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Editor's Note:

It has been more than one month since Japanese ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi arrived in December 2023. On January 18, Ambassador Kanasugi gave an exclusive interview to Global Times reporters Xing Xiaojing and Liu Xin (GT), his first interview with Chinese media, during which he described diplomatic work as a "long-distance relay race," and said that whoever holds the baton should run as far as possible. During his tenure as Japanese ambassador to China, he hopes to use his own experiences to promote mutual exchanges between Japan and China, and contribute to the improvement of bilateral relations.
GT: After receiving the news of your appointment as the ambassador to China, we have learned that you are held in very high regard by both Chinese and Japanese individuals who have the occasion of your acquaintance. They view you as a professional diplomat and, although you do not come from a "China school" background, they have high hopes that you will contribute to the improvement of China-Japan relations. How do you view this praise and expectations? Could you please introduce the focus and goals of your work during your tenure as the Japanese ambassador?

Kanasugi: As a diplomat, it's a great honor to receive such praise. Rather than saying this is a recognition of me personally, I hope it can also bring about appreciation for the Japanese people, Japanese companies, and Japan as a whole.

In fact, I am not an expert on China issues. As you know, from 2016 to 2019, I served as the director general of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, responsible for Japan-China relations. I also served as the director-general of the Economic Affairs Bureau, gaining some firsthand experience in Japan-China relations. At that time, a series of meetings between high-level officials from Japan and China gradually set the gears in motion for the improvement of Japan-China relations.

In October 2018, the late prime minister Shinzo Abe made an official visit to China, and I was also part of the delegation that visited Beijing. I hope to contribute my modest efforts in promoting the advancement of Japan-China relations based on my experiences.

One important duty of the ambassador and the embassy is to ensure the security of Japanese nationals living in China and to protect the Japanese companies' interests. For this, I think Japan and China should still strengthen communication.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, over the last three years, communication between China and Japan was suspended, as it was among other countries. In November 2023, top leaders from China and Japan held a summit to improve bilateral relations after the end of the pandemic. Therefore, I hope to promote mutual exchanges between Japan and China in order to improve bilateral relations.

GT: What impressed you most during your previous visits to China? How do you feel coming to China this time as the newly appointed ambassador?

Kanasugi: My most unforgettable experience was accompanying the then-Japanese prime minister on his visit to Beijing in October 2018. At the time, as the director general of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, I directly participated in the related work, which left a deep impression on me. Moreover, about 10 years ago, there were voices saying that Beijing had severe air pollution, I was able to see the blue sky during that visit, during which the air in Beijing was very fresh, which surprised me.

Coming to China for work, this time as a diplomat, I feel deeply honored, and as an ambassador to China, one of the most important countries for Japan, I cannot afford to be complacent in any sense. I will try my best to promote the development of Japan-China relations, even if it is a step or two forward.

GT: On November 16, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in San Francisco, US. During the meeting, the two leaders reiterated their commitment to the principles and consensus stipulated in the four political documents between the two countries and reaffirmed the positioning of promoting China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit in an all-round way. They also agreed to dedicate themselves to jointly building a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the demands of the new era. What are your thoughts on the significance of this meeting?

Kanasugi: The joint statement on the All-round Promotion of Strategic Relationship of Mutual Benefit was signed by Japan and China in 2008. Its main content is that as neighboring countries, Japan and China face various challenges and should work together to address them. At the same time, there are many areas in which Japan and China can deepen their cooperation.

I believe that deepening cooperation in these areas is the essence of promoting China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit in an all-round way. However, during the pandemic, the exchange of personnel between Japan and China was interrupted, and the relationship between the two countries became somewhat strained.

Against this background, it is of great significance for the leaders of Japan and China to reaffirm the positioning of promoting China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit in an all-round way during their meeting, in order to deepen cooperation between Japan and China.

GT: What measures will Japan take to implement the consensus reached by the top leaders of the two countries?

Kanasugi: I believe it is necessary to deepen communication through various channels. In fact, consensus has been reached on the Japan-China Economic High-Level Dialogue, Japan-China people-to-people and cultural exchanges dialogue, and mutual visits of foreign ministers during occasions such as the Japan-China leaders' summit.

Such exchanges are crucial for promoting personnel exchanges. What is even more important is to let the people of Japan and China see that unresolved issues are being resolved through this communication. Once exchanges and dialogue resume, things will move forward.

GT: After the Chinese and American leaders met in San Francisco, China-US relations are expected to get warm. Do you think that there is also a possibility for a turning point in China-Japan relations?

Kanasugi: The Japan-China relationship is not defined by the US-China relationship. Japan's foreign policy is entirely based on its national interests, which is a major premise. Under this premise, both sides reaffirmed in November 2023 the positioning of promoting China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit in an all-round way. I hope that progress can be made in Japan-China relations within this important framework.

GT: However, there is a viewpoint that believes that China-Japan relations will also be influenced by China-US relations.

