Monthly Archive 26/10/2024

Prabowo Subianto, the former Indonesian defense minister, officially took office as the new president in Jakarta on October 20, succeeding Joko Widodo. Notably, Widodo’s son, Gibran, has stepped into the role of vice president. The inauguration ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials from both the U.S. and China to offer their congratulations. In his inaugural address, Prabowo emphasized national unity and highlighted the importance of energy and food self-sufficiency, while also addressing democracy and non-alignment in foreign policy, calling for coexistence between China and the U.S.

At 73 years old, Prabowo becomes the oldest president in Indonesian history, surpassing the previous record held by the third president, B.J. Habibie, who took office at the age of 61 in 1998. Gibran, in contrast, becomes the youngest vice president in the nation’s history. Prabowo secured the presidency with 58.59% of the vote after two unsuccessful attempts against Widodo in previous elections.

Reports from international media outline the new government’s five key priorities, which include implementing a free nutrition program for over 80 million children and pregnant women, boosting national revenues, constructing 3 million homes annually (with a focus on low-income rural families), improving health and education, and enhancing foreign relations and defense.

As for Prabowo’s governance strategy, it remains uncertain, as he made few specific promises during his campaign, suggesting only that he would follow a “gradual approach.”

On the evening of October 20, Prabowo announced his new cabinet, dubbed the “Red and White Cabinet” after the colors of the Indonesian flag. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, a 62-year-old economist, will remain as finance minister, which is seen as a move to bolster market confidence in Indonesia’s economy. However, concerns have been raised about the potential debt implications of the new government’s large spending plans, and critics have suggested that the expanded cabinet may be designed for political patronage, possibly hindering effective governance.

Kevin Khoe, chief analyst at the Indonesian Institute for Foreign Policy Studies, noted that Prabowo has called for China and the U.S. to act as responsible global powers and has advocated for their coexistence, cooperation, and division of labor. Dinna, founder of Jakarta-based Synergy Policy, indicated that Indonesia will continue its collaboration with China, its largest trading partner and primary source of investment.

Dinna also mentioned that Prabowo is likely to personally attend all international meetings and negotiation forums, a departure from Widodo’s approach. He aims to ensure direct discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping. With a bold confidence, Prabowo is open to engaging other key nations interested in maintaining security in the South China Sea.

China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, characterized by the “nine-dash line,” overlap with Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone around the Natuna Islands. Despite China’s assertive stance in the region, Prabowo is expected to handle these relations with caution.

A recent lengthy article in the U.S. journal Foreign Affairs by Robin Niblett, director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs in the UK, highlighted that Widodo’s decade-long presidency did not favor either the U.S. or China, instead showcasing a strategy that sidesteps the confrontational dynamics between the two powers, a precedent that Prabowo may consider as he steps into his new role.

On October 15, during a press conference hosted by the State Council Information Office, Yang Xiaoyu, the director of the System Engineering Department at the China National Space Administration (CNSA), shared some exciting updates about lunar exploration. He revealed that on June 25, the Chang’e 6 mission successfully returned 1,935.3 grams of samples from the far side of the Moon, marking the first time humanity has brought back samples from this unexplored region.

Currently, scientists are in the process of organizing these lunar samples, having completed initial assessments of their physical and chemical composition as well as their structural characteristics. They have uncovered a wealth of information, including insights into the Moon’s early evolution, volcanic activity on the far side, and basalt that records the volcanic activity history of the sampling sites, alongside some non-basalt materials from other regions. Looking ahead, Yang indicated that further research would follow the national lunar sample distribution policy.

Earlier, on December 17, 2020, the Chang’e 5 mission returned 1,731 grams of lunar soil, the youngest lunar samples ever obtained by humanity. Over the past few years, the CNSA has distributed a total of 80 grams of lunar samples across seven batches to 131 research institutions domestically for scientific study. Chinese scientists have engaged in extensive research, producing numerous high-quality papers with significant discoveries and findings.

“One notable discovery was that we determined the age of the basalt from the Chang’e 5 samples to be around 2 billion years,” Yang explained. “This pushes back the timeline for when volcanic activity on the Moon ceased by about 800 million years. Further studies found evidence of volcanic activity on the Moon as recently as 120 million years ago. Additionally, we discovered that the Moon is cooling much more slowly than previously thought, and we ruled out the hypothesis that the heat source for initial magma melting in the basaltic areas of the landing zone was derived from radioactive elements.”

