In early January of 2024, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of Communist Party of China Central Committee's Political Bureau, visited Egypt, Tunisia, Togo, Cote d'Ivoire, Brazil and Jamaica, all developing countries and good partners of China. The visits, once again, showed that Beijing has always stood together with the countries in the Global South, proactively advancing the process of multilateralism in global affairs and promoting the modernization cause of the Global South. 

Putting forward a four-point proposal on strengthening cooperation among the Global South nations in South Africa last year, Wang said that the voice and representation of the Global South countries need to be expanded to safeguard their common interests. He named political independence as the defining feature of the Global South countries, justice and fairness as their common proposition, and economic moderation as their common goal.

Seen across the landscape, the world is now faced with unprecedented challenges but also accelerated changes, and an important characteristic of these changes is the collective economic rise of the developing countries. China, an important member of the Global South, will continue to facilitate broader integration with other developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and elsewhere to advance their modernization.

China and most countries of the Global South share similar historical experiences and journeys of struggle, and all of them had in the past 100 or so years emerged from the great cause of fighting against aggression, colonialism, plunder, hegemony, and power politics. Therefore, all Global South countries are naturally bound to stand for world justice, economic integrity and solidarity, and aim to build a better global governance system.

It is through those years of struggle and hard work, along with the evolving changes in this century, that the Global South has gradually "become an important force driving reforms in the world order and seeking political independence, national rejuvenation and international justice," said an essay written by Liu Jianchao, minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee.

Now, the world is embroidered in constant volatilities, skirmishes, clashes and hostilities. Some countries and military alignments have continued to bully others, killing innocent people and children, while imposing economic and technology sanctions to stymie the rise of other emerging economies such as China. Unilateralism and protectionism are rearing their ugly heads and attempts to build "small yards with high fences" to decouple from other economies, sever industry and supply chains, and even stoke bloc confrontation are rampant on the globe. 

To build a better world, and say no to some countries' reckless de-globalization attempts and power politics, the Global South countries should unite and join hands to face the headwind together, by resolutely embracing globalization, and integrating their economies while making the rules of globalization more reasonable and conditions more favorable. Yes, globalization has suffered some setbacks now, and the Global South countries have to make a choice to avoid being bullied and pushed around. 

As proposed by Liu, the Global South is the source of strength for global multi-polarity and now it has got an important opportunity to play a larger and more significant role on the world stage. 

And, countries of the Global South could uphold the principle of "planning together, building together and benefiting together", pressing ahead the Belt and Road cooperation to a new stage of high-quality development, injecting new momentum into their economic growth, while creating new opportunities for global development and building a new platform for international cooperation. Yes, the Global South countries could aim at setting a new type of globalization that involves more diversified players, with an effective platform that is more open, inclusive and beneficial for all participants.

In terms of land size, vitality and growth potential, the rise of the Global South is imperative and of great importance for the world. For many years, the voice of the Global South has been muted and their reasonable concerns have been neglected. The evolving trend shows the collective rise of the Global South is promoting greater democracy in international relations and helping reshape the global economic and political landscape. 

According to statistics, the land area of the Global South countries account for some 70 percent of the world's total, and these countries' combined population and contribution to world economy account for four fifths of the world's total. Working together to advance infrastructure and economic modernization and their peoples' living standard is what the Global South countries should unite and strive for. 

The narrative being trumpeted by some Western pundits suggesting "the weak will be weaker" is immoral, wicked and untenable. As many countries of the Global South were suppressed and exploited by colonizers and started to develop their economies relatively late with a weak foundation, these developing countries should unite and learn from each other to promote their modernization process. And, to realize modernization, the countries of the Global South should seek a path that best suits their respective national conditions. 

China is rooted in the Global South and it cares about the Global South. China has always stood in solidarity with other countries of the Global South, and has been an important player and true partner in South-South cooperation. So China has a lot to share with other developing countries and help them achieve modernization at the earliest date. 

