英语新闻丨Head-of-state diplomacy to guide relations

英语新闻丨中俄空军开展联合巡航

The air forces of China and Russia sent their aircraft to conduct a joint patrol on Saturday, according to the People's Liberation Army Air Force. 中国人民解放军空军消息，中俄两国空军于周六出动军机开展联合空中巡航。 Planes from both sides flew over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea and western Pacific Ocean, demonstrating the two forces' resolve and capability to safeguard regional peace and stability, the PLA Air Force said in a brief statement, noting this has become the 11th "joint aerial strategic patrol" between the two nations. 解放军空军在简短声明中表示，双方军机飞越日本海、东海及西太平洋空域，展现两国军队维护地区和平稳定的决心与能力，并指出此次已是两国第 11 次联合空中战略巡航。 A video clip published by the PLA Air Force shows that several types of aircraft, including the J-10C fighter jet, Su-30MKK strike plane, YY-20 refueling tanker, KJ-500A early-warning and control aircraft, and H-6K bomber, took part in the operation. 解放军空军发布的一段视频画面显示，多型军机参与此次巡航行动，包括歼 - 10C 战斗机、苏 - 30MKK 战斗轰炸机、运油 - 20 空中加油机、空警 - 500A 预警指挥机以及轰 - 6K 轰炸机。 It also shows Russia's Tu-95 strategic bombers flying near Chinese aircraft. 视频中还出现俄罗斯图 - 95 战略轰炸机伴飞中方军机的画面。 patrol /pəˈtrəʊl/n. 巡航；巡逻 strategic /strəˈtiːdʒɪk/adj. 战略的 bomber /ˈbɒmə(r)/n. 轰炸机 safeguard /ˈseɪfɡɑːd/v. 维护；捍卫

英语新闻丨中国南海发现稀有珊瑚礁蓝洞

China's first coral reef blue hole — a large natural depression on the ocean floor — has been identified in the waters off Huangyan Island in the South China Sea, and it has emerged as a biodiversity hot spot, according to a report released on Thursday. 根据6月25日发布的一份报告，中国首个珊瑚礁蓝洞——一种大型海底自然凹陷——已在南海黄岩岛附近海域被确认，并且这里已成为一个生物多样性热点区域。 Environmental DNA technology has helped scientists detect more than 2,700 marine species in and around the blue hole, which was first spotted by a scientific observation team in August last year in the central area of a lagoon, said the 2025 Survey Report on Huangyan Dao Blue Hole released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. 生态环境部发布的《2025年黄岩岛蓝洞调查报告》称，环境DNA技术已帮助科学家在蓝洞及其周边区域检测到超过2700种海洋生物。该蓝洞于去年8月由一支科学观测团队在潟湖中部区域首次发现。 Based on their genesis, these underwater sinkholes can be categorized into two types — one formed through limestone dissolution and the other formed by coral reefs, with the latter considered a rare phenomenon worldwide. 根据成因，这些水下陷坑可分为两类——一类由石灰岩溶蚀形成，另一类由珊瑚礁形成，后者在全球范围内被视为罕见现象。 Preliminary geochronological studies suggest that the Huangyan blue hole formed at least 3,200 years ago and developed in a high-density patch reef area within the lagoon, the report said. The sinkhole is shaped like a funnel, with a surface diameter of 56.3 meters and a depth of 16.6 meters. The surface area of the blue hole is 1,491.7 square meters. 报告称，初步的地质年代学研究显示，黄岩岛蓝洞至少形成于3200年前，发育于潟湖内一个高密度斑礁区域。该陷坑呈漏斗状，表层直径56.3米，深度16.6米。蓝洞表面积达1491.7平方米。 Typical coral reef biological communities are thriving inside the blue hole, including different species of fish, giant clams, sponges and sea anemones. The green sea turtle, which is a Class I protected wildlife species in China, has been observed inhabiting the blue hole and its surrounding waters. 蓝洞内部繁衍生息着典型的珊瑚礁生物群落，包括多种鱼类、巨蛤、海绵和海葵。属于中国国家一级保护野生动物的绿海龟也被观察到栖息在蓝洞及其周边水域。 Field surveys in the surrounding waters over the past two years have recorded 165 species of hard corals, belonging to 14 families and 44 genera, and 184 species of fish, belonging to 27 families and 85 genera. 过去两年对周边水域的实地调查已记录到165种硬珊瑚，分属14科44属，以及184种鱼类，分属27科85属。 The report said this coral reef blue hole serves as a vivid testament to the natural ecosystem diversity of Huangyan Island and a key geological archive for reconstructing paleo environmental changes in the South China Sea, including sea-level fluctuations and the impacts of global and regional climate change. 报告称，这一珊瑚礁蓝洞生动地体现了黄岩岛自然生态系统的多样性，也是重建南海古环境变化（包括海平面波动及全球和区域气候变化的影响）的关键地质档案。 The blue hole can provide critical insights into the geological evolution of the Huangyan region, as well as biodiversity and environmental changes in the South China Sea since the Holocene epoch, it said. 报告指出，该蓝洞可为黄岩地区的地质演化以及全新世以来南海生物多样性和环境变化提供重要参考。 The sinkhole offers essential scientific support for understanding the formation, evolutionary mechanisms and ecological effects of this unique marine ecosystem, the report added. 报告补充说，这一陷坑为了解这一独特海洋生态系统的形成、演化机制及生态效应提供了必要的科学支撑。 Pei Xiaofei, a spokesman for the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said the results of the survey highlight the progress China has made in its ecological protection efforts in the surrounding waters of the island, which is firmly underpinned by the establishment of the Huangyan Island national nature reserve in September 2025. 生态环境部发言人裴晓菲表示，此次调查结果凸显了中国在黄岩岛周边海域生态保护方面取得的进展，而2025年9月黄岩岛国家自然保护区的设立为此提供了坚实保障。 The ministry will conduct "more in-depth, systematic and comprehensive research" on the blue hole to provide scientific support for further enhancing ecosystem and biodiversity conservation in the South China Sea, Pei added. 裴晓菲补充说，生态环境部将对蓝洞开展“更深入、更系统、更全面的研究”，为进一步加强南海生态系统和生物多样性保护提供科学支撑。 geochronological /ˌdʒiːəʊˌkrɒnəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/地质年代学的 high-density patch reef /haɪ ˈdensəti pætʃ riːf/高密度斑礁 funnel /ˈfʌnəl/漏斗状 giant clam /ˈdʒaɪənt klæm/巨蛤 sea anemone /siː əˈneməni/海葵 green sea turtle /ɡriːn siː ˈtɜːtəl/绿海龟 Class I protected wildlife species /klɑːs wʌn prəˈtektɪd ˈwaɪldlaɪf ˈspiːʃiːz/国家一级保护野生动物 hard coral /hɑːd ˈkɒrəl/硬珊瑚

