Taiwan students experience Beijing's charm

A delegation of some 40 college students from China's Taiwan region wrapped up a five-day visit to Beijing on Friday, after exploring winter sports, historical and cultural heritage, and cutting-edge technology in the capital.

The delegation, led by Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation, visited the Yanqing Olympic Zone which includes the National Alpine Skiing Center, a competition venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and a public skiing center.

They participated in various winter sports and experienced the thrill of ice and snow sports.

"This is my first time to Beijing. I'm quite happy and excited to have an opportunity to ski at a venue of the Winter Olympics," said a Taiwan student.

The students also explored cultural landmarks such as the Palace Museum, the Great Wall, and the Temple of Heaven to experience traditional Chinese culture, and visited the cross-Strait sci-tech innovation center, Xiaomi's automotive mega-factory to witness advanced sci-tech development.

"I think the foremost significance of this trip for our young people from Taiwan is that they experienced history and tradition, as well as innovation and sci-tech. Especially the timing of our visit happened to coincide with the Spring Festival holiday and we even celebrated the Lantern Festival here. It was a chance for people on both sides of the Strait to celebrate the traditional festival together, making it a meaningful experience for the students from Taiwan," said Hsiao.

The Taiwan students on Thursday watched the animated blockbuster Ne Zha: Demon Child Conquers the Sea, or Ne Zha 2, which has yet to be released in Taiwan. The captivating plot and impressive animation left them both moved and amazed.

Ne Zha 2 has become the first Chinese film to gross 10 billion yuan (about 1.39 billion U.S. dollars) in total global earnings, including presales.

"When they watched Ne Zha 2, the box office had surpassed 10 billion yuan, making all the students very excited, and they were more touched, as the film portrays a lot of endearing bonds. I think this was also a great experience for them to see a traditional Chinese folk tale turned to such an impressive film through the latest animation and sci-tech. And for so many years what we watched were all Western and Hollywood animated movies, yet our own animation films produced in the mainland are no inferior to Western films in terms of technology and innovation, which I think was also a new and striking experience to the students," he said.

Taiwan students experience Beijing's charm

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Friday pointed out that the overall situation must be taken into consideration to properly resolve the Yemen conflict.

In remarks at the Security Council briefing on Yemen, Fu said since early September the ground situation in Yemen has undergone major changes, with spillover effects spreading more rapidly to the Bab al-Mandab Strait and countries in the region.

The situation in Yemen has reached a critical moment, said Fu, adding that the international community needs to find a viable way out of the current conflict.

He called for de-escalation and more efforts to return to the track of political settlement.

China urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid actions that could further escalate the situation or trigger wider fighting, Fu said.

"The Yemeni issue has dragged on for over a decade. It is closely linked to other problems in the region. To thoroughly resolve the conflict, it must be considered within the broader context of the overall situation in the Middle East. Yemen's internal conflict, maritime navigation security, and relations between Yemen and countries in the region are the three key aspects of the Yemen issue. These three aspects are mutually interconnected and interacted, and must be addressed comprehensively in an integrated manner," said Fu.

Yemen has been embroiled in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the north. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, now based in the southern port city of Aden.

The renewed fighting marked a major escalation after a UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted major hostilities.

China urges addressing Yemen conflict within broader Middle East context