Editor's Note: The year 2026 marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan dedicates a chapter to "accelerating the green transition across the board and building a Beautiful China."

This quiet, open valley is a scenic landscape for tourists, but it is also part of everyday life for people living along the river. In recent years, as wetland protection, river management and public participation have continued to advance, the water has become clearer, the trees denser, and the birds more numerous.

Editor's Note: In the 25th article of the "Readers' Reflections" column, Global Times (GT) talked to Erik Solheim (Solheim), recipient of the 2023 Chinese Government Award, Co-Chair of Europe-Asia Center and former Under Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of the UNEP, to get his insights on the understanding of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and the reference value of China's green development path for Latin America, Africa, and the entire Global South.

One of the most important contributions of China's experience is the demonstration that building an ecologically sustainable society depends not only on setting ambitious goals, but also on maintaining strategic direction and continuity of purpose over time. China's aspiration to build a clean and beautiful world is not merely an environmental goal, but a civilizational horizon.

In the 23rd article of the "Scholars' Perspectives" column, Huang Chengliang, secretary general of the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, shares with the Global Times his insights on China's path in which development and environmental protection can advance in tandem.

A sound mechanism must stand the test of both time and results. Spanning more than 4,000 kilometers, the partnership between East China's Fujian Province and Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has now lasted for three decades.

As the US approaches its 250th birthday, its "nation of immigrants" label may need to be re-examined. Research shows that in 2025, the US experienced a net migration outflow of approximately 150,000 people - the first "reverse migration" wave since the Great Depression of the 1930s - and this trend is expected to intensify further in 2026 and 2027. Scholars point out that this historic population reversal is rooted in imbalances in the US economic structure and issues with social governance, reflecting profound economic and political restructuring in the country, and signaling a decline in its economic vitality, social cohesion and global appeal.

When virtual effects dilute the brutality of artillery fire and meme culture obscures the human cost of conflict, how has the smoke of this AI battlefield involving the US, Israel and Iran spread? In this AI-driven information war of manufactured narratives, what dazzling “tactics” have both the US and Iran deployed? And what deeper dangers lie beneath this new form of public opinion confrontation? #GTinvestigates

It was nearly 11 o'clock at night, and Liu Zhao's computer screen was still glowing. Scattered across his desktop were several half-edited drafts of lyrics, while the waveform graphs from his AI music software rose and fell like mountain ranges against the dark interface. He took off his headphones, rubbed his tired ears and put them back on.

On July 4, 2026, the US will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence. At this juncture, international public opinion has described the US as a "declining" America, citing rising political polarization, unprecedented ethnic tensions, increasing pressure on its economic hegemony, a weakening national identity, and overseas military operations mired in deadlock. Over the past 250 years, the US has gradually become a superpower, exerting significant influence on the world's structure and operations. Its political system, economic model, social structure, cultural narrative and foreign policy have also changed with shifts in national power.

In recent years, the rise of “China Travel” has turned medical tourism into an unexpected window through which foreign visitors can get a glimpse of China's development. Many foreign tourists are surprised when they find that, in China, they can get access to high-quality magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in hospitals and medical institutes with remarkable ease and reasonable prices.

Crystal clear brooks weaving down green grassy slopes against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains - this is the home of the Central Asian salamander, or Ranodon sibiricus, a relict species dating back 350 million years and co-habitants of dinosaurs, which is listed as EN (endangered) status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, kicked off on Thursday.

In late May, a team of Global Times reporters visited Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan. What left the deepest impression was not only the snow-capped mountains visible almost everywhere in the city, but also China-related signs throughout the journey, as well as the positive and optimistic attitudes shown by local residents and Chinese people living there when talking about relations between the two countries.

Editor's Note: In an era of profound global shifts and increasingly complex regional dynamics, a proper understanding of the world must be rooted in “grounded experience” and localized insights. Global Times English edition, in collaboration with the Academy of International and Regional Communication Studies, Communication University of China, is proud to launch “Local Insights,” an English-language column dedicated to original, field-based observations. We invite Chinese scholars and professionals who are studying, conducting exchanges, or working outside China, as well as international students and friends living and studying in China who are familiar with the social contexts of their home countries or third countries, to begin from first-hand field experience and engage with social, cultural, and contemporary issues beyond China. The third article in this column features a Chinese scholar witnessing the two-century-long civilizational integration, mutual accommodation and resilient people-to-people bonds between China and India through her on-site exploration of Kolkata's centuries-old Chinatown and in-depth conversations with local Chinese-Indian residents and Bengali neighbors.

In this installment, we turn our attention to a group of Chinese teenagers who volunteer as student docents at the country's red-themed revolutionary memorial sites, telling the stories and spirit of the CPC and China's development.

This article is the fourth installment. Global Times reporters visited the ancient city of Suyab in Kyrgyzstan on the spot, exploring how China's refined archaeological expertise tackles persistent hurdles in conserving earthen historic sites and showcasing the tangible outcomes of cultural and technology exchange between China and Kyrgyzstan along the Silk Road.

Monday marks both World Oceans Day and China's National Ocean Awareness Day. Since joining the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), China has honored its commitments, and implementation of the agreement has gotten off to a strong start, some participants said at a themed event on the agreement held in Shanghai on June 5, the United Nations (UN)-designated International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.

Scandals around Tenzin Taklha, the Dalai Lama's nephew and secretary, once again expose the hypocrisy and corruption within the Dalai clique. Behind the rhetoric of “human rights” and “democracy” lies a rotten network of power, money and misconduct. #Gtinvestigates

As generative artificial intelligence technology moves faster into education, the annual gaokao season, China's college entrance examination period, is also seeing new changes.

Over the past 30 years, 89-year-old Lei Yueqin has created seven hand-drawn maps documenting the revival of the Guancheng River in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou Province. Her oldest faded colored drawings still bring a sparkle to her eyes whenever she flips through them.

As June rolls around, apples enter the fruit bagging season. Every single day, 51-year-old local fruit farmer Xu Dewen patrols his apple groves in Kekeya, Wensu County in Aksu Prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. "Growing apples is no easy feat," he told the Global Times. Apparently, all the hassle in growing apples, however, melts away into pure joy whenever he watches his young fruits swell day by day.

So what can a kiwifruit from New Zealand - with its natural nutritional strengths and Zespri's long-term commitment to the Chinese market - contribute to better-balanced meals for Chinese families, and to a healthier nation as a whole?

Young people across the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) widely endorse the concepts and actions of the SCO, highly appreciate its positive role in global governance and hold high expectations for deepening cooperation across various fields among member states, according to a report released in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on May 27.

On May 27, the 2026 China-Kyrgyzstan Media Cooperation Forum, themed "Deepening China-Kyrgyzstan Media Cooperation for a Brighter SCO Future," was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Nearly 100 media representatives, officials from relevant departments, experts, scholars and business representatives from China and Kyrgyzstan attended the forum, engaging in in-depth exchanges and discussions on topics including economic and trade development, cultural exchange and media cooperation. The forum was jointly hosted by the People's Daily and Kyrgyz Tuusu Publishing House.

Artem, a 38-year-old Russian, sat nervously in the dental chair at an oral clinic in Heihe, a China-Russia border city in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, as the lamp above lit up his anxious face during his second cross-border dental trip to China. A nurse handed him a thumb-sized scanning probe - Artem's first encounter with China's smart tech in dentistry: a digital oral impression scanner.

