The Asia-Pacifc-6E, or the APStar-6E, China's first all-electric propulsion communication satellite, has successfully passed in-orbit technology verification and ground station technology reviews in Hong Kong, which means the satellite has become fully operational after having successfully passed all in-orbit tests, according to spacecraft manufacturer China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) on Monday.
As of Monday, all tests outlined in the in-orbit testing protocol were completed successfully. The payload of the APStar-6E is functioning normally, with performance consistent with ground test results, meeting contractual specifications and in-orbit operational requirements, the CGWIC told the Global Times on Monday in a statement.
Both sets of Hall/Ion electric propulsion systems on the platform met the station-keeping requirements, read the statement.
By providing highly cost-effective, high-throughput broadband satellite resources, the APStar-6E will aid the development of the regional information industry and address the digital divide faced by developing areas, according to the CGWIC.
Developed by the China Academy of Spacecraft Technology using the DFH-3E satellite platform, the APStar-6E is the first satellite of its kind.
The APStar-6E is operated by Hong Kong-based APT Mobile Satcom Limited and managed by APT Satellite Company Limited. The APStar-6E focuses on the Southeast Asian market, providing high-capacity, cost-effective broadband communication services to the region.
The APStar-6E communication satellite and its independent propulsion module were successfully launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on January 13, 2023.
After separating from the propulsion module on January 23 of the same year, the satellite used its onboard Hall/Ion dual electric propulsion systems to autonomously change orbits, reaching geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and positioning at its test location on June 10, 2024.
The APStar-6E satellite is the new generation of all-electric propulsion commercial satellites in the DFH series, and is also the first Chinese satellite to achieve autonomous orbit transfer.
After reaching the GEO, the in-orbit testing of the APStar-6E proceeded smoothly. Following the completion of the first phase of in-orbit testing on July 9, 2024, the satellite was repositioned to its operational slot at 134°E, co-located with the APStar-6C and APStar-6D.
It is equipped with 25 Ku-band user beams and 3 Ka-band gateway beams, with a communication capacity of approximately 30 Gbps and an in-orbit lifespan of 15 years.
The successful operation of the APStar-6E is significant for achieving high-capacity and low-cost satellite platforms, enhancing the international competitiveness of China's communication satellite platforms, realizing fully autonomous orbit raising and long-term autonomous operations, and improving the intelligent autonomy of China's satellite platforms, according to the CGWIC.
CGWIC, a subsidiary of the state-owned space giant China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), has conducted 13 in-orbit delivery communications satellite programs for international customers so far, and has delivered its communications satellite system to multiple countries and regions including Nigeria, Venezuela, Pakistan, Bolivia, Laos, Belarus and Algeria, the Global Times has learned.
Senior government officials and scholars from more than 110 countries and 30 international organizations gathered in Beijing at the second High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development on Friday, where they highly praised China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), saying that it’s bringing a new model of sustainable development cooperation that better aligns with the interests and demands of Global South countries.
Under the GDI, China has brought tangible benefits to their countries’ economic and societal development on the basis of mutual respect, participants at the conference said, which are showcased not only in funding, creating job opportunities, and alleviating poverty, but also in upgrading their industries and addressing climate change.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony on Friday, as he elaborated on the achievements made in the past three years since the initiative was proposed in 2021. By far, more than 80 countries have joined the “Group of Friends” of the GDI, with more than 40 countries and international institutions signing cooperation memoranda of understanding with China.
During last year’s high-level conference, China announced the establishment of a global project pool and raised a special development fund to support it. To date, the pool includes over 1,000 projects, with more than 500 projects completed or underway.
China will continue to expand the pool and increase its funding, prioritizing “small and beautiful” livelihood projects, said Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
In the context of a turbulent world with global economic recovery facing setbacks and the gap between the Global North and South continuing to widen, China, as a member of the Global South, firmly stands with developing countries, the top diplomat noted.
“We advocate for the advancement of dialogue and cooperation between the Global South and North, and we call on developed countries to fulfill their commitments and provide more effective and targeted support to developing countries,” Wang said.
Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu Charlot Salwai, who is visiting China from July 7-12, attended the conference, where he said the GDI “ushered in a beam of hope for global development.” Three years on, Vanuatu has become a true beneficiary of this great initiative, Salwai said.
