【听 · 焦点】练兵正当时！习近平向全军发布训令

Xi stresses real combat training

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the country's armed forces to strengthen real combat training and improve its war-winning capability.

Addressing more than 7-thousand servicemen at a shooting range in Central Theater Command, Xi Jinping called for enhanced military training oriented at combat readiness.

Over 4,000 branch venues across the country were also designated to listen to the instruction of the country's leader.

The meeting was the first of its kind in China.

After the meeting, Xi Jinping reviewed the troops at the venue, and training of various troops through video.

China to optimize business environment

The Chinese State Council will implement more measures to optimize the business environment to stimulate market vitality and social creativity.

At an executive meeting Wednesday, Premier Li Keqiang called for universal use of a negative list of sectors and businesses off limits to foreign investment to control market entry.

He called for greater efforts to further streamline administration and offer better services.

China punishes officials over poverty-relief violations

The top discipline agency of the Communist Party of China has announced punishments for several senior local officials in Hebei over violations in the poverty relief work.

A statement issued by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is blaming 11 officials in the city of Zhangjiakou for rules violations.

（这里有一句留给大家来填空，记得听完留言写下你的答案哦！）

The party secretary and mayor of the city have been asked to make self-criticisms.

A deputy party chief and a vice mayor have been given warnings.

Meanwhile, party and government chiefs as well as disciplinary agency heads in two counties subordinate to the city have also been punished.

The statement says over 440 items of evidence were found during a probe last year suggesting violations by local officials.

15 local towns and villages were found to have retained or embezzled special poverty-relief or agricultural funds.

Beijing achieves air quality goal in 2017

Municipal authorities in Beijing say they've calculated the PM2.5 average in the capital came in at 58 micrograms per cubic meter in 2017.

This comes in below a goal of 60 set for last year.

The density has dropped by some 20 percent compared with the average level in 2016.

Densities of sulfur dioxide came in down by some 20-percent last year.

Nitrogen dioxide levels dropped by just over 4-percent, while PM10 counts came in down just under 9-percent last year.

Beijing authorities say the total number of good air days in 2017 were 28 more than in 2016.

The number of heavy pollution days fell from 39 to 23.

Pakistan allows RMB in bilateral trade with China

The central bank of Pakistan has approved using the Chinese currency for bilateral trade with China.

Adoption of the Yuan would mean that the two countries would be able to replace the US dollar for transactions in connection with the construction of a major Economic Corridor linking them.

Pakistan would now be able to pay for imports from China in Yuan and Chinese firms investing in Pakistan would bring in funds and remit back their profits also in RMB.

In a statement, the State Bank of Pakistan says the move would "yield long-term benefits for both the countries".

Malaysia to make announcement on search for missing MH370: official

Malaysia is expected to make an announcement related to the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

A senior official said on Wednesday that the Malaysian government is still in discussion with US company Ocean Infinity on resuming search operations on a "no find, no pay" basis.

Reports earlier this week said that a high-tech research vessel charted by the US company had already set sail to the search area in the Southern Indian Ocean.

MH370, carrying 239 on board, went missing en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.

The governments of Malaysia, Australia and China suspended the search operation a year ago after almost three years' efforts failed to find any sign of the wreckage of the plane.

But a report from the Australian Transport Safety Board released later in the year pointed to a new search area where the aircraft could be found.

11 dead in link with severe cold as U.S. braces for winter "bomb cyclone"

U.S. officials say severe cold since Tuesday morning is to blame for at least 11 deaths.

Five deaths have been reported in Wisconsin. Two other people have died in the states of North Dakota and Missouri.

Four others have died in Texas, including two homeless people who died in Houston after being exposed to freezing conditions.

The northeastern US is bracing for another brutal arctic invasion on Wednesday, as a new storm is making its way to the country's southeast.

It is forecast to head north, where there is the potential for the storm to become a "bomb cyclone" as it strengthens off the New England coast on Thursday.

（以上文稿仅供参考）

上期回顾：中铁总：2020年高铁覆盖80%大城市

上期答案：In response, Pakistan's National Security Committee said the country has been firmly supporting the U.S.-led international efforts in Afghanistan.

跟随英语环球，天天进步就从这每日一题开始吧！