Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday called for efforts to promote the improvement of governance rules in the face of multiple new challenges in new domains.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized at a press conference the need to ensure that the climate governance process does not backtrack, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities is upheld, and the global transition to green and low-carbon development is continuously advanced.
"We should improve governance rules for outer space, polar regions and cyberspace, to build a widely recognized governance framework," he noted.
Despite objections from China and Russia, which said the United Nations Security Council had already ended its review of the Iran nuclear issue, the UN Security Council still held a public meeting early Wednesday morning and approved a procedural measure by vote. Sun Lei, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said in response that certain countries deliberately ignored the Security Council members' differences and concerns, forcibly pushed for the Security Council to reimpose sanctions on Iran, insisted on convening a Security Council meeting on an issue that has already been terminated, bearing full responsibility for the current difficulties facing the Council, China Central Television reported on Wednesday.
This move will not only deepen divisions within the Security Council, but will also seriously hinder the process of achieving a political resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue, Sun stated, noting that China is deeply concerned about this development and is disappointed with the outcome of the vote.
Sun stressed that threats of force or the imposition of war will only push the Iranian nuclear issue and the situation in the Middle East toward a dangerous abyss.
Sun said that the US’ unilateral withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and its use of force against Iran on two occasions during the negotiation process have seriously damaged diplomatic efforts and are the primary cause of the current difficult and complex situation.
Sun said that the parties concerned should learn from past lessons, abandon power politics, engage in equal and sincere dialogue, commit to refraining from the use of force, and ensure the effective implementation of any future agreement in order to restore the confidence of the international community through concrete actions.
Maintaining the ceasefire is the top priority. The parties concerned should focus on peace and work toward preserving the ceasefire, ending the conflict, and reaching an agreement at an early date that serves the interests of all parties involved, Sun added.
When asked to comment on reports citing several sources that the Japanese government had claimed it remains committed to its exclusively defense-oriented policy and its path of development as a peace-loving nation has not changed, following a joint statement issued by China and Pakistan in late May stating that both countries "oppose any attempt to revive fascism and militarism," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that while Japan verbally proclaims "peace" and "defense," its actions are recklessly pushing toward "remilitarization."
Japan has continued to significantly expand its military budget, ease restrictions on the export of lethal weapons, advance the deployment of medium- and long-range missiles, bolster offensive military capabilities, stockpile large quantities of sensitive nuclear materials, push for revisions to its pacifist Constitution, and even advocate turning Japan into a nation "capable of waging war." In doing so, it has effectively removed the mask of a so-called "peace-loving nation" itself, Lin said, adding that the international community should be highly vigilant about this and must not allow Japanese militarism to resurface and wreak havoc on the world again.
Chinese scientists have made a major breakthrough in precision machining research for humanoid robot "joints," expected to promote greener, more efficient production of high-end precision transmission components.
A research team led by Peng Ruitao, professor from Xiangtan University in Central China's Hunan Province, has recently published a new research paper in machining for large-pitch gothic-arch ball screws, the core transmission components of humanoid robot joint actuators, in the Journal of Manufacturing Processes, chinanews.com reported on Thursday.
According to Peng, ball screws, as key precision transmission components in humanoid robot joint actuators and other high-end equipment such as industrial robots, directly affect the dynamic response and service life of the entire system.
Despite high transmission efficiency and high load-bearing capacity, large-pitch gothic-arch ball screws face significant machining challenges due to their complex helical surface geometry, Peng said.
Given that traditional grinding processes are hindered by low efficiency, high cost and heavy cutting-fluid use, greener and more efficient production of this type of high-end precision transmission component has been limited.
However, the research team's study offers a theoretical foundation and process reference for overcoming key challenges in green and efficient manufacturing of this high-end precision transmission component by revealing the mechanisms behind various machining issues in this precision transmission component.
Meanwhile, the research team has closely focused on common technical challenges in the field of high-end power equipment manufacturing, continuously conducting systematic research on core areas of high-end precision component machining, and has gradually built a complete research framework ranging from mechanism understanding and process optimization to engineering validation, according to chinanews.com.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith in Beijing on Friday.
Noting that China has always regarded Laos as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, Xi said China is willing to work with Laos to achieve a new leap in bilateral ties and build an all-weather China-Laos community with a shared future in the new era.
Laos fully agrees with China and supports the upgrading of bilateral ties, and stands ready to work with China to consolidate high-level political mutual trust, Thongloun said.
