<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-30/China-urges-Japan-to-speed-up-chemical-weapons-disposal-1vFahmmPaY8/img/06f38d8616344a3b82fb27d16fa4330e/06f38d8616344a3b82fb27d16fa4330e.png' alt='A file photo of Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, at a regular press briefing in Beijing, China. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

China has emphasized the urgent need for Japan to accelerate the disposal process of Abandoned Chemical Weapons  (ACW) by Japan, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Tuesday during a daily press briefing.

Noting that the ACW in China by Japan is one of the serious crimes committed by Japan during its war of aggression against China and even now poses a serious threat to the lives and property of the Chinese people and to the safety of the ecological environment, Lin urged Japan to carry out the safe, clean and thorough destruction of such weapons at an early date, in accordance with the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Japan on the Destruction of the ACW in China.

He stressed that Japan must address China’s concerns, implement the destruction plan comprehensively and accurately, and restore clean land to the Chinese people as soon as possible.

With China’s assistance, Japan has excavated and recovered approximately 130,000 ACW and destroyed nearly 100,000 of them. However, Lin pointed out that the destruction process is still lagging due to insufficient and uneven input from Japan.

The destruction plan has missed deadlines four times, and unresolved key issues continue to hinder progress, he added.

Lin reiterated that it is Japan’s historical, political, and legal responsibility to eliminate the harmful effects of ACW.

He strongly urged the Japanese side to take China’s concerns seriously, fulfill its responsibilities effectively, increase investment on all fronts, make every effort to speed up the process of disposing of ACW, and implement the relevant destruction plan comprehensively, completely and accurately, so as to return clean land to the Chinese people at an early date.

Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn in as Iran’s new president in capital Tehran on Tuesday, following an election victory against Saeed Jalili, a former chief nuclear negotiator, on July 6. 

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-29/Chinese-Foreign-Ministry-slams-Quad-for-creating-regional-tensions-1vDrOO3Ouha/img/d242db0ea65a4b5c864665b7056ac1f2/d242db0ea65a4b5c864665b7056ac1f2.png' alt='A file photo of Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, at a regular press briefing in Beijing, China. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday slammed countries of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) for creating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the ministry, said the United States, Japan, Australia and India claim to build a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” but what they are doing is manufacturing tensions, inciting antagonism and confrontation, and curbing the development of other countries.

That runs counter to the trend of seeking peace, development, cooperation and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, and is doomed to be unpopular, Lin told a regular press briefing.

The spokesperson’s remarks came in response to foreign ministers of the Quad countries expressing their “concerns” over the East and South China Sea situation earlier on Monday.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-29/Mainland-s-Red-Cross-to-visit-Kinmen-regarding-Feb-boat-incident-1vDu1W2W1os/img/e3dd542e56df4c6db9126eb5b58c863d/e3dd542e56df4c6db9126eb5b58c863d.png' alt='A file photo of Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. /CFP'

A spokesperson for the Chinese mainland said on Monday that a branch of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) in Fujian Province will visit Kinmen to deal with the aftermath of a deadly incident that happened in February.

The incident that happened in waters near Kinmen on February 14, 2024 led to the death of two fishermen on a mainland fishing boat.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Monday that the RCSC branch in Jinjiang, of the port city of Quanzhou in the province, together with family members of the fishermen, will go to Kinmen.

The office said last week that the Chinese mainland and the Taiwan region were in communication on the issue, and expressed hope that it could be properly addressed through consultations.

The office also said as long as the one-Chine principle is recognized and the political foundation of the 1992 Consensus is adhered to, there will be no obstacles to cross-Straits dialogues and exchanges.

Officials are warning that the Middle East could face a “catastrophe beyond belief” if Israel launches a full-scale offensive against Hezbollah. 

Israel says the Lebanon-based group killed 12 children during a rocket attack in the occupied Golan Heights. The rocket hit a football pitch near Majdal Shams on Saturday evening. 

The foreign ministry released a statement, saying “the rocket that murdered our boys and girls was an Iranian rocket and Hezbollah is the only organization which has those in its arsenal.”

Hezbollah has slammed the claim they were responsible for the attack, saying it had “absolutely nothing to do with the incident.”

<img src='https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-28/Israel-promises-to-hit-back-after-12-children-killed-in-Golan-Heights-1vBLdJiC2Oc/img/ef750e74ff9f48e48748a5833d5e93a1/ef750e74ff9f48e48748a5833d5e93a1.jpeg' alt='Majdal Shams residents gather for the funerals of 12 children killed during a rocket attack on Saturday. /Ammar Awad/Reuters '

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant visited the area after the attack, saying “We will hit Hezbollah hard.” 

Security sources in Lebanon say Israel launched a series of aerial attacks on the southern part of the country on Saturday night. The Israeli military says it hit Hezbollah targets overnight, but any large-scale offensive will need approval by the cabinet. 

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cut short his trip to the United States. Netanyahu returned home on Sunday before meeting with senior cabinet ministers.

<img src='https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-28/Israel-promises-to-hit-back-after-12-children-killed-in-Golan-Heights-1vBLdJiC2Oc/img/189b0e7a7ade435db4e45bdef68dea24/189b0e7a7ade435db4e45bdef68dea24.jpeg' alt='Emergency personnel inspect the area where a group of children were killed during a rocket strike in the Golan Heights on Saturday. /Ammar Award/Reuters'

The U.S. has condemned the attack, but did not directly accuse Hezbollah. The White House said its support for Israel’s security was iron-clad and that it would “continue to support efforts to end these terrible attacks along the Blue Line” – a reference to the territory around the Israel-Lebanon border. 

The United Nations has also spoken out. The head of a U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon called for restraint along the border, saying the risk of a wider conflict was growing. “This could ignite a wider conflagration,” said UNIFIL force commander Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro. “And that would engulf the entire region in a catastrophe beyond belief.”

Hezbollah and Israel have traded rocket strikes since Hamas killed more than 1,000 Israelis on October 7. Israel’s attacks on Lebanon have killed around 350 Hezbollah soldiers and over 100 civilians. 

But the battle with Hezbollah is just one of several conflicts that Netanyahu’s government has to manage. Houthi forces have launched attacks from Yemen, while the Lebanese Sunni group, Jama’a Islamiya, has also fired rockets towards Israeli targets. Hamas is fighting Israel in Gaza, but has used Lebanese territory for rocket attacks into northern Israel.  

The Israeli military has managed to continue its offensive in Gaza even though it’s facing war on several fronts. But the stakes are high. Netanyahu issued a warning in June, telling Israeli lawmakers that Iran was determined to destroy their country.  

Iran’s foreign ministry issued a warning of its own on Sunday, saying Israel must avoid a “new adventure” in Lebanon. 

<img src='https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-28/Israel-promises-to-hit-back-after-12-children-killed-in-Golan-Heights-1vBLdJiC2Oc/img/6fb9cc19c2fe4319ab48a6be99f84fe0/6fb9cc19c2fe4319ab48a6be99f84fe0.png' alt=''

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<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-28/China-willing-to-deepen-high-level-cooperation-with-IOC-says-VP-1vBSMNr3EK4/img/682a81d87f7241ca8d9befa370aa6481/682a81d87f7241ca8d9befa370aa6481.png' alt='Chinese Vice President Han Zheng (L), who is also Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, meets with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach in Paris, France, July 27, 2024. /Xinhua'

China is willing to deepen and expand high-level cooperation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as the country will host the Asian Winter Games next year, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said in Paris on Saturday.

Han, who is also Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special representative, made the remarks while meeting with IOC President Thomas Bach.

Han conveyed Xi’s cordial greetings to Bach and congratulated the IOC for the success of the splendid opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The Olympic Movement aims to safeguard world peace and promote the unity of humankind, said Han, noting that the Paris Olympics is of great significance given the need of further promoting the Olympism under current international situation.

He stressed that China has always firmly supported the development of the international Olympic Movement and has maintained a long-term good relationship with the IOC.

Bach asked Han to convey his sincere regards to Xi, and warmly welcomed Han’s participation in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics as Xi’s special representative.

The cause of international Olympics is fundamentally based on multilateralism, said Bach.

China has always supported the cause of international Olympics, he said, noting that the success of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic set an example for countries around the world of how to successfully host Olympic Games.

Bach said the IOC is willing to continue cooperating closely with China to successfully organize various international sports events and spread the values of Olympism.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-27/CCG-monitors-Philippines-resupply-mission-in-South-China-Sea-1vzX6OIWDAY/img/2e79f0617af843b797daf4ea6d598c00/2e79f0617af843b797daf4ea6d598c00.png' alt='The Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing, China. /CFP'

The China Coast Guard (CCG) on Saturday monitored the entire process of a Philippine resupply mission to its warship previously grounded in Ren’ai Jiao, part of China’s Nansha Qundao in the South China Sea, according to a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

“This morning, based on the provisional arrangement China reached with the Philippines on managing the situation at Ren’ai Jiao, the Philippine side conducted a resupply mission of living necessities,” said the spokesperson in a Saturday afternoon statement.

“The entire process was monitored by China Coast Guard. China had been notified of the resupply before it was carried out. After confirming on-site that the Philippine vessel carried only humanitarian living necessities, the Chinese side let the Philippine vessel through,” read the statement.

“Let me stress that the arrangement was reached by China with the Philippines based on the three-point principled position of China on managing the situation at Ren’ai Jiao,” said the spokesperson.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on July 22 that it recently reached provisional arrangement with the Philippines on humanitarian resupply of living necessities after a series of consultations with the Philippines on managing the situation at Ren’ai Jiao.

China’s position on the Ren’ai Jiao issue has not changed, and China has sovereignty over Ren’ai Jiao, the rest of Nansha Qundao and their adjacent waters, said the spokesperson on Saturday.

China will continue to properly deal with relevant territorial issues and disputes over maritime rights with the Philippines through dialogue and consultation, said the spokesperson.

Read more:

The facts and truth about Ren’ai Jiao

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-27/China-Indonesia-to-jointly-safeguard-regional-stability-prosperity-1vAcngohisU/img/ef1474ce59cb452a9df4109dfa8097fb/ef1474ce59cb452a9df4109dfa8097fb.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R), also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi in Vientiane, Laos, July 26, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

China and Indonesia vowed on Friday to maintain close communication, deepen the building of the China-Indonesia community with a shared future, and jointly safeguard regional stability and prosperity, when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi in Vientiane, Laos.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, briefed Retno on the recent reconciliation dialogue among Palestinian factions and the signing of the Beijing Declaration.

Retno appreciated China’s efforts to promote the reconciliation and unity of the Palestinian people, expressing Indonesia’s willingness to make positive efforts for the implementation of the Beijing Declaration.

(With input from Xinhua)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-26/Xi-Jinping-s-special-envoy-to-attend-Iranian-president-s-inauguration-1vye5M6vwti/img/85737757bdae42059f5472020bb5dc20/85737757bdae42059f5472020bb5dc20.jpeg' alt='Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian attends his campaign rally before a presidential election runoff at a stadium in Tehran, Iran, July 3, 2024. /CFP'

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special envoy and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Peng Qinghua, will attend the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on July 30 at the invitation of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Friday.

China’s senior diplomat Wang Yi is set to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Laos, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Friday. 

The two will “exchange views on issues of common concern,” said Mao at a regular press briefing. 

The two diplomats are both in Laos for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) talks.

(Cover: Flags of China and U.S. /VCG)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-25/China-ROK-hold-10th-high-level-strategic-dialogue-between-FMs-1vwSsDqVqrm/img/31096aec98a24e04be53b1455c9ff693/31096aec98a24e04be53b1455c9ff693.png' alt='File photo of Seoul from Namsan Seoul Tower, Republic of Korea, October 1st, 2019. /CFP'

The 10th round of high-level strategic dialogue between foreign ministries of China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) was held in Seoul on Wednesday.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu held the dialogue with ROK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun.

The two sides reviewed and spoke highly of development of bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and believed that promoting healthy and stable development of China-ROK relations is in the common interests of both sides, and is also conducive to promoting regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

The two sides agreed to actively implement consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, strengthen exchanges and communication, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, properly handle differences, enhance friendship between the two peoples, and promote the development of China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership.

The Chinese side expressed its solemn positions on the Taiwan question, the South China Sea issue and other issues involving China’s core interests and major concerns, and urged the ROK to abide by the one-China principle, safeguard political foundation of bilateral relations, and uphold an objective and just position on the South China Sea issue.

The ROK side reiterated its adherence to the one-China principle and hopes that the South China Sea will maintain peace and stability.

The Chinese side pointed out that the two countries, as beneficiaries of economic globalization, should jointly oppose trade protectionism and “decoupling and cutting off industrial and supply chains,” resist the pan-politicization and pan-security of economic issues, ensure the stability and smooth flow of industrial and supply chains of the two countries, and safeguard international free trade system.

The ROK side said it attaches importance to cooperation between the two countries in industrial and supply chains, and is willing to strengthen dialogue and coordination with China.

The two sides also expounded their respective positions and views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as other international and regional issues of common concern.

The Chinese side said that the current situation on the peninsula is complex and severe, and maintaining regional peace and stability serves common interests of all parties. The top priority is to cool down the situation, and China hopes that relevant parties including the ROK will play a positive and constructive role in pushing forward political settlement process of the Korean Peninsula issue.

Ma also met with ROK Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Wednesday.

An attack in eastern DR Congo has killed some 20 people, local sources told AFP Thursday, blaming militants affiliated with the Islamic State group.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-24/China-vows-to-strengthen-law-based-protection-for-private-enterprises-1vvc2Xjgv84/img/82acf4d1df6940e49ff3b57a2f81ac91/82acf4d1df6940e49ff3b57a2f81ac91.jpeg' alt='Henan Jiyuan Iron & Steel Group Co. Ltd workers at a factory in central China's Henan Province, July 2, 2024. /CFP'

Chinese courts will work to ensure the law-based protection of the property rights and personality rights of private enterprises and entrepreneurs, the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) said Wednesday.

The SPC has called for effective measures to prevent administrative and criminal interference in economic disputes and minimize the negative impact of lawsuits on business operations and production to the greatest extent possible.

The top court called on people’s courts at various levels to help address the pressing concerns of private enterprises, especially micro, small and medium enterprises.

It also pledged efforts to combat the abuse of power, promote fair and reasonable judicial protection and strengthen protection for sci-tech innovation.

SPC data showed that in the first half of this year, about 1.27 million commercial cases of first instance were settled across the country, down 13.5 percent year on year.

China will improve the property rights system to ensure the law-based and equitable protection of the property rights of economic entities under all forms of ownership, bolster law enforcement and justice administration to protect property rights, and prevent and rectify administrative and criminal interference in economic disputes, according to a resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization recently adopted by the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-24/The-historical-roots-of-Palestinian-factions-and-Beijing-Declaration-1vvbRKJopwc/img/dbc03051217d43278538b5dd3b455cca/dbc03051217d43278538b5dd3b455cca.jpeg' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C) along with representatives of 14 Palestinian factions attend the closing ceremony of the reconciliation talks of Palestinian factions in Beijing, China, July 23, 2024. /CFP'

Editor’s note: Yu Guoqing is a professor and research fellow from the Institute of West Asian and African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author’s opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The complex and multifaceted nature of Palestinian politics has deep historical roots, which have led to the current proliferation of factions. 

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), founded in Jerusalem in May 1964, is widely recognized as the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinian people. This recognition was solidified in October 1974 during the seventh Arab Summit. Fatah, the largest and most influential party within the PLO, was officially established in 1965.

Initially advocating for armed struggle to liberate Palestinian territories, Fatah, under Yasser Arafat’s leadership until his death in 2004, gradually adopted a more moderate and pragmatic stance, advocating for the recognition of Israel and seeking a peaceful resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict based on the land-for-peace formula. Mahmoud Abbas succeeded Arafat as the chairman of the PLO Executive Committee.

In contrast, Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, emerged in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip in the 1980s and was formally established in 1987. Hamas has consistently rejected the existence of Israel and has pursued the establishment of a Palestinian state on all territories occupied by Israel through armed struggle. Despite the Oslo Accords signed in 1993 between Israel and the PLO, which initiated the process of Palestinian self-governance in Gaza and the West Bank, Hamas has never recognized these accords. In January 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections and took power. By 2007, Hamas had expelled Fatah forces from Gaza, resulting in a divided Palestinian polity with Hamas controlling Gaza and Fatah governing the West Bank.

The recent reconciliation talks in Beijing included 12 other factions, most of which were established in the 1960s and 1970s. Despite their differing political views and activities, often conducted outside Palestinian territories, the majority of these groups recognize the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

The signing of the Beijing Declaration by these factions is a significant development with potential implications for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the broader Middle East peace process. Firstly, the international community’s acknowledgment of the declaration underscores the Palestinian people’s urgent desire to establish an independent state. This unified stance can help galvanize international support for Palestinian statehood, potentially leading to Palestine’s formal membership in the United Nations and enhancing its global standing.

Secondly, the Beijing Declaration addresses the urgent need to halt the Gaza conflict through a three-step road map, emphasizing increased humanitarian aid to Palestine and promoting negotiations for a permanent ceasefire. This approach aims to create the necessary conditions for Gaza’s post-conflict reconstruction.

Moreover, the declaration sends a clear message to Israel and its closest ally, the United States, highlighting China’s peace efforts and the broad international support, including from Arab states, the UN and the EU, for the Palestinian cause. It urges the U.S. and Israel to take effective measures to alleviate the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and accelerate negotiations with Palestinian representatives to secure the release of hostages – a goal shared by both nations.

In the context of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S., the declaration will pile pressure on Israel’s military operation in Gaza. While the U.S. and other Western countries might cast doubt on the feasibility of the consensus reached by the Palestinian factions, Arab countries should greet it with a positive attitude.

