As four suspects connected to the deadly shooting at a music venue in the Moscow Region have been brought to court, the question of "who is behind the attack" remains unclear. The US and the West blamed the Islamic State as the perpetrator of the attack and denied any Ukraine involvement. However, this explanation has been met with skepticism by the Russian side.

According to a news report on Breaking Defense, the two US allies of Japan and the Philippines are nearing important milestones in their plans to invest in new missiles that will extend the reach of their militaries in the Western Pacific. The first set of BrahMos missile systems the Philippines bought from India is expected to reach the Philippines by the end of March. Around the same time, 30 personnel from Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force are expected to receive guidance from the US Navy to operate Tomahawk missiles the Japanese government plans to purchase from the US.

Truth be told, China is not very concerned about the improvement of India's military capabilities because this improvement does not constitute a trend of India's military power surpassing China.

Traditional temple fairs made a big return to Beijing during this year's holidays after being suspended for several years due to the pandemic. There were too many activities to enjoy and pieces of folk art to see, a mélange of candied haws and skewered snacks – the stuff of one's childhood dreams.

When Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee in November's presidential election, said on Saturday that he would not defend any NATO member that had failed to meet a longstanding target of spending 2 percent of its GDP on defense and would even encourage Russia to continue attacking, it has sent "very real shudders through Europe," to use a headline of a CNN article.

As the war between Russia and Ukraine entered its 600th day, it is hard to speak about any prospects of a politico-diplomatic solution to the conflict around Ukraine under current conditions, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

The unipolar world order is being replaced by a multipolar world and Russia and China closely coordinate their efforts on the world stage based on high consonance of their positions on major international issues.

The attendance of 151 countries, 41 international organizations and more than 10,000 delegates at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing shows the appeal and global influence of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China's top diplomat said at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.

Chinese investments and the modernization of Hungary's economy are the outcomes of joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto during the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that was held in Beijing this week.

Developing relations of comprehensive interaction and strategic partnership with China is an absolute priority for Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Global Times in an exclusive interview, as Russian President Vladimir Putin is on a visit to China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

The visit of Crown Prince of Kuwait on the occasion of Asian Games will not only consolidate traditional friendship between China and Kuwait, but also promote people-to-people bond.

"Freedom and love are dear to me; my life I give, sweet love, for thee, yet love I give for liberty." It must be one of the most well-known foreign poems in China as the work of the revolutionary poet brought hopes and power to the Chinese people during turbulent times in the early 1900s.

If one thing could epitomize the stronger connectivity between China and Central and Eastern Europe, it is the rising use of their own currencies to settle trade and investment.

Chongqing, Sichuan, Shandong… Stelios Virvidakis expectantly plans his next China tour before a visit by the Global Times at his office in Athens, Greece.

Editor's Note: During the Vietnam War, the US used cluster bombs to carry out airstrikes on targets in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Over a period of nine years – from 1964 to 1973 – the US dropped more than two million tons of bomblets particularly in Laos, of which 80 million tons failed to detonate. Consequently, Laos now holds the unfortunate distinction of being the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. Many fear that Ukraine, which has received many cluster bombs from the US, will become the next unfortunate casualty to share Laos' fate. How does a US veteran who fought in the Vietnam War view the US' supply of cluster bombs to Ukraine? What do they feel it means to the legacy of their time on the ground? In conversation with one US Vietnam War veteran, the Global Times learned the answers to this question and more. This story is a part of the Global Times' series of “Witness to history,” which features first-hand accounts from witnesses who were at the forefront of historic events. From scholars, politicians and diplomats to ordinary citizens, their authentic reflections on the impact of historical moments help reveal a sound future for humanity through the solid steps forward taken in the past and the present.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has embarked on his four-day visit to the US and is expected to meet US President Joe Biden on Monday afternoon, US time.

The Philippines' allowance of US access to new military bases goes against the cause of peace and stability in the South China Sea.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday morning delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia's (BFA) annual meeting in South China's Hainan Province, saying that the certainty China offers has been and will remain an anchor for global peace and development amid the uncertainties across the world.

China's role in promoting practical and productive cooperation among Asian countries and enhancing Asian unity was hailed in speeches made by various foreign leaders at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia in South China's Hainan Province on Thursday.

The deciding factor of the success of Chinese modernization is the guiding hand of the Communist Party of China (CPC) which is meticulous and long-term in planning and execution, said former president of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during a panel discussion at the Boao Forum for Asia in Boao, South China's Hainan Province on Wednesday.

The real beauty of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the idea of sharing, and the BRI is of in-depth vision, international observers said on Tuesday at a panel session of the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia.

"Is there one democracy pattern that fits all countries?" "Does any country have the right to interfere with another country's choice of democracy?" Attendees at an international forum answered "No" as they gathered in Beijing on Thursday to share their understanding of democracy, expressing support to each country in exploring their own path to democracy and also opposition to a certain country's weaponizing of democracy for geopolitical purposes.