英语新闻丨多所顶尖高校宣布2026年本科扩招计划

A number of leading universities under China‘s “double first-class“ initiative have announced undergraduate enrollment expansions for 2026, with new slots concentrated in artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, new materials and other strategic sectors, according to official enrollment plans from multiple institutions. 根据多所高校发布的官方招生计划，一批“双一流”建设高校已宣布2026年本科扩招计划，新增名额集中于人工智能、集成电路、新材料等战略领域。 The double first-class initiative is a national strategy launched by the central government in 2015 to build world-class universities and disciplines by providing prioritized support to selected institutions and subject areas. “双一流”建设是中央政府于2015年推出的一项国家战略，通过优先支持入选高校和学科领域，打造世界一流大学和一流学科。 Southeast University in Jiangsu province will increase its enrollment by 600 students, while Xidian University in Shaanxi province will add 400 and Xi‘an Jiaotong University, also located in Shaanxi, will raise its intake by 360 compared to 2025. Fudan University in Shanghai, Nanjing University in Jiangsu province and Lanzhou University in Gansu province will each expand enrollment by 300 students, while Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications has planned for an additional 180 placements, according to a report by China Central Television. 据中央电视台报道，东南大学将扩招600人，西安电子科技大学扩招400人，西安交通大学扩招360人。复旦大学、南京大学、兰州大学各扩招300人，北京邮电大学计划扩招180人。 AI-related disciplines are a major focus. Nine universities, including Beihang University, Xi‘an Jiaotong University and Harbin Institute of Technology in Heilongjiang province, have been approved to launch undergraduate programs in embodied intelligence. Tongji University in Shanghai is introducing new majors in future robotics and engineering internet, while many institutions are expanding existing programs in robotics engineering, computer science, big data and AI, the report said. 人工智能相关学科是此次扩招的重点方向。据央视报道，北京航空航天大学、西安交通大学、哈尔滨工业大学等9所高校已获批开设具身智能本科专业。同济大学新增未来机器人与工程互联网专业，多所高校正在扩大机器人工程、计算机科学、大数据和人工智能等现有专业的招生规模。 Engineering programs in core technologies continue to grow. Integrated circuits, semiconductors, new materials, telecommunications, cybersecurity, low-altitude technology, energy storage and electrical engineering are among the priority areas for expansion. The expanded enrollment also covers new medicine, new agriculture and new liberal arts majors, the report added. 核心技术领域的工科专业持续扩招。集成电路、半导体、新材料、通信、网络安全、低空技术、储能和电气工程等均为优先扩招领域。报告还提到，扩招计划同时覆盖新医科、新农科和新文科等专业。 Niu Guowei, director of the admissions office at China Agricultural University, told China Daily that the institution plans to add 320 places for 2026, with the increase allocated to top-notch innovative talent cultivation, international programs and fields of urgent national need. 中国农业大学招生办公室主任牛国卫向《中国日报》表示，该校计划2026年扩招320人，新增名额将用于拔尖创新人才培养、国际项目以及国家急需领域。 The university has established three new innovation classes — smart plant protection, future food and molecular science, he said. 该校已设立三个新的创新班——智慧植保、未来食品和分子科学。 It is also launching two new Sino-foreign cooperative programs in AI and computer science with the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, marking its first engineering-focused international partnership, Niu said. 