Chinese battery producer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co (CATL) on Thursday evening dismissed a foreign media report claiming that the company is in talks with Russian company Nornickel to build a plant, together with several other companies, somewhere in China. 

The remarks were made in responding to question by jiemian.com, after Reuters reported on Thursday, citing three unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter, that Nornickel has approached several Chinese battery companies including CNGR Advanced Material and Brunp Recycling, a subsidiary of CATL, over plan to build a joint plant producing nickel material from Russian-semi-finished products. 

The metals giant is in the middle of trying to move significant amounts of production away from Russia to major consumer China, bidding to circumvent Western sanctions against Moscow over the Russia-Ukraine war, Reuters reported.

The plant would produce nickel sulphate, a form of nickel used to make batteries for electric vehicles, from Russian nickel matte, a semi-finished product, Reuters reported, citing another source.

CATL stated, in responding to Jiemian.com on this matter, that the corresponding reporting by Reuters was not true.

According to official information from CATL, the company has a global energy storage market share of 40 percent and has successfully implemented over 1,000 energy storage projects in more than 40 countries and regions. Its power battery system usage has ranked first in the world for seven consecutive years, and its energy storage battery shipments have ranked first in the world for three consecutive years.

According to official information from CATL, the company holds a 40 percent share of the global energy storage market and has successfully implemented over 1,000 energy storage projects in more than 40 countries and regions. Its power battery systems have ranked first globally in usage for seven consecutive years, and its energy storage battery shipments have ranked first globally for three consecutive years.

A panda-themed city, created by Chimelong Safari Park in South China's Guangdong Province to celebrate the 10th birthday of the world's only giant panda triplets, opened on July 13, as visitors are being welcomed with a series of panda-themed activities during summer vacation.

The city of panda triplets is a brand-new upgrade on the basis of the original panda village in the park, as reported by China News, featuring various interactive installations including panda newsstand, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in more panda-themed experiences and learn additional knowledge about pandas.

The park arranged for the media to visit Mengmeng, the eldest of the world's only living panda triplets, who gave birth to a female cub on June 18. The media also visited Mengmeng's cub, with both in good condition.

The cub had white fur growing out of her pink skin. Her eye circles, ears, shoulder stripes, and fur on her limbs have started turning black. Her weight has increased from 178 grams at birth to 940.6 grams, according to the report.

Giant panda triplets Mengmeng, Shuaishuai and Kuku also signed a contract with a media company on the same day, and will showcase their individual strengths to bring more joy and surprises to the public.

On July 29, the park will organize a grand birthday party to celebrate the 10th birthday of the panda triplets, inviting visitors to join in the celebration.

Both US President Joe Biden and former US President Donald Trump called for unity after the shooting at Trump's rally stunned the country. Some observers pointed out that the incident has demonstrated that the long-standing toxic and violent rhetoric in US politics has escalated into violent actions against politicians in recent years, and such violence is likely to become more frequent as the country is further polarized. 

The shooting also exposed the high degree of instability and unpredictability of US politics, further triggering doubts among its allies over Washington's leadership, said experts. 

Trump was in Milwaukee on Monday to make final preparations for the Republican presidential nomination later this week after narrowly escaping a shooting that injured him, Reuters reported.

Trump told the New York Post that he had "prepared an extremely tough speech" about Biden's "horrible administration. But I threw it away" for one he hopes will "unite our country".

In a prime-time address Sunday night, Biden also said that the political rhetoric in this country has gotten "very heated," and "it's time to cool it down."

"There is no place in America for this kind of violence - for any violence ... We can't allow this violence to be normalized," Biden said.

However, after the attack on Trump, many Republicans started looking to put the blame on "over-the-top" anti-Trump rhetoric.

As of Sunday, nearly a dozen lawmakers had pointed the finger at Biden and Democrats at large for the shooting Saturday evening, according to BBC.

Trump's Republican backers pointed specifically to a comment Biden made on July 8 as the president discussed his dismal debate performance in a meeting with donors. "I have one job and that's to beat Donald Trump," Biden said, according to a transcript of the call that Biden's campaign forwarded to reporters. "We're done talking about the debate. It's time to put Trump in the bullseye." 

