CIFIT 2022: Global investors expect market expansion and economic transformation in China

This year, the 22nd China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) has attracted businesses from dozens of countries and regions seeking to explore international cooperation and investment opportunities.

As one of the most influential international investment events, CIFIT is known as the place for bilateral investment. International business representatives from the U.S., France, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and other countries and regions came to the event to seek more investment opportunities.

CIFIT 2022 closed on Monday in Xiamen, south China's Fujian Province. Agreements for roughly 480 projects were reached during the event with a total investment of 342 billion yuan ($49.38 billion), according to data released by the organizing committee.

Media Source: CGTN

China distributes relief supplies to flood-hit Pakistan

Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong went to the flood-devastated area in Balochistan province's Dera Bugti District on Sunday, and distributed relief supplies donated from China, to the local victims.

Food for at least 3,000 local families' emergency needs was the main supply donated this time, Nong said during a distribution ceremony, attended by over 800 local victims hit by the flood.

Nong expressed the tradition of mutual help between China and Pakistan during crises in a speech, adding that "the Chinese people will never forget that Pakistan donated all of its strategic reserve tents when a strong earthquake hit Wenchuan in China's Sichuan Province in 2008". He also expects further cooperation from both sides to build a better homeland.

Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti, minister of Pakistan's Narcotics Control Ministry, thanked China's generous and timely help during the ceremony, noting that the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government always reach out to Pakistan during crises and hopes deeper cooperation on infrastructure construction including education and health care.

According to the data from Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority on Saturday, various disasters caused by heavy rainfall in Pakistan since mid-June have killed 1,396 people and injured 12,728 so far.   

Media Source: CGTN

China, Japan are partners, pose no threat to each other: Wang Yi

*Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

China and Japan are partners and pose no threat to each other, and the political consensus should be implemented in policies, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday while making the remarks in a video speech to a forum held on Monday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations.

The remarks were made at a time when Japan is seemingly moving toward a wrong direction to follow the US to contain China, observers noted.

In the speech, Wang made five suggestions to build China-Japan bilateral ties in the new era.

Wang called for the two sides to safeguard the political foundation embodied in the four political documents. "As to some historic issues and the Taiwan question, there is no room for ambiguity, not to mention retrogression," Wang noted.

"The two countries should, in a strategic and long-term perspective, stay committed to the important consensus that they are partners and pose no threat to each other," Wang said.

es and called on Japan to safeguard smooth global production chains as well as safeguard fair and open global trade environment.

He also called to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation; bolster people-to-people exchanges.

He also urged Japan to practice multilateralism to oppose zero-sum game and clique confrontation.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. But as Japan is getting closer to the US in the intensifying international situation and helping the US to contain China, it now lacks enthusiasm to deepen cooperation with China, Zhou Yongsheng, deputy director of the Japanese Studies Center at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Monday.

A core point of Wang's speech is that the two countries should treat each other as partners. This would benefit not only the development of bilateral ties, but also the development of both countries, Zhou said.

The remarks clarified the core and main direction of the two countries' bilateral ties, Zhou noted.

There is still large space for China and Japan to cooperate, but Japan, rather than actively improving bilateral ties, is following the US to try to decouple with China. Such behavior is totally wrong, according to Zhou.

Trade volume between China and Japan has increased from $1.1 billion in 1972 to $371.4 billion in 2021, and two-way investment volume has reached nearly $130 billion. China and Japan have formed 256 pairs of sister cities and there were more than 1,400 direct flights per week pre-pandemic. The number of people-to-people exchanges exceeded 50 million before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to media reports.

Media Source: Global Times

Chinese scientists find high water content in lunar soil samples brought back by Chang'e-5 mission

*The lunar samples No. 001 brought back by China's Chang'e-5 probe is displayed at the National Museum of China in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 27, 2021. An exhibition displaying the lunar samples No. 001 brought back by China's Chang'e-5 probe is held here on Saturday. (Photo: Xinhua)

Chinese scientists' research showed the lunar soil samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 mission contain high content of water originated from solar wind.

The formation and distribution of lunar surficial water remains ambiguous despite that remote sensing data show the prominence of water (OH/H2O) on moon surface, due to the lack of direct evidence from sample analysis.

Latest research on the lunar soil samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 mission conducted by the scientific research team from the Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, showed that the surface of the lunar soil samples contains high content of water attributed to solar wind implantation.

Through the analyses by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS), the scientists estimated a minimum of 170 ppm water content attributed with solar wind proton implantation in lunar soils.

The results of spectral and microstructural analyses indicate that the formation and storage of solar wind-derived water are affected by exposure time, crystal structure, and mineral composition of the minerals.

The research verified that minerals in lunar soils are an important reservoir of water and provides an important reference for the distribution of surficial water in middle latitude of the Moon.

The research results have recently been published on the international scientific journal Nature Communications.

Media Source: Global Times 

Mid-Autumn Festival events boost recovery of China's culture, tourism markets

* Events are held to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in Beilun District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, September 10, 2022. /CFP

Various events took place in China on Saturday to kick-start the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, helping boost the recovery of the culture and tourism markets.

Moon worship is as an essential part of the Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, celebrations.

The festival symbolizes family reunions and the joy of harvesting. Folk customs during the festival have ancient origins and feature a series of activities, such as guessing lantern riddles, eating mooncakes, moon viewing with families and carrying brightly lit lanterns.

In recent years, new ways to celebrate the Moon Festival have emerged.

A beautiful drone light show performed by 630 drones was staged in the night sky of eastern Chinese city Ningbo on Saturday, bringing a feast of light and shadow to the citizens.

In Beijing, the World Flower Grand View Garden held a slew of "Hanfu" related activities to celebrate the Moon Festival, including competitions in traditional Chinese dance, as well as Hanfu design and photography. Hanfu is the historical style of clothing worn and developed by the Han ethnic group.

A culture and creative fair has been set near the Miaoying Temple, also known as the "White Stupa Temple," in the Xicheng District of Beijing, gathering more than 40 cultural and creative businesses. It will continue until September 12.

Media Source: CGTN