Xi Jinping's Important Article "Opening Up New Prospects for High-Quality Development in China" Published in Qiushi Journal
The 12th issue of Qiushi Journal, published on June 16, features an important article by Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, titled "Opening Up a New Landscape for China's High-Quality Development." This article is an excerpt of important discourses by General Secretary Xi Jinping from October 2017 to March 2024. The article points out that the characteristic of China's economic development in the new era, as emphasized in my report to the 19th CPC National Congress, is that China's economy has shifted from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development. High-quality development is the theme of China's economic and social development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period and beyond, and it is the primary task for comprehensively building a modern socialist country. Without a solid material and technological foundation, it is impossible to comprehensively build a strong modern socialist country. On the new journey of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, we must unswervingly promote high-quality development. The article notes that high-quality development is development that can well meet the people's growing needs for a better life, development that embodies the new development philosophy, where innovation is the primary driving force, coordination is an inherent feature, green is a universal form, openness is the only path, and sharing is the fundamental purpose. More specifically, high-quality development is about shifting from "whether we have it" to "how well we have it." The article states that accelerating the achievement of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement is the only path to promote high-quality development. Accelerating the construction of a new development pattern is the strategic base point for promoting high-quality development. Developing new productive forces is an inherent requirement and an important focus for promoting high-quality development. Adhering to high-quality development should become an important part of the performance evaluation of leading cadres. All regions should combine their actual conditions, adapt to local circumstances, leverage strengths, and compensate for weaknesses to forge a path of high-quality development suitable for their own realities. The article emphasizes that we must keep in mind that high-quality development is the hard truth of the new era, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the development of new productive forces adapted to local conditions, and effectively implement strategic tasks such as accelerating the construction of a modernized economic system, promoting high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, coordinating in-depth reforms and high-level opening up, and coordinating high-quality development and high-level security. We must also improve the assessment and evaluation system for promoting high-quality development to lay a solid foundation. We need to plan further major measures for comprehensive deepening of reform to continuously inject strong impetus into promoting high-quality development and advancing Chinese modernization.
New Ideas Guiding a New Journey: Regions Take Multiple Measures to Continuously Improve People's Well-being
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the people's aspiration for a better life is our goal, and that promoting reform and development is, in the final analysis, to enable the people to live better lives. Bearing the General Secretary's instructions in mind, various localities have introduced a series of reform measures and diligently carried out practical livelihood projects that benefit the people, warm their hearts, and meet their aspirations. Recently, the second phase of renovation and renewal is accelerating in Democracy Village Community, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing. Upon completion by the end of the year, it will add new community service formats such as cultural and creative industries, intangible cultural heritage, fitness, and art exhibitions, accelerating the exploration of a "new model" for old residential area renovation. In April this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Democracy Village Community to inspect the renovation of the community and the provision of convenience services. The General Secretary pointed out that the renovation of old residential areas is a key focus of urban renewal and a livelihood project, which should both preserve historical memory and distinctive features, and address practical issues of concern to residents. No matter is too small when it comes to people's livelihoods; every detail matters. During every domestic inspection, the well-being of the people and their livelihoods are always the General Secretary's greatest concern. He pointed out that more reform measures that address the people's urgent needs and aspirations should be introduced, and more practical things that benefit the people, warm their hearts, and meet their aspirations should be done, so that reforms can bring more sense of gain, happiness, and security to the people. Bearing the General Secretary's instructions in mind, various localities are actively identifying the focal points and breakthroughs for reform from the problems that the common people are eager to solve, so as to guarantee and improve people's livelihoods. The urban renewal action ensures that residents have safe housing. This year, China will renovate another 50,000 old residential areas. Beijing continues to improve legislation to support urban renewal, focusing on resolving issues such as the identification and supervision of urban renewal project entities, implementing closed-loop management of the project library, and providing multiple policy supports for projects in the library. In the first five months of this year, Beijing completed the renovation of 185 old residential areas, covering an area of 7 million square meters, exceeding the total completed area of last year. Optimizing service supply and facilitating people's lives. The Ministry of Commerce and 12 other departments have formulated the "Three-Year Action Plan (2023-2025) for Comprehensively Promoting the Construction