A few days before the Spring Festival in 2020, I returned to my hometown - Yichang, a city about 320 kilometers away from Wuhan in Central China's Hubei Province, at that time there was no way to know that it would be the last Spring Festival, the most important traditional Chinese festival centered on the eternal theme of family reunion, I spent with my grandfather.

For many local residents in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, which reported the first COVID-19 outbreak in China three years ago, the Chinese New Year in 2020 was an unforgettable one as it coincided the moment when the city imposed a lockdown to cut off the coronavirus transmission. Three years later, after the country accumulated experiences in fighting the epidemic and continuously adjusted its anti-COVID measures, the metropolis on the banks of the Yangtze River is witnessing again the joyful and bustling holidays.

The global landscape has, in recent years, gone through profound, complex and turbulent changes since the end of the Cold War. In the eyes of geopolitical observers, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the intensifying geopolitical tensions and the “ripple effects” of the Ukraine crisis have led to growing upheaval in the global financial and economic sectors, while also posing a serious threat to food and energy security. Certain countries continue to blatantly advocate for decoupling, confrontation, and division, further exacerbating an already dire global situation.

The list of the members of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) was unveiled with a new sector - the environment and resources sector - added, which some experts said has great significance as environmental protection constitutes a fundamental part in pursuing Chinese modernization.

John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said in his latest interview with local media that the government hopes to complete legislation for Article 23 of the Basic Law in 2023, which is expected to prevent national security risks, particularly targeting spying activities, with the help of new technologies.

In speaking to the press on the first day of assuming the duty as director of the liaison office of the central government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Zheng Yanxiong said that as long as there is no social turmoil in the city and it doesn't go in a wrong direction, Hong Kong will embrace a bright future.

While China is downgrading COVID management from Class A to Class B and gradually reopening its borders from January 8, the Global Times has learned from the Chinese Embassy in India that it will further optimize the visa arrangement for foreigners coming to China from Sunday, and the number of Indian students applying for visas to China will continue to grow in 2023, and the number of people entering China with visas for business, visits, and family visits is also expected to increase significantly.

The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (HKEX) has decided to remove Next Digital Ltd group, which was founded by jailed Hong Kong secessionist Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, from the market, and the company will be delisted on January 12.

Ahead of the policy of gradually resuming international travel taking effect on January 8, the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism issued a notice on Thursday to reopen the borders between the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs) on January 8.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is expected to launch a legal amendment to prevent London-based barrister Timothy Owen from defending infamous media tycoon Jimmy Lai in a national security trial, according to media reports. Some legal experts and sources close to the HKSAR government confirmed with the Global Times on Monday that it's highly likely that this work will start soon.

Hong Kong officials, legal professionals and observers welcome the country's top legislature providing interpretations for provisions under the National Security Law for Hong Kong, which absolutely does not affect the city's judiciary independence, but instead clarifies the legislative intent of a number of provisions of the NSL for Hong Kong, providing more authoritative and clear guidelines for the judicial practice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). They also refuted Western media's criticism over the interpretation claiming that it undermined the city's high degree of autonomy.

China's top legislature adopted an interpretation of Article 14 and Article 47 on the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday, which aims to properly handle the issues encountered in practicing the national security law (NSL) for Hong Kong and effectively safeguard the country's sovereignty, security and development interests.

Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Office of the State Council, made an explanation on a motion to request the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the National Security Law for Hong Kong at the ongoing standing committee session of China's top legislature on Tuesday.

Hong Kong government's coordination group for border-opening with the mainland held its first meeting on Sunday, after the city's Chief Executive John Lee said on Saturday that Hong Kong is to reopen its border with the mainland by mid-January. Meanwhile, the city's business group called the opening“the biggest Christmas gift,”believing it will help the small businesses of the city.

China has greatly advanced its diplomatic agenda in 2022 with head-of-state diplomacy setting the pace for the country's overall diplomatic work, which was highlighted by one home-ground event, two major initiatives and three important visits, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday in reviewing the country's diplomatic work for 2022. Chinese experts believe that the overall successful diplomatic work helped China navigate complex global and regional issues, consolidate consensus and strike a balance in maintaining strategic stability in relations with other major countries such as the US and Russia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who is on his maiden duty visit to Beijing, and gave full recognition to his courageous and pragmatic work in leading the city government in safeguarding national security, reviving the vitality of the economy and enabling Hong Kong to display a new atmosphere of patriots administering Hong Kong.

Premier Li Keqiang met with Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Thursday in Beijing. Lee traveled to the capital for his annual duty report this week, and the Chinese leader fully recognized Lee's work of leading the HKSAR government in responding to the public's needs, fixing its social woes and helping the city regain its economic vitality.

While the border reopening between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong topped the agenda of the annual report delivered by John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, local media have reported that some ports have already begun preparing for normal operations, and a senior official confirmed with Global Times that the border resumption is in sight.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will travel to Beijing from Wednesday to Saturday to deliver his annual work report, which will also be his first duty visit since he became leader of the HKSAR government.

In his first policy address delivered in October, Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu highlighted the importance of advancing national security education in Hong Kong. Recently, the National Security Education Centre of the International Probono Legal Services Association (IPLSA), a non-profit organization registered in Hong Kong, launched a national security education instructor training program, and more than 100 people have obtained the qualifications to become instructors who will teach national security knowledge in Hong Kong's primary and middle schools as well as in other institutions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday concluded his Saudi Arabia trip, his first to the Middle East region after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which was also an unprecedented diplomatic event with the Arab world. The trip has not only yielded fruitful results in economic and trade sense, but also demonstrated that in addition to continuing to play the role of a contributor to regional development, China will also increasingly contribute to peace in the strategically important Middle East, experts noted.

A Hong Kong court on Saturday sentenced Lai, an instigator of the Hong Kong riots in 2019, to five years and nine months in prison over two fraud charges linked to lease violations.

A grand welcoming ceremony, high-level bilateral meetings and wide-covering investment agreements are among proofs that China-Saudi Arabia relations have been lifted to a new high.

China further adjusted and optimized its COVID response by releasing 10 new measures, including allowing asymptomatic carriers and mind COVID-19 patients and those who meet certain requirements to quarantine at home.

At least a dozen cities across China further adjusted and optimized epidemic control measures over the weekend, including scrapping the requirement for frequent mass nucleic acid testing and mandatory COVID-19 test results for riding public transportation. Some cities such as Zhuhai in South China's Guangdong and Southwest China's Chongqing urged local residents not to take nucleic acid tests unless necessary, while other places explored new measures such as allowing some people who test positive for COVID to quarantine at home.

Ahead of the highly anticipated first China-Arab summit, which is scheduled to be held in early December in Saudi Arabia, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released a long report fully reviewing China's long-standing relations with Arab countries, and highlighted the strategic mutual trust in China-Arab ties in the new era, which Chinese experts believe points out the future direction of China-Arab cooperation.

Hong Kong's Department of Justice (DOJ) applied to a local court on Tuesday to ask for an adjournment to the closely watched national security trial of Jimmy Lai after the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government made a request to the central government for an interpretation of the national security law (NSL) for Hong Kong, after the city's top court upheld an earlier High Court decision to allow a British barrister to defend Lai against charges under this law. The ruling triggered huge controversy and led to a strong opposition from central government agencies and the local government.

