Erinome: Hello everyone! Welcome to today's news chat. I'm Erinome, and sitting next to me is Enceladus. Let's dive into the latest updates together, shall we?
Enceladus: Sure! I’m excited to hear what’s new. Let’s start!
Erinome: First up, some great news for China’s trade! In 2025, China’s total import and export value broke 45 trillion yuan for the first time. That’s a new record! And we’re still the world’s top货物贸易 (huowu maoyi) country. Wow, that’s amazing!
Enceladus: Oh wow, 45 trillion yuan! That’s a huge number. So we kept the first place in global trade? That makes me proud!
Erinome: Yep! Next, the central bank has some plans. On January 15th, they will do a 900 billion yuan reverse repo operation with a 6-month term. And this is the 8th month in a row they’re increasing the amount.
Enceladus: Um, reverse repo… that’s like putting more money into the market, right? To help the economy run smoothly?
Erinome: I think so! Now, about banks. In 2025, over 11,000 bank branches closed, but more than 8,400 new ones opened. So the net decrease was over 2,000 branches.
Enceladus: Oh, so more closing than opening. Maybe people use online banking more now, so we don’t need as many线下网点 (xianxia wangdian)?
Erinome: Probably! Next, good news for people wanting to change houses. Three departments said the tax refund policy for changing houses is extended to the end of 2027. If you sell your current house and buy a new one within a year, you can get tax back.
Enceladus: That’s helpful! Maybe more people will move to bigger or better houses now. Nice!
Erinome: Right! Now Nanjing is making it easier to settle down. People under 45 with a bachelor’s degree can直接落户 (zhijie luohu), and those with level 3 or higher职业技能 (zhiye jineng) can too.
Enceladus: Wow, that’s a big change! Young people or skilled workers might move to Nanjing more now. Good for the city!
Erinome: Next, a report from Qiancheng Wuyou (前程无忧) says in 2025, the overall employee turnover rate dropped to 14.8%. It’s been going down for 3 years in a row.
Enceladus: Oh, so people are staying in their jobs longer? Maybe they like their work more now, or the job market is more stable?
Erinome: Maybe both! Now, a sweet news from Jilin. Changbai Mountain’s marriage registration office has a new policy: couples who get married there can get free tickets for life to the scenic area!
Enceladus: Aww, that’s so romantic! Imagine getting married and then visiting Changbai Mountain for free forever. Haha, maybe more couples will go there to tie the knot!
Erinome: So sweet! But next is a sad one. Many快递驿站 (kuaidi yizhan) are for sale online. Their owners say they work over 10 hours a day, but only make 5,000-6,000 yuan a month.
Enceladus: Oh no, that’s really hard. Working so long for not much money… That’s sad. I hope things get better for them.
Erinome: Me too. Now, sports news! In the U23 Asian Cup, China drew 0-0 with Thailand. And for the first time, we got to the knockout stage without losing a group game!
Enceladus: Yes! That’s a big step! So proud of the team. They must have worked really hard.
Erinome: Totally! Now, short dramas are booming. In 2025, global short drama in-app purchase revenue was over 2.8 billion US dollars, up 116% from last year.
Enceladus: Oh right! Everyone watches short dramas on apps now. They’re quick and fun. No wonder the revenue is up so much, you know that?
Erinome: Yep! Last news for today: a terrible accident in Thailand. A crane at a railway construction site fell and hit a moving train. 32 people died and 67 were injured. The report said the project section has no Chinese companies involved.
Enceladus: Oh no, that’s so tragic. My heart goes out to the families. Such a sad incident.
Erinome: It really is. Okay, that’s all the news for today. Thanks for joining us, everyone!
Enceladus: Yeah, see you next time! Bye!
