Chinese President Xi Jinping attended a welcome ceremony hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia on Wednesday.

Live: Special coverage of welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi in Brazil

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia on Wednesday.

China recently published the Annual Report on Human Rights report (2024), the 14th edition since it was first published in 2011 by the China Society for Human Rights Studies, the largest national academic organization dedicated to human rights research in China.

Based on extensive research, the report uses comprehensive data and various cases to highlight the latest progress in China’s human rights efforts in 2023.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-19/China-releases-annual-report-to-highlight-its-human-rights-efforts-1yESIgf9TQA/img/063a979f88c44119ac54c1134207d1e3/063a979f88c44119ac54c1134207d1e3.jpeg' alt='The cover of the Annual Report on Human Rights (2024). /China Society for Human Rights Studies'

The report comprises 25 sections, including a general report, thematic reports, and case study reports. The general report outlines the overall advancements in China’s human rights development in 2023, focusing on key areas such as improving people’s livelihoods, enhancing the protection of economic, social, and cultural rights and strengthening the rule of law to safeguard civil and political rights.

Thematic reports expand on these topics, analyzing areas such as economic, social, and cultural rights; civil and political rights; specific groups’ rights protection; and international human rights cooperation. Notable subjects include labor rights protection for workers in emerging industries, improving residents’ happiness through urban renewal initiatives, ensuring citizens’ psychological health rights, and safeguarding rural citizens’ democratic participation in village development.

Four of the thematic reports specifically addressed the impact of digital technology on human rights, focusing on new measures to combat cyberbullying, the protection of survival and development rights in the digital economy, the role of digital governance in safeguarding citizens’ rights, and the protection of minors in cyberspace.

For the first time, the report also reviews the progress in establishing national human rights education and training bases, as well as the development of human rights studies and academic systems in the new era.

The case study reports cover topics such as safeguarding the rights of fishermen affected by the “ten-year fishing ban” on the Yangtze River, lessons from Yunnan’s ecological conservation and environmental rights protection efforts, the creation of the first mediation and consultation mechanism in the mining and mineral value chain, and the formulation and implementation of a guideline for Chinese textile and apparel enterprises in performing their social and environmental responsibilities.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty was launched at the 19th G20 Summit in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro on Monday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the 19th G20 Summit in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro on Monday.

One civilian was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s border region of Belgorod, the regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Sunday.

Ukraine has not responded to the claim as yet. 

Israeli warplanes attacked the office of Syria’s Ba’ath Party in central Beirut on Sunday noon, local TV channel al-Jadeed and AFP reported. 

“The enemy carried out a strike on Ras al-Nabaa,” the official Lebanon National News Agency said, an area near the French embassy and a university. 

The security source, requesting anonymity, told AFP the strike targeted “the Lebanese branch of the Syrian Ba’ath Party,” whose office is located “in an apartment.”

(With input from AFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-16/news-1yzWbQrgXZu/img/3efb54b4fe254264b70018c32245fd39/3efb54b4fe254264b70018c32245fd39.jpeg' alt='A combination of pictures created on November 14, 2024 shows X (formerly Twitter) CEO Elon Musk (L) on September 13, 2023, and Iranian Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani on October 2, 2024. /CFP'

Iran on Saturday “categorically” denied that its United Nations envoy had met with U.S. tech billionaire Elon Musk in New York, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported.

In an interview with state news agency IRNA, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei was reported as “categorically denying such a meeting” and expressing “surprise at the coverage of the American media in this regard.”

The New York Times previously reported that Musk, who is an advisor to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, met with Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani on Monday. It cited anonymous Iranian sources describing the encounter as “positive.”

(With input from agencies)

To date, 43,799 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to local authorities on Saturday.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-15/Xi-s-article-on-supporting-Chinese-modernization-to-be-published-1yyfxKTa8Fi/img/95398da56cf642b4b0288007bd21d643/95398da56cf642b4b0288007bd21d643.png' alt='Graduates attend the commencement ceremony of Peking University in Beijing, July 2, 2024. /CFP'

An article by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on supporting Chinese modernization with high-quality population development will be published on Saturday.

The article by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published in this year’s 22nd issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee.

China will work with Peru to ensure the success of Chancay Port – from construction to management and operation, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

Spokesperson Lin Jian told a daily press briefing that the two heads of state attended the inauguration ceremony of Chancay Port via video on November 14 local time in Lima.

Chancay Port is not only an important project under Belt and Road cooperation, but also the first smart and green port in South America, Lin noted.

The first phase of the project, when completed, will reduce the sea shipping time from Peru to China to 23 days, thus cutting logistics costs by at least 20 percent. It is expected to generate $4.5 billion in yearly revenues for Peru and create over 8,000 direct jobs, he said.

The completion of Chancay Port will effectively consolidate Peru’s role as a gateway linking shipping routes across land and sea, and between Asia and Latin America, and boost the overall development and integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Lin said.

He added that the port’s development plan also includes establishing animal rescue services to improve the environment of wetlands, beaches, and habitats and contribute to sustainable development of the local economy and society.

Chancay Port is becoming a starting point of an Inca Trail of the New Era. From Chancay to Shanghai, it is witnessing the coming into shape of a new route across land and ocean between Asia and LAC in the new era, Lin said.

China will follow the guidance of the common understandings between the two presidents and work with Peru to ensure the success of Chancay Port from construction through management and operation, so that it will empower the common development of Pacific’s coastal economies, including China and Peru, and truly contribute to prosperity and happiness for Peru and all other LAC countries, the spokesperson said.  

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-14/Chinese-vice-premier-meets-with-Azerbaijani-president-Aliyev-1ywItCbCHT2/img/d755792f4d2e406fb0a10b649f9c82fc/d755792f4d2e406fb0a10b649f9c82fc.png' alt='Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang (L), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, November 13, 2024. /Xinhua'

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, first conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Aliyev.

Ding noted that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Azerbaijan 32 years ago, mutual political trust has been continuously strengthened and the bilateral relationship has become increasingly mature.

During their meeting in Astana in July, Xi and Aliyev jointly announced the elevation of China-Azerbaijan relations to the level of strategic partnership, Ding said, noting both sides should implement the important consensuses reached by the two heads of state and push for continuous development of China-Azerbaijan relations at a new starting point and at a high level.

China is willing to work with Azerbaijan in the spirit of sincere mutual trust and mutual benefit to strengthen political guidance, deepen comprehensive cooperation, so as to achieve their respective development and revitalization goals, he added.

Ding also extended China’s congratulations on Azerbaijan’s successful hosting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Baku and expressed China’s readiness to work with Azerbaijan to make joint contributions to the international efforts to build a beautiful planet and realize the sustainable development of the world.

China values Azerbaijan’s significant role in international and regional affairs and is prepared to work with Azerbaijan to implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, so as to promote building a community with a shared future for mankind, Ding said.

For his part, Aliyev asked Ding to convey his sincere greetings to Xi. He emphasized that Azerbaijan and China are true strategic partners engaged in frequent high-level exchanges with bilateral cooperation steadily progressing.

Azerbaijan places great importance on its relationship with China, supports the major initiatives proposed by Xi and is willing to actively collaborate with China on the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

Azerbaijan is interested in expanding cooperation with China in areas such as trans-Caspian international transport, trade, investment, industry and renewable energy, so as to elevate the bilateral relations to a new level, Aliyev said.

Azerbaijan is willing to strengthen international cooperation with China, support multilateralism, promote inter-civilizational dialogue and advance fairness and justice in the international community, he added.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-14/Chinese-vice-premier-holds-talks-with-Azerbaijani-deputy-PM-1ywIKab1Xd6/img/89af80f3b0da4a2caa2a2d072f81e7bf/89af80f3b0da4a2caa2a2d072f81e7bf.png' alt='Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang (L), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, November 13, 2024. /Xinhua'

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday held talks with Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev in Baku.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, China-Azerbaijan relations have been developing in a sound and stable manner.

In July this year, the two heads of state announced the elevation of China-Azerbaijan relations to the level of strategic partnership, laying out a new blueprint for bilateral relations, Ding noted, adding that both sides should implement the key consensuses reached by the two leaders, firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests and promote the steady and long-term development of China-Azerbaijan relations, to achieve shared development and prosperity and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Ding expressed China’s willingness to align the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Azerbaijan’s economic and social development strategies and enrich the strategic partnership with more practical cooperation outcomes.

China seeks to strengthen trade and investment cooperation and enable more high-quality Azerbaijani products to enter the Chinese market, welcomes Azerbaijani businesses to invest and grow in China and encourages and supports Chinese companies to invest and develop in Azerbaijan, Ding said.

He noted that China actively adapts itself to the trend of green and low-carbon transition and continues to deepen energy cooperation.

China strengthens connectivity to ensure the safe, stable, and smooth operation of China-Europe freight trains and works with Azerbaijan and other countries along the route to build the trans-Caspian international transportation corridor, Ding said.

Ding called for enhancing cooperation in culture, education, science, tourism and other areas, facilitating personnel exchanges between the two countries, and promoting mutual understanding between the peoples.

The two countries should strengthen mutual support and coordination in international and regional affairs to safeguard the shared interests of both countries and other developing nations, he added.

Mustafayev said that Azerbaijan highly values the BRI proposed by Xi and was one of the first countries to formally support it.

Noting that the relationship between Azerbaijan and China is strong and resilient, he said that Azerbaijan firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to push for greater development of bilateral relations by further aligning development strategies with China and deepening bilateral practical cooperation in trade, investment, energy, finance, people-to-people exchanges and other areas.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-13/Mainland-urges-DPP-to-lift-cross-Straits-travel-restrictions-1yv0PJ20caA/img/502385ef716f44b2bcd72d786e3aa7dc/502385ef716f44b2bcd72d786e3aa7dc.png' alt='The coastal view of Shuinandong in New Taipei City, China's Taiwan region. /CFP'

The Chinese mainland has reiterated its commitment to promoting youth exchanges across the Taiwan Straits and urged Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to lift restrictions on cross-Straits travel.

Speaking at a press conference held in Beijing on Wednesday, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, welcomed more young people from Taiwan to visit the mainland.

Zhu’s remarks were in response to media queries about an upcoming visit by faculty and students from seven Chinese mainland universities, including Tsinghua University, Peking University and Fudan University. The visit, scheduled for late November, was at the invitation of the Taiwan-based Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation.

Zhu noted that this exchange serves as a reciprocal visit following Ma Ying-jeou’s trip, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, in which he led a group of Taiwanese students to visit Chinese mainland universities.

In addition to youth exchanges, the recent resumption of Fujian Province residents’ travel to Kinmen and Matsu islands was also highlighted at the press conference. As of October 31, mainland immigration authorities had processed 58,735 travel permit applications for travel to Kinmen and Matsu, according to statistics released at the press conference.

Zhu noted that these figures indicate strong enthusiasm among mainland residents to visit the islands, stressing that the mainland would continue to facilitate mainland group tourism to Taiwan as part of its planned efforts to enhance cross-Straits relations.

“We hope the DPP authorities will heed the voices of the public and remove restrictions on cross-Straits exchanges at an early date,” the spokesperson said.

(With input from Xinhua)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-13/Portuguese-edition-of-Up-and-Out-of-Poverty-launched-in-Brazil-1yuZ2RQTNPW/img/e39c2eda66f74fefb69e4df5c14b2d78/e39c2eda66f74fefb69e4df5c14b2d78.jpeg' alt='The launch ceremony for the Portuguese edition of Chinese President Xi Jinping's book on poverty relief "Up and Out of Poverty" held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 12, 2024. /CGTN'

The launching ceremony for the Portuguese edition of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s book on poverty relief “Up and Out of Poverty” was held in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.

More than 300 representatives from China and Brazil attended the launch ceremony and a subsequent seminar on state governance.

Marcio Pochmann, president of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, pointed out the book brings in a concrete way in fighting poverty and offers an experience that can be a reference to the world.

Evandro Menezes de Carvalho, Brazilian professor of international law, said “the publishing of this book in Brazil brings to Brazil the possibility of understanding how Chinese President Xi Jinping, when he was a leader in a small city in Fujian Province, worked with the people there to find solutions to alleviate poverty in that region.”

“It is very interesting, because I think this book brings a series of experiences and wisdom that can greatly inspire other countries, including Brazil, that face similar poverty situation.”

“The importance of this book is a milestone for us to be able to reflect on the poverty problems that we still have to face today,” said Henrique Nobrega, president of the Brazil-China Friendship Association.

Stressing China is a good example for the world in reducing poverty, Nobrega said Brazil can mirror China’s policies, and it can exchange experiences or technologies with China, so that it can also implement its own policies and overcome poverty.

Titled “Up and Out of Poverty,” the book is comprised of Xi’s speeches and articles, as well as photos, from 1988 to 1990, when he was Party chief of Ningde City in east China’s Fujian Province. The book has now been published in nine foreign languages globally with Portuguese being the latest edition.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged all-out efforts to treat those who were injured in a car ramming incident on Monday in Zhuhai City, south China’s Guangdong Province.

In an instruction on the case, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, demanded the perpetrator be severely punished according to the law.

The incident occurred in a sports center in Zhuhai, killing 35 people and severely injuring 43 others.

Xi urged all localities and relevant authorities to draw lessons from the case and to strengthen their prevention and control of risks at the source.

He also emphasized the importance of resolving disputes in time, preventing the occurrence of extreme cases and making every effort to safeguard the security of people’s lives and social stability.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for appropriately handling the aftermath of the incident, swiftly investigating into the case and severely punishing the perpetrator in accordance with the law.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, urged coordinated risk prevention and control efforts to ensure social stability.

Following Xi’s instruction, China’s central authorities have dispatched a team to oversee the handling of the case.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-12/China-Russia-vow-to-enhance-coordination-maintain-global-stability-1ytkGpmrmoM/img/88402b91ae38436c8b0864291c4e4920/88402b91ae38436c8b0864291c4e4920.png' alt='Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council Sergei Shoigu in Beijing, China, November 12, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi and Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday jointly hosted the 19th round of the annual China-Russia strategic security consultation in Beijing.

The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on major strategic security issues of common concern and agreed to strengthen collaboration to safeguard China-Russia relations, maintain the overall national development and rejuvenation of the two countries, and jointly promote global security and stability.

Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Wang said under the strong leadership of the two heads of state, China-Russia relations have withstood the test of the changing international landscape and have maintained a healthy and stable momentum of development.

Upholding the spirit of lasting good-neighborliness and friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination, and mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, both sides have shouldered the responsibility of serving the interests of the two peoples, firmly supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, continuously deepen political mutual trust, and solidly push forward practical cooperation, Wang added.

He noted that the two countries have fostered a new model of neighboring major-country relations and are making an important contribution to promoting solidarity and cooperation between countries of the Global South.

The China-Russia strategic security consultation mechanism should take the implementation of the consensus of the two heads of state as the fundamental guideline, Wang said.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-12/China-Russia-vow-to-enhance-coordination-maintain-global-stability-1ytkGpmrmoM/img/c5a90ceb150d493db0c4754f7cff064f/c5a90ceb150d493db0c4754f7cff064f.jpeg' alt='Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi and Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council Sergei Shoigu jointly host the 19th round of the annual China-Russia strategic security consultation in Beijing, China, November 12, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

He highlighted the importance of strengthening coordination on strategic and overall issues involving the security and development interests of the two sides and called for continuously enhancing the level of strategic mutual trust and enriching the connotation of strategic cooperation.

Wang highlighted that the China-Russia relationship is grounded in an inevitable logic of history and driven by strong internal dynamics.

“The more complex the international situation and the more external challenges there are, the more important it is for both sides to solidify unity and cooperate to defend common interests,” said Wang.

He told Shoigu that China is ready to work with the Russian side to communicate, coordinate, and strengthen multilateral cooperation and jointly safeguard global strategic stability.

Shoigu, for his part, said the Russia-China relationship is a model of cooperation between major countries and a major stabilizing factor in international affairs, adding that the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era is at an unprecedented high level.

In the face of an unstable world, the importance of maintaining communication between Russia and China is further emphasized, he said.

Shoigu told Wang that Russia is ready to work with China to implement the consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and promote new and greater advancement of bilateral relations.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-11/CGTN-Poll-on-APEC-Peru-2024-1yrynOXJwUE/img/0cc6c103e7684a0181ca7ea7c9d535ab/0cc6c103e7684a0181ca7ea7c9d535ab.jpeg' alt='A view of the social media lounge on day one of APEC Peru 2024 in Lima, Peru, November 10, 2024. /CFP'

The 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting is being held in Peru from November 10 to 16. Please click the link and answer these questions to share your opinion.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-11/President-Xi-replies-to-friendly-personages-in-Brazil-1yrwpuAn8R2/img/267182f2a24b40dcb15d465c55a686d4/267182f2a24b40dcb15d465c55a686d4.png' alt='Lush green trees surround houses in the Pinheiros neighborhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil, September 5, 2023. /CFP'

Chinese President Xi Jinping recently replied to letters from friendly personages from all walks of life in Brazil, encouraging them to continuously contribute to the cause of China-Brazil friendship.

In his reply, Xi said that he is glad to see that the China-Brazil friendship has been passed on from generation to generation, adding that over the past 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Brazil have marched forward hand in hand, sharing weal and woe, and have forged a friendship spanning mountains and oceans.

China is willing to work with Brazil to enrich the friendship between the two countries in the new era, make China-Brazil relations a good example of solidarity, coordination, common development and mutual benefit among major developing countries, and make greater contributions to the cause of peace and progress of mankind, Xi said.

He said Brazilian friends are welcome to visit China more often and experience for themselves the myriad sights of Chinese modernization.

Xi voiced the hope that people from all walks of life in the two countries will play a positive role in promoting the continuous development of China-Brazil relations and making the China-Brazil friendship flow unceasingly like the Yangtze River and the Amazon River.

Recently, Enrique Teixeira, former deputy mayor of Campinas, Sao Paulo State, and more than 100 friendly personages from the Brazil-China Friendship Association, Sao Paulo University, Sao Paulo State University, and the Copacabana Fort Orchestra in Rio de Janeiro wrote to Xi respectively, thanking the Chinese government, enterprises and universities for their contributions to China-Brazil friendly exchanges and the improvement of local people’s livelihood.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-10/What-s-behind-Manila-s-enacting-pair-of-South-China-Sea-acts–1ypGa2wc7du/img/5f4d651ef55d4a46b63c9d495b999bfd/5f4d651ef55d4a46b63c9d495b999bfd.png' alt='A file photo of the South China Sea. /CFP'

In disregard of Chinese opposition, the Philippines has enacted the so-called “Maritime Zones Act” and “Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act,” in a move seen as unilateral attempts to complicate the South China Sea situation.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday said it had summoned the Philippine ambassador to China to make serious protests, after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr signed into law the pair of acts earlier in the day.

By illegally including China’s Huangyan Dao and most of the islands and reefs of China’s Nansha Qundao, and their relevant waters into the Philippines’ maritime zones, the so-called “Maritime Zones Act” severely violates China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, said Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Mao made it clear that various parts of the Philippine “Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act” are not compatible with regulations of international law and resolutions of the International Maritime Organization.

Analysts believe that Manila’s latest move could narrow the space for dialogue and consultations on the South China Sea issue between China and the Philippines, exert pressure on the incoming U.S. administration to maintain its support, and disrupt the normal maritime navigation of neighboring countries.

The Philippines’ latest move will further narrow the political space for Manila and Beijing to manage crises and properly handle disputes over the South China Sea issue, Ding Duo, deputy director of the Research Center of Oceans Law and Policy at the National Institute for the South China Sea Studies, told CGTN.

It is not an isolated move, but a specific projection of the provocative South China Sea policy currently pursued by the Philippine government at the legal and cognitive levels, Ding said.

By signing into the law the pair of acts, the Philippines is solidifying its illegal claims through its domestic legislation, which is equivalent to Manila’s unilateral denial of the existence of territorial sovereignty and maritime jurisdiction disputes with China, according to a commentary by China Media Group (CMG) on Saturday.

That hollows out the premise of bilateral consultations on the South China Sea issue between Beijing and Manila, and narrows the space for dialogue and cooperation between the two sides, said the CMG commentary.

From a time perspective, the so-called “Maritime Zones Act” of the Philippines took 13 years from proposal to final signing, and the so-called “Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act” has also been in the making for a long time.

The signing of the two acts by the Philippines on the day after the dust settled in the U.S. presidential election is not a coincidence, but a meticulously planned move, said Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at China South China Sea Research Institute.

The main calculations of Manila are threefold, said Chen. First, It attempts to “fish in the troubled waters,” taking advantage of turmoil in the international landscape and the just-concluded U.S. election to reduce regional and international public opinion pressure brought by the signing of the acts, he said.

Secondly, Manila wants to disguise its illegal actions in the South China Sea with a facade of legality, creating a “fait accompli” to pressure the next U.S. administration to continue supporting the Philippines on the South China Sea issue, said Chen.

Thirdly, the Philippine government wants to gauge the situation and offer a “pledge of allegiance” to the incoming U.S. administration, he added.

During an interview with CMG, former Malaysian Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat said the so-called “Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act” may disrupt the normal navigation and passage of neighboring countries, and affects peace in the region of Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The act also may face opposition from the International Maritime Organization, he said.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-10/China-releases-baselines-of-territorial-sea-adjacent-to-Huangyan-Dao-1ypXhQVfuSs/img/18d9c4890b0d4537a815da0c8e591095/18d9c4890b0d4537a815da0c8e591095.png' alt='A view of Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea. /CFP'

The Chinese government delimited and announced the baselines of the territorial sea adjacent to Huangyan Dao, which is a natural step to lawfully strengthen marine management and is consistent with international law and common practice, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Sunday.

The spokesperson said Huangyan Dao has always been China’s territory. In accordance with international law, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, the Chinese government delimited and announced the baselines of the territorial sea adjacent to Huangyan Dao.

The so-called Philippine Maritime Zones Act aims to further solidify the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea in the form of domestic legislation and illegally include China’s Huangyan Dao and most of the islands and reefs of China’s Nansha Qundao and their relevant waters into the Philippines’ maritime zones, the spokesperson added.

“This move severely violates China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea,” the spokesperson said, adding that China firmly opposes it and will continue to do everything necessary in accordance with the law to firmly defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

The People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Indonesia on Saturday issued a joint statement.

Click the link below for the full text of the statement. 

Full Text: Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Indonesia on Advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the China-Indonesia Community with a Shared Future

(Cover: The national flags of China and Indonesia at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, November 9, 2024. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-09/Chinese-premier-meets-with-Italian-president-in-Beijing-1yoxmpjfgPe/img/c0d58a82ce0745d0b4ed200598954ea2/c0d58a82ce0745d0b4ed200598954ea2.png' alt='Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Beijing, November 9, 2024. /Xinhua'

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Beijing on Saturday.

Li said that at present, China-Italy relations have maintained healthy and stable development, exchanges and cooperation in various fields have been deepened and new practical results have been achieved.

China is ready to work with Italy to take the opportunity of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, continue to carry forward the traditional friendship, strengthen all-round mutually beneficial cooperation and push bilateral relations to a higher level, Li said.

Li pointed out that China is willing to work with Italy to promote two-way opening-up, continuously improve the level of bilateral trade and investment facilitation, expand the breadth and depth of cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises, create new growth points of cooperation in innovation and green fields, better achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, and jointly promote development and prosperity.

China welcomes more Italian companies to invest in China and hopes that Italy will create a fair, safe and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies in Italy, he noted.

Li also called on the two sides to implement the outcomes of the meeting of the China-Italy Cultural Cooperation Mechanism, deepen cooperation on culture, tourism, media, education and local affairs, and better promote people-to-people exchanges.

China is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with Italy to jointly promote the sound and stable development of China-EU relations, he said.

Mattarella said Italy attaches great importance to developing friendly relations with China and looks forward to working with China to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, deepen practical cooperation in trade, investment, small and medium-sized enterprises, green development and climate change, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning in culture, education and other fields, and push for sustained and in-depth development of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

At the invitation of Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang will visit Singapore on November 10 and 11, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced Friday.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, will co-chair with Gan the 20th meeting of the China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, the 25th meeting of the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Joint Steering Council (JSC), the 16th meeting of the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City JSC, and the eighth meeting of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity JSC, Mao added.

At the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Ding, as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special representative, will travel to Azerbaijan for the World Leaders Climate Action Summit on November 12 and 13, Mao said, adding that Ding will visit Azerbaijan at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Shahin Abdulla oglu Mustafayev.

Since its inception more than three decades ago, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has become a dynamic engine of economic growth and one of Asia Pacific’s most important regional forums. Its 21 member economies represent approximately 62 percent of the world GDP and nearly half of world trade.

As the 2024 APEC gathering will commence soon in Peru, Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the invitation of Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra, will attend the 31st APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima and pay a state visit to Peru from November 13 to 17.

China has been actively involved in APEC cooperation in various fields. According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, China’s foreign trade with other APEC economies amounted to $3.74 trillion in 2022, representing 59.7 percent of the country’s total import and export value.

“President Xi attending the meeting is an important head-of-state diplomatic event carried out by China towards the Asia-Pacific, which demonstrates the great importance China attaches to Asia-Pacific economic cooperation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday, at a regular press conference.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-08/China-vows-more-efforts-for-Asia-Pacific-community-with-shared-future-1ymtCtKlwSk/img/7059cb5263d944b389cdd0590ee6e50c/7059cb5263d944b389cdd0590ee6e50c.jpeg' alt='The First Hunan (Huaihua) RCEP Economic and Trade Expo opens in Huaihua City, central China's Hunan Province, May 5, 2023. /CFP'

Closer APEC cooperation

Among China’s top 10 trading partners, eight of them are APEC economies. China is the largest trading partner of 13 APEC economies. A total of 15 APEC economies have signed free trade agreements with China.

For decades, China, as a firm supporter and active promoter of Asia-Pacific economic cooperation, has promoted the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement to come into force and advanced high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

In 2023, China’s total imports and exports to the other 14 RCEP members reached 12.6 trillion yuan (about $1.8 trillion), an increase of 5.3 percent compared with 2021 before the RCEP came into effect, according to the Chinese Commerce Ministry.

Through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has pooled strength for the common development of Asia-Pacific countries.

Scheduled to be inaugurated in November, the Chancay Port, an important infrastructure project in Latin America under the BRI, will transform Peru into a major trade hub in the region, and is expected to produce a broad economic impact, helping open new trade routes and enhance the competitiveness of Latin America as a whole.

“China is ready to work with all parties to inject new impetus into pushing regional economic integration and advancing economic growth in the Asia-Pacific and the world, and work together to build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future,” Mao said.

Detailing Xi’s state visit to Peru, she said the visit is seen to further deepen practical cooperation in various fields between the two countries and promote China-Peru comprehensive strategic partnership to achieve more positive results.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-08/China-vows-more-efforts-for-Asia-Pacific-community-with-shared-future-1ymtCtKlwSk/img/1539542dde524d0bb6a33081f08f631a/1539542dde524d0bb6a33081f08f631a.jpeg' alt='A view of Qingdao Port in east China's Shandong Province, November 5, 2024. /CFP'

Building Asia-Pacific community

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the proposal of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, which consists of 10 principles, including building a community of shared future for mankind to safeguard world peace and promote common development, pursuing peaceful development on the basis of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and steering reform of the global governance system.

Responding to urgent global needs, Xi has also put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative to call on all parties to work together to address global challenges and promote global common development.

Calling for building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future, Xi has called on all parties to cultivate, nurture, and foster the blossoming flower of common development of the Asia-Pacific.

Over the past 30 years, the Asia-Pacific has cut its average tariff rate from 17 percent to 5 percent and contributed 70 percent of global economic growth. Per capita income in the region has more than quadrupled, and one billion people have been lifted out of poverty, an important contribution to human progress and global sustainable development.

At the forthcoming APEC meeting, President Xi will elaborate on China’s policies and proposals on promoting Asia-Pacific cooperation, and work with all parties to promote comprehensive and balanced implementation of the Putrajaya Vision 2040, said Mao.

Chinese experts at a special forum in Beijing have pointed out that the root causes of the instability in the South China Sea are the United States picking sides on the South China Sea issue, certain claimants in relevant disputes attempting to enforce their illegal interests, and the illegal award of the arbitration tribunal in 2016.

The experts from various research centers and universities discussed the issues at an event on Tuesday organized by the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI).

Responding to claims by some Western countries that China’s construction on some islands and reefs in Nansha Qundao had changed the “status quo” in the area, Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, explained that related moves by China are measures aimed at countering the Philippines’ arbitration claim and improving China’s unfavorable position on relevant islands and reefs under its jurisdiction.

Such measures are both reasonable and lawful, Wu said.

Hu Bo, director of the Center for Maritime Strategy Studies of Peking University, said that China’s claims to sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea have remained consistent and continuous.

Hu said the primary sources of the current instability and turbulence in the South China Sea can be attributed to two factors. First, some claimant countries, such as the Philippines, have attempted to alter the status quo and even undermine the commitment made by all parties in the “Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea” not to occupy new uninhabited islands or reefs. Second, the involvement of the United States in the South China Sea disputes and its intensified military deterrence measures.

Hu pointed to the fact that the situation in the South China Sea was generally more stable during the period from the end of the Cold War to 2009, when the United States paid less attention to the area and the Southeast Asian region.

Some other experts, including Lei Xiaolu, a professor at the China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies of Wuhan University, and Zheng Zhihua, an associate professor at the Center for Japanese Studies under the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, criticized the illegal “arbitral award” in 2016.

They stressed that it was made by a tribunal that had no jurisdiction and that the award, in breach of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and of China’s rights as a State Party under the UNCLOS, is null and void and has no binding force.

The experts also warned that the United States is attempting to draw forces outside the region into the South China Sea issue by hyping up fake narratives regarding freedom of navigation and overflight in the region, making the situation more complicated.

However, the experts also said they believe the situation in the South China Sea is far less tense than claimed by some countries and portrayed by some media organizations.

