China launches two Type 055 guided-missile destroyers, widely considered Asia's biggest such combat vessels, at a shipyard in Dalian, Liaoning province, on Tuesday. [Photo/LIU DEBIN FOR CHINA DAILY] China launched on Tuesday two Type 055 guided-missile destroyers, widely considered Asia's biggest and mightiest such combat ship, according to witnesses outside a shipyard in Dalian, Liaoning province. Weapons enthusiasts published photos taken near Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, which has built two aircraft carriers, on internet military forums. They also described what they saw of the two giant ships' launches. When ships are moved into the water, their construction is basically finished. It is regarded as the most important step before sea trials. Water started to be pumped into dry docks where the vessels were built around 7 am, before the docks' gates were opened, witnesses said. Photos showed that there was a small launch ceremony at the shipyard with hundreds of workers standing in formation in front of the two Type 055s, each decorated with a huge national flag and ceremonial banners. Then the ships were pushed into open waters by several tugboats, the photos showed. The next steps usually are for engineers to test and fine-tune equipment already mounted on the ships and continue installing other devices. Then they will conduct mooring tests and sea trials before the ships are commissioned in the People's Liberation Army Navy. Four Type 055s have now been launched, but none are yet commissioned. The first of the class was launched in late June 2017 at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, the second in late April at the same shipyard. Type 055 is China's newest generation of guided-missile destroyers. It has a displacement greater than 10,000 metric tons and will be equipped with new types of air defense, missile defense and anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, according to the Navy. It has 112 vertical launching cells that can fire various kinds of missiles, including China's long-range land-attack cruise missile. Its firepower is thought to be twice that of the Type 052D, the largest and most powerful surface combatant commissioned in the PLA Navy. While the Type 055 is classifed as a destroyer, outside China it would be considered a cruiser as its large size and heavy displacement are comparable to that of the United States' Ticonderoga class cruiser. Li Jie, a senior researcher for the PLA Navy, said the vessel displaces about 13,000 tons. The latest version of the United States' Arleigh Burke class, the largest family of destroyers in the world, has a full displacement of 9,800 tons. South Korea's Sejong the Great class displaces 11,000 tons while Japan's Atago class displaces 10,000 tons. Cao Weidong, a senior researcher at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, said that compared with other destroyers in the Navy, the Type 055 features stealth design, stronger strike prowess and higher information capacity and will tremendously boost the PLA Navy's long-range operational capability. He also said such ships will greatly strengthen the country's carrier battle groups. black rubber wristbandstyvek event wristbandscustom wristbands no minimumcustom sweatbands no minimummake your own rubber braceletcustom made rubber bracelets
JINAN -- At the Agricultural Bank of China's (ABC) three outlets in Jinan city, cards are no longer needed to withdraw money. A quick scan of the face will do. "One of the best things about facial recognition technology is that you don't have to carry your cards with you for petty deposits and withdrawals," said Xu Yanru, lobby manager of ABC's Heping Road outlet in Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province. ABC has introduced facial recognition technology at its automatic teller machines (ATM). Other banks, such as the China Merchants Bank and the Construction Bank of China, have also introduced similar technology in their ATMS. "All you have to do is to press the facial recognition withdrawal button, scan your face in the camera, enter your phone number or ID number, and enter your transaction amount and password," said Zhang Baojing, a banking manager at ABC. Zhang said that the technology can eliminate the risk of having bank cards illegally copied, and lower the possibility of cards getting eaten by ATMS. "It can enhance the customer experience," Zhang said. Technology staff at ABC said that facial recognition is safe because it also requires ID numbers or phone numbers and passwords. In addition, customers' photos will be compared with those in the public security system. The latest infrared cameras also lower the risk of illegal activities. The ABC limits the daily withdrawal to 3,000 yuan ($457) via the technology. The bank plans to install the facial recognition technology at 24,064 outlets across the country, according to web portal Sohu.com. ABC is not the first bank in China to introduce the facial recognition technology. In 2015, China Merchants Bank started using the technology in the southern metropolis of Shenzhen. Last year, it expanded the service to about 1,000 ATMs in 106 cities. But the new service faces some difficulties, such as high maintenance costs. "Many senior citizens might find it hard to trust or get used to this way of withdrawing money," said Yang Gan of the Smart City Research Institute in Southwest China's Guizhou province. But Yang said it will only be a matter of time before the technology permeates society. "In the future, payment via facial recognition and mobile payment will be complementary," Yang said. In China, the rapid development of facial recognition technology has led to its use in a number of innovative ways. Beijing's Temple of Heaven has used it in toilets to deter toilet paper theft. In Jinan city, traffic police have installed facial scanners at intersections to catch and shame jaywalkers. Supermarkets in some big cities have been using the technology at bag deposit areas. Beijing Normal University debuted its first facial scanners in April and expanded their use in all dorms during the summer break. Currently, 70 percent of students have had their face recorded. A facial scan is required for new freshman students, according to the school.
