From October 26 to 28, the British Council participated in the 24th China Annual Conference for International Education and Expo (CACIE 2023) as a CACIE Honorary Partner, and hosted two sub-forums on higher education: "From Study to Work: Global Talent Mobility and Development" and "English Teaching and Assessment to Enhance International Understanding Education in Secondary Schools."
The former focused on the current trends and challenges of talent cultivation and mobility in the context of international education, while the latter addressed the hot topic of international understanding education in the K12 sector.
"Through the two forums, we shared our insights on the mobility and development of Chinese students abroad, and introduced our comprehensive assessment solutions and ecosystem value chain from study to work, represented by the British Council's IELTS test. We were also honored to invite our partners, top universities and enterprises from home and abroad, to share their best practices and explore how to better support the lifelong growth and development of international education in China," said You Zhuoran, director of examinations at the British Council China.
Chinese people believe that letters are as valuable as gold. For thousands of years, letters, across mountains and oceans, have been delivering writers' sentiments and conveyed friendship and expectations.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, has managed to find time to reply to some letters from different parts of society and the world despite his busy work schedule.
Through his letters, Xi has corresponded with international friends from all walks of life on numerous occasions, part of a series of excellent stories of China's international exchanges in the new era. The letters have also added vivid color to the diplomacy between China and other countries.
The Global Times traced and contacted some of the recipients of Xi's letters, to hear the inspiring stories behind the letters and their communication with the president.
In this installment, Global Times reporters spoke with technicians from the Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) Shenyang Liming Aero-Engine Co, Ltd to learn about their stories of devoting themselves to the research and development of China's domestic aero engines and how Xi encouraged them to inherit and carry forward the spirit of a great country's craftspeople, along with a thorough review of how China gradually created its own aero engines.
"A workman must first sharpen his tools if he wants to do his work well," is a Chinese saying that emphasizes not only the importance of tools of a craft, but indicates the vital role of the craftsman who creates the tools.
"Your work is important and honorable," Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, told technicians at the Li Zhiqiang Class in Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) Shenyang Liming Aero-Engine Co Ltd, while Xi visited the corporation in 2013 to review its work in developing and producing aero engines.
A decade later, in a letter to the class on September 1, Xi spokes highly of the contribution of technicians in the research and development process of China's aero engines.
Xi emphasized that aero engines are a vital national asset and an important reflection of the country's scientific and technological strength and innovation capabilities. "I hope you will remember your mission and responsibilities, firmly uphold the aspiration of serving the aviation industry, promote the spirit of model workers and craftsmen, strive to make more technological breakthroughs, accelerate the pace of independent research and development of aviation engines, and enable Chinese aircraft to have a stronger 'Chinese heart,'" Xi said in the letter.
Until recently, aero engines had been a shortcoming in China's aircraft development, but that impression changed drastically when the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force's most advanced stealth fighter jet, the J-20, made its first public appearance equipped with a pair of domestically developed engines in 2021, replacing imported engines used in the past.
Aero jeweler The aero engine is deemed the "crown jewel" of modern industry. An aero engine is composed of tens of thousands of components of different shapes and materials. The circuit of the engine is like blood vessels around the human body, which requires a very high degree of precision to assemble and allows no room for error.
Technicians from the Li Zhiqiang Class, named after national model worker and national technical expert Li Zhiqiang, are exactly the people who are responsible for assembling aero engines and gas turbines.
"At that time, the president said our work 'is important and honorable.' He also said that the turbine vanes and blades are as valuable as diamonds. We always recall such acknowledgement and encouragement and use them as fuel to keep striving forward," said Li Zhiqiang, recalling Xi's visit a decade ago.
In a letter to Xi, Li and seven other technicians reported achievements made in strengthening technological innovation and promoting independent research and development in the aero industry over the last decade, expressing their determination to accelerate the pace of independent research and development of aero engines and build a strong aviation nation.
As the initiator among a total of eight technicians from the class who wrote the letter, Li told the Global Times that Xi's reply letter showed "extreme recognition, was encouraging, and inspirational" to the team. He shared the letter's contents to all 62 members of the team. "We must keep in mind his care, trust, and ardent expectations, firmly follow the new path of independent innovation and development of aero engines, and ensure that China's domestically made aircraft will use a stronger 'Chinese heart' in the future," he said.
One of Li's primary work principles is to "never give up before all problems are solved." In the last decade, Li, together with his colleagues, made use of various methods, including 3D simulation, to elaborately lay out processing plans for different products in accordance with their characteristics, efficiently increasing assembly quality and reducing the production period.
