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World apos;s Rarest Ape Could Be Saved By Artificial Rope Bridges

2021-01-02T00:48:40Z

NoahNxq809786:

Rope bridges could help save the world's rarest primate — the Hainan gibbon, Nomascus hainanus — by helping them cross gaps in their forest habitat. Experts who suspended ropes some 30 feet above ground across a damaged patch of forest 52 feet wide have filmed the gibbons using the bridge for the first time. The Hainan gibbon — only found on the island of the same name in the South [/news/china/index.html China] Sea — is [/sciencetech/article-8375871/Hope-Hainan-Gibbon-saved-extinction.html the most critically endangered primate], with a population of only 30. Less than two feet tall, the gibbons have thin bodies, with long arms and legs, while adult males and juveniles have a jet black coat. Adult females are golden yellow. It lives an arboreal — or tree-based — life and experts say that it has never been seen on the ground, meaning that it needs our help to cross gaps in its habitat. The same approach can be used to link up isolated patches of forests elsewhere in the world and expand the habitats of endangered apes, the team said. Rope bridges could help save the world's rarest primate — the Hainan gibbon, Nomascus hainanus — by helping them cross gaps in their forest habitat, pictured 'The study highlights the use and value of rope bridges to connect gaps in forest canopies,' said paper author and biologist Bosco Chan of the Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden in Hong Kong. 'Although restoring natural forest should be a priority conservation intervention, artificial canopy bridges may be useful short-term solutions.' Professional tree climbers constructed the bridge in 2015 using extra strong ropes of the type also used by mountaineers. They were tied between sturdy trees to form a crossing over a gap in the forest — caused by a natural landslide — along which the monkeys can swing and run. RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sciencetech/article-8714601/Fossilised-APE-tooth-unearthed-India-belongs-gibbon-ancestor.html Fossilised APE tooth unearthed in India belongs to the...] [/sciencetech/article-8427527/Humans-tell-chimps-angry-relaxed-aroused-just-listening-calls.html Lending a chimpathetic ear: Humans can tell why our primate...] [/sciencetech/article-8375871/Hope-Hainan-Gibbon-saved-extinction.html 'World's rarest primate' makes a comeback: Discovery of a...] [/sciencetech/article-8208231/Gorillas-Africa-lockdown-amid-fears-catch-coronavirus.html Gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of...] Share this article Share 525 shares 'The rope bridges were 7-10 metres (23-33 feet) above ground,' Dr Chan explained. 'Gibbons are strictly arboreal and very few wild ones would travel on the ground by choice. The Hainan gibbon has never been observed on the ground.' 'Artificial canopy bridges for conservation of arboreal wildlife have been applied in South America, [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ tour trung quoc] Australia, Africa and Asia.' 'But they are not used for the conservation of gibbons, which are arguably the most threatened group of primates worldwide.' 'All of the 20 species classified are threatened with extinction by the [/sciencetech/article-8506807/European-hamster-critically-endangered-one-step-away-extinction-experts-warn.html International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List].' Dr Chan said that the gibbons were wary of the bridge at first, as they are only used to swinging on branches. In fact, it took nearly six months for them to build up the courage to use it to cross the landslide. Females and small juveniles preferred it most. Mothers were filmed displaying their acrobatic abilities — as babies hung from their midriff. Over 15 months, 208 photographs and 53 videos were recorded by the team of the gibbons using the artificial bridge. Nine of the ten group members were observed in action — with the only exception being the adult male. Motion sensor cameras captured them using climbing movements most often, followed by arm swinging. 'Larger juveniles did not use the rope bridge often and were instead regularly recorded leaping across the forest gap with the adult male,' said Dr Chan. Experts who suspended ropes some 30 feet above ground across a damaged patch of forest 52 feet wide have filmed the gibbons, pictured, using the bridge for the first time Hainan gibbons travel above ground from tree to tree. Gaps in the canopy — whether natural or manmade — can restrict populations to a specific area. This limits foraging and [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ kynghidongduong.vn] breeding — and increases the risk of predation by eagles, hawks and poachers. The animal is a prized pet and is also used in medicines. The makeshift canopy bridge has enabled the gibbons to travel between two areas of habitat separated by a 50 feet (15 metre) -wide gully formed by the mudslide. 'The findings suggest artificial rope bridges may help with conservation efforts. Usage frequency increased with time,' said Dr Chan. The project could help save the Hainan gibbon — and other animals at risk from climate change, deforestation and intensive farming. The Hainan gibbon — only found on the island of the same name in the South China Sea — is the most critically endangered primate , with a population of only 30 The gibbons were once distributed across half of China, according to governmental records that date back to the 17th century. They had long vanished from the mainland by the late 1950s, but their population on Hainan Island still numbered over two thousand individuals back then. However, human activity — specifically, hunting and the destruction of the ape's habitat — is to blame for their fall in numbers over the following half century. Today, the enigmatic primates occupy only a small patch of remnant rainforest, which continues to shrink. With the ongoing destruction of lowland forest, the gibbons have been forced to take up residence in less-suitable mountainous forest. The Hainan Gibbon lives an arboreal — or tree-based — life and experts say that it has never been seen on the ground, meaning that it needs our help to cross gaps in its habitat 'Gibbon species are facing high extinction risk due to habitat loss and hunting,' Dr Chan explained. 'The effectiveness of artificial canopy bridge as a conservation tool for wild gibbons has not been widely tested, and the results are rarely published.' 'We constructed the first canopy bridge for Hainan gibbons in 2015 to facilitate passage at a natural landslide.' 'Mountaineering grade ropes were tied to sturdy trees with the help of professional tree climbers and a camera trap was installed to monitor wildlife usage.' 'The study highlights the use and value of rope bridges to connect gaps in forest canopies,' said paper author and biologist Bosco Chan of the Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden in Hong Kong. 'Although restoring natural forest should be a priority conservation intervention, artificial canopy bridges may be useful short-term solutions.' Professional tree climbers constructed the bridge using extra strong ropes of the type also used by mountaineers 'The world's rarest primate can use a simple artificial canopy bridge. It is a valuable conservation tool to reconnect fragmented gibbon habitats.' said Dr Chan. The 52 feet-long canopy bridge, he added, was seen to be 'used in both directions — and both females and juveniles could initiate crossing.' 'Although we cannot assess fatigue in the ropes, the dense growth of regenerated vegetation underneath the rope bridge is believed to provide a safe landing platform for the gibbons should an [http://www.bing.com/search?q=accidental&form=MSNNWS&mkt=en-us&pq=accidental accidental] fall happen.' 'We recommend building canopy bridges at the early stage of a forest gap restoration projects to provide temporary connectivity.' 'But reforestation with fast-growing native trees should also be simultaneously carried out as a long-term solution, where it is socioeconomically feasible.' The full findings of the study were published in the journal [ ]. The Hainan Gibbon is only found on the forested Chinese island of the same name, pictured. In the 1970s, the population of the species — the world's rarest primate — was less than ten and today numbers still only sit at around 30

