The US youth exchange delegation started their journey in Shanghai after visiting other Chinese cities such as Beijing and Fuzhou. They are participating in various activities, including experiencing the unique culture of each city, to strengthen communication and friendship with locals.
The "Shared Journey of Friendship" US Youth Exchange Delegation consists of around 190 teachers and students from 14 schools in seven states across the US. They have visited Beijing, Shijiazhuang, North China’s Hebei Province, Fuzhou, East China’s Fujian Province, and Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province, interacting with local Chinese students, and feeling the modern pulse of the country. They then continued their journey in Shanghai.
On Thursday, some of them visited a high-tech company called VeriSilicon in Pudong New Area of Shanghai to explore high-tech innovations such as VR. In the afternoon, they had interactive activities with Chinese students at the High School affiliated with Fudan University. The welcome ceremony began with a performance of Wind of Provence by the Chinese student brass band, followed by group activities to help everyone get acquainted.
The activities at the Chinese high school included technology experiments, Chinese sports, and fun games. Students from both countries worked together on robotics programs, constructing house models, creating calligraphy works, and making soy milk. They also experienced Chinese martial arts and participated in fun sports.
During an interactive session, some students from China and the US were grouped together to build a model house. They worked together to construct the model and learn from each other's different perspectives and ideas. Kayley Gallagher told the Global Times on Thursday that it was her first time building an architectural structure like this. “I think we really did a great job. I’m very happy with the product we produced. It’s pretty cool,” Gallagher said.
“We want to show our guests from the US the culture of China, and provide them with Chinese hospitality when they visit. We also hope to experience different cultures,” Ma Jingyu, a student from the High School affiliated with Fudan University and also one of the members in the group that built the house model, told the Global Times on Thursday. The theme of this program is building dreams together, and deepening friendship, said Ma. Through the interactive activities, many participants have formed new friendships with each other and exchanged contact information, such as e-mail addresses, to stay in touch and continue building their relationships. Sakina Cotton from the US youth exchange delegation said that they had a lot of fun today and made new Chinese friends here.
After traveling to several cities in China, Cotton said that she has noticed the different cultures that are specific to each city, especially the dialects. "That was interesting, and the types of food that people eat, the pieces of history, and architecture that are still preserved are different. "
US tech firm OpenAI has restricted access to its artificial intelligence (AI) models through its application programming interface (API) service in China since Tuesday.
The Global Times interviewed several Chinese AI developers and users, who generally agreed that the ban was not anticipated to have a significant impact on the domestic industry as OpenAI's products were not officially available in China anyway. In fact, some believed that this restriction will motivate Chinese developers to redouble their efforts to compete in the AI development and application sector.
What implications does this ban have for Chinese AI developers on a more granular level? And what is the actual gap between China and the US in terms of AI development? How should the two AI giants lead the world in AI developing and governance?
The other boot drops
API refers to interface that allows external access, which means that third-party developers can integrate ChatGPT's capabilities into their applications, building their own AI software. In March 2023, OpenAI announced the opening of the API, allowing third-party developers to integrate ChatGPT into their applications and services through an API.
The Global Times perused the OpenAI website on Tuesday and found that the company had published a list of 188 countries and regions where its API service is officially available, excluding the Chinese mainland, China's Hong Kong, or Macao regions.
"Accessing or offering access to our services outside of the countries and territories listed below may result in your account being blocked or suspended," OpenAI said on its website.
According to media reports, there were two main channels for developers to access OpenAI's products in China: By connecting to OpenAI's official API service or by connecting to Microsoft's Azure services.
Azure is reportedly the only legal way to access OpenAI products and services in China. In a report by US-based news portal PYMNTS.com on Monday, a Microsoft spokesperson was quoted as saying that Microsoft will maintain its Azure OpenAI Service offerings in China, and will continue to provide access to eligible customers in the country via models deployed in regions outside of China.
OpenAI's suspension may be a result of several factors, according to analysts.
First, legal compliance must have been taken into account as of June 21, as just a few days before OpenAI made the move, the US Department of the Treasury issued draft rules to ban or require notification of certain investments in AI and other technology sectors in China that could threaten US national security.
At the same time, China has also been enhancing the implementation of laws and regulations on cybersecurity and data security law. Requirements for cross-border data transmission and processing have been raised, making OpenAI faces more complex compliance procedures and high costs in the Chinese market.
In addition, the need to train GPT-5 and a shortage of computing power may also be part of the reason as some industry insiders told the media that they had been receiving shorter responses from ChatGPT recently.
Meanwhile, the move is also believed to help OpenAI to crack down on companies that "package" OpenAI technology as their own product, driving out companies without core technology and competitive strength from the market.
Chinese industry insiders pointed out that most Chinese companies will suffer little from this time's service suspension. They will either transfer to domestic large models, or purchase OpenAI's services via Microsoft or other providers outside China. In the long run, this move may be good to China's independent development of large models and self-reliance.
Chinese domestic large model developers have been ready to take customers from OpenAI. Companies like Moonshot, Zhipu AI, Baidu, Alibaba, Zero One Wanwu, and other large model manufacturers, took immediate action to release their "relocation plan" for OpenAI API users.
