Cross-Strait exchange event calls for efforts to advance national reunification

A cross-Strait exchange event, which opened in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province on Wednesday, has called for concerted efforts across the Taiwan Strait to advance China's reunification.

More than 200 people, including heads of political parties and youth representatives from Taiwan as well as cross-Strait experts, attended the annual event, which is in its fourth edition this year.

In his address, Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, emphasized the economic opportunities behind a sound cross-Strait relations. He said peace provides an essential guarantee for Taiwan businesses -- with some 340,000 companies registered in Guangdong by the end of last year.

"Guangdong's industrial structure complements Taiwan's very well. We invite more Taiwanese compatriots to invest, and we will implement more favorable policies to support them," Huang said.

Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, reiterated the mainland's firm will and strong capabilities of resolving the Taiwan question.

"Taiwan belongs to China. This is an indisputable historical and legal fact. Any provocation of 'Taiwan independence' will be severely punished and doomed to failure. The vast number of Taiwan compatriots are patriotic. They should firmly uphold the One-China principle, resolutely oppose separatism and external interference, and promote peaceful reunification with the motherland," said Song.

There are growing concerns that the U.S. is turning Taiwan into a pawn in its war-gaming in the Asia Pacific. Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party who also attended the forum, said that the fate of the island should not be determined by external forces.

"People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family. We are capable of discussing and resolving issues among ourselves. We do not need foreign intervention. Unfortunately, U.S. politicians continue to push for dominance and the U.S. military-industrial complex profits from weapon sales, disregarding the well-being of other nations. It is crucial for the Chinese people to stand firm and reinforce our understanding of our historical roots," she said.

The event will conclude on Thursday. The two-day event also features three sub-forums that will be held in Foshan and Zhuhai, respectively, after the opening ceremony.

Cross-Strait exchange event calls for efforts to advance national reunification

China’s first intelligent field plant phenotype precision identification platform went into operation recently in Sanya City, south China’s Hainan Province, which is a milestone in the country’s development of intelligent breeding.

The phenotype of a plant is a term used to describe observable characteristics of the plant, such as its appearance, and some inherent physiological characteristics, such as resistance to drought and diseases.

In an experimental field of the National Nanfan Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, a large piece of equipment is moving across the field. The equipment, called the field plant phenotype precision identification platform, can move according to the preset track and can be remotely controlled. While moving, the equipment can scan the plants with its six sensors, just like a CT machine for plants.

"The ultimate goal is to achieve high-throughput, large-scale, efficient and precise collection of germplasm resources, which can be four to five times higher than the efficiency of the traditional manual collection," said Jin Xiuliang, a researcher at the institute.

Although the equipment looks simple from the outside, it contains six high-precision image acquisition devices such as multi-spectral, thermal infrared, and chlorophyll fluorescence devices. Data can be collected at fixed times and points according to experimental needs, and the collection of a germplasm material can be completed within 30 seconds.

After the data collected through this platform is transmitted to the data analysis center, researchers can more quickly and accurately screen out germplasm resources with excellent traits, laying the foundation for subsequent crop breeding.

"The plant phenotype identification facility at the National Nanfan Research Institute is a milestone in the field of crop science in China. It can greatly enhance the independent innovation capabilities of germplasm innovation, gene mining, and variety breeding, and enhance the international competitiveness of China's seed industry," said Li Huihui, vice president of the institute.  

China makes major progress in smart crop breeding