Thanks to the joint efforts by the two sides, the total value of trade between China and Vanuatu in 2023 reached $138 million, up by 27 percent year on year. “Although the world faces increasing uncertainties and instabilities, Vanuatu will always trust China as a reliable development partner,” the Salwai said.
During a panel on the sidelines of the conference on Friday, Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, explained his “passion and sincerity” for voicing for the Global South.
“The United States, my country, has many strange ideas. That's part of the reason for the division in the world … The whole idea that we're in some kind of confrontation is a profound misunderstanding,” Sachs noted.
“The US has these two big oceans that separate it from the rest of the world, and from knowledge – they don't understand. So my first advice is that [US] congressman should get a passport and go see the world and visit these beautiful countries represented on stage here, then we would have a different kind of world,” he continued.
It is “ironic and notable” to see China hosting this “great forum” while in Washington, they are having the NATO Summit, which “is never going to solve anything: what is NATO going to solve except the waste of money and lives?” Sachs told the media at the panel.
In response to Western hypes about China’s cooperation with the Global South countries is a way to “assert influence,” Hamad Al Hosani, researcher at TRENDS Research and Advisory, a think tank from the United Arab Emirates, told the Global Times, and said his country never sees it that way.
“China’s focus is on trade and investment, economy, technology, and we need China to help find solutions to many problems we’re having today. They don’t use guns and violence, and it’s not about politics,” Hosani said.
China strongly condemns the extremely irresponsible and provocative remarks made by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that were characterized by a Cold War mentality, blame shifting, and shirking responsibility on the Ukraine issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday.
On Thursday, Stoltenberg reiterated at the closing press conference of the NATO summit that NATO defines China as a "decisive enabler" of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and claimed that China has adopted more aggressive actions in its Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the South China Sea, Taiwan and neighboring countries, and is conducting a large-scale military build-up in a non-transparent fashion.
Lin noted that Stoltenberg's remarks were filled with ideological prejudice, reversing right and wrong, maliciously attacking China's political system, openly interfering in China's internal affairs, and maliciously distorting China's domestic and foreign policies.
Stoltenberg's remarks also shift blame and shirk responsibility on the Ukraine issue, misleading the international community's perception of China's normal military development and its relations with outside countries. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this, said Lin.
Lin said that Stoltenberg has repeatedly ignored facts and China's repeated representations, using various occasions to smear and attack China, promoting the "China threat" narrative, and inciting anti-China sentiment. His intentions to cooperate with certain forces in suppressing and containing China has been fully exposed.
Such clumsy performances cannot help but arouse the world's vigilance and fully demonstrate that NATO, as a remnant of the Cold War and a product of bloc confrontation and group politics, only creates risks and challenges to world peace and stability, Lin said.
Lin said that certain Western politicians, who are nearing the end of their political careers, should not to attempt to leave a legacy through fanning the flames, provoking trouble, and shifting blame onto others.
China will firmly follow the path of peaceful development, injecting stability and positive energy into world peace and stability through its own development and international cooperation. At the same time, it will firmly safeguard its own sovereignty, development, and security interests. Viewing China as an "imaginary enemy" will ultimately lead NATO to reap what it has sown, Lin noted.
China on Thursday also voiced strong opposition and lodged stern representations on Thursday with NATO after it issued a direct warning to China for the first time regarding the so-called support to Russia in the Ukraine crisis.
Leaders of NATO's 32 members held a three-day summit in Washington, DC from Tuesday to Thursday. And for the third year in a row, the leaders of New Zealand, Japan and South Korea attended the summit as observers.
According to reports, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday, and both sides expressed hope that Japan and South Korea can maintain close cooperation with NATO.
Lin said at the Friday press conference that NATO, led by the US, as a remnant of the Cold War and the world's largest military alliance, claims to be a regional and defensive organization while continuously creating regional tensions and promoting bloc confrontation. It seeks excuses to strengthen its ties with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, which has aroused high vigilance among regional countries.
The Northeast Asia region, having suffered from the ravages of war, military standoff, and bloc confrontation, deeply understands the value of peaceful coexistence, solidarity, cooperation, and mutual benefit. The current state of peace, cooperation, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, including Northeast Asia, is the result of the joint efforts of regional countries, said Lin.
The Asia-Pacific does not need military alliances, nor does it need "small circles" that provoke great power confrontation and instigate a new Cold War, said the spokesperson.