Yang also mentioned that the CNSA has estimated the water content in the mantle source area of the Chang’e 5 lunar samples to be between 1 to 5 micrograms per gram of rock, indicating that the basalt source region is quite “dry.” Compared to results from Apollo samples, this marks the lowest water content found in mantle materials, challenging the traditional theory that high water content during early mantle melting led to a lower melting point and prolonged magma activity.

Furthermore, scientists identified a new mineral, which has been named “Chang’e Stone,” representing the sixth new mineral discovered on the Moon.

“There are many more achievements like these,” Yang concluded, highlighting the significant progress made in lunar research.

In an effort to prevent wildfires, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced on Thursday that it might implement power shutoffs affecting users in five counties across the Bay Area. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, PG&E is currently monitoring weather conditions and considering proactive power outages for Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Napa County, Solano County, and Sonoma County.

PG&E indicated that heightened concerns about wildfires are due to strong, dry winds off the coast. Starting on Thursday, October 17, a total of 30 counties statewide could face shutoffs. Specific addresses, maps, and details regarding the planned outages are typically released two days prior to the shutdowns.

These potential outages coincide with a red flag warning that is set to take effect in certain areas of the Bay Area, starting Thursday night at 11 PM and lasting until Saturday, October 19, at 5 PM.

The red flag warning will cover the entire Bay Area, with the exception of coastal Marin County and regions like the Sacramento Valley, Nevada foothills, Lake County, Delta, northern San Joaquin Valley, and the Central Coast—while excluding the Monterey Bay coastline.

PG&E has shut off power in certain areas due to the dry and hot conditions that could lead to damage to equipment and potentially spark wildfires.

Forecasts predict winds in the Santa Clara Mountains, North Bay, and East Bay valleys from the north to northeast may reach up to 45 miles per hour, with gusts in the North Bay and East Bay hills potentially exceeding 60 miles per hour. The strongest gusts are expected on Friday morning and Saturday morning.

According to the Northern California Geographic Area Coordination Center, vegetation across Northern California is significantly drier than normal following an unusually hot summer and early October heat wave.

Relative humidity during the day on Friday and Saturday may drop to 10%, further increasing the dryness of vegetation. With dry weather and high winds, any ignitions that occur could spread rapidly and become uncontrollable.

On October 16 at 5:58 PM, a noteworthy event took place as a cargo train, designated X9684, departed from the Pinghu North Station in Shenzhen. This train is significant as it marks the first international freight service using a new multimodal transport model—combining rail and road transport—between China and Central Asia, specifically through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The train was loaded with stainless steel products, ceramics, air conditioning units, and more.

On October 17, we learned from the Guangzhou Railway Group that this train is set to reach Kashgar Station in Xinjiang after a journey lasting 96 hours. From there, the goods will be transported by truck to the Irkeshtam Highway Port in Xinjiang, then they will cross the border into Kyrgyzstan before finally reaching their destination in Uzbekistan. The newly optimized multimodal transport model significantly reduces transit time by about 25% compared to traditional methods.

Thanks to strong support from the National Railway Group and the General Administration of Customs, the Guangzhou Railway Group has responded to market demand by launching a comprehensive logistics product for multimodal export transport. This initiative aims to further enhance logistics organization and streamline customs supervision, ensuring a seamless process for the entire shipping journey. Notably, the international multimodal transport feature on the Railway 95306 platform has been launched concurrently.

The successful organization of this cargo service involved collaboration between the Guangzhou branch of China Railway Container Transport Company and China Foreign Trade Development Co., Ltd. in Shenzhen, which played pivotal roles in sourcing logistics and testing customs clearance data.

Compared to traditional multimodal transport export models, this new service offers greater efficiency, convenience, and lower logistics costs. It also addresses gaps for regions lacking railway ports and reduces dependency on limited international rail capacities, ultimately paving the way for the expansion of international logistics channels.

