A report released on Monday highlights research conducted aboard the Chinese space station, which aims to provide solutions for long-term space survival and develop technologies that benefit both industries and daily life on Earth.
Published by the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO), the 2024 report provides a comprehensive summary of the scientific research and applications conducted in China's space station over the past two years.
It highlights 34 representative research and application achievements, as well as various science communication and cultural activities.
China has currently outlined four major research areas in space: space life and human body research, microgravity physics, space astronomy and earth science, and space technologies and applications, encompassing 32 research topics.
As of December 1, 2024, a total of 181 scientific and application projects have been conducted in orbit. Nearly two tons of scientific materials have been delivered to the station, and almost 100 types of experimental samples have been brought back to Earth.
The report also highlighted several world records, including the development of the first germplasm resources of rice and ratoon rice developed in space and the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into hematopoietic stem/precursor cells in space.
"We hope to offer solutions to the challenges of long-term human survival in space through these studies. At the same time, the key materials developed in space are expected to be applied on Earth, offering new processes, methods, and technologies to improve production and daily life," said Zhang Wei, a researcher at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU), under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Zhang noted that the report primarily highlights results from completed experiments, while many others are still in progress.
"In our scientific experiments, particularly in microgravity fluids, several international cooperation projects are underway. Projects initiated through the United Nations are progressing, and joint China-Europe projects are also been carried out," said the researcher.
According to the report, the Chinese space station, serving as the national space lab, will conduct over 1,000 research projects in the next 10-15 years. It aims to promote science outreach and international collaboration, attract high-level teams from around the world, and advance China's space science, technology, and applications.
Chinese space station experiments poised to bring tangible benefits for both space, Earth
A survey released by CGTN to global netizens shows that respondents strongly condemn the U.S.'s unilateral bullying of other countries under the pretext of "reciprocal tariffs," saying that this move may trigger countermeasures from other countries and eventually evolve into a "tariff world war," seriously impacting the world economy.
The U.S. claims that it has suffered losses in international trade and is raising tariffs on all trading partners under the pretext of "reciprocity," aiming to reduce the trade deficit. However, 81.03 percent of global respondents do not agree with this, believing that such measures will not achieve the expected results. During his first term in office, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on major trading partners. According to statistics from the American Action Forum, a think tank, Trump's protectionist policies during the first term cost U.S. consumers about 57 billion U.S. dollars annually. According to the survey, 81.94 percent of respondents believe that "reciprocal tariffs" cannot solve U.S.'s own problems but will only harm the interests of U.S. consumers and drag down the U.S. economic growth.
The competitiveness of products from different countries varies. Each country can set appropriate tariffs based on its own products to achieve "mutual benefit" in the international market. The "tariff farce" of the U.S. side is a selective disregard for the balance of interests reached through multilateral trade negotiations. Some 82.8 percent of the respondents point out that in the context of unequal economic development and economic strength of different countries, the U.S. insistence on full and complete reciprocity in tariffs is extremely irrational.
The majority of the U.S. tariffs this time are targeted at developing countries. Regarding this, 82.96 percent of the respondents condemn the U.S. for conducting "indiscriminate attacks" on other countries on the issue of tariffs, believing that this is a deprivation of the development rights of other countries, especially developing countries. According to the survey, 84.43 percent of the respondents believe that the U.S.'s imposition of "reciprocal tariffs" will exacerbate the problem of trade unfairness with its trading partners and traditional allies, seriously damaging the country's credibility.
As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the U.S. has unilaterally and subjectively introduced so-called "reciprocal tariffs" and insisted on implementing them. This is a typical act of unilateral bullying. In response, 79.47 percent of the respondents criticize the U.S. for seriously violating the rules of the WTO. In the survey, 79.58 percent of the respondents say that "reciprocal tariffs" have become a new tool for the U.S. to promote trade protectionism, which will further intensify international trade tensions and global economic fragmentation.
This survey was released on CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms. Within 24 hours, a total of 9,600 overseas netizens participated in the survey and expressed their views.
CGTN poll: US 'reciprocal tariffs' draw condemnation from world
