The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which opened in south China's Zhuhai City on Tuesday, is highlighting the expansion of aerospace technology into everyday life, marked by a flurry of public welfare project agreements.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) held a signing ceremony on Tuesday for the agreements, which cover numerous major projects, including meteorological satellites, marine satellites, communication satellites, rocket launch services and commercial aerospace as well as strategic emerging industries like the low-altitude economy, advanced equipment and hydrogen energy.
In total, over 70 cooperation agreements and documents indicating intent to cooperate were signed, with a cumulative contract value nearing 60 billion yuan (nearly 8.3 billion U.S. dollars).
"This is our largest major project signing in recent years, as aerospace technology is a high-tech industry. For instance, this time, we have agreements on clean energy, such as hydrogen energy which comes from our rocket fuel. As aerospace technology develops, besides fulfilling the country's need for building a space power, it is continuously incubating applications and services derived from aerospace technology," said Tang Lei, director of the Asset Management Department of CASC.
At this airshow, the CASC showcased more than 200 of its latest technological achievements, with 150 of these making their debut.
"We are showcasing the Chang'e-6 lunar probe, the Long March-12 carrier rocket, the CH-7 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and the FH-97A UAV. In addition, we are presenting a battery of research achievements in aerospace technology applications and services," said Tang.
The CH-7 is a stealth drone with a flying-wing design capable of flying at high altitudes. The FH-97A is designed as a companion drone for fighter jets and smaller drones.
The exhibition, also known as Airshow China, is running from Nov 12 to 17 in Zhuhai, a coastal city of south China's Guangdong Province.
Zhuhai Airshow boosts civil uses of aerospace technologies
As the 2024 APEC gathering commences in Lima, Peru, China's deepening partnerships with Latin American nations - bolstered by trade, investment, and the Belt and Road initiative - serves as a key example of the country's commitment to fostering inclusive economic cooperation across the Asia-Pacific region.
Under the overarching theme of "Empower. Include. Grow," APEC Peru 2024 which is running from Nov. 10-16, will bring leaders of its 21 member economies together to set the agenda for the Asia-Pacific region, with trade and investment for inclusive and interconnected growth beiamong the priority areas.
At the APEC media center next to the meeting's main venue, booths promoting new technologies and sustainable development are set up. Organizers say Peru is seeking opportunities to connect the largest markets and insert Peruvian companies in regional and global value chains.
In an opinion article posted on the website of the China Global Television Network (CGTN) last weekend, Peru's Ambassador to China Marco Balarezo wrote that exports to APEC economies represented 68.5 percent of Peru's total international transactions in 2023, and that the Asia-Pacific provides a critical region of opportunities and incorporation in the regional and global supply chains.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend this year's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and pay a state visit to Peru from Wednesday to Sunday, with this being his sixth visit to Latin America since 2013.
An updated free trade agreement (FTA) between Peru and China, set to be signed during President Xi's visit, is another example of how APEC 2024 will bolster the economy, according to Ambassador Balarezo.
China is Latin America's second-largest trading partner and main source of investment, as well as the top trading partner for many countries in the region including Peru. It has signed Free Trade Agreements with five Latin American economies and established high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries. The cooperation has grown beyond traditional areas like trade, finance, and infrastructure to include newer fields such as energy, the digital economy, and aerospace.
One of the flagship cooperative projects, the China-built Chancay Megaport north of Lima, set to become fully operational shortly after the APEC meeting, is establishing Peru as a gateway for South American trade to Asian markets. Beyond that, Balarezo said Peru invites all APEC enterprises to invest in this near-term endeavor.
Since it started over 30 years ago, APEC has turned into a powerful driver of economic growth and one of the most important forums in the Asia-Pacific region. With 21 member economies, APEC represents around 62 percent of the world's GDP and nearly half of global trade.
APEC is the first regional economic cooperation organization that China joined back in 1991. Experts believe China has accelerated the pace of opening up through APEC cooperation and has provided huge opportunities for economic and trade development in the Asia-Pacific region.
Strengthened China-Latin America ties epitomize APEC's push for inclusive economic cooperation
