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From September 19 to 20, the 12th China Intellectual Property Annual Conference (CIPAC) was held under the theme of "Intellectual Property Supporting All-Around Innovation" by the Intellectual Property Publishing House Co, Ltd (IPPH), in Jinan, Shandong Province. 

Encompassing more than 30 activities, the conference opened an exhibition covering an area of more than 8,000 square meters, with the numbers of exhibitors and exhibits both achieving a record high in the history of the CIPAC. After a three-year break, CIPAC returned to vividly tell the world about China's achievements in intellectual property (IP) and actively contribute to China's wisdom toward global IP governance.

The 12th CIPAC set up thematic sessions under the paradigm of 1+13. In the keynote speech section, several participants shared their insights on how IP supports all-round innovation. 

Wang Jianfeng, senior vice president and president of the Public and Government Affairs Department of Huawei Technologies Co, Ltd, introduced in his keynote speech that Huawei has invested more than 977.3 billion yuan ($133.9 billion) in R&D over the past 10 years, with the figure reaching 161.5 billion yuan in 2022, accounting for 25.1 percent of annual revenue, ranking fourth worldwide. Huawei is also the largest open source contributor in Asia, benefiting thousands of developers and users.

The area for the CSG Guangdong Power Grid Corporation, a strategic partner of this annual conference, was crowded during the two-day conference. The company showcased their latest R&D achievements in the field of energy and power science and technology, as well as innovative strength and technological breakthroughs. 

In the past five years, the company has applied for nearly 20,000 new invention patents and granted nearly 14,000 new patents, quickly accumulating the number of patents. It has actively participated in the national patent open licensing pilot program, and 40 high-quality patents have become the first batch of open licensed patents of CSG, accounting for 56 percent of open licenses. 

As the "host" of this annual conference, the award ceremony for the 2023 China-Shandong Driving Force Transition High-Value Patent Cultivation Competition (Xingao Competition) held at the annual conference has also become one of the most concerned parts for innovators in Shandong. 

Over the past four years, the Xingao Competition has attracted a total of 1,112 innovative projects. Through this competition, many participating enterprises have effectively improved their IP management capabilities, promoted the transfer and commercialization of innovation achievements, increased financing channels, and achieved remarkable economic and social benefits.

In fact, from interactive forum sessions to product roadshows and exhibition publicity, highlighting geographical characteristics to empower economic development has become a prominent attraction of this year's annual conference.

The "International Geographical Indication Exhibition Area," with a total of 55 planned booths and an exhibition area of about 2,500 square meters, demonstrates excellent geographical indication products at home and abroad, while providing more exhibition space for premium products from Shandong and Jinan.

South Korea has sought "active cooperation" from the US to resolve uncertainties regarding the upcoming expiry of a year-long waiver that allowed South Korean chipmakers to import US chip-making equipment for their production facilities in China, according to Reuters.

The development highlights the awkward situation faced by South Korea in terms of industrial chain and trade cooperation under US export controls. There is no denying that South Korea's industrial and trade policies have been subject to US influence and pressure, but the country's recent economic woes have made it clear that its cooperation with the US on certain industrial and technological restrictions against China could have serious consequences for its own economy. 

There is growing recognition that economic and trade cooperation between China and South Korea must seek new opportunities and potential to offset the impact of US interference, otherwise it will be hard for the South Korean economy to escape its current predicament. 

Given the shocks the US "decoupling" push has brought to regional trade and supply chain cooperation, the need to avoid cooperation from being hijacked by external forces applies not only to South Korea, but also to the entire East Asian economy.

It is against such a backdrop that senior diplomats from China, South Korea and Japan agreed on Tuesday to maintain communication on holding a leaders' meeting at the earliest opportunity convenient to all three countries.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday at a regular news briefing that the three countries unanimously believe that carrying out cooperation is in the common interests of the three parties, and they should work together to strengthen practical cooperation in the fields of the people-to-people exchanges, the economy and trade, scientific and technological innovation, sustainable development and public health, among others, to make new progress in trilateral cooperation and new contributions to regional peace, stability and prosperity.

