China's first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, left the dockyard on Sunday morning. This marks the completion of the construction of the main ship, and the vessel will soon enter the next phase of outfitting and calibration, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.
The work of outfitting and calibration involves the debugging of the ship's power system, the installation and debugging of various electronic devices and weapon systems, as well as the interior decoration of the ship's compartments. This part of the work will be carried out by factory personnel. After this phase is completed, mooring tests and sea trials will be conducted jointly by the factory and the receiving naval unit, according to the CCTV's report.
The Sichuan was launched in Shanghai on Friday. It has a full load displacement of more than 40,000 tons, is equipped with a double island superstructure and a full longitudinal flight deck, and innovatively applies electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology, according to China Bugle, an official media account affiliated with PLA's news media center.
The Sichuan did not leave the dockyard at the launch day due to a scientific assessment that considered specific conditions such as tide levels, wind strength, and visibility, read the CCTV report.
Specifically, the water level in the dock must exceed a certain level for the ship to fully float, ensuring that the vessel can smoothly rise and leave the dock entrance, and the wind strength should not exceed level 6 on the Beaufort scale, with wind speeds not exceeding 10.8 m/s.
Besides, during the undocking process, the tugboat operators need to have a clear view of the surrounding environment and obstacles to make timely and correct maneuvers. Generally, visibility is required to be no less than 150 meters.
"The ship leaving the dockyard indicating that the hull is in good condition and that the ship's watertightness has been thoroughly inspected," an anonymous military expert told the Global Times on Sunday.
According to Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, after leaving the dockyard, the installation of systems related to the entire ship may commence, and the outfitting process may encompass functional systems such as auxiliary power and electronic radar systems.
The anonymous expert noted that the mooring tests will evaluate systems such as the power, electronic, and fire control systems. Additionally, the ship will perform corresponding experiments on its electromagnetic catapult system to prepare for sea trials.
"Mooring tests are very important, as they relate to the overall performance of the hull. When all performance indicators of the tests meet the design requirements, preparations for sea trials can begin," the expert said.
The expert further noted that given the Type 076 amphibious assault ship has adopted many mature technologies, its outfitting and testing time may be shorter than that of the aircraft carrier Fujian.
The PLA Navy's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which is China's first warship to utilize the electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology, began the sea trials phase with its maiden voyage on May 1 of 2024 following its launch on June 17, 2022.
Netizens have been actively discussing the Sichuan since its launching, with many expressing their admiration and pride for their motherland. "The Sichuan, breaking waves and riding the wind, moves forward courageously, setting sail toward the deep blue sea!" read a Sina Weibo user's post on Sunday.
By establishing the biggest paleobiology database of early Earth to date and employing cutting-edge analytical tools, including supercomputer and artificial intelligence, an international paleontological research team led by Dr Qing Tang and Professor Shuzhong Shen from the School of Earth Sciences and Engineering at Nanjing University, for the first time, have constructed a high-resolution biodiversity curve spanning from 2 billion to 500 million years ago.
The findings were published in the academic Science journal on Friday. This study reveals that early life on Earth underwent a prolonged evolutionary journey, marked by multiple major radiations and mass extinctions before the formation of complex ecosystems around 500 million years ago.
"This study fills a critical gap in our understanding of the macroevolution of life on early Earth, providing a theoretical basis for elucidating the origins and early evolution of life, exploring the potential existence of extraterrestrial life, and assessing the sustainable development of a habitable Earth," Tang told the Global Times.
Fossils are the most direct evidence of life's evolution. However, when did life, particularly eukaryotes with a membrane-enveloped nucleus, originate and leave its first fossil record more than 500 million years ago? As the ancestors of all modern complex organisms, how did early life cope with environmental challenges and evolve into the diverse biosphere we see today?
These fundamental scientific questions, which are crucial for understanding our origins and future, have remained largely unaddressed for a long time due to methodological limitations, said Tang.
