Taking Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's China visit as an opportunity, the two countries expressed their willingness to strengthen multilateral coordination, oppose division and confrontation, as well as decoupling and disconnection, and work together to address global challenges, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson revealed on Wednesday at a press conference.
Meloni has just concluded her five-day visit to China from Saturday to Wednesday. The trip marks Meloni's first visit to China since she took office. She is the first European leader to visit China after the third plenum.
As this year marks the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo's death, both sides will deepen cultural, educational, tourism, and sports exchanges and cooperation, making the friendship between the two countries more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian introduced at Wednesday press briefing.
Both sides support the deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Europe, support resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, and support avoiding the escalation of economic and trade frictions. Both sides are willing to strengthen multilateral coordination, oppose division and confrontation, oppose decoupling and disconnection, and work together to address global challenges, according to Lin.
During her time in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Meloni, while Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Zhao Leji held separate talks and meetings with the Italian leader, Lin stated.
Noting this trip coincided with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Italy, Lin said the two countries issued a 2024-2027 action plan on strengthening their comprehensive strategic partnership, emphasizing their willingness to uphold the Silk Road spirit, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, promote cultural exchanges, and elevate bilateral relations to a higher level, making greater contributions to world peace, stability, and prosperity.
During the visit, Li and Meloni jointly attended the opening ceremony of the seventh meeting of the China-Italy entrepreneurs committee and witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation agreements covering industry, education, environmental protection, geographical indications, food safety, and more. Meloni also visited Shanghai, according to the Chinese spokesperson.
During the meetings and talks, the leaders of both countries exchanged in-depth views on China-Italy, China-Europe relations, and the international situation. Both sides agreed that friendly exchanges between China and Italy have deep historical roots and have made significant contributions to the exchange and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations. They pledged to inherit and promote the friendly traditions, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, strengthen political mutual trust, and jointly build a more resilient and mature bilateral relationship, Lin stated.
The Italian side reiterated its adherence to the one-China principle. Both sides agreed to make good use of the China-Italy government committee and various dialogue platforms to enhance practical cooperation in trade and investment, industrial manufacturing, technological innovation, green energy, artificial intelligence, and other fields, Lin told the press.
With the lighting of the Olympic flame in Paris on Friday night, the world has officially entered Olympic time. At this very moment, the Chinese delegation has been fully prepared for this grand event.
Chinese athletes are intensively preparing in various locations, from the athletics track to the swimming pool, from the gymnastics hall to the shooting range, with each training venue brimming with the sweat of their hard work.
Table tennis, China's national sport, carries some of the highest expectations of Chinese spectators. This time, veteran Ma Long will serve as the flag bearer for the Chinese delegation at the Olympics. Ma, also the men's team captain, said that this role has given him great confidence and encouragement.
"Over the years, our predecessors have laid a solid foundation through their efforts, and now the baton has been passed to our generation. I hope to continue this legacy and tell the story of the spirit of Chinese table tennis and the spirit of Chinese sports at the Paris Olympics," Ma told media, according to a report by the Beijing Youth Daily on Thursday.
Ma is aiming for his sixth Olympic gold medal in Paris.
Another highly anticipated team is China's diving team, known as the "Dream Team." On July 21, the Chinese diving team arrived at the Paris Olympic Village. Just a few hours later, the entire team completed their first training session at the aquatic sports center, making their final push.
Chinese gymnastics team departed from Beijing on July 18, starting their journey to the Paris Olympics. In Tokyo three years ago, the Chinese gymnastics team won three individual event gold medals. This time, they aim to defend their titles in their strong events while seeking breakthroughs in team events in Paris.
To better acclimatize for training, the Chinese swimming team arrived in Paris on July 6. The team consists of 31 athletes, including 18 female and 13 male swimmers, featuring Olympic champions such as Zhang Yufei and Ye Shiwen.