We hope that regional countries will adhere to the path of Asia-Pacific cooperation, play a constructive role in maintaining and promoting peace, stability, and development in the region and the world, and refrain from acting as the vanguard for NATO's expansion to Asia-Pacific, Lin said.
For the first time, astronomers have spotted a middleweight black hole in the nearby universe. The discovery could help solve the riddle of how even heftier black holes form and grow up with their host galaxies.
The black hole, which sits about 16,000 light-years from Earth in the center of star cluster Omega Centauri, is at least 8,200 times as massive as the sun, putting it squarely in a rare category of intermediate-mass black holes, researchers report July 10 in Nature. Most of the black holes astronomers have detected fall into one of two categories. They’re either stellar-mass black holes, with masses up to about 100 times that of the sun, or supermassive black holes, which reside in the centers of galaxies and clock in at hundreds of thousands to billions of times the mass of the sun.
Black holes with masses in the middle could help span the gap between the two categories and explain how the supermassive ones got so big. But these black holes are a little like Bigfoot: There have been many claimed sightings, but most turn out not to be real (SN: 2/8/17).
“There’s this rather wide mass range, between 100 and 100,000 solar masses, where there are only very few detections,” says astronomer Maximilian Häberle of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany. “It’s interesting to find out whether they are there, and we just don’t see them because they are hard to detect. Or maybe there’s also a reason why they don’t exist at all.”
One reason to think midsized black holes should exist is because the supermassive black holes astronomers have spotted in the early universe didn’t have time to grow so big if they were just eating gas and stars like black holes do today (SN: 1/18/21). If those black holes grew from mergers of intermediate-mass seeds, that could solve the puzzle (SN: 6/2/23).
“It’s like a missing link that is needed to explain the existence of the supermassive black holes,” says Texas-based astronomer and data scientist Eva Noyola, who was not involved in the new work. “If it’s proven that [intermediate-mass black holes] happen in dense stellar clusters, you have a solution there that’s pretty elegant and simple.”
So astronomers have been hunting for midsize black holes for decades, and searching Omega Centauri specifically since at least 2008. As the most massive cluster of stars in the Milky Way, it’s a relatively easy spot to search, and it may be the remnant core of another galaxy that merged with the Milky Way about 10 billion years ago (SN: 11/1/18).
“It’s basically a galactic nucleus frozen in time,” says study coauthor Nadine Neumayer, also of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy. Its black hole could be representative of all small galaxies’ black holes 10 billion years ago. “It tells us immediately something about the seed mass for black holes.”
But previous studies left it unclear whether Omega Centauri hosted a single medium-size black hole, or a bunch of smaller black holes close together.
Using 20 years of Hubble Space Telescope observations, Hӓberle and colleagues tracked the motions of 1.4 million individual stars in the cluster and searched for stars moving faster than expected.
The team found seven stars zipping around the innermost regions of the cluster at speeds between 66 and 113 kilometers per second — speeds that should have rocketed the stars out of the cluster altogether. The only way those stars could remain in the cluster is if a single massive object is holding them close, the team concludes.
The observations of superfast stars, combined with other observations through the years, should resolve the debate about the black hole in Omega Centauri, says Noyola, who was on the team that first claimed to see the black hole in 2008 and faced skepticism when they reported the result.
It wasn’t until over a decade later that astronomers nabbed undeniable evidence of an intermediate mass black hole. The first solid detection came from the LIGO gravitational wave observatory, which recorded ripples in spacetime shaken off after two smaller black holes merged to form a single black hole with about 142 solar masses (SN: 9/2/20). But that collision occurred about 17 billion light-years from Earth, making it challenging to study.
Omega Centauri’s black hole has two advantages over that one, from an astronomer’s perspective: It’s in our galactic neighborhood, and astronomers can continue to observe it. Hӓberle and his colleagues are planning to use the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, to get more information on the orbiting stars’ speeds, which will let them put better limits on the black hole’s mass.
Another group, led by astrophysicist Oleg Kargaltsev at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., is using JWST to look for light emitted by super-hot gas flowing into the black hole.
“It will be a completely independent, very different method of proving that there is an intermediate-mass black hole,” Kargaltsev says.
A violent incident at a concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow resulted in the death of at least 137 individuals and left over 100 injured. The assailants used automatic firearms during the incident and utilized an inflammable substance to start a blaze.
Analysts have noted that this is one of the most severe terrorist attacks Russia has faced in over a decade.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the capture of all four assailants responsible for the onslaught, stating that everyone involved in the act, from those who carried it out to those who organized and funded it, will face consequences.
