China on Saturday morning held a press conference on the Shenzhou-23 manned spaceflight mission, announcing mission details as well as the astronaut crew, which includes Lai Ka-ying, the country’s first astronaut from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to carry out a spaceflight mission. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) also announced that the Shenzhou-23 manned spacecraft is scheduled to launch at 11:08 pm on Sunday.
The three-member crew consists of spaceflight engineer Zhu Yangzhu, spacecraft pilot Zhang Zhiyuan, and payload specialist Lai, with Zhu serving as commander. Lai is also the first female payload specialist selected from the Hong Kong and Macao regions for China’s space program, while both Zhang and Lai will embark on their first spaceflight missions.
“Astronaut Zhu previously carried out the Shenzhou-16 manned spaceflight mission. Zhang and Lai are from China’s third and fourth batches of astronauts, respectively, and both will perform their first flight missions,” Zhang Jingbo, spokesperson for CMSA, said at the press conference, according to Xinhua News Agency. Zhang noted that before being selected as an astronaut, Zhang Zhiyuan served as an Air Force pilot, while Lai previously worked for the Hong Kong Police Force.
The Global Times learned that Lai was born in Hong Kong in November 1982. Before being selected as a payload specialist in China’s fourth batch of astronauts in June 2024, she served as a superintendent in the Hong Kong Police Force. Following comprehensive assessments, she was selected as a member of the Shenzhou-23 crew.
“Hong Kong and Macao have maintained close cooperation with the mainland in the aerospace sector. Universities and scientific research institutions from the two regions have participated in many space projects, and the Hong Kong astronaut selected for the Shenzhou-23 mission also possesses relevant expertise and a professional background. Therefore, the appearance of an astronaut from the HKSAR on the Shenzhou mission is a natural progression,” Kang Guohua, a senior member of the Chinese Society of Astronautics and a professor of Aerospace Engineering at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, told the Global Times on Saturday.
According to the CMSA, the Long March-2F Y23 carrier rocket assigned to the launch mission will be fueled shortly. The mission will mark the seventh crewed mission during the space station’s application and development stage, as well as the 40th flight mission of China’s manned space program.
Zhang also revealed that an astronaut from the Shenzhou-23 crew will carry out a one-year-long in-orbit stay experiment. The Shenzhou-23 mission’s primary objectives include completing an in-orbit crew rotation with the Shenzhou-21 astronauts, continuing space science and application experiments, conducting extravehicular activities, carrying out cargo transfer operations, and installing and recovering external payloads and equipment.
After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft will carry out autonomous rendezvous and docking procedures with the radial port of the Tianhe core module, forming a combined structure of three modules and three spacecraft.
Following the in-orbit handover, the Shenzhou-21 crew will return to the Dongfeng landing site. As of Saturday, the Shenzhou-21 astronauts had remained in orbit for 203 days and are expected to set a new national record for the longest in-orbit stay by a Chinese astronaut crew.
At the press conference, Zhang also responded to questions regarding China’s first emergency launch-readiness exercise, saying that “over the course of 20 days, the emergency response operations went smoothly and efficiently.”
“We now have a much clearer understanding of the space debris environment and what it takes to protect orbiting spacecraft from it. The upcoming Shenzhou-23 spacecraft has already been adapted with improvements to its window protection against space debris, which enhances its ability to withstand impact,” Zhang said.
The press conference also provided updates on China’s lunar exploration program. Zhang disclosed that the Chang’e-7 probe arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in South China’s Hainan Province in April and is currently undergoing pre-launch testing and preparation work, with all tasks progressing as planned ahead of a launch scheduled for the second half of this year.
The Chang’e-7 mission will adopt integrated methods including orbiting, landing, roving and flyby operations to study the environment and resources at the moon’s south pole. There will also be international cooperation involved, Zhang said.
We will also proceed as planned with major tasks including the Long March-10 carrier rocket technical-verification flight, as well as the maiden flights of the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft and the Lanyue lunar lander, making every effort to achieve the goal of landing Chinese astronauts on the moon before 2030, he added.
