Dinesh Chandra

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday chaired a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to hear reports on major policy measures to actively address the aging of the population during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). The meeting reviewed a decision on improving birth policies to promote long-term balanced population growth. The meeting stressed that proactively responding to the aging population directly relates to the country's development and people's well-being, and it is an important measure to achieve the high-quality development of the economy and safeguard national security and social stability. The meeting called for efforts to raise the statutory retirement age in a steady and gradual manner, improve a multi-level system for pension and aged-care social protection, explore building a systematic framework for long-term nursing insurance and accelerat

BEIJING, May 31 -- For the implementation of President Xi Jinping's important declaration on making China's COVID-19 vaccine a global public good, with the approval of the Central Military Commission and at the request of the Guinean military, a batch of COVID-19 vaccines assisted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was delivered to the Guinean military on May 31. source http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2021-05/31/content_10042173.htm

A veteran micro-blogger was sentenced to eight months in prison by a court in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, for slandering martyrs and heroes on Monday. Qiu Ziming, whose online name is labixiaoqiu and has more than 2.5 million followers on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, also was ordered to make a public apology on major websites and national media within 10 days after the ruling takes effect, Jianye District People's Court said. Qiu was identified by the court having posted two micro blogs to attract more internet users in the morning of Feb 19, in which he slandered military heroes and martyrs in the border clash with Indian troops last year, as well as distorted their heroic deeds. As a micro-blogger with a large number of fans, the two posts were spreading quickly and widely online, triggering public outrage and bringing great negative effects to society, the court added. The next day, he was detained by Nanjing police, and in early

An instructor of the PLA Macao Garrison trains student flag bearers on May 29. (Xinhua/Fang Zhao) By Li Hanfang and Fang Zhao MACAO, May 31 -- Two hundred students from 4 universities and 37 middle schools in Macao entered the Taipa barrack of the PLA Macao Garrison on May 29 for the “National Flag Bearer Training Session 2021”. The flag bearer training session offers training in basic formation movements, gives lessons on the history of national flag, and teaches the students how to organize the flag-raising ceremony. It helps train flag bearers among Macao’s college and middle school students, promote the spirit of "loving the motherland and loving Macao" , and enhance the students’ sense of national identity and pride. Hong Junwei, a student from Sheng Kung Hui Choi Kou School Macau , said what impressed him most was that the military instructors had repeatedly reminded them that the national flag is sacred and should never be dropped on the ground. It added a sense o

Chinese peacekeepers to Lebanon take a group photo with teachers and students in a Lebanese school. (Photo by Liu Pan) BEIRUT, May 31 -- Peacekeepers of the 19th Chinese peacekeeping force to Lebanon carried out cultural exchange activities and donated supplies to two schools in southern Lebanon recently. “After communication and coordination and taking into account factors such as pandemic prevention and control, we chose to dispatch the multi-functional engineering contingent and the construction engineer contingent to the two schools respectively on the occasion of the International Children’s Day,” said Yang Zhongyun, deputy captain of the multi-functional engineering contingent. The Chinese peacekeepers donated masks, medicines, books, stationery and sports supplies to the two schools. The Chinese military doctors also set up free clinics on the schools’ playgrounds to demonstrate the tips for COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control. It is reported that since the first peace

By Wang Zhehao and Lv Desheng  BEIJING, May 31 -- The Peacekeeping Affairs Center under China's Ministry of National Defense and the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in China jointly hosted an online reception to commemorate the 19th International Day of UN Peacekeepers in Beijing on May 28. This is one of China’s activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the United Nations. The UN Security Council passed a resolution to establish the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) on May 29, 1948, to oversee the implementation of the Armistice Agreement between Israel and Arab countries, which was the first UN peacekeeping operation. In 2002, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution to designate May 29 each year as the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers to commend those who have participated in and are participating in peacekeeping operations and to mourn those who hav