Hong Kong's top court rejected an appeal by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to overturn the permission to allow a UK barrister to represent Jimmy Lai, the imprisoned owner of Next Digital Media, in an upcoming national security trial, which is seen as a disappointing result.

The top court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday reserved a ruling on local prosecutors' last-ditch attempt to prevent jailed Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying from hiring a UK lawyer for his upcoming high-profile national security trial.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday started nominating candidates as deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, and the voting date was set on December 15.

Editor's Note: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with French President Emmanuel Macron on November 15 in Bali, Indonesia on the sidelines of the G20 summit. This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitments to bolstering communication and coordination in response to the global challenges including climate change, biodiversity protection, and food security. Global Times reporters Chen Qingqing and Bai Yunyi (GT) interviewed French Ambassador to China Laurent Bili (Bili) exclusively as he talked about the prospects of China-France and China-Europe relations.

World Rugby apologized to the Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) for an error which appeared on the television broadcast of a match between the Hong Kong and Portuguese teams at the Final Qualification Tournament for Rugby World Cup 2023 on November 6, when an incorrect graphics caption was used when the Chinese National Anthem was played prior to the game, the HKRU said on Saturday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Saturday agreed to build a more stable, prosperous and sustainable China-Thailand community with a shared future during their meeting in Bangkok.

Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up the 17th meeting of the G20 Leaders' Summit, the 29th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and his official visit to Thailand on Saturday afternoon and left the country, returning to China, Chinese Central Television reported. The week-long trip, with a packed diplomatic schedule, offered Chinese wisdom and ideas for pushing forward globalization, setting the tone for the right direction for cooperation and coordination among major powers, experts said.

Five days after the closely watched meeting between the top leaders of China and the US at G20, Chinese President Xi Jinping had a brief conversation with the US Vice President Kamala Harris at the request of the US side on Saturday during the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, and the Chinese president hoped that Harris can play an active role in bringing bilateral relations back to a healthy and stable track.

A bilateral meeting between the UK and China on the sidelines of the G20 summit was reportedly canceled on Wednesday due to scheduling issues while the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the UK hopes to work together with China to advance the China-UK relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the upcoming APEC meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday. This will be the first official meeting between the two leaders, which is of great significance, according to the foreign ministry.

Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of unity among the international community when addressing the G20 summit on Tuesday, saying that the world needs to promote a more inclusive, universally beneficial and resilient global development.

After the US-Japan-South Korea meeting touched on the Taiwan question at the East Asia Summit, strongly opposing "any unilateral attempts to change the status quo" in the Indo-Pacific, the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged the relevant countries to abandon their Cold War mentality and stop building up small cliques.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) strongly condemned a rugby sevens tournament in South Korea after the organizer played a wrong song associated with the violent protests in 2019 instead of China's National Anthem at the final match on Sunday, and some lawmakers and observers called the error “completely unacceptable.”

The leaders of the US, Japan and South Korea met on Sunday to further coordinate their positions on the North Korea missile testing activity on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, while also seeking input on managing China's influence in the Pacific region. Chinese experts believe that while the US has stepped up efforts in aligning its allies to serve its own strategic purposes, it will only escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula and there will be growing divergences between Japan and South Korea in terms of confronting China for Washington's interests.

For the next few days, the world's attention will shift toward Southeast Asia, where countries are scheduled to host three major international and regional summits. They are trying to seek solutions and consensus amid growing geopolitical turbulence and the long-lasting impact of COVID-19. As the "Asian moment" starts, with the ASEAN summit, G20 and APEC meetings kicking off one after another, China is expected to continue advocating for multilateralism, free trade and a higher level of globalization in the face of mounting challenges, further deepen cooperation with developing countries and play the role of stabilizer in regional and global affairs, experts said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on November 3 in Beijing where the two leaders agreed to upgrade bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Hassan is the first African head of state received by China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and the visit fully demonstrated that closeness of China-Tanzania relations and the important status of China-Africa ties in China's overall diplomacy.

The past week during which four foreign leaders from countries with different political systems and economic development paths visited Beijing attracted the world's attention, as it was a diplomacy-themed week after the Chinese top leadership laid out major strategies and blueprints for the future at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) met in Germany on Thursday to discuss the prolonged Russia-Ukraine conflict and the bloc's further plans to support Kiev at a time when both NATO and Russia are holding nuclear drills for deterrence, but there are mounting doubts among observers over the sustainability of Western aid to Ukraine given the widening rifts inside the Western camp.

Officials and experts in both the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong have been studying the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and a panel discussion held simultaneously in Beijing and Hong Kong on Wednesday focused on the CPC Constitution concerning Hong Kong and Macao affairs, saying that upholding the policy of One Country, Two Systems has practical significance for resolving the Taiwan question in a peaceful way.

Despite the impact of an approaching tropical storm, hundreds of financial leaders including Wall Street titans gathered on Wednesday at the Four Seasons hotel in Hong Kong for its biggest international event in years with a clear message delivered to the world - the city's role as a global financial hub remains steadier and the city is embracing a bright future with full confidence.

The Chinese central government will set up a preparatory office for the establishment of an international court of conciliation in the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) to carry out intergovernmental negotiations over international conventions about the court.

China and Russia vowed to deepen bilateral relations at all levels following the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and amid the US' heightened pressure on the two countries. Chinese observers said that China-Russia relations, which set a very prominent and positive example for establishing mutually beneficial cooperation between major countries, drive the world toward a more just, effective and multipolar global order, and the deepened cooperation between the two countries also contributes to the decline of US hegemony.

China will soon unveil its major diplomatic events after the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) by welcoming several foreign leaders from countries with different political systems and economic development paths, illustrating that more countries hold positive views on China's future development and welcome the country's foreign policy embedded with the concept of humanity's shared values pursued by the CPC.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Samia Suluhu Hassan, president of the United Republic of Tanzania, will pay a state visit to China from November 2 to November 4, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.

Rishi Sunak, former chancellor of the exchequer of the United Kingdom (UK), on Monday won the ruling Conservative Party's leadership contest. He will replace Liz Truss as the country's new prime minister.

Xi Jinping was elected general secretary of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the committee's first plenary session held on Sunday, according to the communique of the plenary session.

Newly joined teachers and those who eye on a promotion in all the publicly-funded schools in Hong Kong are required to join a study tour to the Chinese mainland, Secretary for Education told local media on Saturday.

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Saturday passed a resolution on an amendment to the CPC Constitution. Fully, faithfully, and resolutely implementing the policy of One Country, Two Systems; resolutely opposing and deterring separatists seeking "Taiwan independence" will be added to the amended Party Constitution.

The world is closely watching events in the UK following the dramatic resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss, who became the shortest-serving prime minister in the country, which not only rocked the British political scene but also raised concerns among UK's major allies.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned Thursday after just 45 days in office following her failed tax-cutting plan, becoming the shortest-serving prime minister in British history, media reported. This dramatic U-turn in her political life could also be seen as a microcosm of failing Western politics, when the Anglo-Saxon pattern cannot lead the world as the long-term practice of Western democracy cannot solve emerging new problems, Chinese experts said.

