China-Eurasia expo serves as bridge for global participants

Participants of the 8th China-Eurasia Expo see the grand event as a platform to realize mutual learning, build connections with potential partners from all over the world and achieve win-win cooperation.

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, known as the "golden gate" linking Asia and Europe, held the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in its capital city Urumqi.

The expo, which kicked off on Wednesday and will run until June 30, aims to showcase the vast development opportunities brought by the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and inject vitality into regional trade and cooperation.

This edition of the China-Eurasia Expo welcomes over 1,900 enterprises and institutions from 50 countries and regions and international organizations to the event, not limited to Asia and Europe.

"I'm just seeing all the big buildings and actually this building right here, kind of was like 'oh my God.' Just the design and the layout, I'm impressed. I'm really looking forward to meeting people from all over the world at this expo," said Paul Anthony Courtney, mayor of Barstow, California in the United States.

The ongoing expo will also host over 50 trade promotion activities, with more than 200 projects expected to be signed.

"Many Uzbek companies, manufacturers join this event because this is a very good platform to match some businesses together. We know that technologically, the Chinese companies are much ahead," said an exhibitor from Uzbekistan.

"I am really excited to see and looking forward to seeing the connecting of different nations and the friendship between them. I think that's really important right now and trade is one way to connect people. And I'm very excited to see that," said Marisa Roper, an American actress.

The expo covers an area of 140,000 square meters with four major exhibition zones covering investment cooperation, international exhibitions, special industries, and equipment manufacturing. The special industries feature regional sectors in Xinjiang, such as energy, digital technology, cultural tourism, green organic fruits and vegetables, high-quality livestock products, as well as cotton and textiles.

Statistics show that in the first four months of this year, Xinjiang had trade contacts with up to 197 countries and regions around the world, with imports and exports to the five Central Asian countries increasing by over 28 percent year on year, and by nearly 50 percent to the BRI partner countries.

China-Eurasia expo serves as bridge for global participants

The 54th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) was held in Asuncion, Paraguay from Wednesday to Friday, with a focus on integration and security for the sustainable regional development.

Attending the assembly were representatives from OAS member states, 74 permanent observers and some civil society organizations.

Under the theme of "Integration and Security for the Sustainable Development of the Region," the delegations expressed their pleas for peace, democracy, equality and multilateral work among countries.

Hours before the opening ceremony in Asuncion, the situation in Bolivia, a neighboring country to Paraguay, was top on the agenda.

According to the Bolivian government, Gen. Juan Jose Zuniga on Wednesday led the attempted coup in Palacio Quemado, the government palace, which is located in Murillo Square in the city of La Paz, in a failed bid to oust President Luis Arce from office.

"We do have a very deep concern about the indigenous people in Bolivia, and hopefully this coup d'etat that didn't happen, that things go smoothly," said Clement Chartier, former president of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples.

The assembly also dedicated its statements to the improvement of democracy in Haiti and also to the promotion of human rights throughout the continent. A resolution was approved for continued efforts toward the immediate restoration of security, and the strengthening of humanitarian aid in Haiti.

Haiti has long suffered serious political and social crises, especially after then President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in 2021. There are around 200 armed gangs in the country disturbing the social order. The rise of armed gangs, the surge of violence incidents and the increase of lynching cases have forced Haitians to live in humanitarian disasters in terms of safety, health care and food supplies.

54th OAS General Assembly held in Asuncion, with focus on regional security

54th OAS General Assembly held in Asuncion, with focus on regional security