In the event of a ceasefire in Gaza, the international community should swiftly initiate a more inclusive and representative new round of Middle East peace negotiations. The Beijing Declaration could thus play a crucial role in facilitating future peace efforts in the region.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-23/Xi-extends-congratulations-to-sixth-China-Russia-Energy-Business-Forum-1vtzPCpdbCU/img/e7bb264c40714e9d995614ba02318818/e7bb264c40714e9d995614ba02318818.jpeg' alt='Technicians conduct daily inspections of equipment and facilities on the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline in Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, China, May 1, 2024. /CFP'

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Tuesday to the sixth China-Russia Energy Business Forum.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-23/CF40-highlights-strengths-in-China-s-economy-amid-challenges-1vtnpLnlkBi/img/19c9c4c985f44ca7958c7f508ec68c0b/19c9c4c985f44ca7958c7f508ec68c0b.jpeg' alt='Zhang Bin, non-resident senior fellow at the China Finance 40 Forum and deputy director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, speaking at a media conference in Beijing, China, July 22, 2024. /CF40'

China’s economic trajectory in the second quarter of 2024 reflected improved industrial production and positive export performance, highlighting some strengths in the economy that is facing a key challenge in insufficient demand, according to a quarterly report by the China Finance 40 Forum (CF40), a Chinese think tank, on Monday.

CF40’s macro policy report for the second quarter of 2024 highlighted that the manufacturing industry is recovering globally, but inflationary pressures still exist.

In the first half of this year, China’s import and export scale and trade surplus both reached historic highs for the same period, the report noted. The cumulative year-on-year growth of China’s exports in the first half of the year was 3.6 percent, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the same period of last year.

The report noted that one of the challenges for China continues to be an insufficiency in domestic demand, which is required to have a more balanced trade volume. The think tank said that to better solve these medium- and long-term reform issues, the emphasis for the government is on improving the economic sphere, further optimizing resource allocation and enhancing productivity, which are key goals of structural reform.

These were among the key discussion areas during the recently concluded third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. 

The Communique of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China mentioned the need to deepen the foreign trade structural reform.

It called for strengthening the coordination of trade policies with fiscal, tax, financial and industrial policies. It also proposed to create a set of systems and policies to support efforts to make China a strong trading nation, and step up reforms to integrate domestic and foreign trade.

Meanwhile, the government has introduced highly feasible and practical policy measures targeting specific issues, said CF40. 

The government policies are expected to incrementally build a supportive framework for resource optimization, said Zhang Bin, a non-resident senior fellow at CF40 and deputy director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, on Monday, praising the plan to integrate permanent residents into the general public services in cities.

Additionally, fiscal reforms, particularly the redistribution of financial authority and responsibilities between central and local governments, will not only streamline inter-governmental mechanisms but also bolster the government’s capacity to fulfill its public service mandate, said Zhang.

He said that local governments should shift some valuable financial resources from subsidizing industrial enterprises to improving public goods and services, supporting low-income migrant population to settle in cities where they work and improving the living standards of low-income people so as to achieve the goal of better resource optimization.

The CF40 report also mentioned the importance of breaking down barriers to entry into the service industry and promoting fairer market competition in the fields of water conservancy, environmental and public facility management, as well as education, health, social security and welfare, social organizations, culture, sports and entertainment.

A number of civilians were killed and wounded after Israel launched an air attack against Syria’s central province of Homs early Wednesday, state media SANA reported, citing the Syrian military.

“Our air defense forces responded to the aggression’s missiles and shot down some of them,” the Syrian military was quoted as saying.

The Israeli side has not responded to the claims yet. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with visiting chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi in Kyiv and discussed the current security situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear Power Plant, Ukrinform reported Tuesday.  

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-07/Impeachment-of-homeland-security-chief-Mayorkas-fails-in-U-S-house-of-representatives-1qZvXqHBBN6/img/2ded48a8ca60480abfd4c6229384cae1/2ded48a8ca60480abfd4c6229384cae1.jpeg' alt='Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, speaks during a news conference at the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S., January 8, 2024. /CFP'

U.S. President Joe Biden’s immigration chief escaped impeachment over border crisis by a razor-thin margin of two votes on Tuesday.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has long been in Republicans’ crosshairs over what they describe as a humanitarian crisis, with record numbers of mainly South and Central Americans trying to enter the United States from neighboring Mexico. 

(With input from agencies)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday sent a message to the Chinese people and wished them a happy Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on February 10 this year.

In a video message, Guterres said the Year of the Dragon symbolizes energy, wisdom, protection and good luck. “We need these qualities to rise to today’s global challenges.”

Noting that the celebration at the United Nations this year is special as the Chinese Lunar New Year is part of the UN holiday calendar for the first time, Guterres expressed his gratitude to China and the Chinese people for their unwavering support to the UN, multilateralism and global progress.

“Together, we can realize a sustainable, just and peaceful future,” he added.

At the end of the video, he wished the Chinese people good health, happiness and prosperity in this new year.

The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important festival in China and an occasion for family reunions.

(Cover: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sends the Chinese New Year greetings to Chinese people via video, February 6, 2024. /CMG)

Iraqi leaders on Tuesday discussed with visiting Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler the security situation in the border areas where Türkiye launched operations against Iraq-based Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants.

A statement by the Iraqi presidency said that Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid held a meeting with Guler and his delegation, in which he stressed the need “to resolve border problems and security issues between the two countries through cooperation, consultation and coordination.”

Rashid expressed Iraq’s rejection of unilateral measures in addressing the outstanding issues, the statement said.

Rashid stressed the need to respect Iraqi sovereignty and stop Turkish military violations of Iraqi lands, especially in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, the statement added.

Guler also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’s al-Sudani, who affirmed Iraq’s rejection of its lands being used to attack neighboring countries, especially along the borderline between Iraq and Türkiye, according to a statement by al-Sudani’s media office.

“Iraq rejects any breach of its sovereignty or any measures to settle scores on its soil,” al-Sudani said, pointing out the need for coordination between the two countries to create the conditions for stability.

For his part, Guler stressed his country’s desire to maintain cooperative relations with Iraq and its keenness on security coordination in the field of intelligence and combating terrorism, according to the statement.

The Turkish forces frequently carry out ground operations, airstrikes and artillery bombardments in northern Iraq against the PKK, especially in the Qandil Mountains, the main base of the group.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than three decades.

(Cover: File photo of Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler. /CFP)

The Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Tuesday it had delivered its response to a proposed ceasefire deal for Gaza that would also involve the release of hostages.

In a statement Hamas said it responded “in a positive spirit, ensuring a comprehensive and complete ceasefire, ending the aggression against our people, ensuring relief, shelter, and reconstruction, lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip, and achieving a prisoner swap.”

Hamas aims for the release of the largest possible number of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad told Reuters in a text message.

The Israeli prime minister’s office said late on Tuesday that the details of the Hamas response were being “thoroughly evaluated by the officials involved in the negotiations.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a lightning tour of the Middle East, said on Tuesday he was reviewing the Hamas reponse, which he called the best hope for ending the four-month-old war in Gaza. 

Blinken, at a news conference in Qatar, declined to discuss details of Hamas’s response to the ceasefire offer. 

“There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible, and indeed essential,” said Blinken, who also noted the response had been shared with Israel and that he would discuss it with officials in Israel on Wednesday.

At the joint press conference with Blinken, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said his country received a “positive response” from Hamas on the latest Gaza ceasefire-for-hostage deal proposal, failing to provide further details.

Later that day, Egypt also confirmed that it had received the Hamas response. Chairman of Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS) Diaa Rashwan stated that Egypt had recently put forward a framework aimed at bringing viewpoints closer between all concerned parties to stop Palestinian bloodshed, reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and restore peace and stability to the region.

More than 27,500 people have been killed and over 64,900 have been injured in Gaza since Israeli attacks in the enclave, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, adding thousands more are missing and presumed dead.

On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reiterated that the military’s “next target” will be Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city and a shelter for more than 1 million people, where he claimed as Hamas’ “last remaining stronghold” in the enclave.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: Palestinian paramedics recover the remains of bodies rescued from a wrecked police vehicle following Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 6, 2024. /CFP)

Voters in Azerbaijan headed to the polls on Wednesday for the country’s presidential election.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-07/Chinese-FM-meets-Swiss-counterpart-in-Beijing-1qZMgdktbBC/img/21eee58d674543318156c33a9d408a0e/21eee58d674543318156c33a9d408a0e.jpeg' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Swiss Federal Councillor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Beijing, China, February 7, 2024. /CGTN'

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday met with visiting Swiss Federal Councilor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Beijing. The two sides reached a “broad consensus” through the third round of the China-Switzerland Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, applauded China-Switzerland relations in their meeting, saying since the establishment of diplomatic ties 74 years ago, the two countries have stood the test of the international situation and explored a successful path featuring equality, innovation and mutual benefit, which is of exemplary significance for China’s relations with Western countries. 

China is ready to work with Switzerland to open up new prospects for their innovative strategic partnership, Wang added.

For his part, Cassis expressed his pleasure to visit China before the Spring Festival and wished the Chinese people a happy Year of the Dragon. He said that Switzerland, one of the first Western countries to recognize and develop relations with China, firmly adheres to the one-China policy, adopts a positive attitude toward China and is willing to carry out candid exchanges and cooperation with China regardless of the two states’ differences.

Cassis pledged to work with China to deepen cooperation in various fields and jointly push for further development of the Switzerland-China innovative strategic partnership and mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation.

The two sides had in-depth communication on strategic mutual trust, practical cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and multilateral coordination and reached a broad consensus.

Both agreed to work together to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continue to respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, respect each other’s choice of system and development path, and consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations.

The two sides will continue to make good use of multiple inter-governmental dialogue and cooperation mechanisms to deepen cooperation in finance, science and innovation, education, intellectual property rights, climate change, green development, and ice and snow sports.

The two sides expressed satisfaction with the completion of the joint feasibility study on upgrading the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and agreed to launch the formal FTA upgrade negotiations as soon as possible. Wang introduced China’s positive measures to comprehensively promote Chinese modernization and high-level opening up, hoping that the Swiss side will provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises. Cassis appreciated China’s spirit of openness, saying that Switzerland has always supported free trade and opposed protectionism.

The two sides will jointly prepare for the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2025 and the “China-Switzerland Year of Culture and Tourism” to enhance people-to-people exchanges. Cassis spoke highly of China’s visa-free treatment for Switzerland, saying that Switzerland warmly welcomes Chinese tourists and will provide more visa facilitation for Chinese citizens and Chinese enterprises investing in Switzerland.

The two sides will continue to support the central role of the United Nations in international affairs and step up multilateral communication and coordination. The Swiss side appreciated China’s important role in international affairs and said it is willing to strengthen cooperation with China to jointly tackle global challenges. The Chinese side said that China stands ready to work with Switzerland to promote the development of the international order in a more just and equitable direction.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-07/UK-business-community-says-its-ready-to-deepen-cooperation-with-China-1qZHVNjllHq/img/76bce6a4c80546708fe436c61fba7667/76bce6a4c80546708fe436c61fba7667.png' alt='"Icebreakers" 2024 Chinese New Year celebration is held in London, UK, February 5, 2024. /People's Daily'

Business leaders in the United Kingdom said that they stand ready to boost mutually beneficial cooperation with China, a country that has become even more important to a post-Brexit UK.

The remarks were made on Monday during the “Icebreakers” 2024 Chinese New Year celebration, jointly hosted by the 48 Group Club, the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK (CCCUK) and the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC).

In 1954, Jack Perry, founder of the London Export Corporation, led a group of 48 British businessmen on a historic trade mission to Beijing. This helped create one of the first modern-day trade links with China, effectively breaking the U.S.-led Western embargoes on the newly-founded People’s Republic of China.

The 48 men were the founders of the 48 Group Club. Their trip to Beijing was known as the “Icebreaking Mission,” and the club members as “Icebreakers.”

“Practice has fully proved that closer cooperation between China and the UK not only serves the fundamental interests of both sides but also contributes to world peace and prosperity,” said Chinese Premier Li Qiang in his congratulatory message to the event read out by Chinese Ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang.

Read more: Strengthened cooperation between China, Britain benefits both sides, world: Chinese premier

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-07/UK-business-community-says-its-ready-to-deepen-cooperation-with-China-1qZHVNjllHq/img/cd7009052a7f4f30b7d857206ab7f07d/cd7009052a7f4f30b7d857206ab7f07d.png' alt='Business leaders pose for a group picture during the "Icebreakers" 2024 Chinese New Year celebration, London, UK, February 5, 2024. /People's Daily'

“It is hoped that people with vision from all walks of life in both countries will carry forward the ‘icebreaking’ spirit, continue to take active and vigorous actions and make new contributions to the friendship between the two people and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries at a higher level,” Li said in the message.

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, chair of the CBBC, said in his speech, “China matters more than it’s ever done to the United Kingdom, to post-Brexit Britain.”

“You look at some of the great British companies represented here. Their profits, their prosperity depends on the enormous Chinese market, whether it’s selling Range Rovers or pharmaceuticals, or financial services, Chinese consumers like British brands, ranging from the Premier League to Peppa Pig,” he said.

Stephen Perry, president emeritus of the 48 Group Club, said that China is advancing at a greater pace than anyone understands, and any strategy based on stopping China will not succeed. The history of UK-China relations has shown that engagement and cooperation is the only right choice, Perry added.

Rio Tinto Chair Dominic Barton said, “China is not only an important market for us, it is a source of innovation. It is a source of talent, and a source of partnership as we work in other parts of the world together, so an extremely important part of our organization.”

Sounds of explosions were heard in Kyiv region, Ukrinform reported Wednesday.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-07/Xi-congratulates-Bukele-on-re-election-as-Salvadoran-president-1qZNxk0wUZq/img/354822343ec24eaea2834d8f21680964/354822343ec24eaea2834d8f21680964.png' alt='Nayib Bukele speaks at a press conference during the presidential election in San Salvador, El Salvador, Febuary 4, 2024. /Xinhua'

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday congratulated Nayib Bukele on his re-election as Salvadoran president.

In his congratulatory message sent on Monday, Xi said that in recent years, China-El Salvador relations have developed comprehensively and rapidly with fruitful results from practical cooperation, which has brought tangible benefits to the local people.

It has fully demonstrated that the establishment of China-El Salvador diplomatic relations is in line with the fundamental and long-term interests of the two countries and their people, Xi said.

Noting that he highly appreciates Bukele’s firm adherence to the one-China principle, Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-El Salvador relations and is ready to work with Bukele to strengthen strategic guidance, deepen cooperation in various fields, and continuously lift bilateral relations to higher levels, so as to better benefit their people.

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley suffered a defeat in Nevada’s primary on Tuesday, finishing behind ballots marked “none of these candidates” by supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Edison Research.

Haley, the last remaining rival to Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, was the only major Republican candidate contesting the party’s Nevada primary on Tuesday. Trump was not on the ballot.

With over two-thirds of the Republican ballots counted, Haley had 32 percent of the votes, with “none of these candidates” at over 61 percent and the winner, data from Edison Research showed.

(With input from Reuters)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-07/Chinese-ambassador-to-U-S-Peak-China-rhetoric-has-no-factual-basis-1qZMSA9xa9y/img/08558f312f89443a96fdc57a61064d87/08558f312f89443a96fdc57a61064d87.png' alt='Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng delivers a speech at a Spring Festival reception in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 5, 2024. /Chinese Embassy in the U.S.'

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng on Monday said the “Peak China” rhetoric, which refers to the narrative that China has reached the height of its economic power, has no factual basis.

Xie made the remarks while delivering a speech at a Spring Festival reception in Washington, D.C.

Noting that China’s high-quality development has been solidly advanced and its high-level opening up has continued to expand, Xie said the country’s path to modernization is getting wider.

China’s economy has achieved substantial and reasonable growth, he said, noting that its GDP posted a growth of 5.2 percent year on year in 2023.

Meanwhile, China’s economy has experienced effective improvement in quality, he said, adding that the role of the main engine of consumption is highlighted, and the formation of new productive forces is accelerated. 

Stressing the solid foundation of stability in China’s economy, Xie said China has the advantages of a super-sized market, a well-functioning industrial system, and a close to 900 million working-age population.

Noting that China’s economy has vast space for improvement, Xie said the number of people in the middle-income bracket is expected to reach 800 million in the next decade or so, and the scale of the digital economy is expected to reach $15.7 trillion in 2027.

“In any case, China’s high-quality development will continue to advance,” he added.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-07/70-New-York-public-housing-employees-charged-with-bribery-extortion-1qZMCupuXny/img/c6380ebbf15e40f0a1f82d6f61656fc2/c6380ebbf15e40f0a1f82d6f61656fc2.jpeg' alt='Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a press conference, Manhattan, New York, February 6, 2024. /CFP'

U.S. federal prosecutors charged 70 current and former employees of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing agency in North America, on Tuesday with taking bribes in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts.

Damian Williams, the attorney in Manhattan, called it “the largest single-day bribery takedown” in the history of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The current and former NYCHA employees, 66 of whom were arrested on Tuesday morning, according to Williams’ office, are each charged with extortion as government workers, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and with soliciting and receiving bribes. Some of the accused also face additional conspiracy charges.

According to the criminal complaint, the defendants, including supervisors, demanded cash from contractors before they would authorize a contract or sign off on a completed job. If they did not pay, they would award the work to someone else.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-07/70-New-York-public-housing-employees-charged-with-bribery-extortion-1qZMCupuXny/img/9677539e585d45cf946e18e06f434886/9677539e585d45cf946e18e06f434886.png' alt='Members of Homeland Security Investigations and New York City Department of Investigation load people arrested on to a bus, New York City, February 6, 2024. /Reuters'

As alleged, the defendants typically demanded approximately 10 percent to 20 percent of contract value, pocketing between $500 and $2,000 depending on the size of contract. In total, they are accused of demanding over two million dollars in bribes in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts worth over 13 million dollars across about 100 different NYCHA buildings, according to the complaint.

