Recently disclosed information revealed that the CIA has been secretly operating on Chinese social media in recent years, attempting to shape public opinion about the Chinese government in targeted areas, which, analysts warned, not only demonstrates the modern application of Cold War-era strategies but also highlights the significance of information warfare in current global politics, undermining regional stability and normal development.

Reuters recently reported that former US officials with direct knowledge of the highly classified operation disclosed that former US president Donald Trump authorized the CIA to initiate secret operations on Chinese social media platforms, aimed at swaying public opinion in China against the Chinese government in certain regions.

This covert operation began in 2019 and had not been previously exposed. US officials declined to provide specifics about these operations, according to the report.

Reuters mentioned that CIA spokesperson Chelsea Robinson declined to comment on the existence, objectives, or impact of this operation. The impact of these secret operations is not known and neither has it been confirmed as to whether the Biden administration has continued them.

However, CIA Director Bill Burns recently wrote in "Foreign Affairs" that the US has increased its resources for intelligence gathering, analysis, and operations against China. Over the last two years, the CIA's budget for work related to China has more than doubled, with an increase in recruitment and training of Chinese-speaking staff and intensified competition with China in Latin America, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific region.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Friday at a daily press conference that the US, while often accusing other countries of spreading disinformation, is in fact the true breeding ground of disinformation. "Spreading disinformation cannot inhibit China's progress but will only discredit the US," he said.

Carefully-selected targets

According to the report, the CIA's operations intended to alter public sentiment within China and specific countries such as those in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific region by spreading false information and negative narratives.

The three former US officials told Reuters that the CIA formed a special agent team that spread negative information about the Chinese government using fake online identities and relayed derogatory content to foreign news organizations.

Observers specializing in these regions have felt the ripples caused by these actions.
Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute at the Hainan Tropical Ocean University, said that Southeast Asia has always been crucial for the US in formulating its foreign policy. To advance its Indo-Pacific strategy, the US needs this region as a pawn to suppress China's rise.

The US seeks to provoke competition between Southeast Asia and China, thereby affecting China's image in the region. For example, it depicts China as a threat to Southeast Asia, accuses China of obstructing so-called "freedom of navigation" in the South China Sea, and plays the common trick of spreading irresponsible remarks.

In the South Pacific region, when China advanced its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), media influenced by the US and the West extensively propagated terms like the "debt trap" and "militarization" in association with China.

When China initiated the BRI in the Pacific region, the US and Australia repeatedly warned the island nations about the potential "debt traps" posed by Chinese projects. However, most of the debt in these countries is still predominantly held by the US and Australia, Yang Honglian, a Fiji-based senior researcher at the Pacific Islands Research Center at Liaocheng University in Shandong, told the Global Times in a previous interview.

While the US accuses China of creating debt traps in these nations, it also established the US International Development Finance Corporation with a budget of $60 billion to offer alternative financial assistance.

In the current dynamics of the Pacific island nations, Western media maintains a strong presence. Western countries label positive reporting by Chinese media while promoting the use of Associated Press news in the local media for free, Yang said.

"These are the countries that China has offered a development alternative that is geared toward win-win partnership rather than patronizing and conditional aid," Karanja Ngina, an observer on African affairs, noted. "The US has treated many of these countries and regions like discarded toys," he added.

Now, faced with the undeniable growth brought about by partnership with China, the US wants its discarded toys back, not for the purpose of doing better what China is doing well, but to stop any form of progress from taking place, Ngina said.

Countries that threaten US hegemony or refuse to politically or financially align with the US-led West are soon engulfed in never-ending wars under the pretext of "bringing democracy to the people." While countries not seen as valuable financial or geopolitical assets are ignored, only ever used as pawns to advance the US' agenda, Ngina noted.

Savvy tricks

The methods of the secret operation revealed this time are not new maneuvers by the US; even Reuters mentioned the intense information warfare waged by the US against the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

During the Cold War era, the CIA was involved in disseminating 80 to 90 articles daily aimed at destabilizing the Soviet Union. The report quoted Loch Johnson, a University of Georgia political scientist who studies the use of such tactics, who said that covert messaging by the US could influence certain audiences.