The total size of the Chinese sports delegation for the Paris Olympics is 716, including 405 athletes (136 men and 269 women) and 311 officials and support staff. The athletes' average age is 25, with the oldest being 37-year-old race walker Liu Hong and the youngest being 11-year-old skateboarder Zheng Haohui. The delegation includes 42 Olympic champions, and 223 athletes are making their Olympic debut.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook has arrived in Shanghai, to preside the launch of a new flagship Apple store in downtown Shanghai on Thursday, local media reported. He last visited China in October 2023.
Observers said that Cook was in Shanghai to inaugurate the new Apple store and attend a series of activities to boost Apple's business in China.
According to Cook's post on Chinese social media account Sina Weibo, he spent Wednesday morning walking the Bund with Chinese movie star Zheng Kai, and had a classic Shanghai breakfast. On Tuesday, he also posted, offering his congratulation to the opening of the new store at Shanghai's Jing'an district.
Sina Weibo user named "Keneng Youdian Xie" commented that Cook might be the most frequent visiting US CEO to China. Other netizens said they were looking forward to meeting Cook at the opening of the new Shanghai store.
Apple Jing'an store is the highest-standard Apple store in the Chinese mainland. According to media reports, the store covers an area of 3,835 square meters, with a total investment of 83.4 million yuan ($11.61 million). Only the Apple store on New York City's Fifth Avenue costs more.
Apple is expected to bring high-quality devices and services to Chinese consumers, as the company faces increasingly fierce competition from a slew of Chinese local brands, industry insiders said.
Apple iPhones have struggled in the Chinese mainland market over the first six weeks this year, with sales plunging by 24 percent year-on-year, a report by market research organization Counterpoint Research said on March 5, noting that the US tech giant's market share has been squeezed by aggressive pricing from OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi.
Experts said that Apple's move is understandable since China remains its second largest market after the US, underscoring the company's confidence in exploring the massive Chinese market, while adding that Apple needs to ramp up investment in research and development to make new technological breakthroughs and regain lost market share in one of the world's most important markets.
China will strive to modernize the industrial system and develop new quality productive forces at a faster pace, according to the Government Work Report submitted to the second session of the 14th National People's Congress on Tuesday, as part of the major tasks for the economic and social development of the world second largest economy in 2024.
The report listed several tasks, including industry and supply chain improvement and upgrading, and the cultivation of emerging sectors and future-oriented industries such as hydrogen power and new materials. Innovative development of the digital economy will be promoted, with an AI-Plus initiative to be launched, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Experts said that the moves showed the determination of the Chinese government in deepening reform and further opening-up while achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, which is the core for the nation's development of new quality productive forces.
Technological innovation will maintain the competitiveness of China's industry and supply chains, particularly in high-end and booming industries such as new energy and the digital sector, while making breakthroughs in some key areas like manufacturing of advanced chips amid the technology crackdown by the US, experts said.
The Chinese government will vigorously advance new industrialization, make more breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, promote coordination between innovation chains and industry chains, and drive forward industrial innovation through technological innovation, according to a report submitted by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the top economic planner, on Tuesday to the national legislature for deliberation.
New growth drivers and new strengths will be fostered and expanded to keep raising productivity, the NDRC's report said.
In order to do that, a score of major tasks need to be conducted. Among these are improving the nation's capacity for scientific and technological innovation; accelerating the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries; fostering emerging and future industries; promoting the further integration of the digital and real economies; spurring the development of modern services, and speeding up the building of a modern infrastructure system, according to the NDRC's report.
As part of this effort, the central government has pledged to allocate 370.8 billion yuan ($51.51 billion) for science and technology in 2024, an increase of 10 percent, with a focus on basic research, applied basic research, and national strategic tasks in science and technology, it says in a separate report on budgets submitted by the Ministry of Finance.
The government reports also reviewed key achievements made in 2023, which have provided a solid foundation to facilitate development of new quality productive forces.
In 2023, the government vigorously pursued innovation-driven development, and China's self-reliance and strength in science and technology improved markedly, the NDRC's report said.
Spending on research and development (R&D) reached 3.32782trillion yuan, an increase of 8.1 percent, accounting for 2.64 percent of China's GDP, the NDRC's report said.