牛国卫表示，该校还将与英国萨里大学合作推出人工智能和计算机科学两个新的中外合作办学项目，这是该校首个以工科为重点的国际合作项目。 Additional places will be allocated to veterinary medicine, computer science, sociology, biomass science and engineering, facility agriculture, and companion animal science to meet the demands of national strategies and market needs, he added. 他补充说，新增名额还将分配给兽医学、计算机科学、社会学、生物质科学与工程、设施农业和伴侣动物科学等专业，以满足国家战略和市场需要。 Liu Zhaomiao, vice-president of Beijing University of Technology, said the university‘s total undergraduate enrollment for 2026 stands at 3,979, an increase of 200 from last year. 北京工业大学副校长刘赵淼表示，该校2026年本科招生总人数为3979人，较去年增加200人。 The new places are aimed at strategic emerging industries and future-oriented sectors such as integrated circuits, AI, quantum technology, new energy, new materials and biomanufacturing, he said. 新增名额将面向集成电路、人工智能、量子技术、新能源、新材料和生物制造等战略性新兴产业和未来产业。 The university has added new majors in quantum information science, cyberspace security, and data computing and applications, and is increasing admissions in mechanical engineering, materials science and engineering, optical engineering, and control science and engineering, he said. 该校新增了量子信息科学、网络空间安全、数据计算及应用等专业，并扩大了机械工程、材料科学与工程、光学工程、控制科学与工程等专业的招生规模。 Meanwhile, it is also expanding AI-empowered management programs and integrated economics-management majors, he said. 同时，学校还在扩大AI赋能管理类专业和经济管理交叉融合专业的招生。 “The university will continue to deepen its educational reforms, driven by national strategies and the capital's development needs, to provide solid talent support for building a strong education system and Beijing's high-end industrial sectors,” Liu said. “学校将继续以国家战略和首都发展需求为牵引，深化教育教学改革，为教育强国建设和北京高端产业提供坚实的人才支撑，”刘赵淼说。 Wang Jin, director of admissions at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, said the university's 2026 undergraduate enrollment plan is 3,690, up 90 from last year, with all additional places directed to new materials, integrated circuits and AI. 北京科技大学招生办公室主任王进表示，该校2026年本科招生计划为3690人，较去年增加90人，新增名额全部用于新材料、集成电路和人工智能领域。 Two new majors are being introduced: integrated circuit design and integrated systems, which will enroll 30 first-year students, and intellectual property, which aims to cultivate interdisciplinary legal talent with engineering knowledge in new materials, AI, green low-carbon technologies and information and communications technology, he said. 该校将推出两个新专业：集成电路设计与集成系统（招收30人）和知识产权专业。王进表示，知识产权专业旨在培养具备新材料、人工智能、绿色低碳技术和信息通信技术等工程知识的复合型法律人才。 The university has in recent years launched several emerging majors, including AI, robotics engineering, intelligent manufacturing engineering, materials intelligence — the first of its kind in China — and carbon neutrality science and engineering, also a domestic first, he added. 他补充说，近年来该校已开设多个新兴专业，包括人工智能、机器人工程、智能制造工程、材料智能（国内首创）以及碳中和科学与工程（国内首创）。 double first-class initiative /ˈdʌbəl fɜːst klɑːs ɪˈnɪʃətɪv/双一流建设 integrated circuits /ˈɪntɪɡreɪtɪd ˈsɜːkɪts/集成电路 embodied intelligence /ɪmˈbɒdid ɪnˈtelɪdʒəns/具身智能 companion animal science /kəmˈpæniən ˈænɪməl ˈsaɪəns/伴侣动物科学 biomanufacturing /ˌbaɪəʊˌmænjʊˈfæktʃərɪŋ/生物制造 cyberspace security /ˈsaɪbəspeɪs sɪˈkjʊərəti/网络空间安全 carbon neutrality science and engineering /ˈkɑːbən njuːˈtræləti ˈsaɪəns ənd ˌendʒɪˈnɪərɪŋ/碳中和科学与工程