“It is the United States that poses the greatest threat to the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea,” said Yan Yan, director of the Research Center for Oceans Law and Policy, National Institute for South China Sea Studies.

The United States interprets international maritime law navigation rules in a manner that aligns with its own national interests and imposes them as standards to compel regional countries to accept, a typical manifestation of American maritime hegemony, Yan added.

(Cover: A file photo of the Nansha Islands /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-07/China-AU-pledge-to-deepen-strategic-cooperation-under-FOCAC-framework-1yl3tK5XUf6/img/f3fcb47b3f45441a913921dc2979475e/f3fcb47b3f45441a913921dc2979475e.png' alt='Hu Changchun, head of the Chinese mission to the AU, speaks at a seminar on "jointly building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era," in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, November 6, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry '

China and the African Union (AU) have pledged to further deepen their strategic cooperation under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The pledge was made Wednesday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, during a seminar where Chinese and AU officials and experts discussed “jointly building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.”

Speaking at the event, Hu Changchun, head of the Chinese mission to the AU, said China and Africa need to further strengthen their cooperation, aiming at promoting the well-being of the Chinese and African people and maintaining world peace and stability.

“China and Africa should support each other and join hands to defend international fairness and justice,” he said. “China will work together with Africa to uphold the principles of peaceful coexistence and safeguard their sovereignty and core interests.”

The two sides discussed promoting China-Africa common development paths and jointly building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future under the guidance of the Beijing Declaration, which was adopted in September this year.

Hu said China will work to enhance Africa’s representation in the United Nations and its participation in the global governance system as part of its efforts to make the global order fairer and more equitable.

Khalid Boudali, presiding officer of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the AU, said China’s partnership with Africa offers an opportunity to adopt governance practices that empower Africa’s people and institutions.

Recalling that the recent FOCAC summit outlined a roadmap toward a resilient and unified China-Africa community with a shared future, aiming at alleviating poverty, promoting cultural exchanges and ensuring food security, Boudali said China-Africa cooperation is on the right track.

“We are confident in China as a steadfast ally in Africa’s pursuit of self-sustained growth, connectivity and prosperity,” Boudali said.

He said the AU looks forward to China’s unreserved support to fully realize the African Peace and Security Architecture and achieve its goal of “silencing the guns” in Africa in the coming years.

During the event, Chinese and African experts presented a bunch of papers on ways of boosting China-Africa cooperation, with special emphasis on national governance, industrialization, peace and security, and agricultural modernization.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-06/President-Xi-urges-Hubei-to-write-its-chapter-in-Chinese-modernization-1yjkg24RSfK/img/eb531426b9ba4ebc83059da52aa89e0c/eb531426b9ba4ebc83059da52aa89e0c.png' alt='Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a museum in Yunmeng County of Xiaogan, central China's Hubei Province, November 4, 2024. /Xinhua'

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged central China’s Hubei Province to forge ahead in the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, work faster to build itself into a strategic fulcrum for the rise of the country’s central region, and write its own chapter on Chinese modernization.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection tour of the province from Monday to Wednesday.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-05/Xi-Jinping-inspects-central-China-s-Hubei-Province-1yhyCg8ZRug/img/d6b232593ef54c17aa238b1b6da650c8/d6b232593ef54c17aa238b1b6da650c8.jpeg' alt='Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspects central China's Hubei Province from November 4 to 5, 2024. /Xinhua'

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected the cities of Xiaogan and Xianning in central China’s Hubei Province from Monday afternoon to Tuesday morning.

The U.S. presidential election officially began on Tuesday, with voters choosing between former U.S. President Donald Trump and incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris.

The election is turning out to be one of the most closely fought in recent years, with polls showing Trump and Harris neck-and-neck.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-04/China-Historical-trend-of-endorsing-one-China-principle-unstoppable–1yg6yYEsSas/img/ec5408c0ab304cf7803d1f5c6c3d6dc2/ec5408c0ab304cf7803d1f5c6c3d6dc2.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a regular press briefing in Beijing, China, November 4, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

The prevailing historical trend of endorsing the one-China principle is unstoppable, reiterated Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on Monday.

Around the world, 183 countries have already established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle, said Mao in response to Palau-related comments.

She said only a very small number of countries in the world, including Palau, still maintain so-called diplomatic relations with the Taiwan region.

“Such practice not only goes against the interests of these countries and their people and against United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 but also violates China’s sovereignty, and thus needs to be corrected,” said Mao.

China urges these countries to fulfill their obligations under international law, stand on the right side of history, and make the right decisions that truly serve their fundamental and long-term interests at an early date, she said.

Citing a Chinese idiom that goes, “Those who suit their actions to the times are wise,” Mao said China welcomes seeing people with vision in these countries recognize the prevailing trend of history and the times, respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and choose to stand on the right side of international fairness and justice at an early date.

“It’s never too late to make new friends,” she said. China stands ready to open up new chapters for relations with these countries on the basis of the one-China principle, she added.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-04/Chinese-premier-meets-Kazakh-PM-calls-for-enhanced-cooperation-1ygf74NLTs4/img/d071d8f93c434ef2ba2dabc143f4b60d/d071d8f93c434ef2ba2dabc143f4b60d.jpeg' alt='A view of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), which is hosting the seventh China International Import Expo in east China's Shanghai, November 3, 2024. /CFP'

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov in Shanghai on Monday. Bektenov is in China to attend the 7th China International Import Expo.

Li said that since establishing diplomatic ties more than 30 years ago, China and Kazakhstan have always respected each other and treated each other as equals, setting a good example of good-neighborly friendship and mutual benefits between neighboring countries.

He said China is ready to work with Kazakhstan to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen political mutual trust, firmly support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests, continue to expand mutually beneficial cooperation and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Li said China is willing to strengthen the docking of development strategies with Kazakhstan, take high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as the guide, continue to expand bilateral trade, consolidate production capacity and investment cooperation, create highlights in energy and mineral cooperation, enhance the level of connectivity and push for more practical results.

He called on the two countries to jointly work for the success of the Year of Chinese Tourism in Kazakhstan next year, strengthen cooperation in culture, education, sub-national and other fields, and enhance mutual understanding and amity between the two peoples.

China stands ready to coordinate closely with Kazakhstan within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the China-Central Asia mechanism, actively implement the three global initiatives, practice genuine multilateralism, safeguard economic globalization and free trade, and promote the development of global governance toward a more just and equitable direction, Li said.

Noting that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, Kazakhstan-China relations have reached a record high, Bektenov said Kazakhstan attaches great importance to its relations with China and is willing to further strengthen high-level exchanges with China, deepen cooperation on trade, investment, agriculture, transportation, science and technology, culture and education, and strengthen connectivity under the framework of Belt and Road cooperation.

Bektenov said Kazakhstan welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in Kazakhstan and is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with China within multilateral frameworks such as the SCO and the China-Central Asia mechanism.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-03/China-s-large-scale-trade-in-program-ignites-market-enthusiasm-1yekcADyGyY/img/cdefe311db17440aba41591dfddcaf11/cdefe311db17440aba41591dfddcaf11.png' alt='A salesperson explains the features of refrigerators and government subsidy policies to a consumer, Guang'an City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, October 17, 2024. /CFP'

Across China, consumers eyeing new furniture, household appliances, or vehicles are flocking to take advantage of substantial discounts and government subsidies, whether shopping online or in stores.

This year, China launched a new wave of large-scale trade-ins focusing on equipment renewals and upgrades, as well as consumer products, in hopes of stimulating domestic consumption and boosting the development of multiple industries.

Data disclosed by the Ministry of Commerce shows the program has noticeably boosted market confidence, especially in the automotive sector.  

In September, domestic passenger vehicle retail sales reached 2.112 million units, up 4.5 percent year on year. In the first three weeks of October, sales rose by 16 percent compared to the previous year and by 12 percent over September, according to Li Gang, director general of the Department of Market Operation and Consumption Promotion of the Commerce Ministry, at a news briefing on October 25.

He added that more than 2.83 million vehicle upgrade subsidy applications had been submitted nationwide by October 24, with demand still climbing.

The policy has also revitalized the home appliance market. By October 25, 14.203 million consumers had purchased 20.726 million units across the eight eligible appliance types, contributing to a sales revenue of 95.07 billion yuan. For home renovations, consumers bought approximately 6.3 million subsidy-eligible products, generating an additional 19 billion yuan in sales revenue.

The national trade-in program was first introduced in February and the State Council then made arrangements for its implementation in March. Three months later, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Finance Ministry announced to utilize around 300 billion yuan ($42.5 billion) worth of ultra-long-term special government bond funds this year to support the trade-in program. After that, the project was soon expanded from industrial equipment to areas such as home appliances, vehicles and even real estate.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-03/China-s-large-scale-trade-in-program-ignites-market-enthusiasm-1yekcADyGyY/img/96fb63b09f8647c3af3be1f11e7b435e/96fb63b09f8647c3af3be1f11e7b435e.png' alt='A consumer is test-driving a car at an auto show, with a promotional sign on top of the car displaying "20,000 yuan off," Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province, October 19, 2024. /CFP'

Under this policy, eligible individuals can receive a subsidy of 20,000 yuan for purchasing new energy vehicles and 15,000 yuan for buying fuel-powered passenger cars. Dealerships, banks and insurance companies are encouraged to give additional discounts to car buyers.

Households can enjoy a subsidy of up to 20 percent on eight types of home appliances: refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, air conditioners, computers, water heaters, household stoves, and range hoods that meet energy or water efficiency standards of level 1 or higher. Furthermore, home renovations are eligible for a subsidy covering 15 percent of the renovation costs.

Zhang Yijun, a resident of south China’s Guangdong Province, recently replaced his air conditioner, which had been running for over 10 years, with an energy-efficient new one. “Not only did I receive a subsidy, but I’m also saving significantly on my monthly electricity bills,” Zhang shared with CMG.

Encouraged by the policy, Wu Qiang, a resident of east China’s Jiangsu Province, recently traded his 16-year-old fuel-powered vehicle for a new Mercedes-Benz Smart electric car, receiving a 20,000-yuan subsidy through the program.

This policy not only boosts consumer spending but also accelerates the transformation of industries toward greener, smarter technologies, benefiting the environment, advancing industry standards, and enhancing people’s quality of life, said Zhang Wei, vice president of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-03/U-S-urged-to-strengthen-AI-cooperation-with-China-1yez56c2ys0/img/6c8d7378ec0544af97fd0a015b4cd050/6c8d7378ec0544af97fd0a015b4cd050.png' alt='The opening ceremony of the 2024 Beijing Forum, Beijing, capital of China, November 1, 2024. /Peking University'

Amid intensifying competition in artificial intelligence (AI) development, experts at the 2024 Beijing Forum stressed the importance of collaboration between China and the United States in the AI sector.

China and the U.S. are among the leading developers in AI, with advanced AI laboratories and extensive language models that stand out internationally, noted Graham Webster, a research scholar at Stanford University, during a forum panel session.

Webster warned that complete decoupling between the two nations would have negative consequences. “There would be a significant loss of efficiency and innovation,” he said, urging both sides to maintain government-to-government dialogues on AI risk and safety, while also collaborating with a diverse international community, including scholars and those with various cultural perspectives.

He added that leading nations like China and the U.S. should ensure that benefits derived from AI technologies, such as medical advancements, are widely shared.

Karman Lucero, a research fellow at Yale University’s Paul Tsai China Center, emphasized the growing global interest in China’s rapid AI advancements. Lucero highlighted the valuable insights that can be gained from China’s dynamic and diverse AI ecosystem. 

He stated that fostering mutual understanding and addressing challenges between the U.S. and China requires not only official dialogues but also people-to-people exchanges.

In recent years, the U.S. has implemented measures to limit AI cooperation with China. However, dialogues on AI have been carried out to mitigate disputes. In May, China and the U.S. held their first inter-governmental meeting on AI in Geneva to discuss AI’s technological risks, global governance, and other mutual concerns. In June, the second China-U.S. Track 1.5 Dialogue took place in Beijing, where participants from both nations agreed to deepen cooperation in AI.

Lei Shaohua, an associate professor at Peking University’s School of International Studies, advocated for preventing economic fragmentation caused by technological divides. He suggested that a “bottom-up” approach, where Chinese and U.S. universities, think tanks, government research institutions, and AI companies collaborate, could serve as a stabilizing force for bilateral relations.

Held at Peking University, the panel session themed “Digitalization and Intellectuals: The Convergence of Multiple Disciplines in the Era of AI,” was part of the annual Beijing Forum. This year’s three-day academic event, which concludes Sunday, hosted over 500 experts and scholars from more than 30 countries and regions.

(With input from Xinhua)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-02/Wang-Yi-China-to-push-steady-long-term-growth-of-ties-with-Slovakia-1ycx5OATpn2/img/3037230b39d840969ef142a7a7287720/3037230b39d840969ef142a7a7287720.jpeg' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar in Beijing, China, November 1, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

China is ready to work with Slovakia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and push for the steady and long-term growth of bilateral relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting with Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar in Beijing.

Wang said that the new orientation of the China-Slovakia strategic partnership injects strong impetus into bilateral cooperation in various fields and sends a positive signal to the world.

China appreciates Slovakia’s friendly policy toward China and its adherence to the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, Wang said, noting that China and Slovakia share similar ideas, and have mutual understanding and respect for each other’s core interests.

Noting that China has always viewed and developed its relations with Slovakia from a long-term and strategic perspective, Wang said that China is ready to work together to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries.

Blanar said Slovakia will continue to firmly adhere to the one-China policy and looks forward to taking the establishment of a strategic partnership as a new starting point to promote greater development of bilateral relations.

Slovakia fully supports the six-point consensus proposed by China and Brazil on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, and is willing to work with all parties to achieve peace through dialogue and consultations, Blanar said.

The two sides expressed a willingness to give full play to the role of the inter-governmental cooperation mechanism under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, and agreed to take the opportunity of China’s 15-day visa-free entry policy for Slovak citizens to deepen friendly exchanges between the two countries.

They also exchanged views on China-Europe relations. China and Europe are partners rather than rivals, Wang said, adding that it is hoped that Europe will adopt an objective and rational attitude toward China, and jointly work for the steady and sound development of China-Europe relations.

(With input from Xinhua)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Friday condemned Germany’s move to close Iranian consulates on its territory in response to the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd, a German-Iranian dual national.

He made the remarks in a post on social media platform X one day after Germany announced its decision to close all three Iranian consulates in the country.

“The closure of Iran’s consulates in Germany is a sanction against Iranians residing in that country, of whom most possess German citizenship as well,” said Araghchi.

He added that the German government was sanctioning “tens of thousands of other Iranians holding a German passport in support of a terrorist who took 14 innocent lives and injured more than 200 others” in a bombing in Iran’s southern city of Shiraz in 2008.

The three Iranian consulates affected by the closure decision are in Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Munich. The Iranian embassy in Berlin will remain operational.

Iran’s judiciary executed Sharmahd on Monday for his involvement in several “terrorist” attacks against Iranian people.

(Cover: The entrance sign of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Berlin, Germany. /CFP)

Following the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee which concluded in July, China has reiterated its commitment to further deepening reforms comprehensively, a move expected to provide more certainty and opportunities to its modernization drive.

The resolution adopted at the landmark meeting, held from July 15 to 18, unveiled more than 300 reform measures in various fields such as economy, politics, culture, society and ecological civilization, covering all aspects of advancing Chinese modernization.

Currently, the central and local governments have introduced a slew of policies and plans to promote the high-quality and green development of various industries, improve people’s livelihoods and develop new quality productive forces.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-01/How-China-opens-broad-prospects-for-modernization-by-deepening-reforms-1yaSuTOiaoo/img/1679e8f2f9c4421faee8e97b56e0c589/1679e8f2f9c4421faee8e97b56e0c589.jpeg' alt='A view of east China's Shanghai. /CFP'

Firm footing in economic growth

To beef up the economy in response to looming challenges, Chinese authorities have unveiled a package of macroeconomic measures since late September, which focused on enhancing counter-cyclical adjustments, expanding effective domestic demand, supporting business operation, promoting the recovery of the property market and invigorating capital markets.

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in October, China’s economy gained a firm footing in the third quarter (Q3) of this year, showcasing the emerging policy effects and positive changes in major economic indicators.

China’s GDP grew 4.8 percent year on year to around 94.97 trillion yuan (about $13.33 trillion) in Q3 and the economy expanded 4.6 percent from a year ago and went up 0.9 percent on a quarterly basis.

Foreign investors are becoming increasingly bullish on the Chinese market, bolstered by the country’s recent incremental fiscal policies. UBS Investment Bank has raised its China 2024 growth forecast to 4.8 percent from 4.6 percent, while Goldman Sachs has lifted China’s GDP prediction this year from 4.7 percent to 4.9 percent.

So far this year, multiple international institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, have raised their forecast for China’s economic growth for 2024.

The growing foreign holdings have reflected the global investors’ confidence in the Chinese market. Currently, 24 global systemically important banks have a presence in China.

During the World Bank’s 110th meeting of the Development Committee in Washington, Chinese Vice Finance Minister Liao Min said a series of strong measures will be implemented to resolve local government debt risks, stabilize the real estate market, increase the income of key groups, enhance people’s livelihoods and drive equipment upgrades and trade-in deals for consumer goods.

Read more:

China introduces package of incremental policies to boost economy

China’s new incremental fiscal policies explained

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-01/How-China-opens-broad-prospects-for-modernization-by-deepening-reforms-1yaSuTOiaoo/img/f7c27e1bb51e4326b8b2e1808d0e562c/f7c27e1bb51e4326b8b2e1808d0e562c.jpeg' alt='A salesman introduces the performance of home appliances to a consumer in Nantong, east China's Jiangsu Province, October 22, 2024. /CFP'

Improving people’s livelihood

In a significant push to stimulate consumer spending, China rolled out a program of large-scale equipment upgrades and trade-ins of consumer goods in March. From automobiles and home appliances to real estate, the program aims to encourage the replacement of outdated goods with newer and more advanced options.

Translated into concrete policy measures, the program has injected fresh impetus into the consumer market and generated positive initial effects on the economy.

For instance, in southwest China’s Chongqing, local authorities have updated trade-in policies for green and smart household appliances last week. On the first day when the new policy was implemented, a total of 8.17 million yuan worth of subsidies were dished out.

The replacement of equipment such as agricultural machinery, old elevators, color ultrasound and CT machines have played a major role in improving people’s livelihood and well-being.

At present, China has issued this year’s fourth batch of ultra-long special treasury bonds worth 55 billion yuan (about $7.7 billion) to support equipment renewal and a series of new supporting measures from relevant government departments and local governments have also been introduced.

Consumption maintained an upward trend during the period with retail sales of consumer goods up 3.3 percent from a year ago, according to the NBS. The nominal growth of per capita disposable incomes of urban and rural residents came in at 5.2 percent.

Meanwhile, China has taken a multi-pronged approach to stabilize employment, scaling up support for fresh graduates, rural labor force, those in flexible employment and other key groups of jobseekers.

In order to encourage companies to hire young jobseekers, China has rolled out a subsidy policy for firms that hire young people who graduated from universities within the last two years, as well as candidates aged between 16 and 24 who have filed for unemployment.

Effective till the end of this year, the policy will grant the companies a one-off subsidy of no more than 1,500 yuan (about $210) for each young jobseeker they hire.

According to the NBS data, China’s job market was stable as the surveyed urban unemployment rate on average stood at 5.1 percent in Q3, down from 5.3 percent a year ago.

Read more:

‘Trade-in’ for new space for consumption and development in China

Xi Jinping stresses promoting high-quality, sufficient employment

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-01/How-China-opens-broad-prospects-for-modernization-by-deepening-reforms-1yaSuTOiaoo/img/f67b1bd6af9f47239bc7599fbc7dade2/f67b1bd6af9f47239bc7599fbc7dade2.jpeg' alt='University students attend a job fair in Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, October 25, 2024. /CFP'

Green and low-carbon transition

The key policy meeting has emphasized the need to “prioritize ecological protection, conserve resources and use them efficiently, and pursue green and low-carbon development.”

In August, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have unveiled a set of guidelines to ramp up green transition in all areas of economic and social development.

According to the guidelines, the main objectives are that by 2030, the country will achieve “remarkable results” in the green transition in all areas of economic and social development. By 2035, a green, low-carbon, and circular development economic system will be basically established and the goal of Beautiful China will be basically achieved.

The guidelines have raised a raft of work tasks such as optimizing the development and protection of territorial space, promoting the green and low-carbon transition in industrial structure and the energy sector, as well as promoting green transition in the transport sector and urban-rural development.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-11-01/How-China-opens-broad-prospects-for-modernization-by-deepening-reforms-1yaSuTOiaoo/img/46481631461046f6b9480b469c1e2016/46481631461046f6b9480b469c1e2016.jpeg' alt='A worker makes ordered products at a workshop of a company of renewable low-carbon aluminum heat transfer materials for new energy in Huaibei, east China's Anhui Province, October 3, 2024. /CFP'

Echoing the guidelines, various Chinese provinces and cities have accelerated the pace of industrial green transition.

In the northern provinces of Hebei and Shanxi, equipment updates and technological transformations in key industries such as steel and non-ferrous metals are being accelerated to further reduce production energy consumption.

In Taizhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, 193 high-energy-consuming enterprises have been intensively transformed to use clean energy such as solar energy, natural gas and industrial waste heat to power the industrial zone.

During the 2024 Global Industrial Internet Conference held in September, a database for China’s industrial carbon was officially launched, covering industrial categories such as energy, equipment manufacturing and electronic information. It can provide enterprises with full-process carbon data services including accounting, analysis and optimization.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China will strengthen the development and supply of green and low-carbon technology equipment and products, and promote the development of green and low-carbon industries such as hydrogen energy, new energy storage, and green intelligent computing.

Read more:

China details guidelines of ‘green transition’ in economic, social development

China unveils green transition guidelines amid global energy challenges

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-31/Wang-Yi-China-has-always-been-supporter-contributor-to-cause-of-UN-1y8ZiUvF8TC/img/5d2057b3aed74b979f8caccebce6af29/5d2057b3aed74b979f8caccebce6af29.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R), also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Philemon Yang, president of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in Beijing, China, October 31, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

China has always been a supporter and contributor to the cause of the United Nations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday while meeting with Philemon Yang, president of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in Beijing.

Yang is on a visit to China from Wednesday to Sunday. Yang, who is from Cameroon, was sworn in at the closing of the 78th session of the UNGA in September.

Welcoming Philemon’s visit, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the UNGA is the most representative and comprehensive charter body of the UN and an important platform for equal consultation, solidarity and cooperation among all countries.

Noting that China is a founding member of the UN and a permanent member of the Security Council, Wang called on the UN to be a force for justice in safeguarding world peace, and play a leading role in hot-spot issues.

He called for dialogue, consultation and win-win results instead of conflicts, coercion and a zero-sum approach.

Wang expressed his hope for the UN to be a constructive force for multilateralism, and take a clear-cut stand against unilateralism and hegemony.

He also called on the UN to become a force for reform in improving global governance, and shoulder the historical responsibility of enhancing the representation and voice of the Global South to let development results benefit more countries in the Global South.

China is ready to work with the UN to keep the reform of global governance in the right direction and make unremitting efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.

Commending China’s rapid economic development and long-term social stability, Yang said China upholds multilateralism and is committed to maintaining the international system with the UN at the center.

He said China, as a stable and constructive force in international affairs, advocates resolving disputes through dialogue, and provides selfless support to developing countries including Cameroon.

The UN will continue to adhere to the one-China principle, he said, thanking China’s long-term and firm support to the organization.

Yang expressed the belief that China will continue to play an indispensable and important role in promoting sustainable development, and cooperation in areas such as financial system reform, artificial intelligence and youth exchanges.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues such as reform of the Security Council.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-31/Xi-s-article-on-promoting-high-quality-employment-to-be-published-1y9mBlSbzs4/img/8c29bb9017ff49faa1003b2e511ededc/8c29bb9017ff49faa1003b2e511ededc.jpeg' alt='Students attend a job fair in Yunnan University in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, October 25, 2024. /CFP'

An article on promoting high-quality and sufficient employment by President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published on Friday in this year’s 21st issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-30/Wang-Yi-meets-Russian-deputy-foreign-minister-in-Beijing-1y7M6e8CNBS/img/33adeb26fe294b299ede183e9e0afc03/33adeb26fe294b299ede183e9e0afc03.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R), also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko in Beijing, China, October 30, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that China and Russia enjoy a relationship rooted in historical logic and strong internal momentum, unaffected by shifting global dynamics.

The China-Russia relationship does not target any third party, nor should it be interfered by any third party, Wang said during a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko in Beijing.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, highlighted the recent BRICS leaders’ summit in Kazan as a success that advanced BRICS cooperation, strengthened the unity and self-reliance of the Global South, and played a constructive role in promoting global peace and stability.

With China now holding the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Wang expressed China’s commitment to working closely with Russia to foster new progress within the SCO.

Rudenko commented on the significance of this year, marking the 75th anniversaries of both the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic relations.

Rudenko noted that Russia-China ties have reached a historic high. He reiterated Russia’s willingness to work with China to implement the strategic plans of both countries’ leaders, enhance high-level exchanges, deepen practical cooperation, and maintain coordination on international and regional issues to drive further development in Russia-China relations.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-30/Chinese-mainland-condemns-U-S-arms-sales-to-Taiwan-region-1y7z8nx7lmw/img/326c856233e34cda9f8f5e61d44473cc/326c856233e34cda9f8f5e61d44473cc.png' alt='Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, speaks at a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, October 30, 2024. /CFP'

A Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday that the Chinese mainland firmly opposes U.S. arms sales to China’s Taiwan region.

In response to a related question at a press briefing, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, urged the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, desist from arming Taiwan, and stop sending wrong signals to separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence.”

Zhu said separatist activities seeking “Taiwan independence” and external interventions will not stop the irreversible trend of China’s reunification and will not deter the mainland’s commitment to resolving the Taiwan question and achieving national reunification.

Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party’s diehard stance on “Taiwan independence” and its repeated collusion with external forces are the root causes of rising tensions and instability in the Taiwan Straits, Zhu added.

The mainland has safeguarded peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, promoted exchanges and deepened cooperation among compatriots across the Taiwan Straits, Zhu said. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for pooling strength to advance reform in a steady and sustained manner while addressing senior officials attending a central Party school study session.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the opening of the study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance) for principal officials at the provincial and ministerial level.

The session will look at ways to implement the guiding principles of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, which rolled out a new package of comprehensive reforms for the country.

(Cover: The auditorium of the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee in Beijing, China, August 5, 2024. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-29/Israel-votes-to-ban-UNRWA-Palestinians-say-100-000-residents-trapped-1y66k0m0q52/img/c1a7405cabaf4d7397016e3c5fd90683/c1a7405cabaf4d7397016e3c5fd90683.jpeg' alt='Israeli soldiers inside an evacuated compound of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Gaza City, February 8, 2024. /CFP'

Israel’s parliament passed a law on Monday to ban the UN relief agency UNRWA from operating inside the country, alarming some of Israel’s Western allies who fear it will worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Israeli officials cited the involvement of a handful of the UNRWA’s thousands of staffers in the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel and a few staffers’ membership in Hamas and other armed groups.

The head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, said the vote opposes the UN charter and violates international law.

“This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role towards providing human-development assistance and services to #Palestine Refugees,” he wrote on social media platform X.

The vote came the same day Israeli tanks thrust deeper into northern Gaza, the Palestinian emergency service said, in what Israel’s military said were operations to eliminate regrouping Hamas militants.

The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said around 100,000 people were marooned in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun without medical or food supplies, Reuters reported, but said it could not verify the number independently.

The Israeli military said soldiers captured around 100 suspected militants in a raid on a hospital in the Jabalia camp. Hamas and the hospital have denied any militant presence at the hospital.

The Gaza Strip’s health ministry said at least 19 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes and bombardment on Monday.

Ceasefire talks

Talks led by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar to broker a ceasefire resumed on Sunday after multiple abortive attempts. Egypt’s president proposed a two-day truce to exchange four Israeli hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners, followed by talks within 10 days on a permanent ceasefire.

Netanyahu had said mediators would resume talks in the coming days “in a continued attempt to advance a deal.”

Israel has repeatedly said the war will go on until Hamas is eradicated, while the Islamist movement has ruled out any end to fighting until Israeli forces leave Gaza.

Gaza’s war has kindled wider conflict in the Middle East, raising concern about global oil supplies, with Israel bombing Lebanon and sending forces into its south to disable Hezbollah, a Hamas ally.

At least 16 people were killed in Israeli strikes on three villages in eastern Lebanon’s city of Baalbek, the Lebanese health ministry said on Monday.

The conflict also triggered clashes between Israel and Iran. Israeli warplanes pounded Iranian missile production sites during the weekend in retaliation for an October 1 Iranian missile volley at Israel.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran would “use all available tools” to respond.

(With input from Reuters)

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a meeting on Monday to review a report on the third round of disciplinary inspection launched by the 20th CPC Central Committee.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, chaired the meeting.

The inspection results showed that the Party building of central Party and state departments and centrally administered financial institutions has been strengthened, according to a statement issued after the meeting.

However, although new achievements were made in various areas, problems still exist, the statement said.

The meeting called for addressing the issues identified during the inspections to promote high-quality development through effective rectification.

Party committees at all levels were asked to strengthen political responsibility in performing their duties, take bold and effective action to overcome challenges, and carry out reform tasks with unwavering determination while guarding against risks in key areas, the document said.

The meeting also stressed the necessity of maintaining a tough stance against corruption. It called for eradicating the root causes and the enabling conditions of graft and fighting corruption on a regular and long-term basis.

A China-sponsored Luban Workshop opened at the Kyrgyz State Technical University on Saturday. The workshop, named after the renowned ancient Chinese craftsman, Luban, serves as an international platform for higher educational exchange and corporation.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Du Dewen, said the launching of the Luban Workshop “is an important measure and achievement for implementing the consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries and deepening China-Kyrgyzstan cooperation in education.”

