Although US President Joe Biden made new pledges of supporting Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) with $200 million in funding for projects in the region and recognized two regional countries as "sovereign and independent" states during the second US-Pacific Islands Forum Summit, some Chinese experts said on Tuesday that achieving sustainable development cannot be solved by just providing a sum of money, particularly when those commitments could well end up as lip service.

When asked whether the Chinese leader would attend the upcoming APEC meeting in the US later this year, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told at a press conference on Tuesday that as the world's largest developing country and an important member of APEC, China is willing to meet the expectations of the international community and play a constructive role in ensuring the success of this year's meeting.

The US President Joe Biden was hosting a second summit with some Pacific Island leaders in Washington on Monday. Some Chinese experts said rather than calling it a “welcome tour,” it's more like a “brainwashing trip” as the ultimate goal of the US government is instrumentalizing and militarizing the region to serve its own interests, making it an important pivot in the southern hemisphere to weaken China's influence while increasing US' dominance not only economically but also in areas such as military and security.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda of Nepal on Saturday on the sidelines of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. Xi appreciated the Prime Minister's commitment to promoting the development of friendly relations between China and Nepal and firm support for cooperation between the two countries in building the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Saturday on the sidelines of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, pointing out that China and South Korea are close neighbors that can't be separated, and the two countries are also inseparable cooperative partners. The steady and solid progress in China-South Korea relations serves the common interests of both nations and their people and is also beneficial for promoting regional peace and development.

China attaches great importance to its special friendship with the Cambodian royal family, highly values the development of China-Cambodia relations and is willing to work with the Cambodian side to push forward the building of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future to a deeper and more practical extent, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Saturday.

While the US has been hijacking the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and turning it into a platform for touting its so-called leadership and peddle its "multilateral approach," Chinese Vice President Han Zheng sent out a clear signal upholding true multilateralism and elaborated in a comprehensive way on how to work together in building an open and inclusive world with lasting peace and prosperity.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the highly expected 19th Asian Games to be in Hangzhou from Friday to Saturday and will hold a welcoming banquet and bilateral events for foreign leaders at the ceremony, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday. Hangzhou the host city, fondly nicknamed "Heaven on Earth," is now under the global spotlight as it welcomes about 12,000 participants from 45 countries and regions across Asia, marking it the largest Asian Games ever.

EU defining China as partner, competitor, and systemic rival at the same time not only confuses China but also leaves European politicians, business and public bewildered and uncertain, which should be set aside, China's special representative on European Affairs said on Thursday.

World leaders are gathering in New York to attend the ongoing 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) high-level week which will last through Friday, seeking unity to overcome crisis.

Momentum on high-level engagement between the US and China is being maintained as senior Chinese and US officials held multiple rounds of meetings in Malta over the weekend, serving as candid, substantive and constructive strategic communication on stabilizing and improving bilateral relations. Some experts believed that the latest interaction opens possibilities for future interactions between the heads of state of the two countries after Washington made some tactical adjustments in engaging with China by showing some positive gesture and enhancing communication.

The upcoming Group of 77 plus China (G77+China) Summit in Havana, which aims to tackle some of the core development challenges that the Global South countries are facing, is set to issue a final declaration that will include the purposes and principles of the bloc and address the needs of developing countries, while the unity of the Global South countries in facing major challenges is of great importance, diplomats and experts said.

With nearly 6,000 attendees and over 100 overseas and mainland delegations to the 8th Belt and Road summit in Hong Kong, Hong Kong is back on the world stage, eyeing closer partnerships with regions including the Middle East and Southeast Asia as the year also marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Such unprecedented gatherings and sharing of opportunities also defy the US-led containment and suppression against China's special administrative region (SAR), in addition to its smears on the BRI, observers said.

The "Chinese spy" farce continues in the UK. Some MPs were "furious" and voiced concerns in a latest parliament debate over the allegations against a British parliamentary researcher who was reportedly arrested on the suspicion of spying for China, putting much more pressure on the Sunak administration that has been trying to seek a delicate balance regarding UK's China relations.

Deepening mutual understanding between Chinese and Grenadian people will be realized through a multifaceted approach, which entails expanding cultural exchanges, promoting educational endeavors, and facilitating direct connections between individuals from both nations, Chad Vincent John, a 34-year-old Grenadian who is currently a kindergarten teacher and has been living in China for more than a decade, told the Global Times in a recent interview.

With the aim of upgrading the US-Vietnam relations to their highest level, seeking to find alternatives to Chinese supply chain and aligning the Southeast Asian country to counter China, the US President Joe Biden began his trip in Vietnam on Sunday, who is scheduled to meet the Communist Party of Vietnam leader and senior Vietnamese officials.

What is significant about the Belt and Road Initiative is that China, a country in the path of development, and although it has achieved quite a lot, has decided to be socially responsible by sharing its experiences and its resources with other countries of the Global South, Grenadian Foreign Minister told GT

Amid improving China-Australia relations, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday on the sidelines of the leaders' meeting on East Asia cooperation in Jakarta while the two countries resumed the high-level dialogue in Beijing for the first time since 2020. Faced with global and regional challenges and uncertainties, the two countries hope to handle differences with mutual respect, seek common ground and put aside differences to pursue mutual benefits with the much-anticipated dialogue being hailed as "open, frank and candid."

China is ready to work with Grenada to open up new prospects for cooperation between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a meeting with Foreign Minister of Grenada Joseph Andall in Beijing on Wednesday.

Three days after China's top legislature adopted a long-awaited foreign state immunity law - the first law in the country's history that comprehensively stipulates the foreign state immunity system, marking a milestone in rule of law fields related to foreign affairs, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the law aims to protect the lawful rights and interests of the parties concerned, safeguard the sovereign equality of states and promote friendly exchanges with other countries, which all in turn boost China's higher-level opening-up.

Ahead of Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani's visit to China, the Italian official said that trade between the two countries did not meet expectations, which Western media interpreted as a hint that the only G7 country is preparing to withdraw from cooperation within the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Some Chinese experts said whether Rome's possible withdrawal would become a major setback for China-Italy relations depends on how discussions between the two sides progress, but the impact should not be "fundamentally detrimental" for bilateral ties.

