, Zhejiang, June 15 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese fleet participating in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) multinational naval exercises set sail for the event Wednesday.
The fleet departed from a military port in Zhoushan City in east China's Zhejiang Province. It is the second time the Chinese Navy have taken part in RIMPAC.
At the sendoff at Zhoushan, deputy navy commander Wang Hai said the mission was important for the "new type of major power relationship" between China and the United States, in addition to promoting military-to-military cooperation and exchanges.
The Chinese fleet comprises missile destroyer Xi'an; missile frigate Hengshui; supply ship Gaoyouhu; hospital ship Peace Ark; submarine rescue vessel Changdao; three helicopters; a marine squad; and a diving squad, involving 1,200 officers and soldiers.
As previously agreed by the two nations, the Chinese Navy will take part in drills including gunfire, damage control and rescue, anti-piracy, search and rescue, diving and submarine rescue. Sports events and exchanges will also be held.
Naval forces from China are scheduled to join U.S. warships in the west Pacific Ocean on June 18 and then sail to Pearl Harbor in formation.
Started in 1971 and held every two years, the U.S.-led RIMPAC is the world's largest multinational maritime military exercise. The Chinese Navy participated in RIMPAC exercises for the first time in 2014.
TOKYO , May 27 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided to hold off for the second time the consumption tax hike planned for next April, local media reported Friday citing sources close to Abe.
The decision was expected to be announced as early as Monday, and the tax hike could be put off for two years or 18 months until the autumn of 2018 when Abe's term as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party expires, said Japan's Kyodo News.
Abe has hinted about the possibility of the tax hike delay a day earlier on the G7 summit, telling other Group of Seven leaders that the current global economic conditions look similar to "the situation before Lehman."
Abe was referring to the 2008 collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. , which led to the global financial meltdown and economic downturn. He cited the plunge in crude oil and other commodity prices in recent years.
Japan decided in 2012 to increase the sales tax by three percentage points to 8 percent in April 2014, and then to 10 percent in October 2015, in order to raise tax revenue and to turn the primary balance into a surplus by fiscal 2020.
Abe postponed the second tax hike in November 2014 amid sluggish economic growth, and has repeatedly said since then that he would stick to the plan of raising sales tax in April 2017 unless there was a financial crisis similar to the 2008 Lehman crisis or disasters equivalent to the earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
The further delay is likely to put a brake on Japan's efforts to pursue fiscal consolidation, as its fiscal health is the worst among major industrialized economies with public debt at more than 200 percent of nominal gross domestic product.
SHIJIAZHUANG , Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- While heavy snowfall has dropped temperatures and disrupted traffic in northern China over the weekend, ski resorts are enjoying a rush of tourists to enjoy the first ski season after China won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Zhangjiakou City in north China's Hebei Province was covered in a layer of snow, causing authorities to issue alerts for a cold front and icy roads on Sunday.
But it failed to stop fans of winter sports from visiting local ski resorts during the first winter since Zhangjiakou, along with neighboring Beijing, won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics several months ago.
Chongli County , which will host the cross-country, freestyle and other skiing events, has opened four ski resorts to the public since the start of November, more than ten days earlier than previous year.
During the snowy weekends, the ski resorts have attracted a total of 17 ,000 people to enjoy the fun of winter sports.
"Many parts of north China have been hit by several rare snowfalls this November. Although it brought inconvenience to people, it was good news for ski resorts," said meteorological expert Liu Jianjun.
Yu Donglin, general manager of Wanlong Ski Resort, told Xinhua that it received 300 to 500 daily visitors and 1 ,500 to 1,700 visitors on weekdays and weekends respectively since this November when the ski season started. "The number has doubled compared with same period last year," he said.
In Beijing, organizers of the snow and ice events at the iconic Bird's Nest stadium were also excited.
"The snowfalls have satisfied a craving for winter sports fans," said Shi Lei , who works in the stadium.
The stadium will hold a Carnival-like winter event, which organizers expect will attract around 100,000 people who enjoy winter sports such as skiing, skating and snowmobiling.
Yanqing County in Beijing has seen snow since Thursday. Shijinglong Ski Resort is prepared to open before December by building new tracks and purchasing additional 1,000 ski suits , snowboards and boots as it braces for an increased number of visitors this winter.
With roughly seven years to go before the 2022 Winter Olympics open, the "Olympic Effect" has begun to emerge as more Chinese cities and counties seek to develop winter sports tourism.
Heilongjiang and Jilin province in the northeast are both launching winter tourism programs, opening more ski resorts and holding winter sports competitions.
Statistics showed that in the first three quarters of this year,Heilongjiang received more than 88 million domestic tourists, up 22.3 percent year-on-year.
Hou Wei , deputy head of the provincial tourism department, bel.