China noted that the central and local governments of Spain have made positive comments about the project, and China stands ready to continue deepening practical cooperation with Spain under the principles of mutual respect and mutual benefit, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Wednesday.

The Pinglu Canal in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region started live-ship navigation trial on Wednesday. It is the first full-channel, all-vessel-type live-ship trial on the canal and the last test before the waterway fully opens to navigation in September, the CCTV News reported.

Manus, an AI agent released by Singapore-based tech start-up Monica, said in a note to users on Tuesday that it will soon return to operating as an independent company.

US-based Mammoth Freighters decided to establish China's first Boeing 777 wide-body passenger-to-freighter conversion production line in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, making the city the world's third and the Asia-Pacific's only Boeing 777 conversion hub.

China's Unitree Robotics announced on Tuesday evening the preliminary results of its offline share placement and the winning numbers for its online offering as part of its initial public offering (IPO) on the STAR Market. A total of 19,414 winning numbers were issued in the online offering, with each winning number entitled to subscribe for 500 A-shares.

Northwest China's Qinghai Province ran its first freight train directly to Laos on Tuesday, hauling 1,150 tons of urea produced by Qinghai Yuntianhua International Fertilizer Co out of the Shuangzhai logistics center in Xining and onto the China-Laos Railway for Vientiane. The shipment marks the first time the plateau province has exported its own urea on its own account, and a breakthrough in its drive to open an international logistics corridor into ASEAN, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) technology companies are gaining a growing foothold among international users, with their models topping rankings on some leading industry platforms, ahead of their US counterparts.

In recent years, some economies, anxious about their own industrial competitiveness and market position, have politicized economic and trade issues, taking turns to hype false narratives such as "China overcapacity" and a "China Shock 2.0," and using them as pretexts to roll out protectionist measures.

Editor's Note: The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan called for building a modern industrial system, consolidating the foundation of the real economy, and accelerating high-level technological self-reliance and self-strength to lead the development of new quality productive forces. These goals have provided clear direction for industrial transformation and upgrading across various sectors, while injecting strong momentum into high-quality development. The Global Times has launched a new column titled "China Industry Close-up." Focusing on the creation of a new development pattern, the column will delve deeply into vivid examples of industrial transformation and upgrading across various sectors, aiming to showcase China's innovation-driven and high-quality development. This is the second installment of the series.

Fireworks bloomed in golden-red sparks across the night sky, the hems of Hanfu skirts swaying gently in the glow of the lanterns, while the steam from soup dumplings mingled with the bustling sounds of the marketplace. Several foreign tourists held up their phones to capture the atmosphere. This was an ordinary day in Kaifeng, Central China's Henan Province, yet every corner brimmed with the lively atmosphere of Song-era life and an open, welcoming warmth.

Due to intense demand, the final online winning rate of Unitree Robotics' IPO - China's first humanoid robot A-share stock - is razor-thin 0.0181 percent, the company announced on Monday. In plain language: you needed to be one of the lucky 5,525 applicants to get shares.

China's largest pork-producing province has introduced a genomic breeding tool designed for indigenous pig breeding, a sign that the province is shifting from expanding volume toward improving hog quality.

Global automakers are forging deeper and longer-term ties with China, as the country's role evolves beyond a key market into an increasingly important hub for automotive research and development (R&D) and innovation.

Apple Intelligence has been formally integrated with Alibaba's Qwen model on macOS, according to Apple's Chinese website on Saturday, enabling voice assistant and text-generation functions and marking a significant step forward in the rollout of Apple's AI services in the Chinese market.

A US federal judge on Friday temporarily "barred the Pentagon from including Chinese biotechnology group WuXi AppTec on a list of companies believed to support Beijing's military," according to Reuters. Chinese experts said the ruling sends a positive signal for Chinese companies operating in the US, showing that Washington's arbitrary, fact-deficient national security blacklists are not beyond challenge and that firms should make greater use of legal means to defend their legitimate rights.

Chinese robot company Unitree Robotics held an online investor meeting on Friday for its initial public offering (IPO) on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's STAR Market, with Unitree founder Wang Xingxing saying the firm will continue to advance key software and hardware technologies and explore a broader range of product forms and models.