In a report made by Xi Jinping to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which started on October 16 in Beijing, Xi stressed upholding and improving the One Country, Two Systems policy, saying that the policy is a great innovation of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and must be adhered to over the long term. Officials in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong said that the report provides fundamental guidelines for Hong Kong and Macao-related work. Over the last few years, Hong Kong has experienced unprecedented challenges and witnessed many changes. Global Times reporters Chen Qingqing and Bai Yunyi recently interviewed Lau Siu-kai, vice president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, who is also a senior policy advisor on Hong Kong affairs. Lau, talked about why it's time for Hong Kong residents to learn about the Party correctly, comprehensively, and objectively.

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee delivered his first policy address on Wednesday, highlighting the need to improve local governance, enhance the city's competitiveness as an international business hub, attract more talented professionals and fix social and economic woes, as the city embarks on a new journey under One Country, Two Systems. Officials and observers believe that a major advantage is that the city is being backed by the mainland, with broader markets and tremendous development opportunities, which will help it outpace other international business hubs such as Singapore in the long term.

As the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened on Sunday in Beijing, people of all walks of life in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) are not only paying more attention to the event that carries historic political significance for the entire Chinese nation, but also intently studying the important political agenda of the CPC with great interests, in a marked shift from previous years.

Xi Jinping's report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which kicked off on Sunday in Beijing, serves as a fundamental basis and guideline for work related to Hong Kong and Macao, and the One Country, Two Systems - a great innovation of socialism with Chinese characteristics - should be adhered to for a long time, officials and experts said.

Xi Jinping said on Sunday that the Communist Party of China (CPC) will implement its overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era, and unswervingly advance the cause of national reunification at the opening session of the 20th CPC National Congress.

The 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded its seventh plenary session in Beijing on Wednesday with a communiqué issued to thoroughly review the achievements of the Party and the state in the past five years, and also discussed and adopted a report of the 19th Central Committee to the 20th CPC National Congress and an amendment to the CPC Constitution.

As tensions between Russia and Ukraine have escalated to a new level with multiple Ukrainian cities being hit by strikes on Monday and Tuesday following the Crimean Bridge explosion, the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine has issued three successive notices since Monday reiterating the grave safety situation in the country, reminding Chinese nationals to take emergency shelter and prepare emergency supplies.

As Europe's energy crisis escalates, leaders from major European countries failed to reach a consensus in the latest gathering on how to handle the soaring prices that will not only make this winter much colder but also heavily add to the continent's economic woes, dragging some into deep recession and possible political turmoil. With some European countries preparing for the worst-case scenarios for power supply shortage, leading EU members like Germany that seek alternative suppliers and roll out financial support are being criticized by others, putting the bloc's solidarity to the test.

The major diplomatic convention – the high-level meetings of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) – is scheduled to conclude on Monday in New York with about 150 world leaders spending days discussing the most urgent issues amid growing uncertainties and geopolitical turbulence in the world.

Russia harshly slammed the US for its notorious Monroe Doctrine and the attempt to turn the entire world into its own backyard, after Washington and some Western countries mounted severe attacks against Russia at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Despite positive signs, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, WHO warns. Chinese CDC expert said more efforts are needed in carrying on anti-epidemic measures as the world is highly likely to see the sixth wave this winter.

Following Russia's partial mobilization of the nation's military reserves, the US-led West ramped up efforts to launch a collective campaign of denouncing Moscow on the global stage, particularly when Western leaders such as US President Joe Biden have tried to turn the ongoing 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) into an anti-Russia platform. They have fully underscored their hostility toward the Kremlin, which only aggravates the confrontation and goes against the common aspiration of countries for security and development.

The UK is in mourning as British people bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, on Monday, with deep grief and emotion. The State Funeral - the first since the death of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill - is also under global spotlight as world leaders, dignitaries and royal family members, among about 2,000 attendees, gathered at Westminster Abbey to honor the late monarch.

While some Western media outlets applaud Ukrainian forces for regaining control over some major cities in the northeastern region of Kharkiv and have described the territorial gains as a "turning point" in the Russia-Ukraine conflict that has lasted for half a year, some Chinese experts said it is still too early to predict a complete Ukrainian victory despite the successful tactical counterattack.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the city of Samarkand, and pay state visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from Sept. 14 to 16, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced Monday.

"During the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, I was there as one of the representatives from the HKPF to bear witness, and at the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, I was there too," said Lau Chak-kei, a Hong Kong police sergeant who is remembered by many netizens for the heroic moment when he and other police officers were surrounded by a gang of black-clad rioters in July 2019.

Russia's Far East is witnessing huge opportunities brought by closer China-Russia cooperation, as Russia's economic pivot to Asia receives a sudden boost amid escalating sanctions from the West in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, delegates and representative at the 2022 Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) said on Monday. Russia's accelerating pivot toward the East is also reshaping the geopolitical landscape, as the formation of a multipolar world is irreversible.

China urged the US to stop arms sales and military interactions with the island of Taiwan and immediately revoke the latest approval of $1.1 billion in arms sales to the Chinese region, vowing to resolutely take legitimate and necessary countermeasures against the package, the largest since US President Joe Biden took office.

Germany's defense chief has vowed to expand the country's military presence in the Indo-Pacific while keeping an eye on the "enormous" build-up of China's armed forces. Some Chinese experts believe that the current German government's aggressive defense policy is a sharp contrast with "the culture of restraint" in the Merkel era, showing that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's policies have been kidnapped by the US and NATO.

Chinese observers and netizens shared the mixed feeling about controversial politician Mikhail Gorbachev's passing away on Tuesday. While the West remembered him and praised his historical role for bringing the Soviet Union closer to the West and ending the Cold War, Chinese observers considered him as a tragic figure who catered to the US and the West without principle, made severe mistakes in judging the international situation, and caused chaos in domestic economic order, which all serve as a reminder to other countries to stay cautious about any attempt of “peaceful evoluti”n" by Western forces.

The upcoming military drills Vostok 2022 (East 2022) exercise launched by Russia with countries including China and India participating have attracted the usual speculation from Western media outlets, which hype security cooperation between China and Russia especially amid Russia's military operation in Ukraine. Some have also interpreted the normal military cooperation as a “threat,” hinting on Russia's support for China on the Taiwan question. Experts said it is the US and the West's commonly used tactics to portray Russia-China tie-up in a negative light, in order to unite allies and serve their geopolitical purposes.

Eyeing the intensifying geopolitical wrestling with Russia in the Arctic as global warming has accelerated ice melt, making the place strategically important for increasing military and civilian presence, the US plans to create a position of Arctic ambassador to the Arctic while the US-led military alliance NATO hyped Russia and China's interests in the northern polar region.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released technical guidelines for influenza vaccination for 2022 to 2023 on Thursday, as China's southern regions saw a peak flu season in the summer and the country moves to a avoid a possible “twindemic" scenario of COVID-19 and influenza in the upcoming winter and the spring in 2023.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol exchanged congratulatory messages on Wednesday on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Korea, speaking highly of the fruitful results reached by the two countries over the past three decades, which have benefited not only the two countries but also regional and global peace, and pointing out the direction for future development of ties.