Estee Lauder Results Beat On Online Asia Strength

2021-01-01T16:22:03Z

NoahNxq809786:

By Aditi Sebastian and [http://sportsrants.com/?s=Praveen Praveen] Paramasivam Nov 2 (Reuters) - Estee Lauder Cos Inc reported better-than-expected quarterly results on Monday, as people confined to their homes bought more of its skincare products online and sales improved in its Asian markets. The M.A.C brand owner has ramped up investments in its online business and seen growth in demand for its skincare products as customers opted for serums and moisturizers instead of make-up items during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Before, online was mainly the destination of younger people. Now it's for everyone. Everyone is online," Chief Executive Officer Fabrizio Freda told analysts on a call. The company's shares rose as much as 8.3% to a record high on Monday as online sales soared 40% in the first quarter. Its sales in the Asia-Pacific market rose 9% on the back of strong growth in South Korea, with demand at the company's duty-free shops in China getting a boost from the government's move to raise the annual tax-free shopping limit for tourists in the southern province of Hainan. Total sales at the company's duty-free shops were flat year over year, after dropping roughly 30% in the previous quarter due to widespread restrictions on air travel. Total net sales fell 9% to $3.56 billion, but exceeded analysts' expectations of $3.46 billion, Refinitiv data showed. Excluding items, the company earned $1.44 per share, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/search?q=beating%20estimates beating estimates] of 90 cents. It also increased its quarterly dividend by 10%. Estee forecast net sales to decline between 3% and [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ kynghidongduong.vn] 5% in the second quarter, compared with estimates of a near 5% decline. The company also said it expected to earn between $1.45 and $1.60 per share on an adjusted basis in the quarter, [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ tour trung quoc] below expectations of $1.73 per share, as it invests in its online business and Asia-Pacific units. (Reporting by Aditi Sebastian and Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni)

Pentagon apos;s Latest Salvo Against China apos;s Growing Might: Cold War...

2021-01-01T06:23:20Z

NoahNxq809786:

By David Lague HONG KONG, Sept 1 (Reuters) - On July 21, two U.S Air Force B-1B bombers took off from Guam and headed west over the Pacific Ocean to the hotly contested South China Sea. The sleek jets made a low-level pass over the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its escorting fleet, which was exercising nearby in the Philippines Sea, according to images released by the U.S. military. The operation was part of the Trump administration's intensifying challenge to China's ruling Communist Party and its sweeping territorial claims over one of the world's most important strategic waterways. While [http://www.msnbc.com/search/senior%20Trump senior Trump] officials launch diplomatic and rhetorical broadsides at Beijing, the U.S. Defense Department is turning to the firepower of its heavily armed, long-range bombers as it seeks to counter Beijing's bid to control the seas off the Chinese coast. Since late January, American B-1B and B-52 bombers, usually operating in pairs, have flown about 20 missions over key waterways, including the South China Sea, the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan, according to accounts of these flights from U.S. Air Force statements and official social media posts. These missions, military analysts say, are designed to send a crystal-clear signal: The United States can threaten China's fleet and Chinese land targets at any time, from distant bases, without having to move America's aircraft carriers and other expensive surface warships within range of Beijing's massive arsenal of missiles. In this response to the growing power of China's military, the Pentagon has combined some of its oldest weapons with some of its newest: Cold War-era bombers and cutting-edge, stealthy missiles. The supersonic B1-B first entered service in 1986; the newest plane in the B-52 fleet was built during the Kennedy administration. But these workhorses can carry a huge payload of precision weapons. A B-1B can carry 24 of the U.S. military's stealthy new Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles, which entered service in 2018 and can strike targets at ranges of up to 600 kilometers, according to U.S. and other Western officials. "A single B-1 can deliver the same ordnance payload as an entire carrier battle group in a day," said David Deptula, dean of the Washington-based Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General. And, in a crisis, he added, bombers can be rapidly deployed. "Depending on where they are, ships can take weeks to get in place," said Deptula. "But by using bombers, they can respond in a matter of hours," he adds, noting that the U.S. object is to deter war. "Nobody wants to engage in conflict with China." Chinese and western military strategists warn that a conflict between the two nuclear-armed powers could be difficult to contain. In a clash with China, this fast response from the bomber force could be vital while the U.S. and its allies rush naval reinforcements to the Pacific to bolster the vastly outnumbered U.S. naval fleet stationed in the region, according to current and former U.S. and other Western military officers. A spokeswoman for Pacific Air Forces, Captain Veronica Perez, said the U.S. Air Force had increased its publicity about its bomber missions to assure allies and partners of Washington's commitment to global security, regional stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific. "Though the frequency and scope of our operations vary based on the current operating environment, the U.S. has a persistent military presence and routinely operates throughout the Indo-Pacific," she said. China's defense ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters. LOWEST POINT While the bomber missions continue, relations between Washington and Beijing have reached their lowest point since the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. In a show of force, Chinese fighter jets crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait while U.S. Secretary for Health, Alex Azar, was visiting Taipei on Aug. 10 to congratulate the government of President Tsai Ing-wen on its successful containment of the COVID-19 virus. Azar was the most senior American official to visit Taiwan in four decades. Taiwan's missile radars tracked the Chinese fighters in only the third such incursion across the median line since 2016, the Taiwanese government said. Beijing condemned the visit. It regards the island as a province of China and hasn't ruled out the use of force to bring it under Communist Party control. In a series of speeches ahead of Azar's visit, top Trump officials had hammered China on multiple fronts, including its military build-up, territorial ambitions, domestic political repression, intellectual property theft, espionage, trade practices and its failure to alert the world to the danger of COVID-19. In one of the most harshly worded attacks on China from an American official in decades, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on July 23 that China's military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), was not a normal fighting force. "Its purpose is to uphold the absolute rule of the Chinese Communist Party elites and expand a Chinese empire, not protect the Chinese people," he said. "And so our Department of Defense has ramped up its efforts, freedom of navigation operations out and throughout the East and South China Seas and in the Taiwan Strait as well." In July, Pompeo declared most of Beijing's claims of sovereignty over the South China Sea illegal. With the combination of bombers and long-range missiles, the United States is trying to turn the tables on the PLA. Over more than two decades, China has assembled a force of ground, sea and air-launched missiles that would make it deadly for warships of the U.S. Navy and its allies to approach the Chinese coast in a conflict. This Chinese strategy is specifically tailored to threaten U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups and the network of bases that form the backbone of American power in Asia. In a demonstration of this capability, the PLA launched one of its so-called carrier-killer missiles, the DF-26, in an exercise in the South China Sea following the deployment in July of two U.S. aircraft carriers to the area, China's official military media reported in early August. And a U.S. defense official told Reuters that on Aug. 26, China launched four medium-range ballistic missiles that hit the South China Sea between Hainan Island and the Paracel Islands. But the PLA Navy's huge and rapidly expanding fleet is also vulnerable to long-range missiles. China has built the world's biggest navy, including new aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships and powerful cruisers and destroyers. And the PLA's extensive network of bases and ports would also be targets for missiles. In a conflict, U.S. bombers over the Western Pacific could target PLA Navy warships at their bases on the Chinese coast or underway inside the so-called first island chain, the string of islands that run from the Japanese archipelago through Taiwan, the Philippines and on to Borneo, enclosing China's coastal seas. Chinese warships would be even more vulnerable if they broke out through the island chain into the Western Pacific, outside the coverage of the PLA's land-based air defenses and strike aircraft. THE FIREPOWER GAP In the aftermath of the Cold War, Washington assumed it had uncontested control of the oceans and neglected to arm its surface fleet with modern, long-range anti-ship missiles. To be sure, the U.S. and its allies, particularly Japan, still have a powerful fleet of attack submarines that would pose a deadly menace to PLA warships. But the bombers help fill the firepower gap in the U.S. surface fleet while the Pentagon is re-purposing existing missiles and introducing new versions to its destroyers and cruisers, according to maritime strategists. The bomber deployments are one element of a much wider reshaping of forces and tactics that the U.S. and its allies in East Asia have launched to deter China from attacking Taiwan, expanding its hold over the South China Sea or seizing other disputed territories. These include the uninhabited group of isles in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China, which are claimed by both Tokyo and Beijing. Tensions are on the rise around these islands, now under Japanese control. The commander of U.S. forces in Japan, Lieutenant General Kevin Schneider, pledged in July that America would help Japan monitor "unprecedented" Chinese incursions into waters around the Senkakus that were challenging Tokyo's administration. Within an hour of Schneider's comments, China's foreign ministry fired back that the islands were "Chinese territory." Long-range U.S. bombers operating from distant airfields would remain a threat if Chinese missile attacks disabled key U.S. bases in Japan, South Korea and Guam. These bases, mostly