China's largest artificial intelligence (AI) computing industrial park has been completed and put into operation in Ulanqab, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is also the single AI data center (AIDC) with the largest token output capacity in the world, the builder stated on Thursday.

China firmly opposes the US' overstretching the concept of national security and abusing state power to unjustifiably suppress Chinese companies. Protectionism will not enhance US competitiveness, a spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the US told the Global Times on Thursday.

Chinese robot maker Unitree Robotics began a preliminary inquiry for its initial public offering (IPO) and listing on the STAR Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) on Wednesday. Chinese investment banks widely estimated that the company's post-IPO valuation could exceed 40 billion yuan ($5.9 billion), potentially pushing the issue price above 100 yuan per share.

The US administration is reportedly drafting a ban on US imports of new models of Chinese data center components, Reuters reported, citing four people familiar with the matter. A Chinese veteran industry analyst said the move shows that the US' unilateral attempts to curb China's technological development is expanding from individual technology sectors to the broader digital infrastructure ecosystem.

A second-quarter report released by market research firm Counterpoint Research on Tuesday showed that the Chinese memory-chip giant CXMT's market share surged 716 percent year-on-year to 7 percent, making it the world's fastest-growing dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) supplier during the period.

China released a mandatory national standard for autonomous driving system safety on Tuesday, which will take effect on July 1, 2027. It aims to establish a unified safety baseline for level 3 and level 4 autonomous driving systems, regulate technology development, enhance road safety, strengthen corporate responsibility, and support the industry's healthy and sustainable growth.

The US-based OpenRouter, a leading global AI platform, released its latest weekly ranking of AI model usage, with all of the top five models developed by Chinese companies, a trend that a Chinese industry analyst said underscored the rapid rise of Chinese tech firms in the emerging AI sector despite the US' attempts to contain their development.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently added 43 Chinese companies to its "Entity List" under the so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" (UFLPA), with the move taking effect on Monday. The targeted companies include firms from industries such as snacks and dumplings, prompting Chinese netizens and experts to question the rationale behind the politically motivated move.

Sinopec Chongqing SVW Chemical Co Ltd opened a 50,000-ton-per-year specialty polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) unit on Monday, taking the site's total annual capacity to 210,000 tons and making it the world's largest single-plant production base for high-end PVA production, CCTV News reported.

US lawmakers have requested information from food delivery company DoorDash on its use of Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) models, CNBC reported over the weekend. Chinese industry experts said on Sunday that the US lawmakers' actions are largely driven by a political agenda to curb the rising adoption of Chinese AI models in the US, reflecting a deep worry of losing its sci-tech hegemony. Such actions would raise the costs of US companies and consumers, they warned.

The People's Bank of China (PBC), the central bank, pledged to keep monetary policy moderately loose in the second half of 2026, to be accompanied by more pragmatic, effective, incremental measures, while implement stronger counter-cyclical adjustment to expand domestic demand and optimize market supply, it said on Sunday.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added 43 Chinese companies, including cotton textile enterprises, to the "Entity List" under the so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" (UFLPA) on Friday, a move that the China Cotton Association said in a statement on Sunday marked the largest single expansion of the list since its establishment and seriously violated the basic principles of international trade. The Chinese cotton association expressed strong concern and firm opposition to the US' move.

Global brands including Coca-Cola, Adidas, Apple and L'Oréal reported double-digit or near double-digit gains in China in their latest quarterly earnings, making the Chinese market a major driver of their businesses.

Editor's Note: Artem Oganov (Oganov), a distinguished professor at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology and chief scientific officer of Sber University in Russia, and a foreign expert at China's Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, received the 2025 China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award on July 8. What are his views on China's technological rise and China's sci-tech R&D environment? Oganov shared his perspectives with Global Times (GT) reporter Ma Jingjing.

From the "old three" exports of clothing, furniture, and appliances, to the "new three" of electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar cells, China's industrial evolution has now entered a new era defined by its newest industrial champions: robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and innovative drugs. These sectors have firmly established themselves as the new "new three," reflecting not only the continued growth in China's innovation capacity but also the accelerated iteration of its industrial system.

