The Cyberspace Administration of China has drafted a set of guidelines to ensure healthy and safe internet use by minors, laying out a series of regulations for relevant service providers.

The draft was made public on Friday and is open to public comment until October 17.

The draft encourages the research, development and manufacture of smart terminal products specifically designed for minors and tailored to the laws and characteristics of their physical and mental development, as well as internet technologies and services conducive to the healthy growth of minors.

Minors shall not be exposed to online social networking services with strangers, virtual intimate relationship services, and online services that induce addiction in minors or are detrimental to their physical and mental health, the draft reads.

Internet services for minors under 16, such as online social networking services and artificial intelligence services that may affect minors' cognition, can only be provided through a minor mode, according to the draft.

It also clarifies the functions of the minor mode, which include identifying online information detrimental to minors' physical and mental health, protecting minors' personal information rights and interests, preventing minors from becoming addicted to the internet, and facilitating guardians in fulfilling their guardianship responsibilities.

As of December 2025, China had more than 200 million internet users aged 6 to 19, the 57th Statistical Report on China's Internet Development revealed.

With the increasingly evident impact of social media on minors' mental well-being, behavior and safety, a growing number of countries and regions have recently started to explore ways to raise the legal threshold for minors' use of social media platforms, said Wang Zhiqin, deputy director of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

The draft proposes a model with Chinese characteristics for protecting minors online, representing a positive response to the global trend toward strengthening online protection for minors, Wang said.

Nearly 30 ancient painted sculptures once lost overseas are now on display at the Shanxi Museum, dating from the 10th century to the early 20th century. 

They were donated to the Chinese mainland in 2024 by a Taiwan-based Buddhist organization and officially entered the Shanxi Museum's collection in 2025.

Many are fully three-dimensional sculptures designed to be viewed from all angles, a testament to the skill of ancient craftsmen.

Japan is rapidly expanding its military buildup, with defense spending reaching 2% of GDP and a record 8.9 trillion yen requested for fiscal 2027. Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has raised concerns over the buildup, while a Chinese military analyst warns it could revive “new militarism.”

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, will lead a delegation to the United States to hold economic and trade talks with the US side from September 19 to 23, China's Ministry of Commerce announced on Saturday.

The two sides will hold consultations on economic and trade issues of mutual concern, guided by the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, the ministry said.

High-precision image interpretation, multi-disease screening, disease prediction, and rapid tracking of the latest global drugs and medical devices; these are just a few of the ways AI is rapidly transforming healthcare delivery. 

The Global Initiative on AI for Health (GI-AI4H) held its annual meeting in China for the first time. The initiative was launched jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It aims to advance the use of AI in achieving health-related Sustainable Development Goals.

In Hangzhou, policymakers, health experts and technology leaders from more than 60 countries and regions are looking at how to turn AI's potential into solutions that can be scaled up and shared.

"Digital health and AI are not just about technology; they are also about people," said Alain Labrique, director of the Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI at the World Health Organization. Dr. Labrique added that one of the areas in which China has a lot to offer is capacity building, helping countries learn how to build the foundations so that when countries deploy AI or digital health solutions, they are sustainable.

China's AI pilot-testing bases show what works: faster and more accurate diagnosis, lower costs and smarter resource allocation.

You Mao, deputy director of China National Health Development Research Center, said, "AI isn't just about replacing doctors – it helps them do more and makes limited high-quality care go further. The real question isn't 'What AI can we use?' It's 'What health problem do we most need to solve?' The world has to tackle the opportunities and challenges of AI and digital health together. But every country needs to find its own path, based on its own health system and real needs."

This year's annual meeting of the Global Initiative on AI for Health was locally organized by China National Health Development Research Center (CNHDRC), the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), and the China Health Economics Association (CHEA).

The initiative focuses on three pillars: enabling AI through standards and governance, facilitating collaboration and investment, and implementing solutions that can translate technological advances into tangible health interventions.

Driven by strategic policy initiatives like the "Healthy China 2030" plan and a rapidly expanding digital infrastructure, China's medical AI market is growing fast, offering practical lessons for low- and middle-income countries and becoming a shared opportunity for global development.

Executive Producer: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Director: Lu Wei

Copy editors: Denique Daniëls, Shanaaz Prince, Zhao Ying 

Videographer: Fang Zhijun

Cover: Yin Yating, Pei Zihan 

During their long journey, the Red Army crossed towering snow-covered mountains and trekked across vast, uninhabited grasslands. Besides the Kuomintang enemy, they also had to battle unpredictable weather, swamps and hunger, pushing themselves to the limits of their endurance in some of the harshest environments on Earth. By pressing on despite the formidable obstacles in their path, the Red Army created an enduring legend of fearless sacrifice.

Paris, Milan, London and New York have long set the silhouette for global fashion. But as China’s industrial and technological muscle meets Southeast Asia’s cultures, craftsmanship and creative vision, a new seam is being stitched. At China Fashion Week, we follow the growing ties between Chinese and ASEAN designers and ask how a shared atelier might cut a new pattern for Asian fashion.

China firmly opposes the so-called voluntary restrictions on China's hybrid vehicle exports to Europe, as it gravely violates World Trade Organization rules and runs counter to market economy rules and fair competition principles, a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said on Friday.

The spokesperson made the remarks in response to a media query about reports on the matter.

(With input from Xinhua)

The holistic and preventive philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) provides insights for global healthcare, said Tong Xiaolin, academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Tong explained that TCM has a holistic therapeutic perspective, which does not simply look at a single indicator; rather, it places it within the whole person for consideration. 