More than 30 hours after the tragic event, those who experienced the ordeal are still deeply shaken. Several Chinese residents in Russia have shared their close encounters and emotions regarding the terror attack with the Global Times.
This story is part of the Global Times' series "Witness to history," which features first-hand accounts from witnesses who were at the forefront of historic moments. From scholars, politicians, and diplomats to ordinary citizens, their authentic reflections on the impact of historic moments help reveal a sound future for humanity through the solid steps forward taken in the past and the present. Moscow's streets on Friday night were bustling with traffic and crowded with people preparing for the upcoming weekend.
For Chinese student Chen Yiming, this was supposed to be a good opportunity to unwind in the Russian capital.
Chen is a student at Saint Petersburg State University. On that Friday, he returned from a short trip to Armenia and arrived in Moscow, ready to transfer back to Saint Petersburg.
He visited Crocus City Hall, a spectacular complex stretching 1.2 kilometers with four floors housing restaurants, entertainment, and shopping, bustling with activity in Krasnogorsk, in the northwest of Moscow. Chen intended to enjoy a meal at a restaurant on the fourth floor, unaware that the wheels of fate were already turning.
As he browsed the menu, pondering his meal choice, a deafening explosion shattered the peace, too loud to ignore, unsettling everyone around.
Chen sensed it might be a drone attack. With Ukraine's repeated drone strikes on Moscow, this thought was not unfounded.
However, the continuous sound of gunfire soon made him realize it was not a drone but actual shooting. Panic spread, and the crowd in the mall began to scatter in chaos, with no one knowing what exactly was happening or where to flee.
Following the crowd, Chen rushed outside, filled with fear and uncertainty, witnessing people falling, screaming, and some lying on the ground. He followed the crowd toward a nearby bridge, thinking it might be safer.
"The gunfire lasted about 10 minutes," he recalled.
About ten minutes later, through social media, Chen knew the truth - the mall's concert hall had been attacked.
After the initial shock, the gravity of the situation finally donned on him, as such terror attacks are extremely rare in Russia, only seen in movies.
Police quickly arrived at the scene, about 10 to 20 minutes after the incident. The sound of helicopters added to the tense atmosphere.
Chen took the opportunity to leave, fortunately catching a free taxi ride.
Chen was not the only Chinese person close to the attack.
A Chinese person surnamed He from North China's Hebei Province, was also right in the concert hall and witnessed the attack.
He, a pianist who won international competitions for China, had been invited to perform at the concert. He was sitting at the back, listening to the performance, when armed attackers disrupted the venue, causing chaos.
He immediately hid under his seat, trying to stay silent amid the turmoil and screams. He saw the attackers' entry through the gaps in the seats, hearing live gunfire for the first time in his life, according to a report published by Chongqing News.
After a period of chaos and tension, police took control, and he was then safely escorted back to his school.
Tragically, his Russian friend, a girl, was not so fortunate. It is reported that the girl left the concert hall to go to the restroom midway through the event, where she unfortunately encountered the armed assailant and tragically lost her life.
Other survivors also recounted their escape experiences through various means.
One survivor said that the security staff directed people into a boiler room where water tanks or fire hose boxes were stored, with about 50 people hiding there, The Beijing News reported.
The survivor said that they used water from the fire hydrants to wet their clothes to cover their faces, sat on the floor to remain as low as possible. He recalled that subsequently, rescuers broke into the boiler room, the survivors inside responded, and they all fled together.
Another survivor mentioned that she was injured and fell to the ground, managing to survive by playing dead. She waited until the terrorists left before crawling out of the concert hall.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday all four gunmen in the Moscow terrorist attack were arrested. Putin, addressing the nation, said that all those responsible for the deadly attack would be punished. He also ordered that March 24 be a nationwide day of mourning. Bonding of community
In the southwest part of Moscow, Xu Wenteng was live-streaming on TikTok as usual, sharing daily activities as a Chinese Volunteer Union in Russia.
However, that night turned out to be so different.
During the live stream, Xu, the president of the association, received a message about a terrorist attack in western Moscow. The sudden news disrupted the live stream's flow and Xu's peace of mind.
His live stream quickly turned from routine to a hub of urgent news update. With the help of the Chinese community in Moscow and Russian friends, he began to report the latest developments of the incident to his audience.