The total market capitalization of Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT briefly exceeded 4 trillion yuan ($592.13 billion) on Friday morning, with its share price surging to 60 yuan per share, maintaining its position as the largest company in the A-share market.

China's humanoid robotics giant Unitree Robotics said on Thursday evening that it plans to open subscriptions for an initial public offering (IPO) on Shanghai's STAR ⁠Market on August 10, after the company's IPO application was approved for registration by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), moving a step closer to listing.

After two years of improving attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI), Americans are becoming more skeptical of the technology - a trend that could pose longer-term challenges for the country's AI development. A Bentley University-Gallup survey released on Tuesday found that 39 percent of respondents believed that AI does more harm than good, while only 9 percent said that it does more good than harm. The growing unease appears to reflect concerns over employment, with 79 percent of respondents saying they believe that AI will reduce the number of US jobs over the next decade.

Chinese robot maker AgiBot has released a three-episode martial arts series in which its full-size humanoid A3 spars with action stars Louis Fan Siu-wong and Zhang Lanxin, in what the company describes as the first martial arts bout staged between a human and a robot, the company told the Global Times on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday slammed the US' ban on imports of humanoid robots, stressing that protectionism will only harm the interests of US businesses and consumers, and China will continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

The Global Times and Shenzhen-based tech startup GenTrack.ai signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement at a signing ceremony held in Beijing on Monday, aiming to leverage their respective strengths to build a more effective international communication system in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

China-Europe freight train services have completed more than 130,000 trips carrying goods worth over $520 billion over the past decade, an official said at a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday, as the rail link increasingly serves as a buffer against volatility in global shipping.

Profits of China's industrial firms above designated size increased 18.7 percent year-on-year in the first half, with the growth rate accelerating by 3.2 percentage points from the first quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced on Monday. Experts noted that China's industrial production maintained steady progress, with rapidly expanding new growth drivers providing crucial support for the strong performance.

The Macao Municipal Affairs Bureau announced on Saturday that one batch of infant formula under Dutch dairy company FrieslandCampina was found to contain lead exceeding the Macao food safety standard. The company said in a statement on Monday that all test results for lead on products officially imported into the Chinese mainland market showed "not detected."

Following China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR)'s penalty and rectification requirements on leading online travel platform Trip.com Group for abusing its dominant market position in violation of the country's Anti-Monopoly Law, the company announced on Saturday 19 rectification measures spanning five areas, including ending exclusive cooperation arrangements and the unreasonable "lowest price" requirements, while strengthening compliance building.

China's top market regulator on Saturday fined online travel agency Trip.com Group 3.521 billion yuan ($519.93 million) and confiscated 1.658 billion yuan in illegal gains from its monopolistic practices by abusing its dominant market position, while also ordering it to refund 122 million yuan in deposits deducted from hotels.

China voices strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition after the EU listed additional Chinese companies in its 21st package of sanctions against Russia in disregard of China's firm opposition and repeated solemn representations, and has once again lodged solemn representations with the EU and taken corresponding measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, a spokesperson for the Mission of China to the EU said on Friday when asked relevant question.

Unitree Robotics founder and CEO Wang Xingxing has made history by appearing on the cover of TIME magazine alongside the company's groundbreaking human-piloted mecha robot GD01, under the headline "The big robot moment." It has been eight years since a Chinese entrepreneur last graced the cover of the TIME.

China announced on Friday that it will place 14 EU entities on its export control list, effective immediately, citing the need to safeguard national security and fulfill international non-proliferation obligations.

Geely Auto will build two electric SUVs at Ford's factory in Spain and the two firms will jointly develop a new model, Reuters reported on Thursday. A Chinese industry expert said the cooperation between Chinese and US automakers reflects the growing role of China's new-energy vehicle (NEV) companies in supporting Europe's green transition while expanding in the European market with the advanced NEV technologies and production capacity together with the US counterpart.

Hong Kong has given the green light to its first fully driverless autonomous vehicles testing permit for Baidu's Apollo Go, allowing the company to conduct public road testing on Airport Island without a person at the wheel.

Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory stood out as a major growth engine in the American EV giant's second-quarter earnings, released on Thursday, as it posted the highest monthly vehicle deliveries of the year, according to a statement the company sent to the Global Times.

China's shipbuilding industry posted strong growth in the first half of 2026, maintaining a leading share of the global ship market, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) showed on Thursday.

China on Wednesday expressed serious concern to France's newly passed "anti-fast fashion" law, which imposed discriminatory restrictions on Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms, and vowed to take necessary measures to hit back if the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises are infringed.

The US administration will reportedly investigate whether Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) models were "distilled from American models," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed on Tuesday, according to a CNBC report. A Chinese expert said that Bessent's remarks once again reflected the anxiety among certain US politicians over China's rapid advances in AI and their continued adherence to a technological hegemony mindset.

Shanghai tech firm NeuroXess said on Tuesday that its fully implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) system designed to restore hand movement has been selected for a fast-track review by China's medical device evaluation center. The development comes as domestic BCI technology quickly moves out of labs and into real medical use.

China always develops its relations with Panama under the principles of equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday, when commenting on reports that the two countries have reached consensus on renewing their maritime agreement, as well as on any progress regarding Panama-flagged vessels being held at Chinese ports.

Kimi K3, a popular open-source AI model created by China's upstart Moonshot AI Co with 2.8 trillion parameters, has received massive visits than expected since its release last week, the company said on Sunday.

Air China will begin deploying the domestically developed C919 aircraft on its daily Beijing Capital-Ulan Bator route starting August 12, marking the first routine international passenger service for the Chinese-built jet.

Air Cambodia has inked an agreement to buy 20 C909 aircraft from Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), making the Cambodian carrier the first foreign flag carrier to place a bulk order for the Chinese-made jet, according to a Saturday report by an aviation consultancy website.

A trademark dispute between US luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co and Chinese sanitary pad brand Alffany has recently sparked widespread discussion among Chinese netizens. Tiffany sued Alffany over the alleged similarity between their brand names, with the case now under second-instance review at the Beijing High People's Court, the Chinese company told the Global Times on Saturday.

Louis Vuitton (LV) has filed a lawsuit against a small-sized daily necessities store in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province, for alleged intellectual property (IP) infringement, according to local media report.

With regards to the development of artificial intelligence (AI), China opposes drawing ideological lines and imposing technological blockades, and the country is committed to coordinating development with security and stands ready to share experiences with all parties to elevate the level of global AI innovation and development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Thursday.

The first smart satellite communication payload, made by Chinese private space firm GalaxySpace's Payload Center based in Hefei, East China's Anhui Province, rolled off its production line recently.

Japan's three leading automakers have reported sharp year-on-year declines in their China sales for the first half of 2026, Kyodo News reported.

China's top refiner China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) has completed its reorganization with the country's dominant jet fuel refiner. The merger will officially make China National Aviation Fuel Group (CNAF) a wholly owned secondary subsidiary of Sinopec, the Global Times learned from Sinopec on Sunday.

A US research team has used Unitree G1 humanoid robot to successfully perform standard laparoscopic cholecystectomies on two live pigs, during which the robot is teleoperated to manipulate manual laparoscopic instruments, according to a study published in Nature seen by the Global Times, marking the world's first use of a humanoid robot surgical system to perform a complete minimally invasive surgical workflow on live animals.

China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security released a development plan on Thursday for human resources development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), setting seven major goals and 18 quantitative indicators, including a target that the number of newly created urban jobs should reach a considerable size during the period.

CXMT, a leading Chinese storage chipmaker, made public its IPO prospectus on Thursday as it moves toward a listing on the STAR Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), adding to the recent surge in Chinese technology and semiconductor firms going public on the Chinese capital market to bolster domestic innovation and tech development.

Chinese banks and tech companies led the world in applications for financial technology patents over the last decade, surpassing the US, a Japanese media outlet reported on Tuesday, highlighting China's fintech patent performance in quantity and quality, as well as the application of new technology including artificial intelligence (AI).

Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sjoerd Sjoerdsma began a three-day visit to China on Tuesday, with business representatives expecting the trip to send a positive signal of continued engagement and dialogue between the two countries at a time when China-Netherlands and China-EU economic relations are facing growing geopolitical and economic headwinds.