Experts said that the government reports submitted on Tuesday demonstrates the government's commitment and determination to achieve high-quality development, while the promotion of scientific and technological innovation serves as a crucial means to achieve this goal.
As China enters a new stage of development, attention is increasingly focused on new quality productive forces that can support high-quality growth, which is reflected in the government reports today, Zhou Hongchun, a professor with the Development Research Center of the State Council, the cabinet, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
China is undergoing industrial transformation, which fundamentally involves shifting from traditional production factors to new drivers, the expert said.
Explaining this trend, Zhou said that previously, the economy mainly relied on real estate and infrastructure. But now, as major projects are completed nationwide, urban development hinges on heightened productivity and efficiency, underscoring the crucial role of technology innovation.
In recent years, developed countries led by the US have increasingly sought to constrain China's development in technology, highlighted by high-end chips.
In the face of the intensified US moves, China's technological innovation needs to be primarily self-reliant in order to ensure that its industry and supply chains remain globally competitive while curbing disruption by the US, Ma Jihua, a veteran telecom observer, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
In recent years, China has made significant investments in technology, which is reflected by the rising numbers of high-tech talent, contracts and patents in the field. In 2023, there were 950,000 technology contracts signed, with a transaction volume reaching 6.15 trillion yuan, marking a 28.6 percent increase year-on-year, Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun said on Tuesday.
Moreover, the number of authorized invention patents reached 921,000, a rise of 15.3 percent year-on-year.
China's advances in the new-energy vehicle sector provide a good example of productivity in high-quality sectors. With more government support and active business participation in the innovation and application of advanced technologies, the nation's industry will rise to a higher level, boosting the development of new quality productive forces, Ma said.
Aiming to find paths for the sustainable development of ancient walls and castle legacies around the world, an international conference was recently held in Xi'an, in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
The event was named the "2023 International Ancient Walls and Castles Alliance Conference." This year's agenda focused on the protection and sustainable development of ancient walls, aiming to share the latest conservation efforts addressing this subject worldwide.
Xiang Xinshuang, a cultural heritage expert, told the Global Times that the conservation of ancient architectures is a "global issue," particularly crucial for countries with long historical civilizations like Italy and China.
Apart from China, the 2023 event involved countries such as the UK, Italy, and Malaysia. A total of 13 representatives from these countries also participated in the event to showcase their unique development methods for the preservation of immovable cultural heritage.
Architect and urban planner Yuan Han told the Global Times that, regarding construction materials or structures, Chinese ancient architectural legacies are "significantly different from European ones." However, there is one principle agreed upon by all these time-honored countries, which is to "preserve their original and authentic essence."
"Protecting an ancient castle always entails a process of painstakingly restoring the architecture, bit by bit. To many architects, the value of an ancient building lies not in its aesthetics, but in its structure and configuration," Yuan explained.
Starting the conversation with the "difference" in China and the West's approaches, the 2023 international conference also intrigued global experts to share the contextual cultural and social values of their historical architectures.
Yuan informed the Global Times that in recent years, China has endeavored to emphasize the cultural significance of historical sites. This goal has been achieved through various programs like the "national-level famous historical and cultural cities" initiative.
By 2023, the program had designated 142 cities of historical importance. Some of these cities were once major capital sites of ancient dynasties, while others were significant economic capitals.
"The list was designed to conserve the cultural values of ancient buildings. It bodes well for their sustainable development. New opportunities like cultural tourism and international collaborations are all part of such sustainable development," Yuan remarked.
Wang Zhewen, an official with the Xi'an city wall management committee, stated that the conference is expected to promote mutual learning among those working to protect ancient walls and castles worldwide, ultimately expanding their global influence.
During the event, the 2023 International Ancient Walls and Castles Alliance launched an initiative to strengthen the conservation, heritage, and use of ancient city walls (castles). The initiative calls on members to work together towards goals such as upholding inclusiveness and coexistence, promoting exchanges and mutual learning, while also adhering to the principle of sharing resources and promoting common development.
This marks the first offline meeting held by the International Ancient Walls and Castles Alliance since its establishment in December 2020.