Declassified documents reveal that, during the 1950s, the agency even established an astrology magazine in East Germany that featured ominous forecasts about communist leaders, according to Reuters.

In recent decades, the US has established news and cultural media outlets specifically targeting certain nations. Radio and television networks, fostered by the US and funded by the government, broadcast propaganda against targeting countries in dozens of languages around the clock.

Using false information as a tool to attack other nations has become an "industry chain" of disinformation, including financial backing (referred to as "black gold"), spreading negative narratives ("black theories"), and using media mouthpieces ("black mouths") to influence international opinion, analysts noted.

In recent years, some bizarre and false narratives about China have emerged. These include exaggerated claims about China's political and economic influence, misinformation about its social systems and policies, and unfounded allegations regarding its global intentions. Such narratives often gain traction through social media and certain news outlets, contributing to skewed perceptions and misunderstandings about China in the international community.

One example of such false narratives is how a few US media outlets and opinion leaders absurdly described Lujiazui, Shanghai's bustling financial district, as a "ghost town" to denigrate China's economy. People soon realized that the images showing empty streets in Lujiazui were taken from carefully chosen angles and at specific times to create a misleading impression.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, told the Global Times that the increasingly aggressive nature of US and Western allies' media campaigns against China amidst the China-US competition, aiming to weaken China's soft power and influence globally.

He lamented the transformation of public opinion into the tool of geopolitical rivalry, highlighting targeted efforts to undermine harmony between the Chinese public and the government, potentially jeopardizing China's decades of peaceful development.

Countering disinformation

Amidst the intensifying US-China competition, actions characterized as media campaigns against China have reportedly escalated misunderstandings, eroded trust, and heightened tensions, contributing to regional instability. Observers note that these campaigns could undermine political and social stability in specific areas, with long-term repercussions.

In response, China has been bolstering its cybersecurity measures, enhancing information scrutiny, and promoting international cooperation to counter these information warfare tactics.

The narrative of China as a reliable partner contrasts sharply with accusations from the US, such as the "debt trap" theory associated with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China's efforts aim to clarify its foreign policy and improve its image abroad, countering negative portrayals and advocating for a narrative of mutual benefit and non-interference, experts noted.

Li emphasized the necessity for China to protect its public from Western media's malignant influence and initiate more constructive dialogue with positive forces in the West. This approach seeks to encourage a rational policy perspective and strengthen ties with Global South countries, thereby exposing and countering Western disinformation strategies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded a two-day state visit to China. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs described President Putin's visit as "importantly timed and fruitful." The two heads of state signed and issued a joint statement on deepening China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries (hereinafter referred to as the joint statement). The joint statement is over 12,000 words long, with the word "cooperation" appearing over 130 times.

Currently, China-Russia relations are at their best in history, and this year marks a milestone in the development of relations between the two countries. Looking back, pragmatic cooperation between China and Russia has a solid foundation and strong internal impetus, ensuring economic and social common development and integration of both countries. Looking forward, pragmatic cooperation between China and Russia is an important guarantee for tapping the development potential of both sides and exploring long-term autonomous development. Clearly, the development of relations between the two countries is not a temporary expedient but has strong internal impetus and intrinsic value.

The rich connotation of China-Russia cooperation will continue to be enriched and elevated, and this is highly certain. For example, in terms of economic and trade cooperation, the trade of traditional labor-intensive, low-value-added electromechanical products used to be the mainstream of China-Russia economic and trade cooperation. However, in recent years, high-value-added products represented by automobiles and engineering machinery have developed rapidly. In 2023, Russia became the top destination for Chinese automobile exports, with over 900,000 vehicles exported to Russia. Additionally, many Chinese brands of mobile phones, home appliances, engineering machinery and other products are gaining increasing recognition and popularity in the Russian market. With their high quality, durability, and cost-effectiveness, they are increasingly favored by Russian consumers.

Based on mutual benefit, China and Russia continue to advance practical cooperation, benefiting the people of both countries. Maintaining a solid foundation in traditional areas such as economic and trade, energy, and agriculture is an important basis for maintaining good momentum in cooperation. Cooperation projects in these areas are also important starting points for deepening future development. For example, in agriculture, China and Russia have highly complementary advantages. If the coordination efforts in standards certification, technical specifications, and other areas of bilateral agricultural product trade continue to increase, it will lay the foundation for the development of the China-Russia agricultural cooperation experimental demonstration zone proposed in the joint statement.

