Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program · China’s December forex reserves return to above $3.2 trillion; · Guangdong sees energy storage project filings quadruple in 2024's first week. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  China's foreign exchange reserves reached a two-year high of $3.238 trillion as of the end of last year while gold reserves increased for the 14th consecutive month, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said.  The country's forex reserves were up by $66.2 billion, or 2.1 percent, compared with the end of November, SAFE said on Sunday, marking the second consecutive month of increase and hitting the highest level since December 2021. Experts said the latest figures reflect the dynamics of China's indigenous growth drivers and the vibrancy of the country's foreign trade. The ample forex reserves will also enable the country to better respond to external uncertainties this year, further consolidating the momentum of recovery. For the full year of 2023, the country's forex reserves rose by $110.29 billion while gold reserves were up by 7.23 million ounces. The SAFE attributed the increase to the comprehensive impact of exchange rate conversions and changes in asset prices. The prices of global financial assets increased versus a decline in the US Dollar Index in December. In 2023, China's international balance of payments remained basically stable amid complex circumstances. Foreign exchange reserves stayed above $3.1 trillion throughout the year, according to the SAFE. The efficiency of forex management services for the real economy has continued to improve, and forex supervision has become more precise and effective, it added. The administration said that China's continued economic recovery and high-quality development will provide solid support for the stability of the country's forex reserves. Meanwhile, China's official gold reserves reached 71.87 million ounces at the end of December, up from 71.58 million ounces a month earlier, marking the 14th consecutive month of increase, according to SAFE. · The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on Saturday that it aims to significantly increase the number of direct flights between China and the US in 2024. CAAC data showed that regular direct passenger flights between China and the US have risen to 63 per week. According to a previous announcement, they are expected to rise to 70 a week during the winter/spring season. Moving on to regional highlights · The Xihoumen Highway and Railway Bridge in East China's Zhejiang Province marked phased progress when 18 drill piles belonging to pier No 5 of the bridge, each with a diameter of 6.3 meters - the world's largest - were injected with cement on Sunday. The Xihoumen Highway and Railway Bridge, dubbed the world's longest super sea-crossing bridge with a total length of 3,118 meters, and connecting Zhoushan's Jintang and Cezi islands, is among a total of 10 landmark projects Zhejiang Province is undertaking to boost regional connectivity.   · Airports in Xinjiang and Xizang welcomed record volumes of passenger throughput in 2023. As of the end of last year, Xinjiang Airport Group reported record high of passenger throughput of 40.61 million and facilitated 490,000 takeoffs and landings, returning to 108.2 percent and 113.2 percent of 2019 levels, respectively. Xizang’s civil aviation regulator also reported a record 6.9 million passenger trips in 2023, representing growth of 106.1 percent over 2022.   · Blossoms Shanghai, a TV series set in 1960s and 1990s Shanghai, has succeeded in spurring consumption at the historic locations that feature in the drama. Tourism-related searches for the Fairmont Peace Hotel surged more than five-fold from Dec. 27 to Jan. 5 compared with the previous 10 days, according to Chinese online travel agency Tongcheng. And searches for Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, which is round the corner fro