To tackle these questions, the research team spent six years developing a comprehensive paleobiology database of early Earth. By integrating big data analytical tools, such as supercomputing and artificial intelligence, Tang and his colleagues have established the first high-resolution biodiversity curve of early life.
The results indicate that the diversity of eukaryotes maintained low but stable growth since their earliest unambiguous fossil records around 1.7 billion years ago. However, this pattern was disrupted by the emergence of a global glaciation event around 720 million years ago.
Following the end of the glaciation event, life diversity began to increase rapidly and fluctuate frequently, leading to multiple episodes of major biological radiation and extinction.
These include a significant biological radiation event between approximately 635 and 580 million years ago, followed by the first mass extinction event in life history, which resulted in the sharp disappearance of the dominant organism - spiny microorganisms. Following this mass extinction, more complex macroscopic organisms, including animals, underwent rapid radiation. However, these complex macroscopic organisms encountered two significant declines in diversity at the end of the Ediacaran Period (approximately 551 to 539 million years ago), marking the earliest two mass extinction events in the evolutionary history of animals.
This study, by using big data analysis, quantitatively illustrate for the first time the first 1.5-billion-year evolutionary journey of fossilizable eukaryotes on Earth. It delineates the early history of complex life, including its origins, radiation, extinction, re-radiation, and the eventual formation of modern-like ecosystems.
"The findings suggest that extreme climate events, such as global glaciations, severely disrupted the evolutionary trajectory of Earth's early biosphere, leading to mass extinction events," Shen told the Global Times.
Following the end of glaciation events, the subsequent warming of surface temperatures and rise in atmospheric oxygen levels facilitated new radiations of increasingly complex organisms.
"This further confirms that the evolutionary pattern of life from simple to complex is not a straightforward linear process, but rather an alternating pattern of prolonged stagnation and relatively rapid radiation," Shen noted.
This study also highlights the profound impact of abrupt environmental changes, such as fluctuations in surface temperature and oxygen levels, on the evolution of early complex life systems, providing valuable insights for scientists searching for extraterrestrial life in extreme environments and assessing the future habitability of Earth.
"We study the relationship between biodiversity and the process of environmental evolution to better understand Earth's current state. This research helps predict how the planet might develop under environmental changes, offering valuable insights for the future," Shen remarked.
According to Shen, the development of life on Earth, from its origin to the growth of biodiversity, from simple to complex organisms, "provides valuable insights for studying whether other planets have similar conditions."
"Understanding the environmental factors that allowed early life on Earth to thrive and evolve into the biodiversity we see today can offer important clues for exploring the potential existence of life and biodiversity on other planets," he added.
Reviewers for Science journal commented: "This is, in many respects, a long overdue paper to examine the fossil record of the Proterozoic. This is a huge achievement. There will be a plethora of papers following publication of this paper doing just that."
Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi met with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djurić in Tianjin on Friday. Wang said China welcomes Serbia to get on board the express train of China's development and work together to achieve modernization for both nations.
Wang Yi asked Djurić to convey President Xi Jinping's warm greetings to Serbian President Aleksandar Vućić. Wang Yi stated that this year is a significant one for China-Serbia relations. President Xi successfully conducted a state visit to Serbia in May, during which the two heads of state decided to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations.
The traditional friendship between China and Serbia has been forged in the common opposition to power and bullying, tempered in the struggle to defend independence and sovereignty, and nurtured through mutually beneficial cooperation and common development. It has withstood the tests of changing international circumstances and will undoubtedly grow stronger over time, making the two countries true ironclad friends, the Chinese official said.
China-Serbia relations are at the forefront of the times and align with the correct historical direction. We are willing to work together with Serbia to continuously create new prospects for our bilateral relationship, Wang Yi emphasized.
China's economy continues to maintain high-quality development, remaining at the forefront among major economies. China is continuously improving its high-level opening-up, which not only provides momentum for its own development but also offers new cooperation opportunities for countries around the world, including Serbia, Wang Yi said.
