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Torch relay for 2025 World Games starts in Sichuan, China

China on Saturday issued an action plan for global artificial intelligence (AI) governance, inviting governments, international organizations, enterprises and research institutions to work together and promote international exchanges, including through a cross-border open-source community. The action plan reflects China's commitment to advocating for AI global governance which not only responds to the realistic challenges of global technological competition, but also demonstrates China's responsibility as a responsible major country to actively promote AI for good, promote fair development and safeguard multilateralism, analysts said.

The same day, the Chinese government proposed the creation of a global AI cooperation organization, the Xinhua News Agency reported. This is an important measure for China to uphold multilateralism and promote global governance through consultation, joint construction and shared benefits, according to an official readout sent to the Global Times.

It represents China's practical response to the call of the Global South, aiming to bridge the digital and intelligent divide, and promote the development of AI for good and inclusive development. The Chinese government is tentatively considering establishing its headquarters in Shanghai, Xinhua has learned from sources involved in the matter.

The 2025 World AI Conference (WAIC 2025) & High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance is being held in Shanghai from July 26-28, centered around the theme of "Global Solidarity in the AI Era." The three-day event has drawn over 1,200 industry leaders, government officials, researchers and investors from 30 countries. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday said the Chinese government is proposing the creation of a global AI cooperation organization, Xinhua reported. "China attaches great importance to global AI governance, and has been actively promoting multilateral and bilateral cooperation with a willingness to offer more Chinese solutions," Li said in his address at the opening ceremony of the annual event.

These proposals by China have sparked heated discussions among industry players from all over the world, who agree that China is now not only a primary engine of global AI innovation, but also an indispensable architect of global AI development and governance.

"China is actively fostering efforts to bridge the digital divide with an open and cooperative approach, injecting certainty into global AI governance," Song Yizhe, co-director of the University of Surrey's Institute for People-Centered AI, the UK's leading AI research center, told the Global Times at the conference.

China has not only reached the forefront of AI, but is also seeking win-win cooperation with other countries, Song said, adding that AI is an important tool for building a better world. China has not only taken a leading position in AI, but also hopes to share technology with countries that lack computing power and talent, but who are eager to develop independent large AI models. At present, while some other countries' AI development plans focus on technical competition and cooperation, China has put the development of AI "on people," with the aims of delivering real gains to people all over the world.

Gábor Prószéky, director general of the Hungarian Research Center for Linguistics in Budapest told the Global Times that he had an overriding impression after touring China's latest AI models at the WAIC 2025 and he also called for global cooperation. "It's vital that we met you here - I can feel the genuine openness of our Chinese partners," he said. 

While some Western media outlets have cast the Shanghai AI conference as the latest battlefield in an AI arms race, Prószéky said "rivalry may feel inevitable today, we need to cooperate. The atmosphere is complicated, yet international companies are here talking face-to-face. WAIC has brought together voices from Asia, Europe and Africa, he said. 

Some Western media outlets attempted to cast China's AI action plan from a China-US competition perspective. 

A CNBC report highlighted that the action plan from China came days after the US administration announced an American action plan for AI. "China clearly wants to stick to the multilateral approach while the US wants to build its own camp, very much targeting the rise of China in the field of AI," the CNBC report said, citing an expert, saying that "the two camps are now being formed."

Refuting voices that claim the Chinese proposal could accelerate the polarization of the global AI landscape, a Chinese expert said that the race between China and the US is less a duel of technologies than a contest of visions: whose development path resonates with the rest of the world? The idea of promoting technology inclusion through open source is in line with the world development trend and it is contributing to narrowing the technological gap.

Experts believe that AI should not be a tool for geopolitical competition, but a tool for global collaboration. In the complex and changing international situation, open dialogue and mechanism building are the key to opening the way to co-construction.

Former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt backed the idea of global collaboration, saying the US and China should work together to maintain stability and ensure human control over powerful AI systems.

AI global governance

China has consistently advocated an open and cooperative approach to AI governance, with an emphasis on inclusivity and shared progress.

Since unveiling the Global AI Governance Initiative in October 2023, China has advocated that countries put equal emphasis on development and security. 

In September 2024, China introduced the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All. This plan outlined key areas for collaboration, including infrastructure development, industrial empowerment, talent training, data management and security governance.  

Liang Zheng, a professor at the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University told the Global Times on Sunday that the action plan from China emphasizes creating an open and cooperative environment for the development of AI, which includes both innovation and open source of the domestic ecosystem and calls for win-win international cooperation.

