US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, before landing in Beijing on Thursday, met with local officials in Shanghai, where he acknowledged the obligation to manage the China-US relationship responsibly.

The obligation lies with both China and the US, therefore it should be on equal footing communication rather than order and obedience, Chinese observers said, as China hopes that Blinken's visit can help the US better understand China. 

Chen Jining, secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, met with Blinken on Thursday in Shanghai. Chen said that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the current China-US relations have shown a stabilizing trend, which is an important foundation for the two sides to promote the next stage of cooperation and communication.

Chen said Shanghai will implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries in a solid manner, and continue to make active contributions from a local perspective to promote the development of China-US relations.

Blinken underscored "the value and necessity of direct engagement, of sustained engagement, of speaking to each other, laying out our differences which are real, seeking to work through them, as also looking for ways to build cooperation where we can," per a press release from US Department of State.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry had introduced five major goals that China is focusing on: establishing the right perception, strengthening dialogue, effectively managing differences, promoting mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly shouldering responsibilities as major countries.

In particular, the US must not provoke China's red lines on matters such as the Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, development path and system, and development rights, an official from the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. 

Valuing peace, prioritizing stability, and basing actions on trust are the principles that China adheres to in managing China-US relations, the official said. 
It is hoped that through direct engagement, the US can have a better understanding of China and correct its wrong perception of the country, as that is the foundation for further steps to carry out meaningful communication, manage differences and promote possible cooperation, said Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University. 

In Shanghai, Blinken reportedly raised "concerns over China's trade policies and non-market economic practices." He described Chinese policies as "unfair" and demanded "a level playing field for US workers and firms operating in China."

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China has always conducted economic and trade cooperation in accordance with market principles, firmly supported the multilateral trading system, and fully complied with the rules of the World Trade Organization. We hope that the US will work with China to create favorable conditions for the healthy and stable development of Sino-US economic and trade relations, he said.

Hours before he landed in China on Wednesday, the US Senate passed an aid package including $8 billion in aid to the island of Taiwan and the bill to force ByteDance to sell TikTok.  Before his trip, US media also cited anonymous sources claiming that the US is drafting sanctions that could cut some Chinese banks off the global financial system, purportedly to increase "diplomatic leverage" for Blinken's visit. 

Li noted, "If Blinken is here to issue an ultimatum to China, we will not give in to him and will not compromise on our core issues." 

The most prominent feature of the current China-US relationship is that Washington continuously raises demands with Beijing but lacks sincerity in responding to many of China's reasonable requests, experts said.

Responsibly managing differences should be mutual, not the US ordering and China listening, Li said.

Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times that the US cannot suppress China, while at the same time expecting China to dance to its tune. 

As a result, analysts have rather low expectations for this visit. 

The actions of the US have made China feel that it is not a credible partner, seeking only to secure what it wants and presenting unreasonable demands while neglecting the needs of others, Wu said.

The Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 8:59 p.m. Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, announced the China Manned Space Agency on Wednesday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and also expressed China's support for Palestine over the upcoming UN Security Council (UNSC) vote on its full UN membership, which is likely to be blocked by Israeli ally the US.

Although the Palestinian Authority is unlikely to be granted full UN membership, which would mean a recognition of statehood, analysts said the UN vote would bring the issue of Palestinian statehood back to the UN stage, which is of positive significance for pushing the international community to forge more consensus on the issue.

Regardless of the result, the vote will also put further moral and political pressure on the US and Israel, increasing the isolation of the two countries on the global stage when the majority of the world's countries have already recognized a Palestinian state, analysts noted.

After a meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Jakarta on Thursday, Wang told media that China is deeply saddened by the humanitarian disaster caused by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and an unconditional and lasting cease-fire should be immediately realized and civilians should be effectively protected.

Wang said humanitarian relief mechanism should be established as soon as possible to ensure rapid, safe, barrier-free and sustainable access of humanitarian supplies to Gaza. Wang, China's top diplomat, also called on relevant parties to maintain calm and restraint, avoid escalation of the situation and prevent spillover of the conflict.