It is clear for us to see that toxic and violent rhetoric has prevailed in US politics in the past decades, and the Trump rally shooting incident just demonstrated that this toxic trend has already escalated into violent actions against politicians, Lü Xiang, research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday. 

Lü predicted that this violence will increase in the future. "Although this [attack] was at the presidential candidate level, the pressure is mounting on those who engage in US political elections, as their security is weak until they got nominated."

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, noted that by mentioning unity, Trump is now using the attack to gain political points. "US politics is extremely polarized. By utilizing the attack, Trump intends to portray himself as a person that is able to unite different parties."

Trump's allies believe the attacks will reinforce his electoral appeal, making the Republican base more determined to vote for him and drawing sympathy from independent and swing voters, Financial Times reported. 

Observers also said the identity and motive of the gunman will be crucial for the two parties during the election race. 

The FBI said on Sunday that the social media profile of the gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, did not contain threatening language, nor have they found any history of mental health issues. They said he acted alone and have not identified a motive, Reuters reported.

Now the incident has been identified as a lone wolf attack, the debate over gun control, Trump's attempt to use the incident, and remarks from the Republican candidate, will bring more change and uncertainties to the looming election, said Shen Yi, a professor at Fudan University. "During the entire process, information about the gunman and his connection to both parties will be a crucial influencing factor."

Trump's shooting drew strong reactions from the US' allies. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, "I'm sickened by the shooting at former President Trump. It cannot be overstated — political violence is never acceptable. My thoughts are with former President Trump, those at the event, and all Americans."

Li said the incident once again sent a clear signal to US allies that the country's domestic politics is highly unpredictable and uncertain. "How can one expect such an uncertain country to show stability in dealing with relations with allies…the shooting will certainly trigger more suspicions over the US' leadership among its allies." 

The China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) issued a statement on Friday, saying that a recent interim review report released by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regarding 23 Chinese swimmers and their non-fault use of trimetazidine not only proves that CHINADA’s investigation and handling of the case were reasonable, but also discredits baseless accusations of a “cover-up” from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and some Western media reports.

On July 9, WADA released a review report by an independent Swiss prosecutor on the case of the Chinese swimmers.

The report said that there was no evidence suggesting any favoritism or special treatment by WADA in reviewing the CHINADA decision to close the cases of the 23 athletes without further action. It found no evidence of interference or intervention in WADA's review from any internal or external entities, including CHINADA, said the statement from CHINADA.

The investigation revealed no violations by WADA during its review of CHINADA’s decision. All internal and external factors indicated that WADA’s decision not to challenge CHINADA's determination of contamination was reasonable from a factual and regulatory standpoint.

The report discredits baseless accusations of a “cover-up” fabricated by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the New York Times, German TV channel ARD, and other media outlets. It also confirms that the existing global anti-doping system is open, transparent, and trustworthy for athletes worldwide, according to the statement.

Several US media outlets reported on July 4 that the US FBI and Justice Department have opened a criminal investigation into the case involving the 23 Chinese swimmers, who won three gold medals for China at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Among the 23, 11 are set to compete in the upcoming Paris Games.

In a statement released in April, USADA CEO Travis Tygart said it's "disappointing to see WADA stoop to threats and scare tactics when confronted with a blatant violation of the rules governing anti-doping."

CHINADA’s Friday statement said that given the indisputable and unquestionable compliance, objectivity, and fairness of the investigation and handling of this case, CHINADA sternly demands that USADA and media outlets such as the New York Times and ARD respect the facts, cease confusing the public, stop politicizing anti-doping issues, and refrain from undermining athletes’ confidence and trust in the global anti-doping system.

CHINADA also said that it will continue to adhere to the principles of independence, fairness, professionalism, and openness, firmly safeguarding the legitimate rights of athletes and the integrity of sports.

CHINADA also said it hoped to work together with all stakeholders to maintain the stability, unity, and progress of the global anti-doping system.