Noting that China is a world leader in such areas as water management and hydropower, green energy, digital technology and infrastructure construction, Du said the workshop will serve as a vital base for training highly qualified specialists in industrial sectors in Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyz Energy Minister, Taalaibek Ibraev, called the launch of the Luban Workshop an important step for Kyrgyzstan to strengthen educational infrastructure and train highly qualified specialists in key areas such as construction, water management, energy and mechanical engineering.

“The modern laboratories and smart classrooms, created as a result of this cooperation, will open up new horizons for students and allow them to improve their knowledge and skills,” Ibraev said, thanking China for its support and active participation in implementing the project.

In line with the needs of Kyrgyzstan’s economic and social development, the Luban Workshop mainly trains specialists in water management and hydropower engineering, electrical engineering and automation, mechanical design, manufacturing, and automation, as well as road and bridge construction technologies.

Smart classrooms and modern laboratories with the latest equipment have been established at the workshop, which will help students study advanced technologies and improve their skills, making graduates more competitive in the labor market. 

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-27/China-condemns-U-S-arms-sales-to-Taiwan-region-1y2UaBZLuY8/img/7dbe956493584e7488574ae1b8e02984/7dbe956493584e7488574ae1b8e02984.png' alt='A file photo of the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan. /CFP'

A Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Sunday that separatist activities seeking “Taiwan independence” and external interventions will not deter the mainland’s commitment to resolving the Taiwan question and achieving national reunification.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to a media inquiry regarding a new arms sales plan between the United States and China’s Taiwan.

“We firmly oppose U.S. arms sales to China’s Taiwan region, which has been our consistent and clear stance,” Zhu said.

She urged the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, especially the August 17 Communique of 1982, desist from arming Taiwan, and stop sending wrong signals to separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence.”

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-26/Israel-attacks-Iran-s-military-targets-World-reacts-to-strikes-1y1a6rrZwIM/img/6e43e624e54a4920a88de8cb17b22e65/6e43e624e54a4920a88de8cb17b22e65.png' alt='A view of Tehran, capital of Iran, October 26, 2024. /CFP'

Iran’s army said on Saturday that two of its soldiers were killed in the Israeli strike on the country earlier in the day.

In a statement published on its public relations website, the army said two fighters “sacrificed their lives” while countering Israel’s projectiles to defend Iran’s security and prevent harm to the country’s people and interests.

It said further information would soon be released.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said early Saturday that Israel had completed what it called a retaliatory attack on military targets in Iran earlier in the day.

The IDF launched “precise and targeted” air strikes on targets in several areas in Iran in response to the attacks from Iran in recent months, it said in a statement.

Israel’s state-owned Kan TV News reported that “dozens of jets, including F35, F16 and F15, attacked 20 military targets in Iran.”

‘Limited damage’

Iran’s air defense headquarters said in a statement that it had successfully countered the Israeli attack, which inflicted “limited damage,” Tasnim News Agency reported.

The report said damage occurred in some areas while Iran’s integrated air defense system intercepted and countered the attack, adding that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The Tasnim report also said that the Israeli forces targeted military sites in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces on Saturday morning, despite prior warnings from Iran urging Israel to avoid risky actions.

On October 1, Iran fired approximately 180 missiles at Israeli targets. Tehran described the strikes as retaliation for the assassinations of several leaders of regional resistance groups, among other things.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran had made a “grave mistake” and vowed retaliation.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-26/Israel-attacks-Iran-s-military-targets-World-reacts-to-strikes-1y1a6rrZwIM/img/08169bb4bb214fe1b54279c48ac24314/08169bb4bb214fe1b54279c48ac24314.jpeg' alt='Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) attends a meeting in the command center of the defense ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 26, 2024. /CFP'

World reactions

Saudi Arabia condemned the military operation that targeted Iran early Saturday, the kingdom’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The attack violated Iran’s sovereignty and international laws and norms, according to the ministry.

Saudi Arabia affirmed its rejection of the continued escalation in the region and the expansion of the conflict that threatens the security and stability of the region’s countries and people.

It called on the international community and active parties to strive toward reducing escalation and ending regional conflicts.

Hamas condemned Saturday’s Israeli attack on Iran, considering it a “blatant violation” of Iranian sovereignty.

“The Israeli aggression which targeted military sites in Iran is a blatant violation of Iranian sovereignty,” Hamas said in a press statement.

The statement considered the attack “an escalation targeting the security of the region and the safety of its people,” and it “holds the occupation fully responsible for the repercussions of this aggression supported by the United States of America.”

It said that “the aggression confirms once again the nature of the criminal occupation, which continues to shed the blood of innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and other Arab and Islamic peoples, relying on a criminal military and political cover from the American administration and some Western capitals.”

The statement affirmed the movement’s solidarity and support for Iran in confronting Israel’s “arrogance and chaos,” praising the courageous positions shown by the Iranian people and their leadership in supporting the Palestinian people and their just cause.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned Israel’s attack on Iran “in the strongest terms.”

“It is now clear that putting an end to Israeli terror in the region has become a historic task to ensure international security and peace,” said the ministry, calling on the international community to take immediate action to enforce the law.

“As Türkiye, we reiterate that we do not want any further war, violence, and lawlessness in our region,” it said.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that the country expresses its grave concern over the Israeli attack on Iran and condemns all measures that threaten regional security and stability.

In a statement it said, “Egypt stresses its position that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip should be reached quickly within the framework of a deal through which hostages are released given that it is the only way to de-escalate.”

Qatar condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli occupation forces’ storming of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, the arrest of medical staff and a number of patients and wounded people, according to the country’s foreign ministry on Saturday.

Qatar calls on the international community to assume its responsibilities and provide protection for dozens of children, patients and wounded people, and members of medical staff detained by the Israeli occupation authorities inside the hospital, said the ministry.

(With input from agencies)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-26/President-Xi-congratulates-Chapo-on-election-as-Mozambique-s-president-1y12iGWQbo4/img/53cb525976ae4ea4a1fe5326ceb10d02/53cb525976ae4ea4a1fe5326ceb10d02.jpeg' alt='Daniel Francisco Chapo addresses a presidential electoral meeting with supporters and leaders of his party in Maputo, Mozambique, October 2, 2024. /CFP'

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday sent a message to Daniel Francisco Chapo, extending congratulations on his election as president of the Republic of Mozambique.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-25/Scholars-officials-applaud-Xi-s-advocacy-for-Global-South-prosperity-1xZ1KUWFTs4/img/0b53064ff12a46659dd700cd0c099873/0b53064ff12a46659dd700cd0c099873.png' alt='Kazan, Russia, October 24, 2024. /CMG'

Experts and officials from various countries praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent speech at the BRICS Plus leaders’ dialogue on Thursday. They noted that President Xi emphasized the importance of global peace, advocated for reform in global economic governance to enhance Global South development, and called for dialogue among different civilizations – points that are inspiring for the stability and prosperity of the Global South.

In his address, Xi remarked that the collective advancement of Global South countries toward modernization is both monumental in world history and unprecedented in human civilization. He acknowledged that while global peace faces severe challenges, the path to prosperity for the Global South will not be straightforward.

Xi urged BRICS Plus countries to strive for common security, common development and harmony among civilizations. The BRICS Plus mechanism was first proposed by Xi in 2017 to foster cooperation with more developing countries and emerging economies, amplifying the voices of the Global South on the international stage.

Trevor Hambayi, a Zambian economist, told China Media Group that Xi’s speech on promoting Global South development demonstrated China’s commitment to prosperity for these nations and is crucial for the modernization of developing countries.

Xi called on BRICS Plus countries to be primary drivers of shared development and lead reforms in global economic governance. He praised the Global Development Initiative’s achievements, noting that it has mobilized nearly $20 billion in development funding and launched over 1,100 projects. 

The GDI was proposed by Xi at the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in September 2021, with the aim to fostering international consensus on promoting development, cultivating new drivers for global development, and facilitating common development and progress of all countries. 

Additionally, he announced plans to establish a World Smart Customs Community Portal and a BRICS Customs Center of Excellence, encouraging active participation from all nations.

Hambayi praised Xi’s Global Development Initiative and its targeted measures, saying these significantly contribute to prosperity across the Global South.

Ibrahim Hashem, former advisor to the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, focused on Xi’s proposed Global Security Initiative. Xi mentioned the initiative in his speech, noting that significant progress has been made in maintaining regional stability under its framework.

Hashem highlighted China’s active role as a major BRICS member in advocating for peace and dialogue. This includes launching the Friends for Peace group in response to the Ukraine crisis, facilitating the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and promoting internal reconciliation among Palestinian factions. He emphasized that these actions positively contribute to regional peace and stability.

Luis Delgado, academic director at Venezuela’s Center for Higher Studies in Development and Emerging Economies, stated that Global South countries have a strong interest in the new ideas and initiatives proposed by Xi. He added that for over a decade, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has exemplified a new form of international collaboration characterized by dialogue, respect for diversity, equality and fair trade, representing great hope for the Global South.

“We should jointly promote the development of all civilizations and strive for harmony among them. The diversity of civilization is the innate quality of the world,” Xi said in his speech. He proposed the Global Civilization Initiative last year, advocating for respect for the diversity of civilizations, the common values of humanity and closer people-to-people exchanges.

In his speech on Thursday, Xi pledged that China will establish a Global South Think Tanks Alliance to promote people-to-people exchanges and experience-sharing in governance.

Mehmood Hassan Khan, executive director of the Center of South Asia & International Studies in Islamabad, emphasized the positive implications of this initiative. He noted that Global South countries possess varied political, economic, cultural and institutional backgrounds, and Xi’s speech reaffirmed the importance of harmonious coexistence among different civilizations, which is essential in today’s world.

Evandro Carvalho, a law professor at Fluminense Federal University, expressed his confidence in the future of BRICS after listening to Xi’s address. He remarked that the core of China’s proposals revolves around cooperation and communication, crucial for bridging differences in political systems, economies and cultures among nations. He expressed belief that, with China’s involvement, BRICS will emerge as a key force in promoting multilateralism.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-24/Experts-Xi-s-speech-offers-roadmap-for-Global-South-cooperation-1xXy8mDGc6Y/img/a6f295638ab2465c80614f043b2157a4/a6f295638ab2465c80614f043b2157a4.png' alt='National flags are seen at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, October 23, 2024. /CMG'

“As the world enters a new period defined by turbulence and transformation, we are confronted with pivotal choices that will shape our future. Should we allow the world to descend into the abyss of disorder and chaos, or should we strive to steer it back on the path of peace and development?” 

Chinese President Xi Jinping posed this question during his speech at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, on Wednesday, and soon provided his answer. He proposed five key points to build BRICS into an organization that takes the lead in promoting peace, innovation, green development, global justice and closer international people-to-people exchanges. 

He also urged BRICS countries to build the mechanism into a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and a vanguard for advancing global governance reform.

Xi’s address came as BRICS leaders gathered to discuss a wide range of topics, including UN reform, regional tensions, financial security, global supply chains, climate change, and emerging technologies like AI.

Experts said Xi’s ideas address the common challenges humanity faces today, providing a roadmap for Global South cooperation and fresh insights for nations pursuing modernization.

Balew Demissie, a researcher at the Ethiopian Policy Studies Institute, highlighted the significance of the BRICS mechanism in this era, stating that Xi’s speech will help strengthen unity among BRICS countries and enhance mutual understanding and trust. This, he added, will ensure the long-term development of BRICS cooperation and bolster the capabilities of emerging markets and developing nations.

Over the past 18 years, China has played a central role in enhancing trade and investment among BRICS member states, advocating for the reform of international institutions like the UN and the IMF, and amplifying the voices of the Global South.

At the summit on Wednesday, Xi announced that China has launched a China-BRICS Artificial Intelligence Development and Cooperation Center, and will establish a BRICS Deep-Sea Resources International Research Center, a China Center for Cooperation on Development of Special Economic Zones in BRICS Countries, a China Center for BRICS Industrial Competencies and a BRICS Digital Ecosystem Cooperation Network.

He also pledged to leverage China’s green technologies to expand cooperation with BRICS countries in green industries, clean energy and green mining, and promote green development through the entire industrial chain.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-24/Experts-Xi-s-speech-offers-roadmap-for-Global-South-cooperation-1xXy8mDGc6Y/img/7af1b53e56954bad8ac54a1b40d4cdd2/7af1b53e56954bad8ac54a1b40d4cdd2.png' alt='Banners for the 2024 BRICS Summit are seen on the street, Kazan, Russia, October 23, 2024. /CMG'

Sergey Sanakoev, president of the Asia Pacific Research Center, said the initiatives proposed by Xi will further unite and strengthen cooperation in the Global South.

He stated that as the world faces new turbulence and prominent contradictions in global development, the BRICS countries’ enhanced cooperation in areas like the digital economy, climate change and green development, along with their support for Global South countries, will better facilitate the transformation of the global governance system and promote stronger, more inclusive and sustainable development.

Ilgar Velizade, an Azerbaijani who heads South Caucasus Political Scientists Club, said that he was particularly impressed by the specific measures for building an innovative BRICS. He stated that China is a world leader in fields such as the digital economy and possesses rich practical experience. Initiatives proposed by Xi, such as establishing a Deep-Sea Resources International Research Center among BRICS countries, are beneficial for creating a global platform to promote innovative cooperation.

Xi, in his speech, also noted that while the international balance of power is shifting, global governance reform has lagged. 

He emphasized the need for true multilateralism and a governance approach characterized by extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. He urged a response to the rising Global South and called for expanding the BRICS cooperation mechanism to enhance the representation and voice of developing countries in global governance.

Nadia Helmy, an associate professor of political science at Egypt’s Beni Suef University, said that the series of proposals and initiatives mentioned by Xi in his speech will guide the BRICS cooperation mechanism to play an increasingly significant role in international affairs and to raise a stronger BRICS voice, adding that the deepening cooperation and joint efforts of BRICS countries will promote the global governance system towards a more just and equitable direction.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday attended the “BRICS Plus” leaders’ dialogue in Russia’s Kazan and delivered an important speech, calling on the BRICS Plus countries to be a central pillar of strength for common development.

Here is the full text of his speech.

Combining the Great Strength of the Global South To Build Together a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind

Remarks by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People’s Republic of China

At the “BRICS Plus” Dialogue

Kazan, October 24, 2024

Your Excellency President Vladimir Putin,

Colleagues,

I would like to thank President Putin and the Russian government for putting together this “BRICS Plus” Dialogue, and warmly welcome all the leaders joining us today. It is a great pleasure to see old and new friends in Kazan.

The collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world. Global South countries marching together toward modernization is monumental in world history and unprecedented in human civilization. At the same time, peace and development still faces severe challenges, and the road to prosperity for the Global South will not be straight. Standing at the forefront of the Global South, we should use our collective wisdom and strength, and stand up to our responsibility for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

—We should uphold peace and strive for common security. We should come forward together to form a stabilizing force for peace. We should strengthen global security governance, and explore solutions to address both symptoms and roots of hotspot issues. Many parties have warmly responded to my Global Security Initiative. Under the Initiative, we have made prominent progress in maintaining regional stability and in many other areas. China and Brazil jointly issued the six-point consensus, and launched the group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis together with other Global South countries. We should promote early deescalation to pave the way for political settlement. Last July, Palestinian factions reconciled with each other in Beijing, marking a key step toward peace in the Middle East. We should continue to promote comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and revive the two-state solution. We must stop the flames of war from spreading in Lebanon and end the miserable sufferings in Palestine and Lebanon.

—We should reinvigorate development and strive for common prosperity. The Global South emerges for development and prospers through development. We should make ourselves the main driving force for common development. We should play an active and leading role in the global economic governance reform, and make development the core of international economic and trade agenda. Since its introduction three years ago, the Global Development Initiative has helped make available nearly $20 billion of development fund and launch more than 1,100 projects. And recently the Global Alliance on Artificial Intelligence for Industry and Manufacturing Center of Excellence has been established in Shanghai. China will also build a World Smart Customs Community Portal and a BRICS Customs Center of Excellence. We welcome active participation by all countries.

—We should promote together development of all civilizations and strive for harmony among them. Diversity of civilization is the innate quality of the world. We should be advocates for exchanges among civilizations. We should enhance communication and dialogue, and support each other in taking the path to modernization suited to our respective national conditions. The Global Civilization Initiative I proposed is exactly for the purpose of building a garden of world civilizations in which we can share and admire the beauty of each civilization. China will coordinate with others to form a Global South Think Tanks Alliance to promote people-to-people exchanges and experience-sharing in governance.

Colleagues,

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made systemic plans for further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization. This will provide more opportunities for the world. Last month, we held in Beijing a successful summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and announced 10 partnership actions for China and Africa to jointly advance modernization. This will instill new energy for the Global South on its way toward modernization.

No matter how the international landscape evolves, we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart, and maintain our roots in the Global South. We support more Global South countries in joining the cause of BRICS as full members, partner countries or in the “BRICS Plus” format so that we can combine the great strength of the Global South to build together a community with a shared future for mankind.

Thank you!

(Cover via CFP)

In the heart of Hainan province lies a vast tropical rainforest, extending across an area of over 4,200 square kilometers. The most diverse and best-preserved island tropical rainforest in China, it is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, including the world’s most endangered primate, the Hainan gibbon. In 2021, under a program personally overseen by Xi Jinping aimed at safeguarding biodiversity and protecting the environment, the rainforest was designated as one of the country’s first national parks. President Xi has stressed that Hainan should become a showcase, revealing to the world the benefits of China’s national park system.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called on BRICS countries to work for high quality development of greater BRICS cooperation, in a speech addressing the 16th BRICS Summit.

Here is the full text of his speech.                    

Embracing a Broader View and Cutting Through the Fog of Challenges to Advance High-Quality Development of Greater BRICS Cooperation

Statement by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People’s Republic of China

At the XVI BRICS Summit

Kazan, October 23, 2024

Your Excellency President Vladimir Putin,

Colleagues,

First of all, I wish to extend my warm congratulations on the successful opening of this summit. I also wish to thank President Putin and our host Russia for the thoughtful arrangements and warm hospitality.

I would like to take this opportunity to once again welcome new members to our BRICS family. The enlargement of BRICS is a major milestone in its history and a landmark event in the evolution of the international situation. At this summit, we have decided to invite many countries to become partner countries, which is another major progress in the development of BRICS. As we Chinese often say, “A man of virtue regards righteousness as the greatest interest.” It is for our shared pursuit and for the overarching trend of peace and development that we BRICS countries have come together. We must make full use of this summit, maintain the momentum of BRICS and consider and devise our strategy to address issues that have a global impact, determine our future direction and possess strategic significance. We must build on this milestone summit to set off anew and forge ahead with one heart and one mind.

As the world enters a new period defined by turbulence and transformation, we are confronted with pivotal choices that will shape our future. Should we allow the world to descend into the abyss of disorder and chaos, or should we strive to steer it back on the path of peace and development? This reminds me of a novel by Nikolay Chernyshevsky entitled What Is to Be Done? The protagonist’s unwavering determination and passionate drive are exactly the kind of willpower we need today. The more tumultuous our times become, the more we must stand firm at the forefront, exhibiting tenacity, demonstrating the audacity to pioneer and displaying the wisdom to adapt. We must work together to build BRICS into a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and a vanguard for advancing global governance reform.

– We should build a BRICS committed to peace and we must all act as defenders of common security. We humans are an indivisible community of security. Only by embracing the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security can we pave the way for universal security. The Ukraine crisis still persists. China and Brazil, in collaboration with other countries from the Global South, initiated a group of Friends for Peace to address the crisis. The aim is to gather more voices advocating peace. We must uphold the three key principles: no expansion of the battlefields; no escalation of hostilities; and no fanning flames, and strive for swift deescalation of the situation. While the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the flames of war have once again been rekindled in Lebanon and conflicts are escalating among the parties. We must promote an immediate ceasefire and an end to the killing. We must make unremitting efforts toward a comprehensive, just and lasting resolution of the Palestinian question.

– We should build a BRICS committed to innovation and we must all act as pioneers of high-quality development. As the latest round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is advancing at an accelerated speed, we must keep pace with the times and foster new quality productive forces. China has recently launched a China-BRICS Artificial Intelligence Development and Cooperation Center. We are ready to deepen cooperation on innovation with all BRICS countries to unleash the dividends of AI development. China will establish a BRICS Deep-Sea Resources International Research Center; a China Center for Cooperation on Development of Special Economic Zones in BRICS Countries; a China Center for BRICS Industrial Competencies; and a BRICS Digital Ecosystem Cooperation Network. We welcome active participation from all interested parties to promote the high-quality upgrading of BRICS cooperation.

– We should build a BRICS committed to green development and we must all act as promoters of sustainable development. Green is the defining color of our times. It is important that all BRICS countries proactively embrace the global trend of green and low-carbon transformation. China’s high-quality production capacity, as exemplified by its manufacturing of electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products, provides a significant boost to global green development. China is willing to leverage its strengths to expand cooperation with BRICS countries in green industries, clean energy and green mining and promote green development through the entire industrial chain, so as to increase the “green quotient” of our cooperation and upgrade the quality of our development.

– We should build a BRICS committed to justice and we must all act as forerunners in reforming global governance. The international power dynamics is undergoing profound changes, but global governance reform has lagged behind for a long time. We should champion true multilateralism and adhere to the vision of global governance characterized by extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. We must ensure that global governance reform is guided by the principles of fairness, justice, openness and inclusiveness. In light of the rise of the Global South, we should respond favorably to the calls from various countries to join BRICS. We should advance the process of expanding BRICS membership and establishing a partner country mechanism and enhance the representation and voice of developing nations in global governance.

The current developments make the reform of the international financial architecture all the more pressing. BRICS countries should play a leading role in the reform. We should deepen fiscal and financial cooperation, promote the connectivity of our financial infrastructure and apply high standards of financial security. The New Development Bank should be expanded and strengthened. We must ensure that the international financial system more effectively reflects the changes in the global economic landscape.

– We should build a BRICS committed to closer people-to-people exchanges and we must all act as advocates for harmonious coexistence among all civilizations. BRICS countries boast a profound and illustrious historical and cultural heritage. It is important that we promote the spirit of inclusiveness and harmonious coexistence among civilizations. We should enhance the exchange of governance experiences among BRICS countries and fully harness the untapped potential for cooperation in areas such as education, sports and the arts so that our diverse cultures can inspire one another and illuminate the path forward for BRICS. Last year, I proposed an initiative for BRICS digital education cooperation and I am delighted to see that it has become a reality. China will implement a capacity-building program for BRICS digital education. We will open 10 learning centers in BRICS countries in the next five years and provide training opportunities for 1,000 local education administrators, teachers and students. This will be a tangible step to deepen and strengthen people-to-people exchanges among BRICS countries.

Colleagues,

China is willing to work with all BRICS countries to open a new horizon in the high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation and join hands with Global South countries in building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Thank you.

(Cover: An image of the 16th BRICS Summit. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-22/Hezbollah-says-it-launches-volley-of-rockets-into-Israel-1xUuTDcivD2/img/32fe2369006a4aac9ab754ecbaf0639e/32fe2369006a4aac9ab754ecbaf0639e.png' alt='Israeli soldiers gather debris from the site of a rocket attack, fired from Lebanon, in Kibbutz of Maagan Michael, south of Haifa, October 22, 2024. /CFP'

Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at two bases near the Israeli city of Tel Aviv and one west of Haifa on Tuesday morning, just hours before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel to make another push for an elusive ceasefire.

Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to bring an end to the year-long war in the Palestinian territory of Gaza and its spillover conflict between the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel, which has intensified in recent weeks after a year of exchanges of fire mostly across Lebanon’s southern border.

Shortly after Blinken landed, Lebanon’s health ministry said the death toll from an Israeli strike on Monday night near Hariri Hospital, Beirut’s main government medical facility, had climbed to 13.

After a heavy night of Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s south and the southern suburbs of its capital, Beirut, Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at the Glilot base used by Unit 8200 of Israeli military intelligence and the Nirit area in Tel Aviv’s suburbs.

The group said it also fired rockets at a naval base outside the port city of Haifa further north.

There were no immediate reports of casualties. Israeli authorities said air sirens were activated in areas southeast of Tel Aviv due to one projectile identified crossing from Lebanon and falling in an open area. Other sirens sounded in Tel Aviv.

Blinken’s trip to the region is his 11th since the attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023, that triggered the Gaza war.

Blinken will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other officials during the day as part of a week-long Middle East visit that also includes Jordan and Qatar.

In Israel, Blinken will discuss Israel’s anticipated retaliation for a ballistic missile attack launched by Iran on October 1, a senior State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Allies are worried that Israel’s retaliation could disrupt oil markets and risks igniting a full-blown war between the arch-enemies. Iran has written to the UN nuclear watchdog to complain about Israeli threats to strike its atomic energy sites, its foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, at a news conference in Kuwait during a regional tour, said Tehran does not seek war in the Middle East and has made efforts to reduce tensions but is prepared for any conflict.

“We know that Israel does not follow any international rule. We have our own tools to defend ourselves and our nuclear infrastructure,” Araqchi said.

“Attacking nuclear facilities is a big international crime, even threatening to attack nuclear sites is an international crime and goes against international laws,” Araqchi said.

The U.S. official said that in meetings with Israel and Arab countries Blinken will stress “day after” issues, particularly security, governance and reconstruction. Having detailed plans for what happens when the hostilities eventually end are seen as prerequisites for achieving any lasting resolution to the conflict.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Kazan, Russia, on Tuesday.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-21/China-opposes-any-country-to-threaten-its-sovereignty-security-1xSFBH3wtck/img/301224bf6fe54c8ebe3087acc006e9de/301224bf6fe54c8ebe3087acc006e9de.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian. /CFP'

China firmly opposes any country’s provocation and threats to its sovereignty and security under the pretext of freedom of navigation, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a query regarding the U.S. destroyer Higgins and the Canadian frigate Vancouver transiting through the Taiwan Straits on Sunday.

The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army has responded to the matter, Lin said, stressing that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.

The Taiwan question is not an issue of freedom of navigation, but an issue related to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

Two people were dead and 15 others injured after Russia launched attacks on Zaporizhzhia on Monday, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram. 

There was no immediate comment from Russian authorities.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-20/Xi-stresses-promoting-high-standard-opening-up-for-reform-development-1xR7bMKPhtK/img/034d05c743f34603b95c9f65f20439d4/034d05c743f34603b95c9f65f20439d4.jpeg' alt='Technicians operate an intelligent warehouse at an intelligent equipment company in Changxing Economic and Technological Development Zone of Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 16, 2021. /CFP'

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the country’s state-level economic and technological development zones to continuously stimulate innovation vitality and endogenous momentum and promote high-standard opening up for in-depth reform and high-quality development.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction on the work of such development zones.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-20/Jordan-condemns-Israeli-settlers-storming-of-Aqsa-Mosque-compound-1xRgVDBKdr2/img/2dc9d34a8ed34288bb66b2433962b34c/2dc9d34a8ed34288bb66b2433962b34c.png' alt='People walking in front of the Dome of the Rock mosque in Old Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, September 6, 2024. /CFP'

Jordan on Sunday condemned “the storming” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound earlier in the day by extremist settlers under the protection of Israeli forces.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said the storming constitutes a blatant breach of international law, the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, and Israel’s obligations as “the occupying power,” according to a statement by the ministry.

Spokesperson of the ministry Sufian Qudah said that Israel must halt all ongoing violations and breaches of the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, calling for an end to the imposition of new realities at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

On Israel’s ongoing attacks against Gaza and Lebanon, as well as its escalations and assaults on Palestinians in the West Bank, Qudah said that Israel’s unilateral actions threaten to further escalate tensions, pushing the entire region towards catastrophe.

The spokesperson urged “clear and firm” international positions and measures to condemn and halt these violations and provide necessary protection for the Palestinian people.

He reiterated that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, through the Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, is the sole legal authority responsible for managing all affairs of the mosque and its yards.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-19/Chinese-VP-to-attend-Indonesian-president-s-inauguration-visit-Brunei-1xPo40z1PKE/img/87dd08f879364fd79051d04c53662915/87dd08f879364fd79051d04c53662915.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a press briefing in Beijing, China, October 18, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

At the invitation of the Indonesian government, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, as the special representative of President Xi Jinping, will attend the inauguration of President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on October 20 and visit Indonesia from October 19 to 21, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Friday.

Han will visit Brunei from October 21 to 23, Mao added.

At a daily press briefing, Mao said China and Indonesia share profound traditional friendship and have close and deep cooperation. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, bilateral relations have maintained robust momentum of growth and entered a new stage of jointly building a community with a shared future.

As President Xi’s special representative, Han will attend the inauguration of President Prabowo and have an in-depth discussion with the Indonesian leader on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest, Mao said.

At this important juncture for bilateral relations to build on past achievements and achieve greater progress, Mao said, China stands ready to work with Indonesia to carry forward the tradition of friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, elevate the building of the China-Indonesia community with a shared future to a new level, and make greater contributions to the respective modernization process and regional and global prosperity and development.

Noting that China and Brunei enjoy a long history of profound friendship and sound and steady growth of bilateral relations, Mao said President Xi met with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah on the margins of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting for two years running and made strategic guidance for the growth of bilateral relations.

During his visit to Brunei, Han will meet and have talks with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah and Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, Mao said.

Through this visit, China looks forward to working with Brunei to carry forward traditional friendship, deepen and expand cooperation in various fields, bring the two peoples closer, add new substances to the strategic cooperative partnership and inject more positive energy into peace, stability and prosperity in the region, she added.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-19/China-Russia-ties-built-on-mutual-respect-Putin-answers-CGTN-question-1xPCVajAlHO/img/a685e877877c4ff7a2f742df70606281/a685e877877c4ff7a2f742df70606281.png' alt='Russian President Vladimir Putin meets representatives of leading media outlets from BRICS countries at Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside of Moscow, Russia, October 18, 2024. /CFP'

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the relationship between China and Russia is built on the basis of mutual respect.

