CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Thursday, June 17, 2021 | 3 TOP NEWS Li inspects Passed with flying colors Jilin, urges opening-up
Premier says northeastern provinces need more talent and technology
By XU WEI products based in Fujian province, [email protected] Li commended the company’s deci- sion to expand its investment in Premier Li Keqiang highlighted Songyuan. on Wednesday the crucial role of He underlined the importance of reform and opening-up in revital- a good business environment to izing old industrial areas in attract more investment to North- Northeast China, saying that the east China, saying that the compa- region must attract talent and ny should convey greater technology to boost its attractive- confidence to its peers that the ness to businesses. region not only boasts a good Speaking with foreign business investment environment but also leaders during a fact-finding trip to good potential for growth. Jilin province, the premier extend- Li also visited Chagan Lake in ed an invitation to more small and Songyuan, a national nature medium-sized enterprises to invest reserve that has become a tourist and start new businesses in China, attraction in recent years due to its pledging that the nation will pro- winter fishing traditions that date High school and middle school graduates participate in a festive color run in Chongqing Happy Valley on Wednesday to have some fun vide a level playing field. back about 1,000 years. after all the hard work studying for exams. CHINA NEWS SERVICE Li was on a two-day tour, visiting He praised the lake’s rich ecologi- Songyuan on Tuesday and Chang- cal resources, saying they played a chun, the provincial capital, on key role in improving the ecology of Wednesday. surrounding areas. Jilin is one of China’s most It is important to make persist- Visit: Party focuses on well-being of people, envoy says important grain production areas ent efforts to protect the environ- as well as a manufacturing hub for ment before undertaking orderly automobiles. The region, which efforts to develop tourism, he From page 1 into the world’s largest ruling and see on the ground what the He also praised the CPC’s great used to rely overwhelmingly on added. political party with more than 91 truth is in China.” contributions to other countries, heavy industry for growth, has The premier also spoke with “When we say ‘successful’, this is million members. Baudelaire Ndong Ella, Gabon- particularly in the fight against the struggled to maintain its develop- founders of startups at a business the reality that shows this success. “It has led China to develop ese ambassador to China, said he ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ment momentum in recent decades incubator in Changchun, where he China is functioning very well in through consistent reform and was impressed by the CPC’s strong “We received vaccines, we with young people leaving the inquired about the difficulties all aspects, even compared to opening-up and made spectacular commitment to staying true to its received medical support, and province. their businesses faced and the sup- some highly developed countries,” achievements. This is something mission and its people-centered most of the countries in Africa Jilin’s economy grew by 14.9 per- port they hoped to get from the Belortaja said. we cannot see elsewhere. That’s development philosophy. received them from China. Can you cent year-on-year in the first quar- government. “If you fly over China, you see why I think everybody now is very “The CPC always reminds its imagine one country helping ter of this year, compared with the He pledged continuous support the infrastructure of China, which interested to see the Chinese members to ‘never forget why you almost one entire continent and national average of 18.3 percent measures to smaller firms for is amazing and very impressive. experience,” Jabbour said. began’. That’s very important. I providing its support to most of the over the same period. their financing procedures to The role of the Communist Party She suggested people should think that’s why until now China countries in the world?” the Li urged the province to continue maintain their vitality and growth of China in all these achievements learn more about the history of the is always progressing,” he said, Gabonese diplomat added. expanding opening-up to North- momentum. is obvious.” CPC and China. “This is very adding the CPC also focuses on the “And the CPC’s important con- east Asia and to improve its com- Li encouraged the incubator to Milia Jabbour, the ambassador important because we have real well-being of the Chinese people, tribution to the world is Presi- petitiveness in markets in the give full play to the strength of of Lebanon to China, said that the stories here. So seeing by your own has eliminated absolute poverty dent Xi Jinping’s vision of region and around the world. every startup and help them get CPC is the “backbone” of modern eyes, it’s completely different from nationwide and keeps making building a community with a At a subsidiary of Panpan Foods, through their difficulties to create China as it developed from a small listening to what others might say. efforts to enable the people to live shared future for mankind. That a leading processor of agricultural more successful firms. party with dozens of members You can compare the two versions a better life. is very important.”