China urged Japan to play a constructive role in maintaining and promoting peace, stability, development, and not act as a "vanguard" of NATO's Asia-Pacific expansion, following Japan's new defense white paper, which delivers its strongest words yet on Taiwan island.

Observers said that such narratives smearing China expose Japan's real intention to demonize the Taiwan question and incite regional tension, serving to pave the way for its further introduction of NATO into the Asia-Pacific and its own aggressive defense policy of playing a more robust role in East Asian security.

Tokyo brought up Taiwan for the first time in its defense white paper in 2021, and has since increased the emphasis on this topic in the following years. In the latest version, Japan even cited China's recent military exercises around Taiwan island as part of "Beijing's invasion strategy" for the first time, Japan Times reported.

China expressed strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the white paper, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian telling Friday's press briefing that "it blatantly interferes in China's internal affairs, rehashing the so-called 'China threat' and exaggerating regional tensions."

Lin emphasized that China's national defense policy is defensive in nature, and said its defense construction and military activities are legitimate and reasonable. Conducting joint patrols with other countries complies with international law and norms. 

Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory, and the fundamental reason for the recent tensions in the Taiwan Straits are the separatist activities of "Taiwan independence" elements, who, with the indulgence and support of external forces, are resorting to all means to promote separatism, Lin said.

Describing Beijing's justified reunification efforts with Taiwan as an invasion shows Japan's real intention of provoking regional tensions and demonizing the Taiwan question, serving to pave the way for its further introduction of NATO into the Asia-Pacific, Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol during a meeting in Washington that Japan and South Korea will strengthen cooperation with the US, as well as NATO and Indo-Pacific partners. 

Lin said that the Asia-Pacific region does not need military blocs, let alone major power confrontations or the instigation of a new "small circle" Cold War, calling on Japan and South Korea to adhere to the right path of Asia-Pacific cooperation, play a constructive role in maintaining and promoting peace, stability, development, and not act as the "vanguard" of NATO's Asia-Pacific expansion.

Along with hyping threats from China, Japan also emphasized threats from North Korea and Russia, which have been utilized by the country to cater to the US' strategy of building an "Asian NATO," Da said. 

Japan plays the role of a bridge and springboard in helping NATO enter the East Asian region, Da said, noting that in addition to diplomacy and security, Japan has gradually cooperated with NATO in multiple fields.

When NATO enters the Asia-Pacific or Indo-Pacific in the future, Japan hopes to beef up its regional influence to favor its interests, Da said.

The new defense paper also said that the possibility of a "serious situation" in East Asia akin to Russia's invasion of Ukraine "cannot be ruled out."

The two situations are not akin to each other. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is rooted in the failure of European security governance, and is a result of continuous fueling by the US and NATO, Chen Yang, a visiting researcher at the Institute of Japan Studies, Liaoning University, told the Global Times.

The "severe situation" that East Asia is now facing is more of a result of provocations by both domestic countries including Japan and South Korea and external countries, Thus, as long as the relevant parties correct their ways, the so-called regional "severe situation" can be immediately resolved, Chen said.

In addition, these so-called challenges mentioned in the white paper have given Japan enough excuses to implement significant alterations in its defense strategy, such as increased budgets. 

The Japan Times said that the white paper for the first time has a chapter devoted specifically to defense capabilities and spending. Japan has committed to a goal of spending 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense.

July 11 marks the 20th Maritime Day in China. It is the only holiday in China's maritime field approved by the State Council, the country's cabinet.  

At a press conference held on June 26, Yang Huaxiong, director of the Water Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, said the theme of this year -- smart navigation and smooth future reflects the need to develop the maritime industry in the new era. China's smart navigation, smart ports, intelligent manufacturing, and other practical explorations are fully underway, and "smart" has become an important feature of the high-quality development of the maritime industry.

The theme is also in line with this year's World Maritime Day theme. By promoting the integration and innovation of new generation information technology in the water transport industry, China continues to empower the future transformation and upgrading of the maritime industry and contribute Chinese wisdom and strength to the development of the world maritime industry, Yang explained. 