A typical example of the class implementing the principle is the aero engine accessory case. In the past, the case needed to be held together by several people when trying to install it in the belly of the engine, which is difficult and inefficient. This problem greatly bothered Wen Shangzhi, the current leader of the class. To solve it, Wen and his team members made use of their spare time to discuss, search materials, and conduct experiments, finally creating a new method, which obtained certification from experts and effectively improved installation efficiency.
It is in this way that the Li Zhiqiang Class found solutions and overcame obstacles one by one over the last decade, by inventing new methods, new technologies, and new tools. In total, the team solved 52 technical problems in scientific research and assembly, independently developed 312 tools and obtained more than 50 invention patents, the Global Times learned from the corporation.
When two J-20 fighter jets appeared the sky on the hot and humid opening day of the Airshow China 2021, on September 29 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, not many spectators fully understood what they had just witnessed.
The two jets started their flight performance with a low tandem flyby above the air show site. Then, one of the aircrafts drastically pulled up and soared into the sky, while the other pulled left and performed a tight spiral maneuver before vanishing into the clouds, in a display of the aircraft's outstanding power and maneuverability.
Immediately after the flight performance, Senior Colonel Li Jikuan, commander of the J-20s' flight performance, announced at a press conference at the air show that it was the J-20's first public performance after being fitted with domestically built engines.
Experts told the Global Times that the domestically built engines provide more powerful thrust that helps the J-20 in super-maneuverability and supersonic cruise, while the engines' serrated nozzles can improve the aircraft's stealth capability.
Another important aspect of converting to use domestically built engines is that it enables mass production of aircrafts, since there are no import restrictions, experts said.
The J-20 is not the only aircraft to use domestically developed engines. Also at the Airshow China 2021, Tang Changhong, chief designer of the Y-20 large transport plane, announced that the Y-20 would be equipped with two types of domestically developed engines. After being equipped with these engines, the Y-20's capabilities have received a boost, Tang said.
Compared with imported engines, the Chinese engines could boost the Y-20's range, endurance, and cargo capacity by providing more powerful thrust and using less fuel, while also allowing the plane to take off and land on shorter runways, analysts said.
Another key member of the "20 aircraft family," the Z-20 utility helicopter, also uses domestically developed engines.
The developers of the Z-20 told the Global Times in October 2019 that the domestically developed engines are powerful enough to enable the helicopter to fly in low-oxygen plateau regions.
Observers noted that the primary battle aircrafts owned by the PLA had converted to domestically developed engines as of this year, but that does not mean China's continued efforts in aero engine development have reached their goal.
Toward stronger future
In the 2022 edition of the Airshow China, AECC showcased five variants of the Taihang series turbofan engines, which are used by different aircraft.
The Taihang engine has received continued improvements and upgrades, and its performance, reliability, safety, stealth capability, power extraction, environmental adaptability, endurance, and thrust vectoring - among other factors - have all received technical boosts.
This is expected to comprehensively enhance the aircraft's survivability and combat capabilities, and has realized the complete independent support of domestically developed engines.
One of the five Taihang engines on display has a 2D thrust vectoring control nozzle, which attracted the attention of visitors.
Li Gang, the pilot of the J-20 stealth fighter jet's first flight, said in a media interview that he would like to see the J-20 eventually be upgraded with engines with 2D thrust vectoring nozzles.
Thrust vectoring control can greatly enhance the maneuverability of an aircraft, usually a fighter jet, by providing thrust directly to a desired direction in addition to using aerodynamics, and this will give the aircraft many tactical advantages in combat, Wei Dongxu, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times at the event.
An aero engine with a thrust vectoring control nozzle is mechanically and structurally more complex than an engine without one, and this means that thrust vectoring control usually causes a certain level of thrust loss. A 2D nozzle could lose even more thrust than a 3D nozzle. China's development of a turbofan engine with a 2D thrust vectoring control nozzle means the engine has sufficient power to manage the loss of thrust, Wei said.
A 2D nozzle usually has better radar and infrared stealth capability than a 3D nozzle, and that makes the 2D nozzle a generally better option, if the engine itself can provide enough power, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times.
At Airshow China 2018, a J-10B thrust vector control demonstrator aircraft equipped with an engine with 3D thrust vectoring control nozzle delivered a flight performance. An engine with a 3D thrust vectoring control nozzle was also on display at the Airshow China 2022 as one of the five Taihang variants.
It is widely expected that China will continue to develop more advanced aero engines and use them on its advanced warplanes.