The 15th BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 22 to 24, has garnered substantial international attention. This summit holds significant importance in prompting discussions on various fronts. Within the BRICS framework, what role does China play? How do African people view the cooperation between China and Africa? Global Times reporters Xie Wenting and Zhao Juecheng (GT) in Johannesburg interviewed David Monyae (Monyae), director of the Center for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg, to delve into these crucial matters. GT: As the 15th BRICS Summit approaches, what are your expectations for the summit?
Monyae: The BRICS Summit in Johannesburg is going to be a major shift from a number of previous BRICS summits. Unlike previous BRICS summits, more countries said they are willing to join the organization. This is indeed a turning point. The discussions that we are looking forward to are the creation of a modality and criteria of how to join and who joins.
There is also the issue of unhappiness with the US dollar and how it is being used as a weapon. And the question of de-dollarization is going to be a central key on the agenda. However, I don't think that there will be a BRICS common currency. What I'm expecting to come out is BRICS countries trading with each other using their own local currencies. I think the other massive blow to the US dollar will come in the form of digital currencies.
Additionally, I think we should look into the communication issues of finding a better way for people-to-people exchanges among African countries. These are the issues that are critical for South Africa, critical for my own continent, Africa, and the Global South as a whole.
GT: How would you assess China's role within the BRICS?
Monyae: China is indeed a major BRICS member, major in the sense of the size of its economy which is massive and the second largest in the world. China has been making lots of breakthroughs in technology and in its infrastructure development. I think China has more to offer to fellow BRICS countries, and it is playing a critical role at this juncture. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), as well as the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) are getting more and more support in the Global South. It is in line with the thinking within the developing world to transform the United Nations and its agencies, ensuring that you work on security, development, and civilization simultaneously to achieve long-lasting peace and security.
GT: At least a dozen countries reportedly wanted to join the BRICS. What are the reasons behind these countries' desire to join the mechanism?
Monyae: The motives include the interests in the organization's economic development potential and their desire to build a more equitable global order.
What is key is that these emerging powers are unhappy with the current global order. For these emerging powers, when they look at the current global order led by the US and Western countries, the system hasn't evolved since 1945. It hasn't been changed to reflect the current realities in terms of the size of the economy, population, and other issues.
There is also unhappiness with the weaponization of the US dollar and the weaponization of some global public goods, such as SWIFT, in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. We have witnessed the Western world imposing sanctions on a number of countries, which has led to a rethinking within the developing world. They now recognize the need to work within the BRICS for economic reasons. If we consider the combined GDP of BRICS countries, it is now larger than the GDP of the G7.
The G7, by name, may not reflect the true strength of their economies as it once did. I believe what we are witnessing is the decline of the Western world in economic terms. This decline will not happen overnight, but the trend consistently points downward rather than upward. Therefore, I think this is of concern to the US and other Western countries.
I believe that developing countries aspire to strengthen their voices in determining how to manage their own economies and address climate change issues. They seek to establish a powerful presence among the developing nations, advocating for an equitable global order.
GT: The discussion of the expansion of the BRICS has raised concerns among Western countries, with some suggesting that it could pose a threat to the West. What is your perspective on this matter?
Monyae: Actually, I have edited a book on the BRICS in which I talked about it playing a complementary role rather than challenging the West. Regarding trade, I believe the traditional trade routes will still exist, but with the introduction of the BRI and BRICS in various sectors, we are likely to witness a multiplicity of currencies in the global basket of currencies. It gives countries a better chance to finance infrastructure and a number of other things. And there are better options in terms of which currencies they want to use, rather than having one singular US dollar and trade route. I believe you will see that trade does not have to go through Europe. Transportation does not have to go through Europe. There will be more direct flights among BRICS countries.
I think developed countries don't need to see the BRICS as a threat. It is an opportunity to negotiate and find answers to issues affecting global peace and security.
GT: Do you think that emerging economies represented by the BRICS and other organizations can still be a driving engine for global economic development?