At the exhibition during the World AI Conference (WAIC) held between June 4 and June 7 in Shanghai, the Global Times noted that various large model manufacturers in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong are now providing relocation services
Chinese large model manufacturers are also ready to "go global." A fund manager in Beijing told stcn.com that domestic large model developers are striving to catch up with the US. If these developers have plans to explore overseas markets, they can set up branches in countries and regions where OpenAI is legally available. The true gap
But OpenAI's move did sound an alarm for Chinese large model developers to reflect on the gap between them and their US competitors.
Take generative AI, one of the most widely used and the most widely known field of today's AI development, as an example.
Both the US and China are leaders in the generative AI field. But the US does better in cutting-edge and underlying technology while China has certain advantages in industrial application and service design, Ni Kaomeng, initiator of the China AIGC (AI-generated content) Industrial Alliance, a nationwide civil group of China's AIGC industry insiders, told the Global Times.
Generative AI refers to AI systems that are capable of creating new content, such as images, text, or music, based on patterns and data they have been trained on.
At the just-concluded WAIC, the Global Times saw many Chinese enterprises showcasing their newly developed generative-AI tools, such as various interesting text-to-video applications.
Some leading domestic developers told the Global Times that their products have reached, if not exceeded, the level of Sora, currently the world's most famous cutting-edge text-to-video model by OpenAI.
Kling, for instance, is "the world's first text-to-video model with Sora-level abilities that has been made available to the public," its R&D team from Chinese tech company Kuaishou told the Global Times. "Sora, by contrast, remains inaccessible to ordinary users."
Text-to-video is a super sunrise industry globally. There will be a 100-fold increase in the number of AI-generated videos in two years, predicted Song Donghuan, founder of StoryStorm, one of China's earliest AI-generated video communities.
Song said that some of the AI-generated video software or mobile applications popular in overseas markets, such as PixVerse and NeverEnds, are actually products by Chinese companies, "although many people don't know it."
As for Chinese developers, it is no exaggeration to say that Chinese enterprises "account for half of the overseas AI-generated video market," Ni said.
But still, none of these Chinese products can be as epoch-making as Sora.
Sora allows global developers to see the potential of the diffusion transformers. As a product, it can generate stable long videos with good semantic consistency. Video generative products in China have made great progress this year, but few of them can be compared with Sora in terms of long and stable video generation and semantic understanding, Hong Wenyi, a doctoral student at the School of Software, Tsinghua University, told the Global Times during the WAIC.
Luckily, China's diverse application scenarios provide a good environment for the development of AI technology. AI self-driving technology is another typical example apart from generative AI, as mushrooming domestic automobile companies are cooperating with tech firms to constantly introduce new products to the booming market.
Many Chinese auto brands displayed their recently launched self-driving vehicles at this year's WAIC. Many vehicles are found to have been the results of technological collaboration between China and other countries, particularly the US.
One of the exhibited vehicles is equipped with a Chinese self-developed autonomous driving platform and US processor chips, said the exhibitor. "In today's globalized world, it is quite normal that different parts of tech products come from various countries," he told the Global Times.
Generally, China follows the path of the US in terms of the underlying technology of autonomous driving, but China has a vast market, diverse and complex road conditions, and Chinese developers and enterprises are enthusiastic about the field, an industry insider told the Global Times.
"I'm more optimistic with China's AI self-driving development in the long run," he concluded.
Catch up and cooperate
To catch up with the US, Chinese experts and entrepreneurs call for more investment in basic research and talent cultivation.
During the WAIC, iFLYTEK showcased the latest iFLYTEK Starfire V4.0 large model launched at the end of June. According to company, iFlytek Starfire V4.0 is fully benchmarked against GPT-4 Turbo. However, GPT-4 Turbo was released in November 2023, nearly 9 months ago, not to mention that OpenAI introduced GPT-4o in May, further enhancing the model's capabilities.
"We are confident in quickly benchmarking various sizes of large models in the market. But we must admit the gap while recognizing our own advantages. We need to establish a mechanism for continuous development for national computing power construction and data resource aggregation in order to develop further with a more scientific, rational, and long-term mindset," iFlytek chairman Liu Qingfeng told media during the WAIC.
China must have a universal benchmark large model comparable to the US, otherwise the long-term development potential and core competitiveness of China in the era of general AI will be hindered, Liu noted. "With the support of a universal base large model, vertical industry large models, and small models in various application scenarios can all flourish."
In April, Tsinghua University's School of Artificial Intelligence was officially established with Chinese Turing Award winner Andrew Chi-Chih Yao serving as the first dean.
According to Yao, the goal of the school is to train 100 doctoral students annually in the near future.
"China now lacks top talents in AI frontier innovation research. While there are many good universities in China that can cultivate excellent talents, few of the Chinese doctoral students can be compared with their counterparts in top US universities. This makes China have to import foreign-trained university teachers every year, which is not a sustainable situation. In the future, China must be able to cultivate such talents domestically," Yao noted during the WAIC.
Beyond the gap and competition between the US and China - two leading countries in the field of AI to cooperate - there are seemingly more urgent tasks for the two leaders to cooperate to promote AI governance while facing the risks brought about by booming AI technologies.
Xue Lan, dean of Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University, said during the conference that the problem lies in an infrastructure gap, with 2.5 billion people worldwide still lacking access to the internet. "These are challenges that require global cooperation to address, as they not only hinder global development but also have a significant impact on global governance," Xue said.