The 19th Asian Games, which represents brilliant Asian civilization and creates new records in Asian sports, ended successfully in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province on Sunday.
When the guests walked into the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium, or the "Big Lotus," they were greeted by a huge lawn with the words "Enduring Memories of Hangzhou" written on it. The creative team of the closing ceremony created the most beautiful garden on a "computer numerical control (CNC) lawn" to hold a relaxing and happy party, leaving precious memories of Hangzhou Asian Games for people across Asia, and even the rest of the world.
The closing ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games strived for a simple and valued farewell. In about 90 minutes, four short films, two programs and one carnival were presented to express the sense of celebration and the feeling of parting, and to express China's vision of actively building an Asian community and a global community of a shared future.
The beauty of technology also continued to blossom at the closing ceremony of the Games. After the last athletics event ended on Thursday night, the "Big Lotus," quickly dismantled its competition facilities, leaving only a lawn for the closing ceremony stage. This will be the world's first "CNC lawn," pioneered by the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Sha Xiaolan, general director of the closing ceremony, told the media that the lawn hides nearly 40,000 light-emitting points. During the closing ceremony, the lawn changes to complement the performance, producing patterns such as flowers and tides.
Activating the entire performance was the "Asia" logo formed with the help of virtual AR visual effects, which fell into the stadium together with the surging tide of the Qianjiang River, covering the CNC lawn.
Every one of the more than 12,000 athletes at the Asian Games in Hangzhou is a hero. Over the past nearly 20 days, athletes have fought hard on the field. These moving moments were gathered in the closing ceremony short films.
At the same time, unlike any previous games, the athletes' entrance to the closing ceremony was integrated into the youthful and energetic song and dance performance, and the athletes changed from passive "bystanders" to active "participants," no longer only walking through the venue, but playing in their own stage.
The successful running of a large-scale event cannot be achieved without the hard work of volunteers. At the closing ceremony, the actors formed a "river of memories" to welcome the representatives of the volunteers, thanking them for their warmth and friendliness and leaving precious memories for every guests.
The closing ceremony saw Chinese culture continue to exude its charm. Sunday coincides with the day marked as "cold dew" in the Chinese lunar calendar, which is the time of the year when the lotus and laurel alternately open in Hangzhou. As guests bid farewell to Hangzhou, the carnival conveys the timeless friendship of "Flowers for parting friends" and the aspiration of "The lotus and the osmanthus in harmony," leaving a wonderful memory of Hangzhou Asian Games.
Before the closing ceremony at the stadium, Yasodara Dunuwille Koralege, a reporter from Sri Lanka, carefully flipped through the closing ceremony program.
With cherished memories, Yasodara expressed that when she returns to Sri Lanka, she will share her experience of an unparalleled sporting event in China. She said, "It has been a wonderful experience, and Hangzhou welcomes everyone to visit."
The "digital torchbearer" bearing the enthusiasm of over 100 millions of people across Asia at the opening ceremony made a comeback at the closing ceremony. In his "hand heart" gesture, the fireworks of the main torch tower slowly extinguished. The digital man reluctantly looked back, and finally left the main stadium, stepped on the Qiantang River, and ran into the distance.
It is like this, with the "digital torchbearer" carrying tens of thousands of athletes' memories and stories in Hangzhou, the Asian Games are being led toward a broader and brighter future. As Raja Randhir Singh, the acting president of the Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA), stated to the Global Times, "the legacy left by the Hangzhou Asian Games has set a great example for all future major sporting events."
US President Joe Biden said on Monday that the diplomatic sprint through Vietnam and India has "strengthened America's leadership on the global stage." However, it doesn't seem to be welcomed by the American public.
Biden's trip may "ultimately do little to alter his political fortunes back home, where his polling numbers are low" and there might be "a tight race against his predecessor, Donald J. Trump," according to The New York Times on Monday.
Some Senate Democrats even said President Biden's moribund poll numbers are "concerning" and "frustrating," and they are doubtful whether "the White House will change how voters view him before the 2024 election."
While there is still time before the climax of the election, Biden's Asia trip has contributed little to helping him win favor within the US. What the president faces back home is a low approval rating and a host of domestic challenges.
Foreign diplomacy doesn't concern the majority of American voters, nor is it a determinant in the general election, unless there is a major diplomatic crisis linked to domestic issues. Meanwhile, problems of real concern to the American public, such as gun violence, ethnic tensions and government shutdowns, have been left hanging.