"This action allows more developing countries and small- and medium-sized enterprises to participate in the wave of AI innovation. It is not only openness at the technical level, but also a fair sharing of development opportunities," Liang added.

Experts believe that China's latest proposals on AI serve as important measures for the nation to adhere to the practice of multilateralism and promote global governance of consultation, joint construction and sharing. It is also a practical action for China to respond to the call of the global South, help bridge the digital and intelligent divide, and promote the development of AI for good and inclusive development.

On Tuesday, the 2025 China-Central Asia Human Rights Development Forum convened in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province in Northwest China. Participants strongly rejected attempts to label nations or cultures as "superior" or "inferior," noting that the development of human rights should aim to uphold equality among civilizations and promote mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness.

This year's forum, hosted by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development (CFHRD), was themed "Deepening Exchanges and Mutual Learning Among Civilizations, Promoting the Development of Human Rights," and focused on two core themes: "Civilizational Diversity, Asian Values, and Global Human Rights Governance" and "Building a Community with a Shared Future and Advancing Human Rights Development." 

At the opening ceremony, Xie Fuzhan, President of CFHRD, said that ensuring full human rights is a shared aspiration tirelessly pursued by people of all nations, and a vital component of building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future. As developing countries, China and the five Central Asian nations share the historical mission of advancing national development while improving people's lives. 

"We are companions on the path to modernization and key forces in the development and revitalization of the Global South," Xie said. "China does not pursue modernization for itself alone, but seeks to walk hand in hand with other nations." 

During his visit to Xi'an, Tongchuan, and Yan'an in Shaanxi Province, Mirzatillo Tillabaev, first deputy director of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights, observed China's development progress and vibrant practices in human rights protection. In an interview with the Global Times, he noted that China and Central Asian countries have vast potential for cooperation in human rights development. Since China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, it has received enthusiastic support from many nations. 

Tillabaev said he was deeply impressed by his visit to the Xi'an International Port, noting its important role in promoting human rights by facilitating trade between China and Central Asian countries. "Logistics drives trade, and trade strengthens economic cooperation between China and Uzbekistan," he said. "Through economic development, we can create better conditions for improving human rights."

Sheradil Baktygulov, director of the Institute for World Policy Study in Kyrgyzstan, told the Global Times that in today's world, conflicts and confrontations still persist, making dialogue among different civilizations more important than ever. 

Baktygulov emphasized that the development of human rights should aim to uphold equality among civilizations and promote mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness. Nations and civilizations should not be divided into categories of superiority or inferiority, as each civilization has its own distinctive path to human rights development. Discussions on human rights should be grounded in social realities, encouraging the establishment of common standards, shared technologies, and mutual learning. 

He pointed out that criticism of different human rights models is often rooted in fear and prejudice associated with the clash of civilizations. These barriers, he said, can be overcome through the process of mutual learning and understanding.

The forum brought together more than 60 government officials, experts, scholars, and representatives from social organizations from China and the five Central Asian countries. Experts engaged in in-depth discussions on the potential for cooperation in human rights between China and Central Asian countries, reaching broad consensus on building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

It also called for enhanced political dialogue and cooperation within the framework of the United Nations and other multilateral organizations, while promoting Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness, and inclusivity. It also emphasized the need to strengthen international human rights mechanisms and foster a more just and equitable global human rights governance system.  

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Wednesday that it will publish the Prison (Amendment) Rules 2025 (Amendment Rules) in the Gazette on Friday, which will take immediate effect. The amended rules will help prevent and resolve existing national security risks in a timely manner, a government spokesperson said. 

Having reviewed the relevant past law enforcement experience concerning persons in custody (PICs) and prisoners awaiting trial, potential national security risks and security threats that may be faced by correctional institutions in the future, and relevant law and practices in other jurisdictions (including the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore), we propose to improve the existing rules to ensure the effective prevention, suppression and punishment of acts and activities endangering national security, the spokesperson said, according to an official statement. 

It also aims to strengthen the legal basis for correctional officers in discharging their duties; maintain the security, order and discipline of prisons; and facilitate the rehabilitation of PICs while protecting their lawful rights and interests. 

The HKSAR government also proposed other amendments to enhance the enforcement capacity of the Correctional Services Department. At the same time, it has reviewed and will revise other provisions to modernize the rules and better meet  the needs for the management of correctional institutions, the statement said. 

