In response to inquiry on remarks made by the so-called "Tibetan government-in-exile", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that the so-called "Tibetan government-in-exile" is an outright separatist political group, which is not recognized by any country in the world, and that we are highly vigilant to its separatist nature and political schemes.
Regarding the earthquake that hit Dingri county in Xizang region, Guo said the rescue teams overcame difficulties posed by high altitude and low oxygen levels, racing against time to search for trapped individuals, minimizing casualties.
"Overall, the earthquake relief efforts went smoothly. We are confident that we will win the hard battle against the earthquake and disaster relief and restore normal order of production and life in the disaster area as soon as possible," said Guo.
China's Foreign Ministry (FM) on Tuesday lambasted new rules issued by US President Joe Biden's administration that reportedly aim to keep advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips and technology out of China, as the country vowed to take firm measures to safeguard the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies.
On Monday US time, the Biden administration issued an Interim Final Rule on Artificial Intelligence Diffusion, which encourages the diffusion of US AI technology by US "key allies and partners." It also constrains "countries of concern" from accessing advanced AI systems and the computing power used to train them, according to a fact sheet published by the White House.
Although the fact sheet did not name specific countries, US media outlets, including The New York Times, said that the new US rules are aimed at barring China from obtaining AI technology from other countries, as the US has previously banned such sales.
Notably, it is the "largest-scale and final" chip export restrictions during Biden's tenure, China Media Group reported on Tuesday.
Firm opposition
The move immediately drew swift and harsh criticism from China. Asked to comment on the US move at a regular press conference on Tuesday, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the FM, stressed that the US has been overstretching the concept of national security, politicizing and weaponizing trade and tech issues, and abusing export controls to maliciously suppress China. "China firmly opposes the US decision and will take firm measures to safeguard the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies."
Guo further pointed out that AI is humanity's common asset, and should not become "a game for the rich countries and the wealthy" or be used to generate another development divide. To maintain its supremacy, the US chooses to split the world into tiers, granting access to countries that are "close" and barring access to "the rest."
"The real purpose is to deprive developing countries, including China, of the right to make their own progress in science and development," Guo said, adding that this kind of roadblock strategy hurts the global common interest of promoting AI for good, and has triggered concerns from various quarters about a new tech Cold War from the US.
According to the White House fact sheet, no restrictions apply to chip sales to 18 "key allies and partners," while the rule takes significant steps against "countries of concern."
In stark contrast, China has been actively promoting global cooperation on AI. In July 2024, the 78th UN General Assembly adopted a China-led resolution on enhancing international AI cooperation, with over 140 countries supporting it. This milestone decision not only underscores the global consensus on AI governance but also highlights China's pivotal role in driving international AI collaboration, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
"China will continue to work with all parties to embrace openness, connectivity and equality instead of building walls, decoupling and discrimination, create an open, inclusive, and non-discriminatory environment for AI development that is beneficial to all, and make sure that all countries can access the benefit of AI," Guo said at the press briefing on Tuesday.
On Monday night, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce also slammed the US administration for ignoring strong opposition from the US tech industry to issue the new rule. "The Biden administration's abuse of export control measures severely obstructs normal trade exchanges between countries, significantly undermines market rules and the international trade order, greatly impacts global technological innovation, and seriously harms the interests of companies worldwide, including those in the US," a spokesperson for the ministry said.
The Biden administration's move drew widespread criticism from the US tech industry. In a statement on Monday, US AI chip giant Nvidia blasted what it calls "the Biden Administration's Misguided 'AI Diffusion' Rule." It added that "while cloaked in the guise of an 'anti-China' measure, these rules would do nothing to enhance US security." The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), which has already expressed firm opposition to the new rules before they were published, said in a statement on Monday that the new export controls threaten to discourage the use of US technology.
Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that although the US restrictions target countries like China, they will not bode well for the US' own companies. "These restrictions will backfire on US companies such as Nvidia, because the Chinese application market is enormous," Lü told the Global Times on Tuesday.
