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China is ready to cooperate with Saudi Arabia to take bilateral relations to a new level, according to the Chinese Foreign Minister.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

RIYADH, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said Sunday that China has always regarded Saudi Arabia as a priority in its Middle East diplomacy and an important partner in its global diplomatic strategy, and is willing to work with Saudi Arabia to elevate bilateral ties to a higher level.

Wang Yi made the remarks at the 5th meeting of the Political Subcommittee of the China-Saudi Arabia High-Level Joint Commission in Riyadh, which he co-chaired with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

According to him, the kingdom is an important member of the Arab and Islamic worlds and an independent force in the process of multipolarity.

Wang Yi noted that in recent years, under the strategic leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in all areas have developed soundly and sustainably. Relations between China and Saudi Arabia are increasingly transcending bilateral cooperation, acquiring greater strategic significance and global influence, the diplomat noted.

He stressed that China is ready to work with Saudi Arabia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries.

Wang Yi called on both sides to firmly adhere to the established direction of bilateral relations, firmly support each other on issues concerning core interests, better coordinate cooperation in various fields, continuously enrich the content of the comprehensive strategic partnership, and elevate bilateral ties to a new level.

Noting that next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, Wang Yi stated that China is willing to further strengthen high-level contacts with Saudi Arabia and welcomes Saudi leaders to visit China next year to attend the second China-Arab States Summit. He added that China looks forward to working with the Kingdom to ensure the success of the summit.

Wang Yi also said that China is willing to maintain close coordination with Saudi Arabia in preparation for the 5th meeting of the China-Saudi Arabia High-Level Joint Commission to support and ensure the smooth progress of major bilateral agendas next year.

Stressing that China and Saudi Arabia are important economic and trade partners, Wang Yi said China will continue to expand opening-up during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), creating new opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

He called on both sides to strengthen cooperation in areas such as energy and investment, while expanding cooperation in new areas including renewable energy and the green transition.

China welcomes the increased inflow of Saudi funds and supports Chinese enterprises in investing and doing business in Saudi Arabia. Wang Yi also expressed hope that the Kingdom will continue to create favorable conditions for Chinese businesses.

The two sides should also strengthen exchanges in culture, tourism and other fields, promote people-to-people contacts, deepen mutual understanding and strengthen the fraternal friendship between the two peoples, Wang Yi said.

He stressed that China supports Saudi Arabia in its efforts to play a more significant role in international and regional affairs, host Expo 2030 Riyadh, and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Saudi Arabia on international and regional platforms to realize genuine multilateralism and safeguard international fairness and justice.

In turn, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud stated that relations between the two countries are currently experiencing a period of active development, with the comprehensive strategic partnership constantly deepening and practical cooperation yielding fruitful results. He noted that close interaction between the two heads of state has served as a guideline and allowed them to define a clear plan for the development of bilateral relations.

He said Saudi Arabia firmly adheres to the one-China principle, highly values China's development achievements, and is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges, learn from China's best practices, and deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and the circular economy to achieve mutually beneficial and win-win results.

Saudi Arabia looks forward to the 2nd China-Arab States Summit and the China-GCC Summit to be held in China in 2026, and is ready to make all necessary preparations and actively advance negotiations on the China-GCC Free Trade Agreement, the Saudi minister noted.

Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud added that Saudi Arabia invites more Chinese enterprises to invest and conduct business in the country and is ready to offer them more preferential terms.

The Saudi diplomat noted that his country highly values China's important role in international affairs, supports a number of global initiatives put forward by Xi Jinping, and is ready to strengthen multilateral interaction and coordination with China to protect the common interests of developing countries and jointly advance the process of multipolarity, he added.

The parties also exchanged views on international and regional issues, including events in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Following the meeting, the foreign ministers of the two countries signed an agreement on mutual visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic, service, and special passports. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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The world's largest ice and snow theme park will open in northeast China.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

HARBIN, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — The world's largest ice and snow theme park, the 27th Great World of Ice and Snow Festival, will open to visitors on Dec. 17 in the "ice city" of Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

This year, the park set a record for area, reaching 1.2 million square meters, and the volume of ice and snow used will be 400,000 cubic meters. This year's theme is "Ice and Snow, a Fairytale World."

