China Eastern flight returns after engine fault

A China Eastern Airlines plane, MU736 heading for Shanghai, returned after an engine fault was detected shortly after its take-off from Sydney Sunday night. No one was injured.

The company said a damage on the air inlet of the aircraft’s left engine was “timely” noticed by the crew, and the captain “decisively” made the decision to return. The plane landed safely.

An investigation continues while the airline is taking good care of the passengers.




Scholar: Chinese innovative talent education should go beyond knowledge

Innovative talent education in China should look beyond mere knowledge accumulation, and protect curiosity and imagination and cultivate sound values in students, said Qian Yingyi, counsellor of China’s State Council in Beijing on June 9.

Qian Yingyi, counsellor of China’s State Council and also dean of School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University, delivers a lecture on innovative talent education in Beijing on June 9. [Photo/Xinhua]

In a lecture, Qian, who is also the dean of School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University, said the innovation-driven development of a nation requires innovative talents with creative thinking, with this quality dependent not only on knowledge but also curiosity and imagination.

Qian’s remarks came in the wake of China’s annual national entrance exam, in which a record 9.4 million students took part this time,

He said that, though China is the most populous country in the world and educates the world’s largest number of students, its achievements in science and technology, arts and humanities, new products, brands and business model remain scanty.

“Why is there the shortage of innovative talents under our education system?” Qian reiterated the question which was once raised by Qian Xuesen, Father of the Chinese missile program, 25 years ago. The answer was that the education of innovative talents required an innovative approach of its own.

He highlighted several critical factors – curiosity, imagination and sound values for future educational reform to reflect on.

In his view, the notion “knowledge is power” seems to prevail however, education does not equal knowledge. He quoted a few sentences from the world-renowned physicist Albert Einstein, to highlight the factors that he thought should be valued in education reform, namely: “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious” and “imagination is more important than knowledge’. He Illustrated the thought in a formula “creativity = curiosity /imagination * knowledge.” Qian said knowledge invariably accumulates with time, but it is not the same case when it comes to curiosity and imagination, which depend more on the educational environment and methods.

The curiosity and imagination so intense during childhood may fade away with time or under pressure, especially under exam-oriented education, so student curiosity and imagination should be protected to become innovative talents, he stressed.

In the lecture, Qian also emphasized the cultivation and guidance of sound values in students under innovative talent education. He said that innovative education should guide students to have a “purpose” and even a “higher purpose” to overcome any anxiety about achieving quick success and gaining instant benefits.

Only by educating students to uphold sound values can there be more innovations, and, indeed, more revolutionary innovations, he emphasized.




Chinese submersible Jiaolong to dive in Yap Trench

China’s manned submersible Jiaolong surfaces after its dive in Yap Trench, June 9, 2017. Jiaolong completed its 150th dive on Friday since 2009. [Photo/Xinhua] 

China’s manned submersible Jiaolong will conduct two dives in the Yap Trench on Sunday and Tuesday.

The upcoming dives will be the final dives of China’s 38th oceanic scientific expedition that started on Feb. 6, according to scientists on the ship.

Before reaching the Mariana Trench and the Yap Trench in June, Jiaolong had successfully completed two stages of operation in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.

Jiaolong descended to 6,488 meters in the Yap Trench on Friday, which was its 150th dive since August 2009.

Jiaolong reached its deepest point of 7,062 meters in the Mariana Trench in June 2012.




Chinese delegation calls on Japan to properly handle Tibet-related issues

A Tibetan delegation of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China has informed Japanese officials and friendly groups about the current situation in Tibet and called upon Japan to properly handle Tibet-related issues.

During a five-day visit that concluded on Saturday, the delegation met with former President of Japan’s House of Councilors and Chairman of Japan-China Friendship Center Satsuki Eda, Chief Secretary of Japan-China Parliamentary Friendship Association Yoshimasa Hayashi, as well as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Shunsuke Takei.

Heading the Tibetan delegation, Duoji Ciren, member of the standing committee of the People’s Congress of Tibet Autonomous Region, said China has been sticking to the principle of developing bilateral relations with Japan based on the four political documents and the four-point principled agreement between the two countries and in the spirit of taking history as a mirror while looking forward to the future.

He stressed that Tibet-related issues concern China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, urging Japan to respect China’s core interests and major concerns on related issues and properly handle such issues.

Duoji also said Tibet has been developing fast since it was liberated over half a century ago, with the full support of the central government, help from the whole nation and efforts of all ethnic groups of Tibet.

Currently, Tibet is working toward the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects along with the whole nation, with all social undertakings thriving and people of all ethnic groups living and working in peace and contentment in the autonomous region, he added.

Eda, for his part, said it is important to maintain the friendship between the two countries as well as the two peoples. The Japanese parliament has established a regular exchange mechanism with the NPC, and the Japan-China Friendship Center has also invited Chinese youth to visit Japan on a regular basis to promote mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

Hayashi and Takei said the visit of the Tibetan delegation provided a good opportunity for the Japanese side to learn more about the situation in Tibet, and Japan is willing to deepen communication and cooperation with China in all areas so as to further improve bilateral ties.

The delegation also held seminars with Japanese scholars and overseas Chinese in Japan during the visit.




China sends eight work safety inspection groups

China has sent eight inspection groups to local governments and enterprises to make sure workplace safety-related problems will be discovered and eliminated, according to an official statement.

As the fourth batch of inspections by the Work Safety Committee of the State Council, the groups went to Inner Mongolia and Tibet autonomous regions; Shanghai municipality; provinces of Gansu, Hainan, Hubei and Qinghai; and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

The inspectors, who will pay random visits to local companies, are tasked to detect problems in work safety and promote the rectification, the committee said in a statement.

Local governments and departments will be held accountable if local checks failed to discover major work safety hazards in companies, or if local authorities did not punish companies after major problems had been detected, the committee said.

After the completion of the new inspections, the committee’s inspection tours since last year will have covered all the country’s provincial level regions, according to the statement.