Putin made the comments while responding to a question from CGTN during his meeting with representatives of leading media outlets from BRICS countries in Moscow. CGTN was the outlet representing Chinese media.

The Russian president said the rapid growth of bilateral trade in recent years between China and Russia has been built on equality and mutual benefit, adding that the two countries are committed to listening to each other and safeguarding each other’s interests.

This is not an empty phrase, but the reality of bilateral cooperation, he said.

The current trade balance structure between China and Russia comes thanks to both sides’ joint efforts, said Putin. “Our focus is not just on discussions; we take action.”

In response to a question about the future of China-Russia relations, Putin said the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation in areas such as energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and science and technology. Russia will continue to enhance its energy exports to China, including oil and natural gas, and will work to expand agriculture cooperation with China, he added.

Putin’s Friday meeting with the media came days ahead of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan, the first one after the group’s expansion from five members to 10. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates became BRICS members, joining Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Regarding greater BRICS cooperation, Putin said each of these countries has its own unique culture and history and own comparative advantages in the global division of labor, and interaction with these countries is of interest to all BRICS participants.

When new players, new participants and new members appear and join any international organization, they make their own contributions, he added.

Putin said the inclusion of new member countries in a shared framework provides a platform for all sides to exchange ideas and expand cooperation, not only in the economy but also in areas such as culture, film, youth and people-to-people exchanges.

When it comes to the U.S. strategy of containment of China, Putin said that the U.S. cannot stop China’s development as economic development is an objective process related to various factors.

The U.S.’s effort to contain China’s development negatively affects the U.S. economy as well, he added, warning that if the trend persists, it could render various U.S. sectors totally uncompetitive.

Putin also answered questions from journalists on other issues like the Ukraine crisis and the global financial system at Friday’s meeting.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-18/How-BRICS-expansion-contributes-to-rise-of-the-Global-South-1xNIMham9OM/img/3938459650654f7982bd827b01b9df33/3938459650654f7982bd827b01b9df33.jpeg' alt='Flages for the the 2024 BRICS Summit are seen in Kazan, Russia, October 16, 2024. /CFP'

The expansion of BRICS conforms to the historical trend of the rise of the Global South and reflects the yearning and demand of developing countries for a more just and reasonable international political and economic order, an expert told CGTN on Friday.

“In recent years, with the rapid rise in the economic sphere, the Global South countries have become an important force on the global stage. However, their international status or influence has not changed much, which is seriously unreasonable,” said Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs and also director of the Center for European Studies at Renmin University of China.

The 2024 BRICS Summit will take place in Kazan, Russia, from October 22 to 24. This summit is the first gathering of BRICS countries since it doubled its size at the turn of the year. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Iran and Ethiopia became members of BRICS on January 1, joining China, Russia, Brazil, India and South Africa.

With more than 40 countries showing interest or formally applying to join the relatively nascent cooperation mechanism, BRICS’ rising influence is being widely perceived as a testament to the rise of a multipolar world.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-18/How-BRICS-expansion-contributes-to-rise-of-the-Global-South-1xNIMham9OM/img/37046d0049cc466d846851a29f2f6ef2/37046d0049cc466d846851a29f2f6ef2.jpeg' alt='Preparations for the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, October 16, 2024. /CFP'

“For a long time, Western nations have dominated the process of setting trade and economic rules for countries in the Global South, which are actually not suitable for the latter,” Wang continued.

“The Global South is now trying to strengthen collaboration between themselves to form a common voice and expand their common interests with a new mechanism,” the expert noted.

Alexander Zhukov, first deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma, said at the BRICS Expert Forum in June that BRICS countries respect sovereign equality and the right to choose development paths independently. They take into account mutual interests, adhere to principles of openness and consensus, and strive to establish a multipolar world order and a fair global financial and trade system, collectively addressing the most pressing issues of the day.

The mechanism has become a model for inter-state cooperation, he noted, adding that Russia, as the rotating chair of BRICS this year, is hosting a series of events focusing on topics including politics, security, economy, finance, and education and culture.

Read more:

What’s on the agenda of 2024 BRICS Summit?

Why BRICS membership appeals to many countries

To date, 42,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to local authorities on Friday.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-17/China-calls-for-revitalizing-effectiveness-of-UNSC-resolutions-on-Gaza-1xM3OGjaU36/img/c1d8c96ba46b4287afdd89be464a0700/c1d8c96ba46b4287afdd89be464a0700.png' alt='China's permanent representative to the UN Fu Cong speaks at a UN Security Council emergency meeting on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip at the UN headquarters in New York, October 16, 2024. /CFP'

The effectiveness of United Nations Security Council resolutions should be upheld and revitalized, China’s permanent representative to the UN said at the Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, on Wednesday.

The Security Council has adopted a number of resolutions regarding the situation in Gaza, explicitly calling for a ceasefire. “But none of them has been effectively implemented,” Fu Cong told the emergency meeting on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

“This has dealt a serious blow to the credibility of the entire UN system,” Fu said, stressing that Council resolutions are binding for all states and must be implemented.

The ambassador said China supports the Council in using all the options in its toolbox to ensure the implementation of its resolutions, and every member has the responsibility to safeguard the effectiveness of Council resolutions.

“In this respect, we particularly hope that the United States will respond to the strong call of the international community and support further actions by the Council to bring about an immediate ceasefire,” he said, adding that according to reports, since last October, the United States has provided Israel with more than $17 billion worth of military aid.

“Under the current circumstances, does such a large-scale supply of weapons help realize the objectives of Security Council resolutions? This is a question that needs serious consideration,” he said.

The envoy also called for upholding and revitalizing the authority of international humanitarian law.

“Using starvation as a weapon of war is a serious war crime,” he emphasized, underscoring that humanitarian organizations are the lifeline for Gaza and it is intolerable to see them “face suppression, restriction, and even security threats.”

He urged Israel to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law, immediately lift the blockade and restrictions on humanitarian access to the entire Gaza, and cooperate fully with the United Nations and other humanitarian entities to facilitate and ensure the safety of humanitarian operations such as transportation of humanitarian supplies and polio vaccination.

UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, is the backbone of humanitarian assistance in Gaza, and China firmly opposes any smearing and suppression of the agency, he said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) said in a joint statement on Thursday that they are investigating whether one of the three militants killed by the army in the Gaza Strip is Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

The Israeli military said the identity of the militants cannot be confirmed at this stage.

“In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area. The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution,” the joint statement said without providing further details.

Sinwar, the chief architect of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza conflict, was named Hamas’ political bureau chief following the assassination of the group’s former leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran in August.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-16/Chinese-premier-calls-for-deepening-SCO-cooperation-1xKt8G0sI92/img/e269696195ea4e89a3a4d013d63ac7a1/e269696195ea4e89a3a4d013d63ac7a1.png' alt='A hashtag outside the media center near the venue of the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the SCO in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, October 16, 2024. /CFP'

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday called for deepening and expanding cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

He also urged the SCO member states to strengthen strategic alignment, actively respond to major risks, and expand personnel exchanges.

Li made the remarks during the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the SCO in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-16/Xi-urges-Fujian-to-play-pioneering-role-in-China-s-modernization-drive-1xKAhEcKU3m/img/6ef91cf13e3f47d6b3170f6438483431/6ef91cf13e3f47d6b3170f6438483431.png' alt='Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects Zhangzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, October 15, 2024. /Xinhua'

President Xi Jinping has urged southeast China’s Fujian Province to play a pioneering role in the country’s modernization drive by staying committed to its development goals.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection tour in the coastal province on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday that it eliminated Khader Al-Abed Bahja, who was responsible for the area north of the Litani River in Hezbollah’s Aerial Unit.

In a statement, the IDF said Bahja was killed in an operation a few days ago.

“The IDF will continue to thwart terrorist activity and eliminate the commanders of Hezbollah’s Aerial Unit,” it said.

There has been no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah yet.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-15/President-Xi-urges-developing-system-of-modern-military-theory-1xIOONE2q8o/img/d558cb7d23104848b267e1ec4aa5fba7/d558cb7d23104848b267e1ec4aa5fba7.png' alt='Chinese Navy's frigate Handan during a military exercise in China, June 1, 2024. /CFP
'

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged efforts to comprehensively strengthen work related to military theory on the new journey in the new era and develop a system of modern military theory with Chinese characteristics.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an instruction to a meeting on work related to military theory, which was held in Beijing from Monday to Tuesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that China is willing to work with Indonesia to jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, ensure the sustainable operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, and create more highlights of cooperation to better benefit the people of both countries.

Xi made the remarks during a phone conversation with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

During his 10 years as Indonesian president, Widodo has visited China eight times and met with Xi 12 times, which led the two countries to open a new chapter in jointly building a community with a shared future, as well as building a new pattern of all-round strategic cooperation, Xi said.

China highly appreciates Widodo’s important contribution to the China-Indonesia friendship, Xi said, adding it is believed that the new Indonesian government will continue its friendly policy towards China and push the building of a China-Indonesia community with a shared future to a higher level.

Noting that next year marks the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference, Xi said China is ready to work with Indonesia to carry forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit, strengthen solidarity and cooperation among Global South countries, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and promote regional and global development, prosperity, and stability.

For his part, Widodo said that over the past decade, he has forged a deep friendship with President Xi, leading to significant achievements in the comprehensive strategic partnership and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

He expressed gratitude to China for contributing to Indonesia’s economic development, noting that the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway has become a model for Belt and Road cooperation between the two sides.

Widodo also expressed confidence that the Indonesia-China relationship will continue its strong momentum of growth under the leadership of Indonesia’s new government.

A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Monday warned that attempts by separatists seeking “Taiwan independence” are doomed to fail.

Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media query.

Noting that the drills conducted by the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on Monday were aimed at cracking down on “Taiwan independence” separatists, Wu emphasized that the drills did not target Taiwan compatriots.

“We will continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and the utmost effort, but we will never promise to renounce the use of force and will not leave any room for ‘Taiwan independence,'” Wu said.

The command on Monday organized its troops of army, navy, air force and rocket force to conduct the drills in the Taiwan Straits and in areas to the north, south and east of the island of Taiwan.

China and Vietnam on Sunday stressed the need to properly handle their differences through friendly consultation.

In his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged both sides to stick to friendly consultation, properly handle differences and expand maritime cooperation.

For his part, Pham Minh Chinh said the two sides should implement the high-level consensus of the two parties and two countries, properly manage differences through friendly consultation and jointly safeguard maritime peace and stability.

(Cover via CFP)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Sunday that China is ready to work with Vietnam to firmly advance the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, jointly meet external challenges and better achieve common development.

He made the remarks when meeting with Tran Thanh Man, chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, in Hanoi.

(Cover: File picture of national flags of Vietnam (L) and China. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-12/China-Laos-issue-joint-statement-pledging-strengthened-cooperation-1xE0SHA5pDO/img/b68280c1ecab40e198eaab397ad52b01/b68280c1ecab40e198eaab397ad52b01.png' alt='The national flags of China and Laos. /CFP'

China and Laos agreed to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation of higher quality in a joint statement issued on Saturday during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s official visit to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic from October 11 to 12, at the invitation of its Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.

In the statement, China and Laos agreed to continue to strengthen practical cooperation under the framework of strategic alignment between China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Laos’ strategy to “convert the landlocked country into a land-linked hub” and to implement the outline of the cooperation plan for jointly building the Belt and Road between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to promote the operation, maintenance and development along the China-Laos Railway with high quality, actively push for the “juxtaposed border control” of the China-Laos Railway to achieve substantial progress as soon as possible, and strive for the standard gauge connection of China-Laos Railway and Thailand railway at an early date to promote the implementation of the China-Laos-Thailand Connectivity Development Corridor Outlook, said the statement.

China appreciates Laos’ interest in and intention to cooperate on Chinese commercial aircraft and welcomes Laos’ aviation enterprises to introduce these aircraft, it said.

The two countries will further strengthen trade exchange and increase the scale and level of trade. To this end, China and Laos will work together to implement the zero-tariff arrangement for 100 percent of Lao products exported to China, and push for more high-quality Lao agricultural and food exports to China, it added.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-11/Xi-Jinping-meets-senior-Vietnamese-official-1xCckv0625i/img/6b07a1cf2efa41f68667313d1ecc75dd/6b07a1cf2efa41f68667313d1ecc75dd.png' alt='The Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. /CFP'

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, met with Luong Cuong, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and permanent member of the CPV Central Committee Secretariat, in Beijing on Friday.

Xi pointed out that adhering to the leadership of the communist party and the socialist system constitutes the most essential feature of China and Vietnam and serves as the most solid political foundation for developing bilateral relations.

Noting that China takes Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, Xi said China is ready to work with Vietnam to take the lead in deepening high-level mutually beneficial cooperation, safeguarding international fairness and justice, promoting the cause of human progress and jointly fostering a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-11/Global-Development-Initiative-dialogue-held-at-AU-headquarters-1xCiABbDvJ6/img/d4e05c2603e2479e98a7f87ee344f5d5/d4e05c2603e2479e98a7f87ee344f5d5.png' alt='People walk towards the entrance of the AU headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 18, 2024. /CFP'

A dialogue on the China-proposed Global Development Initiative (GDI) was held on Thursday at the headquarters of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa.

In his opening speech, AU Commissioner for Education, Science, and Innovation, Mohammed Belhocine said the relationship between Africa and China has a long history and has developed into an outstanding partnership based on mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. 

Africa-China cooperation is a shining example of South-South cooperation, he said, adding that GDI aligns well with Africa’s Agenda 2063 development blueprint and will undoubtedly benefit future generations.

Zhao Fengtao, deputy head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, said the GDI serves as a catalyst and accelerator for the implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The initiative’s eight key cooperation areas are fully aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and it has garnered active support and participation from more than 100 countries and over 20 international organizations, effectively building consensus on international development cooperation, said Zhao.

Since the GDI was proposed in 2021, China-Africa cooperation across various fields has yielded fruitful results, according to Zhao.

Nearly 200 “small and beautiful” livelihood-improving projects have been launched in Africa, more than 30 African countries have joined the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Development Promotion Center and 14 African countries have signed bilateral documents with China to implement the initiative, he said.

Hu Changchun, head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union, said the recently concluded Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation injected strong new momentum into deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Africa for the next three years.

The event was attended by about 200 representatives from organizations such as the African Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Development Program, and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in Vientiane on Thursday that facing an international situation intertwined with changes and chaos, China and Japan should strive to maintain a sound and steady development of bilateral relations, which is of great significance to both countries, the region and the world at large.

In his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Li also noted that China-Japan relations are at a critical stage of improvement and development.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his congratulatory message to Ishiba, it serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples of both sides to walk on a road of peaceful coexistence, everlasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development, Li said.

Li expressed his hope that the two sides will meet each other halfway, continuously consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and strive to build a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the requirements of the new era to better benefit the two peoples.

A total of 1,974 people have been killed, including 127 children, and 9,384 injured since the start of the Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the last year, the country’s Health Minister Firass Abiad said on Thursday.

Clashes between Israel and Hezbollah began on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah started launching rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, triggering retaliatory Israeli artillery fire and air strikes in southeastern Lebanon.

Confrontations between Lebanon and Israel have sharply escalated after the latter announced a shift in military focus from the Gaza Strip to the northern front in mid-September.

(With input from agencies)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-02/China-deeply-concerned-about-Lebanon-Israel-Iran-Israel-escalation-1xnhLbc9z4A/img/fe73ed473176453b8434c75d0de1132f/fe73ed473176453b8434c75d0de1132f.png' alt='Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, October 2, 2024. /CFP'

China is deeply concerned about the turmoil in the Middle East and calls on the international community, especially major countries with influence, to play a constructive role and avoid further turmoil, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

In a statement, the spokesperson for the ministry said China opposes the violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and opposes moves that fuel antagonism and escalate tensions.

The spokesperson made the remarks in response to a media inquiry about Israel’s launch of a ground offensive in southern Lebanon and Iran’s launch of a military attack against Israel over the past day.

China believes that the protracted fighting in Gaza is the root cause of this round of turmoil in the Middle East and all parties need to work urgently for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, the spokesperson said.

Read more:

Live updates: Israel vows retaliation after Iran’s missile strikes

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-02/news-1xnmC6Im59K/img/5ce07d1dbd044d49b8816994a46615c2/5ce07d1dbd044d49b8816994a46615c2.png' alt='An Israeli air strike hits an area in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, October 2, 2024. /CFP'

An Israeli soldier was killed in combat in Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday, following an incursion by the Israel army across the border earlier this week to target Hezbollah positions. 

Twenty-two-year-old Captain Eitan Itzhak Oster “fell during a battle with Hezbollah operatives in a village in southern Lebanon,” the IDF said in a statement. 

The captain is the first fatality of Israel’s ground operation in Lebanon.

(With input from agencies)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-01/China-embraces-National-Day-holiday-with-travel-rush-colorful-events-1xlv07PVJpS/img/258a9e3294e14551bf87959f588dbcf5/258a9e3294e14551bf87959f588dbcf5.png' alt='Tourists celebrate National Day at Mt. Taishan in Tai'an City, east China's Shandong Province, October 1, 2024. /CFP'

Tuesday marks the first day of China’s National Day “golden week” holiday, which will end on October 7 this year. China’s railway network is expected to handle 175 million passenger trips during the holiday travel rush, according to data from the national railway operator.

The country’s railway sector is expected to handle 21 million passenger trips on Tuesday, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

China also plans to schedule an additional 1,476 passenger trains on Tuesday to meet the rising travel demand. During the holiday period, an average of more than 12,000 passenger trains are scheduled to be operated daily.

Travel rush

According to data from Ctrip, China’s leading online travel agency, tickets for many domestic scenic spots were sold out on the first day of the holiday, and the orders of domestic scenic spot tickets increased by 37 percent year on year.

Meanwhile, data also showed that the number of outbound travel orders on the first day increased by nearly 40 percent year on year.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-01/China-embraces-National-Day-holiday-with-travel-rush-colorful-events-1xlv07PVJpS/img/c3b5105a1d394905a699e6f67fce7b58/c3b5105a1d394905a699e6f67fce7b58.jpeg' alt='Crowds at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in east China's Shanghai, October 1, 2024. /CFP '

Driven by multiple factors such as long holiday travel, family visits and cross-city trips, the popularity of this year’s National Day holiday is expected to hit a new high.

In terms of destinations, nearly half of tourists chose long-distance travel on the first day, and the proportion of long-distance travel showed a year-on-year increase of six percent.

This year, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Hangzhou are among the most popular destinations for tourists on the first day of the holiday, according to Fliggy, one of the country’s leading travel platforms.

The number of car rental orders for travel on the first day increased by more than 40 percent year on year. One month ahead of the holiday, the booking volume of international cruises increased by more than 130 percent compared with the same period in 2019, said Fliggy.

Box office bookings for the holiday have already exceeded 200 million yuan ($28.52 million), according to online box office tracking platform Maoyan. Historical war film “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death,” science fiction adventure “Bureau 749,” and an action crime film “Tiger Wolf Rabbit” lead the chart.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-01/China-embraces-National-Day-holiday-with-travel-rush-colorful-events-1xlv07PVJpS/img/4501bf5a5f884df592354a104055c6bf/4501bf5a5f884df592354a104055c6bf.jpeg' alt='Tourists enjoy a folk cultural performance in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, October 1, 2024. /CFP'

Colorful events

Across the country, National Day is celebrated with a variety of activities, from festive events and exhibition visits to travel.

In Fuzhou City, southeast China’s Fujian Province, the city has collaborated with various counties and urban districts to carry out 232 cultural activities, including 95 holiday theme activities, and 137 cultural exhibitions and artistic performances.

In Beijing, focusing on themes including the National Day and guochao, a trend of a surge in interest in domestic brands and products that incorporate Chinese traditional style and culture, nearly 400 special activities have been provided.

In east China’s Zhejiang Province, the rippling green waters and picturesque mountains of Yanglou Village in the city of Huzhou are captivating visitors.

“The visitor’s impression is the result of Huzhou’s consistent focus on ecological preservation for over a decade,” said Pan Ming, director of the ecological environment bureau in Huzhou.

A series of “country walk” activities were held in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, covering parent-child interaction, folk customs, farm entertainment and rural markets.

The province has also offered a variety of sports activities to tourists, including paragliding, jumping rope on a paddle board, fencing and table tennis, aiming to provide a diversified and joyful experience to tourists.

Fifteen years ago, operations at Piraeus Port in Greece were devastated by the global financial crisis, and the port was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Despite an international lack of confidence, a Chinese company invested.

In 2010, Piraeus Container Terminal, a subsidiary of China’s COSCO Shipping, took over the management of terminals II and III of the port, and six years later, COSCO Shipping acquired a majority stake in Piraeus Port Authority (PPA).

“For China, Piraeus Port is a bet. For Greek people, the growth of Piraeus Port is also a bet,” Savvas Sanozidis, secretary of the board of directors for Piraeus Port, told CGTN.

The result of the twin bets has been win-win, and Piraeus Port has become an important driver in the Sino-Greek efforts to develop the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Today, Piraeus Port is one of the biggest container terminals, ferry ports, and railway or car terminal premises in Europe. The PPA announced record-high turnover and profits in 2023, with total revenues of 219.8 million euros ($237.13 million).

The success of the port has had a knock-on effect for the development of local businesses, communities and the Greek economy. About 4,300 direct jobs have been created, and almost 45 percent of the people who work for PPA come from nearby communities. In 2022, the company’s tax and social security contributions surpassed 70 million euros, over 1.56 percent of Greece’s GDP.

Sanozidis, who has worked for PPA for 17 years, believes the secret behind the port’s success lies in learning and sharing between two civilizations. “Chinese people are very methodological, the Greeks are very flexible, somehow, together, the results are great.”

For George Papandreou, who was prime minister of Greece when the Sino-Greek cooperation project at Piraeus Port started in 2009, harmonious cooperation towards common goals is of great importance.

“I believe in our civilizations, both the Chinese civilization and Greek civilization, the ancient Greek civilization, we have concepts which provide us with guidelines to (achieve) more harmonious cooperation in our world,” Papandreou said.

More than trade

Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly called for respect for the diversity of civilizations and highlighted the importance of mutual learning between different civilizations.

“Without achieving the good of 100 various schools, the uniqueness of one individual cannot be achieved,” Xi once said, citing an ancient Chinese saying to make his point.

“No civilization in the world is superior to others; every civilization is special and unique to its own region. Civilizations can achieve harmony, only through communication, and can make progress only through harmonization,” Xi added.

The ancient Silk Road was a route for trade in goods, but a byproduct was the stimulation of diverse civilization exchanges between the East and the West. Passing on the tradition of the Silk Road, one of the goals of the BRI is to promote mutual understanding, respect and admiration among different civilizations.

Over the decade since the BRI was put forward in 2013, diverse cultural exchanges among partner countries have flourished. According to a white paper on Belt and Road cooperation issued by China’s State Council, by the end of June 2023, China had signed cultural and tourism cooperation documents with 144 BRI partners.

China released the Education Action Plan for the Belt and Road Initiative in 2016 to promote international education exchanges and cooperation. By the end of June 2023, China had signed agreements with 45 participating countries on the mutual recognition of higher education degrees.

China has also set up the Silk Road Scholarship for 10,000 students from Belt and Road partner countries to study in China each year.

At last year’s third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China announced a series of new measures to further promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges, including hosting a special forum to enhance civilization dialogue with BRI partner countries, launching the International Tourism Alliance of Silk Road Cities, and continuing with the Chinese government scholarship Silk Road Program.

When visiting Greece in 2019, President Xi was given a special tour of Piraeus Port. “Seeing is believing,” Xi said when witnessing the new lease of life at the port. “The BRI is not a slogan or tale, but a successful practice and brilliant reality.”

President Xi Jinping said on Monday that Chinese people will score more remarkable achievements and make greater contributions to the noble cause of peace and development of humanity.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a reception at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

China’s National Day falls on October 1.

(Cover via CMG)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-30/DPP-s-militarization-will-only-lead-to-more-danger-Chinese-mainland-1xk2YyUDGKI/img/6340b2d9b15c49969f5764c664b855c0/6340b2d9b15c49969f5764c664b855c0.png' alt='Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, speaks at a press conference in Beijing, China, September 11, 2024. /CFP'

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities’ “militarization” will not bring security to the Taiwan region, but will only lead to growing dangers of conflict, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Monday.

Beijing firmly opposes any form of military engagement between the U.S. and China’s Taiwan region, said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

The U.S. approved $567 million in military aid for the Taiwan region on Sunday.

In the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, the U.S. made serious commitments regarding the Taiwan question, but the U.S. actions are encouraging reckless “Taiwan independence” moves and undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, Chen said.

He urged the U.S. to sincerely adhere to the one-China principle and the three joint communiques, stop arming Taiwan, and cease sending any wrong signals to the “Taiwan independence” forces.

No matter how many weapons the DPP authorities obtain from the U.S., they cannot shake Beijing’s firm resolve to achieve national reunification, Chen added.

Nurshati, a taxi driver, plans to turn his house into a bed and breakfast (B&B) to capitalize on the tourism boom on Liuxing Street in Yining City.

In 2019, the local government renovated the street, originally built in the 1930s and located in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, aiming to boost tourism while protecting and promoting the area’s original features.

“Look, there are so many cars parked on the roadside. This road used to be a quagmire; it was impossible to walk on it without boots,” Nurshati said.

Today, the street is a cultural attraction. With summer being the peak tourism season, Nurshati is confident his family-run B&B will be profitable.

“I have three children, a house, and a car. Everything is fine,” said the Uygur taxi driver. “If you look for them, there are many opportunities.”

Like Nurshati, the other 1,000 residents of the street also enjoy more business opportunities and better lives thanks to the street’s upgrading.

“The Chinese people’s aspiration for a better life is the goal to strive for,” said Xi Jinping when he first addressed journalists after being elected general secretary of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in November 2012.

Enriching the people

By the end of 2020, China had lifted all 98.99 million rural residents living below the current poverty line out of poverty, declaring the elimination of absolute poverty in the country in February 2021.

“The key to running a country is to first enrich the people.”

This ancient Chinese saying was quoted by President Xi in a speech at the National Poverty Alleviation Summary and Commendation Conference in February 2021.

Xi stated that the CPC has always stood on the side of the people and consistently emphasized that eradicating poverty, improving people’s lives, and achieving common prosperity are essential requirements of socialism.

When the People’s Republic of China was founded in October 1949, the country was among the poorest in the world. Per capita GDP was just 119 yuan ($53) in 1952. However, boosted by the reform and opening-up policies implemented from 1978, which helped attract foreign investment, unleash market vitality and better allocate resources, living standards have transformed.

In 2019, per capita GDP reached 70,078 yuan, or $10,158 at the annual average exchange rate, exceeding $10,000 for the first time. It hit 89,358 yuan ($12,622) in 2023, representing an 89-fold increase since 1952, with an average annual growth rate of 6.5 percent, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

China has eradicated extreme poverty and built a moderately prosperous society in all respects over the past 75 years. The country has also ensured access to better education, more stable jobs, reliable social security, and improved medical and health care.

The country now has the largest basic education system in the world, with 487,900 primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, according to Huai Jinpeng, the minister of education, in March.

China has consistently implemented pro-employment measures. Since 2012, the number of new urban jobs created each year has remained above 11 million, reaching 12.44 million in 2023, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

To ensure better access to medical care, the country has built the world’s largest basic healthcare insurance network, covering over 95 percent of its citizens by the end of 2023, according to a report published by the National Healthcare Security Administration in July.

As China continues on the journey toward realizing modernization, reforms are set to continue. According to a resolution adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in July, China aims to improve the income distribution system, enhance the employment-first policy and social security system, further reform the medical and healthcare systems, and improve the systems for facilitating population development and providing related services.

The Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) organized sea-air patrol exercises near Huangyan Island in the South China Sea on Saturday.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-28/Wang-Yi-urges-two-state-solution-in-solving-Palestine-Israel-issue-1xgQE6Hy7WU/img/a88151cc474940ac81b4471fa878d8f9/a88151cc474940ac81b4471fa878d8f9.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, addresses a UN Security Council high-level meeting on the Middle East, in New York, U.S., September 27, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday called for implementing the two-state solution in solving the Palestine-Israel conflict.

Wang, also member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while addressing a UN Security Council high-level meeting on the Middle East, in New York.

Wang urged greater efforts to promote a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive troop withdrawal in the Gaza Strip. “The parties to the conflict must fully implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and avoid taking any more risky actions that escalate the tensions,” he said.

He encouraged all Palestinian factions to implement the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity, voicing support for the Palestinian Authority in enhancing its governance capabilities to achieve effective jurisdiction over all Palestinian territories.

The UN Security Council should support Palestine in becoming a full member of the United Nations and make new efforts to implement the two-state solution, he said, adding that China supports to convene a larger, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference and formulate a timetable and roadmap for the implementation of the two-state solution.

It is necessary to increase humanitarian assistance, ensure effective access to humanitarian supplies, and support the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in continuing to play an important role, he said.

Wang said China never interferes in the internal affairs of countries in the Middle East, and never exploits hotspot issues to seek geopolitical interests.

China is ready to work with all peace-loving countries, including Arab and Islamic countries, to make unremitting efforts in curbing the spillover of the conflict, implementing the two-state solution, and promoting peace in the Middle East.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-27/Why-has-China-s-nature-reserve-network-proved-invaluable–1xezv2eED4c/img/b1e5e4b3286d49afbdaf169fe3c62797/b1e5e4b3286d49afbdaf169fe3c62797.jpeg' alt=''

Summer is the busiest season at Qinghai Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China.

Birds feed and nurture their young, herders drive yaks to the alpine pastures. Meanwhile, an army of naked carp, a species unique to the lake, gather to start their annual migration.

