Briefly

BEIJING

Four Chinese sailors kidnapped in Gabon

China confirmed on Monday that four Chinese sailors were kidnapped on Saturday in Gabon. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a news conference that two fishing ships belonging to Sigapeche, a Sino-Gabonese fishery company, were attacked by four unidentified armed militants. Four Chinese sailors were taken and have disappeared. The Chinese embassy in Gabon has urged the Gabonese government to immediately investigate and do its utmost to rescue the sailors, he said, adding that China will continue to keep a close eye on the situation.

JIANGXI

Dataset launched for largest freshwater lake

China has launched a water environment dataset of Poyang Lake in Jiangxi province, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China and an important wintering place for waterfowl in Asia, as well as being home to over 300 species of birds. Researchers from the Poyang Laboratory for Wetland Ecosystem Research of the CAS observed the lake from 2013 to 2018, recording indicators including water temperature, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, total nitrogen and phosphorus. The results showed that the water quality of Poyang Lake was worsening rapidly. To fight against water quality deterioration in the lake, Jiangxi has been implementing sewage treatment measures and reducing industrial pollution. So far, 2,595 large-scale and 9,584 above-designated size farms around the province have been equipped with waste disposal and utilization facilities.

XINJIANG

Malaria eradicated in autonomous region

The health authorities in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Saturday announced that the region has eliminated malaria, following the completion of a State appraisal examining the region's 19-year clean bill of health. Mard Abdurahm, director of the disease control and prevention department of the regional health commission, said the last case was recorded in August 2000, when a farmer in Aksu prefecture was infected. Abdurahm said the elimination of malaria in Xinjiang has received strong support from the central government. From 2011 to 2019, more than 10.7 million yuan ($1.5 million) in government funds was invested to boost malaria prevention and control in the region.

Xinhua - China Daily