Chinese sites included among diverse new inscriptions on UNESCO World Heritage List

China has seen three of its cherished sites included among the new additions made to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List, which honors locations deemed to be of significant cultural, historical, or scientific value.

The Chinese sites were among 24 added during the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in New Delhi, India, bringing the overall total to 1,223 inscribed properties.

The majority of these have been included in the cultural category in recognition of their integrity, authenticity, protection and management status. Among them is the Beijing Central Axis, an area located right in the heart of the Chinese capital which includes a host of historical sites including the renowned Forbidden City.

"The cultural sites are really a treasure for humanity. People from all around the world, they have so much in common when we talk about culture and when we value about culture," said Yang Xinyu, China's Ambassador to UNESCO, in a interview on the sidelines of the New Delhi session.

Also at this session, China's "Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes" and "Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) were reviewed and approved by the World Heritage Committee, also successfully entering the World Heritage List.

Located in the hyper-arid region of northwestern China, the Badain Jaran Desert is the country's third largest desert. Its notable features include the world's tallest, stabilized sand mega-dune, which reaches a relative height of 460 meters, the highest concentration of inter-dunal lakes, and the largest expanse of so-called singing sands and wind-eroded landforms.

The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) is a serial extension of the property of the same name that is already listed on the World Heritage List. The newly-admitted five sites are part of Phase II, while Phase I sanctuaries were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019.

Tim Badman, director of the World Heritage Programme under the IUCN, hailed the sheer diversity of sites chosen, and also noted the inclusion of 'phrase II' of the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, an extension of a site which had previously been inscribed on the World Heritage List back in 2019.

"We have sites that have been listed for their geological values, sites listed for their cave biodiversity -- the incredible animals that live isolated from the outside world. And we have a very important site that's been listed in China, which recognizes a series of migratory sites for the birds that pass across many countries," said Badman.

The World Heritage Committee also considered properties in the endangered category and added the Saint Hilarion Monastery in the war-torn Gaza Strip, which is deemed one of the oldest sites in the Middle East.

"For us, it's a hope for people, because our people are suffering so much. And the inscription of this site came under an emergency basis, and it is inscribed on the World Heritage List [as a site] in danger," said Ahmad Rjoob, general director of the World Heritage Directorate.

The 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee took place from July 21 to 31 in the Indian capital.

Chinese sites included among diverse new inscriptions on UNESCO World Heritage List

A survey released by CGTN to global netizens shows that respondents strongly condemn the U.S.'s unilateral bullying of other countries under the pretext of "reciprocal tariffs," saying that this move may trigger countermeasures from other countries and eventually evolve into a "tariff world war," seriously impacting the world economy.

The U.S. claims that it has suffered losses in international trade and is raising tariffs on all trading partners under the pretext of "reciprocity," aiming to reduce the trade deficit. However, 81.03 percent of global respondents do not agree with this, believing that such measures will not achieve the expected results. During his first term in office, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on major trading partners. According to statistics from the American Action Forum, a think tank, Trump's protectionist policies during the first term cost U.S. consumers about 57 billion U.S. dollars annually. According to the survey, 81.94 percent of respondents believe that "reciprocal tariffs" cannot solve U.S.'s own problems but will only harm the interests of U.S. consumers and drag down the U.S. economic growth.

The competitiveness of products from different countries varies. Each country can set appropriate tariffs based on its own products to achieve "mutual benefit" in the international market. The "tariff farce" of the U.S. side is a selective disregard for the balance of interests reached through multilateral trade negotiations. Some 82.8 percent of the respondents point out that in the context of unequal economic development and economic strength of different countries, the U.S. insistence on full and complete reciprocity in tariffs is extremely irrational.

The majority of the U.S. tariffs this time are targeted at developing countries. Regarding this, 82.96 percent of the respondents condemn the U.S. for conducting "indiscriminate attacks" on other countries on the issue of tariffs, believing that this is a deprivation of the development rights of other countries, especially developing countries. According to the survey, 84.43 percent of the respondents believe that the U.S.'s imposition of "reciprocal tariffs" will exacerbate the problem of trade unfairness with its trading partners and traditional allies, seriously damaging the country's credibility.

As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the U.S. has unilaterally and subjectively introduced so-called "reciprocal tariffs" and insisted on implementing them. This is a typical act of unilateral bullying. In response, 79.47 percent of the respondents criticize the U.S. for seriously violating the rules of the WTO. In the survey, 79.58 percent of the respondents say that "reciprocal tariffs" have become a new tool for the U.S. to promote trade protectionism, which will further intensify international trade tensions and global economic fragmentation.

This survey was released on CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms. Within 24 hours, a total of 9,600 overseas netizens participated in the survey and expressed their views.

CGTN poll: US 'reciprocal tariffs' draw condemnation from world