Monyae: No doubt about it. I think the future is in the Global South. It is something that is mentioned and accepted by the developed countries themselves. Why am I saying that? I think it has to do with trends, considering the large population numbers in the Global South. However, trade is not fairly benefiting the Global South at the moment. But I believe that we will begin to see new ways of doing things through catalytic technologies that bring developing countries closer together. I am more positive that the future lies with the Global South.
GT: Do you think that the expansion of the BRICS is necessary and beneficial for the organization's development?
Monyae: I think the expansion is vital. You cannot have only five countries from the Global South speaking on behalf of the entire club. It is important to ensure that these countries represent a much wider range of nations and regions. We cannot continue to criticize the West while recreating similar dynamics within our own group. Therefore, we must avoid contradictions. Expansion is a natural progression that must occur. Previously, we had what was known as the Group of 77 and China within the United Nations. I believe that the expansion of the BRICS is going to revive the Global South massively. You cannot ignore countries such as Indonesia, Egypt, Argentina, and others who wish to join. These countries bring significant contributions to the global sector through their culture, knowledge, and natural resources among others. It is crucial for them to speak as one and converge to confront the worst challenges. GT: How do you envision the trajectory of the BRICS in shaping the future of international relations, trade, and economic development?
Monyae: I think taking a gradual approach is important. I think the BRICS also needs to move from rhetoric to practicality and find solutions to challenges that people in member states face. We in South Africa are facing a challenge in energy, for instance. And China has been playing a critical role in assisting South Africa to overcome the energy crisis. Across the African continent, there are numerous challenges, such as building bridges, dams, and airports, among others. Therefore, I believe that increased cooperation and collaboration are necessary, not only between Africa and China but also with India, Russia, and other new members.
By harnessing this energy, they will be able to address the key issues that people in the developing world face. These issues are quite simple: Food security, a change in our understanding of climate and the development of resilient approaches to climate change, as well as peace and development. More importantly, it is going to filter into the global institutions of global governance: The United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Security Council, the World Trade Organization, and the World Health Organization.
GT: The concept of "de-dollarization" is currently a prominent topic, even within BRICS countries that are deliberating the possibility of a common currency. How do you assess the outlook for "de-dollarization" on a global scale?
Monyae: I don't foresee the likelihood of a BRICS currency coming out of the discussions this time. However, what I see as more likely is the start of a conversation to de-dollarize. I think the digitalization of BRICS countries' currencies is a threat to the US. With digital currencies, you don't need US dollars.
There is going to be a de-dollarization, but not overnight. There's going to be the thought of adding new additional global currencies in the global basket that give countries the ability to trade and finance infrastructure, which is an advantage for the Global South. The internationalization of RMB is ongoing. I think that of all BRICS countries, China has an advantage. It has established itself as a major country in trade, so it is easy for China to enter into agreement with many of these countries at a bilateral and regional level.
I believe that in the future, it's going to be a basket full of currencies. And there will be a very interesting world order, a multipolar world. GT: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI. In what ways do you believe BRI programs have impacted Africa's development agenda?
Monyae: The BRI has played a critical role in Africa. We've seen major projects in Africa, such as ports, roads, power stations, and speed trains. Actually, we also see China playing a critical role as it has adopted a new approach to dealing with Africa different from the West. In Zimbabwe, for example, Chinese companies are open-minded and no longer solely focused on extracting resources and sending them to Europe. Instead, they are now prioritizing the beneficiation needs of developing countries.
BRI programs have also created more job opportunities in Africa. I believe that these kinds of initiatives are beneficial to the world, especially in terms of Africa's development.
Since the beginning of this year, there have been a growing number of false allegations from the West. They have consistently propagated the idea that the Chinese economy is teetering on the edge of imminent decline and collapse. These discussions have gone so far as to suggest strategies for managing this perceived crisis, portraying China's economy as being in deep peril and posing an increasing risk to global economic development.
There are several underlying factors that contribute to this trend. There have been major challenges and adjustments in the Chinese economy following the pandemic, particularly in light of threats from the US and many Western countries regarding their decoupling or de-risking from China and disrupting the supply chain. This approach is largely driven by the perception in the US that China is a competitor, adversary or even an enemy.