On October 16, during the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states held in Islamabad, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Premier Li emphasized that under the strategic leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Russia has maintained a high level of development. He highlighted the strong mutual support on issues concerning each other’s core interests, effective strategic collaboration, ongoing practical cooperation, and vibrant cultural and local exchanges, all of which have brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries. Marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Li expressed China’s willingness to work with Russia to further implement the important consensus reached by their heads of state, enhance strategic coordination, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation. He noted that these efforts would contribute to the development and revitalization of both nations, as well as to global prosperity and stability.

Li pointed out that China seeks to deepen traditional cooperation in trade, energy, and other sectors with Russia while promoting collaboration in emerging areas like the digital economy. He stressed the importance of enhancing coordination in industrial and supply chains, aiming to achieve more practical results. He called for closer communication and collaboration between the two countries, encouraging SCO member states to uphold the “Shanghai Spirit,” foster strategic mutual trust, adhere to mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and work together to strengthen cooperation in trade, energy, the digital economy, and green industries, ultimately making the organization more dynamic and its cooperation more practical and inclusive.

In response, Prime Minister Mishustin remarked that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and China, noting that their comprehensive strategic partnership has reached unprecedented heights. In light of the current international situation, he expressed Russia’s readiness to work with China to fulfill the important consensus reached by their leaders, support each other in maintaining core interests, enhance the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union, and deepen practical cooperation in trade, energy, transportation, and agriculture. Mishustin also mentioned the importance of successfully organizing the “Year of Russian-Chinese Culture” and strengthening communication and collaboration within frameworks such as the United Nations, SCO, and BRICS, to further advance the enduring development of the bilateral relationship.

“Coughing Nonstop Since the Long Holiday!” As autumn sets in, the number of people coughing intermittently seems to rise. Experts tell us that this is closely related to the current temperature and allergens in the air. They advise staying away from allergens, dressing appropriately for the weather, and seeking medical attention if coughing persists, rather than self-medicating.

In an interview, Ms. Li, a resident of Nanjing, shared her struggles with worsening coughs since the onset of fall. “I find myself coughing a few times during the day, and at night, I suddenly cough, which really affects my sleep quality,” she lamented.

Dr. Mao Shan, a chief physician in the Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Department at Nanjing First Hospital, explained that spring and autumn are peak seasons for asthma and allergic coughs. “In particular, the rates of chronic cough, cough variant asthma, and bronchial asthma can increase by three to five times in September and October. The cold and dry weather at this time irritates the airways; the cold itself is a stimulus, and lower temperatures decrease the moisture content in the air, making the airways more sensitive, which can lead to coughing. Additionally, during the season of ‘autumn winds sweeping the fallen leaves’, seasonal allergic coughs tend to flare up, often triggered by exposure to allergens, resulting in bouts of irritating dry cough, often accompanied by a scratchy throat.”

Dr. Mao emphasized that many patients, particularly those with underlying conditions, may not take care to keep warm during significant temperature fluctuations. This can lead to decreased immunity, allowing bacteria and viruses to take hold. He noted that catching a chill can trigger inflammation, increasing airway sensitivity, and respiratory infections can easily lead to cough variant asthma.

So, what can individuals do to effectively manage their coughs? Experts recommend being attentive to climate changes, ensuring proper warmth, and wearing masks when going outside. Regular physical exercise can also boost immunity.

Dr. Mao advised that for younger individuals with mild coughs, it may be suitable to observe and wait. However, if coughing persists beyond a week or worsens, medical consultation is advised. “For older patients, especially those with underlying health issues, it’s vital to seek medical attention if they experience coughing,” he said, stressing the importance of timely diagnosis at reputable hospitals to rule out other diseases.

He further explained that treatment should be symptom-specific. For allergic coughs, which typically aren’t caused by inflammation, antibiotics are generally not required. Patients with dry cough might benefit from cough suppressants combined with some antihistamines. “The specific cause of the cough and appropriate medication should be determined by a doctor; self-medication can worsen the condition,” he cautioned.

Recently, a cough medication called dextromethorphan has garnered widespread attention online, especially among young people who view it as a “cure-all.” However, misuse has led to addiction in some cases. In response, the National Medical Products Administration and the National Health Commission released a notice in May to tighten control over the management of dextromethorphan and similar medications. As of July 1, it has been classified as a controlled substance. Dr. Mao also warned that long-term use of dextromethorphan can lead to addiction and adverse reactions in patients with underlying conditions, urging people to avoid self-medication.

