Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday extended festive greetings and best wishes to the country's working people ahead of International Workers' Day, which falls on May 1.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, sent the greetings on behalf of the CPC Central Committee.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and a crucial year to fulfill the goals and tasks set in the 14th Five-Year Plan, Xi said, praising the important contributions made by the working people to the cause of the Party and the country.
Xi called on working people to actively participate in advancing Chinese modernization with high-quality development, and work tirelessly to promote the building of a strong country and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.
Xi asked Party committees and governments at all levels to earnestly realize, safeguard and develop the legitimate rights and interests of workers, and encourage working people to realize dreams through their work.
China's cyberspace watchdog announced on Sunday the launch of a two-month nationwide campaign targeting illegal external links for online content including among group and social network circles and live streaming and video content with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
The campaign also targets pornographic and content displayed in commercial promotion areas of channels frequented by minors.
Illegal website links are published in user profile pictures, nicknames, bios, signatures, and covers. Methods such as posting explicit and low-quality content, frequent likes and follows, and account bio promotions are used for promotion and redirection among illegal accounts, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in a post published on Sunday.
Illegal website links are also posted in comments under popular topics and live streams. Tactics such as "don't search this" or "ignore the text below" are used to induce users to search for illegal sites.
Links to pornographic and scam websites are shared within chat histories, H5 pages, document notes, and mini-program sharing links will be targeted. Fake group buying and game testing activities are used alongside hyperbolic language like "not forwarding makes you unpatriotic," to induce users to click on and spread illegal links.
New AI technology or false identities are used to post pseudo-success advice, "health courses," and financial tips, leading users to add friends or join groups for scams, the authority said.
Suggestive content is shared during live streams through placards, quick mobile screen switches, and censored photo displays, or illegal URLs are embedded in live announcements, program lists, and stickers.
Accounts on dating platforms post revealing photos to attract the opposite sex for illegal activities related to pornography and gambling will be a focus on officials. Vulgar comics and novels are pushed in browser pop-up ads, enticing users to click "read full text" or "continue listening," redirecting them to external illegal websites.
Illegal website links are artificially placed at the top of search results or generated as associated search terms to induce clicks, the CAC said.
Pornographic games are sold under the guise of "emotional single-player games," with customer service leading to third-party platforms for the sale of erotic novels. Services like "video live streaming promotion" or "fan base engagement" are offered to entice private inquiries, which actually provide services like inflating views, controlling reviews, or increasing followers.
The CAC said some pornographic novels and vulgar online literature are displayed in commercial promotion areas of channels frequented by minors.
Pornographic links are posted in apps used mainly by minors under the guise of free comics and video resources, leading them to illegal websites or to obtain pornographic material through cloud storage. These efforts aim to curb the spread of illegal content and protect the digital environment.
As spring breathes warmth into the air, kite festivals are being held worldwide, attracting thousands of kite enthusiasts and tourists alike. Flying kites, an ancient custom revitalized in modern society, is more than just an outdoor sport, but also a means of cultural preservation.
These festivals bring together top kite fliers from various nations, who showcase their unique designs and flying skills. The diversity ranges from China's traditional dragon kites to India's fighting kites, from simple paper versions to those made with modern high-tech materials.
Kites, invented by the ancient Chinese during the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC) over 2,000 years ago, has a rich heritage.
Legend has it that the philosopher Mozi crafted the first kite out of wood, a project that took three years to perfect. The inventor Lu Ban later improved on Mozi's designs using bamboo, and during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), court official Cai Lun's improvements to papermaking technology led to the widespread use of paper in kite construction.
Right now, kite festivals not only highlight the diversity of the kites themselves, but also illustrate the cultural exchanges and integration they foster. In the context of globalization, these events serve as significant platforms for cultural dissemination.
On April 20, the 37th Berck-sur-Mer International Kite Festival in France opened, with China honored as the guest nation. This participation is a key part of the 2024 China-France Cultural Tourism Year.
