Nigeria Times

By Zhu Lei, People’s Daily

In the early spring dawn, the white lotus distribution center in Guangchang county, east China’s Jiangxi province, is already bustling with activity, with buyers and sellers bargaining among mounds of white lotus seeds.

Guangchang has been cultivating lotus since the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and planting the aquatic plant on a large scale since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Today, a specialized white lotus market has taken shape here, with thousands of agricultural brokers engaging in the trade and transportation of white lotus seeds and the average daily trading volume of white lotus seeds reaching about 50,000 kilograms. The county has become a distribution and pricing center for white lotus seeds in China.

So far, Guangchang’s white lotus has been promoted nationwide with a growing area of 20 million mu (1.33 million hectares). In addition, the county has established a white lotus industrial chain with an annual comprehensive output value of more than three billion yuan ($416.8 million). Behind the thriving white lotus industry are magic space-bred seeds.

Established in 1984, the Guangchang White Lotus Research Institute strived to cultivate new varieties of lotus seeds. However, no matter how hard researchers tried, the yield per mu of lotus seeds remained at around 50 kilograms.

To break through the bottleneck problem, the institute had to take a different approach. In 1994, Liu Guangliang, the then head of the institute, attended a meeting in Beijing and learned that China was conducting space breeding to mutate genes of seeds in the special mutagenesis environment in space, so as to create new varieties.

That year, researchers sent 442 lotus seeds selected from over 10 lotus varieties into space by a retrievable satellite. The lotus seeds were subjected to space mutation for 14 days and were then mailed back to the institute. After categorizing and numbering the seeds by variety, staff members sowed each seed in a separate breeding container.

Unexpectedly, over 180 lotus seeds failed to germinate initially. After extensive consultations and research, researchers realized that cosmic rays in space were strong enough to result in the failure of germination of some weak seeds.

To ensure that the remaining lotus seeds would sprout, Liu and team members got to the institute early and stayed late. Lacking temperature-controlled incubators, researchers got up at 5 a.m. to put seed trays in the sun. Several months later, they achieved encouraging results: some varieties showed early ripening, with flowers being more than that of ordinary varieties, which indicated a very high yield potential.

These unique varieties were then propagated several times. After four years of careful breeding, a new variety named “No. 36 space lotus” was created, with longer growth duration, more flowers, larger lotus seedpods, higher ripening rate, and better quality. The per-mu yield of seeds of the new variety exceeded 120 kilograms.

In 1999, Guangchang started the experimental planting of the No. 36 space lotus in over 20 planting bases. At first, farmers who used to grow traditional lotus varieties were not interested in the new variety. Encouraged by technicians from the institute, Xie Changjun, the then head     of Xialan village in Xujiang town, Guangchang, took the lead to plant the space lotus on four mu of land.

When summer arrived, the space lotus grew beyond Xie’s expectations, with the average yield of lotus seeds per mu of farmland reaching 130 kilograms that year. This made a splash in the whole town as crowds of people lined up in the fields to purchase Xie’s lotus seedlings.

In just a few years, the planting area of the space lotus in Guangchang exceeded 100,000 mu. Since then, the No. 36 space lotus has made its name and has been promoted to production areas of lotus seeds across China.

“A number of lotus varieties bred using the space lotus as the main breeding material have become the top choices for aquatic landscaping in China, driving the development of the country’s lotus tourism,” said Jie Zhihui, director of the white lotus industry development center in Guangchang.

Jie added that the No. 36 space lotus has been promoted across the country with a growing area of more than 20 million mu, accounting for over 80 percent of the total cultivation area of lotus seeds nationwide.

In Guangchang alone, the annual output of dried white lotus seeds reaches 9000 tons, generating an output value of 800 million yuan. In addition, the county receives 2.7 million tourist visits annually, with its tourism revenue surpassing 700 million yuan.

Guangchang is now home to several manufacturers of automatic lotus seed processing machinery, over 20 white lotus product processing enterprises, and more than 130 white lotus cooperatives, with the annual comprehensive output value of the white lotus industry exceeding three billion yuan.