of 15-Minute Convenient Living Circles in Cities," to further enhance the convenience, standardization, intelligence, and quality of services. This year, Shanghai is accelerating the creation of one-stop comprehensive service centers within the 1,600 basic units of community living circles across the city. At a recently completed one-stop comprehensive service center in Xujiahui Subdistrict, the reporter observed that gyms, children's climbing facilities, and dedicated fitness areas for the elderly were integrated, along with parent-child spaces and community canteens. Caring for the "old and young" benefits thousands of households. This year, China is implementing major special projects for childcare facility construction, supporting the establishment of comprehensive childcare service centers and inclusive childcare spots, while actively increasing the supply of elderly care services and developing new smart healthy elderly care formats. In Hebei, the inclusive childcare service expansion project will continue this year, adding 5,000 inclusive childcare spots. In Tianjin, the first smart elderly care comprehensive service complex was put into operation in May this year, continuously improving care and monitoring service levels through emergency notification systems, smart nursing beds, and wearable monitoring devices. Improving infrastructure and enhancing people's sense of gain. In Guizhou, this year aims to build a cumulative total of 160,000 5G base stations across the province, achieving full 5G network coverage in the main urban areas of counties and covering over 70% of administrative villages. In Xinjiang, this year's plan includes completing 8 billion yuan in rural road construction investment and building or renovating 5,500 kilometers of rural roads, with a focus on roads for livelihood, tourism, resources, and industries.
Li Qiang Arrives in Adelaide for Official Visit to Australia
At the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council arrived in Adelaide by charter flight on the afternoon of June 15 local time, beginning an official visit to Australia and holding the ninth China-Australia Prime Ministers' Annual Meeting with Prime Minister Albanese. State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong and other accompanying personnel arrived on the same flight. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, and Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian greeted them at the airport. Li Qiang stated that interactions between China and Australia have a long history, and the friendly sentiments between the two peoples have grown stronger over time. In 2014, President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Australia, and the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership, accelerating and upgrading exchanges and cooperation in various fields, with mutual benefit and win-win results further becoming the main theme of bilateral relations. Last year, Prime Minister Albanese successfully visited China, and bilateral relations returned to the right track after experiencing twists and turns. History has proven that mutual respect, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and mutually beneficial cooperation are valuable experiences for developing China-Australia relations, which need to be upheld and promoted. Li Qiang pointed out that my visit to Australia on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is an opportunity to have in-depth exchanges with Australian leaders and friends from all walks of life on China-Australia relations and issues of common concern, to discuss cooperation, promote development, and talk about friendship. A more mature, stable, and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership will be the common wealth of the two peoples, and China is willing to work with Australia hand in hand. Li Qiang arrived in Adelaide after concluding his official visit to New Zealand. Upon his departure from Auckland, New Zealand Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay and Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong saw him off at the airport.
Li Qiang Inspects China-Australia Giant Panda Protection and Research Cooperation
On the morning of June 16, local time, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council, currently visiting Australia, inspected the China-Australia giant panda protection and research cooperation at Adelaide Zoo. This zoo is the only one in Australia that houses giant pandas. At the panda enclosure, Li Qiang listened to presentations by Chinese and Australian experts on the two countries' giant panda protection cooperation and the care of giant pandas in Australia. Li Qiang stated that Adelaide Zoo is home to Wang Wang and Fu Ni, the only pair of giant pandas in the Southern Hemisphere. He expressed his satisfaction at seeing them well cared for and happily settled in Adelaide Zoo despite being far from home. Wang Wang and Fu Ni have become envoys of China-Australia friendship and symbols of the profound friendship between the two peoples. This demonstrates that as long as both sides cherish it, China-Australia cooperation can span the vast Pacific Ocean and overcome various differences to achieve mutual success and win-win results. Li Qiang said that for a long time, the Chinese government has taken a series of protective measures for giant pandas, achieving significant results, which reflects China's active contribution to global biodiversity and endangered animal protection. Wang Wang and Fu Ni will return to China this year as per the agreement between the two sides. China is willing to continue giant panda protection and research cooperation with Australia, hoping that Australia will always be a friendly home for giant pandas. Local primary school students sang a panda-themed song for Li Qiang in Chinese, and Li Qiang had a cordial exchange with them. Li Qiang expressed his welcome for them to visit China when they have the opportunity, to see where giant pandas grow up, to learn about China's scenery and culture, and to become little envoys of China-Australia friendship. South Australian Governor Frances Adamson, Premier Peter Malinauskas, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Minister for Trade Don Farrell accompanied the inspection. Wu Zhenglong participated in the above activities.
