An environmental scientist in Australia has called on the international community to strengthen cooperation on jointly protecting migratory birds, expressing admiration for China's effective actions in protecting endangered bird species and their habitats.
Over the years, China has been committed to strengthening ecological conservation and protecting endangered birds and important habitats for them, achieving remarkable results.
Professor Richard Fuller at the University of Queensland, which has one of Australia's top environmental science research teams, has dedicated his studies on the impact of human activity on the natural environment.
Over the years, he has exchanged views with scholars and experts from countries along the East Asian-Australian Flyway, such as China, Japan and South Korea, on issues like migratory bird protection and research.
"There are millions of birds that migrate between Australia and China and Russia and back again every year, passing through 20 countries around Asia. And also, many of the important remaining sites have been declared as world heritage areas by the Chinese government. And I think that's help to slow down the declines of these migrating birds. This is a really big step within our flyway," said Fuller.
In July this year, the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) has passed the review process to be included on the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
As part of the world's largest intertidal wetland system, this area within the Yellow Sea Ecoregion provides vital habitats for birds migrating along the East Asian-Australian Flyway.
This has caught Fuller's attention. He called on more countries to strengthen international cooperation and jointly protect migratory birds.
"I think China has showed actually quite strong leadership in our flyway, and I think other countries are following and do need to follow that lead, but also, there is a need to aim even higher. So, countries need to work together to work out what threats do they need to manage within their country border, collaborating in building that end to the overall picture, because the birds move across country borders. That means we need to collaborate internationally to do the right actions," he said.
Scientist lauds China's efforts on migratory bird protection, calls for int'l cooperation
China's two major power grid operators -- the State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) -- reported a surge in investment in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring efforts to strengthen infrastructure construction and support high-quality socioeconomic development in China.
The State Grid said it completed fixed-asset investment worth 129 billion yuan (about 18.77 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months of this year, up 37 percent the corresponding period of the previous year. The spending has driven more than 250 billion yuan (36 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across the wider industrial chain.
Key projects such as the Panxi ultra-high-voltage (UHV) alternating current (AC) line and the Anhui-Hubei back-to-back direct current (DC) project have seen ground broken for their construction, while several west-to-east power transmission projects have been upgraded.
Investment in connecting renewable energy generation to the grid was reported to have exceeded 10 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) from January to March, a year-on-year rise of more than 50 percent.
The CSG also reported robust growth in investment in the three-month period, with fixed-asset investment reaching 38.45 billion yuan (5.58 billion U.S. dollars), up about 50 percent from a year earlier.
Among its achievements, the company completed and commissioned 80 key projects, including the 220 kV cross-sea power grid interconnection project, which was officially put into operation on March 20. The project ended years of grid isolation on the Weizhou Island in south China by linking it to the main power system of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The construction of 17 other major energy projects, including one linking the power grid of the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China with that of Guangdong Province in south China, is advancing rapidly. These projects are expected to bolster regional industries, the maritime economy, digital collaboration and the transition to green energy.
"By accelerating major project construction, investment during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) is expected to approach 1 trillion yuan (145 billion U.S. dollars), driving a further 2 trillion yuan (290 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across upstream and downstream industries," said Dong Yanle, deputy general manager of the Engineering Construction Department under the China Southern Power Grid.
China ramps up power grid investment in January-March to boost growth