Kanasugi: That is because we are part of the international community, therefore the influence from US-China relations will not be zero. If Japan-China relations are improving, I believe this will certainly have an impact on US-China relations as well. The international community is a relationship of interdependence, and I think [the above viewpoint] should be discussed based on this.

GT: We noticed that you often wore traditional attire while serving as the Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia. Would you consider doing the same with traditional Chinese costume?

Kanasugi: In Indonesia, there is a traditional attire called "Batik." I often wore it because, according to Indonesian customs, wearing "Batik" is suitable for any occasion, such as meeting the president, attending weddings, or going to work. It is very convenient, and Indonesians dress this way. So, I was not the only one as the embassy staff often wore "Batik." However, when attending formal occasions in China, it is still necessary to wear a suit, so I usually wear suits during work.

GT: Do you plan to create a social media account after coming to China, and share similar regular life updates as you did during your tenure in Indonesia?

Kanasugi: I have only been here for a month and I don't know yet. If it helps to promote Japan-China relations, I am willing to consider it.

GT: Although you recently arrived in China, we are curious about what kind of outcome you hope to see in China-Japan relations when you leave China.

Kanasugi: In Japan there is a popular sport called Ekiden, in which the baton is passed on from one runner to another in a long-distance race. I believe our work is like a relay race, taking over the baton from our predecessors and running as far as possible during our term, and then passing the baton on to the next person.

I hope that during my term, Japan-China relations can move forward, even if it's just one or two steps. It has only been a month since my arrival, and currently, I want to make efforts to solve as many of the current issues as possible.

GT: Which place do you want to visit during your stay in China?

Kanasugi: China is vast and rich in resources, with many beautiful places. During my time in China, I want to explore more and see more, which will deepen my personal experience. There are still many places that I don't know much about, but many Japanese people, especially my generation, have a strong desire to visit the "Silk Road," so I also want to go and see it.

GT：What is your view on the significance of China-Japan relations to Asia and the whole world?

Kanasugi: When I left Indonesia, many Indonesian friends saw me off and said, the stability of China-Japan relations is crucial for Indonesia and ASEAN. Please make sure to work hard. I will always remember these voices in my work in China.

Editor's Note:
Located in the eastern part of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Hami is an important city along the ancient Silk Road and a key node city under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In this city with a total area of 142,100 square kilometers, the permanent population is 680,000, and 39 ethnic groups including Han, Uygur, Kazakh, Hui, and Mongolian live here harmoniously.

GT reporters again traveled to the region. In this fourth installment of a series of articles, GT tells character stories based on multiple local young people who have realized their self-worth here with the continuous improvement of Xinjiang's economic industrial structure.
Millionaire camel breeder

Zhonghe Camel Breeding Cooperative in Xiamaya township, Hami city, is about 260 kilometers away from the city center. After a four-hour drive out there, a group of sunbathing camels came into view. Nuraly Kasmu, a 32-year-old Uygur man, is the head of the cooperative.

Talking with the Global Times, he said, "There is a saying that 'having millions in wealth is not considered rich if you have long-haired camels.'" Free-range camels not only tend to wander off, but are also at risk of wolf attacks. Newborn camels also find it difficult to survive, making it difficult for herders to guarantee their economic income.

In November 2014, with the support of the local government, Nuraly's father founded this cooperative to provide custody and breeding services for camels, as well as selling fresh camel milk and other products.

Currently, more than 80 households of herders in the local area entrust their camels to the cooperative, mainly consisting of Kazakh and Uygur herders, as well as Han herders. According to the agreement, the cooperative distributes dividends to herders at a rate of 1,000 yuan ($139.83) per camel per year, and the income from camel milk, camel hair, and newborn camels belongs to the cooperative.

Nuraly said that since 2015, the total amount of dividends given to villagers in Xiamaya township by the cooperative has accumulated to nearly 400,000 yuan. There are currently more than 900 camels in this breeding base covering an area of over 3,000 square meters. Each camel produces about 2 to 3 kilograms of milk per day, with the highest monthly sales of camel milk reaching around 5,000 kilograms, bringing in a monthly income of about 180,000 to 200,000 yuan, and an annual income exceeding 2 million yuan.

"I might be the richest person in the local area!" Nuraly said with a smile.

Nuraly used to work for a local new energy company and joined his father's cooperative in 2018 to continue the family business. Despite his playful nature, he is meticulous when it comes to work.

"To take care of the camels, I specifically hired a camel caretaker from the Barkol Kazak Autonomous County," he said. "Kazakh compatriots have a lot of experience in camel breeding and know how to make them produce milk. More importantly, they have genuine affection for camels and don't treat them as just a job."

In addition, the cooperative pays attention to the nutritional balance of camel feed, regularly conducts vaccinations for camels, hires professionals to take care of newborn camels, and provides insurance for the camels. They also receive technical training from agricultural and animal husbandry experts and scholars every year.

Keram Wudge, a 60-year-old herder, also entrusts his camels to the cooperative. He told the Global Times that herders have signed contracts with the cooperative and receive stable dividend income every year without having to worry. With the free time, older herders can stay at home and take care of their elderly family members, while others work as border guards to increase their income.

