| |
Sporting Diplomacy and the Spirit of the Olympic Games
|
Ambassador Wu Peng of China with the Sports Climbing Youth Team at the handover ceremony
by Kirtan Bhana
When Carmen Bouwer, Manager of the South African National Climbing Federation, enquired about group Visas at the Embassy of China in Pretoria, South Africa, the response she received was surprising and unexpected. The Embassy, in support of the youth team that will be travelling to Guizhou Province, China, to participate in the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Youth World Championships, granted them a R200,000 sponsorship.
At a handover ceremony hosted at the Embassy on Women’s Day, Ambassador Wu Peng said that China has always been an active supporter of South Africa’s sports development. Wu said that in making the donation, they wanted to assist the team realize their dream and show what they are capable of on the world’s climbing stage.
China’s 40 gold medals tally at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games puts them equal with the USA, who topped the table with a total of 126 medals while China won 91. This is the largest number of medals that China has won since it began participating in the modern games and is reflective of the commitment China has placed on sport.
Lamola commends steps towards regional stability and economic integration
|
Harare, Zimbabwe – On August 13 &14, 2024, the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) Council of Ministers gathered in Harare to set the stage for the 44th Heads of State and Government Summit. The theme for the summit is, Promoting Innovation to unlock opportunities for sustained economic growth and development towards an Industrialised SADC.
The outcomes of this pivotal meeting will be presented to the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government, on 18 August 2024.
Leading South Africa’s delegation, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, accompanied by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, engaged in discussions centred on the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2025. The RISDP is a regional blueprint that promotes regional economic growth, integration, and industrialisation, underpinned by a climate of peace and stability.
People centered governance China and Africa Nations
|
Ambassador WU Peng
Empowered people are at the heart and soul of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) phenomenal growth and development and they continue to be the force that guides and drives the modernization and high quality progress of the nation in the new era. The leadership of the Communist Party of China has been exemplary by remaining true to its socialist roots and values that recognize and acknowledge the potential of its human resource as its most precious commodity.
Ambassador WU Peng of China to South Africa has kept the momentum of the relations between China and South Africa at pace and steadily growing since he took up his position in Pretoria when he arrived in June. At the recent launch of the book “Xi Jinping and the Flourishing Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in the New Era” by renowned China expert Prof Paul Zilungisele Tembe and co-author Jeffrey Mathethe Sehume , Ambassador Wu said, “President Xi Jinping has visited the African continent ten times. He put forward new concepts for China to develop relations with Africa, such as China-Africa community with a shared future, the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests, and the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith. These concepts point out the way forward and provide a fundamental guideline for China-Africa cooperation in the new era. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is the most important symbol of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation. For the past 24 years since its formation, FOCAC has become an exemplar for international cooperation with Africa and a model for South-South cooperation.”
India celebrates 78th Anniversary of Independence
|
Indian President Droupadi Murmu addressed the nation on the eve of the 78th Independence Day. Murmu spoke about India’s economy saying that from 2021 to 2024, India has been among the fastest growing major economies, with an average growth rate of 8 percent annually. India has become the fifth largest economy in the world, and is also poised to become one of the top three economies.
President Murmu hailed the youth in her address saying, “It is their energy and enthusiasm that will help the nation scale new heights. Cultivating the young minds and creating a new mindset that takes the best of the traditions and the contemporary knowledge is our priority. To this end, the National Education Policy, launched in 2020, has already started showing results.”
LESSONS OF HISTORY REPEATED
|
'The Victory at Poltava,' the painting by Alexander Kotzebue. Swedish standards are thrown to the hooves of Peter the Great's horse.
by Ilya Rogachev, Ambassador of Russia to South Africa
British Premier W.Churchill in his speech to the House of Commons once said: ‘Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.’ One cannot disagree with that. Wisdom to preserve and analyze the experience of bygone generations is one of the key factors of development of each individual and the society as a whole. By contrast, disregard of history leads to the same mistakes and the very same tragic events, as in the past, wars and conflicts among them.
Churchill’s words are especially relevant today. European elites are heading towards a war against Russia, and decisions of the latest NATO summit in Washington D.C. corroborate that. “Europe is preparing for war. The pro-war train has no brakes, and the driver has gone mad,” Hungary’s V.Orban said.
In one of our previous entries we revealed how Western propaganda was working on the public opinion, to prepare people’s moods for a direct clash with Russia. But the preparations, as we see, also go beyond media space. They involve plans to reinstate mandatory military service in certain countries, mounting military budgets of European states and placing of national economies on a war footing.
National Marine Spatial Planning holds Strategic Vision
|
Vietnam’s territorial waters are rich in natural resources, and hold an important economic, geopolitical, national defence and security position in the region and the world. However, in addition to these great values, Vietnam’s seas and islands are facing a series of problems relating to degradation in landscape, marine and coastal ecosystems; coastal environmental pollution; and increasing negative impacts from natural disasters, climate change, and sea level rise. Therefore, a national marine spatial planning is needed to create orientations for sustainable exploitation and use of marine and island resources, and harmonise socio-economic development with national defence and security.
|