There is also the concept of "treating disease before it arises." For example, some metabolic disorders and multiple metabolic disorders will ultimately lead to vascular problems. Traditional Chinese doctors will intervene early by treating the luo, or collaterals, at an early stage, when diabetic fundus lesions and kidney lesions have not yet been detected.

"When it comes to TCM's therapeutic philosophy, these two aspects stand out as particularly valuable for the world to learn from," Tong said.

In a recent instruction conveyed at a national conference on advanced manufacturing in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged sustained efforts to expand and strengthen advanced manufacturing to provide strong support for advancing Chinese modernization.

Speaking to China Media Group (CMG), officials and industry insiders across various sectors have responded actively to Xi's remarks, stressing that the instruction has charted the course and provided fundamental guidelines for building a manufacturing powerhouse on the new journey, and pledging to place the development of advanced manufacturing as a key strategic task.

Shao Ji, deputy director-general of the Industrial Development Department at the National Development and Reform Commission, told CMG that the convening of the conference on advanced manufacturing is of great significance for accelerating the building of a manufacturing powerhouse.

He called for solidly advancing the quality improvement and upgrade of key industries to facilitate their move toward the medium-to-high end of the value chain, accelerating the transition from old to new growth drivers and vigorously developing advanced manufacturing through multifaceted measures to provide strong support for advancing Chinese modernization.

Yao Jun, director-general of the Planning Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, urged efforts to promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, strengthen breakthroughs in key core technologies and deepen the transformation and application of sci-tech achievements.

In his instruction, Xi emphasized efforts to ensure both high-quality development and greater security, pursue smart, green and integrated development, and make the country's industrial chains more self-supporting and risk-resilient.

He emphasized the need to accelerate the development of a modernized industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone and reinforce the foundations of the real economy.

Calling Xi's instruction "visionary, profound in thought and rich in content," Fang Xing, a finance ministry official, said the manufacturing sector is the foundation of the country and the lifeblood of the national economy.

"Grounded in our responsibilities regarding public finance, we will further leverage the guiding role of fiscal policy to support the better and faster development of advanced manufacturing," Fang told CMG.

Guo Shengjie, deputy general manager of Aviation Industry Corporation of China Ltd., pledged to continue tackling key core technologies and strengthen advanced aviation manufacturing capabilities, aiming to serve the goal of building a manufacturing powerhouse through tangible results in achieving independent and controllable aviation equipment.

Noting that the state-owned enterprises (SOEs), directly administered by the central government, are the backbone of the country's advanced manufacturing sector, Shang Peng, deputy director of the Planning Development Bureau of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, called for enhancing original innovation capabilities to explore new pathways for the transformation of the manufacturing sector and improving the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains.

"Guided by the direction set by Xi, we will focus on sectors such as major equipment, agricultural machinery and high-end instruments; master key core technologies; cultivate clusters of specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative enterprises; and drive the industrial and value chains toward the medium-to-high end," Zhang Daliang, head of the Strategic Development Department at China National Machinery Industry Corporation, told CMG.

Currently, the balance of manufacturing loans at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has surpassed 5.8 trillion yuan (around $0.86 trillion), said Zhang Feng, an ICBC official.

The bank will closely align with national strategic deployments and continue to precisely channel more financial resources into the real economy, Zhang told CMG.

China's 140th Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, will be held in three phases in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, from October 15 to November 4, according to a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on Friday.

The fair will feature 32,000 exhibiting companies, including more than 11,000 high-quality companies such as specialized and innovative enterprises and national-level single-product champions.

The latest technologies are also expected to feature prominently. About 64% of exhibitors have adopted new technologies, including industrial internet and artificial intelligence (AI).

New products will account for 23.2% of the exhibits, while green products will make up 26%, with both figures reaching record highs.

The fair will also introduce new digital services to improve the experience for exhibitors and buyers.

For the first time, the Canton Fair will launch 22 smart application scenarios and 16 AI-focused applications. It will also become the first in China to provide booth-level navigation throughout all exhibition halls and augmented reality information displays at individual booths.

Trade services will also be expanded at this year's fair. For the first time, the trade services exhibition area will provide full coverage of 10 categories of producer services, offering companies one-stop services.

Meanwhile, 36.5% of exhibiting companies have adopted a "product plus service" business model, according to the information released at the press conference.

The Canton Fair's network of global partners is also expanding, with 12 new global partners added for this edition.

As of Friday, more than 200,000 overseas buyers had completed pre-registration for the 140th Canton Fair.

From net launchers designed to restrain moving targets to devices offering multiple response options, new technologies are giving security personnel more tools to handle unexpected situations. Take a closer look at some of the latest technologies showcased at the third Public Security Technology and Equipment Expo in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province.

From supply chains and innovative foods to education and tourism opportunities, China and ASEAN countries are building closer connections across the region. 

During an interview with CGTN in April 2025 at the fifth China International Consumer Products Expo in south China's Hainan Province, Kajtiti Wiwatwanont, consul-general of Thailand in Guangzhou, China, noted that Thailand has seen greater supply-chain integration with China as a pathway to deeper economic cooperation, while its innovations in food and wellness products showcase the growing links between local industries and consumers.