More than 200 politicians, scholars and experts in various fields from over 100 countries and regions gathered in Beijing on Thursday at an international forum to share their understanding of democracy and how countries should explore their own path to democracy with many attendees also opposing some certain country's hegemonic exporting of its own form of democracy and weaponizing of democracy to contain other countries.

China as a major power and responsible country within the UN Security Council has credibility when offering to achieve peace in the Middle East. In this region, the Palestinian question is the central issue for regional stability and development, said Palestinian Ambassador to China Fariz Mehdawi on Monday.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk recently revealed that all social media platforms work with the US government to censor content.

“So unlike yesterday, now's the time for us to say Happy new year.” Shanghai-based Vicky Li shared the song “Happy New Year” by Swedish group ABBA in a friends' group on WeChat in the early morning of the new year.

China and Cuba on Friday vowed to deepen practical cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation plan, firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs as well as jointly build socialism with local characteristics, during a meeting between Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, and Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and Cuban president.

The Australian governments today have not actually properly influenced the states with their respective requirements to understand those requirements and to give respect. We really should be treating with the human rights commitments seriously.

The contrasting demands from developed countries and developing ones and the lack of concerted global efforts to curb climate change should be attributed to the malfunctioning of the West-led global order.

NATO on Thursday released a statement on the Nord Stream pipeline leaks, calling it "the result of deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage." It also said, "Any deliberate attack against Allies' critical infrastructure would be met with a united and determined response." But Chinese experts said NATO's statement came too early, as the truth behind the leaks is yet to surface, and by releasing such a statement, NATO wants to absolve responsibility on the issue and take the high moral ground, so that it could continue to work on its strategic goal of containing Russia and controlling Europe.

“We are not only a classical colony. We are more a colony today than we were 30 years ago.”

The initiative is firmly on China's side.

Defense chiefs from 26 countries across the Indo-Pacific gathered for a three-day meeting in Sydney this week in an attempt to deal with the so-called “China's ongoing campaign to expand its influence and military presence in the region.”

South Korea has reportedly sent a largest-ever contingent to the ongoing US-led Rim of the Pacific 2022 (RIMPAC 2022) exercise as its president wrapped up his first appearance in NATO. Chinese experts have warned that these moves send a dangerous signal that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is deviating from a neutral line amid China-US competition and losing diplomatic autonomy to serve the US' Asia-Pacific strategy, which also faced concerns in South Korea over relations and cooperation with China.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Friday inspected the People's Liberation Army Garrison stationed in Hong Kong, and said that, given the deep and complex changes in Hong Kong in recent years, the Garrison had firmly served the big picture of the central government's administration of Hong Kong and played an important role in the process for the city to move from chaos to order and greater prosperity.

The US has accused Russia of holding global food supplies hostage as crisis looms, but the US, the instigator of the crisis, has many ways to put it to an end but is not prepared to use any of them.

There are two big events this year for China-Australia relations - one is Australia's general election and the other is the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries, both of which serve as an opportunity for bilateral relations to turn to a new page.

The US is the country that most deserves the investigation and prosecution by the ICC for its war atrocities. The US is a hegemon addicted to war and the biggest source of risk of global peace and stability.

Russia has very legitimate grievances. They are quite cognizant that NATO, as people are in the Middle East, is an aggressive entity.

In a contrasting move to its pressuring of European allies to not buy Russian oil against the backdrop of the ongoing Ukraine crisis, the US increased crude oil supplies from Russia by 43 percent, or 100,000 barrels per day, over the past week, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Mikhail Popov told Russian media on Sunday, with critics pointing out that the US pursues its own interests at the costs of its European allies.

There is a wave of censorship that is sweeping across America and it's very dangerous, but it won't stop with me and RT America, said former host for RT America Lee Camp.

“The West's repression of Russian media has lasted for years. What do they have to say about freedom of speech and the freedom of access to information?” Russia Embassy in China asked on Thursday on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo as a response to the US Embassy in China's accusation of Russia's so-called repression of media.

Editor's Note: Among the victims of the CIA's MK Ultra project is the family of Julie Tanny (Tanny), whose father was coercively brainwashed as part of the Montreal Experiments in Canada back in the 1950s. The experiments were funded by the Canadian government and covertly in part by the CIA. She is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against five defendants – the US government, the Canadian government, the McGill University health center, the Royal Victoria Hospital, and McGill University, as her family was irreparably destroyed by the program. She shared her story with the Global Times (GT) in a recent interview.

China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi met US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in the Italian capital of Rome Monday to exchange views on China-US relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

The skewed coverage in the Western media exposes the true essence of white supremacy prevailing in the West, despite that the Westerners tout about so-called universal values every day.

Twitter has witnessed thousands of posts with hashtags like #StandWithRussia and #StandWithPutin in recent days, a response from Indian netizens toward the US' reportedly implicit sanctions against India for abstaining in the UN vote on Ukraine. The discussions started by Indian netizens have seen even more netizens from around the world join in to criticize the US and Western countries' hypocrisy for their full support of Ukraine while keeping silent to the deaths caused by themselves and NATO around the world.

The more the US drives a wedge between China and Russia, the more it shows the importance of China's stance. US officials' clamor via the media will not achieve the desired results against China's diplomacy.

