Uzbekistan-Hong Kong Business Forum Held in Hong Kong

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — The Uzbekistan-Hong Kong business forum on investment and green industry development was held in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Monday. Participants discussed issues related to deepening bilateral trade and economic cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Uzbekistan, which is one of the hubs for the implementation of the said initiative in the Central Asian region, and Hong Kong, which is a hub of interconnectedness in Asia, can form complementary partnerships, Qiu Yinghua, Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong SAR Administration, noted at the event.

He added that bilateral cooperation covers finance, trade, aviation, digital economy, green initiatives, culture, education and other areas.

At the forum, representatives of trade and economic circles of Uzbekistan spoke about the investment climate and opportunities of their country. On the same day, the Uzbek center for investment and development of green industry officially opened in Hong Kong.

During a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjaev on Monday, Hong Kong SAR Chief of Staff Li Jiachao said that in recent years, trade and economic relations between Hong Kong and Uzbekistan have been growing at a steady pace, which allows for joint efforts to open up more space for cooperation.

He welcomed Uzbek enterprises' use of Hong Kong's advantages to expand the market and achieve mutual benefit and win-win. -0-

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Special Report: Chinese Language Learning Boom Sweeps Mongolia

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

ULAN BATOR, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — It's early morning in Ulan Bator… a busy day is starting in the waking city. Enkhbat, a 19-year-old student, arrived early at the Chinese language testing center to take the HSK exam.

“I am a second-year student and I want to take the exam this year to test my Chinese language skills and prepare for studying abroad in the future,” Enkhbat said, adding that he is originally from Mongolia’s Khentii province, where his parents are cattle breeders. He was introduced to Chinese by chance.

In the summer of 2023, Enkhbat went to Ulaanbaatar with his father to sell cashmere products and met a Chinese businessman there. Since there was no translator, the deal ultimately fell through, which the father deeply regretted. That day, patting his son on the shoulder, he said, “You need to learn Chinese at university.”

After entering the university, Enkhbat chose the specialty “Chinese language” and plans to study in Shanghai after graduation. “China has a large market, the potential for Chinese-Mongolian trade is unlimited,” Enkhbat said.

Like Enkhbat, more and more young people in Mongolia are now keen to learn Chinese. According to Cheng Shengli, director of the Confucius Institute at the National University of Mongolia (NUM), the number of people learning Chinese is now second only to English among foreign language learners in the country.

Currently, Chinese is taught in 18 public primary and secondary schools and over 40 private schools in Mongolia, and over 150 more primary and secondary schools are planning to add it to the curriculum. The Confucius Institute at MSU, the Confucius Institute at the Mongolian National University of Education, and two more institutes at other universities, as well as the Confucius Classroom at Yucai School, serve as an important platform for Chinese language teaching and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Jia, a teacher at Khishig Secondary School, said that her students enjoy learning Chinese, singing Chinese songs and watching Chinese TV series. Some learn lines from their favorite Chinese actors and actresses.

The “Chinese Bridge” competition also aroused the enthusiasm of Mongolian students in learning Chinese. Hulan, a junior high school student at Caihong Middle School in Darkhan, participated in the finals of the 4th “Chinese Story Competition” among Mongolian high school students on May 23 this year. She told the story “Nezha Defeats the Dragon King” /”Nezha 2″/ and won third place.

“The Chinese Language Bridge helped me improve my Chinese grades and also realize that the Chinese language holds a wealth of treasures waiting to be discovered,” Hulan said.

In recent years, Mongolian schoolchildren and students have been very enthusiastic about the Chinese Bridge Competition. Every year, participants use it as a “training ground” for learning Chinese, turning each preparation and each stage of the competition into a valuable opportunity to improve their Chinese language proficiency.

According to Cheng Shengli, the Chinese Language Bridge is not only a competition, but also a way for Mongolian students to immerse themselves in the world of Chinese. This allows them to see not only the charm of the language, but also the endless opportunities that cultural exchanges between the two countries can bring. –0–

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India rejects US, EU criticism over Russian oil imports

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

NEW DELHI, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — India on Monday slammed sanctions by the United States and the European Union (EU) against it for importing oil from Russia, calling them "unjustified and unreasonable."