Given the current complex geopolitical situation, national security risks still exist. It is necessary to amend the rules as soon as possible to prevent and resolve such risks in a timely manner, the earlier the better, in order to safeguard national security effectively, the spokesperson said. 

In response to Western media hype over the recent proposed amendments to the rules, claiming that the move would further undermine prisoners' rights, some legal experts told the Global Times earlier that the revisions aim to regulate visitation rights, which align with international standards and are considered urgent and necessary.

Multiple Chinese official media on Thursday published stories about the takeoff and landing support squadron on board China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong. The reports revealed for the first time that the squadron has ensured the safe takeoff and landing of nearly 10,000 sorties of various types of carrier-based aircraft since the Shandong's commissioning five years ago, continuously increasing carrier-borne aircraft's sortie rate.

A Chinese military affairs expert told the Global Times on Thursday that the squadron's achievements reflect the Shandong's growing overall combat capability, demonstrating that it is fully capable of undertaking far seas defense operations and effectively responding to external challenges.

The official media stories highlighted how the officers and sailors of the Shandong's takeoff and landing support squadron have deeply committed themselves to the frontline of operational support, pooling their wisdom to tackle technical challenges and continuously pushing and breaking through the limits of the aircraft carrier's combat capabilities. 

The aircraft carrier Shandong was officially commissioned into the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy on December 17, 2019. From the first landing and takeoff of the J-15 fighter jet on aircraft carrier Liaoning on November 23, 2012, to the continuous breakthroughs in the maximum consecutive sorties of carrier-based aircraft, the officers and sailors of the takeoff and landing support squadron of the Shandong have been both witnesses to and makers of history.

Carrier-borne aircraft serve as the spearhead of an aircraft carrier's combat capability, while their sortie rate determines the sharpness and strength of this cutting edge. As the critical link between the aircraft and the carrier, this squadron plays an indispensable role in unleashing the ship's full combat potential. Through analyzing patterns from tens of thousands of training sessions and refining support procedures across thousands of sorties, the squadron has mastered the ability to simultaneously ensure safe takeoffs and landings for multiple types of carrier-based aircraft within tight timeframes, according to China Bugle, an official media account affiliated with the PLA news media center.

China Bugle highlighted in its report that the J-15 fighter jet now operates at increasingly faster speeds, larger scales, higher frequencies, and exponentially improved sortie rates.

Chinese military affairs expert Zhang Junshe told the Global Times on Thursday that the increasing launch speed of carrier-based aircraft demonstrates that the Shandong carrier's air wing has achieved seamless integration of ship, aircraft, and personnel, marking a further enhancement of the carrier group's systematic combat capabilities. In wartime scenarios, faster carrier-based aircraft launch speeds mean shorter response times for fighters to scramble and engage, and this inherently boosts the combat effectiveness of the entire carrier group, he said.

A story by the PLA Navy's official social media account provided another detail: during the recent far seas dual-carrier group training mission, the Shandong swiftly scrambled fighter jets under the support of the squadron to deal with a foreign military aircraft attempting close-range harassment, prompting the foreign aircraft to retreat after recognizing the Chinese response.

China Central Television's (CCTV) military channel also mentioned that during the training, foreign vessels and aircraft repeatedly conducted close-in reconnaissance and tracking surveillance. On one late-night occasion, the squadron successfully carried out carrier-based fighter jet launch operations, handling the situation with professional competence. A crew member aboard the carrier said that, "We maintain all-weather response capabilities. No matter the circumstances, if you dare approach, we have the ability to launch aircraft and respond."

Zhang said that the rapid launch and response capability of the Shandong's fighter jets against unidentified aerial targets demonstrates the carrier group's robust combat readiness and emergency response proficiency. This performance confirms that the command crew, pilots, and aircraft have passed rigorous operational tests, achieving deeper ship-aircraft-personnel integration, fully meeting the demands of maritime warfare, contingency operations, and emergency combat scenarios.

He further noted that these flight operations represent all-weather capabilities, including night operations and adverse weather condition sorties. This reflects substantial improvements in the carrier group's reconnaissance, early warning, command-and-control systems, as well as emergency combat capacity. The carrier's air wing has achieved full all-weather operational capability, marking continuous enhancement of the carrier's comprehensive combat capability, now fully qualified for far seas defense missions.

New benchmark

The official reports also mentioned that the takeoff and landing support squadron of the carrier Shandong has ensured the safe operations of nearly 10,000 sorties involving multiple types of carrier-based aircraft, achieving consistent growth in sortie rates and continuously setting new records for the combat capability benchmarks of China's aircraft carriers.