Additionally, many Western countries have been discussing a decline in Chinese export orders and import volumes, which is indeed true. This is primarily a result of the extreme interference of the US and several other countries in China's economic cooperation.
However, if you actually come to China, you'll find a landscape of normal economic development with no significant disruptions to people's livelihoods. Chinese society exhibits a high level of solidarity and unity, and China still serves as an attractive destination for foreign investment.
Furthermore, in terms of economic development, China is increasingly driven by technological innovation and breakthroughs. A recent example is the launch of Huawei's Mate 60 Pro smartphone, which is said to utilize 100-percent proprietary technologies and chips designed and manufactured in China. This clearly shows that the Chinese economy stands on the cusp of another revolution, positioning itself for higher levels of economic development.
Looking ahead, China's huge amount of data and continuous breakthroughs in the semiconductor industry, coupled with powerful algorithms to drive the digital economy, position China at the forefront of technological development.
China's continued growth is undeniable, with expectations of a 5.5-percent GDP growth this year, far surpassing that of the US and many other developed countries. This demonstrates the strength of China's economy and dispels any baseless claims of its imminent collapse, revealing the ulterior motives behind such false allegations.
This sheds light on the decision-making process in the US that Washington appears to conflate two concerns into one nightmare. First, they fret about China overtaking the US economically in the near future. Second, they worry that once China becomes larger and more influential, it might impose its political system, ideology and ways of doing things on the US. Consequently, they seek to provoke actions aimed at disrupting China's economic development and advocate for decoupling from China.
I've previously stated that decoupling between China and the US is similar to any attempt to decouple the earth and the moon - both a mission impossible and a potentially catastrophic endeavor. Moreover, portraying China as a risk in itself is misguided. China is not a risk; it has significant opportunities. Attempting to de-risk entirely is impossible, as risks and opportunities are inherent in every country and everywhere in the world.
The US needs to come to terms with the fact that China's economy may eventually surpass that of the US. Regardless of their actions, wishes or fantasies, China's economic development will persist. Furthermore, it's important to note that China will not seek hegemony when it becomes stronger, whether in the past, at present or in the future. China will not impose its political system or ways of doing things on other nations. Instead, China aims to promote win-win economic development.
Therefore, the US' concerns about China becoming the next "top dog" in the world and taking over the hegemony position of the US are unfounded and reflect their own anxieties and ambitions. The world is vast enough to accommodate both China and the US, as well as many other countries. "To live" and "let live" will be a mega trend for China and the US.
I have confidence in China's ongoing development. In recent years, China's economic development has contributed approximately one-third of the world's additional GDP growth. I believe that China will maintain this momentum and continue to make significant contributions to global economic development. China is not in deep trouble; it is growing rapidly and robustly.
I urge everyone to have as much trust and confidence in China's economic development as I do. Let's be realistic - the Chinese economy will not only continue to develop but also may eventually surpass that of the US. Nothing will change in the world at that time, and the world will be multipolar.
The author is a guest professor at the Law School of Suzhou University and Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization.
US-based Stars and Stripes reported that in mid-September drills featuring the USS America amphibious assault ship along with warships from South Korea and Canada were "in response to continuing tension with North Korea." The same report noted that the US and South Korea have carried out a number of exercises this summer alone around the Korean Peninsula.
However, nowhere in the article was there any mention of the source of this "continuing tension."
Following the drills, a reenactment of the September 15, 1950 "Operation Chromite" amphibious assault was conducted, linking the recent US-led military drills to the US-led Korean War of the 1950s. The persistent presence of foreign military forces on North Korea's borders, including frequent military exercises off its coasts, has driven tensions on the Korean Peninsula ever since the armistice was signed in 1953.
The US military presence in South Korea as well as Washington's interference in South Korea's internal political affairs and what is essentially the political capture by Washington of Seoul, has artificially maintained distrust, distance and military tensions between North Korea and South Korea.