That night, his live stream became an information center, with the Chinese residents in Russia and netizens sharing information, helping each other understand the situation.
Despite the attack happening far from his residence in the southwest district, he immediately worried about his niece and family, and fortunately was relieved to learn of their safety.
The familiarity of the attack location deeply affected Xu. "It was a gathering of young people," he told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, during the live stream, he used his two-decade experience in Moscow to advise calmness, especially when the situation was unclear, recalling past incidents and emphasizing staying informed through official news sources.
Even though the intense discussion temporarily choked his live stream, Xu continued to communicate with the Chinese community in Russia through various channels, sharing real-time information and offering assistance.
After the attack, he saw increased security in Moscow, with more police at important sites like Red Square, but he remained vigilant, believing that the act was organized and deliberate.
Xu knew that such events could shock recent Chinese arrivals and those new to Moscow. He specially conveyed reassurance to anxious parents in China, urging them to avoid spreading panic and unfounded rumors, and to not spread anxiety to their children in Russia.
China strongly condemns terrorist attacks, and firmly supports Russia in safeguarding its national security and stability, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Saturday.
The spokesperson said China opposes all forms of terrorism, strongly condemns terrorist attacks, and firmly supports Russia in safeguarding its national security and stability.
Preciousness of national stability
Chen spent the following Saturday indoors in central Moscow, only going out to eat. He is still feeling tense but not seeking embassy assistance, considering his situation manageable.
For safety, his university in Saint Petersburg decided to suspend classes for the next week.
The attack also caused flight prices to spike. The prices of direct flights from Moscow back to China surged over the weekend. The direct flight tickets from Moscow to Beijing on March 24 were all priced at more than 10,000 yuan ($1,383), with only a small number of tickets available. Air China's Moscow-Beijing flight had only first-class tickets priced at over 50,000 yuan left, media said.
However, Chen had no immediate plans to return home. Despite the foreign environment and the sudden panic and chaos, he felt a growing inner calmness, choosing to stay in Russia to continue his studies and life.
Survivor He who escaped the concert hall has also resumed his studies at school, taking Russian language courses online. He, too, expressed his intention to stay in Russia to continue his education and to prepare for his dream of participating in the Chopin Piano Competition.
Moscow's streets, once lively, were shrouded in a thin layer of gloom. Following the attack, the city center, including the Red Square, was closed on Saturday, but tour groups still visited nearby, and some tourists took photos from behind the fences.
In a video clip Xu sent to the Global Times, a group of middle-aged and elderly tourists shouted together in front of the Saint Basil's Cathedral on Red Square, "Today is March 23rd, Moscow is very safe."
While going out, Chen noticed a significant reduction in traffic and pedestrians compared to the previous day's hustle and bustle, with increased police patrols. Some public places were closed, while some others are still open.
He remembered the scenes of helplessness, fear, and desperate attempts to escape during the attack, haunting his thoughts. However, as time passed, his fear was gradually replaced by rationality.
On Sina Weibo, he wrote, "The explosion last night is still fresh on my mind, reminding me of life's unpredictability and the preciousness of national stability and unity. I hope everyone stays healthy and safe."
Many netizens also expressed their concerns for his safety and wished him an early return home.
On Sunday morning, in a WeChat group of the Russian Chinese community, an elderly Chinese resident in Moscow posted a warning about the possible still-at-large terrorists, advising caution and reduced outings.
This message brought some reassurance to the community, knowing they were not alone and unsupported.
After the Philippines repeatedly denied the "Gentleman's Agreement" and was later refuted by China with solid evidence, Manila has started a new political performance. On Wednesday, around 200 people on board five commercial fishing vessels set off from the Philippines, sailing toward the waters of Huangyan Dao under the banner of "defending rights," with an expected arrival on Thursday. The Philippine government has dispatched coast guard ships to escort this so-called "civilian fleet," and some Western media outlets have quickly picked up the story. This well-coordinated and professional approach is something we have seen in several previous incidents where the Philippines has stirred up trouble in the South China Sea.
Before departing, the Philippine Coast Guard deliberately emphasized that they have "nothing to do with the Philippine government," while the organizers loudly proclaimed their actions to be "civilian" and "peaceful." Such strenuous preparation has just given themselves away, revealing they know well that the move to challenge Huangyan Dao is neither a civilian action nor a peaceful one. What they are truly doing is using Philippine "fishermen" as a backdrop to provoke incidents, attempting to interfere with the normal law enforcement of the China Coast Guard and the regular fishing activities of Chinese fishermen. At the same time, they aim to gain sympathy from the international community through Western media, smear China, and incite a new round of friction or even confrontation between China and the Philippines at Huangyan Dao.