Sun Chenghao, a fellow and head of US-EU program at Center for International Security and Strategy in Tsinghua University, believes that "it may be too early to judge the direct impact Biden's diplomatic moves may have on the election or his approval rate."
Nevertheless, the current US foreign diplomacy now seems to completely serve its internal policy. The complex situation of US domestic politics and a variety of challenges have scorched the Biden administration, forcing the president to transfer the pressure through external means, for example, creating geopolitical tensions or diplomatic results, to enhance domestic approval. In this way, foreign relations have become a tool for US politicians in partisan struggle.
When it comes to Biden's rival, Sun added that while Trump has received great attention, it's the group of voters in the middle that will ultimately decide the winner. If this group of people chooses Biden, it may not because they support him, but rather because they cannot accept Trump.
Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, added that "Biden is now trying to prevent Trump from coming to power by taking advantage of people's concerns over Trump, and next year there will be more heated insults. In this way, the internal contradictions in the US will be further radicalized."
At the same time, China-US relations are always a critical issue for both parties in US election. In this regard, Biden has inherited many of Trump's policies toward China, and even further escalated the containment of China, especially in terms of technology blockade.
Although the Biden administration's policy toward China has recently shown a positive signal, the overall tune remains containment. Biden now insists he's not trying to "contain" China, but the high wall is only being built more solid. Taking the defeat of China as the top priority and campaign card will only cause the US to ignore its own internal problems and challenges, waste resources and time, and be plunged into unnecessary confrontation.
The US electoral politics itself has a string of drawbacks since its birth. Under this political election system, a policy may only last for four years, and bipartisan politics will bring about instability in national policy, be it the China policy, or other foreign policies. As a result, other countries will lower the expectations of the US policy.
Over time, the system has deviated from its original design to some extent, including the details of some rules in election, but it is difficult to carry out an overall reform, which has led to the disordered money-oriented politics in the US election.
The ills of unscrupulous American electoral politics is already a cliché, but they seem to be even more troublesome. Against the backdrop of the US exacerbating geopolitical contradictions, the world will pay for the failures of the American political system and party campaign. This will not only fail to resolve America's own problems, but will also backfire and drag the world into the mire. Therefore, no matter who is elected, we hope that the US will put aside its selfish self-interest and zero-sum mentality, stop the "internalization" of foreign diplomacy, and seek for a win-win future.
The growing US' geopolitical competition with Russia and China marks the end of the post-Cold War world order, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, speaking at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies on Wednesday. "What we are experiencing now is more than a test of the post-Cold War order. It's the end of it," he noted. "Decades of relative geopolitical stability have given way to an intensifying competition with authoritarian powers, revisionist powers." This statement appears to be a rallying cry for a "new cold war."
Since the post-Cold War order is coming to an end, what kind of new world order does the US want? Various signs indicate that the US wants major power competition and camp confrontation in order to maintain its global hegemony, even at the expense of the interests of other countries, including allies, and partner nations. However, the reality is that major power competition goes against the trend of the times and cannot solve the US' own problems and the challenges facing the world. It will only further divide the world, leading the world to slide toward a more dangerous cliff edge.
Regarding Blinken's remarks, there are two main points to consider. Firstly, Blinken was creating a sense of crisis in the world. The underlying message to US allies and other countries is that there are challengers, particularly China and Russia, who want to change the existing order. Secondly, Blinken's remarks also reflect a sense of anxiety in the US. The US is attempting to slow down China's rise through strategic competition, while hoping to sustain its hegemony without jeopardizing its own interests. However, it seems that the US has no clear solution to this dilemma.
China is one of the beneficiaries of the existing system and does not seek to challenge or subvert this order. However, the US has viewed any legitimate demand made by China, even those that reflect the reasonable demands of the majority of developing countries, as a challenge and ill-intentioned sabotage.
Xin Qiang, deputy director of the American Studies Center of Fudan University, believes that US irrational crackdown on China will only irritate China and other developing countries. Many developing countries share common demands with China, but the US opposes whatever China proposes and intends to strangle its legitimate right for development. This will ultimately lead to the destruction of the existing international order and be counterproductive to the US' goals.
The US believes that by containing China, it will gain an advantage. However, whatever damage they're doing to China, it also backfires on the US and even the world.
The US now sees China as a competitor and challenger, opposing and obstructing anything that may benefit China, regardless of its impact on the US. This approach not only fails to maintain US hegemony but also leads it further away from the right direction.
