China hopes Japan will jointly work for sustained, steady growth of ties: spokesperson
发言人：中国希望日本一同维护持续稳定的增长关系
2024-12-03
| China hopes that Japan will form the right and objective perception of China and work with China for the sustained and steady growth of bilateral relations, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday.
Lin said so when answering a query concerning Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's recent remarks on bilateral relations when addressing the opening ceremony of the extraordinary session of the Diet. Ishiba reportedly said he had an "engaged discussion" with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in mid-November in Lima, Peru, adding that "between Japan and China, there are various concerns and differences of opinion. However, we will also cooperate with each other in areas where we can." Ishiba added that "China's stable development benefits the entire region," noting that he would promote the strategic Japan-China relations with mutual benefit and build "constructive and stable ties," which was agreed between him and President Xi, and carry out communication with China at every level including at the leader's level. "A sustained, sound and stable China-Japan relationship is in the fundamental interest of both Chinese and Japanese peoples," Lin said. China hopes that Japan will work with China, face history squarely and look to the future, form the right and objective perception of China, and make sure that Japan's policies and actions reflect the principles and direction identified in the four political documents, which, for instance, made clear that the two countries should be "cooperative partners rather than each other's threats," Lin said. He called on the two countries to deepen practical cooperation in various fields, constructively manage differences and disputes, deliver on the important common understandings between the leaders of the two countries, and work for the sustained and steady growth of China-Japan relations. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline fully connected
中俄东线天然气管道全线贯通
2024-12-03
| The China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline, the pipeline with the largest single-line gas transmission capacity in China, has been fully connected, the pipeline's operator announced Monday.
The pipeline has also achieved full capacity operation with an annual transmission volume of 38 billion cubic meters, according to China Oil & Gas Pipeline Network Corporation (PipeChina). As a landmark project of China-Russia energy cooperation, the cross-border gas pipeline has a 3,000-km section in Russia and a 5,111-km stretch in China. The pipeline's China section begins in Heihe, a city in the country's northeast bordering Russia, and transports natural gas from Siberia all the way south to Shanghai, China's economic and financial hub. The full-route connection of the pipeline significantly enhances natural gas supply capacity and emergency peak-shaving capabilities in densely-populated eastern China. It also marks the completion of the country's eastern energy strategic corridor, said PipeChina. Since the operation of the northern part of the China section in December 2019, the pipeline has transmitted over 80 billion cubic meters of natural gas, benefiting a population of about 450 million along its route. The China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline is the third cross-border long-distance natural gas pipeline to supply gas to China, following the China-Central Asia and China-Myanmar oil and gas pipelines. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
Xi says looking forward to further enhancing China-Brazil ties
习近平称期盼更进一步加强中国和巴西的关系
2024-11-18
| Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday said he looks forward to having an in-depth exchange of views with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on further enhancing China-Brazil relations, promoting synergy of the two countries' development strategies, as well as international and regional issues of common interest.
Xi made the remarks in a written statement upon his arrival in Brazil for the 19th G20 Leaders' Summit and a state visit to the country at the invitation of President Lula. Xi also extended sincere greetings and best wishes to the government and people of Brazil. Noting that he has visited Brazil four times and witnessed the development and changes in the country over the past 30 years, Xi said he feels very close to Brazil as he again stepped onto this passionate land. China and Brazil are like-minded friends with the same aspirations and good partners forging ahead hand in hand, Xi said. Although separated by oceans, China and Brazil, two major developing countries in the eastern and western hemispheres respectively, are attracted to each other and echo each other at a distance, he said. In recent years, the two countries have continued to deepen political mutual trust, yielded fruitful results in practical cooperation, achieved flourishing people-to-people and cultural cooperation, and showed new vitality of the times in the traditional friendship, Xi said. China and Brazil have also jointly made the just voice of the Global South in the international arena and made important contributions to promoting world peace and development, Xi added. As China and Brazil celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year, relations between the two countries stand at an important historical juncture of building on past achievements and forging ahead, he said. Xi said he believes the visit will further strengthen the two countries' strategic mutual trust, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields and usher in a new "golden 50 years" for China-Brazil relations. Looking forward to attending the 19th G20 Leaders' Summit, Xi said he is ready to work with all parties to discuss plans and seek development, jointly advocate an equal and orderly multi-polar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and promote the G20 to continue to play a greater role as an important platform for international economic cooperation. Xi arrived in Brazil from Lima, where he attended the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and paid a state visit to Peru. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
习近平祝贺特朗普当选新一任美国总统
2024-11-07
| Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday extended congratulations to Donald Trump on his election as president of the United States, urging the two countries to find the right way to get along in the new era.
