Blessing the Motherland

Beijing’s iconic Tian’anmenSquare joined in the celebrationsfor the 75th birth anniversaryof the People’sRepublic of China with somespectacular flowerscapes. Thehuge flower basket on a redraised platform is inscribed“Blessing the Motherland” andoverflows with flowers andfruits to symbolize the prosperityof the mature republic.

There are dazzling displaysin other parts of the capital aswell. The Chang’an Avenue indowntown Beijing has themedflower beds， ideal for takingselfies or just to admire.

Serving a Major Purpose

The 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services （CIFTIS） brought together 85 countriesand international organizations to showcase the latest advancements in digitization，and intelligent and green development. Held at the National Convention Center andShougang Park， a former industrial cluster， in Beijing from September 12 to 16， it saw 13countries and international organizations set up independent booths for the first time. Thetheme of this year was “Global services， shared prosperity.” President Xi Jinping sent acongratulatory message， saying China is ready to work with all countries to jointly shareopportunities， discuss cooperation， and promote development in line with the general trendof economic globalization.