At the same time, new areas such as artificial intelligence, high-tech, and basic research are also realistic choices for cooperation between the two sides. Especially in the context of the continuous impact of anti-globalization trends such as "decoupling" and "small yard, high fence," deepening practical cooperation in the new era between China and Russia will help counter external obstacles and restrictions on the technological development space of both countries, ensuring the high-level development of technology on both sides. More importantly, unleashing the potential for cooperation in cutting-edge areas will help both countries grasp the future development trend. Therefore, the strategic cooperation between China and Russia is a proactive effort rather than a passive response.

In particular, with the deepening of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, international cutting-edge technological development presents the characteristics of multiple breakthroughs and intersections in various fields. China's technology and industry are rapidly upgrading, with the obvious feature of the "engineer dividend," and the scale and intensity of basic research and development investment are continuously increasing. In the international cutting-edge technological competition, China is gradually shifting from "following" to "keeping pace" and even "leading" in some areas. This means that through cooperation with Russia in new fields, bilateral technological mutual benefit development can be effectively promoted, helping Chinese technology research and development expand into more application scenarios, benefiting both sides' enterprises and people, promoting bilateral and even regional technological standards and norms interoperability, and jointly catching up with or even leading the future trend of cutting-edge development.

The current period is an important window for practical economic and trade cooperation between China and Russia, and the two sides' connections in politics, economy, technology, and culture will continue to be strengthened. This will not only help promote bilateral economic development and stimulate growth potential, but also promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity, sharing the dividends of each other's development, gradually realizing global economic recovery and development, and making greater contributions to promoting inclusive and beneficial economic globalization. As President Xi Jinping said, steady development of China-Russia relations is not only in the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples, but also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity of the region and the world at large.

Xiang Piao Piao's stock price soared on Monday and hit the daily up limit after netizens found one of its products sold in a store in Japan have cup sleeve satirizing Japan's handling of nuclear-contaminated wastewater.

The Chinese milk tea brand has reportedly seen a 400 percent surge on its live streaming sales in China as millions of netizens bought the products from Saturday to Sunday.

A Chinese netizen discovered that MECO fruit tea, a drink under the brand of Xiang Piao Piao, sells products in a store in Japan with slogans on their cup sleeves showing "the ocean is not Japan's sewer" and "0.1 percent of the land pollutes 70 percent of the ocean." The picture was then exposed on Chinese media social platform.

Tens of thousands of simultaneous viewers visited Xiang Piao Piao's  live stream over the weekend after the matter went heated, in which three of the six items were sold out during the live. The daily sales of its store have skyrocketed from 2,500 yuan ($346) to 1 million yuan, according to media reports. 

The cup sleeves have also been out of stock as the demand is increasing, and it will be replenished at a later date, according to the anchor of the event. 

The official Weibo account of Xiang Piao Piao also released a statement on Saturday saying that "our staff are awesome" after its action triggered heated discussion on Chinese social media platforms. According to media report, the president of Xiang Piao Piao said during the live stream on Sunday that he would award 100,000 yuan to the related employees and donate all the income from the live stream from 8 pm to 12 am that night to the Environmental Protection Foundation.

The hotline staff from Xiang Piao Piao said that it was a personal behavior of the employees, not an initiative of the company, according to the 21st Century Business Herald. The Kyowa store in Okubo of Japan also told the media that the store has not sold drinks with such cup sleeves.

According to previous reports, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) started to dump the fifth batch of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean on April 19. In Japan's fiscal 2024, which ends in March 2025, TEPCO plans to release a total of 54,600 metric tons across seven rounds, the Japan Times reported.

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, the two sides decided to elevate the current comprehensive strategic partnership to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era, which experts said on Friday will provide new economic and trade cooperation opportunities for the two countries. 

Embracing the elevated partnership, China and Hungary will eye strengthened cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture, digital economy, green development as well as other emerging industries. Moreover, the two countries' pragmatic and fruitful achievements have set a good example for China's collaboration with other European countries, analysts noted.

