PLA Holds Joint Drills Around Taiwan Following Separatist Lai’s Provocative ‘Stopovers’ In US
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) announced on Saturday that it is holding a joint exercise around the island of Taiwan, following the return of the island’s separatist deputy regional leader Lai Ching-te from his “stopovers” in the US. Military exercises serve as countermeasures to secessionist activities, and the more separatists provoke, the dimmer a peaceful future is for the island of Taiwan, observers said. The PLA Eastern Theater Command is holding a sea and air joint combat readiness alert patrol and a joint training exercise involving naval and aviation forces on Saturday, said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesperson at the PLA Eastern Theater Command, in a press release on the day. In a move to test the troops’ actual capabilities in joint operations, the exercise focuses on training subjects including vessel-aircraft integration and seizing control, Shi said.
Source: Global Times
China Urges US To Revoke Sanctions Related To Steel and Aluminium
China has urged the United States to promptly revoke its Section 232 tariff measures related to steel and aluminium that violate the World Trade Organization rules and collaborate with other WTO members to collectively uphold the rules-centred multilateral trading system, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Wednesday. The commerce ministry said it has taken notice of the WTO panel report regarding China’s countermeasures against the U.S. Section 232 tariff measures related to steel and aluminium. The head of the ministry’s Department of Treaty and Law said China is studying the report and will follow up on it in accordance with WTO rules. Starting from March 2018, the U.S. has broadened the interpretation of “national security” and enforced tariffs on steel and aluminium goods shipped to the U.S. by numerous WTO members, which includes China, said the official. These actions have stirred widespread discontent, leading China and several other WTO members to turn to the WTO’s dispute resolution mechanism. By December 2022, the WTO had determined that these U.S. measures were in violation of WTO regulations, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Source:ECNS
Ministry Promotes Patriotic Education With ‘Red Tourism’ For Students
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has launched a three-year campaign to promote ‘Red Tourism’ for better patriotic education among students. ‘Red Tourism’ is a type of tourism that involves visiting historical sites and museums related to the communist movement. It is very popular in China, where it is seen as a way to promote patriotism and educate the public about the history of the Communist Party of China. The campaign, which will run from 2023 to 2025, aims to develop 100 quality classes that involve study tours to ‘Red Tourism’ sites, establish 1,000 Red study tour routes, organize 10,000 ‘Red Tourism’ promotion sessions, and cover 100 million students in various schools. Specifically, the tourism ministry will introduce a group of exemplary study tour programs, and organise colleges specialised in tourism management to produce documentaries on ‘Red Tourism’ sites as part of their curricula. College students are also invited to come up with ideas to promote the ‘Red Tourism’ sector. Meanwhile, the tourism ministry will encourage elementary and middle school students to visit ‘Red Tourism’ locations that appeared on their Chinese-language textbooks. For the tourism industry workers, the ministry will upgrade the infrastructures at ‘Red Tourism’ sites and use new technologies such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence to develop immersive experiences for the proposed study tour programs.
Source: China Daily
China’s Top Political Advisory Body Holds Leadership Meeting
The 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body, held its seventh Chairperson’s Council meeting in Beijing on Friday. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over the meeting and delivered remarks. Wang called on the CPPCC National Committee to carry out in-depth research and studies, actively engage in consultations and deliberations, and contribute wisdom and strength to delivering sound economic development. Efforts should be made to focus on the country’s overall diplomatic agenda, actively fulfil the CPPCC’s role in diplomatic exchanges, and encourage CPPCC members to tell China’s stories well, said Wang. Wang also urged the CPPCC National Committee to bring to the table more good proposals and plans for safeguarding national security.
Source: Xinhua
China, France Vow To Promote Bilateral Relations To A New High
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his French counterpart Catherine Colonna on Friday talked over the phone about deepening bilateral cooperation and promoting bilateral relations to a new high. Since the beginning of this year, China-France relations have maintained a sound development momentum, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China in April was a complete success, he said, adding that the two heads of state engaged in in-depth strategic communication and charted a blueprint for developing bilateral relations. Noting that next year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, he said China stands ready to work with France to take this opportunity to implement the consensus reached by the two leaders, comprehensively restart exchanges in all fields, and at all levels, make up for the losses caused by the pandemic, and push the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership to a new high.
Source: CGTN
Humanoid Robots Steal Spotlight At World Robot Conference In Beijing
Chinese tech companies are venturing into human-like robotics in an attempt to cash in on the huge market opportunities in the coming years. At the weeklong World Robot Conference 2023 (WRC 2023) in Beijing, which began Wednesday, eager attendees were treated to a remarkable display of cutting-edge robotic prowess. The humanoids arguably took centre-stage, astonishing enthralled visitors with mesmerizing dance routines, jaw-dropping somersaults, and meticulously choreographed hand gestures. Among more than a dozen humanoid showpieces, many eyes were on Unitree H1, a 1.8-meter, 47-kilogram and laser-radar-equipped humanoid that can move over 1.5 meters per second. Its maximum knee joint torque reaches 360 newton-metres and the single leg has five degrees of freedom, according to the Hangzhou-based robotics startup whose machines were featured at the opening ceremony of 2022 Winter Olympics and the pre-game performance of 2023 Super Bowl. A demo clip played at the booth showed that this lanky, futuristic robot was capable of restoring balance within two steps in the wake of an abrupt kicking assault, and it could even slightly sidestep in advance after sensing a human evaluator’s foot-lifting intention.
Source: People’s Daily