When asked about the changes in their lives since taking over the cooperative five years ago, Nuraly smiled and said, "We have money now! Who doesn't want to make money?"

It's not just Nuraly whose wallet has grown. Through systematic management, the cooperative has radiated and boosted the income of farmers and herders in Xiamaya township and surrounding towns, promoting local economic development.

The operation of the cooperative has not been smooth sailing, and the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic was the biggest test. "The local government waived the cooperative's loan interest, and companies from Central China's Henan Province provided financial support. With the trust and support of people from all ethnic groups, we were able to overcome the difficulties together," Nuraly said.

Nuraly has ideas for the future development of the cooperative. In his view, camel milk has high nutritional value and can help alleviate diabetes and enhance immunity. In the future, he wants to continue to expand the scale and breed more camels, improve the quality and quantity of camel milk, and sell camel milk along the BRI to various parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, and other parts of the world.

"At that time, I will proudly tell others that this is the camel milk produced by our cooperative," Nuraly said.

Uygur woman builds promising career

The fresh camel milk produced by cooperatives in Yiwu county, Hami, is mainly sent to Xinjiang Zhongtuo Bio-Technology Co. for processing, and is then sold to various parts of the world.

Zhao Junli, the chairman of the company, said in an interview with the Global Times that as a company that attracted investment from Henan to Xinjiang, the company opened in Yiwu county in April 2016. At that time, although there were not many camels, the natural environment and development prospects were good. In order to ensure a stable supply of camel milk, the company provided 5,000 yuan in funding to the local people for every camel purchased, interest-free, and the camel milk produced would be used to repay the funding. Generally, each camel can repay 500 yuan per month, and it can be repaid in about a year, which immediately mobilized the enthusiasm of the local people.

Zhao said that herders can entrust their camels to the cooperatives, and the cooperatives are responsible for camel breeding and milking. The milk is then transported to his company by milk delivery trucks. After sampling and testing, the qualified camel milk is sent to the production workshop to produce fresh camel milk, camel milk powder, milk slices, and other products. Camel milk biscuits and camel milk shower gel are also popular products.

Some Western countries have been fabricating rumors about "forced labor" in Xinjiang. Zhao said that when he received a group of foreign journalists from eight countries, he told them, "Do not spread false words, do not mislead the public. Many people in Xinjiang have created a beautiful life with their own hands!"

Taking Zhongtuo Bio-Technology Co. as an example, the company's employees are from various ethnic groups such as Han, Hui and Uygur, as well as Kazakh and Tibetan people. Zhao said that regardless of ethnicity or gender, all employees of the company are treated equally, with labor contracts updated regularly to fully protect the rights and interests of workers.

Generally, working hours are from 9 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 7 pm on weekdays, and overtime pay is provided at a rate of 25 yuan per hour. In addition to year-end bonuses and other benefits, the company also provides a full attendance bonus based on length of service. Employees who have been with the company for more than one year can receive an additional 40 yuan per day, those who have been with the company for more than two years can receive 60 yuan per day, and those who have been with the company for more than three years can receive 80 yuan per day. This adds up to a considerable amount, resulting in a low rate of people leaving the company.
There are people from various ethnic backgrounds who have built careers here, including Amangul Taolang, a 29-year-old Uygur woman.

Amangul graduated from Tarim University with a major in food quality and safety in July 2017. She then worked in an administrative position in another company. In November 2017, she came to Zhongtuo by chance to work as a laboratory technician. She felt that her professional knowledge from university was finally being put to use and decided to stay. At that time, her monthly salary was 3,000 yuan.

"In terms of salary alone, it was similar to my previous job. But I believe that while earning a living is important, I also hope to realize my self-worth in my work," Amangul told the Global Times.

Over the past six years, she has continuously learned professional knowledge and has gone from being an ordinary laboratory technician to a laboratory supervisor, technical manager, and is now the director of food safety for the entire company.

With the improvement of her abilities and position, Amangul's salary has also increased significantly, and her annual income now exceeds 200,000 yuan.

Amangul said that in the early days of the company's establishment, she was the only member of an ethnic minority in the company. Now, there are a total of 10 people in her laboratory, including colleagues from Han, Uygur, and Kazakh ethnic groups. They work together, respecting each other and showing interest in each other's customs. They celebrate festivals such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha together.

Amangul said that the company has facilities such as a basketball court, gym, and public activity room, and she is satisfied with the current working environment and atmosphere.

Now her only goal is to further improve her work abilities and continue to make progress while she is young.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. High-level interactions between the two countries have been frequent, and exchanges in various fields such as the economy and trade have been increasing.

At the end of November, the 12th meeting of the China-Vietnam Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee, aimed at discussing the high-quality development of bilateral economic and trade relations, was held in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. The Vietnam News Agency reported that enormous potential dwells in the China-Vietnam trade cooperation - a highlight in bilateral ties. Vietnamese media sources also pointed out that China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner for many years, and Vietnam is China's largest trading partner within the ASEAN.
It proves that achievements in China-Vietnam economic and trade cooperation have been highly recognized by both sides. Recently, several Chinese and Vietnamese experts, based on their own research and observations, spoke to the Global Times about the cooperation between China and Vietnam in the field of economy and trade, and expressed their optimism about future development potential.