China supports the UNSC in discussing and accepting Palestine's full UN membership as soon as possible, and proposes that a larger, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference be convened to formulate a timetable and road map for the implementation of the "two-state solution," Wang said. 

Citing diplomats, Reuters said on Wednesday that the 15-member UNSC is scheduled to vote at 3 PM on Friday local time on a draft resolution to demand that the UN admit Palestine as a member. It's the first vote of its kind in the UNSC since 2011, when Palestine halted its application after the US pledged to wield its veto. 

UNSC member Algeria circulated a draft text on Tuesday, according to the Reuters report, which noted that Palestine is still pushing for the vote to be held as early as Thursday local time. 

The UNSC resolution requires at least nine votes in favor, and no vetoes by the five UNSC's five permanent members - China, Russia, France, UK, and the US - before the application moves to the 193-member UN General Assembly (UNGA), where Palestine needs to get a two-thirds majority.      

According to a report from news site Axios on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected a request from the Biden administration to block plans for the UNSC vote. Citing a US official, the report said that the Biden administration "is trying to prevent the Palestinians from getting the nine votes," so the US will not need to veto the application by itself afterward.

Although it's very likely that Palestine will be unable to obtain full UN membership due to the US' block, the upcoming vote will bring the Palestinian statehood issue, the "two-state solution," back to the center of the UN arena once again as an issue of common concern for the international community, Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

Voting within the framework of the UN is of positive significance to pushing the international community to further forge a consensus recognizing the independent statehood of Palestine, especially the rights of Palestinians under international law, Liu noted.  

Further isolation 

With the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, France, Russia, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, UK, Australia and other countries have recently expressed support for the "two-state solution," with many of them even considering recognizing the Palestinian state, according to media reports. 

In contrast, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told media on Wednesday that she did not believe the upcoming UN resolution would help lead to a "two-state solution." Earlier this month, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told media that the US opposes a Palestinian push for full membership at the UN, as it backs statehood but only after direct negotiations with Israel, according to VOA. 

Niu Xinchun, executive director of the China-Arab Research Institute of Ningxia University, told the Global Times on Thursday that six months after Israel launched the war in Gaza, an increasing number of countries, including some Western states, have changed their positions and expressed their opposition to Israel and its US ally.

Out of 193 UN member states, 139 have recognized Palestine's statehood, including European countries such as Sweden, Hungary, Iceland, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Poland and Romania, according to Al Jazeera. 

Citing a high-ranking Israeli official, the report said eight UNSC members are expected to vote for Palestine, including China, Russia, Algeria, Malta, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Mozambique and Guyana. The US and Israel are lobbying France, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea and Ecuador to vote against or abstain from voting, while the UK is expected to abstain.  

If some of the US' European allies do vote for Palestine this time, it would be a huge blow to the US and Israel, said Niu, "Europe is more sympathetic to Palestine and the new round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict has divided the US and its Western allies to some extent."

The vote, even if it does not pass, will put moral and political pressure on the US and Israel, especially if another veto is used by Washington, which would make the US and Israel face greater isolation on the international stage, Niu said. 

"The pressure from the international community will affect US support for Israel to some extent," said Niu. "And it's clearly not a good deal for the US to stand against the majority of countries in the world because of supporting Israel."

After the cease-fire in the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel may come under unprecedented pressure from the international community in pushing forward negotiations on the basis of a "two-state solution," although the eventual settlement of the conflict is still a very long and difficult process, Liu said. 

After a summit with US and Japanese leaders in Washington which is regarded as primarily targeted at China, Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr said his government has no plan to give US forces access to more military bases in the Philippines. Chinese analysts commented that faced with regional concerns and domestic opposition, Marcos is pretending his government is a "stabilizer" at least on the surface, rather than a "troublemaker," however, Manila's provocation is unlikely to stop at any time soon.  