"We welcome Serbia to get on board the express train of China's development and work together to achieve modernization for both nations," Wang Yi noted.
During the meeting, Djurić said the relationship with China is a diplomatic pillar for Serbia, and deepening cooperation with China has become a cross-party and whole-society consensus in Serbia.
Serbia supports the promotion of cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, and looks forward to close communication and coordination with the Chinese side to jointly address global challenges, the Serbian Foreign Minister said.
Both sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and the situation in the Middle East.
The relevant trials of the Fujian aircraft carrier are a normal part of the construction process. In the next steps, additional trials will be gradually conducted based on the progress of the aircraft carrier's construction, Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense said on Friday
Wu made the remarks in response to an inquiry on a notice from the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, which said traffic control will be implemented on the deep-water channel entrance of the Yangtze River estuary for a large vessel in early December with some analysts believing that the Chinese Navy's Fujian aircraft carrier may have completed its fifth sea trial and returned to its homeport.
China and the US on Friday signed a protocol to amend and extend the Agreement Between the United States and China on Cooperation in Science and Technology. They have agreed to extend the Agreement for additional five years, effective from August 27, 2024, according to China's Ministry of Science and Technology, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
On January 31, 1979, then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and the 39th US president Jimmy Carter signed the agreement during Deng's visit to the US. It was one of the first intergovernmental agreements signed between the two countries following their establishment of diplomatic relations.
Since then, it has renewed approximately every five years, paving the way for sci-tech exchanges between the two countries. The agreement was extended for 6 months in August last year, and again in February this year.
"The renewal of the agreement sends a positive signal and holds profound significance for China-US technological cooperation and global technological advancement," Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.
Wang said that this renewal signifies both parties' commitment to maintaining and deepening exchanges and collaboration in the technology sector. Since its inception in 1979, the agreement has served as a cornerstone for cooperation between the two nations, facilitating extensive collaboration across various fields.
Wang noted that the renewal will create more opportunities and platforms for cooperation, promote technological innovation, and foster talent cultivation, ultimately advancing the joint development of the technological sectors in both countries.
On a global scale, this collaboration will facilitate the sharing of technological resources and inject new momentum into global technological progress, Wang added.
Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Friday that this agreement has created substantial opportunities for technological exchanges between the two countries. It not only aligns with the mutual interests of both parties but also meets the expectations of the international community.
Potential for China-US technological cooperation can be seen in multiple fields, especially in fundamental science, advanced technology research and development, and innovative applications, Li said.
China has advantages in market scale and consumer demand, while the US leads in technological innovation and research. If the two countries can engage in deep cooperation in these areas, it will drive global technological advancement and benefit all of humanity, Li said.
The extension of the agreement comes at a time when the US has intensified its technology suppression against China, particularly concerning semiconductor exports.
"Science knows no borders. Politicizing technology can only transform what should be a collaborative effort for human progress into a tool for political struggle, ultimately harming all parties involved," Li said.
Responding to the extension over the agreement, a Chinese scientist in the computer science sector told the Global Times on Friday that China-US technological cooperation is mutually beneficial when it is cooperative, but harmful to both sides when it is confrontational.
The Chinese government will continue to deepen international scientific and technological cooperation between governments and civil society, as well as expand cultural and technological exchanges, Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun said in September.
China has established scientific and technological cooperation ties with over 160 countries and regions, and signed 118 intergovernmental agreements on such cooperation, according to Yin.
"Cognitive Warfare" has become a new form of confrontation between states, and a new security threat. With new technological means, it sets agendas and spreads disinformation, changing people's perceptions and altering their self-identity. Launching cognitive warfare against China is an important means for Western anti-China forces to attack and discredit the country.