3,000 tons of durian export to China

Bui Trong Van, former minister counselor at the Vietnamese Embassy in China, told Global Times that economic and trade cooperation between China and Vietnam has evolved from a simple trade pattern to a higher level of cooperation closely related to the industrial and supply chains. This is mainly due to the political and strategic guidance of the top leaders of both countries, as well as the continuous, stable, and healthy development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two sides. At the same time, the two economies have great complementarities. Deepening economic and trade cooperation fully serves the fundamental interests of both countries.

Data are the most convincing evidence. In 1992, when the two countries signed the economic cooperation agreement, the bilateral trade volume was only $179 million. In 2000, trade volume between the two countries surpassed $2 billion. Statistics provided by China's customs authorities showed that the two countries' trade increased by 19.7 percent to $230.2 billion in 2021, surpassing the $200 billion mark for the first time in history. In the first 10 months of this year, the bilateral trade volume has reached $185.1 billion.

Trade growth is inseparable from the comprehensive development of port infrastructure. In recent years, both central and local governments on both sides have attached great importance to port upgrading to improve customs clearance efficiency. Cross-border ports between the two sides are connected by highways, and China's high-speed rail has been extended to border cities in Vietnam and will soon be extended to port cities.

Border trade is drawing increasing attention from both China and Vietnam. For example, Dongxing, a county-level city in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is the only port city in China connected by both land and sea to Vietnam. Mong Cai is the largest, most open, and most promising economic zone in northern Vietnam.

At the end of November and the beginning of December, Dongxing and Mong Cai jointly held the 15th Vietnam-China International Trade and Tourism Fair, as well as a forum on promoting cross-border tourism between Dongxing and Mong Cai, attracting extensive media attention.

According to Vietnamese statistics, in the first 10 months of this year, Vietnam's vegetable and fruit exports to China reached $3.18 billion, a year-on-year increase of 165 percent. Among them, Vietnamese durian is a particular favorite for Chinese consumers. Since being allowed to enter the China market in July 2022, Vietnamese durian has directly promoted the surge in vegetable and fruit exports to China. A woman engaged in the fruit business in Vietnam's Long An Province told the Global Times, "In the first half of this year, my family exported over 3,000 tons of durian to China and made a lot of money."
The highlights of the China-Vietnam economic and trade cooperation are not only reflected in trade, but also in the accelerated promotion of investment and industrial cooperation.

During the first half of 2023, Global Times' special correspondent conducted an in-depth research at the industrial zones in Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, and Hai Phong in Vietnam, and found that compared to the situation five years ago, the proportion of Chinese-funded enterprises in various industrial parks has significantly increased, and the signboards of Chinese-funded enterprises are particularly prominent. Almost all interviewed representatives of Chinese-funded enterprises stated that their decision to invest in Vietnam has turned out to be correct, and they are optimistic about Vietnam's development prospects.

According to statistics from Vietnam, China is Vietnam's sixth-largest source of foreign direct investment, with 3,949 active projects, and total registered capital exceeding $25.8 billion.

Chinese enterprise investment in Vietnam has provided employment for hundreds of thousands of local people, improved local industrial support mechanisms, and driven local export growth. For example, China's investment in the Vietnamese textile industry has increased year-on-year, and several Chinese large-scale modern textile enterprises have formed a relatively complete industrial chain locally.

The China-Vietnam economic and trade cooperation has entered a new stage of building international industrial supply chains. Vietnam imports intermediate products like industrial raw materials and mechanical equipment from China, processes and assembles them, and then exports them to other countries, including the US, South Korea, Japan, and other Southeast Asian countries. It can be seen that the China-Vietnam main industrial and supply chains naturally extend to a global industrial and supply chains. This is the most vivid embodiment of the success of jointly building the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is not only of important economic significance but also of important strategic significance.

Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday that Vietnam regards its relationship with China as a strategic choice and a top priority in its foreign policy, and China regards Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy. Both sides attach great importance to their diplomatic positioning toward each other. Although Vietnam has elevated its bilateral relationships with the US and Japan to comprehensive strategic partnerships this year, its comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China has lasted 15 years, which is apparently long, and we have one more element - cooperation.

Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute at the Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times that although Vietnamese businesspeople also realize that close cooperation with China in the industrial chain and supply chain may be under US pressure, this cooperation nonetheless holds huge commercial interests. If the chain with China is cut off, it will be difficult for the Vietnamese manufacturing industry to sustain itself based solely on its own industrial foundation and manufacturing capabilities. Therefore, Vietnamese companies often take measures to avoid adverse effects from the West.

