47th session of World Heritage Committee opens in Paris

The 47th session of the World Heritage Committee convened Monday at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris, France, to evaluate 30 applications for World Heritage status.

Over the course of the 11-day event, deliberations will focus on several notable projects, including the Western Xia Imperial Tombs, a complex of royal mausoleums from the Western Xia Dynasty (1038–1227). These tombs are located at the foot of Helan Mountain, about 30 kilometers from Yinchuan, the capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Additionally, two major proposals for boundary adjustments to existing World Heritage sites will be reviewed.

The 30 nominated projects include 24 cultural heritage sites, five natural heritage sites, and one mixed cultural and natural heritage site, with the Western Xia Tombs included as a cultural heritage application.

In addition to reviewing these applications, the session will feature discussions on threats to World Heritage sites, such as climate change, armed conflicts, and natural disasters. It will assess the protection status of threatened sites and explore strategies to strengthen international cooperation and improve heritage protection and management.

The World Heritage Committee is tasked with reviewing new applications for inclusion in the World Heritage List, as well as supervising and guiding the protection of sites already listed. Currently, there are 1,223 World Heritage sites worldwide, comprising 952 cultural heritage sites, 231 natural heritage sites, and 40 mixed sites.

47th session of World Heritage Committee opens in Paris

47th session of World Heritage Committee opens in Paris

Chinese President Xi Jinping awarded Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic the Friendship Medal of the People's Republic of China in Beijing on Monday.

As solemn music played and the golden doors slowly opened, Xi and Vucic entered the hall together, followed by Xi's wife Peng Liyuan and Vucic's wife Tamara Vucic.

Applauding guests rose to their feet, and paid respect to the two heads of state.

A Guard of Honor escorted the Friendship Medal into the hall, and amid solemn music, Xi formally presented the medal to Vucic.

Xi highlighted Vucic's long-standing commitment to advancing China-Serbia friendship and underscored the significance of the honor.

"President Vucic has long stayed committed to China-Serbia friendship, and he has always given China the firmest and clearest support on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns. He gains the respect from the Chinese people. This medal is not only a high recognition of President Vucic's contributions to bilateral friendship, but also carries the earnest expectations of both peoples for building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era," Xi said.

The Friendship Medal is China's highest state honor for foreigners, reserved for those who have made outstanding contributions to China's modernization drive, promoting exchange and cooperation between China and the world, and safeguarding world peace.

At the invitation of Xi, Vucic is on a state visit to China from Sunday to Thursday, with this marking his first state visit to China and his ninth trip to the country overall.

Xi awards Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic China's friendship medal