Today, the US is embroiled in simultaneous confrontations with China and Russia. The US needs to think carefully, as it will be more difficult to engage in a "new cold war" compared to the previous one. In the 1970s, the US GDP accounted for nearly one-third of the global total, but now it is only one-fourth. Its two major opponents are the nuclear power Russia and the economic powerhouse China. In order to defeat Russia, the US must ultimately dismantle its nuclear deterrence, which would be a thrilling adventure.
As for China, the US is attempting to stifle its development by imposing unlimited technological restrictions, but it is unable to completely decouple from China economically. For the US and its main allies, China is either their largest single trading partner or one of the largest. Today, the US is a reckless strategic aggressor, attempting to unite its relatively weaker strength with its allies to wage a new cold war. It should be noted that the power of US allies has declined significantly, and the unity of the "West" is crippled due to the US transitioning from a "blood donor" to a "vampire".
The current generation of American elites arrogantly seeks to replicate the victory of the Cold War, but they will never succeed. Instead, the US will face a different ending.
Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will be on an official visit to China from September 23 to 30, during which he will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, and meet President Xi Jinping as well as several other leaders. Dahal believes the visit will strengthen and deepen the traditional friendly relations between China and Nepal. Another aim of the visit is to seek further avenues of bilateral cooperation.
On September 7, the first batch of imported goods under the China-Nepal Transit Transport Agreement, consisting of 15 tons of turmeric powder, arrived in the Nepali capital of Kathmandu after transiting through China. The turmeric powder was imported by Nepal from Vietnam and transported to Kathmandu via Tianjin Port in northern China and the Zhangmu-Tatopani border point. Both China and Nepal have positively commented on this achievement. The Nepali side stated that the successful transportation of the first batch of goods under the China-Nepal Transit Transport Agreement signifies the beginning of a transformative journey toward enhanced economic cooperation, increased trade volumes and shared prosperity. Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song noted that the successful implementation of the China-Nepal Transit Transport Agreement will diversify Nepal's international trade and facilitate Nepal's trade with the whole world. In the future, the time and cost of importing and exporting goods via China will be further reduced, which will have a positive impact on Nepal's trade.
In contrast to the substantial progress made by China and Nepal in areas such as cross-border transportation, Nepal has been facing ongoing issues with another neighboring country, India, recently. In May, the Nepali government was infuriated by a mural displayed within the newly inaugurated Indian Parliament building. This mural, titled "Akhand Bharat," included the Chinese Tibet region, parts of Afghanistan, as well as the entire territories of Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. As early as May 2020, India inaugurated a road connecting the Indian mainland to the border region, passing through the disputed territory of Kalapani, which is claimed by Nepal.
In fact, the incidents of the mural and road inauguration reflect the ongoing contestation and counter-control between Nepal and India, which has been a longstanding feature of their relationship. For a long time, India has adopted a paternalistic approach in its policies toward Nepal. While providing some support and assistance, India often resorts to rude and unilateral actions toward Nepal.
Nepal is located north of the Himalayas and is surrounded by Indian territory in the west, south and east. It heavily relies on India for economic and external communication, including the transit of essential goods such as food, medicine and fuel through India. India is Nepal's largest trading partner. In addition to the geographical dependence on India for external connectivity, Nepal is also deeply influenced, and even controlled, by India in political, social and security domains.
However, this has become a bargaining chip for India's attempt to control Nepal. In history, India has repeatedly used the agreement on transit through Nepal as a coercive diplomatic tool, threatening and implementing blockades against Nepal to force the Nepali authorities to adopt domestic and foreign policies that align with India's wishes. This has caused serious dissatisfaction among various levels of Nepali society and the government. Nepal has also actively sought alternative transportation routes to reduce its dependence on India. In 2017, Nepal officially joined the Belt and Road Initiative, which was a clear indication to India that Nepal is a country with the right to make independent choices.
Objective conditions determine that Nepal will continue to rely to varying degrees on the transit routes provided by India in the past, present and future, which means that Nepal cannot completely sever ties with India. In this situation, how to handle relations with India without compromising national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity while ensuring smooth communication between Nepal and the outside world has always been the greatest challenge for Nepal's foreign policy. It is precisely because of this, after Prachanda assumed the position of Prime Minister for the third time, he made his first visit to India.
In contrast, China strictly adheres to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and never interferes in Nepal's internal affairs. All factions in Nepal actively seek development and close relations with China. After assuming the position of Deputy Prime Minister, Narayan Kaji Shrestha stated that the country will "maintain relationships of equi-proximity with both our neighbors," namely China and India, emphasizing that the focus of governance will be on "containing inflation, maintaining reserves, raising capital expenses, narrowing the trade deficit and lowering interest rates" to promote Nepal's economic development. The results of Prachanda's visit are highly anticipated.