The fish swim in the lake, which lies in northwest China’s Qinghai Province, at an average depth of 18 meters. But the high saline and alkaline content of the lake water inhibits their gonad development, so every year from May to August the mature naked carp head to the fresh waters of the Buha River and Shaliu River, that flow into the lake, to spawn. This forms one of the great wonders of Qinghai Lake – the migration of the naked carp.

The ‘lost and found’ naked carp

The naked carp has a special place in the hearts of people in Qinghai, because it once helped save countless lives. In the 1950s and 1960s, food shortages led locals to rely on the fish for survival. The large-scale development of Qinghai Lake’s naked carp population began.

But in just a few decades, the “gift of the divine lake,”as the fish was known, was in danger of extinction due to overfishing and habitat loss. By the early 21st century, the number of naked carp in Qinghai Lake had fallen to less than 1 percent of the historical peak.

The local government implemented fishing bans and cracked down hard on illegal fishing and trading. Combined with artificial breeding and the improvement of the ecology of the lake, the carp population bounced back despite a low fertility rate.

Over time, the efforts have paid off. As of 2023, the total tonnage of naked carp in the lake had reached about 120,300 – about 44 times that of 2002. The fish’s protection status has since been downgraded from “endangered” to “vulnerable.”

The protection of the naked carp is just one example of the success of China’s conservation efforts. From giant pandas and crested ibises to golden snub-nosed monkeys, the populations of rare species have gradually grown as the country’s system of nature reserves has developed.

China is home to some of the richest biodiversity on Earth and is the only country with nearly all ecosystem types. Its natural protected areas have boosted biodiversity conservation and play a primary role in safeguarding national ecological security.

Nature reserves of various types have been established in the People’s Republic of China since its founding in 1949. Protection of endangered species has been continuously strengthened, international cooperation has grown, and the network of natural protected areas is bearing fruit.

Ecological civilization was incorporated into China’s integrated development plan in 2012, when Xi Jinping became China’s top leader. Since then, greater changes have been seen across the country as Xi emphasized the importance of seeking harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

“The Book of Changes (l Ching) says, ‘We should learn about the changes of the season by studying natural phenomena and foster social development by studying human phenomena. Wealth arises from following the way of heaven and earth and assisting the natural order’,”  Xi said at the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection on May 18, 2018.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources, by June 2024, the country had restored over 100 million mu (about 6.7 million hectares) of ecosystems that include mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts.

China’s protected areas cover 18 percent of its land area and 4.1 percent of its maritime area, corresponding to 90 percent of its terrestrial ecosystem types, 85 percent of wild animal populations, 65 percent of higher plant communities and nearly 30 percent of important geological relics.

The country’s nature reserves are a solid foundation for ecological environmental protection, and the “China Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2023-2030)” has clarified priority areas and actions for biodiversity conservation.

China has also shouldered its international responsibilities, participated in global environmental governance and biodiversity conservation cooperation, and been the driving force for the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, emphasizing the interdependence and common challenges faced by all countries.

(Cover via CFP, edited by CGTN’s Li Yahui.)

Yemen’s Houthis said on Friday they targeted three U.S. destroyers in the Red Sea with 23 ballistic and winged missiles and a drone. The American vessels were on their way to support Israel, the Houthis said.

At least seven Palestinians were killed and dozens of others wounded on Thursday in an Israeli attack on a school housing displaced persons in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian security and medical sources said.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-26/Ancient-Silk-Road-hub-Xinjiang-sees-31-foreign-trade-growth-1xdnRmSMSTS/img/ec088075a2fb40e48900aada216d82ab/ec088075a2fb40e48900aada216d82ab.png' alt='A view of the China-Europe Railway Express Hub in the Urumqi International Land Port Area in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 7, 2024. /CFP'

Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region saw a yearly rise of 30.9 percent in foreign trade in the first eight months of this year, the local customs authorities said Thursday.

The region’s total import and export volume from January to August reached 285.32 billion yuan (about $40.55 billion), according to Urumqi Customs.

Li Qinghua, deputy head of Urumqi Customs, said the remarkable foreign trade growth in Xinjiang could be partly attributed to the establishment of comprehensive bonded zones, which enhance logistics efficiency, as well as the successful expansion of international markets.

Xinjiang’s trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) rose by 28 percent year on year, accounting for 92.5 percent of the region’s total foreign trade value in the first eight months.

Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were the region’s major trading partners over this period.

Private enterprises in Xinjiang showed a strong performance in foreign trade during the same period, with their trade value soaring 29.6 percent year on year, accounting for 92.5 percent of the region’s total.

The region has exported more high value-added products, including electric passenger vehicles and lithium-ion batteries.

Xinjiang is located at the heart of the Eurasian continent and serves as an important transportation hub in the core region of the Silk Road Economic Belt, an essential component of the BRI, which was proposed by China in 2013.

China and the United Kingdom held defense strategic consultations in China on Wednesday, according to the Chinese Defense Ministry.

The two sides discussed the development of bilateral defense relations and exchanged in-depth views on international and regional security issues of common concern, the ministry said. 

At least 90,530 newly displaced people have been reported in Lebanon, including nearly 40,000 in 283 shelters, the International Organization for Migration said on Wednesday.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-24/Human-rights-seminar-held-elaborating-on-CPC-plenum-guiding-principles-1x9RFs8Zu3S/img/ac7a654b0644456f8fb853637251c0b4/ac7a654b0644456f8fb853637251c0b4.png' alt='People with disabilities respond to customer requests at a supported employment center for the disabled in Zhangye City, northwest China's Gansu Province, May 13, 2024. /CFP'

The China Society for Human Rights Studies held a seminar in Beijing on Tuesday on the guiding principles of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and its implications for the comprehensive development of protection and promotion of human rights.

Participants emphasized that the plenary session, held at a crucial time in advancing China’s modernization and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, laid out a comprehensive blueprint for further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization. The resolution put forward more than 300 reform measures spanning sectors such as the economy, culture and ecology, as it serves as both a roadmap for national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization and a declaration for advancing human rights.

The seminar attendees noted that the plenary session focuses on enhancing the protection of economic, social and cultural rights, ensuring that all citizens equally enjoy these rights through a series of reform initiatives. They highlighted China’s efforts to develop “whole-process people’s democracy,” which presents a Chinese approach to safeguarding civil and political rights and enriches global human rights discourse.

Additionally, the session is committed to safeguarding the rights of women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities, ensuring their rights are better protected through targeted reforms, seminar attendees agreed.

Participants also underscored the significance of promoting environmental rights, encapsulated by China’s core concept in the country’s pursuit of ecological progress that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.”

Moreover, the seminar addressed the strengthening of legal guarantees for human rights, emphasizing the role of sound governance and effective laws in upholding these rights. Participants further pointed out China’s contributions to global human rights governance, providing Chinese wisdom and solutions for the reform and improvement of global governance systems, including those related to human rights.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-24/China-to-work-with-ASEAN-to-build-closer-community-with-shared-future-1xabDk9Np4s/img/8e9afc6394094071a550714acaf6f7d4/8e9afc6394094071a550714acaf6f7d4.png' alt='Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, addresses the opening ceremony of the 21st China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, September 24, 2024. /Xinhua'

China is willing to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to deepen practical cooperation and write a new chapter in building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said on Tuesday.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of the 21st China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

China and ASEAN enjoy a long history of friendly relations and are good neighbors, good friends and good partners, Ding said, adding that China and ASEAN have always been moving forward hand in hand, which has become the most successful and dynamic model of Asia-Pacific regional cooperation and a vivid example of promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

China is advancing its efforts to build a great modern socialist country in all respects and pursue national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization, which will bring great opportunities to the world, Ding said.

He said China will continue to follow the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, deepen practical cooperation with ASEAN countries and write a new chapter in building a closer China-ASEAN community of shared future.

Ding called on China and ASEAN countries to elevate strategic mutual trust to new heights. He said efforts should be made to implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, further synergize their development strategies, and strengthen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to better promote regional and global prosperity and stability.

He also called on China and ASEAN countries to advance open cooperation to a new level. Both sides should implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) with high quality, work for an early conclusion of the negotiations for version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA), steadily expand institutional opening up, and build a more stable and smooth cross-border industrial and supply chain, he added.

China and ASEAN countries need to foster a new pattern of all-round connectivity, Ding said, urging the two sides to jointly build the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor at a high level and make solid progress in developing important economic corridors and key projects.

China and ASEAN countries should expand new areas of cooperation in science, technology and innovation, Ding said, adding that the two sides should jointly implement China-ASEAN science and technology innovation enhancement program, accelerate the construction of platforms such as joint laboratories, and ensure that more innovative achievements benefit the people of both sides.

Ding also urged China and ASEAN countries to cultivate new highlights in mutual understanding and affinity among the people. Taking the China-ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchanges as an opportunity, Ding said the two sides should further deepen exchanges and cooperation in culture, tourism, training, and youth and solidify the foundation of public opinion regarding bilateral relations.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivered a video address. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers of Cambodia Vongsey Vissoth, Deputy Prime Minister of Laos Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Vietnam Ho Duc Phoc, as well as Secretary-General of ASEAN Kao Kim Hourn, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches successively.

After the opening ceremony, Ding toured the exhibition hall and exchanged views with the heads of the exhibitors.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-23/China-sees-rising-urbanization-rate-over-past-75-years-1x8kOreQLWo/img/1c08139a02ce46c3998ea12cdc02c2fc/1c08139a02ce46c3998ea12cdc02c2fc.png' alt='A scene at the Guangming District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, August 3, 2024. /CFP'

China’s urbanization rate, which measures the ratio of permanent urban residents relative to the total population, rose by 55.52 percentage points from the end of 1949 to 66.16 percent by the end of 2023, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Monday.

Over the past 75 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the country has undergone the largest and fastest urbanization process in world history, the NBS said in a report.

There were just 129 cities in China at the end of 1949, with a combined population of 39.49 million. The number of cities reached 694 at the end of 2023, while prefecture-level and larger cities were home to 673.13 million people. Among them, there were 29 cities each with a population exceeding 5 million and 11 cities each with a population of over 10 million.

Remarkably, China’s less-developed western region is rising, representing a more balanced urbanization process. Among the 11 prefecture-level cities that have been added since 2011, nine of them are located in the western region.

As urbanization advances, China has lifted almost all limits on household registration in cities each with less than 3 million permanent residents, making it more convenient for those from rural areas to permanently settle down in cities.

In this video, CGTN’s Enoch Wong presents key insights from separate conversations with three UN leaders in China: the Head of the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in China, the Senior Research Advisor of United Nations University in Macao SAR, and the UNICEF Representative to China. As world leaders convene at the UN’s landmark Summit of the Future 2024 in New York, these leaders share their perspectives on China’s evolving role in multilateralism and youth engagement. They underscore the significance of China’s initiatives—such as the Belt and Road Initiative and Global Development Initiative—in shaping global efforts on sustainable development and empowering young people to lead in a rapidly changing world.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-22/Iran-Cuba-voice-mutual-support-in-face-of-hostile-U-S-policies-1x6H7GNu3As/img/58521b7dbd0e4320b68ca95e831fbd70/58521b7dbd0e4320b68ca95e831fbd70.png' alt='U.S. national flags around the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., November 7, 2022. /CFP'

Iran and Cuba have reaffirmed mutual support for addressing U.S. “hostile” policies and sanctions, said the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

In a meeting on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, discussed bilateral ties and regional and international issues of common interest, the ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, Araghchi condemned the “unilateral and political” U.S. move of putting Cuba on the list of so-called state sponsors of terrorism, which also includes Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Syria, and described it as being in continuation of Washington’s “hostile” policies.

He said Iran, one of the U.S. sanctions’ victims, completely understands the Cuban people’s situation and would support Cuba in the face of Washington’s embargoes.

The Cuban foreign minister also said his country would back Iran against the U.S.’ “hostile” policies.

Iran and Cuba are under U.S. sanctions and have been promoting cooperation to counter the embargoes for years.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-22/Israeli-forces-order-closure-of-Al-Jazeera-office-in-West-Bank-1x6HDm83AAg/img/4244293f301c470ab499d008584bc7f8/4244293f301c470ab499d008584bc7f8.jpeg' alt='This image taken from a video provided by Al Jazeera English shows Israeli troops raiding their bureau in Ramallah, West Bank, September 22, 2024. /CFP'

Israeli soldiers stormed the offices of Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera in the Israeli-occupied West Bank early Sunday, ordering the bureau to shut down, Israel’s Army Radio reported.

“Israeli forces carrying guns have entered Al Jazeera’s offices in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, ordering staff to vacate and imposing a 45-day closure,” Al Jazeera said in a statement posted on social media X.

Al Jazeera aired footage on its Arabic-language channel showing armed troops, some masked, entering the offices and delivering the decree.

Army Radio quoted anonymous military officials as saying the move was made “in accordance with the guidance of the political echelon and legal advice after it was determined that the channel’s broadcasts harm the security of the State of Israel.”

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the operation.

In May, Israeli police raided Al Jazeera’s offices in East Jerusalem, confiscating equipment, preventing its broadcasts in Israel and blocking its websites.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it fired rockets at two military positions in northern Israel on Saturday, as the Israeli military said it was carrying out new strikes against Hezbollah targets. 

In separate statements, the Iran-backed group said it fired “a salvo of Katyusha rockets” each at two Israeli barracks “in response” to Israeli attacks “on steadfast southern villages and civilian houses.”

AFP correspondents reported heavy Israeli strikes in several areas of south Lebanon.

The Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the current round of Israeli-Hamas conflict began on October 7 has risen to 41,391, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement Saturday. There is growing fear across the Middle East that the conflict could spill over and escalate into a full-scale regional war. Meanwhile, the Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalated this week, also stoking fears of regional war.

This weekly roundup of photographs captures news highlights from the Israel-Palestine conflict and the latest situation from the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-21/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1x4SFoQHXos/img/65b36f1ffe154bf881d344a7fad50e97/65b36f1ffe154bf881d344a7fad50e97.jpeg' alt='Palestinians perform Friday prayers in the unoverthrown part of the Muhammad Nasruddin al-Albani Mosque, which was heavily damaged by Israeli attacks and most of it was destroyed, in Khan Yunis in Gaza Strip, September 20, 2024. /CFP
'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-21/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1x4SFoQHXos/img/fb4419bd4a714e3386748080fbf3eed0/fb4419bd4a714e3386748080fbf3eed0.jpeg' alt='Relatives of the Palestinians who died as a result of Israeli attacks mourn as the dead bodies are brought to the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis in Gaza Strip, September 21, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-21/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1x4SFoQHXos/img/cd20bf9994874e9385c360d51401fca2/cd20bf9994874e9385c360d51401fca2.jpeg' alt='Members of Israel's Druze community attend the funeral of reservist Major Nael Fwarsy, 43, killed a day earlier near the northern border with Lebanon, in the northern village of Maghar, September 20, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-21/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1x4SFoQHXos/img/1ac69df0c360453d9451cf5839dba431/1ac69df0c360453d9451cf5839dba431.jpeg' alt='Civil defense workers are seen at the site of the Israeli air raid attack in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, September 21, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-21/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1x4SFoQHXos/img/b0328c15d7d74f2e9a2fe8f8677ffbfb/b0328c15d7d74f2e9a2fe8f8677ffbfb.jpeg' alt='Five trucks carrying medicines and medical supplies sent by the Palestinian Ministry of Health arrive in Gaza City, Gaza, September 20, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-21/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1x4SFoQHXos/img/4826063b1e5c4b4b8cf5f79e6078fec2/4826063b1e5c4b4b8cf5f79e6078fec2.jpeg' alt='A view of the destruction after Israeli army's attacks on the Qizan an Najjar region of Khan Younis in Gaza Strip, September 19, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-21/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1x4SFoQHXos/img/a8fe4a902dfb44dc9a57c5ccc5eecdb9/a8fe4a902dfb44dc9a57c5ccc5eecdb9.jpeg' alt='Palestinians, including children, living in the al-Mawasi area wait with empty pots to receive food distributed by charitable organizations as they are unable to obtain many vital needs, including basic food supplies, in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, September 18, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-21/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1x4SFoQHXos/img/013e232541c54cac8d550ba96afe1748/013e232541c54cac8d550ba96afe1748.jpeg' alt='Relatives of the Palestinians who died as a result of Israeli attack on a house belonging to the Al Tartory family in Nuseirat Refugee Camp mourn as the dead bodies brought to the al-Awda Hospital for burial in Jabalia, Gaza, September 17, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-21/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1x4SFoQHXos/img/b5fb99c3eb4b417ebe1a826eeba185e3/b5fb99c3eb4b417ebe1a826eeba185e3.jpeg' alt='Civil defense teams try to extinguish the fire that broke out after Israeli attacks on a residential building in Nuseirat Refugee Camp in Gaza City, Gaza, September 16, 2024. /CFP'

A thick cloud of smoke could be seen rising over the southern suburbs of Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday after residents said they heard loud blasts, according to multiple media outlets.

The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out a “targeted strike” in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday, adding that “at this moment, there are no changes in the Home Front Command defensive guidelines.”

A Lebanese security source told AFP an Israeli air strike hit Hezbollah’s south Beirut stronghold on Friday, while the Israeli military said it conducted a “targeted strike.”

Huge explosions were heard in the southern area of Beirut, according to media reports. 

(With input from AFP)

CGTN’s Gateway of Time invites you to experience the People’s Republic of China’s 75-year transformation through an immersive visit to Chinese people’s homes. In the first scene, you step into the life of a farmer’s family in the early years of the PRC.

This era, from the 1950s to the 1970s, was marked by the dominance of the primary industry in employment and its contribution to GDP. Our protagonist, Jianguo, like most people at that time, worked the land and lived in a rural area, reflecting the low level of urbanization in the period.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-19/Gateway-of-Time-Rural-China-by-numbers-during-the-1950s-1x1BJBysZQk/img/7460f66c8483473e93c32114795ab954/7460f66c8483473e93c32114795ab954.png' alt=''

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-19/Chinese-premier-stresses-advancing-reform-on-raising-retirement-age-1x1Oaz9jyQ8/img/fc0de3d08a0c4399814a27310c947e86/fc0de3d08a0c4399814a27310c947e86.png' alt='A retired teacher volunteers to help children with reading in Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2024. /CFP '

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday called for the steady and orderly implementation of the reform regarding gradually raising the statutory retirement age to provide critical support for advancing Chinese modernization.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during a State Council meeting on mobilizing efforts for the reform.

Li said the reform aligns with the objective requirement to proactively address an aging population and promote high-quality population development, as well as the practical necessity for fully unleashing talent dividends and facilitating Chinese modernization.

He noted that the reform is a significant move to improve the social security system and better safeguard and improve people’s livelihoods.

The Chinese premier emphasized adhering to the principle of voluntary participation and flexibility in implementing the delayed retirement policy and ensuring that it truly reflects employees’ intentions.

He called for the prompt formulation and improvement of supporting policies and measures, noting that policies that need to directly align with the reform plan should be introduced and implemented as early as possible.

Li said that expanding employment should be a crucial measure supporting the reform’s advancement. He stressed implementing and refining employment policies for college graduates and other young people while ensuring the protection of workers’ rights and interests.

He also called for concrete efforts to strengthen old-age security and services, effective implementation of policies to raise basic pensions for urban and rural residents and retirees, and enhancing the coordination and adjustment of pension insurance at the national level.

Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, and State Councilor Wu Zhenglong attended the meeting. State Councilor Shen Yiqin presided over the meeting.

According to a decision adopted by Chinese lawmakers last week, the statutory retirement age will be gradually raised from 60 to 63 for men over the course of 15 years from 2025, from 55 to 58 for women working as cadres, and from 50 to 55 for women who are blue-collar workers.

China’s current statutory retirement age was set in the 1950s and has remained unchanged for more than seven decades.

(With input from Xinhua)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-18/Wang-Yi-meets-with-head-of-ROK-China-Parliamentarians-Union-1x09IFSE5ig/img/b1cd1b2e00c4453e98ba092ef8c39674/b1cd1b2e00c4453e98ba092ef8c39674.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Kim Tae-nyeon, president of the ROK-China Parliamentarians' Union, in Beijing, September 18, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday met with Kim Tae-nyeon, president of the ROK-China Parliamentarians’ Union, in Beijing.

Wang praised the association for its contribution to promoting friendly relations between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK), emphasizing that the two countries, as close neighbors, should maintain regular exchanges.

Both countries have achieved mutual success and development, contributing significantly to regional peace and prosperity, which should be highly valued, he said.

Regardless of changes in international and regional circumstances or any difficulties and challenges faced by both countries, they should keep pace with the times, remain good neighbors with mutual trust and be good partners with win-win cooperation, injecting new vitality into China-ROK relations, added Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

He said China is willing to expand all-round mutually beneficial cooperation with ROK, jointly defend the principles of free trade and safeguard the stability and smoothness of supply chains.

Kim and other lawmakers from various political parties who joined him in his trip to Beijing said the ROK-China Parliamentarians’ Union attracted wide participation from lawmakers across party lines, fully reflecting the value and enthusiasm that all parties place on the ROK-China relationship.

The association is willing to work hand in hand with China to strengthen strategic communication, enhance exchanges, explore cooperation potential, continuously improve mutual understanding between two peoples and promote friendly relations between ROK and China, they said.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-18/China-says-committed-to-dialogue-to-resolve-EV-tariff-dispute-with-EU-1x0aIbFY9Hy/img/74f3e7c45dfd43a9b4a01696f10fc0d5/74f3e7c45dfd43a9b4a01696f10fc0d5.png' alt='A file photo of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian at a regular press briefing in Beijing, China. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

China remains committed to resolving the dispute with the European Union over Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) in the European market through dialogue, said a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told media at a regular press briefing that China has proposed flexible solutions to the dispute. However, the EU keeps rejecting China’s proposals and fails to offer any specific counterproposal despite claiming to be willing to address differences through dialogue.

He said the anti-subsidy investigation against Chinese EVs initiated by the European Commission is a typical act of protectionism and political maneuvering.

The EU probe disregards objective facts, ignores World Trade Organization rules,  goes against historical trends and undermines the EU’s green transition and global efforts to combat climate change, Lin said.

The EU began imposing provisional additional tariffs ranging from 17.4 percent to 37.6 percent on imports of Chinese EVs as of July 5, 2024, with a four-month period during which a final decision on definitive duties will be made.

The Chinese spokesperson on Wednesday expressed hope that the EU can show sincerity and take action to consider the reasonable concerns and suggestions from the Chinese EV industry.

If the European Commission insists on its unilateral approach, China will take necessary measures to firmly defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses and industries, said Lin.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the U.S. from September 21 to 23, the Indian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

During the visit, Modi will attend a meeting of the Quad group comprising India, the United States, Japan and Australia, according to a statement from the ministry.

Florida will investigate the attempted assassination of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Tuesday.

“The state of Florida has jurisdiction over the most serious, straightforward offense, which is attempted murder,” DeSantis said at a news conference.

Trump was safe and unharmed after shots were fired at Trump International Golf Club in South Florida on Sunday. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) later said it “is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination” on the former president, just two months after an attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania rally.

The suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested on Sunday and has been charged with possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. 

(With input from agencies)

China respects Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on the Kosovo issue and believes the security and lawful rights and interests of ethnic Serbs in the Kosovo region should be upheld, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

It is reported that the police of the temporary institutions in Pristina forcibly raided and controlled institutions of ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo and that the Kosovo police arrested four Serbs and confiscated Serbian currency in the National Bank of Serbia located in northern Kosovo, causing tension in the region.

When asked for comment, the spokesperson said unilateral moves do not help address the issue and will only disrupt regional security and stability.

“Relevant parties need to continue practical and constructive dialogue and actively look for a lasting solution to the Kosovo issue,” said the spokesperson.

A Hezbollah member was killed and two others wounded on Monday in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese military sources.

The military sources, who spoke anonymously, told Xinhua that an Israeli warplane targeted a two-story house in the village of Houla with four air-to-ground missiles.

The airstrike destroyed the building and five neighboring houses, killing Hezbollah member Mohammad Ibrahim Yassin and wounding two others.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-15/Xi-Jinping-s-speech-at-key-CPC-plenum-to-be-published-1wUSLnjT9v2/img/378bc170b24d4b4eae3552fc396ef830/378bc170b24d4b4eae3552fc396ef830.png' alt='Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, delivers an important address at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in Beijing, capital of China. The plenary session was held from July 15 to 18, 2024. /Xinhua'

A speech delivered by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, during the second plenary meeting of the third plenum of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC will be published on Monday.

This speech by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published in this year’s 18th issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-15/Scholars-warn-Taiwan-not-to-become-pawn-of-U-S-hegemony-1wVbUKqQLIs/img/c204a2acc393451f855c8a0c48f34e8e/c204a2acc393451f855c8a0c48f34e8e.png' alt='A view of the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan region. /CFP'

Political scientists and journalists in Taiwan have warned the island not to align with Washington’s confrontation mindset and to avoid becoming a tool of U.S. hegemony.

In its quest for global control and to maintain its hegemony, the United States engages in wars and amasses massive debt while ignoring domestic issues, which has resulted in severe internal strife, a growing wealth gap, and increasing political polarization, said Kuan Chung, founder of the Taiwan-based Democracy Foundation, at a seminar held in Taipei Saturday.

“The U.S. disrespects other nations, fails to recognize global changes, and misunderstands its own role,” Kuan said.

At the same seminar, Chen Chi-an, an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Taiwan University, said that U.S. hegemonism is based on unrealistic goals and has exaggerated the threats it faces. As a result, it spends excessive resources pursuing these goals, only to achieve little while undermining its own national interests.

“Freedom and democracy have long since become mere slogans in U.S. foreign policy, as its hegemonic actions only serve the power-seeking calculations of political elites,” he said.

Chang Chun-kai, senior editor of the Taiwan-based The Storm Media, pointed out that the Taiwan authorities have unfortunately followed the United States in adopting the fallacious zero-sum game theory, resulting in the so-called “resisting China to protect Taiwan” narrative.

If this continues, Taiwan will only risk losing the opportunity to bridge differences, resolve conflicts, and seek new development, Chang said.

Ting Shou-chung, chairman of the Taiwan-based Bridge Across the Strait Foundation, echoed these concerns, noting that proxy wars are a common tool of U.S. hegemonism and Taiwan must be extremely cautious to avoid becoming the flash point for such a conflict.

“Both sides of the Taiwan Straits are part of the same nation. We do not harbor deep hatred towards each other; we must sit down and have serious discussions,” Kuan said. “Peaceful reunification may be a long process, but as long as peace sustains across the Straits, Taiwan will have security and stability, and both sides will benefit.”

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-14/Chinese-commerce-ministry-opposes-U-S-tariff-hikes-on-Chinese-goods-1wTwF1OAlY4/img/1ca8560bc7d14de4be5a570257f7f4e3/1ca8560bc7d14de4be5a570257f7f4e3.png' alt='The Ministry of Commerce in Beijing, China. /CFP'

China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes U.S. abuse of Section 301 to hike tariffs on some Chinese goods, the Ministry of Commerce said Saturday.

China has made serious representations to the United States multiple times regarding the issue, the ministry said, adding that the U.S. moves are typical practices of unilateralism and protectionism.

The ministry said the moves have not only undermined the international trade order and the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains, but also failed to solve its own trade deficit and industrial competitiveness problems, resulting in pushing up the price of U.S. imported goods.

The latest report on the WTO compliance of the United States released by China’s Ministry of Commerce has also continued to express its concerns over U.S. abuse of Section 301, it said.

The ministry urged the U.S. side to immediately correct its wrongdoing, adding that China will take resolute measures to safeguard the interests of Chinese enterprises.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) again launched “suspected trash balloons” toward the Republic of Korea (ROK), Yonhap News Agency reported on Saturday.

China is deeply disappointed at the European Union’s rejection of price offers from China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) and Chinese electric vehicle (EV) producers, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said on Friday.

The European Commission, which is conducting an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese-built EVs, said on Thursday it had received offers from electric vehicle makers in China for minimum import prices into the EU as a way of avoiding tariffs, but had rejected all of them.

A spokesperson for China’s Commerce Ministry on Friday said the commission made the decision in the absence of in-depth communication and disregarded Chinese EV industry’s sincerity and efforts.

Working teams from China and the EU have intensively carried out more than 10 rounds of consultations since June 22 when the two sides agreed to launch consultations on anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese EVs, the spokesperson said, adding China has showed its utmost sincerity and put great efforts to resolve friction through dialogue and consultation, taking into consideration the EU’s demand. 

“The European Commission’s rejection of the relevant proposal without detailed assessment not only undermines the confidence of the Chinese industry to continue cooperation, but also does not meet the expectations of EU member states, let alone its public statement that it hopes to resolve the case through dialogue,” the spokesperson said.  “China will follow the development on the EU side closely and take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.”

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-13/Chinese-defense-minister-urges-countries-to-pool-strength-for-peace–1wRT29HdDlC/img/1a22b0d63c37425cb0e0bb85820042e7/1a22b0d63c37425cb0e0bb85820042e7.png' alt='The 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum opens at the Beijing International Convention Center in Beijing, China, September 13, 2024. /Xinhua'

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on Friday called on countries to pool their efforts to promote peace and stability as the world is in a time of change.

In his keynote speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Dong called on members of the international society to show mutual respect, treat each other with sincerity and seek common grounds while reserving differences.

In the meantime, they should be open and inclusive, engage in win-win cooperation that benefits all parties, and work together to achieve lasting peaceful coexistence, Dong said.

He also called for joint efforts to promote a multipolar world featuring equality and order.

Chinese armed forces will resolutely implement the Global Security Initiative and stand ready to build a new model of security partnerships with militaries around the world, Dong added.

Themed “Promoting Peace for a Shared Future,” this year’s forum is attended by more than 1,800 guests from over 100 countries and international organizations.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-12/Xi-calls-for-promoting-high-quality-development-of-Yellow-River-basin-1wQ8saR5xn2/img/8aa5ba1089ea4b50b882b466a2161f32/8aa5ba1089ea4b50b882b466a2161f32.png' alt='Scenery of Yellow River in Maqu, Gansu Province, China, June 12, 2023. /CFP'

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for breaking new ground in the ecological conservation and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin.

