Hesheng, a captive-bred panda, died in September 2016, two months after being released into the wild in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding announced Friday. The male panda, born in 2013, had undergone tr… read more
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Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson of China’s Ministry of National Defense (MOD), responds to media questions at a routine press conference on March 30, 2017. [Photo by Chen Boyuan/China.org.cn] |
The Chinese military once again expressed its firm opposition to the deployment of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system in South Korea, stressing its opposition “will never be just in words.”
Senior Colonel Wu Qian, Ministry of National Defense (MOD) spokesperson, speaking at a routine press conference on March 30, said China was serious about opposing THAAD.
“The deployment of THAAD will never make South Korea any safer. The Chinese military’s opposition against THAAD will never be just in words,” he insisted.
The MOD’s strong stance came after two THAAD launchers, along with support equipment, were delivered to a U.S. base in South Korea, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. Analysts said that THAAD might be fully operational in April.
Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, recently impeached on corruption charges, agreed to the THAAD deployment on the grounds of the nuclear threat from North Korea.
Sr. Col. Wu refuted this. He said that China opposes any country jeopardizing another state’s safety, as well as regional stability, under the pretext of the ballistic missile threat from North Korea.
Apart from China, Russia also opposes THAAD, believing it disturbs the regional strategic equilibrium. On March 28, Chinese and Russia military delegates held their second meeting on joint anti-ballistic missile issues in Geneva on the sidelines of the Conference on Disarmament.
Their first meeting was held last November during the 7th Xiangshan Forum in Beijing. Soon afterwards, they conducted a joint computerized anti-ballistic missile (ABM) test.
As to whether the next such test would involve a live firing, the MOD spokesperson responded only vaguely.
“The THAAD system deployed by the United States and South Korea far exceeds the defense needs of South Korea,” he said, citing a memo issued after the Geneva meeting. “We oppose any country deploying the military facilities whose capacities are beyond their own defense requirements.”
Recent American reports speculated that North Korea might conduct its sixth nuclear test shortly. Hence, both the United States and South Korea stepped up their vigilance, and were keen on knowing whether the PLA would strengthen its border defenses with North Korea in case of such a nuclear test.
The MOD spokesperson declined to respond to a “hypothetical question,” but emphasized that the Chinese military maintained normal combat readiness and training.
read moreAn amphibious aircraft AG600 is displayed for the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province, Nov.1, 2016. [Photo by Chen Boyuan/China.org.cn] China’s large amphibious aircraft AG600 wi… read more
President Xi Jinping visits the construction site of Beijing’s new airport in southern Beijing on Feb. 24. [Photo/Xinhua] The draft of the urban overall plan of Beijing for 2016 to 2030 has been completed under the guidance of Beijing authorities… read more
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Students play Tai Chi Chuan at school. [File Photo] |
The news of Tsinghua University linking swimming ability with bachelor’s degrees has made waves on Chinese social media recently. But Tsinghua is not the first or the only university in China that sets up special compulsory courses.
Apart from Tsinghua, several other Chinese universities, including Peking University, Xiamen University and Sun Yat-sen University, have at least once made swimming a prerequisite for graduation.
However, some of them have changed it to optional due to an increased number of students and the shortage of swimming space.
While listing swimming as a required course may lead to campus swimming pool overload, Tai Chi Chuan class is convenient to promote, because it requires limited teacher and special resources.
Prof. Wang Yunbing, director of Xi’an Jiaotong University’s sports center, said, “Tai Chi Chuan is not only a sports exercise to help keep fit, but also a tradition embodying ancient philosophical ideas. Moreover, students can practice it with little space”.
“The once-a-week class teaches the basics of Tai Chi Chuan, namely, the simplified 24 forms. Most of the students are interested in learning them. When the test approaches, we practice the movements all around the campus,” said a senior student surnamed Tang from the university’s foreign language school.
Located in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, Xi’an Jiaotong University is a comprehensive university which traces back to 1896.
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