As some local residents began fleeing Kiev early Thursday morning and rushing west while air raid sirens sounded in the Ukrainian capital, fears of war have grown palpably, catching global media attention and sending the world's markets tumbling, shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in the Donbas region.

Monday marks the 50th anniversary of former US president Richard Nixon's icebreaking historic visit to China, which kicked off the normalization process of the China-US ties and laid the foundation of the formal establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties in 1979. However, on this day, the atmosphere in China and the US is very different.

The sign is clearer than ever that the US is turning Quad into a tool to serve its own strategic goal of countering China and Russia simultaneously, observers said, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken brought the topic of the Ukraine crisis to the Friday meeting of Quad foreign ministers when this group of US, Australia, Japan and India was formed for Indo-Pacific affairs and to target China.

The US politics has come to a deadlock. The 2022 midterm elections will present the world an ever more divided US.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said China will provide Africa with another 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and he said China and African countries should insist on unity in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, deepen pragmatic cooperation, promote green development and safeguard fairness and justice.

China has vowed to further help African countries boost their vaccination drive, which Chinese observers said could significantly strengthen the continent's immunological barrier against the COVID-19 pandemic and tackle serious global vaccine inequality. The emergence of the new variant Omicron, which was first detected in South Africa, once again highlights the dire consequences of vaccine inequality in developing countries, especially in Africa, where only 6 percent of its population have been fully vaccinated.

A joint article by the Chinese and Russian Ambassadors to the US decrying the so-called Summit for Democracy is a clear declaration of opposition to the upcoming event as an evident product of Washington's Cold War mentality, which will only create new “dividing lines.” The high-profile joint message also serves as a reminder for the public about how painful the ideology-driven confrontations used to be, and that some former Soviet republics are still recovering from the aftermath of US-led color revolutions, while it's crucial for countries like China to find their own paths, experts said.

The Joe Biden administration, in a highly dangerous and provocative manner, is turning the so-called summit for democracy into yet another small-sized ideology-driven clique to contain China, and this surely won't fare well as the world is trying to work together in the post-pandemic era and needs solidarity more than ever rather than using the so-called values to instigate confrontation and divergence.

China and the ASEAN are expected to officially upgrade their relations to tap into more high-quality cooperation potential - including COVID-19 vaccine research - at the upcoming special summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations on Monday, Chinese observers said, after the two sides deepened mutual interests through "Asian means" of mutual respect, friendly negotiation and win-win cooperation throughout the past 30 years, creating the most successful example of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Let's talk about post-reunification governance now, rather than until reunification.

The dazzling sunshine in late September shines upon the craggy foothills of the Tianshan Mountains. The unique natural landscape is undoubtedly attractive to hikers, but to Xinjiang police officers who have shed blood on the land they love, the place carries special significance.

The US is now the can't-do country. It is no longer the “city upon a hill” that enjoys exceptionalism and privileges. Perhaps only narcissistic Americans believe so.

As runup for the upcoming session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Senegal, the 10th China-Africa Think Tanks Forum kicked off in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province on Wednesday. The event aims to enhance the deep understanding between China and Africa, promote the development of China-Africa comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future.

The US military may have reportedly for the first time in recent years allied with warships of other countries to transit the Taiwan Straits as it explores ways to flex its military muscles in fresh provocations in the region amid the tense Straits situation. Chinese experts said on Saturday that the reported move showed US incapability to contain China and that its efforts to rally allies to deter China's momentum of growing strength to maintain national unity are futile.

As Tsai's authorities ratchet up their political lobbying, some influential pro-Taiwan US congressmen are becoming more prone to advancing US-Taiwan ties, which will weaken the Biden administration's ability to control the situation in the Taiwan Straits.

Cooperation between China and Germany and between China and Europe are likely to continue, which is determined by the interests of both sides. There is no fundamental conflict of interests between the two.

Will the US give preferential treatment to Indian goods? Will the US provide convenience to Indian IT professionals who go to work in the US? Will the US encourage its manufacturing to transfer to India to boost India's economic development? Will the US respect India's autonomy in purchasing weapons?

After a recent strategic dialogue between Chinese and EU top diplomats, the US wooed EU on the first US-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meeting, in which "curb China's non-market trade practices" was raised.

It is natural if one admires or even envies others who live a better life. But to shake off the jealous tone, the Indian media should help the government reflect on its wrong path. If India can build its own “well-off” villages, it will be a contribution to peace at the China-India border.

How does the US, which ranks first in terms of the numbers of infections and deaths, have the poise to hold a virtual global COVID-19 summit? The US may not expect the summit to have any substantial effect, but wants to make it a platform to showcase its leadership.

As the virus continues to hit, the problems for the West are thornier, because they have to be prepared for social chaos or even deeper crises as their anti-pandemic measures have started shaking their core liberal values.

The US anti-epidemic failure is the joint work of the Trump team and the Biden team. The reason that neither the Republican-led govt nor the Democrat-led govt managed to fight the virus is the malfunction of the US political system.