After media reported that a group of senior military officers in Gabon seized power on Wednesday, some Western countries condemned the military coup. The coup in Gabon, which comes a month after Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum was taken hostage by the troops of presidential guard, showed that the overall influence of Western countries, which have been promoting political system reforms and governance models in Africa, have largely failed, some Chinese experts said.

Positive China-Africa cooperation can inject more stability into the world, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu said at the Third China-Africa Peace and Security Forum that kicked off on Tuesday in Beijing. Some defense officials and military officers from African countries also hailed the China-proposed Global Security Initiative (GSI), noting the deepened China-Africa cooperation could help tackle security challenges the continent is facing.

The third China-Africa Peace and Security Forum reflects China's sincere support for peace and security development in Africa, and its efforts to help Africa escape the power plays of major countries, experts said, as China welcomed nearly 50 defense officials and military officers from African countries to participate in the forum last from Monday to Saturday.

The BRICS countries welcomed six new members from three different continents on Thursday, marking a historical milestone that underscored the solidarity of BRICS and developing countries and determination to work together for a better future, officials and experts said. The expansion of the BRICS, as a new starting point for multilateral cooperation, will play a positive role for more equitable and just global governance, experts said.

Leaders from BRICS nations, representing a quarter of the global economy, met on Wednesday in Johannesburg, South Africa, eying expansion and deepening cooperation. Chinese President Xi Jinping said emerging countries are becoming more and more relevant in the international arena, and this summit will very much contribute to the shaping of a new global economic and political order.

A Hong Kong-registered Chinese vessel was subjected to unreasonable questioning and harassment by US law enforcement personnel recently, and an expert told the Global Times that the US' thorough harassing behavior has interfered with the normal operations of the Chinese company, which will negatively impact China-US people-to-people and cultural exchanges and economic and trade cooperation.

The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday dismissed the appeal of a former university student who had pleaded guilty to violating the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong, which experts noted was an “instructive, authoritative, and binding” ruling that upholds the spirit of the rule of law.

Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off his state visit to South Africa and met with the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday ahead of the 15th BRICS Summit, as China-South Africa relations enter a golden era with cooperation across various fields expected to deepen. The Chinese leader also hailed the China-South Africa friendship which stands at a new historical starting point.

John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive (CE) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), listened to public concerns and suggestions from hundreds of people on Sunday during a district forum for the upcoming policy address in October, which is expected to include some new measures to attract talents and boost tourism.

With South Korea, Japan and the US eyeing deeper security cooperation in the name of concern over North Korea's nuclear program, the upcoming summit between the leaders of the three countries at Camp David in Maryland later this week aims to form a "a mini NATO" structure that will be destructive to regional security, making the situation more complex with more conflicts, some experts warned on Wednesday.

Verdant villages prospering in eastern China's Zhejiang Province, Yangtze finless porpoise, also called the "panda in the water" for its rarity, being spotted more often in rivers, scientific expedition team members seeing lakes on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau with clearer water… all these significant changes over the past decades have marked China's continuous efforts to achieve a core concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," which gave inspiration to the country's first National Ecology Day.

China sent a firm signal to the US on Sunday as Washington deliberately arranged a "stopover" in the US for the deputy regional leader of Taiwan island Lai Ching-te, who is also a candidate of the separatist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for 2024 Taiwan regional election, with analysts saying that China-US relations face new challenges due to the trouble made by Taiwan separatist forces.

China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) said on Tuesday that counter-espionage work requires the mobilization of all parts of society, which also combines the "open work" and "secret work" as well as the specialized work with the mass public work, the authority said in its first article published on its official WeChat account.

The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF)'s Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit launched a citywide campaign on Tuesday to encourage taxi drivers to report suspicious messages related to terrorism and violence. If they successfully assist in solving a case and securing a conviction, they may receive a reward.

The crisis in Ukraine has escalated dramatically over the past year, with ongoing hostilities inflicting enormous trauma on both parties involved - Ukraine and Russia. In mid-July, Gao Zhikai, vice president of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing-based nongovernmental think tank, visited Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine. During a recent interview with Global Times reporters Chen Qingqing and Bai Yunyi, Gao shared his observations and experiences in Kiev, as well as his interactions with Ukrainians from various fields. Gao said he hopes for an early end to the crisis and wishes for the Ukrainian people to lead peaceful, harmonious, progressive and prosperous lives. "Peace will not come easily," he said, "but it is worth every effort to strive for."

China imposes export controls on certain unmanned aircraft or unmanned airship-related items on Monday

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday that he opposes the "illusion" of countries "decoupling" from China and he does not believe the world's second-largest economy constitutes a risk.

Hong Kong's High Court on Friday rejected a local government submission to ban “Glory to Hong Kong” - a song linked to the anti-government riots in 2019. Some legal experts believed that the department of justice will continue to appeal.

Faced with staff shortages, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) began holding a recruitment campaign in the Chinese mainland for students from Hong Kong from late 2022, and as of late June, 128 students have passed the selection process for the position of police constable, the Global Times learned.

After President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from students of a middle school in Hong Kong, some students from the school told the Global Times on Wednesday that they were "very excited" after receiving President Xi's reply and felt a greater sense of responsibility they bear as Hong Kong's youth in the new era to contribute to the building of the motherland.

China and the US continue to maintain the momentum of high-level engagement, with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo unveiling plans to visit China "later this summer," media reported, following successive visits by high-level US officials to Beijing. However, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken continued to slander China's image during his latest trip to the Pacific, even as he emphasized the importance of managing US-China relations in a responsible way, which reflects the duplicity of Washington's China policy, experts said.

China's top legislature convened a session on Tuesday to review a draft criminal law amendment and a decision on official appointment and removal. Qin Gang has been removed of his position as Foreign Minister. Wang Yi was appointed as the Chinese Foreign Minister. Tuesday's decision has not touched on Qin's title of State Councilor.

