Chinese troops across the country have staged solemn national flag-raising ceremonies to mark the 98th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) which falls on Friday, with soldiers vowing to hone their combat skills and safeguard the security of their motherland.
At an air force unit, the national anthem "March of the Volunteers" was played on Thursday morning while the Five-Star Red Flag was being hoisted slowly.
The officers and soldiers solemnly saluted the national flag, expressing their loyalty to the motherland. After the flag-raising ceremony, they also carried out activities such as revisiting the military oaths, recounting heroic stories, and watching revolutionary films to remember the history and strive to build a strong military.
Meanwhile, crew members of the Chinese Navy's destroyer Nanchang held a flag-raising ceremony during their mission in the waters of the Yellow Sea, pledging to continue writing new glories and making new contributions in the new era.
Also on Thursday, a brigade of the 77th Group Army currently stationed for training on a snow-covered plateau at an altitude of 4,500 meters held a national flag raising ceremony using a drone.
At the barracks of a brigade under the 82nd Group Army, the troops also held a solemn flag-raising ceremony to stimulate their sense of honor and mission.
At the same time, Armed Police Force units also organized solemn flag-raising ceremonies. The officers and soldiers vowed to shoulder the duty and mission of safeguarding the country and the people with loyalty.
Flag raising ceremonies held to mark 98th PLA Day
Flag raising ceremonies held to mark 98th PLA Day
Indonesia's first locally born baby panda Rio has attracted crowds of people to the Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI) in Bogor, south of Jakarta, since he was officially introduced to the public late last month, with visitors excited to catch a glimpse of the safari's most famous resident.
Rio was born on Nov 27 last year, weighing just 200 grams, but has since developed into a healthy 11 kilogram male as he made his public debut on May 30.
The cub was conceived by Chinese-loaned pandas Cai Tao and Hu Chun, and is Indonesia's first giant panda bred in captivity.
Many Indonesians used to have to travel all the way to China if they wanted to see a baby panda. Now, they are delighted to have a beloved bear right at home.
"I am grateful that Taman Safari Indonesia has been given the opportunity to build good bilateral relations between Indonesia and China. This is an activity that I think has a direct impact not only on people who love pandas, but can also be a learning medium, including for students who today come in large numbers. I am very happy because finally Taman Safari has been able to breed a panda after three failed trials. So, it's all just very touching," said Dr. Missie Gustini, a visitor.
Rio lives in a lavish structure called the Panda Palace along with his parents, who arrived from China in 2017 in an act of "panda diplomacy" which aimed to mark 60 years of ties between Indonesia and China.
Rio is taken as a shortened version of his full name, Satrio Wiratama, which means 'brave' and 'noble warrior'. The team at the safari say this name was chosen to symbolize the conservation partnership between Indonesia and China.
"The main message is about conservation. I think conservation doesn't see countries, doesn't see boundaries. When you talk about conservation, a Chinese animal, we can do conservation in Indonesia. Indonesian animals, you can do conservation in Europe. So, if you're an expert in Europe, you're an expert in Africa, you can contribute to conservation for the whole world. I think having this baby Rio is just, what do you call it, it's kind of opened up the possibilities for conservation efforts all over the world, for all of the species, especially the endangered species all over the world," said Aswin Sumampao, president director of the Taman Safari.
Indonesian-born giant panda cub enjoys popularity after meeting public