Amid a high celebratory atmosphere for the 30th anniversary of the establishment of South Korea-China diplomatic ties on Wednesday, the latest statistics from the South Korean trade body show that the country's exports to China surged over 160 times over the past three decades, reflecting South Korea's unavoidably close economic ties with China.

South Korea and the US officially kicked off the biggest joint military drills in years on Monday, which include an array of contingency drills and involve thousands of troops, attempting to send a strong message of deterrent to North Korea. While some observers do not believe that the ongoing show of force specifically targets China amid rising tension in the Taiwan Straits, it indeed showed that the US - the biggest disruptor of the world's stability today - is ramping up efforts in escalating tension in the Korean Peninsula in order to strengthen its leadership among its allies and increasingly preparing to interfere militarily in affairs in the Northeast Asian and West Pacific regions.

Six former employees of Hong Kong's secessionist media Apple Daily are going to plead guilty on the charge of violating the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong, according to the court's hearing on Monday. They faced charges of colluding with foreign forces to jeopardize national security, as well as printing, publishing, distributing, displaying, or copying inflammatory publications.

Some major German media outlets have voiced concern over the German Air Force participating in Exercise Pitch Black for the first time. They warned that Berlin is joining an anti-China alliance in the Indo-Pacific, which in the long term will affect its trade relations with Beijing.

Dozens of anti-China political figures involved in the notorious "35-plus" political strategy in 2020 including Benny Tai Yiu-ting and Joshua Wong Chi-fung pleaded guilty to "conspiracy to subvert state power" on Thursday and the case will be handed over to Hong Kong High Court for sentencing.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol vowed to provide aid projects to North Korea if Pyongyang shows firm commitment to denuclearization, saying dialogue should not be a political show, South Korea media said. Chinese experts believe that the South Korean leader underscored some "good faith" in handling the matter, but the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is in fact a matter of security and the US remains a major factor of influence in the matter.

In response to some media reports saying that the Hong Kong Department of Justice has ordered a non-jury trial for dozens of suspects who have been charged with conspiring to subvert state power, the department said on Wednesday that the decision of whether the jury is needed is based on provisions of the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong.

China's top office on Taiwan affairs announced on Tuesdayn ew punitive measures on diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists including banning them and their family members from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao SARs, and restricting their affiliated institutions from cooperating with relevant organizations and individuals on the mainland. It also included seven new diehard separatists into the mainland's list, who will also face punishment for their egregious deeds in advocating the "Taiwan independence."

The Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on Tuesday announced sanctions on "Taiwan independence" diehards on Chinese mainland's list, adding more political figures such as Bi-khim Hsiao and Koo Li-hsiung into the list of diehard separatists and imposed punitive measures on individuals such as Su Tseng-chang, You Si-kun and Joseph Wu.

Henry Kissinger, the veteran US diplomat, sent out a fresh warning to the Biden administration amid rising tensions in the Taiwan Straits, saying he sees today's world as verging on a dangerous disequilibrium and calling careful actions. Yet the White House continued shifting the blame to China over the consequences of the provocative trip of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan island, ignoring the growing voices of far-sighted politicians and observers in the US who opposed the trip. Chinese experts believe that today's US government, which lacks political wisdom and strategic insight, is becoming a great uncertainty to the world.

With some positive signals emerging in China-India relations, which have encountered severe difficulties following the border dispute since 2020, both Chinese and Indian observers have acknowledged the importance of rebuilding trust between the two countries, especially when the two sides continued working together in multilateral organizations such as the BRICS and SCO. Still, differences remain in areas such as how to view the border dispute within the bilateral relationship, and how to peacefully coexist in the Indian Ocean. "I believe that India has taken a very practical approach to our relations with China. But at the same time, I think none of us have any doubt that there is a lack of trust between two countries, which needs to be repaired, and that can only be done slowly over a period of time, with conversations like this, but also extending to governments," Gautam Bambawale, former ambassador of India to China, said during an online video event on Wednesday.

With the highly provocative visit of a high-ranking US official to Taiwan being under the spotlight for the past week, the US-led West's wrestling with China has been shifting from preventing a regional military conflict to pressuring China on the global stage by accusing it of causing the rising cross-Straits tensions, like the US always does in confusing right and wrong. As a puppet of the US, the G7 censured Beijing's legitimate defense and response to Washington's serious provocation, reflecting its hypocrisy, duplicity and ugliness.

As the world closely watched the potential visit of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan reportedly on Tuesday evening that is widely described as provocative and dangerous, the Biden administration gave more chicanery in distancing itself by stressing it was her personal choice and continued hollowing out the one-China principle that serves as the foundation of China-US relations. Chinese officials and experts warned that all the consequences of this highly dangerous and provocative move will be born by Washington, and such visit will also forever change the cross-Straits situation and deliver a destructive impact on the already-difficult China-US relations.

Following the consensus reached at the latest Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers' meeting in Tashkent, China and Central Asian countries – Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to enhance their strategic partnerships and build an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future, particularly focusing on enhancing connectivity and boosting trade and economic cooperation.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly kicked off her Asia trip on Friday with a "tentative" itinerary for Taiwan island, and Chinese observers said the key to whether Pelosi would actually visit the island lies with the Biden administration, warning US President Joe Biden to make the right choice from the perspective of national security and the fast-shrinking economy that has fallen into recession.

The latest report from a UN human rights body over the situation in Hong Kong is full of bias, subjectivity and double standards, and it goes beyond the scope of its authority, as it urged that the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong be repealed, Chinese officials and experts said, following the UN Human Rights Committee's release of a report claiming "grave concerns" over the NSL for Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government unveiled the 2022 Honors List and Justices and the Peace appointments with 889 persons awarded, the highest number since the city's return to the motherland in 1997. The current Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal for his outstanding performance when he served as Secretary for Security.

At least seven cities across the country have canceled the Japanese festivals known as Matsuri. While the majority of the Chinese public retains an open attitude toward Japanese culture, some recent incidents such as a woman detained in Nanjing for enshrining Japanese war criminals at a local temple and the public debate about people's reaction to the death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe have made some Japanese-related elements sensational amid deteriorating China-Japan relations. In recent days, a number of exhibition halls and hotels have denied holding Summer Matsuri, especially after one scheduled for Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province, was canceled as a growing number of netizens called for the boycott. The activity A-3×ComicDawn18, which was originally scheduled for July 17, was canceled due to the special location and the special meaning that the festival could convey, which aroused strong dissatisfaction among netizens.

As the US' push for "decoupling" with China brings about monumental political risks for US-listed Chinese mainland firms, Hong Kong hopes to adjust some stock market rules to make it more convenient for the return of these companies, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Financial Secretary, Paul Chan Mo-po, said in a recent interview with the Global Times.

Advancing the school education in Putonghua is very important as the Hong Kong youth would be in a disadvantageous position if they can't speak Putonghua, the common language used nationwide in China, and if some conditions can be met, local schools in Hong Kong should carry on education in Putonghua, Christine Choi Yuk-lin, Secretary for Education of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

After the US government received an unprecedentedly strong message from the Chinese side regarding US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's planned visit to the island of Taiwan, the Biden administration appears to be increasingly concerned that the visit could lead to catastrophic consequences for China-US relations. Although the two top Democratic leaders share the same interest in using Taiwan question to serve their political goals ahead of the midterm elections, they are apparently not on the same page on how to play the Taiwan card.