‘Take off rose-tinted glasses’ to avoid living in a constant state of guilt, say female business leaders
Amelia HillSun 13 Oct 2024 10.00 EDTLast modified on Sun 13 Oct 2024 10.54 EDTShareWomen should stop striving for work-life balance to avoid living in a constant state of guilt, the ITV presenter and TV show host Charlene White has said.
View image in fullscreenCharlene White: ‘I don’t think about work-life balance.’ Photograph: Nicky Jonston“A lot of parents, especially women, are told that we need to think about work-life balance when actually, if we focus too much on that, we consistently live in a state of guilt,” said the Loose Women presenter and mother of two. “I don’t think about work-life balance. I just do the best I can, every day.”
Her comments came after Thasunda Brown Duckett, the president and chief executive of the Fortune 500 financial services company TIAA, said “work-life balance is a lie” and that she gives her children 30% of her time.
“If you live your life like a diversified portfolio, just like with your money, over time you will outperform,” said Duckett, who runs the $45bn a year financial firm. “On any given day, I may not feel like I’m the best mommy. There’s days I don’t feel like I’m a great CEO. But over time, I’m a really good mom. And over time, I believe that I’m doing a great job.”
View image in fullscreenKate Grussing: women should ‘take off those rose-tinted glasses’. Photograph: Hannah CKate Grussing, the founder and managing director of the recruitment firm Sapphire Partners, agreed. “Feeding younger women the lie that they can have it all is dangerous. It’s essential women take off those rose-tinted glasses because that myth makes women believe they’re deficient,” she said.
“You need to make trade-offs when the different parts of your life require more attention at different times,” added Grussing, who has worked in corporate finance at Morgan Stanley and as a strategy consultant at McKinsey and JP Morgan.
Ruth Handcock, the chief executive of the financial advice firm Octopus Money, was also critical of the idea that women should strive for a work-life balance. “It should be seen as a continuum with give and take both ways, rather than a rigid division,” she said.
View image in fullscreenRuth Handcock: ‘You need to focus on personal satisfaction’. Photograph: Mark Weeks“Being a good mother and a good professional involves redefining ‘good’ in the context of your life and your family. You need to focus on personal satisfaction rather than meeting external standards,” she said. “You’ve got to let go of external expectations. Ask yourself whether your children are happy and your business is going well. Yes? OK, end of debate.”
View image in fullscreenKate Daly: ‘Superwoman is dead’. Photograph: Nicole EngelmannKate Daly, a co-founder of the divorce legal service Amicable and host of The Divorce Podcast, agreed: “Superwoman, in the comic-book definition, is dead,” she said. “The modern-day superwoman juggles millions of balls, with every expectation that she’ll drop some.”
View image in fullscreenRebekah Capon: ‘We have to be more forgiving of ourselves’Rebekah Capon, the managing director of Hatch Enterprise, an entrepreneurship charity, forgot to top up her son’s lunch card last week because of work pressures. “But I’m not going to hold on to the guilt that he couldn’t have lunch,” she said. “The pressure is embedded in all of us as women, but we have to be more forgiving of ourselves and understanding that we’re not going to be on top of everything all the time.”
View image in fullscreenLouise Oliver still feels guilty for sending her children to nursery at three monthsLouise Oliver, the UK president of the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs, said she had never met a parent who felt their work-life balance was in order – until they reached a position of sufficient seniority to build a team around them, both at home and at work.
“I sent my children to nursery when they were three months old. I’m 60 and I still feel the guilt, because I’ll never get that time back with them,” she said.
But, Oliver, asked, what is “having it all”? “In the long term, you want to be self-fulfilled at work, you want your children to be healthy and happy, and you want to be in a happy marriage,” she said. “But you can’t do that all at the same time.”
View image in fullscreenEmma Sinclair: ‘The whole concept of work-life balance is counterintuitive’Emma Sinclair, who at 29 was the youngest person in the UK to take a company public, agreed. “The whole concept of work-life balance is counterintuitive. The best we can hope for is to do as well as we can with most of the key elements in our lives, most of the time.”
Rachel Barton: ‘People should give themselves less pressure.’ Photograph: Accenture/LinkedInRachel Barton, a managing director at Accenture, said striving to achieve work-life balance was more pressured now because, she said, “the world is so short-termist and there is a culture of ‘I want things now’.
“People should give themselves less pressure over these short moments of time and, instead, play the long game – knowing what they’re trying to build and where they’re trying to go,” she said.
Elliott Rae, author of the bestselling book DAD and founder of online dads’ group Music Football Fatherhood, said: “Many men now are moving away from outdated ideas of what it is to be a successful man and dad,” he said. “There are relationships where you can have enough of everything: if you’re able to communicate and share responsibilities.”

