介绍:
ZXY：
HAVANA - The European Union and Cuba signed an agreement on Friday to normalize relations 13 years after the unilateral suspension of ties by the EU.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini (L) shakes hands with Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla during their meeting in Havana March 11, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]
The signing of the agreement meant a breakthrough just ahead of a historic visit to Cuba by US President Barack Obama.
EU and Cuban officials signed the agreement in Havana during a visit by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini following nearly two years of intense negotiations between the two sides that also touched upon the thorny issue of human rights - the one that prompted the EU to unilaterally suspend ties in 2003.
Cuban deputy foreign minister Abelardo Moreno and the EU negotiator Christian Leffler, signed the deal in a ceremony chaired by the island's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and Mogherini.
"This is a historic day for bilateral relations," Mogherini said, calling on the United States to lift the embargo on Cuba.
The agreement is subject to ratification by the governments of the EU bloc and Cuba. Once implemented, it will allow for full economic cooperation and the delivery of aid to Cuba.
Mogherini said that she will ask the European Council to end a 20-year policy, known as the "common position" on Cuba, which restricts the EU ties with Cuba until reform are made in certain areas.
The policy was rejected by Havana as interference in its domestic policy.
The negotiations for the agreement began in April 2014. The island was the only Latin American country lacking such a deal with the EU.
However, Havana had already signed cooperation contracts with 17 of the 28 nations in the European community. The EU is the largest foreign investor and the third source of tourism in the Caribbean country.
LCJ:
Total eclipse: Indonesia witnesses totality as Sun is blocked by the Moon
Millions of people across Indonesia and the Pacific have experienced a total solar eclipse, with parts of the region falling into complete darkness.
The eclipse began at 06:19 local time as the Moon started to pass directly in front of the Sun.
As the eclipse reached totality, the Moon blocked all direct sunlight, turning day into night.
In Indonesia's Belitung province, a crowd gathered on a beach and witnesses spoke of a "magical" experience.
The eclipse was total in much of Indonesia and the Central Pacific, while parts of Australia and Asia experienced a partial one.
Astronomers reiterated advice not to look directly at the Sun with the naked eye, or through a telescope. Experts recommended using either a professional solar filter in front of a telescope or camera, or special eclipse-viewing glasses.
The total eclipse began at 00:15 GMT, with the moment of maximum shadow at 01:59 GMT. The celestial event will end at sunset, local time, north of Hawaii.
Belitung, Indonesia, was one of the best places to view the total solar eclipse.
From before dawn, about 200 people gathered at Olivier beach to watch. About 30 foreigners were in the crowd, travelling from Australia and Europe to see it.
One of them was Wilma from Holland, who is a solar eclipse hunter and has seen the solar eclipse five times. She said that when the eclipse started an overwhelming feeling of peace came over her and she heard no sounds. It was a magical experience she said.
When the solar eclipse started the crowd cheered and then went silent in awe. People were taking photos while others just watched in amazement. Then when it finished people clapped quietly. It was an incredible experience, our correspondent said.
HCX:
Top maker of missiles seeks to tap intl market for rockets
China's largest missile manufacturer plans to use its solid-fuel rockets to tap into the international commercial launch market, said a senior rocket designer.
Hu Shengyun, who heads solid-fuel rocket development at the Fourth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, said his company is considering founding a company dedicated to providing commercial launches for domestic and international clients.
Hu, also a national lawmaker, said the new company would break the monopoly by China Great Wall Industry Corp, which is currently the nation's only authorized provider of commercial launch service.
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp began to develop Kuaizhou solid-fuel rockets in 2009, intending to form a low-cost, quick-response rocket family for the commercial launch market.
China has launched 53 Long March rockets to carry 61 satellites into space for 24 foreign clients.
"There are at least 50 domestic institutes and companies involved in the development of small and miniaturized satellites, but they have to wait a long time to have them launched," the scientist said. "This is because State-funded satellites always have priority in launch scheduling. Moreover, many small developers can't afford the high expenditure," he told China Daily.
Globally, many space companies are seeking reliable, low-cost launch vehicles to lift their small satellites, and this represents a huge business opportunity for Kuaizhou rockets.
The first flight of a Kuaizhou rocket took place in September 2013, when the company launched the Kuaizhou 1 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China to put an Earth observation satellite into orbit. In November 2014, the Kuaizhou 2 sent another satellite into space from the same launch center.
Currently, the Fourth Academy is making the Kuaizhou 11 and plans to launch it around 2017, according to Hu.
Compared with Kuaizhou 1 and Kuaizhou 2, the Kuaizhou 11 will have a larger diameter and stronger capacity. It will be able to place a 1-metric-ton payload into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers.
Prelaunch preparations will take very little time, and the launch can be conducted on rough terrain, Hu said.
"We estimate that by 2020, the market value of commercial space activities in China will reach 30 billion yuan ($4.6 billion) each year. We plan to produce up to 30 Kuaizhou solid-fuel rockets annually if our business goes well," the designer added.
The United States has converted its Minuteman and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles into Minotaur solid-fuel rockets, using them to serve military and commercial purposes.
In addition, the Italian Space Agency and European Space Agency have developed the Vega solid-propellant system and have conducted six launches.
BYZ：
China hopes to achieve win-win bilateral investment treaties (BIT) with the United States and the European Union as early as possible, China's Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng said Sunday.
BIT negotiation between China and the United States began in 2008. It has come to "substantive negotiation stage" after 24 rounds of talks and the two sides are discussing a negative list, Gao said.
Rapid progress has also been made on BIT negotiation between China and the European Union, said the minister on the sidelines of the parliamentary annual session.
The treaties will create a favorable environment for China to open wider to the outside world and use foreign investment, he said.
China will also accelerate talks with the United States and the European Union on free trade agreements (FTA), he said, adding FTAs with such developed economies are conducive to establishing a high-standard foreign investment mechanism in China.