BEIJING, May 28 -- On May 24, local time, the UN Security Council held an open debate themed “United Nations peacekeeping operations: improving safety and security of peacekeepers” proposed by China. Presided over by Ambassador Zhang Jun, permanent representative of China to the United Nations, the debate adopted a presidential statement drafted by China on the theme of improving the safety and security of UN peacekeepers. As Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for peacekeeping operations, has pointed out in a briefing to the UN Security Council, many peacekeepers have sacrificed in performing missions since the beginning of this year. The UN has been committed to revising the work instructions for peacekeepers to improve protection effectiveness. Mr. Lacroix also thanked China for its efforts in peacekeeping missions and for protecting the safety and security of UN peacekeepers.   source http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2021-05/31/content_10042127.htm

Tianzhou 2, a robotic cargo ship, blasts off on a Long March 7 carrier rocket at the Wenchang Space Launch Centerin in Hainan, on May 29, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua] Astronauts on the upcoming Shenzhou XII mission will engage in spacewalks outside the Tianhe core module of China's Tiangong space station, a key figure in the nation's manned space endeavor said. Yang Liwei, the first Chinese in space and now deputy chief planner of the country's manned space program, told China Central Television on Sunday in Wenchang, Hainan province, that during their three-month journey with Tianhe, two of the three-member crew, whose names have yet to be disclosed, will exit from the core module to examine, maintain or repair equipment. The astronauts will be launched in June with the Shenzhou XII spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China to dock with the currently unoccupied Tianhe module. Tianhe, the biggest and heaviest spacecraft China has made, was put i

By Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, Deputy Director General of the Information Office of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and Spokesperson for the MND Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), answers reporters' questions at a regular press conference on May 27, 2020. (Photo: mod.gov.cn) (The following English text of the press conference is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.) First of all, I would like to announce two pieces of news. First, on the night of May 21, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit Yangbi County in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, and later, in the early hours of May 22, a 7.4-magnitude quake jolted Maduo County in Guoluo Prefecture, northwest China’s Qinghai Province. In response to the disaster, the Joint Operations Command Center of the Central Military Commission (CMC), together with related theater commands and troop

BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-2, carrying supplies, equipment and propellant, successfully docked with the space station core module Tianhe on Sunday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). At 5:01 a.m. (Beijing Time), Tianzhou-2 and Tianhe completed computer-orchestrated rendezvous and docking. The whole process took approximately eight hours, the CMSA said. The Long March-7 Y3 rocket, carrying Tianzhou-2, blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of the southern island province of Hainan at 8:55 p.m. (Beijing Time) Saturday. Combined with Tianhe, Tianzhou-2 will replenish Tianhe's propellant. Tests on space application project equipment will also be carried out as planned. China launched its space station core module Tianhe on April 29. The country plans to complete the verification of key technologies and the in-orbit construction of the space station through multiple launches within two years. The laun

BEIJING, May 29 -- For the implementation of President Xi Jinping's important declaration on making China's COVID-19 vaccine a global public good, with the approval of the Central Military Commission and at the request of the Mauritanian military, a batch of COVID-19 vaccines assisted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was delivered to the Mauritanian military on May 29. source http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2021-05/29/content_10041389.htm

The Long March-7 Y3 rocket, carrying the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft, blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 29, 2021. China launched the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-2 on Saturday, which is scheduled to dock with the space station core module Tianhe to deliver supplies, equipment and propellant. (Xinhua/Ju Zhenhua) WENCHANG, Hainan, May 29 (Xinhua) -- China launched the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-2 on Saturday, which is scheduled to dock with the space station core module Tianhe to deliver supplies, equipment and propellant. The Long March-7 Y3 rocket, carrying Tianzhou-2, blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of the southern island province of Hainan at 8:55 p.m. (Beijing Time), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). After 604 seconds, Tianzhou-2 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. At 9:17 p.m., the solar panels of Tianzhou-2 unfolded and began working properly. The

