上海花千坊爱上海

Editor's Note:

"No mountain or ocean can distance people who have shared aspirations." This powerful message underscores the force of friendship and cooperation in bridging hearts across nations, cultures and civilizations.

People from diverse backgrounds and fields, united by common goals and dreams, traverse mountains and oceans to connect with each other. Through letters, face-to-face dialogues and vibrant cultural events, they are collectively weaving a magnificent tapestry of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The Global Times presents "Intertwined Destinies, Shared Paths," a series spotlighting the touching stories written by these "friendship ambassadors." They are scholars pushing the boundaries of research, diplomats advocating for deeper cooperation on the global stage, artists igniting imaginations with their creations and ordinary people extending heartfelt love beyond national borders driven by their genuine sincerity.

Their stories illuminate the spark of cultural exchanges, the driving force of technological innovation, the bountiful harvest of economic cooperation and the enduring warmth of human connection - all contributing to a more peaceful, prosperous and open world. This is the 13th installment of the series.

The ocean is the cradle of life and the shared blue home of humanity. In recent years, China has actively participated in the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), contributing China's solutions to the sustainable development of the global ocean. As June 8, the 18th World Oceans Day, approaches, the Global Times is launching a special subseries, "Fishing Together," which chronicles stories of fishery cooperation between China and various countries. This is the first installment of the subseries.

At five o'clock on a misty morning in Xinchang Town of suburban Shanghai, the fog has yet to lift, and the fish pond's surface shimmers with a clear, silvery light.

There, at the base of an experimental station for aquatic animal germplasm resources of Shanghai Ocean University (SHOU), three young women in chest waders and black rubber boots are already hard at work in the ponds. With a gentle sweep of their nets, one brightly colored common carp after another break through the water. Some blaze red like flames, some are as white and smooth as congealed jade, and some are red with black spots.

These beautiful fish, known by their colorful names such as "whole red," "whole white," "white with black patches" and "red with black patches" - all belong to a single species: the Oujiang color common carp. Native to the Oujiang River basin in East China's Zhejiang Province, the Oujiang color common carp has long been widely farmed in the region. Its breeding and improvement have also become the fruit of more than two decades of dedicated research by the College of Fisheries and Life Science of SHOU.

This fish, which combines culinary value with ornamental beauty and embodies the efforts of Chinese scientists, is now drawing young fishery scholars from around the world to China in pursuit of their dreams - a vivid example of China's wisdom in sharing the development of global fisheries.

Among them are these three overseas students of SHOU, who work hard at the base in early mornings: Nusrat Hasan Kanika, a postdoctoral researcher from Bangladesh, Rabia Tahir, a postdoctoral researcher from Pakistan, and Ayesha Arif, a doctoral student, also from Pakistan.

"The first time I noticed the pure beauty of the red-colored fish in 2022, I immediately fell in love with it," Kanika said, crouching by the pond as her eyes follow the flicker of an "whole red" fish in the water. "Maybe it felt special to me as both China and Bangladesh have red on their flags."
A research journey in China

Kanika is from Bangladesh, a country often poetically described as the "land of rivers." She once studied at Jagannath University, which has long-standing academic ties to SHOU. It was this cross-border scholarly connection that eventually brought her to Shanghai.

At SHOU, Kanika mainly focuses on the gut microbiome of fish. She observed that certain lipids, synthesized by bacteria, are enriched in the red variety of the Oujiang color common carp. "So we isolated and applied to increase those bacteria, and the fish actually showed a brighter color, as well as an increase in size," Kanika told the Global Times.

Kanika, along with her fellow researchers, is working on the mechanism from the gut to the final skin color formation of the fish. "It's still under development, but we hope to reveal this connection very soon."

Kanika hopes that her research will make contributions to the development of her home country in the future. "Coming from a developing country, we need some applicable research for healthy aquatic environment and economically beneficial productions. If I work with these beneficial bacteria, I can apply [the knowledge] in my country to make [the fish there] more beautiful, more productive, taller and bigger," she told the Global Times by a pond of the base.

