The East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress kicked off in the coastal city of Xiamen in east China's Fujian Province on Wednesday, with international experts and officials gathering to share knowledge and practices on marine development.
Themed "Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean," the three-day event is hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, the Xiamen Municipal People's Government and the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia(PEMSEA).
At the opening ceremony, China's Ministry of Natural Resources released the first National Ecological Protection and Restoration Bulletin, highlighting the environmental achievements that have been made in the country over the past 75 years.
One of the key topics at this year's EAS is the idea of the blue economy, which centers around the sustainable use of ocean resources to drive economic growth while preserving the marine ecosystem.
To boost trade and foster better conservation, nations and regions are actively exploring ways to partner with China on maritime projects. A representative from Antigua and Barbuda highlighted how China has helped in the Caribbean country's development through infrastructure development.
"The Chinese government has assisted us in building infrastructure projects within Antigua and Barbuda, to build ports and roads and that sort of thing, to help us in our national development, to facilitate trade. We already do some exports of food products to China, and we are hoping to expand greatly in that using the technology that we learn from these conferences and these relationships," said Athill Dean Jonas, former Minister of Social Transformation, Human Resource Development and Blue Economy of Antigua and Barbuda.
Participants also expressed their hope for advancing marine conservation efforts amid the challenges posed by climate change and other potentially harmful human activities.
An official from Tanzania's Zanzibar commended China's efforts in the sector.
"The blue economy is all about maritime trade and conservation. So I think the Chinese and Zanzibar government, they have to work together, especially in the conservation of our pristine small island in Zanzibar. I believe the Chinese have paved the way, so, we are in a position now to learn from the Chinese government and Chinese people on how they preserve their marine ecological system," said Hamad Bakar Hamad, Principal Secretary of Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries of Zanzibar.
The event, held every three years, will run till Friday.
East Asian Seas Congress looks to boost development of blue economy
East Asian Seas Congress looks to boost development of blue economy
Russia claimed Thursday that its forces had recaptured Sudzha, a strategic Russian town in the Kursk Oblast that was previously held by Ukraine, while Ukraine said it had repelled 17 Russian attacks in the region, according to the latest updates from the two countries.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that its army had retaken Sudzha, Melovoi, and Podol towns in the Kursk region, claiming that the Ukrainian military had lost hundreds of people and various types of weapons and equipment in fighting in Kursk in the past day.
This announcement came a day after Russian military reporters released a video showing that Russian troops had entered the center of Sudzha and raised the Russian national flag.
The Russian military's operation against the Ukrainian army in Kursk has entered the final stage, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, according to TASS, the Russian state news agency.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited military command posts in Kursk, emphasizing the urgency of swiftly concluding the operation and establishing a security zone in the region. It was Putin's first visit to Kursk since Ukraine took control of part of the region.
Putin was briefed by Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, who said that Russian forces had recaptured 86 percent of the territory previously held by the Ukrainian army in Kursk and that Ukraine's plans to establish a strategic bridgehead in Kursk and draw Russian forces from the Donbas region to Kursk had failed.
Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces reported on Thursday morning that its forces had engaged in 138 battles over the past day and repelled 17 Russian attacks in the Kursk region, where Russian forces launched 334 artillery strikes and 29 air strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that the Russian army was putting maximum pressure on the Ukrainian army in the Kursk region.
On the same day, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said on social media that the Russian army had tried to break through Ukraine's defensive line in Kursk and drive the Ukrainian army out of the region, in an attempt to expand the combat area to the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. He said that in response to this serious situation, he had ordered the army to rely on unmanned equipment and artillery fire to move to more advantageous positions if necessary.
After Ukraine and the United States agreed on an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" following talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that Putin would meet with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff behind closed doors late on Thursday.
The U.S. official arrived in the Russian capital, Moscow, at midday to consult with the Russian government on the Russia-Ukraine situation.
At a press conference with visiting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday, Putin said Russia is "in favor" of the 30-day ceasefire plan proposed by the United States and Ukraine, but nuances exist.
"We agree with the proposals to stop hostilities, but we proceed from the fact that this cessation should be one that would lead to long-term peace and eliminate the original causes of this crisis," he said.
Putin noted the difficulty in monitoring ceasefire violations along the 2,000 km contact line of the conflict and raised the issue that Ukraine might use the temporary ceasefire for mobilization and weapons supplies.
Putin said he might call Trump to discuss the issues.
Russia claims recapture of three towns in Kursk ahead of Putin's meeting with U.S. envoy
