The 48th and 49th escort fleets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy have recently held a mission handover ceremony in China's support base in Djibouti, marking that the 49th Chinese naval escort taskforce formally took over the escort mission from the 48th taskforce in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia.
The two fleets also organized a joint escort mission and a joint patrol. On Saturday local time, the two fleets held a split-off ceremony in a certain sea area of the Gulf of Aden.
The 49th escort fleet, mainly composed of naval forces from the Southern Theater Command, consists of the guided-missile destroyer Kunming, the guided-missile frigate Yueyang and the comprehensive supply ship Luomahu, with dozens of special operations personnel and two helicopters on board, totaling over 700 personnel on the mission.
In line with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, China has maintained a regular naval escort presence in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters since 2008 to safeguard the security of international shipping routes, escort Chinese and foreign vessels, and rescue, protect or assist ships in distress.
49th Chinese navy escort fleet takes over mission in Gulf of Aden, Somali waters
Leaders In Future Tech+ (LIFT+), a large-scale documentary program focused on youth sci-tech innovation, made for integrated-media, was officially aired on Oct 3 by China Media Group (CMG).
Starting Oct 3, the program is set to air every Saturday at 17:30 on CMG's CCTV-4 channel and be simultaneously presented across its Yangshipin new media matrix.
The program, jointly produced by China Media Group, the Ministry of Education, and the municipal government of Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, brings together resources from industry, academia, research, and investment sectors to make a comprehensive showcase of the thriving ecosystem and dynamic growth of China's youth-led sci-tech innovation.
Since its launch, LIFT+ has held 15 preliminary rounds spanning 10 cities across China. Following a rigorous selection process involving nearly 500 registered enterprises and innovation teams, 100 groups of young innovators -- with an average age of 28 -- gathered in Nanjing to embark on a journey of growth, bridging technology with capital and connecting creative ideas with industry.
The premiere episode of the program uses a documentary-style perspective to chronicle the journeys of 22 teams of young innovators who unanimously passed the preliminary selection. A panel of "Youth Innovation Ambassadors" -- comprising over a dozen academicians, industry experts, and heads of leading investment firms -- is set up to help the young innovators take the center stage.
LIFT+ has demonstrated significant effectiveness in empowering the industry. Through multiple rounds of selection and a series of implementation-focused events, the program has secured investment intentions totaling over 485 million yuan (nearly 72.5 million US dollars) across 34 participating sci-tech enterprises. Furthermore, its collaboration with the city of Nanjing has led to 31 businesses setting up shop there.
CMG airs documentary program on youth sci-tech innovation