Some politicians and media outlets have publicly smeared China's image by propagating false narratives in an attempt to incite and provoke dissatisfaction with China among people in certain countries. These means all serve the US strategy to contain China's rise and maintain its hegemony. The Global Times is publishing a series of articles to reveal the intrigues of the US and its allies' China-targeted cognitive warfare and expose its lies and vicious intentions.
In the 18th installment of the series, the Global Times focuses on a recently passed act by US Congress, which is widely regarded as a funding mechanism for the US to badmouth China in the international community. As a latest case in the US’ high-profile cognitive warfare against China, this article discusses in detail the aspects of China that this act may seek to defame and slander, as well as where the substantial sum of $1.6 billion will ultimately be directed.
Spending vast amounts of taxpayer money to discredit another country seems inglorious, yet it has appeared more than once in public official documents of the US. Recently, the US Congress passed the H.R. 1157 to authorize more than $1.6 billion in five years to badmouth China, which has sparked questions and criticism both within the US and internationally.
According an act passed on September 9, the Congress authorized appropriations for the “Countering the People’s Republic of China Malign Influence Fund,” which planned to appropriate $325,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 - $1.625 billion in total - to counter the so-called “malign influence” of China. Or in other words, to counter any aspects that the US perceives as unfavorable from China.
For many years, the US government has expended vast human and material resources globally to support so-called “independent media” and civic organizations, inciting anti-China sentiment due to a deep sense of crisis and fear regarding China's rapid development, said Wang Yiwei, a professor at the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China.
“American politicians are desperate to maintain a world order in which they are the hegemonic monopoly, even if this order exists only in the discourse and propaganda narratives they construct,” Wang told the Global Times.
A widely questioned bill
$1.6 billion is a staggering amount, allegedly double the annual operating expenditure of a major media outlet in the US like CNN.
Behind the huge amount, content of the act is filled with clichés attacking the China’s political system under the guise of threatening US’ “national security” “economic security” and disrupting “international order.” Specifically, it mentioned the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a main target, saying some of the money will be used in supporting civil society and independent media to counter against BRI’s “malign influence.”
The term “malign influence” is vague and subjective, leaving a lot of room for interpretation, said Diao Daming, a professor at the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China. “Additionally, this act involves a massive funding arrangement spanning several years, suggesting that [the US] is planning a big layout to suppress, contain and discredit China on a global scale in the coming years,” Diao told the Global Times.
Unsurprisingly, some scholars and opinion leaders within the US have questioned and criticized the act. Marcus Stanley, director of studies at US think tank Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said the definition of “malign influence” in the bill is extremely broad. “For example, program funds could support any effort to highlight the ‘negative impact’ of Chinese economic and infrastructure investment in a foreign country,” Stanley wrote in his article House passes $1.6 billion to deliver anti-China propaganda overseas on September 11.
In a September 27 opinion piece titled Wars, Propaganda Wars and Funding Them, US novelist and journalist Eve Ottenberg said that China’s BRI connects the world through beneficial infrastructure investments, while the US does something vaguely similar though far less helpful with its 800 foreign military bases.
“…the contrast between the two approaches at planetary linkage has reflected rather poorly on Washington in the Global South,” wrote Ottenberg. “Hence this target in the US propaganda war: take down BRI, no matter how much good it’s doing, because it’s a bad look for Uncle Sam.”
In addition, the transparency of this bill has also been widely questioned.
This just passed act authorized to appropriate $325,000,000 “for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027,” it required an annual summary “not later than September 30, 2023” and “annually thereafter for five years.” It suggested the fund had been put into use probably as early as October 2022, long before it was officially allowed to.
The act doesn’t seem to contain any requirement that US government financing to foreign media be made transparent to citizens of foreign countries, Stanley pointed out. Thus, it’s possible that the program could in some cases be used to subsidize covert anti-Chinese messaging, he said.
Where the money flows to?
H.R. 1157 didn’t explicitly mention who would operate the massive fund.
