This is People’s Daily Tonight, your news source from China. 

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Trump asks Americans to 'stay true to our cause'

President Donald Trump celebrated what he called “the greatest political journey in human history” in a Fourth of July commemoration before a soggy but cheering crowd of spectators, many of them invited, on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial.

Supporters welcomed his tribute to the US military while protesters assailed him for putting himself center stage on a holiday devoted to unity.

He largely stuck to his script, avoiding diversions into his agenda or re-election campaign. 

The warplanes and presidential aircraft he had summoned conducted their flyovers as planned, capped by the Navy Blue Angels aerobatics team.(AP)

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Chinese scientists use gene-editing tech to help expand soybean planting area

Chinese scientists have used gene-editing technology to create soybean mutants that can adapt to low altitude areas, paving the way for the breeding of new soybean varieties.

According to Han Tianfu, the leading researcher, soybeans are sensitive to photoperiod and when soybeans are transplanted to south China, they often faces problems including premature flowering, a shortened growth period and reduced yield.

The soybean mutants exhibited late flowering, improved height and an increased number of pods, providing a basis for the breeding of soybean varieties that grow well in low altitude regions.

The research was published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal.(Xinhua)

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Iran condemns detention of oil supertanker in Gibraltar

Iran on Thursday condemned the "illegal interception" of one of its oil tankers in Gibraltar where authorities said they suspected it was carrying crude to Syria in violation of EU sanctions.

The detention of the 330-meter Grace 1 vessel comes at a sensitive time in Iran-EU ties as the bloc mulls how to respond to Tehran announcing it will breach the maximum uranium enrichment level it agreed to in a 2015 nuclear deal.

The tanker was halted in the early hours of Thursday by police and customs agencies in a tiny overseas British territory on Spain's southern tip.(AFP)

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UnionPay issues over 7.5 billion cards globally

China's payment giant UnionPay has issued over 7.5 billion cards around the world.

UnionPay International, the company's subsidiary focusing on global business, announced on Thursday that its payment service covers over 550 merchant locations.

There are 270 million overseas merchant locations that accept UnionPay cards. This provides outbound Chinese tourists with the opportunity to pay for goods and services using a UnionPay service, including UnionPay's QR code and contactless payment products.(China Plus)

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Japan's exports curb on S. Korea could result in lose-lose outcome

Japan on Thursday started tightening rules for the exports of semiconductor-related materials to South Korea.

Under the new restrictions, individual applications will be necessary for exports to South Korea of three materials used in high-tech products, which could take around 90 days.

Japan also said it plans to remove South Korea from its "white list" of countries that enjoy preferential treatment in the shipments of items that could be diverted for military use.(Xinhua)

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Beijing calls for removing added tariffs

If China and the United States eventually reach a trade deal, all additional tariffs imposed by the US should be eliminated, Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng said on Thursday, adding that this has been China's consistent stance.

The practice of unilaterally levying tariffs harms both sides, ultimately hurting US companies as well, brings uncertainty to the global economy and may even lead to a recession, Gao said at a news conference in Beijing.

Economic and trade teams from both countries have recently been in contact, he added.

Gao stressed that the interests of China and the US are highly integrated and their fields of cooperation are broad.(China Daily)

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60 airlines ready for Daxing opening

And more than 60 domestic and overseas carriers plan to operate out of Beijing Daxing International Airport.

The construction of the new airport, which started in 2014, was completed on Sunday.

It is now getting facilities and equipment ready and is expected to begin operations by the end of September.

China United Airlines is expected to become the first airline to transfer its operations to Daxing airport from its current headquarters at Beijing Nanyuan Airport.(China Daily)

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And that’s People’s Daily Tonight.  Thanks for joining us.

(Produced by David Nye and Bai Yuanqi)