After the successful conclusion of the Chinese leader's state visit to Vietnam earlier this month, the Vietnamese Embassy in China held the 2025 Vietnam-China media briefing in Beijing on Monday to introduce the main outcomes of the visit and the development of bilateral relations. Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Thanh Binh said on Monday that this visit has established a new and important milestone in the construction of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the strategically significant Vietnam-China community with a shared future.

Ambassador Pham particularly mentioned that the visit resulted in the signing of 45 cooperation documents, the largest number and the broadest scope to date, reflecting the new positioning, new content, and new level of bilateral relations.

At the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Luong Cuong, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Vietnam from April 14 to 15.

Pham delivered his remarks in Chinese, noting that this visit took place on the occasion of several significant anniversaries: the 75th anniversary of China-Vietnam diplomatic relations, the 95th anniversary of the CPV's founding, the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's independence, and the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification. The visit achieved substantial results, he said. 

Pham said that through this visit, China and Vietnam continued to maintain high-level strategic communication, emphasizing the importance the two parties and the two countries attach to their relations, as well as the special position of these relations in each country's diplomatic strategy. 

The two sides agreed to further enhance coordination and cooperation in diplomacy, defense, and public security. A specific achievement was the decision to elevate the "3+3" strategic dialogue mechanism between the two countries in these areas to the ministerial level. "This mechanism is relatively rare on a global scale, highlighting the uniqueness of the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and China," Pham said.

He also mentioned that during the visit, China and Vietnam reached a consensus on promoting the next phase of practical cooperation, identifying key areas and major initiatives, including urban rail, agricultural product trade, science and technology, AI education and training, digital economy, green economy, and smart ports.

2025 will also be the China-Vietnam Year of People-to-People Exchanges. China has announced that over the next three years, it will invite young Vietnamese people to China for "red study tours," strengthening the friendly ties between the younger generations of both countries through their shared revolutionary heritage. Pham told Global Times on Monday that this initiative will allow young people in Vietnam to better understand the history of mutual assistance between China and Vietnam during their revolutionary years, laying a solid foundation for the future development of bilateral relations.

During the press briefing, Pham presented some data at the meeting: In 2024, Vietnam received 3.74 million Chinese tourists, a 114 percent increase from the previous year. 

In the first quarter of 2025, Vietnam welcomed 1.58 million Chinese tourists, a 178 percent of year-on-year increase. Currently, there are nearly 400 round-trip flights per week between the two countries, and about 23,000 Vietnamese students are studying in China.

As socialist neighbors connected by shared borders, China and Vietnam's economic and trade cooperation has developed rapidly. Pham mentioned that Vietnam is currently China's fourth-largest trading partner, and China has remained Vietnam's largest trade partner for 20 consecutive years. According to Chinese statistics, bilateral trade exceeded $260 billion in 2024.

Pham told Global Times that as Vietnam's economy becomes more open, its sensitivity to external influences is increasing. Vietnam hopes that countries will strengthen cooperation to protect and develop the long-standing international trade order and maintain stability in global production and supply chains.

When discussing the current global trade situation and tariff impacts, Pham said that China and the US are two major countries and also important economic partners of Vietnam. He hopes all parties can strengthen cooperation and reduce friction. This not only aligns with the interests of all countries but will also bring tangible benefits to people around the world.

Pham quoted a signed article by General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee To Lam, published in People's Daily on April 14, stating, "The success of our two parties and two countries' friendship will not only bring benefits to our people and best serve their interests but also make increasingly practical and responsible contributions to the peace, stability, social progress, and prosperity of all nations in the region and the world."

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday visited an AI incubator in Shanghai, calling on the city to take the lead in AI development and governance. The inspection trip came four days after China's leadership convened a dedicated AI study session, where Xi called for gaining a head start in this strategic sector, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"AI technology is evolving rapidly and entering a phase of explosive growth," said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, as he visited the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center, a large-model incubator home to over 100 enterprises.

During the group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee last Friday, Xi pointed out that AI, as a strategic technology leading the new round of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation, has profoundly changed the ways people work and live.

The Party Central Committee attaches great importance to the development of AI, and has improved top-level design and strengthened implementation efforts in recent years, Xi said at the session. 