"The governance and development of AI have reached a critical 'crossroads,' especially with the unprecedented challenges brought about by generative AI," Xue said during the conference.
"It is quite challenging to balance competition and cooperation between China and the US. However, I believe it is important to at least consider how to create a safe space for technology professionals and experts to collaborate without fear, and freely discuss and solve technical issues. Without this, many of the things we talk about today would be impossible to achieve," Xue said.
Around 4 am on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin's plane arrived in Beijing, marking the beginning of his two-day state visit to China. According to a previous announcement from the Kremlin, Putin will visit Harbin and attend the opening ceremony of the 8th China-Russia Expo. Accompanying him is a "high-profile economic and trade delegation" that includes Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina, and Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation chief Dmitry Shugayev.
All indications suggest that economic and trade cooperation between China and Russia will be a key topic during Putin's visit.
Chen Gang, the Russian General Manager of Suifenhe Zhongsu Automobile Import and Export Co, Ltd, is one of the exhibitors at this year's expo.
He has been busy at the company's booth these past few days. "Compared to the years before the pandemic, there are visibly more companies attending this year," Chen, a Chinese businessman long focused on opportunities related to Russia, told the Global Times.
He noted that booths at this year's expo are in high demand, with some companies even offering high prices to rent space, hoping to break into the Russian market.
"There are also a lot of Russians and Russian companies in Harbin these days; they are everywhere. My impression is that various Russian industries are eagerly seeking Chinese products and partners," Chen said.
The popularity of the expo is a reflection of the rapid development of China-Russia economic and trade cooperation in recent years. According to data released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, in 2023, bilateral trade between China and Russia reached $240.1 billion, a 26.3 percent increase from the previous year, exceeding the target set by the leaders of both countries in 2019 to achieve $200 billion in bilateral trade by 2024. Of this, Russia imported $110.97 billion worth of goods from China, a significant year-on-year increase of 46.9 percent.
Chen's experience also confirms the aforementioned figures. Before the pandemic, Chen mainly engaged in exporting Russian agricultural products to China and in tourism between the two countries. However, in the past two years, as relations between China and Russia have grown closer, his business has entered a "new stage," expanding to the import and export of various products such as automotive equipment, asphalt, non-ferrous metals, engineering machinery, and liquefied natural gas.
"Especially in the fields of automotive and energy, these have been the hottest areas in China-Russia trade over the past two years, with great opportunities," Chen said excitedly when talking about his business development in recent years. "My revenue has increased by nearly 200 times compared to previous years."
Fan Yeliang is another Chinese businessman who has long been involved in the import and export of timber and furniture between China and Russia. These days, he is in Harbin negotiating with Russian businessmen visiting China.
He told the Global Times that last year his volume of furniture exports to Russia "increased by four to five times" compared to the period before the pandemic, and his timber import business "at least doubled."
Amid the booming market, many new "gold seekers" have also entered the trade with Russia. Fan told the Global Times that previously, most of the businesses involved in Russia-related trade were from Northeast China. Now, many companies from South China's Guangdong, East China's Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces are also participating.
There is a large market gap in Russia that needs to be filled, Chinese business representatives said. From the perspective of these Chinese businessmen, the rapid development of China-Russia economic and trade relations in the past two years is partly due to the withdrawal of countries such as the US, Europe, South Korea, and Japan from the Russian market, citing sanctions, leaving a lot of market space.
On the other hand, it is also because Chinese-made products are cost-effective and of good quality, making them very popular with overseas customers. Additionally, the strengthening of political trust between China and Russia has further increased Russian customers' trust in China.
Using his automotive business as an example, "sales of new and used Chinese cars have been very good in Russia in recent years. Brands like Changan, Geely, Haval, Great Wall, and Chery are particularly popular for their good quality and affordable prices," Chen said.
"Possibly influenced by political factors, Russians have become more inclined to cooperate with Chinese people in recent years. In daily interactions with them, one can clearly feel that various Russian sectors are eager to collaborate with China. Against this backdrop, the business environment in Russia's Far East has improved significantly, and local administrative efficiency in this regard has also increased," Chen said.
In the view of Chinese businessmen, there are several major challenges that need to be addressed for further development of China-Russia economic and trade relations. The first is the need for more convenient cross-border settlement.
Both Fan and Chen told the Global Times that in the past two to three months, due to increased US financial sanctions on Russia, banks have had to strengthen their review of cross-border trade settlements between China and Russia.
Many Chinese private enterprises with business dealings with Russia have encountered problems in receiving payments or settling accounts, sometimes facing rejection or delays of over two months. This increases the costs and cash flow pressure on small businesses.
They hope that China and Russia can expedite the integration of their respective payment settlement systems to meet the market demand for trade settlements between the two countries while avoiding secondary sanctions.
Also, the infrastructure level in Russia's Far East needs further improvement. Due to many European ports refusing to handle Russian cargo, the cargo throughput at St. Petersburg port in the Baltic Sea has significantly declined.
Additionally, as Russia's economic cooperation shifts toward the Asia-Pacific, ports in the Far East, including Vladivostok, are now handling a large volume of Russia's import and export maritime business.
