XCMG Machinery Sends off Second Unit of XGT15000-600S, World's Largest Tower Crane, to Serve Mega-Scale Bridge Construction Project

      XCMG Machinery (SHE:000425; "XCMG") sent off the second unit of XGT15000-600S, the world's largest tower crane jointly developed by XCMG and China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Co., Ltd. (MBEC), on December 8 from its smart manufacturing base in Xuzhou, China. It will serve in the construction project of Changtai Yangtze River Bridge, the world's largest diamond-type cable-stayed bridge.

The XGT15000-600S is a super large tower crane designed and customized to accommodate mega-scale bridge construction projects. The first unit, which officially rolled off the assembly line in June, was deployed to the Chao-Ma railway bridge project of the Ma'anshan Yangtze River Bridge (including railway and highway). The second unit, now being delivered to the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge, will complete a series of steel tower hoisting and installation tasks, including lifting maximum weight of 300 tons to the height of over 300 meters.

As a major breakthrough of bridge construction equipment development and key milestone for the tower crane industry sector, the XGT15000-600S not only demonstrated XCMG's industry-leading strength of intelligent manufacturing and brand influence, but also set a new benchmark of industry cooperation for super engineering projects.

"XCMG's tower cranes have conquered the world's top technical bottlenecks, and we're now delivering tower cranes of over 1,000+ tonne-meters in batches that are widely adopted in the constructions of bridges, power plants, stadiums and super high-rise buildings," said Yuan Shaozhen, General Manager of XCMG's Tower Crane. 

Developed on XCMG's S series tower crane technology platform, the XGT15000-600S has a rated lifting moment of 15,000tm, maximum lifting weight of 600 tons and maximum lifting height of 400+ meters. The super tower crane has over 60 core technology breakthroughs and achieved 10 world firsts and set 10 world records.

The tower crane adopts the combined design of a flat head main tower, boom auxiliary tower and manned elevator, and has the core advantages of a high safety level, intelligent technology, strong functionality, high quality and precise modules to deliver excellent performance. It also achieves level 12 typhoon resistance in a non-working state.

"XCMG will continue to promote independent R&D and tackle core technologies to bring more pioneering super-scale tower crane products that meets the increasing demand of large-scale construction projects," said Mi Chenghong, assistant to the general manager of XCMG's Tower Crane.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1975765/XCMG_Machinery_Sends_Second_Unit_XGT15000_600S_World_s_Largest_Tower_Crane.jpg

Sinopec Sets A New Vertical Well Depth Record of 8,866 Meters in the Sichuan Basin, China

      China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (HKG: 0386, "Sinopec") announced that its Yuanshen-1 risk exploration well in the Sichuan Basin had successfully completed the drilling at a depth of 8,866 meters, beating the previous deepest record in the Sichuan Basin set by its Rentan-1 well.

A major breakthrough of Sinopec's "Project Deep Earth," the Yuanshen-1 well has reached the deepest oil and gas formation in burial depth in the Sichuan Basin and further shows the great potential of deep ancient carbonate rocks in the region.

On the same day, Sinopec officially unveiled the "Project Deep Earth - Natural Gas Base in Sichuan and Chongqing", in collaboration with Sinopec Exploration Company, Sinopec Southwest Oil & Gas Company, Sinopec Zhongyuan Oilfield Company, Sinopec Jianghan Oilfield Company and Sinopec East China Oil & Gas Company. This is Sinopec's third "Project Deep Earth" base after the Shunbei Oilfield and Jiyang Shale Oil bases.

To date, Sinopec's deep natural gas resources in the Sichuan Basin in areas with mineral rights have reached 15 trillion cubic meters, which holds a heavy weight for China's natural gas reserves and production growth.

The Yuanshen-1 well has reached the deepest hydrocarbon reservoir in the Sichuan basin - the mound-shoal complex of the platform marginal facies in Dengying Formation. During the exploration, the ultra-deep carbonate rock, buried at a depth of over 8,700 meters, still showed positive hydrocarbon evidence in the porous reservoir.

Drilling to a depth of over 8,000 meters can bring many challenges for global industrial players. The large-size upper casing weighs 517 tonnes at ground level, which is a challenge to the rig's lifting and casing capabilities. The ultra-high temperature in the deep earth also has high requirements for the drilling fluid's stability and anti-pollution capability, and coring at such depths is difficult and time-consuming. To combat these challenges, Sinopec has developed five key technologies for ultra-deep drilling to support the oil and gas exploration in deep and ultra-deep carbonate reservoirs.

