Chinese President Xi Jinping, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Wednesday jointly witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the revitalization project of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) railway.
Hassan and Hichilema are in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) scheduled for Sept 4 to 6.
The three-day FOCAC summit is the largest diplomatic event hosted by China in recent years, with the highest attendance of foreign leaders.
Themed "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future", the event aims to strengthen friendships and outline future cooperation between China and Africa.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will host a welcome banquet for the leaders and representatives attending the summit, and is set to deliver a keynote speech at Thursday's opening ceremony.
Chinese, Tanzanian, Zambian presidents witness signing of MoU on revitalizing TAZARA railway
Chinese, Tanzanian, Zambian presidents witness signing of MoU on revitalizing TAZARA railway
Chinese, Tanzanian, Zambian presidents witness signing of MoU on revitalizing TAZARA railway
The challenges facing rescuers in clearing the last kilometer of roads to the mudslide-hit southwest China’s border port of Gyirong are ensuring the safety of rescue personnel and overcoming natural obstacles, said a member of the rescue team.
A mudslide that originated on Nepal's side of the China-Nepal border struck Gyirong in China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Wednesday.
A key task for the rescuers is to repair damaged roads that have been almost completely destroyed by the mudslides. This will allow heavy machinery and more rescuers better access to affected areas.
Jiang Wanqiang, a member of the Xigaze Detachment of the People's Armed Police, talked about the main challenges the team faced during key operations.
"We need to find ways to quickly clear the last kilometer that leads us to the core rescue area in Gyirong Town. The biggest challenge is ensuring the safety of our personnel during rescue operations. We currently face risks such as barrier lakes, dam breaches, mountain collapses, and avalanches, which could trigger further upstream landslides. This poses the greatest threat to our own safety," he said.
"Secondly, significant challenges exist for us to open up the rescue route. The final kilometer consists almost entirely of steep cliffs and rivers, with no existing road infrastructure. Clearing this section is extremely difficult. In the next phase, we may deploy some machinery—engineers and a large number of construction vehicles—which could help ensure the successful establishment of the final kilometer of the rescue road," Jiang said.
The troops moved to a site about two kilometers from Gyirong Port on Friday to carry out search-and-rescue and mud-clearing operations. Persistent overnight rain and the risk of secondary disasters, including further mudslides, mean the area is not safe for camping. The troops returned to Gyirong Town last night to rest, before setting out again for the rescue site at 08:00.
Equipped with life-detection devices, shovels and pickaxes, the troops conducted a systematic search for survivors on Saturday. They also cleared mud and rocks, and leveled the road surface to open up access routes.
Safety concerns, natural barriers pose new challenges to rescuers in Xizang's Gyirong Port