In a meeting with revered former US diplomat Henry Kissinger on Thursday in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed him as an "old friend" who the Chinese people never forget for his historic contributions to promoting China-US ties and stressed that China and the US can help each other succeed and prosper. The Chinese president also expressed hope that Kissinger and other people of foresight in the US will continue to play a constructive role in restoring China-US relations to the right track.

When visiting US climate envoy John Kerry wrapped up his four-day visit to China on Wednesday, China's senior diplomat Wang Yi met the centenarian former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, an old friend of the Chinese people who has made historic contributions to the ice-breaking development in China-US relations. During the meeting held in Beijing, Wang Yi called on the US government to change its current China policy which is now characterized as containment and suppression.

With a professional background in the national security ministry and experience in leading counter-espionage services, Dong Jingwei, formerly the vice minister of the state security, has been appointed as the new head of the central government's office for safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). This appointment, according to some experts, is expected to reinforce the law enforcement of local police and enhance the capabilities of the country and the city in addressing national security threats.

After Hong Kong's security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung revealed that local authorities are studying including the crime of espionage as part of the legislative scope of Article 23 of the Basic Law to strictly prevent modern-day spying, local legal experts said on Monday that it's a necessary move to prevent Hong Kong from being a center of espionage for countries like the US and the UK and it's a must that the city establish laws and regulations by taking into account non-traditional national security and cybersecurity issues.

The newly formed Hong Kong and Macao work office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee made its first public appearance with a meeting on Tuesday chaired by Xia Baolong, director of the office. The high-profile appearance of the office's leadership shows that the formation of the top office overseeing Hong Kong and Macao affairs has completed and that the leadership and decision-making mechanism of the office and relevant institutions in the two special administrative regions (SARs) are now unified, providing a firm guarantee for the Party's leadership in Hong Kong and Macao-related work, experts said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met the visiting Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko on Monday in Beijing, saying China is willing to continue working with Russia to develop a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era and strengthen cooperation in multilateral groups such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the BRICS.

The Hong Kong Legislative Council has unanimously passed a bill on Thursday on amending District Council (DC) elections, in accordance to the principle of only patriots administering Hong Kong, with the aim of putting an end to chaotic political performance of the previous years as the opposition forces hijacked the district councils for political goals.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen arrived in Beijing on Thursday afternoon, kicking off a four-day visit to China as US-China relations stand at a critical point. While some US officials have downplayed their expectations for any major breakthroughs from Yellen's visit, Chinese experts believe that one major point of significance of Yellen's trip is to keep high-level communication channels open, which may help bilateral relations walk out of their downward spiral, while more time is needed for the two countries to rebuild mutual trust.

The high-level exchanges between China and the EU have continued moving forward in some practical areas of cooperation such as climate change despite reports which claimed that top EU diplomat Josep Borrell's scheduled trip to China was shelved.

Local authorities in Hong Kong vowed on Tuesday to "do whatever they can" to crack down on the activities endangering national security as a local court approved the issuance of arrest warrants for eight people including infamous anti-China rioters Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Ted Hui Chi-fung.

Endangering national security is a serious offence. Law enforcement must be strict and, regardless of where in the world these individuals go, all legal means will be used in a lifelong pursuit, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday

If the bilateral relationship is already on the wrong track, what use are "guardrails"? Cui Tiankai, former Chinese ambassador to the US, remarked at the 11th World Peace Forum. He emphasized that it's necessary to ensure that the relationship is on the right path, only then can "guardrails" work, and this requires enough political will from both sides.

As the world is facing unprecedented security and development challenges, China's solutions in safeguarding genuine multilateralism and promoting dialogue and negotiations in solving disputes and conflicts have been the focus at this year's World Peace Forum (WPF) held in Beijing from Sunday to Monday, drawing a sharp contrast to the US-led power politics and unilateral moves of suppressing rivals.

Neither US leader or Chinese leader want conflict or war but conflict and war don't necessarily happen on purpose, they can come about by accident, which is worrisome, meaning we need to urgently find ways to reverse the mistrust between our countries, Daniel Russel, Vice President for International Security and Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, told the Global Times on the sidelines of the 11th World Peace Forum in Beijing.

Decoupling and de-risking not only weaken economic globalization and financial relationships, but are also being used as political weapons to prevent the rise of new participants on the international stage. One of the most serious threats in today's world is the new protectionism, the New Development Bank chief and former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said at a keynote speech at 11th World Peace Forum in Beijing on Sunday.

Hong Kong celebrated the 26th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland on Saturday, as city emerges from shadow of pandemic and political turmoil, with local government forecasting economic growth likely to reach between 3.5% to 5.5 % in 2023.

"A joyful and lovable Hong Kong has returned!" When officials and local residents hailed the significant changes that the city has experienced over the past three years since the implementation of the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong, the COVID-19 pandemic and the electoral reform, some Western politicians continued badmouthing the city's stability and future prospects ahead of the 26th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland, which is widely seen as meaningless moves that won't stop Hong Kong from moving toward a bright future.

If US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits China in the near future, then the key issues for both sides to discuss would be the cancellation of additional tariffs on China, the withdrawal of its “301 investigation” against China, and the review of the first phase of the trade agreement: former deputy governor of China's central bank.

A delegation of Chinese former government officials and commerce representatives held a dialogue with their US counterparts online on Thursday, including the former Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai and a former deputy managing director of the IMF Zhu Min, in what was seen as important semi-official talks to de-escalate tensions between the two countries.

Shortly after the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his visit to China that helped relaunch the high-level exchanges between the two countries, the US top diplomat came up with some remarks addressing the US-China relations, which according to some experts, unleashed mixed signals, putting the sincerity of Washington to repair the soured ties into question.

China's top legislature passed the Foreign Relations Law on Wednesday, marking a milestone significance as it is the first basic, fundamental and comprehensive foreign relations law that aims to fix the loopholes in the rule of law in foreign-related affairs amid new challenges in foreign relations, especially when China has been facing frequent external interference in its internal affairs under the Western hegemony with unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction.

