CHANGSHA - An unusually shaped bead was discovered in a tomb dating from the Warring States (475-221 B.C.) period, showing evidence of early cultural exchange between China and the West.Measuring 3.1 centimeters and weighing 38.4 grams, the bead has several horns decorated with concentric circles, according to Hunan Institute of Archaeology.It is in blue and white and incomplete, with only seven horns remaining around a base bead, said Xi Peishen, head of the excavation team with the institute. It looks like the compound eye of a dragonfly.The bead was discovered in a tomb complex in Zhongfang county, Hunan province, in 2017.Around 200 tombs from between the Warring States period and the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 25 A.D.) have been found since the excavation work started in 2012.Xi said that the horned eye bead was made of lead-barium glass, which was peculiar to China, and the horned eye-shape was a rare discovery.These eye-shaped beads were used as a decoration on clothes, furniture and accessories in China, he said.They were first discovered in areas such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia and India, and introduced to China during the Spring and Autumn (770-476 B.C) and Warring States periods.Chinese people improved the glass-making by using barium and lead to make such beads.The discovery is new evidence that East Asia had close cultural and technological exchanges with West Asia, North Africa and India thousands of years ago, Xi said.Archeologists also found more than 170 other cultural items including pottery, bronze swords and a bronze dagger-axe during last year's excavation. rubber message braceletsimprinted rubber braceletssilicone bandssmall silicone wristbandscustom rubber wristbands canada
Rising demand for high-quality agricultural products in China has created more opportunities for Southeast Asian exporters, according to a report by an international research institute in Beijing.Benefiting from China's growing appetite, some countries in the region, including Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines, are exporting more tropical fruits, while strong growth in Chinese demand has led to a surge in palm oil exports from Malaysia and Indonesia as well as rice exports from Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, the report by the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute said on Tuesday.Despite rising protectionism around the world, countries in Southeast Asia are pursuing regional integration, and China's Belt and Road Initiative is welcomed because it meshes with their integration and infrastructure needs, the report said.While progress is being made, food security and nutrition remain concerns in many parts of the world, and serious hunger still exists in countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia and Myanmar, Fan Shenggen, director-general of the institute, said.Fan called for free trade to improve global food security and nutrition. Open trade can contribute to food security and reduce natural resource use and environmental impact, he said. Trade restrictions will increase consumer prices and limit market access for producers, putting pressure on food security.The volume of trade between China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations reached $514 billion last year, up 13.8 percent on 2016, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.