"The great importance the Communist Party of China Central Committee attaches to the development of AI fully reflects the strategic positioning of AI in the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation," Zhang Xiaorong, director of the Beijing-based Cutting-Edge Technology Research Institute, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

President Xi's remarks are encouraging for the AI development in China, especially calling on Shanghai to undertake the historical mission of building into a globally influential tech innovation center so as to develop innovation advantage across the country at an early date and develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, Chu Jianxun, a research expert on the national innovation ecosystem and professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

In the incubator in Shanghai, Xi joined a salon themed on the autonomous evolution of next-generation intelligent agents, engaging in discussions with young innovators on the spot, Xinhua reported.

"AI is a nascent industry, and it's also an industry that belongs to young people," said Xi.

He then walked into an AI product experience store, where he inquired in detail about the functions and market trends of the products, and tried on a pair of smart glasses for a firsthand experience.

President Xi's remarks chart a clear path forward for us to carry out AI innovations and practices, which also strengthens our confidence and resolve to improve social wellbeing and boost industrial upgrade through technologies, Xu Li, chairman and CEO of Shanghai-based AI software company SenseTime, who attended the salon, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"As a large language model (LLM) startup, we feel greater confidence. We also deeply understand the great importance of AI technological innovations for economic and social development," Yan Junjie, founder of Shanghai-based AI unicorn MiniMax who also attended the salon, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Currently, AI innovation is accelerating on a global scale and is expected to drive societal transformation with an unprecedented depth and breadth, significantly enhance the efficiency of various industries, boost the development of new quality productive forces and elevate global collaboration to a new height, Yan said, noting that "I firmly believe that Chinese LLM firms have ushered in opportunities."

Accelerating tech innovations

China has made strides in boosting sci-tech innovation and industrial upgrading in recent years, with its global ranking in innovation increasing markedly and strategic emerging industries taking up a larger share of the national economic output, according to Xinhua.

Since the beginning of 2025, from DeepSeek, the rising star in AI, to Unitree Robotics, a pioneer in humanoid robot development, and the creative force behind the animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2, there have been significant structural advancements in China's technology innovations.

"China has institutional advantages and abundant talent for the development of new quality productive forces," Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

In this regard, China should continue to strengthen basic research in the AI industry, with concentrated efforts to be made in making breakthroughs in core technologies including advanced chips and basic software, while efforts are also needed in integrating tech innovations with industry innovations, and strengthening basic education, Zhang said.

To unleash new quality productive forces, China has stepped up support for the growth of the private economy and private enterprises, deepened reforms in the scientific and technological system, as well as the education and talent systems, and removed barriers obstructing the development of new quality productive forces in recent years.

According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics recently, the high-tech industry saw robust fixed-asset investment growth in the first quarter this year, with investment in aerospace vehicle and equipment manufacturing soaring by 30.3 percent, while investment in computer and office device manufacturing surged by 28.5 percent.

"The data underscores that the development of new quality productive forces has become an important force supporting the development of the national economy, which is also transforming and upgrading China's economic structure toward innovation economy," Li said, noting that China's development of new quality productive forces will also inject driving force into the transformation and upgrade of the world economy.

"Moving ahead, we will accelerate the innovation and application of multimodal LLMs. We will continue to improve the utilization efficiency of computing resources, boost the integration of LLM technologies with various industries and daily life faster and more efficiently, and accelerate scaled service and vertical ecosystem of AI industry so as to serve the daily needs of the public and contribute to Shanghai's development into a globally influential hub for tech innovations," Xu said.

China has abundant data resources, a complete industrial system, vast application scenarios and huge market potential, Chu said, expressing full confidence in China's economic prospects.

In response to a reporter question on White House statement claiming that China now faces tariffs of up to 245 percent on imports to the US, China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that "We have noticed relevant report. As for how the figure comes out, you can ask the US side for the specific tax rate figures."

China has stated that the excessively high tariffs on China has degenerated into a "numbers game," which no longer has any practical economic significance, the FM said. It only further exposes the US tricks of using tariffs as a tool and weapon for bullying and coercion.

Tariff and trade wars have no winner. China does not want to fight these wars but is not afraid of them. If the US continues its tariff "numbers game", China will ignore it, the statement said.

If the US insists on continuing to substantively infringe upon China's rights and interests, China's response will continue to the end, it said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday held talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. The two leaders agreed to build an all-weather community with shared future in a new era and designated 2025 China-Cambodia Year of Tourism, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The leaders of China, Cambodia also witnessed the exchange of more than 30 bilateral cooperation documents.