Vladivostok port is currently operating at overcapacity, Chen said. "With the surge in China-Russia trade, there is a great need for more ports or the expansion of existing ports in the Far East. Therefore, we look forward to more cooperation between the two countries in infrastructure construction in the Far East."
Wang Xiaoquan, an expert with the Institute of Russian, Eastern European & Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the economies of China and Russia have unique complementarities, with China being the largest economy capable of comprehensive economic cooperation with Russia.
Given the significant reduction in Russia's economic relations, particularly energy relations, with the US and the West, and the need to advance the "Turn to the East" strategy, Russia will place greater emphasis on the strategic role of the Chinese market in exporting its oil and gas products.
Russia also views China as a source of funds and technology for implementing its import substitution policy and modernizing infrastructure, aiming for comprehensive integration in areas such as energy, defense, aerospace, agriculture, finance, and technology, Wang said.
"During President Putin's new term, China-Russia practical cooperation in all fields is likely to develop rapidly, with significant breakthroughs expected in areas such as energy, agriculture and manufacturing," the expert said.
The industrial and supply chains of the two countries are expected to achieve integrated development, he noted.
In recent years, Russia has shown an increasingly positive attitude toward the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), especially in terms of connectivity, capacity cooperation, finance and trade. China and Russia are expected to implement more multilateral economic cooperation projects under the framework of aligning the BRI with the Eurasian Economic Union. Russia is also expected to provide more support for the internationalization of the renminbi, the expert added.
US tech giant Apple's headset Vision Pro has achieved a significant milestone before entering the Chinese market, gaining official approval from China Compulsory Certification 3C certification, paving the way for its sale on the Chinese mainland market.
According to the website of the China Quality Certification Center, the certification for Apple's Vision Pro was issued on May 13, 2024, with validity extending until May 12, 2029.
Despite being priced at $3,499 in the US market, equivalent to 25,325 yuan, Apple has yet to disclose the official pricing and localized name for Vision Pro for the Chinese mainland market.
Notably, the trademark for Vision Pro in China has been owned by Huawei.
Vision Pro, initially released in June 2023, was not available in other regions outside the US market until today, according to media reports.
Reuters reported on May 14 that Apple plans to unveil Vision Pro in international markets following the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) scheduled for June 10 -14 this year.
In addition, Apple is currently conducting training sessions for its employees in seven countries, including China, on effectively showcasing its Vision Pro products to customers in new markets.
The introduction of Apple Vision Pro to the Chinese mainland market, coupled with potential local production, is expected to "facilitate a exchange of digital product-related technologies and research between Apple and local Chinese teams," Liang Zhenpeng, an independent tech analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Apple's fiscal second-quarter earnings report this year said the company's overall sales fell 4 percent to $45.96 billion and iPhone sales fell 10 percent year on year, suggesting weak market demand for the current generation of its smartphones.
Apple's Vision Pro entering the Chinese market could also help the company boost its global market share and brand influence in China, as the company fends off concerns over decreasing consumer confidence in this market, Liang noted.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2024 will host a variety of Healthy Life events dedicated to healthcare and a Healthy Life Area thematic exhibition during which key members of the healthcare community will share cutting-edge technology projects and innovative developments. The SPIEF will also feature a series of expert discussions on healthcare.
Leading government and scientific figures will join representatives of the pharmaceutical and medical industries to hold talks on important healthcare topics in the area presentation zone.
“The Healthy Life Area has always been a place for presenting significant healthcare achievements at SPIEF. The expert discussions that take place there cover a wide range of issues facing healthcare, medical and scientific development, the accessibility of medical care, digitalization in the industry, in addition to human resources. The event’s business program has been drawn up with the support of experts from leading scientific centers to the ensure current topics are covered correctly. Experts will discuss major issues surrounding import substitution for medical and pharmaceutical products, advanced technologies for active longevity, new opportunities for medical and health tourism in Russia, corporate and social initiatives coming from Russian companies, opportunities to invest in the development of biomedical technologies, neurotechnology, digital health ecosystems, the application of artificial intelligence to new innovative products, and the development of healthcare technologies within BRICS,” First Deputy Director for Development and Head of the Healthcare Directorate of the Roscongress Foundation Anastasia Stolkova said.
The expert discussions have been organized with the support of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency of the Russian Federation, the Russian Research Institute of Health, the Center for Healthcare Quality Assessment and Control of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, and the Sechenov University Institute of Leadership and Health Management among others.
“The topics up for discussion in the Healthy Life Area at SPIEF reflect the current healthcare agenda: training for human resources, digitalization and artificial intelligence, telemedicine and innovative technologies, and disease prevention. The Russian Research Institute of Health has always provided expert support for the event and taken an active part in the preparation of sessions for the business program,” Russian Research Institute of Health Director Olga Kobyakova said.
The Healthy Life project is an industry platform for direct dialogue between representatives of the government and the expert community and a place to share experience with innovation, discuss target benchmarks, global trends, and the outlook for healthcare system, and work on practical proposals for building a healthier society.
Official website of the event: forumhealth.ru.
The 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will be held from 5 to 8 June, 2024 at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Roscongress Foundation is a socially oriented non-financial development institution and major organizer of nationwide and international conventions; exhibitions; and business, public, youth, sporting, and cultural events. It was established in pursuance of a decision by the President of the Russian Federation.