“Instead of acting in the interests of NYCHA residents, the City of New York, or taxpayers, the 70 defendants charged today allegedly used their jobs at NYCHA to line their own pockets,” Williams said in the announcement.

“My Office is firmly committed to cleaning up the corruption that has plagued NYCHA for far too long so that its residents can be served with integrity and have the high-quality affordable homes that they deserve. The culture of corruption at NYCHA ends today,” he said.

All 70 accused NYCHA employees have been suspended. Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations have arrested 65 defendants in six states and all five boroughs of New York City.

According to publicly filed documents, NYCHA is the largest public housing authority in the country, providing housing to one in 17 New Yorkers in 335 developments across the city and receiving over 1.5 billion dollars in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development every year.

(With input from agencies)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday sent a congratulatory message to Nangolo Mbumba on his assuming office as president of Namibia.

In the message, Xi noted that the traditional friendship between China and Namibia is profound, and bilateral cooperation in various sectors has achieved fruitful results, adding that the two nations support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Namibia ties and stands ready to work with Mbumba to push for the new advancement of the China-Namibia comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and to preserve international fairness and justice as well as the common interests of developing countries.

John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said Tuesday that the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law of the HKSAR aims to ensure the safety and stability of Hong Kong’s business and investment environment, and continue to make Hong Kong an attractive and competitive international city.

During the past week, many organizations from different sectors have voiced their support for the early legislation of Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law, saying that a rigorous and reasonable legal basis is the very foundation to stabilize Hong Kong’s social and business environment and protect the rights and interests of enterprises, Lee said during a press briefing.

He reiterated the legislative principles, including (a) Safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests is the top priority of the principle of “One Country, Two Systems”; (b) Human rights are to be respected and protected. The rights and freedoms, including the freedom of speech, of the press, of publication, the freedoms of association, of assembly, of procession and of demonstration, enjoyed under the Basic Law and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as applied to the HKSAR, should be protected in accordance with the law; and (c) For acts and activities endangering national security, the principle of the rule of law should be adhered to in the active prevention and punishment in accordance with the law.

Lee held a briefing in the afternoon to explain the contents of the consultation document to representatives of foreign consular corps, foreign chambers of commerce and the local business community in Hong Kong.

(Cover: HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee speaks during a press conference at government headquarters in Hong Kong, China, January 30, 2024. /CFP)

Fighting between Israel and Hamas entered its fifth month on Wednesday amid high hopes for a truce deal that has the potential to end the conflict once and for all.

The U.S., Qatar and Egypt have been trying to broker a common ground that both Israel and Hamas can accept as conditions for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, much of which has been ravaged by Israel’s military offensive.

On Tuesday, Hamas said it had given a “positive” response to an offer provided by the mediators, who had earlier consulted Israel on the proposal. The prospect of a truce has not reached this high since a previous seven-day ceasefire ended in late November, but Hamas has previously said it wants more guarantees that the deal could put an end to Israel’s military operations.

The proposal reportedly envisions a truce of at least 40 days when Hamas would free the civilians among the remaining hostages it is holding, followed by later phases to hand over soldiers and bodies.

The latest round of the conflict in Gaza was triggered after Hamas fighters stormed southern Israel in a surprise attack on October 7, killing close to 1,200 people and taking over 240 hostages, more than 100 of whom would later be released.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-07/Hopes-of-a-Gaza-truce-deal-as-Israel-Hamas-conflict-enters-5th-month-1r07V7WpVuw/img/6cb057a42b6045dfa64bb029a3d1bac0/6cb057a42b6045dfa64bb029a3d1bac0.png' alt=''

Fighting in the Palestinian enclave has grown more intense over the past month, with Israeli tanks advancing for two weeks in Khan Younis, a southern Gaza city where Israel says it has defeated the militant group, and Hamas fighters becoming more active in their resistance against Israeli forces, which suffered their biggest single-day losses on January 23 since the start of its invasion into the Palestinian enclave.

Israel’s military operations in the northern part of the strip have diminished following its seizure of the area during the initial two months of its offensive, raising hopes for the return of displaced civilians to their homes – a prospect the Israeli army has signaled it will not allow at this stage.

Fighting has, however, resurged in Gaza City, the main northern city, in recent days in what the Israeli army says is a bid to prevent Hamas from rebuilding its capabilities.

In the meantime, Israel has warned of a new ground incursion into Rafah, a small city on the southern border with Egypt. This area is currently home to over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, many of whom are residing in makeshift tents, having sought refuge in Rafah after fleeing from other parts of the strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting troops on Monday, said Israeli forces had eliminated or injured more than half of Hamas’ combat units and would carry on until “total victory.”

Netanyahu, whose approval rate has slid to rock bottom, has been focusing his struggle for political survival on appealing to the right. The prime minister has rejected the possibility of Palestinian statehood despite being pushed for peace talks by his allies in Washington.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri dismissed Netanyahu as “playing the game of making delusional victories” in the face of continued resistance.

Spread of the conflict

Israel’s military action has set off a surge in attacks by Iran-backed groups across the Middle East in solidarity with the Palestinians. Also among the targets were U.S. troops based in Syria, Iraq and Jordan, as Washington’s backing for Israel is viewed by Tehran, as well as by many of these groups, as an “evil scheme” that needs to be foiled.

The U.S. military on Friday initiated a series of airstrikes allegedly targeting Iranian forces and Tehran-aligned fighters in Iraq and Syria in response to a drone attack in Jordan that resulted in the deaths of three U.S. soldiers in late January.

In and around the Red Sea, Yemen’s Houthi movement has kept launching missile and drone strikes on U.S. warships and container vessels, which it says have links to Israel. The U.S. and the UK have struck Houthi targets in Yemen in a bid to curtail the group’s strength.

Clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters have persisted on the Israeli-Lebanese border, with more than 240 people, including civilians, killed on both sides combined. The Israeli military said last week it had attacked 3,400 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including 120 border surveillance outposts, 40 caches of missiles and other weaponry, and more than 40 command centers.

Also on Friday, the Israeli army said its defense system “successfully intercepted a surface-to-surface missile that approached Israeli territory in the area of the Red Sea,” with the Houthis claiming they had fired missiles towards Israel.

(Infographic by Sun Yiwen)

(Cover: A picture taken from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip shows smoke rising over buildings in Khan Younis following Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, February 6, 2024. /CFP)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said a large amount of evidence has shown that the U.S. government is advancing a cyber deterrence strategy across the globe, citing a report released by a Chinese cybersecurity firm.

The report, U.S. Cyber Security Threat Capacity Analysis, released by 360 on Wednesday, reveals how the U.S. government launches indiscriminate cyberattacks against countries around the world, including its allies.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the report, using a number of detailed cases, has exposed how the U.S. government relies on its hegemonic position and monopoly to act recklessly in cyberspace, undermining international rules and order in cyberspace, endangering the peace and security of cyberspace and hurting the security and development interests of all countries, including China.

Read more:

China issues report on U.S. CIA’s cyberattacks on other countries

(Cover: A file photo of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. /Chinese Foreign Ministry)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday sent a message of condolences to Chilean President Gabriel Boric over the passing of former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi extended deep condolences and expressed sincere sympathies to the Chilean people and Pinera’s family.

In his message, Xi pointed out that Pinera was an outstanding politician of Chile and had devoted himself to the development of China-Chile relations and mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation, actively contributing to the friendship of the two countries.

The Chinese people have lost an old friend – a good friend – after Pinera’s passing, Xi said.

“I highly regard the development of China-Chile relations and stand ready to work with President Boric to continue to promote the ongoing consolidation and development of the China-Chile comprehensive strategic partnership,” Xi said.

Pinera, who was Chile’s president from 2010 to 2014 and 2018 to 2022, died on Tuesday when his private helicopter crashed on the shores of Lake Ranco in southern Chile.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: File photo of former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. /Xinhua)

President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders have either visited or entrusted officials of the relevant departments to visit veteran comrades to extend festive greetings ahead of the Spring Festival or the Chinese New Year.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other Party and state leaders wished the veteran comrades a happy Spring Festival, good health and longevity.

The veteran comrades spoke highly of the solid progress made by the whole Party, the entire military, and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups toward building China into a modern socialist country in all respects under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core over the past year.

They voiced wholehearted support for Xi’s core position in the CPC Central Committee and the Party as a whole.

The veteran comrades expressed the hope that the Party, the military and Chinese people of all ethnic groups would unite even more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and continuously enhance cohesion and forge the Party’s soul with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

They called for efforts to forge ahead with firm confidence and strive tirelessly for the cause of building China into a stronger country and rejuvenating the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization.

This year’s Spring Festival falls on February 10.

(Cover: Red lanterns are seen along a street in Beijing, China, February 5, 2024. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-07/CMG-releases-innovative-program-list-for-new-media-platforms-in-2024-1r072LYUURG/img/66bc2c029c9948e1aa6cb285bb3b7058/66bc2c029c9948e1aa6cb285bb3b7058.jpeg' alt='China Media Group holds a release ceremony of the 2024 innovative program list for its new media platforms in Beijing, February 7, 2024. /CMG'

A series of innovative programs produced by China Media Group’s (CMG) New Media Center is slated to be released in 2024, CMG announced on Wednesday at a release ceremony in Beijing.

Shen Haixiong, president of CMG, attended the event and jointly released the program list with Zhao Chenxin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, and other guests. 

The 44 high-quality programs on the list will be aired in four chapters, according to CMG. The first chapter focuses on some of China’s key milestones in the new era, such as the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of Macao Special Administrative Region’s return to the motherland.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-07/CMG-releases-innovative-program-list-for-new-media-platforms-in-2024-1r072LYUURG/img/7ef0158b0e5d486e8fa01ca67ca204b9/7ef0158b0e5d486e8fa01ca67ca204b9.jpeg' alt='View of some performances at the release ceremony in Beijing, February 7, 2024. /CMG'

The second chapter features China’s high-quality development, demonstrating the surging vitality and pioneering spirit of all works of life in the country.

The third chapter shares the stories of China’s excellent traditional culture, telling stories of Chinese civilization vividly with the help of technology and innovation, such as artificial intelligence and innovative and creative products.

The last chapter centers on the joint efforts from all walks of life in the country for a national intelligent emergency communication platform to help build a safe China.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-07/CMG-releases-innovative-program-list-for-new-media-platforms-in-2024-1r072LYUURG/img/72ec4602b1c841ccac5813367d427784/72ec4602b1c841ccac5813367d427784.jpeg' alt='The list of innovative programs in the first chapter. /CMG'

President Joe Biden will not face charges for knowingly taking classified documents when he left the vice presidency in 2017, according to a prosecutor’s report released Thursday.

Special Counsel Robert Hur said he opted against bringing criminal charges following a 15-month investigation because Biden cooperated and would be difficult to convict, describing him as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”

Hur’s conclusion ensures that Biden, unlike his expected 2024 presidential rival Donald Trump, will not risk prison time for mishandling sensitive government documents.

“Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” wrote Hur, who served as the top federal prosecutor in Maryland during the Trump administration and was tapped to lead the Biden probe by Attorney General Merrick Garland in January 2023.

(Cover: President Joe Biden speaks in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, February 8, 2024, in Washington, D.C. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-09/UN-concerned-by-destruction-of-civilian-infrastructure-in-Gaza-1r2NMh8VJWE/img/597aa32d58614f948b7f5894b92068bd/597aa32d58614f948b7f5894b92068bd.png' alt='UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk addresses a press conference in Geneva, December 6, 2023. /CFP'

The widespread destruction by Israeli forces of civilian infrastructure in Gaza to create a “buffer zone” for general security purposes does not appear consistent with the narrow “military operations” exception set out in international humanitarian law, United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Thursday.

Turk said in a media statement that he has stressed to the Israeli authorities that Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits destruction by the occupying power of property belonging to private persons “except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.”

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are reportedly destroying all buildings in the Gaza Strip that are within a kilometer of the Israel-Gaza fence, clearing the area with the objective of creating a “buffer zone.”

Extensive destruction of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly, amounts to a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and a war crime, Turk said in the statement.

“Since late October 2023, my office has recorded widespread destruction and demolition by the IDF of civilian and other infrastructure, including residential buildings, schools and universities in areas in which fighting is not or no longer taking place,” he said.

The UN rights chief added that Israel has not provided cogent reasons for such extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure.

He pointed out that such destruction of homes and other essential civilian infrastructure also entrenches the displacement of communities that were living in these areas prior to the escalation in hostilities, and appears to be aimed at or has the effect of rendering the return of civilians to these areas impossible.

“Forcible transfer of civilians may constitute a war crime,” he stressed.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-09/UN-chief-calls-for-efforts-to-unite-for-peace-in-2024-priorities-1r2PvlCT9iU/img/3b169622d584416397fbd2b89b3d7777/3b169622d584416397fbd2b89b3d7777.png' alt='UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the General Assembly to present priorities for 2024 at UN headquarters in New York, U.S., February 7, 2024. /CFP'

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for efforts to unite for peace.

“It is essential that we work for a just and sustainable peace, but a peace in line with the UN Charter and international law,” the UN chief said at the press conference on his 2024 priorities at the UN headquarters in New York.

“Yesterday, I addressed the General Assembly focusing on priorities for this year and beyond,” he said. “It is a long and detailed agenda – but the varied challenges are connected by a common thread. Peace. The need for peace in all its dimensions because peace is the tie that binds.”

“But, too often, we face instead a gordian knot,” the secretary-general noted.

The top UN official spoke of the rising conflict and geopolitical divisions that threatened peace and security, the polarization tearing through communities, the widening gap of inequalities under the guise of peace with justice, and the alarming rise in global emissions and temperatures challenging peace with nature.

“We are at a moment of truth – but we have a breakdown of trust,” he declared. “Trust in institutions. Trust in leaders. And also trust in governments and multilateral institutions.”

The solution, he proposed, was to make a “real and positive difference in people’s lives. By solving people’s problems.”

“This is no time for pulling punches,” he said, adding the age-old nuclear threat, the climate emergency, and the unchecked dangers of artificial intelligence were laid bare as existential challenges that required a united and organized response.

Amid the myriad of issues, there is a glimmer of hope, he assured. “Much can be done across the board.” From ending conflict to addressing threats posed by artificial intelligence, taking climate action, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the path forward is clear, albeit challenging, the secretary-general added.

It is a call for a “serious conversation” between nations, a reform of outdated institutions, and an embrace of multipolarity with effective, renewed, and inclusive mechanisms of multilateral governance, the UN chief stressed.

As the secretary-general outlined the New Agenda for Peace, the SDG Stimulus, the Global Digital Compact, and other initiatives, he emphasized the critical need for solutions to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, highlighting their profound global consequences.

“Our world cannot afford to wait,” he said.

The challenges are daunting, the path complex, but the call for peace, unity, and action resonates deeply within the walls of the United Nations and beyond, Guterres said.

Read more:

UN chief addresses peace, humanitarian crisis amid ‘age of chaos’

Repeated U.S. strikes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq are pushing the Baghdad government to end the mission of the U.S.-led coalition in the country, the prime minister’s military spokesperson said on Thursday.

The U.S. military said a strike on Wednesday killed a commander from Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group in Iraq that the Pentagon has blamed for attacking its troops.

Spokesperson Yahya Rasool said in a statement the U.S.-led coalition “has become a factor for instability and threatens to entangle Iraq in the cycle of conflict.”

In Washington, the Pentagon said it had notified the Iraqi government about the strike shortly after it had taken place.

Talks between the two countries began in January over the future of the coalition. But less than 24 hours later three U.S. soldiers were killed in an attack in Jordan that the United States said was carried out by Iran-backed militant groups in Syria and Iraq and the talks have since paused.

Iraq and the United States will resume negotiations on the future of the U.S.-led international military coalition in the country on February 11, the Iraqi military spokesperson said in a statement.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein called for the resumption of talks in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Tuesday.

Any discussions over the future of the coalition are expected to take months if not longer, with the outcome unclear.

The U.S.-led international military coalition in Iraq was set up to fight Islamic State. The United States has 2,500 troops in Iraq, advising and assisting local forces to prevent a resurgence of the group.

Since the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza began in October, Iraq and Syria have witnessed almost daily tit-for-tat attacks between hardline Iran-backed armed groups and U.S. forces stationed in the region.

A series of strikes by the United States in Iraq and Syria last week killed more than 40 militants, the Pentagon said.

At the time Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, a state security force including Iran-backed groups, said 16 of its members were killed including fighters and medics. The government had said civilians were among 16 dead.

In Syria, those strikes killed 23 people who had been guarding the targeted locations, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which reports on war in Syria.

(Cover: Iraqis gather at the site of a burned vehicle targeted by a U.S. drone strike in east Baghdad, Iraq, February 7, 2024. /CFP)

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s Southern Theater Command will participate in a multinational exercise in Thailand from February 10 to March 7 in an effort to promote exchanges and cooperation with other parties, according to the Chinese Defense Ministry on Friday.

The exercise includes engineering assistance, tabletop exercises of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercises and a high-level forum, as well as live drills under the scenarios of fire rescue, hazardous substances leakage, medical first aid, and so on.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-09/Trump-wins-Republican-caucus-in-U-S-state-of-Nevada-1r36HZscmOc/img/4ee54152ab65482c969c359859bd9cb8/4ee54152ab65482c969c359859bd9cb8.jpeg' alt='The stage is set before Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a caucus night rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, the U.S., February 8, 2024. /CFP'

Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday won the U.S. state of Nevada caucuses, according to multiple U.S. media projections, marking his fourth win to become the Republican nomination for president.

Trump, the frontrunner in his party’s nominating race, was the only major candidate competing in Nevada’s caucuses and was set to win the state’s 26 delegates to the party’s nominating convention in July after being projected the winner on Thursday night.

