Residents in the Israeli capital city of Tel Aviv recalled Iran's missile attacks against their country on Tuesday night local time, calling for an end to the ongoing conflict.
Iran launched missile attacks against Israel in retaliation for Israel's previous attacks on Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hamas and the Iranian military.
Two people in Tel Aviv were lightly injured by shrapnel after a building in the northern part of the city was damaged, according to reports by Israel's rescue services.
During interviews with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Tel Aviv residents recounted that terrifying night, describing the experience as "crazy."
"It's not regular. It's a crazy country where we live in. I wasn't home, at work, and I got a phone call from my wife saying that I should come back quickly because things are starting. And everything changed in two hours. We found ourselves with lots of alarms and crazy bombing, crazy sounds of bombing above our heads. And [we were] watching the news at the same time and seeing all the missiles coming [in]. It's crazy," said Yosi Barkan, a driver.
Local residents also expressed confidence that they will prevail and ultimately find peace despite the discomfort of living in such circumstances.
"It's a strong feeling [from] both sides. It will be ok because we have a good army that defends us. But also, it feels like it's not so comfortable. But it's ok. We are used to that," said Tamar Igdal, a housekeeper.
"We were not afraid. We wish to finish this war at last and to find ourselves in a better neighborhood. We will survive, we will prevail, and we are strong, and we want to finish that," said Zeev Goldberg, an engineer.
They also voiced concerns for the soldiers and hostages, hoping that they will return home soon.
"We have been through a very tough year. We think a lot about all the soldiers that are fighting in the north and in the south, and the hostages which (who) are not back home [yet], all the murdered, the killed, the injured. We think a lot about all these families that lost their beloved ones," said Barkan.
Tel Aviv residents recall Iran's missile attacks
Malaysia's closer cooperation with China in sectors like trade, tourism and the emerging industries have been helping propel the Southeast Asian nation's growth "to greater heights," said Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Malaysian Transport Minister, in commenting on the two countries' efforts to keep pushing forward the development of bilateral relations more comprehensively.
The minister made the statement in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Tuesday, saying that Malaysia has been benefiting from the huge Chinese market, and that as cooperation between the two countries extends from sectors like trade and tourism to the more broader emerging industries, the growth of Malaysia will reach "greater heights."
China has been Malaysia's biggest trading partner for 15 consecutive years. Going forward the two sides will strengthen cooperation in the emerging sectors like artificial intelligence, high-end manufacturing, the semi-conductor industry, the digital economy, and green development, according to a joint statement released by the two sides in June.
"As far as Malaysia is concerned, we have benefited from the opening up of China. You can have access to the Chinese market, which is huge, for a country like Malaysia. We have a lot of trade, movement between Malaysia and China and not only in terms of goods, but in terms of movement of people, for example, and you have an influx of millions of Chinese visitors to Malaysia every year right now. Increasingly, we have seen a lot of manufacturing. Recently, we also have seen a lot of high-end products, including semiconductors, including investment into data centers, digital economy and so forth. So, all these growths, of course, propel Malaysia to greater heights," said the minister.
The two countries also agreed to deepen cooperation in rail transportation and in infrastructure construction, the joint statement said, noting that key projects like the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) and "Two Countries, Twin Parks" should be the focuses.
The ECRL is a joint venture between Malaysia and China, said the minister, adding that if the project stands as successful program of cooperation between the two countries, it will encourage a greater presence of Chinese business in Malaysia.
"East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is a Belt and Road Initiative project. It's a huge project. A railway network of more than 650 kilometers. And more significantly is that the operational model that it's a joint venture between Malaysia and China. In the case of the ECRL, the Chinese side is prepared to even operate with us together. So, they are sharing the risks with us and it is to their benefit to ensure the success of the project. What I mean by success is Number One, the utilization of the tracks, the utilization of the railway must reach optimum point. And if you want to achieve, you have to ensure that there are more industrialization along the railway network. So, this is something which I think the Chinese government looks at it strategically, so, to ensure the success of the project together with Malaysia and also encourage more Chinese companies to set up their base along the railway network," he said.
Once being put into operation, the ECRL will see a railway network that connects the eastern and the western coasts of Malaysia, greatly promoting economic development in the country's east coast region and enhancing the connectivity of the regions along the railway network.
As of mid-August, over 70 percent of the project had been finished, according to its contractor China Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC).
Closer cooperation with China propels Malaysia "to greater heights": minister