Sinopec has continually advanced deep hydrocarbon exploration in the Sichuan Basin, mainly including conventional gas in deep marine carbonate rocks and deep shale gas. It has discovered the Puguang, Yuanba and Chuanxi gas fields, and to date, Sinopec's annual conventional gas production capacity from deep marine carbonate reservoirs has exceeded 12 billion cubic meters.

For more information, please visit Sinopec.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1975755/image_1.jpg

CCTV+: Today's China brims with vigor, vitality, resilience: Xi

      Chinese President Xi Jinping Saturday said today's China is a country full of vigor, vitality and resilience with dreams coming true thanks to persistent efforts of one generation after another.

Xi made the remarks while delivering an address to extend his best wishes to all the 1.4 billion Chinese people on the New Year's Eve.

"Today's China is a country where dreams become reality. The Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games concluded in a resounding success. Chinese winter sports athletes gave their all and achieved extraordinary results. Shenzhou-13, Shenzhou-14 and Shenzhou-15 soared into the heavens. China's space station was fully completed and our 'home in space' is roving in the deep-blue sky. The people's armed forces marked the 95th birthday and all service members are marching confidently on the great journey of building a strong military. China's third aircraft carrier Fujian was launched. C919, China's first large passenger aircraft, was delivered. And the Baihetan hydropower station went into full operation... None of these achievements would have been possible without the sweat and toil of the numerous Chinese people. Sparks of talent are coming together, and they are the strength of China!" he said.

"Today's China is a country brimming with vigor and vitality. Various pilot free trade zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port are booming, innovations are gushing out in the coastal areas, development is picking up pace in the central and western regions, the momentum for revitalization is building in the northeast, and there is greater development and affluence in the border regions. The Chinese economy enjoys strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality. The fundamentals sustaining its long-term growth have remained strong. As long as we stay confident and strive for progress while maintaining stability, we will realize the goals we have set. On my visit to Hong Kong earlier this year, I was deeply glad to see that Hong Kong has restored order and is set to thrive again. With determined implementation of One Country, Two Systems, Hong Kong and Macao will surely enjoy long-term prosperity and stability," he said.

"Today's China is a country that keeps to its national character. In the course of 2022, we encountered various natural disasters including earthquakes, floods, droughts and wildfires, and experienced some workplace accidents. Amid those disconcerting and heartbreaking scenes, there have emerged numerous touching stories of people sticking together in face of adversity or even sacrificing their lives to help others in distress. Those heroic deeds will be forever etched in our memories. At every turn of the year, we always think of the great character of resilience that the Chinese nation has carried forward through millennia. It gives us still greater confidence as we continue our way forward," he said.

"Today's China is a country closely linked with the world. Over the past year, I have hosted quite a few friends, both old and new, in Beijing; I have also traveled abroad to communicate China's propositions to the world. Changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace, and the world is not yet a tranquil place. We cherish peace and development and value friends and partners as we have always done. We stand firm on the right side of history and on the side of human progress. We work hard to contribute China's wisdom and solutions to the cause of peace and development for all humanity," he said.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVo0FrBjJHM

CGTN: Poems and New Year blessings preheat for CGTN's multilingual integrated product

      In 2022, CGTN's "Read a Poem" campaign launched several special events for the Qixi Festival in August, the Mid-Autumn Festival and International Day of Peace in September, and the upcoming new year.

Thirteen ambassadors and representatives from Guinea-Bissau, Sri Lanka, Guyana, Mexico, Uruguay, Algeria, Jordan, Ecuador, Malawi, Guinea, Egypt, United Nations Women, Russian Cultural Centre in Beijing and The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) accepted CGTN's invitation to read poems and send blessings for the upcoming new year.

Smriti Aryal, representative of UN Women in China, read "What I will," written by Suheir Hammad, to share her stand, strength, courage, and resilience. "I will not forget where I come from. I will craft my own drum. Gather my beloved near, and our chanting will be dancing, our humming will be drumming," she read.

Ant?nio Serifo Embal?, ambassador of Guinea-Bissau to China, read "Sea, sea and sea" written by Eugenio de Andrade. "Sometimes the sea is a white figure glistening among the rocks. The sea becomes small and mine again perfect anemone, opening in my fingers."