The park will feature three main landscape axes, a large-scale themed parade, an outdoor stage, and a new 5,000-square-meter inflatable pavilion. The park will also feature technological elements such as smart lighting and interactive systems powered by artificial intelligence.

The park is set to host a number of events, including the opening ceremony of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, international ice sculpture competitions, snow football matches, ice hockey matches, and a New Year's Eve concert.

Tickets are available for pre-purchase through the official WeChat account of the Great World of Ice and Snow Festival, as well as through other online platforms, including Meituan and Alipay. From December 17th to 23rd, a discounted adult ticket price of 298 yuan (approximately $42) will be available, after which the price will return to the standard price of 328 yuan.

In addition to the Great World of Ice and Snow Festival, Harbin is also promoting two other major winter activities: the 1.5 million square meter Taiyangdao Island (Sun Island) Snow Sculpture Exhibition and the Songhuajiang River Ice and Snow Carnival (Sungari River), which features approximately 260 snow sculptures and 60 ice and snow entertainment facilities, respectively. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Picturesque snowy landscapes in different parts of China

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) — Snow-covered lands in China look picturesque after winter snowfall.

BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) — Snow-covered lands in China look picturesque after winter snowfall.

BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) — Snow-covered lands in China look picturesque after winter snowfall.

BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) — Snow-covered lands in China look picturesque after winter snowfall.

BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) — Snow-covered lands in China look picturesque after winter snowfall.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Yuri Tavrovsky: Japan's aggression against China and the atrocities committed against the Chinese are crimes against humanity.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

On December 13, the 12th National Remembrance Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre, the Central Archives of China released a package of declassified archives provided by the Russian side, covering the period from May 11, 1939 to December 25, 1950, containing trial transcripts of Unit 731 members, investigation reports on the unit's crimes, and internal official correspondence of the Soviet Union authorities.

On August 19 of this year, the FSB Public Relations Center published declassified documents on its official website about criminal experiments on humans conducted by Unit 731 in China.

"When speaking about World War II, people in Russia often repeat, 'No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten.' This remains true as long as new generations are reminded of the heroism of those who fought fascism and the crimes of fascists, both European and Asian," said Yuri Tavrovsky, Deputy Chairman of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society, in a written interview with china.org.cn.

"The publication of new declassified materials about Unit 731 is particularly timely on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It will help us better understand the scale of the catastrophe that was being prepared in the Harbin laboratory for the peoples of China, the Soviet Union, Korea, and other countries. Japan's aggression against China and the atrocities committed against the Chinese are crimes against humanity," he emphasized.

"While attending meetings of the Russian Military Historical Society, I've heard more than once about our experts' work on captured Japanese documents. I believe the publication process will continue as the scholarly preparations are completed. These documents, along with publications by Chinese military historians, will undoubtedly further strengthen the understanding of the shared historical destiny of Russia and China," he said.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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The SPbGASU Project-Based Learning Center, in collaboration with Metropolis, is engaging students in large-scale construction projects.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

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Sergey Bryuzgin leads the elective class. Second from left – Kirill Sukhanov

The Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering strives not only to provide students with fundamental knowledge but also to prepare them for practical work by introducing them to real-world projects during their studies. One of the partners providing this opportunity has been Metropolis company.

This academic year, as part of the "Project-Based Activity" elective course organized by our university's Project-Based Learning Education Center (PBEEC), two student project groups were formed under the supervision of Sergei Bryuzgin, Head of the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Department at Metropolis. "Collaboration with universities is an investment in the future. We understand that to develop a qualified specialist, it is necessary to participate in their training alongside the university. Therefore, Metropolis has been supporting SPbGASU students through various project activities for many years," notes a company representative.

The first of the project groups, Team No. 7, is developing a project for a multifunctional sports complex with an ice arena, and the second, Team No. 8, is developing a project for a museum of contemporary art.

