society

Worlds Largest Amphibious Aircraft to Be Delivered by 2022

The China-developed AG600 large amphibious aircraft is expected to be delivered to customers by 2022， according to manufacturer Aviation Industry Corporation of China（AVIC）.

“After its successful maiden flight in December last year， we are planning a ferrying flight from its research base in Zhuhai to Jingmen， central Chinas Hubei Province， in July，” said chief designer Huang Lingcai.

“Then， it will prepare for its first takeoff from water， scheduled for later this year，” said Huang， also chief engineer of the AVIC General Aircraft Research Institute. Its first takeoff from water is scheduled to take place at a large reservoir in Jingmen.

Designed to be the worlds largest amphibious aircraft， the AG600 will be mainly used for maritime search and rescue， fighting forest fires， and marine monitoring， according to state-owned aviation giant AVIC.

Codenamed Kunlong， the AG600 is undergoing test flights in Zhuhai， a coastal city in south Chinas Guangdong Province. With a range of up to 4，500 kilometers， it is designed to be capable of takeoff and landing in two-meter waves.

National Standards for Sign Language Unveiled

The State Language Commission released Chinas national standards for sign language after seven years of study.

The National List of Common Words for Universal Sign Language， which will be implemented starting from July 1， is the first of its kind in China. Based on the most popular reference books about Chinese sign language， the list contains 5，000 common words for daily usage. It is expected to help disabled people around the country to communicate more effectively. Precise expressions for many new concepts have been included in the standard， which greatly improves its usefulness.

A more sophisticated version of the standard containing 8，000 words will be released in September， according to the State Language Commission. Currently， there is no universal sign language used worldwide， except for one that is only used at international meetings.

National Investigation on Solid Waste Conducted

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment rolled out a nationwide investigation on solid waste to combat illegal dumping and transfer， strengthen monitoring of hazardous waste， and prevent and control environmental risks.

The investigation covers four aspects： collect information on solid waste and properly handle what was illegally dumped； prosecute crimes of illegally transferring solid waste， and establish a collaboration system between different regions and authorities to prevent and handle such crimes； hold relevant businesses and local governments accountable， and increase supervision； start a trial program of solid waste discharge requiring licenses， ensure environmental law enforcement agencies perform day-to-day enforcement duties， build up supervision capacity， and increase application of information technologies.

The ministry has also made it mandatory upon local authorities to connect their online information systems on solid waste management before June 30 to form an integrated system， through which solid waste producers will send in their data by March 31 every year.

China Helps Fight Farm Pests Using Organic Means

China will promote agricultural pest control technologies to more developing countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative to help them fight threats and increase farm yields in an environmentally friendly way， the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences said.

The academy is planning to build joint technology transfer centers and laboratories focused on agricultural cooperation with these countries， Wan Fanghao， chief scientist at the academys Institute of Plant Protection， said on the sidelines of the First International Congress of Biological Control， which opened in Beijing on May 14.

China is a leading country in biological control technology， with various techniques applied in agriculture for pest control， including the use of pesticides sourced from plants， insects natural enemies， and artificial hormones that interfere with feeding and reproduction， said Qiu Dewen， deputy chief of the institute.

Through an international alliance， Chinese researchers have been cooperating with their counterparts in some Southeast Asian countries to use the trichogramma wasp – commonly used in China – for pest control. The academy has helped build seven labs for breeding the wasp in Myanmar， and another five in Laos. Chinese experts have been sent there to guide the program， she said.

Since 2015， when the alliance was established， about 100 research institutes from 27 countries and regions involved with the Belt and Road Initiative have come together for research in biosafety and technology transfers in areas such as biological control.