Commander takes place Astronauts to tap abundant experience
Nie Haisheng in China’s space history Major General Nie Haisheng, 56, a native of Hubei province, joined the By ZHAO LEI during summer and winter vaca- People’s Liberation Army Air Force in at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center tions, such as carrying timber or June 1983. A veteran astronaut, he is [email protected] packing tea, to earn the tuition fees the incumbent head of the PLA Astro- for the next semester. naut Division. Major General Nie Haisheng will When he was about to graduate Nie was an experienced pilot in become the second Chinese astronaut from high school in the summer of an Air Force fighter jet regiment involved in three spaceflights, after 1983, the People’s Liberation Army before being selected in January his peer Jing Haipeng, as the country Air Force opened its annual recruit- 1998 as one of the nation’s first is set to launch its seventh manned ment drive for trainee pilots. He astronauts. space mission on Thursday morning. applied and was admitted to an Air He was one of the two alternates to Nie is commander of the three- Force flight academy. Yang Liwei, who was chosen to con- Nie Haisheng Liu Boming Tang Hongbo member crew of the Shenzhou XII After four years of hard training, he duct China’s first manned spaceflight mission, which will be lifted into orbit graduated with outstanding scores in October 2003. by a Long March 2F carrier rocket at and was deployed to a fighter jet unit. In October 2005, Nie performed Liu Boming In September 2008, he took part the PLA Air Force in September the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center During his 10 years with the unit, his first space mission onboard the Major General Liu Boming, 54, a in the Shenzhou VII mission with 1995 and was gradually promoted in northwestern China’s Gobi Desert. Nie flew a total of 1,480 hours in Shenzhou VI spaceship with Fei Jun- native of Heilongjiang province, Zhai Zhigang and Jing Haipeng, to the post of group commander of Born in September 1964, Nie is the three types of fighter jets and was long, fulfilling the country’s first mul- joined the PLA Air Force in June 1985 staying nearly three days in space. a fighter jet regiment. sixth child of a large farming family in decorated for his good skills and tiday crewed spaceflight. and served as squadron commander During the mission, he assisted Tang became a member of the sec- Yangdang township in Hubei province. service performance. In June 2013, he carried out his of a fighter jet regiment before Zhai in carrying out the first extra- ond group of astronauts at the Astro- Having six sisters and one younger In the winter of 1995, three years second space journey on the 15-day becoming one of the founding mem- vehicular activity by a Chinese naut Division in May 2010 and was brother, he grew up in a poor village after China’s top leadership Shenzhou X mission with Zhang Xiao- bers of the PLA Astronaut Division in astronaut. chosen in May 2016 as an alternate to house and witnessed his parents approved the country’s current guang and Wang Yaping. January 1998. the two-member crew of the Shenzhou struggle to work their farmland to manned space program, the Central Nie, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo In June 2005, Liu was selected as Tang Hongbo XI mission. make ends meet. Military Commission decided to were selected for the Shenzhou XII an alternate for the Shenzhou VI mis- Senior Colonel Tang Hongbo, 45, Nie recalls that his parents often start selecting astronaut candidates. crew in December 2019. sion’s two-member crew. a native of Hunan province, joined ZHAO LEI worried when the time came to pay Military authorities stipulated that for their son’s primary school tuition, the candidates should be chosen and it was not uncommon for them from the ranks of veteran Air Force to borrow the money from relatives pilots with at least 600 flight hours in or neighbors. He also remembers fighter jets or attack aircraft. More that one time his parents could not than 1,500 pilots applied for the posi- Stringent training will help fulfill spacewalk mission borrow the fee and had no choice but tions and after several rounds of to tell him to give a rabbit to the strict tests, only 14 passed the final teacher in place of the tuition money. selection process. By ZHAO LEI their departure. the Tianhe core module’s condition. Tang Hongbo, who will embark Nie’s father died of disease when In January 1998, Nie and his 13 male at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center “Therefore, we have received Liu took part in the three-day on his first space trip, said at the he was 14. As the eldest son, he had to comrades became the founding mem- comprehensive, systematic and Shenzhou VII spaceflight in Sep- meeting that he has been undergo- leave school and start farming as he bers of the PLA Astronaut Division. Astronauts on the Shenzhou XII stringent training,” he said. “We will tember 2008 with Zhai Zhigang and ing demanding training for 11 years was obliged to help his mother and He has already taken part in two mission have undergone intensive strive to make every extravehicular Jing Haipeng. He and Zhai worked and passed many selection rounds older sisters support the family. spaceflights — the Shenzhou VI in Octo- training and exercises for their task successful through our cooper- together to conduct the first, and so and tests to qualify for the Shenzhou Fortunately, the schoolmaster and ber 2005 and Shenzhou X in June 2013. planned extravehicular activities, ation and with support from ground far only, spacewalk by Chinese XII mission. his class teacher came to Nie’s family Nie said he felt honored when commonly known as spacewalks, control.” astronauts. “This will be my first mission, so I after hearing about the boy’s difficul- President Xi Jinping came to the Jiu- according to Liu Boming, a member During the planned spacewalks, During the operation, Zhai stayed do feel the pressure in my mind,” he ties. They managed to persuade the quan Satellite Launch Center before of the crew. astronauts will wear a new-genera- out of the spacecraft for about 15 told reporters. “But I am convinced family to allow him to continue with Shenzhou X was launched to wish “Compared with the extravehic- tion, domestically developed extra- minutes while Liu moved the upper that pressure can translate into his studies and told the boy that his the crew a safe, smooth journey. ular operation in the Shenzhou VII vehicular suit, Liu said, adding that half of his body out of the craft for motivation, and our confidence is a tuition fees would be reduced and Another unforgettable moment mission, extravehicular activities one maneuver will involve him several minutes to assist Zhai. guarantee of success.” the school would provide him with took place during the mission when in this coming mission will be standing on a mechanical arm. “It was a great honor for us to Tang said the crew will unite as some used textbooks. Xi came to the Beijing Aerospace much longer and more sophisticat- Ji Qiming, assistant director of undertake the country’s first extra- one and strive to build the Chinese The hardships Nie underwent in Control Center to speak with Nie and ed, and I believe that there will be the China Manned Space Agency, vehicular activity,” Liu recalled. “We space station into a “home in space childhood and adolescence taught his crew members. The president difficulties and challenges,” Liu said on Wednesday at the Jiuquan had some difficulties, but we were for the Chinese nation”. He added he him diligence, fortitude, caring and encouraged the crew to complete said at a briefing for reporters at center that astronauts will make two determined to accomplish our task is looking forward to seeing his gratefulness, he said. their tasks with full success and the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Cen- lengthy spacewalks during the mis- and wave our national flag in outer “beautiful motherland and home- When Nie studied at a local high wished for their safe return, accord- ter in Northwest China on Wednes- sion and use external mechanical space no matter what happened. town” when the spacecraft flies over school, he would find part-time jobs ing to the astronaut. day morning, one day ahead of arms to install equipment and check Finally, we made it.” China.