The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Tuesday released images of Earth and the moon captured by the country's Tianwen-2 asteroid probe. So far, the probe has been operating smoothly in orbit for more than 33 days and is more than 12 million kilometers from Earth, Global Times learned from the CNSA.

The administration said in a press release it provided to the Global Times that recently, the narrow-field navigation sensor onboard the Tianwen-2 probe captured images of the Earth and the moon, demonstrating excellent functional performance.

The released images include a photograph of Earth taken from approximately 590,000 kilometers away and a photograph of the moon taken at the same distance. These images were processed by researchers after being transmitted back to Earth.

The click of earth was taken by 1 pm on May 30 while the probe was 590,000 kilometers away from Earth while the moon image was captured 3 pm on the same day, per the CNSA.

The image of Earth and moon and their successful transmission back to the ground proved high reliability and stability of the probe's imaging system and the information link for the country's latest deep space exploration endeavor, Pang Zhihao, a senior space expert worked for decades at the China Academy of Space Technology, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

On June 6, the CNSA released an image captured by the probe showing the deployment of its circular solar panels, which is designed to meet the power supply requirements for exploring main belt comets located approximately 375 million kilometers from the Sun.

The Tianwen-2 probe, China's first asteroid sampling and return mission, was launched aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on May 29 early morning. The mission aims to accomplish objectives over a decade-long expedition: collecting samples from near-Earth asteroid 2016HO3 and exploring main-belt comet 311P, which is farther from Earth than Mars.

Han Siyuan, Deputy Director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center at the CNSA and spokesperson for the Tianwen-2 mission, revealed to the Global Times that the Tianwen-2 project team has also developed innovative approaches for small celestial body sampling. They have designed three sampling methods. In addition to the "touch-and-go" method, the mission will also attempt hovering sampling and attachment sampling.

According to the mission planners, after sampling the asteroid, the probe's return capsule is expected to deliver the samples back to Earth around 2027, and then the probe will continue its journey to explore the comet in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter around 2034.

The Tianwen missions are a series of robotic interstellar exploration launched by the CNSA to explore the solar system. The name comes from the long poem "Tianwen," meaning Heavenly Questions or Questions to Heaven, written by Qu Yuan (around 340-278 BC) one of ancient China's most esteemed poets.

China has previously launched the Tianwen-1 Mars probe mission on July 23, 2020, and achieved all designated objectives including orbiting, landing, and deploying a rover to survey the Martian surface in a single mission.

Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on Wednesday that no matter how the situation changes, Belgium is willing to remain a friend of China and will continue to deepen cooperation with China with a positive and constructive attitude.

Prevot made the remarks during his talks with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, stressing that China is the most important trading partner of Belgium and the high-quality development of bilateral ties has yielded fruitful outcomes.

For his part, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China and Belgium have maintained a relationship of mutual respect and trust, and established an all-round partnership of friendly cooperation, which serves as a pillar of stability in the China-EU relations.

Under the current circumstances, it is all the more important for China and the EU to strengthen face-to-face exchanges, enhance mutual trust, and dispel misunderstandings, Wang noted.

He expressed the hope that the new Belgian government will continue to build bridges of dialogue, understanding, and cooperation between China and the EU.

In addition, Wang said China is accelerating the development of a new pattern of high-level opening-up, with lower market access thresholds and more measures to facilitate personnel exchanges between China and Belgium.

Highlighting the fact that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, Wang noted that China supports the European integration and hopes that the EU will view China's development and revitalization in a positive and friendly way, and pursue a rational and pragmatic policy toward China.

In the face of a changing and turbulent international landscape, China looks forward to enhancing strategic communication and collaboration with the EU to jointly uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, safeguard the international free trade system, and defend international fairness and justice.

In their talks, Prevot also expressed appreciation for China's visa-free policy for Belgian citizens and voiced hope for strengthening cultural and people-to-people exchanges with China.

Prevot reaffirmed Belgium's adherence to the one-China policy, stressing that Taiwan is part of China.

On EU-China ties, Prevot emphasized that amid the current complex and tense geopolitical situation, both the EU and China uphold multilateralism and safeguard international law, expressing the hope that the two sides will take the next EU-China leaders' meeting as an opportunity to enhance communication and cooperation to jointly address challenges.

The two leaders also exchanged views on hotspot issues of common concern.

China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Geng Shuang delivered a speech at the 35th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in which he criticized the US as an opportunist exploiting UNCLOS rules and a disruptor of the international maritime order, according to a statement on the website of Permanent Mission of China to the UN. 

