China has called on all states parties to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) to take concrete actions to jointly uphold the authority of the convention and strengthen the global biosafety and biosecurity governance system.
This announcement was made by Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun during a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the BWC's entry into force.
Guo highlighted the global significance of the BWC and China's commitment to enhancing global governance in biosafety and biosecurity.
"The Biological Weapons Convention establishes international legal obligations to eliminate the threat of biological weapons, reduce biosecurity risks, and promote the peaceful use of biotechnology. It plays an important role in maintaining peace and security for all humanity and in promoting development and prosperity," said Guo.
"President Xi Jinping has proposed a Global Security Initiative, advocating for countries to work together to address global issues such as biosecurity. In recent years, China has put forward a series of proposals to promote the establishment of a verification mechanism for the convention, prevent and eliminate violations, and actively promote responsible biological research. China also encourages multilateral and bilateral exchanges and cooperation, supporting developing countries to fully participate in global biosecurity governance and benefit from biotechnology development. China calls on all signatories to take practical actions, fulfill their obligations earnestly, uphold the authority of the Biological Weapons Convention, and continuously improve the biosafety and biosecurity governance system," said Guo.
"China calls on all contracting parties to take practical actions, fulfill their obligations earnestly, uphold the authority of the Biological Weapons Convention, and continuously improve the biosafety and biosecurity governance system," said the spokesman.
China urges global action to strengthen Biological Weapons Convention on 50th anniversary: spokesman
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
