Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged further efforts to preserve the country's cultural and natural treasures and renew their glamour in the new era.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an instruction on strengthening the protection, preservation and utilization of cultural and natural heritage.

The instruction was made after one cultural heritage and two natural heritages of China were inscribed on the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in July 2024.

UNESCO announced the inscription of Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital, Badain Jaran Desert -- Towers of Sand, and Lakes, and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) on its list at the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India.

The inclusion of these heritage items has positive significance for the building of Chinese modernization that features material and cultural-ethical advancement and harmony between humanity and nature, Xi said, noting that it also adds new luster to world civilizations.

Xi called for efforts to take this UNESCO inclusion as an opportunity to further strengthen the comprehensive and systematic protection of cultural and natural heritage and make good use of them to better meet the people's needs.

He also urged enhanced international exchange and cooperation in this field, and efforts to make greater contribution to the practice of the Global Civilization Initiative and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Currently, China is home to a total of 59 World Heritage Sites.

Italian Nicolò Balini is a travel vlogger on YouTube with over 1 million subscribers. In June of this year, he embarked on his second trip to China, visiting cities such as Macao, Xi'an, and Chongqing, amassing over 2 million views on YouTube. One of Nicolò's key features is his refusal to just skim through the surface. For instance, when taking the high-speed train, he provided a detailed introduction to the development history of China's railway construction. When visiting the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, he narrated the painstaking efforts of Chinese scientists in wildlife conservation. His extensive and detailed research has won praise from Chinese viewers.

This year marks the 700th anniversary of the death of Italian explorer Marco Polo. More than 700 years ago, Marco Polo's journey to China opened the door to the East for the Western world. Through the information and experiences he brought back, Westerners learned about a China with a splendid civilization, thereby promoting mutual understanding and learning between Eastern and Western civilizations. Today, foreign internet influencers, including Nicolò, are introducing the real China to Western audiences through their smartphones and camera lenses. Due to their status as internet influencers, they are collectively referred to as "Marco Bloggers."

The rising popularity of "Marco Bloggers" on social media, both at home and abroad, vividly reflects the enormous desire and enthusiasm of people from both the East and the West for civilizational exchange and mutual learning. This desire once supported Marco Polo's journey across oceans and deserts; in today's globalized world, it helps people overcome the barriers of geopolitical and ideological biases. In Marco Polo's era, distant China was mysterious to Westerners; today, the hindrance to Westerners' objective understanding of China is the stereotypes shaped by some Western media outlets. Marco Polo profoundly changed the way Westerners viewed the world; today's Western audiences break the information cocoon of "Western centrism" through the videos of "Marco Bloggers," thereby witnessing a real, multi-dimensional, and rapidly evolving modern China.

China needs to understand the world, and the world also wants to understand China. Whether it is Marco Polo or "Marco Bloggers," an open and inclusive China always opens its arms to friends from around the world. Since the beginning of this year, in order to facilitate the entry of foreign tourists, China has made great efforts to optimize visa policies and improve the convenience level of payment and accommodation. Recently, Chongqing launched a one-stop online application for entry port visa services, the first digitalized entry port visa project in China, and the Beijing PASS, a multi-purpose card for international visitors, is currently being tested. The efficiency and governance of China that foreign bloggers admire are accumulated from such meticulous work and solid progress.

In addition to high-speed trains and electric cars, what impresses foreign bloggers the most is the sincerity and friendliness of the Chinese people. When a stranger helped traveler Amir Malik pay for the subway ticket directly, when two Beijing alley elders chatted with a British couple, tourism bloggers Jack and Paige, despite the language barrier, many Chinese and foreign netizens are moved to tears. Many foreign bloggers also mention that the integrity of the Chinese people has left a deep impression on them. Whether in a supermarket in Guangzhou or a morning market in Shenyang, when they hand over their phone payment interface to a Chinese merchant who doesn't speak the same language, they have never encountered a situation where the payment was made incorrectly. Just like the British couple exclaimed, "what an amazing people!" This is the significance of cultural exchange, different civilizations can understand each other better through dialogue and communication on the basis of mutual respect and tolerance. In the process, they can also better understand themselves through the understanding of others.

