The Chinese and Russian air forces completed the second phase of the ninth joint strategic aerial patrol in the western Pacific airspace on Saturday.
The patrol was carried out as part of the two armies' annual cooperation plan, with the goal of effectively testing and enhancing the joint training and operating capabilities between the two countries' air forces, according to the Chinese Defense Ministry.
The Chinese Air Force dispatched two H-6N bombers, home-made strategic bombers capable of air refueling and long-range strike, to participate in the patrol for the first time.
Chinese, Russian air forces complete another joint aerial patrol
A father-son duo from China's Taiwan region has taken their family's orchid business to new heights in Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan in the southwest by capitalizing the city's supportive policies and unparalleled advantages in flower cultivation.
Kunming, known as the "City of Eternal Spring," has become a thriving hub for the production of flowers, and attracts entrepreneurs from across the Taiwan Strait.
"Twelve years ago, I have come to continue the work of my parents, which is the production of phalaenopsis orchids. Kunming has a very big advantage over other places, I would say in the world, in terms of growing flowers. In 2013, 2014, our exports were around 1 million RMB per year, and the quantity was about 30,000 pieces of phalaenopsis orchids. Every two weeks we do about 35,000 now," said Christopher Chen, CEO of Kunming Tongyi Biotechnology.
Chen highlighted the company's remarkable growth in export markets. In 2012, the business had only one export destination, Vietnam, but now it operates in about 12 active markets globally.
"Because you have such a dynamic business environment, we always have to innovate our products to keep up with the different demands. What we're trying to accomplish here is to have more value added for these products. And we're also trying to be able to let our customers customize each of their products to their own liking," said Chen.
With strong policy support, a favorable business environment in Kunming, and the company's expertise, Chen expressed confidence in expanding their global presence.
"We get a lot of support from these government agencies. With the advent of the Belt and Road Initiative, I definitely think that there will be a lot more business opportunities in the future. We are currently planning to expand our greenhouse production space by up to three times in the next two to three years, and up to about six times in about five years' time," he said.
Taiwan father-son duo develops orchid business in Kunming