President Xi made the remarks when he convened a meeting in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China’s Gansu Province.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-12/Senior-Chinese-military-figure-meets-Singaporean-Cambodian-officials-1wQeBxpiiAw/img/462942b230e1416984711f992bb59199/462942b230e1416984711f992bb59199.png' alt='The 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum underway in Beijing, China, September 12, 2024. /CFP'

Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Thursday met respectively with Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Seiha in Beijing.

Both Ng and Seiha are in Beijing for the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which is being held from September 12 to 14.

During his meeting with Ng, Zhang expressed the hope that the militaries of China and Singapore will maintain frequent high-level exchanges and deepen and expand pragmatic cooperation in various areas.

Ng said Singapore adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to play a constructive role in the peace and stability in the South China Sea.

When meeting with Seiha, Zhang said the Chinese military is ready to enhance strategic communication and pragmatic cooperation with the Cambodian military to advance their relations.

Seiha said Cambodia is willing to work with other parties to safeguard the peace and stability in the South China Sea.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-11/news-1wOAyWTD9Ti/img/7f9ccdf6091b49afa783b32ea62574d4/7f9ccdf6091b49afa783b32ea62574d4.png' alt='A child receives vaccination for polio in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, September 5, 2024. /CFP'

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees said on Wednesday that nearly 530,000 children have now received the polio vaccine across the Gaza strip.

The UNRWA said its vaccination campaign was ongoing in north Gaza and it continues to work around the clock to reach all children under 10.

Palestinian health authorities and United Nations agencies began a vaccination drive against polio in the Gaza Strip on September 1, and the campaign will continue until September 12 in a three-stage phase across central, southern and northern parts of Gaza.

(With input from Reuters)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-11/Xi-Jinping-congratulates-Tebboune-on-reelection-as-Algerian-president-1wOkBj45sVa/img/0c634156bb264a92b71bb9699374440c/0c634156bb264a92b71bb9699374440c.jpeg' alt='Abdelmadjid Tebboune delivers a speech as he launches his campaign for Algeria's presidential election in Constantine, Algeria, August 18, 2024. /CFP'

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday sent a message to Abdelmadjid Tebboune, congratulating him on his reelection as president of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.

Noting that China and Algeria enjoy traditional friendly relations, Xi said in recent years, under joint guidance of the two presidents, the relationship between the two countries has developed rapidly, cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results, the two countries have closely coordinated and cooperated in international affairs, and the traditional friendship has continued to deepen.

The Chinese president said he highly regards the development of China-Algeria relations and stands ready to work with Tebboune to take this year’s 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Algeria comprehensive strategic partnership as an opportunity to further enhance political mutual trust, expand and deepen practical cooperation, and jointly open up broader prospects for friendly cooperation between the two countries.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-10/Japan-s-ruling-coalition-party-chief-Yamaguchi-announces-departure-1wMK7utx6us/img/af8505636cf14be8a6d8126fddc4ad9e/af8505636cf14be8a6d8126fddc4ad9e.png' alt='Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of Japan's ruling coalition party Komeito, speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, June 18, 2024. /CFP'

Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of Japan’s ruling coalition party Komeito, said on Tuesday that he would step down and not run in the party’s upcoming leadership election.

Stressing a smooth generational shift within the party, Yamaguchi made the announcement at a press conference during the day, marking the first leadership change for Komeito in 15 years.

The 72-year-old politician will step down upon the expiration of his eighth term on September 28 following his decision not to run for the leadership election scheduled for September 18.

Yamaguchi, who has led Komeito since 2009, has played a significant role in the coalition government with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, notably contributing to the party’s successes in national elections.

With Yamaguchi’s departure, Secretary-General Keiichi Ishii, 66, is expected to run unopposed and likely to be formally approved as the new leader at the party’s convention on September 28.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson appointed Maria Malmer Stenergard as the new foreign minister on Tuesday, replacing Tobias Billstrom, who announced last week that he would step down.

Stenergard, 43, is a member of Kristersson’s ruling conservative Moderate Party and previously served as migration minister.

The 14th World Socialism Forum opened in Beijing on Monday, organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 

Hundreds of participants from around the world have gathered for discussions around the theme “the current changes of the world, of our times and of history.” In addition to the seminars and dialogues at the two-day forum, delegates will also visit east China’s Fujian Province and southwest China’s Guizhou Province for academic and cultural exchanges. 

“It’s an important opportunity for us to listen to comments from people around the world about the importance of China’s contribution to a shared future. It’s a positive contribution to a peaceful world. It’s an alternative to the warmongering West’s continuing escalation of conflicts that most people aren’t interested in,” Andrew Irving, general secretary of the Communist Party of Australia, told CGTN.

“There are so many representatives from so many countries of the world. I’m from Germany, and I want to connect with representatives from all over the planet, especially the global south, the BRICS countries,” said Stephan Ossenkopp, a researcher at the German think tank Schiller Institute.

“I think we need to address the current situation because the West cannot present solutions for the current crisis. I hope to have many discussions, see many new viewpoints. People in Germany, where I live, want to discuss these international issues with representatives of BRICS and global south countries,” Ossenkopp said.

“We are here because we admire the Chinese path to the new era. And we are here to get as much information as we can regarding the development, policies and measures taken by the government, which it seems is very important for the people of China. It’s a global example for us to follow,” said Eleni Evagorou, the organizational secretary of the POGO Women Movement in Cyprus.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Beijing on Monday.

A collection of articles by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on education has been published ahead of the country’s Teachers’ Day, which falls on September 10.

The collection, titled “On Education,” was published by Central Party Literature Press. It contains 47 articles, including some that were made public for the first time.

Xi’s discourses on education are of great significance for guiding education development and the cultivation of a new generation of capable young people with sound moral grounding, intellectual ability, physical vigor, aesthetic sensibility and work skills to advance the socialist cause.

(Cover: A picture taken at Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, September 7, 2024. /CFP)

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrived in Beijing on Sunday, starting his official visit to China. 

As the 2024 Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) draws to a close, two key outcome documents—the “Beijing Declaration on Jointly Building an All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future for the New Era” and the “FOCAC Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027)”—have set the stage for a new phase in China-Africa cooperation. These documents outline ambitious plans for trade, industrialization, sustainable development and more. In an interview with CGTN host Enoch Wong, Dr Stephen Kargbo, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) representative to China, shared his insights on how these goals can be realized.

UNIDO’s vision: Trade and industrialization in Africa-China ties

Having been present at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where he listened to President Xi Jinping’s speech in person, Kargbo reflects on the significance of the address for Africa-China relations. He highlights the importance of trade as a driver of industrialization in Africa, noting that trade between China and Africa has grown significantly, reaching over $280 billion. Kargbo discusses UNIDO’s vision for helping African countries reduce this imbalance by enhancing market access for value-added products, rather than simply exporting raw materials. He stresses the mutual benefits of stronger trade ties, which, in turn, can foster industrial growth across the continent.

Industrial policy: China’s lesson for Africa’s growth

As the conversation shifted to industrial policy, Kargbo drew lessons from China’s rapid transformation since the reform and opening-up in 1978 and UNIDO’s involvement in the policy process that ultimately led to the creation of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. He spoke about the importance of coordinated policy-making, emphasizing that industrial policy should not function in isolation but should work in tandem with other sectors such as energy, education, and infrastructure. Kargbo advocates for African countries to adopt a similar approach, ensuring that policies are both well-coordinated and continuous. He warned against the dangers of frequent policy changes, which can disrupt long-term development, and instead called for steady, incremental progress.

New era of partnerships: China-Africa UNIDO Center of Excellence

A key highlight of the interview was Kargbo’s discussion on the newly launched China-Africa UNIDO Center of Excellence, starting in Ethiopia. This initiative, a collaboration between UNIDO, the Chinese government, and various African partners, aims to promote technology-driven solutions in the agriculture, energy, and industrial sectors. Kargbo underscored that this center is just the beginning, with plans to expand similar centers across the continent to foster inclusive and sustainable development. The initiative is a testament to the deepening partnership between China and Africa, focused on co-creating solutions that benefit all parties involved.

China International Trade Representative and Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen and the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago co-chaired the second vice-ministerial meeting of the China-U.S. commercial and trade working group on Saturday in north China’s Tianjin Municipality. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with President of the Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera, who is in China for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with President of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on Thursday.

He called on China and Africa to deepen cooperation and spearhead modernization of the Global South and stressed that on the path to modernization, no one, and no country, should be left behind.

Here are some key quotes from his speech.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-05/Key-quotes-from-Xi-s-speech-at-opening-ceremony-of-2024-FOCAC-summit-1wEspoo0Wre/img/ecfd6a374b9b4daabe2f736d9aadfa54/ecfd6a374b9b4daabe2f736d9aadfa54.jpeg' alt=''<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-05/Key-quotes-from-Xi-s-speech-at-opening-ceremony-of-2024-FOCAC-summit-1wEspoo0Wre/img/aed7f73636ac4a2d9b3573084df96496/aed7f73636ac4a2d9b3573084df96496.jpeg' alt=''<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-05/Key-quotes-from-Xi-s-speech-at-opening-ceremony-of-2024-FOCAC-summit-1wEspoo0Wre/img/5c18674b0d1345fabbc7d9b7676ee3a1/5c18674b0d1345fabbc7d9b7676ee3a1.jpeg' alt=''<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-05/Key-quotes-from-Xi-s-speech-at-opening-ceremony-of-2024-FOCAC-summit-1wEspoo0Wre/img/e7da1e29de3140b9aa6985d92304af80/e7da1e29de3140b9aa6985d92304af80.jpeg' alt=''<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-05/Key-quotes-from-Xi-s-speech-at-opening-ceremony-of-2024-FOCAC-summit-1wEspoo0Wre/img/1be27ad5cd194cd2a37feaa2ebe83026/1be27ad5cd194cd2a37feaa2ebe83026.jpeg' alt=''<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-05/Key-quotes-from-Xi-s-speech-at-opening-ceremony-of-2024-FOCAC-summit-1wEspoo0Wre/img/1d3f78343d1e463784c8b704a2e9982f/1d3f78343d1e463784c8b704a2e9982f.jpeg' alt=''<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-05/Key-quotes-from-Xi-s-speech-at-opening-ceremony-of-2024-FOCAC-summit-1wEspoo0Wre/img/09c3293d667141e3851271da2a5b3eca/09c3293d667141e3851271da2a5b3eca.jpeg' alt=''

Namibia’s long-standing relationship with China continues to strengthen as the two nations focus on trade, infrastructure, mining and education. The 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), currently underway in Beijing, has seen high-level officials from Namibia express optimism about the future of their bilateral ties.

Elia Kaiyamo, Namibian ambassador to China, said that FOCAC provides a strategic platform for deepening economic cooperation. “What I’m expecting is the relationship will improve. We expect the implementation to be harmonious in terms of a win-win situation,” Kaiyamo said, underscoring the potential for Chinese investment to bolster local industries. Namibia, he added, is focused on building manufacturing sectors that produce goods “Made in Namibia,” reducing dependence on imports and fostering homegrown industries with China’s support.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-05/China-and-Namibia-Building-roads-mining-riches-sharing-knowledge-1wEuyr3hhAY/img/339495777c654f4683f6febfa21e1389/339495777c654f4683f6febfa21e1389.png' alt='Namibian Ambassador to China Elia Kaiyamo speaks to CGTN during an interview, August 25, 2024. /CGTN'

Mining partnerships

One sector where Chinese investment has had a profound impact is mining. Namibia’s Minister of Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo praised China’s role in developing the country’s uranium industry. Speaking at a press conference in June 2024, Alweendo noted that Chinese investment has been crucial in establishing Namibia as one of the world’s largest uranium producers. The mining sector now accounts for 14.4 percent of Namibia’s GDP, a figure largely attributed to the contributions of the China National Uranium Corporation Limited (CNUC).

In 2019, CNUC took over the Rossing uranium mine, one of the world’s largest and longest-operating open-pit uranium mines, from Rio Tinto. “I hope you will continue to operate for another 40 years,” Alweendo said, highlighting the mine’s enduring role in Namibia’s economic growth.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-05/China-and-Namibia-Building-roads-mining-riches-sharing-knowledge-1wEuyr3hhAY/img/a8595e06f0154d2cb0dc0447f04d9157/a8595e06f0154d2cb0dc0447f04d9157.png' alt='Namibia's Minister of Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo delivers a speech at a press conference held in Windhoek, Namibia, June 18, 2024. /Xinhua'

Infrastructure gains

Chinese companies have also contributed significantly to Namibia’s infrastructure. The recent rehabilitation of the B1 highway, a critical route connecting Namibia to South Africa, was completed ahead of schedule by China Henan International Cooperation Group. This project has improved the movement of goods and people across the border, enhancing trade and regional connectivity.

“The contribution of Henan International has set a new benchmark for road infrastructure in Namibia,” said Aletha Frederick, governor of the Karas Region, at the road’s commissioning ceremony. With 800 local workers employed and 500 trained during construction, the project also brought much-needed jobs and skills development to the region.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-05/China-and-Namibia-Building-roads-mining-riches-sharing-knowledge-1wEuyr3hhAY/img/accc4ee9530a404cb05321a01d28fe2a/accc4ee9530a404cb05321a01d28fe2a.png' alt='Namibian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Transport John Mutorwa speaks at a ceremony celebrating the commissioning of the B1 highway in Tses, Kharas Region, Namibia, September 3, 2024. /Xinhua'

Education and research: a cornerstone of future ties

Namibia’s leaders are keen to expand educational cooperation with China. Namibian Ambassador to China Elia Kaiyamo has made it a priority to send more Namibian students to China to study innovation, medicine and trade. “My focus now is to bring in more students to study on innovation, to study on medicine and to study on trade,” he said.

During a recent visit to China, Speaker of Namibia’s National Assembly Peter Katjavivi explored opportunities for agricultural research cooperation between the two nations. At the Jinzhong National Agriculture High-tech Zone Smart Farm Demonstration Base in Shanxi Province, he initiated efforts to connect Namibian and Chinese agricultural research institutions. Additionally, after visiting the Tianjin Public Vocational Training Center, he advocated for the establishment of a vocational training facility at the Namibian University of Science and Technology, aiming to apply China’s successful vocational education model in Namibia.

This educational cooperation, supported by FOCAC, aims to ensure that Namibia builds the human capital necessary for its economic development. By equipping students with knowledge in strategic fields, Namibia can enhance its capacity for innovation and reduce its reliance on foreign expertise.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-05/China-and-Namibia-Building-roads-mining-riches-sharing-knowledge-1wEuyr3hhAY/img/03aa7ae2730f40a08071e1534aca0185/03aa7ae2730f40a08071e1534aca0185.png' alt='Speaker of Namibia's National Assembly Peter Katjavivi speaks to CGTN during an interview, September 3, 2024. /CGTN'

Tourism and beyond

Tourism also holds great potential for bilateral cooperation. Kaiyamo hopes to attract more Chinese tourists to Namibia, promoting the country’s unique wildlife and natural beauty. “We also need to take more Chinese people to Namibia to enjoy our area, especially our wildlife, lions, etc.,” he said.

Looking ahead, Namibia aims to become a regional trade hub, with Chinese investment helping to drive this transformation. Kaiyamo outlined plans to attract Chinese car manufacturers to establish operations in Namibia, positioning the country as a focal point for the African automotive market. “Namibia can be the focal point for taking cars to Africa,” he said, indicating a broader ambition to integrate Namibia into Africa’s industrial supply chain.

With growing trade, investment and educational ties, Namibia and China are poised to further strengthen their relationship. As the FOCAC summit progresses, Namibia’s leaders are optimistic that their partnership with China will continue to deliver substantial benefits across multiple sectors, from infrastructure to mining to education.

(Cover: People attend a ceremony celebrating the commissioning of the B1 highway, which was completed ahead of schedule by China Henan International Cooperation Group, in Tses, Kharas Region, Namibia, September 3, 2024. /Xinhua)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-04/President-Xi-hosts-welcome-banquet-for-guests-attending-FOCAC-summit-1wCOYMYuqcw/img/a964140455d943af962b46d67a89ef5e/a964140455d943af962b46d67a89ef5e.png' alt='A naked-eye 3D screen shows content related to the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on Wangfujing Street in Beijing, China, September 2, 2024. /CFP'

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, hosted a banquet on Wednesday to welcome international guests who are in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-04/Peng-Liyuan-chats-over-tea-with-Senegal-s-first-lady-1wCOo8ZHkdi/img/fcb993bdfa2647b6b12bae1a534fb8f9/fcb993bdfa2647b6b12bae1a534fb8f9.png' alt='Peng Liyuan (R), wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, chats over tea with Marie Khone Faye, wife of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, in Beijing, capital of China, September 4, 2024. /Xinhua'

Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, chatted over tea with Marie Khone Faye, wife of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, in Beijing on Wednesday.

Peng welcomed Faye, who accompanied President Faye on his first state visit to China and to attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. 

Peng highlighted the shared cultural traditions between China and Senegal and expressed her hope that the people of both nations would continue to deepen their mutual understanding and friendship through cultural exchanges. She also expressed willingness to share experience in areas such as women’s education and health with Faye to jointly advance the development of women’s causes in China and Africa.

Faye highly praised Peng’s longstanding dedication to the welfare of women and children in African countries, including Senegal, and commended China’s support in improving the well-being of the Senegalese people. She expressed her desire to further strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, advancing the friendship between Senegal and China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday attended a signing ceremony of cooperation documents in Beijing.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Beijing on Tuesday to attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is set to begin on Wednesday and run until Friday.

Kenyan President William Ruto arrived in Beijing on Monday to attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is set to begin on Wednesday and run until Friday.

President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou-N’Guesso arrived in Beijing on Monday to attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is set to begin on Wednesday and run until Friday.

To date, 40,738 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza since October 7, according to local authorities on Sunday.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-01/Equatorial-Guinean-president-arrives-in-Beijing-for-FOCAC-summit-1wy0ttPSOys/img/56f5771b8c3541cdba59f1e13a4d5fea/56f5771b8c3541cdba59f1e13a4d5fea.jpeg' alt='Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo arrives in Beijing, China, September 1, 2024. /CMG'

President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo arrived in Beijing on Sunday to attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is scheduled from Wednesday to Friday in the Chinese capital.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and organized by the National Academy of Forestry and Grassland Administration, the opening ceremony of the Seminar on Import and Export Management and Protection of Endangered Species for Developing Countries was held on Thursday.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-31/Seminar-on-endangered-species-for-developing-countries-begins-1wwdrzKJ9jG/img/233de51faec24ebb9fdde2961b9832e4/233de51faec24ebb9fdde2961b9832e4.png' alt='The opening ceremony of the Seminar on Import and Export Management and Protection of Endangered Species for Developing Countries was held on August 29, 2024. /CMG'

The seminar lasts for two weeks. A total of 38 officials and experts from seven developing countries, including Türkiye, Sierra Leone, Iran, Ethiopia, Thailand, Nigeria and Egypt, are invited to attend the seminar. As a China-aided program, the seminar invites Chinese experts, researchers and professors from institutions, universities and related departments to share knowledge, experience, and cases of endangered species conservation and its import and export management. Major topics include China’s implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, biodiversity conservation in China, employment of DNA technology to end threatened tree trafficking, etc.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-31/Seminar-on-endangered-species-for-developing-countries-begins-1wwdrzKJ9jG/img/49c1488aaf514938a838711964806f94/49c1488aaf514938a838711964806f94.png' alt='Group photo of participants. /CMG'

The seminar provides a platform for mutual learning and multilateral cooperation in endangered species conservation among developing countries. It also contributes Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the cause of building a community of life between man and nature.

Rwanda’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) on Friday expressed satisfaction over preparations for next month’s Senate election.

Campaigns were launched earlier this week for candidates contesting for seats in Rwanda’s Senate, the upper chamber of the parliament, ahead of the election scheduled for September 16-17.

A total of 32 candidates are vying for 26 seats in the Senate, with campaigns set to run until September 14.

Speaking at a press conference in the Rwandan capital of Kigali, Oda Gasinzigwa, chairperson of the NEC, said the campaigns are well on course and urged members of the electoral college to massively take part in the election.

“The election of senators is crucial because it ensures that Rwandans choose their representatives in the parliament. The electoral commission has mobilized all the requirements to ensure a smooth election,” she said. “We encourage members of the electoral college to participate in large numbers so that we continue to strengthen the principle of democracy chosen by Rwandans.”

The Rwandan Senate is composed of 14 lawmakers elected by electoral colleges in the City of Kigali, provinces, and higher learning institutions, eight senators appointed by the president, and four from the National Consultative Forum of Political Organizations. Public and private universities each have one seat in the Senate.

The electoral college for the senators is composed of sector councilors in the districts, while university representatives are elected by academic and research staff from public and private universities and other institutions of higher learning.

To be eligible to stand in the Senate election, one must have a minimum of 40 years and hold a university degree.

(Cover: Rwanda National Electoral Commission (NEC) officials count votes following the closing of the polls during the 2024 Rwandan general elections at a polling station in Kigali on July 15, 2024. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-30/Xi-Jinping-replies-to-letter-from-African-scholars-1wuroH5frk4/img/456f3e422cf340a5a9bd70d2427870b7/456f3e422cf340a5a9bd70d2427870b7.jpeg' alt='Representatives at the 8th China-Africa Youth Festival in Beijing, May 20, 2024. /CFP'

China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed on Tuesday in a reply to scholars from 50 African countries.

In the letter, Xi noted that in the face of a volatile and intertwined world situation, China and Africa need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation more than ever before.

Xi encouraged the scholars to continue to provide intellectual support for building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future and safeguarding the common interests of the Global South.

Xi noted that not long ago, the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was successfully held, sounding a clarion call of the times to open up broad prospects for the Chinese modernization through further deepening reform.

The continuous development and growth of China that pursues peaceful development and is committed to reform and opening up will surely further strengthen the forces for world peace and international justice, and inject inexhaustible impetus into the process of global modernization, especially the development and revitalization of the Global South, Xi said.

The upcoming Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will bring together Chinese and African leaders once again to discuss China-Africa cooperation, which will open up even more splendid prospects for China-Africa relations, Xi said.

He raised his hope that based on the Dar es Salaam Consensus between China and Africa, both sides will step up research and exploration on the development path of Global South countries, China-Africa and South-South cooperation.

Gert Grobler, a former veteran diplomat of South Africa and honorary professor of the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, and 63 scholars from 50 African countries sent a joint letter to Xi, warmly congratulating on the convening of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, highly commending the historic achievements of the FOCAC and expecting that the upcoming FOCAC Summit would write a new chapter in building a China-Africa community with a shared future and the joint modernization of the Global South.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed that China’s high-quality development should be powered by the achievements of a Party-wide campaign on discipline education.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction, which was read out at Friday’s meeting of the Central Leading Group for Party Building.  

Noting that the Party discipline education campaign has achieved positive results, Xi urged greater efforts to eradicate breeding grounds for corruption and more effectively curb and eliminate corruption.

Party members and officials should be guided to work diligently and actively while adhering to regulations and discipline, Xi said.

Friday’s meeting reviewed a set of guidelines for advancing regular and long-term Party discipline education.

The meeting was presided over by Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, who also heads the Central Leading Group for Party Building.

Li Xi, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy head of the Central Leading Group for Party Building, attended the meeting.

This round of Party discipline education campaign, which started in April, has come to an end, according to the meeting. It stressed further efforts to integrate Party discipline education into daily education, management and supervision of Party members and officials. 

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-29/China-Coast-Guard-urges-Manila-to-withdraw-ship-from-Xianbin-Jiao-1wsW1mc0thK/img/e1ed826b103d48f5ba866ea35d53ea33/e1ed826b103d48f5ba866ea35d53ea33.png' alt='An aerial view of China's Nansha Qundao. /CFP
'

China Coast Guard (CCG) on Thursday urged the Philippines to immediately withdraw its coast guard ship, which is illegally staying in Xianbin Jiao of China’s Nansha Qundao, and stop any actions that try to replenish the vessel. 

CCG spokesperson Gan Yu said the Chinese side followed and monitored a Philippine H-145 helicopter airdropping supplies to the Philippine Coast Guard ship 9701 on Wednesday, the latest in a string of attempts by Manila to try to infringe on Chinese territory in the name of humanitarianism.

“The Philippines’ risky actions could very easily lead to accidents at sea and in the air,” Gan said, noting that the Philippine side is gambling on the health and safety of the crew when its ship is functioning and capable of independently leaving and returning to a Philippine port at any time.

“We warn the Philippine side to immediately stop its risky actions and hype-up, immediately withdraw the ship by itself and refrain from misjudging the situation or escalating the situation; otherwise, all consequences arising therefrom will be fully borne by the Philippine side,” Gan said. 

China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Qundao, including Xianbin Jiao, and their adjacent waters, Gan reiterated, adding that the CCG is on full alert and fully prepared to firmly safeguard China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

According to CCG, the Philippine Coast Guard vessel, coded 9701, entered the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao without permission and has been there since April.

Two cars set on fire outside a synagogue in southern France on Saturday caused an explosion in which a police officer was injured, authorities said.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin called the incident near the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Motte on the southern French coast “an obviously criminal act.”

On April 20, 2013, a massive earthquake struck Lushan County in Sichuan Province. A month later, President Xi Jinping visited the devastated area. One touching photograph shows him embracing a baby boy, Luo Juncheng, in the tent where his family had been temporarily housed. Over a decade later, Juncheng, now at primary school, feels that in that moment he established a special bond with the president.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday urged Japan to cooperate fully in creating an independent, effective and long-term international monitoring scheme with substantive participation of its neighbors and other stakeholders over the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-23/China-urges-effective-long-term-oversight-of-Fukushima-release-1wj0OmpNMPu/img/6e4dcb148d5f4e53ac39151ecb1123fd/6e4dcb148d5f4e53ac39151ecb1123fd.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning makes remarks at a regular press briefing, July 4, 2024, China. /CFP'

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks in response to a question regarding the progress of negotiations between the two sides since the Japanese government began discharging wastewater into the sea a year ago, and Japan’s requests for China to lift its ban on aquatic products from Japan.

Without full consultation with neighboring countries, Japan unilaterally started the discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, shifting risks to the world, Mao told a press briefing, adding this practice is extremely irresponsible, and is neither in line with international law nor the way to get along with neighboring countries.

China firmly opposes it and has repeatedly voiced grave concerns to the Japanese side, the spokesperson said.

Mao said it was entirely legitimate, reasonable and necessary for China and other countries to take precautionary measures to protect food safety and people’s health in response to the discharge.

Noting China and Japan have maintained consultations on the issue of discharge, Mao stressed that the more transparent and open Japan is, the more it will help ease the concerns of the international community.

China once again urges the Japanese side to seriously respond to domestic and international concerns and earnestly fulfill its responsibilities and obligations, she said.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-22/President-Xi-urges-advancing-socialism-with-Chinese-characteristics-1whe1MT0KHK/img/fc01bf5ab8c843538c6abe99e841b44b/fc01bf5ab8c843538c6abe99e841b44b.jpeg' alt='A view of Shenzhen City in south China's Guangdong Province, August 14, 2023. /CFP'

Chinese President Xi Jinping lauded the “outstanding contributions” of late leader Deng Xiaoping and urged advancing socialism with Chinese characteristics initiated by Deng, as the country marked Deng’s 120th birth anniversary on Thursday.

Addressing a meeting held to mark the anniversary, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said the country must continue to thoroughly study and apply Deng Xiaoping Theory.

“Deng made outstanding contributions to the Party, the people, the country, the nation and the world,” Xi said, adding that Deng’s achievements have been immortalized in history and will always inspire future generations.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday that China stands ready to work with the Belarusian side to push for the high-level development of their all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership.

Li made the remarks while meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at the Palace of Independence in Minsk.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-21/China-vows-to-join-Russia-for-stronger-all-round-practical-cooperation-1wfD63ucnmM/img/431c1c3f02ba46e9bdca957187c15c86/431c1c3f02ba46e9bdca957187c15c86.png' alt='National flags of China and Russia. /CFP'

On Wednesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said that China is ready to work with Russia to strengthen all-round practical cooperation between the two countries and push the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era to a new level.

Li made the remarks while co-chairing the 29th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Russia relations have achieved high-quality development at a high level, and bilateral cooperation in various fields has continued to show strong resilience and steadily moved forward, he said.

Li said China is ready to work with Russia to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state and take the opportunity of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties to uphold mutual respect, mutual trust, everlasting friendship, and mutual benefit.

For his part, Mishustin said Russia is ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continue to deepen mutual trust, expand cooperation in investment, energy, economy and trade, culture, and sub-national areas, and ensure the success of the Russia-China Years of Culture.

He also pledged that Russia will join China in strengthening communication and coordination in international affairs, better safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the two sides, and pushing forward the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

Li and Mishustin agreed that China and Russia have complementary advantages and huge potential for practical cooperation, and the two sides should steadily advance cooperation in traditional areas such as economy and trade, investment, agriculture, and energy, and expand cooperation in emerging areas including the digital economy, biomedicine, and green development.

(With input from Xinhua)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-21/Ho-Iat-Seng-says-not-seeking-re-election-as-Macao-SAR-chief-executive-1wfy6PDGXFC/img/b44930da62fe441f849157a55af81345/b44930da62fe441f849157a55af81345.png' alt='A file photo of Ho Iat Seng. /CFP'

Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), said he will not stand for re-election slated for October.

“I have profound feelings for Macao and have done my utmost for Macao’s development, but due to the fact that my health has not been fully restored, for the sake of Macao’s long-term development and from the perspective of the overall situation, I have decided not to participate in the election for the sixth-term Chief Executive,” he said in a statement published on the SAR government’s website on Wednesday. 

The nomination period for candidates in the upcoming Macao chief executive election will be from August 29 to September 12, and election day is designated on October 13. 

