More Beijing Swifts, typical cavity-nesting birds that often nest inside holes and crevices in old buildings, have been observed in modern buildings across Beijing, showcasing China's efforts to preserve biodiversity.
The Beijing Swift is an iconic bird synonymous with the capital city since ancient times. The migratory birds were usually found nesting in high buildings with eaves such as city gatehouses and imperial garden buildings. They can be seen at the Forbidden City, the Lama Temple and the Summer Palace from mid-April to July every year.
"The chirps of Beijing Swifts and their circling around gate towers evoke nostalgia for Beijing residents. It is also an urban symbol of Beijing. Since 2018, we have conducted research and implemented protection measures for Beijing Swifts at Zhengyang Gate, also known as Qianmen Gate," said Yuan Xuejun, a researcher at the Beijing Central Axis Heritage Center.
"Old buildings are ideal for Beijing Swift nesting due to their heat preservation capacity and weatherproofing. These structures even shield the swifts from natural predators like crows. We marked their nests before repairing Zhengyang Gate and preserved their original access routes. This year's observations confirm that these repairs did not disrupt their habitat," said Yuan.
As Beijing accelerates efforts to build an ecological civilization, integrating its natural environment and diverse wildlife, including Beijing Swifts, into the bustling megacity of over 20 million inhabitants has become a priority.
"The Beijing Swift population has increased from three to four thousand a decade ago to over 10,000 today. Not only has their population grown, but the number of suitable habitats has also expanded from around twenty observation points to over a hundred," said Zhang Yaqiong, deputy chief of the education section at the Beijing Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.
Beijing Swifts thrive as China boosts biodiversity conservation efforts
Senior representatives from major regional news media organizations, gathering at the ongoing 12th Global Video Media Forum (VMF) in China, say they are looking to amplify the voices of the media in the Global South to help consolidate cooperation and friendship in an ever more challenging global environment.
The forum opened in Quanzhou in east China's Fujian Province on Tuesday, bringing together 200 media representatives from over 60 countries and regions in the historic coastal city.
By working more closely together, media organizations in the Global South can reap rewards that might otherwise be unavailable, according to Ahmed Nadeem, Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcast Union.
"If we work together, there is an opportunity for us to bring out the best from these Global South countries who have much less resources," he said.
Other media representatives at the VMF stressed that in challenging times, it is even more important for developing countries to have their voices heard on the global stage.
"[The Global] South media have a lot of responsibility to build a new opinion," said Issoufou Sare, Director-General of BF1 Television.
"[The media can provide] solutions for misunderstandings or stereotypes. So the media have a major role. They can bridge our cultures and make us know each other better," said Feten Fardi, head of Arab and International Cooperation Unit, Arab States Broadcasting Union.
The event also witnessed the launch of the "Global South Media Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism and Joint Initiative," a program to support closer cooperation led by China Media Group.
"That will help to promote our voices, our realities to make the world know better about our customs, realities, about our history, about our culture, customs, about our problems, but also our achievements," said Martin Hacthoun, chief editor of Press Latina News Agency.
The two-day VMF is being held under the theme "Intelligence Without Frontiers, Vision Beyond The Horizon -- Media's Role in Communication and Cultural Exchange."
Launched by the CCTV Video News Agency (CCTV+) in 2011, the VMF is an annual professional journalism forum focusing on the latest trends and innovations in news and journalism, which provides a highly specialized, unique and interactive platform for domestic and foreign media peers.
Media groups aim to amplify voice of Global South at VMF
