President Xi Jinping (4th R) meets with parliamentary leaders of Nordic and Baltic countries in Beijing, capital of China, Jan 10, 2018. The delegates include Finland's Speaker of Parliament Maria Lohela, Norway's Olemic Thommessen, Iceland's Steingrimur J. Sigfusson, Estonia's Eiki Nestor, Latvia's Inara Murniece, Lithuania's Viktoras Pranckietis and Sweden's deputy speaker Eva Thalen Finne. [Photo/Xinhua] China and countries of the Nordic and Baltic regions should respect each other's core interests and major concerns following a principle of mutual benefit, equal treatment and inclusiveness, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday. Xi made the remark while meeting with a delegation of speakers from seven Nordic and Baltic countries, who are visiting China from Sunday to Saturday at the invitation of China's top legislator, Zhang Dejiang. It is the first time for the speakers from Nordic and Baltic countries to jointly visit China. By choosing to visit China, you show that you attach great importance to developing relations with my country, and we, too, share the same readiness to develop relations, Xi said. Calling it a new form of communication, Xi said the joint visit of speakers from Nordic and Baltic countries marks a new era of political mutual trust and exchanges. The president called for joint efforts to integrate each other's development strategy, expand practical cooperation and enhance Belt and Road Initiative cooperation to share the development opportunities brought by the interconnectivity of Eurasia. China and the Nordic and Baltic countries should keep a strong momentum on the high-level exchanges, enhance communication, boost understanding, set aside disagreements and seek common ground, Xi said. Noting that the relations between China and the Nordic and Baltic countries have gained momentum in recent years, Xi said that China and the countries are beginning to work in new areas of cooperation based on traditional areas of practical cooperation. I do hope that high-level interactions like this one will help deepen mutual understanding and trust between the two sides, leading to stronger cooperation and a flourishing of ties between our countries, Xi said. During the meeting, Xi introduced the economic and social development situation and China's diplomatic policies. China proposed building a community of shared future for mankind at the CPC's 19th National Congress, which is the goal of China's diplomacy in the new era, Xi said. The delegates congratulated Xi on the success of the CPC's 19th National Congress and expressed admiration for the CPC's people-centered goals. They spoke highly of China's achievements in economic development, improvement of people's livelihoods and poverty reduction. On behalf of the delegation, Maria Lohela, Finland's speaker of Parliament, expressed their gratitude for the reception, saying that the delegates have had an excellent program in Beijing. In a group interview after she met Xi, Lohela said, One thing that particularly amazes me is the way Chinese people and the Chinese leadership plan ahead and look into the future. This is something we could learn from China. Beside Lohela, the main delegates include Olemic Thommessen, Norway's president of the Storting, or Parliament; Steingrimur J. Sigfusson, Iceland's speaker of the Althingi; Eiki Nestor, Estonia's speaker of the Riigikogu; Inara Murniece, Latvia's speaker of the Saeima; Viktoras Pranckietis, Lithuania's speaker of the Seimas; and Ewa Thalen Finne, Sweden's deputy speaker of the Riksdag, a news release said. Cao Yin contributed to this story. order rubber bracelets cheappersonalized wristbandsdesign rubber braceletswristbands with a messageplastic rubber band bracelets
Researchers harvest a variety of saltwater-tolerant rice in Qingdao, Shandong province, in September. [Photo/China Daily] Research led by Chinese scientists has revealed the rich genetic diversity of rice and paved the way for more precise breeding of one of the world's most important crops. More than 12,000 previously unknown genes have been identified. The findings, which were published on Thursday in the science journal Nature, will promote global research on the rice genome - including breeding at the molecular level - and accelerate the creation of new rice varieties of superior quality, high yield and improved resistance to multiple biological and other stresses, according to the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, which led the research. Using the latest sequencing technology, researchers involved in the project analyzed 3,010 rice samples collected from all over the world, and identified a large number of genetic variations, including 29 million single nucleotide polymorphisms, the smallest unit of genetic variation, said Li Zhikang, the project leader from the academy's Institute of Crop Sciences. The research effort - called the 3,000 Rice Genomes Project - was launched in September 2011 by CAAS, International Rice Research Institute, which is based in the Philippines, and BGI-Shenzhen, a leading genome research institute in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. It was joined by 16 universities and institutes from China and abroad, according to the CAAS. Funding has been provided by the Chinese government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The 3,010 samples were from 89 countries and regions, and contain about 95 percent of the total genetic code of the species, it said. It is predicted that the world's total rice output will double by 2050 to meet the needs of an increasing population. That poses great challenges to breeding new varieties that will fill human needs, according to the CAAS. In China, rice is the most widely consumed staple food, it said. With better knowledge of genomic variations, scientists may be able to design rice according to human needs, said Liu Chunming, director-general of the CAAS Institute of Crop Sciences. The discovery of a large number of new genes and genetic variations is important to future rice breeding, which relies on that variation, he said. Previously, about 36,000 rice genes had been identified, he said. Traditionally, rice breeding is guided by selection experience, which requires years and may be ineffective. But with better knowledge, researchers can more easily breed new varieties to meet human needs, he said. For example, scientists may design a specific rice variety for people with diabetes so they don't have to worry about the immediate rise of blood sugar, he said. Li, the project leader at the crop sciences institute, said a database for functional rice genomics and breeding will be built for further research. Chu Chengcai, a scientist at the Institute of Genetics and Development Biology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the findings of the project will help researchers worldwide in functional rice genomic research and promote more precise and customized breeding. It is of great importance to food security in China and the world, he said.