In response to the latest remarks of the Chinese envoy to EU Fu Cong at Al Jazeera addressing Ukraine's 1991 territorial integrity, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday China's position on Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear.

After the long-delayed visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing last week reopened channel for high-level exchanges between the US and China, US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen is reportedly planning to visit China in July, as business insiders believe that official economic engagement is poised to take center stage amid soured bilateral ties, which is mainly caused by Washington's erroneous perception.

Despite that the Kremlin quelled the Wagner revolt within a short period of time over the weekend, Western officials changed their initial low-profile stances and began badmouthing the authority of the Putin administration as some said the Wagner mutiny exposed the fragility of his government. Some Western media even used the incident to question China-Russia relations, which, some experts said, reflected consistent ill-intentioned motives and the hostile narratives of the West targeting Beijing since the Ukraine crisis.

Under the mediation of Belarus, the Wagner rebellion, which was widely characterized as a coup targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin by Western media, ended within about 24 hours. Such dramatic changes in the situation from Friday to Saturday attracted the world's attention as some Western analysis considered this “armed rebellion” as a heavy blow to Putin's power, exposing the weakness of his leadership as the Ukraine-Russia war entered a stalemate, which some Chinese experts say is “wishful thinking” by the West regarding Russian politics.

With the world paying close attention to the escalating tension between the Kremlin and the Wagner mercenary group, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to defend the country from internal treason with decisive actions in a televised speech on Saturday, following a criminal case on Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin for allegedly advocating a mutiny.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing on Monday afternoon.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang had a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday at the latter's request, clarifying China's firm stance on core concerns such as the Taiwan question, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Washington continued hyping China-related topics ahead of a reported trip by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China as the Biden administration said it has "taken diplomatic steps" that slowed China's intelligence presence overseas following its recent hype over an alleged "Cuba spy base." The latest US move was criticized by China on Tuesday as "taking the same page" of the US' playbook.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated on Tuesday that it is crucial to conduct an objective, fair, and professional investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline explosion and hold those responsible accountable, after some media reported that German investigators are looking into details about the explosion orchestrated by a sabotage group and the US had knowledge of a plan to attack the pipeline three months before the explosion occurred.

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a meeting with visiting Honduran President Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento in the Great Hall of the People on Monday, as Castro became the first Honduran president to make a state visit to China, opening a new historical chapter in China-Honduras relations. Officials and experts hailed the meeting as significant as it set the tone for bilateral relations and injected new momentum into bilateral cooperation, bringing it to a higher level.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Honduras, Honduran exports such as coffee and shrimp no longer need to go through Taiwan island as a transit but can be directly sold to the Chinese mainland market, signaling “lower cost, faster speed and more opportunities,” Fredis Cerrato, Honduran Minister of Economic Development, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Sunday.

In just 77 days after the establishment of Honduras-China diplomatic relations, bilateral ties have seen tremendous development, and have been growing like “a robust tree” benefiting the people of both sides. The two countries are expected to sign on Monday 19 memorandums and documents addressing cooperation including the Belt and Road memorandum, Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Sunday.

Honduras officially inaugurated its embassy in Beijing, the capital of China, on Sunday within three months after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Honduras. The Central American country severed so-called "diplomatic" relations with the Taiwan island on March 25.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport at around 7:50 pm on Saturday. She is currently on a six-day state visit to China, marking the first visit to the country by a Honduran president.

With China-Honduras relations developing at a rarely seen quick pace, Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced Tuesday a plan for a historic visit to China on the heels of the inauguration of China's Embassy to Honduras in Tegucigalpa on Monday, within three months of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.

A senior US State Department official is reportedly to have arrived in Beijing on Sunday, in what has been described by some Western media as Washington's latest efforts to "boost communication" and "ease tensions" with Beijing. Some Chinese observers believe that the trip is driven by the US' own interests rather than by its goodwill, and they see little sincerity from Washington in improving US-China relations.

Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu began his visit to Singapore and met Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen on Thursday ahead of the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, laying the groundwork for setting up a hotline between the two countries with the aim of strengthening mutual understanding and trust while enhancing the ASEAN-China defense cooperation.

Ahead of the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue toward which there has been growing speculation about the meeting between the Chinese and US defense ministers, the US, following its commonly-used tactics, hyped again China's “unprofessional” intercept of a US spy plane over the South China Sea, aiming to peddle the “China threat” theory and create some “sensational topics” for the defense summit.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced on Tuesday the establishment of the Chief Executive Policy Unit (CEPU) Expert Group and the appointment of 56 members, with a one-year term of appointment. The CEPU Expert Group comprises members of different backgrounds including high-level experts and scholars from the Chinese mainland, showing the increasing priority of integrating into the national development plan in the HKSAR government's work agenda.

China's new ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, a former Vice Foreign Minister who is widely known as a specialist in US-related affairs for his vast experiences in the field over the past decades, arrived in New York on Tuesday to assume office. His appointment comes as bilateral relations face “serious difficulties and challenges,” the Chinese envoy said.

After US President Joe Biden hinted at a "thaw" in the frosty US-China relations, US-based media outlet Politico reported that China's new ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, will arrive in Washington as early as Tuesday to take up his post, although it has not been confirmed by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as of press time on Tuesday.

Following the latest G7 summit and Quad meeting that outlined a strong stance against China and ramped up efforts to hype China-related issues, US President Joe Biden adopted an apparently softer tone by claiming that the frosty bilateral relations between China and the US will begin to "thaw" very shortly, hoping to open more lines of communication with China and hinting at easing sanctions on a Chinese official.

The US President Joe Biden decided to curtail his upcoming trip to the Asia-Pacific by canceling a visit to Australia and Papua New Guinea due to the ongoing debt ceiling negotiations in Washington, which, some Chinese experts said reflects that Washington only treats its so-called allies and partners as chess pieces and instrument, and when its domestic issues override its political agenda, it easily turns back on its commitment.