Israeli leaders said the army had enough munitions on hand to proceed with its plans in Rafah, despite US President Joe Biden's threat of pausing some arms deliveries. Israel, its close ally, has put the US in an awkward position, according to observers. They attribute this situation to the deep-rooted flaws in the US political system.
President Biden quoted by CNN threatened to stop the supply of specific weapons if Israeli soldiers entered populated areas of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. The threat was widely interpreted as a turning point with relation to Israel in the seven-month conflict.
Reacting to Biden's announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone." Other Israeli officials also expressed disappointment and criticism over Biden's remarks.
On Friday, the General Assembly is scheduled to hold a vote on Palestine's bid to become a full member of the UN, a move seen by many as largely symbolic. In a surprising move, Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan spoke on behalf of the US, stating, "If it is approved, I expect the US to completely stop funding the UN and its institutions, in accordance with American law."
Asked why before any official stance of the US has been taken, an Israeli diplomat stationed at the UN seems to have made diplomatic decisions on behalf of the US, Chinese experts said the development was not surprising.
Earlier, the US House of Representatives surprisingly passed an "Anti-Semitism Awareness Act" aimed at addressing rising antisemitism among college students who are angered by Israel's acts in Gaza and the US' long-standing biased Middle East policy.
Ding Long, a professor from the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times that despite increasing pressure from the international community, the Biden administration has stood firm with Israel by providing weapons and other assistance. But this time, Biden is eager to remove the burden of Israel and doesn't want it to become a negative factor for his election campaign.
A few days ago, during the negotiations in Cairo, the US dispatched the CIA director in hope of achieving a deal between Israel and Palestine to cool down the conflict. However, the current problem is that Netanyahu, whose position as prime minister is in peril, simply does not listen to the US, and proceeding the war is the only option for Netanyahu to continue political career, Ding noted. "Once you get on the tiger's back, it's hard to get off again."
The military possesses the required weaponry for its planned operations, including those in Rafah, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated on Thursday.
Despite conditioning its military shipments to Israel, Biden remained committed to making sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to those attacks. Li Jianmin, academic dean of the Institute of Central Asian Studies at Northwest Normal University, told the Global Times that the Biden administration cannot risk completely angering Israel.
One reason for the Biden administration not to completely turn its back on Israel is that protecting Israel is in line with its overall policy of playing a bigger role in the Middle East, Li said.
Israel's recent actions in Rafah has forced approximately 80,000 residents to flee their homes, with most seeking refuge in Khan Younis or Deir al Balah. These areas are lacking essential services, according to the United Nations.
The Israeli military instructed around 110,000 civilians to leave parts of Rafah, which has become a haven for many displaced Palestinians living in inadequate conditions, media reports said. Previously, Jordan condemned Israeli settlers attacked a humanitarian aid convoy on its way to Erez crossing in northern Gaza.
Observers warned of more humanitarian disasters as they predicted Netanyahu is determined to continue the military operation in Rafah. Lin Jian, a Chinese spokesperson for foreign ministry on Friday also condemned Israel's behavior of attacking aid convoy, urging Israel to implement international humanitarian aid law and provide guarantee for the aid.
Hopes remain slim of a Gaza cease-fire as a Hamas delegation is expected to visit Cairo, Egypt on Monday for talks, after the group said it is studying a reply from Israel over a cease-fire proposal. Analysts said that while both Israel and Hamas could benefit from a temporary cease-fire, it still lacks factors to be positive. Under the growing international and domestic protests, the moral pressure and diplomatic isolation of Israel and the US may deepen.
According to media reports, Hamas said in a Saturday statement that it has received Israel's official response to its latest cease-fire proposal in Gaza and will review it before submitting its reply, amid the latest efforts by Egypt as a broker.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Hamas official told Reuters on Sunday that a delegation will visit Cairo on Monday for Gaza cease-fire talks. And the group will deliver its response to Israel's latest counterproposal for a Gaza cease-fire.
During an interview with local media Channel 12 television earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the release of hostages is the "top priority," and if there is a deal with Hamas on it, "we will suspend the operation," according to a Reuters report on Saturday.
Citing two Israeli officials, Axios reported that Israel told Egyptian officials on Friday that it was ready to give hostage negotiations "one last chance" to reach a deal with Hamas before moving forward with a ground invasion of Rafah, where more than one million displaced Palestinians are sheltering due to the conflict, which has lasted more than six months.
Israel Defense Forces chief of staff General Herzi Halevi and director of the Shin Bet security agency Ronen Bar visited Cairo earlier for talks on the Rafah operation and the hostage deal, Axios reported.
The Israeli officials said the talks with the Egyptians on Friday were "constructive" and that the Egyptians made it clear they intend to put pressure on Hamas to secure a deal for the release of hostages, according to Axios. However, a Wall Street Journal report said on Saturday that talks toward a hostage deal had little chance of success, according to Egyptian officials familiar with the negotiations.
Chinese experts said there is demand on both sides for a cease-fire, but the prospects for an actual cease-fire are still bleak.
"Despite Hamas seeks a cease-fire when Rafah is almost their last stronghold in Gaza, the 'one last chance' claimed by Israel is also for themselves, as in the face of domestic pressure, they need Hamas to free as many hostages as possible before it attacks Rafah," said Niu Xinchun, executive director of the China-Arab Research Institute of Ningxia University.
