A venue for water-based entertainment under construction at the Universal Beijing Resort in Beijing on Aug 1. [Photo/China Daily]
>Theme park to open in spring
北京环球影城明春开园
Universal Beijing Resort will start trial operations next spring, and formally open to the public in May, Beijing Daily reported.
据《北京日报》报道，北京环球影城将在明年春季开始试运营，并于5月正式开园。
The entire project is designed to cover an area of 4 square kilometers in the Tongzhou Cultural Tourism Zone.
通州区文化旅游区管委会副主任王冬生介绍，北京环球度假区项目位于通州文化旅游区内，总用地面积约4平方公里。
At present, the construction of 20 utility tunnels and 54 municipal roads is underway, said Wang Dongsheng, vice-director of the Tongzhou District Cultural Tourism Zone Management Committee.
目前园区内部20条综合管廊和54条市政道路正在建设中。
The theme park project is divided into three phases. Upon completion of phase 1, the park is expected to receive 12 million - 15 million visitors every year.
北京环球影城分三期建设，一期完成后预计每年可接待客流量1200万人次至1500万人次之间。
Ride and show equipment is now being installed, Wang added.
王冬生说，目前公园里各类游乐设备正在安装调试。
Universal Beijing Resort was announced in 2014 and will be the largest Universal theme park in the world after its construction is completed.
北京环球影城项目2014年启动，建成后将成为全球最大的环球影城主题公园。
Universal Studios now operates four theme parks - in Los Angeles, Orlando, Osaka and Singapore.
环球影城目前在全球共有四家主题乐园，分别位于洛杉矶、奥兰多、大阪和新加坡。
Former Vice President Joe Biden and US Senator Kamala Harris take the stage before the start of the second night of the second U.S. 2020 presidential Democratic candidates debate in Detroit, Michigan, US, July 31, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]
>Biden picks running mate
拜登携搭档哈里斯亮相
Democrat Joe Biden has named Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate, making the senator from California the first woman of color on a main US party's presidential ticket.
民主党人乔•拜登宣布卡玛拉•哈里斯为他的总统竞选搭档，这位加利福尼亚州参议员成为首位出现在美国主要政党推荐的总统候选人名单上的非裔美国女性。
Biden and Harris made their first joint appearance as a presidential ticket on Wednesday in his hometown of Wilmington, Del.
8月12日，两人首次以竞选伙伴的身份在拜登的家乡特拉华州威尔明顿一起亮相。
"I picked the right person to join me as the next vice president of the United States of America, and that's Sen. Kamala Harris," Biden said, praising her as being "smart," "tough," "experienced," and "a proven fighter for the backbone of this country - the middle class."
拜登称："我选择了一个合适的人加入我的阵营并将担任下一任美利坚合众国副总统，那就是卡玛拉•哈里斯参议员。" 拜登称赞哈里斯"聪明"、"坚强"、"富有经验"，是"国家的脊梁——中产阶级人群中的斗士"。
Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican immigrant father and an Indian immigrant mother, said she was "incredibly honored by this responsibility" of the vice presidency, and that she was "ready to work."
哈里斯的父亲是牙买加移民，母亲是印度移民。对于总统竞选搭档这一职责，哈里斯表示"无比荣幸"，称自己已做好准备开始工作了。
The first Beijing outlet of US fast food chain Shake Shack, in the city's Sanlitun area, is packed with customers on Wednesday, its official opening day. [Photo/Agencies]
>US firms confident in China
多数美企看好中国市场
Despite an unprecedented downturn in relations between the world's top two economies during the COVID-19 pandemic, US businesses are not leaving the Chinese market, where most are making profits and optimistic about future growth, the US-China Business Council said in its annual member survey on Tuesday.
美中贸易全国委员会8月11日发布年度成员调查报告称，尽管新冠疫情之下全球两大经济体之间的关系出现了前所未有的下滑，但美国企业并未撤出中国市场，大多数美企都在盈利，并对未来的增长持乐观态度。
The survey was conducted in late May and June among more than 100 of the council's member companies doing business in China; half of them are manufacturers, and 45% provide services.
5月底至6月，该委员会对100多家在中国开展业务的成员企业进行了这项调查，这些公司中，半数从事制造业，45%从事服务业。
It found that projections by the companies for the five-year business outlook in China seem bullish, with nearly 70% expressing optimism about market prospects, and 87% saying they have no plans to shift production out of China.
调查报告发现，近70%的受访企业对中国市场未来五年的商业前景感到乐观，87%的受访企业表示没有将生产线撤离中国的计划。
China was reported to be either the top or among the top five priorities for their companies' global strategy, according to 83% of respondents.
报告称，83%的受访企业将中国视作其全球战略中最重要或前五大市场之一。
A trial train hits 220 kilometers per hour on a section of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Railway during a top-speed test run on May 4, 2020. [Photo/China Daily]
>Rail network gets boost
'铁路强国'规划纲要出炉
China aims to raise its global competitiveness in the railway sector by expanding its networks with wider coverage and higher speeds, according to the country's top railway operator.
中国国家铁路集团称，我国计划建成覆盖更广、速度更快的铁路网，从而提高在铁路领域的全球竞争力。
The nation plans to build 200,000 kilometers of railway by the end of 2035, including about 70,000 km of high-speed tracks, according to the latest national railway plan, issued on Wednesday by the China State Railway Group.
根据国铁集团8月12日发布的最新全国铁路规划，我国计划到2035年年底前建成铁路20万公里，其中包括7万公里左右的高铁轨道。
With the blueprint in place, all cities with a population of more than 200,000 will be connected to the railway network by then, and those with a population of over 500,000 will be on high-speed rail lines, the company added.
20万人口以上城市实现铁路覆盖，50万人口以上城市高铁通达。
The plan also said that by 2035, the country will build a travel system to limit commutes within cities to one hour. Travel times within city clusters would be limited to two hours, and between neighboring provincial capitals or city clusters to three hours.
规划还称，到2035年，我国将建成主要城区市域(郊)1小时通达、城市群内主要城市间2小时通达、相邻城市群及省会城市间3小时通达的交通圈。
Systems for speedy logistics will also be completed to strengthen domestic goods delivery, the company said.
国铁集团称，我国还将建成快货物流圈，以加强国内货物运输。
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来源：chinadaily.com.cn