China and Canada are engaged in a rare, high-profile diplomatic row as Beijing declared a consul of the Consulate General of Canada in Shanghai as "persona non grata" on Tuesday and asked the Canadian diplomat to leave China before May 13, a necessary and legitimate countermeasure in response to the unreasonable move by the Canadian side of hyping "China's interference" and expelling a Chinese diplomat.

In response to Canada's unreasonable expulsion of a Chinese diplomat, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday to list a consul of the Canadian Consulate General in Shanghai as "persona non grata" and has asked the Canadian diplomat to leave China before May 13. China reserves the right to make further reactions.

China strongly condemns and firmly opposes it, and has lodged solemn protest with Canada after the Canadian government blatantly declared a consular official of the Chinese Consulate General in Toronto as "persona non grata" based on the so-called rumors of "China's interference in Canada's internal affairs" by certain politicians and media.

While Chinese Vice President Han Zheng is visiting Portugal and the Netherlands from Sunday to May 12, China on Monday announced the visit of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang to Germany, France and Norway from Monday to May 12. The ongoing visits showed China and the EU are embracing a full resumption of exchanges with frequent high-level interactions and people-to-people exchanges, analysts said.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns on Monday in Beijing, saying that the top priority now is to stabilize China-US relations, avoid a downward spiral and prevent unexpected accidents between the two major countries. The Chinese diplomat also urged the US side to deeply reflect, pushing bilateral ties out of predicament.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang hailed the successful holding of the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue on Saturday, signaling the resumption of trilateral cooperation mechanisms and Chinese experts view it as of great significance to inject stability into the region and help increase mutual trust between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which have encountered border disputes over the past few years. Since the Ukraine crisis, global security is facing more challenges, and for the three neighboring countries, it is highly necessary to jointly safeguard regional security, some experts said. The resumption of the trilateral mechanism shows that the three countries are willing to jointly tackle security challenges and normalize such mechanisms in tackling regional and hotspot issues.

Ukraine denied Russia's accusations that it had tried to attack the Kremlin with drones in an attempt "to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin," prompting even more speculation over the incident. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that China has noted the relevant reports, and China calls on all parties to avoid any action that could further escalate the situation.

Despite that the US envoy to China released a message that Washington is ready to talk to Beijing in an apparent soft rhetoric by rejecting a cold war between the world's two largest economies and called "decoupling" unhealthy and "not smart," some Chinese observers said on Wednesday that China should not be enticed by those "beautiful words" as the key to changing the downward spiral of the US-China relations is whether the US government has enough political will to improve the bilateral ties and turn its words into action.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government unveiled on Tuesday a detailed reform plan for the District Council election by introducing a vetting committee to screen candidates in order to fully implement the principle of “only patriots governing Hong Kong.” Future elections will include direct election, appointment and mutual election of district committees.

A debate is underway in Europe on how to deal with China and strike a balance between EU-China relations and EU-US partnership, before the European Council meeting in June where European leaders will put EU's China policy on the agenda.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)'s Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday revealed that the review of district administration has entered its final stage and the District Councils will be retained with a certain electoral component. At same time, he stressed that Hong Kong would not allow District Councils to become a platform for "Hong Kong secessionism."

European foreign ministers arrived in Luxembourg for the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday to discuss a number of topics, including ties with China. However, there have been growing divisions and deepening disunity over how to deal with China within the bloc, especially after French President Emmanuel Macron's recent call for "strategic autonomy" and recent remarks by the Chinese envoy to France drew much attention.

Following recent comments made by the Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye concerning the sovereign status of ex-Soviet states, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday that China respects the status of the member republics as sovereign states after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The latest remarks by the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell calling for European navies to patrol in the Taiwan Straits caused a huge controversy on Sunday as some Chinese observers called the comments “extremely dangerous” and signaling “a retrogression” of the EU's stance on the Taiwan question following the recent G7 meeting during which the US tried to pressure its allies to take a more tough position on the matter.

Before US' Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen laid out the US economic priorities on China on Thursday, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said China and US commerce officials met in Beijing last week during which the two sides exchanged views on bilateral economic ties. The re-engagement of US and Chinese officials in certain areas such as business and climate could serve as an opportunity for the strained bilateral relations to turn into a positive direction, but Washington needs to show more sincerity for improving the ties, experts said.

While members of the European Parliament (MEPs) participated in a heated debate about how the EU should view and engage with China on Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged the bloc to carve out its own distinct European approach and show unity, calling "decoupling with China" not viable.

China expressed strong opposition and lodged a stern representations to Japan, the host country of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting, as the latest G7 joint communiqué is full of arrogance, bias and malicious anti-China rhetoric, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday in response to the document that highlights "concerns" over Russia and China.

"To understand today's China, one must begin by understanding China's history. Guangzhou is the cradle of China's democratic revolution and the vanguard of China's reform and opening-up," in a recent meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping told French President Emmanuel Macron in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province.

China's top official on Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Xia Baolong met with more than 80 lawmakers on Sunday during his inspection tour in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), which was described by some lawmakers as historical signaling that the central government indeed cares about and pays close attention to the city's development.

Since the arrival of a construction team from China in Honduran capital Tegucigalpa to build the Chinese embassy earlier this month, Chinese officials have held frequent and high-level meetings with multiple senior Honduran officials, fully advancing relevant preparations for the construction as well as promoting bilateral exchanges, Yu Bo, a Chinese diplomat who is leading the team, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

As China celebrates the National Security Education Day on Saturday, officials of China's central government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) warned against national security risks and the possibility of the return of street violence.

China's top diplomat Wang Yi met German FM Annalena Baerbock in Beijing on Saturday, and said China is willing to enhance communication with Germany and prepare for the new round of China-Germany government consultations.

On whether China's position on the Ukraine crisis would affect the France-China relations, French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary said on Thursday that there are no preconditions raised by either China or France, and the bilateral ties should not be affected by China's position on the Ukraine crisis. The two countries shared a common interest in helping to end the war.

Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock began her three-day visit in North China's Tianjin on Thursday, as Europe is having a major debate in recent days on how to deal with China, after French President Emmanuel Macron's call for Europe to reduce its reliance on the US drew ire from the US while winning support inside Europe.