Earlier on Thursday, Trump easily won the U.S. Virgin Islands caucuses, with 182 votes, or 74 percent of the 246 votes cast there, beating his last remaining rival in the Republican race, Nikki Haley, who won 26 percent support with 64 votes.

The Nevada caucuses, organized by the Trump-friendly Nevada Republican Party, came two days after a state-run primary election, which saw the defeat of Haley.

(With input from Reuters)

World leaders, officials and heads of international agencies have been sending letters or messages to Chinese President Xi Jinping, extending New Year greetings to the Chinese people as they celebrate the Year of the Dragon.

Noting his belief that relations between Indonesia and China will be stronger, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said the two countries will continue to build a mutually beneficial and win-win partnership.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that China is playing an increasingly important role in safeguarding international fairness and justice.

Expressing his expectations for bilateral cooperation to reach new heights, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that he is looking forward to forging the next “golden 30 years” of Kazakhstan-China relations.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon said he is glad to see China making steady progress on the path of sustainable development and enhancing its international status and influence.

The ancient Silk Road connecting Syria and China showcases China’s splendid culture and long history, said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, adding that Syria stands ready to jointly open up broad prospects for Syria-China cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples.

Wishing the Chinese people happiness and good health, Senegalese President Macky Sall said Senegal will as always firmly adhere to the one-China principle.

President of the Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera said the new great achievements of Chinese-style modernization will bring new opportunities to the world and new hope to the vast number of developing countries, as well as provide strong assistance for the Central African people to realize their dreams. The Central African Republic is willing to work with China to build a community of shared future with high quality.

President of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan said China has achieved unprecedented development achievements, noting that Seychelles highly values its traditional friendship with China, unswervingly pursues the one-China policy, and supports China’s peaceful reunification.

Noting the Serbia-China comprehensive strategic partnership is unbreakable, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he believes China in the Year of the Dragon will continue to forge ahead in all respects with strength, wisdom, and innovation, and realize the Chinese Dream at an early date.

Hungary will continue to actively participate in Belt and Road cooperation and the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries to promote the development of Europe-China relations, said Hungarian President Katalin Novak.

President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides said Cyprus reiterates its adherence to the one-China policy and always firmly supports the development of Europe-China relations.

Noting that for the first time, the Lunar New Year is part of the UN holiday calendar, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his thanks to China and the Chinese people for their unwavering support to the United Nations, to multilateralism and global progress.

(Cover: A view of Jingshan Park ahead of the Chinese New Year, February 6, 2024. /CFP)

Hungarian President Katalin Novak announced her resignation on Saturday following outrage sparked in the central European country by a decision to pardon a man implicated in child sexual abuse case. 

“I am resigning my post,” said the close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, acknowledging that she had made “a mistake”.

Hungarian President Katalin Novak resigned from office on Saturday, following a child abuse pardon scandal.

“I am addressing you as President for the last time, I resign from the position of President of the Republic,” Novak said on national television channel M1.

“I apologize to those I have offended and to all the victims who might have felt I did not stand by them. I have been, am, and will be in support of protecting children and families,” she added.

Israeli air strikes killed 17 people in Rafah on the Gaza border overnight, medics said on Saturday, as over a million Palestinians crammed into the city awaited a full-scale offensive with the rest of the enclave in ruins and nowhere left to run.

Four months into the conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it had ordered the military to develop a plan to evacuate Rafah and destroy four Hamas battalions it says are deployed there.

The Israeli military said the air force killed two Hamas operatives in Rafah on Saturday.

Israel’s military ordered civilians to flee south before previous assaults on Gaza’s cities, but now there is no obvious place to go and aid agencies have said many people could die.

“Any Israeli incursion in Rafah means massacres, means destruction. People are filling every inch of the city and we have nowhere to go,” said Rezik Salah, 35, who fled from Gaza City for Rafah with his wife and two children early in the conflict.

A possible assault on Rafah prompted international concern, including posts on social media from British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-11/Palestinians-brace-for-Rafah-assault-Israel-promises-evacuation-1r6ox0dkm9a/img/1b52f676edf64ce4882f3680fe13091c/1b52f676edf64ce4882f3680fe13091c.png' alt='Palestinians search for survivors after an Israeli air strike on a residential building In Rafah, Gaza Strip, February 10, 2024. /CFP'

“Deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah – over half of Gaza’s population are sheltering in the area. The priority must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire,” Cameron said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Hard to see how large-scale military operations in such a densely populated area would not lead to many civilian casualties and a bigger humanitarian catastrophe. This is unjustifiable,” Bruins Slot said.

Air strikes

The conflict in Gaza began on October 7 when Hamas gunmen stormed border defenses to attack Israeli towns, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel responded with a massive bombardment and ground offensive in which about 28,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed, according to medical authorities in Hamas-run Gaza.

Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble by Israeli air strikes, artillery fire and controlled detonations. More than 85 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants have been left homeless.

Most of the displaced have sought shelter in Rafah, on the border with Egypt, but after fruitless ceasefire talks, Netanyahu this week said Israeli forces would fight on until “total victory.”

On Friday night an air strike on a Rafah house killed 11 people and wounded dozens and a second strike killed six people in another house, medical officials said. Earlier on Saturday two separate Israeli air strikes killed five members of the Hamas-run police force in Rafah, including a senior officer, Hamas and medics said.

In the other main southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, where many displaced people initially fled before an Israeli offensive last month, the Palestinian Health Ministry voiced alarm at Israeli operations around the main Nasser Hospital.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-11/Palestinians-brace-for-Rafah-assault-Israel-promises-evacuation-1r6ox0dkm9a/img/6c99573df2924284a6c66e31ca924f98/6c99573df2924284a6c66e31ca924f98.png' alt='This picture taken from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip shows fire and smoke rising during an Israeli air strike on Khan Yunis on February 10, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group. /CFP'

The ministry said Israeli forces had surrounded the hospital and were shooting in the vicinity, raising concerns about 300 medical staff, 450 patients and 10,000 people sheltering there.

Footage circulating on social media, which Reuters could not independently verify, showed tanks at the hospital gates.

Israel’s military said its forces were continuing intensive activities in Khan Younis as well as northern and central Gaza, killing militants, seizing weapons and striking infrastructure.

It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the situation at Nasser hospital.

Fierce fighting

In Gaza City, the first major population center targeted after Israeli ground forces invaded in October, residents reported fierce fighting on Saturday.

Israel said its forces had discovered a tunnel network hundreds of meters long running partly under the Gaza City headquarters of UNRWA, the main relief agency for Palestinians.

The military said it was evidence of how Hamas had exploited UNRWA, which has launched an internal probe and seen some donor countries freeze funding over Israel’s allegations that 12 of its roughly 13,000 employees in the Gaza Strip had participated in the October 7 attacks.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-11/Palestinians-brace-for-Rafah-assault-Israel-promises-evacuation-1r6ox0dkm9a/img/d1e7bf7df152481dbbb1f8b11496d6a2/d1e7bf7df152481dbbb1f8b11496d6a2.jpeg' alt='This picture taken during a media tour organized by the Israeli military on February 8, 2024, shows Israeli soldiers inside a tunnel that the army claimed is a "Hamas command tunnel" under a compound of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. /CFP'

UNRWA said its staff left its headquarters in Gaza City on October 12 following Israeli evacuation orders.

“We have not used that compound since we left it nor are we aware of any activity that may have taken place there,” It said.

An Israeli official who declined to be named said Israel would try to organize for people in Rafah to be moved back north ahead of any assault.

Egypt has said it will not allow any mass displacement of Palestinians into its territory. Palestinians fear Israel means to drive them from their homeland, then forbid their return.

The continued warfare in Gaza City, long after Israel said it was redeploying some troops to other areas, shows the limitations of any evacuation proposal.

Palestinian rescue workers in Gaza City said they had found the bodies of a six-year-old girl and her family members, along with the ambulance team sent to rescue them, days after an audio clip of her call to dispatchers begging for help was released.

Iran and the United States have exchanged messages throughout Israel’s military action against Hamas in Gaza, including about Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, the Iranian foreign minister said on Saturday.

“During this war and in the recent weeks, there was an exchange of messages between Iran and America,” Hossein Amirabdollahian said through a translator at a press conference capping a day-long visit to Beirut.

He said the United States had asked Tehran to request Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, “not to get widely, fully involved in this war against” Israel.

Hezbollah has exchanged near-daily fire with the Israeli military along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier to support its Palestinian ally Hamas, and has vowed to “fight to the end” should Israel launch a full-scare war on Lebanon.

Israel launched a military offensive it says aims to destroy Hamas after the Islamist group staged a deadly cross-border assault on southern Israel on October 7.

The conflict has rippled across the region and earlier this month Washington staged strikes against Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. troops in Jordan.

Amirabdollahian on Saturday warned Israel against taking any steps towards a broader war against Lebanon, saying that would be Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “last day.”

He also said Iran saw a political solution as the only way to end the conflict in Gaza.

“Iran and Lebanon confirm that war is not the solution, and that we absolutely never sought to expand it,” Amirabdollahian told a news conference earlier on Saturday alongside his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib.

He also said Tehran was in talks with Saudi Arabia on a political solution to hostilities in Gaza.

(Cover: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian speaks to journalists during a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, February 10, 2024. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-11/Chinese-consulate-in-Chicago-hosts-luncheon-to-celebrate-Year-of-Dragon-1r6KA6w4QBq/img/6145efa3f66248cea75fceee72312af8/6145efa3f66248cea75fceee72312af8.png' alt='The Chinese Consulate General in Chicago hosts a luncheon to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Muscatine, Iowa, U.S., February 9, 2024. /Chinese Consulate General in Chicago'

The Chinese Consulate General in Chicago on Friday hosted a luncheon in Muscatine in the midwestern state of Iowa in the U.S. to celebrate the Chinese New Year – the Year of the Dragon.

Chinese Consul General in Chicago Zhao Jian extended festive greetings to the guests during the event, saying he was glad to celebrate the Spring Festival with “old and new friends” in Iowa.

The dragon in Chinese culture symbolizes courage, wisdom and strength, he said, adding that the friendship between the peoples of China and the U.S. also has infinite vitality, just like the meaning of the dragon.

The events featured performances from Chinese students, videos documenting the shared history of Muscatine and China, and activities, including the exchange of New Year gifts between Chinese and U.S. students.

Zhao told the guests that over the past year, China’s economy has continued to rebound and improve, with annual GDP growth of about 5.2 percent, ahead of major economies around the world.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-11/Chinese-consulate-in-Chicago-hosts-luncheon-to-celebrate-Year-of-Dragon-1r6KA6w4QBq/img/d79922e616254395b280eed0ea3618ce/d79922e616254395b280eed0ea3618ce.jpeg' alt='Chinese Consul General in Chicago Zhao Jian (L) speaks during a luncheon hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Muscatine, Iowa, U.S., February 9, 2024. /Chinese Consulate General in Chicago'

Stressing that China has continued to promote high-quality development and high-level opening up, Zhao said China’s development brings new opportunities to the world and contributes more than 30 percent to global economic growth.

He said China firmly promotes dialogue, exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and works with other countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind. “China will always be a staunch force in safeguarding world peace and promoting common development,” he said.

China-U.S. relations are related to world peace and stability, as well as the future of mankind, Zhao said, adding that China’s development is an opportunity rather than a challenge to the U.S.

Noting that 2024 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S., he called on the two sides to adhere to the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation to push for sound and stable development of bilateral relations.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-11/Chinese-consulate-in-Chicago-hosts-luncheon-to-celebrate-Year-of-Dragon-1r6KA6w4QBq/img/56fd1153dc5140bbb4e8903bfd51c8d7/56fd1153dc5140bbb4e8903bfd51c8d7.jpeg' alt='Sarah Lande (L) speaks during a luncheon hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Muscatine, Iowa, U.S., February 9, 2024. /Chinese Consulate General in Chicago'

Speaking at the event, former U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad, a former governor of Iowa, said he is proud to be considered an “old friend” by the Chinese people.

He said the U.S.-China relationship is of great importance to both countries and the world, and 40 years of friendly exchanges between Iowa and China’s Hebei Province have forged a deep friendship between the two peoples.

“We hope that the peoples of the two countries will further strengthen exchanges, develop cooperation and continue their friendship,” he said.

Sarah Lande, a resident of Muscatine in the U.S. state of Iowa and an old friend of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s, was also one of the attendees.

She noted that the friendship between the people of Muscatine and the people of China has lasted for nearly 40 years, embodying the enduring friendship between the two countries.

China’s initiative to invite 50,000 U.S. students on exchange and study programs in the next five years is a great way to help young American students learn about China, Lande said.

She voiced the hope that with the arrival of the Year of the Dragon, the two sides will continue to deepen exchanges and friendship, especially between the young generations.

President Xi, on January 4, replied to a letter from Lande, saying that the achievements in China-U.S. relations are primarily attributable to the collective efforts of the people of the two countries.

Teachers and students of Lincoln High School from the U.S. state of Washington expressed thanks to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan through China Media Group (CMG) on Monday, saying they are looking forward to the upcoming exchange activities in China.

Xi and Peng recently replied to a Chinese New Year greeting card from the students and teachers at Lincoln High School. In the greeting card sent to the teachers and students, Xi and Peng invited them to come to China for exchange and study and contribute to the friendship between the two peoples, especially among the youth.

Karl Hoseth, principal of Lincoln High School, said that when the teachers and students received the New Year card from Xi and his wife, they were very excited and Lincoln High School is willing to become a bridge and bond between China and the United States.

Noting that Xi and his wife’s card shows they care deeply about teachers and students at Lincoln High School, Hoseth said it stands as testament to the genuine friendship between Lincoln High School and China over the past few years.

One of the students said he would make the most of the trip to learn more about Chinese culture and its people. 

The students and teachers of Lincoln High School also watched the English version of the 2024 Spring Festival Gala of the Year of the Dragon produced by CMG, which gifted teachers and students the official mascot of the 2024 Spring Festival Gala.

Last November, President Xi announced in San Francisco that China is willing to invite 50,000 young people from the United States to study in China in the next five years.

Lincoln High School is one of the first American schools to participate in the program, and the first group of teachers and students will travel to several cities and visit CMG headquarters in China in March.

(Cover: Teachers and students of Lincoln High School pose with the CMG 2024 Spring Festival Gala official mascot and other cultural and creative products, February 12, 2024. /CMG)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-13/Ukraine-crisis-Chinese-envoy-calls-to-reflect-on-Minsk-agreement-1r9EGzjn9u0/img/42ea4a495c694e4abef373079efcb1d8/42ea4a495c694e4abef373079efcb1d8.png' alt='Ukrainian border guards conduct training on patrolling the borderline, searching for and detaining enemy sabotage groups in a forest near the border with Belarus in Chernihiv, Ukraine, February 10, 2024. /CFP'

China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, on Monday, called on all parties concerned to reflect on the current situation of the Ukraine crisis after the new Minsk agreement signed in 2015, calling to resolve the conflict through dialogue and consultation.

Zhang made the remarks at a Russia-initiated UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine. He said that the Minsk agreement, recognized by all parties as a basic political document for the settlement of the eastern Ukraine issue, is legally binding and should be fully and effectively implemented by all parties concerned.

The 2015 Minsk agreement is a package of measures to peacefully settle the conflict in the Donbas region. The plan was signed by the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine comprising senior representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the European security watchdog OSCE on February 12, 2015.

The 13-point document envisaged a ceasefire between Ukrainian government forces and militias in the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk and the subsequent withdrawal of heavy weapons from the line of contact to a distance of at least 50 kilometers. The deal also laid out a roadmap for a lasting settlement in Ukraine, including amnesty, prisoner swaps, the resumption of economic ties, local elections and constitutional reform to give more autonomy to the war-torn eastern regions.

“Regrettably, most of the provisions of the agreement have so far not been implemented,” Zhang said, adding the subsequent outbreak and spillover of the Russia-Ukraine conflict are deplorable and deserve “serious reflection” by all parties.

He underlined that China’s position on the Ukraine crisis has been consistent, saying that China always maintains that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, and all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported.

He urged relevant parties to strengthen dialogue, resume negotiations and realize a ceasefire as soon as possible. He also prompted the international community to actively promote peace talks and create positive conditions for a political settlement of the crisis, warning certain countries to stop undermining the diplomatic efforts of the international community.

“We must stay committed to resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation, and adhere to the political settlement, rather than resorting to pressure, smears, unilateral sanctions or the willful use of force,” Zhang said. He specifically mentioned NATO, saying the military alliance should “wake up from the illusion of force and stop hyping up threats and war rhetoric.”

The envoy noted that the world is facing unprecedented risks and challenges, and the international society must adhere to genuine multilateralism and respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He added that China, as a staunch force for global peace, is willing to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and promote international peace and security.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-13/Trump-defiant-after-backlash-over-NATO-remarks-1r9W5nLzgDm/img/d03a408a4a454cb6b3cc80e04b2c9492/d03a408a4a454cb6b3cc80e04b2c9492.jpeg' alt='Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, U.S., February 10, 2024. /CFP'

Former U.S. President Donald Trump defended his North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) record on Monday, saying he had made it “strong” after sparking a firestorm of criticism over comments downplaying his commitment to the alliance. 

“I made NATO strong, and even the ‘Rinos’ and Radical Left Democrats admit that,” Trump said on Truth Social, using an acronym deployed by conservatives for critics within their own party: Republicans In Name Only.

Trump raised a storm of criticism from the White House and top Western officials for suggesting he would not defend NATO allies who failed to spend enough on defense and would even encourage Russia to attack them.

The failure of many of NATO’s 31 members to meet a defense spending target of at least 2 percent of gross domestic product has long been a source of tension with the United States, whose armed forces form the core of the alliance’s military power. NATO estimates have shown that only 11 members spend at the target level.

