Leaders of two partners in venture mark first completion of EPR reactor President Xi Jinping shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron after meeting the press at the Great Hall of the People on Tuesday in Beijing. [Photo by FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY] President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron marked the first completion of a European pressurized water reactor at a ceremony and witnessed the signing of 20 bilateral cooperative documents after their Tuesday talk in Beijing. The leaders, meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, unveiled a plaque to mark completion of the EPR project, located at the Taishan nuclear power plant in Guangdong province. The project is a third-generation reactor and one of the most advanced in the world in terms of nuclear safety and performance. The project, which has taken eight years to complete, is the largest cooperative project on energy completed between the two nations as well as a great example of bilateral economic cooperation, said Nur Bekri, vice-chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission and director of China's National Energy Administration. During his talk with Macron, Xi said that the two countries should deepen concerted efforts in their traditional fields of cooperation, including nuclear energy and aerospace. Beijing and Paris should also nurture new highlights for growth, such as agriculture, medical care and sustainable development, Xi said. Macron echoed Xi's call on reinforcing bilateral cooperation within the framework of building the Belt and Road, saying that such collaboration is of great strategic significance. Paris looks to boost communication and dialogue at a high level and in various fields during this visit, reinforce cooperation in key areas such as aerospace and nuclear power, and introduce a new chapter of bilateral cooperation, Macron said. As China will host the Winter Olympic Games in 2022 and Paris will host the 2024 Summer Games, Xi said the two countries should reinforce exchanges and cooperation in areas including tourism and youth. Macron is making his first state visit to China from Monday to Wednesday. It is also his first trip to the country since assuming office in May last year. The 20 deals signed by China and France on Tuesday covered areas such as nuclear power, aerospace and health. After their talk, Xi and Macron jointly met with delegates attending the first meeting of the France-China entrepreneurs' council. When addressing the business leaders, Xi reaffirmed China's opening-up policy as well as China's commitment to an open economy at a greater level. China is ready to uphold reciprocal opening-up with France and with Europe, and promote the strengthening of the global economic governance system. When jointly meeting the press, Xi said he and Macron agreed on reinforcing bilateral cooperation in the international context, jointly addressing global challenges including climate change and terrorism. On China-Europe ties, Xi said China firmly supports the integration of Europe and welcomes France's greater contribution to China-Europe ties. Macron said China enjoys great strength in artificial intelligence, and the two countries' cooperation on promising sectors will yield a positive influence. wristbands canadacustom silicone bracelets canadarubber bracelets canadasilicone bracelets canadasilicone wristbands canadacustom wristbands canadacanadian wristbandswristbands canada
Domestic helper Cai Lianxiang works at a client's house in Beijing earlier this month. She chose to stay in the capital to work during the holiday and will receive extra salary. [Photo by Zhuang Wenbin/For China Daily] As Spring Festival approaches, many migrant workers have already left Beijing to return to their hometowns for family reunions, and this has left a major shortage in Beijing's domestic helper market. Wang Yan, a Beijing native, started to search for a housekeeper to take care of her senior father one and a half months before Spring Festival. Usually the caregiver that attended to my father would ask for leave before the holiday came, so I planned early to search for potential good fits, said the 58-year-old. However, up to four housekeeping companies that I've called said I should call them a week ahead of the Spring Festival and they couldn't promise any, she added, and was told domestic helpers themselves often made final travel plans much closer to the holiday itself. I finally gave up hope of finding one and asked my cousin for help to find a nanny to take care of my father. The high demand for housekeepers has also been witnessed by domestic labor companies as well as a popular housekeeper service platform. About 95 percent of our housekeepers returned home in the beginning of February, said Zheng Hongzhong, general manager of Zhongshengmeide, a housekeeping company that assigns 11,000 housekeepers in Beijing. Since last week, the customer service line rang all day and we didn't have enough housekeepers to fill the demand. It's understandable that housekeepers want to go back home to have reunions with their families, Zheng said. Ayilaile, or Here comes auntie, is a domestic helper service platform with more than 100,000 registered housekeepers online. There were only about 10,000 housekeepers based in Beijing staying in the capital this Spring Festival, said Li Changze, a spokesman for Ayilaile. Yin Xiaowei, a 48-year-old housekeeper, is among those who decided to stay in Beijing for the festival for an elderly care job. Elderly care pays 200 yuan ($32) per day, and Yin expects to earn 3,600 yuan in total for the 15 days of work. The client offers twice that of normal days, said Yin, originally from Qiqihar in Heilongjiang province. This is because during the Spring Festival there is a high demand for housekeepers. According to a report by the Ministry of Commerce, an estimated 25.4 million people worked in China's domestic service industry in 2016, a rise of 9.3 percent compared with a year earlier. Demand for domestic workers is massive in China and the industry is expected to reach 224 billion yuan in 2016. The service sector as a whole now contributes the largest portion to national economic development. However, the uneven development between rural and urban areas has led to unstable development of the domestic helper industry as the mobility of migrant workers easily alters the workplace, according to the report.