SHENYANG, May 29 (Xinhua) -- All 413 members of the eighth Chinese peacekeeping force to Mali have been awarded the United Nations Peace Medal of Honor, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to peacekeeping operations. Since its deployment in July 2020, the Chinese peacekeeping force has successfully accomplished a series of missions assigned by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, including armed patrols, constructions and medical support. The eighth Chinese peacekeeping force to Mali consists of a guard detachment, an engineer detachment and a medical detachment. The medal award ceremony was held at the camps of the three detachments separately due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. source http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2021-05/29/content_10041384.htm

BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The world marked on Saturday the International Day of United Nations (UN) Peacekeepers, which was designated by the UN General Assembly to pay tribute to people serving in peacekeeping operations and honor those who have lost their lives in the cause. On various occasions, Chinese President Xi Jinping has expounded on China's contribution to international peacekeeping operations, and commitment to the path of peaceful development. May 6, 2021 During a phone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Xi said that China has decided to offer vaccines to UN peacekeeping operations and the International Olympic Committee, and will continue to actively support COVAX and make continuous efforts to eliminate the "vaccine divide." April 20, 2021 Xi delivered a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021. "China will stay committed to peace, development, cooperation and mutua

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses a meeting conflating the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the national congress of the China Association for Science and Technology at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Friday called for accelerated efforts in building China into a leader in science and technology and achieving sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while addressing a meeting conflating the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attends a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the International Day of UN Peacekeepers at the UN headquarters in New York, U.S., May 27, 2021. /Xinhua UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday laid a wreath to honor more than 4,000 UN peacekeepers who lost their lives since 1948, and presided over a virtual ceremony at which the Dag Hammarskjold Medal was awarded posthumously to 129 peacekeepers, who lost their lives in 2020 and in the first month of 2021. Thursday's events formed the annual observance of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, which falls on May 29. "Our fallen peacekeepers, uniformed and civilian, lost their lives due to malicious acts, in accidents and as a result of illness, including COVID-19. They came from 44 different countries and diverse backgrounds but were united by a common purpose: to serve our great organization, promote peace and security and improve the lives of some of the world's most

Chinese peacekeepers march during a medal ceremony in Hanniyah village, southern Lebanon, April 3, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua] On the evening of July 10, 2016, a mortar shell hit an armored vehicle amid a fierce exchange of fire between government and opposition forces in Juba, the capital city of South Sudan. Inside the vehicle were two Chinese peacekeepers on duty to protect some 9,000 civilians in downtown Juba and surrounding villages. Li Lei, a young soldier who had just celebrated his 22nd birthday, was killed alongside Sergeant Yang Shupeng, father of a 5-year-old 5,000 miles away from home. The two were awarded the United Nations' Dag Hammarskjöld medal for their sacrifice. "United Nations peacekeeping is a concrete example of multilateralism at work. ... [It] has enabled the countries of the world to meet common threats to peace and security and share the burden under the UN flag," wrote Secretary-General António Guterres. For more than three decades, China has sho

BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter on Thursday to the World Symposium for Marxist Political Parties, saying that the Communist Party of China stands ready to jointly promote the cause of human progress and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind with Marxist political parties worldwide. source http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2021-05/28/content_10040699.htm

BISHKEK, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan stands ready to work with China to make greater contributions to maintaining the security and stability of the two countries and the region, Kyrgyz Defense Minister Taalaibek Omuraliev has said. Omuraliev made the remarks during a handover ceremony of Chinese military equipment assistance to Kyrgyzstan held here on Wednesday. During the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Du Dewen said that as friendly neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners, China and Kyrgyzstan have deepened their relations and traditional friendship, and the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and cooperation in various fields have yielded fruitful results. The Chinese and Kyrgyz militaries have maintained close ties and actively cooperated in the fight against the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, Du said, expressing hope that the military assistance will deepen bilateral cooperation in the military area and help maintain re

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN. [Photo/Xinhua] China's envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday called for a Syrian political process led and owned by the Syrian people as the war-torn country held its presidential election in the shadow of a civil war. "China has noted the relevant activities related to the general elections in Syria and calls upon the international community to respect the sovereignty of Syria and the choice of its people," said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, during a videoconference on Syria. The Security Council meeting took place as the presidential election kicked off in Syria on Wednesday. Three candidates, including President Bashar al-Assad, former Deputy Cabinet Minister Abdallah Saloum Abdallah, and Mahmoud Ahmed Marei, head of a small Syrian opposition party, are running in the election. Zhang, who chaired the conference as China holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council

