Visiting KMT leader calls for greater cross-Strait cooperation

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, on Saturday called for greater cross-Strait cooperation in sci-tech innovation during a visit to Zhongguancun, better known as China's Silicon Valley, in Beijing.

Cheng said she was impressed by the technological advancements on display and expressed hope for greater cross-Strait cooperation.

On Friday, Cheng visited the high school affiliated with Tsinghua University, where she learned about the school's practical application of AI-powered teaching.

Cheng is leading a KMT delegation to visit the mainland at the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Xi on Friday morning met with Cheng in Beijing.

It is the first time in a decade that a KMT chairperson has led a delegation to the mainland.

Visiting KMT leader calls for greater cross-Strait cooperation

China successfully sent a test satellite for satellite internet technology into space on Saturday.

The satellite was launched at 19:32 Beijing Time (1132 GMT) atop a Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, a city in south China's Guangdong Province. The satellite has entered the planned orbit.

The offshore launch was conducted by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. It marked the 11th mission of the SD-3 rocket.

With a total length of 31 meters and a weight of 140 tons, the SD-3 is part of China's Dragon rocket family. Unlike the Long March rockets, which form the backbone of the country's space-launch vehicles, the Dragon series has been developed specifically to meet the growing market demand for launches of small commercial low-orbit satellites and satellite networks.

China successfully launches test satellite for satellite internet technology