New Era, New Journey, New Achievements – Dedicated and Practical Work: Beijing Strengthens Green Foundation to Make Cities More Livable
Currently, Beijing boasts a total of 1,065 parks, having established an eco-friendly and livable city with green screens in the mountains, green seas in the plains, and green landscapes in urban areas. This year, Beijing will continue to add 10,000 mu (approximately 6.67 square kilometers) of afforestation and greening, bringing the forest coverage rate to 44.95%. Recently, the Nansen Viewing Platform, adjacent to Beijing's South Fourth Ring Road, officially opened, allowing people to overlook the over 6 million square meters of Nanyuan Forest Wetland Park and enjoy the beauty of the largest forest in southern Beijing. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Beijing has completed two rounds of million-mu afforestation and greening projects. The plain areas now have 40 forest wetlands exceeding 10,000 mu, such as the Eastern City Green Heart Forest Park, Northern Olympic Forest Park, Western Yongding River Leisure Forest Park, and Southern Nanyuan Forest Wetland Park, as well as 498 green areas exceeding 1,000 mu, forming an ecological spatial pattern of "one screen, three belts, nine corridors, and multiple areas." This year, Beijing will add 15 new leisure parks and urban forests, and 50 pocket parks and small green spaces, ensuring that over 90% of residents can reach a park or green space within a straight-line distance of 500 meters. In addition to seeing green from windows, entering parks from their homes, and encountering beautiful scenery at every step, Beijing is also connecting parks into lines with forest trails in the plains and shallow mountainous areas, and building "ring-city flower corridors" and "ring-city colorful forests," gradually linking the plain green sea with the mountainous green screen, making the ubiquitous green a vibrant backdrop for the capital's high-quality development.
Construction of Clean Energy Bases Accelerates in Western China
Since the beginning of this year, the construction of clean energy bases in western China has accelerated, achieving new breakthroughs in installed capacity, and steadily improving the supply capacity of clean electricity, thereby continuously accelerating the pace of energy transformation. Reporters learned from the National Energy Administration that the nine major clean energy bases proposed in China's "14th Five-Year Plan," primarily located in western regions, are accelerating construction. In the Yellow River basin, the first unit of the Mardang Hydropower Station, the highest altitude and largest installed capacity hydropower project, has been connected to the grid, marking a crucial step in the construction of the clean energy base in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. At the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, the first "desert, Gobi, and barren land" large-scale new energy project with external transmission channels is under intensive construction. This project, with an installed capacity exceeding 6 million kilowatts, is expected to add 14.2 billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually upon completion. In the Yalong River basin's "hydropower-wind-solar integrated" base, the cumulative power generation has exceeded 1 trillion kilowatt-hours, making it the world's largest clean energy base. This year, several western provinces achieved new breakthroughs in new energy installed capacity. Both Gansu and Qinghai's total new energy installed capacity accounted for over 60% of their total installed capacity. Inner Mongolia became the first province in China to exceed 100 million kilowatts in new energy installed capacity. This year, China continues to improve its capacity for cross-regional transmission of clean electricity. The construction of the Shaanxi-Anhui UHVDC project has begun, and the construction of UHV projects such as Ningxia-Hunan and Longdong-Shandong is accelerating. Currently, among the 39 UHV AC and DC projects in operation, 24 originate from western energy bases, accounting for over 60%. In the first quarter, electricity transmitted from the northwest region accounted for nearly 40% of the national cross-regional electricity transmission. In 2024, China's cumulative installed capacity of new energy power generation will for the first time exceed that of coal power, with its proportion in total installed capacity rising to around 40%. The accelerated construction of energy bases, primarily in the west, will provide a continuous impetus for China's clean energy development.