In a written statement, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India's energy imports from Russia are important to ensure affordable and predictable fuel prices for Indian consumers.

The statement came shortly after US President Donald Trump threatened India with significant tariff increases over its purchase and sale of Russian oil.

"The very countries that criticize India are themselves supporting trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national necessity," the official spokesperson said in a statement.

He stressed that India's decision to buy Russian oil at reduced prices was made after the conflict began, when traditional energy suppliers began to redirect their flows to Europe. "At that time, the United States even encouraged such purchases by India as a way to stabilize global energy markets," he added.

Also highlighting the imbalance in trade between the EU and Russia compared to India, he noted: “In 2024, the EU’s trade with Russia was worth €67.5 billion. In addition, trade in services was valued at €17.2 billion in 2023. This is significantly higher than India’s total trade with Russia in the same period and thereafter.” –0–

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Uganda to host nearly 2 million refugees by end of 2025 as crisis escalates – UN

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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

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — Uganda, which already hosts 1.93 million refugees, is on the brink of hosting 2 million refugees by the end of 2025 due to escalating crises in Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said on Monday.

The crises in Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo are forcing an average of 600 people a day to cross borders in search of safety and life-saving assistance, Haq said at a daily briefing, citing the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Uganda is already the country hosting the largest number of refugees in Africa and the third largest in the world, he said.

Uganda's progressive refugee policy allows refugees to live, work and access government services, but funding shortfalls are dramatically impacting aid delivery and threatening to undo years of progress, he said.

Uganda's refugee response is currently only 25 percent funded and UNHCR is calling for more urgent and sustained international support and solidarity to ensure refugees and their host communities can live safer and more dignified lives, the UN Secretary-General's deputy spokesman said. –0–

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Farmer-poets in China capture changes in villages in verse

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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

BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — Surrounded by orchards of ripening peaches, Lyu Yuxia captures her rural life in poetic language and short videos that have earned her nearly 1.7 million followers on short-video platform Douyin, China's equivalent of TikTok.

"Poetry gives me spiritual food and I hope to help more people see the real and beautiful countryside through it," said the 53-year-old farmer from eastern China's Shandong province.

Lü Yuxia is not alone in her poetic journey. As China pushes ahead with agricultural modernization, more and more farmers are freed from heavy physical labor, and now have more time to read and write.

As China’s first poetry organization founded by farmers, the Chunni Poetry Society in Shandong has expanded its activities to include more than 2,000 members in seven provinces. Over the years, it has held a variety of events, including village poetry competitions, forums, and festivals. However, the society is not the only one of its kind in China, with rural poets’ organizations springing up in different parts of the country.

In northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the number of farmer-poets has grown to more than 150, covering many counties in Kashgar and Aksu prefectures. In 2023, these farmers released their second poetry collection, "Love in the Heart," which includes more than 200 poems.

"They capture the beauty of Xinjiang's villages in simple but sincere language," said Xiong Hongju, secretary general of the Xinjiang Literary and Art Workers Association.

For many farmer-poets, inspiration comes from everyday life – an improving environment, rising living standards and hard-working neighbours are vividly depicted in their works, he noted.

Between 2013 and 2020, China's poverty alleviation strategy lifted nearly 99 million rural residents out of poverty. All Chinese now have stable access to food, clothing, compulsory education, basic healthcare, safe housing, and clean drinking water.

Lei Wen, a farmer-poet from southwest China's Sichuan Province, has witnessed these rural changes.

Born in the 1960s in the mountainous city of Bazhong in Sichuan, Lei Wen remembers how poor his homeland was. “Because of the poor transportation, people didn’t even have enough food and clothes,” he recalls.

But now the city has become a regional transport hub, and local residents can drive right up to their homes.

“Green hills, crystal streams, chirping birds and fragrant flowers – with such an abundance of inspiration, how could we not write poetry?” asks Lei Wen, adding that as material life improves, the thirst for knowledge and cultural enrichment among locals becomes stronger.

