Asia

In 214 BC (Qin Dynasty), the Qin army launched a southern expedition to Baiyue and incorporated Hong Kong into the Qin territory. Since then, Hong Kong has been within the political framework of the Chinese main body. In 736 AD (Tang Dynasty), the Tang government established Tuen Mun Military Town (now in the western part of Hong Kong and Shenzhen), stationed by two thousand soldiers to protect maritime trade. In 971 AD (Song Dynasty), the Northern Song government established an official salt farm in the Kowloon Bay area and dispatched salt officials to guard it. In 1514 AD (Ming Dynasty), Portugal sent troops to capture Tuen Mun (Tuen Mun Island, Hong Kong). The Ming government declared war on Portugal in 1521 and won the battle, but allowed the Portuguese to anchor in the area of Macau’s Central Road. In 1810 AD, the British East India Company surveyed the topography of Hong Kong at the mouth of the the Pearl River. In 1842, the Opium War failed and the Sino British Treaty of Nanjing permanently ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain. In 1860, the Second Opium War failed, and the Treaty of Beijing between China and Britain permanently ceded the Kowloon Peninsula to Britain. In 1898, the Qing government signed the “Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory” and other lease agreements with Britain, leasing the northern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, and over 200 neighboring islands for 99 years. On December 8, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and attacked Hong Kong on the same day. The defense of Hong Kong began, and on December 25, Hong Kong fell. The period of three years and eight months of Japanese occupation in Hong Kong began. In 1945, Britain announced the restoration of sovereignty over Hong Kong, which was a time of internal strife between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, leaving no time to consider the Hong Kong issue. In 1949, the People’s Republic of China was established, and the governments of China and Britain reached an informal agreement on the Hong Kong issue: Beijing had no intention of reclaiming sovereignty over Hong Kong, nor did it interfere with the activities of Nationalist government soldiers in Hong Kong, in exchange for British recognition of New China. In the 1970s, as the New Territories lease was approaching, China and Britain began negotiating the Hong Kong issue. In 1997, Hong Kong returned to the motherland and the People’s Liberation Army entered Hong Kong. Before Hong Kong was ceded, there were already over 7000 people living on Hong Kong Island During the Taiping Rebellion, the population of Hong Kong increased from 15000 to 70000 During the Cultural Revolution, a large number of mainland residents flooded into Hong Kong Hong Kong is a significant international financial, business services, and shipping center in the world. The Heritage Foundation has selected Hong Kong as the world’s most free economy for 24 consecutive years, and is renowned for its excellent public security, social integrity, simple tax system, and sound legal system. It is known as the “Pearl of the East”. In the 2018 GaWC global city list, Hong Kong ranked third only after London and New York.

Sri Lanka implements a free trade policy, allowing for the free import of all goods except for oil, which is controlled by the government. In recent years, there has been a fundamental change in the export trade structure, shifting from a focus on agricultural products to a focus on industrial products. The main export commodities are textiles, clothing, tea, rubber and its products, and jewelry products. The main import targets are India, China, the United States, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Japan, Australia, etc. China Sri Lanka Trade In 1952, China and Sri Lanka signed the Rice Rubber Trade Agreement, which became a beautiful story in the history of friendly cooperation between the two countries. From 1953 to 1982, China Sri Lanka trade was a bookkeeping trade. In 1983, trade between the two countries began to be settled in spot exchange. The bilateral trade volume in 2018 was 4.58 billion US dollars, an increase of 4.1% year-on-year. In 2020, the bilateral trade volume was 4.16 billion US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 7.3%. In 2021, the bilateral trade volume was 5.903 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 41.9%. In 2022, the bilateral trade volume was 4.15 billion US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 27.8%. In 2023, the bilateral trade volume was 4.11 billion US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 1.1%. At present, China mainly imports rubber and its products, black tea, gemstones, and coconut oil from Sri Lanka, and exports textiles, mechanical and electrical products, building materials, small hardware, medicine, etc. Some well-known Chinese products, such as Haier home appliances, Huawei smartphones, and Qingqi motorcycles, have entered the Chinese market. [18] Trade partners In 2020, China surpassed India to become Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner, while the United States remains Sri Lanka’s third largest trading partner. In 2020, Sri Lanka’s trade volume with China, India, and the United States totaled 10.5 billion US dollars, accounting for approximately 40% of the total foreign trade volume, but decreased by 2.1 billion US dollars compared to 12.6 billion US dollars in 2019. Affected by the COVID-19, the bilateral trade volume with other major trading partners also declined. In 