Hassane Rabehi, Algerian ambassador to China, read "My motherland, I love you beyond imagination," and addressed the profound friendship of China and Algeria. "The friendship between Algeria and China will last forever, for the common interests of all mankind, the friendship of all countries in the world will last forever," he said.

The global "Read a poem" online campaign is a central component of the second season of CGTN's multilingual integrated product "Poetry Sans Frontiers," which will be broadcast online on January 1, 2023.

"Poetry Sans Frontiers" is a cross-cultural exchange program launched by CGTN that breaks the language boundaries through the narration and poetry recitation of different countries and characters, employs poetry to tell the story of beautiful love, genuine friendship, fearless courage, love for life, praise for nature and a longing for peace.

In season two of "Poetry Sans Frontiers," seven episodes will be presented to global audiences, namely friendship, peace, life, beginner's mind, love and courage, return, and dream.

The products will be distributed globally on all CGTN platforms, CMG new media platforms, and international platforms as global poetry collection activities and poetry-related documentaries, among other concepts, to promote emotional person-to-person exchanges among nations.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-12-29/Poems-and-New-Year-blessings-preheat-for-CGTN-s-cultural-product-1g9VGSDd5zG/index.html

CCTV+: China Media Group president extends New Year greetings to global audiences

      China Media Group (CMG) President Shen Haixiong has extended New Year greetings to audiences around the world as the year 2023 descends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yiZRDVJdRQ

In the address, Shen said that the Communist Party of China successfully held its 20th National Congress in 2022, setting out the task of and pathways to advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

He said that China Media Group has served as a participant, witness and recorder of the new era.

"China Media Group did a great job of broadcasting the grand and magnificent Congress to the world," he said.

Shen also noted the CMG's innovative efforts in integrating arts and technology to deliver quality products.

"International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach praised the CMG for the unprecedented scale and success covering the Games. Programs produced by the CMG such as 'China in the Classics' and 'China in Poetry and Painting' are not only an artistic interpretation of lasting Chinese civilization, but also a continuous pursuit that contributes to the diversity of human civilizations," he said.

The CMG hosted a number of galas, to mark occasions such as the traditional Spring Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the New Year's Day holiday.

Shen said that the CMG has also served as a platform to bridge gaps with programs and media forums.

He said that as President Xi Jinping has emphasized on many occasions, China firmly stands on the right side of history and the side of human progress, the CMG has striven to showcase Chinese wisdom and solutions by improving its global news gathering network and through dedication to honing its capability to report on top world news events.

"We now broadcast in 68 languages, up from 44, covering of 233 countries and regions. When reporting on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic, we have abandoned prejudices, stayed true to the truth and made China's objective and impartial stance and solutions heard by the international community," he said.

Shen noted that the coming year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. The CMG will continue to enhance media cooperation, advance exchanges and shoulder its duty as a responsible media organization.

In closing the address, the CMG president wished everyone a happy New Year filled with health, peace and happiness.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yiZRDVJdRQ 

CGTN: New journey of the new era: China charts course for modernization

      For more than a century, China has tirelessly pursued modernization — from "Revitalize China" to the "four modernizations" goal launched after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, referring to agriculture, industry, defense and science.

Now modernization is no longer simply a dream for the Chinese people. In 2022, China's leadership unveiled its blueprint for building a modern socialist China in all respects featuring a unique Chinese path.

"An ambitious blueprint has been drawn for building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, sounding a clarion call of the times for us forging ahead on a new journey," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his New Year address on Saturday.

Toward Chinese modernization

In October, Chinese modernization, a key term defining China's journey to rejuvenation, was for the first time written into a report to the National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Chinese modernization has elements that are universal to all modernization processes but is characterized by features that are unique to the Chinese context.

President Xi has underscored the unique features of Chinese modernization: the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development.

China is working to achieve modernization for more than 1.4 billion people, a number larger than the combined population of all developed countries in the world today.

With the steady growth of its own economy, China champions common prosperity to ensure that everyone receives a fair share of its economic success and to reduce inequality. According to the Blue Book of Common Prosperity, China's index of common prosperity increased by 79.3 percent from 24.67 in 2013 to 44.23 in 2020.

While continuing to consolidate the material foundation for modernization and improve the material conditions for people's well-being, China is striving to develop advanced socialist culture, foster strong ideals and convictions, and carry forward China's cultural heritage. China now has 43 items on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the highest number in the world.

Guided by the new development philosophy featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, China in 2022 continued to be a leading growth engine for the world economy. The International Monetary Fund forecast that China's economy would grow at 3.2 percent in 2022, aligning with the global projected pace.

