China, France issue joint statements on Middle East, AI & global governance, biodiversity & ocean, agricultural cooperation

China and France have issued four joint statements and signed multiple cooperation documents to promote all-round communication and cooperation.

The four statements, released during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to France from May 5 to 7, cover areas of Middle East issues, AI & global governance, biodiversity & ocean, and agricultural cooperation.

In the joint statement on the Middle East situation, China and France, both the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, condemn all violations of international humanitarian law, including all acts of terrorist violence and indiscriminate attacks against civilians.

The two heads of state called for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, ensuring the provision of large-scale humanitarian aid in Gaza and protecting the civilians as the pressing tasks. And they urged all parties to exercise restraint to avoid further escalation of tensions, said the joint statement.

President Xi and President Macron also expressed support for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, recognizing it as the path towards lasting peace.

In addition, the two heads of state reiterated support for diplomatic efforts to address the Iran nuclear issue, and emphasized the importance of maritime safety in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

They call for observing an Olympic Truce during the 2024 Summer Games as an opportunity for conflict resolution while respecting international law.

In the joint statement on protecting biodiversity and marine ecosystems, China and France reiterated their commitments to realizing the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, as well as other environmental conventions they participate in, said the statement.

China and France are committed to protecting and restoring marine ecosystems and marine biodiversity to boost environmental multilateralism, and call on other countries to do the same, according to the statement.

The two countries are also committed to fighting against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and enhancing management in such areas, said the statement.

The joint statement said the two sides vow to reduce marine pollution, and realize the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14, which addresses the key challenges of ocean health.

In the joint statement on AI and global governance, China and France said the two countries believe it is crucial to boost AI development and security, and to push for suitable global governance.

The statement said the two countries realize the risks brought by the rapid development of AI technology and intend to take measures to contain such risks.

The statement also stressed the importance of international cooperation on the basis of respecting national sovereignty and international security and stability.

In November 2023, China and France signed the Bletchley Declaration, the first international agreement in the AI field. The joint statement said China is willing to attend the AI Safety Summit hosted by France in 2025, and invites France to attend this year's world artificial intelligence conference to be held in China.

The two countries also issued a joint statement on agricultural cooperation, vowing to boost joint efforts in the wine industry and poultry.

China and France will also further cooperate in farming and exchanges of young talents, said the statement.

China, France issue joint statements on Middle East, AI & global governance, biodiversity & ocean, agricultural cooperation

China, France issue joint statements on Middle East, AI & global governance, biodiversity & ocean, agricultural cooperation

The endangered Tibetan antelopes have started their annual mass migration after the first batch of 47 female Tibetan antelopes passed through the Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province on May 7.

To protect the rare species that are under top-class state protection, the management team of Hoh Xil in the province's Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture has set up the Wudaoliang protection station along the migration route. As of noon on Sunday, over 700 Tibetan antelopes had been spotted passing through the station.

The Tibetan antelope, known as the "fairies of the plateau", undertakes a migration from May to July each year. Female antelopes from the Sanjiangyuan region of Qinghai, parts of Qiangtang Terrane in Tibet, and the Arjin Mountains in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, would travel to the Zhuonai Lake in Hoh Xil to give birth before returning to their original habitats with their newborns.

"For Tibetan antelopes, we divide them into six species groups according to their geographical distribution. For example, Qinghai and Xinjiang have one group each. For Xizang (Tibet), there are three species groups in the east, central and west of the Qiangtang Terrane. And there is also one group in southern Qiangtang Terrane, which don't migrate," said Lian Xinming, researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

With an average altitude of over 4,600 meters, the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve is known as a "no-life zone" due to its thin air and low oxygen levels.

However, it is an important habitat for Tibetan antelopes, which can reach top speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour while running. Lian explained the reasons behind the antelopes' remarkable speed.

"I think one of the reasons why they run so fast is that they've got underfur. The warmth of its underfur is one of the characteristics of its ability to adapt to alpine cold and high altitudes. The diameter of its fur can be as thin as about one-seventh of our human hair on the temples. Secondly, its has been found in physiology that the hemoglobin of Tibetan antelope has a blood oxygen capacity that is more than 30 percent higher than that of other plain animals, which proves that the same number of red blood cells has stronger ability to carry oxygen. That should enable the Tibetan antelope to reach 70 or 80 kilometers per hour in a short time," Lian said.

After years of conservation efforts, the Tibetan antelope population in the Hoh Xil region has increased from less than 20,000 in the late 1980s to currently over 70,000.

Tibetan antelopes on migration journey to Hoh Xil Nature Reserve