July 11, 1405, is the day legendary Chinese navigator Zheng He first set sail to the "Western Oceans" during the Ming Dynasty  (1368-1644). Zheng led a large fleet westward, showcasing the spirit of an Eastern maritime power and opening the door for China's foreign trade.

Today, China has become the world's largest trading nation. From the ancient maritime concept of "a unified world" to the present concept of a global community with a shared future for mankind, what has changed is the increasingly powerful Chinese maritime industry, while what remains unchanged is the spirit of maritime exploration and friendly neighboring relations.

So far, China has built 21 automated container terminals, 28 automated bulk cargo terminals, and ranks first in the world in the number of automated terminals built or under construction. The fourth phase project of Taicang Port is the first automated terminal in the Yangtze River Basin, with an operating efficiency more than 25 percent higher than traditional container terminals and 10 percent higher than similar automated terminals, making it known as the "smartest" port along the Yangtze River.

At the same time, China has built the world's largest maritime security system. On December 26, 2008, the first escort fleet of the Chinese Navy set sail from a military port in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province, heading to the waters off the Gulf of Aden and Somalia to carry out escort missions, marking a new journey for the Chinese Navy into the deep blue sea. 

Over the past 16 years, the Chinese Navy has dispatched 46 fleets, more than 150 warships, and over 35,000 officers and soldiers to rescue or escort more than 7,200 Chinese and foreign ships, ensuring the absolute safety of the escorted ships. With practical actions, it has demonstrated the great responsibility of the Chinese military and won widespread praise at home and abroad. 

With the development of the maritime industry, the ocean is no longer the exclusive domain of explorers. Ordinary people can also travel on cruise ships to the open sea to enjoy romantic and free adventures. The Aida·Modu (Adora Magic City), China's first large-scale domestically built and operated cruise ship, embarked on its maiden commercial voyage on January 1. According to media reports in May, the Aida·Modu can accommodate nearly 150,000 passengers.

China's maritime power is also playing an increasingly important role in ocean exploration and marine scientific research. China's first independently built polar scientific research icebreaker, the Snow Dragon 2, participated in China's polar expedition for the first time in 2019 and successfully completed the 40th Antarctic expedition task in April this year. 

The Snow Dragon 2 is the world's first polar scientific research icebreaker to adopt bidirectional icebreaking technology at the bow and stern, with the ability to continuously break 1.5 meters of ice and 0.2 meters of snow at speeds of 2 to 3 knots in both directions. The ship is equipped with scientific winches, deep-sea shallow seismic profiling instruments, seabed seismometers, and other equipment to meet the needs of precise seabed measuring and fishery resource exploration.

China's maritime activities are also spreading China's goodwill to more distant places. On June 16, the Chinese Navy's Peace Ark hospital ship set sail from a military port in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, to carry out its 10th "Harmonious Mission-2024" task. With the hull number 866, the Peace Ark is the first domestically designed and built standardized ocean-going hospital ship in China. The ship is equipped with a remote medical consultation system, and its medical equipment configuration is equivalent to that of top level hospital in China, making it a modern mobile hospital at sea. 

The Chinese business community strongly opposes the US decision to further increase tariffs on Chinese products and urges the US to immediately cancel the additional tariffs, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) said on its official WeChat account on Wednesday.

On top of existing tariffs under Section 301, the US on Tuesday announced new tariffs on a variety of imports from China, including electric vehicles (EVs), lithium batteries, photovoltaic cells, critical minerals, semiconductors, steel and aluminum. In September 2020, a WTO panel ruled that the Section 301 tariffs violated WTO rules.

The CCPIT said that the tariff hike on imports from China is a typical example of unilateralism and trade protectionism. Meanwhile, the US' substantial subsidies to its EV and semiconductor industries have clearly violated market economy principles and international trade rules, severely disrupting global industrial chain and supply chain stability and security.

On behalf of the Chinese business community, the CCPIT urged the US to abide by the WTO rules, immediately cancel the additional tariffs and promote trust and cooperation between the business communities of the two countries.

