RESERVOIRS KEY TO REDUCING FLOODS

Due to intermittent rainstorms and heavy downpours, severe floods have swept across southern China almost every year. Since the start of this year, many parts of southern China have experienced frequent, intense rainfall within a short of period of time.

This year the floods, caused by natural climate fluctuations and an increase in extreme weather conditions due to climate change, have been more severe than in previous years.

Completely preventing floods in regions influenced by changing climate patterns may not be humanly possible. Yet by implementing efficient and effective water conservancy programs, the authorities can better control flooding and minimize the loss of lives and deaths.

China has made remarkable achievements in building reservoirs and dams, which have not only reduced the chances of floods but also provided water and electricity for the people. Statistics show that despite the rainfall this year breaking 80-year records in many places, the loss of lives and property will not be an 80-year record high because of the water facilities' effective management on floods. However, people's lives and property should always be better protected.

Although big dams, in recent years, have sparked huge controversies due to their ecological impact, high costs and the relocation of residents, China still doesn't have enough water conservancy facilities. In particular, the capacity of reservoirs on big rivers and the drainage system in some Chinese cities need to be further improved.

The United States is similar in size to China, but its reservoirs' capacity to store floodwater is 50 percent more compared with China. Specifically, China has the capacity to store 900 billion cubic meters of water, while the US' capacity is 1.3 trillion cubic meters.

Thus, the amount of rainfall that can overwhelm China's reservoirs and cause floods with huge volumes of freshwater flowing into the sea can be transformed into valuable water resources in the US thanks to its larger water-storing capacity.

Chongqing in Southwest China, for example, is experiencing one of the worst floods in recent history, mainly because of the inadequate storage capacity of the reservoirs in the upper reaches of Yangtze River. The threat has been further compounded by news that all hydroelectric dams on Jinsha River, a branch in upper stretch of the Yangtze River, are full to capacity.

During major floods, rumors start doing the rounds about the Three Gorges Dam in Yichang, Hubei province — the dividing point of the midstream and upstream of the Yangtze River, led to the rising water levels in Chongqing. But the fact is Chongqing is located in the upper reaches of the river southwest of the dam.

FORUM FOCUSES ON CHINA-ARAB STRATEGIC TIES

China and Arab countries should enhance strategic communications and promote cooperation in all areas, including the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, President Xi Jinping said on Monday.

Xi made the remark in a congratulatory letter to the ninth ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, held by videoconference.

Xi said that since the pandemic's outbreak, China and Arab countries have stuck together and helped each other. Their mutual support and strengthened cooperation are a vivid reflection of the close bonds between them, he said.

The two sides require more cooperation to overcome difficulties and move forward, given the situation, he added.

Xi said he hoped the two sides will meet in order to enhance strategic coordination and promote cooperation in various fields to bring more benefits for their people.

He noted that he announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between China and Arab states at the eighth ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in 2018.

Xi said his proposal to build a China-Arab community with a shared future to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind was enthusiastically greeted by Arab countries.

In the past two years, China and Arab countries have enhanced coordination and the China-Arab strategic partnership, featuring comprehensive cooperation, joint development and future orientation, has been deepened, Xi said.

The ninth ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum was co-chaired by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi. Foreign ministers of members of the League of Arab States and league Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit attended the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Wang said that the traditional friendship between China and Arab countries will definitely be elevated and China-Arab strategic cooperation will be brought to a new level after the COVID-19 pandemic.

China has assisted Arab countries in procuring anti-virus materials in China and donated more than 1 million test kits and over 13 million masks, Wang said. It has also held videoconferences of health experts with 21 Arab countries and dispatched medical teams to eight Arab countries, he said.

On Sunday, a shipment of anti-COVID medical aid from the Chinese government, including200,000 disposable masks and 9,000 N95 masks, was delivered to the Arab League at the organization's headquarters in Cairo.

ECONOMY POISED TO MAKE QUICK RECOVERY

China's economy has staged a fast recovery from the COVID-19 impact, with the year-on-year GDP growth likely to turn positive at above 2 percent in the second quarter of the year, economists said on Monday.

