Fishing family sees livelihood transformed after island renewal

A fisherman's family in Zhaoshu Island in the South China Sea has seen a drastic turnaround over the past decade since the island underwent an ecological transformation.

The 30-minute documentary "Greening the Blue" reveals how life for Chen Siyu's family has changed -- from living in a temporary shelter to inhabiting a two-story sea-view apartment.

In 2014, even drinking water was hard to come by for Chen's family. In that same year, however, a seawater desalination plant and power stations were established on the island.

Once virtually barren, Zhaoshu has become a veritable treasure island of greenery after eight years of ecological conservation efforts by Sansha City, Hainan Province. The initiative resulted in the construction of numerous modern, environmentally friendly buildings.

By 2016, Zhaoshu had electricity, 4G networks, and running water.

Once the new fishermen's village was completed on October 1, 2019, Chen's family moved in and now enjoy a clean supply of running water.

The new documentary on ecological conservation in the South China Sea by China Global Television Network (CGTN) will air on July 8, 2024.

The production also shows how a rescued sea turtle returns home, coral gardens are replanted, and sand beaches are turned into green islands in the South China Sea as a result of conservation efforts over the past more than 10 years.

China has set a target of defining at least 150,000 square kilometers of marine areas for protection by 2030 in its Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2023-2030).

Fishing family sees livelihood transformed after island renewal

Fishing family sees livelihood transformed after island renewal

Fishing family sees livelihood transformed after island renewal

Fishing family sees livelihood transformed after island renewal

Fishing family sees livelihood transformed after island renewal

Multiple handheld pager explosions struck Beirut and the southeastern and northeastern regions of Lebanon on Tuesday, leading to a temporary internet shutdown in the southern suburbs of the capital city, according to China Media Group (CMG) reporter Ci Xiaoning.

"I am currently at the entrance of a major hospital in Beirut, Lebanon's capital. Around 15:30 today, there were several explosions in the southern suburbs of Beirut. My Lebanese colleague, who lives very close to the area, experienced an immediate loss of internet connectivity. Reports have since confirmed that many handheld pagers were involved in the explosions," Ci reported outside a hospital in Beruit.

Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad confirmed that the explosions resulted in at least nine deaths and about 2,800 injuries, with approximately 200 people in critical condition. The injured are being transferred to hospitals.

In a statement, Hezbollah said it is conducting security and scientific investigations to identify the reasons behind these explosions, adding that the group is "at the highest level of readiness to defend Lebanon and its people."

In a separate statement, the Shiite group blamed Israel for "this criminal attack," vowing to retaliate.

The Lebanese Council of Ministers stressed that the government, shortly after the deadly explosions, began contacting the concerned countries and the United Nations to hold the perpetrators accountable.

Israel has yet to comment on Tuesday's blasts. According to media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a security assessment meeting at the HaKirya military base in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to address the implications of the explosions.

CMG reporter says internet shutdown following deadly pager blasts in Lebanon