Chinese envoy urges Israel to cease attacks on Syria

A Chinese envoy on Thursday urged Israel to cease its attacks on Syria and called on the international community to make concerted efforts to prevent the flames of war from further spreading to the whole Middle East and causing worse disasters.

At a UN Security Council meeting on Syria, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, condemned Israel's airstrikes on Syria over the past month which have caused a large number of casualties and violated Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"China called on all parties concerned to earnestly respect Syria's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and immediately stop illegal military operations against Syria. Foreign troops must end their illegal military presence in Syria at an early date," said Geng.

Since the recent escalation of tensions between the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah and Israel, more than 500,000 refugees have poured into Syria, making the already severe humanitarian situation in the country even worse.

Geng said China supports UN agencies in taking active action and providing emergency humanitarian assistance to Syria, welcomes the Syrian government's decision to extend its permission for the use of relevant crossing points, and appreciates the Syrian government's efforts to properly resettle refugees.

China calls on all parties to increase humanitarian resources in Syria, fulfill their donation commitments in a timely manner, ensure the smooth implementation of humanitarian projects and help improve the humanitarian situation in Syria, he said.

Geng stressed China firmly supports the Syrian government's anti-terrorism efforts and called on the international community to put an end to double standards and adopt a zero-tolerance attitude to jointly support the Syrian government in combating terrorist forces within its territory in accordance with international law and the Security Council resolutions.

"China reiterates that relevant countries should immediately lift unilateral sanctions against Syria, immediately stop illegally plundering Syria's resources, and create favorable conditions for Syria's economic recovery and development," Geng said.

Chinese envoy urges Israel to cease attacks on Syria

The world's first 20-megawatt offshore wind turbine was successfully installed in east China's Fujian Province on Tuesday, making it the first offshore wind turbine of this kind in the country to be installed, according to its developer China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG).

Once connected to the grid, the wind turbine is expected to generate more than 80 million kWh of electricity annually, which can meet the yearly power demand of around 44,000 households, while saving approximately 24,000 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 64,000 tons.

The wind turbine is located more than 30 kilometers offshore in waters exceeding 40 meters in depth. Installation faced multiple challenges, including a narrow construction window during the monsoon season, complex sea conditions and high risks associated with high-altitude operations.

To overcome the difficulties, the construction team deployed a fourth-generation wind power installation vessel with a lifting capacity of 2,000 tons. Supported by high-precision positioning and intelligent pile-driving control systems, the team steadily lifted three 147-meter-long blades to a height of 174 meters, accurately connecting them to the hub. The completed rotor has a diameter of 300 meters and a swept area equivalent to nearly 10 standard football fields.

The turbine is part of a national key research and development program, with all its major components independently developed and produced in China.

World’s first 20-MW offshore wind turbine installed in waters near Fujian