Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with the country's delegation for the 17th Summer Paralympic Games at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday.
Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, congratulated the Paralympians on their outstanding performance at the Paris Paralympics, where China topped both the gold medal and overall medal tables.
He praised the athletes for their perseverance and determination, noting that their achievements not only brought sporting success but also gave the country a great sense of pride.
Li pointed out that sports competitions not only require physical strength and skills but, more importantly, willpower and spirit.
The exceptional achievements of the Chinese Paralympic delegation reflected the remarkable progress in the development of China's undertakings for people with disabilities and vividly showcased the strength, spirit and image of China in the new era, Li noted.
"The nation and its people are proud of you," he said.
Li encouraged the athletes to remain humble and continue striving for greater accomplishments.
He also called for more efforts from the whole society to advance causes that support people with disabilities, enhance social security system and support services for people with disabilities.
Chinese premier meets with Paris Summer Paralympic Games delegation
Chinese premier meets Paralympic delegation
Wang Xiuying, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) from Liaoning, on Tuesday highlighted the achievements in the northeastern Chinese province's desertification control efforts over the years.
In an interview with the press ahead of the closing meeting of the third session of the 14th NPC on Tuesday, Wang, also an agronomist of the Agricultural Economic Management Station in Liaoning's Zhangwu County, shared her experiences in sand control in the Horqin sandy land, China's largest sandy area.
"We have explored and implemented a series of integrated management models, using trees, grasses, water projects and photovoltaic projects to stabilize the sand. So far, the Three-North Shelter Forest Program has advanced 13 kilometers into the core area of the Horqin sandy land. The average wind speed has decreased from 3.4 meters per second in the 1950s to 1.9 meters per second now. By doing so, we have effectively prevented the southward expansion of the Horqin sandy land, thus safeguarding the ecological security of Liaoning and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region," said Wang.
In addition to the efforts in desertification control, Wang and her team have also developed new crop varieties with high yields, helping local farmers to achieve greater prosperity.
"With crop rotation and fallow models and photovoltaic projects, we have applied multiple technologies to deliver tangible benefits for local farmers with increased farmland yields. Our team has been responsible for the demonstration area of the country's first corn yield improvement project, where we successfully grew corn with high yields on sandy land, achieving a yield of over 2,000 jin per mu (about 15,000 kg per hectare) for two consecutive years. We have gradually realized the long-awaited dream of transforming sandy land into fertile farmland," she said.
Since being an NPC deputy in 2023, She has submitted proposals on sand control and ecological protection.
"After conducting thorough research, I submitted a proposal on implementing pilot photovoltaic projects for sand control and ecological restoration, which was subsequently adopted by the relevant authorities. We have planned a provincial-level demonstration area for systematic management along the southern edge of the Horqin sandy land, and two demonstration zones focused on comprehensive management: one for the integrated management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, and another for the treatment of sandy land along the Liuhe River. Through these efforts, we have gradually achieved the governance objectives of conserving water, combating desertification, preserving fertile land, and safeguarding the ecosystem," said Wang.
Lawmaker highlights achievements in Liaoning's anti-desertification drive