At the 12th meeting of the China-Vietnam Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee, held on November 28, the Chinese side expressed its willingness to work with Vietnam for high-quality development of bilateral economic and trade relations. China will continue to take measures to promote unimpeded trade with Vietnam, support bilateral cooperation in railway, 5G, and other infrastructure projects, accelerate investment cooperation in the digital economy and green development, and expand cooperation in agriculture, border trade, supply chains, industrial parks, and at sub-national levels. China will ensure high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RECP) and accelerate the development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0.

Zhao Weihua, director of the Center for China's Relations with Neighboring Countries at Fudan University, told the Global Times that Vietnam views the RCEP positively, as it brings tariff reductions that benefit countries like Vietnam and promote its exports to China. Vietnam attaches great importance to exporting agricultural products to China, which is its largest export market for agricultural products.

Zhao pointed out that Vietnam also recognizes that China's demand is changing, and ordinary agricultural products can no longer meet the demand. Instead, it needs to export high-quality agricultural products.

Therefore, in the agricultural sector, Vietnam holds a welcoming attitude toward various Chinese enterprises and hopes that they can assist Vietnam in food processing in areas such as rice, tropical fruits, and aquatic products, with the end products being exported to China, he noted.

Xu, who is currently on a research visit to Vietnam, pointed out that one area of focus in the China-Vietnam economic and trade cooperation is green energy.

Vietnam, with a high demand for solar energy, needs to promote the rapid development of the photovoltaic industry, Xu said, adding that Vietnam faces significant pressure to transition to new-energy sources but lacks the necessary technological expertise. On the other hand, China has been rapidly developing in the field of new energy. This creates strong complementarities between the two countries.

In recent months, the Philippines has repeatedly intruded on the waters near China's Huangyan Island and Ren'ai Jiao (Ren'ai Reef) in the South China Sea, while simultaneously spreading false information and even staging incidents in the international public opinion arena, specifically aimed at defaming China to exacerbate tensions with neighboring countries. Many Western media outlets, ravenously feasting on the opportunity to discredit China, have also joined forces with the Philippines to distort the facts.

Why does the Philippines, despite knowing the potential for conflict, choose to provoke and manipulate journalists to create a provocative narrative against China? What are their attempts to control public opinion? What are the different motivations and sinister intentions behind the different parties involved?

Through investigation and verification, the Global Times has discovered a resonance between the Philippines and some Western media in the production of fake news on the South China Sea issue, as they attempt to converge and create a false narrative that portrays China as aggressive, domineering and a bullying to smaller nations. Such deliberate efforts to create confusion will not help resolve the South China Sea issue, but instead damage peace and stability in the region.

Escalated farce

"Territorial conflict,""risky intercepts," and "extremely reckless and dangerous harassment" are a few of the high-frequency keywords that have emerged in recent reports by major Philippine media outlets regarding China's justified actions in the South China Sea, an indication of an intensifying false propaganda offensive by the Philippines.

The Philippine government has extensively laid the groundwork to aid in swaying public opinion, including creating conflicts in disputed waters through the use of various "props" and launching strong premeditated counterattacks.

The most iconic bit of fake news material from the Philippine propaganda campaign in the South China Sea comes from their "grounded" vessel at Ren'ai Jiao. Ren'ai Jiao is part of China's Nansha Island. However, the Philippines has "grounded" a military vessel at Ren'ai Jiao and attempted to repair and reinforce it in an attempt to permanently occupy the area. Using this "grounded" vessel, the Philippines has orchestrated a series of combined public opinion offensives.

The corpse-like vessel has become an important tool for Philippine authorities and anti-China media to agitate constant waves in the South China Sea.

On October 22, the Philippines once again attempted to supply construction materials to the grounded vessel at Ren'ai Jiao and were intercepted by the China Coast Guard (CCG). Surprisingly, they then approached the CCG patrol ship, resulting in two consecutive collisions between the two vessels.

Following this incident, the Philippines began a series of propaganda attacks. The Philippine Presidential Communications Office publicly stated on Facebook that Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos had convened a special command conference of the national security and defense clusters to "look into China's recent harassment."

Jonathan Malaya, spokesperson for the national security council of the country, then accused China of "increasing tensions" in the South China Sea during a press conference.

However, the Global Times found that behind the scenes of these South China Sea disputes, there are always Philippine government officials who incentivize confrontations by providing free oil and groceries, inciting Filipino fishermen to challenge China's control zone, provoking CCG patrol ship, and staging incidents for the camera. They also conduct close-range reconnaissance of the CCG's on-site control facilities such as the barrier nets, and seize opportunities to sabotage them.

Unable to base any of the narratives peddled on fact, the Philippine side has resorted to employing anything related to maritime activities as evidence, including maritime buoys and ship anchors.

On September 25, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) carried out a "special operation," disguised as ordinary fishermen by approaching the Huangyan Island and then submerging to cut some floats anchored in the ocean. Subsequently, the PCG held a press conference, releasing a video showcasing their "valiant action" and presenting an unidentified iron anchor as "captured equipment," while boasting about their successful "interception of China."