Numerous enterprises and industry groups from the US and other economies have submitted opposition to the US' proposed tariffs on the pretext of so-called "forced labor" trade practices, and voiced their concerns over supply chain disruptions and rising costs in the public comments submitted to the US Trade Representative (USTR).

He Tingbo, president of Chinese tech giant Huawei's Semiconductor Business Department, updated her paper, “A Time Scaling Theory for Multi-Layer Electronic Systems” on ChinaXiv, the Chinese Academy of Sciences' preprint platform, on Friday, Science and Technology Daily reported.

Multiple Chinese chip companies have forecast sharp increases in earnings, driven by booming demand for memory chips, with some expecting profits to surge more than 600-fold.

China deplores and firmly opposes the so-called "determinations" made by the US based on its domestic law, which are neither consistent with objective facts nor grounded in international law, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday, while slamming the US' deplorable record in illegal fishing.

Chinese two-wheeler electric vehicles (EVs) brand Luyuan Group issued an apology statement on Thursday after multiple promotional videos on its Douyin account were accused of using sexualized content to attract attention.

Foreign investors' holdings of Chinese A-shares hit over 4 trillion yuan ($588 billion) in the first half of 2026 to set a new high, with some overseas institutions continuing to expand their allocations in Chinese science and tech companies, according to a report by state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) on Wednesday.

Chinese automaker Lotus' first batch of 18 Eletre electric vehicles (EVs) arrived in Canada, the first Chinese auto brand to complete certification and shipped to Canada since it cut tariffs on Chinese-made EVs on March 1, 2026, the company told the Global Times on Tuesday. The EVs were shipped from Shanghai on May 6.

The so-called "Mainland Affairs Council" of the island of Taiwan released a statement on Monday, the 16th anniversary of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), claiming that the Chinese mainland has in recent years exerted economic pressure on the island for political purposes. A mainland expert said that the claims made by the DPP authorities are false, and it is the DPP that has undermined cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation.

China's zero tariff policy for African countries with which it has diplomatic relations is a very good policy for Somalia, as it helps Somalia's business community export higher value-added products to China while accelerating the country's economic and trade partnership with the world's second-largest economy, Gamal Mohamed Hassan, Minister of Commerce and Industry of Somalia, told the Global Times on Monday.

The Beijing Space Computing Innovation Center was officially unveiled on Monday at the Space Computing Forum of the Global Digital Economy Conference held in Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing, where experts said the move marks a key step in advancing space-based computing as a new frontier of digital infrastructure, with strong development potential and broad application prospects.

The 15th round of the second-phase negotiations on the China-ROK Free Trade Agreement was held in Beijing from June 22 to 26, the CCTV News reported on Monday.

China National Building Material Group Co has put three world-class high-performance carbon fiber production lines into operation, marking a fresh milestone in China's push to strengthen its advanced materials sector and expand domestic supply of strategic materials for high-end manufacturing.

As China's university application season gets underway following the national college entrance exam, or gaokao, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a new adviser for millions of students and parents, with many turning to AI tools for guidance on university and major choices. A Chinese expert said that AI can help narrow information gaps, but major life decisions still require careful human judgment.

A recent warning by a former US official that Washington risks falling behind China in next-generation wireless spectrum reflects growing anxiety in US strategic circles, as the AI race increasingly hinges on advanced wireless infrastructure, an area where China has built an early lead through long-term planning and systematic investment, Chinese analysts said on Sunday.

As global market uncertainties are rising and the supply chain is being reshaped, many multinational companies are searching for alternative manufacturing and consumer markets in an attempt to find the "next China."

Nearly every high-tech product being displayed at the 4th China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing is more or less intertwined with artificial intelligence (AI) - either it has an AI brain, or one of its functions is empowered by AI innovations.

Chinese car brand Polestar said on Thursday that the Trump administration was forcing the electric vehicle (EV) maker to stop selling cars in the US starting with the 2027 model year, as Washington ramps up its crackdown on Chinese EVs. A Chinese analyst said the move reflects the US' overreach in using so-called national security concerns to disguise underlying weaknesses in its own EV sector.