Thirty-six students have signed up for the proposed projects and are actively working on them. The project teams include architects, designers, heating and ventilation engineers, water supply and sanitation engineers, electrical engineers, an estimator, and a TIM coordinator.

SPbGASU students gain invaluable experience by consulting with specialists from the company, which handles all stages of design, including concept development, design documentation, tender documentation, working documentation, author supervision, and technical audit.

"The students on my team are developing a design for a multifunctional sports complex with an ice rink. It's a very complex, yet exciting project. During the case consultations, Sergey Bryuzgin answers numerous student questions, shares his experience designing unique facilities, and provides recommendations for project presentation and defense," noted Kirill Sukhanov, the mentor of Team No. 7 and Acting Head of the Department of Heat, Gas Supply, and Ventilation.

Team 8's curators, Elena Aleksandrova, Associate Professor of the Department of Construction Economics and Housing and Utilities, and Nikita Orlov, Assistant Professor of the same department, explained that the distinctive feature of their architectural design is that the museum is located entirely underground. This is the first time the designers and engineers have encountered such a project, but it's all the more interesting to explore, especially under the guidance of experienced designers.

SPbGASU's Center for Professional Development notes that collaboration with Metropolis offers a unique opportunity for the university to participate in major construction projects. "We are open to new joint projects and are always happy to welcome such professional and passionate partners to our university," says Center Director Inna Sukhanova.

On December 24, the project defense for the "Project Activity" elective will take place. However, the work won't end there: participants will refine their projects, incorporate the committee's recommendations, and next summer will defend their comprehensive TIM theses (an innovative format for defending TIM theses—a collective one, in which a group of graduates from different faculties and fields of study, each responsible for their own component, defends a common project). And, of course, Metropolis will support the teams throughout the defense.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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NSU celebrated International Volunteer Day

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

On December 5, Novosibirsk State University hosted a gala evening dedicated to International Volunteer Day. The event was organized by Humanitarian Institute (GI) NSU. Student volunteers, representatives, and event organizers of the GI NSU gathered in Room 212 of the Rector's Office to informally celebrate the volunteers' contribution to the life of the Humanities Institute.

The event took the form of a team game with competitions aimed at developing creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills—skills that are especially important in volunteer work.

The competition program opened with a captains' competition. Five future team captains were selected from among the participants. They were asked to find original solutions to unconventional volunteer situations. For example, what to do if pies for guests at an event suddenly disappear, or if a guest scientist's laptop stops working. The captains' work was assessed by a jury consisting of representatives of the NSU Research Institute: Tatyana Morozova, Deputy Director of the Research Institute, and Tatyana Belitsa, Deputy Director of the Academic Affairs Institute.

After this, the participants continued the competition in teams. The first task was badge creation: the children had to come up with a team name and design their own logo. Next, the volunteers competed in improvisation and artistry contests, where they had to confidently read text and fill in the blanks, as well as a task testing attentiveness and accuracy—"sorting," in which participants sorted objects in a box and counted their number.

Another competition focused on explanation and communication skills: participants were asked to describe the meaning of a word without using related words. The program concluded with a "photo hunt"—teams had to take five photos on the university grounds according to set conditions.

Olga Shishkina, a third-year student majoring in Fundamental and Applied Linguistics at the NSU Humanities Institute and a volunteer at the Humanities Institute headquarters, shared her impressions of volunteer work:

Volunteering provides a unique experience. It's about overcoming challenges, discovering new skills, and communicating. The real-life interactions are incredibly rewarding. My advice to those just starting out is to not be afraid, try new things, participate in activities you enjoy, and make new connections.

The volunteer also noted that her fondest memories remain of working with children and schoolchildren at the NSU summer school:

"Interacting with schoolchildren, telling them about the school experience, how to apply, motivating and supporting them—it's incredibly valuable. You feel like you're truly helping people."