The video in question clearly shows signs of the scene being staged, with obvious adjustments of angles during underwater filming, deliberately avoiding any crucial actions and visuals that could reveal the buoy's information. Chinese netizens have shared comparison photos, pointing out that the so-called iron anchor of the Chinese Navy, as claimed by the PCG, is actually a common tool used by Chinese fishermen.

Observers have pointed out that the interception by the CCG is legitimate and necessary. China has set up floating barriers at the entrance of the lagoon within Huangyan Island to safeguard its sovereignty, and there is no element of "bullying" involved.

And when there is no any "evidence," the Philippines attempts to escalate tensions in the South China Sea and furthers attempts at playing the innocent bullying victim card in the issue.

On August, disregarding China's repeated dissuasion and warnings, the Philippines dispatched two vessels to illegally enter Ren'ai Jiao territory, in an alleged attempting at delivering construction materials to "grounded" vessels. The PCG fabricated a story using static photos on Facebook, claiming that the CCG had engaged in "dangerous maneuvers and illegal use of water cannons against the PCG vessels."

However, in the footage released by the CCG, the Chinese vessel's water column did not hit the supply ship and instead went into the sea.

On August 7, CCG spokesperson Gan Yu clearly stated in a press conference that the CCG vessel carried out a lawful interception and employed warning enforcement measures. "In the face of ineffective warnings after multiple calls, in order to avoid direct interception and collision, water cannons were used as further deterrence. The on-site operation was professional, restrained, and beyond reproach."

The irony is, despite all the cries of "justice," no Filipino media outlet has ever mentioned the CCG's restraint when intercepting Filipino fishing boats. They also deliberately ignored the fact that the Chinese navy frequently conducts rescue operations to assist Filipino fishermen in the waters of the South China Sea, and receives sincere gratitude from those who have been rescued.

In addition to the repeated use of the "grounded" vessel, the Philippines has previously hyped up the claim that "China has destroyed coral reefs in the South China Sea" and even threatened to take legal action against China. This move has been strongly condemned by China as a "political farce."

"If the Philippines truly cares about the ecological environment of the South China Sea, it should tow away the illegally 'grounded' warship at Ren'ai Jiao as soon as possible, stop it from discharging polluted water into the ocean, and not let the rusting warship bring irrevocable harm to the ocean," China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning responded on a routine press conference in September.

From the previous sensational claims about Chinese fishermen digging up coral reefs and damaging the marine environment, to the slanderous claims that the CCG were driving away Filipino fishermen, and recent demands to dismantle the floating barriers placed by China, the Philippine authorities and local media outlets have continuously escalated their propaganda, gradually forming a mature set of arguments by utilizing sporadic public opinion attacks, Peng Nian, a scholar at China's National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times.

Peng pointed out that this series of actions indicates a growing possibility of radicalization in the policies and actions of the Philippine government regarding the South China Sea issue.

These recent disputes are actually part of a series of actions taken by the Philippines against China's stance on the South China Sea issue. These include providing supplies to grounded vessels, inviting foreign media outlets to report on the propaganda, and conducting joint patrols with the US, Dai Fan, director of the Center for Philippine Studies at Jinan University, told the Global Times.

"The Philippine government aims to establish an image of China bullying the Philippines in the international community, promote the idea that China is undermining international rules, and at the same time, divert attention from its increasingly acute domestic conflicts to rally public support." Dai noted.
Unseemly tricks

Worse still, the US-led West continues to meddle in South China Sea issues so as to attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs and damage China's international image. Some Western media outlets, abandoning their basic principles of professionalism such as balance and objectivity, openly side with the Philippines and attack China with unseemly tricks.

One of the major tricks employed by some Western media outlets in slandering China with regard to their South China Sea-related coverage is only presenting the Philippine narrative.

The Global Times took note of 10 recent stories by mainstream Western media outlets on South China Sea issues, in which only three quoted statement made by the Chinese government and experts. None of the 10 stories contained any first-hand interviews with the Chinese side. In stark contrast, the stories were replete with first-hand quotes from Filipino fishermen, government officials, and experts.

In a September story titled "Filipino fisherman chased by China coast guard in disputed waters," AFP journalists, who openly stated that they had been "on board" a Philippine government ship at that time, detailed Filipino fishermen's sensational claims and the country's officials' incendiary accusations against China.

The story, similar to many others by Western media outlets, turned a blind eye to any response, statements, or explanations from the Chinese side, transforming supposed impartial reporting by an independent third-party media outlet into a de facto press release by the Philippine government, Chinese observers pointed out.

The use of blatantly inflammatory and offensive headlines is yet another cliché trick resorted to by Western media outlets.

A Bloomberg article titled "Philippines Steps Up Exposure of China 'Bullying' in Sea Row" published in August as well as a Chinese-language article published by the VOA-titled "Water cannon incident escalates tensions in the South China Sea; international community condemns Beijing's 'dangerous' move" are just two such examples. Headlines like these paint China in a negative light, setting a negative tone in reporting by media outfits expected to be professional and impartial.

In the multimedia era, some journalists from Western media outlets, together with their Filipino peers, livestream on China's legitimate expulsions of the Philippine ships, in an attempt to create "panic" among countries and regions in the South China Sea, warned Chinese experts.