European leaders were wrapping up their three-day visit to China after Chinese and French top leaders met for informal talks in southern China's Guangzhou on Friday, marking the climax in high-level interactions between China and Europe. The visit also helped stabilize relations amid growing turbulence and uncertainties that the world is facing and resetting the cooperation as well as face-to-face interaction, as China reached some consensus with both France and the EU on major global and regional issues, including the Ukraine crisis.

Beijing on Friday imposed a package of sanctions on a diehard 'Taiwan independence' separatist, two Taiwan organizations, as well as US Hudson Institute and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and four US individuals, as countermeasures, signaling a resolute response to the latest meeting between Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen and the US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

China will adopt firm and resolute measures to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity in responding to the latest meeting between the regional leader of the Taiwan island and the US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy - an erroneous move that delivered a heavy blow to the already strained US-China relations, damaging the political foundation of the two countries and making the cross-Straits situation more intense.

Multiple Chinese authorities including China's top legislature, the Taiwan Work Office of CPC Central Committee, Chinese defense ministry and Chinese foreign ministry firmly opposed and condemned the latest meeting between the regional leader of China's Taiwan island and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday in California, vowing to take resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, in response to the seriously erroneous acts of collusion between the US and Taiwan secessionist authorities.

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, embarking on a three-day visit of “restarting exchanges and advancing cooperation,” officials and experts said. Macron landed in China shortly ahead of EU chief Ursula von der Leyen as the two European leaders eye balancing economic ties with China and aiming to find some common ground for the yearlong Ukraine crisis that has dragged the EU into an unprecedented security dilemma not seen ever since WWII.

The China-proposed Global Security Initiative (GSI) emphasized a comprehensive and sustainable security concept, providing a new path of promoting dialogue rather than confrontation, partnership rather than alliance and win-win rather than zero sum mentality. China always promotes peace and dialogue when it comes to the Ukraine crisis, Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying said on Tuesday.

On the heels of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit China from April 5 to 7, and they are likely to be followed by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in mid-April, as China's busy diplomatic agenda continues.

The visit of Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to China is historical and significant for future cooperation between Malaysia and China, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Saturday as Anwar's delegation wrapped up its China visit on the same day.

The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Honduras is a historic event, which will further advance the communication in various fields between China and Latin America and the Caribbean region, Ambassador of Venezuela to China Giuseppe Yoffreda told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

China strongly protested and condemned the US on Thursday for having arranged a transit through the US for the regional leader of the Taiwan island in total disregard of China's solemn representations and repeated warnings, as Tsai Ing-wen has arrived in New York and was scheduled to attend a think tank event and meet US officials.

China on Wednesday warned of resolute measures to fight back if Taiwan regional leader has contact with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during her transit in the US, as China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the US and the Chinese island, opposes the visit of the regional leader to the US in any name or under whatever pretext and opposes the US' violation of the one-China principle.

Xi's three-day state visit to Russia, the first trip abroad of the Chinese leader after he was re-elected as Chinese president at this year's two sessions, was of great significance, not only to China-Russia relations but also to the world as it faces mounting challenges and bouts of geopolitical and economic turbulence.

A few hours after Honduras announced to break off “diplomatic relations” with China's Taiwan region, China and Honduras established diplomatic relations on Sunday with the Central American country recognizing Taiwan as an inalienable part of China's territory – a decision standing on the right side of history that China highly appreciates.

The government of Honduras in Central America announced the breakdown of “diplomatic relations” with the Taiwan region on Saturday, saying it will have no more official relations or contact with the island moving forward.

"I'm thrilled to be back in China," Apple's CEO Tim Cook said during a panel discussion at the China Development Forum (CDF) in Beijing on Saturday, marking his first visit to China since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If the UK is sending controversial shells containing depleted uranium to Ukraine, it will set a bad precedent for the conflict, which could also mean an escalation in weapon supplies, Chinese experts said, warning of long-term harmful effects on the environment and people's health. This move shows that the West does not care about either Ukrainians or Russians as they use “the blood of Ukrainians to weaken Russia by all means,” experts said. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow would be “forced to respond” if the UK government is supplying Ukraine with armor-piercing tank shells containing depleted uranium following a written response by a UK defense minister who was asked whether any of ammunition currently being supplied to Ukraine contains depleted uranium, according to media reports.

The bombshell story by renowned American investigative reporter Seymour Hersh (Hersh) that revealed the US' culpability in the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline has attracted global attention. When Hersh recently gave an exclusive interview to Global Times reporters Chen Qingqing and Bai Yunyi (GT) , he revealed that the order to blow up the pipeline was issued directly by US President Joe Biden, despite some insiders' unwillingness to carry out the mission. Hersh also stated that he believes the Biden administration won't see a positive end to the Ukraine crisis. Whether people agree with Russia or not, they must realize that it's hard for Russia to lose the war.

China has lodged a solemn representation to the US concerning the plan of the regional leader of the Taiwan Island to travel to Central America and transit through the US. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said China firmly opposes to any form of official interaction between the US and the island as Tsai reportedly plans to meet US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during her transit.

The state visit of the Chinese President Xi Jinping to Moscow this week is expected to attract global attention as the visit - the first overseas visit of the Chinese top leader in 2023 following the two sessions - is described as a trip of friendship, cooperation and peace. The visit, embodying the traditional friendship and conveying great significance, will deepen the strategic mutual trust and cooperation between China and Russia, and bring more certainty and positive energy to a turbulent world.

The US rejecting calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine ahead of the meeting of Chinese and Russian leaders again showed its ulterior motive of fueling the fire of conflict and using Ukraine as its pawn to geopolitically weaken Russia to the maximum level, Chinese experts said, who also pointed out the sharp contrast between Washington and Beijing, with the latter always seeking peace and dialogue on the matter.

A Hong Kong and Macao work office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee will be formed on the basis of the existing Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, according to a plan on reforming Party and state institutions released on Thursday.