China, the birthplace of kite flying, made its debut as the first guest country at the Berck Festival, bringing an authentic Chinese kite art and cultural experience to viewers.
The Berck Kite Festival, founded in 1987, is one of France's largest and most influential kite-themed events. The Paris Chinese Cultural Center, this year's organizer for the guest nation's activities, collaborated with Weifang city in East China's Shandong Province, known as the kite capital of China, to provide a wealth of kite resources and organize a variety of cultural experience activities, thus presenting Chinese culture from multiple perspectives.
The event featured dragon and lion dances, martial arts displays, tea ceremonies, calligraphy, traditional Chinese music performances, a Hanfu (traditional Han clothing) show and experience, and kite-making workshops from the Weifang team, China News Service reported.
In 1958, a Chinese-French film titled The Kite premiered, using the kite as a medium to lay a solid foundation for diplomatic relations between China and France. The film tells the story of a Paris boy who receives a kite from Beijing with a letter, leading to a dream adventure in China and cross-continental kite-fueled correspondence.
In China, when people think of kites, they think of Weifang. The 41st Weifang International Kite Festival opened there on April 20, with kite enthusiasts from across the country bringing their carefully crafted kites to participate. The skies over Weifang were filled with kites of all shapes and creative designs.
This year's kite festival included the 20th World Kite Championship, which serves as an international venue for both economic and cultural exchanges and showcases rich traditional cultural elements. The championship commenced on April 20, featuring 137 teams from 46 different countries and regions and involving 465 participants who brought a total of 509 kites.
Khalil Hashmi, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, gave a speech at the opening ceremony held on April 19 in which he called the Weifang International Kite Festival a global event celebrating friendship, innovation, and the joy of flying kites.
Ali West Hill from India told the Global Times that he has been flying kites for 15 years but this was his first time in Weifang, as well as in China. He was very excited to see the country and experience the different culture here through the festival.
Meanwhile, traditional swallow and goldfish-shaped kites no longer suffice for many kite experts. This year, kites shaped like trains, rockets, and even the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge took to the skies, with a giant cockroach kite becoming one of the most eye-catching ones.
One visitor remarked, "After coming here, I finally understand why there is a saying in Weifang that 'anything can reach the skies.'"
In response to why the Philippines did not attend the 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), Liang Wei, a senior officer with China's Naval Research Academy (NRA) told media on Monday that China, as a member of WPNS, has invited the other 29 member countries and observer states and China is not aware of the specific reasons why the Philippine Navy did not participate in this forum.
"We believe that this annual meeting will further promote international military cooperation and deepen mutual trust and friendship between the Chinese Navy and its counterparts from various countries," said Liang.
The 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) is held in Qingdao, Shandong Province from Sunday to Wednesday, with more than 180 foreign representatives from high-level delegations of 29 countries participating, including major leaders of the maritime defense departments of 20 countries. The Philippines is a member of the WPNS.
Analysts noted that over 30 years of development, the WPNS has become the most fruitful, vibrant, and potentially largest regional multilateral cooperation mechanism among naval forces.
In mid-January this year, the working group meeting for the WPNS 2024, hosted by the Chinese Navy, was held in East China's Nanjing. About 70 representatives from 30 countries engaged in friendly, candid, and constructive discussions over three days. They discussed the revision and renewal of relevant documents such as the WPNS Business Charter, the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea and the Disaster Response Guide, as well as the symposium's future activities, according to media reports. Representatives from the Philippines attended the meeting and delivered speeches.
The reason for the Philippines to choose to attend the January meeting but skip the ongoing forum is unknown. Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert who also attended the WPNS in Qingdao, told the Global Times on Monday that while making provocations at the South China Sea, the Philippines has consistently played as the "victim" to gain sympathy from the international community.
"Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the Philippines deliberately abstained from attending the WPNS, hoping to continue generating flashpoints, attracting international attention, and disrupting the symposium. However, the Philippines' actions are doomed to fail," Zhang said.
