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Egyptians hail Xi's New Year speech, highlighting China's global impact

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Egyptians hail Xi's New Year speech, highlighting China's global impact

2025-01-04 02:40 Last Updated At:03:17

Former officials and analysts in Egypt have hailed the significant message in Chinese President Xi Jinping's New Year speech and highlighted how China's development impacts not only itself, but the whole world.

In the address broadcast on New Year's Eve on Tuesday, Xi stressed the importance of high-quality development and safeguarding people's livelihoods, and underscored China's vision to promote global governance reform and deepen solidarity and cooperation among the Global South.

Xi also said China's economy has rebounded and is on an upward trajectory, while noting the need to transform old growth drivers into new ones.

"The New Year's speech by the Chinese President tackled many important issues, among which is the Chinese economic growth during 2024. China aims at increasing that growth rate in the new year, this is a very important directive that will affect China's public policy in the coming period," said Mohamed Amin, editor-in-chief of the Cairo-based political magazine October.

Meanwhile, Ali el-Hefny, a former Egyptian ambassador to China who is now vice president of the Egypt-China Friendship Association, highlighted how China has set an example for the developing world, and pointed to its strong cooperation with Africa, including in the development of many major infrastructure projects. "China also contributes a lot as far as its participation as one of the major countries worldwide in peacekeeping efforts in the continent of Africa. So in fact, the internal policies in China are a wonderful example for us in Africa, for our economies, for our countries, for our governments, and for the countries in the Global South," he said.

"With the BRICS and other forums, we need the role and contribution of China. China renders a lot to African as a continent and the African countries, and the African people. I've seen it with the infrastructure that was provided with the Chinese expertise and accumulated experience. Wherever you go in Africa, you will find paved roads, you will find ports where the capacity has been uplifted, [such as] the airports," he said.

Last September, Beijing hosted the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), bringing together the leaders of over 50 African countries in the Chinese capital, and el-Hefny noted that the cooperation platform will this year mark a milestone anniversary.

"[I would like to] draw attention to the fact that we are celebrating this year a quarter of a century, 25 years, since the establishment in the year 2000 of the African-Chinese cooperation forum. It has lasted for 25 years. We would like to see [the continuation of] such a forum that was very important for the African continent, and it was also important for China," he said.

In the view of Gamal Bayoumi, a former assistant foreign minister, China is playing a very active role in terms of international diplomacy, especially in the United Nations' system.

"As we well know, China is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and it has the right to veto for any decision which we do not like. [But] China has never used the veto in a negative way," he said.

Egyptians hail Xi's New Year speech, highlighting China's global impact

Egyptians hail Xi's New Year speech, highlighting China's global impact

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Infrastructure networks rapidly taking shape to boost low-altitude economy

2025-01-05 23:53 Last Updated At:01-06 00:17

China is accelerating efforts to build low-altitude infrastructure, with new takeoff and landing facilities, communication networks, and digital systems being constructed in key cities to facilitate the development of this rapidly growing sector.

Low-altitude economy refers to the economic activities and industries centered around manned and unmanned aerial vehicles operating in the airspace usually within 1,000 meters above the ground.

In southern tech hub of Shenzhen, a newly operational rooftop helipad is a key part of the city's push to expand its low-altitude economy. Originally built for fire safety, the helipad has been repurposed with plans for a new aerial sightseeing route in the surrounding area.

"We've estimated the investment, and it's relatively modest since the foundational infrastructure is already in place. The costs will likely be in the range of a few million yuan. If rooftop helipads are connected, it could create an aerial transportation network that links different buildings together," said Kuang Hu, vice chairman of Guangdong Yuehai Land Group.

Shenzhen aims to complete over 1,200 low-altitude facilities by 2026, with the local government offering subsidies of up to 2 million yuan (over 270,000 U.S. dollars) per project. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to create a seamless low-altitude infrastructure ecosystem that integrates airspace management, flight paths, and services.

"By the end of 2026, the district aims to complete 100 low-altitude infrastructure projects," said Chen Wenlei, deputy director of the Development and Reform Bureau of Luohu District, Shenzhen.

"We are in the process of establishing a comprehensive network that includes infrastructure, airspace management, flight paths, and services. By integrating these four key networks into a unified low-altitude standard system, we aim to promote the seamless opening and integration of low-altitude airspace infrastructure and systems," said Cheng Tao, executive secretary of the Shenzhen Low-altitude Economy Industry Association.

In Shanghai, the East China UAV Base has been approved for testing new drones, technologies, and services within a 1,370-square-kilometer airspace. A newly deployed 5G base station at the base offers both communication and radar-like sensing capabilities, essential for managing low-altitude airspace.

"Currently, the station covers a radius of several kilometers, offering crucial data such as the aircraft's latitude, longitude, altitude, speed, and other key metrics. Once airborne, all types of aircraft require communication. For those flying below 300 meters, we can provide tailored coverage for their flight paths," said Du Yanyan, deputy general manager of the Planning and Technology Department at China Mobile Shanghai.

Experts say that technologies like 5G and the BeiDou navigation system are essential to supporting China's low-altitude infrastructure. However, they emphasize the need for network interoperability to address challenges as drones and aircraft transition between regions.

"The low-altitude communication and sensing networks being developed in various regions each follow different technical approaches. For example, when a drone travels from Area A to Area B, it must switch networks, and addressing these challenges promptly is crucial," said Du Jiadong, head of the network and application group at the Low-altitude Economy Research Center, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).

The Civil Aviation Administration of China estimates that the country's low-altitude market will soar from 500 billion yuan in 2023 to 1.5 trillion yuan in 2025 and as much as 3.5 trillion yuan in 2035.

This year, for the first time, the term "low-altitude economy" was included in the Chinese government's work report, signifying an official endorsement that has emboldened numerous cities.

Infrastructure networks rapidly taking shape to boost low-altitude economy

Infrastructure networks rapidly taking shape to boost low-altitude economy

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