According to the AP, Marcos made the remarks during a forum with Manila-based foreign correspondents on Monday. He said his government "has no plans to create any more bases or give access to any more bases." 

In February 2023, Marcos granted the US access to four new military bases," bringing to nine the number of military bases that US troops can rotate through, build facilities and store defense equipment and supplies under the "Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). One of the bases is only 400 kilometers from China's Taiwan region, according to media reports. 

Asked if he was concerned that allowing US military access to Philippine bases had provoked Chinese actions, Marcos said that giving the US military access to Philippine bases is "not aimed at provoking China" but is a reaction to "aggressive actions we had to deal with" in the South China Sea.

Marcos also mentioned the recent disputes in the South China Sea and smeared China, noting that it is crucial that the media continues to expose these actions that threaten the peace and stability of the region. It is worth mentioning that Manila has invited Western reporters board its vessels when Manila needs to spread its image as "a victim" in the face of China's "assertive actions."  

Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday that Marcos is attempting to sway other countries in the region that Manila is trying to calm down the situation.

He portrays himself as a nice guy that is trying to maintain regional stability in front of the media, Chen said. 

Marcos remarks came after the first-ever US-Japan-Philippines summit hosted by US President Joe Biden on Thursday in Washington, DC, in which the three nations announced they will deepen military cooperation to counter "China's threats." Biden asked Congress for a further $128 million for infrastructure projects at the current base sites. Manila is also promoting a mutual military visit agreement with Tokyo. 

After the summit, geopolitical competition and bloc confrontation in the Asia-Pacific is on the rise, and the risk of maritime friction is also increasing, said Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the China Institute for South China Sea Studies. 

The Philippines, encouraged and supported by the US and Japan, will not stop its aggressive and provocative actions at sea in the short term, Ding said, noting that the Philippines may even make more infringements and provocative measures in public opinion, jurisprudence and on diplomatic occasions.

Both experts said that Marcos' remarks are also in response to pressure from domestic opposition and anti-war groups that are worried the Philippines will become further involved in a major power confrontation between the US and China.  

In a recent interview with the Global Times, former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte said there are too many military bases for the US troops in Philippines, which he always objected to. He warned that the "US will not die for us." 

Whether there will be more military bases in the Philippines depends on if the US puts new demands on the Philippines and whether the US meets some of the conditions Manila is asking for, as there were interests exchanges behind every single base, Chen said.

According to Ding, with the new bases still under construction, the demand for more military bases in the Philippines is not urgent. In addition, the procedure of adding a new base is complicated, not only in terms of the US and the Philippines themselves at home, but also due to technical issues between the two countries, which makes it less feasible in the short term.

For instance, building a new site needs a huge amount of funds and human resources, and it also need to be approved by Congress, Ding said. 

Ding stressed that in response to the provocation of the Philippines and the intervention of countries outside the region, China has enough strength to safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, which is also the fundamental guarantee for peace and stability in the South China Sea.

Including the case of the two Canadian Michaels, 10 typical spy cases were disclosed in a special documentary film published by China's Ministry of State Security on Sunday to mark the ninth National Security Education Day that falls on April 15, through which various despicable methods of infiltration, theft and incitement by foreign spy and intelligence agencies are exposed, and awareness of anti-espionage is expected to be firmly established among the people.

As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the proposal of the holistic view of national security, the national security has been strengthened. However, beyond traditional areas, emerging fields related to national economy and people's livelihoods, future development, energy, food and meteorology have also become key targets for foreign spy agencies.

In response to the new situations and forms both internationally and domestically, comprehensive measures are needed in terms of raising awareness of safeguarding national security, implementing better legislation and the establishment of specialized institutions to address events that pose a threat to national security, according to analysts. They stressed the importance of lifelong education on national security among the public.

As part of nationwide efforts to promote the national security education, China's Ministry of State Security released a special documentary film that is divided into two parts with the first part summarizing the 10 major anti-espionage cases uncovered by the state security organs in the past decade and the second part reviewing 10 typical citizen-whistleblowing cases during the same period.