'Futile attempt'
Some Chinese industry representatives have also slammed the US move. The latest AI restrictions are a "futile attempt" that will not impede China's rapid progress in AI or stop the pace of China's technological development, according to Hu Ming, deputy general manager of CCCC (Zhongwei) Big Data Technology Co.
"Such restrictions do not carry much significance. While they may result in temporary disruptions, they are likely to spur China's pursuit of self-reliance in chip and AI development," Hu told the Global Times on Tuesday. "These restrictions may temporarily slow down China's development in AI, but they will also strengthen China's resolve and commitment to independently develop high-performance computing chips."
While the US has framed these restrictions as part of a global chip control measure, their impact on China is expected to be minimal, given the country's vast application scenarios for training and enhancing AI capabilities - a resource unavailable to the US, Hu noted.
China has been focusing on addressing challenges in computational power, AI, and chip manufacturing. For instance, the Global Times reporters learned from Phytium Technology Co, a leading independent core chip provider based in Tianjin, that the company has achieved breakthroughs in key technologies, including on-chip parallel microprocessor architecture, large-scale integrated circuit design, and inherent security architecture.
To date, Phytium's self-produced graphics processing units (GPUs) have sold over 10 million units, providing core computational support for devices ranging from endpoints to cloud services, representing a major leap from "functional" to "high-performance" domestic CPUs, according to the information the company shared with the Global Times.
While the US has and will likely continue to crack down on Chinese technological industries such as AI, "in the long run, the US' restrictions are not that significant. There will always be competition and even crackdown in competing for the leading position. However, even the harsh crackdown measures will not stop China's technological development," an executive of a chip firm based in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong, who requested to be identified as Zhou, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Zhou said that Chinese firms should view the US' moves objectively and make adjustments. "It is imperative to develop high-performance computing chips that are independently developed and controlled," Zhou said.
Lü also said that while the US restrictions may slow down China's progress in some areas, it will not stop China from catching up. "It is just matter of time before China catches up or even takes the lead. And it is possible there will be a shift in the race lane [in which China will take the lead]," Lü said.
In response to Biden's two-year extension of Deferred Enforced Departure for certain HK residents living in the US, Chinese FM spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that the practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong has achieved universally recognized success, noting that any attempts to smear Hong Kong will not succeed nor undermine the international community's confidence in Hong Kong.
Outgoing US president Joe Biden extended a program allowing Hong Kong residents in the country to stay beyond the expiry of their visas by another two years. Biden, who is set to leave office on January 20, said early on Thursday Hong Kong time.
At a regular press conference Thursday, Guo said currently, Hong Kong's security, democracy, and the rights and freedoms of its residents are being more effectively guaranteed, and its development prospects are brighter.
The US should respect China's sovereignty and Hong Kong's rule of law, cease discrediting the Chinese central government's governance policies on Hong Kong and successful practice of "one country, two systems," and stop interfering in HK affairs, said Guo.
Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, and Makoto Nishida, secretary-general of the Komeito Party, will lead a delegation of Japan's ruling parties to visit China from January 13 to 15, at the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Hu Zhaoming, spokesperson for the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, announced on Tuesday. Both sides will jointly hold the 9th meeting of China-Japan ruling parties exchange mechanism.
The 8th meeting of China-Japan ruling parties exchange mechanism was held in Japan in October 2018. During the three-day meeting, the delegations of the ruling parties of China and Japan had candid and in-depth exchanges centering on topics on political mutual trust and practical cooperation, according to the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for the nation to remain confident in the coming year, saying the world's second largest economy can overcome its challenges and pressure through hard work.
Xi made the remarks in his New Year message for 2025 delivered through China Media Group and the internet.
Set to fully complete its 14th Five-Year Plan in 2025, China will implement more proactive and effective policies, prioritize high-quality development, promote greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and maintain sound momentum in economic and social development, Xi said.
He said the Chinese economy "now faces some new conditions, including challenges of uncertainties in the external environment and pressure of transformation from old growth drivers into new ones."
"But we can prevail with our hard work. As always, we grow in the wind and rain, and we get stronger through hard times. We must be confident," Xi said.