Noticeably, the so-called "civilian organization" behind this activity is far from being genuinely civilian. Its spokesperson previously publicly stated that all of the organization's activities are supported by the Philippine military. Additionally, media reports have revealed that this organization is funded by relevant American institutions. Therefore, this show is actually another act in the US' Project Myoushu in the South China Sea. Through this project, the US aims to increase its interference in the South China Sea situation, smear the law-enforcement actions of the China Coast Guard, encourage relevant countries in the South China Sea region to adopt a tough stance against China, and undermine the peaceful situation that China and other regional countries have been striving to establish. Thus, although this organization deliberately downplays its political nature on its website, it is essentially a business deal between Filipino politicians and Washington.
Huangyan Dao has always been China's territory. China has indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and its adjacent waters. China, as a party with absolute advantages in all aspects, has shown enough goodwill and patience toward the Philippines. China made a goodwill arrangement in 2016 for Filipino fishermen to fish with a small number of small fishing boats in the adjacent waters of Huangyan Dao, while China continues to oversee and monitor relevant activities of the Filipino fishermen in accordance with law. China has shown its utmost patience and tolerance toward the Philippines.
On one hand, the current Philippine government has accepted China's goodwill arrangement, but on the other hand, it greedily attempts to seize more benefits. It has used the urgent desire of the US to intervene in the South China Sea situation to support itself. China has always been against bullying small countries by big powers, but it will not accept any political blackmail from any country. Regarding the Philippines' show on Huangyan Dao, China has issued a clear warning: "If the Philippines abuses China's goodwill and infringes upon China's territorial sovereignty and jurisdiction, we will defend our rights and take countermeasures in accordance with the law. Relevant responsibilities and consequences shall be borne solely by the Philippines." China has always been low-key in its actions, but it will follow through with its words. Manila should understand and take in the meaning and weight of these words.
When Global Times reporters interviewed locals in the Philippines not long ago, many fishermen expressed unwillingness to participate in the Philippines' provocative actions against China. Even some US media outlets discovered during on-site interviews in the Philippines that local farmers praised a China-funded irrigation project. The outcome of the latest performance on Huangyan Dao is not difficult to predict: It will not have any impact on China's normal exercise of sovereignty on Huangyan Dao, but will only show the international community another act of lack of credibility by Manila. Not only does China see this clearly, but regional countries and the international community also see it very clearly. The current situation in the South China Sea is generally stable, and peace and cooperation are the mainstream in the region. In response to Manila's adventurism, other ASEAN countries have in general kept their distance.
There is an ancient Chinese saying: "A gentleman's acquaintance is as light as water, and a villain's acquaintance is as sweet as alcohol." Manila should carefully consider who is applauding its show in the South China Sea, giving it one sugar cube after another, and where these things that do not belong to it will ultimately push it.
The breathtaking landscapes of Altay in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as depicted in the popular mini TV series "To the Wonder," have mesmerized audiences, drawing visitors to the city and significantly boosting tourism in Xinjiang.
Filmed in this pristine area, the drama showcased the stunning natural beauty and unique cultural charm of Altay, which sparked widespread online discussions about touring the city.
Since the release of the series on May 5, the internet searches about Altay more than doubled, with searches for Altay homestays increasing by 200 percent over the previous week. The same cabins which featured in the drama have become too popular to book. Additionally, bookings for group tours across Xinjiang have increased by 247 percent compared to the previous week, according to Beijing Youth Daily on Wednesday.
According to data from domestic travel platform Fliggy, since the screening of To The Wonder, searches about Altay tourism on the platform has surged by over 500 percent. Flight bookings to Altay have increased by over 50 percent compared to the previous week, while car rental bookings have nearly doubled.
Fei Fei, a publicity official with the Altay bureau of culture, sports, radio, television and tourism, told the Global Times that the bureau has been committed to carrying out various promotional and publicity campaigns aimed at attracting more tourists to experience the natural beauty and rich cultural heritage of Altay.
"The number of tourists to Altay has grown significantly since the airing of the TV series. Tourists from the Chinese mainland, in particular, showed great interest in the Altay scenery and folk culture," said Fei.