What did Trump say about NATO?

As U.S. president from 2017-21, Trump often lambasted NATO and members such as Germany, accusing them of not paying enough for their own defense and relying on Washington to protect them. He openly questioned the collective defense principle enshrined in NATO’s founding treaty – the idea that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all of them.

Other U.S. administrations have also accused Europeans of not spending enough on defense, but in less strident terms.

Trump took his criticism to a new level at a campaign rally on Saturday in Conway, South Carolina, when he recounted what he said was a conversation with the “president of a big country.”

“Well sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia – will you protect us?” Trump quoted the unnamed leader as saying.

“I said, ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’ He said, ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay,” Trump said.

Backlash from inside

The NATO remarks prompted rebukes from the White House, as well as from some Republicans and other top Western officials.

U.S. President Joe Biden slammed the comments as “appalling and dangerous,” warning that his predecessor, who is running for re-election, intended to give Russian leader Vladimir Putin “a green light for more war and violence.”

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement on Saturday night that encouraging invasions of our closest allies “endangers American national security, global stability and our economy at home.”

Some of Trump’s fellow Republicans on Sunday lashed out at him. “This is why I’ve been saying for a long time that he’s unfit to be president of the United States,” former Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” program.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump’s, told Reuters in a brief hallway interview that he disagreed “with the way he (Trump) said it,” referring to the NATO remarks.

Some Republicans defended Trump. “Virtually every American president at some point, in some way, has complained about other countries in NATO not doing enough. Trump’s just the first one to express it in these terms. But I have zero concern because he’s been president before,” Senator Marco Rubio said. 

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-13/Trump-defiant-after-backlash-over-NATO-remarks-1r9W5nLzgDm/img/b229167d3c1b4aa6962cd006e6b930f1/b229167d3c1b4aa6962cd006e6b930f1.png' alt='Two Estonian soldiers stand in front of armored personnel carriers on the snowy training ground during a NATO winter exercise in Tapa, Estonia, February 10, 2024. /CFP'

Criticism from NATO and EU

European leaders criticized Trump’s comments and have called for greater unity and military cooperation across the continent.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO “remains ready and able to defend all allies. Any attack on NATO will be met with a united and forceful response.”

Stoltenberg cautioned that “any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday criticized Trump for his recent NATO remarks.

“Let me clearly say due to recent developments that any relativizing of NATO’s collective defense guarantee is irresponsible and dangerous and is only in Russia’s interests,” Scholz said after talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Berlin.

Tusk said on a visit to Paris on Monday that there was “no alternative” to the EU and the transatlantic alliance before a summit where he discussed deepening defense relationships with the French president, Emmanuel Macron.

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz also criticized Trump. “NATO’s motto ‘one for all, all for one’ is a concrete commitment. Undermining the credibility of allied countries means weakening the entire NATO,” he wrote on X. 

Europe needs another “life insurance” policy in addition to NATO, France’s foreign minister said on Monday, following Trump’s comments.

“Yes, we need a second life insurance, not in substitution to or against NATO but in addition” to the alliance, Stephane Sejourne said alongside his German and Polish counterparts.

(With input from agencies)

Sri Lanka’s presidential election will be held within the mandated period and according to the current timeline, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The PMD added that the country’s parliamentary election will be held in 2025 and that necessary funding will be allocated in the 2025 budget.

The election commission is responsible for holding elections, and the government will be communicating with the commission as and when required, the PMD said.

Last week, the cabinet of ministers approved a proposal to allocate 10 billion rupees (about $32 million) for elections to be held in 2024, the government’s information department said in a statement.

According to the country’s constitution, the forthcoming presidential election should be held before October 17, 2024.

(Cover: The city skyline viewed from the Colombo Lotus Tower observation deck in Colombo, Sri Lanka, September 15, 2022. /CFP)

“I think China is going through a major transition from old economy to new economy,” CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Bill Winters said on Monday. “If you visit the new economy, which many of you have – I have – it’s booming, absolutely booming well into double-digit growth rates and in everything EV-related, the whole supply chain, everything sustainable finance and sustainability-related, etc.”

He made the remarks during the World Government Summit held in Dubai on February 12.

Winters expressed optimism about the world’s second-largest economy, pointing out that every society that has undergone major economic transition inevitably experiences some level of tumult and growing pains.

“They’re trying to manage this transition without disrupting the financial system, which in the West, we’ve never managed to do,” the banking CEO said. “Every big industrial transition has had a major depression associated with it or global financial crisis. They’re trying to avoid that, which means it gets dragged out. I think they’ll get through the back end just fine.”

John Bilton, head of global multi-asset strategy at JPMorgan Asset Management, also voiced optimism about China’s economy. Even as China’s economy is facing difficulties, treating it as un-investable like some analysts have suggested would not be the right call, he told CNBC.

“I don’t think you can treat the world’s second-largest economy as either an alternative investment or un-investable; that would be wide of the mark,” Bilton said.

(Cover: Bill Winters (L), CEO of the Standard Chartered Bank, listens as Bernard Mensah, president of the International Bank of America, addresses the World Government Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 12, 2024. /CFP)

The Democrat-led U.S. Senate passed a $95 billion bill containing aid for Ukraine and Israel on Tuesday and sent the measure on to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the U.S. Senate vote to support a bill envisaging $61 billion in aid for Ukraine.

“American assistance brings just peace in Ukraine closer and restores global stability, resulting in increased security and prosperity for all Americans and all the free world,” he said on X.

Yet the package faces a deeply uncertain future in the House, where hardline Republicans criticize support for Ukraine and oppose the legislation.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson cast new doubt on the package in a statement on Monday evening, making clear that it could be weeks or months before Congress sends the legislation to President Joe Biden’s desk.

Senator John Thune said it was not clear what Johnson would do.

“The House, I assume, is going to move on something. Obviously, they’re going to address Israel,” Thune said.

Hardline Republicans predicted that the Senate legislation would be dead on arrival in the House.

“The bill before us today … will never pass in the House, will never become law,” Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida said in an early morning floor speech.

Progressive lawmakers have objected to sending offensive weaponry to Israel, and two Democrats, Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Peter Welch of Vermont, as well as Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent of Vermont, voted against it.

“I cannot in good conscience support sending billions of additional taxpayer dollars for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s military campaign in Gaza,” Welch said. “It’s a campaign that has killed and wounded a shocking number of civilians. It’s created a massive humanitarian crisis.”

The legislation includes $14 billion for Israel and $4.83 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: The U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., U.S. /CFP)

Russia hopes that Armenia and Azerbaijan will continue their peace negotiations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday, after reports of military flare-ups near the border of the two countries.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Armenian Defense Ministry said that four Armenian soldiers had been killed on the southern border by gunfire from Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s authorities called it a “retaliation operation” in response to earlier provocations.

Azerbaijan’s border service said that it would retaliate with “more serious and decisive measures” upon any future provocations.

The Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a Telegram statement that Azerbaijan’s gunfire resulted in four killed in action and one wounded on the Armenian side.

“Such incidents, to say the least, do not contribute to the advancement of this negotiation process, but we hope that this process will be continued,” Peskov said, adding that Russia’s contacts with both sides will resume.

The spokesperson called the incidents “alarming news,” and urged both sides to show restraint and steer clear of any further actions that could be perceived as provocative by the opposite side.

On Monday, the State News Agency of Azerbaijan AZERTAC, citing the country’s border service, reported that an Azerbaijani border guard was wounded as a result of shelling from Armenia. Subsequently, Baku and Yerevan accused each other of shelling on the border.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. In December 2023, the two countries reached an agreement on taking confidence-building steps by releasing prisoners of war following their first-ever direct negotiations with no mediators involved.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: A trench at a border checkpoint between Armenia and Azerbaijan near the village of Sotk, Armenia, June 18, 2021. /CFP)

Yemen’s Houthi group said they launched missile attacks on a U.S. commercial ship in the southern Red Sea on Monday, saying the hit was accurate.

“Our naval forces targeted the American ship, Star Iris, in the Red Sea with a number of suitable naval missiles, and the hit was accurate,” Yahya Sarea, the Houthi military spokesman, said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah satellite TV channel.

“Our armed forces will continue to implement the decision to prevent all Israel-linked ships or those heading to Israeli ports unless Israeli aggression on the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip stops,” he said.

“Our forces will not hesitate to carry out more attacks in response to the Zionist crimes in Gaza, as well as in response to the American-British aggression against our country (Yemen),” the Houthi military spokesman added.

Earlier in the day, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) reported on the X platform that it received a report of an incident about 40 nautical miles (around 74 kilometers) south of the Yemeni port of al-Mukha.

“Master said his vessel was attacked by two missiles,” the UKMTO said, adding that there were no casualties, and the vessel continued sailing.

This is the latest in a series of attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea claimed by the Houthis since mid-November last year, in what they claim is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, triggering Houthi attacks against Israel-bound ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

(Cover: Guards carry coffins of Yemen’s Houthi fighters, who were killed in U.S.-UK air strikes, during a funeral ceremony at Al-Sha’ab Mosque in Sana’a, Yemen, February 10, 2024. /CFP)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday emphasized the importance of gender equality in science in his message for International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which falls on February 11.

Guterres highlighted the critical role of women and girls in scientific fields, stating that “gender equality in science is vital for building a better future for all.”

Despite the importance of their participation, Guterres pointed out the significant challenges women and girls face in the scientific community. “Unfortunately, women and girls continue to face systemic barriers and biases that prevent them from pursuing careers in science,” he said.

Guterres shed light on the stark disparities within the scientific community, noting, “Today, women make up only one-third of the global scientific community,” and they face considerable obstacles in terms of funding, publishing opportunities and attaining senior positions.

The secretary-general also addressed the severe educational limitations faced by women and girls in certain regions, describing it as “an act of self-harm for the societies concerned and a terrible violation of human rights.”

Guterres underscored the necessity of women and girls’ involvement in science to tackle global challenges effectively.

“From climate change to health to artificial intelligence, the equal participation of women and girls in scientific discovery and innovation is the only way to ensure that science works for everyone,” he said.

To bridge the gender gap in science, Guterres called for comprehensive measures, including “dismantling gender stereotypes and promoting role models that encourage girls to choose science, developing programs to support the advancement of women in science and cultivating a working environment that nurtures the talents of all, including women members of minority communities.”

(Cover: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press briefing on his priorities for 2024 at UN Headquarters in New York, U.S., February 8, 2024. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-11/Foreign-leaders-extend-best-wishes-for-Chinese-Lunar-New-Year-1r6IKbK3XK8/img/760e892a926b458abfa800e8abef9dc4/760e892a926b458abfa800e8abef9dc4.jpeg' alt='Tourists have fun at a historical and cultural street in Anshun City in southwest China's Guizhou Province, February 10, 2024. /Xinhua'

Foreign leaders have sent their best wishes to the Chinese people and overseas Chinese around the world who celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival.

China on Saturday rang in the Year of the Dragon. Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among the Chinese, the Spring Festival signifies a time of joyful family reunions and a slew of cultural events.

French President Emmanuel Macron extended his blessings for the Lunar New Year in the Chinese language on social media on Saturday.

Macron said he wished friends around the world celebrating the Lunar New Year a happy new year, good health and all the best.

The Year of the Dragon symbolizes innovation and creativity, which features the exciting events they have prepared in France, he said.

Prime Minister of Thailand Srettha Thavisin posted on social media to wish Thais and Chinese nationals a happy and prosperous New Year.

“I wish 2024 to be the year of affluence and prosperity while all of you enjoy an endless stream of wealth and good fortune,” Srettha said.

Srettha expressed hope that trade and investment between Thailand and China would further expand and that the visa waiver policy will help promote travel between the two countries and make it more convenient.

Thailand always welcomes Chinese visitors, he said, expressing hope that the Thailand-China relationship will stand strong forever. “Thais and Chinese are no strangers but essentially siblings.”

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday expressed his warmest wishes to the Chinese government and the Chinese people, as well as the Chinese community in South Africa, according to a statement on the website of the South African Presidency.

He also wished China a year of continued prosperity, innovation and advancement of peace and development globally.

“May the following weeks of celebration and social reunions be a time of great festivity and reinvigoration at the dawn of a year of good fortune and progress,” he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida published a Lunar New Year’s message on his official website, extending greetings to the Chinese community living and working in Japan and everyone around the world celebrating the Spring Festival.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has extended his greetings on social media, wishing the Chinese community in the country and all those celebrating the Chinese New Year good luck and good health in the Year of the Dragon.

In attending a celebration event in Belgrade, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said she wished the “friendship of steel” between Serbia and China would strengthen further in 2024.

“In 2024, we began a new decade of the Belt and Road Initiative, in which Serbia plays a significant role. So, besides the New Year wishes of happiness and success that we send to our friends, we also wish success and growth for all of us in the new decade of Belt and Road cooperation,” said Brnabic.

(With input from Xinhua)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-10/Gun-makers-to-ask-U-S-Supreme-Court-to-bar-Mexico-s-lawsuit-1r5iFIh7EME/img/5ebda76b46aa422d97497da50c77a1d9/5ebda76b46aa422d97497da50c77a1d9.png' alt='Picture of guns on a wall at a gun shop in Capitol Heights, Maryland, U.S., March 14, 2023. /CFP'

U.S. gun manufacturers plan to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their bid to escape Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit seeking to hold them responsible for facilitating the trafficking of weapons to drug cartels across the U.S.-Mexico border.

The planned appeal was disclosed during a virtual court hearing on Friday by a lawyer for Smith & Wesson Brands after the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month overturned a judge’s decision dismissing the case.

Mexico alleges in the lawsuit, filed in 2021, that the companies undermined its strict gun laws by designing, marketing and distributing military-style assault weapons in ways they knew would arm drug cartels, fueling murders, extortion and kidnappings in the country.

Mexico says over 500,000 guns are trafficked annually from the U.S. into Mexico, of which more than 68 percent are made by the eight companies it sued, which include Sturm, Ruger & Co, Beretta USA, Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Colt’s Manufacturing Co and Glock Inc.

Mexico said the smuggling has contributed to high rates of gun-related deaths, declining investment and economic activity and a need for it to spend more on law enforcement and public safety.

The companies deny wrongdoing.

Andrew Lelling, Smith & Wesson’s lawyer, said at Friday’s hearing there was a “reasonably good chance” the Supreme Court would agree to hear its appeal, and he asked U.S. District Judge Dennis Saylor to put the case on hold until the justices act on the petition.

He said the appeal would focus on whether Mexico’s claims are barred by a federal law, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which gives gun manufacturers broad protection from lawsuits over the misuse of their products.

The 1st Circuit ruled on January 22 that while PLCAA can be applied to lawsuits by foreign governments, Mexico’s lawsuit “plausibly alleges a type of claim that is statutorily exempt from the PLCAA’s general prohibition.”

The court said that was because the law was only designed to protect lawful firearms-related commerce, yet Mexico had accused the companies of aiding and abetting illegal gun sales by facilitating the trafficking of firearms into the country.

(With input from Reuters)

Some 195.24 million passenger trips were handled by China’s transportation sectors on Friday, the Chinese Lunar New Year Eve, up 26.7 percent from the same day last year, official statistics showed.

Of the total, highway traffic amounted to 184.62 million passenger trips, up 24.2 percent year on year, according to a special work team established in January to ensure the safety and sound operation of the year’s Spring Festival travel rush.

Railway traffic jumped 98.8 percent to 8.257 million trips, while air trips surged 137.7 percent to 1.797 million, and passenger trips by water increased by 11.9 percent to 566,000.

The Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, China’s most important festival, fell on February 10 this year. The travel rush, usually a period of high transportation demand as people return home for family reunions, lasts from January 26 to March 5.

(Cover: Travelers are seen at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in east China’s Shanghai, February 9, 2024. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-09/Premier-stresses-smooth-transportation-safety-during-Spring-Festival-1r3wqkVLAys/img/fde0627e41c94567aed599cd2a680a97/fde0627e41c94567aed599cd2a680a97.jpeg' alt='Chinese Premier Li Qiang inspects the Ministry of Emergency Management in Beijing, China, February 9, 2024. /Xinhua'

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday emphasized that appropriate measures are in place to ensure the sound operations of the country’s transportation network and key sectors during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the statement during an inspection tour of the Ministry of Emergency Management.

Efforts must focus on monitoring and coordinating the transport capacity while coping with the changing weather conditions such as blizzards and cold waves that have impacted travelers in some areas, the premier said.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-09/Premier-stresses-smooth-transportation-safety-during-Spring-Festival-1r3wqkVLAys/img/4182f601e9834c3e9b3f93c8d6cdeafa/4182f601e9834c3e9b3f93c8d6cdeafa.jpeg' alt='Chinese Premier Li Qiang inspects the Ministry of Emergency Management in Beijing, China, February 9, 2024. /Xinhua'

While at the ministry, the Premier also virtually inspected key industries, particularly those involved in the use of hazardous chemicals. Li urged them to ensure that work safety measures are in order to avoid any major accidents from occurring during the holiday.

To ensure safety, he urged on-site management of festival activities, tourist attractions as well as crowded places.

Having learned about the national emergency management system’s holiday operation situation, he called on all localities and departments to strictly implement the holiday duty system, refine and optimize the contingency plans, and activate instant response, dispatch and rescue in case of an emergency.

The Spring Festival holiday, which is a time for family reunions across the country, runs from February 10 to 17 this year.

John Lee, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, delivered a Chinese New Year message on Friday, wishing the people of Hong Kong a full house of happiness and harmony in the Year of the Dragon.

“The dragon is an auspicious symbol signifying nobility and good luck. As we welcome the Year of the Dragon, Hong Kong is nurturing fresh vitality and prosperity. We will seize each and every new opportunity, showcase the charm of our city, and write a bright new chapter for Hong Kong,” Lee said.