As Liu noted in his article, the Global South should strengthen strategic communication and policy alignment, remove barriers and share resources, technology and experiences to build a modern and well-developed Global South market. "On the one hand, we should strengthen the Global South's synergy to defend our legitimate rights and interests by tightening the important mechanisms including BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the G77+China. On the other hand, we must stay away from zero-sum games and cold war mentality." 

By all metrics, the modernization and economic rise of the Global South is unstoppable and irreversible, and a prosperous, strong and united Global South will sustain global economic growth, environmental progress and help bring about a community of the Global South with a shared bright future. 

At a time when we face multiple economic challenges, it's expected that reform and a wave of industrialization will create new growth momentum, but some Westerners have deep misunderstandings of the Chinese economy, as they claim China's increased industrial investment poses a major risk to the global macroeconomic balance. This misunderstanding is not difficult to correct because it is largely based on misconceptions.

China has failed to shift toward a new strategy based on boosting household consumption, so it's betting on increased industrial investment and manufactured exports to stimulate the economy, according to a media report. 

Citing French daily Le Monde commentator Stéphane Lauer, the report claimed China's manufacturing investment may create a crisis of overcapacity, endangering the global economic system and breaking the balance of the status quo. This reflects a biased and distorted judgment about China's economic prospects.

China's increasing industrial investment does not equate to "a crisis of overcapacity." Whether China exports advanced production capacity or excess capacity should be determined by the global market, instead of Western politicians and media outlets. 

Under the premise of free trade, if Chinese industrial products are popular in the global market, then they will represent advanced production capacity. On the contrary, if those goods become unsalable, they can represent excess capacity.

China has made strides in recent years in boosting research and development spending, expanding clean-energy production and using new production technologies. The country has gained a competitive advantage in some technology-intensive industries. It is absurd to say that China is exporting its outdated excess capacity.

Significant investment and growth in the Chinese manufacturing industry is expected to continue in 2024. It is ridiculous to lead people to believe that China must copy the old path of Western modernization, in which many countries relied too much on consumption, and began deindustrialization when their industrialization process was not complete.

Deindustrialization has become a big challenge related to governance, and it is linked to social unrest and economic chaos in parts of the world. 

China cannot afford to fall into the trap of deindustrialization. With a population of 1.4 billion, China requires a mature manufacturing sector to provide quality employment. Chinese enterprises should focus on making breakthroughs in key technologies and promoting industrialization.

According to the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China will continue to focus on the real economy in pursuing economic growth, and move the manufacturing sector toward higher-end, smarter and greener production. 

China's rebalancing of its economy from investment-led growth to consumption is likely to accelerate in the coming years, as the country steps up its policy support to increase consumer spending, but, for a long time to come, China's manufacturing sector will still play an important role in the economy.

Undoubtedly, China will export more manufactured products, bringing greater competition in the global market. But this does not mean that China will export excess capacity. On the contrary, more intense competition will encourage global manufacturers to upgrade their technology and sell their products at lower prices, thereby benefiting global consumers with efficient production.

Some Westerners claim that China's increased industrial investment poses a major risk to the global macroeconomic balance, or that China is exporting its excess capacity to the global market. Such erroneous remarks have been used by some Western politicians as an excuse to pursue trade protectionism and crack down on Chinese products and Chinese companies. 

Their real purpose is to exclude China from the global industrial chain and protect Western companies from competition, but that is an almost impossible task. The West should prepare for more intense global manufacturing competition.

The Chinese yuan outpaced the US dollar to become the most traded foreign currency on Russia's Moscow Exchange in 2023, with the yuan trading volume accounting for almost 42 percent of all foreign currency traded on the exchange, according to media reports.

The volume of yuan trading on the exchange in 2023 more than tripled year-on-year to reach 34.2 trillion roubles ($391.5 billion), Russian news agency Sputnik reported on Tuesday, citing Russian media outlet Kommersant Daily.

It said the proportion of US dollars traded on the exchange was less than 40 percent, following the Chinese yuan. The third currency came in as euro, which accounted for less than 18 percent.

Last year, Russia's need of other friendly countries' currencies also reported increases, Sputnik said, without giving details.

Trade between China and Russia hit a record high in 2023, reaching 1.69 trillion yuan ($235.9 billion), an increase of 32.7 percent on a yearly basis, Chinese customs data showed on Friday.