Ho was elected chief executive of the Macao SAR on August 25, 2019. Each term lasts five years.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-20/President-Xi-Jinping-hails-Olympians-for-winning-glory-for-country-1wdWyKi1ZG8/img/a23b5e23ea7b4f3c9d22dc61e8cb83e3/a23b5e23ea7b4f3c9d22dc61e8cb83e3.jpeg' alt='The Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. /CFP'

President Xi Jinping on Tuesday hailed Chinese Olympians for their performance and sportsmanship at the Paris Olympics, saying they have won glory for the country and its people.

Meeting China’s Olympic delegation for Paris 2024 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged the Olympians to make further efforts to build China into a sports powerhouse.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-20/Official-China-Africa-economic-trade-cooperation-scaling-new-heights-1wdNduKVirm/img/5f78b2ae0ace48fb923570f91fcf77b2/5f78b2ae0ace48fb923570f91fcf77b2.jpeg' alt='The press conference on the 2024 summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in the Chinese capital of Beijing, August 20, 2024. /CFP'

China-Africa economic and trade cooperation has continued to scale new heights since the 2021 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), delivering tangible benefits to the people of both China and Africa, Assistant Minister of Commerce Tang Wenhong said on Tuesday.

“In 2021, the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC was held successfully. At the opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China and Africa had jointly prepared the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035. Under the first three-year plan of this Vision, China will work closely with African countries to implement the nine programs,” Tang said.

Since the conference, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the China International Development Cooperation Agency, together with other members of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of FOCAC, have strengthened coordination and worked closely with Africa to fully implement the nine programs with utmost effort, taking China-Africa trade and economic cooperation to new highs and substantially increasing the well-being of the peoples of both regions, Tang added.

Tang made these remarks at a press conference on the 2024 FOCAC Summit, focusing on economic, trade, and development cooperation, held by China’s State Council Information Office.

The nine programs under FOCAC have consolidated China-Africa cooperation in traditional areas, Tang said, noting that with initiatives like trade promotion, investment promotion, and poverty reduction and agricultural development programs, China-Africa trade and investment cooperation has made steady progress.

In 2023, China-Africa trade reached $282.1 billion. China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years. A number of infrastructure and manufacturing projects have been implemented, including the Lekki deep sea port in Nigeria, the airport expressway in Nairobi, solar power stations in South Africa, and home appliance factories in Egypt.

“These projects have elevated China-Africa cooperation along industrial and supply chains. Egypt issued Africa’s first panda bond. These efforts have enriched the financing channels for China-Africa trade and economic cooperation. To support Africa’s agricultural modernization, China has sent over 500 agricultural experts to Africa and provided nearly 9,000 training opportunities for agricultural professionals from Africa,” Tang said.

The 2024 FOCAC Summit will be held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, when China and Africa will renew their friendship and discuss ways to promote cooperation.

China said it will expand institutional opening-up towards Africa and deepen industrial and supply chain cooperation, with a view to promoting China-Africa economic integration, interconnected development, and shared outcomes, reinforcing China-Africa strategic synergy, and making a greater contribution to a stronger China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership and a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

China’s top legislator Zhao Leji met with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, in Beijing on Monday.

Noting that Fiji was the first Pacific island country to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China, Zhao, chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, hailed China-Fiji ties as an example of equal treatment and friendly cooperation between countries large and small.

China is willing to work with Fiji to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, carry forward the traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, continuously expand all-round mutually beneficial cooperation, and push forward the China-Fiji comprehensive strategic partnership, Zhao said.

Zhao added that the NPC of China is willing to continue to strengthen exchanges at all levels with the Parliament of Fiji, timely approve relevant legal documents, and provide legal guarantees for bilateral cooperation.

For his part, Rabuka said the one-China principle is the cornerstone of Fiji-China relations.

Fiji highly appreciates the major initiatives and ideas put forward by China and is willing to strengthen practical cooperation with China in various fields such as trade and poverty reduction, deepen exchanges between legislative bodies, and better benefit the two peoples, Rabuka added.

(Cover via CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-19/China-s-top-legislator-meets-with-Vietnam-s-top-leader-1wcjrCyTyMM/img/8df492287b2140248467388c25223523/8df492287b2140248467388c25223523.png' alt='The flags of China and Vietnam, Beijing, August 19, 2024. /CFP'

Zhao Leji, China’s top legislator, met with To Lam, Vietnamese president and general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, in Beijing on Monday. 

Zhao, chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that China is willing to work with Vietnam to follow the strategic consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries, push forward the construction of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, and contribute to each other’s socialist modernization drives.

Zhao said that China’s NPC is willing to work with the National Assembly of Vietnam to implement the bilateral cooperation agreement, make good use of the counterpart exchange mechanism, promote multi-channel cooperation, strengthen the exchange of experience in legislation and supervision, and provide a legal guarantee for the construction of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

For his part, To Lam said that Vietnam has always considered the development of relations with China to be a strategic choice and top priority, adding his country is willing to deepen practical cooperation with China in various fields.

He said Vietnam is ready to maintain close exchanges between legislative bodies and promote the construction of a community with a shared future of strategic significance to a greater extent.

Three United Nations peacekeepers suffered light injuries on Sunday, the UN said, after a blast near their vehicle close to Lebanon’s southern border, where Hezbollah and Israel have traded near-daily fire.

“Earlier today, three peacekeepers on patrol were lightly injured when an explosion occurred near their clearly marked UN vehicle in the vicinity of Yarine, in south Lebanon,” the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement. “All peacekeepers in the patrol returned safely to their base. We are looking into the incident,” it added.

Earlier Sunday, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency had reported that “Israeli enemy warplanes” struck the village of Dhayra, about one kilometer from Yarine, “resulting in injuries.” A UNIFIL source told AFP the explosion that injured the peacekeepers was probably a nearby air strike, but “not a direct hit.”

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam arrived in Beijing on Sunday.

To Lam is paying a state visit to China from August 18 to 20.

Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka arrived in Beijing on Saturday evening for an official visit to China.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, during the visit, leaders of the two countries will have in-depth exchanges of views on China-Fiji relations and important issues of mutual interest.

Through this visit, China hopes to take the comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development to a new level and work with Fiji to build an even closer community with a shared future between China and Pacific Island countries, said the ministry.

Located in the South Pacific Ocean and made up of 332 islands, Fiji is the first Pacific Island country to have established diplomatic ties with China.

Last year, trade between the two countries reached around $526 million. China’s main exports are machinery and equipment, electrical appliances, electronic products, computers and communication technology, automobiles and ships, and its imports from Fiji include bauxite, frozen fish, logs and sawn timber, and beverages.

Sitiveni Rabuka follows in the footsteps of several other South Pacific leaders to visit China in recent months.

Read more:

Jenny Seeto: BRI brings Chinese investment to Fiji, supports its infrastructure

China-Fiji Ties: Fiji PM Sitiveni Rabuka wants to replicate Chinese success

(CGTN’s Liu Jiaxin also contributed to the story.)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-17/LMC-FMs-meeting-issues-communique-vowing-more-collaboration-exchange-1w93lSf9eBG/img/9842b08a518344c1ad35993802b023b7/9842b08a518344c1ad35993802b023b7.png' alt='The ninth LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting is held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, August 16, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

The ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting issued a joint communique on Friday, pledging to deepen practical cooperation, enhance mutual trust among the six countries, expand common interests, further strengthen good-neighborly friendship, and jointly build a community of shared future for LMC countries toward peace and prosperity.

The six LMC countries are China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

According to the communique, all sides aim to advance the LMC based on the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefit.

Stressing the importance of cooperation to strengthen the battle against cross-border crimes, including terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering and terrorist financing, all sides agree to hold a ministerial meeting for LMC countries on law enforcement and non-traditional security cooperation at an early date, said the communique.

All sides agree to strengthen cooperation in earthquake disaster reduction, ensure regional infrastructure connectivity, and strive to improve the disaster prevention and emergency response capabilities of LMC countries to respond to earthquakes, mudslides, typhoons, floods and other disasters, it said.

All sides vow to further deepen cooperation in various fields, work together to promote green, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it said.

According to the communique, all sides agree to promote the high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, further enhance the level of liberalization and facilitation for regional trade and investment, and reduce non-tariff barriers.

Emphasizing the need to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the development of artificial intelligence (AI), information security, and security and governance, all sides pledge to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation and capacity building in AI to empower the inclusive and sustainable development of the six countries.

Reiterating the important role of tourism in promoting people-to-people bonds among LMC countries, all sides vow to strengthen cooperation in tourism and civil aviation, and encourage more social, cultural and youth activities, it said.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-16/Wang-Yi-calls-for-deepening-the-building-of-a-Lancang-Mekong-community-1w7dTixGSuA/img/16233d06f1f34ea086b9630315b396ee/16233d06f1f34ea086b9630315b396ee.png' alt='The ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting is held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, August 16, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday called for more efforts to deepen the building of a community with a shared future among Lancang-Mekong countries.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at the ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

He hailed the six countries – Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – as “natural partners and friendly neighbors forever.”

The countries should focus on peace and stability and adhere to their common aspirations in the LMC cooperation, said Wang.

“We should adhere to genuine multilateralism and open regionalism, resolutely oppose zero-sum game or ‘decoupling,’ and work together to build a Lancang-Mekong home where we share weal and woe, and stand in unity and solidarity,” he said.

Following the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, the countries should intensify joint efforts to crack down on cross-border crime and safeguard regional stability and tranquility, he added.

Wang also proposed to make more efforts in promoting innovation-driven development to bridge the artificial intelligence gap, improving interconnectivity to enhance growth momentum, and promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges among the countries.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-16/China-emphasizes-legitimacy-of-military-patrols-near-Huangyan-Island-1w7p6NCNZHG/img/b3546df0de4a4827b323d0b87868991c/b3546df0de4a4827b323d0b87868991c.png' alt='Aerial view of the scenery of Huangyan Island in the South China Sea, May 15, 2024. /CFP'

China’s joint naval-air combat patrols near Huangyan Island are legitimate operations intended to protect its rights and interests, respond to contingencies and preserve regional stability, a defense spokesperson said on Friday.

Huangyan Island is a part of China’s inherent territory, and the South China Sea is a shared home for countries in the region, rather than a hunting ground for external forces, Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said when commenting on a recent joint patrol that the United States, the Philippines, Australia and Canada conducted in the South China Sea.

Zhang criticized the Philippines for colluding with countries outside the region to undermine regional peace and stability, and accused the outside countries—the United States, in particular—of ganging up and provoking trouble.

China will continue to take firm, necessary measures against provocations that violate its sovereign rights and interests, and that harm regional stability, he added.

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said on Thursday that commanders had prepared a series of actions to increase security in regions bordering Ukraine.

“We are talking, first of all, about increasing the efficiency of the troop command and control system in interaction with other law enforcement agencies and the administration of the Belgorod region, about identifying responsible officials, as well as allocating additional forces and means that will be sent to carry out the main tasks,” Belousov was quoted by the defense ministry as saying.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-15/China-outlines-key-tasks-for-ecological-conservation-1w5Alx0szeg/img/05ade9ce09ec4c96861fe7613582783a/05ade9ce09ec4c96861fe7613582783a.png' alt='A view of Dahaizi Village in Bijie City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 19, 2024. /CFP'

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planner, on Thursday specified key tasks to conserve the ecological environment.

The NDRC will act to advance reform in ecological conservation and promote green, low-carbon and high-quality development, said Zhao Chenxin, deputy head of the commission, at an event held in the city of Sanming, southeast China’s Fujian Province, to mark National Ecology Day.

The commission will work actively, but prudently, towards achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, will step up efforts to protect the ecological environment, and strengthen international cooperation in green and low-carbon development, he added.

The NDRC will implement fiscal, tax, financial, investment and pricing policies as well as standards to support green and low-carbon development, Zhao noted.

The official also pledged to refine the mechanisms for realizing the market value of ecosystem goods and services, advance comprehensive compensation for ecological conservation, and improve the trans-regional compensation mechanism for ecological conservation.

Meanwhile, the NDRC will deepen international cooperation concerning the circular economy, promote the export of advanced technologies, products, standards and business models for green and low-carbon development, and actively participate in global climate governance, Zhao remarked.

Last year, China’s top legislature voted to designate August 15 as the country’s National Ecology Day, with the aim of enhancing public awareness and actions to protect the ecological environment.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-14/Poland-received-German-request-to-arrest-Nord-Stream-suspect-1w4500fCM12/img/df4192b59eae43c0961c8a77aff6665e/df4192b59eae43c0961c8a77aff6665e.png' alt='The sun rises behind the landfall facility of the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline and the transfer station of the OPAL gas pipeline, the Baltic Sea Pipeline Link, in Lubmin, Germany, July 21, 2022. /CFP'

Poland received a European arrest warrant issued by Berlin in connection with the 2022 attack on Nord Stream pipelines, but the suspect, a Ukrainian man named Volodymyr Z, has already left Poland, Polish prosecutors told Reuters.

He was able to leave as Germany had failed to include his name in a database of wanted persons, added the prosecutors.

The multi-billion dollar Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines transporting gas under the Baltic Sea were ruptured by a series of explosions in September 2022, seven months after Russian forces moved into Ukraine in a “special military operation.”

German investigators believe Volodymyr Z, a Ukrainian diver, was part of a team that planted the explosives, the SZ and Die Zeit newspapers reported alongside the ARD broadcaster, citing unnamed sources.

Polish National Public Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman Anna Adamiak said German authorities sent a European warrant to the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw in June for Volodymyr Z in connection with proceedings conducted against him in Germany.

“Ultimately, Volodymyr Z was not detained because at the beginning of July he left Polish territory, crossing the Polish-Ukrainian border,” she wrote in an emailed statement in reply to Reuters questions.

“Free crossing of the Polish-Ukrainian border by the above-mentioned person was possible because German authorities… did not include him in the database of wanted persons, which meant that the Polish Border Guard had no knowledge and no grounds to detain Volodymyr Z.”

Polish law does not allow for the publication of the full names of suspects in criminal investigations.

Germany said its relationship with Ukraine was not strained by the Nord Stream inquiry.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-14/Hamas-to-stay-out-of-Gaza-truce-talks-Iran-considers-Israel-attack-1w44iPZuS1G/img/d7c15821fcb74714a0ce2ba437e222be/d7c15821fcb74714a0ce2ba437e222be.png' alt='Palestinians walk near tents in the yard of the Asdaa central prison facility which has become a shelter for displaced people in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on August 14, 2024. /CFP'

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said on Wednesday it would not take part in a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks slated for Thursday in Qatar, dimming hopes for a negotiated truce that Iranian sources say could hold back an Iranian attack on Israel.

The U.S. has said it expects indirect talks to go ahead as planned in Qatar’s capital Doha on Thursday, and that a ceasefire agreement was still possible. However, American news website Axios reported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a trip to the Middle East that had been expected to begin on Tuesday.

Three senior Iranian officials have said that only a ceasefire deal in Gaza would hold Iran back from direct retaliation against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on its soil last month.

The Israeli government said it would send a delegation to Thursday’s talks, but Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza, requested a workable plan to implement a proposal it has already accepted rather than more talks.

“Hamas is committed to the proposal presented to it on July 2, which is based on the UN Security Council resolution and the Biden speech, and the movement is prepared to immediately begin discussion over a mechanism to implement it,” Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

“Going to new negotiation allows the occupation to impose new conditions and employ the maze of negotiation to conduct more massacres,” he added.

There has been no let-up in fighting in Gaza, where residents of the southern city of Khan Younis said Israeli forces blew up homes in the east and intensified tank shelling in eastern areas of the city center.

Israel said it was responding to Hamas rocket fire towards Tel Aviv on Tuesday and had struck rocket launching pads and militants among 40 military targets over 24 hours, including in central Gaza, Khan Younis, and western Rafah in the south.

Armed groups of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad said they had attacked Israeli forces in several areas, while Palestinian health officials said Israeli strikes had killed at least 14 people so far on Wednesday, mostly in the center and south.

Hamas also said its fighters were engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces in another Palestinian territory, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israel said it had killed a number of militants.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-13/U-S-economists-trade-groups-voice-concern-over-tariffs-against-China-1w2bQjajw1q/img/2c816ea2e1ec457ebff412e3eb260f4f/2c816ea2e1ec457ebff412e3eb260f4f.png' alt='U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai speaks with reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 14, 2024. /CFP'

As the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is expected to issue a final determination on its proposed “modifications” of the actions toward China under Section 301, U.S. economists, trade groups and international organizations have voiced concerns and expressed disappointment, warning that the imposition of additional tariffs could hurt U.S. companies and consumers.

On May 14, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced that President Joe Biden is directing her to “take further action” on China tariffs after releasing a statutory four-year review of Section 301 tariffs. The proposed “modifications” include raising tariffs in “strategic sectors,” such as batteries, electric vehicles, semiconductors, steel and aluminum products.

In late May, the USTR issued a Federal Register notice regarding proposed tariff modifications under Section 301 and the machinery exclusion process, inviting public comment. On July 30, the USTR stated that it will continue to review all comments and expects to issue its final determination in August.

In a statement released earlier this year, the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC), a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization of more than 270 American companies that do business in China, expressed disappointment in the results of the Section 301 review.

“We are disappointed with the outcome because maintenance of the prior tariffs – with no reductions – and imposition of additional tariffs ultimately make it harder for American companies to compete in the U.S. and abroad, cost American jobs, and increase prices for U.S. manufacturers and consumers during a time of ongoing inflation,” USCBC President Craig Allen said.

“As USCBC requested in our public comments, we appreciate USTR’s creation of a tariff exclusion process so that U.S. companies can request needed and common-sense relief, but its scope appears narrow,” said Allen.

Jeffrey Sachs, an economics professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, told Xinhua that the new tariffs violate America’s World Trade Organization commitments, hurt consumers and raise geopolitical tensions.

In an opinion piece published earlier this year, William Alan Reinsch, Scholl Chair in International Business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the real loser in this decision is the climate.

“Since we rely on China for key elements of the green transition, notably solar cells, batteries and the critical minerals that go into them, the effect of the tariffs will be to make those products more expensive and to slow down the transition that will help the United States meet its climate obligations,” said Reinsch.

“The administration’s trade policy is based on politics, and this decision is no exception,” Reinsch said. “It is designed to get out in front of (Donald) Trump on tariffs and inoculate Biden against the inevitable accusation that he is soft on China.”

Echoing that point, Gary Clyde Hufbauer, a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said on Monday that he thinks the USTR will make very few changes in the Section 301 tariff rates after reviewing public comment.

“The reason is that the Democrats don’t want to give Trump an opening to complain that they are ‘soft on China,'” said Hufbauer, a former U.S. Treasury official.

Noting that the existing tariffs have already been reflected in U.S. consumer and business prices, Hufbauer said firms that were hoping for relief will now give up. “Neither (Kamala) Harris nor Trump will (offer) much relief for the next four years,” he said.

In late June, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated in a concluding statement following the completion of its 2024 Article IV Mission to the United States that “the ongoing intensification of trade restrictions and the increased use of preferences in the treatment of domestic versus foreign commercial interests represent a growing downside risk for both the U.S. and the global economy.”

“Tariffs, nontariff barriers and domestic content provisions are not the right solutions since they distort trade and investment flows and risk creating a slippery slope that undermines the multilateral trading system, fragments global supply chains and spurs retaliatory actions by trading partners,” IMF staff said in the statement.

“These policies are ultimately bad for U.S. growth, productivity and labor market outcomes ,and the evidence suggests their costs are largely borne by U.S. consumers and firms,” they said.

Ken Montgomery, executive director of the Technology Trade Regulation Alliance (TTRA), said the TTRA does not believe that the tariffs under Section 301 have been successful in addressing the trade issues between the United States and China, noting the organization “has long advocated addressing these issues in bilateral policy discussions.”

“These additional tariffs will increase the input costs and prices for technology products for consumers and businesses, increasing inflation in the U.S.,” Montgomery said. “In addition, U.S. businesses will be less competitive with foreign suppliers due to these added costs and increased prices.”

Thomas Rosensweet, president at Newport Metals, LLC, said that the company’s product, magnesium anodes, which is used to prevent corrosion in underground gas, oil and water pipes and propane tanks, are “only made in China because China produces more than 85 percent of the world’s supply of magnesium.”

“Because of the high quality of Chinese magnesium and the 100 percent U.S. anti-dumping duty on pure magnesium from China … the tariff amounts to a tax that is ultimately paid by the users” in the United States, he said. 

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-13/Hamas-says-again-it-wants-implementation-not-more-talks-1w2nSL7krDO/img/a2f0668d652044a387dda566043d77ba/a2f0668d652044a387dda566043d77ba.png' alt='People flee clear the rubble in a building hit during Isreali bombardment in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, August 12, 2024. /CFP'

Hamas is sticking to its demand that Gaza truce talks focus on a deal already discussed with Israel and mediators rather than starting anew, an official said on Tuesday, after Israeli airstrikes killed at least 19 Palestinians in the enclave.

The U.S. said on Monday that it expected peace talks slated for Thursday to go ahead as planned, and that a ceasefire agreement was still possible. Axios reported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken planned to set off on Tuesday for discussions in Qatar, Egypt and Israel.

The Israeli government said it would send a delegation to Thursday’s talks, but Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that ran Gaza before the war, requested a workable plan to implement a proposal it has already accepted rather than more talks.

A Hamas official told Reuters that a CNN report saying the group planned to attend on Thursday was wrong.

“Our statement the other day was clear: what is needed is the implementation, not more negotiation,” said the official, who declined to be named owing to the sensitivity of the issue.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed 19 Palestinians in the central and southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, medics said.

One strike killed six people in Deir Al-Balah, including a mother and her twin four-day-old babies, while seven other Palestinians were killed in a strike on a house in the nearby Al-Bureij camp.

Four people were killed in two separate strikes on the Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip and Rafah in the south, and two were killed in a strike on a house in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City in the north, medics said.

The Israeli military and the armed wings of Islamic Jihad and Hamas said they were fighting in several areas, 10 months into a war in which almost 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, including many commanders and fighters.

The Israeli military said it had killed Palestinian gunmen, dismantled military structures in Khan Younis, located weapons and explosives in Rafah, and struck rocket launchers and sniper posts in central Gaza.

A ceasefire deal would aim to end fighting in Gaza and ensure the release of Israeli hostages held in the enclave in return for many Palestinians jailed by Israel.

Hamas wants a deal to end the war, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it can only end when Hamas is eradicated.

In Deir Al-Balah, one of the most overcrowded places in Gaza with hundreds of thousands of displaced, many were desperate for a truce.

Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, where about 1,200 people, including 790 civilians, were killed, and more than 250 were taken into captivity in Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

In response, Israeli forces have razed much of Gaza, displaced most of the population, and killed around 40,000 people, according to the Palestinian health ministry, in a war that has caused horror around the world. Israel says it has lost more than 300 soldiers.

(With input from Reuters)

China is greatly concerned over mass civilian casualties due to Israel military operations in Gaza, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday, referring to a question over an Israeli strike on a Gaza school where more than 100 people were killed on August 10.

China condemns all acts against civilians and oppose violations of international law, and urges Israel to a ceasefire and fully protecting civilians to avoid flare-up of regional tensions, Lin said.

The spokesperson added that China urges the international community to double efforts to end the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

(Cover: Chinese Foreign Ministry. /CFP)

China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP), the country’s top procuratorate, said in a statement on Monday that it had stepped up efforts to strengthen legal protections for the country’s growing numbers of food delivery workers and other workers providing on-demand services via online platforms such as ride-hailing apps.

Since February, Chinese procuratorial agencies have handled over 120 public interest litigation cases involving legal protections for these workers, many of whom are gig workers who face disadvantages in the job market, and for other vulnerable groups such as rural migrant workers and workers with disabilities, according to the statement.

The SPP has directly handled a rights and interest protections case for food delivery workers, and it has urged internet enterprises to optimize their delivery and reward-punishment algorithms, which can overwhelm workers by assigning them excessive numbers of orders in limited timeframes, the statement said.

It noted that since February, Chinese procuratorates have also handled more than 230 public interest litigation cases involving the special rights and interests of female workers, including birth allowance and the right to refuse to work in hazardous environments during menstruation, pregnancy or nursing periods.

Procuratorial agencies have prosecuted individuals suspected of withholding wage payments in more than 420 cases over the past six months, and their efforts have contributed to arrears payments totaling more than 54 million yuan (about 7.56 million U.S. dollars), according to the statement.

(Cover: A food deliveryman travels on street in Beijing, China. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-11/China-s-push-for-green-technology-pioneers-global-governance-1vZ2HVQI9DG/img/ee1d4a2db51e42ae9976c36552d496df/ee1d4a2db51e42ae9976c36552d496df.jpeg' alt=''

Editor’s note: High-quality development is the primary task for China to build it into a modern socialist country in all respects. Following the recent conclusion of the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, CGTN is launching a series of special reports to illustrate how China is navigating its reform efforts to further unlock its economic potential and drive high-quality development.

For Erik Solheim, who once believed that the global powerhouses of green technology lied almost exclusively in Europe, the significant and sustained efforts that China has invested in advancing sustainable development have dramatically altered the former UN official’s perspective.

“Ten years ago, if people asked me where shall I go to get the best green technology and ideas, I would always answer, please go to Brussels, to Paris and Berlin. If they ask me the same question today, I would say please go to Beijing. Or if you cannot go to Beijing, maybe you should go to Shenzhen, Hangzhou, or to Ningde,” Solheim, president of the Green Belt and Road Institute and former executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, wrote in an opinion piece on CGTN.

Last month, China concluded the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, during which a resolution was adopted to further deepen reforms and advance Chinese modernization. Among the various reform measures outlined, China emphasized to improve ecological conservation systems and make concerted efforts to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution, pursue green development, and boost economic growth.

China’s leadership in green technologies is reshaping both national and global economic landscapes, Solheim noted.

China’s commitment to green technology is exemplified in its rapidly expanding new energy vehicle (NEV) market. Companies like BYD and Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory are at the forefront of this transformation. BYD, one of the world’s leading electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers, has seen its electric buses and cars gain widespread popularity domestically and internationally. Tesla’s Shanghai facility, its largest manufacturing base globally, has significantly boosted the production and adoption of EVs​.

In 2023, China produced and sold approximately 4.5 million electric vehicles, capturing about 55 percent of the global market share. This achievement underscores China’s dominant position in the EV market, with over 2.1 million public charging stations, accounting for 65 percent of the global total​.

China’s strides in green technology are not limited to the automotive sector. The country has made substantial progress in renewable energy and ecological restoration.

As of 2023, China’s renewable energy capacity reached 1.1 terawatts, representing around 30 percent of the global total. Notably, China leads the world in wind and solar power, with these energy sources making up 35 percent and 32 percent of the global capacity, respectively​.

Apart from China’s push for relatively new technologies, other projects that have developed over time are also reaping astounding rewards. The Three-North Shelter Forest Program, initiated in 1978, has increased China’s forest cover from 12 percent to 23 percent. It has resulted in over 76 million hectares of new forest, equivalent to the size of Germany​.

“From 2022, China has embarked on a new journey to pursue a Chinese path to modernization, with harmonious coexistence between man and nature an integral part of it,” Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, wrote in an opinion piece on CGTN.

“It will help further develop eco-civilization in China’s long-term social-economic development. It will also enable China to make more input in global environmental governance and to provide more support to other countries, particularly the Global South, in their pursuits of sustainable development and common prosperity for all,” Ma noted.

Such influence has extended far beyond its borders, setting the pace for global green governance. At the international level, China has actively participated in global environmental governance and cooperation.

As the chair of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15), China played a pivotal role in crafting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, earning widespread international acclaim​. “It was considered a historic moment in global biodiversity governance when all parties commit to achieve 23 targets by 2030 to address biodiversity loss, restore ecosystems and protect indigenous rights,” Ma said.

In the meantime, China has issued guidelines for the environmental management of overseas investment projects, emphasizing eco-friendly practices. For instance, in the construction of the China-Laos railway, efforts were made to preserve elephant habitats by extending tunnels and building bridges instead of roads​.

At the 76th United Nations General Assembly in September 2021, China also announced it would cease building new coal-fired power projects abroad and actively support green and low-carbon energy development in developing countries​.

“Chinese modernization is the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature,” according to a resolution adopted last month at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

The document vowed to respond to climate change and move faster to improve the institutions and mechanisms for applying the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-11/How-U-S-anti-doping-agency-displays-double-standards-in-Olympics-1vYLyJ3VfRC/img/594a57628349410dae654f8d8c4542a3/594a57628349410dae654f8d8c4542a3.jpeg' alt='Erriyon Knighton of Team USA competes in the men's 200m semi-final on day 12 of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in Paris, France, August 7, 2024. /CFP'

Editor’s note: As athletes around the world compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, a fierce row over anti-doping issues is intensifying among global anti-doping communities. CGTN rolls out a series of reports to show the U.S.’ role in the controversy and how its dominance in international sports is harming global anti-doping rules.

Cover-ups, double standards and abuse of power – the doping scandal surrounding American sprinter star Erriyon Knighton is rapidly evolving into a crisis of credibility for the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

In March, tests by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) for Knighton returned positive results for a banned substance. However, USADA avoided his suspension by attributing it to meat contamination. The U.S. body went as far as declaring that “justice was served” before WADA had even reviewed the case and before the deadline for appeal had expired.

According to a Reuters report published on Wednesday, a USADA scheme has allowed U.S. athletes who had committed doping violations to compete without sanctions for years.

Meanwhile, when it came to contamination cases involving Chinese swimmers, USADA took an entirely different attitude, accusing the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) and WADA of “covering up the truth” and demanding sanctions against Chinese athletes in spite of repeated clarifications by WADA and an independent investigation.

In April, a New York Times story alleged that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the same banned substance before the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and were still permitted to compete. This stirred up frustration and speculation, prompting both WADA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to defend their decision of clearing the swimmers for competition.