Chinese officials, experts and industry representatives from Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) have voiced growing common concerns over Japan's unilateral decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster into the Pacific Ocean. China, along with Russia, has presented a joint list of technical questions to Japan in November 2022, but the Japanese side has failed to answer either by distorting concepts, evading the crucial part or even refusing to talk about the matter, Chinese officials said.

China welcomed on Wednesday the latest remarks by Honduran President Xiomara Castro, who said her country is seeking to establish diplomatic relations with China. Some experts believe that with Central American countries enjoying increasing dividends due to their cooperation with China, it is just a matter of time before the remaining countries sever “diplomatic ties” with the Taiwan island. In response to this, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a press conference on Wednesday that 181 countries around the world have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle, which fully proved that establishing diplomatic relations with China is a correct general historical and political trend.

China's national legislature adopted on Monday a revision to the Legislation Law, which has been hailed by Chinese lawmakers and political advisors as a significant step in enhancing the full-scale leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) over legislation work and developing whole-process people's democracy with innovative moves that keep up with the times.

Kazakhstan is looking forward to strengthening bilateral relations with China, and the Kazakh president may visit China twice in 2023 to attend the first China-Central Asia Summit and the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, the Kazakh ambassador to China said on Friday.

A senior Chinese official met top policy advisors from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday, expressing his hope for them to tell the story about the One Country, Two Systems principle well and let the whole world understand that the principle is a good system.

Chinese senior officials on Hong Kong affairs met a delegation of Hong Kong deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on Tuesday, pointing out that the city has entered a crucial development period following its transition from chaos to order and expecting those deputies to play a backbone role in safeguarding national security and helping the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to roll out policies.

China remains committed to an independent foreign policy of peace and to peaceful development and pursues friendship and cooperation with other countries, and stands ready to work with the international community to put into action the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI), Premier Li Keqiang said in his Government Work Report delivered during the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) on Sunday. Some Chinese experts believe that pursuing peace and pushing forward peaceful development are the biggest characteristics of China's foreign policy, and the GDI and GSI are China's solutions to tackle many urgent global issues. Meanwhile, China will continue retaining the “fighting spirit” in its foreign policy, aiming to safeguard its legitimate rights in sovereignty, security and development.

What has happened in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has shown that the internet battlefield is closely related to the battlefield of a hot war, as cyberattacks could lead to power outage and cutoff of energy and food supplies, a Chinese political advisor told the Global Times, whose proposal to this year's two sessions also focuses on enhancing cybersecurity capabilities and considering replacing some technologies with domestic products.

At a time when the Ukraine crisis overshadows the world's multilateral cooperation platforms, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang called on G20 member countries on Thursday to uphold the UN-centered international system and reject power politics and bloc confrontation, underscoring China's role in safeguarding multilateralism.

On the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the Ukraine crisis and more European leaders planning to visit China in the coming weeks and months, Global Times reporters Chen Qingqing and Bai Yunyi (GT) conducted an exclusive interview with Fu Cong, head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, who talked about China-EU relations, the impact of the Ukraine crisis on Europe, the position of European countries on the Taiwan question and the latest balloon row that has severely damaged the mutual trust between China and the US.

India is welcoming representatives of 40 countries including non-G20 members and multilateral organizations from Wednesday to Thursday as the country, with an ambitious G20 agenda, is hoping to play a powerful role as a developing country at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. While discussions on Russia-Ukraine military conflict are likely to dominate the event, Chinese experts believe that it's also the time to test whether India could really play a leading role by preventing the multilateral platform designed for economic cooperation from being kidnapped by geopolitical confrontations.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government expressed strong dissatisfaction on Wednesday toward an incident involving the wrong Chinese national anthem played at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division III in Bosnia, urging the Hong Kong Sports Federation and Olympic Committee (SF&OC) to conduct an in-depth investigation and follow up on the incident.

China's Foreign Ministry firmly objected to the recent remarks made by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the Taiwan question, calling those remarks extremely irresponsible and ridiculous and urging Blinken to heed the lesson of history seriously on the issue.

Hong Kong's first school that offers a Chinese mainland curriculum will start operation as early as the 2026-27 school year, the Global Times learned. Yew Wah School of Hong Kong plans to offer 12 years of primary and secondary mainland curriculum education, ensuring students have a deep understanding of Chinese history, culture and values while cultivating their global vision and bilingualism in Chinese and English.

More European leaders are planning to visit China in the coming week or months, focusing on resuming high-level talks and seeking practical cooperation amid the country's post-pandemic recovery, and more importantly, on the Ukraine crisis. Although China and European countries do not share the same position on the issue, Chinese officials and experts believe that the two sides can find common ground to enhance communication and coordination with the aim of advancing peace talks.

Although there are still some problems facing China-EU relations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel may visit China in the first half of 2023 with the relevant preparations already underway. China and the EU are expected to usher in frequent high-level mutual visits, the Chinese envoy to the EU revealed recently.

The nature of the latest visit of China's top diplomat Wang Yi to Russia and that of the surprise trip of US President Joe Biden to Ukraine is completely different in nature, although the timing coincided, Chinese envoy to the EU Fu Cong told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

"The nature of the two visits is completely different. Biden suddenly showed up in Kiev, but Wang's planned visit to Russia was announced earlier. These two visits should not be brought up together in terms of timing," Fu Cong, Chinese envoy to the EU, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

The commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong recently met US Consul General to Hong Kong Gregory May and made a solemn representation on a series of wrong words and acts interfering in Hong Kong's affairs, and drawing three redlines for the US Consulate General in Hong Kong, the Global Times learned on Thursday.

China on Wednesday called for an objective and fair investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage and to speed up the investigation, suggesting that the UN - the most authoritative and representative international organization - could play an active and constructive role on the matter.

China released a Global Security Initiative (GSI) Concept Paper on Tuesday, fully elaborating a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept and providing China's wisdom in tackling growing risks and challenges in traditional and non-traditional security areas. Chinese diplomats and experts hailed the release of the document as timely, necessary and targeted, saying that it provides a detailed blueprint in tackling global and regional hotspot issues in an effective way, especially further clarifying China's peace-promoting position on the Ukraine crisis.