Business resumption and investment stimulus have been the key ingredients of the economic rebound, while the country still needs to deal with mounting uncertainties while trying to sustain the recovery, they said.

Attention has been focused on the performance of China's economic recovery from the COVID-19 disruption, as the country is set to unveil the second-quarter GDP growth and other key economic data next week.

Leading economic indicators have pointed to a fast recovery mainly driven by supply-side improvements thanks to the nationwide resumption of production, said Wu Chaoming, deputy dean of the Chasing Institute under the aegis of Chasing Securities.

The official Purchasing Managers Index of the manufacturing sector rose to 50.9 last month from 50.6 in May, the fourth consecutive month for the index to remain within the expansion territory, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The growth in industrial output for the first half of the year may be around negative 0.8 percent year-on-year, sending the GDP growth for the same period to negative 1.6 percent, versus a 6.8-percent plunge for the first quarter, Wu said.

He said that the GDP growth rate for the second quarter may be around 3 percent.

The recovery in demand, however, may have lagged behind, Wu said, as impaired income prospects of businesses and households and the continued social distancing measures weighed on the recovery in manufacturing investment and consumption.

Looking ahead, infrastructure investment backed by government bond issuance may become the backbone of expanding demand and is expected to grow by around 18 percent for the whole year, Wu said.

"This year's strongest growth point would be investment," said Hu Yifan, regional chief investment officer and chief China economist with UBS Global Wealth Management.

On top of infrastructure investment, property development investment is expected to be another pillar in investment recovery amid rather favorable policy conditions, Hu said, adding that consumption in the offline services sector is also expected to further recover as social distancing measures ease.

The faster-than-expected economic recovery has helped fuel the recent surge in the A-share market, analysts said. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index has risen by 11.67 percent since the beginning of the month and closed on Monday at 3332.88 points, the highest level in more than two years.

MINISTRY WARNS CANADA AGAINST INTERFERENCE IN SAR AFFAIRS

China warned on Monday that it reserves the right to take additional action in response to a package of measures announced by Canada to interfere in Hong Kong affairs, saying that Ottawa will bear all the consequences.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remark during a daily news briefing after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday, he was suspending Canada's extradition treaty with Hong Kong. On the same day, Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement that Canada will halt exports of sensitive military goods to Hong Kong and had updated its travel advice for the city.

China strongly denounces such wrong remarks and measures, which disregarded the basic fact that the National Security Law for Hong Kong helps ensure the long-term stability of "one country, two systems", Zhao said.

The spokesman urged Canada to correct its mistakes immediately and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and other internal affairs of China in order to avoid further damage to bilateral ties.

The Chinese government is firmly determined to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests and oppose intervention by external forces in Hong Kong affairs, he said.

"Any attempt to pressure China will not succeed," he added.

In another development, the Foreign Ministry issued a travel alert for Canada on Monday on the WeChat messaging app platform, citing security concerns.

Violence by law enforcement agencies occurred frequently in Canada recently, and has caused several demonstrations, according to the statement.

The Foreign Ministry and Chinese diplomatic missions in Canada have alerted Chinese citizens to pay close attention to the local security situation and exercise caution when traveling to the country, it said.

Also, on Monday, Zhao accused the United States of flexing its military muscles in the South China Sea by conducting massive naval exercises. The US aims to drive a wedge between countries in the region, promote militarization in the South China Sea and undermine peace and stability in the area, Zhao said.

COUNTY IN ANHUI POSTPONES GAOKAO EXAMS DUE TO FLOODING

As a result of heavy rainfall, Shexian county of East China's Anhui province canceled the exams of Chinese and math for the national college entrance examination, or gaokao, due to flooding caused by heavy rainfall.

Exams for the two subjects, which should be finished on Tuesday as a national schedule, will be arranged to take place on another date.

A heavy and continuous rainfall has been hitting the area since the beginning of July, resulting in many difficulties for carrying on the exam, according to the local government.

Official data shows the county has 2,769 students for this year's gaokao, while a local education official told people.cn only around 500 had arrived at the examination sites by 10 am.

Heavy rainfall has caused flooding in many areas of Huangshan city, which governs the county, according to the local government.