Arif is drawn to the mysteries of heredity. Now pursuing her PhD in aquaculture at SHOU and mainly working on epigenetics, Arif traces her scientific interest back to her earlier years, when she spent hours gazing at fishponds developed through China-Pakistan cooperative projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor framework in her village.

As a child, spending time with the fish, turtles and other aquaculture species in the ponds is what sparked her initial curiosity about aquatic life and heredity. The area also practiced rice-fish culture, where rice cultivation and fish farming were carried out together in the same ecosystem, further deepening her fascination with sustainable aquaculture.

Reflecting on those childhood memories, Arif told the Global Times, "This curiosity eventually brought me to China."

Tahir, also from Pakistan, has turned her attention to environmental stress and gene regulation, exploring how factors like heat and low oxygen can influence how fish grow, look and function. Tahir earned her PhD from Sichuan Agricultural University, and later continued her research at SHOU, attracted by China's advanced aquaculture research platforms.

While in Pakistan, Tahir's mother once suggested that she pursue her research in a leading country, and she chose China. "In terms of research technologies and real-world applications to address global challenges, China is currently at the forefront. That's why I chose to come here," she explained. She hopes this experience will help bridge fundamental research with practical aquaculture applications.

Studying in China has not only enriched Tahir's research journey, but also brought her closer to the country's pragmatic approach to science and its open, inclusive spirit of collaboration.

'It feels like home'

The three international researchers are members of Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources of SHOU. Founded in 1982, the lab was among the earliest first institutions in China dedicated to the study of aquatic animal germplasm resources, according to SHOU.

Why does fish farming also need scientists? Wang Jun, an expert at the lab and a professor at SHOU's College of Fisheries and Life Science, explained that ordinary fish farmers often do not pay much attention to genetics and selective breeding. As a result, self-breeding can lead to severe inbreeding in subsequent generations, causing growth and other performance to gradually decline.

"What we need to do is to understand the status of germplasm resources, and through genetic evaluation and optimization, keep selecting better traits to create better and genetic stable varieties," Wang told the Global Times.

After decades of steady work, the lab has bred a national-level improved variety of the Oujiang color common carp, Longshen No. 1 Oujiang color common carp, and is now developing Longshen No. 2, which is expected to grow faster and display more stable red coloration, according to Wang.

The lab has also formed a small international "research team" of its own: six postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students from countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Egypt. Their main focus is the selective breeding and color genetics in color common carp, with subfields spanning cutting-edge areas such as epigenetics and gut microbiology, Wang said.

This collaboration among international researchers is far more than a one-way process of "learning." In Kanika's view, it is a form of mutual empowerment. She said that in the lab, whenever a new member joins, they teach them how to do the work in the lab and share the work they have done before. As a team, they handle different parts of the lab tasks.

China's open and inclusive research environment has given these young scientists a strong sense of security and confidence. Tahir said that the teachers and experts at SHOU come from all over the world, enabling them to discuss research ideas from various backgrounds. "Different minds can contribute to one scientific problem at the same time. And through collaboration, we can solve global challenges together," Tahir told the Global Times.

For Arif, who was somewhat alone during her early days in China, the country's human warmth that can be felt in everyday details has soon offered a kind of emotional connection that goes beyond the laboratory - a distinctive warmth in the exchange between Chinese and international science and culture.

"It feels like home," she told the Global Times.
A maritime community with shared future

For many overseas students like Kanika, Arif and Tahir, traveling all the way to China to study fish, especially the color genetics of the Oujiang color common carp, goes far beyond the beautiful colors.

The Oujiang color common carp is the centerpiece of the rice-fish system in Qingtian County of Zhejiang, which was the first in China to be recognized in 2005 as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Moreover, according to SHOU, the Longshen No. 1 common carp has been introduced to more than 10 provinces and municipalities across China, covering over 1,333 square kilometers of rice field, and is playing an important role in rural revitalization.

For Kanika, this fish represents an opportunity to upgrade the fisheries industry in her home country.

"We Bangladeshis are called a fish-and-rice people. In China, I saw that Chinese people also love fish and rice for lunch and dinner," Kanika told the Global Times, adding that she is glad to see that China is becoming more globalized, and is inviting people from many other countries to further cooperate in different fields.