Editor's Note:

The past year 2023 was a busy one for China in terms of its interactions with the rest of the world. Its foreign relations always have a profound impact on its economy, strategy and people's livelihoods. The Global Times, in collaboration with China's universities and think tanks, is now releasing a series of country reports. The aim of these reports is to enhance understanding of relevant countries, provide a framework for dealing with China's relations with these countries, and grasp the trajectory of these relations.

In the fourth report of the series, we focus on Tajikistan, a country located in Central Asia.

Over the past decade, China and Tajikistan have collaborated to build the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), achieving significant progress in infrastructure, agriculture, culture and trade through extensive cooperation. The two countries should further promote the bilateral high-quality construction of the BRI by taking the following actions: first, fully implementing the consensus reached at the China-Central Asia Summit; second, prioritizing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, promoting relevant projects in Tajikistan with infrastructure projects as the core, attaching importance to small-scale projects, such as dispatching Chinese medical teams to Tajikistan at the grass-roots level and promoting agricultural technology in villages; third, publicizing the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Tajikistan.

Fruitful results of BRI cooperation

Tajikistan has been one of the countries that have responded most positively to the BRI since it was put forward. In September 2014, China and Tajikistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on building the Silk Road Economic Belt during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Tajikistan. In 2016, Tajikistan enacted the National Development Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan for the period up to 2030, which is in deep connection with the BRI. In 2017, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon was in China for a state visit, during which he attended the Dialogue between Emerging Market Economies and Developing Countries, and the two countries signed a joint announcement on establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership. In May 2023, Rahmon came to China for the China-Central Asia Summit.

Thanks to the leadership of the heads of state of China and Tajikistan, bilateral cooperation in the economic and trade fields has developed rapidly. The BRI has brought new vitality to Tajikistan, and the two countries have achieved fruitful results in investment, trade and production capacity cooperation. 

In terms of investment, China is Tajikistan's largest source of foreign investment. The Export-Import Bank of China and other institutions have provided financing for many important infrastructure projects in Tajikistan, including thermal power plants, power grids and transportation. This support has effectively helped Tajikistan in initiating key infrastructure projects and injected a strong impetus into the economic and social development.

In 2017, in the field of aiding construction, China pledged a 1.5 billion yuan grant (over US$230 million) to build new parliamentary buildings for the Tajik government in Dushanbe.

Under the impetus of the BRI, a number of landmark large-scale projects have been successfully implemented in Tajikistan. In transportation construction, the Vahdat-Yavan railway tunnel has become the hub of international railroad transportation connecting China, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran, and the successful completion of the Dushanbe-Chanak Highway has improved Tajikistan's transport system. 

In power construction, the operation of Dushanbe No.2 thermal power plant in Dushanbe marked the city's power shortage in winter becoming a thing of the past. The South-North power transmission line (500 kV) constructed by TBEA connected Tajikistan's two major power grids in the north and south of the country, thus alleviating the dependence of the northern regions of Tajikistan on the power supply of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

In production capacity cooperation, Tajikistan has turned from a cement importer to an exporter with the support of China. The Tajik-Chinese joint venture, Zeravshan Gold Company (ZGC), has become one of the largest gold mining enterprises in Tajikistan.

China and Tajikistan have also been cooperating in the cultural field. In 2015, the China University of Petroleum (CUP) built the first Confucius Institute with the Metallurgy and Mines Institute of Tajikistan in 2015.

In 2022, China opened its first Central Asian Luban workshop in Tajikistan at the Tajik Technical University. The Luban Workshop in Tajikistan is an important initiative to implement the important consensus of the two countries and the results of the China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and it is a typical case of serving the BRI and sharing China's vocational education experience with the world.

Driven by the BRI, a number of Chinese provinces and municipalities have carried out practical cooperation with local governments in Tajikistan: China's Henan Province and Tajikistan have jointly built a new high ground for regional economic cooperation; China's Shaanxi Province and Khatlon region of Tajikistan established twinning relations and built up a cooperation mechanism; the Tajik city of Khujand (the capital of the Sughd Province) and the Chinese city of Taiyuan (the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province in China) signed an agreement on the establishment of sister-city relationships.