China's Computing Power Infrastructure Accelerates, Industry Ecosystem Builds Up Rapidly
Since the beginning of this year, China has vigorously promoted the construction of computing power infrastructure, continuously strengthened industrial innovation capabilities, and achieved positive results in the application of computing power. Latest statistics show that as of the end of May, there are more than ten planned intelligent computing centers with high-performance computer clusters across the country. Recently, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Integrated Data Center, one of the eight national integrated computing power network hubs, was completed in Shaoguan, Guangdong, which will comprehensively enhance cross-regional computing power scheduling capabilities. Currently, the intelligent computing scale of basic telecom operators across China's network exceeds 30 exaFLOPS. Nationwide, intelligent computing power accounts for over 30% of the total computing power. China's computing power structure is continuously optimizing. At the same time, computing power application scenarios are becoming more diverse. At this intelligent computing base in Beijing, since the beginning of this year, the online processing capacity has reached a maximum of 20,000 transactions per second, an efficiency increase of 30% compared to last year, while costs have been halved. At this supercomputing center in Jinan, the modeling and simulation of the Yellow River basin within Shandong Province were recently completed. Currently, the nation is accelerating the construction of a computing power industry ecosystem, with over 5,000 computing power application innovation projects collected, covering various fields such as finance, transportation, and urban governance. Next, the nation will further optimize the layout of computing power infrastructure, actively promote the construction of AI computing architecture and software ecosystems, and accelerate breakthroughs in a batch of landmark technological products and solutions. Concurrently, it will accelerate the creation of a unified national market for computing services, continuously improving the accessibility and usability of computing power.
China Space Station: Multiple Space Science Experiments and Tests Progressing Smoothly
Since the Shenzhou-18 crew entered China's space station on April 26, the three astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu have been in good physical and mental condition, and multiple space science experiments and tests are progressing smoothly. Last week, the three astronauts conducted force tests for the "Study on the Law of Operation Force Changes under Typical Long-term In-orbit Postures" project in the Tianhe core module, including double-arm push-pull force, single-arm push-pull force, double-arm rotational force, and handwheel rotational force. This project aims to compare and analyze the differences between Earth and space, as well as the law of operation force changes over time in microgravity environments, by collecting various types of operation forces at different periods before, during, and after flight, and further explore the mechanisms causing these changes. In the field of aerospace medicine, the astronaut crew conducted "muscle adaptability experiments," using space bicycle ergometers, space treadmills, and resistance exercise devices and related equipment, completing Achilles tendon stiffness tests, lower limb kinematics tests, and plantar pressure tests. This aims to analyze the dynamic changes in exercise adaptability during long-term weightlessness by combining non-invasive muscle function and exercise biomechanics before, during, and after flight with in-orbit exercise data, and establish a predictive model for the effectiveness of exercise protection against weightlessness-induced muscle atrophy. In addition, the three astronauts also carried out sample collection and storage and disposal for related projects in the field of space life science and human research, as well as replacing experimental samples in the fluid physics experiment rack. During their stay in orbit, the three astronauts will progressively conduct over 90 experiments and tests in fields such as space material science, space life science, and aerospace technology.
Drought Resistance and Summer Sowing Ensure Solid Foundation for Autumn Grain Harvest
Currently, some areas in the Huang-Huai-Hai region are experiencing continuous high temperatures and drought, which are adversely affecting summer sowing and the growth of emerging crops. Various localities are scientifically allocating water resources to combat drought, protect summer sowing, and lay a solid foundation for a bumper autumn harvest. Summer-sown grain accounts for a quarter of the annual grain area. Agricultural and Rural Affairs Department's agricultural situation monitoring shows that 60% of nationwide summer grain sowing has been completed. The next week is still the optimal sowing period for summer corn and summer soybeans in the Huang-Huai-Hai region, thus sufficient water resources are crucial for the survival of crop seedlings. To alleviate the drought in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, the Xiaolangdi Water Conservancy Project has increased its discharge flow to 1,800 cubic meters per second. This is the 6th time since June 6 that the Xiaolangdi Water Conservancy Project has precisely increased its discharge flow. In Puyang, Henan, a city along the Yellow River, local authorities are clearing and dredging river bottlenecks and blockages, fully combating drought and ensuring irrigation, currently diverting over 8 million cubic meters of Yellow River water daily. Large and medium-sized irrigation districts are important infrastructure for ensuring food security. Large irrigation districts such as Dayu Du and Jiama Kou in Yuncheng, Shanxi, have started full-capacity pumping to irrigate and protect summer sowing. Cihuaixin River Irrigation District is Anhui's third largest irrigation district. Currently, 21 pumping stations in Mengcheng County, Bozhou City, within the irrigation district, have been fully activated. On June 15, we visited Zhangfu River Irrigation District, Hebei's largest irrigation district. The Yuecheng Reservoir in the upper reaches has increased its discharge flow to provide water for downstream farmlands. In Huangkaihe Village, Linzhang County, Handan, Hebei, villagers are drawing water from branch canals to irrigate corn seedlings. Currently, 85% of the county's 740,000 mu of crops have been irrigated. The Ministry of Water Resources today (June 16) released the latest data showing that 417 large and medium-sized irrigation districts in drought-affected areas have currently irrigated 1.3 billion cubic meters of water, effectively alleviating the drought and providing support for a bumper autumn harvest.
