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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Philippines has recently been resorting to petty maneuvers to hype up South China Sea issues with the latest move of the Philippine Navy, which claimed on Tuesday that some underwater drones that Filipino fishermen discovered last year were likely deployed by China for military purposes, according to Philippine media.

This is a new provocation from the Philippines to sustain media buzz on the South China Sea issue, attempting to draw more attention and seek external support, analysts said, adding that the Philippines will not be able to overturn the overall stable situation in the South China Sea.

AFP, citing the country's military, reported on Tuesday that five underwater drones found by Philippine fishermen were "capable of gathering information" that could aid in "underwater warfare," noting that at least one had relayed a signal to China.

The drones were discovered between 2022 and 2024 in locations "important strategically in the defense and the security not only of the country but for international maritime navigation", Philippine military officials told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.

Tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea have been ongoing in recent years. The China Coast Guard (CCG) on Tuesday said one of its ships patrolling waters near Huangyan Dao was harassed by a Philippine vessel in an attempt to smear the Chinese side with staged photos.

This time, the accusation from the Philippines comes as Manila prepares for large-scale military exercises with the US, which will involve approximately 10,000 soldiers, and will take place from April 21 to May 9, The Independent reported on Tuesday.

By hyping the so-called unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) issue, the Philippines aims to propagate the "China threat" narrative, Ding Duo, director of the Research Center for International and Regional Studies at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"By shifting perspectives and angles, it seeks to sustain the South China Sea issue's prominence in the media discourse, attempting to draw attention," Ding said.

Without providing hard evidence, the Philippines has engaged in irresponsible speculation and malicious smears, Ding continued.

The Philippines' various provocations to secure more external support and escalate its infringements will not overturn the overall stability of the South China Sea, Ding noted.

A roundtable on carrying forward the Bandung Spirit was held in Beijing on Thursday. Diplomats and scholars from the Global South and beyond gathered to explore the significance and relevance of the Bandung Spirit in promoting development and navigating the complexities of today's global landscape.

The Bandung Conference, also known as the Asian-African Conference, was held on April 18, 1955, in Bandung, Indonesia. It marked the first time that the countries of the Global South united to oppose imperialism and colonialism in defense of their sovereign rights and a more equitable world. Participants proposed the Bandung Spirit with "solidarity, friendship and cooperation" at the core, initiating the Non-Aligned Movement and South-South cooperation.

Wang Chao, president of Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), said at the roundtable that the pressing task facing the Global South today is development and striving toward modernization together. This goal is encountering challenges, noted experts at the roundtable. They expressed their concerns over the current global issues, including unilateralism, protectionism, climate change, unbalanced development, and especially the trade war. They believe the Bandung Spirit remains the key to resolving the global governance impasse, offering a practical choice.

In the current global context, it is even more crucial for countries in the Global South to unite, support one another, deepen exchanges across various fields, and enhance regional, sub-regional, and cross-regional cooperation, thereby injecting more positive energy and certainty into global development, Wang said.

Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun stressed that Indonesia and China have agreed to synergize their flagship policies - the Global Maritime Fulcrum and the Belt and Road Initiative. He said, "we must now work hand in hand to showcase the valuable success of this cooperation," adding that by driving greater industrial innovation and modernization, development and progress can be spread across the region. 

Khurshid Kasuri, former foreign minister of Pakistan, shared the example of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He said it is a living example of collaboration that rejects hegemony, domination, and Cold War-style politics, advocating that, in a multipolar world order, developing countries can pursue independent development paths free from external coercion.

At the roundtable, participants also put forward proposals on how to promote the Bandung Spirit and advance modernization together. Imron Cotan, senior advisor to the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, raised proposals such as establishing an Asia-Africa Economic Corridor - a multilateral trade and investment framework building on ASEAN-AU cooperation; creating an Asia-Africa Trade Resilience Fund - a pooled reserve to provide credit insurance, hedge against tariff shocks, etc. 

Cotan, also former Indonesian ambassador to China, told the Global Times that the Global South doesn't want to confront anyone, but it should also not dance to the music being played outside of the Global South. "We have all the ingredients to move forward. We need to transform the spirit of the first Bandung Conference in 1955 into a new claim, taking into account the current predicament of global governance. It is timely and urgent for the Global South to govern ourselves," he said. 

Cotan recalled a speech delivered by President Xi Jinping back in 2013, in which Xi said, "The international community should advocate the vision of comprehensive security, common security and cooperative security so as to turn the global village into a big stage for common development, rather than an arena where gladiators fight each other." Cotan believes these words carry notable relevance in today's context. This world is so large to be shared together, not a battleground for gladiators, Cotan added. 

The roundtable, themed, "The Global South: Carrying forward the Bandung Spirit and marching together toward modernization," was jointly organized by Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) and Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Beijing.

After approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes, the Tien Kung Ultra robot, developed by China's National and Local Co-built Embodied AI Robotics Innovation Center, was the first to cross the finish line at the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon held in Beijing on Saturday. 

The world's first humanoid robot half-marathon kicked off at Yizhuang, Beijing on Saturday morning. Aside from the Finisher's Medal, a total of 20 teams with their 18 types of robot athletes will compete for the championship title on the 21.0975-km track, as well as various awards based on the robots' running gait, endurance, popularity, and design. 

Multiple advanced humanoid robots including the Tien Kung Ultra developed by National and Local Co-built Embodied AI Robotics Innovation Center, Unitree's G1, Leju Robotics' Kuavo, and NOETIX's N2, among others, participated in the event.

In response to certain US politicians once again pushing forward legislation that smears Hong Kong's autonomy and rule of law while calling for the revocation of privileges for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) in the US, or even their closure, a spokesperson for the Commissioner's Office of Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) expressed strong condemnation and firm opposition on Wednesday. 

The spokesperson emphasized that the HKETOs in the US are official institutions representing the HKSAR and play a positive role in promoting economic and trade exchanges and practical cooperation between Hong Kong and the US. 

Their legitimate functions must not be unreasonably questioned, the spokesperson said. 

Certain US politicians, driven by their own political self-interest, have blatantly smeared and slandered Hong Kong's trade offices, not only undermining normal HKSAR-US exchanges and cooperation, but also exposing their malicious intent to see Hong Kong unstable and unsuccessful, the spokesperson noted. 

US lawmakers reintroduced a bill on Tuesday that could close Hong Kong's representative offices in America if the White House determines that Beijing has undermined the city's autonomy, an effort that failed in the previous congressional session, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday. 

The bill would amend the US State Department's annual review of Hong Kong's semi-autonomous status to require the US president to explain to Congress why the three HKETOs in the country should retain or lose diplomatic privileges, the SCMP said. 

The spokesperson stressed that China urges these US politicians to immediately pull back from the brink and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs at once. If the US side insists on going its own way, it will face a resolute countermeasure from the Chinese side, the spokesperson said.