19th biennial meeting of Western Pacific Naval Symposium to open in China's Qingdao City

The 19th biennial meeting of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) will take place in Qingdao City, east China's Shandong Province from April 21 to 24, Chines Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian announced on Wednesday.

Hosted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, the meeting includes series of activities such as a high-level seminar, and three thematic forums. There will also be bilateral meetings between naval leaders and delegations, Wu said at a press conference in Beijing.

Delegations from 29 countries, including Australia, Cambodia, Chile, France, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Russia, the United States, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom are set to attend.

"Hosting the WPNS annual meeting is a concrete action taken by the PLA Navy to implement the concept of building a maritime community with shared future. It aims to strengthen exchanges, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation with countries participating in the forum, and make new and greater contributions to jointly addressing maritime security threats and challenges and safeguarding regional peace and stability. Besides, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PLA Navy. Around April 23, the PLA Navy will organize a series of commemorative events in Beijing, Qingdao, Ningbo, Zhanjiang, and other garrison cities and naval bases. These events will include flag-raising ceremonies, ceremonies honoring naval heroes, open days for military camps and ships, and outdoor theme light displays," Wu said.

19th biennial meeting of Western Pacific Naval Symposium to open in China's Qingdao City

Newly born cubs at a zoo in Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan in southwest China, met the public as the May Day holiday approaches.

The Yunnan Wildlife Zoo's capybara family recently welcomed new members. These rodents are popular on the Internet because of their unique "facial expression" of "calmness". The capybara babies, less than one week old, are born with fur and move with their parents all the time.

Ring-tailed lemur pups are attached to their mothers for most of the day. Interesting bonding attracts tourists to take pictures.

The zoo welcomes close contact with these lemurs. The furry step on the shoulders, backs, and even heads of some generous visitors, amusing others.

"They feel like stuffed toys. I am not afraid of them," said one visitor.

Visitors can also see cubs of the Northeastern tiger and the Patagonian mara, a native of South America. The zoo has also created a series of games and activities based on these new members to engage visitors.

Cubs meet public at zoo in southwest China