The China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (NORINCO), China's leading tank and armored vehicle manufacturer, unveiled its anti-drone solutions at the Airshow China 2024 after the world witnessed how drones could pose serious threats to ground forces in recent regional conflicts.

The company is displaying anti-drone modules mounted on tanks and armored vehicles, a set of electronic warfare vehicle system and a suite of equipment designed to counter low-altitude, small, and slow-moving drones at the event from November 12 to 17 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province.

In line with current trends in military advancements, NORINCO is bringing to the airshow a series of new products, technologies and systems with a focus on distributed combat empowered by intelligent network, demonstrating China's advancements in ground force technology and systems, the Global Times learned from the company at the airshow.

NORINCO is showcasing 225 pieces of equipment, with 68 debuting at the airshow. Featured items include the VT4A main battle tank, VT5U unmanned light tank, VU-T10 unmanned ground combat platform, AR3 and SR5 multiple launch rocket systems, SH15 and SH16A self-propelled howitzers, the Sky Dragon air defense missile system, and Red Arrow anti-tank missiles, along with drones like the BZK005E.

The company has scheduled a product launch event for Wednesday, where it will unveil details about its latest assault vehicle, howitzer, and electronic warfare vehicle.

Cheng Ziheng, a spokesperson at NORINCO, told the Global Times at the airshow that after analyzing recent regional conflicts, it's clear that the nature of warfare has evolved: Large-scale troop battles are now rare, as troops scatter in large areas. Combat has become diversified, as they no longer only feature artillery versus artillery or tank versus tank, as all kinds of elements including electronic warfare and cyber security come into play in dynamic environments. Uncertainty is now central to modern combat.

To tackle these uncertainties, NORINCO is exhibiting a system of hundreds of equipment, named the digitally empowered combined arms brigade combat system. 

It has three core qualities: comprehensiveness, resilience and agility, Cheng said. He explained that comprehensiveness provides countermeasures for various threats, resilience ensures the system can withstand attacks without full paralysis, and agility allows for rapid decision-making, command and response. 

Cheng emphasized the growing threat of low-altitude, small, slow-moving drones, which increasingly make tanks and armored vehicles vulnerable without adequate countermeasures.

Addressing this concern, NORINCO has outfitted the VT4 tank and similar vehicles with compact anti-drone modules designed to protect individual units. The company is also showcasing electronic warfare vehicles that provide mobile protection for tanks and armored units. Together with radars, drone detection devices and fire units, multiple layers of protection are expected to provide complete defense against not only low altitude, small, slow-flying drones, but also medium-sized drones, according to Cheng.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has summoned the Philippine Ambassador to China to make solemn representations over the introduction of the so-called Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday.

A Chinese expert said China will take targeted countermeasures against the Philippines’ move.

The Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Friday signed two laws – Philippine Maritime Zones (PMZ) Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes (PASL) Act, attempting to solidify the illegal ruling of the 2016 arbitration case through domestic legislation, illegally including China's Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island) and most of the islands and reefs in the Nansha Islands and their related waters in its maritime zones.

The so-called Philippine Maritime Zones Act illegally includes China's Huangyan Dao, most of Nansha Islands and related waters into the maritime zone of the Philippines, and seeks to solidify the illegal award of the South China Sea Arbitration in the form of domestic legislation. The move seriously infringes on China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea, which China strongly condemns and resolutely opposes, Mao said.

China urges the Philippines to earnestly respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, immediately stop taking any unilateral actions that may escalate disputes and complicate the situation, and earnestly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, said Mao, noting China reserves the rights to take necessary measures.

China will not sit idly by the Philippines' escalating provocative measures and will definitely take targeted countermeasures, in order to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, Yang Xiao, deputy director of Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

Lei Xiaolu, a professor of law with the China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies, Wuhan University, told the Global Times that certain provisions of these laws are inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other international legal frameworks.

This reveals the Philippine government's strategy to "expand its powers" through domestic legislation. As such laws exceed the authority granted by international law, consequently, they unlawfully restrict the legal rights of other countries, including China, and are not binding on them, according to Yang.