To continue expanding production and strengthening brand building, Guangchang has placed importance on attracting talents and promoting innovation.

Zheng Xingwen, a genetics PhD student at Wuhan University’s College of Life Sciences in central China, is one of the outstanding talents introduced to Guangchang.

“The space lotus means utilizing the special mutagenesis environment in space to mutate genes of lotus seeds and create new varieties after space-bred seeds are brought back to earth. Today, we use gene technology to combine favorable lotus genes, so as to create new varieties,” Zheng said.

At the repository for the preservation of lotus species of a park exhibiting lotus in Guangchang, lotus varieties collected from across China are planted in thousands of large containers.

“We collect germplasm resources nationwide for purification. We have so far collected over 1,000 pieces of germplasm resources to enable genomic selection in molecular breeding. In the future, even better new space lotus varieties may emerge here,” Zheng said hopefully.

By Zhong Sheng，People’s Daily

Recently, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government’s public consultation on the legislation of Article 23 of the HKSAR Basic Law successfully concluded. Out of over 13,000 public opinions, more than 98 percent expressed support or positive views, fully reflecting the strong consensus among the Hong Kong public to expedite the completion of Article 23 legislation. However, the US and the UK have turned a blind eye to this and continue to attack and smear Article 23 legislation.

The US and the UK’s interference in Article 23 legislation obviously violates the basic norms governing international relations. Hong Kong is part of China, and Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs. No foreign country has the right to interfere in Hong Kong affairs. The US and the UK should respect China’s sovereignty, abide by the principles of international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs which are China’s internal affairs. It is worth pointing out that the UK’s attempt to intervene in Article 23 legislation by invoking the Sino-British Joint Declaration has no basis in international law. The Sino-British Joint Declaration by no means puts the UK in a position or gives it any right to interfere in Hong Kong affairs. 

The US and the UK’s sensationalist view that Article 23 legislation will weaken the rights and freedoms of the Hong Kong people is completely inconsistent with the facts. One of the principles of Article 23 legislation is to protect the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents in accordance with the Basic Law of the HKSAR and the provisions of relevant international covenants as applied to Hong Kong. There is a clear line drawn between acts that constitute an offense that endangers national security, and normal commercial exchanges and activities in the fields of economy, culture, and science and technology. The normal activities of foreign institutions and personnel in Hong Kong will be protected in accordance with the law. Article 23 legislation is considered a necessary step to effectively prevent activities that compromise national security and protect the safety of life and property of the Hong kong public. It will also improve Hong Kong’s business environment, and better attract businesses and investors to Hong Kong.

The US and the UK have enacted numerous laws to safeguard national security, yet they hypocritically criticize and label Article 23 legislation, which is blatant political manipulation and double standards. The extraterritorial effect of Article 23 is in strict compliance with international law and the common practices of all countries and regions. The definitions of “state secrets” and “external interference” have been fully considered based on the actual situation in the HKSAR and common practices in various countries, and are reasonable, legal, and beyond reproach.

“Ensuring security and development” and “speeding up legislation and boosting the economy” are the most prominent demands of Hong Kong society. The HKSAR government and legislature will surely meet the expectations of society and push forward Article 23 legislation in an orderly manner and as soon as possible. Attempts by any country to obstruct Article 23 legislation will only end in vain.

…passes vote of confidence on Corps leadership

In keeping with its mandate of engaging proactively with government agencies in the areas of good governance and policy reforms, a rights group, Save Nigeria Movement says it has understudied the activities of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) over the last 20 years and has found the Corps deserving of commendation.

The NSCDC which is tasked with safeguarding national assets, coordinating intelligence gathering and sharing with sister security agencies and performing other counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism operations towards serving civilian lives has over the years become a household name because of the professionalism of officers and men of the Corps

In a press release duly signed by its Convener Rev. Solomon Semaka and made available to journalists in Abuja, the group revealed that it has done some due diligence on the reforms of the security outfit and is confident that the Corps has performed beyond the expectations of Nigerians.