The chief executive said the Chinese New Year is a time for reunions, a time for families and friends to get together and cherish the joy and warmth of the festive season.

“We share our wishes for children to grow strong and healthy, and for grown-ups to be blessed with good fortune,” Lee said.

(Cover: A file photo of Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee. /Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin ahead of the Chinese New Year.

It has become a fine tradition for him and Putin to exchange greetings by the turn of the year, review the achievements of the development of bilateral relations, and jointly look forward to the future, said Xi.

Noting China and Russia withstood many tests together in the past, Xi said that their relations embrace new development opportunities in the future.

China stands ready to work with Russia to make the global governance system more just and reasonable, and is also ready to strengthen international multilateral coordination with Russia, practice the true multilateralism, and advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and economic globalization that benefits all, so as to make positive contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.

For his part, Putin said that Russia firmly abides by the one-China principle, and opposes any dangerous act that provokes China on the Taiwan question.

(With input from Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday extended congratulations to Ilham Aliyev on his re-election as president of Azerbaijan.

President Xi pointed out that China-Azerbaijan relations have, in recent years, shown a momentum of sound and steady development, adding that the two sides have established a high level of political mutual trust, solidly promoted Belt and Road cooperation and maintained close coordination in international affairs.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Azerbaijan relations and stands ready to work with Aliyev to take bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields to a new level.

(Cover: Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev attends the 16th Economic Cooperation Organization Summit in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, November 9, 2023. /CFP)

Immigrants suffer as partisanship intensifies! The fierce conflict between the Texas state government and the federal government over the issue of immigration continues, with some even referring to it as a “national divorce.” A global online poll conducted by CGTN showed that 86.5 percent of global respondents believe that the confrontation between the two sides over immigration once again highlights the fact that the two parties in the U.S. are escalating their rivalry and that politics is becoming increasingly disorganized.

Immigration has long been a subject of contention between the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States. In order to avoid their political responsibilities, the two parties have gone so far as to “send immigrants” to each other. During the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, Republican politicians, including the governor of Texas, used buses and airplanes to transport thousands of immigrants to Democrat-run cities.

Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that 856 migrants died while crossing the southern U.S. border in fiscal year 2022. The migrant tragedy in Texas that year remains devastating.

In the survey, some 70.2 percent of respondents were deeply concerned about the violence and inhumane behavior of the U.S. government in dealing with immigration and believed that U.S. law enforcement officers have seriously violated the basic human rights of migrants. Another 93.5 percent of respondents said that it is very disappointing that the immigration issue has become a tool for campaigners to win votes in successive U.S. elections. Still, it is difficult to follow through on the political promises made to them after the election.

The intensifying immigration problem has not only lifted the fig leaf of American democracy and human rights but also exposed the deep-rooted and structural disorder in the governance of American society.

In the survey, as many as 90.3 percent of the respondents believe that the U.S. constitution’s “vague indulgence” of illegal immigrant groups and other structural reasons would escalate the power struggle between the federal government and states governed by competing political parties; 89.3 percent of the respondents said that the immigration issue is only the tip of the iceberg of the U.S. domestic political chaos in the context of the polarization of U.S. politics, and “America against America” may become the norm.

“This (immigration chaos) is the beginning of the decline and collapse of the United States,” a CGTN netizen said in a message.

The survey was released on CGTN’s English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms, with more than 11,000 netizens voting and expressing their opinions within 24 hours.

(Cover: The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 6, 2023. /CFP)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Wednesday extended festive greetings to people from non-CPC political parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, personages without party affiliation and other members of the united front ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, sent the greetings when he took part in an annual gathering with non-CPC members at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister, held a phone conversation with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Tuesday. 

China has always regarded South Korea as an important partner, Wang said, expressing hope that South Korea will promote the return of relations between the two countries to a healthy and stable track of development. 

Noting that China and South Korea have close economic ties, and their supply chains are highly interlocked, he said both sides should work together to maintain the stability and smooth flow of the supply chains and resist the politicization of economic issues.

Cho said the South Korean government attaches great importance to the development of relations with China, and is willing to work with China to enhance mutual trust, focus on cooperation and close high-level exchanges, and continue to accumulate results in the economic, people-to-people exchange and other fields, so as to promote the sustainable development of relations between the two countries. 

South Korea’s commitment to the one-China policy remains unchanged, he said. The two sides have close economic and trade ties, and they should strengthen communication and coordination on maintaining the stability of the production and supply chain, he added.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Wang said that the current situation on the peninsula is tense for a reason, and hoped that all parties would remain calm and exercise restraint, refrain from acts that exacerbate tensions, and resolve their reasonable concerns through dialogue and consultation.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday said China deplores and firmly opposes the blatant action of U.S. senior officials involving themselves with anti-China rioters who have fled Hong Kong.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel J. Kritenbrink’s recent meeting with four anti-China rioters who have fled overseas.

“These rioters are suspected of endangering national security,” Wang told a regular news briefing.

The Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants in accordance with the law. This is necessary and legitimate and in line with the international law and customary practice, said Wang.

National security legislation of the United States are applied extraterritorially as well. By bolstering the rioters from Hong Kong, the United States is not only trampling the principle of the rule of law but also laying bare its long-standing double standards on human rights and the rule of law, he added.

Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs that brook no external interference, said Wang, adding that China urges the United States to reflect on what it has done and fully respect China’s sovereignty and rule of law in Hong Kong.

The United States should not become a haven for criminals. China has firm resolve to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests, said Wang, adding that any attempt to meddle in Hong Kong affairs and undermine the rule of law in Hong Kong will be met with China’s resolute response.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday urged for the resolute implementation of the Communist Party of China’s strategic policy of full and rigorous self-governance, and called for greater advancements in improving Party conduct, upholding integrity and combating corruption within the government.

Li made the remarks at a State Council meeting on clean governance.

(Cover: Chinese Premier Li Qiang speaks at a State Council meeting on clean governance in Beijing, China, February 5, 2024. /CMG)

The Chinese Coast Guard said on Monday that it drove away a Philippine coast guard vessel that intruded into waters adjacent to the Huangyan Island in accordance with Chinese law.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday afternoon held a symposium in Beijing with representatives of foreign experts who have won the Friendship Award for 2023 and those who are working in China before the Spring Festival, the Chinese Lunar New Year. 

Li extended New Year greetings and sincere wishes to foreign experts and their relatives, thanked them for their long-term concern and support for China’s development and construction, and listened attentively to the experts’ opinions and suggestions on China’s development and government work.

The Chinese premier pointed out that foreign experts have played an important role in promoting China’s economic and social development and facilitating exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries.

Li told foreign experts that China is comprehensively promoting Chinese modernization with high-quality development, which will release massive development opportunities and provide a broad stage for them.

Li also emphasized that China’s development is open development, and China welcomes talents from all over the world.

He voiced the hope that foreign experts will continue to participate in China’s development and fully display their talents on the stage of China’s modernization and construction, and at the same time continue to serve as a bridge between China and the world.

The Chinese government will continue to optimize relevant policies, further facilitate people-to-people exchanges, strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights and other rights and interests, and create a better environment for talents from all over the world to come to work and live in China, Li added.

During the symposium, experts from Switzerland, Germany, Brazil, South Korea, Thailand, Russia and other countries also made speeches focusing on scientific and technological innovation cooperation, green development and talent cultivation.

(Cover: Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds a symposium in Beijing with representatives of foreign experts, February 4, 2024. /CMG)

The second edition of the World Defense Show kicked off on Sunday in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, focusing on cutting-edge technology in the field of defense and security.

At the invitation of the organizer, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force’s August 1st aerobatics team is participating in the five-day show, and will put on an aerobatic performance.

Created by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), the World Defense Show is set to be held every two years to showcase the latest technological developments from around the globe.

A Spring Festival celebration event for Taiwan compatriots was held Friday in Beijing by the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, gathering 40 Taiwan representatives from sectors such as the economy, education, art and health.

Relevant officials and the representatives engaged in discussions to exchange ideas and watched performances together.

At the event, Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, delivered remarks and extended festive greetings to all Taiwan compatriots.

Song called on Taiwan compatriots to uphold the right direction of the cross-Straits relations, firmly oppose separatist activities seeking “Taiwan independence,” and actively participate in the cause of Chinese modernization.

During the discussions, six representatives shared their experience of studying, working and living on the mainland, as well as their suggestions on promoting cross-Straits relations.

(Cover: People shop for decorations for Chinese Lunar New Year at a flower market in Taipei, southeast China’s Taiwan, February 3, 2024. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1qTOSDeu1mo/img/f628b666e5224642bf9761d552fc131a/f628b666e5224642bf9761d552fc131a.jpeg' alt='Supporters of the Houthi group take part in a demonstration against the U.S. and Israel and express solidarity with the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip in Sanaa, Yemen, February 2, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1qTOSDeu1mo/img/0f799ad015014e00876cb500c9955da2/0f799ad015014e00876cb500c9955da2.jpeg' alt='A woman reacts as she salvages belongings from the rubble of a destroyed house following Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 3, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1qTOSDeu1mo/img/4e019374212647528e007aa6f2a100bd/4e019374212647528e007aa6f2a100bd.jpeg' alt='Demonstrators supporting Palestine marched to demand a permanent ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, near Columbia University in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 2, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1qTOSDeu1mo/img/e52fa0e12503400999e13b21a1c38ef8/e52fa0e12503400999e13b21a1c38ef8.jpeg' alt='Zhang Jun (C), the Chinese representative at the United Nations, attends the UN Security Council meeting after the rulings of International Court of Justice on Israel, at the UN Headquarters in New York, January 31, 2024. /CFP'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1qTOSDeu1mo/img/16544a5f116c4660bc7b2bc81d942f76/16544a5f116c4660bc7b2bc81d942f76.jpeg' alt='This combination of undated handout pictures shows the three U.S. soldiers killed in a drone attack on their base in remote northeastern Jordan, near the Syrian border, January 29, 2024. / CFP.'<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-03/Pictures-of-the-week-Latest-on-Palestine-Israel-conflict-1qTOSDeu1mo/img/9a2be0d9ee544eb88ff9d974e0476ded/9a2be0d9ee544eb88ff9d974e0476ded.jpeg' alt='Protesters block the path for humanitarian aid bound for the Gaza Strip at the Nitzana border crossing with Egypt in southern Israel, February 2, 2024. /CFP'

Chinese premier Li Qiang on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to the launch ceremony of the China-ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchanges.

Li said that linked by mountains and rivers, China and countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) enjoy cultural affinity and time-honored friendly exchanges, and that together, the two sides have created a rich and diverse Asian culture.

The China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership enjoys a sound momentum of development, and cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results, Li said, adding that new strides have been made in building a China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

Li said China looks forward to working with ASEAN countries to take the China-ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchanges as an opportunity to promote mutual understanding and amity among people of the two sides, build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, and build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable homeland together.

Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin attended the launching ceremony held in Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province, and read Li’s congratulatory letter.

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone of Laos, the current ASEAN chair, also sent a congratulatory letter to the launching ceremony.

(Cover: Two girls display Xunpu flowery headwear at an exhibition of China-ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchanges, in Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province, February 2, 2024. /Xinhua)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-02/Spending-time-with-the-people-Xi-Jinping-s-Chinese-New-Year-tradition-1qS8w1LAwQU/img/16c0f228b9064742985b8db0577f8815/16c0f228b9064742985b8db0577f8815.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 Tianjin Municipality, north China, February 1, 2024. /Xinhua'

In a village greenhouse in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, vegetables and fruits are waiting to be picked and transported. Some have been packaged for delivery to be served on people’s dining tables.

Diliubu Village, known as the main origin of vegetables for Beijing and Tianjin, will supply agricultural products to the megacities during the upcoming Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year.

With the village being the first stop of his two-day inspection tour in Tianjin, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday visited the villagers affected by severe floods last summer, and learned of the recovery of local agricultural production.

“I especially care about grassroots officials and members of the public as we ring in the Chinese New Year,” Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, once said.

For years, Xi has had a tradition of visiting ordinary people, especially disadvantaged groups, ahead of the Spring Festival, the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar. Falling on February 10 this year, the festival is a time traditionally spent in the company of family.

The people always on Xi’s mind

When delivering his 2024 New Year message one month ago, Xi listed the issues that remain at the forefront of his mind, including places hit by floods, typhoons, earthquakes or other natural disasters.

When he came to visit those affected by the floods in Diliubu Village on Thursday, Xi once again made clear his concern for such group of people.

“The CPC Central Committee and Party committees and governments at all levels are always thinking of everyone’s safety and warmth,” he told the villagers.

This is not the first time the Chinese president singled out a disaster-hit place to kick off his annual inspection before the Spring Festival. In January 2022, he braved the snow to visit people in a small village called Fengnanyuan in north China’s Shanxi Province that had been hit hard by autumn floods.

Carrying forward traditional Chinese culture

Nestled amid a multitude of ancient-style pavilions and winding alleyways, Tianjin Ancient Culture Street, which houses many renowned brands, is immersed in the lively preparations for the start of the Year of the Dragon.

Its iconic ancient-style gateway, embellished with the Chinese dragon and phoenix motifs, now glows with a vibrant hue of “Chinese red,” captivating visitors from all over the country.

When visiting the street on Thursday, Xi stressed the importance of carrying forward the traditional Chinese culture, a message he also underscored during his last visit to Tianjin in 2019.

Chinese modernization would not be possible without the inheritance and promotion of China’s fine traditional culture, Xi said.

Calling Tianjin a city with great characteristics and charm, he urged efforts to protect and make good use of its historical and cultural blocks to make them shine in the building of a modern metropolis.

Han Kuo-yu of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party was elected as the new head of Taiwan’s legislative body on Thursday. Chiang Chi-chen was elected as the deputy head of the legislative body.

The Chinese KMT won 52 seats in the election of the island’s 113-seat legislature on January 13. The Democratic Progressive Party received 51 seats, the Taiwan People’s Party seized eight seats, and the other two seats were won by independent candidates. 

At the request of opposition parties, Hungary’s parliament will meet on Monday, and the ratification of Sweden’s NATO is expected to be on the agenda, a document on the parliament’s website showed on Thursday.

However, it’s unclear whether the ruling Fidesz party’s lawmakers, who have a large majority, will attend the meeting. Hungary is the only NATO member that has not approved Sweden’s application to join the alliance.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday urged the United States to stop using so-called national security as an excuse to suppress and restrict Chinese students and effectively protect the security, legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and scholars in the U.S.

According to reports, Chinese students were interrogated when entering the U.S. through Washington Dulles International Airport. U.S. authorities asked them about their political background and scientific research status and required them to provide internal information about the Chinese government in exchange for their release, canceling their visas and deporting them after the request was denied.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the U.S. has frequently harassed, interrogated and deported Chinese students for political purposes for some time. At Washington Dulles Airport alone, at least eight Chinese students holding legal and valid documents have been deported by the U.S. after unwarranted harassment and interrogation since the end of November 2023.

Read more: Chinese embassy cautions students after ‘interrogating, harassing’ treatment at U.S. border

“Such acts have seriously violated the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and interfered with bilateral cultural personnel exchanges,” Wang said, adding that China has lodged stern representations with the U.S. over the issue.

He said the U.S. politicizes and weaponizes academic research and suppresses Chinese students in the name of national security, creating a “chilling effect” and poisoning the atmosphere of cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

In recent cases, U.S. law enforcement officials directly threatened China’s national security, which carries strong ideological bias and has no bottom line, he noted.

“We urge the U.S. side to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state during the San Francisco meeting and eliminate obstacles for cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and the U.S.,” said Wang, adding that China will take resolute measures to safeguard national security and the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese people.

Read more: Chinese ambassador urges ‘right answers’ to questions critical to China-U.S. relations

(Cover: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. /Chinese Foreign Ministry)

Yemen’s Houthi group said on Wednesday it would keep up attacks on U.S. and British warships in the Red Sea in what it called acts of self-defense, stoking fears of long-term disruptions to world trade.

In a statement, the group’s military spokesperson said all American and British warships participating in “aggression” against its country were targets.

The U.S. and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and re-designated the movement on a list of terrorist groups as turmoil from the Israel-Palestine conflict spreads through the region.

The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have been attacking ships in and around the Red Sea, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza conflict.

The Houthis fired missiles at the U.S. warship USS Gravely, the statement added. On Tuesday night, the U.S. military’s central command said they had shot down one anti-ship cruise missile fired from Yemen towards the Red Sea with no damage reported.

The Houthi attacks have primarily targeted container vessels. Many fuel tankers have kept using the route.

Some shipping companies have suspended transits through the Red Sea, which is accessed from the Gulf of Aden, and taken much longer, costlier journeys around Africa to avoid being attacked.

Houthis say they will persist with their military operations until a ceasefire is agreed in Gaza and food and medicine are allowed into the enclave to ease a grave humanitarian crisis.

(Cover: Houthi fighters stage a rally in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and against the U.S.-led airstrikes on Yemen, in Sanaa, Yemen, January 29, 2024. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-30/Xi-Jinping-receives-credentials-of-new-ambassadors-to-China-1qN1ToMsAcE/img/d4779623ccf24fd481ba4631d50bbb0d/d4779623ccf24fd481ba4631d50bbb0d.png' alt='Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech after receiving the credentials of 42 ambassadors to China in Beijing, China, January 30, 2024. /Xinhua'

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday afternoon received the credentials of 42 ambassadors to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. 

After the ceremony, Xi delivered a speech to the ambassadors.

Xi told the ambassadors that China values its friendship with peoples of their countries, and is willing to expand mutual beneficial cooperation with them to promote the development of bilateral ties.

Xi expressed hope that the ambassadors will have a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of China and act as a bridge between China and their countries.

He pledged to provide convenience and support for the ambassadors to perform their duties.

Noting that 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Xi said China is advancing the cause of building a great country and national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, offering a broader market and unprecedented development opportunities for the world. 

