Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, stated during the meeting that China and Germany have maintained frequent high-level interactions while their pragmatic cooperation continues to show strong momentum and deliver positive results. Wang noted that although unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, the global shift toward multipolarity is unstoppable.
As strategic partners, China and Germany, as well as China and the European Union, should strengthen solidarity, coordination, and cooperation, uphold free trade, practice multilateralism, and safeguard the authority of the United Nations, said Wang, noting China is willing to deepen all-round cooperation with Germany, promote the positive development of bilateral relations, and safeguard global peace and stability.
For his part, Scholz stated that Germany highly values its relationship with China and is willing to strengthen exchanges and dialogue at all levels. He emphasized Germany's opposition to protectionism and disagreement with a tariff war. Scholz expressed hope that the EU and China will adopt a constructive approach to properly resolve trade frictions including that on electric vehicles as soon as possible, and work together to uphold the free trade system.
The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis.
China willing to deepen all-round cooperation with Germany: FM
China's first two-tonne-class tethered balloon entered trial operation in a major power transmission project on Monday, providing a brand-new solution for transportation in power grid construction projects in high-altitude and ecologically sensitive areas, according to the State Grid.
The project is a massive ultra-high voltage (UHV) power transmission line that will carry clean energy from Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China across thousands of kilometers to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in south China.
At the construction site, a large balloon with a diameter of 25 meters and a volume of 8,000 cubic meters slowly rose into the air.
As multiple mooring lines were simultaneously extended and retracted, the heavy construction materials suspended beneath the balloon were lifted off the ground and moved smoothly along a predetermined route toward the mountainous work site.
"This is our newly developed load-bearing tethered balloon. We have just completed a maximum load test of two tonnes at an altitude of 4,000 meters. Next, we will conduct a hoisting operation for power supply materials over a straight-line distance of 500 meters and a vertical drop of 120 meters," said Qin Jian, researcher at the Transmission and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Institute of the State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute.
A heavy-lift tethered balloon involves launching a helium-filled balloon into the air and connecting it to the ground with one or several cables.
By adjusting the cable, the balloon's altitude and horizontal position are controlled to facilitate the transport of materials at high altitudes.
The balloon can travel up to 800 meters and carry a maximum load of two tonnes, with a positional accuracy of within 0.5 meters.
As the construction of new power grids is extending more rapidly into high-altitude, remote mountainous and ecologically sensitive areas, the transportation of materials for transmission projects has become a major challenge constraining construction progress.
Traditional road construction for transportation have long cycles and significant ecological disruption, while drones, though agile and flexible, face limitations in scenarios requiring heavy loads or prolonged continuous transport.
Tethered balloon transport technology effectively overcomes these difficulties.
"The construction section where this technology is applied is located in an uninhabited mountainous area at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. Many tower sites are situated on steep ridges inaccessible by road, making this the section with the highest altitude, most treacherous terrain and most challenging operations in the entire project. The two-tonne tethered balloon is better suited to high-altitude conditions characterized by thin air and strong winds, and its load capacity and stability can better meet transportation requirements," said Feng Tao, project manager of the State Grid Henan Power Transmission and Transformation Company.
China puts first 2-tonne tethered balloon into operation