These types of aircraft include the J-15 fighter jet, the newly unveiled J-15T catapult-launch variant, search and rescue helicopter, early warning helicopter and transport helicopter, which have conducted maritime missions together with the carrier, Zhang said.

Zhang believes it is not unexpected that the Shandong has hosted nearly 10,000 sorties of safe aircraft takeoff and landing operations. It also demonstrated the carrier's combat capabilities.

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force tracked the Shandong carrier group when it carried out training in the Western Pacific waters in July last year. Citing the Japanese data, Zhang said that the Shandong completed 380 aircraft sorties in seven days, or 54.3 sorties per day on average. These included 240 J-15 sorties and 140 helicopter sorties. This exceptional operational tempo meets the requirements for medium-to-high intensity regional maritime warfare, the expert said.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has called on young students to strive to be the backbone of the nation, build a strong country and contribute to world peace.

Xi made the remarks during a visit to a memorial hall commemorating the Hundred-Regiment Campaign in Yangquan of north China's Shanxi Province, where he had warm conversations with students and staff on Monday.

"The hope is reposed in you and the future belongs to you," Xi said, urging the young students to work hard, forge ahead and be upright and proud of their Chinese identity.

The Hundred-Regiment Campaign took place in northern China from August 1940 to January 1941 during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Xi laid a floral basket in tribute to the martyrs of the campaign during the visit.

Monday's visit held special significance, as it coincided with the anniversary of the July 7th Incident, also known as the Lugou Bridge Incident, which occurred in 1937 and marked the beginning of China's whole-nation resistance against Japanese aggression, Xi said.

The CPC was the pillar of the national resistance, said Xi, emphasizing that the Hundred-Regiment Campaign enabled the world to see the strong will and strength of the Party and the Chinese people in the resistance against Japanese aggression.

Xi stressed that China made tremendous sacrifices during the 14-year hard war of resistance. "If the past is not forgotten, it can serve as a guide for the future."

Shenzhen Dobot Corp officially launched its six-legged bionic robotic dog on Wednesday, marking the company as the world’s first to introduce an embodied robotics platform that combines a robotic arm, humanoid form, and six-legged mobility, domestic news site stcn.com reported. 

From a technical perspective, Dobot’s six-legged robotic dog achieves several groundbreaking innovations, for example, its inherently superior six-legged structure forms stable triangular support with three points in contact with the ground at all times, significantly reducing posture fluctuations and offering rock-solid slip resistance, according to the media report. 

It can also handle pulling forces nearly five times its own weight with ease, unleashing powerful kinetic energy to tackle heavy-duty tasks.

With noise levels comparable to a library, its naturally low-impact gait allows for discreet and disturbance-free operation, the media report said. 

And a more agile ground-contact strategy and multi-joint coordinated response enable it to navigate discrete and uneven terrain—steep slopes included—without slowing down.

These innovations not only address long-standing challenges of traditional mobile robots in terms of stability, payload capacity, and environmental adaptability, but also open up new possibilities for embodied intelligence in real-world applications, stcn.com said. 

As foundational capabilities continue to improve, the application boundaries of six-legged robotic dogs will keep expanding. From current use cases such as industrial inspection and disaster rescue to future scenarios including household services, medical assistance, and even space exploration, the value of mobile manipulation platforms is set to grow exponentially with the increasing complexity of real-world environments.

A China-US youth choir festival that brought together nearly 30 choirs from both countries with over 1,000 participants opened on Thursday in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, where Chinese and American representatives said they have continued to reach out to each other despite geopolitical headwinds. 

They called on young people to build on the ties of Kuliang and help write a new chapter of friendship. If China and the US can find harmony and share their voices, we will be much stronger together, they said, the Global Times learned at the event.

Zhang Qingwei, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. Zhang noted that under the personal care and promotion of President Xi Jinping, the story of Kuliang continues to be passed down, brimming with vitality. He expressed hope that Chinese and American youth would join hands, using the bond of Kuliang as a link, cultural exchange as a bridge, and youth friendship as a driving force, to jointly write a new chapter of people-to-people friendship between China and the US.

Centered on the theme "Sing for Peace," the "Bond with Kuliang: 2025 China-US Youth Choir Festival" is co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the People's Government of Fujian Province. 

This choir week has drawn nine youth choirs from the US, including groups from Utah, Chicago, and Fuzhou's American sister city Tacoma in Washington State. Among them are the renowned Brigham Young University Select Singers Choir, the One Voice Children's Choir, and the Pure N Heart Choir.