The first part of the film was released on Sunday and the second part is set to be published on Monday, according to the ministry.

In the first part of the video that lasts about half an hour, the case of the two Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, engaging in spying activities in China, is revealed with some details. In December 2018, the state security organs detected two Canadians for overseas spying, illegally providing state secrets and reporting intelligence, which severely fought against the criminal acts of overseas spies endangering China's national security.

In recent years, with the continuous improvement of China's comprehensive national strength, some overseas spy and intelligence agencies have infiltrated China, trying to gather intelligence and steal China's state secrets, the Ministry of State Security noted.

In another case, in 2019, the state security organ uncovered the case of Lee Henley Huxiang's financing of criminal activities endangering national security. According to the video, Lee is willing to be a "traitor" - enjoying the national dividend, while sparing no effort to support anti-China activities, acting as the investor behind the anti-China activities, engaged in anti-China chaos and other activities, endangering national security.

Separately, according to the film, in 2017, the state security authorities deployed a special campaign against defectors, including Wang Pihong and Zhao Ruqin. Defection is one of the crimes of endangering national security, and this was the first case of endangering national security with the conviction of "defection" since 2012.

The Ministry of State Security also noted that core secret-related personnel in the Party, government and military organs, military enterprises, scientific research institutes as well as university teachers and students are the key targets for overseas spy and intelligence agencies to carry out intelligence collection and infiltration.

Through various means such as emotional solicitation, seduction and corruption, financial purchase, and offering help, overseas spies have tried every means to recruit and instigate Chinese officials, researchers and Chinese personnel working overseas, posing a serious threat to China's national security, the film said.

The state security organs have found that some personnel have a weak sense of national security and are used by people with ulterior motives, intentionally or inadvertently divulging state secrets and endangering national security.

The video also revealed cases of individual military fans illegally obtaining state secrets.

At present, there are some overseas institutions that have complex backgrounds. With the rapid development of information technology, in order to circumvent China's laws and regulations and the supervision of key sensitive industries, they disguise their overseas background through various methods. Then, they steal China's state secrets and intelligence in key fields with the help of domestic consulting companies and other industries, the film warned.

The video has sparked heated online discussion with many expressing admiration and respect for the anti-espionage work. Some netizens "liked" the various forms of popularizing the national security concept including videos, comic posts and other activities both online and offline, believing those publicity works can promote the public awareness of protecting national security.

Li Wei, an expert on national security at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Sunday that as China comprehensively promotes the rule of law, including in the field of counterespionage, relevant provisions of the Criminal Law and Counter-Espionage Law have been improved and enriched.

For example, the Counter-Espionage Law that was revised last year is more precise, clear-cut and transparent, which embodies progress in China's legal system.

However, relevant laws are not permanently perfected through one revision. If there are new trends and changes in espionage activities in the future, these laws will need further revisions and improvements, according to Li.

Li put forward a concept of lifelong education on national security among the public, stressing the significance of adopting more forms and methods to enhance the relevant awareness and make safeguarding national security a necessity for every citizen.

The National Healthcare Security Administration has dismissed recent hypes of a surge in Chinese residents abandoning basic medical insurance due to increasing fees. It stated that the current extent of the nation's medical insurance coverage remains largely consistent with that of the previous year.

Western media outlets have claimed over recent weeks that the number of participants in China's urban and rural residents' medical insurance has been continuously decreasing.

Many people cannot afford the personal payment standard which rose from 350 yuan ($48.36) in 2022 to 380 yuan in 2023, causing many to opt out of the insurance, resulting in a "dropout wave" in some rural areas, the media reports said. 

Responding to such hypes, the administration on Thursday said at a press conference that per the latest data by the end of March 2024, China's medical insurance system has shown a stable landscape, and the vast majority of residents still have confidence in the country's basic medical insurance.