Since its grand opening on July 3, the Hong Kong Palace Museum has become one of the most popular destinations for local residents, receiving over 60,000 visitors as of Tuesday. The Museum announced that it has cooperated with the local education bureau and will issue a booklet on cultural relics and Chinese history, to be introduced to all Hong Kong secondary schools in the new semester. Titled A Closer Look at Heritage – A Resource Book for Teaching Chinese History, the booklet uses the exhibits of the Hong Kong Palace Museum as the main body of knowledge, complemented by flexible teaching and visiting activities, which are designed to encourage teachers to use cultural relics to promote history learning among young Hong Kong people. In this way, students can better appreciate the richness of Chinese culture and the splendor of Chinese civilization, and embrace national sentiment toward the country, spokesperson of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Education Bureau told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Anyone who dares to challenge the bottom-line of the “one country, two systems”, to and assume an anti-China stance and instigate riots in Hong Kong and in Macao will be severely punished, Xia o Baolong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, told said at a panel discussion in studying Chinese President Xi Jinping's latest speech in Hong Kong on Monday.

The Patriotic Education Center established by the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers – the largest teachers union in the city – was officially launched on Saturday with the aim of promoting patriotic and national security education. Industry representatives said pushing forward the patriotic education tops the agenda of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government with more measures expected to be rolled out.

Twenty-five years ago, the last British governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten bid a tearful farewell at the handover ceremony after his attempt to turn Hong Kong into a semi-independent political entity failed. Now, amid what observers call a "second return" of Hong Kong with the implementation of the national security law for the city and the improved electoral system, US Consul General in Hong Kong Hanscom Smith is leaving the city "ignominiously" after a failed attempt of interference and subversion, Hong Kong observers said.

Ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) where Pacific leaders, pushed by Australia, are expected to discuss China's influence in the region, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out the root cause for the deteriorating relationship between Beijing and Canberra and proposed a four-point suggestion to improve ties, as well as exchanged views on the affairs concerning Pacific region cooperation.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi laid out three points of concern for the Ukraine crisis during a meeting with India's foreign minister on Thursday, which was followed by a meeting with Russian diplomats during the ongoing G20 foreign ministers' meeting.

While the Ukraine crisis is anticipated to top the agenda during the upcoming G20 (Group of 20) foreign ministers' meeting to be held from Thursday to Friday, the US plans to pressure many of the world's largest economies to take a tougher stance toward Russia and China while these largest economies are supposed to discuss economic issues

​Ahead of the first Executive Council meeting held by the sixth-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, John Lee Ka-chiu, the Chief Executive of the HKSAR government, along with the 16 senior unofficial members, met the press, vowing to work on issues such as shortening the quarantine period for arrivals and accelerating the supply of public housing.

Russian and Western diplomats clashed over the Russia-Ukraine conflict at a forum in Beijing on Monday, as Russia's Ambassador to China Andrey Ivanovich Denisov pushed back against a claim made the US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns that Russia's military operations in Ukraine posed the biggest threat to the current world order.

Planned protests over the Roe v. Wade decision, canceled fireworks in cities due to shortages of staff and supplies and unprecedented high costs for July 4 cookouts… all these cast a cloud over this year's Independence Day in the US due to deepened divisions in American society, economic woes and major failures in the Biden administration. While a latest survey found that more than 70 percent of Americans do not want Biden to run for a second term, Chinese experts believe the cascading crisis that the Biden administration faces has been escalating, casting a shadow over the upcoming mid-term elections and risking dragging US society into a prolonged chaos and recession.

Wearing the tie his wife fixed for him a few hours ago, John Lee Ka-chiu in a firm yet humble manner was sworn in as Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday morning, also marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. He vowed to build a more caring and inclusive Hong Kong filled with vibrancy, hope and development opportunities for all Hong Kong families in the next five years, as the city is advancing from good governance to prosperity.

A joyful and exciting sentiment was widely shared on Friday not only in Hong Kong, despite the wind and rain, but also in the Chinese mainland and beyond the country on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland. Hong Kong is embarking on a new journey of transition from chaos to being well governed, and to prosperity. Local officials and observers said the city has entered its best time.

The US and the UK have faced strong opposition from China after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made rude and wrong remarks on China over the Hong Kong affairs hours before a jubilant and cheerful 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

The sixth-term Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee Ka-chiu and the principal officials of the new-term government took their oaths of office at an inaugural ceremony on Friday, which also marked the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

Looking south from the observation deck of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, a panoramic view of the Hong Kong Island complex opposite Victoria Harbor provides a perfect place for young people to film a vlog. Nearby, on a large green space, many Hong Kong residents were enjoying the sunshine. When the Global Times reporter shot a video of those scenes, a few birds' calls in the peaceful environment was particularly clear and pleasant, which touched the people's hearts.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong by train on Thursday afternoon, launching his visit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland.

Inside the New Territories south regional headquarters of the Hong Kong Police Force, a statue of Guan Yu, a general during China's late Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) who was known for his bravery and skill in battle, stands at one corner of the headquarters' canteen: the spirit of Guan happens to coincide with Hong Kong police's motto - Serving Hong Kong with Honor, Duty and Loyalty.

Over the past 25 years, the country has been treating Hong Kong very well, but some in Hong Kong do not feel grateful for that, and now they have to understand it and be grateful for the care shown by 1.4 billion compatriots, Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, the president of the first-term Legislative Council after the city returned to the motherland, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview. Over the past years, Hong Kong made achievements not by itself but they are backed by the country's overall strength, she said.

Hong Kong has to walk on a path of democracy that fits its own, and the essence of the universal suffrage in the election of the Legislative Council (LegCo) and a Chief Executive is a procedural matter of how a governing team generates. While the democracy has multiple aspects, it is not just a question of how the leadership arises but to the general public, any political system needs to fix economic and livelihood issues that people concern the most, Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, the chairperson of the New People's Party, who was also appointed recently as convener of the Executive Council (ExCo) meeting of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

On the day marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, some officials of the sixth-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will be sworn in. Recently, the State Council approved the list of key officials proposed by the sixth-term chief executive of the HKSAR government, and veteran official Paul Chan Mo-po will continue serving as Financial Secretary.

On the day marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, some officials of the sixth-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will be sworn in. Recently, China's State Council approved the list of key officials proposed by the sixth-term chief executive of the HKSAR government, and veteran official Chris Tang Ping-keung will continue serving as Secretary for Security.

Malcolm Clarke, a two-time Oscar winner for best short documentary and a 16-time Emmy winner, has made a series of documentaries on the year of social turmoil in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in 2019, triggered by the anti-extradition movement. These documentaries, in sharp contrast to the mainstream narrative about Hong Kong in the West, have won applause from netizens and observers in the city for presenting what happened three years ago with an unbiased perspective. In a new interview with Hong Kong media outlet hk01.com, Clarke said that he was angry and disappointed at the biased coverage of the movement in the Western narrative about the chaos. The site started to air the documentaries Hong Kong Returns starting on Thursday, featuring 10 episodes focusing on different scenarios during the social turmoil in 2019. The UK director, who used to work at the BBC, said that the movement was simplified by European and US media outlets, which described it as “a group of courageous young people seeking democracy against an authoritarian China.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a meeting marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and will also attend the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday.

