China's Kongjing-500A (KJ-500A) early warning aircraft features significant upgrades to key components, with its capabilities of detection and airborne stay greatly enhanced.
The state-of-the-art aircraft made appearance on September 3 during China's grand military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, flying over Tian'anmen Square escorted by J-16 fighter jets.
As an advanced variant of the KJ-500, the aircraft's upgraded radar system is now capable of detecting stealth targets, marking a significant improvement in its early warning capabilities.
"The aircraft adopts a three-sided array radar layout, effectively achieving 360-degree detection coverage without blind spots. Through wind tunnel testing, we optimized the aerodynamic design of the aircraft, resulting in improved maneuverability, greater stability and better overall flight performance," said Liu Wenping, management expert at the Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation of Aviation Industry Corporation of China.
A notable addition of the KJ-500A is the refueling probe at its nose, which substantially extends its ability to stay airborne.
"By equipping this aircraft with a refueling probe, it can receive more fuel, enabling extended airborne time. This enables a 24-hour combat operation capacity," said Liu.
According to Liu, the enhanced early warning and detection capacity of KJ-500A will significantly bolster the combat capacity of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force.
"Most of our military aircraft adopt a high-wing configuration, which enhances their adaptability in rugged battlefield conditions. We use the KJ-500A aircraft to conduct early warning and detection on targets, battlefield surveillance, and the dissemination of detected information, maximizing combat effectiveness in the whole operational framework," he said.
China's KJ-500A aircraft sees improvements in early warning capacity
South China's Guangdong Province is accelerating its transformation into an international medical tourism hub, positioning itself as a destination for patients worldwide seeking affordable, high-quality care.
The push follows a joint initiative announced in late March by nine Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, aimed at boosting spending by foreign tourists and enhancing exports of tourism services as part of broader efforts to expand the country's service sector.
Every day, some of the most complex surgeries are performed here. Li Zilun, deputy director of the division of vascular surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, is among the doctors capable of carrying out these intricate procedures.
He recently completed surgery on a patient with an aortic aneurysm, a condition often described as a "time bomb" in the body’s main artery, increasingly common in aging societies around the globe. Li also specializes in highly difficult and pioneering procedures, including repairing leaks caused by failed grafts.
"This was a very challenging case. And then, we implanted the covered stent to eliminate the endoleak. Actually, the outcome was pretty good. The patient will be discharged today," said Li Zilun.
The ability to handle such complex cases -- combining international techniques with domestically produced devices -- is drawing patients from around the world to seek treatment. In addition, high safety standards and low costs are also major draws.
"Our government is encouraging innovation. So, lots of physicians -- including our vascular surgeons -- we are actively involved in the innovation that helps to increase the effectiveness and safety, and also bring down the cost," said Li.
This hospital is one of the first in Guangdong to be designated by the provincial health commission as a pilot site for building an international medical service hub.
The growing number of patients has pushed the hospital to explore new ways to transform every step -- from treatment to payment and everything in between -- into a seamless experience, reducing waiting times and delivering better care for patients.
"I think it's fast. When the patient come here for just about, I think, one week, you can solve the problem," said Xiao Haipeng, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.
The hospital is also deepening its international cooperation with top-tier medical institutions, including those at Harvard University.
"Not just for China, for the whole globe, we are facing health care challenges -- emerging infectious disease and chronic, lung infectious diseases, and also the aging population, also the shortage of healthcare workforce," said Xiao.
In response to these challenges, China is promoting its own solutions, including aggressive innovation in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven workflows, while stepping up research and development investment and global engagement along the way.
"In recent years, the innovation in Western medicine is dramatically growing. An example of my hospital -- in the past few years, we have 140 innovations and seven of them are international leading innovations," said Xiao.
As global demand for medical tourism grows, China is positioning itself as a new destination. Official data shows that the number of foreign patients in Guangdong increased by 20 percent last year. Among them, the growth in inpatient admissions was even faster, rising by 76 percent.
Guangdong fast-tracks pilot for int'l medical service hub
