Aquaculture, clean energy projects new drivers for development in China's Xinjiang

From seafood to solar mega projects, new forms of economy is thriving in China's Taklimakan Desert which is often called the "Sea of Death" and once symbolized ecological fragility and rural poverty in southern Xinjiang.

In Qiemo County, naturally salty groundwater has been used to mimic seawater, allowing local farms to raise marine life such as black seabream, groupers, and even pearl mussels, in the middle of the desert.

The technique relies on local brackish groundwater and a formula to make it work for sea life, according to the head of an aquatic product company.

"We take the local saline-alkaline groundwater, and with our microbial formulas, turn it into modern seawater. That's all there is to it," said Gong Yonghong, chairman of Qiemo County Shishi Fresh Aquatic Products Company.

Noting that mullet, golden pomfret and even crabs are all being farmed, he said that soon pearls will be harvested using oysters hand reared from eggs.

"Our pearl oysters start out no bigger than grains of sand -- literally from fertilized eggs. If we rear them specifically for cultured pearls, we can implant the nucleus. Eight to nine months later, we open the shells to harvest," said Gong.

With expansion plans already in place, the farm expects to boost jobs, incomes and even exports, which will also help fight desertification, according to local officials.

"This desert lies downstream of the water system, so water is plentiful and of excellent quality -- ideal conditions for seafood farming. By introducing seafood aquaculture, we’ve turned weakness into strength and opened a new path for desertification control," said Ge Mingyu, secretary of Tatirang Township Committee of the Communist Party of China.

In Ruoqiang County, another desert transformation is taking shape, with sands becoming a renewable energy powerhouse.

Since switching on in May, the facility has already produced hundreds of gigawatt hours of electricity, lowering carbon emissions, according to local energy company workers.

"The project covers 7,600 hectares and has an installed capacity of four gigawatts. It is currently the world’s largest single-site solar farm. Annual generation is forecast at 6.9 terawatt-hours, enough to power two million households for a full year. This displaces 2.08 million tonnes of coal and cuts 5.71 million tonnes of CO2," said Shen Jinxing from Ruoqiang Regional Operation and Maintenance Center at CGDG Xinjiang Zhonglv Electric Technology.

Shen said the location was chosen for its abundant sunshine and wide tracts of unused land.

"Ruoqiang County enjoys exceptional solar resources -- over 3,000 hours of annual sunshine, strong solar radiation, and dry, cloud-free air -- making it perfect for large-scale PV development," he said.

Shen noted that with drones, robots, and digital monitoring, it is one of the most advanced solar bases in the world.

"We are creating an unmanned, intelligent, fully digitalized plant with a centralized, smart-terminal management system that enables centralized monitoring and minimal on-site staffing," he said.

Aquaculture, clean energy projects new drivers for development in China's Xinjiang

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Sunday that decisions on war and negotiations rest with Iran's leadership and the Supreme National Security Council, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the two countries were still expected to sign a memorandum of understanding later in the day.

At a meeting on Sunday, Pezeshkian said that everyone must obey the decisions made by Iran's Supreme Leader, adding that the Iranian government simultaneously pursues the well-being of its people, national sovereignty, and the development of regional relations.

He stressed that through internal unity, proactive diplomacy, and economic reforms, Iran will overcome challenges.

On the same day, prior to Israel's attack on Lebanon, a source close to the Iranian negotiating team said a Qatari negotiating delegation was in Tehran, Iran's capital, and that the Iranian side was using the Qatari team to convey to the United States the terms it hoped to include in an Iran-U.S. agreement, as well as specific details it considered important.

The source emphasized that no final decision had been reached yet.

Regarding the ups and downs in the negotiations, the source said that, despite setbacks, Iran remains committed to the principle that all of its concerns must ultimately be fully taken into account. The source added that even if Iran's positions are fully reflected in the agreement, Tehran will not sign any deal within the timeframe announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.

On Sunday, the Israeli military again launched an airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon.

In response, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on social media that the Israeli strike had once again shown the United States "either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so," making it impossible to continue the dialogue process.

Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that the U.S. and Iran still had a good chance of signing a memorandum of understanding later in the day, which would restart cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and lift U.S. blockades on Iranian ports.

In an interview with U.S. media, Hegseth said the two countries are "on track to" sign a deal to end fighting on Sunday.

"It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when," he said.

Hegseth said that after the agreement is signed, the U.S. and Iran will have 60 days to negotiate a longer-term peace arrangement and tackle broader issues, including Iran's nuclear program.

He said that the agreement is performance-based, meaning that no funds will be released to Iran until the Iranian side performs.

Iranian president says Iran's leadership decides on war, talk; US defense secretary expects MoU signed on Sunday