This move undermines regional peace and stability, escalates tensions, and harms the Philippines' own interests, said Yang.

Lei said UNCLOS only grants coastal states sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the construction, use, and authorization of artificial islands within their exclusive economic zones, without specifying ownership of these artificial islands. The third reading of the PMZ draft clearly contradicts the relevant provisions of UNCLOS.

Ironically, the third reading of two laws' draft does not even fully comply with the Philippines-worshiped ruling of the so-called South China Sea Arbitration in 2016, as it exceeds the content of the ruling, which does not classify all low-tide elevations within 200 nautical miles of the baselines of the so-called Philippine archipelago as part of the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, said the scholar.

Lei further noted that PASL excludes some important routes for international navigation in its archipelagic waters, which is not consistent with Article 53 of the Convention. It also relates the passage rights to a "reciprocal measure" against the so-called activities "in violation of the sovereignty, sovereign rights or jurisdiction," clearly ignores the territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

Notably, the PMZ seeks to extend Philippine jurisdiction over vast expanses of sea, encroaching on the rights of other nations and intensifying existing conflicts and disputes. The designated sea lanes established by the PASL are situated in close proximity to US military bases in the Philippines, raising concerns about potential collusion between the Philippines and foreign powers to monitor passing vessels, thereby jeopardizing the navigational safety of various countries, Yang told the Global Times.

Even so, the Philippines has still jeopardized its own interests in this move. According to calculations by Chinese expert Hu Bo, director of South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, the newly passed PMZ has reduced the area of the "Kalayaan Island Group," which is claimed by the Philippines, by approximately 70,000 square kilometers compared to Presidential Decree No.1596 signed by former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1978. Meanwhile, the PASL only stipulates a few designated shipping routes. These moves not only undermine the navigation rights of other coastal countries but also adversely affects the Philippines' own interests, said Yang.
Harry Roque, a former Philippine congressman and former presidential spokesperson to president Rodrigo Duterte, told the Global Times in April when the Philippine Senate passed the PMZ that this legal provision not only violates the Philippine Constitution, but also fundamentally goes against, and even betrays, the interests of the Philippines, with its effect being more like "killing 1,000 enemy soldiers but losing 800 of your own."

Roque, also a well-known international law professor and the former president of the Asian Society of International Law, believes both laws are unconstitutional and run contrary to Article One of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202404/1310999.shtml

The “South China Sea arbitration” case represents a dual conspiracy orchestrated by external nations, intended to undermine both China and the Philippines. The Philippines has been misled by foreign entities and, in its eagerness to replicate the so-called South China Sea arbitration, has hastily enacted two laws. This not only jeopardizes its relationship with China but also compromises its national interests, Yang noted.

Yang said the two laws of the Philippines also violate the article of the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," which the Parties to the declaration agree to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability. “However, these Philippines’ actions are not only unhelpful for resolving disputes but will only further intensify conflicts and exacerbate tensions in the South China Sea,” Yang said.

As US Republican candidate Donald Trump declared victory in the 2024 US presidential election on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry congratulated Trump on being elected as president of the US and said "we respect the choice of the American people."

Trump has won in utterly divisive, costly US election amid deep public concerns, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Multiple major US media outlets projected on Wednesday that Trump has won enough Electoral College votes and will be the next president of the US, the report said.

"We respect the choice of the American people and congratulate Mr. Trump on being elected as president of the United States," Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.  

As for how will the result of the election affect China's foreign policy or China-US relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning noted that China will continue to view and handle our bilateral relations under the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

Earlier in the day, Trump took the stage at West Palm Beach County Convention Center in the US state of Florida to speak to supporters and declare victory, the Xinhua News Agency report said. 

Trump promised "to help our country heal," adding that the US-Mexico borders will be fixed, Xinhua News Agency reported.

"It's a political victory that our country has never seen before," Trump said, thanking the American people "for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president." Trump was the president preceding the incumbent 46th US president, Democrat Joe Biden, the Xinhua report added.