Nonetheless, based on the act itself, some analysis of US scholars, and open documents of certain US institutions, it is likely that the money has flowed, or will flow, to a few infamous US government affiliated or backed organizations, such as the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC), and federal agency the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which may use this money to support the overseas media and organizations engaged in anti-China activities.
USAID has been reported to fund subversive and opposition forces in many countries. The agency is largely involved in the $1.6-billion fund, as the act directly mentioned that the administrator of USAID must designate a senior official as the “assistant coordinator” of the program.
USAID’s website shows that making grants to foreign media and civil society organizations is a key part of its efforts. Under this guise, USAID was found to have repeatedly funded both domestic and overseas groups to smear China.
In November 2023, for instance, a research lab at US-based William & Mary’s Global Research Institute named AidData released a report slandering the BRI. AidData’s website shows USAID is its major partner and funder.
According to a document from the US Department of State in April 2020, GEC is an institution set to “lead, synchronize, and coordinate efforts of the Federal Government to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining United States national security interests.”
At a congressional hearing in March 2020, Lea Gabrielle, the US special envoy and coordinator of GEC, bluntly said that their efforts include “increasing awareness of the problematic aspects of the Belt and Road Initiative,” and they had programs “to build global resilience to PRC disinformation through media training and support to investigative journalists.” She also mentioned the US government-back media literacy programs that support pro-US media outlets and individuals.
Ironically, a main way GEC supports and trains overseas media and journalists to counter “China disinformation,” is by paying them to create and spread lies attacking China.
In September 2021, Zimbabwe’s largest daily newspaper The Herald revealed that the US was funding and training local reporters to write anti-China stories and discredit Chinese investments, the Xinhua News Agency reported in October that year.
Noting that a local workshop drawing about a dozen private media journalists was held on 14-15 September 2021, The Herald article said that the journalists were asked to portray Chinese companies as “causing harm to communities, environment and workers,” and to produce and spread such content in the media, receiving payment of $1,000 per story from the US embassy through its proxy. Carefully woven delusions
H.R.1157 was introduced by Republican Barr Andy, a member of a so-called House select committee on the strategic competition between the US and China.
Diao believed that introducing such an act is an attempt by some anti-China some politicians to take credit, and also a sort of an “exam answer sheet” submitted by the committee to assert itself. “After all, it is not certain that there will be such a committee in the next Congress,” he told the Global Times.
This was not the first time in recent years that the US allocated a large budget for cognitive warfare against China. In the Strategic Competition Act of 2021, Congress authorized $1.5 billion over the five years for a “Countering Chinese Influence Fund,” to globally counter the so-called 'malign influence' of China.
Wang pointed out that in the information age, when most people in many countries struggle to discern the truth among vast amounts of information, the US government attempts to spread false information in the international community, manipulating public opinion to discredit China, having a detrimental impact on the international discourse environment.
Yet these slanders are not as effective as some in the US hope they would be, with an increasing number of global visitors coming to see a real China in person today under the recently loosened entry policy?
The US has launched too many absurd public perception campaigns for the international community to ignore, Wang said. “Many countries have already seen through the true nature of the US and are beginning to resist its rampant behavior. The delusions carefully woven by the US will no longer succeed as easily,” he told the Global Times.
