The world is eagerly anticipating positive outcomes from the upcoming China-U.S. leaders' meeting, said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN).
Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the United States from Sept. 23 to 25 at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump. During the visit, Xi and Trump will have an in-depth exchange of views on major issues concerning China-U.S. relations and world peace and development.
"This is going to be a very historic visit, (taking) the relationship between the two countries to a new level. And as we always say, the bilateral relationship between China and the U.S. transcends the two countries; it has global significance. And naturally, in the United Nations, people are waiting for this very anxiously, and all people hope that a positive outcome can come out of this historic visit," said Fu.
Fu also noted that China and the U.S. can work together on issues such as counterterrorism and nuclear nonproliferation, helping make the UN more effective toward a better world.
"In the United Nations, actually the two countries -- China and the U.S. -- are the two biggest [economies] in the world and we are both permanent members of the Security Council. There are many things that China and the U.S. can work together, for instance, on the issue of counter terrorism, on the issue of nonproliferation," said Fu.
"And of course, we don't deny that there are differences of opinion between the two countries, including on the issue of trade bilaterally and on some other hot spot issues in the world. But we do hope -- and the world would expect -- that China and the U.S. can work together in order to make the world a better place to live and make the UN more effective and more relevant," he said.
Positive outcomes expected from China-US leaders' meeting: Chinese envoy
China's first two-tonne-class tethered balloon entered trial operation in a major power transmission project on Monday, providing a brand-new solution for transportation in power grid construction projects in high-altitude and ecologically sensitive areas, according to the State Grid.
The project is a massive ultra-high voltage (UHV) power transmission line that will carry clean energy from Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China across thousands of kilometers to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in south China.
At the construction site, a large balloon with a diameter of 25 meters and a volume of 8,000 cubic meters slowly rose into the air.
As multiple mooring lines were simultaneously extended and retracted, the heavy construction materials suspended beneath the balloon were lifted off the ground and moved smoothly along a predetermined route toward the mountainous work site.
"This is our newly developed load-bearing tethered balloon. We have just completed a maximum load test of two tonnes at an altitude of 4,000 meters. Next, we will conduct a hoisting operation for power supply materials over a straight-line distance of 500 meters and a vertical drop of 120 meters," said Qin Jian, researcher at the Transmission and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Institute of the State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute.
A heavy-lift tethered balloon involves launching a helium-filled balloon into the air and connecting it to the ground with one or several cables.
By adjusting the cable, the balloon's altitude and horizontal position are controlled to facilitate the transport of materials at high altitudes.
The balloon can travel up to 800 meters and carry a maximum load of two tonnes, with a positional accuracy of within 0.5 meters.
As the construction of new power grids is extending more rapidly into high-altitude, remote mountainous and ecologically sensitive areas, the transportation of materials for transmission projects has become a major challenge constraining construction progress.
Traditional road construction for transportation have long cycles and significant ecological disruption, while drones, though agile and flexible, face limitations in scenarios requiring heavy loads or prolonged continuous transport.
Tethered balloon transport technology effectively overcomes these difficulties.
"The construction section where this technology is applied is located in an uninhabited mountainous area at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. Many tower sites are situated on steep ridges inaccessible by road, making this the section with the highest altitude, most treacherous terrain and most challenging operations in the entire project. The two-tonne tethered balloon is better suited to high-altitude conditions characterized by thin air and strong winds, and its load capacity and stability can better meet transportation requirements," said Feng Tao, project manager of the State Grid Henan Power Transmission and Transformation Company.
China puts first 2-tonne tethered balloon into operation
