Vulnerability and Conservation of Nearshore Cetaceans to Increasing Vessel Traffic:The Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin in the South China Sea

A comprehensive risk assessment to evaluate the vulnerability of the nearshore cetaceans to increasing marine traffic is lacking.In this study,the risk to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins(Sousa chinensis)in the main habitats in China was assessed based on a semiquantitative spatial vulnerability analysis.85%of the(sub)population which overlapped with the lanes of ferries and/or cargo vessels,with exposure scores of 1.23±0.31(calculated based on the proportion of sea routes that overlap the dolphin’s range).A combination of high exposure to the sea routes and sensitivity to marine traffic would render the(sub)populations to be highly vulnerable(EPRE:5.21 and XM:4.47).A low frequency of vessels and an awareness of the ecology assures a low vulnerability(SH:2.43,EZ:2.73).Uncertainty scores were commonly lower for the higher vulnerable populations,and higher for the lower vulnerable populations,suggesting additional field data and more monitoring are necessary.Six years of field data have been used to analyze the influences of various types of marine traffic on humpback dolphin behavior.Fishing and non-fishing vessels were significantly different(χ^(2)=65.19,p<0.01).The humpback dolphins were attracted by fishing vessels(83.1%)but avoided non-fishing vessels(95.2%).We recommend a management with seasonal and geographical constraints,to balance economic development and environmental conservation.

New Trends in Japan's“Indo-Pacific”Strategy

Introduced by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and inherited and developed by Fumio Kishida,Japan's“Indo–Pacific”strategy has gradually taken shape.This strategy can be deemed a broad vision,covering a wide range of topics and an extensive network of partners,with a strong trend of pan-securitization.It is a comprehensive inter national st rateg y based on Japan's alliance policy and China containment strategy,following a global,security-oriented approach.Driven by considerations such as maintaining its economic status,realizing its long-cherished dream of becoming a political powerhouse,and containing China,Japan has stepped up its“Indo–Pacific”strategy,which may influence global development,undermine regional maritime security,and impede China's reunification process.Meanwhile,Japan's“Indo–Pacific”strategy faces the triple challenge of a strategic overdraft,the unstable economic foundations,and the weak external support.These constraints may not suffice to reverse the direction of Japan's“Indo–Pacific”strategy in the short term but will limit its effectiveness.

Anthropogenic footprints are invading global habitats of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins

As ecologically fragile areas,coastal zones are affected by both anthropogenic activities and climate change.However,the impacts of these factors on large nearshore mammals,such as Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins(IPHDs,Sousa chinensis),are poorly understood.Here,modeling revealed that the suitable habitats of IPHDs are affected mainly by the sea surface temperature(SST),and the habitat suitability decreases as the distance to the nearest coastline increases.In addition,anthropogenic activities involving demersal fishing,contamination and shipping have narrowed IPHD habitats and reduced the habitat suitability.We found that climate change will further narrow suitable habitats located farther than 7 km from coastlines and trigger habitat losses in the eastern Taiwan Strait by 2090-2100 under the Representative Concentration Pathway(RCP)8.5 scenario.The projected decreases in habitat suitability and area emphasize the urgency of establishing connected marine protected areas(MPAs)while considering climate change,intergovernmental cooperation,and public involvement.

Adhering to the Correct Outlook on Human Rights to Promote Sound Development of the International Human Rights Cause

The underlying principles in human rights contained in the guidelines of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee embody the Chinese solution to the contemporary issue of human rights protection,and provide a new alternative for the vast number of developing countries to independently explore their paths of human rights development with their distinctive features.China will take an active and constructive part in international cooperation on human rights,and continue making new and greater contributions to the sound development of the global human rights cause.

The Global Significance of Contemporary Chinese Outlook on Human Rights

Since the 18^(th)National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC),General Secretary Xi Jinping has prioritized the advancement of human rights as a significant aspect of governing the country and has delivered a series of important speeches,instructions,and discussions centered on respecting and protecting human rights,thereby shaping the contemporary Chinese outlook on human rights.

Forty Five Years of Working Hand in Hand: A Review and Outlook on Friendship Between China and Djibouti

Since the formal establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979,China and Djibouti have made significant progress in developing bilateral relations,with the two countries supporting and cooperating with each other and the two peoples sharing a strong bond.Especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China,with the joint efforts of China and Djibouti,the bilateral relations have enjoyed comprehensive and rapid development.

2024 Outlook:Unlocking Cooperation Potential

The year 2023 marked the 14th consecutive year China has been the largest trading partner of ASEAN and the third consecutive year both sides have been each other’s largest trading partner.With the full entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP)and the launch of negotiations on China-ASEAN FTA 3.0,economic and trade exchanges between the two sides have been moving ahead at an accelerated pace with bilateral cooperation enjoying promising prospects and huge potential.

Opportunities And Outlooks Embracing new quality productive forces

New quality productive forces refer to advanced productivity driven by revolutionary technological breakthroughs and empowered by digital technology.They are distinguished from conventional productive capacity which is supported by workshop flfloors,assembly lines,and modular technology.