Xi said China will open its mega-market to Cambodia, import more high-quality Cambodian agricultural products. He also said China, Cambodia will take stronger, more effective measures to resolutely crack down on online gambling, telecom fraud, Xinhua reported.

President Xi also met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Cambodian People's Party President and Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Thursday.

Xi said China and Cambodia set a model for equality, mutual trust and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes during his meeting with the Cambodian King, adding that he believes Chinese modernization will bring more opportunities to neighboring countries including Cambodia.

During his meeting with Hun Sen, Xi said that unilateralism and hegemonism receive no support of the people, and trade wars undermine the multilateral trading system and disrupt global economic order.

Xi also urged all countries to unite and firmly keep the reins of national security and development in their own hands, adding that China will maintain the continuity and stability of its neighborhood diplomacy.

Xi arrived in Phnom Penh earlier on Thursday for a state visit to Cambodia, his second visit to the country in nine years. Cambodia is the third leg of Xi's three-nation Southeast Asia tour after concluding successful state visits in Vietnam and Malaysia.

Xi said China takes Cambodia as a priority in neighborhood diplomacy, and firmly supports Cambodia upholding strategic independence and following a development path suited to its national conditions.

Xi was warmly welcomed by King Sihamoni, Hun Sen and other senior officials at the airport during a grand welcome ceremony held by the king.

Large enthusiastic crowds lined up neatly at the airport to warmly welcome President Xi.

"We love China!" said Cambodian girls dressed in traditional white and red attire, standing among the welcoming crowds. They held golden cups filled with jasmine petals - a unique Cambodian tradition for receiving the country's most distinguished guests, the Global Times learned.

Cambodian media also expressed a positive and welcoming attitude toward the leader's visit. The Khmer Times said Xi's "landmark visit" is expected to "further cement the historical bonds of friendship and cooperation nurtured by successive leaders of both countries."

Jian Hua Daily said Xi's visit is an important manifestation of the traditional friendly relations between the two countries, and it will further promote bilateral cooperation in various fields to a new level.

Enriched dimensions

Lu Guangsheng, a professor at Yunnan University's Institute of International Relations, told the Global Times that President Xi's visit has continued and strengthened the traditional friendly and cooperative relationship between China and Cambodia, further enriching the already close strategic partnership between China and Cambodia.

The further deepening of practical cooperation between the two countries holds landmark significance in promoting the substantive and thorough implementation of Belt and Road Initiative projects in Southeast Asia, Lu said.

In a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin said China has been Cambodia's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years. And in 2024, two-way trade reached $17.83 billion, up by 20.7 percent year-on-year.

China has remained Cambodia's largest source of foreign investment for 13 consecutive years, with investments spanning a wide range of sectors, including transportation, power, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, special economic zones, as well as information and communications technology, characterized by extensive coverage, large scale and strong results, said Wang.

Kin Phea, director general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told the Global Times that Xi's visit will further strengthen political trust and reinforce China-Cambodia shared vision for common development.

He said that the "ironclad friendship" between China and Cambodia has consistently delivered results, even amid global uncertainties.

"It [The visit] is a powerful driver to elevate our already strong ties, ensuring long-term peace, stability, prosperity, and friendship for both nations and the broader region," he said.

Ties withstand the test

Noting that bilateral ties were forged and nurtured by the elder generations of leaders of the two countries, Xi said in a written statement upon his arrival in Phnom Penh that China-Cambodia relations have withstood the test of global transformations, and always remained rock-solid.

China and Cambodia have supported each other in maintaining stability and promoting development and prosperity, and worked together in upholding international fairness and justice, setting an example for a new type of international relations while contributing to building a community with a shared future for mankind, he added.

Together we must stand against hegemonism, power politics and camp-based confrontation, and defend the shared interests of our two countries and other developing countries, Xi said in a signed article titled "Together We Strive, Together We Thrive: Toward a Stable and Sustainable China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era" published Thursday in Cambodian media outlets Khmer Times, Jian Hua Daily and Fresh News ahead of his arrival in Cambodia, according to Xinhua.

We should advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, endeavor to safeguard world peace and stability and international fairness and justice, jointly oppose protectionism, and defend an international environment of openness and cooperation, Xi noted.

"Cambodia-China's special and unbreakable ties are a 'unique role model' of interstate relations … Joint efforts in diplomacy, trade, and security enhance peace and prosperity, while close coordination on global platforms strengthens multilateralism," Kin Phea said.

