The aviation sector has seen rising momentum in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region amid this year's summer travel boom, with average daily passenger arrivals at regional airports standing at 181,600, surpassing 180,000 for the first time, local media outlet Xinjiang Daily reported.

The achievement came as the region's economy gained pace in the first half of the year, growing by 5.4 percent year-on-year, with the services sector continuing to revive and passenger trips seeing rapid growth.

Driven by high summer demand, airports in both southern and northern Xinjiang are breaking records of passenger numbers.

In July, Kashi Laining International Airport reported a total of 504,000 passenger arrivals, surging 30.41 percent year-on-year,, according to the Xinjiang Daily.

During the same period, passenger arrivals at Xinjiang's Ili Yining International Airport jumped 29 percent to 314,000, with flight departures and arrivals rising 22 percent to 2,874, a new record.

The surge in Xinjiang's tourism can be attributed to ongoing policy support, the region's rich and unique tourist resources, and its vigorous efforts to diversify tourism products, Wang Jinwei, a professor at the School of Tourism Sciences at Beijing International Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday.

"In recent years, Xinjiang has been pursuing a diversified tourism development strategy. In addition to traditional scenic spots, the region has developed various cultural, educational, and rural tourism products," Wang said.

Wang noted that this approach has stimulated growth in local tourism and related sectors, such as hospitality and aviation while contributing to the region's economic expansion and vibrant consumer spending.

Overshadowing peace. Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Xi congratulates To Lam on election as general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee

To advance the modernization and industrialization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and facilitate its going global, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) on Wednesday released a three-year campaign to further standardize TCM so as to better serve the high-quality development of the industry.

The initiative, announced by the NATCM on Wednesday, deployed 20 detailed tasks and 25 area-oriented missions, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The initiative adopts a demand-oriented perspective, formulating 20 guidelines governing health interventions for key groups, including the elderly, children and teenagers, and strengthening the TCM standards in key areas to meet the people’s health needs in the new era.

Meanwhile, the plan calls for finalizing the establishment of 30 international and 180 domestic TCM standards.

It calls for the acceleration of integration between TCM standards and artificial intelligence, and conducting of experimental projects like digitizing standards.

NATCM suggests that information on TCM standards should be made available for the public through various means like publishing manuals, which will guarantee the implementation of TCM.

Xinhua quoted an NATCM official as saying that driving the high-quality development of TCM standardization contributes to the efforts in delivering safe, effective and convenient services to the people, benefiting the academic progress, and boosting TCM exchanges and cooperation of TCM with foreign countries.

TCM standards are the prerequisite for going global, and the international standardization of TCM will make a significant contribution to resolving problems  currently hold back TCM’s development overseas, according to an expert renowned in TCM field.

The dean of the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, professor Feng Yibin, emphasized that despite the fact that the TCM research is now more readily available, quality control and standardization remain crucial for TCM to be broadly recognized by both local and international markets, according to the 21st Century Economic Report.

A total of 196 nations and regions have started using TCM, according to NATCM statistics, and more than 40 foreign governments, regional authorities, and international organizations have signed specific TCM cooperation agreements with China, China Central Television (CCTV) reported in May.

TCM has now become an essential field of cooperation between China and mechanisms such as ASEAN, the European Union, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the CCTV report noted.

Ten industry standards and 77 nationally approved standards for TCM have been developed by China to date. In addition, 112 international standards for TCM have been released by the Technical Committee on Chinese Medicine of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), according to Xinhua.

These standards represent that the framework of the standard system tailored for the development of TCM in China has been fundamentally established, NATCM said.

The Badain Jaran Desert in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf (Phase II) were included in UNESCO's World Heritage List on Friday during the ongoing 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Friday.

Currently, China boasts 15 Natural World Heritage sites and four mixed (cultural and natural) heritage sites, maintaining top position globally in a nation's total number of Natural World Heritage sites.