2020, European and American countries remained the main export destinations for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s exports to the United States account for 24.9% of the total exports, followed by the United Kingdom (9.0%), India (6.0%), Germany (5.7%), and Italy (4.5%). In addition, Sri Lanka’s exports to the European Union account for 17.0% of its total exports. In 2020, Asian countries remained Sri Lanka’s main source of imports. China has become Sri Lanka’s largest source of imports for the second consecutive year, with imports from China accounting for 22.0% of its total imports; Next are India (19.2%), the United Arab Emirates (6.4%), Singapore (4.3%), and Malaysia (3.8%). service trade In 2020, Sri Lanka’s trade surplus in services decreased from 2.849 billion dollars to 819 million dollars, a decrease of about 2 billion dollars, mainly because of the impact of the COVID-19 and the sharp decline in tourism and transportation services, the main source of income in previous years. In 2020, the revenue of the computer and information service industries in Sri Lanka significantly increased, becoming the main contributor to service trade revenue that year. In terms of tourism, the tourism industry in Sri Lanka has been severely affected by global border blockades and border closures by the Sri Lankan government since mid March 2020. The total number of tourists for the year was only 508000, a year-on-year decrease of 73.5%; Tourism revenue was approximately 682 million US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 81.1%. Transportation service revenue has significantly decreased due to disruptions in global supply chains and logistics networks, with both sea and air freight revenue experiencing declines. In addition, due to the sluggish global economic activity, the inflow and outflow of service trade in various industries, including insurance, financial services, construction services, and other commercial services, have all decreased in 2020. Oil trade On June 26, 2022 local time, Sri Lanka, which was short of funds, announced the dispatch of ministers to Russia and Qatar in the hope of obtaining cheap oil at the last moment when fuel was almost depleted.

The Middle East is a historical and political region of Africa-Eurasia with no clear definition. The term “Middle East” was popularized around 1900 by the British, and has been criticized for its loose definition. The Middle East traditionally includes countries or regions in Southwest Asia and parts of North Africa. The corresponding adjective to Middle East is Middle-Eastern and the derived noun is Middle-Easterner. The history of the Middle East dates back to ancient times, and throughout its history the Middle East has been a major center of world affairs. The Middle East generally has an arid and hot climate, with several major rivers providing for irrigation to support agriculture in limited areas. Many countries located around the Persian Gulf have large quantities of crude oil. In modern times, the Middle East remains a strategically, economically, politically, culturally, and religiously sensitive region. Etymology The term “Middle East” may have originated in the 1850s in the British India Office,[1] and became more widely known when American naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan used the term.[2] During this time the British and Russian Empires were vying for influence in Central Asia, a rivalry which would become known as The Great Game. Mahan realized not only the strategic importance of the region, but also of its center, the Persian Gulf.[3][4] He labeled the area surrounding the Persian Gulf as the Middle East, and said that after the Suez Canal, it was the most important passage for Britain to control in order to keep the Russians from advancing towards India.[5] Mahan first used the term in his article “The Persian Gulf and International Relations”, published in September 1902 in the National Review, a British journal. The Middle East, if I may adopt a term which I have not seen, will some day need its Malta, as well as its Gibraltar; it does not follow that either will be in the Persian Gulf. Naval force has the quality of mobility which carries with it the privilege of temporary absences; but it needs to find on every scene of operation established bases of refit, of supply, and in case of disaster, of security. The British Navy should have the facility to concentrate in force if occasion arise, about Aden, India, and the Persian Gulf.[6] Alfred Thayer MahanMahan’s article was reprinted in The Times and followed in October by a 20 article series entitled “The Middle Eastern Question”, written by Sir Ignatius Valentine Chirol. During this series, Chirol expanded the definition of the “Middle East” to include “those regions of Asia which extend to the borders of India or command the approaches to India.”[7] With the series end in 1903, The Times removed quotation marks from subsequent uses of the term.[8] Until World War II, it was customary to refer to areas centered around Turkey and the eastern shore of the Mediterranean as the Near East, while the Far East centered on China.[9] The Middle East then meant the area from Mesopotamia to Burma, namely the area between the Near East and the Far East. The sense described in this article evolved during the war, perhaps influenced by the ancient idea of the Mediterranean as the “sea in the middle”. One widely used definition of the “Middle East” is that of the airline industry, maintained by the IATA standards organization. This definition — as of early 2007 — includes Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestinian territories, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.