Landmark Belt and Road project in Peru heralds broad future of mutually beneficial cooperation: Xi

Landmark project under the Belt and Road Initiative heralds broad future of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Peru and will deliver benefits to the people of both countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday as he met with visiting Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra.

During their talks in Beijing, Xi said China has been Peru's largest trading partner and largest export market for 10 consecutive years, and noted the important series of projects and investments being undertaken by Chinese companies in Peru.

Among these, Xi pointed to the significance of the Chancay Port, a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Peru, which is projected to be one of the major ports in South America.

"China has been Peru's largest trading partner and largest export market for 10 consecutive years. The Las Bambas Copper Mine and other major cooperation projects invested by Chinese companies in Peru have played an important role in Peru's economic development and improvement of people's livelihood. After the completion of the construction of the Chancay Port, a landmark project of the Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries, it will effectively improve Peru's shipping efficiency. 'From Chancay to Shanghai' has become a buzzword, which heralds the broad future of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Peru. I believe it will bring a more concrete sense of gain and happiness to the people of both countries," said Xi.

At the invitation of Xi, Boluarte arrived in China on Tuesday for a five-day state visit which seen her visit the cities of Shenzhen, Shanghai and Suzhou before arriving in Beijing on Thursday.

Landmark Belt and Road project in Peru heralds broad future of mutually beneficial cooperation: Xi

China's Shenzhou-18 crew members on the Tiangong Space Station are preparing for their second extravehicular activities (EVAs) by conducting training that includes science experiments and orbital maneuvers.

Astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu have completed one-third of their six-month mission with stable physical and operational conditions in orbit, since they aboarded the Tiangong two month ago.

During their training, the astronauts used advanced remotely control systems for rendezvous and docking operations on in-orbit training systems and metacognitive training systems, practicing skills such as recognizing images, manual docking, remote docking, and safely undocking of the spacecraft under different initial conditions.

Throughout the training, the astronauts monitored the orientation and relative distance and speed of target spacecraft on screens, practicing precise control of the speed and orientation using specialized handles.

Last week, the crew also underwent exercise-based cardiopulmonary function tests. These tests assess the cardiovascular and respiratory capabilities needed for upcoming spacewalks, using methods to simulate exercise-induced metabolic demands.

The Shenzhou-18 crew was launched into space on April 25, as the third manned mission during the application and development stage of China's space station and the 32nd flight mission of the country's manned space program overall.

The crew members completed their first spacewalk on May 28, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

China's Shenzhou-18 crew trains for 2nd spacewalk