The "Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes" is the first desert in China nominated for the World Heritage List. The desert, located in the northern part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in North China, covers an area of 44,300 square kilometers and is the third-largest desert in China. Its northwestern part, over 10,000 square kilometers, remains untouched by human presence.

While most deserts are known as forbidden zones due to water scarcity, the Badain Jaran Desert is a wonderland where sand dunes and lakes coexist. The towering sand dunes and diverse desert lakes are the two highlights of this nomination.

The Badain Jaran Desert, featuring its unique, rare and magnificent tall sand dunes, as well as countless colorful inter-dune lakes, is an outstanding example of the ongoing evolution of desert landscapes and landforms in temperate and hyper-arid climates. It is also one of the desert landscapes with rare natural beauty on a global scale, according to the World Heritage Committee.

Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I) was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019 and is located in Yancheng, East China's Jiangsu Province. The second phase of the project includes multiple conservation areas in Shanghai, Hebei, Shandong, Liaoning and other provinces and cities.

The sanctuaries, located in the world's largest intertidal wetland, serve as a crucial habitat for migratory birds along the East Asia-Australasia flyway. This migration route extends from Siberia and Alaska through East, Southeast and South Asia, all the way to Oceania, crossing 22 countries. It is the most diverse and highest concentration of endangered species among migration routes globally, providing essential breeding, resting and wintering grounds for tens of millions of waterfowl.

The migratory bird sanctuaries in China have unique ecological functions. Their tidal flats are critically important for the conservation of migratory birds worldwide, providing survival support for the vast majority of bird species, including 45 threatened species. As a whole, the sanctuaries make an irreplaceable contribution to the conservation of migratory waterbirds in the East Asia-Australasia Flyway (EAAF). The EAAF is one of the world's most important flyways and one of the regions with the highest concentration of endangered species and the most fragile ecosystems. The successful inclusion of this heritage site marks a milestone for the protection of globally significant human heritage, according to the World Heritage Committee.

In recent years, China has continuously strengthened the protection of Natural World Heritage sites and mixed heritage sites. Relying on the construction of national parks, nature reserves and scenic areas within the natural protection system, China has been steadily establishing and improving protection management systems and achieving effective protection and sustainable use of heritage sites.

China's World Heritage sites, which encompass outstanding values of natural beauty, geological features and biological ecology, have become a model for ecological civilization and the construction of a beautiful China. They increasingly highlight China's firm commitment and exceptional contributions to global biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and participation in global environmental governance.

Moving forward, China will seize the opportunity to comprehensively advance the construction of a nature protection system centered on national parks. This will further improve the protection and management of natural heritage sites, support the building of a beautiful China, continue to fulfill international conventions, strengthen international cooperation, share China's successful experiences, and promote global ecological civilization and cultural exchanges. In doing so, China will contribute its experience and strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

China urges the US to correct unjust harassment and repatriation of Chinese citizens entering the US and China will continue to take resolute measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, Chinese Foreign Ministry said in response to the Washington Post’s recent special report on the unwarranted harassment, interrogation and repatriation of Chinese students and scholars by US border officials which grabbed headlines. 

The Washington Post recently published a special report of interviews with six Chinese students and two visiting scholars who were unreasonably harassed, interrogated, and deported upon their arrivals at the US airports, detailing the experiences of some individuals, which have attracted attention domestically in the US.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in response during a Wednesday briefing that China has repeatedly expressed its firm stance on the unwarranted harassment, interrogation, and deportation of Chinese citizens by the US, especially students and scholars.

The US’ frequent discriminatory, political, and selective law enforcement measures against Chinese students seriously violate their legitimate rights and interests, and disrupt normal personnel exchanges between the two countries. The practice contradicts the US' stated support for and facilitation of cultural exchanges between the two nations and runs counter to the shared desire of the people from both countries to engage in friendly exchanges. 