Trump's remarks came as most US media outlets put his Electoral College vote tally at either 266 or 267, after calling the crucial battleground states of North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania for him. Among them, Georgia and Pennsylvania are states that Trump flipped from four years ago, when Biden carried them, reported Xinhua.

Trump's opponent, Democratic candidate and incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, is expected to call Trump later on Wednesday local time to concede and is expected to speak publicly, NBC quoted two Harris aides as saying, China Central Television reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Donald Trump on Wednesday after the US Republican presidential candidate declared victory, Xinhua reported.

"Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity," Macron wrote on social media platform X, according to Xinhua.

Macron said he also spoke to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after Trump's election night speech addressing supporters. France and Germany "will work for a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe in this new context, by cooperating with the United States of America and defending our interests and our values," Macron wrote on .

Alongside the presidential race, several US media outlets projected that the Republican Party would regain control of the US Senate early Wednesday after flipping two seats from the Democratic Party, Xinhua reported.

According to Xinhua, the election, widely regarded as one of the most divisive in American history, has caused deep concern among voters. According to an annual survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, 77 percent of US adults said the future of the nation was a significant source of stress in their lives. Additionally, 74 percent said they were worried that the election results could lead to violence.

"The US is now more divided along ideological and political lines than at any time since the 1850s," said Bruce Stokes, an associate fellow at Chatham House. "America's friends and allies need to understand that the United States has become a Disunited States. There are effectively two Americas -- and they are at war," the Xinhua report said.

It has also become one of the most contentious and costly campaigns in US history, the report added. According to OpenSecrets, political spending across major-party campaigns, related political action committees (PACs), and other groups is projected to reach a record 15.9 billion US dollars, with deep involvement of US billionaires.

The Shenzhou-18 spacecraft returned to Earth with 34.6 kilograms of experimental samples, including difficult-to-prepare microorganisms, alloy materials, and nanomaterials, the Science and Technology Daily reported on Monday. An expert told the Global Times that final analyses would be conducted by specialized ground teams to validate the data and propose new theories or technologies.

The retrieved samples are poised to advance the development of space fiber lasers, facilitate the creation of extraterrestrial materials, and explore the prospects of Earth life spreading through the cosmos, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The Shenzhou-18's return capsule, carrying three Chinese taikonauts, returned to Earth in the early morning on Monday, after completing a six-month space station mission.

The scientific experimental samples brought back by the spacecraft include a total of 55 types, spanning 28 science projects across areas such as space life sciences, space materials science, and microgravity combustion science.

The life science specimens comprise methane-generating archaea, radiation-resistant microbes and microorganisms that inhabit rocks, according to Xinhua. These are anticipated to lay the scientific groundwork for investigating the potential habitability of extraterrestrial environments and to assess the capacity of microorganisms to adapt to the challenges of outer space.

Part of the returned samples are high-temperature resistant alloys, fiber optics and optical coatings. These innovative materials hold the potential to revolutionize the manufacturing of next-generation aerospace turbine blades, space-adapted fiber lasers, and precision medical repairs, according to Xinhua.

The spacecraft also returned nanoparticles derived from methane combustion, which are intended to facilitate the future synthesis of critical particulate materials for extraterrestrial environments.

The process of space experiments can be divided into two main parts: One part involves conducting experiments on the space station, while the other entails data analysis and summary evaluation on the ground, Wang Yanan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Monday

On the space station, researchers record the experimental processes and data, but the final analyses and conclusions rely on the work of specialized teams on the ground. These teams encompass fields such as zoology, botany, medicine, and life sciences, and are responsible for validating the data and proposing new theories or technologies, Wang said.

Additionally, certain experimental samples, such as those from exposure experiments in space, may require further physicochemical analyses on the ground, as the environmental conditions on the space station limit certain types of analyses. Therefore, both the experimental data and samples ultimately need to be returned to Earth for comprehensive evaluation and research, he added.