China has been actively engaged in global ocean governance, and has worked to build a maritime community with a shared future. In April 2025, China officially signed to join the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's Agreement on Port State Measures, marking a significant step forward in the country's ongoing efforts to combat illegal fishing and protect marine fishery resources, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Looking ahead, Tahir said she plans to continue her research career in China, to become a top fisheries scientist, and to apply what she has learned to real-world aquaculture practice, contributing to the development of global fisheries.

Kanika described her journey in China as "fantastic," a journey, as she put it, filled with "colorful fish, a colorful world and colorful culture." She believes that China's fisheries-related programs are connecting more and more global scientists, fishers and communities, being a vivid example of building a maritime community with a shared future. "No matter where we come from, we share the same responsibility to protect and sustain our oceans," she told the Global Times.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met here with US entrepreneurs accompanying President Donald Trump on his visit to China.

Trump said that he had brought with him outstanding representatives from the US business community, all of whom respect and value China, and that he encourages them to expand cooperation with China. He introduced the entrepreneurs to Xi one by one.

The US entrepreneurs said that they attach great importance to the Chinese market, and hope to deepen their business operations in China and strengthen cooperation with China.

Xi said that US companies are deeply involved in China's reform and opening up, and both sides have benefited from this. Noting that China's door will only open wider, Xi said China welcomes the United States to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation with China, and expressed belief that US companies will enjoy even broader prospects in China.

Minqin County, located in the northeast of the Hexi Corridor and sandwiched between the Tengger and Badain Jaran deserts, was once one of the most severely desertified counties in the country. This spring, tens of thousands of volunteers set out from all corners of the country to head to Minqin County in central Gansu, all to plant a tree with their own hands. Nearly 80% of them are young people aged 20–35. They shared their experiences and impressions on social media, pushing Minqin—a northwestern county with a permanent population of 170,000—into the spotlight. 

A netizen asked, "Why go to Minqin to plant trees?" Among hundreds of comments, many young people said that during the process of planting seedlings by hand they gained an unexpected sense of strength. Some said, "During my days in Minqin, not once did I think about the things that trouble me; I only felt focused, relaxed, and simply happy." Others wrote, "Whenever I'm unhappy, I think of the saxaul I planted in distant Minqin; it grows with me. We both face the sands of life and will also see clear days." 

In online videos, young people shoulder shovels and carry seedlings, forming a long, winding line across the desert. One netizen said this is "the Long March of a new generation."

President,

On April 7, China, along with Russia, voted against a draft resolution on the issue of the Strait of Hormuz at the Security Council. As a permanent member of the Security Council, China approaches every vote in the Council with a serious, conscientious, and responsible attitude, and always determines its voting position based on the merits of the issue itself and on whether the adoption of the resolution would genuinely contribute to resolving the issue and achieving peace. 

China attaches great importance to this draft resolution submitted by Bahrain on behalf of Gulf States. We fully understand their major concerns. At the same time, the Security Council’s actions should be aimed at deescalation. They must not provide a veneer of legitimacy for unauthorized military operations or grant a license to the use of force, let alone further exacerbate tensions and add fuel to the fire, thereby leading to an escalation of the conflict. In exercising its veto on this draft resolution, China has upheld international fairness and justice, defended the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, prevented the conflict from expanding further and the situation from escalating further, and created favorable conditions for achieving a temporary ceasefire and launching dialogue and negotiation. China’s vote represents a choice responsible for peace and for the people of the region. It stands on the right side of history and will stand the test of history. 

President, 

China does not go along with Iran’s attacks on Gulf States. China believes that the passage and safety of a strait used for international navigation should be safeguarded. We call on Iran to take proactive measures to restore normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz at an early date. Meanwhile, the US ramped-up military deployment and resorted to a targeted blockade constitute a dangerous and irresponsible move. The issue of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a spillover effect of the conflict in Iran. Only a complete ceasefire can fundamentally create conditions for easing the situation. 