Amid the efforts to break the deadlock, on Saturday, Hamas released a video of two hostages, which US media interpreted as a tactic to increase pressure on the Israeli government to reach a cease-fire deal.
Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, believes that the possibility of reaching a cease-fire deal is still limited, especially regarding the attitude from Qatar, a major mediator that has been promoting a cease-fire since last November.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is also foreign minister, said there was a "misuse of this mediation for narrow political interests, and this necessitated Qatar to undertake a full evaluation of this role."
In an interview with Israeli media Haaretz published on Saturday, Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said that the Israel and Hamas "are not showing enough commitment" to reach a cease-fire and a hostage release deal, and "it gets sabotaged by both sides" when a deal gets close.
Qatar's attitude illustrates how difficult the task of brokering a cease-fire will be, Liu said.
Cease-fire talks between Hamas and Israel since the conflict broke out last October, have been more about hostage release and humanitarian aid, but they have never touched on the fundamentals of a permanent cease-fire. It means it is just about short-term expediency, Liu said.
The Hamas side wants a complete cease-fire, and the Israelis want a complete elimination of Hamas, and that has not changed, Liu said.
By claiming "one last chance," Israel is aiming to put more blame on Hamas and ease its pressure in the diplomatic sphere, especially after a top Hamas official said they will agree to a truce of five years or more and that it would lay down its weapons if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders, Liu said.
Growing pressure
The cease-fire deadlock comes alongside a summit attended by regional and global leaders in Saudi Arabia, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Speaking at a World Economic Forum (WEF) special meeting in Riyadh on Sunday, Abbas urged the US to ask Israel to stop the Rafah invasion, as the US "is the only country capable of preventing Israel from committing this crime," which would be "the biggest disaster in the history of the Palestinian people."
Citing diplomats, Reuters said on Friday that China will host Palestinian unity talks between Hamas and Fatah in Beijing.
An Israeli attack on Rafah, which has been the main channel of outside aid into Gaza in the past six months, would be a further humanitarian disaster, Niu said.
According to the Gaza health ministry on Sunday, Israeli's war in Gaza has killed at least 34,454 Palestinians since last October.
Israel now faces a dilemma: with increasing diplomatic isolation and moral pressure from the international community, Israel must find some way to protect the over 1 million Palestinians in Rafah and even arrange for the transfer of civilians, but on the other hand, it is still unwilling to give ground on stopping the military operation in Gaza, Liu said.
Whether or not a cease-fire is reached, Israel may opt for a compromise in the next phase of the conflict, Liu said, noting that Israel may keep up its partial bombardment of Gaza, but the large-scale invasion in Rafah may be postponed.
Despite the Biden Administration warning Israel against a possible Rafah invasion, US President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed legislation that includes $26 billion in additional wartime assistance to Israel.
After more than 100 protesters at Columbia University in New York City were arrested, student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have spread to other campuses, with more university students rallying for a cease-fire in Gaza. Pro-Palestine demonstration have occurred in London and Paris in recent days.
To some extent, the growing campus protests in the US are a result of US duplicity and hypocrisy, which would put more pressure and cause dilemma for the US, Liu said.
In fact, the US and Israel have the same fundamental interests and war objectives, and the US still supports Israel to completely eliminate Hamas, which means a Rafah invasion is inevitable, Niu said.
With the thunderous roar, the Shenzhou-18 manned spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China, atop the Long March-2F Y18 carrier rocket on 8:59 pm on Thursday, carrying taikonauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu as well as nearly 100 experimental projects to the Tiangong space station.
Following a smooth 10-minute flight, the Shenzhou-18 spacecraft successfully entered its planned orbit, as confirmed by a statement the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) sent to the Global Times.
After entering its orbit, the Shenzhou-18 spacecraft adopted an autonomous rapid rendezvous, successfully docking with the Tianhe core module's radial docking port approximately 6.5 hours post-launch. This marked the formation of a three-ship, three-module complex.
Radial docking is a critical part of this mission. Compared to the more familiar forward and backward rendezvous and docking tasks, radial docking is "more like a complex action movie," officials with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), China's leading space contractor, told the Global Times on Thursday.
"The hundred-ton class assembly of the space station could obstruct the spacecraft's measurement sensors, and there will be mutual impact of plumes from the station's engines… These will all pose significant challenges for radial docking. To eliminate the risks, we have minimized performance parameter deviations at each stage and verified that the docking mechanism has the capture and buffer capability under 31 complex conditions," the CASC said in a statement. The Shenzhou-18 manned spacecraft is the second in the space station's application and development phase to implement radial docking. Prior to this mission, Shenzhou-16 had already successfully completed radial docking with the Chinese space station on May 30, 2023.
The current radial docking will further mark the maturity of China's independently developed space rendezvous and docking GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) technology, said CNSA in its statement.
As manned missions to Tiangong have become normalized, more than 90 experiments are scheduled to be carried out in and outside of the space station during Shenzhou-18's six-month stay. These experiments include various fields such as microgravity basic physics, space materials science, space life science, aerospace medicine, and aerospace technology, CMSA spokesperson Lin Xiqiang said Wednesday while detailing the mission one day prior to the launch. 'The fourth crew member'
One of the highlights for this trip is the adventure of the very first fish, which has been dubbed adorably by Chinese netizens as "the fourth crew member of Shenzhou-18."
