China increased oil production by 2.7 percent in May compared with the same month last year, to 18.1 million tons, according to the State Statistics Administration of the country.
Refining output soared 15.4 percent last month to 62 million tons, the second-highest total ever recorded. This was due, among other things, to the completion of scheduled maintenance work at a number of refineries.
Natural gas production in China in May increased by 7.2% and reached 19 billion cubic meters, since the beginning of this year – by 5.3% to 97.3 billion cubic meters.
Oil imports last month totaled 51.44 million tons, up 12.2 percent from the same month a year earlier, customs said. Gas imports rose 17.3% to 10.64 million tons, the highest since January 2022.
CHINA, GAS, OIL, PRODUCTION
The China Manned Spaceflight Program Administration (CMSA) on Monday announced plans to send astronauts (Chinese taikonauts) to the surface of the moon before 2030.
“According to the plan for a project to explore the moon by taikonauts, Chinese taikonauts will land on the moon for the first time before 2030, with two taikonauts driving a lunar rover to conduct scientific research,” the administration said in a statement on its website.
China has previously announced plans to land taikonauts on the moon and build a lunar research base there in the 2030s. The South Pole was suggested as a preliminary landing site because of the abundance of sunlight in the area and the presence of ice reserves from which water could be extracted.
China’s main rival in the “moon race” is the United States. In April, Bill Nelson, head of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said that the U.S. space agency expects to send astronauts to the moon in late 2025 or 2026 under the Artemis national lunar program.
The EU is considering imposing sanctions against dozens of companies from China, Iran, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that cooperate with Russia, Reuters reports.
The agency cites diplomatic sources familiar with the European Commission’s draft proposals. Inclusion of these companies in the “black list” is possible within the framework of the prepared 11 package of anti-Russian sanctions.
In late April, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Elizabeth Rosenberg during a visit to Kazakhstan warned of the growing risks of secondary sanctions against Kazakh companies and banks that help Russia evade Western sanctions imposed in response to the full-scale war against Ukraine unleashed by Russia.
CHINA, EU, IRAN, KAZAKHSTAN, SANCTIONS, UZBEKISTAN
China will send a special representative for Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine, the official Xinhua news agency said Wednesday.
“China will send a special representative of the government for Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine and other countries for in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis,” the agency wrote, citing a telephone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
Reportedly, Xi Jinping noted that the complex evolution of the “Ukrainian crisis” has a serious impact on the international situation. According to him, the agency reported, China will press for peace and promote negotiations, and will make its own efforts to stop the fighting and cease-fire and restore peace as soon as possible. The Chinese side will send a special representative of the Chinese government for Eurasian affairs to visit other countries as well to conduct in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the “Ukrainian crisis.”
“In the afternoon of April 26, 2023, President Xi Jinping had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the initiative of the Ukrainian side. The two sides exchanged views on Sino-Ukrainian relations and the Ukrainian crisis,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
According to the press service of the Foreign Ministry, Xi Jinping noted that the Sino-Ukrainian relations have passed through 31 years of development and reached the level of strategic partnership, which contributed to the appropriate development of the two countries.
He also noted President Vladimir Zelensky’s “emphasis on the development of China-Ukraine relations and cooperation with China,” and thanked Ukraine for its great assistance in evacuating Chinese citizens last year.
“Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the political foundation of Sino-Ukrainian relations. Both sides should focus on the future, persistently consider and plan bilateral relations in the long term, continue the tradition of mutual respect and sincerity between the two sides and promote the development of the China-Ukraine strategic partnership,” the statement said.
It stressed that “China’s readiness to develop China-Ukraine relations is consistent and clear.”
The Chinese side said that no matter how the international situation changes, China is ready to work with Ukraine to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
“Xi Jinping noted that the complex evolution of the Ukrainian crisis has had a serious impact on the international situation. On the issue of the Ukrainian crisis, China has always stood on the side of peace, and its main position is to promote peace and negotiations,” the Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry recalled their “peace plan,” and added that China is “neither a creator nor a party involved in the Ukrainian crisis.”
“As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible large country, we will neither watch the fire from the other side nor pour oil on the fire, let alone seize the opportunity to profit,” China said.
It stressed that “dialogue and negotiation are the only possible way out,” there are no winners in a nuclear war, and “all parties concerned must remain calm and restrained in solving the nuclear problem.”
“It is hoped that all parties will think deeply about the Ukrainian crisis and work together to seek a path toward long-term peace and stability in Europe through dialogue. China will insist on establishing peace and facilitating negotiations, and will make its own efforts to stop the war as soon as possible, cease fire and restore peace,” China said.
In addition, the Chinese side will send the Chinese government’s special representative for Eurasian affairs to Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communication with all parties “on the political resolution of the Ukrainian crisis.
China has provided several batches of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and is ready to continue providing assistance within its capabilities.
For his part, Zelensky presented his views on the current crisis in Ukraine, thanked China for its humanitarian aid to Ukraine and welcomed China’s important role in restoring peace and resolving the crisis through diplomacy.
The president of Ukraine has appointed Pavlo Ryabikin as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the People’s Republic of China.
According to the official portal of the President of Ukraine, this is enshrined in the decree of the head of state No. 239/2023 of April 26, 2023
From November 2021 to March 2023 Ryabikin was the Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine.
In January-March 2023, Ukraine exported 5.3 thousand tons of frozen cattle meat worth $20.6 million.
This is evidenced by the data of the State Customs Service.
The main buyers of Ukrainian frozen cattle meat during the first quarter of this year were China (69%), Azerbaijan (9.8%) and Uzbekistan (7.3%).
Imports of frozen cattle meat during the first three months of 2023 amounted to 369 tons. In monetary terms, it cost Ukraine $1.6 million.
Most of all, Ukraine bought frozen cattle meat in Lithuania (45.1%), Brazil (40.6%) and Austria (13.4%).
As reported, global beef prices rose in March.