英语新闻丨Xi calls for modernizing rural areas

President Xi Jinping has called for solid measures to advance the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, emphasizing the need to guide farmers to create a better life with hard work and wisdom. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection tour on Wednesday to the city of Dezhou, East China's Shandong province. He said that the modernization of agriculture and rural areas is crucial to the overall development and quality of Chinese modernization. It is important to enhance the capacity, quality and efficiency of agricultural production, ensure the stable supply of grain and other important agricultural products, and promote the construction of livable, business-friendly, harmonious and beautiful villages according to local conditions, Xi said. The inspection trip came at the time of the summer grain harvest in rural areas. Attaching great importance to the work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers, Xi has said on various occasions that efforts must be made to ensure food security, drive rural vitalization on all fronts and promote common prosperity. At Dongyujia, a village in Dezhou's Lingcheng district, Xi heard reports about local agricultural production, learning about wheat harvests, corn planting and farming supplies in local areas. He inspected water and fertilizer integration facilities and chatted with grain growers, machinery operators and agricultural technicians. He said that ensuring the stable supply of grain and other important agricultural products is the top priority of agricultural production. Xi underlined the need to implement policies that support grain production, saying that efforts must be made to stabilize farming supplies and their prices, and actively apply varieties of grain that suit local conditions, as well as advanced technologies and equipment, in· order to steadily increase yields and efficiency, striving for a bountiful grain harvest for the year. He also called for improving agricultural infrastructure, enhancing the efficiency of water use, and strengthening efforts in monitoring and providing early warnings for disastrous weather to strengthen the capability in agricultural disaster prevention, mitigation and relief. While visiting Xiyujia village, Xi inquired in detail about how the village strengthens the Party organization and provides services to the villagers. Xi expressed the hope that village Party organizations would further leverage the guiding role of Party building and make new achievements in building a beautiful and harmonious countryside for people to live and work in. He urged sustained efforts to reduce the burden for grassroots officials so that they have more time and energy to serve the people and promote development. Xi also visited the home of Yu Xinhui, a farmer in the village, looking around at the home furnishings and sitting down with the family to chat about everyday matters. Xi asked about their work and incomes, the health of the elderly and children's education, and inquired in detail about whether the Party's policies on agriculture, rural areas and farmers had been fully implemented. He pointed out that establishing and practicing a correct understanding of governance performance is ultimately aimed at improving the well-being of the people. Party members and officials must enhance their sense of serving the people, strengthen the bond with the people, and do more good things, be down-to-earth and address difficulties for the people, thereby genuinely enhancing the people's sense of fulfillment, happiness and security, he said. As Xi left the village, villagers warmly saw him off. He noted that July 1 marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, highlighting the remarkable achievements the country has made under the leadership of the CPC over the past 105 years. As the nation is embarking on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, Xi called on all the people around the country to work in solidarity to create a brighter future and continuously meet the people's aspirations for a better life. He wished that the villagers would build beautiful homes and have better lives under the Party's leadership. modernization /ˌmɒdənəˈzeɪʃn/现代化 vitalization /ˌvaɪtəlaɪˈzeɪʃn/振兴、焕发生机 prosperity /prɒˈsperəti/繁荣、富足 infrastructure /ˈɪnfrəstrʌktʃə(r)/基础设施 governance /ˈɡʌvənəns/治理、施政 solidarity /ˌsɒlɪˈdærəti/团结、同心协力

