Xi meets Eritrean president on bilateral ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday met with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Xi said that China and Eritrea have always trusted and firmly supported each other since the establishment of diplomatic relations more than 30 years ago. He recalled that during President Isaias Afwerki's state visit to China last May, the two sides made positive progress on the important consensus reached between them.

China appreciates Eritrea's adherence to an independent foreign policy and its efforts in firmly safeguarding national sovereignty and dignity, Xi said, adding that China views the bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and stands ready to deepen political mutual trust, advance practical cooperation and achieve common development with Eritrea.

Xi stressed that China and Eritrea should be good brothers having a heart-to-heart affinity, good partners sharing mutual benefits and win-win cooperation, and good friends upholding fairness and justice.

China is willing to strengthen exchanges at all levels and share experience on governance with Eritrea, Xi said.

China will make good use of initiatives and platforms such as Belt and Road cooperation, FOCAC, and the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa, deepen cooperation with Eritrea in fields including energy, infrastructure and agriculture, and facilitate Eritrea's industrialization and agricultural modernization, said the Chinese president.

Noting that China and Eritrea share similar views on many major international and regional issues, Xi said China is willing to maintain coordination and cooperation with the Eritrean side to better safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries and work for a more just and equitable international order.

The Eritrean president recalled his first trip to China 57 years ago, saying that he has witnessed the great development achievements and enormous changes in the country in over half a century.

China plays an important role in the world and has increasingly become a key force leading the reform of global governance, Isaias Afwerki said.

He said Eritrea-China relations feature a profound history, a strong friendship and sound cooperation, adding that the two sides have consensus on many issues.

Cooperation with China has helped and will continue to help African countries achieve better development, resist colonialism and hegemonism, and gain equality and dignity in the international arena, he said.

Eritrea firmly adheres to the one-China policy, he said, adding that it hopes to deepen cooperation with China in energy, infrastructure, the marine sector, and other fields.

Noting that Africa-China cooperation plays an important role in guiding international cooperation with Africa, he said Eritrea wishes the FOCAC summit a success, so that it can help African countries overcome challenges and difficulties, gain more development opportunities, and achieve security, stability and sustainable development to deliver benefits to all African people.

The two sides will sign bilateral cooperation documents in agriculture, radio and television, among other sectors, during the summit.

Xi meets Eritrean president on bilateral ties

Xi meets Eritrean president on bilateral ties

The Shenzhou-18 crew members on board China's orbiting Tiangong space station have been performing a variety of tasks, including scientific experiments as well as regular maintenance and training, as showed in videos released by the China Manned Space Agency on Sunday.

The crew conducted research on the impact of long-duration manned space missions on astronauts' operational performance in the space station. The projects selected for this research were based on the characteristics of long-duration in-orbit space station missions, alongside other tasks such as in-orbit training and experiments.

After completing each project, the astronauts filled out reports detailing the operation time and scales to record their fatigue levels and mental workload. Subsequently, researchers on the ground collected and analyzed the astronauts' in-orbit operational performance data to preliminarily grasp the characteristics and patterns of changes in astronauts' operational skills during space missions.

In the space station, which functions as a national space laboratory, experiments in areas such as space materials science, fluid dynamics in microgravity, and combustion science are keeping carried out. The crew has replaced relevant experiment samples as part of these experiments.

Meanwhile, in close coordination with researchers on the ground, the three astronauts successfully completed the return of external payload using the automatic payload ingress and egress function.

Besides, the crew conducted personal noise exposure measurements and acoustic testing to assess and improve the acoustic environment within the space station.

Various tasks related to equipment inspection and maintenance, including the transfer of a pre-cooling device for biological experiment samples, have been carried out in the space station as well.

The pre-cooling device, resembling a small refrigeration unit, ensures that the samples remain "fresh" throughout the return journey to Earth.

The astronauts also regularly conducted system-wide pressure emergency drills to strengthen and further enhance their emergency response capabilities and their ability to coordinate between space and ground.

One of the drills simulated the process of three astronauts responding to an internal depressurization scenario in the space station.

Last week, the crew conducted in-orbit medical aid training. This included further familiarizing themselves with equipment locations, reviewing usage methods, and reinforcing operational procedures and skills, helping them become accustomed to rescue operations in a microgravity environment.

In terms of health maintenance, the three astronauts conducted activities such as eye pressure and fundus examinations, as well as neuromuscular stimulation, to monitor and maintain their physical condition.

Furthermore, the crew regularly carried out tasks such as cleaning, supplies arranging, and garbage transfer and storage to maintain a clean environment in the space station.

On April 25, China launched the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship, carrying three astronauts - Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu - to the space station for a six-month mission.

Shenzhou-18 crew continues experiments, maintenance, training in space