The total number of people covered by China's basic medical insurance reached 1.33 billion at the end of 2023, accounting for over 95 percent of the country's population. 

The actual net increase in the number of insured individuals in 2023 stood at around 4 million, officials revealed at the conference. This figure considers the exclusion of nearly 40 million individuals with duplicate or invalid data within provincial-level regions, along with an additional 16 million individuals with duplicate insurance across provinces.

A total of 371 million people are covered by basic medical insurance for employees, while 963 million people are covered by basic medical insurance for residents, the administration said.

The number of employees covered by medical insurance increased by 9 million, accounting for 27.8 percent of all insured individuals, further optimizing the structure of insurance coverage. 

In addition, medical insurance departments have provided assistance to nearly 80 million low-income individuals nationwide in 2023, alleviating their financial burden. 

The rate of low-income individuals in rural areas covered by medical insurance has remained stable at over 99 percent, effectively safeguarding the interests of the vulnerable groups, the administration said. 

In a separate development, it has become a trend for Hong Kong residents to seek medical treatment in the Chinese mainland, particularly in the neighboring city of Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province. 

Many Hong Kong residents have shared tips for obtaining medical insurance in Shenzhen on social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu, also known as Little Red Book, while showing off the convenience and affordability of seeking medical care in the mainland. 

According to Hong Kong media reports, in recent years, the tight medical resources and long waiting times in public healthcare institutes in Hong Kong have resulted in strong complaints, leading many Hong Kong residents opt for medical services in the mainland. 

Apart from being affordable, easy to schedule, and with a comfortable environment, the short waiting times in Shenzhen have become a significant factor. Additionally, with an increasing number of insurance plans covering the Greater Bay Area medical network, seeking medical treatment in the mainland has become a better choice for Hong Kong residents facing healthcare challenges.

China's Supreme People's Court is soliciting opinions on the Marriage and Family section of the Civil Code, as Article 20 on divorce economic assistance sparks public debates. 

According to the document, Article 20 states that if one party in a divorce cannot maintain the basic living standard with personal property obtained during the divorce, and requests appropriate assistance from the other party with the ability to bear the burden, the people's court should support the request according to the law. 

That is to say, if one party is economically disadvantaged and has no housing after the divorce, the people's court may, upon request of the party, order the other party, being able to bear the burden, to provide assistance, which may include: a certain period of free use of the other party's house; a reasonable amount of house rent; establishing a certain period of residence right through judgment; and other practical ways. 

Legal experts said that this clause specifically mentions that if one party has no housing after the divorce and cannot maintain the local basic living standard, the other party needs to provide living and housing subsidies. This can protect vulnerable groups to some extent and adhere to the principle of fairness, they stressed.

At the same time, many netizens believe that this clause is similar to the spousal support system in foreign countries, where one party needs to provide financial support to the other after divorce. Some netizens also believe that this clause may cause couples who have significant economic disparities to become reluctant to get married. 

In response, legal experts stated that this clause only requires assistance to help the economically disadvantaged party to maintain the "local basic living standard," while the purpose of the spousal support system in foreign countries is to help the economically disadvantaged party maintain a "similar standard of living during marriage," which is significantly different. This clause emphasizes the protection of marital property and the interests of vulnerable groups, and will not create pressure for couples who want to get married, experts said.

During the divorce process, there are many ways to divide property, Zhu Wei, a vice director of the Communication Law Research Center at the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Tuesday. For example, at the beginning, voluntary division of property is carried out, and if voluntary agreement cannot be reached, then the court will be involved in the division. 

Generally, the principle followed is to benefit the party responsible for taking care of the children and the party without fault, he said. After the division, according to the relevant provisions of the Marriage Law, if one party is at fault, they may have to compensate the innocent party for damages, which is a compensatory division. 

Assistance division is actually a method of division that has been mentioned in the Civil Code before, Zhu explained. After divorce, one party may not have a place to live and their standard of living may not meet the relevant standards of the city. If they are not provided with assistance, it may bring burden to society, other families and the children of the original family. "This also aligns with the traditional Chinese viewpoint, as even though the couple has separated, they should still fulfill their obligations to each other as they promised when they got married," he noted.