Ruslan Seitov, assistant professor at the Department of Oriental Studies at the Novosibirsk State University, expressed his gratitude to the volunteers:

Thank you very much for your work. It's wonderful to see young people interested in social and scientific activities that benefit the university. Volunteering teaches you to think outside the box and solve complex problems—we've proven this time and again. The conferences and events at the NSU Humanities Institute went very well this year, and the volunteers deserve a lot of credit for that.

As part of the celebration, certificates of appreciation were presented to the most active participants in volunteer events, and team and individual awards were announced. These included "Most Friendly Team," "Most Creative Team," "Most Resourceful Team," "Most Photogenic Team," and "Most Versatile Team." Volunteers also received special awards for their linguistic intuition, crisis management skills, and contribution to event organization.

Even though many of the participants were meeting each other for the first time, the teams quickly worked together, demonstrating courage, creativity, and excellent teamwork skills.

Celebrating International Volunteer Day at NSU was not only an opportunity to say "thank you" to volunteers, but also an opportunity to once again highlight the importance of the volunteer movement at the university.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Li Zhiying found guilty of violating the National Security Law /detailed version-1/

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

HONG KONG, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — Li Zhi-ying, the mastermind of anti-China riots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), was found guilty on Monday of two counts of conspiring to collaborate with external forces and one count of conspiring to publish inflammatory materials. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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China's AI industry will exceed 1.2 trillion yuan in 2025.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — China's core artificial intelligence (AI) industry is expected to exceed 1.2 trillion yuan (about 170 billion U.S. dollars) by the end of 2025, according to a research institute under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) noted at an industry forum recently held in Beijing that the development of artificial intelligence technology has reached a turning point, accelerating the transition from technical innovation to the creation of real productive forces.

This year, the aforementioned academy noted significant improvements in large-scale artificial intelligence models, with their language capabilities and multimodal understanding capabilities improving by 30 percent and 50 percent, respectively.

The embodied AI sector, which combines large-scale models with robotics, is also growing rapidly, having secured over 40 billion yuan in funding and involving more than 350 companies across the entire industrial chain.

Beyond AI, CAICT also unveiled a roadmap for next-generation connectivity at the event, predicting that China will launch commercial 6G applications around 2030, with large-scale deployment expected by 2035. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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NSU has developed a system for the automatic recognition of decision books from volost courts dating back to the early 20th century.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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Master's student Faculty of Information Technology Stepan Gudkov (NSU Faculty of Information Technologies) has developed software that automates the recognition of handwritten historical documents, specifically the decision books of volost courts that existed in Russia in the early 20th century. The project aims to introduce these court decisions, which reflect many aspects of the lives of Siberian peasants, into scientific circulation. The development is part of Stepan Gudkov's master's thesis, which he is preparing under the supervision of Vladimir Borisovich Barakhnin, Doctor of Engineering Sciences and Professor in the Department of General Informatics at NSU Faculty of Information Technologies.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the peasant class in Russia had so-called volost courts, which dealt with civil matters. Their decisions were recorded in thick journals, bound with cord and sealed with a seal. They represent a treasure trove of information—a description of the lives and daily routines of Russian and Siberian peasants in the pre-revolutionary era.

"Although these are court documents, they're not really about the court; they're about life in its various manifestations. Reading these decisions, we get a picture of the different peasant occupations, learning about their daily lives, their daily concerns, their personalities, and their habits. We see all this diversity in the decisions of the volost court. They give us a glimpse of peasant Russia, which later disappeared during the 20th century, when the country became completely different. It's a photographic portrait of peasant Russia," said Alexey Kirillov, senior researcher at the Institute of History, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences.

Thus arose the idea of making this knowledge accessible to a wide range of historians and interested individuals, not just selecting 100 solutions, but digitizing and recognizing a large number of documents, presenting them in a form understandable to the modern reader, so that all this would be easy and accessible.