China welcomes the announcement by the relevant parties that a ceasefire agreement has been reached. We support all efforts conducive to ending the conflict. The US-Iran negotiation in Pakistan marks a step in the right direction toward deescalation. The current situation has reached a critical juncture between war and peace, and a window of opportunity for peace is opening. The pressing priority is to prevent, by all means, a relapse in fighting and to maintain the momentum of the ceasefire and negotiation that did not come easily. This serves the fundamental interests of the people in the region and meets the shared aspirations of the international community. The relevant parties should adhere to the ceasefire agreement, stick to the direction of dialogue and peace talks, stay committed to resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means, and take concrete actions to deescalate regional tensions. The international community should continue to intensify efforts to promote talks for peace and unequivocally oppose any actions that undermine the ceasefire or escalate confrontations. All parties should also earnestly respect Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, and prevent the escalation of the situation in Lebanon from affecting the ceasefire arrangement. 

President, 

As a sincere friend and strategic partner of countries in the Middle East, China is following closely the regional situation, upholding an objective and impartial position, and has been engaged in intensive mediation with all parties to actively promote talks for peace. Recently, President Xi Jinping solemnly put forward four propositions on safeguarding and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, namely, stay committed to the principle of peaceful coexistence, stay committed to the principle of national sovereignty, stay committed to the principle of international rule of law, and stay committed to a balanced approach to development and security. This demonstrates China’s consistent position and active efforts to promote peace, stop the fighting, and advocate for dialogue to resolve differences. It offers a Chinese approach to resolving the crisis and ending the conflict. Guided by the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s four propositions, China stands ready to continue to facilitate deescalation, promote the improvement of relations among regional countries, and play a constructive role in ultimately achieving enduring peace and stability in the Middle East. 

Thank you, President.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics announced on Wednesday that it will cease sales of all home appliance products in the Chinese mainland, including televisions and monitors, while mobile phone is still on sale, according to a statement published on its official website on Wednesday.

A Chinese analyst said the move reflects normal market dynamics and underscores the growing competitiveness of domestic brands, whose product strength now rivals that of international peers.

Samsung said the decision was made after careful consideration in response to rapidly changing market conditions. According to its statement, the affected product lines include televisions, monitors, commercial display systems, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, washer-dryer combos, garment care systems, audio equipment, projectors, vacuum cleaners, and air purifiers.

The company added that after-sales services, including installation, return and maintenance, will continue to be provided to existing customers in accordance with China's relevant laws on protection of consumer rights and interests. 

Industry data cited by Chinese media outlet DoNews showed that as of April 5, 2026, Samsung's offline market share in China stood at 3.62 percent for televisions, 0.41 percent for refrigerators, and 0.38 percent for washing machines. Television sales revenue has dropped to about 5 percent of its peak level, while overall home appliance revenue has fallen to less than 1 percent of its historical high.

Samsung's challenges are not limited to China. According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, rising global uncertainties and increasing raw material and component costs have continued to erode profitability in its home appliance business.

In 2025, Samsung's Visual Display and Digital Appliances divisions — responsible for televisions and home appliances — reported combined losses of 200 billion Korean won ($138.06 million). Over the same period, the net profit of Samsung's China sales subsidiary fell 44 percent year-on-year to 168.1 billion won.

The shift comes as Chinese brands have steadily expanded their domestic market share, supported in part by China's policy-backed trade-in program. In 2025, total TV shipments in China reached 32.895 million units, with the top eight domestic brands —Hisense, TCL, Xiaomi, Skyworth, Changhong, Haier, Konka and Huawei — accounting 94.1 percent of the market, according to Chinese industry data provider Runto Technology.

By contrast, the combined annual shipments of major foreign brands — including Samsung, Sony, Philips and Sharp — have fallen below 1 million units, remaining at the bottom of the market, said the survey.

Liu Dingding, a veteran industry observer, told the Global Times on Tuesday that with foreign brands' market shares dropping into a relatively low level, the cost of maintaining operations in China — including staffing and marketing — has become increasingly unjustifiable, making exit a rational business decision.