The partnership goes beyond business. Muhammad Sallehuddin Bin Mohd Dilif, education counsellor at the Malaysian Embassy in China, also said that Malaysians are being encouraged to explore opportunities in China, while Chinese tourists and students are welcomed in Malaysia. As people, businesses and ideas move more freely across borders, China and ASEAN are turning geographic proximity into deeper economic ties and people-to-people connections.

A ceremony marking the September 18th Incident is being held on Friday in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. 95 years ago, a Japanese military attack there marked the beginning of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. People from all walks of life have gathered to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives defending China.

The Pinglu Canal in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region officially opened to commercial navigation on Wednesday, marking the country's first major river-to-sea canal project planned and coordinated at the national level since 1949. Check out CGTN's infographic to see how the Pinglu Canal connects rivers to the sea.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn has hailed the recently opened Pinglu Canal as a project of significant historical importance. He made the remarks during the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, calling on China and ASEAN to seize the opportunity to deepen economic cooperation.

Speaking at the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says he is concerned about Japan's move to sharply increase defense spending. He also stresses the importance of dialogue and good relations with neighboring countries, while saying constitutional amendment in Japan to bolster its defense capabilities will not be easy.

Thailand is bringing 109 companies and quality products from 20 northeastern provinces to this year's China-ASEAN expo to deepen business matchmaking and connect Thai brands with Chinese consumers. CGTN spoke with Chakra Yodmani, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Thailand's Ministry of Commerce. He said China-Thailand cooperation is entering a new stage in trade, the digital economy and connectivity. 

A group of Japanese scholars visited the September 18 Historical Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province. The scholars are members of a Japanese civic group that has long campaigned for the return of cultural relics looted from China by Japan. After witnessing evidence of the brutality of Japanese wartime aggression, they called on the Japanese government to reflect on its historical crimes and ensure that the facts of history are passed on to future generations.

China's Hong Kong SAR is aligning its economic future more closely with the national strategy of the Chinese mainland. In an exclusive interview, Chief Executive John Lee outlines the vision behind the city's first-ever Five-Year Plan, with a focus on driving economic growth, improving public livelihoods, and maximizing opportunities arising from China's 15th Five-Year Plan. He also reassures global investors that the roadmap remains firmly within the "One Country, Two Systems" framework, safeguarding Hong Kong's capitalist system, common law, and the free flow of capital, goods, and data.

A telescope developed by the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been selected as a representative case of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in physics, astronomy, chemistry and materials science in Stanford University's 2026 AI Index Report.

The Xingyu Telescope was jointly developed by the Milky Way 3D Structure Group of the NAOC and the Xinglong Observational Base. It is a new astronomical embodied-intelligence observation system.

Unlike traditional applications of AI, which are mainly used for analyzing astronomical data after observations, the Xingyu Telescope deeply integrates large models and AI agents with the telescope's control system. This allows AI to participate throughout the astronomical observation process, changing the traditional approach to astronomical research.

Research-grade telescopes have complex structures, while observation performance can be affected by multiple factors, including equipment status, weather conditions and sensor parameters. Traditional observations therefore rely heavily on manual control.

To address this challenge, the research team developed a low-cost digital simulation system for telescopes.

The system can simulate different observation scenarios, test control strategies and train AI agents without taking up time on actual observations. The overall development cost can be kept at the thousand-yuan level (1,000 yuan equals roughly $149), significantly lowering the threshold for developing intelligent astronomical equipment and introducing a new approach to developing simulation systems for scientific research facilities.

The intelligent system has so far successfully issued early warnings for eight extremely early-stage supernova candidates, two of which have completed follow-up observations.

The AI agent can also automatically retain experience gained from observations and iteratively optimize observation strategies, continuously improving observation accuracy.

The Philippines should cease its infringement activities at sea and stop spreading false narratives and distorting the truth, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday.

Guo made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a query related to recent incidents in the South China Sea.

This morning, an official vessel from the Philippines started provocations and deliberately rammed into a China Coast Guard vessel in the adjacent waters of Xianbin Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao.

"Such moves pose a serious threat to safety of Chinese personnel and vessels and constitute a serious violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations," Guo said.

The Philippines should immediately stop its maritime infringements and provocations and cease spreading false narratives and distorting facts, he said.

"China will continue to firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and resolutely uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea," Guo added.

China and the United States are maintaining communication on arrangements for interactions between the two heads of state within this year, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday.

Guo made the remark at a regular press briefing in response to a related query.

The China-ASEAN Data Cooperation Committee of the World Data Organization was established Thursday in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the National Data Administration said.

The committee will focus on ASEAN and work in areas including cross-border data flows, inclusive access to intelligent computing power, joint development of rules and standards, membership ecosystem development and industry clusters.

It aims to narrow the data divide and unlock the value of data for the digital economy.

The World Data Organization is the world's first international body dedicated to promoting data development and governance. Its headquarters are in Beijing.

The National Data Administration said it will take part in global data governance and support the organization in drawing on the expertise of its members across regions and industries.

It will also promote practical international cooperation in specialized data fields.

China urges Japan to face up to and deeply reflect on its history of aggression and gain the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community with concrete actions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press briefing on Friday.

The September 18th Incident 95 years ago marked the start of Japan's 14-year invasion of China.

Denying the crime of aggression is to challenge historical conclusions and undermine the post-war international order, Guo said, stressing that all countries in the region, including China, must remain highly vigilant, not allow Japanese militarism to resurface and not let historical tragedies repeat themselves.