Zhang said that the WPNS is not just a regional forum for the Western Pacific, but has become an important platform for naval forces from multiple countries to enhance communication, build mutual trust, and deepen cooperation with its influence far exceeding the geographical scope of the region.
"The Philippines' absence from the forum not only reduces the opportunity for exchanges between the Philippine Navy and navies of other countries including the Chinese Navy, but also shows that the Philippines' action contradicts the international rules and maritime order it has always advocated," said Zhang.
On Monday, the Global Times reporter noticed that all member states of the WPNS expressed gratitude for China's thoughtful arrangements for this meeting at the forum venue.
Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler, who attended the WPNS on behalf of the US, also expressed his thanks to China in his speech, and mentioned that the WPNS provides an opportunity for naval leaders of various countries to communicate.
The WPNS includes almost all countries in the Western Pacific region. Countries including Canada, which are in the Eastern Pacific, also participate. Some countries with significant connections or influences in the Pacific region are also included as observer countries. "It is puzzling that the Philippines, as a member state in the Asia-Pacific region, unreasonably abstained, which is baffling," Zhang said.
Zhang noted that China has always insisted that disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved through direct consultations between China and the parties concerned, and has advocated for China and ASEAN members to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
China has indisputable sovereignty over islands and reefs in the South China Sea, including Ren'ai Jiao and Huangyan Island. China has been committed to managing the situation on the ground through dialogue and consultation with the Philippines, while resolutely safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, said Zhang.
"One of the topics related to the WPNS is global security initiatives and maritime peace and stability, which demonstrates that the Chinese Navy is willing to work with navies of various countries through exchanges and dialogues to jointly safeguard maritime security and stability and share the opportunities brought by maritime peace," said Zhang.
US President Joe Biden is reportedly pushing for tariffs to triple on Chinese steel and aluminum, a new sign that Washington - disregarding WTO multilateral rules, domestic inflation pressure and global supply chain stability - is targeting Chinese industries under the guise of "overcapacity" fallacy.
There is a chance that the tariff hike will be imposed, observers said, as Biden is in the rush to win more support in his presidential campaign from the steel industries, which account for a large number of voters in the swing states, and as the potential tariff rise could also pave the way for more ongoing probes into relevant Chinese advantageous industries such as shipbuilding and new-energy vehicle.
Biden's tariff threat adds to an array of escalating trade tensions between China and the US, and it runs in parallel with recent phased progress across multiple military, financial and economic aspects, which has been achieved through the two countries' intensive interactions.
Observers, while playing down the risks of another looming trade war, projected that bilateral trade tensions could grow wider ahead of the US presidential election in November, casting great uncertainty on whether the bilateral ties will maintain the stabilizing discourse. They stressed that the ball is in the US court to properly manage difference between the two sides, and more tellingly, to set aside its hegemonic and confrontational mind-set that has created numerous barriers to bilateral relations.
Biden's tariff threats
In a speech at the United Steelworkers headquarters on Wednesday, Biden called on US Trade Representative Katherine Tai to "consider tripling" the existing 7.5 percent tariff rate on Chinese steel and aluminum through a review of the Section 301 tariff rate on China "cheating," according to a CNN report. The section has been under review for four years.
The speech was reportedly made as part of Biden's economic competition pitch to Pittsburgh, a city in Pennsylvania that is in the heart of the American steel industry.
One of the intentions behind the tariffs increase is that Biden is considering an intense competition with Republican candidate Donald Trump in the run-up for US president. As a result, Biden is seeking to rally more union support in the swing states such as Pennsylvania, analysts noted.
In explaining the tariff, a US official said that it aims to "protect those investments and those workers from unfair exports associated with China's industrial overcapacity…which poses a serious risk to the future of the American steel and aluminum industry," the CNN report noted.
"The so-called Section 301investigation is a familiar playbook as the clause has been abused by the former Trump administration to justify tariffs in its trade war waged against China. This time, the Biden administration resorts the same tool again while disguising it with a recently invented bizarre 'overcapacity' tag," Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.