While the international community is jointly promoting multilateralism and working to strengthen global ocean governance, certain countries are going against the tide by pursuing unilateral hegemony and standing in opposition to international cooperation and fairness, Geng noted. "That country," he said, "is the US."

The US is an opportunist abusing the rules of UNCLOS, Geng said. Despite never joining the Convention, the US frequently invokes its provisions, pointing fingers at other countries' compliance and claiming rights such as exclusive economic zones and continental shelves beyond 200 nautical miles based on the Convention. 

In essence, the US seeks to enjoy the institutional benefits of UNCLOS without assuming its responsibilities, he said. 

The US is a disruptor of international maritime order, Geng continued. According to UNCLOS, the international seabed and its resources are the common heritage of humankind. Yet the US disregards collective international efforts within the framework of the International Seabed Authority and proceeds with unilateral development.

While the laying of undersea cables is one of the six freedoms of the high seas under UNCLOS, the US politicizes the issue, launching an exclusive joint statement on undersea cables and attempting to form small cliques centered on itself. Moreover, it has threatened the normal operation of critical international waterways such as the Panama and Suez canals in an attempt to control strategic sea lanes, Geng said. 

The US is absent from global ocean governance, Geng noted. The US openly opposes the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its ocean-related goals. It has shown a negative attitude toward the political declaration of the UN Ocean Conference and failed to send an official delegation to the Nice Ocean Summit, Geng said. 

Although it signed the agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), it refuses to participate in the preparatory committee's work and has taken a negative, regressive stance toward the accord, the Chinese envoy said. 

The US is a destabilizing force in the South China Sea, Geng said. Although located far from the region, the US misinterprets UNCLOS and frequently dispatches warships to the South China Sea under the pretext of "freedom of navigation," infringing on other countries' sovereignty and security. 

It ignores the overall stability of the South China Sea achieved through joint efforts by China and ASEAN countries, instead sowing discord and undermining mutual trust, interfering in regional efforts to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation, he said. 

Geng noted that the world sees clearly the US' utilitarian attitude toward UNCLOS and its hegemonic behavior in maritime affairs. China urges the US to seriously reflect and correct its conduct, and to play a constructive role in strengthening global ocean governance.

As a party to UNCLOS, China consistently upholds the spirit of the Convention, fulfills its obligations, and firmly defends the Convention's integrity, effectiveness, and authority, Geng said. China opposes violations, selective application, or abuse of the Convention's dispute settlement mechanisms.

He called on all countries to uphold multilateralism, implement sustainable development goals, safeguard international law including UNCLOS, and work together to build a maritime community with a shared future.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announces:

At the invitation of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU Kaja Kallas, Federal Foreign Minister of Germany Johann Wadephul and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Noël Barrot, from June 30 to July 6, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will visit the EU Headquarters and hold the 13th round of China-EU High-level Strategic Dialogue, visit Germany and hold the eighth round of China-Germany Strategic Dialogue on Diplomacy and Security, and visit France for talks with the French Foreign Minister and the meeting of the China-France high-level dialogue mechanism on people-to-people exchanges. While in Brussels, Wang Yi will meet and have talks with Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot respectively.

Xia Baolong, head of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, attended and delivered a speech at a forum marking the fifth anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the Hong Kong national security law at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, according to the work office's official WeChat account.

Xia stated that on June 30, 2020, President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order to promulgate the law. Since then, the era of Hong Kong being "undefended" in terms of national security has come to an end, ushering in a new chapter in the practice of "One Country, Two Systems."

Over the past five years, Xia said, the law has proven to be a "guardian" of "One Country, Two Systems" and a safeguard for Hong Kong's prosperity and stability - a good law with profound historical and practical significance. The original intention behind enacting the law was to safeguard national security and uphold "One Country, Two Systems," serving the interests of Hong Kong and its people. The law's enactment marked a turning for Hong Kong, restoring order, with the phrase "one law stabilizes Hong Kong" reflecting its sweeping and transformative impact.

Xia emphasized that it is evident Hong Kong has bid farewell to turbulence and returned to stability and order. The executive-led governance system is functioning smoothly with renewed momentum. The SAR has made historic progress by completing legislation on Article 23 of the Basic Law, continuously improving the legal system for safeguarding national security. Patriotic forces who love both the country and Hong Kong are now rightfully emboldened, positive social values are being fully demonstrated, and Hong Kong's business environment is improving, attracting investors from around the world, the senior official said.