At the same time, we also noticed a regrettable phenomenon: Many foreign bloggers have clarified in their videos that they have not accepted any so-called "funds" to do propaganda for China. A pair of Irish bloggers even directly questioned why they have been to so many countries, but only their videos in China were questioned as "propaganda." For Western media, this question should be enlightening. However, on August 1, a reporter from The New York Times published two articles within two hours, distorting and smearing Chinese inbound tourism by taking foreign bloggers' videos out of context. It seems that the pressure brought by those "Macro Bloggers" to The New York Times is not small, may have even irritated it. This is the power of truth. Don't say two articles in two hours, even if there are more lies, how can they overcome the truth?

From Marco Polo to "Marco Bloggers," the encounter of different civilizations has not only led to clashes of civilizations, but also brought about a blending of civilizations. The stories of ordinary people meeting and interacting, from the most simple and real perspective, have added a vivid and convincing footnote to the Global Civilization Initiative. In today's world where the future and destiny of countries are closely linked, only by strengthening dialogue among civilizations based on mutual respect and inclusiveness, promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, can we eliminate barriers, alienation, and hostility, and can we uphold the beauty of each civilization and the diversity of civilizations in the world. These are the inspirations that "Marco Bloggers" bring to our time.

Hong Liang, Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary of the East Asia Division of Ministry of External Affairs of India co-chaired the 30th Meeting of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on China-India Border Affairs in New Delhi on Wednesday.  

The recent interactions between China and India are seen as crucial for building positive momentum toward addressing border issues and stabilizing bilateral relations, analysts said, also urging Indian side to intensify efforts in collaboration with China to further improve bilateral relations.

During the meeting on Wednesday, the two sides agreed to actively implement the important common understandings reached at the recent bilateral meeting between the two foreign ministers, focus on specific issues related to the China-India border, accommodate each other's legitimate concerns and reach a mutually acceptable solution at an early date, according to a release of Chinese foreign ministry. 

The two sides also agreed to maintain communication through diplomatic and military channels, strengthen negotiation mechanism building, speed up the negotiation process, and turn over a new leaf in the border situation at an early date so as to promote the sound and steady development of China-India relations. The two sides agreed to strictly abide by the agreements already reached and continue to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas.

The meeting came against the backdrop of a series of interactions between China and India. On July 25, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Vientiane, Laos on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN meetings. 

Also on July 4, Wang met with Jaishankar in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the sidelines of a two-day meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, during which the two sides agreed to commit to stabilizing the border areas and hold a new round of consultations addressing border issues.

There are some positive signals coming from China-India relations, however, without breakthroughs on the core issue of border affairs, it will not be easy to see more improvement in bilateral relations, Long Xingchun, a professor from the School of International Relations at Sichuan International Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

Long said that while China maintains that border issues do not encompass the entirety of bilateral relations, India insists that resolving these issues are crucial for returning bilateral relations toward a normal trajectory. 

Based on current momentum, India may consider making tactical adjustments that align with its interests. For instance, there is increasing discussion in India about relaxing visa restrictions for needed Chinese engineers and lifting restrictions on Chinese investments, Long said. 

Some analysts hold a cautiously optimistic view on future bilateral relations, noting that with no major changes observed in India's China policies during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term, shifts in political mindset may be challenging for Indian politicians.

However, exchanges at various levels combined with people-to-people interactions can serve as a bridge for mutual understanding between the two countries, they said, noting that China has consistently maintained an open and welcoming stance towards Indians, and New Delhi should reciprocate by taking similar steps to foster more positive factors for bilateral relations. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday arrived in Lao capital Vientiane to attend the ASEAN meetings and other events against the backdrop of turbulence in the South China Sea, but analysts believed the tensions will not have a major impact on the main course of cooperation. 

The Philippines hopes to utilize the ASEAN events to endorse its stance, but other ASEAN members understand the complexity and sensitivity of the topic, and recognize the bloc's priority as being development and prosperity, they said.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on Thursday. 

Wang said the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed more than 300 reform tasks, outlined a blueprint for deepening reform across the board, and sent a clear signal that reform and opening-up will always be in progress.