"Deeper and precise cooperation will become the key word between the two countries under the all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era, which means both sides will formulate cooperation policies that are more closely aligned with each other's development strategies," Song Wei, a professor from the School of International Relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Friday.

According to the joint statement released by the two countries, emphasis is placed on enhanced cooperation in infrastructure construction under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). 

The two countries are willing to actively promote the construction of the Hungarian section of the Hungary-Serbia Railway, and jointly promote high-level connectivity in Central and Eastern Europe.

In addition, the two sides will support the sound and steady development of the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line, and promote connectivity and trade between China and Hungary.

The two sides spoke highly of the development of the China-Europe Railway Express between China and Hungary, and agreed to establish an inter-governmental cooperation mechanism on the China-Europe Railway Express, promote infrastructure connectivity, and jointly take practical measures to ensure the security of the transport routes and improve the quality and efficiency of the China-Europe Railway Express, so as to provide important support for deepening economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

"From the Hungary-Serbia Railway to China-Europe Railway Express, infrastructure cooperation has promoted cross-border connectivity which then helps related countries become embedded in the European and global value chain, reducing the cost of logistics and personnel," Song noted.

Moreover, the two sides recognized the huge potential in agricultural cooperation between them and will strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation between agricultural enterprises of both sides, widen market access, promote the cooperation of "small and beautiful" projects, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as animal health and joint research and development of deep processing technologies for agricultural products.

In the latest achievement in bilateral agricultural cooperation, China's General Administration of Customs announced on Friday that it has allowed, effective immediately, the import of Hungarian fresh cherries that meet the relevant requirements. 

According to the statement, the two sides will promote orderly cooperation in emerging fields including clean energy, artificial intelligence (AI), mobile communication technology and nuclear energy and technology. They will deepen cooperation in digital economy and green development, foster new drivers of trade and economic growth, expand the scope and depth of economic and trade cooperation, and jointly safeguard the stability and security of industrial and supply chains.

The two sides will also further deepen cooperation in finance, encourage financial institutions of both sides to provide financing support and financial services for trade and investment cooperation, further tap the cooperation potential in green finance and other fields, and continue to jointly issue green Panda bonds. 

"The joint statement covers a wide range of cooperation fields, including economy, science and technology, and culture, showing the comprehensive and multi-dimensional character of China-Hungary cooperation," Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

Looking ahead, Wang noted that with the transformation of the global energy structure, cooperation in the field of clean energy is particularly important. China and Hungary can develop in-depth cooperation in the fields of solar energy and wind energy. Moreover, there are also high expectations that collaboration in AI and mobile communication technology will be enhanced.

Wang said the pragmatic cooperation between China and Hungary provides a successful example of cooperation between China and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe. This model of cooperation can serve as a reference and a model for other countries and promote cooperation and development in the region as a whole.

"In the context of geopolitical tensions, especially the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Central and Eastern Europe itself is facing a series of challenges, and strengthening cooperation with China is conducive to its independent development and regional stability," Song noted.

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is set to continue, as Israel warned Palestinians to evacuate from Rafah and the Israeli military prepared for an attack on the southern city on Palestine's border with Egypt. Experts said on Monday this will surely cause large numbers of civilian casualties, and the latest development in the situation proves that the US-dominated mediation has failed once again.  

Although analysts doubted that Israel can realize the goal of "eradicating Hamas," they said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet would like to see the war extended, until they see Donald Trump winning the US presidential election at the end of this year. They added that this is the only chance for the Netanyahu administration to stay in power, and unfortunately, more civilians in Gaza will die, and the US will just refuse all demands to stop military aid to Israel. 

As long as the conflict continues, the pro-Palestine protests in universities in the US and many other major Western countries will continue, and this will surely damage the image of the Joe Biden administration, as all of this proves that Biden is refusing to try his best to stop Netanyahu, experts said. They noted that the pro-Palestine protesters are mostly Democratic voters, and after a series of conflicts with US police, many of them might realize that political elites in the Democratic Party are just using them and failing to deliver what they are asking for. If they don't vote for Biden, Trump will have a chance to win, and this is exactly what Netanyahu is waiting for, they said.  