Political stance appears to be the only guidance for US media practices. When the US media praise China, they do not aim at studying from China to equal it, but to shame their political opponents.

Chinese companies could help quicken the pace of economic development in the Russian Far East, as both China and Russia have laid a solid foundation in policy support and cross-border infrastructure projects in the region, though a faster development in the region needs a little more Russian passion, Chinese experts said on Friday.

To mark the 76th victory anniversary of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), China and Russia - two major contributors in WWII - jointly held memorial activities, which analysts said intends to urge Japan to truly reflect on its military mistakes instead of binding itself increasingly tighter with the US and endangering regional peace and stability. This is the latest and vivid example of the highly accordant values and mutual trust shared by China and Russia.

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan has become the laughing stock of the world. But it seems that the US and its elites think it had done something noble

China has urged the Afghan Taliban to fulfill its promises, break off with all terrorist organizations, firmly crack down on the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and address obstacles that hinder regional security and development cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at the press conference on Friday, after two bomb attacks on Thursday near Kabul airport killed at least 13 US soldiers and dozens of Afghanis.

Human rights are not empty slogans, nor are they tools to interfere in other countries' domestic affairs.

Even when a senior US official comes, Singapore will not change its stance.

As international community is watching closely the development of Afghanistan situation, to what extent the Afghan Taliban will honor its promise to make its governance inclusive and to respect women's rights is a question in focus, which is key for relevant parties to consider whether to recognize the Taliban government and restart investing in the country.

The Afghan government and the Taliban were trading blame over the issue of 'seriousness' for peace talks at the extended troika meeting attended by diplomats from China, Russia, Pakistan and the US, which kicked off in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday.

The virus cares nothing about politics. The ones who pay for it are the ones who neglect it. This is the bitterest experience the world has learnt since the outbreak. Unfortunately, the US did not call to its mind

If Western media could truly play their role of serving the public interest, they should help trigger a deep reflection among Western countries and advocate them to learn from China's experience that has proven to be effective, instead of living in the fear of being surpassed by China with its systematic advantage and fast economic recovery.

The highly infectious Delta variant brings the question of whether Obama's upcoming party will become a super-spreader event that overshadows the US' already wretched fight against the pandemic.

As the Foreign Policy article noted, what China offers is what developing countries actually want. China helps their basic infrastructure construction needed for economic development. This is much more tangible than US slogans of democracy and human rights. When America itself is immersed in the democracy and human rights pitfalls, how can it persuade other countries to adopt its ways?

A top diplomat from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Tuesday questioned "certain countries" for wanting to replace international law with an alleged rule-based world order.

The US is not qualified to lecture China or interfere in Chinese affairs, nor is it qualified to say it deals with China from “a position of strength,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a press conference on Friday, referring to US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman's upcoming visit to China, as analysts noted that the results of her visit depend on US sincerity.

China does not oppose investigations. What it opposes is investigations based on presumption of guilt and making use of the investigations to play political tricks.

The situation in Afghanistan is getting more and more complicated as both the Afghan government and the Taliban, which are fighting each other, are making diplomatic efforts to win support or understanding overseas as the US and its allies leave a huge mess in the country and in the region, and China is paying efforts to stabilize the situation and prevent any potential crisis that could impact regional security.

The World Peace Forum over the weekend in Beijing was an epitome of the contest between the East and the West. When trying to prove the idea of China wanting to impose its model on other countries, French Ambassador to China Laurent Bili cited China's “threat to freedom of expression.”

The US and its allies in NATO came to Afghanistan in the name of fighting terrorism and extremism and to bring stability to Afghanistan, but are leaving nearly 20 years later after they failed at both and with an attempt to shift the burden to the Afghan people, Afghanistan's former president Hamid Karzai said.

The celebration of the CPC's centennial will be a watershed moment for the West to reflect on the way it views the CPC and China and considers the role it should play on the world stage.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin jointly announced the extension of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation on Monday, three days ahead of the centennial of the Communist Party of China (CPC), while Putin congratulated Xi on the CPC's centenary and expressed hopes for enhanced China-Russia inter-party exchanges.

What has been revealed by the media about the sufferings of the indigenous people in the US and Canada is probably just the tip of the iceberg.

Chinese citizens in Afghanistan have been alerted to be more cautious and prepared for the worsening security situation in the country as Chinese foreign affairs authorities issued a new safety warning for Chinese people there and reminded them to leave the country as soon as possible.

“Afghanistan being a stable country is in favor of countries such as the US, China and India. It is more important how we and Pakistan can build trust and how China and India can build trust regarding Afghanistan regardless of other issues. It is about peace in the whole region,” said the ambassador.

Making joint efforts to fight the COVID-19 global pandemic, countering the smear campaign of the US and the West, as well as making preparations for possible higher-level talks may be among the top agenda of China's leading diplomat's visit to Russia this week.

The US cannot reshape its global leadership with lying. China welcomes it if the US takes real action to compete with China in providing global public goods. But if the US just talks big, it will continue to be the laughing stock of the world.

The amount of dollars Taiwan can pay for maintaining “diplomatic ties” with its “allies” is far from the losses those countries suffer from not establishing ties with the Chinese mainland. It is time these countries realize their losses caused by Taiwan and the US.