Reviewing China's footprint in 2024, Xi said the economy has rebounded and is on an upward trajectory, with the national GDP expected to pass the mark of 130 trillion yuan (about 18.08 trillion U.S. dollars) and the country's grain output surpassing 700 million tonnes.
He also noted that China has fostered new quality productive forces, and new business sectors, forms and models have kept emerging. For the first time, China has produced more than 10 million new energy vehicles in a year, and breakthroughs have been made in fields including integrated circuit, artificial intelligence and quantum communications.
In response to a question about China's disaster relief assistance following the earthquake in Vanuatu, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Thursday that after the earthquake, China immediately extended emergency humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu.
To better support Vanuatu's disaster relief work, a chartered plane sent by the Chinese government carrying emergency disaster relief supplies arrived in Vanuatu's capital city Port Vila on Thursday, Mao said.
This shipment, weighing approximately 35 tonnes and 235 cubic meters in volume, includes tents, folding beds, water purification equipment, solar lights, emergency food provisions, medical supplies and so on. Chinese post-disaster assessment engineers have been carrying out intensive work in Vanuatu, providing support to the local government and people of Vanuatu in their efforts to respond to the disaster, Mao said. China and Vanuatu are good friends, good partners and good brothers that support each other in overcoming difficulties. China will continue to do what we can to help with the relief and reconstruction effort in light of the damage and the need of Vanuatu. We believe the people of Vanuatu will overcome the difficulties and rebuild their homes soon, Mao added.
"We deeply understand that the recent earthquake has caused significant damage," said Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Li Minggang at the handover ceremony on Thursday as the emergency relief supplies from the Chinese government arrived in Port Vila, adding that China will always stand together with Vanuatu to assist the country, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Also attending the event, Vanuatu's caretaker Prime Minister Charlot Salwai expressed the country's appreciation for China's assistance, and said it will support Vanuatu's recovery process going forward.
Previously, four experts from the Institute of Engineering Mechanics at the China Earthquake Administration (CEA) arrived in Port Vila on Monday. Their mission is to conduct post-earthquake assessments following the earthquake. This effort comes at the request of the Vanuatu government and is part of a coordinated deployment by the CEA and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the institute's official WeChat account.
On Tuesday, the CEA team held a working meeting with Vanuatu's Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities. During the meeting, they shared China's expertise in post-earthquake rescue and structural assessments, reviewed the overall earthquake damage in Vanuatu, and finalized plans for the next phase of work. The team also inspected and assessed the structural and non-structural damage to several government buildings.
The expert team will stay in Vanuatu for eight days to assist the Vanuatu government and Chinese-funded enterprises in the country in conducting safety assessments of damaged buildings and bridges, as well as carrying out scientific investigation of earthquake damage in the disaster-affected areas, according to the Institute of Engineering Mechanics at the CEA.
Mao previously said that this was the first time China has urgently dispatched a disaster assessment team of experts to a Pacific island country.
A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Port Vila on December 17, killing at least 14 people, injuring more than 200 and severely damaging the city's infrastructure, according to Xinhua.
"I am deeply saddened by the tragic plane crash at Muan Airport today. My heartfelt condolences go out to the victims and their families, and I extend on behalf of my colleagues our sympathies to those injured," Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing wrote on X on Sunday, shortly after a passenger plane reportedly veered off runway and crashed at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province.
The Chinese Consulate General in Gwangju, South Korea, confirmed to reporters on Sunday that no Chinese citizens were among the casualties in the air crash, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Most of the people aboard a South Korean airplane that crashed at an airport in southwest South Korea on Sunday morning were believed to have been killed except two rescued, local fire authorities said.
The passenger plane with 175 passengers, including 173 South Koreans and two Thais, as well as six flight attendants on board, crashed while attempting to land at the Muan International Airport, some 290 kilometers southwest of the capital Seoul, at about 9:07 am.
"Chinese Embassy stands in solidarity with the ROK during this difficult time," Dai added in the Sunday post.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday expressed his confidence in Sam Hou Fai, who was just sworn in as the sixth-term chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).
When meeting with Sam here, Xi said the central government will fully support the chief executive and the Macao SAR government in fulfilling their duties.