"We will continue to combine culture and tourism to further enhance the popularity and reputation of Altay. Various promotional activities will be carried out to attract more potential visitors," Fei noted.
Located in the northern part of Xinjiang, Altay is also one of the best destinations for tourists and photography enthusiasts to view the natural wonder of the aurora borealis.
The peak tourist season in the Altay region typically lasts from July to August. However, spurred by the impact of the TV drama, this year's peak season in the area is expected to arrive earlier. Additionally, the most popular months for visiting Altay's Kanas scenic area, which usually starts at the end of August and extends into September, is predicted to commence as early as June this year.
According to the bureau, during the May Day holidays, the city received a total of 106,900 tourists, marking a year-on-year increase of 45.04 percent. The city generated 86.16 million yuan ($11.9 million) in tourism revenue, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 43.19 percent.
Lying between the southern foot of the Altai Mountains and the northern edge of the Junggar Basin, Altay boasts abundant natural tourism resources, including grasslands, snow-capped mountains, deserts, rivers, gorges, wetlands, and more. The area has always been recognized as a paradise for photographers, skiers, birdwatchers, and independent travelers.
Douyin, one of the most popular short-video apps in China, released new regulations restricting users from disseminating political and social affairs, financial, legal, or medical content for commercial purposes.
Accounts with a substantial fan base and significant influence will no longer be permitted to own authorization with commercially promoted accounts, granting them the ability to create content covering political, social, legal and medical content.
In response, Douyin told media that to protect the rights of creators and optimize the creator experience, Douyin has adjusted the account authorization function for commercial promotion. This includes no longer supporting government media organizations or accounts that primarily focus on social, political, economic, legal, or medical content, or accounts with a large number of followers and significant influence, to establish authorization relationships with commercial promotion accounts that include content publishing capabilities.
A representative from Douyin’s customer service department told the Global Times that under the new rule, the app will no longer support or grant authorization for individual users (whose who don’t affiliate with any organization) to publish content addressing political, social affairs, legal and medical issues.
The customer service stated that the move aims to safeguard creators' rights and optimize their overall experience on the platform. The revised regulations primarily target collaborations with huge amounts of commercial promotion accounts and local push-outs.
Wang Sixin, a professor of law from the Communication University of China, told the Global Times that as a shepherd in China’s social media arena, Douyin’s move may exert significant impact on self-media accounts. Currently, there is a mixed bag of self-media creators, and the government's regulation of online platforms is closely linked to their social communication effects. "The government has always encouraged mainstream media to regulate professional information related to the industry. Unrestricted publishing of contents on social media will not only cause trouble for regulation, they also bore severe political risks,” Wang said.
Last month, the Cyberspace Administration of China announced this special campaign. The campaign is designated to crack down on influencers' boundless behavior of rubbing and creating heated spots, which mix virtuality with reality. It will rigorously rectify influencers who disregard public interest, violate morals in order to gain public attention.
It will target self-directed fabricating stories, such as unscrupulous manipulation of trending social news, international and domestic news, and indiscriminate distribution of vulgar news to fool netizens and sabotage the internet environment.
Chinese experts said on Monday that reported cooperation between South Korea and the US to address so-called "excess capacity" in China's photovoltaic (PV) industry is part of the strategic narrative for Western countries to hype "overcapacity" in China's new-energy vehicles, lithium battery and PV sector, which is aimed at curbing China's technological development and industrial upgrading.
Observers said that the so-called spillover effect of China's "excessive production" is an excuse fabricated by some US politicians out of political motives, amid the US crackdown on Chinese PV companies.
The response came after a South Korean report, which said that senior diplomats from South Korea and the US are cooperating to address the issue of "excess capacity" in China's PV industry, in order to protect industries of both countries from the negative impact brought by overproduction of Chinese solar energy products.
The rapid growth of China's PV-related exports has made many countries more and more anxious. Officials from South Korea and the US on April 30 discussed the need for a joint response to potential ramifications from the so-called "overcapacity" in China's solar industry during talks on energy security in Houston, Texas, South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Kim Hee-sang was quoted as saying this in a report from the Yonhap News Agency.
The discussions revolved around a two-fold approach involving each country's import control measures against China's provision of excessive subsidies, and cooperation in developing more technologically competitive products, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
The move shows that the US and South Korea are hyping "overcapacity" rhetoric targeting China's solar industry in a bid to replace China's industry with their own producers, Han Bing, an expert at the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.
