China Pavilion at Osaka Expo intended to deepen China-Japan friendship: officials

Chinese and Japanese officials on Sunday expressed the hope that the operation of the China Pavilion at the ongoing Osaka Expo in Japan will contribute to deepening friendship between the people of the two neighboring countries.

The China Pavilion officially opened on Sunday at the Osaka Expo, with an opening ceremony taking place in front of the pavilion's main building, designed to resemble a traditional Chinese scroll.

The opening ceremony included a traditional lion dance and a performance of the dance drama "The Crested Ibis," both warmly received by the audience.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao was among the around 300 guests who attended the opening event.

"The China Pavilion is first of all intended to present a friendly image of China to our visitors. The exterior walls of the pavilion feature many proverbs, and inside, there are numerous exhibits. In particular, there are wooden carvings titled 'Green Mountains and Bright Moon' that depict the progress of friendship between China and Japan, vividly embodying the principles of trustworthiness, harmony and good neighborliness that guide bilateral relations," Wu said.

"I'm confident that the bonds of friendship we have built will be further strengthened with the Osaka Expo and your country's pavilion," said Hirofumi Yoshimura, governor of Osaka Prefecture.

Osaka Expo 2025 will run from Sunday to October 13, 2025. The China Pavilion, one of the largest foreign self-built pavilions at the event, covers about 3,500 square meters.

Inspired by traditional Chinese calligraphy scrolls, the pavilion's architectural design embodies the theme of "Building a Community of Life for Man and Nature -- Future Society of Green Development."

The pavilion features three sections to showcase China's traditional ecological wisdom, modern green development initiatives, and its vision of global cooperation in fostering a sustainable future.

Highlights include side-by-side displays of lunar soil samples collected by China's Chang'e-5 and Chang'e-6 missions, the "Jiaolong" deep-sea submersible experience capsule and next-generation humanoid robots.

China Pavilion at Osaka Expo intended to deepen China-Japan friendship: officials

Russia reported on Saturday that its forces attacked several Ukrainian military targets over the past day, while Ukraine on the same day claimed it hit Russian oil facilities.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in its latest report that over the past 24 hours, the Russian forces conducted strikes on Ukrainian energy and transport infrastructure, drone storage sites and fuel depots, temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 145 locations. The ministry said Russian air defense forces shot down 568 drones over the past day.

Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on the same day that a total of 151 combat engagements were reported on the battlefield over the past day. It said the Ukrainian forces launched attacks on multiple Russian troops and an equipment concentration area and drone control points, and shot down 2,104 operational-tactical level Russian drones. The Ukrainian forces also hit four key Russian oil facilities on Saturday, said the report.

Ukraine's Security Service (SSU) said in a social media post on Saturday that it had hit three Russian warships in Crimea. The SSU said that the hit warships included the Russian Navy's large landing ships Yamal and Azov,and a third warship of an unspecified type. Other reports said that a Russian Project 21980 anti-sabotage boat "may have been hit."

According to the SSU, Ukraine also launched drones to attack Russia's communication systems, a radar station, and an oil base in Crimea.

Russia has not responded to these reports.

Russia claims striking multiple Ukrainian targets; Ukraine reports hitting Russian oil facilities