China has recently taken a series of responsive actions, including a special maritime law enforcement operation on Saturday in waters east of Taiwan island, after Japan and the Philippines announced plans to start talks on maritime delimitation in the waters east of China's Taiwan island. A Chinese expert said the coordinated moves demonstrate China's sovereignty and jurisdiction, as well as its capability and resolve to safeguard its maritime rights and interests.
China launched a special maritime law enforcement operation, led by China's Ministry of Transport and jointly undertaken by the Fujian Maritime Safety Administration, the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration, the Eastern Navigation Service Center of the National Maritime Safety Administration, and the East China Sea rescue bureau, in the waters east of Taiwan island on Saturday. It is a necessary move in response to Japan and the Philippines' unilateral announcement of the "maritime delimitation talks" on the east of China's Taiwan island, which constitutes a serious violation of China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The move came after Japan and the Philippines claimed last month that they would begin so-called formal talks on delimiting the maritime boundary of the so-called exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf between the two countries "in accordance with international law," according to a Reuters report.
Previously, a necessary responsive operation was carried out on June 1, as the China Coast Guard (CCG) task group conducted routine law-enforcement patrols in accordance with the law in the waters east of China's Taiwan island, CCG's spokesperson Jiang Lue said.
"We urge Japan and the Philippines to immediately cease all illegal acts that undermine China's sovereign rights and interests. The CCG will continue to strengthen control and management over relevant waters and take real actions to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," Jiang said, according to CCG.
No matter it is law enforcement operations of CCG or maritime safety administration, these operations affirm China's sovereignty and jurisdiction over waters east of the Taiwan island, showing the country's resolve, capability and maritime management strength to safeguard maritime rights and interests, Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.
Given the complex maritime conditions in the waters east of Taiwan island, which present a test for vessel performance and law enforcement operations, these operations demonstrate that CCG and maritime authorities are fully capable of conducting regular law enforcement patrols and maritime control in the area, Zhang said.
It further shows that China has set up a sound framework for protecting sovereignty, maritime rights and interests and managing waters around Taiwan island, according to Zhang.
The so-called unilateral delimitation talks between Japan and the Philippines are tantamount to attempting to "carve up" these waters, which seriously infringes upon China's maritime sovereignty and rights and interests, Zhang added.
According to China's domestic law and international law including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in this area. Japan and the Philippines' so-called maritime delimitation talks constitute a severe violation of China's maritime rights and interests, UNCLOS and other international law and basic norms governing international relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stressed during a previous press conference on May 29 after the claim by Tokyo and Manila.
"The so-called delimitation talks are completely illegal, null and void, and will have no effect on China's claims to rights in the area east of the Taiwan island or exercise of China's lawful rights," Mao said, adding that China urges Japan and the Philippines to immediately stop any violation of China's maritime rights and interests and take concrete actions to uphold regional peace and stability.
In violation of the international law, Zhang said that Japan and the Philippines aim to jointly contain China and restrict its maritime operations as part of their coordination with the so-called Indo-Pacific strategy with the plan.
The expert added that Japan also seeks to provoke China alongside the Philippines in adjacent waters, hoping to ease the pressure from China's countermeasures over its actions concerning the Diaoyu Islands.
In response to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' echoing of the move by Japan and Philippines, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said on June 3 that compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to the Chinese nation, according to CCTV News.
"We should stand firm on our national stance, uphold national righteousness, and jointly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the overall interests of the Chinese nation. If the DPP authorities dare to collude with external forces and betray national interests, they will surely be spurned by compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and punished by history," Zhu added.
Faced with public opinion pressure, the DPP authorities still haven't voiced strong protests. Such a compromising stance essentially amounts to acts that harm national and ethnic interests, Zhang said. "Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits should work together to safeguard our country's sovereignty, maritime rights and interests as well as national interests," he added.
Regardless of how external forces behave, the steps taken by China's relevant departments make clear China's position, the expert said, and is a testament to China's resolve and capacity to secure national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
In his keynote speech at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not mention Taiwan — a rare omission — and instead highly praised a series of outcomes achieved during US President Donald Trump's recent visit to China. In response, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Wednesday that the Taiwan question is China's internal affair and brooks no external interference. She said that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits represents the greatest common interest shared by China and the US.
A think tank report titled "China-EU Cooperation on Environment and Climate: Progress and Prospects" was released globally on Friday.
The report was jointly released by the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, the National Energy Conservation Center, the Xinhua Institute and the Institutes of Science and Development under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
It consists of five sections, namely the introduction, bilateral joint efforts to build a community of all life on Earth, deepened bilateral cooperation to address climate change, concrete progress in bilateral cooperation on the eco-environment, and steady long-term development of bilateral cooperation concerning the environment and climate.