Xia stated that the law has upheld and improved the institutional framework of "One Country, Two Systems," effectively implementing the Central Government's overall jurisdiction and the high degree of autonomy of the SAR. It has powerfully safeguarded the constitutional order of the HKSAR as established by the Constitution and the Basic Law, representing a significant milestone in the SAR's governance.

This law spans both common law and civil law systems, and incorporates elements of substantive law, procedural law, and organizational law. It respects Hong Kong's common law tradition while providing valuable references for mutual learning and joint development among different legal systems. It has set a new model for national security globally, gaining wide recognition both within Hong Kong and internationally, Xia added.

The Hong Kong national security law is a good law that safeguards national sovereignty, security, and development interests, ensuring Hong Kong's long-term prosperity, and protecting the well-being of Hong Kong residents and the interests of foreign investors, he said.

Xia emphasized that the situation facing Hong Kong in maintaining national security remains complex and severe. It is essential to firmly grasp the practical requirements of safeguarding national security under "One Country, Two Systems" and to preserve and strengthen the hard-won favorable conditions in Hong Kong. It is imperative to fully and accurately implement the "One Country, Two Systems" policy with unwavering determination, guided by a holistic approach to national security, in order to provide strong security guarantees for Hong Kong's better development, he noted. 

Safeguarding national security must be embedded throughout the entire process of implementing "One Country, Two Systems." It is essential to ensure that the governance of the Special Administrative Region is firmly in the hands of patriots. We must steadfastly uphold both security and development, effectively safeguard the human rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents, and maintain Hong Kong's unique status and advantages, Xia said. 

Xia outlined four strategic directions to ensure Hong Kong's high-quality development under the framework of "One Country, Two Systems." He called for enhancing security to support development by adopting a holistic national security approach, paying close attention to both traditional and non-traditional risks such as trade suppression, financial instability, disinformation, and protection of overseas interests. 

Xia also stressed on leveraging Hong Kong's unique role in internal and external connectivity and utilizing openness to promote high-quality development. With strong central government support, Hong Kong should deepen its integration into national strategies, strengthen its role as a global hub for trade and talent, and maintain an open, business-friendly environment to attract international investment.

Utilizing Hong Kong's strength in the rule of law to safeguard high-quality development is also emphasized by Xia, who urged to build on Hong Kong's world-renowned legal system by enhancing legal education on national security and reforming judicial institutions to support its status as an international center for finance, shipping, and trade.

Xia further called for upholding Hong Kong's executive-led system to improve governance and advance reform-driven development. The SAR government must play a leading role in governance by embracing innovation, strengthening administrative efficiency, and tackling deep-rooted social and economic issues. Society should unite in supporting reform and development to realize economic transformation and sustainable growth.

Xia concluded by saying that the enactment and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law is a major event in the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" and has already made its mark in history. Looking to the future, this law—embodying the collective will of the entire Chinese people, including compatriots in Hong Kong—will surely safeguard the steady and far-reaching journey of "One Country, Two Systems," enabling Hong Kong to achieve new and greater accomplishments in the grand endeavor of building a strong nation and realizing national rejuvenation.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's Nansha Garrison recently deployed two dedicated replenishment ships to collaborate with helicopters in recent multi-course training sessions in the South China Sea, aiming to boost the troops' comprehensive combat capabilities. An expert on Monday highlighted the vessels' importance in safeguarding Chinese islands and reefs.

The Luguhu and the Fuxianhu, both affiliated with a detachment under the Nansha Garrison, recently formed a vessel formation and conducted round-the-clock multi-course training exercises at an undisclosed region in the South China Sea, according to a WeChat release from the PLA South Sea Fleet on Monday.

Focusing on fields such as formation navigation, joint maritime search and rescue, as well as shipborne helicopter takeoff and landing at nighttime, the training sessions were designed to be strict, challenging and combat-oriented, the PLA South Sea Fleet said, noting that that the training honed the troops' comprehensive combat capabilities in realistic scenarios and concrete practices.

Photos released by the PLA South Sea Fleet show that during one of the training sessions, the Luguhu released fast boats carrying troops armed with Type 95 assault rifles. In an apparent search and rescue training session, a small boat released by the Fuxianhu moved forward to a position close to an airborne Z-9 multirole helicopter. Another training session saw a Z-8 transport helicopter landing on one of the ships at nighttime under dim light.

According to official media reports, the Luguhu and the Fuxianhu are comprehensive replenishment ships built specifically for the Nansha Garrison to complete tasks such as troop rotation and goods supply.

Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Monday that these ships can release small boats to transport troops and supplies to islands and reefs of Nansha Qundao. He noted that waters could be too shallow for large vessels to approach some islands and reefs, so the Luguhu and the Fuxianhu are designed to carry small boats. Another dedicated design is the helicopter deck that enables vertical transport. Supplies can also be delivered to other vessels that operate around Nansha Qundao.

These dedicated replenishment vessels play significant roles in the safeguarding of Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea, as they can provide sufficient goods that the garrison troops need in a single replenishment mission, Zhang said.

The recent training can boost the ships' capabilities in carrying out their missions, Zhang said, highlighting that the search and rescue part of the training could be helpful not only in wartime, but also in peacetime.

China on Thursday enforced new rules that require those handling the personal information of more than 10 million people to conduct regular compliance audits, as part of a broader effort to tighten data privacy and security.

Under the regulations issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), such entities must complete audits at least once every two years to examine how they collect, store and use personal information.

The rules also grant regulators the authority to mandate professional audits for entities deemed to pose significant data risks.

The regulations bar an auditor from reviewing the same company more than three consecutive times, a move experts said is aimed at curbing audit manipulation.

A CAC source said the regulations were introduced in response to growing tensions between the widespread collection of personal data and the public's increasing demand for privacy protection.

The new rules represent the implementation of the compliance audit system outlined in China's Personal Information Protection Law.

Data audits are no longer a formality; they've become a genuine "health check" for companies handling data, according to experts from the China University of Political Science and Law.

The new rules, released in February, include a detailed audit guide outlining key areas for company review. These include obtaining user consent, encrypting sensitive data, and managing third-party data transfers.

Authorities have launched a joint crackdown on data abuse in high-use consumer tech sectors, including mobile applications, smart devices, and facial recognition systems.

Experts believe 2025 could mark a turning point for China's data governance. As audits become routine and legal precedents take shape, companies are expected to shift from basic compliance toward leveraging data protection as a competitive edge.

In the evolving internet industry landscape, companies that turn strong privacy safeguards into brand value are likely to outpace those that don't, according to an analyst.

The US, Japan and Philippines will hold their first-ever joint maritime exercise near Japanese waters in June, Japanese media outlet Asahi Shimbun reported Tuesday, citing the US Coast Guard Pacific Area Commander, who claimed the need to "counter China's actions" around Okinawa, the Diaoyu Islands and the East and South China seas. 

A Chinese analyst said that such coast guard exercises are merely another chapter in Washington's playbook for bloc confrontation, and would only have negligible impact on China's normal and lawful activities in the relevant waters. 

Claiming the need to counter the so-called "China's repeated coercive actions" around the Diaoyu Islands, and the East and South China seas, Vice Admiral Andrew J. Tiongson, US Coast Guard Pacific Area Commander, told the Asahi Shimbun that, "We aim to establish a unified coast guard front against unlawful activities."

According to the report, the drill will involve the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), the US Coast Guard, and the Philippine Coast Guard off the coast of Kagoshima. "We will deploy our vessels and conduct search-and-rescue training," he explained. Later in the summer, a multinational exercise is planned near Hawaii, involving not only the US and Japan but also South Korea and Canada. The move aims to strengthen multinational coordination among civilian maritime agencies—such as Japan's JCG—to prevent military conflicts, given their "non-military status," Asahi Shimbun reported in another article published on Friday.

Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the trilateral exercises deliberately involve coast guards, rather than naval forces, reflecting a "gray zone" strategy -- to avoid overt military escalation that could provoke China.

"Such rhetoric which emphasized the non-military exercise is merely a diplomatic ploy to downplay the possibility of conflict and distance the activities from overt military posturing…," Da said.

In response to hypes by Asahi Shimbun of China Coast Guard activities in waters near Diaoyu Islands, East and South China seas, the expert pointed out that holding the drills near Japanese waters for the first time could send symbolic messages -- To Japan, it attempts to bolster defense preparedness near the East China Sea; to the Philippines, it could reinforce US-Japan support for Manila in South China Sea disputes.

The trilateral coast guard drills exposed that the US is attempting to expand to "multi-domain containment," using lower-sensitivity cooperation to sustain regional influence, Da said, noting such exclusive and confrontational cooperation would only undermine regional stability.