Yansanggou Xing Bridge was the first bridge crossed by Mao Zedong when he entered Sichuan during the Red Army's Four Crossings of the Chishui River in the Long March. As he crossed the bridge, Mao said, "I have finally set foot on the land of Sichuan!"

Located in Sunjiaba, Gulin County, the bridge was erected during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and served as a major thoroughfare connecting Sichuan and Guizhou provinces. Well preserved, the bridge is 6 meters long, 1.3 meters wide and 5 meters high. Its load-bearing structure consists of three timbers, each measuring 5 meters long, 0.25 meters wide and 0.4 meters thick. The bridge deck is paved with flagstones, with no railings or decorative carvings. 

Although small in size, the bridge was crossed by tens of thousands of troops from the main force of the Central Red Army, witnessed the beginning of the Four Crossings of the Chishui River.

Jilin Archives in northeast China on Friday released 60 original Japanese military documents from World War II, adding new evidence of Japan's wartime system of forced sexual slavery.

The release coincided with the 95th anniversary of the "September 18 Incident." It was on September 18, 1931, when Japanese troops blew up a section of the railway near Shenyang, then under their control, and accused Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext for subsequent aggression.

The new archives came from charred historical remnants left behind after the Japanese Kwantung Army attempted to destroy them during their retreat, according to the Jilin Provincial Archives in Changchun, capital of Jilin Province.

The original Japanese military documents shed further light on the systematic and institutionalized sexual violence committed by the Japanese army, powerfully debunking the long-standing lies of Japan's right-wing forces that distort the facts surrounding the "comfort women" issue and attempt to whitewash Japan's war crimes.

Previous research has shown that some 400,000 women in Asia were forced to serve as "comfort women" – sexual slaves for the Japanese army during World War II – and nearly half of them were Chinese.

Lyu Chunyue, an official with the archives, said the archives now has 85 original Japanese military documents documenting the "comfort women" system. The first 25 were released in 2014 and were later included in China's documentary heritage.

The 60 newly released documents cover the establishment and authorization of "comfort stations," their daily operation, the recruitment of sex slaves and their brutal treatment, Lyu said.

The documents show that "comfort stations" were established and operated under the authority of the Japanese military, with the Japanese Kwantung Army setting up more than 20 such facilities in Northeast China.

Some archives show that military approval was required to establish new "comfort stations," and some were located inside Japanese military barracks and were restricted to military personnel.

The new archives also include records on the forced recruitment of sex slaves. A 1941 report by a Japanese military unit said that Japanese troops forcibly recruited Korean women when women could not be recruited voluntarily.

Other archives showed that "comfort women" were forcibly conscripted to the front lines under Japan's national mobilization law, thoroughly refuting the fallacy that their recruitment was voluntary.

The documents also recorded violence against the sex slaves at multiple "comfort stations."

"The release of these original archives, irrefutable proof of crimes against humanity committed by Japanese militarism, provides solid historical evidence for defending historical truth and countering historical revisionism," said Su Zhiliang, leading expert for China's bid to list "comfort women" materials on UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

The China Coast Guard (CCG) on Friday said a Philippine vessel collided with a CCG ship near Xianbin Jiao in China's Nansha Qundao, after the Philippine vessel ignored repeated warnings, suddenly changed course and accelerated toward the Chinese vessel.

CCG spokesperson Jiang Lue said that on Friday, a Chinese coast guard vessel, named the Sanzhou'ao, was conducting lawful rights protection and law enforcement operations in accordance with the law in waters near Xianbin Jiao.

Jiang said Philippine vessel 3015 ignored repeated stern warnings from the Chinese side, deliberately altered its course and suddenly accelerated diagonally across the bow of the Chinese coast guard vessel, resulting in a collision.

The Philippine vessel's actions seriously violated international law and the basic norms governing international relations and posed a threat to the safety of Chinese coast guard vessels and personnel, Jiang said.

He added that the Chinese coast guard vessel operated in a professional and standardized manner and that its actions were legitimate and lawful, saying that the Philippine side bore full responsibility for the incident.

Jiang urged the Philippines to immediately stop its provocative and infringing actions, warning that all consequences arising from such actions shall be borne by the Philippine side.

"The China Coast Guard will continue to carry out rights protection and law enforcement activities in waters under China's jurisdiction and safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," Jiang said.

The opening ceremony of the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum on Traditional Medicine was held on Thursday in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, bringing new opportunities for the growth and international cooperation of traditional medicine.

"Through scientific research cooperation, talent exchanges, training programs and other forms of collaboration, SCO countries can share expertise and technologies related to the research, production, conservation and utilization of traditional medicinal resources," said Guo Lanping, dean of the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, at the forum.

Such cooperation can strengthen the region's capacity to develop traditional medicinal resources in a coordinated way, while promoting their protection and utilization across SCO member countries, Guo said.

What happens when a Chinese video game leaves the screen and enters Carnegie Hall? In July, Black Myth: Wukong brought its global concert tour to New York, marking the first time original music from a Chinese-developed game was performed on the hall's formal stage.More than a concert, it became a shared experience for Chinese and American audiences — showing how music can cross language and cultural barriers. CGTN reporter Shen Li explores how a game soundtrack is opening a new channel for cultural exchange.

The first Hualong One nuclear power unit in the Hainan Free Trade Port, south China's Hainan Province, officially entered commercial operation on Thursday, marking a new step in the island's clean energy development.

The No. 3 unit of the Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II project is located in Changjiang Li Autonomous County in Hainan Province. The project is designed to include two 1.2-million-kilowatt nuclear power units – No. 3 and No. 4.

