Seventy-one flood-hit schools in Hengzhou, a city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, officially opened Monday for new semester on schedule, following intensive post-disaster reconstruction.
Schools welcomed students back for the new fall semester, with the opening lesson themed "Jasmine blooms after storm" to inspire resilience and encourage students to look toward the future.
At Yunbiao No.1 Middle School, more than 2,700 teachers and students returned to a transformed campus. The second teaching building, once submerged in more than three meters of floodwater triggered by Typhoon Maysak in early July, has been fully renovated, featuring restored green lawns, freshly painted classrooms and replaced desks and chairs.
"Many volunteers came to help clean up the campus, and our teachers worked overtime to get everything ready for us to return to school," said Wei Mengyao, a student.
Typhoon Maysak damaged 72 schools across Hengzhou in early July. Local authorities adopted a "one school, one plan" approach, prioritizing reopening while planning long-term reconstruction.
As of Monday, 71 affected schools have restored services of water, electricity, internet, and road access, and they have met all conditions for operation.
The only exception is Liulan Village Primary School, which was severely damaged and has been demolished for reconstruction. All the school's 200-plus students and teachers have been relocated to a nearby school.
"After students returned, we organized the 'first lesson' activity to give everyone a clear understanding of the disaster relief efforts. We also introduced psychological counseling sessions to support students. We will fully advance regular coursework as prescribed by the Ministry of Education," said Pan Ziyu, deputy director of the Hengzhou Education Bureau.
71 flood-affected schools open for new semester in Guangxi
China stands ready to work with Uzbekistan to usher in a new "golden decade" for bilateral relations, as the two sides celebrate the 10th anniversary of the China-Uzbekistan comprehensive strategic partnership, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday during a meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Xi said that under the guidance of the two heads of state, China and Uzbekistan have elevated and upgraded their bilateral relations, reaped fruitful results in cooperation across various fields, and achieved remarkable success in building a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future.
China is willing to work with Uzbekistan to consolidate strategic mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly usher in a new "golden decade" for bilateral relations, he said.
No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China's commitment to deepening China-Uzbekistan friendship remains unwavering, Xi said, adding that China will, as always, support Uzbekistan in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions.
He called on the two countries to work together to advance bilateral cooperation.
Both sides should promote the high-quality construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, expand cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence and desertification control, and uphold mutual benefit, Xi said.
He stressed the need to speed up the establishment of cultural centers in each other's country, expand cooperation in education and poverty alleviation, and foster people-to-people bonds.
It's important to make full use of the law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism between the two countries, and join hands to fight the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, Xi said.
As the SCO's founding members, China and Uzbekistan should work together to implement the outcomes of the Tianjin Summit, and advance regional development and prosperity, he said.
Mirziyoyev said that Uzbekistan remains firmly committed to developing relations with China and will not change this course amid shifts in the international landscape.
Uzbekistan is willing to work with China to deepen political mutual trust, expand trade and investment, strengthen cooperation in agriculture, transportation, energy, minerals, and science and technology, promote people-to-people exchanges, and fight the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, advancing the further development of bilateral relations, he said.
The Uzbek side firmly upholds the one-China principle, highly values the four global initiatives proposed by President Xi, and stands ready to work with China to advance the SCO development and uphold international fairness and justice, Mirziyoyev said.
Xi arrived in the Kyrgyz capital on Sunday for the SCO Summit 2026 and a state visit to Kyrgyzstan.
China ready to work with Uzbekistan to usher in new "golden decade" for bilateral relations