Fostering connectivity under BRI

Tajik government officials publicly express their support for various Chinese initiatives, including the BRI, a global community of shared future, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. For Tajikistan, active support for the BRI allows the country to benefit from Chinese investments in critical infrastructure projects. Additionally, in areas such as energy, industry and agriculture, Tajikistan receives substantial financial support and assistance from China.

Tajikistan's society suggests that Tajikistan should actively integrate into the BRI for development. It is recommended that Tajikistan actively align its national development strategy with the BRI.

Tajikistan considers the BRI more suitable than other major countries' plans, such as the US' New Silk Road Initiative, which is deemed "overly politicized." Tajikistan believes that the BRI can significantly contribute to completing essential infrastructure projects in the country.

Due to Western sanctions on Russia, which have resulted in a significant decrease in remittances from Tajik migrant workers, Tajikistan's economy is currently facing challenges. In light of this economic crisis, Chinese investment is being considered as a crucial option to alleviate the situation. Jointly building the BRI with China is deemed highly significant for Tajikistan. It is expected to reduce logistics costs and time in Central Asia, promote the circulation of goods and funds, raise living standards for Tajikistan's people and advance modernization.

The 2023 China-Central Asia Summit marked a historic milestone in China-Central Asia relations. China and Tajikistan should fully implement the consensus reached at this summit. They should engage in a series of in-depth collaborations in key areas such as social governance, security, economic cooperation and cultural exchanges, strengthen legislative cooperation between the two countries and explore bilateral repatriation legal mechanisms in line with international standards. They also should foster practical cooperation at the local level. 

Enhancing economic cooperation is mutually beneficial for both China and Tajikistan. Strengthening economic ties and attracting Chinese investment are logical choices for Tajikistan, as various sectors of Tajik society are expected to benefit from local economic development. For this to happen, the following needs to be done. First, advancing regional connectivity, strengthening logistics infrastructure development in Tajikistan and enhancing customs clearance efficiency for goods. Second, leveraging technological advantages such as satellite remote sensing to improve efficiency in Tajikistan's resource development and ensure mining safety. Third, facilitating the entry of Chinese new energy companies into the Tajik market to assist the development of green energy. Fourth, enhancing cooperation with Tajikistan in high-tech fields such as new agriculture, digital economy, and 5G communication to support its transformative development. Fifth, promoting Tajikistan's participation in the supply chain of China's advantageous industries, such as new energy vehicles and photovoltaic power generation. Sixth, assisting Tajikistan in poverty alleviation primarily through investment, supplemented by aid, in accordance with the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Seventh, expanding channels for the import of Tajikistan's agricultural products.

China should try to win hearts and minds of Tajik people. First, the two countries can conduct basic public education in Tajikistan's cities and towns, focusing on green agriculture, environmental protection, and healthcare and assisting the Tajik government in addressing livelihood issues. Second, relevant Chinese institutions can engage in various levels of seminars and discussions with Tajikistan's think tanks and universities about China's achievements in human rights, poverty alleviation, sustainable development and anti-corruption efforts. Third, they can establish a China-Tajikistan civil diplomacy platform with a primary focus on sports and arts diplomacy, intensifying efforts in civil diplomacy. Fourth, they can research how Western media report China's presence in Central Asia and deal with their slander accordingly.

Outlook for 2024

In 2024, guided by the political mutual trust and the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit, China and Tajikistan will demonstrate robust cooperation momentum. Both sides will continue mutually beneficial and pragmatic cooperation in traditional areas including infrastructure, trade and cultural exchanges as well as promote bilateral common development. Breakthrough achievements are expected in emerging fields like 5G communication, digital economy and new energy vehicles. In 2024, mutual cooperation and win-win collaboration remain the overarching direction for China-Tajikistan relations. However, it is essential to remain vigilant, considering global uncertainties arising from profound changes unseen in a century, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, escalating great-power competition, the Afghan issue, as well as rising regional instability.