Over the coming days, these talented young performers will light up Fuzhou with a vibrant lineup of activities, from surprise flash mobs on the streets of the city and a grand concert to campus visits, fostering heartfelt connections with local residents and students alike.

"With singing, we celebrate the uniqueness of everyone's voice. Each person's voice is like a fingerprint. No two voices are the same. But when we unite our voices, we realize that we're more powerful together," Carla Canales, US State Department Arts Envoy and American opera singer, told the Global Times at the event. 

"I think that's really the philosophical lesson for US-China relations right now: we need to learn from these young students that are sharing their voices. If the US and China can find a harmony together, can find a way to share their voices together, then we actually are much stronger together. I really am very moved to see this example through the youth for the rest of us to follow," Canales said. 

Echoing Canales, Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, remarked, "The beauty of choral art lies in the harmony and blending of different voices, and even more so, in the spirit of unity and cooperation it embodies." 

"China and the US differ in their histories, cultures, and paths of development. Though there are differences, there is no hierarchy of superiority or inferiority. Just as the different parts of a choir, each has their own vivid expression, only by listening to one another, responding to each other, and cooperating for mutual benefit can we achieve beauty in diversity and jointly sing the harmonious melody of human society," he said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul held the 8th round of China-Germany Strategic Dialogue on Diplomacy and Security in Berlin on Thursday local time. The Chinese diplomat calls on the two countries to build a more reliable, stable, and predictable comprehensive strategic partnership. 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union, and also ushers in a new decade for the all-round strategic partnership between China and Germany. China-EU and China-Germany relations now stand at a crucial juncture, where the past is being carried forward and the future is being forged, Wang said, according to a readout on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. 

The Chinese top diplomat emphasized that sound development of China-Germany relations will not only promote the overall improvement of China-EU ties, but also contribute significantly to global stability and development. As the world’s second and third largest economies, China and Germany shoulder important international responsibilities and expectations. The two sides should work hand in hand to reaffirm mutual trust, consolidate cooperation, and deepen bilateral relations, Wang said. 

In the face of a volatile international landscape, which is marked by rising protectionism, anti-globalization sentiments, and unilateral bullying, China and Germany must strengthen strategic communication and coordination, Wang noted. 

The stability of China-Germany relations can provide much-needed certainty to the world. Both sides should jointly uphold and practice multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, defend the international order based on international law, and maintain the basic norms of international relations underpinned by the UN Charter, he noted. 

Together, China and Germany should strive to build a more reliable, stable, and predictable all-round strategic partnership, Wang said. 

China-Germany relations have remained stable and resilient through the ups and downs of the international landscape. The most important lesson from this steady development is the adherence to mutual respect, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and pursuing win-win cooperation. This is the fundamental logic underpinning the continued growth of China-Germany ties. China and Germany differ in historical backgrounds, cultures, and social systems, and such differences are natural, Wang said, noting that what matters is enhancing mutual understanding and trust, and approaching divergences with calmness and reason. 

China places great importance on its relations with Germany in the context of its overall diplomacy, and appreciates the new German government’s constructive and rational approach to developing ties with China. Just as China unconditionally supported Germany’s reunification, we hope the German side will, in turn, support China’s efforts toward complete national reunification and adhere strictly to the one-China principle, Wang said, noting that as a key member of the EU, Germany has played a positive role in advancing China-EU relations. We hope Germany will continue to make constructive contributions to the development of these ties.

Germany is willing to be a reliable and predictable cooperation partner for China. In a world full of crises and challenges, it is crucial for Germany and China to maintain close communication and coordination, the German Foreign Minister Wadephul said, per the readout. 

The two countries share a long history of exchanges and a solid foundation for partnership. There is consensus on many issues, and at the same time, both sides are able to handle differences and disputes with mutual respect and a constructive attitude. Germany looks forward to deepening exchanges with China and strengthening bilateral cooperation, Wadephul said. The German government remains firmly committed to the one-China principle, he noted. 

Following the dialogue, the two foreign ministers met with reporters together and called this round of the dialogue comprehensive, pragmatic, candid, and constructive. 

The meeting enhanced mutual understanding and expanded areas of consensus between the two sides, and both parties agreed that the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership should continue to develop along the right track of mutual respect, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, according to another readout released by the Chinese foreign ministry.

And the two sides agreed to enhance exchanges and deepen cooperation to jointly accomplish three key tasks including consolidate the foundation of bilateral relations, enhance the quality of bilateral cooperation and uphold multilateralism.