Israel's military has issued a call for residents in eastern Rafah to "evacuate immediately," one day after the country's defense minister told troops inside Gaza to expect "intense action in Rafah in the near future," CNN reported on Monday.

A CNN stringer in east Rafah said that people were terrified and in a state of panic after the evacuation order from the Israeli military. Video footage showed people in the city packing cars and donkey-drawn carts with belongings.

Earlier, a Hamas delegation was in Cairo on Saturday as Egyptian state media reported "noticeable progress" in cease-fire talks for Gaza, but Israel did not send a delegation, the AP reported.

The bloodshed continued on Sunday as three Israeli soldiers were killed in a rocket attack claimed by Hamas' armed wing near Rafah, where Palestinian health officials said at least 19 people were killed by Israeli fire on the same day, Reuters reported.

Netanyahu on Sunday doubled down on his rejection of Hamas' demand for an end to Israel's war against it in exchange for freeing the hostages it holds, saying that such a move would "keep Hamas in power in Gaza and pose a threat to Israel," the Times of Israel reported on Sunday.

Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday that the main difficulty facing cease-fire talks is that Israel wants to eradicate Hamas after it releases the detained Israelis, while Hamas wants a sustainable cease-fire to ensure the group stays alive. 

Another key reason behind the failure of the US mediation is that Washington is adopting a problematic stance: On the one hand, it wants to respond to both internal and external pressures by pushing Israel and Hamas toward a deal, on the other hand, the US will unconditionally provide military aid to Israel, and both of them want Hamas to be eradicated, Liu said. 

Ma Xiaolin, dean of the Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean Rim at Zhejiang International Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday, "Netanyahu understands that if he accepts the cease-fire, he and his cabinet will have to face consequences, as the goal that they promised of eradicating Hamas has not been realized, and this will be considered a failure in Israel, but the ground attack against Rafah will inevitably result in more civilian deaths." 

No matter how many civilians are killed by Netanyahu and his army, the US will unconditionally defend Israel, despite Washington occasionally complaining about the ruthless behavior of Israeli military forces, experts said.   

Although Israel will be heavily criticized if it launches a massive attack against Rafah, as long as the Biden administration refuses to stop military aid, Israel will be immune to criticism and condemnation, and will be able to do whatever it wants in Gaza, while the US, especially the Biden administration, will face the pressure and pay the price for Israel, experts noted. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Paris on Sunday afternoon local time, the first stop of his visit to three European countries. In a written speech on Sunday upon his arrival for a state visit to France, Xi said over the past 60 years, China-France relations have long been at the forefront of China's ties with major Western countries, setting a good example for the international community of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different systems.

The development of China-France relations has not only brought benefits to the two peoples, but also injected stability and positive energy into the turbulent world, Xi said in the written speech.

Xi's visit to France comes at a time when this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Analysts believe the visit will boost leadership exchanges, strengthen political trust and offer an opportunity for China-Europe relations to move forward in a stable and steady manner.

"President Xi will have comprehensive and in-depth strategic communication with French President Emmanuel Macron on China-France and China-Europe relations, encourage France to uphold strategic autonomy and openness in cooperation, so as to drive Europe to form a more independent, objective, and friendly understanding of China and resist negative trends such as 'de-risking' and 'reduced dependence' on China," Chinese ambassador to France Lu Shaye told a press briefing on April 29 after China made the announcement of the visit.

Pierre Picquart, an expert in geopolitics and human geography from the University of Paris-VIII, told the Global Times that Xi's visit is significant on three levels.

"On the economic front, this trip could pave the way for reaching trade agreements and promoting mutually beneficial investments in key sectors such as technology, innovation, energy and infrastructure. Diplomatically, this visit provides an ideal platform to strengthen coordination and collaboration between China and France on major global challenges such as climate change, international security and public health. On cultural and educational level, this trip could open up new opportunities for cooperation in the fields of education, research and culture, thereby strengthening exchanges between our peoples and deepening their mutual understanding," Picquart said.

Commemorative events

The national flags of China and France have been raised at one end of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées as well as on the street in front of Les Invalides.