Chinese President Xi Jinping talked over the phone with IOC President Thomas Bach on Friday. Xi said China is confident about hosting the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing as scheduled.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will host a virtual session of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on Friday with the attendance of US counterpart Antony Blinken and other foreign ministers, the second meeting between the two since the top diplomats' meeting in Alaska. The session is seen as an opportunity for China to push multilateralism back on the right track after the US-led G7 hyped up the “China threat” with clique politics.

The selfishness of the US in face of COVID-19 crisis in India is tantamount to a stabbing in the back of its partner. Yet US media blamed China for stoking tensions.

Given US strategic selfishness, the US will only create trouble for its allies and partners on their way of development so that they will be more subjected to US hegemony and find it more difficult to be independent.

Japan is consuming its reputation as an economic and cultural powerhouse it has strived hard to achieve since the end of World War II, and its efforts to become a political major power and normal country will be questioned strongly by the international community, especially by neighboring countries, thanks to its decision this week to dump wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.

Half a century ago, no one expected the visit of a group of American table tennis players to China would change the global landscape so dramatically. Now, with China and the US back in a period of such uncertainty in relations as observers point to almost a new Cold War, many observers are seeking signs whether something similar to the ping-pong diplomacy could be found to break the ice for the world's most important bilateral relations.

A recent article in The New York Times said that Chinese consumers' anger toward some Western companies such as H&M and Nike over their irresponsible and inappropriate remarks over Xinjiang cotton has given Chinese brands a chance to win and China's young generation is "more nationalistic" and "actively looking for brands that can align with that confidently Chinese identity."

The US is experiencing a major democracy Waterloo.

Even Islamic countries understand China's approach without making irresponsible remarks. But the US-led Western countries have become the most active forces against Xinjiang. This is illogical.

Do Asian American lives really matter in the US?

The first talks between top Chinese and US diplomats concluded in Alaska on Friday local time after a confrontational opening. The talks were beneficial and helped boost mutual understanding, despite major differences on key issues, the Chinese side said on early Saturday after the two-day talks.

The Olympics are embraced by the world because of its spirit of being faster, higher and stronger. Nowadays, it is one of the few positive factors in the world, and it should not be ruined by some senseless and aimless US politicians.

The political struggle brought about by the pandemic is far from over. Hence the West's intent to divide the world with vaccines to maintain its hegemony. However, the US and the rest of the West will only find themselves enmeshed in a self-imposed cocoon. Just imagine, if the global supply of vaccines is monopolized by the US, how many more people would die? Does the US care? The answer is clear.

China encourages normal exchanges between the Chinese people and Westerners. As long as they abide by China's laws, any Westerner in China need not worry about their security. It is the US that dares not encourage communication between Chinese and its citizens and tries to isolate China by hyping fears toward China. It is the Chinese people that should have security worries in the US.

Professor Mestre's opinion that “France and other European countries [haunted by terrorism] could take the answers given by Xinjiang” back in 2019 was not to please China, but an earnest suggestion for the West. Western societies also face the baffling issue of religious extremism and have suffered from bloody terror attacks. In 2020 alone, nine cases of terror attacks occurred on French soil. The Western world, including France, could learn from China's experience. But as the West spares no efforts to crack down on China by exploiting Xinjiang governance, it may eat the bitterness itself at the end.

Two former Hong Kong chief executives voiced support for the draft decision on improving the electoral system of the special administrative region made at the opening of the annual session of China's legislative body on Friday.

Biden has pledged to put human rights back at the center of US foreign policy. But US vaccine diplomacy that emphasizes human rights has stumbled on its very first start.

China has successfully put waves of COVID-19 under control, the US media cannot control their opinion war on China. In another recent faultfinding article titled “The truthtellers,” CNN listed the people, “who shared details of the COVID-19 pandemic that Beijing left out”. The outlet then accused, as it always does, China of concealing the initial outbreak in Wuhan, and cracking down on so-called citizen journalists.

Some European countries have recently taken turns criticizing China for what they said “repressing” Uygurs in its Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, especially at the ongoing UN Human Rights Council. Against the backdrop of increasing China-EU trade exchanges, politicizing human rights issues may cast hurdles to ties, analysts said, noting that the EU should have more independence from the US and avoid being bound to the US' warship of attacking China in fields like human rights.

The Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands on Friday condemned a motion passed by the Dutch House of Representatives which declared "genocide" is taking place in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, saying the move deliberately smeared China and grossly interfered in China's internal affairs.

In its first military action, the Biden administration has ordered airstrikes against an Iran-backed militia in Syria, which Chinese experts believe is an obvious move by the US to target Iran and send a clear signal to the outside world that "America is back."

As a new round of silent battles initiated by the US and its allies using the excuse of human rights to attack countries, particularly China and Russia, had been waged at the 46th United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in recent days, analysts warn that as the US re-engages with the UN body and touts the idea of a "democratic alliance," they may adopt more aggressive measures to pressure China and Russia by further politicizing human rights issues.