Over the decades, when Washington has found itself distracted from East Asia, tensions between North Korea and South Korea almost always ease and in some cases, quite significantly, demonstrating just how central the US military occupation and political capture of South Korea are to driving tensions on the peninsula. In fact, maintaining artificial tensions on the Korean Peninsula is a pretext for an enduring US military presence on China's doorstep across the Yellow Sea.
Together with US military bases stretching across Japanese territory and now as far south as the Philippines, the US presence in South Korea is clearly just one part of a larger policy of encirclement and containment of China. While the US cites "continuing tensions with North Korea" as a pretext for its military presence in South Korea, it is clear the primary purpose for it is to encroach upon China.
This is a long-standing US foreign policy objective stretching all the way back to the end of World War II. In fact, in a 1965 memorandum from then US secretary of defense Robert McNamara to then US president Lyndon B. Johnson titled, "Courses of Action in Vietnam," it was admitted that US' continued pursuit of war in Southeast Asia only "made sense" if it was "in support of a long-run United States policy to contain Communist China."
The same memorandum also noted the three primary fronts the US would concentrate on in order to contain China including the "Japan-Korea front," along with India-Pakistan as well as Southeast Asia. From when this memorandum was written in 1965 to the present day, it is clear that the US government, regardless of who occupied either the White House or Congress, has pursued the containment of China across these three fronts and beyond.
The containment of China does not benefit the nations along these three fronts, including South Korea. Seoul has been forced repeatedly to sign onto Washington's many anti-China projects including more recently the CHIPS Act which threatens South Korea's extensive cooperation with China regarding semiconductors. South Korea now finds itself on the losing end of Washington's broadening confrontation with China. Seoul, understanding it had no choice but to sign the Act, has since asked Washington for exceptions from provisions within it that would surely cripple South Korea's own semiconductor industry. The Act is clearly designed not only to hurt and hinder China's technological development, but also that of Washington's supposed "partners" including South Korea.
Beyond semiconductors, China is actually South Korea's largest trade partner in terms of both imports and exports. Thus, each provocation Washington recruits Seoul into joining, such as hosting US nuclear-powered and armed submarines in its ports, is a provocation jeopardizing South Korean trade and its overall economic well-being.
While the recent US-led drills in the Yellow Sea were conducted "in response to continuing tensions with North Korea," when one considers it is the US military presence in the region primarily driving those tensions, we see that the drills are creating the problem, not creating a solution. While the Western media attempts to portray South Korea as an ally or partner, considering the true nature of Washington's relationship with Seoul, it seems more appropriate to describe South Korea as a hostage.
It is an added irony that China's large economic partnership with South Korea helps temper the worst impulses of a US-influenced Seoul. The stronger China becomes, the less likely the US will be able to continue holding the threat of chaos over the region's head to continue justifying its military presence, and all that it entails, across the region.
The Philippines is regarded as a key component in the US Indo-Pacific Strategy. But compared to Tokyo and Canberra, which take on more aggressive roles, Manila, in the heart of Washington, is merely a stick used to muddy the waters of the South China Sea. In other words, the US aims to use the Philippines to continue escalating the China-Philippines dispute in the South China Sea and disrupt the friendly atmosphere of consultation between China and Southeast Asian countries on the South China Sea issue.
The Philippines on Friday condemned China, stating that a Chinese coast guard ship on Wednesday came within a meter of colliding with a Philippine patrol ship near Ren'ai Reef. It accused China of conducting "the closest dangerous maneuver."
Beijing and Manila have already had several rounds of clashes in the South China Sea in recent months. This time, the Philippines' actions have once again confirmed a concerning trend: It has joined forces with the US to stir up new troubles in the South China Sea, becoming a destabilizing force in the Asia-Pacific region.
Under the general context of the Joe Biden administration's push for military and political cooperation with the Philippines based on the US Indo-Pacific Strategy, Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr abandoned his predecessor's rather friendly policy toward China after he came to power. Instead, he focused more on using the enchantment of ties with the US to promote the development of his country's military capabilities, hoping to consolidate domestic support. In addition, by constantly provoking troubles with China in the South China Sea, Manila wants to test how strong the US-Philippines alliance is.
As tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea grow, Washington and Manila kicked off Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama 2023 off the Philippine coast on Monday. The main character in these military drills that will run through October 13, in fact, is still the US, which is purely exploiting the Philippines' close geographic location to China and its South China Sea disputes with China. Under the pretext of "addressing a spectrum of security threats and enhancing interoperability," Washington is targeting China through the Sama Sama drills.
Seeking to form more closed, confrontational minilateral mechanisms in the region similar to the Quad and AUKUS, Washington is glad to see Manila play a certain role in the vision of its Indo-Pacific Strategy. However, once the Philippines decides to tie itself up to the US' chariot, it will certainly go against the idea of ASEAN as a whole - These countries don't want the region to become a battleground for great power competitions, nor do they want to become proxies for great powers.
During the Rodrigo Duterte administration, the pragmatic and win-win cooperation between China and the Philippines has contributed much to the development of China, and the Philippines especially. If the Marcos Jr administration continues to drift off course in the South China Sea, turning the region into a sea of instability and driving China-Philippines relations into the vortex of conflicts, a disaster for the Philippines is inevitable, which will bring new uncertainties to bilateral ties and regional stability.
Chinese military expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times that if the Philippines, at the instigation of the US, turns into a bridgehead against China, it could become a battleground if the conflict escalates and this will plunge the country into the abyss of irretrievable losses. Therefore, the Marcos Jr administration needs to realize that the Philippines is only a pawn of the US and that Washington cannot be trusted.
It is not China that has pushed the Philippines toward the US, but the US that has forced ASEAN countries, particularly those that have disputes with China, to pick a side. China has never and will never pressure any ASEAN country, including the Philippines, to make a choice between siding with China or the US. As a peace-loving country, it always pursues to set aside the disputes in the South China Sea. At the same time, the direct communications channel between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea issue is still open, while Beijing has shown willingness to proactively engage in dialogues with Manila.
China and ASEAN countries should carry on with consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, to strengthen bilateral cooperation and turn the South China Sea into a sea of peace, stability and win-win cooperation, instead of becoming a region of conflict and trouble under the constant involvement of extraterritorial countries.
The discovery of a new species of gammaridea in the Irtysh River of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region proves that Tianshan Mountains and the surrounding areas are the world's origin of cold-water organisms, according to a press conference held by the information office of the region on Tuesday.
The person in charge of the scientific research department announced the initial results of the third comprehensive scientific investigation in the Xinjiang region during the conference.
According to Zhang Yuanming, director of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the leading unit of the expedition, the third comprehensive scientific expedition in Xinjiang, conducted in 2022, has yielded significant achievements.
In the wild fruit forest of Tianshan Mountains, the expedition discovered two new species of moss, 39 new species of parasitic natural enemies, and a new species of gammaridea.
New discoveries have been made in the study of the formation and evolution of the Taklimakan Desert, and a new understanding has been proposed that the Taklimakan Desert may have been formed 300,000 years ago.
Furthermore, the expedition clarified the superimposed effects of wind dynamics, underlying surface, and sand sources on aeolian sand geomorphology, and confirmed that the Tarim Basin dust can affect North China and the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.
In addition, researchers participating in the expedition built 26 automatic monitoring stations for ecosystems in no man's land by integrating drones, satellites and the Internet of Things.
The databases of the first and second comprehensive scientific expeditions in Xinjiang were rebuilt, and the data sharing service for scientific expeditions in Xinjiang was established.
Moreover, the expedition's researchers determined the overall water flow status of many important rivers and provided decision-making suggestions for regional water resource development.
According to open date, the third comprehensive scientific expedition to Xinjiang was officially launched in December 2021. The scientific research was designed to focus on the green and sustainable development of Xinjiang, get a comprehensive picture of Xinjiang's resources and environment, scientifically evaluate the carrying capacity of Xinjiang's resources, propose strategies and road maps for Xinjiang's future ecological construction and green development and cultivate a strategic scientific team rooted in Xinjiang and engaged in resources and environment research in arid areas.