Apple announced a price reduction of its iPhone 15 series and older iPhone models in the Chinese retail market on Monday.

The rare move caused heated discussion on social media in China, with many netizens claiming that the era that iPhone often outclassed its competitors "has largely gone," as many Chinese local smartphone brands have shown "very good quality but lower prices."

According to Apple's website, consumers that buy seven iPhone models including iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 can enjoy a price cut of up to 500 yuan ($70.27) between January 18 and January 21, if they make payment via Alipay, WeChat Pay, Ant Group's Huabei or several major credit cards.

In addition, consumers will enjoy a price reduction of up to 800 yuan for buying MacBook Air laptop (13-inch or 15-inch models) with M2 chip, or 13-inch MacBook Air with M1 chip, the company said.

The hashtag "Apple's rare price reduction" has become a trending topic on China's Sina Weibo since Monday, generating 370 million reviews by Tuesday noon.

"I'm a fan of Apple and have been using iPhones for years, but iPhone models released over the past several years have displayed few innovations. If the trend continues, I may shift to purchase a Chinese smartphone brand," a netizen said in a Sina Weibo post on Monday.

Another netizen said that "The gap between Chinese smartphone brands and iPhones is narrowing. I'd like to buy a local smartphone at a much lower price."

It's worth noting that during the "Double Eleven (November 11)" online shopping festival last year, Apple's iPhone 15 series saw a sharp drop on China's e-commerce platforms.

Apple faces fierce competition from local competitors such as Huawei, OPPO and Xiaomi. "Apple innovation seems to be waning," Ma Jihua, a Beijing-based industry analyst, told the Global Times. Ma said that Apple has to do more to stabilize its market share in China.

Apple CEO Tim Cook visited China twice in 2023, highlighting the importance of the Chinese market to the tech giant, while acknowledging Apple's growth pressure in the market, Ma said.

Around 9:30 am on a blisteringly cold Sunday morning in China's "ice city" Harbin, people were lining up quietly in long queues in front of a museum, which is about an 80-minute subway ride from the city's center. No one complained about waiting in the cold for more than half an hour.

The capital of China's northernmost province of Heilongjiang, Harbin has emerged as one of the top tourist destinations this winter. During the three-day New Year holiday alone, the city welcomed nearly 3.05 million visitors, raking in 5.91 billion yuan (about $832.39 million) in tourism revenue. The enthusiasm of visitors from across the country toward Harbin has remained unabated.

Far from the hustle and bustle at these hot tourist spots in the city, the Museum of Evidence of War Crimes by the Japanese Army Unit 731 is located in Pingfang District. Yet, many visitors came here, and a lot of them were tourists from other parts of the country, dragging their luggage behind them, apparently to catch a train or flight afterward. Some were holding bouquets of white or yellow chrysanthemums, which are traditional Chinese symbols for mourning.

"Welcome to Harbin. Welcome to visit the museum," a local resident handed out small stick flags of China's national flags, greeted every visitor with a genuine smile, his face turned red from standing too long in the cold. To keep visitors warm, some local residents also set up stalls to give hot ginger tea and heating pads. The museum told the Global Times that they weren't volunteers with the museums. "They were just warm-hearted residents who live nearby and offered to help."

Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base established in Harbin in 1935 as the center of Japan's biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during the war. In August 1945, the retreating Japanese invaders destroyed most of the facilities that produced germ weapons, which reportedly included bubonic plague, typhoid, anthrax, and cholera.

In the 1980s, an exhibition hall was established to strengthen the protection and investigation of the evidence of war crimes, such as their notorious human experiments in the development of germ warfare by the Japanese Army Unit 731. In 2015, a new museum at the site was opened to the public. The new museum is divided into six exhibition rooms, displaying relics excavated from the remains of Unit 731's headquarters.

"Local schools or companies organize student visits to the museum regularly. I just live right across the street from the museum. But I have never seen so many people waiting in lines, not even during the New Year holiday just passed," a taxi driver told the Global Times.

