The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's air force is expected to hog the spotlight with its distinctive aerobatics at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition which is scheduled to take place in Zhuhai City of south China's Guangdong Province from Nov 12 to 17.
This is the first time that the PLA Navy has participated in the event, also known as Airshow China.
Chen Xinmeng, a designer of the aerial performances at the airshow and also a navy staff member from the Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command, noted two important features of this debut naval warplane performance.
One is "buddy refueling", a naval aerial refueling method where fuel is transferred from one aircraft to another while both aircraft are in flight, while the other is "carrier landing", which focuses on carrying out a precise touchdown on an aircraft carrier, one of the most difficult operations for navy pilots, according to Chen.
"In designing the two maneuvers, we aimed to showcase the unique features of our shipborne aircraft during the navy's first participation in the Zhuhai airshow. The display includes two main parts: the buddy refueling technique and the maneuver for the carrier landing," said Chen.
To ensure a smooth aerobatic display and highlight the naval aircraft in a short time, the whole naval aerobatic team must undergo rigorous training to optimize formation spacing, flight height, maneuver designs and flight routes, along with close collaboration with the ground crew.
"In an aerial display, one thing is to get the timing right, and the other is to perform precisely and coordinate well. It's like a National Day parade: if a plane is half a minute or a few seconds late reaching its designated spot, the audience might notice a gap in the performance. If it arrives early, it could disrupt the previous aircraft's performance," said Chen.
Airshow China is a highly anticipated event that provides visitors from around the globe with a chance to witness China's expanding military and civilian aviation industry. For Chen, as a member of the Chinese navy, it is also an honor to demonstrate the strength and sophistication of the navy's aircraft at the event.
"I feel honored and proud to showcase our naval aviation to China and the world. Notably, the J-15D will make its public debut at the Zhuhai airshow," she said.
Director of China's naval aerial display at Zhuhai airshow explains performance features
Senior executives from international broadcasting associations and mainstream media professionals shared their insights on how to boost the influence of the Global South during the 12th Global Video Media Forum (VMF) held in east China's Fujian Province on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The two-day VMF event gathered around 200 representatives from mainstream media outlets and international organizations from more than 60 countries and regions in the coastal city of Quanzhou, known as an historic trading port and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The forum saw the release of the Joint Initiative for Media Dialogue and Cooperation of the Global South, which aims to build a Global South narrative system and amplify the voices of its media, and foster mutual learning and exchanges to drive the shared prosperity of Global South civilizations.
At a special dialogue session on Tuesday afternoon, media leaders from various countries and organizations put forward their perspectives on how to better tell the stories of the Global South.
Ahmed Nadeem, Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, said that Global South media outlets should develop creative ways of delivering content so as to showcase their diverse cultures.
Juan Carlos Isaza, Managing Director of the Latin American Information Alliance, said his association stands ready to expand cooperation and share its news resources with more global partners.
Also attending was Ian Phillips, Director of the News and Media Division under the United Nations Department of Global Communications, who said the media need to invest more in the Global South, and called for a "rebalancing" in the world, urging developed countries to provide more support to the Global South on key issues like climate.
Neville Choi, a representative of the Pacific Islands News Association, pointed to the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence but said countries in the Global South should always look to promote their cultural heritage.
Meanwhile, Gregoire Ndjaka, CEO of the African Union of Broadcasting, said the media should play a bigger role in filling the knowledge gap between people from different backgrounds.
Abdelrahim Suleiman, Director General of the Arab States Broadcasting Union, said greater media cooperation across the Global South is an opportunity to connect the Arab world and bring all developing countries together for common development.
Hosted by CCTV Video News Agency (CCTV+) under the theme "Intelligence Without Frontiers, Vision Beyond The Horizon -- Media's Role in Communication and Cultural Exchange," the forum also saw in-depth discussions on the application and governance of artificial intelligence technologies in the media sector.
Launched by CCTV+ in 2011, the VMF has grown into a premier platform for media professionals from around the world to discuss the latest trends in video content communication and innovation, and aims to foster greater interaction and collaboration between domestic and international media.
Int'l media leaders share insights on boosting influence of Global South
