A Chinese captain recalled an emergency evacuation mission that took place in the port of Beirut early Tuesday, saying that once passengers boarded the ship, they would be sent to a safe port.
Ren Juncheng, captain of "Xinxiamen", a cargo ship of China COSCO Shipping Corporation, described what he experienced in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) Thursday, saying that his crew members received the evacuation mission on 02:00 Monday as tensions in the Middle East rose and waiting for over 10 hours before pulling into the port of Beirut on early Tuesday.
"As we entered the port, we could sense there was an atmosphere of a war. Conventional navigation services were no longer available, and we had to navigate by using our own radar or other radars that were still effective. Warships could be seen from afar and they only allowed us into the port after asking lots of questions and confirmed we are a Chinese ship. During the whole process, military helicopters had been flying above our head," said Ren.
The ship should have arrived at a Turkish port according to the original plan, said Ren, but they turned to Beirut immediately after being tasked with evacuating the Chinese there.
"A Chinese citizen grabbed my hand suddenly before boarding the ship. He asked me if the ship is a Chinese ship. I said I am sure that it is definitely a Chinese ship. It is built by China and there is a Chinese national flag hanged on the ship. It is a piece of moving land of China. Once you board the ship, you are back to China, you are back to home. You should not be worried. We will definitely send you to a safe port. He was really, really moved [after hearing these]," said Ren.
"Xinxiamen" evacuated 69 Chinese citizens along with 11 foreign relatives of them from Beirut and the evacuees arrived at a port in Cyprus on Tuesday.
Ren's evacuation mission was followed by another similar effort carried out by Air China, which saw 146 Chinese citizens and five foreign relatives of them being transported to the Beijing Capital International Airport at 5:00 Wednesday.
In total, 215 Chinese citizens have been evacuated from Lebanon so far, marking that all the Chinese who chose to leave the country were safely transported.
The Chinese who chose to stay will receive guidance and assistance from the Chinese embassy in Lebanon as they take necessary safety measures.
Chinese citizens ensured safe evacuation from Beirut Port amid warlike atmosphere: captain
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
