Foreign news

Ecological Development Picks Up Steam In China’s Fujian Province, As Agricultural Talents Sent To Villages For Farming Tips

Published

6 years ago

March 25, 2021

From expanding the use of reusable energy and desert greening to setting a concrete target for China’s CO2 emission peak, the country is making its “green development” drive crystal clear as it tops Beijing’s next five-year plan.

In east China’s Fujian Province, where Chinese President Xi Jinping had spent over 17 years, locals are hugely benefiting from tea plantations.

On Monday, President Xi revisited the area during a four-day inspection tour. He inspected an ecological tea garden in Xingcun Township in Nanping City, in the first tour after the adoption of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for national economic and social development and the long-range objectives through the year 2035.

Agricultural talents sent to villages for rural revitalization

Thanks to the advice given by agricultural talents sent to villages, rapeseed is now growing alongside tea plants in an effective strategy to increase soil fertility while ensuring the preservation of biodiversity and the entire ecological chain.

Agricultural talents, also called “technological commissioners,” was an idea introduced by the then governor to Fujian Province in a 2002 article, which called for bonding officials and farmers. In the article, Xi pointed out that it’s “beneficial” to “explore innovative working mechanisms in villages.”

In October 2019, Xi again stressed the importance of “technology commissioners” to the country’s realization of rural revitalization at a summary meeting on the 20 years’ implementation of the technology commissioner system in Beijing.

“In the past, the tea industry was a pillar in your fight against poverty, and it should become a pillar industry of rural vitalization in the future,” Xi said on Monday at the tea farm. Fujian is a major tea production base in China, with the main categories being oolong tea, green tea and black tea.

To understand local efforts in ecological protection from a broader view, Xi also visited an intelligent management center at the Wuyishan National Park the same day.

During his visit to the park, he encountered a group of tourists. “You can enjoy the mountain scenery in Wuyishan, and enjoy the seascape in Xiamen City (Fujian’s provincial capital city),” he told the group.

Cultural confidence: 5,000 years of civilization

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Monday highlighted cultural confidence during a visit to a park dedicated to Zhu Xi, a renowned Chinese philosopher of the 12th century.

“Without the 5,000-year-long Chinese civilization, how could we have found the road to achieve today’s success,” Xi said when he visited the park in the city of Wuyishan, east China’s Fujian Province.

“Taking the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must continue to adapt Marxism to China’s conditions,” Xi noted.

Special attention should be paid to tapping the essence of the 5,000-year-long Chinese civilization, promoting fine traditional culture, integrating its essence with the Marxist stance, viewpoint and methodology, and unswervingly following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi said.

As one of the main ancient Confucian scholars, Zhu Xi was famous for his expositions on Confucian classics. He put forward concepts such as “the people are the foundation of a nation,” embodying the people-based philosophy in ancient China.

(With input from Xinhua)

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Foreign news

Court of Arbitration Declares Indus Waters Treaty Fully Operational Rejects India’s ‘Abeyance’

Published

1 month ago

August 31, 2026

The Gleamer

Cyril Ogar

The Court of Arbitration has unanimously reaffirmed that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) remains fully in force, ruling that India cannot unilaterally place the 1960 agreement in “abeyance” or suspend its obligations under the treaty.

The decision represents a significant legal development in the longstanding dispute between India and Pakistan over the management and use of the Indus river system.

The Court’s finding addresses a fundamental issue at the heart of the dispute: whether either party can unilaterally suspend the treaty outside the legal framework agreed by both countries.

In its unanimous determination, the Court made clear that the IWT continues to bind both India and Pakistan and that its obligations cannot be set aside through a unilateral political declaration.

The ruling means India remains subject to the treaty provisions governing the use of the Western Rivers, including requirements relating to the design and operation of hydroelectric projects, as well as the dispute-resolution mechanisms established under the agreement.

The Court has also ordered interim measures concerning the Ratle Hydroelectric Plant, restricting specified construction activities while the broader dispute remains under consideration.

The measures are aimed at preserving the effectiveness of the arbitration process and preventing developments that could prejudice the outcome of the proceedings.

For Pakistan, the decision represents significant legal validation of its longstanding position that the IWT is a binding international agreement and contains no provision allowing either party to unilaterally place it in abeyance.

Pakistan has consistently maintained that disagreements over the treaty should be addressed through the institutional mechanisms established by the agreement, rather than through unilateral action.

The IWT provides a structured framework for resolving disputes through mechanisms including the Permanent Indus Commission, Neutral Expert and Court of Arbitration processes.

The latest ruling therefore reinforces the principle that treaty obligations cannot simply be disregarded because of deteriorating political relations between signatories.

The significance of the decision extends beyond the India-Pakistan dispute. It underscores the broader international-law principle that agreements governing shared rivers and other transboundary resources must be respected and disputes resolved through established legal and institutional channels.

The Indus river system supports agriculture, livelihoods, food security and communities across the region, making the stability of the treaty particularly important.

The ruling also highlights the distinction between seeking to amend an international agreement through mutually agreed procedures and attempting to alter its obligations unilaterally.

The IWT has endured wars, prolonged diplomatic tensions and periods of limited bilateral engagement. Its continued operation demonstrates the importance of rules-based mechanisms in managing shared resources when relations between neighbouring states become strained.

For Pakistan, the outcome provides an opportunity to frame the decision not merely as a bilateral legal victory, but as an affirmation of international law, treaty compliance and peaceful dispute resolution.

The central message from the ruling is clear: the Indus Waters Treaty remains in force, its obligations continue to bind both parties, and disputes concerning shared waters must be addressed through the legal mechanisms agreed by India and Pakistan.

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