During the tourism boom, some tourists visited the museum and shared their experiences on social media. A Douyin (China's Tiktok) user with the handle xiaoshiya, who traveled from East China's Zhejiang Province, chose the museum as her last stop for her two-day visit to Harbin based on recommendations from netizens in Harbin.

She noted that she didn't know there was a biological warfare committed by the Japanese Army Unit 731 in Ningbo (a city in Zhejiang Province). "The excruciatingly painful memory shouldn't solely be carried by our brothers and sisters in the Northeast. It's a history that should be known and remembered by all of us," she wrote in the video, tearing up. The video has received 1.79 million likes, more than 56,000 comments, and has been shared over 182,000 times.

The museum announced on Saturday to carry out a strict reservation system, starting from Sunday, to maintain its daily maximum reception to 12,000 visitors. "Since the New Year holiday this year, the number of visitors to the museum has surged significantly," said the announcement.

"Visitors will be admitted to the museum during their reserved time slot upon presenting their ticket code. Visitors who have not made a reservation can enter our museum's lecture hall under the guidance of staff to watch the documentary on the Japanese Army Unit 731 (each session not exceeding 200 people) or visit the core area of the site. They may enter the museum to visit only after all reserved visitors have been admitted."

Inside the museum, there was a pillar-shaped installation with names of victims on the top and some running numbers below. "The numbers are increasing one by one, standing for the loss of one life of our people," the museum introduced. In silence, visitors laid down China's national flags in memory of the victims who lost their lives to the atrocities committed by the Japanese Army Unit 731.

Many visitors shared videos of them walking inside a long, dark tunnel towards the end of the exhibition on social media, with a caption that went viral online. "Don't look back. Keep walking. At the other end of the tunnel, there's light, the simple beauty of life, the prosperity of our country and the peaceful life of our people. Yet don't forget the journey we weathered through to get here."

China and the US have recently engaged in a series of interactions across various levels, including inter-party and military exchanges. This extensive communication between the world's two largest economies signifies China's genuine efforts to stabilize relations, especially during a year when bilateral ties are expected to face challenges.

Experts pointed out that through these interactions, the Chinese side also expressed the necessity to the US to maintain a consistent and stable China policy during US presidential election year; as US inconsistent policy will not only harm the bilateral relationship but will also impact the whole world.

Chinese officials have also strongly cautioned the US against interfering in the Taiwan question during the exchanges, said the experts. It is important for the US to understand China's strong message against colluding with Taiwan secessionists, particularly in the lead-up to Taiwan's regional leader election. If these secessionist forces push their agenda too far, they will face harsh measures from Chinese mainland, and the US will also be put in dilemma, the experts said.

On Tuesday, Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the US, delivered a speech at the Carter Center Forum commemorating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations.

Xie said China has recently taken a series of positive measures to further open up and facilitate China-US exchanges and cooperation. "We have authorized Mastercard NUCC to conduct bank card clearing operations in China, and approved Broadcom's acquisition of VMware. All Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in China are back in service."

The ambassador noted that it is hoped that the US side will also take real actions in the same spirit to address China's concerns. It is important to start with small steps which can go a long way, pursue reciprocity and mutual benefit, both give and take, fully utilize the restored and new mechanisms in foreign policy, economy, finance, commerce, agriculture and other fields, expand the list of cooperation and shorten the negative list, and solve rather than create problems.

China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday that the 17th China-US Defense Policy Coordination Talks were held in Washington DC from January 8th to 9th. The meeting was co-chaired by deputy chief of the Office for International Military Cooperation of China's Central Military Commission and deputy assistant secretary of defense of the US Department of Defense. 

The Chinese side expressed that China is willing to develop a sound and stable military-to-military relationship with the US side on the basis of equality and respect and work together to follow through the important consensus on mil-mil engagement reached by the two heads of state during their meeting in San Francisco, according to a read out issued by the ministry. 

Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, also visited the US this week. 

In a speech delivered at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in the US on Tuesday, Liu said China does not seek to change the current international order, instead, China is one of the builders of the existing world order and benefits from it. As the world enters a period of turbulence and change, people from all countries hope that China and the US can take the lead in solving more global issues, he noted.