Many people say that this round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted quite suddenly, and on the surface, it does seem so. Hamas launched a surprise attack on the Israel's military, catching them off guard and resulting in significant casualties that have shocked the world. Israel's retaliatory actions are bound to lead to more bloodshed and escalation of violence. Even though none of us want to see this happen, it is difficult to prevent it from occurring. International peace efforts are far from strong enough in the face of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is an unavoidable fact and requires a more powerful collective effort from the international community to change it.
From a deeper perspective, this conflict is not sudden and has a certain inevitability. It once again announces to the world, through bloodshed and loss of life, that if fundamental solutions are not implemented for the Palestinian issue, and if the peace process is not promoted, bloodshed and conflict will recur. This is actually quite evident, but it has long been ignored by Western countries that bear the primary responsibility and influence in the Palestinian issue.
For many years, China has repeatedly called on the international community to prioritize the Palestinian issue on the international agenda on major multilateral occasions such as the United Nations. It has emphasized the need to advance the "two-state solution" with a stronger sense of urgency. Not long ago before the outbreak of this conflict, Permanent Mission of China to the UN was still stressing this point. Now, the necessity and urgency have been elevated to another level, given the high cost paid by Palestine, Israel, and the entire Middle East.
It's necessary to recognize that the Israeli-Palestinian issue is a complex conglomerate of problems, and external interference is one of the main reasons why this problem has not been resolved and even intensifies hatred. The bias and interference by Western countries, led by the US, in the Israeli-Palestinian issue have been evident for a long time, and historical Middle East conflicts have often had US involvement behind the scenes. And after the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the quick decision of the US and some Western countries to take sides not only does not help solve the problem but also adds fuel to the fire. Considering the large number of innocent civilians killed and injured in the conflict over the past two days, the immediate priority of the international community should be to urge both sides to cease fire quickly in order to prevent further humanitarian disasters.
A report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development shows that the prolonged closure and military operations carried out by Israel during the occupation of Gaza from 2007 to 2018 have pushed Gaza's economy to the brink of collapse. Today, it has become one of the poorest and most volatile areas in the world. It can be said that this large-scale armed conflict between Palestine and Israel once again proves that the means of seeking absolute security, under the guise of peace by the US and the West, cannot achieve true peace and tranquility. It also exposes the essence of the US new Middle East strategy. We urge the US and other Western countries to stop this practice and truly participate in the Middle East peace process.
Middle East peace is by no means a road without a future. The key is to start walking the right path from now on, rather than taking the wrong path or even going back. According to media reports, this round of conflict between Palestine and Israel has already caused nearly 1,000 deaths and thousands of injuries on both sides. Moreover, the war may also spread to other countries. The latest development is that Israel and the armed group Hezbollah in Lebanon have engaged in a firefight. Many people worry whether this event will eventually lead to the "Sixth Middle East War."
At this moment, the international community should take urgent action. The United Nations issued a statement on October 7, calling it a "dangerous precipice," strongly condemning the attacks on civilians, and calling for an end to violence. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged "all diplomatic efforts to avoid a wider conflagration." The UN Security Council plans to hold a closed-door meeting on the current situation between Palestine and Israel Sunday afternoon local time in New York to discuss solutions. Fundamentally, all parties involved in the Middle East peace process, including Palestine and Israel, must work toward creating conditions for the realization of the "two-state solution."
It has been 50 years since the Fourth Arab-Israeli War (also known as the Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War, October War) and 30 years since the signing of the Oslo Accords. War or peace? The Middle East is once again at a historical crossroads. The international community must take decisive and effective diplomatic actions to urge both sides to stop violence as soon as possible, exercise maximum restraint, and especially prevent the window of opportunity for peace from being closed by conflicts. China has always supported the convening of a larger-scale, more authoritative, and influential international peace conference to create conditions for the resumption of negotiations. This proposal is now more necessary and urgent.
Some of the most influential security discussion platforms in the world provide valuable insights into global events. The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, jointly organized by the UK and Singapore, provides a chance for open debates between the US and China on the Asian agenda. The Munich Security Conference in Germany and the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada are renowned for their roles as weather vane for European security and US foreign policy. The Beijing Xiangshan Forum in China offers a unique opportunity to gain insights into China's security landscape.
The 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum will be held in Beijing from October 29 to 31. It serves as a platform for the rising China to raise its voice, allowing the outside world to understand its global strategic direction and its strategic mentality.