Meanwhile, the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) stated on Wednesday that China's export share of EVs and photovoltaic cells to the US is minimal. EVs comprise less than 1 percent, and photovoltaic cells only 0.2 percent of total exports in 2023. Therefore, the current US tariff increase is not expected to significantly impact these industries.

The tariffs are likely to raise market prices, burden consumers, and hinder global cooperation and innovation in the industry. Additionally, they will increase operational costs for US ports and logistics, as Chinese port lifting equipment will also be subject to tariffs.

CCCME emphasized that such actions by the US violate internationally recognized trade rules. Since the US initiated the 301 investigation in August 2017, CCCME has submitted comments to the Office of the US Trade Representative multiple times and organized delegations to participate in three public hearings in the US, urging the cessation of the 301 investigation and opposing US taxation measures on Chinese products.

China has vowed to take all necessary measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests against the additional US tariffs.

It is yet another mistake for the US to continue politicizing trade issues and further increasing tariffs on Chinese products, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular press conference on Wednesday.

This will only significantly drive up the cost of imported goods, inflict more losses on American companies and consumers, and force US consumers to pay even more, Wang said.

Moody's has estimated that 92 percent of the cost of the tariff hike will fall on American consumers, and average US household expenditure will increase by $1,300 annually as a result. The US' protectionist measures will further damage the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains, Wang noted.

The US tariff hike goes against the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and the promises of US President Joe Biden, and will seriously affect the atmosphere of bilateral cooperation, said China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).

MOFCOM also refuted the accusations of "overcapacity" in China by some Western politicians and media reports, stating that this is merely a disguise for unilateralism and trade protectionist policies.

It reiterated that there is no "overcapacity" in emerging industries such as EVs, adding that Chinese EV companies have developed rapidly through innovation and market competition, not subsidies.

Some countries claim to promote green development while practicing protectionism, and this will only hinder the global green transformation and damage confidence in climate cooperation, MOFCOM said.

China and Russia could see further improvement in the bilateral trade structure in 2024, with the trade volume projected to reach new heights, a senior business head told the Global Times on Monday.

The remarks came as the two trading partners aim to further facilitate bilateral trade amid robust growth in trading volume, which reached a target of $200 billion in advance last year.

"Besides traditional trade in big-ticket items such as fossil fuels and natural minerals, Russian exports in the agricultural and food processing sectors are promising, and Russia has good strengths in those aspects," said Chen Zhigang, director general of the Russian-Chinese Business Park in St. Petersburg. "It is hoped that China could grant more access for those export items."

In 2023, bilateral trade reached $240.1 billion, surging 26.3 percent year-on-year and achieving the target of $200 billion ahead of schedule, demonstrating the strong resilience and broad prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Russia.

The year-on-year growth rate slowed down to 4.7 percent in the first four months of this year, but Chen said there is still "tremendous potential" for China-Russia trade and that annual trade volume could reach higher than $240 billion.

"Chinese importers have a good appetite for Russian grain, flour, oil seed, pork, beef, poultry and fish, and in these areas Russian exporters have good supply capacity," Chen said, noting that an uptick in Russian agricultural exports to China would contribute to a more balanced trade structure in China-Russia trade.

The logistics hurdles that impeded China-Russia trade in the past have largely been addressed now, Chen said, adding that the roads and railway crossings along the borders have now all opened and customs clearance has seen improvement in efficiency.

Bilateral business visits at the government level, corporate level and local levels have been brisk this year.

The 8th China-Russia Expo is set to start in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, from Thursday to May 21, attracting some 1,400 companies from 44 countries and regions and 21 Chinese provinces, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

In the first four months of this year, China-Europe freight trains departing from China-Russia border cities including Manzhouli in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Suifenhe and Tongjiang in Heilongjiang saw a 7 percent increase, according to data from the China State Railway Group on Monday. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday that China and Russia have the right to conduct normal economic and trade cooperation, and such cooperation should not come under external interference or constraint.

Lin noted that for a long period of time, the US has suppressed Chinese companies citing "risks to national security," but has failed to produce any evidence.