a carry-over from World War Two and the Korean War, were built at a time when China had very limited means to attack them. Now it does. In a clear acknowledgement that Guam is now at risk, the U.S. Air Force announced on April 17 it would end its continuous rotation of bombers to the island base and withdraw them to the U.S. mainland. The absence of a permanent bomber presence at Guam is a blow to Washington's ability to deter China and North Korea, airpower experts say. The island in the Western Pacific is less than a five-hour flight from the South China Sea. "It makes it look like the Chinese military build-up has worked," said Peter Layton, a visiting fellow at Griffith University in Australia and a retired Australian air force Group Captain who has worked at the Pentagon. "They are now taken out of range." Since then, the United States has sent bombers to Guam for short-term deployments from their continental bases. U.S. airpower researchers suggest that the availability of better training facilities at mainland U.S. bases was also a factor in the decision to withdraw the bombers. But in further evidence of Guam's vulnerability, [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ tour trung quoc] the head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Philip Davidson, has asked Congress to fund a powerful missile defense system for the island [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ kynghidongduong.vn] by 2026. Another hurdle for the Pentagon: America's bomber force is shrinking just as the PLA challenge grows. From a force of more than 400 at the end of the Cold War, the U.S. bomber fleet has shrunk to 158 aircraft. Of those planes, 62 are B-1Bs and 76 are B-52S. The United States also has a smaller force of 20 newer B-2 stealth bombers. The air force plans to retire 17 B-1Bs next year to concentrate resources on the remaining bombers until the planned introduction of a new generation of stealthy bomber, the B-21, toward the end of this decade. This bomber is expected to sharply improve the U.S. Air Force's ability to penetrate Chinese airspace. Northrop Grumman is now building the first prototype, according to air force officials. 'NOT LIKE FIGHTING SADDAM' As the risk of conflict rises, some Western airpower experts doubt that U.S. bombers would deliver a decisive advantage in a clash with the PLA. They say the Chinese military has spent decades preparing formidable, integrated air defenses. Even if the U.S. bombers were able to sink PLA Navy warships and stealthily penetrate Chinese airspace to strike some ground targets, they say it would not necessarily translate into victory against a vast and powerful adversary. And, they warn, it might be impossible to fight a limited conflict on China's periphery. "It is not like fighting Saddam Hussein, it would be a major world war," said Layton, the retired Australian air force officer. "Both sides have nuclear weapons and there is the potential for escalation. If either side is losing, what is going to happen then?" Alongside relying on its bombers, the United States has been forced to develop other plans to offset the Chinese missile and naval threat. The U.S Marine Corps is planning to disperse smaller units armed with long-range anti-ship and land-attack missiles through the first island chain, where they could threaten the Chinese navy and land targets on China's mainland. The U.S. Army also intends to spread forces through the first island chain and other outposts in the Western Pacific. It is planning a series of major exercises this year and next where troops would deploy to islands in the region, according to senior commanders and top Pentagon officials. New weapons are in the pipeline that would give specially formed army task force units the firepower to strike at Chinese warships and other targets in a conflict. The U.S. Army's top commander, General James McConville, told an online seminar hosted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies in late July that a very long-range hypersonic missile was under development and tests had been successful. And soldiers would have the tools to attack an enemy's navy. "We are going to have mid-range missiles that can sink ships," McConville said. The U.S. and its allies also intend to link all their surveillance systems and weapons together in a regional network so that tracking information about a target could be shared between radar stations, satellites, surface warships, submarines, aircraft and land forces. In this system, a stealth fighter flying from a carrier could detect an enemy warship and relay this information to an army unit on an island, which could attack the foe with an anti-ship missile. On May 21, two U.S. B-1B bombers from Guam flew to an area near Misawa Air Base in Japan, where they conducted long-range anti-ship missile training with a P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft and the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, according to a U.S. Pacific Air Force statement. This exercise demonstrated that the U.S. had the capability to "hold any target at risk, anytime and anywhere," said Perez, the Pacific Air Forces spokeswoman. The ships and aircraft involved in this exercise likely practiced the sharing of target information to mount a simulated attack, according to U.S. and Asian military experts. On other missions this year, the American bombers have held joint exercises with U.S., Japanese and South Korean fighters. CHINESE AIRSPACE In this networked battlefield, the Pentagon's old warhorses of the air would be an even more formidable rival. The speed and range of America's Cold War-vintage bombers would allow them to approach Chinese targets from different directions and fire salvos of difficult-to-detect missiles at multiple ships, according to current and retired U.S. air force officers. With even longer range missiles that Washington has in the pipeline, such attacks could be mounted from well outside the range of China's powerful, land-based air defenses. American bombers can also drop precision-guided mines to block strategically important ocean passages or ports. And the U.S. B-2 stealth bombers could penetrate more deeply into Chinese airspace and attack key targets with sharply less chance of detection than the older bombers. These bombers already carry a heavy payload of precision, land-attack munitions and could also be configured to carry the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile. A B-1B could take off from the continental United States, refuel from tanker aircraft en route, and arrive over the Western Pacific in about 15 hours, according to Deptula and other military aviation analysts. From Hawaii the trip would take about nine hours, they say. Even closer, from northern Australia, the transit would take six hours without refueling. The Australian government announced in February it would spend $814 million upgrading a key air base at Tindal in the Northern Territory, including a major extension to its runway. Part of the reason for the upgrade is to support expanded U.S. Air Force operations, the Australian government said. American bombers are already using the base. The B-1B originally served as a nuclear bomber. That role has been phased out. It now carries around 34 metric tonnes (75,000 pounds) of conventional guided and unguided weapons, the biggest payload of any U.S. aircraft. In the military operations launched after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, these bombers were flown hard for almost two decades to provide ground support to American and allied troops in the Middle East and Afghanistan. With the Pentagon having turned its competitive sights on China, the B-1B is now increasingly employed as a ship killer. In future, it could also be armed with a new hypersonic missile, the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), now in testing, and a new long-range cruise missile, according to senior U.S. Air Force commanders. Hypersonic missiles traveling at more than five times the speed of sound would be hard to intercept. The B-52 is an even older icon of American might, in service since the mid-1950s. It carries a slightly smaller payload than the B-1B. As part of this weapons load, it can be armed with up to 14 upgraded versions of the Cold War-era Harpoon anti-ship missile. And, it could also be configured in future to carry 20 Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles, according to air power experts. Along with the B-2, the B-52 can also launch nuclear missiles. While these older bombers remain potent, American air power experts say a strong force of B-21 stealth bombers will be much more effective when they begin entering service later this decade. The new bomber is being developed in a highly classified program. "All the indications are that it is proceeding well in the development phases," said Deptula. (Reporting by David Lague in Hong Kong. Edited by Peter Hirschberg.)