"Whatever the excuse is, it cannot cover up the US' flout of WTO rules and malicious attempt to suppress China," Gao said, stressing that the overcapacity allegation equates to an inherently pseudo-concept that lays bare how hegemonic Washington is.
In response to Biden's tariff rhetoric, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Thursday said China has been asking the US to seriously respect the principle of fair competition, observe WTO rules, and immediately lift all trade protectionist measures against China.
Biden also called China "xenophobic" and said China "got real problems" in the speech. Responding to the remarks, Lin asked, "are those words meant for China or the US itself?"
China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) also voiced strong objection to the tariffs on Thursday.
"The US ignores international economic, trade order and rules, politicizes economic and trade issues, abuses the so-called Section 301 tariff review process, publicly demands arbitrary adjustments to tariffs on Chinese products, and passes on conflicts, which is a mistake on top of a mistake. Such a move does not help solve the problems faced by US industries," a MOFCOM spokesperson said.
In 2022, the WTO ruled that tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that were imposed by the US under former President Donald Trump in 2018 violate global trade rules. China Iron and Steel Association said at that time that relevant trade is based on "industrial complementary and fair market rules," which did not harm the US and benefited downstream clients at the same time.
In a similar vein, the USTR announced on Wednesday that it was launching a new Section 301 investigation into China's trade practices in the shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors. The move has immediately drawn strong opposition from China, with China's Ministry of Commerce issuing a statement overnight on Wednesday, lambasting the probe as a "mistake on top of a mistake."
Gao pointed out that there's a correlation between the investigations into China's steel industries and the downstream sectors such as shipbuilding and automobile.
"Tariffs on steel, which have a chance to be levied taking account of US' bad records in weaponizing trade tools, could pave the way for subsequent crackdown on industries which China has a competitive edge, but Biden could also be weighing the follow-up move more carefully as it would further fuel domestic inflation and meanwhile, send bilateral relations to a downward spiraling mode," Gao explained.
The imports of steel from China accounted for about 0.6 percent of total US steel demand, the CNN report said, quoting a US official as saying.
Escalating trade tensions
China's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday the upcoming visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China. The visit adds to a flurry of recent interactions and dialogues between the world's two largest economies that have injected stability into bilateral relations.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun held a video call with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday. And at the same day, the economic and financial working groups of China and the US held their fourth meeting in Washington DC. Last week, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrapped up a high-stakes six-day visit to China.
The mixed signal underscores that the US is taking a "two-dimensional" approach to China, that is to maintain the overall dynamic stability of bilateral relations yet relentlessly ratchet up pressure on China in areas where the US deems China as competitors, analysts said, while stressing that China - on the other hand - is prepared in both ways.
Washington will continue flaring up tensions throughout the US presidential election in November, with "more aggressive and confrontational" policies as both Biden and Trump wanted to cast themselves as "tough on China" to garner support amid US' toxic political environment, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday.
The trilateral summit held among the US, Japan and the Philippines last week vowed to enhance military ties to cope with "China's threats," which analysts said is another smearing against China that ignores US' deeds that undermine regional peace and stability.
Gao said Washington will play some "small tricks" that cast uncertainties on how the bilateral relations progress, though it will do a careful trade-off as they can't afford the risk of the conflicts veering into a broadside trade war.
Analysts warned that scapegoating China won't help Biden score the political points he desires, and more importantly, the incumbent administration won't easily walk away with stepped-up crackdown on Chinese industries.
In response to the 301 investigation, China's MOFCOM and Foreign Ministry vowed that the country "will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own interests."
"China adheres to the basic principle of equality and reciprocity in its discourse with the US. It is likely that China will come up with countermeasures of 'similar scale' if US dares to engage in further unfair practices against China," Li said.
A more pragmatic solution to address China-US relations, according to Gao, is to reach consensus on "smaller areas of mutual interests," such as expanding direct air flights and launching joint initiative on anti-money laundering, before moving to other "larger areas" that the two sides hold divergence.
