacks on Ukrainian energy supplies during the severe cold spell.

V. Zelensky thanked US President Donald Trump for his efforts to protect the people of Ukraine.

He also noted that the issue of suspending attacks on energy facilities was discussed at the peace talks held in Abu Dhabi /UAE/ on January 23-24.

According to Interfax-Ukraine, on Thursday, Donald Trump stated that he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to attack Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities for a week due to severe frosts. According to the head of the White House, Putin agreed to this request.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

China's general public budget expenditure rose by 1 percent in 2025.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) — China's general public budget expenditure increased 1 percent year-on-year to 28.7395 trillion yuan (about 4.12 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, the Ministry of Finance said Friday.

The country's general public budget revenue fell 1.7 percent year-on-year to 21.6045 trillion yuan last year, according to data from the aforementioned department. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

A fire broke out at a factory in Chungcheongbuk-do Province, South Korea.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

SEOUL, January 30 (Xinhua) — A fire broke out at a household goods factory in Eumseong County, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea, on Friday afternoon, Renhap News Agency reported.

There are currently no reports of casualties. Fire services reported that a Level 2 emergency was declared, and 105 personnel, 56 pieces of equipment, and four helicopters were deployed to extinguish the fire.

Authorities stated that the factory produces wet wipes and diapers and does not use hazardous chemicals. An investigation into the cause and damage assessment will be conducted after the fire is contained.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Key Chinese-Kazakh logistics projects continue to deepen regional connectivity

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Nanjing, January 30 (Xinhua) — In 2025, the operation and implementation of key cooperation projects between China and Kazakhstan in the transport and logistics sector were in full swing, giving new impetus to the construction of a new Eurasian land-sea multimodal transportation corridor.

Last year, total cargo turnover through the China-Kazakhstan logistics base in Lianyungang (Jiangsu Province, eastern China) amounted to 5.1597 million tons, an increase of 13.74 percent year-on-year. The Khorgos-Eastern Gate land port on the border between the two countries handled a total of 340,000 standard containers (twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs), a 4.78 percent increase compared to the 2024 target. Work on the first phase of the container hub project at the Port of Aktau in Kazakhstan was also completed, and preparations for its commissioning are progressing rapidly, according to Lianyungang Port Group LLC.

GATEWAY TO THE SEA

Officially commissioned in 2014, the China-Kazakhstan logistics base in Lianyungang is the first concrete project under the Belt and Road Initiative. It has already become an important "gateway to the sea" for Central Asian countries.

As of the end of December 2025, the base's total freight turnover reached 43.02 million tons. Currently, six international rail freight routes pass through it, covering 104 stations in Asia and Europe. It has become an important platform for transit, warehousing, logistics, and trade for five Central Asian countries. More than 400 types of goods, such as wheat, household appliances, and photovoltaic modules, are collected and distributed here.

Goods are delivered from here by train as part of the international China-Europe and China-Central Asia rail freight services to Almaty, Kazakhstan, in six days, and to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in approximately 10 days. Furthermore, goods can be shipped by sea from the port of Lianyungang to nearly a thousand ports in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide.

Заместитель генерального директора компании “Китайско-казахстанская международная логистическая компания г. Ляньюньган” Беделов Азильхан заявил, что с базы в Юго-Восточную Азию эффективно и безопасно доставляются пшеница и минеральные продукты из Центральной Азии, а в Центральную Азию – автомобили, фотоэлектрическая продукция и другие товары из Китая, Республики Корея, Японии и других стран. Такого рода сотрудничество дает результаты по формуле “1+1>2″.

TRANSSHIPMENT UNIT

The Khorgos-Eastern Gate dry port is the second joint Chinese-Kazakh logistics project, following the aforementioned logistics base. The project includes facilities such as a Chinese-Kazakh railway transshipment station, a wheat transshipment station, and a container yard.

According to Chen Yong, Deputy General Director of KTZE-Khorgos Gateway LLP, 10 new broad-gauge railway lines were built at the land port in 2025, along with smart infrastructure upgrades to ensure rapid container handling. This reduced container handling time from five hours to less than one hour.

According to data, from 2017 to 2025, the dry port handled a total of 2.0974 million TEUs, accounting for almost a fifth of the total volume of transshipped containers transported by freight trains traveling west from China. The port has become an important transshipment hub for cross-border freight transport between China and Europe/China and Central Asia.

Thanks to the advantages of the land port as a logistics hub, enterprises from various sectors have joined the Khorgos-Eastern Gate special economic zone in Kazakhstan, facilitating the development of manufacturing, information technology, logistics, and other industries.

SUPPORT FOR TRANSIT TRANSPORTATION

According to Lianyungang Port Group, the first phase of the container hub project at the Port of Aktau in Kazakhstan, which was completed in late 2025, is scheduled to be commissioned in June 2026. As a reminder, the first phase of the first launch complex within this project was officially commissioned in June 2025.

To further improve the safety and efficiency of China-Europe trains, in 2023, Lianyungang Port Group and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), Kazakhstan's national railway company, signed a strategic cooperation agreement to implement a container hub project at the port of Aktau. This is the first large-scale logistics project with Chinese investment on the Caspian Sea coast.

According to the data, the total project area is approximately 19 hectares, with a design capacity of 240,000 TEUs per year. The project is being implemented in two phases. The first phase covers an area of 9.1 hectares and includes three railway loading and unloading lines and a container yard capable of storing approximately 690 containers. This will allow for the full cycle of operations, including container transshipment, customs inspection, and hazardous cargo handling.

According to Darkhan Ismagambetov, Deputy General Director of Aktau International Container Hub, the project will help increase throughput capacity, reduce cargo handling times, strengthen the Aktau port's position as a key hub on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TCITR), and create new jobs.

Furthermore, the information platform already allows real-time tracking of China-Europe trains departing from Lianyungang throughout their entire journey. In the future, information interconnectivity between the aforementioned three hubs will be ensured through the joint construction and use of a data transmission channel for multimodal transport within the new Eurasian land-sea transport corridor.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Cuba condemned Donald Trump's threats against oil-selling countries as a "brutal act of aggression"

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

HAVANA, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) — Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Thursday strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump's decree threatening tariffs on goods from countries that sell oil to Cuba, calling it a "brutal act of aggression."

“We condemn before the entire world this brutal act of aggression against Cuba and its people, who for more than 65 years have been subjected to the longest and most brutal economic blockade ever imposed on an entire country, and who will now be forced to live in extreme conditions,” B. Rodriguez wrote on social media.

On Thursday, D. Trump signed an executive order that states: “Beginning on the effective date of this order, an additional ad valorem rate of duty may be imposed on goods imported into the United States that are the product of any other country that directly or indirectly sells or otherwise supplies any petroleum to Cuba.”

The order, effective January 30 at 12:01 a.m. ET/5:01 a.m. GMT, defines "petroleum" as crude oil or petroleum products. It authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to determine whether a foreign country sells or supplies petroleum to Cuba and to issue regulations necessary to enforce the order.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.