China Boasts Its Second Aircraft Carrier Is Military Ready

2021-01-01T01:03:33Z

NoahNxq809786:

[/news/china/index.html China] has claimed that its second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, is now military ready after soldiers carried out a series of live-fire drills. The country's state broadcaster this week released a dramatic video, which shows the 50,000-tonne warship launching ammunition to blow up enemy targets during an exercise. Beijing's show of military might comes as tensions have heightened between China and the United States after Washington approved two sales of weapon and defence systems worth around $4.2billion (£3.25billion) to Taiwan. China claimed that its second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, had completed a series of drills. Pictured, the ship is docked at a naval port in Sanya in southern China on December 17, 2019 Footage shows the ship launching ammunition to blow up enemy targets during an exercise RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/news/article-8888305/Panda-Mei-Xiang-Chinese-web-users-urge-government-save-based-bear-abused.html Chinese web users urge authorities to 'save' US-based panda...] [/news/article-8891611/Hong-Kong-teen-activist-Tony-Chung-charged-secession.html Teen Hong Kong activist is charged with secession as he...] [/news/article-8892219/Taiwan-marks-200-days-without-domestically-transmitted-coronavirus-case.html Covid-19 success story Taiwan marks 200 days without a...] [/news/article-8890845/Joe-Biden-compromised-Chinese-Communist-Party-answer-key-questions.html Joe Biden 'could be compromised by the Chinese Communist...] Share this article Share 16 shares China's propaganda machine has been [/news/article-8872451/South-China-Sea-Beijing-claims-soldiers-launched-dozens-missiles-live-fire-drill.html boasting about the country's military capabilities] while sending warnings to other countries amid souring relations with the US and self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own. Chinese President Xi this month told his marine soldiers to [/news/article-8838495/Chinas-President-Xi-tells-soldiers-focus-preparing-WAR-visits-marine-base.html focus on war preparedness] while remaining highly vigilant. China Central Television's military channel reported on Tuesday that the Shandong had 'successfully completed a series of maritime tests and training items'. It stated that the military exercises 'effectively examined' the performance of the vessel's weapons and equipment. China Central Television's military channel stated on Tuesday that the Shandong had 'successfully completed a series of maritime tests and training items' in a video report (above) Lai Yijun, the captain of the Shandong, [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ tour trung quốc giá rẻ] is pictured be[/news/article-7800999/Chinas-second-aircraft-carrier-Shandong-enters-service-amid-tensions-Taiwan-US.html was commissioned by Chinese President Xi][/news/article-7800999/Chinas-second-aircraft-carrier-Shandong-enters-service-amid-tensions-Taiwan-US.html was commissioned by Chinese President Xi] during a ceremony at a naval port in Sanya, southern China's Hainan Province, in December last year. The ship is named after the eastern coastal province of Shandong and puts China in a small club of nations with multiple aircraft carriers. Beijing's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, is a re-fitted Soviet-era Ukrainian ship and named after the province where it was revamped. It entered service in September, 2012. The country is building [/news/article-8739675/Chinas-aircraft-carrier-pictured-construction-Shanghais-warship-factory.html a third aircraft carrier], which will be equipped with a flat-top flight deck and an electromagnetic aircraft launch system, according to previous reports. The warship was commissioned to China's People's Liberation Army Navy in Sanya, Hainan Province, last December by Chinese President Xi (seen in CCTV news) during a ceremony China Central Television last week claimed that Beijing's army had launched [/news/article-8872451/South-China-Sea-Beijing-claims-soldiers-launched-dozens-missiles-live-fire-drill.html dozens of missiles] during drills over the South China Sea. The air-to-air missiles were reportedly fired during the two-day military exercise attended by nearly 100 soldiers in an undisclosed area on the South China Sea. The United States on Monday said it had approved a $2.4billion (£1.86billion) sale of 100 Harpoon coastal defence systems to democratically ruled Taiwan. It came after the US State Department had given the green light to a separate deal of three weapons systems to the island, including sensors, missiles and artillery that could have a total value of $1.8billion (£1.38billion). Beijing has ramped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since the 2016 election of Tsai, who views the island as a de facto sovereign nation and not part of 'one China'. Beijing has ramped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since the 2016 election of Tsai, [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ kynghidongduong.vn] who views the island as a de facto sovereign nation and not part of 'one China'. Tsai is pictured reacting during an election campaign in New Taipei City, Taiwan, on January 5 Chinese fighter jets and bombers have entered Taiwan's air defence zone with unprecedented frequency in recent months, while propaganda films have shown [/news/article-8831001/China-threatens-Taiwan-conducting-live-fire-military-drill.html simulated attacks] on Taiwan-like territories and US bases in Guam. Beijing said Tuesday it 'firmly opposed' Washington's move, urging the US to 'call off the relevant arms sales plan to Taiwan, so as not to cause further damage to [http://www.purevolume.com/search?keyword=China-US%20relations China-US relations] and peace and [http://www.ajaxtime.com/?s=stability stability] across the Taiwan Strait'. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said China would 'take proper and necessary measures to firmly safeguard its national sovereignty and security interests.' China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that it would impose sanctions on the US companies involved in the sales, including Boeing and Lockheed Martin. A US official on Wednesday played down the threats, saying that Beijing, not Washington, was jeopardising regional stability. data-track-module="am-external-links^external-links"> Read more: [ CCTV Military/Weibo] DM.later('bundle', function() DM.has('external-source-links', 'externalLinkTracker'); );