It is worth mentioning the way in which the court can now grant a certain period of residency rights, which is the first time it has been proposed, improving the previously controversial aspects, the expert noted.

The Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army organized a joint maritime and aerial combat patrol on Sunday in the South China Sea. All military activities that disturb the stability of the South China Sea are under control.

A total of 1,422 immigration administration police officers were honored with medals on Tuesday in recognition of their outstanding contribution to safeguarding national security and maintaining border stability.

The medals were presented by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) and its subsidiary immigration administration departments, and were established after being approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council.

According to the NIA, the police officers from China's immigration administration departments have faithfully fulfilled the responsibilities and missions, making a significant contribution to safeguarding national political security and border stability. Police officers from Xinjiang, Xizang, and Yunnan were awarded the medals, the NIA said via its official WeChat account.

"In the 20 years that I have spent guarding the border, I have always felt a strong sense of responsibility. This commemorative medal is not just an honor, but also a commitment. I see it as a new beginning, a chance to continue upholding and promoting the values of loyalty and dedication," said a police officer Liu Can from Southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The medals contain major elements including five stars, Great Wall passes, shields, olive branches and snowdrops. As per regulations, the medals will be awarded annually to immigration administration police officers who have served in remote and harsh areas of border regions. Officers who have given 10, 20 and 30 years of service will be awarded bronze, silver and gold medals respectively.

This marks the second time the country presented the medal, an honorary award for immigration administration workers. In April 2023, the national immigration authorities awarded medals to the first batch of 8,487 police officers in commemoration of their exemplary work and efforts in guarding China's border regions.

The situation in the South China Sea has further intensified due to the provocative actions of the US and its allies, Chinese analysts said over reports that Japan is slated to send its Maritime Self-Defense Force to conduct its first joint naval patrols with the US and the Philippines in the region later this year.

Chinese analysts warned that the trilateral exercises in the South China Sea, evidently designed and pushed by the US, only serve to incite greater crisis and conflicts in the western Pacific to help the US compete with China, secure the US leadership among its allies, and profit from the chaos just as it did in the Europe.

Citing US officials and other sources familiar with the matter, US news portal Politico reported on Friday that the US, Japan and the Philippines are slated to launch joint naval patrols in the South China Sea, while suggesting that the leaders of the three countries are expected to reach an agreement on the joint patrols at a trilateral summit in Washington on April 11.

Politico called the potential three-country maneuver "the most robust assertion" of the Biden administration's so-called Indo-Pacific Strategy hinged to rallying allies and partners to offset China's growing economic, diplomatic and military footprint in the region, while warning that such move would likely elicit a strong response from Beijing.

"Japan's decision to join the maneuver is a typical example of the US attempting to recruit more allies in a highly sensitive and conflict-prone area, in order to consume allies' resources and weaken China," Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Li also warned that US allies and partners including Japan and the Philippines should be aware that the US never heeds the demands of its allies, but rather to exploit the frictions between its allies and China to achieve a result where the US benefits. In the strategic view of the US, whether it's the Philippines or Japan, they are all pawns for the US to benefit from."

Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the China Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday that the joint patrols conducted by the three countries in the South China Sea, as well as their political collusion, undoubtedly lead to the deterioration of the regional security situation.

They are clear destabilizing factors that pose a certain degree of threat to China's security, Ding said. "The provocative behavior of the US, Japan, and the Philippines in the vicinity of the South China Sea demonstrates the characteristic of 'originating from the US, with Japan's cooperation, and the Philippines' eager compliance'."

Japan's involvement also reflects the Kishida government's moves to make Tokyo a bigger player in regional security alongside the US that began with his announcement in 2022 of a doubling of the country's defense budget within five years, Politico reported.