Editor's Note: On May 27, the 2026 Global Poverty Reduction and Development Forum was held in Beijing. At the forum's opening ceremony, the Global Partnership for Poverty Alleviation and Development was officially launched. The partnership, jointly initiated by China, 53 other countries and nine international organizations, marks a milestone in global poverty reduction endeavors.

In the 22nd article of the "Scholars' Perspectives" column, Li Xiaoyun, chair professor of China Agricultural University, shares with the Global Times his insights on the importance of rural modernization, as well as its domestic and international significance.

In the 24th article of the "Readers' Reflections" column, Global Times (GT) talked to Arkebe Oqubay, a British Academy Global Professor at SOAS University of London and former Senior Minister and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, to get his insight on China's historic poverty reduction achievement, its rural revitalization strategy, and what this experience means for other developing countries.

We visited Shibadong village in Huayuan county, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Central China's Hunan Province, where the concept of "targeted poverty alleviation" was first put forward, to hear villagers and industrial leaders who personally experienced the fight against poverty and the exploration of rural revitalization tell their stories. In recent years, building on consolidated poverty alleviation achievements, Shibadong village has relied on distinctive industries such as Miao embroidery, beekeeping and rural tourism. It has also continuously advanced rural revitalization through industrial upgrading, ecological improvement and cultural inheritance. This journey shows how the concept of rural revitalization has taken root in a remote mountain village, while also revealing the broad significance of this grassroots practice as it reaches the whole country and connects with the world.

The Global Times "Overseas China Week" event landed in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday, launching the "Linked by Mountains and Rivers, Bound by Shared Hearts - China and Kyrgyzstan Hand-in-Hand for the Future" photo exhibition, during the 2026 China-Kyrgyzstan Media Cooperation Forum.

As China marks the 90th anniversary of the Long March victory in 2026, new red tourism experiences focused on participation and emotional resonance are redefining how people connect with history.

A new wave of life entered the Beibu Gulf at the Beilun River estuary in Dongxing, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on May 19, as 270 million aquatic juveniles and broodstock were released into the sea during the 2026 China-Vietnam joint fishery resources stock enhancement and release activity. It was the ninth such joint release since China and Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding in 2017 on cooperation in fishery resources enhancement, release and conservation in the gulf.

In east China's Zhoushan archipelago, tens of thousands of foreign crew members work side by side with Chinese seafarers. What is life and work like for foreign crew members employed by Chinese companies? With this question and high expectations in mind, an Indonesian student recently embarked on his journey to Zhoushan.

After a tropical cyclone swept through the Western Province of Solomon Islands, traces of the disaster were still visible along the coast of Rarumana community. Trees had been brought down, and seaweed farms were damaged. For this remote community in the South Pacific, separated from the capital Honiara, the storm made it even harder for medicines and medical workers to reach local residents.

From the classrooms of Lhasa High School, the view of the Potala Palace is a sight to behold. For travelers, such a view might be worth buying an expensive cup of coffee for a photo. For students here, it is simply the everyday backdrop of their studies. In the school's exhibition hall, student guides introduce visitors to its development, which began in 1956, with old campus photos, awards and records of student life on display. This year, Lhasa High School celebrates its 70th anniversary.

Editor's Note: China has consistently made poverty eradication a key priority in national governance. Over the past decades, China has lifted 800 million people out of poverty, achieving the poverty reduction goals of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a full decade ahead of schedule.

Have you ever seen the "giant pandas of birds"? As May 22 marks the International Day for Biological Diversity, this story from the #BeautifulChinaING series turns focus to the Chinese merganser in the Changbai Mountains in Northeast China's Jilin Province, where decades of conservation, scientific innovation and community participation are helping revive one of the world's rarest birds while showcasing China's broader ecological restoration efforts.

“I had never seen so much money. He gave me that sum, and I bought so many good saplings with it... I have always thought of him. I wanted to tell him that I did it. I didn't waste his money.”

Traveling westward along the G318 National Highway from Qamdo - the eastern gateway to Xizang - the scenery outside the car window seems to change every few stretches along the road.

For nearly six decades, 77-year-old Jiang Mingdian has written hundreds of thousands of qiaopi - a unique form of personal mail - for local men in his hometown to send to their loved ones around the world. Despite his words having traveled far and wide, Jiang had never once left Quanzhou in East China's Fujian Province - until last Sunday, when he was invited to Beijing for a special screening of the hit film Dear You.

The eleventh Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is underway at UN Headquarters in New York. Japan is a signatory to the NPT. However, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has sought to revise Japan's Three Non-Nuclear Principles. Senior officials of the Prime Minister's Office have even blatantly claimed that Japan should possess nuclear weapons. Japan is also pushing for the so-called “nuclear sharing” arrangement, plotting to redeploy nuclear weapons on its soil. These negative moves have raised grave concerns across the international community.

From the urban area of Qamdo in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, the Lancang-Mekong River can be seen winding through the mountains. Not far from the river, stands Qamdo Experimental Primary School, where the sound of children reading aloud, the rhythm of Tibetan traditional dance and the buzz of drones in flight meet on the same campus.

Editor's Note: As global challenges grow increasingly interconnected, technological solutions are rarely confined to a single country. Through research collaboration, open sharing of expertise and partnerships with international institutions, Chinese scientists, engineers and enterprises are engaging more deeply with the world, contributing tools and experience to problems that demand collective answers. The Global Times launches a series of “Tech Seeds, Global Bloom,” spotlighting China's achievements in advancing technology for good both domestically and internationally. By following these trajectories, the series invites readers to consider a different measure of progress: Not how advanced technology becomes, but whom it ultimately serves, and how widely its benefits can spread. This article is the third installment. It examines how China's open-source AI ecosystem, exemplified by ScienceOne 100, combines technological openness, scientific collaboration, and governance ambitions to reshape global innovation and AI for Science.

Editor's Note: In an era of profound global shifts and increasingly complex regional dynamics, a proper understanding of the world must be rooted in “grounded experience” and localized insights. Global Times English edition, in collaboration with the Academy of International and Regional Communication Studies, Communication University of China, is proud to launch “Local Insights,” an English-language column dedicated to original, field-based observations. We invite Chinese scholars and professionals who are studying, conducting exchanges, or working outside China, as well as international students and friends living and studying in China who are familiar with the social contexts of their home countries or third countries, to begin from first-hand field experience and engage with social, cultural, and contemporary issues beyond China. The second article in this column features a Chinese scholar witnessing the growing enthusiasm for Chinese culture at an Argentine university, a vivid embodiment of ever-deepening people-to-people exchanges and win-win cooperation that opens a new chapter in China-LAC friendship.

"All we want right now is to feel safe," travel vlogger Jake Rosmarin said in a tearful message from the MV Hondius cruise ship - one of the first public videos from a passenger as the ship became mired in anxiety over a hantavirus outbreak that led to three deaths this month.

This spring, many young Chinese people have chosen not to spend their holidays at popular tourist attractions, but on the edge of the desert in Minqin County, Northwest China's Gansu Province.

Spring sunlight spilled across the green pitch at Shanghai University of Sport (SUS), where colorful flag belts fluttered in the breeze. Wei Yundi, 19, ran his route with precision, caught the ball, and sprinted forward, carrying the ball into the end zone to the roar of the crowd. In that adrenaline-charged moment, Wei clenched his fist and embraced his teammates tightly.

Three young South Asian scientists work with fish – Oujiang color common carp – at Shanghai Ocean University, experiencing firsthand China's international collaboration in fisheries research and education. What is their academic life in China about?

