Xi sends congratulatory letter to 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum

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China

Xi sends congratulatory letter to 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum

2024-09-13 10:25 Last Updated At：16:27

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory letter to the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum that opened in Beijing on Friday.

In the congratulatory letter, Xi pointed out that faced with profound change of a scale unseen in a century, and also the aspirations of people around the world for security and stability, China has been implementing the Global Security Initiative, building consensus among all parties, working to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts and improving global security governance, thus making unremitting efforts to build a world of lasting peace and universal security.

It is hoped that the current forum will continue to uphold the spirit of equality, openness, inclusiveness and mutual learning, build consensus and deepen mutual trust, so as to make new and greater contributions to jointly addressing global security challenges and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.

The Global Security Initiative was proposed by Xi in 2022.

Over 1,800 guests from more than 100 countries and international organizations were present at the forum.

Initiated in 2006, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum is a high-level security and defense forum in the Asia-Pacific with significant international influence.

Themed "Promoting Peace for a Shared Future," this year's forum consists of four plenary sessions, eight special sessions, as well as other feature activities.

Ecuador's ongoing oil spill worsens environmental crisis, impacts communities

2025-03-18 21:54 Last Updated At：22:07

An oil spill in northwestern Ecuador is continuing to spread, causing an environmental crisis that is damaging the local ecosystem and impacting residents' lives.

The spill in the Canton Quininde area of Esmeraldas Province was caused by a landslide on Friday that ruptured a major oil pipeline, according to a statement from the State Petroleum Company of Ecuador.

Following the incident, Ecuadorian authorities declared an environmental emergency to minimize the damage and protect local residents' livelihoods.

Efforts to contain the spill are underway, but as of Monday, the spill has continued to spread.

An estimated 200,000 barrels of oil have been spilled so far, affecting an area of 50 kilometers and contaminating several rivers and even some coastal sea areas.

In addition, drinking water supplies to over 50,000 households in the affected area have been cut off due to the contamination. The ongoing oil spill has also led to widespread illness among locals, while fishermen have to suspend their activities.

"Children have been severely affected by the oil contamination, with a three-month-old infant having a fever. Our community is experiencing an outbreak of illness, with many people having sore throats. Fishermen have also been heavily impacted, as they are unable to go out to sea to fish," said Wilson Ganchile Tenorio, a local official.

Meanwhile, the oil spill has forced many beaches in Esmeraldas to close, severely disrupting local tourism.

"It affects a lot of people severely. It's not just us—everyone in the travel industry has been impacted. The situation is awful right now," said Luis Carlos Guanapatin, a local vendor.