The development certainly sends a positive signal for the trilateral cooperation mechanism. If anything, the potential restart of trilateral high-level meetings will have a positive impact on economic cooperation and political mutual trust among the three sides. 

After years of development, China, Japan and South Korea have formed relatively stable industrial chain and supply chain cooperation, which many see may have the potential to play a more important role in Asian economic integration and even the world economy. 

Unfortunately, the momentum of deepening cooperation among the three countries has been disrupted by external forces in recent years. In order to contain China's development, the US has roped in Japan and South Korea to promote its "decoupling" push from China. 

Moreover, South Korea and Japan have been aligning themselves with the US on a range of economic and security issues, escalating tensions in East Asia and creating obstacles and uncertainties for regional economic cooperation. Under these circumstances, China-Japan-South Korea economic and trade cooperation is at its lowest point in years, with no winner in the regional supply chain disruption.

For instance, South Korea's exports fell 8.4 percent year-on-year to $51.87 billion in August, marking the 11th consecutive month that exports fell on an annual basis, the longest period since January 2020.

The most urgent task facing the three countries is to stabilize supply chains and prevent regional economic exchanges from being driven by external forces to a deadlocked stalemate. 

To reboot the trilateral cooperation momentum, political sincerity to minimize external interference is crucial.

There is no doubt that China, Japan and South Korea have the economic basis of cooperation, and the biggest obstacle is from the geopolitical level, not economic one. Since the US pressure to break the chain may persist for a long time, if the three Asian countries want to stabilize cooperation, they must reach a consensus on how to strengthen internal cooperation, promote regional integration, and strengthen diplomatic coordination and other means to enhance the independence and sustainability of trilateral cooperation.

China, Japan and South Korea are important countries in East Asia, and to cope with challenges in the region, they need to join hands. If they cannot reject the influence of external factors or if they can be easily derailed from the trilateral cooperation track, the peaceful develo

Recently, the 15th Cross-Strait (Binzhou) Sunzi Cultural Forum was held in Huimin county, Binzhou city, East China's Shandong Province. Participants from both sides of the Taiwan Straits, experts and scholars from Sun Tzu's cultural research institutions and universities, people from economic and trade circles, representatives of young students and descendants of Sun Tzu gathered in Sun's hometown to study the wisdom of the soldiers, share the friendship between the two sides, promote cross-straits economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, and deepen cross-straits integration and development in various fields.  

At the main venue of the event, staff from the State Grid Binzhou Power Supply Company, responsible for the equipment, monitored the operation and load of the equipment in real time, and continuously monitored the load and temperatures of the large LED screen power supply branch box at the opening ceremony. The company took the initiative to connect with the organizers of the event, understand the load demand of the event venue and clarify the specific details of power conservation work. At the same time, it set up a power conservation leading group and set up professional and on-site work classes, and drafted power conservation work plan and emergency response plan in advance.

At the same time, State Grid Binzhou Power Supply Company organized special inspections, infrared temperature measurement and partial discharge tests on two key substations, one key transmission line and two 10 kV distribution lines critical to the activity; Investigate the hidden dangers of the power supply and distribution facilities of 20 customers' properties, in addition to managing risk. During the event,  a total of 100 personnel and 30 vehicles were deployed, more than 50 meters of temporary cables were laid, and 20 hidden dangers were eliminated, thus successfully completing this task.

China's road and waterway passenger trips logged strong expansion in the first eight months of this year, official data showed.

The country's road transport network handled about 2.97 billion passenger trips during the period, up 19.7 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Transport.

A total of 184.14 million passenger trips were made via China's waterways in the same period, skyrocketing 123.3 percent over one year earlier.

In August alone, passenger trips made via China's roads and waterways stood at 416.25 million and 35.93 million, respectively, the data also revealed.