Zhang also introduced the latest progress in international space cooperation, saying that two Pakistani astronauts have entered the astronaut research and training center to train alongside Chinese astronauts. According to the current plan, one Pakistani astronaut will serve as a payload specialist on a short-term space mission and they are currently undergoing both basic and specialized training as planned.
“With the further expansion of China’s space station and the execution of more missions, we can expect to see more international cooperation projects aboard the station, allowing it to become more ‘international,’” Kang told the Global Times.
As US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on May 13, a brief moment on the tarmac quickly captured global attention: amid the deafening roar and gusts from Air Force One, a People's Liberation Army ceremonial guard stood perfectly still. The footage, shared by Daily Mail's White House reporter and viewed millions of times online, sparked widespread praise for the soldier's discipline and composure, with many saying it reflected the precision and China's ceremonial dignity.
The soldier in the viral video is 23-year-old Liu Zhencheng. On camera, he stands resolute, upright and perfectly still; yet in person, he reveals a more youthful, relaxed side, occasionally breaking into a shy smile. When speaking to the Global Times about his role as a "national gateway ceremonial guard" — what he calls the "first post" of diplomacy — his expression turns firm, his voice filled with pride and confidence. "When I stand there, I am not only representing myself. I am also representing the image of Chinese soldiers and major-country diplomacy. It is like the first calling card handed out in major-country diplomacy - we must present China's and Chinese soldier's image well to the world. That is why I must maintain an unshakable posture," Liu Zhencheng told the Global Times.
Recalling the scene at the time, Liu said the aircraft was less than 20 meters away from him at its closest point. The noise caused temporary ringing in his ears, while the heat from the engines pounded against his back, making his body instinctively lean forward.
"It all comes down to our daily training — relying on physical stability to hold ourselves steady," he said.
Asked about the wide attention the footage of his duty assignment drew on overseas social media, Liu admitted that it came as something of a surprise.
"For us, it was just an ordinary duty assignment, no different from daily training," he said. Liu noted that their routine training is already conducted according to real-combat standards. Only by treating the training ground like a battlefield, he said, can they maintain a steady mindset and calmly complete every mission when the real task comes.
The Global Times learned that, becoming a national gateway ceremonial guard requires a rigorous selection process. The first requirement concerns physical appearance: candidates are generally required to be between 1.85 meters and 1.90 meters tall, with a well-proportioned and upright build — neither too heavy nor too thin.
After being selected, they face daily intensive training. Their daily routine includes around two hours of standing-at-attention drills. To better simulate real duty conditions, training also includes strong winds, noise and other real combat-like scenarios, requiring the ceremonial guards to maintain standard military posture, physical stability and the best possible image of a soldier under pressure and interference.
Due to the special nature of their duties, the guards follow strict uniform requirements: they do not wear single-layer clothing in summer or padded clothing in winter; ceremonial uniforms and military boots are their standard attire. Over the past six months, leaders or heads of government from all other four of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council have visited Beijing — a rare diplomatic scene in the more than 80 years since the end of World War II. As foreign heads of state and political dignitaries continue to arrive in China one after another, Liu and his fellow soldiers stand firm on the front line of major-country diplomacy, with their duties becoming more frequent and their training and support tasks more demanding.
China's diplomatic engagements have become so frequent that "tracking China's diplomatic schedule" has itself become a popular topic in public discourse. According to media statistics, leaders of all G7 countries except Japan have visited China. The list of visiting leaders from developing countries is even longer, including General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, Vietnamese President To Lam, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Mozambican President Daniel Chapo, and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, among others.
For Liu, behind the increasingly busy schedule lies the pride of a Chinese soldier personally witnessing the country's diplomatic moments. "I believe the increasingly frequent diplomatic activities demonstrate the continuous rise of China's comprehensive national strength," he said.
Liu said he will continue to stand every post well. "As a Chinese soldier, I have the confidence and ability to complete every duty assignment in the future, and to continue presenting the image of Chinese soldiers and the image of major-country diplomacy," he said.
Five years after the passing of two of China's most respected and beloved academicians, Chinese media and netizens on Friday have released tributes and commemorative messages honoring their lasting contributions to the country.
