Mayor of Summer Davos host city outlines city's vision

The mayor of the 2024 Summer Davos host city, Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China, has outlined the city's development plan and expressed confidence in hosting the international forum.

The Annual Meeting of the New Champions will be held from June 25 to 27 in Dalian for the 8th time.

This edition is expected to bring together over 1,500 high-level leaders from business, government, civil society and international organizations, as well as prominent entrepreneurs, innovators and academics to generate collective insights and deployable solutions.

In an interview with China Global Television Network prior to the gathering, Mayor Chen Shaowang outlined the city's strategic plans to develop into a modern ocean city and promote a thriving marine economy. He said the city has a close connection with the ocean and will expand its development to the further sea.

"Dalian's identity as a city [and] its future are defined by the ocean. We are actively building on the amazing natural advantages we enjoy as a city [such as] our vast coastline and strategic location, and we are driving forward our development as we seek to become a model coastal and ocean city for the 21st century, " he said.

"We are enhancing our already-strong traditional marine industries, moving from near shore to deep sea operations, and creating advanced seafood production and breeding bases. In terms of shipbuilding, we are enhancing our capabilities in the construction of some of the most advanced ships and offshore equipment in the world, as well as developing large oil tankers, LNG ships, and methanol-powered vessels, " said the mayor.

According to shipping consultancy Clarksons Research, last year, for the first time, China's shipyards produced more than 50 percent of the total, while the country's top 10 companies in shipbuilding completions from January to November 2023, shipbuilder from Dalian, Dalian Shipbuilding Plant Group, is among the top of the list.

The mayor said he hopes to attract more tourists to the city during the international forum.

"Tourism is also a key priority for Dalian as an ocean city. We are upgrading coastal infrastructure to make Dalian a top destination for cruise ship travelers and those who enjoy traditional beach and coastal resort holidays, " he said.

Chen emphasized the importance of environmental protection and green economy. He said 72 percent the city's electricity is generated by non-fossil energy in 2022.

"For an ocean city, a green vision is absolutely essential. We are advancing key projects in nuclear power, offshore wind and photovoltaic energy while developing green hydrogen and methanol production bases. Dalian will be one of the greenest ocean cities in the world in the coming decades," he said.

Chen said the city has a broader vision of becoming a maritime center that can contribute to the revitalization of northeast China, with its constant development in high-end manufacturing, tourism, and green economy.

Mayor of Summer Davos host city outlines city's vision

The Chang'e-6 mission made three major technological breakthroughs and a world-first accomplishment, an official of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said at a press conference about the lunar exploration mission in Beijing on Thursday.

Vice Administrator of CNSA Bian Zhigang noted that the Chang'e-6 mission is a lunar exploration mission adopted with most advanced technologies to date in China's space exploration endeavors.

"The Chang'e-6 mission made breakthroughs in lunar retrograde orbit design and control, intelligent sampling on the moon and lunar ascent from its far side, and realized the first unmanned automatic sample collection and return from the far side of the moon in the world, setting another world record for China's aerospace program," Bian said.

Samples collected from the far side of the moon may help mankind further study the planet, said Li Chunlai, deputy chief designer of the Chang'e-6 mission, at the press conference.

"The samples collected from the South Pole-Aitken Basin may be very different from the samples collected from the front side, which is conducive to a more comprehensive understanding of the geological evolution history of the moon," Li said.

The mission also carried out cooperation with the European Space Agency, France, Italy and Pakistan on four scientific payloads to obtain valuable first-hand scientific data.

"We promised the orbiter and lander will each reserve a volume of 10 kg for international payloads. We fulfilled the promise and accumulated experience for us to perform more complex tasks in the future," Hu Hao, chief designer of the Chang'e-6 mission, told reporters.

CNSA official on Chang'e-6's major breakthroughs