The recent slew of interactions between the two countries shows that China is willing to enhance communication with the US at various levels and also demonstrates China's sincerity in trying to stabilize bilateral relations, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. China also hopes these exchanges can help prevent negative factors within the US from becoming overwhelming forces before the upcoming US presidential election, when anti-China rhetoric will be amplified, he added.  

Liu Weidong, a research fellow at the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that China has made significant efforts to enhance bilateral relations, the onus is on the US for further progress. The incumbent US President, Joe Biden, is acutely aware that strained China-US relations could will not benefit him in the upcoming election. However, he also faces pressure to avoid appearing too soft on China, as he fears potential attacks from Republican candidates. Liu believed that the China-US relationship may encounter significant turbulence this year. 

According to experts, China aims to use recent interactions with the US as a reminder for Washington to maintain continuity and stability as a superpower. They argue that inconsistent policies of the US not only affect China-US relations but also affect the entire world.

While it may be unrealistic to expect China and the US to agree on everything, it does not imply that the two nations are in an antagonistic state. Experts argue that beyond the polarizing extremes, there exists ample room for both countries to coexist. The focus now lies in finding a peaceful way to co-exist for China and the US in this space.

Sensitive question

Both Xie and Liu Jianchao sent clear message to the US side over the seriousness of the Taiwan question.

Xie said that the Taiwan question is the most important and sensitive question in China-US relations. When it comes to "Taiwan independence" separatists who betray their motherland and refuse to identify themselves as Chinese, the Chinese government simply has no room for compromise, Xie said. 

The US side should abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués with practical actions, and implement the statements of US leaders not supporting "Taiwan independence" and not using the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China. 

Liu Jianchao said that China takes the US' commitments of not supporting "Taiwan independence" seriously and hopes that the US will abide by these commitments.

During the just concluded China-US Defense Policy Coordination Talks, the Chinese side emphasized that China will not make any concession or compromise on the Taiwan question and demanded that the US side abide by the one-China principle, honor relevant commitments, stop arming Taiwan, and not support Taiwan independence. 

Washington however has not shunned from sending wrong signals to Taiwan secessionists before the Taiwan regional leader election this weekend. In the latest move, island of Taiwan's representative in the US Alexander Yui met with US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday. 

China firmly opposes the US having any form of official contact with the Taiwan region, Mao Ning, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a Wednesday conference. She noted that the US should prudently and properly handle Taiwan-related issues, stop official contact with the Taiwan region, stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and refrain from interfering in elections in the Taiwan region in any form.

Experts have stated that the outcome of the Taiwan regional leader election won't affect the reunification process. Instead, China's strong message sent during recent interactions with the US is rather a reminder for Washington not to collude with Taiwan secessionists. "If these secessionists were to win the election and push for Taiwan independence, it could potentially lead to ultimate measures from the Chinese mainland. This situation would also put the US in an awkward position, as that would mean an inevitable conflict between China and the US," according to Liu Weidong.

According to Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice (BMBJ), a local forensic institute has cracked the transmission principle of AirDrop function of Apple devices, which enables mobile phone number and email address of the AirDrop content sender to be extracted from content receivers, while authorities have received more complaints from public over receiving offensive and inappropriate messages from other anonymous Apple devices.

This technical breakthrough has successfully helped the public security authorities identify a number of criminal suspects, who use the AirDrop function to spread illegal content, BMBJ said through a releases posted on its website on Monday. 

According to the BMBJ, the Beijing police have received reports from the public that their iPhones received videos with "anonymous inappropriate messages" in subway in Beijing. Following investigation, the police found that the suspects took advantage of the AirDrop function to anonymously spread these inappropriate messages including pictures, videos, audio and other files, in crowded public spaces like transport hubs, bus stops or shopping malls. 

As AirDrop function allows anonymous transmission without an internet connection, it is almost impossible to effectively regulate this behavior through conventional network monitoring means, which has become a challenge for public security organs to crack these cases, and some internet users have started to imitate this behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly identify the source of the sender and determine their identity in order to avoid negative consequences, according to the release. 