As the world's second-largest and one of the fastest-growing economies, China has a vibrant and vast market, and continues to provide new opportunities for the world through new developments. As China continuous to develop, its biomedical industry is undergoing an important phase. Strategic opportunities are attracting more multinational pharmaceutical companies to expand their footprint in China, demonstrating the strong pull of the country's market. Following Bayer's first innovation center's establishment in Beijing in 2023, Bayer Co.Lab China, a global life sciences co-creation platform, celebrated its grand opening in Shanghai on September 26. At this point, Bayer's "innovation double engine" in China's cutting-edge life sciences sector has been officially completed, giving the Chinese market a "vote of confidence" with its actions, marking a new step forward in Bayer's innovation strategy in China. Guests unveiled Bayer Co.Lab China, from left: Friedemann Janus, Senior Vice President, Head of Regional Business Development & Licensing, Co.Lab and Divestitures, Pharmaceuticals Division at Bayer; Wu Qiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Pudong New Area Committee, Deputy Governor of Pudong New Area, and Deputy Director of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Administration; Sebastian Guth, Chief Operating Officer of Bayer Pharmaceuticals; Zhu Zhisong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, Secretary of the CPC Pudong New Area Committee, and Director of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Administration; Juergen Eckhardt, Head of Business Development, Licensing and Open Innovation at Bayer AG's Pharmaceuticals Division; Seth Ettenberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of BlueRock Therapeutics; and Gustavo Pesquin, Chief Executive Officer of AskBio.
The "Bayer Yizhuang Open Innovation Center" aims to deepen the integration of production, academics and research. It seeks to accelerate pioneering fields of the biomedical industry, such as cell and gene therapies, and help upgrade the local biopharmaceutical industry. As part of Bayer's global strategic innovation ecosystem, the Bayer Co.Lab co-creation platform will provide exclusive space and tailored support services for Chinese startups, promote open innovation and collaboration in the biotech ecosystem and play an important part of Bayer's efforts to promote local R&D and innovation throughout the whole chain. Bayer Co.Lab China will empower eight to 10 start-ups, focusing on state-of-the-art innovations, including cell and gene therapies, oncology and new technology platforms. Previously, Bayer Co.Lab has been strategically deployed in innovation hotspots around the world, such as the United States, Japan and Germany.
Open collaboration empowers source innovation in whole chain
Bayer Co.Lab China relies on the dominant position of China's local pharmaceutical industry cluster and the resources of the whole industry chain. It is located in Shanghai Innovation (SH-INNO), which hosts first-class universities and top scientific research institutions. With the open, shared and collaborative innovation of the industrial ecosystem around SH-INNO, Bayer Co.Lab will provide end-to-end full-chain support for residents, helping local companies improve their sci-tech innovation-sourcing capabilities in advanced areas, such as cell and gene therapies, and empower local innovation.
Co.Lab China will not only provide an ideal co-creation space for residents but will also leverage Bayer's global R&D network and expertise to help biotech startups connect to a global innovation collaboration network, providing international perspectives and resources. Bayer Co.Lab China hosts a wealth of internal and external expert resources to accelerate innovation transformation through professional guidance and consultation. As an important component of Bayer's open innovation strategy, Co.Lab China will not only inject new momentum into Bayer's global R&D and innovation but also will become an important window for the globalization of China's innovation.
"China has become an important source of innovation in global life sciences," said Juergen Eckhardt, Head of Business Development, Licensing and Open Innovation at Bayer AG's Pharmaceuticals Division. "We are honored to bring the Bayer Co.Lab platform to China, and we hope that through multiparty collaboration, we can quickly identify and drive early-stage innovations to jointly explore solutions to major health problems and unmet medical needs, so that more ideas can be put into practice in China." Expand footprint, dive into innovation and development of China's pharmaceutical industry
Bayer has long regarded the Chinese market as one of the most resilient growth engines in the world. With more than 140 years of experience in China, Bayer has continued to expand its innovation footprint. In 1995, Bayer Pharmaceuticals established a production and packaging plant in Beijing - the company's first of its kind in China - and continued to invest heavily in expansion, greatly increasing the Beijing site's production capacity. In 2009, Bayer established a global R&D center for prescription drugs in Beijing. Through this R&D center, China is included in more than 80 percent of Bayer's pivotal multicenter clinical trials, including early and late-stage clinical development programs. After nearly 30 years of development, Bayer is the only biomedical company in Beijing with an output value exceeding 10 billion yuan （$1.42 billion） for 11 consecutive years. It is also one of the few foreign-funded enterprises in Beijing that has both a "world-class product supply center" and a "global R&D center".