BEIJING, May 27 -- The 18th ASEAN Regional Forum Security Policy Conference (ASPC) was held via a video link on the morning of May 27, according to Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND) at a regular press conference today. During the meeting, the participants exchanged views on international and regional issues, threats and challenges of emerging technologies to defense security, the buildup of mutual trust and development cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, etc. The leader of the Office for International Military Cooperation under the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People’s Republic of China attended the event and clarified China’s views on current international and regional landscapes. He stressed that in dealing with unprecedented challenges, all countries are supposed to get united to the utmost, stand on the right side of history and adhere to the true multilateralism. In addition, he commended the important role

BEIJING, May 27 -- No strategy should instigate countries to establish selective and exclusive military alliances, to gang up or to create the “New Cold War” featuring bloc confrontation, and the zero-sum game will only lead to more division, antagonism and chaos, said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, at a regular press conference in Beijing on May 27. Senior Colonel Tan made the remarks when responding to the media reports that after taking office, the Biden administration continued to promote the “Indo-Pacific strategy” with an increasingly prominent intention to deter China and made frequent military provocations against China. Tan said that China always holds that no strategy should go against the historical trend of peace and development, or deliberately hype up conflict and confrontation. The strategy of intensifying military presence and highlighting military competition will only aggravate regional tensions and endanger worl

BEIJIGN, May 27 -- "We express strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the recent provocative actions on Taiwan-related issues by Australia," said a Chinese defense spokesperson at a regular press conference on Thursday. Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), made the remarks when asked to comment on the speeches speculating about war over Taiwan by some Australian politicians. There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an integral part of China. Adherence to the one-China principle is the common consensus of the international community. Recently, the Australian side has taken a series of provocative actions, and some people have even incited confrontation and exaggerated the threat of war on Taiwan-related issues. Such actions are incredibly irresponsible, Tan said. Currently, China-Australia relations are faced with serious difficulties, and the responsibility lies squarely with the Australian side. W

JINAN, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Tuesday called for more support for retired military personnel and veterans with disabilities and illnesses during an inspection to east China's Shandong Province. Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited veteran communities, a veteran service center, and a hospital for veterans during the inspection. She called for close coordination among various departments of the military and civilian sectors to improve medical services for veterans. Sun also stressed leveraging veterans' role in telling revolutionary stories to society. source http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2021-05/26/content_10040055.htm

KUNMING, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Law enforcement authorities from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand joined forces Tuesday for the 105th Mekong River joint patrol. Four Chinese vessels departed from Jingha Port in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Yunnan Province for the patrol. Law enforcement officers from the four countries plan to navigate over 600 km of the river over four days and three nights to strengthen patrols of pivotal waters of the Mekong River. The Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping. China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand have been carrying out joint patrols on the Mekong River since December 2011. source http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2021-05/26/content_10039553.htm

By Hu Shanmin, Yan Huiming and Hu Jiajie BEIJING, May 25 -- A naval search and rescue flotilla under the PLA Northern Theater Command , together with surface ships, helicopter units, and local maritime search and rescue forces, carried out a 74-hour uninterrupted multi-course drill in actual combat context in waters of the Yellow Sea as scheduled from May 17 to 20, aiming to test the troops’ ability to perform submarine rescue mission and emergency treatment. During the drill, the application of multi-type submarine rescue equipment has highlighted the breakthroughs made in the troops’ core rescue capabilities. It is learnt that a total of one helicopter and nine vessels, including the PLA Navy’s streamlined comprehensive supply ship Hongzehu (Hull 881), were jointly dispatched to participate in the drill, marking the largest multi-dimensional joint rescue drill in recent years. Submarine rescue is a global problem worth solving and also the highlight of this drill. The joint sea