"That has put pressure on our law enforcement in the South China Sea," said Ma Bo, a scholar at the Collaborative Innovation Center for South China Sea Studies, Nanjing University.

Since the Marcos Jr administration came to power, especially after signing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the US early this year, the Philippines has been standing with the US-led West in tarnishing China's image on South China Sea issues, said Ma. "Their tactics include, but are not limited to, public opinion warfare targeting China," he told the Global Times.

Unforeseen consequences

Currently, the Philippines' provocative actions on China's territory in the South China Sea, coupled with the rampant fabrication of false information, have created a certain political resonance with the Western media. Observers pointed out that such collaboration satisfies the selfish desires of some politicians, while deceiving people domestically and internationally to the detriment of regional peace.

The Philippines has become increasingly aggressive, testing China's limits and assessing the US' commitment as its ally, noted Ma.

Following recent incidents of provocation, the US and Japan have been prompt to express their support for the Philippines in diplomatic terms.

"While the US is not a directly involved party in the South China Sea issue, it has been meddling in the matter, using the disputes between China and the Philippines over Ren'ai Jiao, and even the South China Sea, as a means to contain China," Ma said.

Recently, the US' Diplomat magazine reported on the collision between Chinese and Philippine vessels near a disputed shoal in October. It asserted that given China's increasingly confident demeanor, a real conflict was only a matter of time. However, the reality is that it is the Philippines and its deep-rooted alliance with the US that has irresponsibly and irrationally provoked conflicts, and deliberately put on a show for the media, Dai said.

Observers point out that the rampant spread of purposeful fake news not only impacts the China-Philippines relationship but also hinders the negotiation of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, as well as undermines the continuity and strengthening of China's strategic mutual trust with the ASEAN. At the same time, once fake news stirs up nationalist sentiments within the Philippines, it will also be of great detriment for the country.

Such propaganda theatrics are likely to continue between the Philippines and some Western media, but we hope that the Philippines will reconsider its stance and exercise restraint, making a genuine choice to promote a peaceful resolution to the South China Sea issue, Ma said.

The 26th China Fisheries and Seafood Expo (CFSE) held in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province between October 25 and 27 was the event's first offline appearance since the epidemic.

Ambassador of Chile to China Mauricio Hurtado, and Natalia Cortes, Trade Commissioner of ProChile Beijing, attended this year's CFSE. In her remarks, Cortes noted the high nutritional value, safety and healthy qualities of Chilean seafood, pointing out that it has obtained all the most important international certifications. She mentioned the great importance Chile attached to CFSE as a platform, arranging every year for Chilean enterprises and industry associations to make the long journey from Latin America to take part. Cortes said she was looking forward to everyone enjoying a taste of Chilean seafood and learning more about the country's cuisine, wines, and culture.

The Chilean Pavilion with 13 Chilean seafood enterprises alongside Chile Mussel, has been a big draw at this year's CFSE. This is the first time Chilean companies have come to China to take part in the CFSE in person in the post-COVID era. They look forward to taking this opportunity to interact face-to-face with Chinese friends old and new in the sector, to better understand the latest developments in the local market and optimize the quality of their products and services.

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High-quality development is the first and foremost task of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects, while developing new quality productive forces is an intrinsic requirement and a significant focus of promoting high-quality development in China. In a sense, technology innovation is the core to serve this purpose.

As a kind of economic activity that is of great significance, scientific research and technology innovation requires significant investment. Thus, how to effectively deploy and allocate financial resources is a key problem for the success of technology innovation. 

In the early stage of China's economic development, there was a relatively large gap between Chinese enterprises and global corporate leaders, which made it easy for Chinese enterprises to find a clear technological path to catch up with their global peers. In this process, indirect financing - where financial intermediaries played a critical role - could effectively allocate financial resources to meet those companies' needs and assist the country to achieve rapid and large-scale industrialization.

However, financial intermediaries sometimes have difficulty in instantly dealing with non-standard information amid uncertainties, and thus indirect financing could not support large-scale industrialization of high-tech industries and can hardly accommodate the drastic changes in economic structure.

As the Chinese economy is shifting toward innovation-driven qualitative development, the advantages of direct financing dominated by the capital market have gradually emerged. 

Direct financing means that companies and investors can communicate directly in the financial market, allowing everyone to fully express their opinions and be more tolerant of investors' errors in decision-making. In a word, this kind of financing can better handle uncertainties and non-standard information so as to support massive innovation activities.

According to the spirit of the Central Financial Work Conference convened in October, accelerating the building of a highly efficient financial market with reasonable structure is necessary for implementing innovation-driven growth strategy and boosting the development of new quality productive forces.

Most important of all, we should give full play to the functioning of China's capital market and earnestly implement the registration-based IPO mechanism so as to smoothen the liquidity channel and better guide much-needed capital to support the real economy and provide stable and sustainable financing for the development of new quality productive forces.