In addition, by deepening its strategic partnerships with well-known local academic institutions, especially Tsinghua University and Peking University, Bayer is committed to accelerating the transformation of basic research results into new drug R&D, and helping to improve China's pharmaceutical R&D and innovation capabilities. To date, Bayer has carried out more than 100 joint research projects with these two universities. These partnerships have become a model of collaborative development and innovation of "industry-university research" in China's domestic pharmaceutical and medical sectors.
The scale of China's biomedical market ranks second in the world, and the pipelines of pharmaceutical innovation ranks among the top of the world's second echelon. Its drug research and industrial development are entering a new stage of innovation and are consequently leapfrogging. As for cell and gene therapies, oncology and other innovative areas, China has shown great potential and innovative vitality, and occupies an increasingly important position in the global pharmaceutical industry chain.
Based on a deep understanding of China's pharmaceutical innovation potential and a strong recognition of local innovative forces, Bayer's Co.Lab's growth in China marks another major move by Bayer to increase its investment in innovation in the country, demonstrating its firm determination to take root in the Chinese market. Bayer will continue to enhance local collaboration to accelerate innovation and co-creation in China, work with more local companies to promote innovation and development in the medical and health industry in China and even the world, further stimulate the innovative vitality of China's pharmaceutical industry and attain a stronger footing in the global pharmaceutical innovation stage.
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About Bayer
Bayer is a global company with core competencies in health and agriculture in the life sciences sector. The company is committed to helping people and the planet thrive through products and services that help people overcome the major challenges posed by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainability and making a positive impact on its business. At the same time, the Group is also improving profitability and creating value through technological innovation and business growth. Globally, the Bayer brand stands for trustworthiness, reliability and quality. In fiscal 2023, Bayer will have approximately 100,000 employees and sales of 47.6 billion euros. R&D investment, excluding special projects, amounted to EUR 5.8 billion. See www.bayer.com for more information.
China's Shanghai Composite Index surged more than 100 points, closing above 3,000 points on Thursday, the first time above the key benchmark since July 2, following a series of pro-growth policy measures rolled out by policymakers that help lift up investor confidence.
The rally came after a key Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership meeting on Thursday that stressed the need to boost the country's capital market, while actively promote medium- and long-term funds to enter the market, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a meeting on Thursday to analyze and study the current economic situation and make further arrangements for economic work. It was noted at the meeting that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy and the favorable conditions such as a vast market, strong economic resilience and great potential have remained unchanged, Xinhua said.
All three major stock indices for the A shares posted gains of over 3 percent, with the Shanghai Composite Index rising by 3.61 percent, the Shenzhen Component Index up by 4.44 percent, and the ChiNext Index rising by 4.42 percent.
This marks the third straight day that all three indices finished with gains.
Trading volume at the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses reached a total of 1.1625 trillion yuan ($165.6 billion) on Thursday, 5.1 billion yuan higher than a day ago.
More than 5,100 stocks reported gains in prices, with more than 100 stocks reaching their daily upper limit. The real estate companies led the rally, followed by liquor, food, banks and securities companies.
"With multiple favorable policies being released, we are witnessing a remarkable rally in market expectations. Three consecutive days of gains suggest the A-share market is now entering a new upward phase," Yang Delong, chief economist at Shenzhen-based First Seafront Fund, told the Global Times on Thursday.
Chinese financial regulators on Tuesday released a slew of favorable policies to support the capital market which has lifted investor confidence.
China will issue a guideline to encourage medium and long-term funds to enter the capital market, the country's top securities regulator said on Tuesday. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) plans to release six measures to promote corporate mergers and acquisitions, and work with various parties to facilitate the circulation of private equity and venture capital funds.
And, China's central bank, the People's Bank of China, will introduce new monetary policy tools to support the stock market's growth. The central bank will set up a swap program allowing securities, funds, and insurance companies to secure liquidity using asset collateral, said Pan Gongsheng, governor of the People's Bank of China, on Tuesday.
