Looking ahead

Events and stories coming up in the next few days

Commission to release data on electricity consumption

On Friday, the National Development and Reform Commission will release data on the country's electricity consumption for June. In the first five months of this year, consumption reached 2.43 trillion kilowatt-hour, up by 6.4 percent year-on-year. The rise in power use indicates a pickup in economic activities, analysts said.

Hundreds of roller-skaters to descend on Harbin

More than 400 roller-skaters from 20 countries will attend the World Inline Cup in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Saturday. The marathon, under the auspices of the International Roller-skating Federation, will feature races ranging from 3 to 42 kilometers. The Harbin event is just one of many races organized by the federation. The first was held in Incheon, South Korea, in May. Other host cities include Rennes and Dijion in France, Ostrava in the Czech Republic and Berlin.

Shanghai to host financial technology conference

LendIt China 2017, a major global financial technology conference, will be held in Shanghai this weekend. The two-day event will focus on topics such as digital banking, financial inclusion, digital wealth management and technology partnerships. Last year, global investments in financial technology grew by 10 percent to $23.2 billion, largely driven by growth in China.

Hebei exhibition to feature paintings by 11 artists

Eleven - Oil Painting Exhibition will open at the Beidaihe Art Museum in Hebei province on Friday. As the name indicates, works by 11 painters will be on display. The show will run until Thursday.