The No. 4 unit completed its cold functional test on September 7 and is expected to begin commercial operation in August 2027.

Once both units are in operation, the project is expected to save more than 6.3 million tonnes of standard coal annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 11.68 million tonnes each year. They are estimated to supply around 18 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, enough to support the energy needs of one-third of Hainan's population.

The No. 3 unit is equipped with China's independently developed third-generation pressurized water reactor technology, Hualong One. It also adopts the country's first nuclear power production management system compatible with both commercial pressurized water reactors and fourth-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. Through domestic adaptation, the system has achieved full independent control.

After entering operation, the No. 3 unit is expected to provide about 9 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually to Hainan.

The United States will allow top Iranian officials to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week, the US State Department said on Thursday, even as Washington and ​Tehran remain at war and continue intermittent talks aimed at ending the conflict.

The decision was "consistent with our host country obligations," the department was quoted as saying, adding the delegation is smaller than last year and will be "under travel restrictions."

The 81st session of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week will start on September 22 at the UN Headquarters in New York City. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 23.

The United States on Wednesday extended visa restrictions on Palestinian officials, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, preventing him from attending the UN General Assembly high-level week in person for the second consecutive year.

(With input from Xinhua)

The year 2026 marks the 95th anniversary of the September 18th Incident, which took place in 1931.

The incident marked the beginning of Japan’s 14-year invasion of China and the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, which lasted from 1931 to 1945.

After an autumn shower, Qifo Mountain Forest Park in Gaoping, Shanxi Province, comes alive with golden light. Morning mist drifts through the forest as sunlight pierces the haze, creating stunning Tyndall rays.

To the music of Auld Lang Syne, the ode to friendship, military representatives from across the world wrapped up the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum on Thursday, reinforcing the security event's core message of dialogue and cooperation.

Themed "Build Consensus on Stability, Advance Security Governance Together," the forum, established 20 years ago, brought together military officers and think-tank scholars from more than 100 countries, regions and international organizations for semi-official talks.

From China's security philosophy and China-US relations to Asia's security, CGTN picks out three key takeaways from the three-day forum.

China is 'engine' of world peace

The Xiangshan forum has become a major platform for China to deepen exchange and cooperation on security with other countries in implementing the Global Security Initiative (GSI), a Chinese proposal that promotes the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.

At the first high-end interview on the first day of the forum, scholar Jean Christophe Baron von Pfetten told the attendees in fluent Chinese that China is the engine of world peace.

Baron von Pfetten, chairman of the Royal Institute for East West Strategic Studies in the United Kingdom, then held up a copy of the Concept Paper on the Global Governance Initiative, released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in September last year. "This is the key to the future in this world," he said. "This is promoted by China, not for China, but for the world."

By consistently promoting goodwill and trust among countries, China has contributed a vital perspective on how to tackle global security issues, said Carlos Branco, former director of cooperation and regional security at NATO International Military Staff.

"China actually has a very important role because it brings a new narrative of 'positive-sum' games," Branco told China Media Group (CMG).

"The discourse of China is always in the promotion of cooperation, dialogue, understanding," he said. "And this is really what the world needs now."

Building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability

One of the most discussed topics during the forum was how to build a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability, a new positioning of the bilateral relationship agreed between the two heads of state in May.

Speaking to reporters, Baron von Pfetten said he believed the world will be more peaceful if China and the United States cooperate more closely.

He dismissed the suggestion that the countries are adversaries, saying that they are aligned in their stances on fundamental security issues such as nuclear proliferation and nuclear escalation.

Zhang Chi, a professor of China's National Defense University, said advancing global development, safeguarding global security and improving global governance will not be achieved without China‑US cooperation.

Sessions across different panels during the forum have reflected the consensus reached by both sides on the new framework of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability, Zhang told the media, adding that many delegates have voiced expectations for the steady and sound growth of China-US ties.

"As we often say, the world is big enough for both China and the United States," he said.

Both sides should uphold the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, to help bilateral relations stabilize, improve and move forward, he added.

Asia security

Asian security was also a major focus for participants at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum and experts highlighted the importance of improving political mutual trust via multi-level dialogue mechanisms.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Asia's development comes from dialogue, not confrontation, and from cooperation, not division.

"To maintain peace and security in Asia, we need to continue multilateralism, multi-layered dialogue, including not only dialogue among governments but also military crisis management mechanisms," Hatoyama said.

Shafdean Lufty, senior director at the Malaysian Institute of Defense and Security, said achieving collective security in Asia requires peaceful negotiation and consultation.

In an interview with CMG, Lufty highlighted the importance of direct people-to-people engagement and mutual empathy for countries to address issues of common concern and to live side by side in harmony and peace across the region.

Duong Quy Nam, director of Vietnam's Institute for Defense International Relations, said the security of one country should not build upon the insecurity of another.

He told CMG that sustainable security can only be forged through dialogue, respect for one another's legitimate interests, and adherence to international law.

At this year's WTO Public Forum in Geneva, China is highlighting both cultural exchange and its approach to global trade. A series of performances, exhibitions and policy discussions is taking place alongside the three-day forum. Julia Hamilton reports.

Editor's note: Xiang Haoyu is a specially appointed research fellow at the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies, China Institute of International Studies. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

September 18 marks the 95th anniversary of the outbreak of the September 18 Incident. The incident not only served as a prelude to Japanese militarism’s brutal invasion of China and other Asian nations, but also destroyed the international system of the time, plunging the entire Asia-Pacific region into the bottomless abyss of war.