There is room for more China-UK economic and trade cooperation. But it depends on how the British government balances its diplomacy. It is hard to completely separate politics from economics in this bilateral relationship.

The UK now has Europe's highest death toll with more than 120,000 victims of the pandemic. Its national strength is declining, which triggered anxiety and aimlessness that was ultimately manifested by Brexit.

Chinese experts said given the close trade and economic partnership between the Group of Seven (G7) members and China, it is difficult for the US to form an anti-China choir at the G7 summit. They also refuted the White House's slander that China poses challenges to the global economy, saying China is the engine of it.

The US Senate's decision to acquit former president Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial is clearly a victory for the former president and his Republican Party, but a larger failure for US' much trumpeted political system and democracy. And here are some takeaways.

Hong Kong's top court denied bail on Tuesday for media tycoon and secessionist Jimmy Lai, who will stay behind bars until his trial on national security charges in April.

The US is like a super carrier which has sailed a long time. However, the components within are so torn and tattered that it can hardly withstand any major test. The problem is: Does the American captain have the will and ability to mend it?

The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal revoked the bail order of Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily founder and a notorious anti-government figure, on Thursday, ending his short eight-day bail period as his case concerning the violation of the national security law for Hong Kong has been processing.

The US role does not match its status as a global superpower which is supposed to act in a responsible and graceful manner. Some believe the US is an empire going downhill. Is it really the case?

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was granted a HK$ 10 million ($1.29 million) bail on Wednesday by the Hong Kong High Court after being charged with fraud and violating the national security law for Hong Kong.

Ezra Vogel, a professor emeritus at Harvard University and a scholar on China, Japan and Asia studies, dies at 90, the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard said on Sunday.

Facebook has suspended pages linked to pro-establishment groups in Hong Kong, making it hard for the page followers and group members to catch up on activity notices and connect with each other.

The Chinese UN ambassador Zhang Jun on Thursday called to bring foreign forces stationed in other countries' territories to justice for their criminal behaviors, after the recent atrocities by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan shocked the world.

As China-Australia relations have turned sour, the easiest card to play by Western MPs is to pressure China and fan the opinion flame. The latest show serves only these MPs' purpose of manipulating Western public opinion and exploiting political gains.

The assets the US has given to Taiwan are a blame game between the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party, which are accusing each other of missing the chance to bring Taiwan to RCEP. The US is playing the geopolitical card in the Asia-Pacific region, but only Taiwan has swallowed the bait. The two will eventually miss opportunities from the development of the Asia-Pacific.

The Chinese people pay attention to the US presidential election because China-US relations are important to both countries, and have a profound impact on the world. But the Chinese people also view the election as an entertainment show, and certainly they won't be into the drama too much.

More than 200 officials and scholars from China and a number of African countries are gathering in Beijing for a two-day conference on China-Africa cooperation against the backdrop of the raging COVID-19 pandemic. They will discuss further strengthening bilateral relations despite criticism from certain countries.

What is happeningduring the US election is something that we could have never imaged in this "Beacon of Freedom."

India's indulgence in the US manoeuvre in the Indian Ocean means that India will eventually be pulled into a rivalry with the US in the region. As India views the Indian Ocean as its core interest, this will impede New Delhi and Washington from getting strategically intimate.

Many people do not look at the swift response the Chinese government made to cope with an unknown virus, but grapple with the origin of the virus and China's early response.Fortunately, these myopic perspectives won't stop China's development.

If India wants to win a fight, it should focus on winning the fight against the novel coronavirus. Regrettably, India has suffered a miserable defeat. India ranks the world's second highest in coronavirus infections.

The military cooperation between China and Russia has been at a high level in recent years, but the two countries do not need a military alliance, as cooperation based on the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is more conducive for the two sides to jointly participate in global governance to safeguard regional and global security, Chinese analysts said, as a proposition of China-Russia military alliance has become a heated topic.

The first US presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democrat candidate Joe Biden that finished on Wednesday just showed the world a divided and chaotic US that is no longer an attractive superpower in terms of politics and soft power, and the embarrassing debate full of interruptions and pointless personal attacks largely reflects the recession of US national power, said Chinese analysts.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the dilemma of global governance, the United Nations is still the most complete system in the international order, and international law the most perfect legal framework, China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a keynote speech at an international forum in Beijing on Monday.

But US assistance, which often comes under the banner of democracy and the rule of law, which don't work well even within the US, will prove to be just lip service for these countries.

The recent controversies over Disney's filming of its live-action movie Mulan in China's Xinjiang Ugyur Autonomous Region and its credits thanking security and publicity departments in Xinjiang which offered assistance to the filming did not end here. On Friday, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers asked Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek to explain the company's contacts with Xinjiang during the production of the film.

The US needs to ask itself: Nowadays, how many talents worldwide will be less likely to do their research and contribute their wisdom in the US? Can it still provide better education, better jobs and better quality of life? The US had better not be too self-centered and narcissistic.

China has embarked upon a path to explore cyber governance early on, and has achieved notable results. The experiences of other countries also prove that the cyber world can't be a lawless one. In the absence of globally fit rules of digital governance, China has the ability and right to take the initiative.