"By my estimates, at the beginning of the 20th century, volost courts across Russia issued approximately 1 million decisions annually. Of these, only a tiny fraction have survived. Archives in Siberia currently contain several tens of thousands of decisions, and across the country, I believe, we can count on hundreds of thousands. To introduce them into scholarly circulation and begin studying them, they first need to be recognized and translated into modern text. We are currently manually transcribing them, which is a very labor-intensive process. I can give you an example: we will soon publish two books presenting several hundred volost court decisions. This work took us three years. If we set the goal of recognizing the texts of all decisions, then, if done manually, it would take several decades. The use of information technology, however, allows us to automate and significantly speed up this work," added Alexey Kirillov.

Historians approached the NSU Faculty of Information Technology with this task. To introduce a handwritten historical document into scientific circulation, it's not enough to simply digitize it as an image; it must be recognizable in text form.

"The text must, at a minimum, be indexed, with all words extracted. Then the text must be processed, extracting the most important general terms describing the subject matter of a given decision; the document must be cataloged. Then it will be possible to assemble a comprehensive information system that will allow specialists and the general public to access decisions of the district courts. Where should we begin here? Of course, with the translation of the handwritten text, its recognition, and its conversion into a machine-readable format," explained Vladimir Barakhnin.

Existing text recognition systems are not applicable to such documents due to various characteristics, so it was necessary to develop an algorithm suitable for working with handwritten documents.

When recognizing handwritten texts, specialists face a number of challenges that must be addressed. First, the volost court decision log is composed of ruled pages, including vertical ones. However, in reality, writing wasn't always done strictly in columns; often, the text ran continuously across the page, making it difficult to understand. Second, there are different handwriting styles. Although the volost register was typically written by a single scribe and a certain number of documents were written in the same handwriting, handwriting varies from book to book. Third, pre-revolutionary orthography differs from modern orthography. Finally, the scribes' limited literacy and the use of various abbreviations and proper names all complicate text recognition and processing.

To solve the problem of recognizing such texts, NSU developers applied machine vision algorithms that allow them to recognize lines, individual symbols, and letters.

"The system takes as input an image of a page from a book of decisions of rural district courts. It is broken into several small fragments, each of which is divided into individual lines of text, which can be done using neural networks like YOLO. After this, the image of the line must be converted into text. There are several approaches: running a dynamically sized window over the line, cropping the letter images and feeding them to the recognition model (an ensemble of convolutional neural networks can be used); solving the problem of transforming a sequence (handwritten text) into a sequence (printed text) using convolutional recurrent neural networks or transformer-based networks, which requires a large number of manually transcribed lines to train the model; or using a training method with a small number of training samples, which we have not yet tested and has an undeniable advantage since it requires very little data to train the model. The recognized text will, of course, contain errors, so post-processing is required: at least checking it against dictionaries. The result should be a text file containing the recognized text," Stepan Gudkov explained.

A machine vision algorithm has now been developed that helps train a neural network to recognize words as a set of symbols, without any processing or correction. Further refinement of the algorithm is intended to enable the system to suggest possible spellings and corrections based on meaning and context, allowing a human to decide which version is correct.

"Further text processing requires some thought; reading word-by-word doesn't produce a perfect result; errors and recognition difficulties are possible. Solving this problem with IT alone will be difficult; we need to develop an application that, when it encounters unfamiliar words, underlines them, marks them for correction, and suggests the most likely variants. Therefore, it's essential to involve specialists with a humanities background," Vladimir Barakhnin added.

The future plan is to create a full-fledged information system with search interfaces. In such a system, each document is provided with all metadata, all words are extracted, and it is machine-readable. The system allows for contextual searching and selection by various criteria—by village, person, case category, etc.

In the future, this development can be applied to the analysis of any handwritten documents from archives—letters, diaries, etc., created in the pre-revolutionary period—from the mid-19th century, when the modern Russian language emerged, until 1917.

Photo: Photos used from https://volsud.sibistorik.ru/

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Shaoxing: City Lake Park Attracts Visitors

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

The Didan Lake Scenic Area, located in the Yuecheng District of Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, is an urban park that combines natural landscapes, recreational opportunities, and a modern look. It has become a popular spot for outdoor recreation and sports among locals and tourists.

Photo by a Xinhua News Agency correspondent.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.