China-Australia relations have seen positive progress with more recent high-level exchanges, and observers noted that strengthened communication between the two sides can effectively avoid amplifying differences. The two countries' top diplomats met on Tuesday, meanwhile the fourth China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue is scheduled to be held in Beijing.
According to Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, told Wong that both sides should continue to build a more mature, stable, and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership.
Both sides should properly handle the issues in bilateral exchanges and not define China-Australia relations from the perspective of differences, Wang said, hoping Australia joins hands with China to ensure that bilateral relations go on the right track and achieve more results.
Wong said Australia is ready to work with China to strengthen economic and trade cooperation, engage in constructive communication on issues of differences, and promote the stable development of bilateral relations. The Australian side's adherence to the one-China policy has not changed, Wong said.
Chen Hong, executive director of the Asia Pacific Studies Center at East China Normal University, spoke positively of the meeting, stressing that during the gradual improvement of China-Australia relations, increased high-level communication between the two sides has been beneficial in steering the overall direction of their relationship, highlighting the importance both parties place on enhancing ties.
With the US election due in November and an Australian federal election next year, shifts in the political landscape may lead to policy uncertainties especially when it comes to China policy, making it even more crucial for China and Australia to deepen and strengthen high-level dialogue, as it can help avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments, Chen noted.
Analysts have also set high expectations for Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers' upcoming visit to China.
On Wednesday, China's National Development and Reform Commission announced that according to the agreement between China and Australia, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers will visit China from Thursday to Friday. During this visit, Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, will co-chair the fourth China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue with Chalmers.
As the treasurer, Chalmers oversees Australia's economic direction, Chen pointed out.
His visit to China is expected to not only promote bilateral economic and trade relations but also to enhance the overall bilateral relationship, Chen noted.
Additionally, there may be opportunities for breakthroughs in cooperation between the two nations in new areas, particularly in addressing climate change and clean energy initiatives, Chen said.
However, experts also warned that the recent negative dynamics in the Quad leaders' summit regarding China are not conducive to the steady and healthy development of China-Australia relations.
A new exhibition on ancient Chinese clothing was held in German capital Berlin. The exhibition traces the history of Chinese clothing, highlighting how the Confucian core value of “ritual” is expressed in Chinese clothing culture.
Set to run until October 9, this exhibition on ancient Chinese clothing culture is part of the 2024 Confucius international cultural exchange series.
“Chinese clothing culture has evolved over different historical periods, forming a comprehensive system of development. It reflects the transmission of civilization and encapsulates historical moments,” said Sun Qinhang, director of the China Cultural Center in Berlin.
“We hope this exhibition serves as a bridge between the ancient and modern, East and West, fostering exchanges and enhancing mutual understanding between civilizations,” Sun noted.
The exhibition features a special selection of heirloom garments from the Confucius temple back in Qufu, Shandong Province. These ancient Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) outfits, renowned for their vibrant colors, exquisite craftsmanship, and unique designs, vividly showcase the splendor of Ming Dynasty clothing culture, while also deeply reflecting the lasting influence of Confucianism on social life.
During the live clothing display segment, models dressed in traditional Chinese attire brought the elegance of these ancient garments to life. As they gracefully walked through the exhibition hall, guests eagerly took photos with them, capturing the charm and beauty of the ancient clothing.
"This exhibition allows our German friends to experience up close the beauty and intricacy of ancient Chinese garments, as well as the Confucian values embodied in the clothing, enhancing their understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture," said Hua Jingang, the curator of the exhibition.
The opening ceremony also featured interactive activities and a display area for cultural and creative products related to intangible cultural heritage. Visitors could try on ancient Chinese Hanfu clothing and pose for photos and, under the guidance of heritage artisans, learn traditional crafts such as Lu Embroidery, fabric knotting, and rope art.