Despite intensifying competition, China remains a highly attractive market for global companies. In 2025, total retail sales of consumer goods surpassed 50 trillion yuan ($7.32 trillion) for the first time, reaching 50.1 trillion yuan, up 3.7 percent year-on-year. Consumption contributed 52 percent to economic growth, an increase of 5 percentage points, official data showed. 

Meanwhile, Samsung is not fully withdrawing from China. According to Yonhap, the company will continue to operate in mobile devices, semiconductors and medical equipment sectors. It plans to expand customized mobile products and services while strengthening cooperation with local AI firms to develop features tailored to Chinese users.

The company is also expected to shift its focus in China toward advanced industrial sectors, including R&D, manufacturing cooperation and investment, while maintaining operations at its Suzhou home appliance plant and semiconductor facilities in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province and Suzhou in East China's Jiangsu Province, according to Yonhap.

Da Zhigang, a researcher at the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, said that China's home appliance industry has become increasingly mature and highly competitive. Samsung's shift in investment focus in China toward AI, green development, and other high value-added, high-tech sectors is also aligned with the country's manufacturing development priorities.

Liu said the contraction of South Korean consumer electronics and automotive brands in China fundamentally reflects the rise of Chinese manufacturing and innovation, as consumers gain access to higher-quality alternatives. 

"Brands that fail to adapt to market changes or upgrade products in a timely manner are likely to be naturally phased out by market forces," he said. 

It's been two weeks since China reported remarkable import growth for the first quarter of 2026, yet the reverberations continue. On Monday, Bloomberg reported that economists have sharply upgraded their forecasts for China's import growth and now expect it to overtake the pace of expansion in exports for the first time since 2021. Specifically, as Chinese firms hoover up high-end chips needed for artificial intelligence (AI), imports are set to jump to a five-year high of 5 percent in 2026, according to the median estimate of 17 economists polled by Bloomberg. That's more than double the growth predicted in March.

This is largely in line with a strong growth momentum in China's imports. In the first quarter, China's total goods trade reached 11.84 trillion yuan ($1.74 trillion), up 15 percent year-on-year, with imports growing 19.6 percent to 4.99 trillion yuan, which was significantly faster than the export growth rate of 11.9 percent, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on April 14. In 2025, China's total imports reached 18.5 trillion yuan, making it the world's second-largest import market for the 17th consecutive year and a primary export destination for nearly 80 countries.

Clearly, China's import growth is picking up steam. What is driving China's import surge? The Bloomberg report, while mentioning China's efforts to open its domestic market to imports in the face of "pushback" abroad against Chinese exports, claimed that "it's China's reliance on cutting-edge technologies linked to AI that's kicking imports into higher gear." It also asserted that "weak consumption" is restraining demand in the country. Needless to say, viewing China's import surge through such a narrow lens fails to capture the full picture of the country's trade and economic structure.

AI is certainly a burgeoning sector in China, and demand for chips and other critical components related to the sector are indeed high. Customs figures show that in the first quarter, China's imports of integrated circuits grew 41.4 percent year-on-year. However, chips are far from the only import in high demand. In fact, imports of other high-tech products also surged sharply, with imports of computer components increasing 45.3 percent year-on-year.

This paints a far more nuanced picture than the claim that the import surge is driven by just one factor. First and foremost, the sharp rise in imports of high-tech components underscores the ongoing upgrading of Chinese industries and the country's continued ascent in the global industrial chain. China's imports have evolved well beyond raw materials or finished consumer goods; they are now more deeply embedded in global production networks. 

It demonstrates that, despite efforts by certain countries and regions to push for so-called "decoupling" or "de-risking," China continues to deepen its integration into the global industrial and supply chains for high-end, high-value products.

The growing demand for high-end chips, in particular, serves as a clear microcosm of China's industrial upgrading and high-quality development. Despite the geopolitical disruptions that have buffeted the global semiconductor industry over the past few years, the fundamental commercial logic remains intact. China, thanks to its booming high-tech sector, is still the world's largest market for chips and it is indispensable to major international chip producers.

