Chinese weather satellites help deepen China-Kyrgyzstan cooperation

China has continued to deepen cooperation with Kyrgyzstan in meteorological satellite application, joint scientific research, and emergency disaster prevention support.

Kyrgyzstan and northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region are both located in the Tianshan mountain system and share similar climate conditions. Driven by climate change, regional extreme weather events have increased, making joint meteorological disaster prevention, mitigation and relief a key priority. With the help of the China Meteorological Administration's Fengyun-2 satellite receiving and application system, Kyrgyzstan has received a steady and reliable supply of meteorological observation data.

In May this year, the city of Manas in Kyrgyzstan was hit by a mudslide triggered by torrential rainfall, and the local authorities declared a state of emergency. The Chinese side deployed Fengyun-3 and Fengyun-4 satellites in time to carry out high-frequency dynamic monitoring, capturing the evolution trend of the disaster and providing data support for Kyrgyzstan's disaster relief and emergency response.

"Since the beginning of this year, the Chinese side has activated the relevant emergency support mechanism twice to help Kyrgyzstan respond to flood disasters. Meanwhile, we have continued to optimize the 'Mazu' intelligent meteorological early warning solution, opened and shared independent innovation achievements including Fengyun satellites and meteorological AI models, to provide support for meteorological disaster prevention and mitigation as well as climate situation analysis in Central Asia," said Zheng Zhaojun, chief expert of the International User Service Center under the National Satellite Meteorological Center.

Relying on the Urumqi Institute of Desert Meteorology of the China Meteorological Administration, China has established a stable cooperation platform with Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries. Through multiple rounds of sample analysis, research teams have systematically reconstructed the patterns of temperature, precipitation and glacier mass changes across Central Asia over the past 200 to 500 years.

Chinese weather satellites help deepen China-Kyrgyzstan cooperation

Panama declared a state of emergency on Saturday to coordinate relief efforts and assist communities affected by a powerful earthquake that struck the country Friday.

The 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Panama at 12:56 local time Friday, with its epicenter about 39 km northwest of Tonosi in Los Santos province, damaging homes, schools, health facilities, roads and public buildings across several parts of the country.

The quake has left 27 people injured as of present, according to Panama's National Civil Protection System.

Presidency Minister Juan Carlos Orillac told a press conference at the presidential palace that the declaration would ensure government agencies remain on standby and have the resources needed to assist those affected.

Orillac said President Jose Raul Mulino had ordered the creation of a commission to coordinate relief operations, manage resources and address the needs of affected communities.

The government has also set up donation collection centers, including one at Omar Park in Panama City, while provincial government offices will serve as additional collection points, he said.

Panamanian authorities continue to assess the damage and coordinate emergency response efforts.

Panama declares state of emergency after powerful quake