Review of the Global Upstream Oil and Gas Market in 2023 and 2024 Outlook

Review of the global upstream oil and gas market in 2023,International oil prices fluctuated significantly throughout theyear,In 2023,the international oil prices overall exhibited "box fluctuation"within the range of USD 65-95/barrel,presenting a short-term significant high-level volatility trend of"two steady phases,two increases,and three decreases",which is rare in recent years.This also fully reflects the evident "tug of war"between bulls and bears in the global crude oil market.

Positive Outlook for 2024

The end of the year 2023 and the beginning of 2024 mark a remarkable phase in China-Africa relations.This relationship has evolved significantly and Africa continues to register key milestones in its economic development,particularly in trade,investment and infrastructure.The remarkable growth can be attributed to initiatives by the Chinese government such as the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI).

Digital textile printing market outlook from 2024 to 2034

The Sports-Inspired Clothing market represents a dynThe digital textile printing market is projected to be worth US$2,989.6 million in 2024.The market is anticipated to reach US$8,897.3 million by 2034.The market is further expected to surge at a CAGR of 12.1%during the forecast period 2024 to 2034.

Variation of Indo-Pacific upper ocean heat content during 2001–2012 revealed by Argo

Understanding of the temporal variation of oceanic heat content （OHC） is of fundamental importance to the prediction of climate change and associated global meteorological phenomena. However, OHC characteristics in the Pacific and Indian oceans are not well understood. Based on in situ ocean temperature and salinity profiles mainly from the Argo program, we estimated the upper layer （0-750 m） OHC in the Indo-Pacific Ocean （40°S-40°N, 30°E-80°W）. Spatial and temporal variability of OHC and its likely physical mechanisms are also analyzed. Climatic distributions of upper-layer OHC in the Indian and Pacific oceans have a similar saddle pattern in the subtropics, and the highest OHC value was in the northern Arabian Sea. However, OHC variabilities in the two oceans were different. OHC in the Pacific has an east-west see-saw pattern, which does not appear in the Indian Ocean. In the Indian Ocean, the largest change was around 10°S. The most interesting phenomenon is that, there was a long-term shift of OHC in the Indo-Pacific Ocean during 2001-2012. Such variation coincided with modulation of subsurface temperature/salinity. During 2001-2007, there was subsurface cooling （freshening） nearly the entire upper 400 m layer in the western Pacific and warming （salting） in the eastern Pacific. During 2008-2012, the thermocline deepened in the western Pacific but shoaled in the east. In the Indian Ocean, there was only cooling （upper 150 m only） and freshening （almost the entire upper 400 m） during 2001-2007. The thermocline deepened during 2008-2012 in the Indian Ocean. Such change appeared from the equator to off the equator and even to the subtropics （about 20°N/S） in the two oceans. This long-term change of subsurface temperature/salinity may have been caused by change of the wind field over the two oceans during 2001-2012, in turn modifying OHC.

Boreal Winter Rainfall Anomaly over the Tropical Indo-Pacific and Its Effect on Northern Hemisphere Atmospheric Circulation in CMIP5 Models

Experimental outputs of 11 Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project （AMIP） models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project （CMIP5） are analyzed to assess the atmospheric circulation anomaly over Northern Hemisphere induced by the anomalous rainfall over tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean during boreal winter.The analysis shows that the main features of the interannual variation of tropical rainfall anomalies,especially over the Central Pacific （CP） （5°S-5°N,175°E-135°W） and Indo-western Pacific （IWP） （20°S-20°N,110°-150°E） are well captured in all the CMIP5/AMIP models.For the IWP and western Indian Ocean （WIO） （10°S-10°N,45°-75°E）,the anomalous rainfall is weaker in the 11 CMIP5/AMIP models than in the observation.During El Ni（n）o/La Ni（n）a mature phases in boreal winter,consistent with observations,there are geopotential height anomalies known as the Pacific North American （PNA） pattern and Indo-western Pacific and East Asia （IWPEA） pattern in the upper troposphere,and the northwestern Pacific anticyclone （cyclone） （NWPA） in the lower troposphere in the models.Comparison between the models and observations shows that the ability to simulate the PNA and NWPA pattern depends on the ability to simulate the anomalous rainfall over the CP,while the ability to simulate the IWPEA pattern is related to the ability to simulate the rainfall anomaly in the IWP and WIO,as the SST anomaly is same in AMIP experiments.It is found that the tropical rainfall anomaly is important in modeling the impact of the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean on the extratropical atmospheric circulation anomaly.

Japan-UK Security Cooperation in the Context of the Convergence of the Indo-Pacific Strategy and Global Britain

Japan-UK security cooperation has been deepening as the Indo-Pacific Strategy has converged with Global Britain,which has become strongly Indo-Pacific-oriented.In terms of their cooperation on security,the two countries have close security interactions,high-level security consultations,numerous mechanisms on security cooperation,frequent defense cooperation and exchanges between forces,and cooperation geared at a response to the Korean nuclear issue.In particular,Japan and the UK regard Indo-Pacific security as the strategic focus of their cooperation,and this underscores the rules-based international order.There are multiple motivations for Japan and the UK to strengthen their security cooperation,and the deepening of their security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region is to a great extent due to strategic factors,including responding to the US strategic adjustment,Japan and Britain’s respective proactive strategic demands,the improving strategic positions of the Indopacific region,their seeking to shape the regional order in the Indo-Pacific,and so on.Despite facing challenges,Japan-UK security cooperation is continuously strengthening against a background of deepening strategic convergence between the two countries and great power competition.