An examination site in Shexian county is surrounded by flood after heavy rainfall.

HIGH-RANKING BANK OFFICIAL STANDS TRIAL FOR TAKING BRIBES

Gu Guoming, the former Party secretary and president of the State-owned Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's Shanghai branch, stood trial on Tuesday for allegedly taking bribes amounting to 136 million yuan ($19.39 million).

Taking advantage of his job position, Gu had provided help for multiple individuals and corporate clients in loans and financing as well as received benefits in return for helping people secure projects between 2005 and 2018, prosecutors said during the trial at Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court.

Gu was investigated by the country's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in June last year and was detained for criminal offences by the Shanghai Public Security Bureau in November. He was approved for arrest in December.

During investigations, Gu confessed not only to receiving the 5.86 million yuan in bribes found by the police but also another 131 million yuan that had yet to be discovered.

Gu pleaded guilty during the court hearing and his attorney pleaded for a lenient punishment because of his confession.

The court said that a verdict will be announced later on Tuesday.

MANZHOULI PORT SEES OVER 1,500 CHINA-EUROPE TRAIN TRIPS

Manzhouli, the largest land port on the China-Russia border, recorded 1,523 trips of inbound and outbound China-Europe freight trains in the first half of this year, according to a report by China Railway Harbin Group Co Ltd on Tuesday.

Outbound trains made 780 trips, up 85 from the previous year, while 743 trains traveled back, with an increase of 154 trips year-on-year.

With the largest transportation volume among all land ports across China, Manzhouli railway port serves a bridge between China and European countries, and also plays a significant role in connecting nations involved in Belt and Road routes.

During the past six months from January to June, the total cargo volume transported via Manzhouli port reached 8.93 million tons, with 8 million imported goods, up 2.4 percent year-on-year, and about 925,000 tons of cargo was exported to foreign countries, rising 3.8 percent from a year earlier.

In addition, nearly 820,000 tons of fertilizer and 2.01 million tons of coal have been imported via Manzhouli port in the first half of this year. The import volume of iron concentrates surged 79.8 percent year-on-year to 1.29 million tons, as China accelerates economic recovery after resuming work and production.

CHINA-LAOS RAILWAY PROGRESSES STEADILY

Work on the China-Laos railway, a strategic project under the Belt and Road Initiative, is progressing steadily with work on Vientiane station commencing on Friday in the Laotian capital, despite COVID-19 challenges.

The 14,543-square-meter station is the largest of the 20 newly-built stations under the China-Laos railway project, which seeks to make Laos a land-linked hub.

Vientiane station plans to have four platforms and seven railway lanes, two reserve platforms and three reserve lanes (places for platforms and lanes in future constructions). When completed, the station can hold 2,500 people at a time at most.

Vientiane station is being constructed by China Railway Construction Group, which has executed 13 other projects in the line, including stations and dispatching centers.

According to the company, the station has combined both Chinese and Laotian cultural elements with modern construction styles, aiming to build a customer-friendly and environment-friendly station.

Chantula Phanalasy, director general of management of the railway project on the Laos side, said he was pleased with the progress in construction and hoped that it would be completed and operated soon to further boost Laos' economic development.

The China-Laos railway, linking Kunming in Southwest China's Yunnan province with Laos' capital city Vientiane, is the first overseas railway project that is mainly invested, constructed, operated by China, and linked to the Chinese railway network since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The China-Laos railway construction has adopted Chinese technologies, standards, and equipment, and is reported to contribute greatly to Laos' economic development as well as the Belt and Road Initiative related constructions.

The China-Laos railway has helped foster trade between the two countries, said Zhou Minliang, a senior researcher at the Institute of Industrial Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Zhou said the BRI presents opportunities for economies involved to join the global value chain, especially those that have abundant natural and labor resources but lack infrastructure, technological and financial abilities to develop and promote their products in overseas markets.

"The BRI-related projects have promoted a more efficient exchange of resources, technology, capital, and will facilitate a win-win cooperation for all the economies involved. The BRI has been playing an important role in facilitating trade and globalization," Zhou said.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Sports do not build character. They reveal it. - Billie Jean King