In 2004, when I established a connection with the People's Liberation Army Academy of Military Science (AMS), I was working as a researcher at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, focusing on Chinese military research and communication. My research has developed through academic exchanges with AMS. I attended the first Xiangshan Forum in 2006 and have not missed a single forum since then. I have also had the privilege of speaking at panel sessions of the Xiangshan Forum and writing commentaries on forum topics for Chinese and foreign newspapers and magazines. Even during the pandemic, I continued to participate in expert video conferences organized by the Xiangshan Forum. I have closely followed the forum's development and growth.
The Xiangshan Forum has significantly expanded the vision of China's defense diplomacy and has become a prominent symbol of its military diplomacy. The forum covers a wide range of topics, including cutting-edge subjects such as the application of artificial intelligence in defense, as well as addressing hot-spot and sensitive issues. Since the start of the forums, the level of attendees has steadily increased, and the scale of the forum has expanded over time. The organization of the event, including personnel, has also become more refined. Most importantly, the strategic significance of the Xiangshan Forum is increasingly prominent. China's willingness to contribute to regional peace and security is continuously transmitting positive influence to the world.
The development of the Xiangshan Forum can be divided into three stages. The first stage, from 2006 to 2014, involved biennial dual-track expert-oriented conferences. The second stage, from 2015 to 2022, the forum was held annually and transformed to an annual "1.5-track" semi-public conference, starting from the sixth forum. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several meetings were held virtually. Now, with the upcoming 10th forum in 2023, it is time to enter the third stage, establish a new position and explore new roles.
For the future development of the Xiangshan Forum, I would like to propose the following.
On a macro level, I hope that the forum can serve not only as a platform for dialogue and debate but also as a hub for value exchange. The Xiangshan Forum has now become the highest-level and largest-scale "1.5 track" security dialogue hosted by China, which also means that it has become a touchstone for the world to understand the breadth and depth of China's influence. Therefore, the Xiangshan Forum should provide opinions and solutions on regional hotspots and other issues through its own discourse, and contribute to the realization of a secure world. Additionally, by proactively discussing forward-looking topics, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum can foster a virtuous circle of regional security through healthy discourse competition.
In terms of format, special events can be organized to shed light on China's defense, such as introducing China's defense white paper, defense budget as well as the status quo and role of UN peacekeeping operations. Furthermore, more countries that have shown an interest in China's military transparency can be invited and high-level delegations should be encouraged to participate. Lastly, the forum could organize a foreign expert evaluation meeting at the conclusion of the event. Their evaluations and suggestions will enrich the content of future forums.
China is going global, from the economic realm to the security field. This naturally leads to a healthy competition for discourse dominance between major powers. Of course, it has not been smooth sailing for China to promote high-quality discourse competition. The more difficulties it faces, the more it needs a mature dialogue platform. The Beijing Xiangshan Forum can become a platform that utilizes international wisdom and capabilities to propose solutions. We anticipate its greater role in establishing predictable and sustainable trust. For the future development of the Xiangshan Forum, I hope its discourse fragrance remains neither overpowering nor weak, but rather lingers and extends into the distance.
Huawei launched new products ranging from smart screens, the MatePad and watches to the new Harmony OS NEXT system at a highly anticipated event in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province on Monday, making a high-profile comeback to the market amid reported a chip breakthrough and years-long US sanctions.
While the event did not reveal the details of the closely watched Mate 60 series, consumers are still enthusiastic about the release, viewing it as a symbolic moment for the Chinese tech giant to regain lost ground in the consumer business and move forward to rival industry giants such as Apple.
The company flooded major Chinese social media platforms under hashtags such as #FarAhead, since the surprisingly presale of the Mate 60 series on August 29. The series has since become a big seller across the country.
The Monday launch event intensified the fanfare across the country, attracting live broadcasts and livestreaming by more than 100 media outlets. Audiences are also crying out "Far Ahead Rivals" in each product announcement on-site.
Yu Chengdong, CEO of the Huawei Consumer Business Group, said at the opening that the company is ramping up efforts and working overtime to produce its devices, fulfilling market demand for the newly released handsets. "Thanks to Chinese consumers' all-out support to Huawei," Yu said.
Previously, some anticipated a formal detailing of the phone's specs - in particular, the chipsets in the Mate 60 series - at the Monday event, which reportedly utilizes the Kirin 9000s chip, featuring either 7-nanometer (nm) or 5-nm process technology.