On Sunday afternoon, near the Arc de Triomphe in the center of Paris, many local Chinese residents and Chinese students waved the national flags of China and France to welcome President Xi. The red banners that read "Long live China-France friendship" and "Wish President Xi a successful visit to France" were very eye-catching. Some also staged dragon and lion dances in show of a joyful atmosphere.

Prior to Xi's visit, several events had been held in preparation for Xi's visit as well as to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.

The Second Forum on China-France Global Governance was jointly held on Thursday by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies and China-Europe-America Global Initiative. Themed "Deepening global governance reforms, jointly building the future of multilateralism," the forum invited more than 100 Chinese and French scholars to share their views on the role of China and France in building a more just world. 

Pascal Boniface, director of the Paris-based Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, told the Global Times at the event, hoping that Xi's visit can address such issues as preserving multilateralism, as "we are at a time when we have the war between Russia and Ukraine, the war in Gaza and a lot of turmoil in the Middle East." 

On Friday, a symposium themed "Exchanges and Mutual Learning between the Chinese and French Civilizations: Review and Outlook," was jointly organized by the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the Paris-based National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations. Around 100 researchers from the two countries held discussions on the practice of cross-cultural exchanges between China and France and scientific and technological innovation and the future of civilization.

Antoine Broussy, director of the Charles de Gaulle Foundation, told the Global Times that many commemorations are taking place in Paris. 

Seeking common interests

Sixty years ago, France became the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with China. Broussy believes it was "the result of a rational analysis of the geopolitical situation at the time." Then French president, General Charles De Gaulle who made the decision, was a strong advocate for "strategic autonomy" of France. Nowadays, France's call for "strategic autonomy" of both France and Europe has been repeatedly coming from French President Macron. 

When co-chairing the 25th China-France Strategic Dialogue in Paris in February with French President's Diplomatic Counselor Emmanuel Bonne, Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, said China supports Europe in strengthening its strategic autonomy and holding its future in its own hands.

Nonetheless, the "strategic autonomy" of Europe has rarely been endorsed by Washington. During Macron's visit to China last year when he warned Europe against being drawn into a conflict between the US and China over Taiwan, US magazine Foreign Policy called strategic autonomy "a French pipe dream."

He Zhigao, a research fellow with the Institute of European Studies of CASS, told the Global Times that the US wants to hold tight control of Europe to tie it to the Western camp led by Washington. 

"If Europe views China from a global perspective that could benefit the world, then China is an opportunity. But if it stands by US' side, then China must be a challenge," said He, adding that China's engagement with Europe is for the common development. 

As of 2021, China has been the largest Asian country in terms of investment and job creation in France for three consecutive years, according to a report by Business France. China-France exchanges in core sectors such as aerospace, nuclear energy and trade have already realized fruitful achievements, and the development of emerging fields such as new energy and the digital economy are likely to become new growth engines.

Sun Keqin, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times that France also views China as an important external force to achieve strategic autonomy, as France has another ambition of strengthening France's leadership of Europe.

Xin Hua, director and chair professor of the Center for European Union Studies, Shanghai International Studies University, believes China-France relations serve as the ballast stone of China-Europe relations.

"France is one of the most important core members of the EU and its strategic orientations play a decisive role in the EU's integration process and the strategic and security pattern of the European continent. As long as China and France maintain positive interaction, China-Europe relations will stay stable," said Xin.

When my foreign friends asked, "Have you felt any discrimination in Xinjiang," I recognized how misinformation from Western reports affected people's impressions of Xinjiang. Such false narratives not only lead to some people from Western countries believing that Xinjiang is still full of ethnic conflict, but also create an air of mystery and suspicion among people yet to visit the region. 

This partly explains why Xinjiang has to stick to opening-up. Besides considering the national strategy, for the region itself, it is also time to step out of the shadow of Western political and media-driven propaganda to confidently show a real Xinjiang to the whole world. 

Forget the so-called genocide, forget the so-called re-education camps - Xinjiang is far more vast, far more beautiful, and has a far richer history and culture heritage than you can read in any biased and maliciously skewed reports.   

What is Xinjiang really like? 