A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, China announced in the Global Security Initiative Concept Paper it released on Tuesday amid growing risks and challenges that the world faces today, particularly in light of the Ukraine crisis, with the aim of eliminating the root causes of international conflicts and improving global security.

At the request of the US side, China's top diplomat Wang Yi held an unofficial engagement with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday local time on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Germany, where the Chinese official urged the US side to rectify its wrong approach as Washington's handling of the recent airship incident has damaged China-US relations.

At the request of the US side, China's top diplomat Wang Yi held an informal meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday local time on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) where the Chinese official urged the US side to correct its mistakes as its handling of the recent airship incident has damaged to China-US relations.

The "balloon episode" continued to weigh on already strained China-US relations as Chinese authorities voiced strong dissatisfaction and opposition on Thursday to the latest resolutions passed by the US Congress, urging some US politicians to stop escalating tensions over the incident and stop smear campaign against China.

China vows to impose countermeasures against US entities that undermine China's sovereignty and security after Washington used armed forces to shoot down a Chinese civilian airship and the US government used the incident as an excuse to illegally sanction Chinese entities.

Xia Baolong, China's top official on Hong Kong and Macao affairs, recently met with representatives from Hong Kong society and learned more about the situation in Hong Kong including the local government policies and administrative review of local district councils, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said on Tuesday.

The US has illegally flown its high-altitude balloons over Chinese airspace more than 10 times without permission since the beginning of last year and China had acted professionally in handling these incursions, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday, calling the US the world's biggest "Spying Empire" by sending numerous spy airships worldwide and urging it to stop smearing others and instigating confrontation.

With the optimization and adjustment of its COVID policies, China is expected to welcome more foreign leaders in 2023. Among them, French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed explicitly his willingness to visit China. In recent years, China-EU relations have seen some obstacles emerging against the backdrop of the US-led strategic containment of China and the Ukraine war. In an exclusive interview with Global Times reporters Chen Qingqing and Bai Yunyi (GT), Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye (Lu) talked about prospects of China-EU relations as influenced by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Taiwan question, and China-France ties with the US' exertion of pressure on its major allies.

The first batch of assistance from China arrived in earthquake-stricken Syria amid a wave of international humanitarian aid, but some of the most needed supplies, including medicines and food, have been blocked due to the US embargo, prompting mounting calls for the US to show sympathy to Syrians and lift sanctions against the country.

China expressed strong opposition and dissatisfaction toward a bill passed by the US Congress concerning the airship incident, which is purely a political manipulation by the US, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia Hun Sen on Friday at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen on Friday at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, realizing an "appointment made three years ago" and underscoring the ironclad friendship between the two countries, which celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.

In an exclusive interview with the Global Times, Mohammed Hasanein Khaddam, Syrian Ambassador to China, said that the roots of Syria's suffering - the US' long-arm jurisdiction - are further exacerbated by the disaster.

The balloon incident, occurred against the backdrop of a lack of trust between the US and China, should have been handled within the communication framework between the two sides without being exaggerated, the Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye told the Global Times in an exclusive interview. If the incident is not properly managed, it could become a trigger of conflict, the Chinese envoy warned.

While US officials and the media continue their hype over the unmanned Chinese airship for civilian use in an attempt to accuse the Chinese side of refusing to communicate, the Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized on Wednesday that any attempt to exaggerate or hype up the "China threat" will be detrimental to building mutual trust between the two countries. When it comes to the question about whether there is still effective communication and crisis management channels between the two sides, it also depends on the US, not China, Chinese experts said.

China expressed strong dissatisfaction and protest on Sunday against the US' move to shoot down a non-threatening Chinese airship for civilian use, calling the US' move an overreaction and vowing to reserve the right to take necessary actions. By turning an unintentional accident into an incident that has been hyped by the US officials and media, Washington is adding new uncertainties into the already-intense relations with China, creating a bad precedent for blurring the line between civilian and military uses, experts said.

​The Chinese Defense Ministry on Sunday protested against the US' move to shoot down a Chinese civilian unmanned airship which made an unintended entry into the US airspace due to force majeure. Experts said that US' reaction could escalate tensions between the two countries' militaries.

Hong Kong officials, industry representatives and residents applauded the latest announcement of full resumption of cross-border travel between the special administrative region (SAR) and the Chinese mainland with a palpable excitement that was widely shared on Friday. The city's full-scale recovery is now in sight, and will be boosted by not only tourists from the mainland but also the integration into the country's overall development, particularly the Greater Bay Area plan, industry insiders said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday released a 2,576-word report on US long-arm jurisdiction, a typical US practice that severely harms the international political and economic order and the international rule of law.

The first batch of about 30 cross-border pupils returned to Hong Kong on Wednesday for face-to-face classes, as this group of students has not been able to attend classes in Hong Kong due to pandemic restrictions since 2020.

Following the World Health Organization' (WHO) Monday decision to still treat the COVID-19 pandemic as a global health emergency, some senior Chinese public health experts said it was a cautious decision considering the imbalance between countries in immunity, medicine and therapy as well as potential risks of more infection waves. While some countries such as Japan and the US are planning to end or downgrade their emergency status or epidemic management in the coming months, experts warned that the conditions for dropping the guard against the disease are still immature.

China is poised to withstand the test of Spring Festival travel rush as most cities and regions have already passed the infection peaks, and adequate preparations and contingency plan put in place by authorities at all levels, hard work of medical workers and enhanced vaccinations have allowed residents enjoy a safe and warm Spring Festival without triggering any large-scale resurgence of infections.

A Hong Kong legislator condemned the latest decision of UK parliamentary group to withdraw an invitation to the Hong Kong Legislative Council for attending an upcoming seminar in March, calling that the decision by the UK was “childish,” and it is hypocritical for British politicians to claim that they are in a democratic country but refuse to listen to voices from different jurisdictions, the legislator said.

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.