Huawei has kept tight-lipped about the capabilities of the chip. But industry analysts believe that the handset shows that the US-sanctioned tech giant has finally found a way through and will welcome its magnificent turnaround after years of hard struggles, especially in the high-end smartphone market.
Demand for the Mate 60 Pro has been strong since its surprising launch on August 29, and the shipment plan for the second half of 2023 has increased by about 20 percent to 5.5-6 million units. Based on this market trend, cumulative shipments of the Mate 60 Pro are expected to reach at least 12 million units within 12 months after the launch, Kuo Ming-Chi, an analyst at TF International Securities, said in a note.
Huawei's "undeniable influence" on industries and stock markets is coming back, Kuo said. He noted that Huawei's comeback is actually a good thing for consumers. It can force Apple to step out of its comfort zone and innovate more aggressively.
At a time when mobile phone consumption is relatively sluggish, the return of Huawei's high-end mobile phones is a landmark event for the bottoming out of the mobile phone consumer market, Adela Guo, a research director at IDC Asia Pacific, told the Global Times on Monday.
In the short term, it is expected to drive an upsurge in the domestic mobile phone consumer market. It will also make competition in the high-end mobile phone market more intense, Guo said.
Monday also marked two years since the return of Meng Wanzhou in 2021. Meng, now a rotating chairperson of Huawei, was arrested by Canadian authorities in December 2018 at the request of the US government.
Some netizens said a stronger Huawei returning to the center stage of global tech innovation may be considered as "a slap in the face" to the US government's ruthless suppression and attack on the leading Chinese tech company, especially as the planned event date marked second anniversary of Meng's safe return from Canada to China.
"Huawei's mobile phone business, which has been unreasonably suppressed for more than three years, has broken through major obstacles and been completely rebuilt. We can see that all the Huawei partners, Huawei fans and the media are quite excited with a festive atmosphere on scene," Jiang Junmu, a Shanghai-based veteran industry expert and close follower of Huawei, told the Global Times on Monday.
Huawei also unveiled the latest progress of its self-developed operating system HarmonyOS at the event, with the new release of Harmony OS NEXT.
"A coordination of software and hardware will help Huawei construct a more perfect, complete system that will help it return to the international market," Jiang said.
There are now more than 30 operating systems in China that are based on HarmonyOS open source, covering industry terminals, mobile phones, tablets and home terminals. In total, there are approximately 600 million users, ranking third in the world, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said in a recent interview with Liu Yadong, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Nankai University.
Ren said that if China establishes its own standard system, it will definitely be better than that of the US.
Ren compared the system to "clothes," saying that the US clothes were mended again and again, and there were patches everywhere. But Huawei has made new "clothes" in recent years. "We will directly make standards better than those in the US. In addition to being used in China, it is used all over the world," Ren said.
Huawei may encounter more difficulties, but at the same time it becomes more prosperous, Ren said.
Esports, or electronic sports, made an historic debut as medaled events at the Hangzhou Asian Games, and behind the games is a thriving billion-dollar industry.
As a newcomer to the Asian Games, esports competitions have become a blockbuster. Most of the esports match tickets were sold out instantly, and some people even took part in a ticket lottery to win a chance to watch the games live.
Teams from more than 30 countries and regions in Asia are participating in seven major esports competitions, including five videogames and two mobile games.
Of all the esports events at the Asian Games, League of Legends, run by China's tech giant Tencent, has the biggest crowd. The esports game has developed a sports league system globally, and in China, internet giants such as JD.com and Weibo.com have formed their own teams.
At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, esports first stepped onto the stage as demonstration sports. The heat of the games already surpassed most of the traditional sports, and this year in Hangzhou, we could expect the games to have a World Cup level of attention, especially in the League of Legends event, Liu Dingding, a Beijing-based veteran tech analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
A host of international brands including Mercedes-Benz, Coca-Cola and Puma have realized the commercial value of esports, and they have increased investment in this field and sponsored esports tournaments, including LPL.
China's esports industry is leading the world. In the gaming sector, games such as League of Legends, Genshin Impact and Honor of Kings are growing in both the domestic and overseas markets, bringing billions of profits to fuel the industry, said Liu.
Personal computer manufacturer Lenovo has provided the Asian Games with computers and developed a Lenovo esports operation and maintenance platform to support the event.
As a fledgling sport, esports has surpassed many of its predecessors commercially. In 2022, China's esports industry generated revenues of 144.5 billion yuan ($19.8 billion).
In the first half of 2023, the figure reached 76 billion yuan, with 487 million players and viewers, according to a report by the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association.