China Eastern Airlines has successfully completed an engine replacement on the domestically produced C919 aircraft. An industry expert noted that this achievement marks a key step in enhancing Chinese airlines' operational and maintenance capabilities for homegrown large aircraft, further advancing the comprehensive commercial deployment of the C919.

China Eastern Airlines recently completed its first engine replacement on the C919, with all test parameters meeting expectations, according to the "Pudong Release" WeChat account under the publicity department of Pudong New Area, Shanghai, on Saturday.

The primary purpose of the engine replacement was to test the feasibility of the C919's engine replacement protocol in order to enhance the safety of the aircraft. China Eastern Airlines is collaborating with C919 manufacturer, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), to further optimize the engine replacement procedure to improve overall efficiency, according to "Pudong Release."

The successful engine replacement operation on the C919 marks an important step in boosting operational and maintenance capabilities for Chinese airlines using domestically manufactured large aircraft, Qi Qi, an industry observer, told the Global Times on Saturday.

Since its first commercial flight by China Eastern Airlines in May 2023, the C919 has been steadily advancing toward broader commercial use.

China Eastern Airlines, Air China, and China Southern Airlines all have already conducted commercial operations with the C919, which signifies the start of large-scale development and a new phase of broader operations for the domestically produced aircraft, according to a report of yicai.com in September.

C919's full-cycle and wider commercial deployment is steadily making progress. As the volume of commercial deliveries continues to increase, airlines are also facing rising need for regular maintenance and servicing of the C919 to promote the progress of the commercial operation of C919, Qi said.

"The idea that the Argentine government is trying to decouple from China is not correct; on the contrary... the relationship between Argentina and China has resulted in broad benefits for both parties," Marcelo Suarez Salvia, Ambassador of Argentina to China, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview. He noted the Argentine government's willingness to continue deepening cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in Argentina.

Earlier, Argentine President Javier Milei has announced his plan to visit China in January 2025, South China Morning Post reported. In a television interview earlier this month, Milei described China as a "very interesting commercial partner" and said he was "positively surprised by China," a stark contrast to his earlier hostile rhetoric, according to media reports.

Details of the visit are yet to be confirmed, the ambassador said, while noting that "what I can say in advance is that, being the first official high-level meeting since Milei's inauguration as President of Argentina last December, Milei will seek to engage in direct and frank conversations to learn firsthand about the measures and reforms that have led China down a path of undeniable economic development, with a significant poverty reduction impact and eradication of extreme poverty in China."

Salvia said that Milei's planned visit to China underscores that Argentina has no intention of decoupling from China. In the interview, the Argentine diplomat refuted claims that "the current Argentine government seeks to decouple from China" and that "China-Argentina relations are regressing."

The Ambassador said that the current development of China-Argentina relations is good and that there is still room for further enhancement. "We have a lot of confidence and faith that the relationship with China will improve; we do the daily work and put in the effort to make everything better."

Salvia told the Global Times that the Argentine President has stated that he views China as an interesting partner, a partner supportive in Argentina's times of need, Argentina shows reciprocity by avoiding participation in international sanctions on certain Chinese products in the international market. The Chinese government has shown support for this process, specifically through cooperation between central banks, whose currency swap agreement contributes to Argentina's macroeconomic stability, Salvia noted.

The Argentine diplomat said this year marks the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Argentine, which has resulted in significant benefits for both parties.

One of the major pillars of the bilateral relationship is the economies of both countries are strongly complementary. This means not only that the relationship has a vast potential for further deepening trade and investment ties, but also that the Argentine productive sector is closely linked to China, said Salvia. The imports that Argentina purchases from China, including manufacturing and technological components, are an integral part of local and regional supply and value chains.

This fact is widely acknowledged across Argentina's political landscape, which is why "decoupling" is far from Argentina's political stance on China, nor the specific relationship between Argentina and China, the ambassador noted.

China remains Argentina's second-largest trading partner, behind Brazil. In addition, Chinese investments in infrastructure and logistics have been essential for Argentina over the past several decades, along with China's invaluable financial support through currency swap agreements, Xinhua News Agency reported last year.