[10] This definition is used in world-wide airfare and tax calculations for passengers and cargo. Criticism and usage Many have criticized the term Middle East for what they see as Eurocentrism,[11][12] because it was originally used by Europeans (although Alfred Mahan was American) and reflects the geographical position of the region from a European perspective. It is also criticized due to the fact that the term today is often used to only refer to the Arab world, making the situation more confused. Today the term is used by Europeans and non-Europeans alike, unlike the similar term Mashreq, used exclusively in Arabic-language contexts. The region is only east from the perspective of Europe. To an Indian, it lies to the west; to a Russian, it lies to the south. The description Middle has also led to some confusion over changing definitions. Before the First World War, Near East was used in English to refer to the Balkans and the Ottoman Empire, while Middle East referred to Persia, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, present day Pakistan and Central Asia, Turkistan and the Caucasus. In contrast, Far East refers to the countries of East Asia, e.g. China, Japan, Koreas, Hong Kong (China), Taiwan, etc. Such critics usually advise using an alternative term, such as “West Asia”. The official UN designation of the area is “Southwest Asia”. With the disappearance of the Ottoman Turkish Empire in 1918, Near East largely fell out of common use in English, while Middle East came to be applied to the re-emerging countries of the Islamic world. However, the usage of Near East was retained by a variety of academic disciplines, including archaeology and ancient history, where it describes an area identical to the term Middle East, which is not used by these disciplines (see Ancient Near East). So in shorter words, the term Middle East came about when the UK/French part of the world used the term. The Eisenhower Doctrine, a 1957 policy of the United States government, was the first to officially use the term Middle East.[9] Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles defined the Middle East as “the area lying between and including Libya on the west and Pakistan on the east and Turkey on the North and the Arabian peninsula to the south, plus the Sudan and Ethiopia.”[9] In 1958, the State Department explained that the terms “Near East” and “Middle East” were interchangeable, and defined the region as including only Egypt, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar.[13] The

The Islamic Republic of Iran (hereinafter referred to as Iran), with its capital Tehran, is located in the southwest of Asia, adjacent to Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Türkiye, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman in the south, and facing Russia and Kazakhstan across the Caspian Sea in the north. The average altitude is between 900 and 1500 meters, with plateaus and mountains accounting for more than half of the entire territory. One fourth of the territory is desert, and the rest is arable land. In the north, there is the Erbos Mountains, with an altitude of 2400-3000 meters. The main peak, Damavand, has an altitude of 5671 meters and is the highest peak in Iran. The eastern region is a dry basin with many deserts, and deserts and wastelands account for more than two-thirds of the country’s area. The northern Caspian Sea and the southern Persian Gulf, along the coast of the Gulf of Oman, are alluvial plains. The eastern and inland regions of Iran belong to a continental subtropical grassland and desert climate, with drastic changes in cold and heat, dry and hot summers, and cold and windy winters; The western mountainous areas mostly have a subtropical Mediterranean style climate, with an average annual precipitation of over 500 millimeters; The precipitation in the eastern desert area has decreased to about 100 millimeters; The climate in the Caspian Sea area is mild and humid, with an average annual precipitation of over 1000 millimeters. The population of Iran is 88.55 million, mainly Persians, and Islam is the state religion. Iran is an ancient civilization with a history of over 5000 years, formerly known as Persia. In the 6th century BC, the ancient Persian Empire was in its heyday. After the 7th century AD, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, and Afghans successively invaded and ruled Iraq. In the late 18th century, the Turkmen Kaga tribe in northeastern Iran unified Iran and established the Kaga dynasty. After the 19th century, Iran became a semi colony of Britain and Russia. In 1925, the Pahlavi dynasty was established. From 1978 to 1979, Khomeini led the Islamic Revolution and overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty. On February 11, 1979, Khomeini officially came to power. On April 1 of the same year, the Islamic Republic was established, and Khomeini became the highest leader of the Iranian revolution. Iran is located in the heart of West Asia, known as the “Eurasian Land Bridge” and the “East West Air Corridor”. It has a long history and rich cultural heritage, with oil reserves ranking fourth in the world and natural gas reserves ranking second in the world. It is a political, economic, cultural, and military power in the Middle East and Gulf region. Its unique geographical location and abundant oil and gas resources make Iran’s strategic position more prominent.