A local forensic institute named "Wangshen Dongjian" was commissioned to analyze iPhone device logs. A rainbow table correlating phone numbers and email accounts was created during investigation, and has "effectively assisted the police in identifying several suspects" involved in such cases.

The breakthrough of AirDrop's anonymous traceability technology has improved the efficiency and accuracy of case detection, and prevented the further spread of inappropriate information and its potential adverse effects, the BMBJ said. 

Apple has limited the use of the AirDrop wireless file sharing function on devices in Chinese mainland in November 2022, after some anti-China forces used the function to spread inappropriate digital leaflets, according to media reports. After the updates, users can only opt in to receive files from non-contacts during a 10-minute window before it automatically shuts off.

Concerns over the AirDrop feature are global. Western nations like US, UK, and Australia also noticed the rising of "cyber flashing," where explicit and abusive images are anonymously sent to strangers through iPhones.

On May 10, 2023, the Metro branch of the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau issued a notice saying that a female passenger received an explicit picture through AirDrop on Hangzhou subway from a stranger," triggered huge amount of public attention. 

China has become a major intellectual property (IP) power and important pole in the world's innovation landscape after 30 years in the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing on Wednesday. 

"China attaches great importance to international patent cooperation and intellectual property protection," Wang said, noting that the number of international patent applications by Chinese applicants through the PCT has ranked first in the world for four consecutive years.

According to Wang, in the 30 years since joining the PCT, China has actively participated in the revision and improvement of international rules such as those of the PCT and continuously improved the domestic IP legal system, while carrying out fruitful cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). 

"IP is an important source of support for innovative development. With the support of patented technology, China has continuously improved its IP quality and efficiency to accelerate innovation," Wang noted. 

He gave the example of China's 126,400 global patent applications for solar cells, which ranked first in the world. China's leading new-energy vehicle producers have more than 100,000 valid global patents, leading in the green and low-carbon industry.

China continues to expand the opening-up of the IP field to create a market-oriented, legal and international first-class business environment, according to Wang. 

A total of 115 the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries have applied for 253,000 patents in China during the past 10 years, with an average annual growth rate of 5.4 percent. As of the end of 2022, the number of valid foreign invention patents in China reached 861,000, a year-on-year increase of 4.5 percent, which fully reflects the recognition of foreign-invested enterprises in China's IP protection.

China will continue to adhere to the principles of openness, inclusiveness, balance and universal benefit, strengthen international exchanges and cooperation with other countries in the field of IP, promote the development of global IP governance in a more fair and reasonable manner, and allow innovation to benefit more people of all countries, Wang said. 

According to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2023 released by the WIPO in September, China ranked 12th globally, with six indicators ranking first in the world. Three science and technology clusters - Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai-Suzhou - were among the world's top five. 

In addition, the GII identified 24 science and technology clusters in China, up from 21 in 2022, as the country is now home to the greatest number of science and technology clusters, said the WIPO.

China's financial regulator on Friday disclosed fines of 10 million yuan on three banks - China Construction Bank, Bank of China and China CITIC Bank. It was also the first group of fines issued by the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) in 2024.

The Bank of China was fined 4.3 million yuan, the highest among the three banks, for nine violations, including failure to report the use and changes of important information system to regulatory authorities, the non-standard production and changes of important information system causing major emergency, poorly identifying and handling of operation risks of information system, and imprudent management of outsourcing information technology.

The China Construction Bank was fined 1.7 million yuan ($239,000) for four violations, inadequate internal audit of consolidated management, inadequate case management of overseas institutions by parent bank, failure to report on the employment of senior managers of overseas subsidiaries in a timely manner, and ineffective rectification of found problems, according to a NFRA notice published on its official website.

The China CITIC Bank was fined 4 million yuan for six violations, which are mostly related to its data center operations and management practices that fall short of regulatory requirements.

The fintech-related fines issued by the NFRA at the beginning of 2024, to a certain extent, reflects regulatory focus on strengthening supervision of information systems in the future, a securities analyst, surnamed Liu, told the Global Times on Saturday.

In November 2023, the NFRA established a new department taking care of technology supervision, covering oversight of cybersecurity, data security and critical information infrastructure.