Many cities in China, including Beijing, Central China’s Henan Province and North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, are experimenting with the nucleic acid self-testing, with the sampling done by individuals, with health officials responsible for guidance and sample collection.

“It's very convenient to complete nucleic acid tests at home without having to wait in line,” said several residents of Fengtai district in Beijing, describing their previous experience. Some neighborhoods in Beijing’s Fengtai have already launched at home self-testing.

The city of Ordos in Inner Mongolia and Xinxiang in Henan Province have also trialed self-testing in different forms. Residents can test at home through the collection swabs issued by neighborhood officials, or they can collect themselves at the nucleic acid testing stations located in and around residential compounds.

A resident from Inner Mongolia told the media that local residents can obtain cotton swabs at nucleic acid testing stations, and that health officials will help place the swabs into the sample tube after the residents complete their own sampling.

“There are workers on site to guide sampling which is fast and convenient, and it also avoids time wasting and risk of cross-infection,” said a resident who had used the service.

Several neighborhoods in Beijing’s Fengtai began distributing testing reagents to residents early in the morning. “We started distributing sampling tubes at 9:30 am, and collect completed samples at 15:00 pm in the afternoon,” a community worker said.

“The implementation of self-sampling is mainly in consideration of groups who have limited mobility,” a community worker told the media. “The service is focused on providing convenience to children and seniors.”

In addition, more than 300 new nucleic acid sampling machines appeared on the streets of Henan Province’s Xinxiang mainlyin shopping malls, supermarkets, schools and other public places.

These units can carry out testing using a cotton swab to wipe the back of the throat, after the device issued a "test passed" prompt, individuals place the cotton swabs into a waiting test tube.

This kind of machine only needs people to open their mouths at the unit following disinfection and temperature measurement, with a cotton swab to wipe their throats. “This type of test is more suitable for younger people,” a Xinxiang resident noted.

However, some experts also have doubts about whether this measure could be effective. “Nucleic acid testing has a series of collection procedures and specifications, and even some professionally trained medical staff cannot meet the full standards,” a Guangzhou-based medical expert told the Global Times on Sunday.

It is debatable whether requiring these residents to take a self-sampling of nucleic acid without any symptoms would be effective in detecting infections, Yang Zhanqiu, a professor of the pathogen biology department at Wuhan University, told the Global Times.

The China Space Station has successfully rolled out its first extravehicular radiation biology experimental payload outside Mengtian lab module, which is a device designed to study biological experiments under space exposure, and relevant tests have been carried out, the Global Times learned from the National Space Science Center (NSSC) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences on Thursday. 

It marked a first in the country's aerospace history to stage such biological experiments outside the spacecraft's cabin, which was hailed by Chinese scientists as a landmark event in the research and study of radiobiology and space science. 

According to Chinese experts, such a development also signified that the China Space Station, after entering its new development and application phase at the end of 2022, has increasingly tapped into its great potential in terms of space science, laying the ground for the country's future space exploration.

Such a radiobiology experiment device was jointly developed by the NSSC and the Dalian Maritime University. It will be mainly used to study the impact on model organisms of cosmic radiation and microgravity, and to study space radiation damage and protection, the origin and evolution of life, as well as space radiation. 

There are 13 sample boxes inside the device, which can be used to conduct in-orbit experiments on plant seeds, microorganisms and small animals. At the same time, each sample box unit can independently control the temperature to meet the survival needs of different sample organisms. Its cosmic radiation measurement includes both macroscopic radiation measurements and microscopic measurements of the sample.

The NSSC developers said that medical research based on such a device could play an important role in supporting taikonauts' long-term stay in orbit, future manned moon landing missions and other manned space projects. 

Pang Zhihao, a senior space expert, said that as there is no atmosphere on the moon, the cosmic radiation would have a big impact on taikonauts as well as their landing capsules. We can gather important data through space exposure experiments to make preparations in advance and to ensure the safety and health of our astronauts, said Pang. 