Chinese researchers, in collaboration with international scientists, have identified a "vertical conveyor" atmospheric mechanism that powers the atmospheric water cycle in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, known as the Asian Water Towers (AWTs). This finding, supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research (STEP), reveals how moisture from high-altitude winds is delivered to the plateau through a complex process of nocturnal "decoupling," the Global Times learned from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, on Tuesday.

Situated between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the Aral Sea was once the world's fourth-largest lake, nourishing the vast lands around it.

Receiving the Tianshan Award is a great honor for me, but more importantly, it is a recognition of the collective efforts of many partners, colleagues and international institutions working on the Aral Sea crisis.

Mist drifted halfway up the slopes of the towering Gaoligong Mountains as it always did during the rainy season in Dulongjiang township, nestled deep within the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest China's Yunnan Province. Following officers from the Dulongjiang Frontier Police Station, the Global Times reporter wound along mountain roads toward Dizhengdang village to visit one of the “last face-tattooed women” of the Dulong ethnic group.

Across today's China, more talented young individuals are emerging in every field, from busy industrial hubs and vibrant research labs to remote border outposts and community service stations, injecting strong momentum into the pursuit of Chinese modernization. What image do they present to the world, and what enables them to seize the opportunities of this era?

The Jiangsu Football City League (JSCL) is back.

The Tokyo Trial delivered a historic verdict on Japan's war crimes and its Class-A war criminals. Yet inside Yushukan in Japan's notorious Yasukuni Shrine, a long-running campaign has unfolded under the guise of a “museum”: through semantic sleight of hand and a series of carefully crafted distortions, it openly denies the Tokyo Trial and seeks to rewrite history while glorifying militarism.

"Do you know which boats are the fastest at the dock?" Wang Supeng, a comrade-in-arms of martyr Qiao Helin, asked a Global Times reporter during an interview at the Fangcheng workstation of the Fangchenggang Coast Guard Bureau in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where Qiao worked before his death.

For Kuhn, this trip felt like an arrival layered with multiple meanings. She was not only continuing to speak in China about her belief in "peace through agriculture," but also extending a family bond with China that stretches back more than 150 years.

The just trial of Japanese war criminals by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (Tokyo Trial), through a vast number of eyewitness accounts, material evidence and court testimonies, has fixed the criminal course of the war of aggression and delivered an unalterable and irrefutable historical judgment on Japan's aggressive atrocities. To mark the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Tokyo Trial, the Global Times highlights the core evidence from the trial. Based on court testimonies and original the sworn affidavits from witnesses in China, the US, the UK, Canada and Japan, the report vividly reconstructs historical details: the Lugou Bridge Incident, atrocities in prisoner-of-war concentration camps, crimes against humanity on the Hong Kong battlefield and the destructive impact of militaristic education. It presents the true picture of history through first-hand conclusive evidence. These testimonies and pieces of material evidence, coming from diverse sources and mutually reinforcing one another, together prove that Japan's aggression was a deliberate and premeditated state act, that militaristic education served as its ideological foundation, and that brutal violence and disregard for human dignity were its consistent practices. Its atrocities spread across every land invaded by Japan.

The year 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, or Tokyo Trials. However, at this critical timing, the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has continued to adopt a series of dangerous moves. In just under a week, Japan lifted the ban on lethal arms exports, moved closer to establishing a new intelligence apparatus, and more than 100 politicians sent ritual offerings or visited the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

What defines a correct view of governance performance? The Dulongjiang Frontier Police Station has spent 74 years quietly answering that question through steadfast dedication. Reporting from the field, the GT traces a dual narrative of arduous border defense and deep bonds with local communities, showing how generations of officers have safeguarded this “last hidden realm of China” with their youth and devotion.

"It's currently 5 am. It's earlier than I usually wake up, but we are here for a very important reason. Today, we are going to be taking a look at how [Guizhou Province in] China was able to lift [over] 9.2 million people out of poverty within eight years."

In the soft light of a spring morning, the vast trading corridors of the Yiwu International Trade City are already buzzing with activity. Small commodities line the aisles in neat rows, many of them packaged in Chinese, English, Arabic and French. Merchants move briskly as foreign buyers roll suitcases from stall to stall, checking samples, asking prices and taking photos.

Editor's Note: “Building an ecological civilization concerns the well-being of the people and the future of the nation.” Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, pointed out: “Respecting, adapting to, and protecting nature is essential for building China into a modern socialist country in all respects.” The building of a Beautiful China is a key component of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. As outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development, securing major breakthroughs in strategic tasks of overall importance to Chinese modernization and making major new progress in the Beautiful China Initiative are set as key objectives for the 2026-2030 period. The Global Times's column on Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization is launching a series of articles titled “BeautifulChinaING.” From the perspectives of the beauty of nature, the beauty of system and the beauty of lifestyle, the series uses both Chinese and international cases as entry points. Through field reporting and video storytelling, it explores how green development has become a defining feature of Chinese modernization while showcasing China's role as a responsible major country providing global public goods. Wednesday was Earth Day. In this installment, we turn our focus to the conservation of nature. In 2026, China marks the 70th a

In the spring of 2025, the Nujiang River Grand Canyon in Southwest China unfolded like a living scroll in the gentle light of the mountains. At 76, Anatoly Tozik, director of the Republican Confucius Institute of Sinology at Belarusian State University and former deputy prime minister of Belarus, walked along cliffside paths, pausing to take in the vast gorge.

More than 60 kilometers from the urban area of Beijing, surrounded by mountains beside the Yanqi Lake, the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF) operates quietly in the Huairou Science City. Zhou Rui, a professor at the Institute of Physics (IOP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, and head of the nuclear magnetic resonance measurement station at SECUF, focuses on the changing measurement values on his computer screen, checking instruments and communicating with colleagues from time to time.

Shanghai breathes with the vitality of spring in April. A minibus pulls to a stop. The door opens, and Kawa Mahmoud steps out, lifting his gaze to a typical Shikumen-style building - a traditional architectural style of Shanghai - by the roadside. This is the Memorial Hall of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the birthplace of the Party.

"China is not what I expected," "I was shocked by China…" Two years ago, as "China travel" took off on YouTube, such phrases became a familiar formula in videos by early foreign creators, capturing the gap between long-held second-hand impressions and fresh firsthand experiences.

What does the animation that inspired tech billionaire Elon Musk look like? Recently, Chinese digital artist Huang Rui shared a special experience on one of China's leading video-sharing platforms Bilibili: he discussed the future prospect of a Type II civilization, a stellar civilization capable of harnessing all the energy of its home star, with Musk.

Unlike Huang Rui, who uses sci-fi art to envision the future, Xie Tianyang - another Chinese special effects video creator - has harbored a simple wish from the very beginning: to recreate the whimsical fantasies of his childhood through special effects.

"A correct understanding of governance performance requires us to proceed from reality, respect objective laws, and through sound decision-making and hard work, create achievements that withstand the test of practice and history, truly benefit the people, and earn public recognition," President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed at the opening of a study session for principal officials at the provincial and ministerial levels in January 2026.

In the 23rd article of the “Readers' Reflections” column, Global Times (GT) talked to Robert Walker (Walker), Professor Emeritus and Emeritus Fellow of Green Templeton College at University of Oxford and a professor at Jingshi Academy, Beijing Normal University, to get his insight on the inspiration and significance of the Communist Party of China (CPC) establishing and practicing a correct understanding of governance performance.