China appreciates that Laos has always stood with China on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns, and will continue to be the most reliable friend and partner of Laos, ready to enhance experience sharing with Laos on governance, Wang said. 

China firmly supports Laos in exploring a development path suited to its own and in safeguarding its national sovereignty and dignity, willing to deepen all-round cooperation with Laos, strengthen comprehensive development along the China-Laos Railway and promote connectivity to boost Laos' economic development, said the foreign minister.

During the meeting, Thongloun said that the important conclusions and innovative achievements of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee have provided important references for Laos to promote the socialist cause.

In his meeting with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone on Thursday, Wang said both sides should carry forward their traditional friendship, deepen their construction of a China-Laos community with a shared future, and achieve high-standard, high-quality and high-level collaboration and coordination, making their relationship one of the best among China's neighboring countries.

Sonexay Siphandone said the country stands ready to promote a new version of the action plan on building a Laos-China community with a shared future and expand practical cooperation with China on all fronts, Xinhua reported. 

The prime minister said that the Laos-China Railway provided strong momentum for Laos to transform from a land-locked to a land-linked nation, adding that the country welcomes more capable Chinese enterprises to invest in Laos, helping to deepen regional interconnectivity and safeguard regional supply chain stability.

From Thursday to Saturday, Wang will attend the ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane and pay an official visit to Laos, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.   

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting convened on Thursday, to be followed by meetings with East Asian countries and other global players including Russia, the US and the EU.  

Cooperation priorities

Ge Hongliang, vice dean of the ASEAN College at the Guangxi Minzu University, told the Global Times on Thursday that the foreign ministers' meetings, routinely held annually, will prepare for the leaders' meeting in the second half of the year and serve as an opportunity to review the progress and specify further plans to jointly build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable homeland.   

Ge named infrastructure, economic growth, the South China Sea and external hotspot issues as areas in which China and ASEAN will have in-depth exchanges. 

The 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting started in Vientiane on Thursday under the theme of "ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience," as the region, like many others in the world, faces myriad challenges, including lingering economic and financial difficulties, climate change, natural disasters, and traditional and non-traditional security issues, according to the official website. 

ASEAN's choice of main theme suggested that the bloc has an urgent need to further boost its economy, and improving infrastructure, particularly transportation and energy, is a key task as it has prevented economic development from going faster, Ge said. 

Southeast Asia's first bullet train route, the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway, was built with Chinese assistance; In the first five months of 2024, the China-Laos railway carried 2.3 million tons of freight, an increase of 31 percent compared to the same period in 2023.  

Despite a better economic performance than a few years ago, many Southeast Asian economies still face pressure from inflation and fiscal budgets, and are compelled to stabilize industrial chain and build up economic resilience in the era of Industry 4.0, which demands close cooperation with China, Ge said.   

Also among the topics on the agenda will be negotiations on the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) Version 3.0, which is expected to inject new momentum into bilateral trade, Ge said. 

The expert also mentioned some non-regional hot spot issues that would impact the international environment, namely the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the war in Gaza, which China and the ASEAN members have similar stances on. 

Not a confrontational sea 

The South China Sea will definitely be an integral part of China-ASEAN exchanges, and the situation this year is more complex, given frictions between China and the Philippines under the shadow of US intervention, analysts said.

ASEAN will likely welcome the "provisional arrangement" reached between Beijing and Manila at the Ren'ai Jiao, or Ren'ai Reef concerning the illegally grounded Philippine warship, and negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) will continue to make some progress, Ge said. 

Divergence on some core texts will remain a thorny issue during the third reading, and the frictions at sea have cast a shadow over political mutual trust and poisoned the atmosphere, not to mention interference from external forces, Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at China's National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday. "There will be progress, but it might be limited; and certain countries might shift the blame to China for not making substantial progress." 

However, Ding believed ASEAN will not allow a confrontational atmosphere to override the platform's basic position of disputes over the South China Sea being addressed directly by the countries involved, and ASEAN should join hands with China to safeguard peace and stability in the region. 

