China launches safety broadcasts for Arctic shipping routes

China on Monday began radio broadcasts of maritime safety information for Arctic shipping routes, including sea ice monitoring and weather forecast information, according to the Maritime Safety Administration's Northern Navigation Service Center.

A station in north China's Tianjin Municipality will provide broadcast services for the world's northernmost sea routes using single-sideband radio phones from July 1 to Oct. 31 each year.

Relying on data provided by meteorological and remote-sensing satellites, the services will focus on analyzing and forecasting sea ice concentration and weather information in key areas such as the Bering Strait, the Dmitry Laptev Strait, the Vilkitsky Strait and the Kara Strait.

The broadcasts will fill the gap in China's Arctic-route maritime safety information service by utilizing shortwave communication, ensuring the navigation safety of Chinese vessels, according to the center.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had a group photo taken with other leaders attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana on Thursday morning.

The group photo was taken at the Palace of Independence in the capital of Kazakhstan, the host of the annual meeting this year.

The SCO was established in 2001 with the "Shanghai Spirit" being its founding values, which champion mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development.