In the 21st article of the "Scholars' Perspectives" column, Wu Tao, Director and Professor of Research Center for Grassroots Party Building, China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong (CELAP), also expert entitled to Special Government Allowance of the State Council, elaborates on the importance of establishing and practicing a correct understanding of governance performance.

"When I said, 'I love you,' its eyes immediately lit up with red heart emojis and it responded affectionately in both Chinese and English." Ram Niranjan Sharma, an Indian business consultant, still vividly remembers the encounter at an expo in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province, in 2023. The small cat-shaped robot, which could read emotions, shattered his preconceived notions about tech products.

Chen Yanping, a 62-year-old fisherman from Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang Province, never imagined that after a lifetime of fishing, he would one day be linked to "military operations."

The crisp crack of ping-pong balls echoed through the hall - a heartbeat, the steady metronome of passing time.

Editor's Note: In an era of profound global shifts and increasingly complex regional dynamics, a proper understanding of the world must be rooted in “grounded experience” and localized insights. Global Times English edition, in collaboration with the Academy of International and Regional Communication Studies, Communication University of China, is proud to launch “Local Insights,” an English-language column dedicated to original, field-based observations.

The term "old TCM doctor" is often used, as if "old" is both its credential and its destiny. But today, is TCM really just "old"? Or rather, how is this tradition - often labeled as antiquated - continuing to find its place in modern life and within contemporary healthcare systems?

Standing inside her newly finished home in Huishui County, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, an elderly local woman told the US visitor Robert Lawrence Kuhn with satisfaction, “I've grown quite used to life here. It's much better than in our old village.”

In a recent Gallup global poll, China surpassed the US in global approval ratings in 2025, with a median of 36 percent approving of China's leadership, compared with 31 percent for the US, and the five-percentage-point advantage over the US in terms of the global median approval rate is the widest Gallup has recorded in China's favor in nearly 20 years, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Imagine seeing a doctor before you even step into a hospital.

America's ability to understand and manage its most consequential strategic relationship is eroding. Fewer than 2,000 Americans per year are currently estimated to be studying in China compared to 11,000 in 2019, according to a latest report released by the Washington-based non-profit US-China Education Trust (USCET).

"A Shared Voyage: China-US Youth Friendship Program," a people-to-people exchange that gathered 20 young participants from China and the US on a research voyage, concluded on Wednesday along Shanghai's iconic Huangpu River.

The so-called "Tibetan government-in-exile" released a shortlist of candidates for its "parliament-in-exile" on March 18, marking one of the latest developments in this year's overseas so-called "election." However, based on publicly available information and expert interviews, the Global Times found that the so-called "election" reveals clear limitations in both participation and institutional foundation. Moreover, the operation of this "election" is closely tied to external political and financial support, rather than an independent institutional framework.

In an exclusive interview with the Global Times, a Chinese seafarer stranded in the Persian Gulf said he and his crewmates were facing three major challenges: disrupted navigation, security threats, and daily hardships. He said his greatest wish is “that the war ends soon so I can go home.

"Xiong'an is like the future city I imagined as a child - that's why I chose to come here," Ma Xiaoqian, a Gen Z employee at Mech-Mind Robotics, a tech startup in Xiong'an, told the Global Times.

Since taking office, the current US government has pursued what critics call a strategy of “predatory hegemony,” from launching wars to military intimidation, from wielding economic blackmail to financial bullying. Yet many scholars in US politics and international relations have warned that behind this apparent show of strength lies deep internal fissures and mounting external blowback.

In January, as a delegation member from Shanghai International Studies University visiting India, I extensively traveled to places including the capital, New Delhi, Bolpur and Kolkata in West Bengal, and Bengaluru in Karnataka. We paid visits to universities, think tanks, local government offices, and enterprises, and held talks with scholars, young students, Indian officials, business owners, and ordinary citizens. Over the week-long field research, I gained fresh insights into India's current development and its mindset toward China.

Hansen Nico Rene and his partner Xie Wanju, the first secretary of Lianhua village's Party committee in Hechi, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, walk steadily along the damp field ridges. Neat rows of young passion fruit seedlings line both sides. White plastic mulch, laid around the roots of each sapling to retain soil moisture and suppress weeds, glows softly in the spring sunlight.

Editor's Note: Eighty years have passed since the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (“Tokyo trials”) in 1946. Yet, despite the verdicts of the Tribunal, many atrocities committed by Japan during its invasion of China from 1931 to 1945 are still being denied or downplayed by certain forces in Japan today. This invasion constitutes one of the darkest chapters in the history of human civilization. Certain forces within Japan have never ceased attempting to deny and whitewash this history of aggression, seeking to obscure and dilute responsibility for wartime crimes. In the face of these persistent challenges to historical truth, expressions of grief and indignation alone are far from sufficient. Only irrefutable original evidence can expose falsehoods and leave no room for denial.

Bilingual signs in English and Chinese are visible everywhere when Global Times reporters visited Beijing United Family Hospital. In the hallways, foreign patients chat fluently with doctors in English, and nurses greet them warmly as they pass by with carts. The facility feels more like a small international community than the crowded, busy hospitals many people imagine.

"Happy World War III to all who celebrate." On the February 28 episode of Saturday Night Live, a US late-night sketch show, cast member James Austin Johnson declared, in his recurring role as President Trump, The New York Times reported. Earlier that day, the US and Israel had carried out military strikes against Iran.

On the vast plateau of Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, newly built highways cut across snow-capped mountains, 5G signals reach remote villages, and modern homes replace old dwellings once scattered across harsh terrain. These visible changes offer a vivid snapshot of transformation, one that now enters a new phase with the launch of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).

Two da ye (elderly man) and a da ma (elderly woman) sit around a table playing Dou Di Zhu (a Chinese card game called Fight the Landlord). While two challengers keep playing their cards nonstop, the "landlord" sits there with one eye covered, deep in thought and seemingly at a loss.

In the early morning, Italian media professional Eva Molaro stretches along with a group of early risers. At a shop in the airport, Igor Marchuk, representative of a Kazakh airline, pays deftly with his phone. Downstairs in a neighborhood courtyard, French entrepreneur Sua parks her bike and, smiling, answers a neighbor's greeting in Chinese: "Chi guo la (I've eaten)!"

Just four months into his posting in Beijing, Alhaji Mohamed Sarjoh Bah, the African Union's (AU) newly appointed Permanent Representative to China, already maintains a busy working schedule to deepen cooperation between China and Africa.

Under the blueprint of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), which continues to emphasize emerging youth-driven industries, a group of Gen Z “knowledge-based influencers” with solid expertise is becoming the main force in new economy.

Across the ocean, a simple safety message and a genuine offer of help have become the warmest support in these overseas waters where communications are disrupted. These small acts of kindness let stranded countrymen feel the strength of having a solid backing, and truly reflect how Chinese people look out for one another abroad.

The smoke still lingers from the US raid on Venezuela, and the diplomatic uproar over US government's push to acquire Greenland has yet to fade - yet explosions are once again lighting up the skies over the Middle East.

Editor's Note: Chinese President Xi Jinping has pointed out, “to understand China today, one must learn to understand the Communist Party of China (CPC).” With the rapid development of China's economy and society, and the steady advancement of the Chinese path to modernization, the notable achievements of the CPC have drawn extensive international attention and scholarly interest. Against this backdrop, the Global Times has launched the “CPC in Global Eyes” column, focusing on the feelings, perspectives, and insights of international friends from various fields regarding the CPC's historical path and achievements.

At 7 am, the starting gun fired, igniting vitality in Swakopmund, Namibia.