However, the expert dismissed such attempts to forge exclusive blocs as utterly futile, stressing that these exercises would have negligible impact on China's normal and lawful activities in the relevant waters.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi held an informal meeting in Beijing on Wednesday. The foreign ministers spoke highly of the outcomes of the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral dialogue, and engaged in in-depth discussions on further tapping the potential of the trilateral mechanism and advancing mutually beneficial cooperation, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, summarized seven key points from the meeting, including an agreement
on convening the sixth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Dialogue in Kabul at an early date. On deepening Belt and Road cooperation, the ministers agreed to promote the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor into Afghanistan and enhance regional connectivity infrastructure development.

Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, noted that the meeting was built upon earlier discussions on extending the CPEC northward into Afghanistan, signaling a renewed commitment to regional connectivity and development. 

The CPEC, as a major cooperation project, will greatly contribute to the country's socioeconomic development, but it still faces risks such as the threat of terrorism. Eliminating these threats has become an urgent issue for Pakistan. China also hopes to provide support and help create a stable and favorable environment for the development of the CPEC, Liu Zongyi, director of the Center for South Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times in a previous interview. 

The three countries agreed on opposing terrorism in all forms, carrying out law enforcement and security cooperation, combating terrorist forces of respective concern, and remaining vigilant against external interference in regional countries' internal affairs, according to Wang.

The foreign ministers called for efforts to safeguard regional peace and stability in order to create an external environment conducive to the three countries' development.

"The meeting's outcomes clearly demonstrate that the three foreign ministers have reached a consensus and coordinated their positions on counterterrorism, which is of strategic significance for advancing regional security cooperation," Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Zhu further noted that the statement addressed all core issues. In the current complex regional context, the very convening of the trilateral meeting is significant. 

Summarizing the outcomes of the meeting, Wang said the foreign ministers agreed that the three countries should enhance political mutual trust and uphold friendly relations among neighbors.

China supports Afghanistan and Pakistan in pursuing development paths suitable to their national conditions and defending their sovereignty, security and dignity, Wang said.

Afghanistan and Pakistan expressed willingness to elevate bilateral diplomatic relations, with both sides agreeing in principle to exchange ambassadors expeditiously. China welcomes this progress and stands ready to continue facilitating improvements in Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, Wang said.

"The revival of the trilateral mechanism—after a suspension of more than a year and amid previously strained ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan—demonstrates China's constructive role in fostering regional dialogue and helping to normalize Afghanistan-Pakistan relations," Qian said. 

Zhu also noted that the mechanism of such foreign ministers' informal meeting not only provides a platform for Afghanistan and Pakistan to manage disputes through dialogue, but also promotes cooperation in key areas such as counterterrorism, border security and economic development. From a broader perspective, it contributes to regional stability and helps prevent the spillover of terrorism.

Earlier on Wednesday, Wang Yi met with Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Muttaqi. During the meeting, Wang noted that China respects Afghanistan's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, respects the Afghan people's independent choices, their religious beliefs and ethnic culture, and supports their just struggle against foreign aggression. 

China has never interfered in Afghanistan's internal affairs, has never sought to stir up conflicts or pursue selfish interests there, and has never aimed to establish so-called spheres of influence. After the establishment of the current Afghan government, China was among the first to exchange new ambassadors with Afghanistan, demonstrating the Chinese people's friendly sentiments toward the Afghan people, said Wang.

Zhu said that the meeting's outcomes emphasized vigilance against external interference in internal affairs. "This reflects the shared position of the three countries and is in line with the direction of China's foreign policy," he added.

Liu Jinsong, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, met with Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime A. FlorCruz on Tuesday to lodge a stern representation over a series of recent negative actions by the Philippine side concerning Taiwan-related issues and regional security.

On the same day, when asked to comment on the claims by Philippine Navy spokesperson Roy Vincent Trinidad that the Philippine military and the Taiwan region are discussing the so-called "international cooperation," and are now just one step away from joint exercises, the spokesperson of Chinese Embassy in Philippines said China firmly opposes any form of official contacts between countries that have established diplomatic relations with China with the Taiwan region.

Taiwan is a province of China and an inalienable part of China's territory. The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests. The one-China principle is the general consensus of the international community and the political foundation of China-Philippines relations, the embassy said in a statement on Tuesday. 

"We urge the Philippine side to abide by the one-China principle, stop any form of official contacts with the Taiwan authorities and stop sending wrong signals to the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces," the spokesperson said. 

"We advise the relevant people on the Philippine side to refrain from provocations on the Taiwan question, as those playing with fire will get burnt," the spokesperson added.