Exhibition held in Indonesia to commemorate Chinese explorer Zheng He's epic voyages

A special exhibition commemorating the 620th anniversary of Chinese navigator Zheng He's voyages was opened on Friday in Jakarta, capital city of Indonesia.

The voyages, led by Zheng, also an ambassador in China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), brought silk, porcelain and tea to Indonesia, sowing seeds of friendship and trust between the two countries.

The exhibition, held at the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics in Jakarta, features ancient books, shipbuilding tools, navigation charts, archival footage, and rare footage about the voyages, systematically presenting the grand scenes of Zheng He's maritime expeditions, the prosperity of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, the cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Indonesia, and the new chapter of jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

This year also marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Indonesia, and the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference.

Held at this historic moment, the exhibition not only pays tribute to the long-standing exchanges between the two nations but also preserves and disseminates the concept of peaceful development, said Zhou Kan, an envoy of the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, during the opening ceremony, adding that it reflects the shared aspiration of China and Indonesia to advance mutual learning between civilizations and deepen people-to-people exchanges in the new era.

Co-organized by the Chinese Association for International Understanding, the Chinese embassy in Indonesia, and the China Zheng He Research Association, the one-month exhibition is jointly hosted by the Shanghai Art Collection Museum, the China Maritime Museum and Jakarta's Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics.

Exhibition held in Indonesia to commemorate Chinese explorer Zheng He's epic voyages

A growing number of Chinese energy companies are increasing their presence in the Persian Gulf as they get deeply involved in the region's energy transition.

As a highlight of China-Gulf cooperation, green energy projects carried out by Chinese companies in Gulf states gained spotlight at the 18th World Future Energy Summit, which took place from Wednesday to Thursday in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

A shining example is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai. As one of the largest single-site solar parks in the world, the solar thermal plant is a key project to help Dubai achieve its carbon reduction goals and significantly increase the share of clean energy in the city's power mix.

"Upon completion in 2030, it will exceed 8,000 megawatts, and it will reduce 8.5 million tons of carbon emmissions on an annual basis. And it will raise Dubai's clean energy capacity up to 36 percent," said Ali Hayat, a senior engineer of the project.

In recent years, more and more Chinese energy product suppliers have transitioned to a new role as investors by building plants and regional offices in the Gulf region to deepen their participation in local energy transition.

"China has been absurdly in the lead in both ways -- in providing technologies that make the cost of solar panel to be affordable around the world, and also in an amazing increase of the share of renewable energy in the energy system," said Francesco La Camera, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Chinese companies seek greater role in Gulf states' energy transition