Han said that the US and South Korea believe that they will create difficulties for China's PV firms to expand abroad by imposing trade barriers.
Experts called for the South Korean side to not follow the US in adopting strict economic and trade restrictions against China, saying that such an approach will only backfire on the country itself, with local businesses and ordinary people paying the price.
It's undeniable that China's capacity and technological breakthroughs in the clean energy sector have become powerful engines driving the global energy transition, experts said.
According to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency, average kilowatt-hour cost of global wind power and photovoltaic power generation have decreased by more than 60 percent and 80 percent respectively in the past decade, a large part of which is attributed to China's innovation, manufacturing and engineering.
China's PV production capacity represents nearly 90 percent of the world's total, industry data show.
Experts praised the efforts made by Chinese companies in increasing research and development efforts to develop new PV cell techniques that could improve efficiency and reduce costs.
China is the world's renewables powerhouse. The country accounts for almost 60 percent of the new renewable capacity expected to become operational globally by 2028. China's role is critical in reaching the global goal of tripling renewables because the country is expected to install more than half of the new capacity required globally by 2030, according to a report by the International Energy Agency.
Chinese PV products have strong competitiveness, thanks to the accumulation of technology and production capacity. Exports have contributed to cost declines and helped solar PV to become the most affordable electricity generation technology, Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Monday.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol said the country plans to cut shipping through Vietnamese ports by 70 percent as a result of the $1.7 billion Techo Funan Canal project connecting the Mekong River basin to the Cambodian coast, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
While the discussion surrounding whether the China-funded canal will reduce Cambodia's dependence on Vietnamese ports for shipping has attracted attention, the real significance of the project lies not only in its demonstration of the strong collaboration between China and Cambodia, but also its reflection of the broader trend of regional economic integration.
The project is of great significance to Cambodia's economic development, as it will establish a new trade route that enhances economic and trade collaboration with China. By reducing transportation times, the canal will significantly decrease logistics costs and facilitate intra-regional trade, benefiting Cambodia's foreign trade, particularly in the China-Cambodia trade relationship.
More direct access to the Chinese market will not only boost Cambodia's trade efficiency but also attract increased Chinese investment, bringing benefits for the local population.
The canal may understandably raise certain concerns in Vietnam. But it should be noted that the Techo Funan Canal project is aimed primarily at improving Cambodia's logistics efficiency. Its indirect benefits and enhanced regional cooperation could still open up new opportunities for Vietnam. Of course, the realization of these opportunities will necessitate close cooperation and coordination between Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as among the countries along the Mekong River.
Meanwhile, it is important to recognize that the Techo Funan Canal project should not be viewed solely as a bilateral issue between Cambodia and Vietnam. Taking a broader perspective, the project is just part of the development and enhancement of regional infrastructure connectivity linking China and Southeast Asia. It is also an inevitable development as China and the ASEAN Free Trade Area have reached a certain level of development, because the whole region needs better connectivity.
The success of the China-Laos Railway may be the reason that Southeast Asian nations like Vietnam are building or planning to build high-speed railways to promote regional economic integration and connectivity.
For instance, in December 2023, Vietnam and China signed dozens of cooperation agreements on building several high-speed railways linking to China, according to media reports. Existing road and air connections between China and Vietnam are also being enhanced.
Thailand is also an active regional player. The China-Thailand railway, which is an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The line will see trains running from Bangkok to the border town of Nong Khai, where a bridge is expected to connect it with the China-Laos Railway, making it possible to travel by train from Bangkok through Laos and then to Kunming in Southwest China's Yunnan Province.
Whether it is a rail network under construction or planning in countries like Vietnam and Thailand, or a planned canal project in Cambodia, these initiatives can become integral components of a future interconnected regional transportation network. Such infrastructure efforts may point to the future of regional economic cooperation as being highly connected, mutually beneficial and win-win for all involved.
As these projects will facilitate the flow of goods, capital, technology and people, Southeast Asian countries stand to gain significant advantages in terms of promoting regional economic integration, enhancing accessibility for their citizens and boosting the efficiency of goods movement.
Of course, challenges may arise with any large-scale infrastructure endeavor. But by working together, it is believed that these challenges can be overcome through close cooperation and consultation among governments, so as to realize the common development and prosperity of the region.