At this solemn juncture, a time for deep reflection on wartime tragedies and renewed pledges for peace, a close look at the current situation in East Asia inevitably evokes deep concern.

Recently, a string of unusually dangerous developments have emerged in quick succession within Japan's political and defense circles, such as right-wing conservatives gaining power in local elections, top defense officials openly coveting nuclear armaments and frequent joint regional military drills. and words and deeds that challenge the post-war international order. 

All those suggest that Japan's ruling authorities and right-wing factions are accelerating their break from the post-war system and deviating further from the path of peaceful development.

Challenging the postwar international order

The post-war international order, with the United Nations at its core, was built precisely upon the defeat of Japanese militarism by the world anti-fascist alliance and hard-won lessons drawn from the war. Nevertheless, Japan's recent diplomatic rhetoric and actions clearly expose a dangerous attempt to challenge the fundamental bottom line of this very order.

Recently, the Japanese government brazenly demanded that Russia dismantle a monument dedicated to the victory over Japanese militarism, citing the absurd justification that the monument's design "hurt the feelings of the Japanese people." Concurrently, Japanese officials have claimed that the "Enemy State Clauses" in the UN Charter are outdated and hollow in practice.

These are by no means isolated diplomatic disputes; rather, they are a concentrated manifestation of the long-standing attempts by Japan's right-wing forces to whitewash its history of aggression and reverse historical verdicts.

As a special institutional arrangement for defeated World War II nations, the core legal logic behind the "Enemy State Clauses" is to prevent the resurgence of fascism and militarism. They constitute political and legal guardrails put in place by the international community to sustain enduring peace.

From the perspective of victimized Asian nations, Japan's demand to remove anti-fascist monuments and its attempt to erase its legal status as a defeated nation amount to an overt provocation against historical justice.

The international community must remain clear-eyed: Japan's regression in historical awareness is not merely a question of passing moral judgment on its past; it is directly tied to the trajectory of its future development. To tolerate historical revisionism from Japan is in essence to shake the foundations of the post-war peace order, which will ultimately harm global peace and stability.

The 'broken-window effect' in defense policy

If distortions of history serve as an ideological warning sign, Japan's recent radical leaps in defense policy are manifesting themselves as an increasingly tangible threat.

In the Okinawa gubernatorial election held on September 13, Genta Koja, who received strong backing from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, won the election. Koja's victory not only signals the forceful push-through of the controversial relocation of the US military base to Henoko; more importantly, it means Tokyo will accelerate the militarization of the Ryukyu Islands, turning them into a bridgehead for intervening in geopolitical conflicts.

An immediate danger posed by this election result is that, in pursuit of military expansion goals, Japan's ruling coalition will press ahead with arming Okinawa, at the risk of dragging the Okinawan people onto the chariot of East-Asian geopolitical conflicts.

Equally alarming is how top defense officials are trampling on peace-oriented bottom lines. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi recently stated openly that in discussions on revising the three key security documents, no options would be ruled out when considering next-generation submarines, including nuclear-powered ones.

Such remarks represent a blatant betrayal of Japan's long-vaunted Three Non-Nuclear Principles and strip away the government's facade of pursuing an exclusively defense-oriented posture.

Besides, Japan's frequent participation in large-scale joint military exercises in September, such as Freedom Edge 2026 and Orient Shield 2026, shows that the Self-Defense Forces are rapidly transforming from a defensive force into an offensive one equipped with long-range power projection and pre-emptive strike capabilities.

Japan's post-war "exclusively defense-oriented" policy now exists in name only, laying bare a "broken-window effect" that keeps shattering the post-war pacifist system.

Where is Japan headed?

The rightward tilt in Japan's political ecology and its drive to become a major military power are inevitably exerting profound impacts on East Asia's security architecture, bringing far-reaching negative consequences to regional peace and stability.

Japan's radical arms build-up, paired with policies that point to intervention in geopolitical disputes, has stirred deep concern and military vigilance among its Asian neighbors, pushing the region into a vicious cycle of eroding mutual trust and arms races.

For the international community, allowing Japan to cast off its post-war military constraints to sow division and confrontation will only undermine the prosperity and stability of the Asia-Pacific, which in turn will seriously jeopardize long-term global security.

At this historical milestone marking the 95th anniversary of the September 18 Incident, the alarm over the possible resurgence of Japanese militarism has rung once again. Japan can never earn the understanding of its Asian neighbors or the respect of the international community through militarism and warmongering.

To avoid repeating the catastrophic mistakes of history, Japan's only viable path forward is to pull back from the brink, squarely face its past, and engage in profound reflection on its history of aggression. Japan must completely cut ties with lingering militarist ideologies, return to the framework of its Pacifist Constitution, and firmly follow the path of peaceful development.

Only by taking concrete actions to honor its commitments to the post-war international order and ceasing to act as a troublemaker in regional affairs can Japan start rebuilding trust with its Asian neighbors and the wider international community.

Japanese scholar Atsushi Koketsu says Japan cannot build trust with other countries without sincerely confronting its history of wartime aggression. He warns that historical revisionism and the downplaying of wartime atrocities risk leaving the truth buried for future generations.

Friday marks the 95th anniversary of the September 18 Incident, the beginning of China’s 14-year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Also known as the Mukden Incident, it began on the night of September 18, 1931, when troops from Japan’s Kwantung Army detonated explosives on a section of the South Manchuria Railway at Liutiaohu, on the northern outskirts of Shenyang, the capital of northeast China’s Liaoning Province.