The Philippines hopes to utilize the ASEAN events to endorse its claims, but other ASEAN members are aware that disputes are not solely between China and the Philippines - some countries have a row with Manila that is no less serious than that between Beijing and Manila, Ding explained. 

They understand the Philippines' attempts to take advantage of them, and that the US is standing behind it, so they are cautious of echoing the Philippines' views amid the frictions, Ding said. 

Actually, there are other countries that have disputes with China, but none of them has moved as close to the US as the Philippines in the strategic sense, Ding noted, "Manila is quite an outcast in the region." 

The Philippines submitted to a United Nations body a proposal to formally recognize the extent of its undersea continental shelf, which Malaysia has publicly opposed, saying it clearly disregards Malaysia's indisputable sovereignty over the state of Sabah, according to media reports. 

Reuters reported Wednesday that the Philippines will in Vientiane propose the creation of an ASEAN Coast Guard Forum between its members to enable dialogue and law enforcement, according to its senior diplomat Theresa Lazaro, a plan likely to rile China.

Ding said that although the Philippines is eyeing closer intra-ASEAN coast guard cooperation with China in mind, the mechanism itself should not be interpreted as China-targeted. "We should analyze it case by case based on specific items, types and scope of such cooperation."

The China coast guard has also cooperated with its counterparts in ASEAN members in recent years, including Vietnam and Cambodia, and exploring the possibility of ASEAN-China Coast Guard Forum cannot be ruled out, Ding said. 

Resilience to intervention

Although some analysts believe the US will try to sow discord between China and ASEAN, and mobilize the Philippines to create trouble, both Ding and Ge are optimistic that ASEAN can uphold centrality and resist the intervention and negative impact of external forces.

ASEAN does not want to focus excessively on South China Sea and marginalize the key agenda of regional cooperation, solidarity and ASEAN's international status, or divert the main course of the China-ASEAN relationship, Ding said, "the stability and resilience of the relationship determines that it can withstand the test." 

Ge compared this year with 2012 when China and the Philippines also had fierce frictions in the South China Sea. 

While maintaining the basic line of avoiding getting involved in major power competition, ASEAN members are increasingly clear about who is the peacekeeper and who is the troublemaker militarizing the region, Ge said. 

Indonesia, the ASEAN chair of 2023, warned in February last year not to use Southeast Asia as a "proxy" for their rivalries amid reports of an enhanced military pact between the US and the Philippines. Washington and Manila formally upgraded the treaty months later in May and in April 2024, and involved Japan in a trilateral summit to form a structure targeting China.  

Despite receiving immediate benefits from industrial relocation from China-US trade frictions, ASEAN rejects excluding China from the landscape out of concerns that the supply chain may become very turbulent, Ge said.  

Ge believes that ASEAN could have started to consider whether the rosy picture painted by the US can be realized given the development of the US elections.  

There have been records of US withdrawal after turning a region into total mess, and the ASEAN would not allow the same scenario to be copied in Southeast Asia when the US is trying to start a new Cold War in the region, analysts said.

On Saturday, the Philippines sent a civilian ship to deliver daily necessities to its warship grounded at Ren'ai Jiao in accordance with a temporary arrangement reached with China. The China Coast Guard (CCG) supervised the operation throughout, said Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the CCG.

China had been notified of the resupply before it was carried out, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Saturday. After confirming on-the-scene that the Philippine vessel carried only humanitarian living necessities, the Chinese side let the Philippine vessel through, said the spokesperson.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the arrangement was reached based on the three-point principled position of China on managing the situation at Ren’ai Jiao. China’s position on the Ren’ai Jiao issue has not changed. China has sovereignty over Ren’ai Jiao, the rest of Nansha Qundao (Nansha Islands) and their adjacent waters. China will continue to properly deal with relevant territorial issues and disputes over maritime rights with the Philippines through dialogue and consultation.

It is hoped that the Philippines will keep their promise, work together with China, and jointly manage the situation at sea, Gan said, noting that the CCG will continue to carry out law enforcement activities to safeguard rights in the South China Sea, including Ren'ai Jiao, also known as Ren'ai Reef.