Using zebrafish and hornwort, "the experiment will be China's first in-orbit aquatic ecological research project, which aims to make a breakthrough in the cultivation of vertebrates in space," Lin said.
"In the broader picture, this ecosystem could potentially serve as a model for creating new ecological environments in space, including food ecosystems. On a smaller scale, the microgravity and radiation effects of space, if prolonged, are still unknown in terms of their impact on the members of the mini ecosystem and the material and energy cycles within the new ecosystem, which can provide new insights to our understanding toward space," Cang Huaixing, a research fellow at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the Global Times.
"Additionally, our device is equipped with a CCD for photography and video recording, enabling and facilitating behavioral studies of the fish," Cang said. "In fact, my observations in recent days have been surprising. The behavior of the fish is much more complex than we had previously imagined."
The selection of the fortunate "fourth member" is not just because zebrafish are beautiful, but also because they are well-known "model organisms" in the scientific community.
They have advantages such as small size, short development cycle, and short experimental period. What's more, zebrafish eggs are transparent, making it easy for researchers to observe the process of embryonic development.
More importantly, zebrafish share 87 percent genetic similarity with humans, making them suitable for studying and revealing universal principles of life forms.
In 2012, Japan had also sent a zebrafish aquarium to the International Space Station to observe the effects of microgravity on osteoblast and osteoclast activity.
Cang told the Global Times that while Japan's research focused on fish as the subject, China's goal is to construct and study an entire ecosystem.
Apart from raising fish, the Shenzhou-18 crew will also conduct the world's first in-orbit stem cell study on the plant's stem tips, to reveal the mechanism of plant evolutionary adaptation to gravity and provide theoretical support for space cropping, the CMSA revealed.
The prevention and damage repair of space debris impact will also be a key task during their stay.
"With human space activities rapidly increasing in recent years, the problem of space debris has become more prominent," Lin said. He noted that they had previously discovered that some of the solar panel cables on the space station were damaged by space debris impacts, leading to a partial loss of power supply capacity.
Building on the existing space debris protection mechanism at the station, the Shenzhou-18 crew will install debris protection reinforcement devices on external pipelines, cables, and key equipment during their extravehicular activities (EVAs). They will also conduct external inspections as needed to further ensure the safety of the space station.
In total, the Shenzhou-18 taikonauts are expected to carry out two to three EVAs and implement six cargo outbound deliveries via the station's cargo airlock module.
Heading to the moon
In February, CMSA revealed that landing Chinese on the moon has become the next priority for the country's space exploration now that the construction of Tiangong has been completed.
With the overall goal of achieving a lunar landing by 2030, research and development of various systems are currently under way as planned. The necessary design work for the Long March-10 carrier rocket, the Mengzhou manned spacecraft, Lanyue lunar lander, and lunar suits have all completed and are now in the process of producing initial samples and conducting various tests.
Additionally, the spacecraft and lander have completed the development of thermal test products, and the rocket is conducting ground tests of engines.
The construction of the Wenchang manned lunar exploration launch site has also been launched. Now, public solicitation of manned lunar vehicles and lunar payload schemes is underway, with competition for selection.
Compared to space station missions, lunar missions require astronauts to master the normal and emergency operations of the Mengzhou spacecraft and Lanyue lunar lander, as well as lunar surface operations such as entering and exiting the cabin, carrying out activities under one-sixth of normal gravity, driving lunar rovers over long distances, and conducting drilling, sampling, and scientific investigations on the moon.
China's fourth round of taikonaut selection will soon be completed. After joining the team, they will work together with incumbent taikonauts to carry out the follow-up missions in the space station and achieve the goal of landing on the moon.
China National Space Administration (CNSA) also revealed more details of international cooperation in its lunar probe programs on the just-ended China Space Day on Wednesday.
The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS,) a lunar program currently led by the CNSA and Russia's Roscosmos, has added Nicaragua, the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO), and the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Science as collaborating countries and organizations.
China will cooperate with these three parties in various aspects such as engineering implementation, operation and application of the ILRS program, the CNSA said.
China will launch the Shenzhou-18 manned spacecraft from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China at 8:59 pm on Thursday, sending the new crew - Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu - to the Chinese Space Station, announced China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) at a press conference on Wednesday, which marks the country's ninth Space Day.
Shenzhou-18, China's first crewed mission this year, is the seventh batch of taikonauts to be sent to the Tiangong Space Station since its construction, and the third since it entered application and development phase. It also marks China's 32rd manned flight into space.
The crew members for the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceflight mission consist of taikonauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, with Ye serving as the mission commander, CMSA spokesperson Lin Xiqiang said.
Ye from the second batch of selected taikonauts has previously participated in the Shenzhou-13 spaceflight mission, while the other two crew members from the third batch are embarking on their ever first space journey. All three were born in the 1980s.
"Currently, all preparations for the mission are progressing steadily. The Long March-2F Y18 rocket, poised to carry out this launch mission, is about to start fueling," Lin said.