Editor's Note: 2026 marks the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). The outline of the Plan sets out the following development goals for the coming five years: significant achievements in high-quality development, substantial improvements in scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, fresh breakthroughs in further deepening reform comprehensively, notable cultural and ethical progress across society, further improvements in quality of life, major new strides in advancing the Beautiful China Initiative, and further advances in strengthening the national security shield.

2026 marks the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). The outline of the Plan sets out the following development goals for the coming five years: significant achievements in high-quality development, substantial improvements in scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, fresh breakthroughs in further deepening reform comprehensively, notable cultural and ethical progress across society, further improvements in quality of life, major new strides in advancing the Beautiful China Initiative, and further advances in strengthening the national security shield.

More foreigners are entering the world of TCM – not just as patients, but as students, practitioners and promoters. From Germany to Cuba, TCM is gaining new global followers through study, treatment and lived experience. #HealthyChina

In this installment, we turn our attention to veterans of Zimbabwe's national liberation war. Some of these veterans were trained in China or with Chinese instructors decades ago, forging lasting bonds with the Chinese people. The message in the reply letter has strengthened their resolve to carry forward the traditional friendship between China and Zimbabwe and contribute to deeper China-Africa cooperation in the new era.

At the end of January 2026, AstraZeneca, a Swedish-British pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, announced its re-entry into China's pharmaceutical market with a $15 billion investment over the next five years, allocated to production and part of its R&D efforts.

When the family behind the YouTube channel "Fernweh Chronicles" stepped off a train in Lhasa, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, they did not expect the first thing to catch their attention to be in the sky.

“This moment is so full of love!” That's how some overseas social media users captioned a recent viral video, in which some Chinese children sit casually atop a police car and enjoy a street performance while some police officers stand beside the car to protect them. The police vehicle had become an impromptu viewing platform for children. The scene warmed the hearts of many Chinese and foreign netizens.

When stepping into the courtyard of "Xiaoman Shiyang" - a social space dubbed as a "daytime tea house, nighttime bar" in Beijing's bustling downtown area - customers are first greeted by a statue of Li Shizhen, a renowned Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) pharmacologist and author of the iconic herbal encyclopedia Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica).

“Archives are direct witnesses to history. They don't try to tell the entire story. They simply present facts, allowing those who come after to see the truth and touch a past they never experienced but must understand.” The first installment in the #ArchivesTellTruth series delves into original Japanese military records preserved in local archives to reveal the organized and institutionalized nature of the war crimes committed by the Japanese imperial army during the invasion of China.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a treasure carrying the Chinese nation's health wisdom for thousands of years, is now reaching 196 countries and nations at an astonishing pace. It has become an important pillar of the Healthy China Initiative and a bridge for exchanges between Chinese and foreign civilizations.

The air in Tianba village in Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, carries the crisp scent of pine and earth, a reminder of the rugged mountains that cradle this village. When Sabino Vaca Narvaja, former Argentine ambassador to China, first set foot in the village, the land beneath his feet, as he put it, felt like a bridge between catastrophe and rebirth.

The government work report states that the conditions underpinning China's long-term growth and its underlying trend remain unchanged. More and more, China is demonstrating the strengths of its system and the strengths it has as a big country.

How can you learn how many shaded areas are along your route on a digital map? Have you seen automated drug delivery system in hospitals? Has unmanned delivery technology reached remote areas in your country? Users from various countries are posting about glimpses of everyday life in China.

"Many people told me that when they exit the tunnel at the end of the road leading to Abuluoha village, they are amazed by the village's brand-new look. It is like a paradise beyond the mortal world," said Jilie Ziri, a post-1995 NPC deputy, with a smile when the Global Times reporters met him in Xichang, capital of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, in late February, days before he left for Beijing to attend the 2026 national "two sessions."

From industrial cities once shrouded in smog to neighborhoods where residents now record clear skies day after day, officials, scientists, businesses and ordinary citizens have joined forces to tackle air pollution. Their combined efforts have transformed the country's air quality and brought blue skies back to daily life.

Editor's Note: The fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) will kick off in Beijing on March 5 and March 4, respectively. As an annual major political event, the national two sessions serve as an important platform for national lawmakers and political advisors to build consensus and deliberate on development plans, and a key window for the world to observe whole-process people's democracy in China.

The escalation of the conflict between the US-Israel and Iran has shocked the world following confirmation on Sunday of the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran's nuclear facilities have become an unavoidable focal point in this conflict.

"Here in China, I can truly feel that the government is listening to the people's voices," Phommavong Pattarada, a young woman from Madagascar whose Chinese name is Liu Xiran, told the Global Times emotionally on a late February afternoon. She was holding a draft of the elderly care service regulations, which she planned to solicit opinions on from residents at the Huanongli community in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

As the Spring Festival holidays end, China is entering a nationwide phase of post-holiday work resumption, marked by the return of factories and construction sites to full operation, and even robots reporting back to work, signaling a broad push to secure a strong economic start to the year.

The gentle breezes of early spring caress the eternally warm island of Hainan. On the balcony of an apartment in Haikou, capital city of South China's Hainan Province, David Janke stands at ease, gazing out at the nearby sea, a sheet of glinting blue. A few steps behind him, a bookshelf holds a neat row of English or bilingual editions - testaments to decades spent using language as a bridge between cultures.

Playful as it seemed, the episode reflected a broader shift. Chinese culture is no longer circulating abroad through formal, one-directional promotion but through participatory, internet-native exchanges that blur the line between producer and audience. Increasingly, some Chinese elements are moving beyond the labels of "Asian" or "niche" culture and entering the everyday consumption and aesthetic routines of young people in the West.

Beneath a clear blue sky and turquoise sea, a gentle breeze ruffles the sand along Dadonghai beach in Sanya, a coastal city in South China's island province of Hainan. Visitors from around the world bask and lounge on the beach, soaking up a rare winter warmth and the sun's soft glow.

On the afternoon of February 11, train No. 6437 was already filled with a festive atmosphere. Train conductor Cui Daqing held a stack of red papers with “Fu” character, offering passengers warm New Year wishes in a loud and cheerful voice. Festive paper-cut decorations adorned the windows, reflecting the mountain scenery rushing past outside. The luggage racks were crammed with holiday goods – tote bags packed with Beijing specialties and toys for children back home.

As the lanterns of the Year of the Horse illuminate the night sky, a young rail grinding team, known as the “rail beauticians,” is hard at work on the tracks of Beijing South Railway Station. Using the rails as their canvas and grinders as their brushes, they sculpt with millimeter precision, safeguarding the journey home for millions during the #ChineseNewYear travel rush. #chunyun

On February 8, in a residential building in Jing'an in downtown Shanghai, delivery rider Shen Zhuangqi - a native of Heze, East China's Shandong Province who has been working in the city for three years - greeted the reporters with a simple sentence: "I've found that big-family feeling here."

This year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). A new year begins with new resolve and new momentum. The call to "fight for our dreams and our happiness, and turn our great vision into beautiful realities" continues to inspire action across China.

In the column "New Year on the Frontlines," reporters from the People's Daily and the Global Times traveled to the grass roots to witness the vitality of a vast nation, see its mountains and rivers in motion and its fields in abundance, and listen to the stories of people finding fulfillment in both life and work.

This year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). A new year begins with new resolve and new momentum. The call to "fight for our dreams and our happiness, and turn our great vision into beautiful realities" continues to inspire action across China.

