China accelerates research on key water conservancy technology

China will accelerate research on key water conservancy technology, involving 42 projects this year, the Ministry of Water Resources said.

After years of efforts, China's water conservation scientific and technological innovation has made remarkable progress. But there are still many weaknesses in original innovation, basic research, cutting-edge technology research, and the efficiency of the innovation system, said Water Resources Minister Li Guoying.

The research efforts should be based on China's national and water conditions to meet demand and solve problems, Li said.

The research projects will involve flood and drought disaster prevention,intensive and economical use of water resources, and river and lake protection.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in India Thursday touting job-creating investment but facing long odds to get his reluctant counterpart Narendra Modi to back Western action against Russia.

Johnson arrived in western Gujarat-Modi's home state-where he is scheduled to meet business leaders and take a cultural tour of the historic Ahmedabad city-the ancestral home to half of the Anglo-Indian population in Britain.

He will leave for New Delhi to meet his Indian counterpart on Friday, providing Johnson some respite from the "partygate" controversy over his criminal violation of pandemic lockdown rules.

Johnson will miss a parliamentary vote on Thursday into whether he deliberately misled the House of Commons in previously denying any Downing Street rulebreaking-normally a resigning matter.

The India trip has been twice postponed because of Covid flare-ups in each country, and was briefly in doubt again this week when the vote was announced, with opposition leaders insisting Johnson stand down.