The Financial Times also reported on March 25 that the US and Japan, with an eye on China, are planning the biggest upgrade to their security alliance in 60 years. According to the report, the plan, which will see the restructuring of the US military command in Japan, will be announced during Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to the US in April. Tokyo's top government spokesperson said on Monday that the two are "discussing ways to strengthen cooperation in command and control in order to enhance interoperability and readiness."

Chinese experts have criticized the US-Japan alliance is evolving into an axis of evil that will pose more direct uncertainty and instability to the region and even bring destruction to the current peace in Asia.

Analysts also predicted that detailed plans of the joint patrols may be unveiled at the April 11 trilateral summit in Washington. However, they pointed out that these joint patrols can hardly unite the strengths of the participating countries, as once there is an intense conflict with China, the US is all too happy to let its allies make the biggest sacrifices.

The US has been encouraging the Philippines to incite chaos in the South China Sea. In the latest example, the US Indo-Pacific Command chief John Aquilino said at a US House committee briefing last week that the Philippines can invoke the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty if a sailor or a member of its military is killed as China continues "to execute belligerent, dangerous and aggressive" actions against Filipino troops and fishermen in the West Philippine Sea, according to media reports on Thursday.

"And that would put our policy decision makers in a place that would require really tough choices," he told the US lawmakers.

Li pointed out that the US has an interesting characteristic when it comes to its allies, which is to deceive them.

"It often appears to urge its allies to brave dangers, but in reality, it sacrifices them to meet its own selfish strategic demands. This is similar to the situation in Ukraine, where the US consumes Ukraine's resources, leaving Ukraine to fend for itself while weakening Russia, all while the US benefits," he noted.

The intentions of the US are clear, but in the implementation process, it lacks legitimate reasons and its own capabilities cannot meet its ambitions. "Therefore, the US uses its so-called allies and partners to generalize territorial sovereignty and maritime boundary disputes into regional security issues, disguising them as legitimate reasons to rally allies and partners to form small multilateral security organizations to exert pressure, interfere, and restrain China, thereby reducing its own pressure," Ding said.
High alert

Facing malicious challenges brought by external forces in the South China Sea, Chinese analysts have proposed that the complex situation necessitates a comprehensive approach, combining both diplomatic and military efforts.

Targeting a number of objects at sea and in the air such as armed enemy fishing boat and enemy jet, a Chinese navy flotilla of the Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) formed by warships including the Xueshan and Lushan carried out high-intensity and multi-course real combat training in South China Sea, according to the Command on Sunday morning.

The cross-day-and-night exercises, according to the Command, are designed to test the contingency response capabilities of officers and soldiers, their ability to actually use weapons and their command coordination in complex battlefield environments.

Training modules include dealing with complex and changeable enemy situations at sea and in the air - such as suspicious targets, armed enemy fishing boats, weapons threats, and other hostile elements.

The footage of the exercises that the Command released on Saturday shows that the enemy target was sunk after the PLA flotilla's powerful strikes.

"It is difficult to rule out the possibility that some regional and external forces adopt petty tricks to provoke China in the South China Sea, such as installing light weapons onto the fishing boats in order to achieve a surprise attack against Chinese vessels, so we have to be ready for that," Wei Dongxu, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Ding interpreted the PLA drills as a clear signal that regardless of whether the US, Japan, and the Philippines conduct joint patrols or other forms of actions, the PLA will be on high alert. Some analysts believe that the signal sent by the PLA Southern Theater Command suggests that "armed fishing boat" includes Philippine coast guard vessels if they violate China's sovereignty.

"No matter in which area of sea or at what time, the PLA will always maintain a high level of vigilance, take strong countermeasures, and we do not rule out taking some proactive actions to deter malicious forces," Ding said.

Apart from resolutely safeguarding China's territorial sovereignty and integrity, it is necessary to establish closer coordination and cooperation with more countries in the Asia-Pacific region to recognize the dangerous intentions of the US that is to promote division, confrontation, and conflict in the region, Chinese analysts said.