Cambodia greatly values this partnership, which contributes not only to our national development but also to regional harmony. The enduring strength of our ties demonstrates the power of genuine friendship based on equality, respect, and mutual support, the Cambodian expert added.

At a time when the world is facing rising uncertainty, there is no doubt that the deepening cooperation between China and Cambodia represents a kind of certainty amid turbulence, Lu Guangsheng said. "It also serves as a role model for the development of relations among regional countries."

Moreover, against the backdrop of the US using tariffs and economic pressure as tools of strategic coercion, President Xi's state visits demonstrate confidence in countering coercion and hegemony through cooperation - both bilaterally and within the region - with Southeast Asian countries, Lu said.

The anti-China rhetoric of some individual British politicians is extremely absurd, reflecting their arrogance, ignorance, and twisted mindset, a spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in the UK said on Wednesday, in response to various comments in the UK regarding the government’s takeover of British Steel, during which several politicians took the opportunity to attack all Chinese companies and the Chinese government.

The spokesperson shared a few basic facts. The Jingye Group is a private Chinese enterprise that makes business investments in the UK on the basis of market principles and conducts operation on its own, said the spokesperson, according to a release posted on the website of the Chinese Embassy in the UK.

It is well-known that British Steel had been losing money for many years before its acquisition by Jingye in 2020 and actually went into compulsory liquidation in 2019. After taking over, Jingye put in substantial funding to keep the company afloat to this day. Had it not been for the involvement of this Chinese company, British Steel workers might have already faced the risk of unemployment, the spokesperson noted.

It is understood that under the UK government’s net zero strategy, steel companies that use iron ore to make steel must achieve net zero emissions by 2035. To that end, British steel companies including British Steel have all negotiated with the government to find a path to decarbonisation transition. Among them, the Port Talbot Steelworks in Wales closed its blast furnace in July 2024. British Steel’s plan to close its blast furnaces and build electric arc furnaces is a normal decision, and it is understandable that the company conducted negotiations with the government on investment for the transition, the spokesperson said.

Generally speaking, Chinese companies in the UK have operated in compliance with law and achieved steady progress. They have made positive contributions to the local economy. According to statistics available, Chinese companies in the UK have contributed over 115 billion pounds ($152.6 billion) to the UK economy and created nearly 60,000 jobs, the spokesperson said.

At a time when the US is wielding the tariff stick against all countries, the UK included, and engaging in unilateral and protectionist trade bullying, those British politicians just keep slandering the Chinese government and Chinese enterprises instead of criticizing the United States. What on earth are they up to, the spokesperson said.

Any words or deeds that politicise or maliciously hype up business issues will undermine the confidence of Chinese business investors in the UK and damage China-UK economic and trade cooperation. We urge the British government to follow the principles of fairness, impartiality and non-discrimination and to make sure that the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies in the UK are protected. At the same time, it is hoped that the British government will continue to engage in consultations and negotiations with Jingye to actively seek a solution acceptable to all parties. We will continue to follow the development of this situation, the spokesperson said.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that “As for the current difficulties arising in the operation of British Steel, the two sides should resolve them through consultations in the principle of mutual benefit.”

“We hope that the British government will treat Chinese companies investing and operating in the UK in a fair and just manner, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and refrain from turning economic and trade cooperation into political and security issues lest it should undermine the confidence of Chinese companies in their normal investment and operation in the UK,” said Lin.

When asked about Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's visit to China while the trade war between China and the US is still ongoing, and what role China thinks Spain and the EU can play in easing this tension and strengthening economic ties with Asia, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday that the phone call between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen yesterday sent a positive message to the outside world. China and the EU are both advocates of economic globalization and trade liberalization, as well as firm defenders and supporters of the WTO.

Lin said the two sides should work together to safeguard free and open trade and investment, maintain a stable and smooth global industrial and supply chain, and inject more stability and certainty into both sides and the world economy. Spain is an important economy of the EU and an important partner of China in the EU. Maintaining strategic stability in China-Spain relations and adhering to openness, cooperation, mutual benefit, and win-win results will play a positive role in the continued development of China-Europe relations, Lin noted.

The second batch of emergency humanitarian aid supplies dispatched by the Chinese government arrived at Yangon International Airport in Myanmar on Thursday.

The second batch of aid supplies includes 800 tents, 2,000 blankets, 3,000 boxes of biscuits, 2,000 boxes of mineral water and other urgently needed supplies. The supplies were transported to Yangon by a chartered flight from China.