The global data security initiative China proposes is a Chinese approach and a Chinese attitude to the global response to cybersecurity.

China always maintains that all nations, big or small, should be equal. To us, agreements reached by strong arm tactics will be difficult to hold.

Multilateralism is the sole solution to world disturbances in which no country can stand by itself and the UN should and is able to play a core role, China's State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at an international seminar on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in Beijing on Tuesday.

The government of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will introduce legislation this week empowering the foreign affairs minister to review and cancel agreements between local governments and universities and foreign countries considered "detrimental" to Australia's foreign policy objectives. China, is the implicit target.

Leaning toward the US leads to many uncertainties for regional countries, and they should avoid acting as US pawns to create shockwaves in the waters.

It is both absurd and ironic when US politicians play the card of human rights against countries like China, while stamping on the wounds of ethnic minorities.

Taiwan for the US is only a tradable chess piece, but for the mainland, reunification of the mainland and Taiwan is priceless.

When Western media defend "freedom of the press" as they considered the latest arrest of Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai and the Hong Kong police's operation targeting its headquarters after the national security law for Hong Kong came into force as a "severe erosion of free press in Hong Kong," some ignored the essence of this matter, which has nothing to do with freedom of the press, and some have no idea what the fourth estate is about, observers said.

While China is busy innovating, the US is guarding against an innovative China. This twisted behavior has prevented the US from continuing to innovate and reform. The dominant position it acquired, or its hegemony, is becoming a self-inflicted fetter for its progress.

After the New York Times published an article by Dr Rao Yi, a US-trained molecular neurobiologist in China, who compared the fate of his relatives in the US to those in China during the COVID-19 pandemic, both the article and the newspaper came under attack.

US federal agents and local law enforcement entered China's consulate compound in Houston after it was forced to close on Friday local time, according to CNN reports. Several SUVs, trucks, two white vans and a locksmith's van entered the property, CNN reported.

If US policymakers always adopt a competitive rather than cooperative mind-set toward China, China-US relations will only end up slipping to the edge of a cliff, which serves the interests of neither.

China can utilize its advantages in favor of a long-lasting peace in Afghanistan and Afghanistan is looking forward to having the kind of relationship China has with Pakistan, Afghan Ambassador to China Javid Qaem said at a press conference on Wednesday.

A Hong Kong lawyer has refuted the UK Supreme Court's decision, which, according to a Reuters report on Friday, would continue to assess UK judges' positions in the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, the city's top court, amid the recent enactment of the national security law for Hong Kong.

It is hoped the Modi administration can overcome the entrenched anti-China sentiment in Indian political and media arenas – they would embrace amicable bilateral relations for pragmatic and mutually beneficial solutions.

How the West depicts and interprets the national security law for Hong Kong, which was enacted on Tuesday, fully underscores the bias and double standards of some Western politicians and media on Hong Kong affairs.

The Fifth US-China Young Scholars Forum kicked off on Tuesday via video link where top scholars from the two countries are expected to give frank talks about the current and future state of bilateral relations and the role of the young generation.

The Australian authorities' mentality toward China has been increasingly dictated by the competition between China and the US, and Canberra could not resist joining Washington's chariot.

The yet-to-be-passed national security law is expected to have deterrence effect on those who threaten national security, including the members of the "Gang of Four."

The US has been using the human rights issues to attack its strategic adversaries, including China, Russia and Iran. Such attacks are based on a political stand rather than real concerns for the well-being of people in these countries.

By glorifying political naivety and violence of Hong Kong protesters, US politicians like Pompeo are using Hong Kong against China rather than really securing the rights of these protesters. For China, it is a matter of sovereignty, which means the Chinese central government has every right to safeguard its national interests. The smearing of China by Pompeo exactly reflects his incompetence and ignorance as a US secretary of state.

To further meddle in Hong Kong's affairs, US and UK politicians, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have jumped out to try to lure Hong Kong residents with relaxed immigration policies, a move which Chinese observers predicted will do nothing to affect the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong but actually helps the Chinese city drain out national traitors, who are "bad blood" poisoning Hong Kong.

In 2016, Trump won the popular support from the low- and middle-class white people who felt they were reversely discriminated under the Obama era. Trump himself is a racist president, as Democrats call him. The latest protests may just lead to ever stronger white supremacy.

The latest dispute can be solved bilaterally by China and India. The two countries should keep alert on the US, which exploits every chance to create waves that jeopardize regional peace and order.

"Potential or actual conflict of interests may occur if a foreign judge or a judge with dual nationality is involved in national security cases,” said Maggie Chan Man-ki, who is currently in Beijing to attend the annual two sessions.

As the US tries to block Victoria's BRI deal, what alternatives does the US offer?

No US sanctions or “cancellation of Hong Kong's special status” will sway China's determination to fix national security loopholes in Hong Kong as the central government must have had taken into consideration possible US responses and is preparing for countermeasures, Chinese experts said.