Getty ImagesVikings may have moved ships – similar to this replica of a vessel found in a Viking burial ground in Norway – across land in the west of ScotlandArchaeologists are investigating the possibility Vikings used shortcuts over land to help them move warships and smaller boats around Scotland's west coast.
Tarbert in Kintyre is among potential locations where boats were dragged over low-lying land to reach different areas of sea and destinations beyond.
The practice, called portage, would have saved crews dangerous journeys by sea around the 40-mile (64km) long Kintyre peninsula.
Archaeologists said it was possible boats were hauled over split wood covered in slippery seaweed to make land crossings easier.
Shane McLeodGerman project members set up equipment for a survey to find buried archaeological remainsThe research forms part of The Norse and the Sea project led by the University of the Highlands and Islands' Institute for Northern Studies.
The three-year project is in its final year and involves researchers from Germany.
It has been gathering evidence of Viking age communications and other activity that occurred 800 to 1,200 years ago, particularly in and around the Inner Hebrides.
Evidence of portages survive in Old Norse place names both in the Northern Isles and Hebrides, and the project team said there were several clues to Tarbert being used as a shortcut between the Firth of Clyde and the Inner Hebrides.
The group of islands include Islay, Gigha and Iona, where monasteries were attacked by Vikings.
The archaeologists said Tarbert's Gaelic name means "over bringing" suggesting the carrying of boats.
There is also a Tarbert on Gigha with a standing stone visible from the sea and believed to have been used as a navigational aid.

Reigning NPFL champions, Rangers International F.C are already in the ancient city of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State fully set to maintain the fine form that has seen the team win three matches out of four played since its ouster from the money-spinning, CAF Champions League as they engage Sunshine Stars F.C of Akure at their adopted ground.
Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, would be hosting this match day 6, NPFL 2024/2025 fixture which will be the 12th time that both sides would be clashing in the top flight with the ‘Flying Antelopes’ enjoying an edge with eight victories as against four for the ‘Owena Whales’ with seven encounters ending in draws in the first 19 matches.
Still basking in the win over Abia Warriors in an ‘Oriental Derby’ at the weekend in Enugu, the coach Fidelis Ilechukwu led side will be hoping to push for a good result against the coach Kennedy Boboye’s wards who are very strong at their adopted home ground with Chinedu Nwosu, Seth Mayi and others firing from all cylinders for the Akure side.
With the expected presence of reliable midfielder, Kazeem Ogunleye, Isaac Saviour and Ugwueze Chinemerem in the middle of the pack to service the attacking line, the visitors are in for a real deal as they target to improve on their 4th position, on the log while the home side will be looking to catch up with the early pace setters.
Fans can expect an energetic atmosphere at the Dipo Dina Stadium, even as Rangers’ latest attacking sensation, Silas Nenrot said, “I am really glad to be in Rangers. A very big club with high prospects. I want to be part of history by making a big contribution towards retaining the trophy won last season and this starts with this weekend’s game in Ijebu-Ode. Sure, the league is a marathon but we have our eyes on getting the maximum points because we have been working so hard and I believe that with the help of my team mates, we can achieve our goal.”
In the run-up to this weekend’s fixture, Rangers have scored in four consecutive league matches, while keeping three clean sheets, but their opponent, who have won two league matches out of the five they have played, losing two and ending the other in a draw, the visitors will want to continue in their new found form and make their push for a successful title defense, realisable.

Recently, during the 2024 BRICS Nations New Industrial Revolution Partnership Forum held in Xiamen, a collaborative “New International Cooperation Initiative for Industrialization” was jointly released by officials from 15 countries, including China, Russia, and Brazil. This initiative reflects a consensus among nations and serves as a vibrant testament to the technology collaboration among BRICS countries.