China welcomes German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to China later this year, and both sides have agreed to hold the 8th round of China-Germany inter-governmental consultation at an early date. On Taiwan question, to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, it is imperative to firmly oppose “Taiwan independence” and avoid sending any wrong signals to separatist forces, Wang said. 

Strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation is a strategic choice for both countries, serving as the “ballast stone” of bilateral ties and aligning with the German government’s focus on economic development, Wang said. The two sides also had in-depth discussions on respective economic and trade concerns and agreed to establish a more stable, predictable, and trustworthy policy framework for practical cooperation.

On the China-EU relations, there are currently attempts to undermine China-EU relations — by exaggerating specific issues, securitizing economic and trade matters, or clinging to ideological bias against China while wrapping oneself in a cocoon of disinformation. However, denying past achievements only clouds one’s vision for the future, and failing to respect the efforts of predecessors amounts to denying one’s own present, Wang said. 

Wang emphasized that the tide of the times and the momentum of progress are unstoppable. China-EU relations will only move forward — they will not stagnate, and even less so regress. 

China’s policy toward Europe has always maintained stability and continuity. China firmly supports European integration, supports Europe’s pursuit of strategic autonomy, and supports Europe in playing the role of a key pole in a multipolar world, the Chinese top diplomat said. 

Regardless of whether Europe is in times of prosperity or adversity, China’s policy has never changed. No matter how the international or European landscape evolves, China’s position remains consistent, Wang said. 

Tech billionaire Elon Musk is now seeking advice from his followers on social media X that "When & where should we hold the inaugural American Party congress? This will be super fun!" after his announcement on Saturday that "the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom."

"Independence Day is the perfect time to ask if you want independence from the two-party (some would say uniparty) system," Musk wrote in the post announcing a poll he launched earlier in the week that showed strong support for a new political force. More than 65 percent of the 1.2 million respondents backed the idea.

Responding to the results on Saturday, Musk wrote, "By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it! When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy."

Musk also wrote on his X post that "One way to execute on this would be to laser-focus on just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts."

The move follows the passage of President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, which cuts electric vehicle incentives and increases federal spending. These are measures that Musk, whose company Tesla benefits from EV subsidies, has opposed, Xinhua reported.

Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday that "Musk and President Trump have now split due to deeper conflicts over industrial interests, and the core clash lies in their policy differences. Musk vehemently opposes Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, which prioritizes protecting the US' traditional fossil fuel industries, whereas Musk seeks to solidify his standing in the industrial sector by riding the wave of new energy.

If Musk chooses to get involved in any competitive congressional races in 2026, it could make a significant difference in a close contest, CNBC News reported.

There was no immediate comment from US President Donald Trump or the White House on Musk's announcement, according to multiple media reports. 

From a legal standpoint, Musk is ineligible to run for president, but there are no barriers under US law to him forming a new political party, Lü noted. Given his financial resources, he could swiftly establish a national party. Musk's objective is clear - while he may not yet be eyeing the 2028 presidential election, the 2026 midterms are just around the corner. If his new party fully commits to the race, even securing just two Senate seats and 10 House seats could position it as a decisive minority capable of tipping the balance of power. 

In the short term, his goal aims at weakening the influence of Republican Party in next year's midterms. His long-term ambition, however, aims at reshaping the US' two-party system, as he views the current political structure not only incapable of addressing national crises but also exacerbating social inequality and moral decline, Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.

"While US law poses no barriers to forming a new party, the real challenge lies in operationalizing it, and how to leverage political influence within the constraints of a two-party system and produce tangible impact," Li stressed.

It's unclear to what extent Musk has taken steps to legally form the party, which would be required to register with the Federal Election Commission. The most recent FEC filings showed no indication that has happened, according to CNN.

Expert noted that if Musk's plan gains traction, it would heighten the uncertainty of the 2026 midterms but it is unlikely to fundamentally disrupt the two-party system. After a century of development, both Republicans and Democrats maintain overwhelming advantages in public mobilization, organizational infrastructure and resource consolidation, Li noted.

Consequently, Musk's party is more likely to serve as a "balancer" by leveraging influence in closely contested races rather than replacing either establishment party, expert noted. For Americans who feel politically homeless in the current system, this new force may offer an alternative identity and choice. Yet it is crucial to recognize that politics remains an arena of hard-nosed calculations and entrenched systems cannot be uprooted by idealism alone, Li said.