As the Chinese leadership has pledged many times, the country has stayed committed to peaceful development. The Global Security Initiative launched in April is one example. It has already gained appreciation and support from over 70 countries.

With solid steps

The CPC aims to realize socialist modernization from 2020 through 2035, and build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful from 2035 through the middle of this century.

The path to achieving the goals is already taking shape. With its people-centered philosophy of development, the country has built the world's largest education, social security and healthcare systems.

Xi has called innovation the heart of China's modernization drive. China's pursuit of independence in scientific innovation is reflected in its various achievements, including the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, space exploration including lunar and Mars probes and the construction of China's own space station, and the deep-sea manned submersible Fendouzhe. The country has also developed its own high-speed railway technologies, 5G communication technologies and artificial intelligence.

In the Global Innovation Index 2022 provided by the World Intellectual Property Organization, a UN specialized agency, China's rank has risen to 11th among the 132 economies surveyed.

Guided by Xi's vision of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," China's modernization drive also emphasizes harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. The country has cut its carbon emission intensity by 34.4 percent over the past 10 years, and pledged to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

Moreover, China reiterates that it will advance a broader agenda of opening up across more areas and with greater depth, follow the Chinese path to modernization, and share the nation's development opportunities with the world. In the first 11 months of 2022, China's trade in goods expanded 8.6 percent year on year to 38.34 trillion yuan ($5.5 trillion), according to the General Administration of Customs.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-12-31/New-journey-of-the-new-era-China-charts-course-for-modernization-1gcNT6SNh1C/index.html

CGTN: Xi Jinping salutes ordinary people's extraordinary efforts in New Year Address

      From medical professionals to delivery men and women, from community workers to next-door neighbors, ordinary Chinese people are doing their best and lending a hand to help others cope with the latest waves of COVID-19 infections in the country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzIjM-0f6M0

With extraordinary efforts, China has prevailed over unprecedented difficulties and challenges in fighting the pandemic, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Saturday while delivering his 2023 New Year Address.

Officials and the general public, particularly medical professionals and community workers, have bravely stuck to their posts through it all, Xi said.

"It has not been an easy journey for anyone," he said, calling for an extra effort from the people to pull through.

People first, life first

In 2022, China continued to optimize its COVID response in light of the evolving situation. Based on the mutation of the virus, the popularization of vaccination and the accumulation of experience in prevention and control, the National Health Commission said in December that the country's epidemic prevention and control has entered a new stage.

Shifting from infection prevention to medical treatment, China has rolled out a host of measures to boost access to medical treatment and drugs, improve health services for the elderly and other vulnerable groups, speed up vaccination, and beef up health infrastructure in rural areas.

Seventy percent of those aged over 60 had received a booster dose of vaccines as of December 13, up from less than 53 percent among the age group of the population by March 24, according to data from the State Council Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism Against COVID-19.

In addition, the relaxation of the response policy in 2022 comes after China has effectively responded to five global COVID waves and avoided widespread infections with the original strain and the Delta variant, which are relatively more pathogenic than the other variants.

"Since COVID-19 struck, we have put the people first and put life first all along," Xi said during his New Year Address.

"Following a science-based and targeted approach, we have adapted our COVID response in light of the evolving situation to protect the life and health of the people to the greatest extent possible," he added.

China has kept its severe COVID-19 cases and death rates among the lowest in the world. The average life expectancy of the Chinese has continued to rise amid the pandemic, from 77.93 years in 2020 to 78.2 years in 2021.

Light right in front

Starting January 8, China will downgrade management of the disease from Class A to Class B in accordance with the country's law on prevention and treatment of infectious disease, in a major shift of its epidemic response policies. The country will also scrap quarantine measures for inbound travelers from the day.

Following the announcement of the latest adjustments, searches and bookings for international flights and hotels rocketed on multiple Chinese online travel agencies, with some numbers hitting three-year highs, indicating that normal life is picking up.

Another sign that experts believe bodes the revival of the country's consumption market in 2023, restaurants, shopping malls and cinemas nationwide have reopened and reported burgeoning visits.

"Everyone is holding on with great fortitude, and the light of hope is right in front of us," Xi said during Saturday's address to ring in the new year.

"Let's make an extra effort to pull through, as perseverance and solidarity mean victory."

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-12-31/Xi-China-s-COVID-response-protects-lives-to-greatest-extent-possible-1gdrOETi4Bq/index.html