According to the release, “as watchdogs of the society, we have a sacred duty to hold government agencies accountable for their policies and operations especially where they are fail to meet the expectations of Nigerians. It is our duty to call them to order when they go below expectations and when they’re performing brilliantly, we must not shy away from commending and encouraging them. The NSCDC has consistently done well as an emerging security outfit with a unique mandate which it has pursued with passion and dedication over the last 20 years.

“Before the establishment of NSCDC, Nigeria faced an array of security threats against public assets including sabotage and vandalisation of electrical installations, oil pipelines, railway tracks, stealing from government hospitals, schools and offices as well as the expropriation of natural resources amongst others. It was in order to stem the tide of continuous theft and sabotage of national assets that the Federal Government established the NSCDC as a formidable para-military agency to help tackle this challenge. We are delighted to inform Nigerians that most of these crimes have now become a thing of the past as the NSCDC had other security agencies have collaboratively deployed their collective intelligence and competence in tackling these crimes”

The rights group hailed the leadership of the Corps and particularly expressed confidence in the current NSCDC Commandant General (CG) NSCDC, Dr. Audi Abubakar and all the 36 Commands including the FCT for upholding a high level of professionalism and effective civil engagement.

“The NSCDC has continued to win accolades and recognition all over the world for the professional conduct of its officers and men. The recognition of the European Union and other Election Observer groups shows that the NSCDC is corrupt free, professional in the discharge of its mandate and result oriented. The NSCDC has maintained strict discipline and periodic trainings over the years to ensure compliance with international best practices, conventions and protocols regarding civil relations. Indeed the NSCDC is Nigeria’s flagship security agency and we urge it always to continue to deliver quality service to Nigerians”, the statement added.

The CSO revealed that the NSCDC has demonstrated competence by the deployment of digital surveillance gadgets and technology towards curbing vandalism, theft and illegal mining of natural resources across the country as well as other laudable initiatives that have drastically tackled crimes such as kidnapping, terrorism and sundry crimes.

“The NSCDC especially under its current leadership has achieved milestones that has changed the face of the agency. The digital surveillance system deployed by the NSCDC has continued to outsmart criminals, rendering their enterprises useless. To have covered the entire country with its web of surveillance high-tech is commendable. In no distant time, real-time surveillance of the entire country can be made possible through this pioneering work of the NSCDC in collaboration with other sister security agencies.

“It is also on record that the NSCDC has pioneered the Safe School Initiative in response to the incessant cases of kidnapping and abduction of school children that became very rampant because of widespread insecurity especially in the northern part of the country. This initiative has, since its inception, drastically reduced the incidence of school abductions as it has deterred criminal elements who once exploited the porous nature of most schools especially in the rural areas for their criminal enterprise. We must therefore, support the NSCDC especially by providing critical intelligence to enable them respond proactively to threats.
Save Nigeria

“The establishment of the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS) has been a breathe of real fresh air. This units has functioned effectively, leading to high profile successes including the thwarting of kidnapping attempts and other criminal operations across the country. This elite squad has galvanised intelligence sharing to another level. This is what Nigeria needs to fight terror and insecurity headlong.

“Worthy of mention as an achievement of the Corps over the last 20 years is the interventions of the NSCDC and other sister security agencies in the Niger Delta region which has minimize crude oil theft and the vandalisation of critical oil and gas installations in the region in line with Mr. President’s economic recovery plan. the statement added.

The CSO also hailed the current leadership of the NSCDC for “the establishment of a Special Female Arms Squad by the NSCDC. The success recorded by these brave women has shown that women have what it takes and given the right training, motivation and opportunities, can contribute to nation building. By this singular act, the NSCDC has joined the list of very few security agencies who have prioritised women and give them opportunities to achieve their full potential.

While passing a meritorious vote of confidence on the NSCDC over the past 20 years, the CSO adviced the leadership to prioritize and maintain “the prompt payment of salaries and timely promotion as well as training courses for personnel, the establishment of training commands across the country, office accommodation and residential quarters to maintain output and productivity of personel.

This in no small measure, will motivate the officers to dedicate themselves to duty and it’ll be a great disservice for us as a CSO not to acknowledge and promote excellence and professionalism in return. Rev Semaka added.