China will, as always, contribute Chinese wisdom and proposals for the cause of peace and development, promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, as well as the building of a global community of shared future, he added.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-30/Wang-Yi-China-ready-to-accelerate-global-development-process-1qNejY1d9gk/img/a19bfeb9e83449bca8ad4a557fa7c9c7/a19bfeb9e83449bca8ad4a557fa7c9c7.jpeg' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes hands with Dennis Francis, president of the 78th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in Beijing, China, January 30, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

China will work with other countries to reactivate and accelerate the global development process, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday during a meeting with Dennis Francis, president of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in Beijing.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China supports more representation and voice of developing countries.

China will continue to make efforts to safeguard the legitimate rights of developing countries, he said.

He reiterated that China supports the centrality of the UN in global governance system, as well as a more active and important role of the UNGA in accordance with the UN Charter.

China hopes the UN Summit of the Future will provide practical solutions for the pressing global issues, he said.

Wang said China appreciates that the UN and its specialized agencies have abided by the one-China principle since the passing of the UN Resolution 2758.

China opposes any act or statement that does not comply with the Resolution 2758, he warned.

Francis said the one-China principle is the cornerstone of the UN system, pledging that the UN will not deviate from the one-China principle in any form.

The UN is willing to deepen cooperation with China, jointly address the global challenges and promote the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda, he said.

China has lodged solemn representations over to the United States for allegedly blocking Chinese students at the border, and issued a caution over travelling through Dulles International Airport, which is near the U.S. capital, the Chinese Embassy in the United States said in a statement on Monday.

The embassy accused U.S. authorities of “unwarrantedly” interrogating, harassing, cancelling the visas of and even deporting several students from China with valid travel permits upon their arrival at the airport.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-28/China-Thailand-pledge-to-deepen-pragmatic-cooperation-1qJPyFFFAlO/img/1240dbda9b3d4139a42babc03190aa9b/1240dbda9b3d4139a42babc03190aa9b.jpeg' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes his Thai counterpart Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara in Bangkok, Thailand, January 28, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

China and Thailand on Sunday pledged to deepen pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in multiple sectors.

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Thai deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs on Sunday held the first annual consultations in Bangkok.

Noting two countries are as close as family, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called China and Thailand each other’s good neighbors, good friends and good partners.

As next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, Wang pointed out both countries are facing new opportunities for modernization and development as well as for building a China-Thailand community with a shared future.

China is willing to build a more stable, prosperous and sustainable community with a shared future between China and Thailand, strengthen practical cooperation in all fields and add new dimensions to the bilateral relations, Wang added.

Although the world is in a state of turmoil, with hotspot issues arising one after another, Wang told Parnpree that building a human community with a shared future is the noble goal pursued by China in conducting major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics for the new era.

China is ready to work with Thailand and other emerging developing countries to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, serve their own development and inject more stability and certainty into the volatile world, Wang said.

The Chinese foreign minister called on the two sides to further strengthen high-level exchanges and jointly plan a series of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The two sides should actively promote the construction of the Belt and Road, accelerate the construction of the China-Thailand Railway, and turn the vision of interconnected development of China, Laos and Thailand into reality, Wang noted.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-28/China-Thailand-pledge-to-deepen-pragmatic-cooperation-1qJPyFFFAlO/img/9e143c297bdd4b37b81638eb4d3122f0/9e143c297bdd4b37b81638eb4d3122f0.jpeg' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Thai deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs hold annual consultations in Bangkok, Thailand, January 28, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

He also urged joint efforts to promote cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and investment.

China and Thailand on signed a mutual visa exemption agreement, which is set to take effect on March 1. Wang said the two sides should make good use of the mutual visa exemption to close people-to-people exchanges.

He also called for strengthening law enforcement and security cooperation, taking practical measures to ensure the safety of tourists from both sides, and working together to crack down on transnational crimes such as Internet gambling and cyber fraud, so as to maintain security and stability in the region.

Parnpree, for his part, stressed that Thailand attaches great importance to the Thailand-China comprehensive strategic partnership and to strengthening friendship and cooperation with China, which not only serves the common interests of the two countries, but is also crucial to world peace and stability.

Thailand firmly adheres to the one-China principle, he noted, pledging not to have any form of official contact with the Taiwan region.

The Thai foreign minister also vowed to work with China to plan celebratory activities, close people-to-people exchanges, and strengthen cooperation in emerging areas such as green development and the digital economy, so as to promote greater development of relations between the two countries.

Thailand highly appreciates China, as a responsible major country, to make positive contributions to maintain world stability and promote global economic recovery, Parnpree stressed.

He also said that the Thai said is willing to strengthen coordination with China on international and regional issues, carry out substantive cooperation on the implementation of the three major global initiatives and jointly build the Belt and Road Initiatives.

Parnpree vowed to safeguard multilateralism and stand against the “decoupling and breaking the chain,” adding his country will maintain a stable and smooth flow of the global industrial chain.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-28/Iran-says-Gaza-conflict-reveals-U-S-s-hypocritical-nature-1qJUBHIZBQs/img/d90265a263554282996170b1457d03c4/d90265a263554282996170b1457d03c4.jpeg' alt='Palestinians collect their belongings from their damaged house after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, January 27, 2024. /CFP'

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Sunday what has taken place in the Gaza Strip has revealed the “hypocritical nature of so-called human rights advocates, including the U.S. government.”

He made the remarks in a post on social media platform X while blaming the West’s human rights organizations for their failure to stop the Israeli strikes in Gaza during the past 114 days, and some Western countries’ support for Israel in its attacks against the coastal enclave.

“The hypocritical face of so-called human rights advocates, including the U.S. government, has been unmasked before the world (in the wake of the developments and situation in Gaza),” he noted.

“Over 1.9 million of the 2.2-million-strong population of the Gaza Strip have been displaced and become homeless, and more than 26,000 of them, including around 18,000 women and children, have been killed,” said the spokesman, saying Israel’s supporters should be “ashamed of their intense moral decay” concerning the Gaza residents’ destiny.

Israel has been fighting with Hamas in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, after the group launched a surprise attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza has risen to 26,422, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry on Sunday.

Read more:

Israeli leaders have genocidal intent to the Palestinians: U.S. scholar

(With input from Xinhua)

Percy Allan, visiting professor at the Institute for Public Policy and Governance, University of Technology Sydney, said the “China threat” narrative was constructed by Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. in an attempt to create a “rally ’round the flag” effect designed to internally unite a deeply divided America.

In a series of articles published on the public policy blog “Pearls and Irritations,” Allan said the American society is more divided than it has been since its civil war of the 1860s.

Given this dire political rift, confronting a common enemy is the easiest way to help unite the U.S. internally, he said.

“American politicians know that stoking fear of China is a vote-winner across party lines. Indeed, hatred of China is now the single issue that unites Democrats and Republicans.”

Allan argued that China is not a threat for it has no imperial legacy or territorial ambitions, its foreign policy is not ultra-nationalist, it is not exporting its ideology and its military is built for defense.

He elaborated that China’s appeal to the Global South is threefold: it has not invaded any of them or subverted their governments, the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative offers both grants and cheap loans for vital economic infrastructure such as roads, airports, seaports, and railways, and it is open to free trade agreements with underdeveloped countries, which the European Union and the U.S. are reluctant to do because of their industry protection policies.

Citing data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, he noted China’s military spending took up 1.6 percent of the country’s GDP in 2022, compared to 3.5 percent in the U.S. 

Allan, who had served as secretary of Australia’s New South Wales Treasury, added that “Australia should stop treating China as its enemy and instead see it for what it is – a rising economic superpower that wants to engage diplomatically and commercially with the world, not ideologically or militarily.”

(Cover: View of Central Business District in Beijing, China. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-27/Australian-PM-condemns-neo-Nazi-activity-in-Sydney-on-Australia-Day-1qIanAtXXEI/img/6f8a0182a5ea4ed8aa741d32e4a96339/6f8a0182a5ea4ed8aa741d32e4a96339.jpeg' alt='Anthony Albanese, Australia's prime minister, speaks at the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, January 25, 2024. /CFP'

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned on Saturday the activity of a group of heavily disguised people who boarded a train in Sydney on Australia Day, saying that he doesn’t want to see people in balaclavas dressed in black from head to toe who are engaged in neo-Nazi activity in this country.

“It has no place and it is rightly being condemned by all decent people,” he said on Saturday in Orange, in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW).

The NSW Police Force announced on Friday that six among the group of approximately 61 heavily disguised people were arrested and taken to the police station following a police operation, and a further 55 men were issued Rail Infringement Notices for offensive behavior. 

Two men had since been released and issued infringement notices for offensive behavior, the police added.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that these people were wearing all black, including balaclavas, and they produced a banner referencing a neo-Nazi group.

Albanese said he was shocked by the number of people. “We have seen a rise in neo-Nazi activity on extreme right-wing activity,” he added.

Held every year on January 26, Australia Day marks the anniversary of the 1788 landing of the British First Fleet in the country.

(With input from Xinhua) 

The parliament election concluded in the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu on Friday, according to a local election official.

Two people, including current Finance Minister Seve Paeniu, were successfully elected.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-26/China-strongly-opposes-U-S-remarks-on-China-s-outer-space-threat–1qGApS15Jss/img/a345ba467a9b4f00bf13348292080237/a345ba467a9b4f00bf13348292080237.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin speaks at a regular press conference in Beijing, China, January 26, 2024. /CFP'

The United States has long been repeatedly hyping up China as a “threat in outer space” to smear and attack China, which is only an excuse for the U.S. to expand its forces in outer space and maintain military hegemony, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

In response to a related query, spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily news briefing that the U.S. Space Force’s report on China and Russia developing anti-satellite weapons was a deliberate derogation of China.

The U.S. openly characterized outer space as a “battlefield,” made great effort to develop outer space military and provoke major-power rivalry, making itself the biggest factor in militarizing outer space and turning it into a battlefield, and the biggest threat to outer space security, said Wang.

The U.S. has long been abusing space technology and maliciously tracking and approaching other countries’ spacecraft in a dangerous manner, which increases the collision risk in space and is seriously irresponsible, said the spokesperson.

China sticks to the peaceful use of outer space and opposes the arms race there. We strive for legal instruments on space arms control through negotiations in the international community and protection of the peace and security of the outer space by legal means, he said.

China once again urges the U.S. to stop spreading disinformation, expanding military build-up and stepping up war preparation in outer space, and to genuinely shoulder its due responsibility, Wang said.

At least 30 people have been killed in renewed violence in Nigeria’s north-central Plateau State, where clashes between Muslim herders and Christian farming communities have recently erupted, AFP reported on Thursday citing a community organisation and an aid group source. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Wednesday chaired a symposium to hear opinions and suggestions from leaders of non-CPC political parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), as well as representatives of persons without party affiliation, on the draft government work report.

Noting China’s solid steps over the past year in building a modern socialist country in all respects, the personages attending the event raised suggestions and voiced opinions on topics including government work related to macro-control, scientific and technological innovation, fostering emerging industries, invigorating market dynamism and advancing green development.

Li expressed gratitude to non-CPC parties, the ACFIC, as well as people without party affiliation for their support for government work, saying that the opinions and suggestions were of great value both for the improvement of the draft government work report and for the government to improve its work.

Li said that 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and a crucial year for realizing the goals and tasks for the 2021-2025 period.

The premier called on people to scientifically grasp the situations both at home and abroad while remaining cool-headed and to make concentrated efforts in advancing the country’s causes.

The premier said that the policies and work arrangements of the CPC Central Committee will be fully implemented and that the government strives to effectively achieve concrete results on major economic and social development tasks.

Li urged non-CPC political parties, the ACFIC, as well as people without party affiliation to continue to provide support in the government’s democratic and scientific decision-making, the building of broad consensuses, and the contribution of wisdom, paving the way for the nation to achieve this year’s economic and social development goals.

Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese Vice Premier, also attended the symposium.

(Cover: A view of the CBD in Chaoyang District in Beijing, China, January 24, 2024. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-24/Wang-Yi-says-China-and-Nauru-open-a-new-chapter-in-relations-1qD67SsAOYg/img/4c1612d20a0547538b0f6a540c38781b/4c1612d20a0547538b0f6a540c38781b.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Nauru's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea in Beijing, capital of China, January 24, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

China and Nauru on Wednesday opened a new chapter in relations as the two countries reestablished diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during talks with Nauru’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea in Beijing.

“Today, the China-Nauru ties have opened a new chapter,” said Wang.

During the talks, the two sides signed a joint communique, which said that the Government of the Republic of Nauru shall sever “diplomatic relations” with Taiwan region as of this day and undertakes that it shall no longer develop any official relations or official exchanges with Taiwan.

This communique makes Nauru the 183rd country to have diplomatic ties with China.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-24/Wang-Yi-says-China-and-Nauru-open-a-new-chapter-in-relations-1qD67SsAOYg/img/23ea14904b99451b841091f10d88a76c/23ea14904b99451b841091f10d88a76c.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R), also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets the press jointly with Nauru's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea in Beijing, capital of China, January 24, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

When meeting the press alongside Aingimea, Wang said that although China and Nauru are geographically separated by oceans, the friendship between the two peoples has a long history. As developing countries, both sides are faced with the common tasks of developing economy, improving people’s livelihood and realizing modernization.

As members of the Global South, the two sides share the same will to safeguard their own sovereignty and independence, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and promote an equal and orderly multi-polar world and economic globalization that benefits all. This is the fundamental logic that has brought the two countries closer to each other and will certainly bring broad prospects for cooperation, he said.

Wang stressed that the resumption of diplomatic ties between China and Nauru once again shows to the world that adherence to the one-China principle is an irresistible historical trend.

Wang pointed out that there are still a very few countries that maintain so-called “diplomatic relations” with Taiwan for various reasons, which not only goes against the interests of their own countries and their people, but also violates the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and infringes on China’s national sovereignty. Such practices should be corrected sooner or later.

China urges these countries to recognize the trend of the times, said Wang, adding that China is ready to open a new chapter in its relations with these countries on the basis of the one-China principle.

Aingimea said that the Nauruan government announced that it would completely sever “diplomatic relations” with the Taiwan region and seek to restore diplomatic relations with China, which won unanimous approval from the country’s parliament, with all parliamentary members expressing support. This fully proves that the decision is correct, popular and in line with the fundamental interests of Nauru, he added.

Nauru will adhere to the one-China principle and give priority to it in its foreign policy, Aingimea said.

China has won the hearts of the people of Nauru with its words and deeds, he said, noting that the resumption of diplomatic ties will further promote the friendship between the two countries.

Nauru is willing to take this day as a new starting point to enhance mutual trust, carry out comprehensive cooperation and establish and develop a strong partnership with China, Aingimea added.

Read more:

China, Nauru reestablish diplomatic relations

China, Nauru resume ties: One-China principle represents global trend

(With input from Xinhua)

Sixty years ago, China and France established diplomatic relations, making France the first major Western power to establish diplomatic relations with China. Over the past 60 years, China-France economic and trade cooperation has expanded, with bilateral trade volume and mutual direct investment growing steadily.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-24/Graphics-China-France-economic-and-trade-cooperation-full-of-opportunities-1qDiYLXFG7u/img/4e3b795f9ad34ac183ba6bc478b7a4f0/4e3b795f9ad34ac183ba6bc478b7a4f0.jpeg' alt=''

France has become China’s third-largest trading partner in the EU, with total bilateral trade volume of $78.9 billion in 2023. China has also become France’s largest trading partner in Asia. In the first eight months of last year, France’s actual investment in China increased by 105.6 percent year on year.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-24/Graphics-China-France-economic-and-trade-cooperation-full-of-opportunities-1qDiYLXFG7u/img/a3da7b2c6a5e4816a3917367fb12983c/a3da7b2c6a5e4816a3917367fb12983c.jpeg' alt=''

France is the European country with the largest investment in China, and it has over 2,000 foreign-invested companies in China with more than 300,000 employees. A total of 140 French exhibitors actively participated in the sixth China International Import Expo.

China has a large market supported by 400 million middle-income people. The consumption upgrade in the Chinese market in recent years has brought new opportunities to the French consumer goods and service industries, according to Soumia Malinbaum, vice-president of CCI Paris Ile-de-France.

Chinese investors are also welcome in France, especially in the sector of electric vehicles, batteries and energy transition. Lu Shaye, the Chinese Ambassador to France, said there is huge potential for China-France cooperation in high-end manufacturing, modern service industries, digital economy and other fields.

China-France relationship is a powerful engine in China-Europe relationship, according to Lu. “A robust China-France relationship can play a pivotal guiding role in the broader China-Europe relationship. China and Europe share extensive common interests,” Lu added.

China has drawn on useful experience from the international community and accelerated its efforts to build a domestic counterterrorism legal framework since the 1990s, according to a white paper titled “China’s Legal Framework and Measures for Counterterrorism,” which was released on Tuesday.

The country has amended and improved the criminal laws since 1997 to include crimes of terrorism and tighten sanctions against such crimes. After the September 11 attacks in the U.S. in 2001, China has made efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1373.

In October 2014, the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee held its first deliberations on the draft law on counterterrorism. After two rounds of deliberations in February and December 2015, the NPC Standing Committee adopted the Counterterrorism Law on December 27, 2015. In April 2018, the NPC Standing Committee amended the law.