China and the Philippines reached an understanding on managing the situation at Ren’ai Jiao, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on July 22.

This is mainly related to the principles and practices which the Philippines needs to abide by when providing essential supplies to the personnel on the warship illegally grounded at Ren'ai Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao for an extended period . It demonstrated that Beijing's comprehensive countermeasures against Manila's provocations in the region for more than a year are working in a sustained manner, resulting in the Philippines returning to direct negotiations and consultations, observers noted.

The signing of the new agreement can be seen as a litmus test, and so far it appears to be effective, Ding Duo, a deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the China Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Saturday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo in Vientiane, Laos on Friday and reaffirmed China’s position over Ren’ai Jiao, which is being viewed as playing a positive role in ensuring the successful implementation of the bilateral deal on Ren’ai Jiao.

When meeting with Manalo, Wang called on the Philippines to fulfill its commitments and refrain from changing its position as China has recently reached a temporary arrangement with the Southeast Asian country on the transportation and replenishment of humanitarian supplies to Ren'ai Jiao.

Commenting on the Philippines’ resupply mission to Ren’ai Jiao on Saturday, Ding said that moving forward, it will be important to see if the Philippines' willingness to manage differences can continue to translate into concrete actions.

Also, we should wait and see if external factors such as the US will influence the Philippines to deviate from their commitments, and if the Marcos administration can navigate domestic interference and distractions on this issue, according to Ding.

China's stance remains unchanged, and the country have a range of measures to address any negative actions by the Philippines, the expert noted.

Ding called on the Philippines to focus on managing differences, maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, and strengthening positive aspects of the China-Philippines relationship while minimizing negative factors.

The world's first large-scale seismic data processing model with 100 million parameters called "DiTing" has been officially released, a significant advancement for China in key technologies in seismology, according to the Chengdu science and technology bureau in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday.

The model was developed by the National Supercomputing Center in Chengdu in cooperation with the Institute of Geophysics of the China Earthquake Administration and Tsinghua University, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

In September 2023, the National Supercomputing Center in Chengdu partnered with the Institute of Geophysics of the China Earthquake Administration to establish the joint laboratory for research into earthquake large-scale model innovation application.

They launched the training of the "DiTing" model with researchers from Tsinghua University and the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to advance artificial intelligence algorithms in seismology and research in earthquake monitoring and forecasting services, said Guo Li, chairman of Chengdu Supercomputing Center Operation Company, according to the supercomputing center on Monday.

The "DiTing" dataset is the first and one of the largest seismic AI training datasets for seismology with the most comprehensive sample types and labeling, said the center.

Researchers have developed a seismic wave model with 100 million parameters in the half-year study in the joint lab, which is now ready for use, and a version with 1 billion parameters is expected to be completed pre-training by August 2024, supporting earthquake prevention and disaster reduction efforts, according to the developers.

In future, the model could be applied in fields such as mine seismic monitoring, shale gas exploitation, urban underground space structure detection, underwater earthquake monitoring and others, according to the developers.

After a period of confusing noise about China's "over-capacity," some Western media are slowly starting to return to reality. The Financial Times recently published an editorial titled "Chinese electric vehicles are more of an opportunity than a threat," stating that the US and Europe should welcome China to produce cost-effective cars in the cheapest segments to help achieve economic decarbonization. Even The Economist, which is often biased against China's economy, acknowledged China's growing role as the world's R&D lab. The magazine also noted that foreign CEOs now see China's brainpower and its innovation-curious regulatory regime are crucial ingredients of their companies' global success.

The recent hype about China's "over-capacity" began with the fear of the so-called China shock 2.0. Unfair subsidies and cheap dumping were the habitual accusations pinned on China's industries. However, these accusations were made too arbitrarily, and even the critics themselves are finding it difficult to explain why industries such as electric vehicles have gained an edge in China, or why China has become the world's R&D lab, as recently noted by The Economist. The deeper we look, the more we find the absurdity of blaming China's industrial development.