Find The Best Deals And Offers On Sanya Hotels

2020-12-31T22:14:14Z

NoahNxq809786:

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China Moves Massive Rocket Into Launch Site Ahead Of Lunar Mission

2020-12-31T12:31:34Z

NoahNxq809786:

[/news/china/index.html China] has moved a massive rocket into place in preparation for launching a mission to bring back materials from the moon for the first time in four decades. The Long March-5 was transported by a mobile platform from its hangar to the nearby launch site on Tuesday at the space base in Wenchang along the coast of the southern island province of Hainan. The heavy-lift carrier rocket is scheduled to blast Beijing's latest lunar mission, the Chang'e 5, into orbit early next week. more videos [# ] [# 1] [# 2] [# 3] [# ] [/video/news/video-2304214/Video-Hancock-emotionally-reveals-step-grandfather-died-Covid.html Watch video Matt Hancock emotionally reveals his step-grandfather died of Covid] [/video/news/video-2304596/Video-CCTV-shows-man-near-scene-sexual-assault-Wolverhampton.html Watch video CCTV shows man near the scene of a sexual assault in Wolverhampton] [/video/news/video-2304000/Video-Sickening-moment-man-knifes-ex-girlfriend-chest.html Watch video Sickening moment man knifes his ex-girlfriend in the chest] [/video/news/video-2304412/Video-Awful-moment-huge-fire-breaks-lorry-explodes-Cambridgeshire.html Watch video Awful moment huge fire breaks out as lorry explodes in Cambridgeshire] [/video/news/video-2304612/Video-Fiancee-runs-jumps-partners-arms-time-gets-home.html Watch video Fiancee runs and jumps into partner's arms every time he gets home] [/video/news/video-2303820/Video-Influencer-nasty-fall-tries-perfect-picture.html Watch video Influencer has nasty fall as she tries to get the perfect picture] [/video/news/video-2304658/Video-Hundreds-queue-outside-Debenhams-Newcastle-ahead-fire-sale.html Watch video Hundreds queue outside Debenhams in Newcastle ahead of fire sale] [/video/news/video-2303166/Video-Angry-passenger-puts-gum-coffee-hair-person-front.html Watch video Angry plane passenger puts gum and coffee in hair of woman in front] [/video/news/video-2304050/Video-Spanish-police-continue-search-missing-Brit-Esther-Dingley.html Watch video Spanish police continue their search for missing Brit Esther Dingley] [/video/news/video-2304256/Group-four-removes-mysterious-Utah-monolith.html Watch video Group of four removes mysterious Utah monolith] [/video/news/video-2304644/Video-Hilarious-moment-dad-struggles-crawling-babies-stay-put.html Watch video Hilarious moment dad struggles to get crawling babies to stay put] [/video/news/video-2304684/Video-Plane-grounded-attacked-swarm-bees.html Watch video Plane grounded after being attacked by a swarm of bees] DM.later('bundle', function() DM.molFeCarousel.init('#p-17', 'channelCarousel', "activeClass" : "wocc", "pageCount" : "3.0", "pageSize" : 1, "onPos": 0, "updateStyleOnHover": true ); ); The fifth Long March-5 rocket, with China's new lunar probe Chang'e-5 on top, is ready to be transferred to the launch area The rocket stands in its launch pad at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province on November 17 RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/news/article-8957019/China-used-secret-microwave-pulse-weapon-Indian-soldiers.html China 'used secret microwave pulse weapon to cook Indian...] [/news/article-8953333/British-diplomat-jumps-river-save-drowning-woman-China.html British diplomat is hailed as a hero in China after jumping...] [/news/article-8952977/Clever-dog-Golden-retriever-tricks-owner-thinking-not-eaten-treat.html Clever dog! Golden retriever tricks owner into thinking it...] Share this article Share Chang'e 5 is China's most complicated and challenging space exploration mission yet, according to the country's state broadcaster CCTV. It is set to place a lander on the moon that will drill two meters (almost seven feet) beneath the surface and scoop up rocks and other debris to be brought to earth. That would allow scientists to study newly obtained lunar materials for the first time since the American and Russian missions of the 1960s and 1970s. The mission, named after the Chinese moon goddess, is among China's most ambitious as its space programme continues to build steam since it first put a man in space in 2003, becoming only the third nation to do so after the US and Russia. more videos [# ] [# 1] [# 2] [# 3] [# ] [/video/news/video-2304768/Video-Savvy-mum-reveals-game-changer-hack-changing-duvet-cover.html Watch video Savvy mum reveals 'game changer' hack for changing duvet cover] [/video/news/video-2304214/Video-Hancock-emotionally-reveals-step-grandfather-died-Covid.html Watch video Matt Hancock emotionally reveals his step-grandfather died of Covid] [/video/news/video-2304596/Video-CCTV-shows-man-near-scene-sexual-assault-Wolverhampton.html Watch video CCTV shows man near the scene of a sexual assault in Wolverhampton] [/video/news/video-2304412/Video-Awful-moment-huge-fire-breaks-lorry-explodes-Cambridgeshire.html Watch video Awful moment huge fire breaks out as lorry explodes in Cambridgeshire] [/video/news/video-2304612/Video-Fiancee-runs-jumps-partners-arms-time-gets-home.html Watch video Fiancee runs and jumps into partner's arms every time he gets home] [/video/news/video-2303820/Video-Influencer-nasty-fall-tries-perfect-picture.html Watch video Influencer has nasty fall as she tries to get the perfect picture] [/video/news/video-2303166/Video-Angry-passenger-puts-gum-coffee-hair-person-front.html Watch video Angry