After completing the orbital shift with the Shenzhou-17 members, the Shenzhou-18 crew will stay in the space station for about six months, during this period of time they will conduct space science and application experiments, and carry out two to three extravehicular activities and six cargo ingresses and egresses, installing space debris protection devices, as well as installing and retrieving external payloads and equipment.
Additionally, they will conduct science popularization activities, and carry out space experiments to further improve the station's operational efficiency.
Notably, the Shenzhou-18 crew will carry experimental equipment and related samples to conduct the first domestic in-orbit aquatic ecological research project. The project will focus on zebrafish and ceratophyllum demersum, aiming to establish a stable space self-circulating aquatic ecosystem in orbit to achieve a breakthrough in China's cultivation of vertebrate animals in space,
After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-18 spacecraft will adopt an autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking according to plan, and dock with the Tianhe core module's radial docking port some 6.5 hours later, forming a three-ship, three-module complex.
During their stay, the Shenzhou-18 crew will welcome the Tianzhou-8 cargo ship and the Shenzhou-19 crew, and are planned to return to the ground in late October this year.
Currently, the space station complex is in good condition, and all equipment is working normally, with the Shenzhou-18 crew in good spirits. Ground system facilities and equipment are operating stably, and all launch site preparations are ready to go.
Wednesday marks the ninth China Space Day. Fifty-four years ago today, China's first space satellite, Dongfanghong-1, was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. At 11 am, the mission crew met with domestic and foreign media at this important birthplace of China's space industry.
At the press conference, Lin noted that for the next step, China will accelerate research and promote the participation of foreign astronauts and space tourists in flights to the space station.
While answering questions regarding the future plans for manned lunar exploration, Lin said that China's fourth batch of taikonaut selection is about to be completed. After joining the team, they will work together with current taikonauts to carry out the follow-up missions in the space station and achieve the goal of landing on the moon.
The Long March-2F carrier rocket is the country's first-generation manned carrier rocket since its maiden flight in 1999, and it has never stopped on the path of self-improvement.
Compared with the previous Long March-2F used in the Shenzhou-17 mission, the new rocket has undergone 32 technical improvements, making it safer and more reliable. The reliability assessment of the rocket has been increased from 0.9896 to 0.9903, and its safety assessment has reached 0.99996, according to information shared by rocket developers with the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT).
Since the space station started construction, the Long March-2F rocket has entered a normalized fast-paced launch state.
In order to quickly and stably send taikonauts into space, the rocket development team has continuously explored the optimization of the launch site preparation process. Now, the preparation process of the Long March 2F rocket has been reduced from 49 days in the early stage to 30 days, according to CALT.
Moreover, the development team has also used digital means such as remote measurement and control support systems to achieve real-time interconnection of rocket test data, making data interpretation more efficient and accurate. At the same time, the number of launch site personnel has been reduced by about 40 percent, further improving work efficiency.
As the country's only active manned launch vehicle, the Long March-2F rocket has been specially designed with a unique fault detection system and escape rescue system. Over the past 20 years, it has maintained a 100 percent launch success rate. Although the escape rescue system has never been used, researchers made numerous improvements and refinements behind the scene to better safeguard the taikonauts' safety.
China's top legislature on Friday vowed to strengthen discipline for minors engaged in bullying, and those with serious offenses will be sent to specialized educational institutions, or subjected to public security penalties or criminal charges.
The remarks were made by Yang Heqing, a spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, at a press conference on Friday, following a recent debate about prevention of juvenile crime in China after several cases involving underage offenders.
By noting that the laws on protection of minors as well as on prevention of juvenile delinquency, both revised in 2020, made clear provisions on student bullying, Yang stressed the role of parents, schools, and education authorities in preventing campus bullying.
According to Yang, parents or other guardians are not allowed to condone or incite minors to bully others, while schools should establish a system for preventing and controlling student bullying, and identify and handle student bullying behaviors according to law.
Schools should also provide necessary family education guidance to the parents of relevant minors, and strengthen discipline for minors who engage in bullying behavior. Serious cases of bullying should be promptly reported to the public security organs and education administrative departments, Yang said.
In terms of the responsibilities held by education authorities, Yang emphasized the importance of collaborating with relevant departments to develop a comprehensive bullying prevention and intervention system for students.
If student bullying is deemed as a serious offense, the appropriate authorities should handle the situation in accordance with the law, Yang said. This may involve sending the bully to a specialized school for education, imposing public security penalties, or pursuing criminal charges.
Yang emphasized the importance of parents, schools, and relevant departments, in understanding the detrimental effects of student bullying. He stressed the need to prioritize the prevention and intervention of bullying incidents, underscoring the importance of collaboration and adherence to legal protocols.
Looking ahead, efforts will be made to encourage all stakeholders to enhance awareness through education, ensure the proper enforcement of laws, so as to cultivate a supportive social atmosphere conducive to the well-being of minors.
The remarks of China's top legislature came following a series of efforts made by relevant departments to address juvenile delinquency. China's Supreme People's Court on Monday stressed child protection in divorces, which help prevent situations where the legitimate rights and interests of minors are disregarded, thereby effectively eliminating various negative factors that lead to juvenile delinquency. A number of provinces have also urged local authorities to focus on key groups of underage children, and strengthen the protection provided by family, school and community.