As Chinese New Year approaches, in Yingshan county, Central China's Hubei Province, known as the "land of medicinal herbs," Wang Zaiping, a villager from Tiantang village in Shitouzui Township, has been busy. On a sunny mountainside slope, she and her husband diligently turn over pine logs. The logs, about 40-centimeter long and as thick as a fist, are neatly stacked. "Once cracks appear at both ends, it's time to 'put them in the pit,'" Wang said. "Growing Poria cocos depends entirely on these logs, so we have to take good care of them."

"Centralized seminar, now commencing." At 9:30 am, red paper-cut horse decorations glinted on the office glass at Changguang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd (CGSTL), in Northeast China's Jilin Province.

"Sister Wu, can live chickens be taken on the train?" At daybreak in the Miaoling Mountains, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, vegetable vendor Sister Wu began her day amid a flurry of flapping wings and barking dogs. The reporter, helping chase down free-range chickens, could not help but ask.

As the Spring Festival approaches, there are no decorative lanterns and colored streamers at the Gangga border defense company, located at the foot of Mount Qomolangma in Xigaze, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

As Spring Festival (#ChineseNewYear) approaches, more international visitors are traveling to China's coastal city of #Sanya thanks to visa-free policies. Data shows that over 51,000 international passengers passed through the city in past two weeks alone, up 53% y-on-y. Behind the surge lies the strong commitment and relentless pursuit of efficiency by the local border inspectors.

The release of over 3 million pages of declassified files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent shockwaves across the world. The aftershocks and public outrage have continued to unfold and intensify in Europe and in the US over the past two weeks.

The current international political and economic landscape is at one of the most dangerous stages since the WWII as a stable and rule-based international order is disintegrating, while a new one has yet to take shape, Paulo Nogueira Batista, former vice president of the New Development Bank (NDB) and former executive director at the International Monetary Fund, told the Global Times in a recent exclusive interview.

In the 19th article of the "Scholars' Perspectives" column, Liu Kuili, Honorary Member of the Academic Division of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Honorary President of the Chinese Folklore Society, elaborates on the cultural implications of the Spring Festival and how it embodies the five defining characteristics of Chinese civilization summarized by President Xi Jinping.

Editor's Note: In the 21st article of the "Readers' Reflections" column, Global Times reporter talked to Colin Mackerras, 2014 recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award, a renowned Australian Sinologist and chair professor at Renmin University of China. He shares his personal experiences of celebrating Spring Festival in China, highlighting how the Chinese values embodied in the Spring Festival—such as “harmony is precious” and “coexistence in harmony”—carry profound intellectual inspiration and practical significance for addressing international challenges today.

In this installment, Global Times reporters Xie Wenting and Ding Yazhi (GT) spoke with former UN under-secretary-general Erik Solheim (Solheim) to hear his views on the significance of the GGI and its value for today's world.

Inside a "cafe," 25-year-old guide Liu Suwei handed out six small bottles and asked visitors to identify the scents inside.

"You met me at a very Chinese time in my life." This meme has been trending in recent months on the global internet, with TikTok as its primary battleground. Now, with the Chinese New Year approaching, content creators are producing tip-style videos around the topic, while new Chinese adopters - perhaps clutching the red dress they just bought - are eagerly preparing for their first Spring Festival.

With the UNESCO inscribed Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024, its global influence continues to grow.

"If Japan had not invaded China, there would have been no war orphans like us, and far fewer families would have been torn apart… I lost everything to that war. That is why we abhor militarism and war with every fiber of our being, and yearn for peace forever," Takayoshi Utsunomiya, 84, a representative of the thousands of Japanese war orphans who were left in China by the Japanese army after Japan surrendered, told the Global Times.

In a recent speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney sharply criticized great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons; tariffs as leverage. Carney urged that “middle powers must act together because if we're not at the table, we're on the menu.” His remarks have sparked ongoing international debate: While some media outlets have framed them as a stinging rebuke of US policies, analysts interpret them as a direct reflection of the deepening rifts within the Western bloc.

“US' recent pressure against #Iran, together with its increasingly frequent interventions in the #WesternHemisphere, reflects the same imperialist logic, which has become harder to conceal as Washington's global standing deteriorates.” #GTinvestigates

In this installment, we turn our focus to the Ruoergai grassland in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, where patrollers, along with generations of herders, scientists and conservationists, have joined forces to protect the region's precious wildlife and fragile wetland ecosystem.

The foot of the Yinhu Mountain in Luohu district in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, is abuzz with activity in the early morning. The Yulong landfill, once Shenzhen's largest dumping ground, is now undergoing the nation's largest full-excavation relocation project, the Global Times learned from the Luohu district government.

When 47-year-old financial analyst Katherine Wong decided to move to China, her colleagues in New York were perplexed. In October 2025, the US-born Chinese American gave up her life in Manhattan along with a $300,000 annual salary, and moved back to her hometown in Shantou, Guangdong Province, with her 16-year-old son and retired parents. There, she joined the investment division of a leading Chinese securities firm.

China and the EU have had established diplomatic relations for more than half a century. From the establishment of formal diplomatic relations to the development into a comprehensive strategic partnership, China-EU relations have become one of the most influential bilateral relationships in the world today. Apart from China, from October 16 to November 4, 2025, the Global Times Institute (GTI) conducted a questionnaire survey across 20 EU member states, including Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, and Germany, using 21 languages such as Spanish, French, German, and Chinese. More than 16,300 valid questionnaires were collected. The survey data shows that a majority of people in both China and EU are interested in each other's cultures, have strong confidence in the future of China-EU economic and trade cooperation, and support enhanced cooperation between China and the EU in global governance.

In the tender early-summer sunlight, Xu Ye'er stood in the main hall of a historic temple in North China's Shanxi Province. She looked up, and when her gaze met the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) murals on the wall that have endured for centuries across the ceiling, an indescribable shiver hit her.

Yuzo Takayama used to think of himself as Japanese, but his current social media bio reads: A Ryukyuan with Japanese nationality.

Editor's Note: In his annual address to French ambassadors in January, French President Emmanuel Macron sharply criticized the US for “gradually turning away” from some of its allies and “breaking free from international rules,” and rejected what he described as a “new colonialism and new imperialism,” the Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

On world maps commonly used in China, Greenland is often positioned in the upper right-hand corner and is typically depicted in white.

These days, TikTok feeds are filled with a recurring set of visuals: Young people from the US and other countries hold steaming mugs, seriously declaring to the camera, "From tomorrow, I'm turning Chinese."

Looking back, Fang Jiacai believes luck played a decisive role in saving his life.

In 2000, 36-year-old lawyer Wu Mingxiu joined a Chinese legal team representing Xia Shuqin, a survivor of the Nanjing Massacre who had been smeared by Japanese right-wing narrators. The case was one of many Chinese civil claims against Japan that Wu had long been involved in, and his experience epitomizes the countless justice-minded legal professionals who have devoted themselves to this cause.

The situation in Iran has gripped the attention of multiple parties in recent days. As Iran announced on Saturday that it would gradually resume internet services that had been suspended since January 8, public opinion generally holds that the protests that have continued for more than ten days in the country have tended to subside. Nevertheless, under the threat of intervention from the US and Israel, the situation remains highly uncertain.

Who is ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)? The agency has become a trending topic on social media platforms in recent days after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, sparking nationwide protests against the agency across the US.