It is a wonderful land comprised of three mountain ranges and two basins, a place where lush pastures stretch out as far as the eyes can see and is complete with four seasons from the south to the north. 

It is also characterized by the smiling Uygur concierge in the hotel waiting for you at midnight, extending services with the phrase "please come to me whenever you need any help." It is the talented young Kazakh men proficient in five languages conversing with guests from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Iran like old friends. It is also the Han resident who would simply and directly tell you: "Our Xinjiang is the best."   

It is a paradise of fruits, from figs and various kinds of grapes to pomegranates. It is known as the home of succulent lamb and beef. As the locals say, "when we eat lamb, we are receiving nutrients from nature as what our sheep eat is all the grass and herbs naturally grown on the land."

Xinjiang's beauty beats the limited imagination of some. In the past, Xinjiang has been unable to effectively protect itself against politically-motivated mudslinging. For its admirers, both in China and in the rest of the world, simply taking in its beauty through images available online is an overwhelming experience, but some have embraced the adventure it holds and visited the region of themselves. 

But as 2023 has witnessed historical opening-up efforts, it is certain that the region will shake off the haze of the malicious campaigns against it and firmly move forward on its own track of development, playing a better role in serving as the country's bridgehead in its westward opening-up.

Coming amid the third China-Central Eastern European Countries Culture and Arts Carnival, traditional dances from all over Greece, such as ipirotikos, tsamiko, kalamatiano, sirtaki and ikariotiko, were performed on October 22 in Chaoyang Park, Beijing, by the Cultural Association "Peiros" dance troop from the municipality of Western Achaia. 

The performance was aimed at preserving and transmitting cultural traditions and various aspects of Greek cultural heritage from generation to generation.

Along with the performances, videos showcased the beauty of Western Peloponnese, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, and informational materials were made available.

The eight-member dance group of the cultural association "Peiros" performed in Beijing as part of the third China-Central Eastern European Countries Culture and Arts Carnival, hosted by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Chaoyang District People's Government of Beijing Municipality, and organized by the Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchange Center, Chaoyang District Bureau of Culture and Tourism of Beijing Municipality.

Tianshui spicy hot pot, based in Northwest China's Gansu Province, has been trending on China's social media recently, attracting troves of tourists for this delicious and mouth-watering delicacy.

Driven by social media buzz and local marketing promotions, tourists and foodies alike have flocked to Tianshui.

Searches for travel to the medium-size city Tianshui have surged. Data from Chinese travel giant, Tongcheng Travel, revealed that, as of Thursday, searches for travel to the city surged by 186 percent during last week, which have kept on growing up. Bookings in Tianshui for hotels and attractions were up 40 percent year-over-year during the past month, another online tourism site Trip.com reported on Tuesday.

Related topics about Gansu Tianshui spicy hot pot have also appeared on Sina Weibo's trending list, garnering at least more than 94 million views as of press time on Sunday.

The Gansu-style spicy hot pot, with features fragrant splashed chili oil and distinctive and wide noodles, has recently been popular, attracting foodies from all over China. It is a tongue-numbing spicy dish loved for its satisfying flavor and the richness of colors.

Different from Sichuan cuisine, another place in Southwest China famous for its hot pot, the secrets for tickling the taste buds come from local specialty ingredients in Tianshui - Maiji peppercorns and Gangu chili peppers. Both belong to local specialty agricultural industries.

"I never thought that Tianshui would one day become an 'online celebrity' in the catering and tourism industry for the spicy hot pot, considering the city was once known as an important route of the ancient 'Silk Road' and blessed with a rich history, cultural heritage destination in northwestern China," Wang Kaixuan, a 23-year-old University student from Tianshui told the Global Times on Sunday.

While some say Tianshui's hot pot sensation is aimed at emulating the success of Harbin in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and Zibo in East China's Shandong Province, two phenomenal travel hits thanks to social media promotion, hospitality of local people and the high level of services provided to vast tourists.

Wang said he plans to invite his friends to come for a visit to Tianshui and enjoy the local hot pot during the Qingming Festival in April. "I definitely hope my hometown to become the next Harbin, as my city is well prepared and is grasping the chance and welcoming tourists with sincerity and well-equipped facilities."