Japanese troops falsely blamed Chinese forces for the explosion and used it as a pretext to attack the nearby Beidaying barracks and bombard Shenyang. The city fell to Japanese forces the following day.

In the months that followed, Japanese forces overran northeast China. In 1932, Japan established the puppet state of Manchukuo in the occupied territory.

Chinese resistance began in 1931, while full-scale war between China and Japan broke out in July 1937 following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident near Beijing. The war continued until Japan’s surrender in 1945.

A precursor to World War II, the September 18 Incident marked an early chapter in the global struggle against fascist aggression.

China suffered more than 35 million military and civilian casualties during the 14-year conflict, accounting for roughly one-third of total casualties worldwide during World War II.

Ninety years ago, crossing Jiajin Mountain in southwest China was a grueling test for the Red Army during the Long March, with freezing temperatures, deep snow and treacherous terrain. Today, at the foot of the same mountain, a Tibetan woman is taking on a different kind of challenge — keeping her community's traditional crafts alive. For years, she used her camera to document her hometown and its culture. Then she realized that simply recording them was not enough. So she started a workshop, bringing together dozens of local women to keep their traditions alive — and turn them into a livelihood.

Shanghai Shenhua opened its 2026-27 AFC Champions League Two campaign with a 2-1 victory over Singapore's Tampines Rovers on Thursday, as substitute Yang Shuai headed a second-half winner in their Group G encounter.

Shenhua entered the match with a depleted squad, with Wu Xi, Zhu Chenjie and Yang Haoyu away on Asian Games duty. Several other regulars were unavailable through injury or suspension.

Tampines threatened early and nearly broke through in the eighth minute, but Yang Zexiang recovered to make a crucial intervention. Shenhua soon began to create opportunities of its own, with Liu Chengyu sending an effort into the side netting.

The host took the lead in the 19th minute through Xu Haoyang. The 27-year-old drove forward before firing a low effort from outside the area beyond goalkeeper Syazwan Buhari to put Shenhua 1-0 up.

Liu had an opportunity to double the advantage six minutes later, only for Tampines defender Raoul Suhaimi to block his close-range attempt.

The visitors responded in the 33rd minute when Faris Ramli cut inside and saw his effort take a deflection before beating Shenhua goalkeeper Xue Qinghao to level the score at 1-1.

Tampines threatened again shortly afterwards through Tsuzuku Higashikawa, whose effort was kept out by Xue. At the other end, Shenhua pushed to regain the lead before halftime, with Liu denied from close range and Li Songyi seeing a header saved.

Shenhua head coach Vladan Milojevic made a change at the break, sending on Yang Shuai for Li, and the substitute made the difference in the 62nd minute.

Gao Tianyi regained possession after his initial effort was blocked and lifted the ball back into the middle, where Yang rose to head home from close range and restore Shenhua's lead.

The host remained dangerous after going 2-1 up. Gao tested Buhari from a free-kick before Liu was denied again inside the area as Shenhua looked for a third goal.

Tampines were unable to produce another response, allowing Shenhua to see out the victory and give Milojevic his first home win since taking charge of the Chinese Super League club.

China is more trusted than the US and the EU to effectively regulate AI, according to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a US-based nonpartisan fact tank, among 12 countries and regions.

The survey showed that a median of 43% of the recipients said they trusted China to regulate AI effectively, 35% said they trusted the US and 34% trusted the EU.

China is the most trusted AI regulator in five of the 12 countries and regions surveyed, including Bangladesh, Malaysia and Pakistan.

In Singapore, respondents expressed the highest levels of trust in China and the EU. In Chile and Thailand, respondents showed similar levels of trust in China, the US and the EU, while in Ghana, Peru and Colombia, people were about equally trusting the US and China.

The survey noted that most of the places included in the question were middle-income economies, according to World Bank lending classifications. A separate Pew analysis of global views toward China found that "people in middle-income nations tend to view China more positively than those in high-income nations."

The latest findings showed a change from Pew's 2025 survey on the same question among a different group of 25 countries. At that time, respondents tended to trust the EU most to regulate AI, followed by the US and China.

The survey also found that trust in AI regulation was tied to people's views of China, the US and the EU. Respondents who held favorable views of these actors were more likely to trust them to regulate AI than those with unfavorable views.

In Peru, for example, 57% of people with a favorable view of China said they trusted China to regulate AI, compared with 26% among those with an unfavorable view.

People's awareness of AI was another factor. "People who have heard or read more about the technology express greater trust in other countries to regulate it than those who have heard or read less," said the survey.

The findings are part of a broader Pew Research Center study on how people around the world view AI, which was conducted among 42,151 people across 36 countries and regions from February 8 to May 13, 2026.

Sirens wailed and a bell tolled in northeast China on Friday to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the September 18 Incident, which marked the start of China's war of resistance against Japanese aggression.

Hundreds of people, including veterans and their relatives, gathered at the square of the 9.18 Historical Museum in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province, to honor those who fought in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

At exactly 9:18 a.m., 14 representatives from various sectors struck a huge bell 14 times, symbolizing the 14 years of bitter struggle against Japanese invaders.

Across the province, three minutes of air-raid sirens echoed, as pedestrians stood still in silent tribute.

Since 1995, Shenyang has sounded the air-raid alarm every year to commemorate the September 18 Incident.

