Syria not destined for perpetual war: Chinese envoy

Syrian people have the right to build new lives in peace and stability, and the country is not destined for perpetual war and turmoil, said China's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) Fu Cong on Thursday. The ambassador made the remarks at a UN Security Council session on Syria's political and humanitarian situation, voicing support of Syria's transitional government efforts to enhance development and reconstruction. Fu also called on the international community to maintain humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country and to address its most urgent needs.

Fu also noted that the upcoming International Day of Peace, observed on Sept. 21, reflects the international community's hopes for ending conflict and the world's shared aspiration for lasting peace. The ambassador stressed that restoring peace and stability in Syria and the wider Middle East region is integral to global peace and development.

At a two-day national conference on advanced manufacturing which concluded in Beijing on Thursday, industry experts called for leveraging artificial intelligence and intensifying efforts to overcome key technology bottlenecks to propel the sector's development.

The event brought together government officials and industry experts to discuss measures aimed at boosting innovation, competitiveness, and overall strength of the advanced manufacturing sector.

Placing a strong emphasis on innovation, the conference underscored the need to fortify basic research and accelerate the translation of sci-tech achievements into practical, commercial applications.

Attendees also highlighted the necessity of promoting the large-scale development of emerging industries while drawing up forward-looking plans for future industries.

A major focal point of the gathering was the deep integration of AI into the industrial sector. Participants advocated for advancing the "AI plus manufacturing" initiative, calling for enhanced policy support to facilitate the digital and intelligent transformation of enterprises.

"First, we must continuously elevate our level of sci-tech innovation. Second, we need to advance new-generation intelligent manufacturing. The booming development of artificial intelligence can play a highly significant role in boosting production efficiency across the manufacturing sector," said Tian Jietang, director of industrial economy research at the State Council Development Research Center.

"Efforts should be made to achieve breakthroughs in critical core technologies, focusing on key areas such as high-end machine tools, advanced semiconductors, and critical materials. We should also actively advance the 'AI plus manufacturing' initiative, driving the deep integration of next-generation information technologies, represented by AI, into every stage of the value chain, including research and development, design, production, operation management, and marketing," said Zhang Li, director of the China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID).

Beyond technological breakthroughs, the conference stressed the importance of cultivating advanced manufacturing clusters tailored to local conditions, promoting tiered and categorized quality upgrades across different regions.

"We should leverage the role of leading enterprises in driving industrial chain integration, and encourage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to deeply cultivate niche markets and enhance their specialized capabilities, so as to foster a fair, orderly, and vibrant industrial ecosystem," said Zhang.