Beijing News You Might Have Missed This Week, Dec 2

Irene Li, Associate Editor | Dec 2, 2023 12:11 pm | Add a comment | 259 reads

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

Track Laying Commences on Sections of Beijing Subway Line 3: On Nov 30, Beijing Subway Line 3 celebrated a milestone, with the completion of tunneling between Sports Center and Xinghuo Stations, both east of Chaoyang Park, marking the transition to track laying construction, with a 2024 launch reportedly in sight, according to Beijing Daily.

The 15.6-kilometer first phase of Subway Line 3 spans from Dongsishitiao in the west to Dongfeng Station in the east, passing through Gongtinan Lu, Chaoyanggongyuan Nanlu, and Yaojiayuan Lu with Xinghuo Station being one of the six transfer stations along Line 3. Upon completion, Xinghuo Station will offer much-needed rail transit connections at Beijing Chaoyang Station, facilitating seamless transfers between railways, urban rail transit, buses, and taxis. Meanwhile, Dongsishitiao Station, another key transfer point, is undergoing significant upgrades to accommodate transfers.

Beijing Sees Slight Uptick in Marriage Registrations in 2023 Despite Downward Trend: The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics reports a continued drop in marriage registrations since 2014, mirroring a national trend, reports Global Times. In 2022, China saw a 10.5 percent decline in overall marriage registrations, with 6.833 million couples tying the knot. However, the Ministry of Civil Affairs observed an encouraging uptick in the first half of 2023, with nearly 196,000 additional marriages compared to the same period in the previous year. While the trend remains downward, these figures indicate a potential resurgence in Chinese marriage registrations.

Beijing Universities Initiate Campus Construction in Xiong'an New Area: In the innovative landscape of Xiong'an New Area, a mere 100 km from Beijing, the foundations of four prestigious Beijing-based universities are being laid, reports Xinhua News. The universities, each operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, include Beijing Jiaotong University, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing Forestry University, and the China University of Geosciences.

The establishment of these campuses, which began on Tuesday, marks a milestone in China's grand plan announced in April 2017. The plan envisioned Xiong'an New Area as a major hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. These universities will play a crucial role in this plan, catalyzing the region's evolution into an educational and innovative powerhouse. Their presence in Xiong'an will complement Beijing's stature as the capital, while also lifting the educational standards and opportunities available in Hebei Province.

Beijing Reports a 49 percent Decline in AIDS Cases Since 2016: Beijing has made significant strides in battling HIV/AIDS, as per a recent report by the city's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reports China Daily. With a cumulative total of 40,840 cases since China's first reported AIDS case in 1985, sexual contact remains the main transmission method. However, new cases have been consistently decreasing since 2016. 2022 saw a remarkable 49.31 percent drop in new cases compared to 2015, and a further 3.97 percent decline from January to October compared to the same period last year.