According to the NSSC, the device is in good working condition, meeting the demand for scientific studies. As the only space station extravehicular radiation biology experiment device, the device will carry out experimental work for a period of five years.

Space may look empty, but it contains extreme temperatures, high levels of background radiation, micrometeoroids and the unfiltered glare of the sun. Astronomers believe that there are ways to test the various components of space exposure individually on the ground, but the only way to get the combined effect of all of them at the same time is in orbit.

The International Space Station installed a similar platform codenamed MISSE to support space exposure experiments from 2001 to 2016, and updated this with a new one, the MISSE-EF in 2018, public records show. 

Huang Zhicheng, a senior expert on aerospace science and technology, told the Global Times on Thursday that China's space exposure biological experiments would focus more on human factors. That is to say, medical studies on astronauts' well-being when they are long exposed to cosmic radiation would be prioritized in the process. 

According to Huang, by doing so, China would accumulate valuable experience to support manned moon landings and even Mars landings in the future. "It will be a key technology development process to ensure taikonauts' health, especially for the long trip to Mars and back to Earth."

Huang said that the China Space Station has been serving as a platform to help improve the country's space technology, ranging from spacecraft technology to energy supply and life support systems. The time has come for it to make breakthrough in the more complicated space development and application fields. 

A total of 145 children from border regions and areas that receive aid met at the Three Gorges Dam in Central China's Hubei Province over the weekend during a themed summer camp to learn about the great achievement of the project.

The event aims to inspire students' sense of national pride, confidence, and the spirit of progress. As well as a field trip to the Three Gorges Dam in Yichang, Hubei, there are various activities such as visiting the Three Gorges Power Station, Three Gorges Project Museum, and the Yangtze River Rare Fish Breeding Center.

The majority of the participating students are from ethnic minority regions such as North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. These areas are also designated areas for aid and support from the Three Gorges Group.

"I flew on a plane for the first time, and it was my first time on a ship. I'm so happy!" said Zubaiyier Maimaitijiang from Xinjiang's Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture. "The scenery of the Three Gorges is beautiful, and the Three Gorges Dam is magnificent!"

"This is the first time I have left my hometown to participate in an educational activity, and I've gained a lot. Seeing the majestic Three Gorges Dam makes me very happy," said Luobu Cuomu, from Dingqing county, Xizang.

Since 2006, nearly 10,000 outstanding students from primary and secondary schools in areas targeted for aid, as well as ethnic minority regions, have participated in this activity organized by the China Three Gorges Corporation, which can also contribute to the development of educational endeavors in these regions.

The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday dismissed the appeal of a former university student who had pleaded guilty to violating the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong, which experts noted was an "instructive, authoritative, and binding" ruling that upholds the spirit of the rule of law.

Lui Sai-yu, who was a student from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was sentenced to five years in prison in April 2022 by the district court in the HKSAR after being accused of "inciting others to commit secession." Lui didn't accept the decision and asked for an appeal. On November 30, 2022, the High Court of the HKSAR dismissed the appeal and upheld the sentence.

The district court in HKSAR had decided that the starting point for Lui's prison term should be five years and six months, then six months were deducted to reflect his guilty plea, RTHK reported on Tuesday. 

Normally a defendant who admits to his or her crimes receive a one-third reduction, but the six-month reduction was the maximum allowed under the NSL for Hong Kong, which specifies that those who commit a serious secession offense shall be required to serve a sentence of at least five years, but no more than 10 years, said the report.

During Tuesday's judgment, the judges refuted the appellant's argument that a five-year prison sentence should have been the starting point for sentencing - which would allow for actual sentences to be below the threshold, according to the report.