A fair and nondiscriminatory perception of China lays the basic framework for further exchanges between the two countries, and in this regard, observers said it is particularly important for the US to approach issues from the perspective of China-US economic and trade relations themselves, putting aside any hegemonic competitive mentality and politicization of economic matters.
On April 8, 2024, the Foreign Correspondents Club of China (FCCC), which has long attacked China and accused the country of "suppressing" the freedom of foreign journalists in China, released its 2023 annual "media freedoms report," once again accusing China of "restricting" the freedom of foreign journalists."
However, the qualifications and background of the FCCC itself are in question. On the one hand, Chinese authorities have never recognized the legitimacy of this organization or its role as a representative body for foreign journalists in China; on the other hand, the organization not only holds strong ideological biases against China, but also is deeply involved in providing cover for and whitewashing actions that harm China's national security, especially by anti-China forces in the US and the West.
Some foreign journalists who do not want to be associated with this organization have revealed that it is controlled by media organizations and individuals who uphold the Western discourse hegemony. Their focus is not on objectively reporting on China, but rather on smearing and demonizing the country.
Through investigation, the Global Times has found three solid examples that expose the real intention of the FCCC, which has nothing to do with "freedom."
I felt being used as 'pawn'
Mr Xu is a coach of an amateur women's soccer club in Beijing. In June 2023, he received a message on the Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu. The person who sent the message claimed to be from German TV station ZDF. Xu was told that ZDF wanted to interview the club in anticipation of the upcoming 2023 Women's World Cup and introduce the situation of women's soccer in China.
According to Xu, at the time, journalists from ZDF only mentioned that they were there to interview and report on his club and women's soccer in China. They said that they were also planning to do similar interviews in other countries to introduce the development of grassroots women's soccer around the world.
During the interview, ZDF reporters kept giving Xu the impression that they only wanted to report on grassroots women's soccer in China. Therefore, Xu, who was very willing to introduce China's grassroots women's soccer to the world, warmly welcomed the team of reporters to film interviews with the club's players, and he felt honored to represent China in the report.
However, when the program was officially broadcast on the official ZDF website, Xu was astonished to find that he had been deceived by the German media outlet, and felt as though he had been "used as a pawn."
The program broadcast by this German media outlet only used the interview with Xu's club and players as part of a larger project. The aired program contained a lot of politicized content, and used out-of-context quotes to smear China's women's rights issues, and by extension, attack China's epidemic prevention policies.
When viewed in its entirety, the report on Xu's women's soccer club does not seem to genuinely introduce China's women's soccer scene, but rather creates a "hell-like contrast" to suggest that the status of Chinese women is actually very low, Xu said.
Xu complained to the Global Times that he felt the complete program broadcast by the German media outlet looked "strange" and he couldn't understand whether they intended to report objectively or were set to deliberately vilify, because he felt that the portrayal of women's situation in Chinese society by this German media outlet was far from factual, and resembled the plight of women in far less developed countries.
Another reason why Xu feels he was deliberately misled is, before the program was aired, and upon request, Xu was shown a sample of the scheduled broadcast. However, after the complete program was aired, he found that the sample shown to him by the German media outlet was not the full version actually broadcast by the TV station. They also never informed Xu how the full version of the program would be edited and what other content would also be included.
Additionally, when the TV station first showed Xu the edited sample, he noticed that the Chinese map used by the TV station did not include the island of Taiwan and the South China Sea region, and there were also omissions in the Xizang Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Even after he raised this issue with the TV station, the final version still did not include the right map.
After the program was aired, Xu expressed his strong dissatisfaction at the actions of the German TV station, and protested against the map issue and the use of the club as a "pawn" in the program, demanding that the program be taken off the air. The person who initially contacted him from the TV station in China, however, passed the buck, arguing that this was a decision made by the German headquarters and that the China team could not decide on the matter.