On Chinese social media platforms including Sina Weibo and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, topics related to Yuan Longping and Wu Mengchao drew widespread attention on Friday. Related topics on Sina Weibo alone had garnered more than 8 million views by Friday morning.
Under hashtags marking the fifth anniversary of their passing, several Chinese state media outlets including the People's Daily, China Central Television (CCTV) and Xinhua News Agency released videos and articles paying tribute to the two scientists and their lifelong dedication to the nation and humanity.
Yuan Longping was known as the "father of hybrid rice," and Wu Mengchao was China's top hepatobiliary surgeon.
Yuan, a pioneer in hybrid rice research, was the first scientist in the world to successfully harness the heterosis of rice. He died of illness in Changsha, Hunan Province, on May 22, 2021, at the age of 91, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
As commemorations continued online and offline, videos circulating on the internet showed that Yuan's cemetery had already been filled with flowers. According to video footage released by China News Service, Yuan's wife Deng Ze visited the cemetery on Thursday.
The video prompted an outpouring of emotion from netizens. "Time flies so fast. Grandpa Yuan has already been gone for five years," one commenter wrote, while another posted, "May Grandpa Yuan rest in peace, and may his family stay safe and well."
Wu Mengchao, known as the "father of Chinese hepatobiliary surgery" and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also passed away on May 22, 2021, at the age of 99. He established a unique system of liver surgery in China and dedicated his life to saving patients, continuing to operate and treat patients well into his 90s.
Many people also left messages of remembrance and gratitude beneath tribute posts released by Chinese media. In a video posted Friday titled "Five years on, still deeply missed," the People's Daily honored the two scientists by referencing asteroid No. 8117 and asteroid No. 17606, which were named after Yuan and Wu respectively.
The comment section was quickly filled with messages from netizens expressing admiration and remembrance. "In memory, forever remembered! We will never forget them," one highly liked comment read.
When asked about Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos's claim that given the geographic proximity of the Philippines to island of Taiwan, the country could be dragged into any conflict involving Taiwan, spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that a large diaspora population and geographic proximity are not excuse for interference in other countries' internal affairs or involvement in other countries' sovereign issues.
Marcos reportedly stated: "In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan." What's comment of foreign ministry?
In response, Guo Jiakun, spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that China has taken note of the Philippine leader reaffirming the adherence to the one-China policy and stressing that the country would not interfere in issues concerning Taiwan.
Guo emphasized that a large diaspora population and geographic proximity are not excuse for interference in other countries' internal affairs or involvement in other countries' sovereign issues. It is hoped the Philippines will honor its commitments, act consistently, and uphold the one-China principle in practice.
When asked about whether the new vision of building a constructive bilateral relationship of strategic stability reached following the China-US summit would affect mainland's Taiwan-related work, and about the mainland's expectations for future cross-Straits relations, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Wednesday that the vision provides strategic guidance for bilateral ties over the next three years and beyond, which has been welcomed by the peoples of both countries and the international community, and also clarifies the direction for properly managing differences on the Taiwan question. Building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability is not a slogan. It means actions in the same direction.
The Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests and is the most important issue in China-US relations, one that affects the overall situation, Zhu said. To properly understand and implement the new vision of China-US relations, it is essential to firmly safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, which represents the biggest common denominator between China and the US. "Taiwan independence" and cross-Straits peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water, and the US side must exercise extra caution in handling the Taiwan question.
"We urge the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, and to firmly oppose and refrain from supporting or condoning 'Taiwan independence,' taking concrete actions to help maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," Zhu added.
"We will fully implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping's important remarks, firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, resolutely oppose 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities, deepen cross-Straits exchanges and integrated development, promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and advance the cause of national reunification," Zhu said.
"We also hope that the vast majority of Taiwan compatriots will clearly recognize the extreme danger and harm posed by the Lai Ching-te authorities' pursuit of 'independence' and provocation for conflict, and will join us in firmly safeguarding peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, working together to create a brighter future for national reunification and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," the spokesperson added.
U.S. President Donald Trump left Beijing on Friday afternoon, concluding his state visit to China.
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and minister of foreign affairs, saw Trump off at the airport.
"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."
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.