We urge the US to carefully listen to the voices from all sectors of both countries, stop poisoning the public sentiment that affects bilateral relations, correct the wrongful practices of unjustified harassment, interrogation and deportation of Chinese citizens, thoroughly investigate the relevant cases, give the victims a fair explanation, Lin said, noting that China will continue to take resolute measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens. 

Sales of iPhones in the Chinese market posted a double-digit year-on-year decline in the first six weeks of 2024. Analysts said the US tech company is struggling in the competition with rising Chinese rivals.

According to market research organization Counterpoint Research, iPhone's sales in the Chinese market declined by 24 percent in the first six weeks of 2024, and it ranked No.4 behind three Chinese brands - Vivo, Huawei and Honor.

Counterpoint said that the fall was due to stiff competition in the high-end market from a resurgent Huawei, while Apple was squeezed in the middle market by brands such as Vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi.

In Apple's official store on Chinese e-commerce platform Tmall, the price of the latest iPhone 15 with 128G storage reached 4,999 yuan ($694.37), much cheaper than the price of 5,999 yuan at the official website of Apple, a move seen as to attract more Chinese consumers on the online channel.

Apple had a roughly 13 percent year-on-year decline in sales in the greater China region in the first quarter of 2024 fiscal year that ended December 30, 2023. Quarterly earnings rose 2 percent year-on-year to $119.6 billion, according to the company's results released on February 1.

Represented by the sudden launch of Huawei's Mate 60 Pro series, various Chinese Android-oriented smartphones showed largely-upgraded performance and production capacity, Liu Dingding, a veteran industry observer, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Liu noted that the price advantage and approximate quality of domestic brands compared with iPhones affect consumers' decisions.

Counterpoint said that although the iPhone 15 is a great device, it has no significant upgrades from the previous version, so consumers feel fine holding on to older-generation iPhones for now.

In January, a total of 31.78 million cell phones were shipped in China, up 68.1 percent year-on-year, and 82.6 percent were domestic brands, according to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, indicating strong growth momentum of Chinese smartphone manufacturers.

Search and rescue efforts are drawing to a close in the aftermath of the devastating 6.2-magnitude Jishishan earthquake. The focus is now shifting to the treatment of the injured, resettlement, and debris removal across earthquake-stricken areas, emergency management authorities in Northwest China's Gansu Province said at Thursday morning's press briefing.

Phased progress has been achieved in earthquake relief work, a local official said at the briefing. The death toll caused by the devastating earthquake that rattled Northwest China Monday night had reached 137 as of Thursday - 115 in Gansu Province and 22 in Qinghai Province.

As of 6 am on Thursday, the housing authorities have organized engineering and technical experts to complete the preliminary inspection and assessment of kindergartens, schools, and hospitals in Jishishan county. The emergency assessment of all houses in 19 villages in two towns, which were the most severely affected, has been completed. Water and gas supplies in the county have been restored to normal, while heating has basically restored. The damaged pipe network is being repaired to restore normal heating in the county as soon as possible, according to an official at the press briefing.

Various regions across China, including North China's Tianjin, South China's Guangdong Province, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, East China's Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang provinces have provided disaster relief funds and extended assistance in terms of medical care, emergency rescue operations, and essential supplies, according to the briefing.

Meanwhile, some regions have organized professional rescue, aviation rescue, and emergency communication support teams to provide assistance to the earthquake-stricken areas in personnel search and rescue, geological disaster inspection, aviation emergency rescue, and medical care services.

Under the guidance of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China, Gansu provincial housing and urban-rural authorities established an earthquake relief command headquarters, and initiated a Level II emergency earthquake response. The ministry has dispatched personnel to the affected areas to provide guidance for disaster relief, according to the local officials.

More than 500 specialists and technicians have been dispatched to the affected area to survey the damage to residential and facilities, conducting emergency assessments of building structures, and carrying out urgent repairs.

