The Chinese military is ready to work with its counterparts in other countries to make new and greater contributions to ensuring regional stability and world peace, senior Chinese military official Zhang Youxia said Thursday.
Zhang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the statement at a welcoming banquet for the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which runs from Sept. 12 to 14.
Noting that the current forum comes at a historic time as 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the China-proposed Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, Zhang called on other forum participants to uphold the principles of fairness and justice and embrace an open and inclusive mindset to pool more wisdom for world peace and security.
Over 1,800 guests from more than 100 countries and international organizations were present at the banquet.
Initiated in 2006, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum is a high-level security and defense forum in the Asia-Pacific with significant international influence.
Themed "Promoting Peace for a Shared Future," this year's forum consists of four plenary sessions, eight special sessions, as well as other feature activities.
Chinese military ready to work with foreign counterparts for greater contributions to world peace: senior official
More users of new energy vehicles (NEVs) are hitting the road during this year’s National Day holiday, as an expanded public charging network in China is significantly alleviating range anxiety for drivers.
Since Tuesday, the first day of the week-long holiday, expressways in east China's Jiangsu Province have seen daily traffic exceed 150,000 vehicles, with nearly 10 percent being NEVs. In Taizhou City, a service area reported all 12 charging piles occupied around 14:00 on Wednesday.
"The number of charging piles has doubled, and they are all fast chargers. What's even more reassuring is that the staff are always here to serve us, which really eases my range anxiety," said Meng Haoyang, a NEV driver.
Similar scenes were observed in Anhui Province, where electric vehicles are arriving for charging every ten minutes at a service area equipped with 16 functioning charging piles available around-the-clock.
"It is quite convenient to charge our vehicles here since there are staff providing full service, which reduces our waiting time," said Jiang Hao, another NEV driver.
A famous tourist attraction, the Shimen Village in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province has drawn an increasing number of visitors going on holiday via electric vehicles, thanks to the construction of a new EV charging station.
"It is very convenient. The car is parked outside being charged while we're enjoying our tour around the village. Things can be done simultaneously without delay," said a tourist Wan Qian.
Data from the State Grid's smart vehicle networking platform showed EV charging volume at expressway stations reached a record 15.58 million kilowatt-hours during the first two days of the holiday, up 56 percent from the same period last year.
Local authorities are actively fostering a user-friendly environment to accommodate the surge in EV traffic.
In Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province, three mobile charging stations have been added to a service area on the busy Shenyang-Haikou Expressway to resolve drivers' range anxiety and offer more flexible charging options.
"We have prepared mobile charging piles in service areas with large traffic and charging demand for the holiday, guiding drivers to charge in an orderly and fast manner," said Zhu Zhenyuan, a staff member from the State Grid Pinghu Power Supply Company.
The coverage of charging stations has been further expanded across the country.
In Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, charging facilities are available in all service areas and tourist attractions.
In Xiaogan, Hubei Province, 600 villages and rural scenic spots have been equipped with charging stations during this holiday, greatly facilitating tourist trips and family visits for EVs owners.
Expanded charging network boosts NEV use during National Day holiday