Xu said that although this episode did not have a significant negative impact on him, the club, or the players who were interviewed, the irresponsible actions of this German media outlet have caused trouble for the club - especially for some of the players who appeared in the program, some of whom are university students, due to the misrepresentation of their opinions.
Xu's experience vividly illustrates an important reason why some Western media outlets are increasingly being rejected by the Chinese public: These media outlets do not respect their interview subjects, but instead deceive and exploit them to serve a predetermined narrative meant to demonize China.
No apology
Mr Luo is an economist from China. In July 2023, he was suddenly asked by a friend whether he had been interviewed by Bloomberg. This puzzled him because he had never been interviewed by the US-based media outlet. After a brief search, Luo found a Bloomberg article that had used a piece he had previously published on his WeChat account about the Chinese economy, in which Luo provided an analysis of the future of the Chinese economy. However, because they did not clarify that it was partly taken from the article, it gave the impression that Luo had been personally interviewed for the Bloomberg article.
But when Luo carefully examined the citation of his article by Bloomberg, he was surprised to find that Bloomberg had not accurately presented his views, but instead cherry-picked a few sentences that could easily be misinterpreted.
Luo believed that this would lead to his views being misunderstood and inadvertently mislead others, so he requested that Bloomberg correct the glaring errors. However, Bloomberg only added a note in the article stating that the views related to Luo were taken from his public WeChat account article and included a link, but did not address the accusation of using cherry-picked quotes made by Luo.
Frustrated, Luo engaged the services of a lawyer who sent a formal letter to Bloomberg's office in China and even went there in person to defend his rights, but he was turned away. In fact, a Bloomberg staffer, in a strongly-worded reply to the letter, stated that Bloomberg did not agree with Luo's accusation of selective quoting and therefore would not retract the article or issue an apology.
Bloomberg dismissed Luo's remonstrations despite giving the impression of respecting his views by quoting him, proving that Luo's opinions don't matter unless otherwise validated by the large media outlet.
Luo's situation is far from the only instance in which Bloomberg has stood accused of false reporting. On March 6, 2024, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government released a statement that strongly disapproved of and condemned Bloomberg's news headlines "HK says Telegram should be prohibited in Article 23 proposal," "HK says Signal should be prohibited in Article 23 proposal", and "HK Security Law Public Consultation Lists Facebook, YouTube Ban."
Those reports falsely reported that the HKSAR government would legislate to ban the operation of the mentioned platforms in Hong Kong, thereby generating misunderstanding and panic regarding the legislative proposals on Article 23 of the Basic Law, read the statement.
Freedom or discourse hegemony?
In October 2023, a Chinese woman surnamed Chen who had been living in Sweden for 20 years, was suddenly arrested by the Swedish security service in October and expelled by the government in Stockholm, after being accused of posing a national security threat, according to media reports.
The Global Times learned that Chen wrote several objective articles about China, especially regarding the situations in Xinjiang and Xizang, and organized some lectures to present the true situation in Xinjiang.
However, Chen's situation has become increasingly common in the recent past. From Canada to the US to Australia and other Western countries, media outlets constantly platform anti-China secessionists and widely publish distorted reports about China. Some Western media outlets even collaborate with their countries' intelligence agencies and other institutions in the private sector to weaken China's national security, analysts have pointed out.
What the FCCC really wants is not the freedom to report the news objectively, but the freedom to maintain this "distorted" discourse hegemony, experts warned.
Meanwhile, it is worth noting that trust in the media among Americans reached a historic low. According to a Gallup poll conducted in October 2023, only 32 percent of respondents expressed a high level of trust in the mass media. Another 29 percent indicated having "not very much" trust, while a record-high 39 percent stated they had "none at all."
Moreover, this situation is not unique to the US. A poll in November 2023 also showed that public trust in the mainstream news media in the UK ranked last among the 28 countries surveyed, with only 31 percent of UK respondents trusting the country's news media establishment.