Xi called for the two countries to strengthen dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation. Xi reiterated that China and the US gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. Xi said stable, sound and sustainable China-US relations serve the interests of both countries and meet the expectations of the international community. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
Mt. Fuji observes season's first snowcap, latest ever in 130 years
富士山终于迎来“雪顶”
2024-11-07
| Japan's Mount Fuji donned its first snowcap this season on Thursday, the latest in 130 years, following unusually warm weather, local media reported.
The Kofu Local Meteorological Office, which makes the annual official announcement, said officials visually confirmed that the country's tallest peak was dusted with snow at 6:15 am local time, Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported. Following the confirmation, this year's first snowfall date officially beat the previous record of October 26 in 1955 and 2016, marking the latest since record-keeping began in 1894. The temperature fell to minus 8.4 degrees at the summit of the 3,776-meter mountain straddling Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures around 7 am local time. Snow was observed from some locations on Wednesday, but the Kofu observatory on the Yamanashi side did not confirm the snowfall due to clouds blocking the view. Meteorological officials said rainfall did not result in snow in October, when average temperatures at the mountaintop were the highest on record. On average, the first snowfall on Mount Fuji was October 2. In 2023, snow was first observed on October 5, records show. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
Trump declares victory in election night speech addressing supporters
特朗普在对支持者演讲时宣布获胜
2024-11-06
| Republican candidate Donald Trump declared victory early Wednesday in the 2024 US presidential election, as Fox News projected that he would win 277 Electoral College votes.
At least 270 Electoral College votes are needed to clinch the presidency. As Trump spoke, no other major US media outlets called the election for him. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
共和党预计将赢得美国参议院多数席位
2024-11-06
| The Republican Party was projected by multiple US media to win back the majority in the US Senate early Wednesday after flipping two seats from the Democratic Party.
The two seats the Republicans won back from the Democrats are in the states of Ohio and West Virginia, with Bernie Moreno and Jim Justice emerging victorious, respectively. With 66 seats not up for election this year and ballots still being tabulated in states in which races are underway, the current composition of the 100-seat upper chamber is 51 seats for the GOP and 42 for Democrats. Which party controls the Senate will have a huge impact on the country's legislative agenda in the years ahead, as well as the makeup of the next presidential administration's Cabinet. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
歼-35A将首次亮相航展
2024-11-05
| New equipment, including the J-35A fighter jet, will debut at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China, China's Air Force announced on Tuesday.
Apart from the J-35A medium-sized stealth fighter, the HQ-19 surface-to-air missile weapon system and a new attack reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle will also be unveiled for the first time at the air show, said Niu Wenbo with the Air Force equipment department at a press conference. The air show, scheduled for November 12-17 in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, features a diverse range of activities including aerobatic displays, according to Air Force spokesperson Xie Peng. The aircraft set to fly at the show include the J-20, J-16, and the YY-20A for refueling. The cargo hold of Y-20 aircraft will also be open to the public. The event coincides with the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force, which falls on November 11. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
Chinese astronauts return to Earth safely, experiencing busy, joyful space life
中国宇航员安全返回地球，度过了繁忙愉快的太空生活
2024-11-04
| The Shenzhou-18 crew consisting of three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth safely in the early morning on Monday, after completing a six-month space station mission.