Siyabonga Cwele, Ambassador of South Africa to China, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview ahead of the 14th BRICS Summit, which is held virtually this week, that BRICS is a significant force in terms of helping the global community deal with the current challenges.

The Office of the Chief Executive-elect was unveiled on Wednesday together with the list of the new Executive Council (Exco) meeting members, and among 16 non-official members, nine will continue serve the position and Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, the chairperson of the New People's Party, will serve as the convener of the meeting. The nomination is expected to take effect from July 1.

As the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)'s return to the motherland approaches, officers at the Hong Kong Police College in Wong Chuk Hang are practicing the Chinese-style foot drills of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). People familiar with the matter believed that their smooth movements in a decisive manner fully underscored the spirit of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) in the new era.

Hong Kong residents lamented that one of its most iconic landmarks, the Jumbo Floating Restaurant capsized in the South China Sea on Monday night, and some of them said it indeed marked “the end of an era.”

The State Council, China's cabinet, approved the list of key officials proposed by the six-term chief executive for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Sunday. By forming a new team with some new faces, the new government is expected to unveil a new chapter for Hong Kong on the 25th anniversary of its return to the motherland.

"Hong Kong has never been a colony of Britain," this truth is being introduced into the new Citizenship and Social Development (Citizenship) textbooks in Hong Kong, setting right people's understanding of the region and correcting some long-held flawed thinking in the city's education system, with the aim of respecting our history, former Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) president and veteran councilor for the education sector Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Friday.

With the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), hailed as the "Russian Davos", beginning on Wednesday, Russia-China cooperation under the theme "New opportunities in a new world" came under the spotlight, as, the Kremlin's interests appeared to shift toward the East in the face of mounting Western sanctions and pressure.

The latest Yang-Sullivan meeting, which came after US President's Asia trip that was widely seen as Washington's concrete efforts of building an ideology-driven small clique in containing China and was held before the upcoming NATO meeting, delivered an important message to Washington that it should quickly, effectively and concretely adjust its wrong and extreme China policy to avoid strategic miscalculations, Chinese experts said.

While US ambassador to China revealed that the US will open a new office for its Consulate General in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, in September, experts on China-US relations hardly see it as a big step for the improvement of bilateral ties, considering Washington's series of immature moves in diplomacy toward China over the past two years.

Japan has continued walking down a dangerous path as a former Japanese prime minister recently urged allies to "force China to give up seizing the island of Taiwan" and its current prime minister is reportedly preparing to attend NATO summit amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis later this month, a move that is seen as to help NATO's expansion into the Asia-Pacific region. Experts warned that, as Tokyo constantly plays with fire over the Taiwan question, those reckless tactics could lead to severe consequences beyond damaging China-Japan relations, escalating confrontation and causing instability in the region, and Asian countries should remain vigilant over Japan reviving militarism.

Nearly half a century of exchanges between China and the Pacific Island countries have proven that the exchanges have not and will not affect regional security and stability in the future, we focus on economic development and care about the improvement of people's standard of living, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterpart from Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) via video link on Thursday.

Following a meeting between US President Joe Biden and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who highlighted the so-called "shared concern" over China's influence in the South Pacific, the two sides released a 3,000-word joint statement on Wednesday, reiterating Washington's commitment to the region, which, however, reflects the US' anxiety of fixing its perceived "backyard" and is seen as full of empty promises as the US only treats Pacific countries as bait for serving its own political goals.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met John Lee Ka-chiu, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday in Beijing, during which he praised Lee for his patriotism and contributions for safeguarding national security and Hong Kong' s stability and assured that Lee has the full trust from the central government. The Chinese top leader also stresses the central government's resolve of unswervingly implementing the "one country, two systems" and that the city's new electoral system must be treasured and upheld, hoping that the new HKSAR government can unveil new new chapter for the city's development.

Beijing and Shanghai, China's two megacities, are gradually walking out of the shadow of Omicron outbreaks, providing valuable experiences for the country in carrying out the dynamic zero-COVID strategy that once again proves to be the most effective approach in containing the highly contagious virus at the minimum costs to the economy and people's life.

From July 1, 2022, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) will officially abandon British-style foot drills and perform Chinese-style foot drills of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). On that day, Hong Kong will hold a major commemorative event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its return to the motherland.

After Chinese Foreign Ministry urged on Wednesday a US lawmaker to make a correction after he mistakenly told CNN that the “Chinese delegation” did not applaud Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's speech at the World Economic Forum (WFF) in Davos and walked out, CNN said in an email to the Global Times on Thursday that it had made a clarification on air on Tuesday, saying that CNN has confirmed that delegation was not from China.

The deadly shooting at an elementary school in Texas on Tuesday which killed 21 people has shocked not only the US but also the world. It was the deadliest shooting at a US grade school since the attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 and it came just 10 days after the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, that claimed 10 lives.

The new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met separately with US President Joe Biden on Tuesday on the sideline of the Quad summit, affirming a strong partnership and emphasizing regional security and cooperation under the AUKUS alliance. Experts who tried to find positive signals viewed Albanese's diplomatic debut as a show under his predecessor Scott Morrison's shadow because distinct foreign policy can't come overnight, especially when it comes to the political correctness of "putting the Australia-US alliance first" he has to follow.

With no suspense, the World Health Assembly (WHA) - the decision-making body of the WHO - rejected the proposal of inviting the island of Taiwan to the WHA as an observer for the sixth consecutive year, as any ill-intentioned attempt to use the occasion to deceive the international community and play political tricks to challenge the one-China principle will end up in vain.

Shortly after Australia's Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese is sworn in on Monday, the country's new prime minister will head for Japan for a Quad summit where he will “renew” his acquaintance with US President Joe Biden and meet other leaders of the group including the Indian and Japanese prime ministers.

Chinese officials, legal experts and lawmakers refuted the remarks made by the US, Canada and the EU concerning the latest law enforcement activities in Hong Kong, after the Hong Kong police on Wednesday night arrested four trustees of the "612 Humanitarian Relief Fund" including former bishop Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun and singer Denise Ho Wan-see who actively supported the black-clad riot in the city in 2019.

As leaders from Southeast Asian countries arrived in Washington on Wednesday ahead of the US-ASEAN summit, they are scheduled to meet US officials and business leaders on Thursday ahead of the meeting with US President Joe Biden, during which the Ukraine crisis, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the influence of China are expected to be in focus.

While the Chinese public shares high interest in ASEAN members, Singapore has become the country that attracted them the most, according to a recent survey jointly conducted by the Global Times Research Center and Centre for Chinese Foreign Strategy Studies, Renmin University of China.

While over 75 percent of the respondents hold a positive view toward the future development of China-ASEAN ties, as the latest survey jointly conducted by the Global Times Research Center and Centre for Chinese Foreign Strategy Studies, Renmin University of China showed, the question of the South China Sea has become a major focus of China-ASEAN ties, which has been hyped and manipulated by countries like the US and Japan in stirring conflicts between China and ASEAN.