In the face of ecological and environmental challenges, China and the European Union (EU), the largest developing country and the largest union of developed countries, respectively, must shoulder their responsibilities, carry out cooperation on the environment and climate, and work together to maintain sustainable development of the Earth, according to the report.
Noting green as the distinctive color of China-EU cooperation, the report said this cooperation not only enriches and develops the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, but also directly advances the environmental governance, trade and investment of both sides, benefiting the entire world.
Looking at the future, the two sides should work together to promote more in-depth and pragmatic cooperation, further dovetail their environmental and climate policies through high-level dialogue and cooperation mechanisms, establish a long-term cooperation framework, and promote global environmental governance and climate action, the report stated.
The report also called for the further strengthening of the bilateral green partnership, and jointly building a community of all life on Earth, and make contributions to promoting a cleaner and more beautiful world.
A new batch of 34 sugar apple packaging factories and 1,263 orchards in Taiwan have been registered by the General Administration of Customs, which will create favorable conditions for their entry to the mainland, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a press briefing on Friday. Zhu also noted that the sugar apple season is approaching in the island.
Since the announcement of the resumption of market entry for sugar apples in June, 37 sugar apple packaging factories and 1,288 orchards in Taitung county have been approved by the mainland. Businesses can inquire about the relevant information on the customs website. Packaging factories and orchards that have not yet passed the audit can learn the rectification requirements, according to Zhu.
Zhu expressed the mainland's willingness to have discussions with relevant parties in Taiwan to resume the entry of more agricultural and fishery products.
Due to the repeated instances of quarantine pests being detected, the mainland suspended the entry of sugar apples from Taiwan in September 2021 to mitigate the risk of plant epidemics, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The resolution adopted by UNESCO to establish a UNESCO International Institute for STEM Education (IISTEM) in Shanghai will assist China in sharing its education experience and growing to be a leader in global STEM education, an expert told the Global Times on Wednesday.
During the 42nd Session of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris last week, UNESCO announced the establishment of the IISTEM in Shanghai. This marks the first UNESCO Category 1 Institute for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to be established in China.
Category 1 institutes are crucial to UNESCO's mission. They act as incubators for new ideas and serve as standard-setters, facilitators of international cooperation, hubs for information sharing and capacity builders within their respective areas of competence.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at an earlier press conference that the Chinese government attaches great importance to education and treats STEM education as a key approach to cultivating innovative and versatile talent.
"We will act earnestly on our commitment, collaborate with UNESCO to implement the resolution and work for the early establishment and operation of the institute to contribute more to the UN's agenda for sustainable development as well as world peace and development," said Wang.
The move was preceded by UNESCO's resolution to establish a teacher education center in Shanghai Normal University in 2017. The teacher education center is a UNESCO Category 2 Center and followed two other Category 2 education centers in China: the International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education in Beijing and the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province.
The establishment of the IISTEM demonstrates the recognition of China's national strength and a nod to China's commitment to building a community of shared future for mankind, Ning Bo, a professor with the Research Institute for International and Comparative Education of Shanghai Normal University, who is also a project manager at the UNESCO teacher education center, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
The decision is also a reflection of Shanghai's increasing prominence in international education.
Shanghai topped two consecutive rounds (2009 and 2012) of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests, a triennial survey of 15-year-old students that focuses on proficiency in reading, mathematics and science. The city's education system stands out as one of the strongest in the world, according to a report by the World Bank.
"Finland was a paragon when people talked about a successful education system. But global attention has been diverted to Shanghai thanks to the city's stellar performance in PISA," said Ning.
Shanghai's policies and investments have created a great teacher workforce, established clear learning standards and regular student assessments, and struck a balance between autonomy and accountability in school management, the report said.
"Shanghai is a pioneer in China's opening-up and reform in all sectors. The city eagerly welcomes international institutions like IISTEM to come and contribute to the development of its cosmopolitan nature," Ning said.
The institute is a fresh example of China's efforts to increase its influence on the world stage and play a leading role in international organizations, said the professor.
Technically, it's a platform for China to share its education experience with the world, especially in the field of STEM. Expertise and resources from around the world will be drawn to Shanghai, so it will advance the development of STEM education in China and promote Shanghai's economic and social development, Ning noted.
"China has achieved globally recognized progress in economic and social development. Through this opportunity, we aspire for the world to gain a comprehensive understanding of China and its developmental path from an educational and cultural perspective," Ning said.