Domestic tourists made nearly 4.9 billion trips in 2023, with total tourism expenditure approaching 5 trillion yuan, Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia Research Institute told the Global Times on Sunday. "With such a tourism boom in domestic market, we have every reason to believe that in 2024, more internet celebrity tourism spots will emerge in China. And with favorable policy support from the authorities, China will see more robust recovery, and vigorous growth in cultural, tourism industries as well, Zhang noted.
Nowadays, a Tianshui spicy hot pot restaurant is a must-go visit in the city. To better allow tourist enjoyment of the delicious food, the local government not only provides special bus commute but also prepares agricultural specialties, boutique cultural tourism routes, and exquisite local products, allowing tourists to experience the charm of local culture while savoring the delicacies.

Meanwhile, local tourism authorities are capitalizing on the city's newfound fame to stimulate the local economy. Starting from Saturday, the local authorities launched a food festival to showcase a variety of Tianshui cuisine. The week-long event is expected to attract dozens of local businesses and hundreds and thousands of tourists from all over the country to join in the spicy hot pot "carnival".

The popularity of Tianshui's spicy hot pot has had a significant impact on local cultural tourism, consumption and boosted local service sector growth.

Meanwhile, the popularity of Tianshui spicy hot pot fuels stock market surge as well. On Friday, shares related to spicy hot pot, such as Junsun Fungi Co and Yatai Holding Group Co surged. Other food companies' stocks, including Lanzhou Huanghe Enterprise Co and Lanzhou Zhuangyuan Pasture Co have also made gains.

The Chinese economy has fared quite well and has showed strong resilience under the huge combined pressure over the past years. We still believe that China was, is, and will remain the factory of the world thanks to the improved productivity levels, broad and deep industrial clusters, and well-established infrastructure, Denis Depoux, Global Managing Director at Roland Berger, told the Global Times in an interview on Thursday.

"The combination of a broad local market and the strong legacy export base make China difficult to replace," Depoux said, noting that China's fundamentals will be solid in the long run amid continuous transformation of new growth drivers.

China is no longer a cheap labor market, neither is it environmentally permissive. Fixed-asset investments are shifting from infrastructure and real estate to industrial modernization, the energy transition, as the new engines of the Chinese economy. Global geopolitical tensions, supply chain reconfiguration and a slower global economy have accelerated this trend. Domestic consumption should top these new engines, he said.

During the ongoing two sessions - annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference - Chinese policymakers set an annual GDP growth target of around 5 percent for 2024, showing their confidence of maintaining high-quality growth despite uncertainties and challenges at home and abroad.
Achieving the target "is not a low-hanging fruit," Depoux noted, adding that ensuring economic stability continues to be an important task for the Chinese government in 2024.

In the short term, government stimulus should remain targeted and limited to support the country's long-term and major strategic planning and construction of key areas. Meanwhile, the central and local governments can activate more structural policy levers, with reforms that in some cases already have started, he said.

"2024 is an important year to transform. It provides an important opportunity for Chinese companies to push the transformation," Depoux said, urging companies to end their "wait-and-see" approach, face the changes and start to take concrete actions to implement the transformation to prepare themselves to better fit into the future and support the economy.

After decades of development, China's old engines of growth are gradually being phased out, but the powerhouse lives on, Depoux said. He said there are three key drivers that will structure China's future development, namely industrial modernization, energy transition and decarbonization, and transformation of domestic consumption.

We have seen China leapfrogging others in some new areas such as electric vehicles, energy storage, and more will be expected in healthcare, space, new materials and artificial intelligence, Depoux.

"In the area of decarbonization, technology is not everything, and services, activating specialized know how, are at least as important - a strong potential for foreign companies to strive in China," he said.

In recent years, China has been putting in effort to re-boost the confidence of foreign business and restated that foreign business would continue to play an important role in China's future economy, Depoux said.

This year's Government Work Report pledged that the country will pursue higher-standard opening-up and promoting mutual benefits in 2024. It stressed that all market access restrictions on foreign investment in manufacturing will be abolished, and market access restrictions in services sectors, such as telecommunications and healthcare, will be reduced.

"Given China's economic prospects, we expect our strategy and operations consulting business to continue to grow," Depoux said.