While China-related topic is expected to dominate the upcoming US-ASEAN summit, a recent survey showed that nearly 80 percent of Chinese respondents said the US is the biggest disruptor of the sound relations between China and ASEAN members but about 90 percent considered the China-ASEAN ties as friendly and over 75 percent hold a positive attitude toward their future.

The day after John Lee Ka-chiu won the Hong Kong chief executive (CE) election on Sunday with the highest votes, he met with incumbent CE Carrie Lam, President of the Legislative Council Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen and Chief Justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Andrew Cheung Kui-nung before paying a visit to the four central government offices in Hong Kong on Monday afternoon.

Beijing continued to tighten control over the latest COVID-19 flare-up, after more local infections were reported in the city, in particular, a bank in Shunyi district reported cluster infections that involved 21 cases in six districts on Monday.

After about three hours of voting and vote counting, the former Chief Secretary for Hong Kong and former Security Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu, who is also the sole candidate in the Chief Executive Election, gained 99.16 percent supporting votes, becoming the new leader and he is expected to usher Hong Kong into a new chapter of development, after it had been heavily impacted by social turmoil and the COVID-19 epidemic.

By securing 99.16 percent supportive votes from the Election Committee members who cast their votes on Sunday, the sole candidate John Lee Ka-chiu was elected as the sixth-term Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Major countries should set an example for others by following the international rules rather than being “exceptions” and the US should learn a lesson from the Russia-Ukraine crisis as it assumes the main responsibility for the security of Europe, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng told a think tank panel on Friday. There are three major aspects of the lesson – the Cold War mentality should be abandoned, unilateral sanctions have to be dropped and a proxy war should not be launched, he said.

In two days, 1,461 Election Committee members in Hong Kong are expected to cast their votes at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai as the sole candidate John Lee Ka-chiu is aiming for the city's top job.

John Lee Ka-chiu, the candidate for the upcoming election for Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, unveiled his policy platform on Friday, focusing on strengthening local governance, fixing housing woes, enhancing the overall competitiveness of the city and building a caring society for young people.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to analyze the current economic situation. The meeting stressed coordination of anti-epidemic work and economic development, and urged officials at all-levels to take responsibility in guarding against all kinds of "black swan" and "grey rhino" events amid risks linked to epidemic flare-ups and the Ukraine crisis.

As the EU and the US are moving ahead with their adjusted responses to COVID-19 despite avoiding saying that "the pandemic is over" after warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO), countries, including China, must be prepared for increased risks of the virus spreading and mutating rapidly, as Western countries plan to scale down their anti-epidemic efforts and relax travel restrictions, Chinese experts warned on Thursday.

In response to some reports' hype of China's influence following Elon Musk's buyout of Twitter, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said it was just “guessing” without any factual basis. While Musk described himself as a “free speech absolutist,” some Chinese observers, who have been tagged as “China state-affiliated media” on Twitter, are calling on the platform to stop throwing labels around as the first step if Musk really values freedom of speech. Otherwise, it's just another example of playing double standards. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, asked on Twitter if Musk's $44 billion cash deal to purchase Twitter would give China “a little bit of leverage over town square,” Reuters reported on Tuesday. The report said it was unclear what this deal means for Twitter's China content policy, given that Musk's Tesla depends heavily on China to produce and sell its vehicles.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday congratulated French President Emmanuel Macron for winning reelection. Xi gave high credit to the development of bilateral relations in the past five years under Macron's governance, and stressed the stable development of ties has grown more prominent amid the increasingly complicated international atmosphere.

French voters began casting their ballots in the second and final round of the presidential election on Sunday as the centrist incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right rival Marine Le Pen face a final runoff. The US-led West is closely observing the result as some 48.7 million eligible French voters got to the polls, with most Western media and Wall Street anxiously waiting for the result.

The suspension of the YouTube account of John Lee Ka-chiu, the only candidate for Hong Kong's Chief Executive Election, sparked discussions in Hong Kong about whether it's necessary to come up with countermeasures - for example, by introducing the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law into China's Special Administrative Region (SAR). As the suspension came after US sanctions on Chinese officials on Hong Kong affairs, some experts said the sanctions could be a badge of honor for true patriots, who will not be deterred by those unilateral moves.

While the Russia-Ukraine crisis enters a new phase as fighting in the Donbas region intensifies, the US and its Western allies pledged more military assistance to Kiev, ramping up efforts to pressure and consume the power of Russia.

Chinese officials have sought to dispel growing misconceptions and speculations about the country's dynamic zero-COVID strategy and reaffirmed their confidence in what has been widely considered to be the best strategy still to both contain the epidemic and ensure stable economic development, as the battle against the outbreak in Shanghai shows some positive signs and the city is at a crucial stage to strive for zero-case goal in the communities.

The Election Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced on Monday the only validly nominated candidate - John Lee Ka-chiu - for the upcoming Chief Executive election, who told reporters that if he is elected, he will immediately launch the work aimed for border reopening with the Chinese mainland.

As Russian claimed that its troops had cleared the urban area of Mariupol, the strategically important port city in southeastern Ukraine, setting a deadline for Ukraine troops in the city to surrender, some experts considered that the battle could be seen as a crucial turning point for the Ukraine-Russia conflict that would have last for two months. Taking Mariupol will help lay the foundation for Russia's next phased military operations in the Donbass and taking the port city could create a land corridor from Lugansk to Donetsk to Crimea.

As the city of Shanghai is going through the most difficult time in its fight against Omicron, doubt, anxiety and fatigue are noticeable among local residents and some heart-wrenching stories could easily arouse the public's mood, but more people are finding ways to cheer up, help each other and suggest solutions, as patience and persistence are more crucial to win this hard battle.

The number of Shanghai's daily new COVID-19 cases may peak this week and the fresh wave may finish as early as the end of next month, experts said, although China's financial hub reported a record high number of daily new infections on Thursday, bringing the total infections in Shanghai to more than 250,000 since March.

After meeting with about 100 Election Committee members online and listened to their feedback about the government's future policies , John Lee Ka-chiu said he had secured more than 700 nominations as of 6 pm Tuesday. The former chief secretary for the administration, who is now running in the upcoming chief executive election, also highlighted the national security legislation before he planned to submit his nomination form to the Electoral Affairs Commission on Wednesday.

Considering the lessons from Shanghai's response to the Omicron resurgence, a number of provinces and cities across China are taking more decisive preventive measures to screen out possible COVID-19 infections through massive nucleic acid testing.

Wuhan, the capital city of the province, also required passengers who take public transport such as bus and subway to hold a 48-hour valid nucleic acid test results, the Wuhan Metro Operation Company and Wuhan Public Transport Group announced on Monday as 12 of 33 silent carriers were reported in the city on Sunday.

Hong Kong Police Force's national security department arrested Allan Au Ka-lun, a media veteran and former host of a RTHK program, on Monday morning for colluding and publishing inflammatory publications, local media reported. The reports said the case is related to Stand News.

French voters headed to the polls to cast their vote in the first round of the presidential election on Sunday, which is expected to be a tight race between incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

Two days after China's central government, the State Council, approved the resignation of John Lee Ka-chiu from the post of Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law, Lee announced on Saturday via an online press conference that he is joining the upcoming Chief Executive election, a decision made out of "the loyalty for the country, love for the city, and sense of duty toward local residents."