Perhaps the FCCC should first consider the reasons behind this trend. They should think about why the citizens of their own countries are increasingly losing trust in them, experts warned.
Experts warned on Sunday that it is unrealistic that the Philippines wants Chinese companies to invest, but also provokes China at sea and hypes the China threat at a trilateral summit with the US and Japan, after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Saturday insisted that business deals that the Philippines secured at a summit with Japan and the US will not affect China's investments in the country.
On Thursday local time, the leaders of the US, Japan and the Philippines held their first trilateral meeting at the White House in Washington, DC. The Philippines sought to obtain at least $100 billion in investment from the US and Japan.
Despite Marcos emphasizing that the summit "is not directed against any country" and instead is focused on deepening economic and security relations between the Philippines, the US and Japan, the three countries still directly mentioned China in their joint statement, hyping issues in the South China Sea, East China Sea and Taiwan Straits, and exaggerating the so-called Chinese threat.
However, during a press conference on Saturday, when asked whether the agreements between the Philippines, the US and Japan would affect China's investments in the Philippines, Marcos said that business deals secured by the Philippines at the summit with Japan and the US would not affect China's investments in the Philippines.
Experts said that the Marcos government's shift toward the US is a "major mistake," and the change in foreign policy will have a negative impact on the Philippines-China relationship, leading to a decrease in Chinese investments in the Philippines.
"No Chinese [businessman] will invest now because I know for a fact that many Chinese who intend to invest have put it aside already because they fear that their investments might be confiscated given the hostile environment," Harry Roque, the former spokesperson for former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte, said to Al Jazeera.
It can be said that the Philippines has completely leaned toward the US in its foreign policy, placing itself under the US "Indo-Pacific Strategy" framework, Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday.
At the same time, based on the Philippines' own demands, there have been fundamental adjustments in its foreign policy, security strategy and maritime policy. The main aspects include taking more assertive actions at sea, increasing reliance on external forces to balance China, and daring to take more aggressive and tough actions at sea with the help of external forces, Chen said.
The Philippines wants Chinese companies to invest, but also wants to cooperate with the US in its containment of China, which is unrealistic, Chen noted.
The Philippines needs investment from Chinese companies, especially as the Marcos government is facing serious domestic issues such as food security, inflation, energy security, outdated infrastructure, the need for accelerated construction, and high unemployment rates, making Chinese investment very important, Chen said.
There are many signs in the Philippines indicating that Chinese companies have stopped or canceled their projects in the Philippines due to national sentiment and unfair treatment in policies, so Marcos' statement that it will not affect Chinese investment in the Philippines is empty words, the expert said.
However, whether economic support from the US and Japan will help Manila solve domestic economic pressures remains unknown, Chen warned.
Doctors from a Xi'an hospital performed xenotransplantation surgery on March 25, in which the kidney of a multi-gene-edited pig was transplanted into a brain-dead human. The kidney is still functioning well 13 days later, Beijing-based Science and Technology Daily reported on Monday.
Qin Weijun, head of urology at Xijing Hospital of the Air Force Medical University in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, told the newspaper that his surgical team transplanted the gene-edited pig kidney into the brain-dead recipient's body.
As of Sunday, the transplanted kidney had been functioning for 13 days, and was working well in the recipient's body, producing urine normally, Qin said.
According to Science and Technology Daily, this is another milestone breakthrough in the field of xenotransplantation for Qin's hospital, after it made the world's first xenogenetic liver transplantation from a multi-gene-edited pig into a brain-dead recipient.
The surgical plan was created and approved by various academic and ethics committees, and carried out strictly in accordance with relevant national regulations. The family of the patient gave consent for the research to contribute to medical advancement, according to media reports.
With the advancement of gene editing technology, pigs as donors have gradually emerged as one of the preferred candidates for human xenotransplantation due to their organ tissue structure, physiological function, and size being akin to human organs, coupled with their distant relation to humans, which can help evade rejection responses.