At present, global governance is facing a significant action deficit across multiple areas — climate, security, development, and technology — most notably reflected in the difficulty of turning consensus into practical measures and the clear gap between commitments and implementation. In September 2025, China put forward the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), of which one core principle is an emphasis on being action-oriented. In a recent interview with Global Times reporters Xie Wenting and Chen Zishuai (GT), former Egyptian prime minister Essam Sharaf (Sharaf) said the current international situation is fragile and the world urgently needs such an initiative. What is most valuable is that the GGI focuses on actions that can bring change, which will strengthen capacity-building and long-term governance effectiveness in the Global South and thereby help promote the rise of the Global South.

In the Pamir Plateau in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, at an average altitude of over 4,600 meters, stands the Paiyike Border Police Station. The officers stationed here guard the strategically vital Wakhan Corridor, overseeing a vast jurisdiction of 2,500 square kilometers and protecting a 197.4-kilometer border line in an area where China's borders converge with Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Editor's Note: “When the happy hum of daily life fills every home, the big family of our nation will go from strength to strength.” These words from President Xi Jinping's 2026 New Year message embody sincere and profound care for the people and convey touching and heartwarming strength.

In the 18th article of the "Scholars' Perspectives" column, Li Junru, former vice president of the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, elaborated his thoughts on the relationship between "small family" and "big family" in the view of the CPC members, and the Party's "people-centered ethos."

In the 19th installment of the "Practitioners' Insights" column, Global Times reporters visited Lhaze county in Xigaze, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, to document how quake-affected people celebrated their first New Year in new homes. It shares stories of how local authorities overcame numerous challenges to achieve a post-earthquake reconstruction milestone within a year, reflecting the nation's unwavering commitment to safeguarding and improving public well-being while upholding the dignity of every family.

Editor's Note: Chinese President Xi Jinping often quotes an ancient saying on many diplomatic occasions: “No mountain or ocean can separate those who share the same aspirations.” This powerful message underscores the undeniable force of friendship and cooperation in bridging hearts across nations, cultures, and civilizations. Inspired by President Xi's vision, people-to-people exchanges between China and the world have been flourishing. People from diverse backgrounds and fields, united by common goals and dreams, traverse mountains and oceans to connect with each other. Through letters, face-to-face dialogues and vibrant cultural events, they are collectively weaving a magnificent tapestry of building a community with a shared future for humanity. The Global Times presents “Intertwined Destinies, Shared Paths,” a series spotlighting the touching stories written by these “friendship ambassadors.” They are scholars pushing the boundaries of research, diplomats advocating for deeper cooperation on the global stage, artists igniting imaginations with their creations, and ordinary people extending heartfelt love beyond national borders driven by their genuine sincerity. Their stories illuminate the spark of cultural exchanges, the driving force of technological innovation, the bountiful harvest of economic cooperation, and the enduring warmth of human connection – all contributing to a more peaceful, prosperous and open world. This is the tenth installment of the series.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has pointed out, "to understand China today, one must learn to understand the Communist Party of China (CPC)." With the rapid development of China's economy and society, and the steady advancement of Chinese path to modernization, the notable achievements of the CPC have drawn extensive international attention and scholarly interest. Against this backdrop, the Global Times has launched the "CPC in Global Eyes" column, focusing on the feelings, perspectives, and insights of international friends from various fields regarding the CPC's historical path and achievements.

A total of 45 university students from nearly 20 countries and regions, including Ghana, South Africa, Algeria, Madagascar, Brazil, and India, are taking part in a one-week training program from Monday to Sunday in China organized by the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) Academy to learn from China's water management practices and global cutting-edge technologies.

Editor's Note: Chinese President Xi Jinping has pointed out, “to understand China today, one must learn to understand the Communist Party of China (CPC).” With the rapid development of China's economy and society, and the steady advancement of Chinese path to modernization, the notable achievements of the CPC have drawn extensive international attention and scholarly interest. Against this backdrop, the Global Times has launched the “CPC in Global Eyes” column, focusing on the feelings, perspectives, and insights of international friends from various fields regarding the CPC's historical path and achievements. They include those who have toured China; deeply study the CPC in academic fields; work, live, study, seek employment, or do business in various fields in China; and who, though having not having visited China in person, pay close attention to the CPC's policies and trends. Through their vivid personal experiences, we aim to present a multifaceted overseas view of the CPC. In the fifth installment of this series, we turn to Shanghai, home of the Memorial Hall Scenic Area of the First, Second, and Fourth National Congresses of the CPC. Revered as the “place of the Party's original aspiration,” the area is a touchstone for the CPC's founding ideals. At the Memorial Hall of the Second National Congress of the CPC, a unique team of international volunteers dedicates their leisure time to offering guided services and facilitating cultural exchange activities. The Global

A success to celebrate or a heavy cost the US is paying? The recent US military strike against Venezuela and the forcible seizure of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have triggered two sharply opposed and deeply irreconcilable narratives within American society.

As the New Year's Day holidays have just passed and the Spring Festival approaches, Chinese households are preparing for winter meals and festive gatherings with little concern about food availability or prices. From large supermarkets in major cities to neighborhood vegetable stalls, fresh produce remains abundant and affordable, offering a sense of everyday security as families look ahead to the Year of the Horse.

For many people around the world, the start of the new year brought not only the crackle of fireworks, but also, sadly, the sound of gunfire.

“Turn all weapons into instruments.” These words first came into eyes when we stepped into the live house run by Ryukyuan musician Shokichi Kina in the city of Naha. Flower, a Ryukyuan folk song Kina wrote and sang, later became widely known across Asia through a cover version by Chinese singer Emil Chau. And the core spirit of the song is a prayer for world peace.

#RyukyuChronicles The stolen Ryukyuan ancestral remains, the insulting by mainland police as “You Idiots! Natives!”The broken bowls and ear bone belonging to refugees of Battle in Okinawa in dark mountain cave. All these experiences have accelerated Ryukyu people's identity awareness. Years ago, when GT asked them whether they considered themselves Japanese, some would hesitate or remain silent. This time, however, more and more answer plainly, “I am Ryukyuan.” #GlobalClose-up

As the sweltering heat of the Sahara Desert unfolds on the silver screen of the film Escape From The Outland, vibrant red tomatoes tenaciously sprout from mine casings. Audiences are struck by this powerful imagery - a stark reminder that war's wreckage can nurture the hope of life.

Faced with mounting discontent among the people in Okinawa, the Japanese government has tried to solve the problem with money and to weaken the protest movement by dividing interests.

#RyukyuChronicles “Ryukyu is the sacrifice. Whether it was the Ryukyu Kingdom in the past or the Okinawa Prefecture today, the Japanese government has never cared about the people here. What they want is just this land,”GT learned from local people near the Henoko base construction site. Here, the protests against US bases never stop, just as Ryukyu people's unyielding struggle with the Japanese government. #GlobalClose-up

US strikes on Venezuela and its forcible seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have sent shockwaves across the international community. Condemnations over the wanton act - including from some US allies - have poured in, blaming the US for flouting international law and basic norms governing international relations.

"The United States seems to be destined by Providence to plague Latin America with misery in the name of liberty," Simon Bolivar, who was born in Venezuela and later played a central role in the Latin American independence movement, once wrote in a letter in 1829.

"When the happy hum of daily life fills every home, the big family of our nation will go from strength to strength." This remark from President Xi's 2026 New Year message has warmed and inspired countless Chinese families.

The US' sudden military operation against Venezuela and the forcible seizure of the country's president has dominated headlines worldwide since Saturday. The operation is viewed by global media and observers as a real-life example of the Monroe Doctrine in action, under which the Trump Administration claims that the Western Hemisphere is its sphere of influence.

