Consumption centers The Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday that with the approval of the State Council, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing will take the lead in developing international consumption center cities. The move is a major strategic decision made by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, and will play a significant role in serving the establishment of a new development paradigm, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said at a meeting. Efforts will be made to pool quality international market entities, goods and services as well as accelerate the cultivation of local brands, Wang said. World heritage China has not only boosted the protection of its own national heritage but has also helped other countries protect their own cultural and natural treasures, a UNESCO official said on Saturday. “China really demonstrates its interest in the preservation of the environment and in the connection to other countries,” Mechtild Rossler, director of the Paris-based UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Center, said in a video interview with Xinhua on Saturday. Rossler is attending the ongoing 44th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Fuzhou, East China. The session, originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to COVID-19, is expected to last until July 31. COVID vaccination A number of provinces, regions and municipalities across China have announced they will phase in COVID-19 vaccination for minors aged between 12 and 17. Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province plans to administer vaccines to middle and high school students between the ages of 12 and 17 from July, according to the provincial center for disease control and prevention. Before vaccination, a minor’s legal guardian will be provided with all relevant information to ensure his or her child is informed, consenting and voluntarily vaccinated. The guardian should stay with their child during vaccination, said the center. Heilongjiang is expected to carry out mass vaccination for minors in stages and by age, from senior students to those in junior grades. The province’s initial plan is to complete the two-dose process in September. Zhurong on Mars Mars rover Zhurong has traveled more than 509 meters on the surface of the red planet as of 11 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration. The rover will soon arrive at the second sand dune on its journey on the red planet. It will carry out a detailed survey of the dune and surrounding environment, said the administration. As of Saturday, Zhurong has been operating on the surface of Mars for 63 Martian days. A Martian day is approximately 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth. (SD-Agencies) | 