plane passenger puts gum and coffee in hair of woman in front] [/video/news/video-2304048/Video-Four-men-van-arrive-steal-two-Chow-Chows-Essex.html Watch video Four suspects arrive to allegedly steal two Chow Chows in Essex] [/video/news/video-2304050/Video-Spanish-police-continue-search-missing-Brit-Esther-Dingley.html Watch video Spanish police continue their search for missing Brit Esther Dingley] [/video/news/video-2304446/Video-Project-Veritas-confronts-Jeff-Zucker-CNN-conference-call.html Watch video Project Veritas confronts Jeff Zucker on CNN conference call] [/video/news/video-2304256/Group-four-removes-mysterious-Utah-monolith.html Watch video Group of four removes mysterious Utah monolith] [/video/news/video-2304644/Video-Hilarious-moment-dad-struggles-crawling-babies-stay-put.html Watch video Hilarious moment dad struggles to get crawling babies to stay put] DM.later('bundle', function() DM.molFeCarousel.init('#p-30', 'channelCarousel', "activeClass" : "wocc", "pageCount" : "3.0", "pageSize" : 1, "onPos": 0, "updateStyleOnHover": true ); ); The heavy-lift carrier rocket is scheduled to blast Beijing's latest lunar mission, the Chang'e 5, into orbit early next week Chang'e 5 is China's most complicated and challenging space exploration mission yet, according to state broadcaster CCTV Engineers moved the gigantic rocket along with the Chang'e 5 probe to the position after they had completed relevant tests [ ]released by CCTV shows the rocket being moved to the launch pad as a whole while standing vertically on a mobile launch platform that travels on tracks. Another[ ] uploaded by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation onto social media shows the rocket standing on the launch site after being carried over. The Long March-5 is 57 meters (187 feet) long and weighs 870 tonnes. Its transport process took about two hours and was reported to be smooth. Engineers decided to move the gigantic rocket along with the Chang'e 5 probe, stored at the tip of the rocket, to the position after they had completed relevant tests in the hanger, [ ]said. The rocket and the probe are expected to pass a function inspection and a joint test before taking off, according to the official outlet. The rocket is 187 feet long and weighs 870 tonnes. Its transport process took about two hours and was reported to be smooth The rocket and the probe are expected to pass a function inspection and a joint test before taking off, according to state TV Mao Wanbiao, deputy director of the command centre of the launch site, said the Long March-5 rocket was at its final stage before [https://twitter.com/search?q=blasting&src=typd blasting] off. He said: 'The vertical transportation means that the satellite, rocket and [http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/_search?q=ground%20systems ground systems] for the [Long March-5] rocket should all be functioning well. 'Once it is in the launch area, [we] are in the phase of injecting [the propellant] and preparing for the launch.' The Long March-5 is due to send the Chang'e 5 probe into earth-moon transfer orbit, which is situated between 200 and 400,000 kilometres (124 and 249,000 miles) above the ground, according to Li Pingqi, deputy chief designer of the rocket. It is expected to enter the orbit at over 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) per second. The Chinese space authority has planned three steps for [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ tour trung quoc] its lunar missions: circulating the moon, landing on the moon and returning from the moon. Pei Zhaoyu, a deputy chief engineer of the China Lunar Exploration Project, said the Chang'e 5 mission would play a key role in the returning stage. 'This is the first time it will carry out the tasks of collecting samples and returning [to earth]. We hope the mission will succeed so that the "circulating-landing-returning" blueprint would draw a perfect end,' Mr Pei told CCTV. Staff members celebrate after the rocket, carrying China's new lunar probe Chang'e-5 on top, was moved to the launch area The mission, named after the Chinese moon goddess, is among China's most ambitious as its space programme expands China currently has a mission on the way to Mars, along with a rover on the moon's far side that is providing the first full measurements of radiation exposure from the lunar surface, information vital for any country that plans to send astronauts to the moon. Beijing has increasingly engaged with foreign countries on missions, although US law still prevents collaboration with NASA, [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ tour trung quốc] excluding China from partnering with the International Space Station. That has prompted China to work on its own space station and [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ kynghidongduong.vn] launch its own programmes that have put it in a steady competition with Japan and India among Asian nations seeking to notch new achievements in space. The space programme has progressed cautiously, with relatively few setbacks in recent years. The Long March-5, nicknamed 'Fat 5' because of its bulky shape, failed on a previous launch attempt, but China's enormous pool of technical and engineering talent appears to have allowed it to overcome most obstacles. data-track-module="am-external-links^external-links"> Read more: [ CCTV] [ CCTV Video] [ China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation/Weibo] DM.later('bundle', function() DM.has('external-source-links', 'externalLinkTracker'); );