China's central government, the State Council, on the recommendation of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), decided on Thursday to remove John Lee Ka-chiu from the post of Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said on Friday.

As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) celebrates the 73rd anniversary of its 1949 establishment, a new poll conducted by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) showed that the majority of Russian people hold a negative attitude toward the bloc that is widely considered as the product of the Cold War. As the real initiator and driving force behind the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the NATO is destroying Europe, some Russian media said, while Chinese experts noted that the only way for Europe to reach its goal of having strategic autonomy is to shake off the long-term US control in terms of security.

Shanghai has been beefing up its COVID-19 preventions measures after a 3,000-official meeting on Wednesday night and vowed to adopt a strategy of what it termed "static management of the whole region," citywide nucleic acid testing as its officials admitted being ill prepared for the latest wave of fast-rising infections.

The resignation of two UK judges from Hong Kong's top court is a political decision and won't affect the city's judicial independence as the special administrative region (SAR) is ensured by the Basic Law, officials and legal experts said. Experts also refuted the groundless accusations made by some foreign politicians over the matter in an attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet EU leaders at the China-EU leaders' meeting on Friday during which the Ukraine crisis is expected to be one of the major topics, some Chinese experts said.

With public attention focused on surging COVID-19 infections in China's largest metropolis Shanghai, some public health experts have called for greater efforts in fixing severe loopholes in local anti-epidemic work in Northeast China's Jilin Province particularly after a number of workers were reportedly infected during the construction of local Fangcang makeshift hospitals and local residents are faced with a food shortage amid an Omicron flare-up.

Chinese financial hub Shanghai is now under the city's most stringent antivirus measures ever in a bid to stamp out the surging number of COVID-19 infections, as the ordered two-phase mass testing and sealing-off plans press the "pause" button on the usually bustling metropolis. Public transport, taxis and car hailing services have been suspended in targeted areas, while cross-river bridges and tunnels have been closed. Meanwhile, the government is ratcheting up the building of isolation sites, conducting nucleic acid tests on the city's 24 million people while guaranteeing food supplies and smooth medical channels for its residents.

As NATO leaders gathered on Thursday to discuss the Ukraine crisis, the US has been mulling new sanctions on Russia to further pressure it. While the military alliance plans to boost military deployments in eastern Europe, it also targeted China - an extraterritorial third-party that has been calling for peaceful dialogue to de-escalate the situation - and continued to distort its role, which, some Chinese experts said, would only fan the flames, resulting in a prolonged conflict and a growing humanitarian crisis that heavily weighs on Europe.

On the same day as a seven-hour meeting between senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Rome on Monday which was described by some media outlets as "intense," US Air Force General Kenneth Wilsbach blatantly threatened to teach China a lesson from the Ukraine situation, which could be applied to the Taiwan question. Such conceit was defied by the first direct high-level engagement between Chinese and US officials over the situation in Ukraine on which Washington had tried to misguide Beijing to serve its own interests, although failing to do so as the Chinese side stressed its consistent stance on the issue and urged the US side to correct its wrong words and deeds.

China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in the Italian capital of Rome on Monday, elaborating on China's position on the situation in Ukraine and calling on the international community to jointly support Russia-Ukraine peace talks. The two sides also had candid, in-depth and constructive discussions on China-US relations and agreed on jointly implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state and managing the differences.

Chinese lawmakers on Friday passed a method for Hong Kong to elect deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the closing meeting of the fifth session of the 13th NPC, which stressed that national legislators elected from the special administrative region must be firm patriots and those who have been convicted for harming national security be disqualified.

The last batch of 115 Chinese students who had been stranded in Sumy under siege safely arrived in western Ukraine's Lviv by train on Wednesday and were warmly received by the Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine, drawing a perfect conclusion to one of China's largest evacuation operations in history. It marked the successful completion of the mission as all 6,000 Chinese nationals in the country were moved to safe regions, the Global Times learned from the Chinese embassy in Ukraine.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had a virtual summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday in Beijing, supporting France and Germany in promoting a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework for the interests and lasting security of Europe.

China's top legislature vowed to enrich the country's legal toolkit and develop a more comprehensive system of laws and regulations concerning foreign affairs in 2022, after it passed milestone laws and regulations including the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law last year and adopted necessary countermeasures against unjustified extraterritorial application of foreign legislation amid US-led bullying sanctions.

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Monday expressed the central government's concerns about the raging COVID-19 epidemic in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), as he met with HKSAR deputies to the country's top legislature in Beijing.

While about half of Hong Kong deputies and political advisors to the National People's Congress (NPC) and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) are reportedly missing this year's "two sessions" in Beijing due to severe epidemic resurgence in Hong Kong, some came up with proposals about enhancing medical services cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, considered some system bottleneck hindering joint anti-epidemic fight against the fifth wave outbreak that has caused more than 280,000 infections.

As Russia's military operation in Ukraine entered its seventh day, the world is closely observing the situation as the rising cost of the war is being felt not only by Russia and Ukraine, but also Europe, and has made the second round of negotiations for a possible ceasefire an urgent issue.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam reiterated on Wednesday that Hong Kong will not have a citywide lockdown and the mass testing will take into account the local situation, refuting the circulating rumor that there will be a "full lockdown."

An international cat fancier society decided to slap harsh restrictions against cats bred in Russia and those belonging to people living in Russia, a latest sanction amid Russia-Ukraine conflict that shocked Chinese netizens, which is trending top on Chinese social media with many netizens questioning "what's all this crisis going on with animals?"

In one of the largest Chinese citizen evacuations in history, the Chinese embassy in Ukraine has already arranged the departure of some 2,300 fellow citizens from the country in just two days. The vast majority of the evacuees, about 2,200, traveled in buses escorted by embassy staff and local police forces to ensure a safe and quick exit to neighboring countries, with the rest going by train, still one of the safest ways out apart from by road.

As the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games will take place in three days, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons told the Global Times in an exclusive interview that he expected the same high level of the Games as was seen in the Winter Olympics Games, which were impressive, splendid and safe, and the level of accessibility will remain high, given many efforts that China has made in past years on this aspect.

China evacuated the first batch of its citizens from Ukraine on Monday, including over 400 Chinese students from Odessa and 200 from Kiev. There will be nearly 1,000 more Chinese citizens to be evacuated from Ukraine on Tuesday to neighboring countries such as Poland and Slovakia, the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine said.

With just three days to go until the start of the Paralympic Winter Games, the competition venues, transportation systems, the Paralympic Villages and medical services are speeding the transition from the Winter Olympics for a streamlined, safe and green Winter Paralympics.

Shortly after the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine told the Global Times exclusively on Sunday that it is mulling alternative plans to evacuate local Chinese apart from charter flights, some Chinese nationals there said they are considering driving from Kiev to neighboring countries, and the embassy is coordinating with other Chinese embassies in Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland to facilitate Chinese nationals' trips.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) reported a record high of 26,026 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total amid the fifth wave of the outbreak to more than 150,000. As the number of infections continues to rocket, local hospitals are struggling with shortages of manpower, facilities and experience in treating severe infections, for which the Chinese mainland is ready to offer any help at the request of Hong Kong.