Meanwhile, local hospitals have received a total of 784 injured people, and the health authorities are currently conducting psychological counseling for those impacted by the disaster. In addition to all county and village medical institutions operating normally, 19 more medical treatment points and a mobile hospital have been established to meet the medical needs of the people in the disaster-stricken areas.

Chinese digital art pioneer ULTILAND has released a new art project aimed at spreading the beauty of Chinese art in Hong Kong SAR. The autumn collection features contributions from 12 artists with diverse artistic backgrounds, including creators of Chinese contemporary abstract art, new media art pioneers, and cutting-edge artists working with mixed materials. Three key themes emerge from their autumn creations: warmth, connection, and eternity.

According to the founder of ULTILAND, art and technology have the power to connect people from different backgrounds.

In addition to the release of new artworks, ULTILAND also bridges the gap between the real and virtual worlds in the name of art, transcending the boundary between WEB2 and WEB3 through innovative narratives and creating new value mappings.

Looking ahead to future plans, ULTILAND intends to establish a main island and themed islands. These themed islands will be overseen by artists and collectors, serving as hubs for art subjects, art creations, and more.

The COP28 Presidency, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) launched a joint report today on the sidelines of the Pre-COP event in Abu Dhabi, titled “Tripling Renewable Power and Doubling Energy Efficiency by 2030: Crucial Steps Towards 1.5°C".

The report provides actionable policy recommendations for governments and the private sector on how to increase global renewable energy capacity to at least 11,000 GW while also doubling annual average energy efficiency improvements in the target period. This falls under the COP28 Presidency’s Action Agenda objective of fast-tracking a just and orderly energy transition to keep 1.5°C within reach.

The report was launched on the sidelines of Pre-COP, a meeting held in Abu Dhabi a month ahead of COP28 for countries to lay the groundwork for negotiations at the global climate summit. The report aims to help guide parties on the key enablers required to meet the energy targets.

Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President, said in the report, “Tripling the deployment of renewable power generation and doubling energy efficiency are amongst the most important levers to cut greenhouse gas emissions. I am now calling on everyone to come together, commit to common targets, and take comprehensive domestic and international action, as outlined in this report, to make our ambitions a reality.”

IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera added, “Our mission is as clear as it is urgent: We need concerted action to triple renewable power capacity by 2030. This includes urgently addressing deeply entrenched systemic barriers across infrastructure, policy and institutional capacities stemming from the fossil-fuel era. IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook, which provides the analytical foundation of this report, warns that the energy transition is dangerously off-track, demanding immediate, radical collective action. This report outlines actions governments must prioritise to fast-track the global energy transition and keep 1.5°C alive.”

Bruce Douglas, Global Renewables Alliance CEO, said, “Tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency is the most impactful commitment policymakers can make to combating climate change. These steps will deliver cleaner electricity systems, open up access to affordable energy and deliver clean green jobs for millions of people. The rapid upscaling of renewable energy will require policymakers to work hand-in-hand with industry and civil society to urgently implement the enabling actions in this report - infrastructure and system operation; policy and regulation; and supply chains, skills, and capacities. Critically, these areas must be reinforced by low-cost financing and international collaboration. Working together to secure a liveable future for all.”

The report, which draws extensively on the analysis presented in IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook 2023: 1.5°C pathway, divides the key enablers into five sections, covering:

- Infrastructure and system operation: power grids, energy storage, end-use electrification, sector coupling and infrastructure planning, demand-side management.

- Policy and regulation: improving energy efficiency, market incentives and fiscal policy, power market design and regulation, streamlining permitting, reducing negative impacts, maximising social and environmental benefits.

- Supply chain, skills, and capacities: building resilient supply chains, education, training, and capacity-building.

- Scaling-up public and private finance.

- Enhancing international collaboration.

The collaboration between the COP28 Presidency, IRENA, and the GRA reflects the growing global consensus on achieving these targets. Ahead of COP28, the Presidency and the European Commission are calling for countries to support the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, with Champion countries already committed to supporting these global targets.