The first batch of emergency humanitarian aid supplies dispatched by the Chinese government for earthquake disaster relief arrived in Myanmar on March 31.

Li Ming, spokesperson for China International Development Cooperation Agency, said that China is willing to continue providing assistance to the people in the disaster-stricken areas based on Myanmar's needs, supporting their efforts to overcome the disaster as soon as possible.

He expressed confidence that with the joint efforts of China and the international community, the people of Myanmar will surely be able to overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes at an early date. 

Following the earthquake in central Myanmar, the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar said that it has been using a Chinese-Myanmar-English translation system developed on the DeepSeek platform to support earthquake relief efforts, according to CCTV News.

The system was developed in just seven hours by a language service team formed by the Secretariat of the National Language Service Corps of China and Beijing Language and Culture University. So far, more than 700 people in Myanmar have used the platform to assist communication during the emergency, according to the report.

The National Language Service Corps of China is a public-service alliance established under the guidance of the Ministry of Education, the National Language Commission, the Ministry of Emergency Management, and other agencies. Its mission is to provide language support during public emergencies and other key national tasks, helping to overcome communication barriers.

The deployment of this language technology in international disaster relief demonstrates the unique value of language services in advancing the building

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday met with U.S. Senator Steve Daines and some American business people, who are here to attend the China Development Forum 2025.

Noting that the development of China-U.S. relations has reached a new important juncture, Li said that history has proven that both China and the United States stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. Both sides should choose dialogue rather than confrontation, and choose win-win cooperation instead of a zero-sum game.

It is hoped that the United States will work with China to engage in candid communication, and build trust and clear up misgivings in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. They should deepen pragmatic cooperation, and work together to promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of relations, he said.

Li pointed out that economic and trade cooperation is an important foundation of China-U.S. relations. Over the past few decades, the fruitful economic and trade cooperation achieved between China and the United States is the result of joint efforts of both sides and should be cherished.

The more difficulties bilateral relations face, the more important it is to safeguard and develop China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation, said the premier.

Li said that nobody has to gain from a trade war, and no country can achieve development and prosperity through imposing tariffs. He called on the two countries to solve problems, such as trade imbalance, by making the pie of cooperation bigger.

"China always welcomes companies from all over the world, including the United States, to share development opportunities in China, and will actively address their legitimate demands, treat domestic and foreign companies as equals, and continue to foster a sound business environment," Li said.

People from the American side said that great changes have taken place in China in recent decades. U.S. companies actively participate in and support China's development, and are willing to continue investing in China, strengthen dialogue and cooperation to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, and strive to promote the sustainable development of b

Chengdu police in Southwest China's Sichuan Province announced on Thursday that six people were administratively detained for staging a matchmaking video by fabricating facts, recruiting participants, and falsifying identities.

Previously, a matchmaking video involving a man claiming to "work in a provincial-level government agency with an annual income of 350,000 to 400,000 yuan ($55,265)" was circulating on the internet, attracting public attention.

According to the police statement, a legal investigation confirmed that the video was fabricated by a company from another province to generate online traffic. The company planned and produced the fake content by fabricating facts, recruiting participants, and falsifying identities. The company's legal representative, a 28-year-old man surnamed Liu, organized and wrote the fake script, recruited a 37-year-old company employee surnamed Li, and paid him to play a fictional role. He also instructed employees, including a 26-year-old man surnamed Li, a 24-year-old man surnamed Yan, another 24-year-old man surnamed Xu, and a 28-year-old surnamed Zhang, to stage the video in Chengdu, handle post-production, and upload it online.

The individuals involved in the case fabricated identities such as civil servants, residential addresses, and income levels with the aim of directing traffic to a certain matchmaking platform to earn referral commissions, severely misleading the public and causing negative social impact. Their actions constitute the fabrication of facts and disruption of public order, the statement said.

Currently, the public security authorities have imposed administrative detention penalties to the people involved based on the Public Security Administration Punishment Law of the People's Republic of China. Liu has been penalized with 10 days of detention, Li seven days, and employees Yan, Xu, Zhang, and Li got five days each. The case is still under further investigation.

The police have urged the public that cyberspace is not a realm beyond the law and no organization or individual is allowed to fabricate or spread false information to disrupt public order. Public security authorities will work with relevant departments to continue deepening the comprehensive governance of cyberspace, severely crack down on various online illegal activities in accordance with the law, and effectively maintain a clean and healthy online environment.