2023 Party Core Reading: Xi on Chinese Modernization
If you missed the study sessions offered by your local Party branch, this core reading from the tongue of the Party, People’s Daily, can help you catch up. See the CV of article author Huang Yibing below for more recommended reading.
Xi Jinping’s speeches sometimes don’t appear right away, sometimes to be issued months later in canonical form. Professor Zhang Xuebo of the Central Party School…
A chart of New Weird books and other bizarre, unsettling, and uncanny literature published in the last 30 years or so. This is a follow-up to my previous chart of classic weird fiction and another selection from my list of over 200 works of weird literature.
The population of giant pandas in the wild has nearly doubled as China steps up its conservation efforts.
China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration said on Jan 25 there are now around 1,900 pandas in the wild from some 1,100 in the 1980s.
This has been due to China’s efforts to protect the species, considered a national treasure, said Mr Zhang Yue, an official with the administration.
The Giant Panda National Park was established in October 2021, covering a total area of over 22,000 sq km and providing a home to around 72 per cent of the wild giant panda population.
Protected areas for giant pandas have grown from 1.39 million ha to 2.58 million ha since 2012.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has adjusted the status of giant pandas from “endangered” to “vulnerable”.
“This indicates that China’s giant panda conservation efforts have been recognised by the international wildlife conservation community,” Mr Zhang said.
The global captive population of giant pandas, meanwhile, has now reached 728, with 46 pandas successfully bred in captivity in 2023.
The genetic diversity of captive giant pandas has also improved. The current captive population of giant pandas can maintain 90 per cent genetic diversity for up to 200 years.
As for giant pandas living abroad, Mr Zhang said China has organised field inspections and assessments of 23 overseas cooperation institutions in 19 countries since 2023.
“The cooperation institutions generally meet the requirements in terms of venue construction, feeding and nursing, and disease prevention and control measures,” Mr Zhang said, adding that pandas living abroad are generally “in good health”.
He said China will further improve the international cooperation management mechanism for giant pandas, carry out regular daily health monitoring and field inspection and assessment, and continue to strengthen cooperation with international partners for the protection of endangered species and biodiversity.
1974:U.S. Balloons Invaded PRC Airspace, Zhou Enlai Furious Orders Destroy It At All Costs
Three notes relating to U.S. Spy Balloons Overflying Soviet and Chinese Territory During the 1970s.
The U.S. also overflew the Soviet Union during the 1950s with both balloons and aircraft. Some of the balloons and aircraft were shot down. The 1950s flights are well known, there may not be as much information in the public domain about the 1970s balloon overflights.
Here are three articles from…
Chinese shipping giant COSCO has notified importers and exporters that it is suspending its service to Israel. This announcement comes after a number of leading companies in the sector announced that they would refrain from sailing in the Red Sea, but would nevertheless reach Israel via different routes.