Africa's massive two-wheeler market is undergoing a rapid green transformation. Once dominated by costly fuel-powered motorcycles, the continent is rapidly embracing affordable, smart electric bikes. As African countries accelerate green transportation upgrades, China's complete industrial ecosystem, covering vehicle supply, battery swap infrastructure and capital investment, has become a core driver powering a new chapter of win-win China-Africa electric mobility cooperation.

The EU has joined the US-led "Pax Silica" initiative, according to under-secretary of state for economic affairs and the initiative's architect Jacob Helberg in a Financial Times report on Wednesday. A Chinese expert warned that if Europe further deepens its dependence on the US technology system and adopts an exclusionary stance toward China in AI and semiconductors, it would further erode its industrial chain autonomy and strategic independence.

The 4th China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) opened in Beijing on Monday. As the world's first national-level expo dedicated exclusively to supply chains, it has been successfully held for three consecutive years, with growing value and increasingly tangible outcomes.

As cheers echo through the streets of Mexico City and crowds pour into stadiums, the World Cup is ongoing in one of the world's most densely populated cities. With the tournament pressures the city's public transport network, China-made new-energy buses have taken on the role of the main shuttle fleet, putting their performance and service support to a world-class test.

China's first large-scale 100,000-ton-class salmon farming vessel, Su Hai No.1, has commenced the harvest of its inaugural commercial fish in waters off Weihai, East China's Shandong Province, China Central Television (CCTV) reported. Analysts view the development as a significant operational milestone for the country's deep-sea aquaculture platform.

China's draft financial law was deliberated on Tuesday at the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the nation's top legislature, for its first reading, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Analysts view this step as a milestone in strengthening the rule of law in China's financial sector. As the nation's first fundamental, comprehensive, and overarching financial law, the legislation is expected to bolster high-quality financial development and contribute to building China into a financial powerhouse.

A ChangAn Automobile vehicle, fitted with Intel's artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered "brain" and on display at Intel's exhibition booth at China's supply chain expo, serves as a compelling illustration of the deep integration of US companies into China's supply chain.

Chinese automakers saw growing sales in the European market, a monthly report on new car registrations released by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) showed on Tuesday.

China's Ministry of Finance announced on Monday that it has decided to take relevant measures against 46 US companies in government procurement activities in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

After returning from a business trip, Beijing office worker Yang found himself with an extra day off. It happened to coincide with Portugal's June 18 World Cup match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The 1 am Beijing-time kickoff meant a late night for Yang, but it was worth it, and more importantly, his idol Cristiano Ronaldo was set to take the field.

Yuan Guangyu, former deputy general manager of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), was convicted of accepting bribes and sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve. Yuan is also deprived of political rights for life, and ordered to have all his personal property confiscated, according to the first-instance verdict announced by the Xuzhou Intermediate People's Court of Jiangsu Province on Wednesday.

A wave of price cuts has swept through the artificial intelligence (AI) large model sector recently in China and overseas, following a period of price hiking earlier this year. Industry analysts said that the token price reductions reflect substantial cost savings from AI-related technological advances, intensifying market competition and the industry faces reshaped commercialization routes.

China has consistently opposed the US overstretching the concept of national security and abusing export control measures such as the Entity List to suppress and contain Chinese companies, Lin Jian, a spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry said at a regular press conference on Wednesday.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said it will lift the ban on imported new models of Chinese toy drones, according to a public notice released on Monday. Chinese experts said the easing of restrictions may be partly driven by industrial opposition following earlier bans, under which the normal operation of US companies that produce or import related products has already been damaged.

The DPP authorities' abuse of judicial means to undermine cross-Straits industrial and supply chains runs counter to market principles, suppresses the development space of the Taiwan island's semiconductor industry, and in the end will only backfire, accelerating the loss of Taiwan island's core industrial advantage, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Wednesday.

Yum China Holdings, Inc. (Yum China) announced on Tuesday that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Yum! Brands, Inc. (Yum! Brands) to acquire ownership of the Pizza Hut brand in the Chinese mainland at a cash consideration of $1.2 billion, the Global Times learned from the company.