Domestic News Snippets
The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters are fully engaged in flood control and emergency rescue work in Guangxi and other regions. Affected by heavy rainfall, 45 hydrological stations on 31 rivers in Guangxi exceeded warning levels today (June 16). Currently, the Guangxi Meteorological Bureau continues to maintain a Level III emergency response for meteorological disasters (heavy rain). Recently, the Office of the National Disaster Reduction, Relief and Aid Commission and the Ministry of Emergency Management coordinated and deployed over 3,000 engineering rescue personnel and 1,000 sets of equipment in Guangxi, Fujian, and Jiangxi to support local flood control and emergency rescue efforts. Ministry of Water Resources Releases 2023 China Water Resources Bulletin. Recently, the Ministry of Water Resources released the 2023 China Water Resources Bulletin. The bulletin shows that the total national water resources in the past year were 2,578.25 billion cubic meters. Water storage in large and medium-sized reservoirs generally increased, and lake storage remained relatively stable. The national total water consumption decreased compared to 2022, water efficiency steadily improved, and water consumption structure was continuously optimized. China-Europe Express Rail Freight Achieves Record Monthly Volume in May. According to China State Railway Group, the China-Europe Express operated 1,724 trains in May, dispatching 186,000 TEUs of goods, representing year-on-year increases of 14% and 13% respectively, setting a new monthly record for freight volume. Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link Passes Completion Acceptance. Guangdong Communications Group announced that the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, after seven years of construction, has successfully completed key projects such as the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge and the east and west artificial islands, fulfilling all construction tasks with qualified project quality. Today (June 16), the entire link passed completion acceptance and will officially open for operation by the end of this month. National "Safety Publicity and Consultation Day" Main Event Held in Chengdu. The main event of the national "Safety Publicity and Consultation Day," hosted by the Office of the State Council Safety Production Committee, was held today (June 16) in Chengdu, Sichuan, popularizing safety knowledge through science popularization exhibitions and equipment displays. Shandong, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Xinjiang, and other places also simultaneously carried out publicity and consultation activities such as emergency rescue drills and interactive experiences. Tuoba Hydropower Station's First Unit Put into Operation. The first unit (Unit 1) of the Huaneng Tuoba Hydropower Station, a key project of the national "West-to-East Power Transmission" initiative located in Diqing, Yunnan, has officially been put into operation. The power station has a total installed capacity of 1.4 million kilowatts. After all units are operational by the end of this year, it can provide over 6.23 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, equivalent to saving 1.913 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 5.223 million tons. Naval Hospital Ship "Peace Ark" Sets Sail for "Harmonious Mission 2024". The naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" set sail today (June 16) from Zhoushan, Zhejiang, to execute "Harmonious Mission 2024." During this mission, the ship will visit and provide medical services to 13 countries, including Seychelles, Tanzania, and South Africa, and make goodwill calls in France and Greece. This marks the 12th time the "Peace Ark" hospital ship has left China for missions since its commissioning. The 26th Shanghai International Film Festival Opens. The opening ceremony of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival, guided by the National Film Administration and co-hosted by China Media Group and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, was held last night (June 15). The theme of this film festival is "City of Film," with 50 films from 29 countries and regions nominated for the Golden Goblet Awards. The "China Film and Television Night" also centered on the theme of "Light and Shadow World, Chinese Stories" to promote the style of China's film and television industry to the world. CCTV's Large-scale Cultural Innovation Program "Exploring China through Ancient Slips" Concludes Tonight. China Media Group's large-scale cultural innovation program "Exploring China through Ancient Slips" will conclude tonight (June 16) during prime time on CCTV-1. This episode focuses on the more than 30,000 "Juyan Han Slips" unearthed from the Juyan site in the Han Dynasty, showcasing a historical panorama of frontier garrison life during that period. The program will also for the first time announce the launch plan for the compilation of 100 volumes of the "Chinese Slipology Series."