In February 2022, Argentina strengthened its bilateral ties with China by joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In June 2023, the two nations advanced their partnership through a signed cooperation plan to jointly promote the construction of the Belt and Road.

However, following Argentina's change in government, public concerns have arisen about whether the cooperation between China and Argentina under the BRI framework will proceed smoothly, and whether China's investments and participation in construction projects in Argentina can be guaranteed in terms of safety and legal interests.

The current Argentine government will continue to seek to deepen cooperation with China under the BRI framework, said Salvia.

He noted that Argentina recognizes the relevance of the BRI, especially in its role in addressing infrastructure gaps in emerging and developing economies. He stated that the port, railway, and highway networks are crucial for a country, a region, and even global integration. Enhanced infrastructure networks can facilitate a broader and more efficient flow of goods and services across continents, enhance trade and investment levels, and yield mutual benefits on a global scale.

In April this year, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina Diana Mondino visited China. Salvia shared that during her meetings with Chinese officials, Argentina reaffirmed its commitment to continue advancing cooperation with China on strategic projects beneficial to both countries. In addition, Argentina aims to continue establishing itself as a reliable supplier of high-quality agricultural products to China, and complete negotiations for the export of beef, seafood, dried fruits, and other agricultural products to China.

"Argentina also is well-positioned in the near term as a key energy exporter, and we are confident in our ability to expand partnerships with Chinese energy companies to maximize cooperation," said the ambassador.

The Argentine diplomat noted that Chinese investments are welcomed in Argentina not only in the mining sector but also in energy, forestry, infrastructure, tourism, and many other areas included in the recently launched Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI) by the government. This incentive offers significant benefits in terms of tariffs, taxes, exchange rates, and regulations, which will undoubtedly encourage even more companies to invest in Argentina.

Multiple coastal cities in Northeast China's Liaoning Province and North China's Hebei Province suffered from flooding on Monday due to the backflow of seawater from the coast to inland, which experts explained as a result from combined influences of weather conditions and tidal phenomenon.

On Monday, coastal cities including Panjin and Dalian in Liaoning and Tangshan in Hebei suffered flooding by seawater encroachment, while other cities including Qinhuangdao in Hebei and Yantai in East China's Shandong Province along the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea recorded tides reaching the highest warning levels. 

As of Tuesday morning, seawater had receded, and no casualties have been reported in any of the affected areas, China Central Television (CCTV) reported. China's Ministry of Natural Resources activated on Monday a Level IV emergency response for marine disasters, dispatching five expert teams to Liaoning, Tianjin, Hebei and Shandong to assist local authorities in verifying abnormal water level rises along certain coastal areas and to conduct disaster investigation and assessment. 

From Sunday evening to Monday afternoon, tide stations in the central and northern parts of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea recorded water level increases of 80 centimeters to 160 centimeters, with no significant weather events occurring, the Global Times learned from China's Ministry of Natural Resources.

This abnormal water level rise of around 1 meter in these areas turned out to be severe and lasted for an extended period of 20 hours. With this situation combined with the astronomical tide several stations in Liaoning saw record-breaking water levels in the early hours of Monday with backflow of seawater occurring in multiple places in Liaoning and Hebei provinces and Tianjin Municipality. 

Jiang Wensheng, dean of the College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, told the Global Times that due to the combined influence of celestial bodies, including the sun and the moon, seawater undergoes one or two natural rises and falls each day, commonly known as the tidal phenomenon. 

Meanwhile, weather conditions are also an important factor affecting sea level rise, with winds, changes in air pressure and other weather conditions leading to storm surges that cause sea level fluctuations, Jiang said. 

If the sea level rising due to weather factors coincides with a high tide, the sea level can become unusually high, Jiang explained. 

Additionally, sea level fluctuations caused by weather factors can continue even after the weather event ends, a phenomenon referred to as the "aftershock" of a storm surge. The recent seawater backflow in multiple areas was the result of the impact from these "aftershocks" of storm surges, Jiang said. 