Located on the alluvial plain of the Yodogawa River in the western part of the Osaka Plain, adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, Osaka Bay to the west, and Hyogo Prefecture to the northwest, Osaka City has a total area of 225.33 square kilometers, ranking 17th among the cities designated by government ordinance, only larger than Saitama City, Sakai City, and Kawasaki City. Most of the urban area is located on the Osaka Plain. The Osaka Plain is an alluvial plain with flat terrain. The Kamimachi Plateau in the east is an alluvial plateau stretching from Osaka Castle in the north to Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine in the south. The northern end of the platform is the highest area in Uemachi, and the terrain on the east side is relatively gentle, while the west side has a more pronounced change of highlands and many slopes, which is also the origin of the name “Osaka”. Osaka City has a Seto Inland Sea climate with a warm climate throughout the year. Summers are very hot, making it one of the hottest regions in Japan, even surpassing the city of Naha in the south. Due to the heat island effect, the temperature in Osaka city is less likely to drop at night in summer, and in recent years, the average tropical night in Osaka has exceeded 40 days a year. Winters are relatively warm, but temperatures can fall below freezing when strong cold fronts hit. The most famous building in Osaka is the Umeda Sky Garden, located in the northern part of Osaka, and is Japan’s first connected supertall building. It is also a complex amusement complex: the “Takimi Koji” on the first basement floor is a retro restaurant street, and the third floor has a gallery and foyer theater, and it takes only one minute to take a rapid elevator to the 35th floor from the third floor. On the 39th floor, there is a restaurant, bar, and souvenir shop, and on the 40th floor, there is a very laid-back café, and the top floor is designed as a circular 360-degree open-air observation deck.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“Hong Kong” for short), the full name of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, is located in the south of China, east of the mouth of the the Pearl River, across the sea from Macao to the west, adjacent to Shenzhen to the north, and adjacent to the Wanshan Islands of Zhuhai to the south. The region covers 262 islands including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories and the surrounding areas, with a land area of 1113.76 square kilometers, a sea area of 1641.21 square kilometers, and a total area of 2754.97 square kilometers. As of the end of 2023, the total population was 7.5031 million, making it one of the regions with the highest population density in the world. The average life expectancy is the highest in the world, and the Human Development Index is the fourth highest in the world. Hong Kong has been a territory of China since ancient times and was under British colonial rule from 1842 to 1997. After World War II, Hong Kong’s economy and society developed rapidly, ranking among the “Four Asian Tigers” and becoming one of the wealthiest, most economically developed, and highest standard of living regions in the world. On July 1, 1997, the Chinese government resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was established. The central government has comprehensive governance over Hong Kong. Hong Kong maintains its original capitalist system for a long time and enjoys a high degree of autonomy in all affairs except diplomacy and national defense. It participates in international organizations and conferences under the name of “Hong Kong, China”. “One country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong”, and a high degree of autonomy are the basic national policies of the Chinese government. Hong Kong is a highly prosperous free port and international metropolis, known as “Port of Nuremberg” along with New York and London. It is the third largest financial center in the world, an important international trade and shipping center, and an international innovation and technology center. It has been rated as the third largest city in the world by GaWC. Hong Kong is a place where Chinese and Western cultures blend, combining the wisdom of Chinese people with Western social management experience. With a clean government, good public security, a free economic system, and a sound rule of law, it is known as the Pearl of the East, a food paradise, and a shopping paradise. In 2022, Hong Kong achieved a regional GDP of HKD 2827 billion, with a final calculated GDP of HKD 2818.046 billion.

According to the latest forecast by the Japan Weather Association, the blossoms are again expected to open ahead of their average schedule this year. Among the first major cities predicted to see the blossoms open are Tokyo and Nagoya on March 21. The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate but varies greatly from north to south. The northernmost region, Hokkaido, has a humid continental climate with long, cold winters and very warm to cool summers. Precipitation is not heavy, but the islands usually develop deep snowbanks in the winter. In the Sea of Japan region on Honshu’s west coast, northwest winter winds bring heavy snowfall during winter. In the summer, the region sometimes experiences extremely hot temperatures because of the Foehn. The Central Highland has a typical inland humid continental climate, with large temperature differences between summer and winter. The mountains of the Chūgoku and Shikoku regions shelter the Seto Inland Sea from seasonal winds, bringing mild weather year-round. The Pacific coast features a humid subtropical climate that experiences milder winters with occasional snowfall and hot, humid summers because of the southeast seasonal wind. The Ryukyu and Nanpō Islands have a subtropical climate, with warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation is very heavy, especially during the rainy season. The main rainy season begins in early May in Okinawa, and the rain front gradually moves north. In late summer and early autumn, typhoons often bring heavy rain. According to the Environment Ministry, heavy rainfall and increasing temperatures have caused problems in the agricultural industry and elsewhere. The highest temperature ever measured in Japan, 41.1 °C (106.0 °F), was recorded on July 23, 2018, and repeated on August 17, 2020.