China Calls Launch A Success As Robotic Spacecraft Heads To Moon

2020-12-31T08:39:48Z

NoahNxq809786:

By Martin Quin Pollard WENCHANG, China, Nov 24 (Reuters) - China hailed as a success its pre-dawn launch on Tuesday of a robotic spacecraft to bring back rocks from the moon in the first bid by any country to retrieve lunar surface samples since the 1970s, a mission underscoring Chinese ambitions in space. The Long March-5, China's largest carrier rocket, blasted off at 4:30 a.m. Beijing time (2030 GMT on Monday) in a launch from Wenchang Space Launch Center on the southern Chinese island [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ tour trung quoc] of Hainan carrying the Chang'e-5 spacecraft. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) called the launch a success and said in a statement that the rocket flew for nearly 37 minutes before sending the spacecraft on its intended trajectory. The Chang'e-5 mission, named after the ancient Chinese goddess of the moon, will seek to collect lunar material to help scientists understand more about the moon's origins and formation. The mission will test China's ability to remotely acquire samples from space, ahead of more complex missions. State broadcaster CCTV, which ran live coverage of the launch, showed images of CNSA staff in blue uniforms applauding and cheering as they watched the spacecraft climbing through the atmosphere, [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ kynghidongduong.vn] lighting up the night sky. If the mission is completed as planned, it would make China only the third country to have retrieved lunar samples, joining the United States and the Soviet Union. Upon entering the moon's orbit, the spacecraft is intended to deploy a pair of vehicles to the lunar surface: a lander and an ascender. The landing is due to take place in about eight days, according to Pei Zhaoyu, a spokesman for the mission. The probe is due to be on the lunar surface for about two days, while the entire mission is scheduled to take around 23 days. The plan is for the lander to drill into the lunar surface, with a robotic arm scooping out soil and rocks. This material would be transferred to the [http://www.exeideas.com/?s=ascender ascender] vehicle, which is due to carry it from the surface and then dock with an orbiting module. The samples then would be transferred to a return capsule for the return trip to Earth, with a landing in China's Inner Mongolia region. "The biggest challenges ... are the sampling work on the lunar surface, take-off from the lunar surface, rendezvous and docking in the lunar orbit, as well as high-speed re-entry to Earth," said Pei, also director of the space administration's Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center. "We can conduct sampling through circumlunar and moon- landing exploration, but it is more intuitive to obtain samples to conduct scientific research - the method is more direct," Pei added. "Plus, there will be more instruments and more methods to study them on Earth." SPACE STATION PLANS China, which last year carried out the first landing on the far side of the moon and in July of this year launched a robotic probe to Mars, has other space goals in its sights. It aims to have a permanent manned space station in service around 2022. "From next year, we will carry out the launch mission of our national space station," said Qu Yiguang, deputy commander of the Long March-5 carrier rocket. Asked when China was planning to put astronauts on the moon, Pei said any decision would be based on scientific needs, as well as technical and economic conditions, adding: "I think future lunar exploration activities should be carried out by a combination of man and machine." Matt Siegler, a research scientist at the Arizona-based Planetary Science Institute who is not part of Chang'e-5 mission, said the Mons Rumker volcanic area of the moon where the spacecraft is due to land is 1-2 billion years old. "That is very young for the moon - most of our samples are 3.5 billion years old or more," Siegler said in an email, noting that the area and other similar ones represented "late-stage volcanism" when the moon had enough internal heat for such activity. "We want to find out what is special about these regions and why they remained warm longer than the rest of the moon," Siegler added. The United States, which currently has plans to return astronauts to the moon by 2024, landed 12 astronauts there in its Apollo programme over six flights from 1969 to 1972, and brought back 382 kg (842 pounds) of rocks and soil. The Soviet Union deployed three successful robotic lunar sample-return missions in the 1970s. The last, [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ tour trung quoc] the Luna 24, retrieved about 170 grams (6 ounces) of samples in 1976 from a region called Mare Crisium. (Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard; additional reporting by Ryan Woo; Writing by Tom Daly; Editing by Will Dunham)

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2020-12-31T08:39:39Z

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