India and the Indo-Pacific Strategy Vision： Orientation, Involvement and Limits

In 2017, the Trump administration formally articulated its vision for the Indo-Pacific strategy, replacing "Asia-Pacific" with"Indo-Pacific"in policy papers and taking measures to promote the realization of an "Indo-Pacific dream". This represents a significant adjustment in US regional policies. An important power in the Indian Ocean region, India is perceived as key to the successful implementation of this Indo-Pacific strategy. Generally speaking, the current Indian government and strategy circle actively support the upgrading of the"Indo-Pacific"concept from a geographical and academic term to a US vision for foreign strategies, anticipating that India could garner significant strategic benefits from it. Given this, New Delhi will continually adapt its foreign policies to the US Indo-Pacific strategy and may even direct the development of the strategy to counter the Belt and Road Initiative, work with other nations to balance China's influence and finally make the rise of India as a great power a reality. Nonetheless, the Indo-pacific strategy is in its early stages, and the content is not completely pro-India currently. On top of this India is still skeptical of the US and will proceed cautiously, leaving room for maneuver in the future,fully tapping into the benefits of the Indo-Pacific strategy and avoiding direct confrontation with China.

A HOMOGENEOUS MODEL OF UPPER LAYER CIRCULATION IN INDO-PACIFIC REGION

A homogeneous model is proposed to study the upper layer circulation in the Indo-Pacific region,the sources of the Indonesian throughflow (TF) and the North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC), and the relations of the the with the North Equatorial Current (NEC) and the South Equatorial Current (SEC). The results revealed that the upper layer circulaton, as part of the Pacific Ocean general circulation, is mainly controlled by geostrophic balance; that the NECC’s volume transport is mainly sup plied by the NEC, and its variation has closer relation to the NEC than the SEC; that the TF, whose volume transport is jointly supplied by the NEC through the Mindanao Current (MC) and the SEC, with the NEC being the first source, has significant influence on the circulation structure; and that a large Celebes Sea cyclonic circulation not mentioned elsewhere so far, exists in the calculated results.

Upper Ocean Hydrology in the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool During the Late Holocene,Early Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum

We examined sediment samples from twenty-four stations in the Indo-Pacific warm pool(IPWP)region. Our objective is to provide a better understanding of changes in the IPWP and related tropical climatic phenomena such as East Asian-Australian monsoon and El Ni(?)o-Southern Oscillation(ENSO),through improving spatial coverage of proxy records.In order

India＇ s Advance East Strategy and Its Indo-Pacific Diplomacy

India's eastward advancement began in the early 1990s. It was then called the"Look East"policy, and was later upgraded in name to the"Act East"policy in 2014. Over the past 25 years, India's"Advance East"strategy has continued to expand, undergoing a compound evolution and upgrade from economy to security, from bilateral to multilateral, from the ASEAN region to East Asia and further onto the Asia-Pacific region,which has been reflected in the rise in India's national strength and regional influence, more and more become an important pillar in India's diplomatic strategy. Nonetheless, the traditional development trends of India's eastward advancement are being affected by the newly emerging Indo-Pacific diplomacy strategies and achievements. India's Indo-Pacific diplomacy was born out of its Advance East strategy, though not limited to advancement east; the core demand of India has always been to merge into the Asia-Pacific region. In other words, India's Advance East strategy is an important pivot for its Indo-Pacific diplomacy. The reliance of India's Indo-Pacific diplomacy on major power diplomacy has impacted the core position of ASEAN in its Advance East strategy, while the element of containing China in India's Indo-Pacific diplomacy will dilute its intention to cooperate with China. This is also manifested in its Advance East strategy.

The Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States from Russia’s Strategic Perspective

The Trump administration of the United States has accelerated the advancement of the‘‘open and free Indo-Pacific’,strategy since 2017.From a geopolitical point of view and in terms of its national interests,Russia has generally been critical of this strategy,believing it has posed certain challenges to its“Pivot to the East”strategy.Meanwhile,Russia is rejoicing for not being the primary target of US containment in the region and has sensed a new opportunity for exercising its Asia-Pacific diplomacy in the context of the Indo-Pacific strategy.Based on this situation,Russia has made a flexible and pragmatic policy response to it.However,Russia will inevitably face many restraints.In the future,Russia will seek to maximize its strategic interests on the basis of adhering to its inherent principles of Asia-Pacific diplomacy.

Outlook of Energy Storage via Large-Scale Entrained-Flow Coal Gasification

1.Introduction The decarbonization of the energy sector,which greatly relies on fossil-fuel energy,requires urgent action on a global scale to reduce carbon emissions to a net-zero state and to mitigate the effects of climate change[1,2].With a multi-level global energy transition already underway,there is an inevitable trend to use renewable energy to replace traditional fossil-fuel energy.