英语新闻丨中国赴韩游热度飙升，韩国入境游客创纪录

South Korea's annual foreign arrivals surpassed 10 million by the third week of June, reaching the milestone at a record pace, with China retaining its position as the country's largest source of inbound tourists. 截至 6 月第三周，韩国本年度入境外国游客总量突破 1000 万人次，创下达成该里程碑的最快速度，中国仍是韩国第一大入境客源地。 The figure was achieved about a month earlier than last year, when foreign arrivals exceeded 10 million in mid-July, according to preliminary data released by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Wednesday. 韩国文化体育观光部周三发布的初步数据显示，今年达成千万入境游客节点的时间较去年提前约一个月，去年韩国在 7 月中旬入境外国游客才突破 1000 万。 The country's inbound tourism sector continued to show strong momentum, with 1.95 million foreign visitors recorded in May, up 19.4 percent from a year earlier. During the first five months of the year, total foreign arrivals reached 8.72 million, an increase of 21 percent year-on-year. 韩国入境旅游业持续保持强劲增长势头，5 月入境外国游客达 195 万人次，同比增长 19.4%；今年前五个月入境外国游客累计 872 万人次，同比上涨 21%。 China remained the largest source market, with 560,000 visitors from the Chinese mainland in May. Arrivals from Taiwan and Hong Kong totaled 190,000 and 60,000, respectively. 中国依旧是韩国最大客源市场，5 月中国大陆赴韩游客 56 万人次，中国台湾、中国香港赴韩游客分别为 19 万人次、6 万人次。 Japan ranked second with 360,000 visitors, while long-haul travelers from Europe and the Americas also numbered about 360,000. 日本以 36 万人次位列第二，来自欧美地区的长途游客数量同样约为 36 万人次。 "Despite the increase in fuel surcharges stemming from the Middle East situation, the total number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea through May rose 21 percent year-on-year and surpassed 10 million by mid-June, showing a solid growth momentum in inbound tourism," said Kang Jung-won, head of the ministry's tourism policy office. 韩国文化体育观光部观光政策科科长康祯元表示：“受中东局势影响，燃油附加费有所上调，但今年 1 至 5 月赴韩外国游客同比仍增长 21%，且 6 月中旬入境总量便突破千万，入境旅游增长态势稳固。” According to ministry data, foreign tourists' domestic card spending in May was estimated at 2.1 trillion won ($1.35 billion), up 67.1 percent year-on-year and exceeding the 2 trillion won mark for the first month since records began in January 2018. 该部门数据显示，5 月外国游客在韩刷卡消费额约 2.1 万亿韩元（折合 13.5 亿美元），同比大增 67.1%，这也是自 2018 年 1 月有相关统计以来，单月境外游客刷卡消费额首次突破 2 万亿韩元关口。 The Korea Tourism Organization noted on June 17 that the surge was largely driven by Chinese tourists, whose card spending more than tripled in May compared with the same month last year. 韩国观光公社 6 月 17 日表示，消费额大幅攀升主要由中国游客拉动，5 月中国游客在韩刷卡消费额同比增长两倍以上。 The organization attributed the increase to high-end luxury shopping by Chinese visitors, especially watches, jewelry and accessories. 公社将消费增长归因于中国游客的高端奢侈品消费，尤其集中在腕表、珠宝及配饰品类。 South Korea has stepped up efforts to attract more Chinese tourists. Recently, Seoul and Beijing agreed to increase bilateral air traffic rights by an additional 70 flights per week within the second half of the year, including 56 passenger services, according to a June 8 statement from South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. 韩国正加大力度吸引中国游客。韩国国土交通部 6 月 8 日发布消息称，近期韩中双方达成协议，今年下半年每周新增 70 个双边航空运力配额，其中客运航班配额 56 个。 The agreement marked the first expansion of bilateral traffic rights since 2019 and reflects growing people-to-people exchanges and trade between the two countries. 该协议是 2019 年以来两国首次扩大航空运力配额，体现双边人文交流与经贸往来持续升温。 Passenger traffic between China and South Korea reached around 4.39 million in the first quarter, surpassing the pre-pandemic level of 4.14 million recorded during the same period of 2019 before COVID-19, ministry data showed. 部门数据显示，今年一季度中韩航线客运量约 439 万人次，已超越新冠疫情前 2019 年同期 414 万人次的水平。 Looking ahead, the Yanolja Research institute in Seoul predicted in January that South Korea would welcome a record of more than 20 million foreign visitors this year. 首尔游窝研究院今年 1 月作出预判，韩国全年入境外国游客数量将突破 2000 万人次，创下历史新高。 China is expected to solidify its position as the largest inbound tourism market, with 6.15 million arrivals, the travel and tourism research institute said. 这家旅游研究机构称，中国将进一步巩固韩国第一大入境客源市场地位，全年赴韩游客或将达 615 万人次。 It added that the figure could exceed 7 million as some travelers choose destinations other than Japan amid bilateral tensions. 研究院补充，受部分民众因双边关系紧张放弃赴日、转而选择韩国出游影响，全年中国赴韩游客总量有望突破 700 万人次。 inbound /ˈɪnbaʊnd/adj. 入境的；抵达的 milestone /ˈmaɪlstəʊn/n. 里程碑；重要节点 momentum /məˈmentəm/n. 势头；动力 luxury /ˈlʌkʃəri/n. 奢侈品；奢华