“What we’ve seen over the years is that BRICS nations have significantly expanded their technological cooperation, yielding fruitful results. This collaboration has not only propelled economic and social development across BRICS nations but has also enriched the lives of people, giving more substance to our partnership,” stated Wang Lei, a professor at Beijing Normal University and director of the BRICS Cooperation Research Center.

The foundation of technological collaboration among BRICS nations has a long history. The inaugural BRICS Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology, and Innovation took place in South Africa in February 2014, marking the official establishment of a cooperation mechanism in this field. In March 2015, the BRICS countries signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation, providing a clear framework to guide cooperative efforts.

Since the signing of this memorandum, the BRICS nations have identified 19 priority areas for cooperation and established 13 working groups, focused on fields such as astronomy, marine and polar sciences, and geospatial technology. They’ve also created platforms like the BRICS Young Scientist Forum.

The cooperation in science and technology among BRICS countries stands on broad consensus, structured mechanisms, and effective actions. The results of this collaboration are notable: in Brazil, the project to build wind farms in the small town of Joao Camara leverages Chinese investment and technology to provide clean electricity to thousands of homes; in South Africa, research teams are utilizing Chinese geospatial technology for ecological security monitoring, promoting local adoption of this technology; and experts from China and Russia have jointly developed LED streetlights suited for Russia’s cold climate.

According to Wang Lei, collaboration in technology and innovation among BRICS nations facilitates leapfrog development and enhances international competitiveness. By developing joint research initiatives, these countries can better address their deficiencies, creating complementary advantages that enable co-development in the global technology arena.

As a founding member and a driving force behind BRICS cooperation, China has been proactive in promoting technological collaboration among BRICS countries, exemplifying its responsibility as a major power. During the 15th BRICS Leaders’ Meeting in 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed concrete measures to strengthen BRICS partnerships, including the establishment of the “China-BRICS New Era Science and Technology Innovation Incubation Park” and the exploration of a “BRICS Global Remote Sensing Satellite Data and Application Cooperation Platform.”

For a long time, China has been advocating for enhanced communication and cooperation among BRICS countries, promoting technology transfer. The BRICS Technology Transfer Center, launched in Kunming, has received over 500 requests for international cooperation projects, while the “China-BRICS New Era Science and Technology Innovation Incubation Park” in Xiamen has facilitated the widespread and orderly transfer of technological innovations among BRICS countries.

Wang Lei emphasized, “One flower alone does not make a spring; a hundred flowers in full bloom bring spring to the garden. China is vigorously promoting scientific and technological transfer within the BRICS mechanism to ensure that more people benefit from these technological achievements.”

Taking space cooperation as an example, in Brazil, the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite is safeguarding the Amazon rainforest; in Egypt, the jointly developed Egyptian Satellite 2 meets local needs across agriculture, forestry, and urban development.

“China’s aerospace program not only provides ‘turnkey solutions’ but also engages in capacity building,” explained Qian Hang, an aerospace education expert. “During the joint development of the Egyptian Satellite 2, China has trained local aerospace talent for Egypt, promoted technology transfer, and established local aerospace manufacturing infrastructure, further advancing the international sharing of China’s aerospace technology and standards.”

After years of collaborative development, the BRICS nations have seen a continuous increase in their contributions to global R&D funding, high-tech product exports, and scientific publication outputs, strengthening their role in global economic growth.

The 16th BRICS Leaders’ Meeting is set to take place in Kazan, Russia, from October 22 to 24, marking the first leaders’ summit following the expansion of the BRICS group. In this ambitious era of “big BRICS cooperation,” how can technological collaboration further enhance its impact? Wang Lei believes there are three key areas to focus on: first, to improve the mechanisms for scientific and technological cooperation; second, to identify priority cooperation fields, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence and digital technology; and third, to mobilize societal forces to participate in BRICS technological cooperation, fostering engagement among government, society, and individuals.

“As of now, BRICS nations have become a model for international science and technology innovation cooperation,” said Qian Hang, emphasizing the need for countries to work together to enhance and upgrade their scientific and technological cooperation mechanisms, ensuring that BRICS collaboration becomes even more robust and impactful in the future.