In July, WADA released an official report from Eric Cottier, the Swiss prosecutor tasked with investigating the case. Cottier concluded that there was no evidence of favoritism towards China in WADA’s handling of the issue and stated that WADA made a “reasonable” decision by placing trust in the Chinese authorities’ explanation that the swimmers had unknowingly ingested a banned heart medication, traces of which were found in the hotel kitchen where the athletes were staying.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-11/How-U-S-anti-doping-agency-displays-double-standards-in-Olympics-1vYLyJ3VfRC/img/6e7c33fdd83f4854a41722b93e84a93b/6e7c33fdd83f4854a41722b93e84a93b.jpeg' alt='Silver medalists of Team USA pose with their national flag following the swimming medal ceremony after the women's 4x200m freestyle relay final on day 6 of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in Nanterre, France, August 1, 2024. /CFP'

Meanwhile in the U.S., a House Committee on China asked the Justice Department and the FBI on May 21 to investigate the case under a federal law that allows probes into suspected doping cases even if they occurred outside the U.S., according to the Associated Press (AP).

The world water sports governing body, World Aquatics, then confirmed to the AP that its executive director Brent Nowicki had been subpoenaed to testify in the U.S. criminal investigation into the Chinese case opened under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, which gives U.S. officials what some analysts have called “near-Orwellian powers of prosecution.”

The law is “a tool for USADA to put itself above the rest of the world, perhaps even to replace WADA as the global regulator for anti-doping,” said WADA President Witold Banka at a session of the IOC in Paris on July 24, two days before the opening of the 2024 Olympic Games.

“This cannot be allowed to stand,” said Banka, who warned that if U.S. authorities assert jurisdiction over cases that have nothing to do with them, it risks putting the U.S. outside the global anti-doping system.

Banka also criticized the United States for politicizing anti-doping and called it hypocritical and double standard in a statement published on WADA’s official website on June 26. To this day, 90 percent of athletes in the U.S. do not enjoy the protections provided by the World Anti-Doping Code,” he noted.

CHINADA on Tuesday criticized USADA’s double standard, saying that its “rhetoric about fairness and clean sport runs counter to its actual practices.” It noted that doping is not uncommon among U.S. athletes.

An online poll released by CGTN on Friday showed that 95.57 percent of respondents believe that USADA might be covering up U.S. athletes involved in doping. Meanwhile, 96.54 percent criticized it as a classic example of “American double standards” and 95.63 percent seriously suspect that American athletes are involved in widespread false reporting.

(Cover: Images of sports doping. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-10/Ex-PM-Keating-accuses-Australian-govt-of-bending-to-U-S-will-on-AUKUS-1vXnzObfjUI/img/a669ec53e4d9415caa4525a853c4093f/a669ec53e4d9415caa4525a853c4093f.jpeg' alt='Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating appears by video link as he addresses the National Press Club in Canberra, March 15, 2023. /CFP'

Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating accused the Albanese government of bending to the will of the United States over the trilateral Australia-UK-U.S. (AUKUS) cooperation on nuclear submarines, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Saturday.

Keating said in a TV program that AUKUS is really about, in American terms, the military control of Australia.

“The Albanese government and their policy is likely to turn Australia into the 51st state of the United States,” he said.

Keating said that Australia has a continent of its own and a border with nobody, and Australia is not likely to be threatened. “The only threat likely to come for us is because we have an aggressive ally, because of AUKUS.”

He said that if Australia didn’t have an aggressive ally, like the United States, that is aggressive toward others in the region, there would be nobody attacking Australia. Keating also explained that the United States is aggressive because it is trying to superintend China, and China has no strategic designs on Australia.

ABC also quoted Keating in its news report as saying that the strength and scale of the U.S. base in Australia will eclipse Australia’s own military capability, such that Australia will be viewed in the United States as a continental extension of American power akin to that which it enjoys in Hawaii, Alaska and more limitedly in places like Guam.

“Such an outcome is likely to turn the Australian government, in defense and security terms, into simply the national administrator of what would be broadly viewed in Asia as a U.S. protectorate,” he said.

(With input from Xinhua)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-10/China-expels-Philippine-warplane-after-intrusion-into-Huangyan-Dao-1vXqXdhdJza/img/811c365dd8c84ea1bbf30320d02c7613/811c365dd8c84ea1bbf30320d02c7613.png' alt='Huangyan Dao, China, February 15, 2024. /CFP
'

The Southern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said on Saturday that it organized air and naval forces to expel a Philippine NC-212 military jet that intruded into the airspace of China’s Huangyan Dao and disrupted China’s normal exercises and training activities despite repeated warnings. 

The PLA defended its handling of the intrusion, which happened on Thursday, saying its forces conducted identification and verification, tracking and monitoring, warning and expulsion according to the law, and its operation was professional, proper and lawful.

“We urge the Philippine side to immediately stop infringement, provocation, distortion and hyping-up. China has indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and its adjacent waters,” the Southern Theater Command said, adding it’s on high alert and will resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty and security, and uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-09/Japanese-PM-Kishida-cancels-overseas-trip-over-megaquake-advisory-1vVzyZwcOGc/img/13b73da2337d40fa86d9b76bfbcba01c/13b73da2337d40fa86d9b76bfbcba01c.png' alt='Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to the media about the earthquake with its epicenter in the Hyuga-Nada Sea, at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, August 8, 2024. /CFP'

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday canceled his planned four-day trip to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia as the country’s weather agency issued its first-ever alert over the risk of a possible Nankai Trough megaquake.

After attending a ceremony in Nagasaki marking the 79th anniversary of atomic bombing, Kishida told reporters that he canceled the trip to “focus on the government’s response and information dissemination” regarding a potential megaquake.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its Nankai Trough Earthquake Extra Information for the first time on Thursday evening, warning that the risk of a potential massive earthquake around the Nankai Trough that runs along the Pacific coast has increased.

The advisory does not recommend evacuation but calls for reviewing routine quake preparedness and staying alert for about a week.

The JMA issues such warnings when abnormal phenomena are observed along the Nankai Trough or when the possibility of an earthquake is believed to have increased, according to the Cabinet Office.

The Japanese government has previously said there is a 70 percent to 80 percent chance of a magnitude 8 to 9 quake occurring along the Nankai Trough within 30 years. Such a quake could lead to a tsunami of over 30 meters and, together, cause up to 320,000 deaths, according to a government estimate in 2012.

The first such advisory was released just hours after a magnitude-7.1 quake hit the country’s southwestern prefecture of Miyazaki on Thursday afternoon.

Multiple injuries and damage to buildings have been reported in Miyazaki and two neighboring prefectures in the wake of Thursday’s temblor, but no fatalities have been reported so far, local media reported.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-09/China-files-appeal-to-WTO-over-EU-electric-vehicle-tariffs-1vVKjlUcC1G/img/8c4458db995c477da938e107f9a5592f/8c4458db995c477da938e107f9a5592f.png' alt='Electric vehicles parked at a port for shipment in Guangzhou City, south China's Guangdong Province, July 2, 2024. /CFP'

China filed an appeal with the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Friday, challenging the European Union’s imposition of provisional additional tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).

To safeguard the development rights and interests of the EV industry and global green transformation cooperation, China appealed to the WTO dispute settlement mechanism over the EU’s provisional countervailing measures on EVs, the Ministry of Commerce said.

The EU’s preliminary ruling lacks a factual and legal basis, seriously violates WTO rules, and undermines global cooperation on climate change, the ministry said.

China has urged the EU to immediately correct its wrong practices and work together to protect the stability of China-EU economic and trade cooperation, as well as the EV industrial chain and supply chain, it said.

In early July, the European Commission imposed provisional additional tariffs on Chinese battery electric vehicle (BEV) makers of up to 37.6 percent. The Commission claimed that the decision was based on an investigation concluding that subsidies benefit the Chinese BEV value chain, posing an economic risk to EU producers.

Read more:

China opposes EU’s extra EV tariff, calls for dialogue

Graphics: EU tariffs hike on Chinese EVs to harm mutually beneficial cooperation

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-08/Iran-Hamas-chief-s-assassination-not-possible-without-U-S-support-1vU4B0Z4TD2/img/b90275ef3f7449b18788c846ed3d47a1/b90275ef3f7449b18788c846ed3d47a1.png' alt='Iranian workers install a huge banner on a wall showing a portrait of slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran, July 31, 2024. /CFP'

Iran’s caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani said that the assassination of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh was not possible without U.S. green light and intelligence support.

He made the remarks at Wednesday’s extraordinary ministerial meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss Haniyeh’s assassination, among other things, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Bagheri Kani described the Hamas chief’s assassination as “only one instance of Israel’s terrorist crimes,” saying it was a “flagrant aggression against Iran’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

He called on the UN Security Council to hold Israel accountable for such violations and bring those responsible to trial and punishment.

Bagheri Kani said the U.S. responsibility as Israel’s main supporter should not be overlooked in the “heinous crime,” whose perpetration was not possible without the U.S. green light and intelligence support.

He said in the absence of any appropriate action by the UN Security Council, Iran had no other alternative but to use its “inherent right to legitimate self-defense in the face of Israel’s aggressions.”

Bagheri Kani emphasized that such an action by Iran was necessary to prevent further “aggressions” by Israel against Iran’s sovereignty, people, and territory and would be taken at the “required time and in a proportionate form.”

Haniyeh, who had been invited to attend Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s swearing-in ceremony, was killed along with his bodyguard in the early hours of July 31 when their residence in Tehran was hit. Iran accused Israel of carrying out the attack and vowed “a harsh and painful response.”

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-08/Latest-data-shows-China-has-1-1-million-rural-village-doctors-1vU9hsvz8NG/img/832cdda64acb4147aa6b21a9cd84bc00/832cdda64acb4147aa6b21a9cd84bc00.jpeg' alt='A rural doctor is seen in Dafu Village of Shunchang County, Nanping City, southeast China's Fujian Province, February 1, 2024. /CFP'

Latest data shows that China has 4.95 million community-level health workers, including 1.1 million doctors working in villages.

They are contributing to the formation of a massive network of disease prevention and medical services at community level in the country, said a statement from the National Health Commission (NHC) on Thursday.

Currently, there are 980,000 grassroots medical and healthcare institutions in China, handling about 52 percent of the country’s total visits for medical care, the NHC statement said.

According to a key reform resolution recently adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, China will propel the development of tightly knit medical consortia and upgrade the services of community-level medical and healthcare institutions.

The NHC statement said that, based on pilot programs to construct such tightly knit medical consortia at the county level, a development blueprint will be promoted nationwide to cover all county-level areas by the end of 2027.

Also, efforts have been made to promote the construction of county-level resource sharing centers for medical imaging, medical testing, and central pharmacies and to make such resources reach rural villages. There are also programs in place to send doctors from higher-level hospitals to grassroots institutions, especially those in the country’s least-developed areas. These measures are making high-quality medical resources accessible for more people at the community level.

The NHC statement said further explorations will be conducted to establish referral centers and realize mutual recognition of examination and testing results among different hospitals in order to enhance the continuity of medical and healthcare services and better serve the people.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-07/Chinese-Egyptian-FMs-hold-phone-talks-on-ties-Mideast-situation-1vS8Pv4Ne0M/img/f8f150db3fae4fbe989dd642359ab163/f8f150db3fae4fbe989dd642359ab163.png' alt='National flags of China and Egypt. /CFP'

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, on Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Egypt has achieved significant development and is at its best period in history.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East.

Wang said the assassination of Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran has pushed the regional situation to a more dangerous height, and China resolutely opposes and strongly condemns such assassination acts that violate the basic principles of the UN Charter, infringe on Iran’s sovereignty and dignity, severely undermine efforts to promote peace and make a ceasefire in Gaza increasingly unattainable.

He also pointed out that China will strengthen its solidarity with Arab countries, and work with all parties to avoid further escalation and deterioration of the situation.

Abdelatty, for his part, said that Egypt highly appreciates China’s important role in promoting peace in the Middle East, and is grateful for China’s efforts in promoting internal reconciliation in Palestine.

The Egyptian side hopes to maintain close cooperation with China to prevent further escalation of the situation, he added.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-07/Romanian-PM-to-snub-Paris-closing-ceremony-after-medal-denied-1vSlULmfQ2I/img/1bf928005ce84c40be0badf9bdd696cf/1bf928005ce84c40be0badf9bdd696cf.png' alt='A general view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, July 11, 2024. /CFP'

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday he would snub the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics by not attending it after a score revision left Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu off the podium on the floor exercise.

Barbosu thought she had won bronze after she competed on Monday at the Bercy Arena in Paris as she stood third in the standings. But U.S. coaches for Jordan Chiles, then ranked fifth, appealed for Chiles’ score to be revised.

That revision caused Chiles to be upgraded to a bronze medal, leaving Barbosu off the podium and in tears.

“I decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, following the scandalous situation in the gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonourable manner,” Ciolacu wrote on Facebook.

“It is unacceptable that, in such a great competition that promotes values such as respect, understanding, and excellence, a child who had honestly earned her medal to be brutally deprived of the result of four years of work!”

Former Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, known for her perfect score of 10 at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, deplored Barbosu being left off the podium after the revision.

“I can’t believe we play with athletes’ mental health and emotions like this,” she wrote on X.

China is closely following the ongoing developments in Bangladesh, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday in response to a question on the political situation in the South Asian country.

“As a friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic cooperative partner of Bangladesh, China sincerely hopes that social stability will be restored soon in the country,” the spokesperson said. 

A drone attack launched on Tuesday from Lebanon by Hezbollah forces injured six people in northern Israel, including one who is in critical condition, Israeli sources said.

“A number of hostile UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) were identified crossing from Lebanon,” Israel’s army said in a statement. One of the UAVs was intercepted, while the others exploded, injuring civilians south of Nahariya city.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-06/Drone-attack-from-Lebanon-by-Hezbollah-injures-6-in-N-Israel-1vQQuZL9cdy/img/e923a61906e340c69995640375207331/e923a61906e340c69995640375207331.jpeg' alt='Israeli police check the site of a Hezbollah explosive drone attack near the northern city of Nahariya, on August 6, 2024. /CFP'

Sirens were heard in several locations in the Upper Galilee, and an eyewitness told Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news that he saw at least two drones flying above a highway before one of them rapidly descended and exploded, scattering shrapnel that injured several people.

Masad Barhum, general director of the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, told reporters that five people sustained light injuries and one was in a critical condition.

Hezbollah assumed responsibility for the drones, saying in a statement that it launched an air attack “with a squadron of suicide drones that targeted the headquarters of the Golani Brigade and the headquarters of the Egoz Unit 621 in the Shraga barracks north of occupied Acre,” in response to Israel’s attack on southern Lebanon on Monday.

Confrontations between Hezbollah and the Israeli army escalated following Israel’s attack on Dahieh in Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing Hezbollah senior military commander Fouad Shokor and seven civilians. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah threatened a definite and painful response to the Israeli raid at the appropriate time and place.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas’ attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

The U.S. military has withdrawn its forces from its last base in Niger, the Pentagon said Monday, more than a year after military coup leaders in the African country told them to leave. 

The “withdrawal of U.S. forces and assets from Air Base 201 in Agadez is complete,” the Pentagon said in a joint statement with Niger’s defense ministry. “This effort … will continue between U.S. and Nigerien armed forces over the coming weeks to ensure the full withdrawal is complete as planned,” it continued. 

It did not give any detail on what assets the U.S. may still have left to withdraw in the country. Some 200 soldiers had been at the Agadez drone base, in the north of the country.  

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-05/China-Switzerland-exchange-views-on-Palestinian-issue-1vP99geHMJi/img/22d3b1abcc054e41b349e542b2c9b75a/22d3b1abcc054e41b349e542b2c9b75a.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C, front), also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, poses for photo with representatives of Palestinian factions in Beijing, China, July 23, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

Zhai Jun, special envoy of the Chinese government on the Middle East issue, on Monday held a phone call with Wolfgang Amadeus Brulhart, Swiss envoy to the Middle East.

Introducing the reconciliation dialogue among 14 Palestinian factions in Beijing in July, Zhai said China sincerely hopes that various Palestinian factions will realize national unity and establish an independent country at an early date based on internal reconciliation.

China appreciates Switzerland’s active efforts to implement the two-state solution and is willing to work with Switzerland to continue to make positive contributions to promoting regional peace and stability, he said.

Congratulating and hailing China for mediating the reconciliation dialogue and the signing of the Beijing Declaration, Brulhart said Switzerland shares the same position with China regarding the reconciliation among Palestinian factions.

The various Palestinian factions forming a unified position and speaking with one voice are the prerequisites for realizing the two-state solution and resolving the Palestinian issue, said Brulhart, calling for maintaining communication with China on this issue.

The two sides also exchanged views on the latest developments in the Middle East situation.

Read more:

‘Essential step’: Experts hail Palestinian factions’ Beijing declaration of unity

Palestinian factions agree in Beijing to end divisions, work toward unity

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-04/Egypt-demands-Israel-withdraw-from-Philadelphi-corridor-Rafah-border-1vNbLCO5JII/img/7dc8d04d1884447c9e0829f452bf8972/7dc8d04d1884447c9e0829f452bf8972.jpeg' alt='Displaced Palestinians leave the southern neighborhoods following Israeli military orders to evacuate parts of the city in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, July 27, 2024. /CFP'

Egypt on Saturday demanded Israel withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing and halt the ongoing Israeli offensive on the besieged Gaza Strip, Egyptian sources told Xinhua on Saturday on condition of anonymity.

The Egyptian demands were presented on Saturday in a meeting with an Israeli security delegation visiting Cairo for talks with the Egyptian side on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Gaza-ruling Hamas.

Earlier in the day, an Israeli delegation, including the heads of the Israeli Security Agency and the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, arrived in Cairo for negotiations on a possible ceasefire deal that includes an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, according to the sources.

The Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing in May, which resulted in halting the entry of humanitarian aid trucks from Egypt into Gaza.

It is the first Israeli delegation to arrive in Egypt after the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday in the Iranian capital Tehran. Hamas accused Israel of carrying out the assassination.

Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, is leading mediation efforts to reach a truce and a hostage-prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas, with the purpose of ending up with a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-04/news-1vNvD97gffi/img/27170088287d4ea49584eb5f9c5b5a73/27170088287d4ea49584eb5f9c5b5a73.png' alt='Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese village of Taybeh, August 4, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Lebanon's Hezbollah fighters. /CFP'

The United States is telling its citizens to leave Lebanon and is deploying more military might in the Middle East as preventative and defensive measures, Jonathan Finer, White House National Security Council deputy adviser, said on Sunday.

“Our goal is de-escalation, our goal is deterrence, our goal is defense of Israel,” Finer said in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation”.

Regional tensions have soared following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ top leader, in Tehran on Wednesday, a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander from the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

In the past week, new developments have occurred on the ground in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli attacks continued in the enclave. The conflict saw escalating tensions along the border region between Israel and Lebanon, as well as the notable death of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, further complicating the prospects for peace. This weekly roundup of photographs presents the key incidents and major events of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestinian-Israeli-conflict-1vLycAgpGQ8/img/bec8500122bb43f88558197b2345fdb3/bec8500122bb43f88558197b2345fdb3.jpeg' alt='The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) revealed that a total of nearly 40,000 cases of hepatitis have been recorded in the Gaza Strip since October 7, adding that the desperate sanitary conditions facilitate the spread of diseases, Gaza, August 2, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestinian-Israeli-conflict-1vLycAgpGQ8/img/58f45774df744853a8700884eb897e53/58f45774df744853a8700884eb897e53.jpeg' alt='The aftermath of an Israeli raid in the southern Lebanese village of Shama (Chamaa), August 2, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestinian-Israeli-conflict-1vLycAgpGQ8/img/a4a718be9f4e474ab8956d2a3fe79bbe/a4a718be9f4e474ab8956d2a3fe79bbe.jpeg' alt='People attend the funeral ceremony for Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran, Iran, August 1, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestinian-Israeli-conflict-1vLycAgpGQ8/img/a601afed3058487b95515af6a8a8da96/a601afed3058487b95515af6a8a8da96.jpeg' alt='U.S. National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby speaks during a daily press briefing and denies U.S. involvement in the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Washington, D.C., July 31, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestinian-Israeli-conflict-1vLycAgpGQ8/img/a84f463753a64d8b8fcf10a75107da33/a84f463753a64d8b8fcf10a75107da33.jpeg' alt='Members of the UN Security Council hold a meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, July 31, 2024 /CFP.'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestinian-Israeli-conflict-1vLycAgpGQ8/img/7a1f19dcf7514a6da6cd2b7d4302ee9b/7a1f19dcf7514a6da6cd2b7d4302ee9b.jpeg' alt='Dozens of journalists protest while holding press badges and pictures of their colleagues Ismail al-Ghoul and Rami al-Rifi, who lost their lives on duty, Gaza City, August 1, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-the-Palestinian-Israeli-conflict-1vLycAgpGQ8/img/f4c648e4ddef417db1911b3bcbf00a86/f4c648e4ddef417db1911b3bcbf00a86.jpeg' alt='Former Palestinian prisoners are taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for medical treatment, after being released by Israeli forces in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, August 1, 2024. /CFP'

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-03/Senior-CPC-official-visits-South-Africa-1vLL82JirgQ/img/5d0f67a98ef74f91804ddaf24e9884b8/5d0f67a98ef74f91804ddaf24e9884b8.jpeg' alt='Liu Jianchao (L), head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Cyril Ramaphosa, leader of South Africa's ruling African National Congress and South African president, in Johannesburg, South Africa, August 1, 2024. /International Department of the CPC Central Committee'

Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation to visit South Africa from Wednesday to Saturday.

During the visit, Liu met and exchanged views with Cyril Ramaphosa, leader of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) and South African president, Secretary-General of the ANC Fikile Mbalula, General Secretary of the South African Communist Party Solly Afrika Mapaila, and South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola.

The CPC delegation also held discussions and exchanges with South Africa’s media and think tank personnel.

The two sides pledged to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, further maintain close inter-party exchanges, deepen the exchange of experience in state governance and administration, and promote practical cooperation in various areas to push for the greater development of China-South Africa and China-Africa relations.

Editor’s note: Wang Jin is the director for the Center of Israel Studies at Northwest University of China. The article reflects the author’s opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-02/Five-front-impact-of-Hamas-leader-Ismail-Haniyeh-s-assassination-1vJfYEupMYw/img/78c11300510346c497774277cef62b75/78c11300510346c497774277cef62b75.png' alt='A man holds a picture of Hamas's political chief Ismail Haniyeh at a protest to condemn his killing in Tehran, Iran, July 31, 2024. /CFP'

The security situation in the Middle East has deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks, and the risk of conflict has risen rapidly. 

On one hand, the Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt have reached a deadlock, and the United States has condoned Israel’s launching of a number of military operations against areas under the control of pro-Iranian “axis of resistance” organizations in Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, which have resulted in the deaths of senior members of the “axis of resistance” organizations, including Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

On the other hand, Iran, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, Hamas and other “axis of resistance” organizations are likely to launch a coordinated large-scale attack on Israel in the coming days. A large-scale conflict in the Middle East might be imminent. In particular, the July 31 attack on the Iranian capital, Tehran, which resulted in the death of Haniyeh, has had a five-front impact on the security situation in the Middle East.

First, Hamas will likely be led internally by transitional figures. The death of politburo chief Haniyeh in the attack has disrupted the succession sequence within the group. According to the organizational structure of Hamas, when the chairman of the politburo dies, the vice-chairman should take over the leadership. However, in early 2024, Hamas’ deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri was killed by an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon, disrupting the succession sequence. Because of the Gaza war, Hamas has been unable to organize its Shura to discuss the leadership. It is therefore likely that a new leader will be selected through an ad hoc mini-conference, with possible candidates including Zahir Jabarin, who has long been in charge of Hamas’ financial affairs, and Khalil Haya, who is in charge of Hamas’ propaganda affairs, while former Hamas politburo chairmen, such as Khaled Mashaal and Mousa Abu Marzouk, could also temporarily assume the leadership of the politburo.

Second, peace negotiations in the Gaza Strip will likely stall. The death of Haniyeh has caused the hardliners within Hamas to grow in popularity in the short term, and the peace dialogue and negotiations with Israel will come to a standstill. Following the targeted killings of Hamas spiritual leaders Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi in 2004, Hamas retaliated by launching attacks against Israel in a short period of time, making 2004 one of the most intense years in the Hamas-Israel conflict. At the same time, since June 2024, Hamas has been critical of the Israeli-Hamas peace negotiations promoted by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, believing that Hamas positions and principles were not respected. Therefore, with the death of Haniyeh, the hard-line voices within Hamas are bound to dominate, and the peace talks between Israel and Hamas are bound to be suspended.

Third, the new Iranian president’s promise to start a “constructive dialogue” with the United States might see obstacles. During his campaign, the reformist political figure Masoud Pezeshkian had promised to engage with the West and implied that concessions could be made in the nuclear negotiations with the United States.

Fourth, the scale and intensity of Israeli military operations in the neighborhood will likely intensify. Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip have not yet ended, and the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon continues to escalate, while the conflict with the Houthis in Yemen has also intensified. The death of Haniyeh has provoked anger from Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen, as well as on the Gaza Strip. Israel, especially since the dissolution of the wartime cabinet in June 2024 and the formation of a security cabinet dominated by right-wing and far-right political parties, considers Iran to be the master of the “axis of resistance.” The risk of a full-scale conflict in the Middle East will rapidly increase as Israel’s foreign strategy becomes more aggressive.

Finally, the United States’ strategic investment in the Middle East is likely to increase, and its protection and support for Israel will be enhanced. As Israel continues to launch attacks on pro-Iranian unarmed organizations in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, the likelihood of Israel being subjected to large-scale retaliation by Iran and its regional allies has increased. Israel’s inability to simultaneously intercept missiles, drones and rockets from multiple directions and batches will require the U.S. to send a fleet of ships to the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea regions to intercept attacks that threaten Israel from the sea. At the same time, it is necessary for the U.S. to increase military assistance to Israel to help Israel continue to maintain military pressure against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. In the coming period, the U.S. is expected to further increase its military commitment and strategic attention to the region surrounding Israel.

Haniyeh’s death has brought new uncertainty to the situation in the Middle East, and is likely to fuel larger conflicts between regional actors in the future. The international community and the related actors in the Middle East should closely follow developments, and urgently establish bridges and channels for communication between conflicting parties to ease the tension.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-02/Venezuela-s-Supreme-Court-to-open-inquiry-into-presidential-election-1vJp7e4evqE/img/4de396b264db46f59d3d300abdeb6e50/4de396b264db46f59d3d300abdeb6e50.png' alt='Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, shows the documents of a complaint he filed with the Supreme Court three days after the presidential election, Caracas, Venezuela, July 31, 2024. /CFP'

The Venezuelan Supreme Court said on Thursday it will launch an investigation into the results and processes of the presidential election held last week, and will summon 10 candidates, including President Nicolas Maduro, to appear in court on Friday.

The decision followed Maduro’s earlier request for the Supreme Court to conduct an audit and expert assessment of the election results. He said he was willing to be questioned and investigated.

According to Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, Maduro was re-elected with more than 51 percent of the vote.

This result was met with resistance from the opposition. The United States, the European Union and some Latin American countries believe that the election results announced by Venezuela’s electoral body do not fully reflect the will of the Venezuelan people and have exerted diplomatic pressure on the Maduro government to release vote tallies.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-01/China-to-improve-market-access-system-top-economic-planner-1vIcMyXoFI4/img/2a33ab62afd2453d8121c0ed9ed52999/2a33ab62afd2453d8121c0ed9ed52999.jpeg' alt='A night view of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link in south China's Guangdong Province, June 27, 2024. /CFP'

China will promote the introduction of guidelines on improving the market access system and publish a new version of the market access negative list in the future, Zhao Chenxin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), told a press conference Thursday.

The NDRC will introduce a batch of special measures to relax market access, Zhao said, adding that it will explore further relaxation of market access nationwide and provide a broader development space for various business entities.

In the meantime, it will formulate guidelines for the construction of a unified national market, with greater efforts to break down barriers and constraints such as local protectionism and market segmentation.

Through these measures, “we will continuously stimulate the intrinsic momentum and innovative vitality of the entire society and inject a steady stream of momentum” into the advancement of modernization with Chinese characteristics, Zhao said.

The country has the conditions, capabilities, confidence and determination to effectively achieve the growth targets for this year, Zhao added.

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on Thursday stressed the importance of people-to-people diplomacy, urging the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) to actively engage in comprehensive, multi-level, wide-ranging and multifaceted friendly exchanges with foreign countries.

Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 11th National Council conference of the CPAFFC.

Noting that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the CPAFFC, Wang said the CPC has always attached great importance to conducting people-to-people diplomacy.

In the new era, the CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, has guided and promoted people-to-people diplomacy to make new achievements and bring about important changes, Wang noted.

He stressed that the CPAFFC should give full play to its role as the main channel of people-to-people diplomacy, enhance friendship between the Chinese people and those from other countries, promote mutually beneficial cooperation and better serve the overall national development.

(Cover: File photo of Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-31/Xi-Jinping-encourages-model-military-company-to-be-more-capable-1vGHdpmDNQs/img/6d032a1c31eb4100809c279441df9f8f/6d032a1c31eb4100809c279441df9f8f.jpeg' alt='Chinese President Xi Jinping has replied to a letter from the model military company pictured above. /China Media Group'

Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged a model military company to strengthen training in real combat conditions and build itself into a highly capable unit with great courage to fight and firm determination to win.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter to the officers and soldiers of the company ahead of the country’s Army Day, which falls on August 1.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-31/Xi-s-special-envoy-to-attend-inauguration-of-Mauritania-s-president-1vGvPJB6sjS/img/365630a9254f43bf8c8d9d19c08be229/365630a9254f43bf8c8d9d19c08be229.png' alt='President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Ghazouani arrives at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 17, 2024. /CFP'

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Special Envoy and Vice Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Wang Guangqian will attend Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani’s inauguration in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, on August 1 at President Ghazouani’s invitation, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.