In recent years, it has become common for foreign companies to set up R&D centers in China and engage in technological research and product innovation. Apple has R&D centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Suzhou, with its R&D staff in China doubling over the past five years. BMW has established its largest global production base and the largest R&D system outside Germany in China. BASF's innovation campus in Shanghai is the largest in the Asia-Pacific region and the second-largest globally. In February this year, British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced plans to transform its Shanghai operations into a global R&D hub. The choice of China as an R&D hub by many Western companies actually reflects the deeper reasons behind China's outstanding performance in the current global industrial innovation landscape.

China's industrial development ultimately relies on a large pool of high-quality talent, market competition, innovation capability, and the strategic resolve of "sticking to a single blueprint until the end." In terms of talent alone, China produces seven times more engineering degree holders than the US, 2.5 times more top-tier AI researchers at the undergraduate level, and it is projected that by 2025, China will produce almost twice as many science and technology PhD graduates as the US. Of course, China's industrial development and technological innovation advantages haven't been achieved overnight, but are the result of extensive efforts and accumulation. Since 2000, China's R&D expenditure has increased over 30-fold, with last year's R&D investment exceeding 3.3 trillion yuan. Often, the significant cost advantages that Chinese products achieve in the market far surpass their competitors, and this is the result of full-industry chain innovation in a competitive market environment.

It is essential to recognize that China has established a robust technological market and a competitive atmosphere. Leveraging its vast domestic market and industrial base, significant technological markets have emerged in places like Shanghai and Hefei, Anhui Province, achieving notable progress in fields such as intelligent manufacturing and new materials. Whether in terms of market competition or innovation regulation, China's technological market stands out globally. The rapid advancements in cutting-edge technological fields such as autonomous driving and AI in China are closely linked to this conducive environment.

In fact, China has consistently maintained an attitude of open cooperation and mutual benefit in promoting technological innovation in frontier fields and industrial innovation in practical applications. Take new energy as an example: China is the largest contributor to global energy transition investments, accounting for half of the total global investment. China's goal of achieving its own energy transition is resolute, and it also aims to support the global green and low-carbon transition through the development of its new energy industry. Creating artificial political barriers will not suppress China's development and runs counter to the mainstream understanding in the scientific and business communities, harming the interests of the entire world. As the Financial Times stated, at some point, Western leaders will have to choose between their climate goals and their protectionism - and it would be better for everyone if it is protectionism that has to give.

Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developer United Aircraft Group said on Thursday that it has won 100 industrial-level UAV orders at the ongoing Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, the UK, reflecting a rising competitive edge held by Chinese aviation companies. 

It is the first series of orders received by Chinese companies at the show.

The development reflects Chinese enterprises in the commercial aviation field are actively participating in global competition, seeking to forge new market opportunities, Tian Gangyin, founder and CEO of United Aircraft Group, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the manufacturer of the home-made large aircraft C919, brought 1:20 scale C919 and C929 aircraft models to the public at the air show.

COMAC said that it will also carry out special promotion activities to strengthen negotiations and exchanges with customers and partners.

United Aircraft has brought several flagship products at the show, such as the TD550 unmanned helicopter, with a load capacity of 200 kilograms and a maximum endurance of 8 hours, has become an optimal choice for emergency rescue and material transportation. 

The helicopter's performance is particularly outstanding in high-altitude and extreme conditions when carrying out firefighting and emergency supply delivery missions.

After more than a decade of development, United Aircraft has established a mature industrial chain system that covers research and development, production, assembly, and testing and verification. 

The development of UAV industry is in line with the Chinese government's policy agenda, which emphasizes the development of strategic emerging industries such as commercial aerospace and the low-altitude economy. 

The low-altitude economy was defined as a strategic emerging industry at the country's annual central economic work conference in 2023 and written into this year's government work report as a new growth engine.

The size of China's low-altitude economy by 2023 is estimated to surpass 500 billion yuan, with its scale expected to rise to 2 trillion yuan by 2030, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

China's seaborne container shipments to the US jumped 15 percent year-on-year by volume in June, showing resilient supply and demand between the world's two largest economies despite intensified decoupling attempts by the US, industry experts said.

Multiple factors contributed to the growth, including the early preparation and delivery of products for Christmas as well as a seasonal shopping spree that falls in late November.

