Zhongguancun Forum concludes, major sci-tech breakthroughs unveiled

The 2024 Zhongguancun Forum, a prominent platform for scientific and technological innovation, concluded on Monday after a dynamic five-day showcase.

The event featured a flurry of 128 activities, including conferences, presentations, and competitions, and announced 19 major achievements across various fields such as physics, integrated circuits, space exploration, national economy, health, and safety.

Throughout the forum, deep engagement was facilitated among hundreds of international governmental organizations, institutions, universities, and over 10,000 tech companies.

This collaboration led to the signing of 309 projects with a combined value exceeding 67.3 billion yuan (about 9.3 billion U.S. dollars).

As the forum wrapped up, Zhang Biyong, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Science and Technology, highlighted the event's climax.

"Next, we will usher in the highlight of today's press conference, where everyone will witness a number of important scientific research results and experience first-hand the vigorous vitality of China's scientific and technological development in the new era," said Zhang.

Key areas of achievement include biotechnology, aerospace, energy, quantum computing, chip-making, and medical equipment. Notable scientific advancements featured include a two-photon microscope for the space station and a high-efficiency computing-in-memory chip.

In the national economy sector, highlights include the ZQ-2 Launch Vehicle System and the 12,000-meter ultra-depth automatic drilling rig.

Zhang Changwu, chief executive officer of LandSpace Technology, reflected on the challenges of space exploration.

"Behind the ultimate romance is the ultimate difficulty. The road to space exploration is one of the most challenging ones. People like the highlight moments, but few see the hard work behind those. There are no shortcuts in commercial aerospace. One can only accept the test of time," Zhang said.

The forum also made significant strides in fostering industry growth, inviting domestic and foreign tech companies to establish operations in Beijing.

With promises of excellent service and preferential policies, the forum aims to maintain its status as an annual event embracing an open concept.

Zhongguancun Forum concludes, major sci-tech breakthroughs unveiled

Although the heavy rainfall that ravaged southern Brazil has abated, high floodwaters remain in Porto Alegre, the capital of the Rio Grande do Sul state.

Over 600,000 people have been evacuated from the region amid ongoing and extensive rescue efforts.

Since April 29, three weeks of relentless floods have ravaged southern Brazil. Vast areas remain submerged, displacing residents and leaving a path of destruction. Experts warn the receding of waters could take weeks, posing a significant challenge to recovery efforts.

Laura Cardos, a driver, has become a community volunteer in one of the hardest-hit areas, helping evacuate trapped locals by boat. Together with her partners, she has helped more than 500 residents reach safety and rescued hundreds of animals.

"My home was not affected by the flood. We are here to evacuate trapped people by boat. It feels like we are the ones suffering. We do feel exhausted because we have been evacuating people for the past 10 days. However, as the floodwaters have not receded and may still rise, we will steadfastly continue our efforts," said Laura.

Many neighborhoods in the state are now surrounded by floodwaters, and the risk of new flooding remains high.

In Sao Leopoldo, a few kilometers north of the state capital, some residents insist on staying in their homes to prevent theft and to repair flood-damaged furniture.

"I have lived here for 44 years and have never experienced a flood like this. When I was five, there was a flood, but the water only came up to my knees. This time, the flooding is terrible and has taken away everything from many people," said a local resident.

Severe flooding in southern Brazil displaces over 600,000 as recovery efforts continue