This case is of special significance in determining the legislative intent of the NSL for Hong Kong regarding the establishment of a mandatory minimum sentence. In fact, the appellate dispute of the case is whether the five-year minimum sentence for "serious cases" is a "sentencing guideline" or the "final sentence," Louis Chen, a member of the Election Committee and general secretary of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Article 33 of the NSL for Hong Kong clearly states that provisions related to lighter or reduced punishments do not include pleas of guilt; thus, defendants should not receive reduced sentences. Taking the crime of murder, which requires a mandatory life sentence, as an example, it emphasizes that mandatory punishments truly reflect the severity of the crime. The sentencing mechanism of the NSL for Hong Kong should prioritize deterrence, and not all mitigating factors apply, Chen said.

Willy Fu, a law professor and vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, also welcomed and supported the ruling made by the court.

Fu pointed out that the NSL for Hong Kong is a national law and therefore holds a paramount position. The law needs to be coherent, compatible, and complementary with local laws. However, when inconsistencies arise between the NSL for Hong Kong and the local laws of the HKSAR, Article 62 of the NSL for Hong Kong should be given priority. 

This principle also applies to the interpretation of sentencing provisions in the NSL for Hong Kong. Therefore, local sentencing laws and principles fully function within the sentencing framework set by the law.

In the judgment released on Tuesday, the Court of Final Appeal in the HKSAR also correctly noted that "[local] sentencing laws must therefore operate in tandem with the NSL to achieve the aim of safeguarding national security, giving priority to NSL provisions in case of inconsistency." 

The law aims to prevent, stop, and punish crimes endangering national security. It should adhere to the rule of law, respect and safeguard human rights, combat the very small number of criminals endangering national security, protect the legitimate rights and interests of the majority of citizens, maintain HKSAR's prosperity and stability, and ensure the steady and far-reaching practice of One Country, Two Systems, Fu said. 

The court's ruling on the mandatory sentencing guidelines for the crime of secession under the NSL for Hong Kong, specifically regarding cases of "serious circumstances," which require a prison sentence of five to 10 years, clearly indicates that mandatory punishments reflect the severity of the crime. 

"This ruling is instructive, authoritative, and binding, upholding the spirit of the rule of law. Its significance is profound and deserves the support of the general public," Fu said. 

The National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) has urged China's newly-built and projected nuclear power plants to fully consider water intake issues, in a bid to ensure the safe operation of nuclear power facilities.

During a recent meeting, the administration emphasized that relevant departments should improve water intake procedures due to changes in climate and sea environment over the years, to further ensure the smooth operation of nuclear power plants. This was stated by NNSA's official social media account on Monday.

The meeting was convened after Japan released nuclear-contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean on Thursday. China halted aquatic product imports from Japan from that day and condemned Japan's actions as an irresponsible attitude towards the Chinese people and humanity as a whole.

The meeting underscored that the design of all newly-built and projected nuclear power plants should prioritize the security of water intake. Relevant hydrological, climatic, and marine biome data should be collected and monitored, and then utilized in professional research to address potential challenges in the sector.

Ice removal may soon become a lot easier. Researchers have developed a new method for making ice-phobic surfaces by altering the density and slipperiness of spray-on polymer coatings.

The process, reported online March 11 in Science Advances, could lead to a wide range of long-lasting ice-repellent products including windshields, airplane wings, power cables and frozen food packaging, researchers say.

Scientists know that ice easily detaches from softer, less dense materials. Further adjusting the density of rubber polymers used to make the coatings and adding silicone or other lubricants such as vegetable oil, cod-liver oil and safflower oil amplifies the effect, Anish Tuteja, a materials science engineer at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues found.
In multiple laboratory and field tests, ice slid off treated surfaces under its own weight or when it was pushed by mild wind. The researchers further tested the coatings’ durability on various surfaces such as metal license plates and glass panes. The coatings performed well through two Michigan winters and retained their ice-repelling properties after controlled exposure to icing and heat cycles, corrosive substances such as hydrochloric acid, and wear and tear.

The process has already yielded more than 100 different coatings tailored for specific surfaces, including metal, glass, wood, plastic and cardboard. Tuteja says his team is working on licensing the materials for commercial use.