Israeli Military Says Eight Soldiers Killed in Rafah, Qassam Brigades Claim Attack on Israeli Armored Vehicle in Rafah
The Israeli military stated on June 15 that it continued its military operations in central Gaza Strip and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military claimed fierce clashes with Palestinian militants in northwest Rafah, killing several militants and destroying some explosive devices and military facilities. The Israeli military reported that an armored vehicle explosion in Rafah on that day killed eight Israeli soldiers, and the specific cause of the explosion is still under investigation. The "Qassam Brigades," the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), claimed on June 15 that its militants attacked an Israeli armored vehicle with rockets in Rafah on that day, causing multiple Israeli soldiers to be killed. The "Qassam Brigades" also claimed to have attacked Israeli targets in Gaza City and launched rockets into Israel. UN Agency Says Over 50,000 Gaza Children Urgently Need Treatment for Malnutrition. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) issued a statement on June 15 saying that due to continued restrictions on humanitarian access, the Gaza Strip continues to face severe hunger, and over 50,000 children in the area urgently need treatment for malnutrition. Israeli Military Claims Strikes on Hezbollah Targets in Southern Lebanon; Lebanese Hezbollah Claims Strikes on Israeli Command Posts. In addition, exchanges of fire continued near the temporary Israel-Lebanon border. The Israeli military stated on June 15 that Israeli aircraft struck multiple Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including a weapons storage facility and a military building. Lebanese Hezbollah issued a statement on the same day, claiming that its forces struck Israeli targets including an air traffic control base and an artillery command post in northern Israel.
Russia Claims Destruction of Ukrainian Equipment, Ukraine Claims Repelling Russian Attacks
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on June 15 that Russian forces repelled Ukrainian attacks in several directions, including Avdiivka, destroying Ukrainian tanks, armored vehicles, self-propelled artillery, and other equipment, shooting down Ukrainian drones, and intercepting multiple HIMARS rockets. The Ukrainian side stated on the same day that Russian and Ukrainian forces continued to engage in battles in Pokrovsk, Vovchansk, and other areas, with Ukrainian forces repelling multiple Russian attacks. Currently, fighting continues in some areas.
International News Snippets
Multiple Parties Demand US Remove Cuba from "State Sponsors of Terrorism" List. The Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77 and China issued a joint statement on June 14, demanding that the United States immediately remove Cuba from the list of "state sponsors of terrorism" and lift unilateral coercive measures against the Cuban people. The statement called on the US government to end the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed on Cuba for over sixty years, and reiterated strong opposition to unilateral sanctions against all developing countries. Chile Applies to Join RCEP. Sanhueza, Chile's Undersecretary for International Economic Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on June 15 that he had submitted a formal application to the ASEAN Secretariat in Indonesia on behalf of the Chilean government to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, hoping to become the first Latin American country to join the agreement. Sanhueza stated that joining RCEP will open up new opportunities for Chilean exports. To date, RCEP has fully entered into force for 15 signatory countries, including the 10 ASEAN member states, China, and New Zealand. Wildfire Erupts in California, US; Nearby Residents Evacuated. A wildfire erupted near an interstate highway in Gorman, Los Angeles County, US, on June 15. The local fire department stated that the wildfire quickly expanded to cover over 17 square kilometers. Local authorities issued emergency evacuation orders to nearby residents, and the affected highway was temporarily closed in both directions. The cause of the fire is currently unknown, and videos from a local parking lot show multiple cars burned.