Shenzhou-18's return capsule, carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 1:24am (Beijing Time). The crew had all left the return capsule by 2:15am, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The three astronauts, after staying in orbit for 192 days, were all in good health and the Shenzhou-18 manned mission was a success, the CMSA said. Ye, the Shenzhou-18 mission commander, has become the first Chinese astronaut with an accumulative spaceflight time of more than a year, setting a new record for the longest duration of stay in orbit by a Chinese astronaut. He served as a crew member in the Shenzhou-13 mission from October 2021 to April 2022. "Chinese astronauts have flown to space in successive missions. I believe that the record of the duration in orbit will be broken in the near future," Ye said. Li Cong, who has just completed his first-ever space adventure, said that the crew was united as one and worked closely with the ground team, which ensured the extravehicular activities implemented smoothly and the scientific research and experiments advanced successfully. "We have all enjoyed the unique experience of weightlessness. It is exciting to return to Earth, but we are also unwilling to part the wonders of the space," said Li Guangsu, who has just returned from his first spaceflight. At 12:34am, the Beijing Aerospace Control Center issued a return command through the ground station, and the return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship separated from its orbiting capsule. The brake engine then ignited, and the return capsule separated from the propulsion capsule. The ground search team arrived at the landing site soon after the return capsule landed. Intensive scientific tasks China launched the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship on April 25, 2024. During the mission, the Shenzhou-18 crew utilized the scientific experiment Cabinets and extravehicular payloads to carry out dozens of experiments in the fields of basic physics in microgravity, space material science, space life science, space medicine and space technology. They replaced the burner for the gas experiment in the combustion experiment Cabinet and test samples in the fluid physics experiment Cabinet as planned. They also conducted in-orbit training on spacecraft rendezvous and docking. The Shenzhou-18 astronauts carried out extravehicular activities twice. Their first spacewalk in May set a new record for the longest single spacewalk by Chinese astronauts. Assisted by the space station's robotic arm and a team on Earth, they worked for about eight-and-a-half hours during their first extravehicular activities, and completed multiple tasks, including the installation of space debris protection devices. The crew also carried out emergency decision-making research. By utilizing the computer and corresponding software, they completed a series of assessments, including tests on basic cognitive ability, risk perception, decision-making style, as well as comprehensive decision-making tasks. The ground personnel then used the test results to thoroughly evaluate the astronauts' emergency decision-making ability in orbit and study the influence of the factors such as the duration of stay in orbit, emotional state and workload on their ability. During the mission, the crew also conducted regular medical check-ups as required, including routine examinations and dynamic monitoring of the heart rate and blood pressure. These procedures helped comprehensively monitor the astronauts' physical state. Joyful space journey During their space adventure, the Shenzhou-18 trio also experienced some special joy brought by the space "aquarium" and "garden" in the Tiangong space station. The three astronauts created a space "aquarium" using zebrafish and algae to study how the space environment affects their growth and system balance. It was also a breakthrough in the field of raising vertebrates in space. The astronauts discovered that zebrafish exhibited abnormal orientation behaviors in microgravity, such as upside-down swimming, spinning and circling. Scientists will later utilize the returned water samples, fish eggs and other specimens, in conjunction with videos of the zebrafish's spatial movement behaviors, to conduct research on the impact of the space environment on the growth, development and behavior of vertebrates and to provide support for the study of material cycling in a closed space ecosystem. The Shenzhou-18 astronauts were also busy cultivating plants in the "space garden" during their stay in orbit. According to a video clip released by the CMSA, astronaut Li Guangsu said that they grew two types of plants — cherry tomatoes and lettuce — and they had harvested some lettuce leaves for food. "Being able to eat fresh vegetables in space is truly a blessing. These green plants have also brought a touch of green and good cheer to our busy work," Li said. Planting in space could also help analyze the changes in the function and gene expression of plant stem cells in the microgravity environment, and provide theoretical support for designing crops that can adapt to outer-space conditions. Before their return to Earth, the Shenzhou-18 crew completed the removal of some module plants, replenishing water and other operations for the "space garden," in preparation for the new batch of plant seeds brought into space by the Shenzhou-19 astronauts. They also planted a new batch of lettuce for the Shenzhou-19 crew, who were lifted off aboard the Shenzhou-19 spaceship and entered the Tiangong space station on October 30. In 2025, China's manned space program will launch the Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 crewed missions, and the Tianzhou-9 cargo craft for in-orbit supplies, the CMSA said. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
Shenzhou-19 astronauts start journey to China's space station for new endeavors
神州十九宇航员开启前往空间站的新征程
2024-10-30
| China launched the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship on Wednesday, sending three astronauts – including the country's first female space engineer – to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission.
The spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 4:27 am (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). About 10 minutes after the launch, the Shenzhou-19 spaceship separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The crew members are in good shape and the launch is a complete success, the CMSA announced. The spaceship will then perform a fast, automated rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station core module Tianhe in about 6.5 hours, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft. The Shenzhou-19 crew consists of mission commander Cai Xuzhe, and astronauts Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze. Cai is a seasoned astronaut who previously journeyed into orbit on the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022. With this ongoing mission, he set a new record for the shortest interval between two spaceflights for Chinese astronauts. Song and Wang, part of the third batch of Chinese astronauts, are newcomers to space, both born in the 1990s. Wang is currently China's only female space engineer and the third Chinese woman participating in a crewed spaceflight mission, the agency noted. DIVERSE SCI-TECH TASKS The new crew has numerous tasks ahead, including conducting space science and application tests, performing extravehicular activities, installing protective devices against space debris, and managing the installation and recycling of extravehicular payloads and equipment. They will also engage in science education, public interest activities, and other payload tests, Lin Xiqiang, CMSA spokesperson told a press conference on Tuesday. They will carry out 86 space science research and technology experiments, covering various fields including space life science, microgravity fundamental physics, space material science, space medicine and new space technologies, Lin added. The CMSA revealed in April that China had undertaken over 130 scientific research and application projects in its space station, while 300 scientific experiment samples had been brought back from space by manned missions in five batches. In addition, more than 500 scientific research institutes worldwide had participated in these projects, achieving significant results in space life science, space medicine, space material science and microgravity fluid physics, with over 280 papers published in top international journals, the CMSA said. The Shenzhou-19 astronauts will complete in-orbit rotation with the Shenzhou-18 trio and stay at the space station for approximately six months. Cai Xuzhe told the press that he and the other two crew members have been training as a team for more than a year. Multiple extravehicular activities are scheduled during the Shenzhou-19 mission. "We have conducted comprehensive ground training, considering all possible scenarios, learning from previous extravehicular activities and thoroughly preparing for every potential plan and contingency," Cai said. Wang Haoze explained that she will be mainly responsible for space experimental projects, cargo management, and space station operation management. UPGRADED TRANSPORT CAPABILITY Researchers with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) have optimized the equipment and adjusted the layout within the orbital module of the spaceship to increase its loading capacity for the Shenzhou-19 space mission. "Compared with Shenzhou-18, the payload space of Shenzhou-19 has been increased by 20 percent, making it possible to transport more time-sensitive and essential supplies for astronauts and related systems," said Chen Tongxiang, an expert with the CASC. This not only allows for the transport of more scientific research equipment and supplies into space but also ensures more efficient and stable in-orbit support for the long-term operation of China's space station, she said. China is also exploring ways to reduce the cargo transportation costs for its space station. In 2023, a notice was issued to solicit overall schemes for the low-cost cargo transportation system. After two rounds of selection, schemes respectively from the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and from the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China finally won the contracts for the flight verification phase, Lin said. The selection process has engaged scientific research institutes and commercial space companies in developing spacecraft, rockets and other flight products for China's manned space program, which will help reduce operating costs for the space station and foster the rapid, orderly and healthy development of the commercial space industry, he added. EXCELLENT COOPERATION PLATFORM China's space station boasts a wealth of scientific application resources and comprehensive support capabilities, and the Shenzhou manned system and Tianzhou cargo system can ensure reliable and stable round-trip transportation for personnel and supplies between Earth and the space. "China's space station is an excellent platform for international collaboration," Lin said, noting that it serves not only as a national asset but also as a platform for advancing space technology and bringing benefits to all of humanity. China has carried out international collaborations with major space-faring nations and developing countries across various areas, including astronaut selection and training, space science applications, in-orbit facilities, space debris protection and ground support, with abundant outcomes, Lin said. Currently, the first batch of payloads selected through cooperation between China and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs are undergoing experiments in orbit, Lin said, adding that more international collaborative research initiatives are in the pipeline. China is also engaging in discussions to select and train astronauts from partner nations, inviting international counterparts to join its space station flight missions, Lin noted. "No matter which country participates, it is humanity's collective quest to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos," said Lin. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