To consolidate the achievements in poverty alleviation and satisfy the people's aspirations for a better life, China has adopted a rural revitalization strategy in which cultural revitalization plays an important role.

Chinese authorities are making efforts to revitalize the cultural ecosystem in rural areas. They are encouraging better rural cultural services, partnerships between urban and rural cultures, and folk cultural activities.

As part of this work, Nankai University in Tianjin, northern China, launched a poetry training program in villages in 2021, sending teachers and students to give poetry lectures in rural areas across China.

“By guiding rural children to interpret poems through paintings or their own words, we hope to plant the seed of poetry in their hearts,” said Chen Xiaoyun, a literature professor at the university. -0-

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D. Trump threatens to 'substantially' raise tariffs on Indian goods, India says it will take necessary measures

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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

NEW YORK, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to "significantly" raise tariffs on goods imported from India, citing India's purchase and resale of Russian oil.

“Not only does India buy huge amounts of Russian oil, but it then sells much of that oil on the open market at a huge profit,” Trump said on Truth Social.

According to the order signed by D. Trump on July 31, a 25 percent duty will be imposed on Indian goods imported into the United States from August 7.

In addition, the US President previously said that he would impose a fine for India's purchase of Russian oil, but did not provide details.

In early April, D. Trump announced 26 percent tariffs on Indian goods in addition to the 10 percent basic tariffs, but then he suspended their introduction.

In response to Trump's new threat, the Indian Foreign Ministry said that "targeting India is unjustified and unwise" and that oil imports are meant to "ensure predictable and affordable energy prices" for Indian consumers.

“Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to protect its national interests and economic security,” the ministry said in a statement on its website.

According to the Office of the US Trade Representative, the US trade deficit with India in 2024 was $45.8 billion, up 5.9 percent from 2023.

Many countries strongly oppose the recent unilateral US tariff measures. –0–

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China-Central Asia Go Invitational Tournament Kicks Off in Xinjiang

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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

URUMQI, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — The China-Central Asia Lanke Cup invitational tournament in Go (weiqi checkers, a game that originated in ancient China around 2,000 BC) kicked off in Wushi County, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Monday.

The three-day competition involves 10 teams of players from eight countries, including China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia and Mongolia.

At the opening ceremony of the event, the China Weiqi Society signed and renewed strategic cooperation agreements with the Weiqi Associations of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, respectively. The parties intend to disseminate the Chinese amateur Weiqi ranking system and strengthen Go exchanges among youth and teenagers. -0-

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Courses for young filmmakers from China and Central Asia conclude in Xinjiang

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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

BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — A high-level course for young filmmakers from China and Central Asian countries, which started on July 30, concluded in Horgos, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Monday, the local government said.

49 young directors, screenwriters, and producers from China and five Central Asian countries took part in the courses, which are part of the China Film Association's program for exchanges between middle-aged and young film enthusiasts within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

During the 6-day training, leading Chinese film industry experts and renowned innovators in the country gave lectures on such aspects as directing, screenwriting, photography, film editing, producing and the film market.

The event, the main organizer of which was the Film Arts Center of the All-China Association of Literary and Art Workers, was aimed at strengthening humanitarian exchanges between China and Central Asian countries, as well as cultivating a new generation of high-class specialists in the field of cinema. -0-

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Shandong Normal University to Send Students to Russia as Part of Cultural and Language Studies Program

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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

BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — Shandong Normal University (SNU), located in eastern China's Shandong Province, will send 30 students to participate in a summer study program in Russia in August 2025, the university's official website reported.

According to the information, in order to further expand the students’ global outlook and cultivate their awareness of internationalization, in August 2025, SPU plans to organize a project for students called “Summer Study and Research Program in Russia-2025”. The program recruits 30 full-time undergraduate and graduate students who have studied Russian for at least one year. The participants will go to Kuban State University /Krasnodar/, where they will study Russian language and culture for two weeks.