Editing genes of pig cells is a relatively mature technology, and pigs have strong reproductive capabilities and are easy to raise on a large scale. These factors make pigs the best choice for xenotransplantation donors under current technological conditions, Qin explained.
In recent years, with the in-depth development of gene editing technology and immunology, xenotransplantation research has dramatically progressed, and it may become an effective way to solve the organ shortage, Qin said.
Scientists said that the research represents a critical step toward the forefront of xenotransplantation in China, which will pave the way for clinical research and clinical application of xenotransplantation. It will also likely provide new options for patients with end-stage renal disease in the future.
Many key members of ASEAN have held frequent engagements with China to reinforce and further develop the friendly ties to focus on joint development recently, while the US is trying to use the Philippines to hype up frictions in the South China Sea to interrupt the regional security situation and damage China's relations with the regional countries. Experts said the mainstream of the region is still about peace and development as the vast majority of the ASEAN share consensus with China to build a community with a shared future, and the vicious attempt of foreign forces is doomed to fail.
At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste Bendito dos Santos Freitas will separately visit China from April 2 to 5 (Tuesday to Friday), the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.
Wang Wenbin, Foreign Ministry spokesperson, made the remarks at a routine press conference on Monday, and he said that Southeast Asian countries are China's friendly neighbors connected by both land and sea, and important partners for Belt and Road cooperation. These countries and China have taken the lead in building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Apart from upcoming major diplomatic events between China and relevant ASEAN members, Indonesia, the major power of the ASEAN, has already made key engagements with China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President-elect of the Republic of Indonesia and Great Indonesia Movement Party General Chairman Prabowo Subianto in Beijing on Monday. Chinese observers said that Prabowo's visit to China has attracted widespread attention, and his decision to visit China shortly after winning Indonesia's 2024 presidential election on March 20 carries great significance, as this visit is crucial not only for the development of bilateral relations for at least next five years, but also injects positivity and stability into the whole ASEAN region.
China and Malaysia are planning to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2024, with observers expecting that the two countries will have a series of major diplomatic activities to further promote the ties of win-win cooperation based on high-level mutual trust and shared interests.
Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the frequent engagements between China and so many key ASEAN members prove that China and the regional countries have strong foundation and consensus for cooperation, with China successfully inheriting the tradition of friendship to jointly build a community with a shared future with these partners.
"For instance, we are ideologically close with countries like Vietnam and Laos, and we also share similar political systems and strategic visions that could bring mutual benefits," Xu said.
Wang said on Monday that "Under the strategic guidance of heads-of-state diplomacy, the relations between China and Laos, Vietnam and Timor-Leste have entered a new era with higher quality and at a higher level. China and Laos are making active effort to deliver on the new action plan on building a community with a shared future. China and Vietnam are jointly building a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. China and Timor-Leste are working to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership."
China hopes that through the visits, we will further work with the three countries to follow through the guidance of the important common understandings between General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and leaders of the three Southeast Asian countries, build the China-Laos and China-Vietnam community with a shared future, achieve more deliverables under the new characterization of China-Timor-Leste relations, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and work for more practical results in the bilateral relations, Wang said.
China stands ready to work with Southeast Asian countries and other neighbors to leverage the opportunity of the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence this year to enhance solidarity and cooperation, safeguard peace and tranquility and provide more positive energy and stability to the region and the wider world, Wang noted.
Some of these ASEAN countries who are making efforts to promote ties with China also have sovereignty disputes with China, but they have all pragmatically and wisely managed relevant issues with China by diplomacy, and even realize joint development in relevant areas. All of these show a very different image compared to the Philippines that is being used by the US to confront China on the issue of South China Sea, experts said.
"The peace and development are the mainstream of the region, and the decoupling and bloc confrontation are unacceptable for the region. And what the US can do to use the Philippines to interrupt the regional security situation and the China-ASEAN ties is very pointless and doomed to fail. We have confidence to safeguard the peace and stability and promote development in this region with our ASEAN partners with wisdom," said Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University.