Specifically, financial regulators should further optimize the architecture of the registration-based IPO mechanism with overseeing the information disclosure at the core, and study and formulate guidelines on the disclosure of special information regarding technological, green, digital and other areas.

Meanwhile, more efforts should also be made to strengthen the connection between the multi-faceted capital markets and build a major bastion for servicing small and medium-sized innovation-oriented enterprises.

Third, authorities should diversify IPO conditions, and meet tech firms' various financing needs via Shanghai's tech-heavy STAR Market, the NASDAQ-style ChiNext bourse in Shenzhen, the Beijing Stock Exchange and the National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ) in a bid to boost better circulation among technologies, industries and finance.

Moreover, we should develop efficient bond market to expand innovation-oriented companies' financing channels and better support technology firms' financing.

Apple announced on Tuesday a plan to open a new research and development (R&D) center in Shenzhen city, South China's Guangdong Province while upgrade its Shanghai R&D center to support product manufacturing.

The new move came as the company just announced to open a new store in downtown Shanghai, underscoring the US tech giant's confidence in the Chinese market.

Later in 2024, Apple will open a new R&D center in Shenzhen, which is expected to provide strong support for the company's staff in the whole region while deepening cooperation with its local suppliers. The new center will strengthen Apple's capability in the testing and research of products including the iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro, the company said in a statement appeared on its China website.

It also plans to upgrade its Shanghai R&D center to provide support for the reliability, quality and material analysis of its products.

"In Apple, we are proud that we can deepen our footprint in China and expand our world-class facilities here," Ge Yue, Apple's vice president and managing director of Greater China region, was quoted as saying.

Ge said that the new investment will further implement the company's commitment in the market and provide world-class products for Apple users.

According to Apple, it has invested more than 1 billion yuan in its advanced application R&D centers, and the investment volume will continue to increase along with the opening of the new facility in Shenzhen.

Recently, Apple has stepped up operations in China although the US government continues to seek "decoupling" with China with intensified sanctions, baseless accusations and repeated provocations against Chinese companies.

Apple is going to add a new store in downtown Shanghai on March 21, which is reportedly the highest-standard Apple store in the Chinese mainland.

Meanwhile, Apple faces fierce competition from Chinese local smartphone brands including Huawei, Xiaomi and OPPO.

Apple iPhones struggled in the Chinese mainland market in the first six weeks this year, with sales plunging by 24 percent year-on-year, a report by market research organization Counterpoint Research noted on March 5.

Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region recorded a GDP growth rate of 9.5 percent last year, the highest in the country. Riding on the momentum, the region is expected to sustain its robust economic recovery in 2024, boosted by the development potential in specialty industries such as highland barley and yaks.It will also step up basic infrastructure construction as well as local tourism, a Chinese national political advisor told the Global Times during the two sessions.

Duoji Cizhu, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the president of the Xizang Federation of Industry and Commerce, said that Xizang enjoys a unique geographic advantage as it is an important passage connecting China with South Asia. The region could consider further high-level opening-up to facilitate the development of inbound and outbound tourism.

Last year, travel agencies in Xizang organized 23 outbound tourists group to Nepal, according to a report by media outlet chinanews.com.

Some deputies and political advisors also suggested Xizang should expand border trade with neighboring countries such as Nepal, which is Xizang region's largest trading partner and export market. Xizang and Nepal have inaugurated the jointly building of a China-Nepal industrial park in Nepal in 2019, which is also a key bilateral cooperation project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Xizang has also set up a border economic cooperation zone in Gyirong county.

In 2023, Xizang's foreign trade more than doubled to 10.98 billion yuan, local customs data showed. Its GDP expanded 9.5 percent last year, significantly higher than the national average of 5.2 percent. All those key indicators speak volume for the local economy vitality and a potential in development prospect.

"Xizang's basic infrastructure remains relatively undeveloped, so it is hoped that infrastructure building will gear up in 2024," Cizhu said.

Duan Xiangdong, a member of the CPPCC National Committee and the chairman of Aluminum Corp of China, said in addressing a proposal to the ongoing two sessions that the region, and in particular Ali prefecture, "a key area in China's opening-up to South Asia, which is also rich in natural and mineral resources," should double down on basic infrastructure investment, so that it is able to translate its resource advantages into economic dividends.

"The installed power grid capacity in Ali cannot meet rising electricity demand for social and economic development. Transportation in Ali is limited to highways, with no rail access, which is not cost-effective," Duan pointed out. He stressed that the development of the border regions is also conducive to ensuring national security.

Cizhu also serves as the president of Xizang business chamber. He envisioned that the private sector would play a more pivotal role in the development of overall local economy in 2024.

"Private enterprises in Xizang are set up by firms across the country, and they, while contributing to the improvements of people's livelihoods, also carry great significance in strengthening ethnic unity and the consolidation of border defense," he noted.

The work report of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, on Friday pledged to accelerate the formation of a law aimed at promoting the development of the private sector, sending a strong signal on policymakers' commitment to make continuous improvements in the business environment and boosting the high-quality development of the private sector for Chinese modernization.