Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, has addressed the 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), which opened on Monday in the port city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province.
Zhang said that China's armed forces have actively participated in international cooperation of maritime security and provided maritime public security goods, adding that China will play a more positive and open role in international military cooperation.
Zhang called for abandoning the Cold War mentality, jointly bringing peace and stability to the world, and bridging differences through dialogue.
China has been committed to resolving maritime disputes peacefully through friendly consultation with countries directly concerned, but it will safeguard its legitimate rights in the face of deliberate violation of its sovereignty and it will take firm countermeasures against unreasonable provocations, he said.
China's armed forces will resolutely safeguard national unity and interests, said Zhang.
This is the second time the WPNS was held in China after the country first hosted the event in 2014. Delegations from 29 countries have gathered for this year's event, where a high-level symposium themed "Oceans with a Shared Future" and a series of meetings will be held.
Senior Chinese military officer addresses 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium
Senior Chinese military officer addresses 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium
Senior Chinese military officer addresses 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium
Customers in Shanghai are flooding back to brick and mortar stores to upgrade their home appliances thanks to advances in energy efficiency and the availability of subsidies offered by local government, home appliance brands and retailers.
A store in Shanghai's downtown Changning District has welcomed an average of 2,800 customers on a daily basis in recent days.
Labels on some home appliances show that customers have access to a 10 percent subsidy as long as the products they buy are energy efficient.
"With this 10-percent subsidy, I decided to make offline purchase at this store. It's cheaper after all," said one customer.
This 10 percent subsidy is offered by the Shanghai government to boost consumption.
Retailers are also offering subsidies, further driving up consumption.
"If a customer is buying a product with grade one energy label, while at the same time has an old machine for replacement, the customer can enjoy a 10 percent subsidy from the government. And our platform and the manufacturer together offer a 10 percent subsidy for trade-in goods. And we are also offering an additional seven to eight percent subsidy for sets, and a five percent subsidy for single items. So the customer can generally get a 35 to 40 percent subsidy," said Yang Xu, procurement and sales manager with a Shanghai branch of China's e-commerce giant JD.com.
Noticeably, people are willing to buy more products, especially more high-end models.
"Things are now cheaper. So I have money left for high-end products. I've spent 20,000 yuan (about 2,764 U.S. dollars) here. In the past, I would not choose a refrigerator of more than 13,000 yuan (about 1796 U.S. dollars). I would only buy one with half its price. And I was not planning to buy a TV. But now, I've decided to buy one," said one customer.
Boosting consumption is just one upside of such trade-in programs. Replacing old machines with more energy efficient models also aligns with the country's carbon reduction goals.
China has pledged to achieve peak carbon emissions by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2060.
Home appliances trade-in programs boost consumption, protect environment
