BIG FIVE IDEAS

Today’s highly discussed Global Times stories on social media

DRAGON BOAT TOURISM

Popular tourist sites in China received 48.81 million visitors during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, which represents 50.9 percent of last year’s figure. Total income of 12.29 billion yuan ($1.74 billion) was generated, representing 31.2 percent of last year’s level.

GROWING PETROLEUM PROFITS

China’s petroleum refining industry made a profit of 11.62 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) in May, up 8.9 percent year-on-year, official data showed on Sunday. This is mainly due to the reduced costs of cheap crude oil, said insiders. The industry saw a loss of 21.80 billion yuan in April due to high inventories of expensive crude oil.

MICROSOFT STORES

A Microsoft spokesperson told the Global Times on Sunday that Microsoft-licensed offline stores and 3C electronics retailers in China will continue to operate normally, in response to the company’s announcement that it will permanently close its offline outlets and focus on its online store.

ARJ21 IN SHANGHAI

Three major Chinese airlines on Sunday received their first ARJ21 jets in Shanghai. Air China’s ARJ21 jet will arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport on Sunday afternoon.

LANCANG BRIDGE COMPLETED

The main bridge crossing the Lancang River in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province has been completed, the state railway operator said on Sunday. Setting three world records, the bridge links Dali and Ruili, which lies near the China-Myanmar border.