An inappropriate question in the Hong Kong special administrative region's college entrance exam regarding China's modern history has been met with a backlash from both the authorities and society, calling into question the city's long-term flawed national education and inviting proposals from officials for change.

More and more educational experts and observers have called on the Hong Kong education authority to strengthen supervision of its curriculum and examinations after a controversial question appeared in a recent history exam which was slammed for cultivating traitors of China.

Hong Kong police resorted to force only on occasions of violence during last year's social unrest, while there were "areas for improvement" during officers' clashes with protesters, according to a report on public order events since June last year and the police response.

The UK wasted a few weeks' time when China fought hard against the virus, and when Italy began to see a surging number of confirmed cases of the disease on the European continent.

Illegal public gatherings are staging a comeback in Hong Kong, while experts warned that a resurgence of unrest would further damage the city's economy and social order, which had been showing signs of recovery after the double blow of months of riots followed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Preparations for the upcoming annual two sessions kicked off across China amid the COVID-19 epidemic as the Beijing traffic management authority conducted a thorough inspection of dozens of taxis that will serve the two sessions in late May.

Hong Kong's deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), who are expected to attend the postponed annual two sessions in late May, will first go to Shenzhen to undergo novel coronavirus nucleic acid tests before flying to Beijing, sources told the Global Times Wednesday.

The Fulbright Program - a flagship interna-tional educational exchange program of the US Department of State in China's Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) - has become a major platform for training students as part of anti-mainland forces while intervening in local education and manipulating important courses of higher education, local media reports said, reflecting "black hands" of the US behind of chaos in the city and that passage of the national security law is highly necessary, analysts said.

The next session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) will be held in Beijing from April 26 to 29, the first step to the national two sessions, sources said. While Chinese President Xi Jinping's inspection of Wuhan on March 10 signaled the success of the fight against the coronavirus epidemic in the heavily hit province of Hubei, the opening of the “two sessions” indicates China is walking toward normalcy, which are milestone indicators of the country's epidemic battle.

Public health crises do not happen often, but once they do, they expose the various flaws of a system. It remains to be seen how the US reforms its system to address the flaws, or just looks for a scapegoat.

If US politicians and the larger American society don't reflect on their own shortcomings and continue to shift the blame on others, and among each other, then the entire American population will be in the dark.

The same goes for Luckin. Its attempt to become a standout in the market, and its ambition to rival a strong American brand, maybe worth praise for many Chinese people, but without financial integrity, its initial successes will indeed prove to be too good to be true.

A Hong Kong appeals court on Thursday overturned part of an earlier ruling that found the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's ban on wearing masks at unauthorized protests "unconstitutional," declaring the measure imposed during the turmoil last year valid, with observers noting that this is a "demonstration of justice" and will help the HKSAR government quell the turmoil eventually.

While the US elite write articles analyzing why the US mishandles the crisis, they should give a thought to their system.

Despite strict and timely government measures to curb the spread of the virus, people in Hong Kong have not been as vigilant as those in the mainland have been。

Some Western politicians still refuse to look to the useful part of China's experiences in their battle against the coronavirus. The absence of a self-correction function will only make the Western mechanism fall behind.

US President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, which some analysts believe is an overdue but first step of the US as uncertainties loom large; while others see it as a passive move made by Trump for the sake of his re-election campaign.

The de-globalization sentiment that we have felt from the outbreak is just a test that globalization needs to undergo before it becomes more extensive and profound.

The novel coronavirus epidemic has exposed the deep-seated bigotry and substandard manner of some American elites.

The visit, financed by the US Department of State, was the first since US President Donald Trump signed into law the “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act” in November, a period marked by anti-government violent protests in Hong Kong.

Debate over the Chinese and Western political systems are never-ending, but in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that has cost China and other countries dearly, some Western media outlets who are long critical about China's strict management of the epidemic, began to draw parallels between China's system, which they believe is a single-party state and authoritarian, and the Western system, which has an open structure allegedly with transparent information flow.

The Hong Kong Police Force detained several Hong Kong riot leaders including Apple Daily founder Jimy Lai Chee-ying and pan-democratic figures Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum on Friday for taking part in an illegal assembly and criminal intimidation.

But this time, China's efforts to activate its economy amid an arduous fight against the virus epidemic can hardly be ignored, as the Chinese economy, if stalled, may disrupt industrial production not only in China but throughout the world. Maybe it is time for cynical Westerners to learn about the vitality of China's system.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Korea surged to 204 on Friday. The severe situation in South Korea also tests how resilient its economy is as well as its relations with China.

More than 100 Chinese students at Johns Hopkins University in the US on Thursday night (US time) protested against speeches made by Hong Kong secessionists Joshua Wong Chi-fung and Nathan Law Kwun-chung.

For decades, mass mobilization has been a key advantage of the Chinese system. It has accompanied the Communist Party of China through revolution, state-building, as well as reforms and opening-up.

China announced on Thursday the appointment of Xia Baolong, vice chairman of China's top political advisory body, as head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council.

A resolution passed by a Hong Kong district council urging police chief Chris Tang Ping-keung to go to Wuhan to assist the ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus is “purely a political show,” noted Hong Kong analysts.