Since 2014, China has continued to take tough action against violent terrorism and punish criminals who have plotted terrorist activities. The country carries out counterterrorism work in accordance with the law. It has been effectively safeguarding national security and social stability and markedly improving people’s sense of security.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-23/Graphics-China-s-legal-framework-and-measures-for-counterterrorism-1qBsou9zh04/img/75f94a4a9933421384cf4ce6560cf5af/75f94a4a9933421384cf4ce6560cf5af.png' alt=''

According to the results of the annual national survey on the sense of public security, the proportion of positive answers rose from 87.55 percent in 2012 to 98.62 percent in 2021, sustaining the high level and receiving widespread public acclaim.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-23/Graphics-China-s-legal-framework-and-measures-for-counterterrorism-1qBsou9zh04/img/6865ca514cd44342980e6c43c690fa28/6865ca514cd44342980e6c43c690fa28.jpeg' alt=''

Security and stability enable development. In Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a key focal point for China’s counterterrorism efforts, all 3.06 million individuals living in rural areas below the poverty line had emerged from poverty, and poverty had been eradicated from all 3,666 villages and 35 counties by the end of 2020.

The autonomous region is now a leading tourist destination, with tourism acting as a pillar industry that boosts employment and enriches local people’s lives. Urban residents’ per capita disposable income increased from 19,019 yuan in 2012 to 38,410 yuan in 2022, while that of rural residents rose from 6,876 yuan to 16,550 yuan.

The number of tourist trips received by the region reached 265.44 million in 2023, representing a year-on-year increase of 117 percent and setting a new record. Xinjiang’s total income from tourism in 2023 was 296.7 billion yuan, a growth of 227 percent on the previous year.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-23/Chinese-premier-solicits-opinions-on-draft-government-work-report-1qBBvNGgq1q/img/2c41ff444707422f8d802355676153bf/2c41ff444707422f8d802355676153bf.png' alt='Chinese Premier Li Qiang chairs a seminar soliciting opinions on a draft government work report from experts, businesspeople and representatives in Beijing, China, January 23, 2024. /Xinhua'

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday chaired a seminar soliciting opinions on a draft government work report from experts in various fields, businesspeople and representatives from sectors such as education, scientific research, culture, health and sports.

Over the past year, China has withstood external pressure and overcome difficulties at home to achieve progress in boosting high-quality development, Li said.

The fundamental trend of China’s economic recovery and long-term positive outlook has not changed, he said, calling for increased confidence and courage to face challenges and difficulties.

On economic and social development this year, the premier stressed the need to refine macroeconomic regulation and control, increase the intensity and effectiveness of proactive fiscal policy, strengthen the consistency of macroeconomic policy orientation, and ensure that prudent monetary policy is flexible, moderate, precise and effective.

Li also called for efforts to advance reform and opening-up, accelerate the development of a unified national market, nurture new economic growth engines while meeting the diverse needs of the people, and foster a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized.

The inauguration speech of Liberian President Joseph Nyumah Boakai was halted on Monday as the newly sworn-in leader suffered heat exhaustion at the ceremony held in the national capital of Monrovia, local media reported.

The Beijing Municipality is targeting year-on-year growth of approximately 5 percent in terms of its regional gross domestic product (GDP) for 2024, the city’s mayor, Yin Yong, said while delivering a government work report at the annual session of Beijing’s legislative meeting on Sunday.

The Chinese capital also aims to keep its surveyed urban unemployment rate within 5 percent and its consumer price index (CPI) growth at around 3 percent this year. However, the general public budget revenue will increase by 5 percent year on year, according to the report.

Yin said Beijing strives to keep resident income growth in step with economic growth.

The 2024 targets were unveiled during the second session of the 16th Beijing Municipal People’s Congress underway in the capital.

Beijing’s GDP in 2023 topped nearly 4.4 trillion yuan (about $618.26 billion), up 5.2 percent year on year, according to the report.

(Cover: A file photo of CBD buildings in Beijing, China. /CFP)

(With input from Xinhua)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-21/Trump-Haley-duke-it-out-in-New-Hampshire-before-critical-primary-vote-1qyaPiC3a0g/img/449a0a0ac96b418ba6677694ea7736f1/449a0a0ac96b418ba6677694ea7736f1.png' alt='Republican presidential hopeful and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at a get-out-the-vote rally in Nashua, New Hampshire on January 20, 2024. /CFP'

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump will make their closing arguments in New Hampshire on Sunday in a final stretch of campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination before voters go to the polls on Tuesday.

Time is running short for Haley, who served as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, to topple the Republican presidential frontrunner after his victory in the Iowa caucuses underscored his dominance in the primary race.

If she cannot score an upset win in New Hampshire on Tuesday, her already-narrow path to the nomination could close altogether.

Trump, who is leading Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis here, addressed a stadium full of cheering supporters in Manchester on Saturday night, encouraging them to go the polls on Tuesday, when the primary will take place.

But he also appeared to shift some of his focus to the next major nominating contest, in South Carolina in late February.

At the rally, several high-ranking state and federal officials from that state spoke on Trump’s behalf, including South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.

“They understand that I am the only candidate in this race who is going to save America and we’re gonna get rid of this Biden disaster right away,” Trump said.

“So you know what I’m doing? I’m kissing ass.”

Haley has stepped up her attacks on Trump in recent days with a late-in-the-game move to draw contrasts with a businessman and politician whose time in the White House was characterized by chaos and who faces four criminal cases, including for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election that he lost to now President Joe Biden.

Despite her shift, some Republican and independent voters say Haley should go further with her criticisms and that she has not hit her main rival hard enough throughout her campaign.

An attack with multiple rockets targeted Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base housing U.S. forces on Saturday, local media reported. 

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday that Israel had financed the creation of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

“Yes, Hamas was financed by the government of Israel in an attempt to weaken the Palestinian Authority led by Fatah,” Borrell said in a speech in the University of Valladolid in Spain without elaborating.

Borrell added the only peaceful solution included the creation of a Palestinian state.

“We only believe a two-state solution imposed from the outside would bring peace even though Israel insists on the negative,” he said.

Over 100 countries and international organizations have openly reiterated their commitment to the one-China principle, said a Chinese official on Friday. 

“Countries and organizations, including Malaysia, Yemen, Algeria, Sudan, South Sudan, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Zambia, Ghana, Benin, Mauritania, Togo, Seychelles, Gabon, Malawi, Cabo Verde, Georgia, Croatia, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Samoa, Nauru, Mexico, Ecuador, Uruguay, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Grenada and ASEAN, have spoken up by various means,” said Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Mao said China “highly commends” these countries and organizations. 

(Cover: The national flag of People’s Republic of China is seen at the United Nations headquarters in New York, October 25, 2016. /Xinhua)

<img src='https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-19/Benjamin-Netanyahu-rejects-U-S-push-for-future-Palestinian-state-1quDA46ACuA/img/83aac85b063b4fd09c4558ae6981751a/83aac85b063b4fd09c4558ae6981751a.jpeg' alt='Israel President Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed the idea of a future Palestinian state, despite U.S. President Joe Biden insisting this week that a state is the only realistic road to peace./Reuters/Ronen Zvulun.'

Israel bombarded southern Gaza on Friday after it publicly sparred with its main ally the U.S. over the possibility of a Palestinian state, the creation of which Washington sees as the only pathway to a lasting peace.

Witnesses reported gunfire and air strikes early on Friday in Khan Younis, the main city in the south of the Gaza Strip, where Israel says many members and leaders of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas are hiding.

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported “intense” artillery fire near the Al-Amal hospital, while Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said 77 people were killed and dozens injured overnight.

The Israeli military said its Givati Brigade was fighting as far south as its troops had reached so far in the campaign. “The soldiers eliminated dozens of terrorists in close-quarters combat and with the assistance of tank fire and air support,” it said.

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<img src='https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-19/Benjamin-Netanyahu-rejects-U-S-push-for-future-Palestinian-state-1quDA46ACuA/img/f4018463c42046c68a8b951f25544680/f4018463c42046c68a8b951f25544680.jpeg' alt='A displaced Palestinian boy, who fled his house due to Israeli strikes, sits on a water canister at a tent camp in Rafah./Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa.
'

Netanyahu targets “total victory” in Palestine

Washington supports Israel’s campaign in Gaza, but despite otherwise close ties, the two allies publicly aired differences again this week over the way forward. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken used the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to renew his call for a “pathway to a Palestinian state”. But Netanyahu again flatly rejected the suggestion on Thursday.

“Israel must have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River,” he said. “This is a necessary condition, which contradicts the idea of (Palestinian) sovereignty.”

Netanyahu maintained that “a prime minister in Israel should be able to say no, even to our best friends.” Washington believes that the creation and recognition of a viable Palestinian state is necessary to achieve security for Israel.

“We obviously see things differently,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said when asked about Netanyahu’s comments.

<img src='https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-19/Benjamin-Netanyahu-rejects-U-S-push-for-future-Palestinian-state-1quDA46ACuA/img/d042d33d3cc14f888c4ef47de3125393/d042d33d3cc14f888c4ef47de3125393.jpeg' alt='Palestinians stand at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Rafah, as Israeli armed forces continue to bombard the south of the region. Reuters/Fadi Shana.
'

Hepatitis A cases on the rise in Gaza

The United Nations says the war, which began with the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, has displaced roughly 85 percent of Gaza’s 2.4 million people. Many are crowded into shelters where they struggle to get food, water, fuel and medical care. UN agencies say improved aid access is needed urgently as famine and disease loom.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said overnight it had counted 24 cases of hepatitis A and “thousands” of cases of jaundice likely linked to the spread of the viral liver infection.

“The inhumane living conditions — almost no drinking water, clean toilets or ability to keep the surroundings clean — will allow hepatitis A to spread further,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, formerly Twitter, describing the health crisis as “explosive.”

<img src='https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-19/Benjamin-Netanyahu-rejects-U-S-push-for-future-Palestinian-state-1quDA46ACuA/img/f8a14b8e90924da683939d0b97acde49/f8a14b8e90924da683939d0b97acde49.jpeg' alt='A displaced Palestinian child is fed at a tent camp after a bombing forced him and his family to leave their home behind./Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa.
'

UN says Palestinian detainees ill-treated

A UN human rights official on Friday called for an end to Israel’s ill treatment of Palestinian detainees in Gaza, saying he had met men who had been held for weeks, beaten and blindfolded, with some released in diapers.

“These are men who were detained by the Israeli security forces in unknown locations for between 30 to 55 days,” said Ajith Sunghay, a UN human rights representative in Gaza, who met with released detainees in the enclave. “There are reports of men who are subsequently released, but only in diapers without any adequate clothing in this cold weather.”

<img src='https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-19/Benjamin-Netanyahu-rejects-U-S-push-for-future-Palestinian-state-1quDA46ACuA/img/5752e03abb7a4a5081d671039abda698/5752e03abb7a4a5081d671039abda698.png' alt=''

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In January 2017, in a speech at the UN High-level Meeting on “Discussing and Building a Community of Shared Future for Humanity”, President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of addressing the root cause of the refugee crisis facing the world. For Abdilahi Ismail Abdilahi, a lecturer at Beijing Foreign Studies University who has experienced firsthand the devastation of war in his homeland, Somalia, President Xi’s comment demonstrated his commitment to the well-being of ordinary people. Abdilahi also points to how China’s contribution to infrastructure development in Somalia under the Belt and Road Initiative is improving the lives of its citizens.

China’s top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said on Thursday that it will take solid steps to bolster domestic demand and expand effective investment, as part of efforts to consolidate the improving trend of economic recovery in 2024.

Yuan Da, from the NDRC, said that the country will give more prominence to employment, ensure the employment of key groups, and enlarge the size of the middle-income group.

The NDRC said the country will work to develop new consumption growth points such as smart homes, sports events, domestic products and China-chic goods. Efforts will also go into boosting spending on big-ticket items and improving the consumption environment, it said.

In expanding effective investment, greater support will be given to fields such as core technologies in key fields, new infrastructure, energy conservation and decarbonization, the NDRC official said.

In addition, the state planner said it will take steps to stimulate the vitality of private investment and cut the costs of investment and financing.

Read more:

China vows to boost high-quality development: NDRC

(Cover: People get in line to buy snacks in southwest China’s Chongqing, December 30, 2023. /CFP)

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-17/Arab-League-to-hold-emergency-session-over-Iran-s-attack-on-Erbil-1qrvgLdwOjK/img/c0912a232d4443c49780cedc62cc9ef7/c0912a232d4443c49780cedc62cc9ef7.jpeg' alt='A view of a damaged building following missile attacks, in Erbil, Iraq, January 16, 2024. /Reuters'

The Arab League will hold an emergency meeting over Iran’s attack on Iraq’s Erbil, the Iraqi state news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the foreign ministry.

The agency did not mention the date of the session.

Iran, late on Monday, struck Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, with ballistic missiles in what it said was an attack on an Israeli spy headquarters, claims vehemently denied by Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdish officials.

The Kurdistan Region Security Council later said four people were killed.

In protest of the attack, Kurdistan regional Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday cancelled a meeting with Iran’s foreign minister at the World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland.

And on Tuesday, Iran’s charge d’affaires was summoned by Iraq’s Foreign Ministry over the attack with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid saying it undermines the security of both Iraq and the region as a whole.

(With input from agencies)

China will apply a unilateral visa-free policy to Ireland to facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday when meeting with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at Farmleigh House, the official Irish state guest house.

Li is paying an official visit to Ireland from Tuesday to Wednesday.

China and Ireland should adhere to mutual benefit and always regard each other as key cooperative partners and development opportunities, Li said.

He urged both sides to expand trade, strengthen cooperation in fields such as green and low-carbon development, sustainable agriculture as well as finance, and expand cooperation in digital economy, biomedicine and artificial intelligence.

China hopes Ireland will provide an open, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies, the Chinese premier said.

For his part, Varadkar said Ireland appreciates China’s great achievements in economic and social development, always abides by the one-China principle and hopes that China will achieve peaceful reunification at an early date.

Ireland is ready to expand two-way investment with China, he said, calling for more cooperation in agriculture, innovation and green development.

He added that Ireland is willing to actively consider providing more convenience to Chinese visitors and deepen people-to-people exchanges in fields such as education and culture.

On Wednesday, Li also met with Irish President Michael D. Higgins and urged both sides to uphold a free and open international trading system and maintain the stable and smooth flow of global industrial and supply chains.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday stressed staying committed to the path of financial development with Chinese characteristics and boosting high-quality development of the financial sector.

President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when addressing the opening of a study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance).

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday met with visiting Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Tehran.

Explosion heard near Yemen’s Hodeidah airport

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday said China-U.S. cooperation is no longer optional but rather imperative for each other and the world at large.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks in Beijing during a reception commemorating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States.

Wang said the two heads of state emphasized the need to continue to be committed to stabilizing and developing bilateral relations to benefit the two countries and the world.

Over the past 45 years, China-U.S. relations have overcome difficulties and forged ahead, with the scope of cooperation reaching an unprecedented level.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-05/Wang-Yi-China-U-S-cooperation-imperative-for-each-other-and-the-world-1q7I5asWZpe/img/71623b4ed21e4595b1f6f3e0a8fbd7fa/71623b4ed21e4595b1f6f3e0a8fbd7fa.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, delivers a speech at a reception commemorating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S., in Beijing, China, January 5, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

Peace, cooperation and win-win

At the reception, Wang stressed the importance of peace, cooperation and win-win when he summarized the bilateral relations over the past 45 years.

“Peace is the most fundamental cornerstone of China-U.S. relations,” he said, adding that no conflict or confrontation between China and the U.S. is the most important dividend of peace for humanity.

He described cooperation as the most correct choice for China and the U.S. to get along.

Cooperation between China and the U.S. is no longer an option but an imperative for both countries and the world, he said, noting that the world has witnessed the power of China-U.S. cooperation in a wide range of areas such as fighting terrorism and responding to global financial crises.

The most essential feature of China-U.S. exchanges is win-win, he said.

Bilateral trade of nearly $760 billion and two-way investment of more than $260 billion between China and the U.S. reflect the two countries’ highly complementary economic structures, deep connection in the global industrial and supply chains, and shared interests in common development, said Wang.

He warned that artificial attempts to decouple the two countries will backfire. 

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-05/Wang-Yi-China-U-S-cooperation-imperative-for-each-other-and-the-world-1q7I5asWZpe/img/083af34ca797490d92aa0ab868a3b80d/083af34ca797490d92aa0ab868a3b80d.png' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, delivers a speech at a reception commemorating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S., in Beijing, China, January 5, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

Three proposals

Wang put forward three proposals on implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state.

First, he called for upholding mutual respect, adding that the top priority is to establish a correct understanding.

Wang said China hopes that the U.S. will relax its mindset and respect the choices made by the Chinese people and China’s development path, as well as respect China’s core interests and its national sovereignty and territorial integrity in an attitude of equality and inclusiveness.

“We are willing to commit ourselves to building a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship on the basis of mutual respect,” he said.

Second, Wang called for adhering to peaceful coexistence, adding that the top priority is to effectively manage differences.

Despite different social systems and development paths, the two countries should have the vision and determination to seek common ground while reserving differences and not let disagreements and differences dominate or interfere with bilateral relations, he said.

Third, Wang called for upholding win-win cooperation, adding that the cornerstone is to advance mutually beneficial cooperation.

He called on both sides to continue to make full use of various mechanisms that have been restored or established in fields such as diplomacy, economy, finance, commerce and agriculture to build bridges of communication and pave the way for cooperation as soon as possible.

The Michigan Supreme Court has rejected an attempt to remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot based on the U.S. Constitution’s “insurrectionist ban,” CNN reported Wednesday. 

The office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Tuesday announced a further extension of China “Section 301” tariff exclusions on 352 Chinese imports and 77 COVID-19-related categories till May 31, 2024.

The import tariff exclusions include industrial components such as pumps and electric motors, some car parts and chemicals, bicycles and vacuum cleaners. The COVID-related exclusions include medical products like face masks, examination gloves and hand sanitizing wipes.

The exclusions were previously scheduled to expire on December 31. The extension will allow for further consideration under the statutory four-year review, Tai’s office said in a statement.

Ukraine announced sanctions on 51 Russian individuals and 134 entities, state agency Ukrinform reported Saturday.