"This is not merely the kidnapping of a president, but the kidnapping of the entire Venezuelan nation. And all of this is unfolding under the gaze of the whole world." Venezuelan former deputy foreign minister and geopolitical expert Daniela Rodríguez described the incident in which the US forcibly seized President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday and subjected him to a so-called "trial" within the US in this way during an exclusive interview with the Global Times on Tuesday.

Editor's Note: At the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" Meeting in North China's port city of Tianjin in September 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping formally proposed the Global Governance Initiative.

In the 18th installment of the "Practitioners' Insights" column, a China-initiated program, "Africa Tech Challenge," shares stories of how it practices the four global initiatives in Africa through helping local young people pursue their dreams, by offering them non-profit vocational skill training, competitions, and opportunities to further study in China.

In the 19th article of the "Readers' Reflections" column, Global Times (GT) talked to Vladimir Norov (Norov), former secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and recipient of the 2025 Chinese Government Friendship Award about why China's concepts and initiatives have resonated so widely, and why Chinese solutions are particularly actionable and deliverable.

“May I turn into a fierce tiger, grow wings, and cross the Pacific to see the world.” This line is from a classical Ryukyu song once vividly portraying the island chain as a thriving “Bridge of Ten Thousand Nations.” From 1372 to 1879, the Ryukyu Kingdom was not only a sovereign state in the sense of international law, but also maintained close and friendly tributary relations with China. Today, squeezed between the heavy burden of the US military bases and indifference from Japan's mainland policies, all that can be read from the ancient verse is a sense of desolation.

Trading the deaths of Ryukyuan people for the lives of people from mainland Japan. The Okinawa Main Island, the largest of the Ryukyu archipelago, is where history can be felt at close range. In the horrific Battle of Okinawa at the end of World War II, one in every four Ryukyuans lost their lives. The searing experience has made Ryukyuan memories of war far more intense than those on mainland Japan.

"Things you can do in China at night: You can play ping pong, you can ride shared bikes, you can drink lemon tea, you can sleep on a park bench... No one will harm you." This vivid observation from Nepali influencer Garima Ghimire posted on the lifestyle social media platform Xiaohongshu (RedNote) has raked in over 2,000 interactions, with comments echoing her sentiment. One Chinese netizen replied: "In China, drink and get drunk. If you don't want to go home, you can sleep in the park and nothing will be lost on the grass."

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945) and the World Anti-Fascist War. Winning the war is a great victory of the national spirit with patriotism at its core, a great victory achieved with the Communist Party of China (CPC) fighting as the central pillar, a great victory fought by the whole nation through solidarity and bravery, and a great victory for the Chinese people, anti-fascist allies and people around the world who fought shoulder-to-shoulder.

Editor's Note: 2025 marks the final year of China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and the blueprint for the 15th (2026-2030) is already unfolding. In the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development made public in October, the country has outlined major objectives for high-quality development over the next five years, including significant achievements in high-quality development, substantial improvements in scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, fresh breakthroughs in further deepening comprehensive reform, notable cultural and ethical progress across society, further improvements in quality of life, major new strides in advancing the Beautiful China Initiative, and further advances the strengthening of the national security shield. This blueprint not only guides China's own modernization, but also injects tangible certainty into a turbulent world. Amid the surging “China Travel” boom, more international travelers are visiting China and witnessing real, tangible changes. These firsthand experiences and moments of awe have become, in their eyes, “the future in China's hands.” The Global Times is launching a year-end series titled “The world can trust in China,” presenting stories of “Chinese modernization” through the perspectives of foreign vloggers and ordinary Chinese people, to show how China is fulfilling its promises for the futur

Global Times reporters retrace a little-known World War II crash site along the treacherous Hump Route in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, uncovering long-buried memories of sacrifice and friendship that continue to echo through the mountains eight decades later.

Editor's Note: To continuously observe how China is perceived by the world, the Global Times once again launched the "Global Survey on Impression and Understanding of China," covering 46 countries and about 51,700 respondents. The survey found that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era receives high international recognition. International community's favorability toward China continues to rise, with growing expectations for China to play a greater role. Following the release of the survey results, it sparked positive responses, with several Chinese and foreign scholars analyzing various factors contributing to the sustained improvement of China's international image.

In 2025, the world is undergoing accelerated transformation amid rising turbulence and uncertainty. The interconnectedness between China's development and the global landscape continues to grow, with China exerting increasingly profound and positive influence on global growth, technological transformation, and global governance. To continuously observe how China is perceived by the world, the Global Times once again launched the “Global Survey on Impression and Understanding of China,” covering 46 countries and about 51,700 respondents, to objectively, comprehensively, and accurately understand how foreign public perceives, understands, and evaluates China.

"Considering China has so many people, I'm very impressed by how efficient the healthcare system is," an American vlogger said in a video documenting his experience of seeing a doctor in China.

"Gorgeous traditional costumes." "I am glad to see the combination of traditional culture and the trend of the new era, and these cultural treasures will be inherited." "Each unique and beautiful!"

How does a nation turn innovation into everyday warmth? From wearable exoskeletons helping seniors walk again, to AI seamlessly assisting daily life – #China's journey toward technological self-reliance isn't just about breakthroughs, but about people. #TrustInChina

In the second installment, we venture deep into Medog, a hidden territory surrounded by the mountains of the southeastern corner of Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. There, newly discovered species continue to emerge, and the veil shrouding this mysterious gorge of the Yarlung Zangbo River is gradually being lifted.

“I already knew China was moving fast. But seeing it with my own eyes made me realize everything was far beyond what I had imagined,” said one member of a Vietnamese youth delegation who recently went on a “red study tour” to China. For the delegations, the visit deepened their understanding of the Communist Party of China, and gave them a close‑up of what China has achieved in various fields under the Party's leadership. #CPCinGlobalEyes

Amid the turbulence and hope that have defined 2025, the Global Times has launched its 20th annual survey, titled "How Chinese view the world." Since 2006, the survey has not only reflected evolving public opinion in China, but also offered a unique lens into the changing dynamics between China and the rest of the world. This year's results show that, compared with the "cautious and low-key" sentiment of respondents in the early 2000s, Chinese public opinion now reflects confidence and rationality befitting a major power. Over the past two decades, the proportion of respondents who believe that "China is already a global power" has doubled. In addition, China-Russia ties have remained the most valued neighboring relationship for 17 consecutive years, while China-US relations have once again topped all bilateral relationships in terms of importance. Notably, 94 percent of respondents hope China to play a greater role in promoting a fairer international order.

"In Beijing, anyone with a love for history and culture has probably heard of this place." Standing amid the crisp winter air on Shijing Mountain, gaze fixed on the grottoes dotting the slopes, visitor Mr Ke told the Global Times on a quiet Monday afternoon.

"Today, South Korea's new government emphasizes rational and pragmatic diplomacy in its China policy, aiming to promote cooperation that brings tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries." This was stated by Ro Jae-hun (Ro), South Korea's newly appointed ambassador to China, in a recent exclusive interview with Global Times (GT) reporters Bai Yunyi and Shan Jie in Beijing.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) deliberated and adopted the "Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development," which clarifies the guiding principles and main objectives for China's economic and social development over the next five years. In this issue, Global Times reporters Xie Wenting and Bai Yunyi (GT) conducted an exclusive interview with Mwangi Wachira, a former economist with the World Bank. In the interview, the renowned economist affirmed the resilience of the Chinese economy and its strong innovative capacity, and expressed his belief that China's experience in combining national planning with market mechanisms offers valuable lessons for other developing countries.