"We urge the US to stop overstretching the concept of national security, stop politicizing trade and tech issues or using them as weapons, and to stop abusing sanctions to suppress Chinese companies. China will continue to do what is necessary to defend the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies," Lin said.

China has opened a "golden circuit" in developing its new-type energy storage, as a number of provinces are stepping up efforts to apply new-type energy storage technologies, in a bid to advance the green energy transition. 

New-type energy storage refers to energy storage technologies, other than pumped storage, in which the main form of energy storage is the output of electricity. In 2024, "development of new-type energy storage" was written into the Government Work Report for the first time.

Experts said on Wednesday that new-type energy storage is becoming a key technology in China's efforts to build new energy and power systems, as well as an important means of promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of energy production and consumption.

In Rudong, East China's Jiangsu Province, the country's first 100-megawatt-hour gravity energy storage project is under construction. Within a month or so, the project will be formally put into operation.

Gravity energy storage is a mechanical energy storage method. Its main principle is to use the surplus power generated by new energy to lift the gravity block for "charging." At times of peak electricity consumption, it will put down the gravity block to "discharge," so as to provide electricity for the power grid.

Baotang Energy Storage Station in Foshan, South China's Guangdong Province, is the largest independent lithium battery energy storage station built in China. It can deliver 430 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean electricity to the region every year, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 300,000 tons.

Facing challenges and opportunities of the new power system, China is exploring more means of energy storage. China's first salt cavern compressed air energy storage facility started operations in Jiangsu Province in 2022. 

The power station uses electric energy to compress air into an underground salt cavern, then releases air to drive an air turbine, which can generate electricity when needed. The energy storage capacity in each cycle reaches 300,000 kWh, equal to the daily consumption of about 60,000 residents.

Gravity energy storage and compressed air energy storage are typical types of diversified energy storage technologies, known as physical energy technologies, Liu Yong, secretary-general of the Energy Storage Application Branch of China Industrial Association of Power Sources, told the Global Times on Wednesday, adding that chemical energy storage technologies account for more than 90 percent of the international market.

Liu said that progress in compressed air energy storage is expected to have further positive results during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).

Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, newly installed new-type energy storage capacity in China has directly promoted investment of more than 100 billion yuan ($13.93 billion), driving further expansion of upstream and downstream industrial chains.

As of end-2023, installed new-type energy storage capacity in China stood at 31.39 gigawatts, with a 2.1-hour average energy storage time. During 2023, 22.6 gigawatts of new-type energy storage capacity were installed, up 260 percent year-on-year and nearly 10 times the figure as of end-2020.

At the beginning of this year, the National Energy Administration released a list of 56 new-type energy storage pilot demonstration projects, including 17 lithium-ion battery projects and 11 compressed air energy storage projects. Some of these projects have been connected to the grid, effectively promoting the application of new technologies.

So far this year, the number of registered energy storage projects in Guangdong has increased by more than five times year-on-year, and Jiangsu will have 4 million kilowatts of new-type energy storage integrated into the State Grid this year.

China's foreign ministry's office in Hong Kong slammed the latest remarks of the US Consul General Gregory May, who criticized judicial cases in the Chinese city and openly supported anti-China and anti-Hong Kong figures including infamous rioter Jimmy Lai. Experts said the responsibility for improving US-China relations, including those with Hong Kong, lies with the US side, which should refrain from meddling in Hong Kong affairs.

A spokesperson for the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) expressed strong opposition and condemnation toward the remarks made by May, according to a statement published on the website of the office late Thursday night.

Certain anti-China organizations and politicians in the West remain resentful of Hong Kong's shift from chaos to governance and now to prosperity. Under the guise of academic discussions, they actually intervene and discredit Hong Kong's political democracy, judicial fairness, and human rights conditions, which is neither objective nor fair, the spokesperson said.

With Hong Kong entering a new phase of economic revitalization and development, any external interference is destined to fail, the spokesperson noted, advising the US to recognize the reality, position itself appropriately, refrain from stirring trouble, and return to the right path of fostering healthy and stable development of China-US relations through concrete actions.