Although the rise of the sea level was significant when the wind was stronger and the weather event was intense, this did not coincide with the high tide. Instead, the following storm surge "aftershocks" coincided with the high tide, resulting in this seawater backflow. 

The provincial marine monitoring center in Liaoning issued multiple sea wave alerts in the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea over the past few days, warning of big waves of 2.5 meters to 4 meters in coastal areas, according to the local maritime safety administration. 

The National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center also forecast storm surges from Monday to Tuesday, affecting cities including Dandong, Dalian, Panjin and Jinzhou in Liaoning and Weifang in Shandong. 

Two tickets for space travel scheduled for 2027 were sold immediately during a livestream event on China's e-commerce giant Taobao, the Global Times learned from Deep Blue Aerospace, a private aerospace start-up, on Thursday. The suborbital manned spacecraft will be launched with the company's reusable carrier rocket Nebula-1.

"The spacecraft has a maximum flight altitude of 100 to 150 kilometers, allowing you to cross the Kármán line and enter the edge of space," Taobao customer service told the Global Times. "The suborbital flight lasts about 12 minutes, during which you will experience at least 5 minutes of weightlessness."

The price for a round-trip ticket is 1.5 million yuan ($210,900), which is less than half the cost of Virgin Galactic's suborbital flights. Virgin Galactic recently set its ticket price at $450,000 for a roughly 90-minute journey to the edge of space, according to media reports.

The buyers have paid a 50,000-yuan deposit fee each during Thursday's livestream sales. The identities of the buyers remain unknown, the Global Times learned from the company, but people between the ages of 18 and 60 who are in good health are all eligible to purchase.

Next, the buyers will undergo a strict physical evaluation to determine whether they will be suitable for the flight, as the trip can be challenging for individuals with health conditions, such as heart issues or epilepsy.

"The suborbital spacecraft will land using a parachute system, ensuring that passengers return to Earth safely," the customer service said.

A notice said that the deposit can be refunded without reason within seven days of purchase.

According to the company, passengers will experience far more than just a brief moment of weightlessness during the suborbital spaceflight. They will experience in person the vastness and mystery of the universe and witness breathtaking views beyond Earth, which is designed to be an unforgettable and immersive space journey of a lifetime.

The event aroused heated discussions on social media with netizens divided in their attitudes. While some netizens showed great interest and expressed excitement about the space travel, others were concerned about the safety of the trip and believed only the wealthy will have the opportunity.

The company's decision to offer a three-year presale stems from a deep understanding of the complexity and risks involved in rocket technology. During this period, the company will be fully dedicated to the technological development, tests, and performance optimization to ensure the rocket meets the highest safety standards.

Huo Liang, CEO of Deep Blue Aerospace introduced the space travel program via livestreaming on Thursday evening and said that while the cost of space tourism is indeed quite high at present, as the company's reusable rocket technology matures, the cost of space travel in the future will significantly decrease.

Manned space travel has already been realized in countries like the UK and the US. Space tourism company Virgin Galactic from the UK successfully launched a test spaceflight in 2021 and completed its first commercial spaceflight in 2023.

Blue Origin, the space tourism and exploration firm founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, also successfully carried the first paying customer to space and back in 2021. That same year, Elon Musk's SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule spacecraft took four passengers on a three-day orbital space tour, the first-ever flight to Earth's orbit flown entirely by tourists or otherwise non-astronauts.

In China, several commercial aerospace companies are also focused on realizing the commercial development of space tourism.

Experts said that China's space industry has already gained extensive experience in operating crewed spacecraft. However, as a consumer-oriented tourism project, it faces a major challenge in commercialization due to high costs. Therefore, reusable rockets have become critical to reducing the costs of space tourism.

Last month, Deep Blue Aerospace conducted the first high-altitude vertical recovery flight test of its Nebula-1 rocket at a spaceport in Ejin Banner, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The test marked a significant milestone as it represented China's inaugural high-altitude recovery test for an orbital launch vehicle, although the mission was not completely successful after an anomaly occurred in the final landing phase.