According to US-based research company Descartes Datamyne, the numbers of 20-foot containers moved from Asia to the US in June increased by 16 percent year-on-year, Nikkei reported on Monday. It was the 10th consecutive month of year-on-year growth.

The Chinese mainland, which accounted for nearly 60 percent of the total volume, rose 15 percent, the Nikkei reported.

All of the top 10 products exceeded the same period last year. The largest increase was in automotive-related products, which grew by 25 percent, followed by textile products, which rose by 24 percent, according to the report.

The figures are in line with data released by China's General Administration of Customs on July 12. In June, China-US trade amounted to 420.94 billion yuan ($57.8 billion), a year-on-year increase of 2.9 percent. China's exports to the US rose by 4.7 percent, maintaining a positive trend.

Chinese experts said that the trend shows that China-US trade relations remain resilient and strong, despite the US government's attempts to decouple from China.

"The resilient state of supply and demand between the two major economies played an important factor in driving the growth," Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Another reason for the rising cargo volume might be that businesses are speculating about possible heavier tariffs, depending on the US presidential election result, so they're ramping up goods production and delivery, Gao said.

But that's unlikely, since it could backfire on American consumers as well, Gao added.

"There is a trend this year - that is, July and August were normally the busiest in terms of the start of the peak season in the US in previous years, but this year it was brought forward from May," Zhong Zhechao, founder of One Shipping, an international logistics service consulting firm, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

There are multiple reasons for this change, including a high demand for Chinese goods.

Businesses are working in full swing to deliver goods for the upcoming Christmas and Black Friday shopping sprees, which are seeing strong demand as the US inflation level is reportedly declining, Zhong said.

Consumers vote with their wallets. The scale of cargo trade shows that China-made goods are still gaining popularity among American consumers as these products offer more value for money, the industry insider noted.

Other driver for the strong trade growth is the speculation about a possible port workers' strike along the US East Coast, after their labor contracts expire in late September, Zhong said.

Zhong said that the strong cargo trend may peak in July and decline after August.

A large US business delegation is visiting China this week, and its members said that the US business community is confident in continuing to deepen cooperation with China and committed to building a strong, balanced bilateral relationship, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

China's Ministry of Science and Technology reported on Saturday detailed cases of academic misconduct in national key research and development (R&D) projects and announced strict measures against researchers involved in plagiarism and unethical lobbying in project applications.

The implicated researchers will face punitive sanctions, including bans from government-supported research activities and having their names added to an  academic dishonesty database. 

Experts noted that these measures reflect the Chinese government's zero-tolerance toward academic misconduct. They serve as a clear warning to scientific researchers and will help ensure that scientific innovation remains both legitimate and properly regulated.

The published cases included Zhao Ran from China Agricultural University, Zhang Tao from PinYuan (Suizhou) Modern Agriculture Development Co, Zhang Xiaocheng from Yongjiang Laboratory in East China's Zhejiang Province, and Chen Haotai from the Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, according to the announcement.

Each was found to have plagiarized content in their project proposals, copying from previously funded projects, leading to the termination of their applications and a three-year ban from participating in government-funded research. Their misconduct has been recorded as a serious breach in the research integrity database.

In addition, Sun Beicheng, a former researcher at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, was found guilty of trying to influence the evaluation by contacting potential reviewers for favorable treatment, leading to the termination of his project evaluation and a seven-year ban from government-funded research.

Academic misconduct undermines scientific, ethical and legal standards, and is detrimental to the country's long-term sci-tech advancement, Sun Guorui, a professor specializing in intellectual property studies at the Law School of Beihang University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"Public exposure of those involved sends a strong warning and acts as a future deterrent against such behavior," Sun Guorui said.

According to the announcement, the ministry has instructed the involved institutions to enforce research integrity measures and complete rectification by a set deadline, urging researchers to uphold scientific standards and integrity in academic research and strengthen their sense of responsibility to contribute to achieving high-level technological self-reliance.

Sun Guorui highlighted the government's continuous efforts to encourage innovation while preventing breaches of research ethics, noting this policy is crucial in guiding the future of the country's science development, ensuring the legitimacy and regulation of research innovation.