Also importantly, there is another critical factor at play when it comes to China's surging imports. Thanks to its continuous opening-up and various efforts to boost trade, China's trade network keeps expanding, with stronger trade ties with a growing number of countries and regions. In the first quarter, China's imports from Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) member countries, Europe, and Latin America increased by 25 percent, 26.4 percent, and 26.3 percent, respectively, all higher than the overall growth rate.

Behind this is a constantly upgrading and growing consumption market, albeit shifts in consumption forms. In the first quarter of 2026, the added value of China's wholesale and retail trade grew 4.1 percent year-on-year to 3.5 trillion yuan, the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday. Notably, retail sales of goods reached 11.3 trillion yuan, up 2.2 percent year-on-year, the ministry said. 

In essence, the rapid expansion of China's imports stems from a confluence of factors - including industrial upgrading, expanding domestic consumption, deeper integration into global supply chains, and further opening-up - rather than being driven by a single sector or isolated demand. Crucially, this sharp growth in imports offers substantial opportunities for many countries and regions worldwide, especially at a time when global trade continues to face multiple headwinds.

The Chinese nation made the historic choice to pursue its own development goals in strict accordance with the prevailing conditions and objective reality. The fact that Chinese leadership in several decades has managed to advance the once backward country to the undisputed rank of a global power is recognized throughout the world as the most outstanding achievement of the 21st century.

Nowadays it is impossible to review the current state and future contours of the whole structure of international relations without taking into consideration the effects of the Belt and Road Initiative, and more recent far-reaching initiatives on global governance, security and cooperation based on openness, inclusivity, diversity and common benefit.

These initiatives are invaluable contributions of China to the progress of the whole humanity on the path of peace, development and partnership in pursuit of a common destiny.

Philosophically speaking, the Chinese initiatives are motivated by conviction that only by rejecting hostility and mutual suspicion, by embracing interconnectivity and interdependence can countries different from each other in terms of their political, military and economic size, geographic location, and historical background can be effective in overcoming common challenges.

Given growing tensions in international relations and continuing armed clashes in regional hotbeds it is becoming more and more imperative to accept the wisdom of the Chinese approach to move away from the pursuit of egoistic interests of individual states and to assume responsibility for uniting peace efforts and to start coordinating collective actions. Unless the realization of urgency of this imperative by the entire community of civilized nations happens, I am afraid we will be facing global uncertainty and turbulence unprecedented in the history of the humankind.

The Chinese economic model is not a rigid, dogmatic system detached from long-term and everyday needs of the nation. On the contrary, in my understanding, socialism with the Chinese characteristics is a constantly evolving process, vividly reacting to internal and external changes and demands.

Decisionmakers in Beijing while advancing the goals of Chinese socialism in the fields of market economy, political democracy, culture, social life, responsible environmental practices always set as the priority the comprehensive development of human potential, social equality and justice. This is exactly the "people-centered" attitude that should be the norm everywhere.

As for the Chinese contribution to inject momentum into the global economic performance - the well-known facts are totally convincing. The economic health of the overwhelming majority of countries in the world is inextricably tied to what China does in industrial production, trade, technology, innovation. What is essential is that China recognizes its unique responsibility to maintain the stability of global supply chains and alleviate the negative effects of disruptive actions of some other important international actors.

Chinese leadership constantly underlines that China's development will always be in harmony with trends in global development, in accordance with the role as a provider of stability, driver of the global economy, and a facilitator in the process of addressing common challenges faced by humanity, be they geopolitical or geoeconomic.

Within the international community, the specifics of the 15th Five-Year Plan drew heightened attention because of the special emphasis on result-oriented indicators and reasonable pragmatism, given the peculiarities of current economic situation in the world.

Based on the previous exemplary performance of ensuring the GDP growth throughout recent years and meeting all targets set in the development strategy, I am definitely confident that China as the world's workshop and the largest consumer market will continue to play its positive and inspiring role in the functioning of the global economy in the next five years and beyond.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry (FM) spokesperson on Tuesday urged the US government to listen to the voices of justice and immediately stop its blockade, sanctions and any form of coercion and pressure on Cuba. 

Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a press briefing on Tuesday in response to a media inquiry over the situation in Cuba.