While China and the US are attempting to stabilize bilateral relations, May said during a webinar hosted by a Washington think tank Center for Strategic & International Studies on Thursday night that the US aims to stabilize relations with China, including those with Hong Kong.

He also suggested that if Hong Kong leaders cease their "expanding crackdown" and return to the provisions and spirit of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, the US government would respond positively and attempt to improve Hong Kong-US relations, local media outlet Ming Pao reported.

The US official also criticized the Hong Kong government's stated goal of combating "soft resistance," arguing that it is actually using extrajudicial means for "soft suppression," according to the media report.

Based on May's comments, the US is trying to find an "exit strategy" in the face of being unable to change the situation in Hong Kong. However, if the US demands that Hong Kong admit to "mishandling" matters, Hong Kong will naturally refuse since that would be untrue, Lau Siu-kai, a consultant from the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies who is also a senior policy advisor, told the Global Times on Friday.

Lau believed that the responsibility for improving US-China relations, including those with Hong Kong, lies with the US side, which should refrain from meddling in Hong Kong affairs.
The US official told a webinar that American companies in Hong Kong are still interested in investing there, but some are concerned about potential instability following the implementation of Article 23 of the Basic Law and the legislation on critical infrastructure security expected later this year, according to the local media report.

Businesses worry that some offenses under Article 23 are vaguely defined, leading to uncertainty for businesses and individuals, May noted, emphasizing that American companies expect the Hong Kong government to firmly and clearly reaffirm that the internet will remain free and open, and that Hong Kong will avoid strict information control, preventing foreign companies from having operational difficulties.

National Security together with a safe, fair, proper and harmony use of the internet and electronic media, continuously contributes the prosperity of the city. The internet is never an extraterritorial forum or should be isolated from widespread of violence and illegal propaganda or materials, Chu Kar-kin, a veteran commentator based in the HKSAR and member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Friday.

"The HKSAR government has devoting efforts to contribute to the business environment, reputation and image. May should not defame Hong Kong and never interfere in Hong Kong's internal affairs and judicial system by inserting external pressure based on subjectivity and bias," Chu said.

The fundamental national policies toward Hong Kong outlined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration have been fully implemented in the Basic Law, and the UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction, or supervisory rights over Hong Kong after its return to the motherland, Willy Fu, a law professor who is also the director of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong & Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Friday.

Over recent years, the UK, the US, and anti-China nations have intervened in Hong Kong's internal affairs in various ways. They mistakenly regard the Joint Declaration as a legal basis for the Basic Law of the HKSAR and demand that China fulfill "obligations" stipulated in the Joint Declaration, Fu said.

"They also use the declaration to criticize China's enactment and implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong. These actions entirely confuse the original intent, nature, and status of the Joint Declaration. China's consistent stance is that the UK has no right to use the declaration as an excuse to interfere in Hong Kong after its return," the legal expert said.

Some lawmakers in Hong Kong also voiced strong opposition to the US Consul General's remarks. Lawmaker Nixie Lam Lam said in a statement issued on Friday that some American politicians continue to ignore the deep societal divisions in their own country, suppress dissenting students, and restrict freedom of speech, yet focus on commenting on other nations' internal affairs to divert global attention away from these issues.

"Anti-China rioter Jimmy Lai and other infamous anti-China figures have long played the role of traitorous clowns, deliberately slandering Hong Kong and fabricating false stories to solicit international sympathy with ulterior motives," Lam said, noting that Hong Kong's political democracy has continuously improved, freedoms and human rights are fully protected, economic development is steadily recovering, and society is orderly.

The lawmaker also pointed out that May and the US government have long disparaged Hong Kong affairs, including the National Security Law for Hong Kong and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

"I believe such remarks show that US criticism of Hong Kong is completely unfounded, ignoring the fact that every country has national security laws," Lam said.

May further claimed that the upcoming Cybersecurity Law would directly impact the free flow of information in Hong Kong, but his comments on a law that hasn't even been enacted are entirely fabricated and alarmist, which indicates that the US' comments about Hong Kong are purely political and are not based on facts, the lawmaker added.