The company plans to carry out another high-altitude vertical recovery flight attempt of the Nebula-1 rocket in November 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, the company expects to achieve the orbital flight and recovery of the Nebula-1.

Since its establishment in 2016, Deep Blue Aerospace has focused on the research and development of reusable rockets. Between 2021 and 2022, the company successfully completed China's first vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) flight of a kerosene-liquid oxygen rocket.

A total of 15 people were sentenced to prison in Central China’s Hunan Province on Thursday for their roles in a building collapse that claimed 54 lives in 2022, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.

The defendants, including the owner of the building and officials who committed dereliction of their duty, were sentenced to jail terms ranging from two years and nine months to 12 years, the courts of Wangcheng district and Ningxiang city in Changsha announced the verdicts on Thursday. The collapse of the illegally self-built and extended residential building in the city of Changsha on April 29, 2022 killed 54 people and injured another nine, causing direct economic losses of 90.77 million yuan ($12.74 million).

The State Council set up an investigation team to look into the incident shortly after the tragedy occurred.

According to the investigation report deliberated and adopted at a State Council executive meeting in May of 2023, the five-story self-constructed building, which later extended to eight stories, was of poor quality and couldn’t support itself after the extension, causing certain sections to deteriorate and eventually leading to the collapse, Xinhua reported. 

According to the verdicts, Wu Zhiyong, the owner of the building, without gaining the necessary legal construction permits, hired an unqualified designer and some unqualified personnel to conduct illegal construction and unauthorized expansion of the residential structure, and then rented the building out for commercial purposes, including providing catering services and accommodation. 

After some major safety hazards in the building were discovered, Wu failed to implement effective rectification measures and organized no emergency evacuation even when the building showed obvious signs of collapse, resulting in the major accident with significant casualties and substantial economic losses. 

Wu, in collusion with others, also repeatedly and willfully destroyed other people’s property. 

The report also noted that relevant authorities in Wangcheng, Changsha and Hunan were sluggish in rectifying illegal construction, shifted responsibilities in daily oversight, and were negligent in delivering punishment for unlawful behaviors. It also mentioned that the management of housing quality inspection agencies was messy, and authorities failed to exercise effective control over the planning and construction of self-constructed structures.

According to the verdicts, Wu was sentenced to 11 years of imprisonment for the crimes of major liability accident and picking quarrels and provoking troubles. 

The defendant Zhou Zhengmao, former deputy head of Wangcheng district, was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment for the crimes of negligence of duty and bribery, along with a fine. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday kicked off his trip to Pakistan, where he is scheduled to attend the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to be held in Islamabad and pay an official visit to Pakistan from October 14 to 17, at the invitation of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan.

Premier Li's visit to Pakistan is expected to strengthen and inject new momentum into the cooperation between Beijing and Islamabad, experts said.

"This is Premier Li's first visit to Pakistan after he took office and marks an exchange of visits at the head-of-government level between the two countries within a year, which is of significance to deepening all-weather strategic cooperative partnership," Mao Ning, spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.

Mao said China looks to working with Pakistan to enhance the traditional friendship, strengthen strategic communication, build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in a high quality way, deepen and expand cooperation across the board, ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan, accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and jointly safeguard regional peace, stability and prosperity. 

Premier Li's visit is expected to further consolidate bilateral cooperation and push forward the next stage of development of CPEC, said Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University.

However, the cooperation is currently being challenged by the threat of terrorism in Pakistan, which means that ensuring the safety of Chinese personnel and projects in Pakistan will likely be discussed during this visit, especially how to coordinate both China and Pakistan's efforts in fighting terrorism, said Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation. 

When asked for expectations of the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the SCO, Mao said Premier Li will have an in-depth exchange of view with leaders of the participating countries on implementing consensus reached at the Astana summit and advancing SCO's practical cooperation. 

Cui stated that the SCO meeting in Pakistan is expected to prioritize pragmatic cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges. "Security issues will also be on the agenda, as the region encompassing SCO member countries is facing increasing security threats while lacking a multilateral mechanism to address these challenges," Cui noted.