According to reports, the governments of Brazil, Mexico and Spain recently issued a joint statement, expressing deep concern over the grave humanitarian crisis in Cuba, calling for necessary measures to ease the situation in Cuba and reiterating that human rights, territorial integrity, sovereign equality, and the principles of peaceful resolution of conflicts should be respected. Russia's deputy foreign minister visited Cuba and stated that Russia would never abandon Cuba, while many European countries held rallies in support of Cuba, and some US non-governmental organizations called for the lifting of sanctions against the country. In addition, according to media reports, US State Department officials recently visited Cuba and met with Cuban officials, urging "democratic and economic freedom" in Cuba, and in exchange the US side offered to help lift the Cuban embargo and to provide Cuba with access to Starlink satellite services.

We have noted that many countries, as well as people from all walks of life in the US recently have expressed their opposition to the US blockade on Cuba, Guo said.  

"The Chinese side is willing to work with all parties to firmly support Cuba in safeguarding national sovereignty and security and opposing external interference," Guo said. 

The Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army of China dispatched naval and air forces to conduct joint combat readiness patrols in relevant sea and air domains of the East China Sea on Saturday. This is a routine arrangement within the annual plan, aimed at testing the joint combat capabilities of the troops, said Senior Colonel Xu Chenghua, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command.

Troops of the theater command will regularly carry out relevant military operations in response to security situations, to safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability, Xu said. 

Making his fourth visit to China in four years, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will pay an official visit to China from Saturday, marking another in a series of successive visits to China by European leaders since the beginning of this year. A Chinese expert said that this visit is a natural step that underscores the Sanchez administration's strong commitment to its relations with China.

At the invitation of Premier of the State Council Li Qiang, Sanchez will pay an official visit to China from April 11 to 15, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Wednesday. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a press conference on the same day that President Xi Jinping will meet with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Zhao Leji will hold talks and meet with him respectively for in-depth exchanges of views on the bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest. 

The upcoming visit of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will provide another opportunity for China and Spain working together to deepen strategic mutual trust, have closer exchanges and cooperation, and step up coordination on multilateral affairs, so as to bring the China-Spain relations to a new height and make greater contribution to world peace and stability, the spokesperson added.

Sanchez previously visited China in April 2025, September 2024 and March 2023, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. 

King Felipe VI of Spain also paid a state visit to China in November 2025, his first to the country after his enthronement, and the first visit by a Spanish monarch to China in 18 years, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao said during the conference that the visit this time will also be another important high-level exchange between China and Spain.

Noting Sanchez's successive visits, which showcase the long-maintained friendly attitude of him and his political party, Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, toward China, Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University's Institute of International Studies, said that the trip this year marks a natural step that demonstrates the Sanchez administration attaches great importance to its relations with China.

Spain has stood out in recent years for the stability of its government and the continuity of its foreign policy. Backed by Sanchez's years in office, that stability has allowed Spain to maintain sustained, high-level engagement with China, Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times previously. 

A report by news outlet EFE noted on Wednesday that Spain and China maintain a comprehensive strategic partnership and have strengthened their economic ties in recent years, with cooperation in sectors such as the automotive industry, energy and technology.

Regarding the trip, Reuters reported on Wednesday that Madrid seeks to build on its commercial ties with the world's second-largest economy.

Economic and trade cooperation is also necessary, given Europe's current economic situation and ongoing energy shortages, Jian said. "Closer market ties are conducive to the fundamental development and prosperity of both sides."

He noted that the two countries have great potential for cooperation in the energy sector, including power grid upgrading, new energy development and energy storage equipment, and that closer collaboration could also be pursued in automotive machinery and agriculture. 

Jian added that Spain has recognized these opportunities and reaped tangible benefits from closer economic ties with China in a partnership that could set a positive example for other European countries.

Several European leaders have visited China since the beginning of 2026, including Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. 

Amid current changes in the geopolitical landscape including the Middle East, Jian said Sanchez's visit to China also carries special significance, and Spain's continued efforts to advance ties with China under such circumstances highlight its strong commitment to China-Spain relations.