The main part of the educational practice will take place in the city of Krasnodar in the Krasnodar region. Students will meet with Russian students, visit theaters and museums, take part in master classes, which will deepen their understanding of Russian culture. Cultural and familiarization trips to the resort town of Gelendzhik on the Black Sea and the Guam Gorge in the Caucasus region are also planned for a deeper acquaintance with the Black Sea region.

The project is reportedly another international exchange program of Shandong Normal University. By combining language learning with practical cultural experience in the country of the target language, the program helps deepen youth exchanges between China and Russia.

The program is also an important component of the humanitarian cooperation between Shandong Province and Russia in 2025. -0-

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NSU biology students will take part in the final of the international SynBio Challenge competition in China for the first time

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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The final of the international SynBio Challenge competition will be held in Shenzhen (Guangdong Province, China) on August 6. The competition is organized by the Shenzhen University of High Technology. A total of 1,800 students registered to participate in the competition, of which about 1,000 participants from six countries of the world – China, Russia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia – made it to the final. Our country is represented at these competitions by only two teams – from the Biological Faculty of Moscow State University and Faculty of Natural Sciences (FNS) of NSURussian teams are taking part in the competition for the first time.

The GeneMeow team included six students of the NSU Natural Sciences Department who completed their 3rd year in Biology: Valeria Romanova, Ekaterina Bolotova, Nail Bikeev, Nikita Ivanov, Ulyana Borovikova and Dmitry Kurbatsky. GeneMeow was formed from two strong teams that had previously participated in the Biotournament, won prizes in its regional stage and received a second-degree diploma at the final in 2024. Participation in the Biotournament allowed them to gain experience in solving interdisciplinary problems in biology, publicly defending ideas to experts and project work. The students joined forces to jointly solve problems at the intersection of biology and engineering.

All the guys from the NSU team regularly participate in student Olympiads and are engaged in scientific activities at the institutes of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, combining their studies with research and educational activities.

The selection round of the competition was held in absentia in April-May; participants were offered a choice of several problems, one of which the students had to solve.

— In the SynBio Challenge, we solved the problem of developing a DNA sequence no longer than 140 bp, providing high expression of GFP (green fluorescent protein) in E. coli. It seemed familiar and interesting to us, since we had already studied molecular biology at the university, have laboratory experience and are well acquainted with the methods of genetic engineering. This gave us confidence in our abilities and the desire to apply our knowledge in practice, — said the captain of the GeneMeow team, Valeria Romanova.

— We conducted a bioinformatics analysis of regulatory elements, studied relevant literature and modern approaches to increasing gene expression. Based on this, we developed an optimized design that includes strong promoter (a region of a gene that triggers the synthesis of mRNA and then protein) and post-transcriptional (regulatory) elements and is aimed at efficient expression of GFP. Such developments are relevant for medicine, biotechnology, agriculture and fundamental research, — said GeneMeow team member Ulyana Borovikova.

The final will be held in person and will be a festival, where each team will present their solutions to the problems at the selection stage. In addition, the organizers of the competition synthesized the DNA sequences proposed by the participants, inserted them into plasmids with a fluorescent protein gene, which is used to check the DNA sequence, and during the festival they will visualize the synthesized sequences, compare which team has them glowing more strongly. The brightness of the glow will be one of the criteria for assessing the work of each team.

— NSU has historically developed leading scientific schools in synthetic biology and bioinformatics. This year, the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies is opening a Master's degree program in Industrial Pharmacy, where students will work on solving specific problems of industrial partners. At one time, the iGEM-Siberia team became the first team from outside Moscow to take part in the world's largest competition of genetically engineered machines, iGEM-2021. This year, our Chinese colleagues invited us to take part in SynBio Challenge, an international competition of comparable scale. I hope that the team will return with a victory; the guys have been working on the project for a long time and will present a poster presentation at the festival. The development of biomedical technologies is a global trend. I am very glad that we always find support for students' initiatives at our university! — commented Sergey Sedykh, PhD, Senior Lecturer at the NSU Natural Sciences Department, and judge of the SynBio Challenge competition.

The participation of the NSU team in the international competition is financed within the framework of the academic mobility project of the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies of NSU Priority 2030 programs.

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