On September 18, 1931, Japanese troops blew up a section of railway under their control near Shenyang and accused Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext for their attack later that night against barracks near Shenyang, launching their premeditated invasion of China. 

Preserving wartime memories through historical records

The 9.18 Historical Museum recently received a collection of precious historical relics donated by Zhan Hongge, a local collector. 

The historical materials he donated include newspapers and periodicals published in China and abroad between 1931 and 1945, covering events such as the Japanese militarists' launch of the September 18 Incident, their occupation of northeast China, the resistance efforts of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, and Japan’s announcement of its unconditional surrender.

Tian Jing, a research librarian at the museum, told China Media Group (CMG) that those newspapers and periodicals will provide valuable supplementary materials for our future research and exhibitions on the historical facts of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army led by the Communist Party of China.

Calls for historical reflection in Japan

In Tokyo, a number of Japanese history scholars and peace activists held a symposium on Wednesday to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the September 18 Incident. They shared views on war memory, accountability for wartime aggression and the passing down of ideals of peace at the symposium. 

Takakage Fujita, secretary-general of the Association for Inheriting and Propagating the Murayama Statement, said the September 18 Incident had been concealed by the Japanese government for a long period during the war and only gradually became known to Japanese society through the Tokyo Trials, which came as a shock to many Japanese people.

In an interview with CGTN, Atsushi Koketsu, emeritus professor at Yamaguchi University in Japan, said Japan must apologize sincerely where apology is due as it seeks better relations with other countries. 

Koketsu said he believes the September 18 Incident marked the beginning of Japan's path toward defeat. 

Noting Japan deliberately used the term "incident" rather than war, Koketsu said it was not an "incident," it was a war fought without a declaration of war. 

Acknowledging many of the most shameful chapters of history have been buried in darkness, Koketsu said scholars like him have a duty to pass on the truth of that war accurately to future generations.  

"If we neglect that responsibility of preserving and transmitting its history, and if we deny, revise, fabricate,or distort the history of that war, that is the true guilt," he said.  

(With input from Xinhua)

The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) opened on Thursday in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, bringing new business opportunities under the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) 3.0 framework into focus.

Running from September 17 to 21, the expo has attracted more than 3,400 companies from over 70 countries and regions. The exhibition area covers about 170,000 square meters, with participating enterprises up 5.3% from the previous edition. Timor-Leste is taking part for the first time as a full ASEAN member and co-host, bringing all 11 ASEAN member states together in Nanning.

AI and the newly opened Pinglu Canal are also key focuses of this year's expo, with dedicated exhibition areas showcasing their potential to drive regional cooperation.

The latest CGTN survey shows that 90.9% of global respondents believe the continued hosting of CAEXPO demonstrates China's commitment to high-standard opening up. Meanwhile, 89.5% see the expo as an important platform for business exchanges, industrial matchmaking and sharing regional development opportunities.

China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 opens new areas for cooperation

The expo comes as China and ASEAN begin implementing the upgraded CAFTA 3.0 framework, which aims to facilitate trade, strengthen supply chains and expand cooperation into emerging sectors.

Science and technology authorities and high-tech institutions from countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have sent delegations to the expo.

China has made significant advances in areas such as AI, electric vehicles and renewable energy, said Destarata Mustafa, counselor for political affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing. "We hope to expand cooperation with China in these fields."

More than 50 trade and investment promotion activities are being held during the expo, focusing on trade and investment facilitation, regional economic integration, and cross-border industrial and supply chain cooperation.

In the CGTN survey, 84.5% of respondents said deeper China-ASEAN free trade cooperation will inject greater momentum into openness, cooperation and stable growth in the global economy.

AI takes center stage at China-ASEAN Expo

AI is taking a prominent role at this year's expo, with dedicated exhibition areas at the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center and the newly established Nanning AI Compound.

The AI exhibition area at the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center showcases AI products and technologies covering consumer applications, smart homes, intelligent terminals, robots and embodied intelligence, alongside AI technologies from ASEAN countries.

At the 10,000-square-meter Nanning AI Compound, more than 150 AI companies, including Huawei, iFlytek and Unitree Robotics, are presenting applications across 11 themed sections, focusing on industrial and everyday use.

The venue will also feature an AI-themed market, service robots, robot competitions and performances.

The new exhibition area is also designed to facilitate more targeted cooperation through an intelligent matchmaking system. More than 8,000 pairs of potential cooperation partners have been pre-matched, while nearly 2,000 additional matchmaking sessions are scheduled during the expo. The system has collected around 60 cooperation demand projects from ASEAN countries and matched them with nearly 40 Chinese projects to help companies pursue potential partnerships.

The emphasis on practical applications reflects growing efforts to connect China's AI capabilities with the specific industrial and consumer needs of ASEAN markets.

How Pinglu Canal could strengthen China-ASEAN trade

The newly opened Pinglu Canal has become another highlight of the expo, with a dedicated exhibition area showcasing the 134.2-kilometer waterway and its potential to strengthen regional connectivity.

Connecting the Xijiang River shipping network with the Beibu Gulf, the canal allows vessels of up to 5,000 tonnes to reach the sea directly, creating a more efficient route from China's southwestern hinterland to international markets.

The canal is expected to shorten shipping distances between southwest China and Southeast Asia by more than 560 kilometers, reduce logistics costs by 18% to 30% and save about 5.2 billion yuan (about $775 million) annually.

It also strengthens the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor linking western China with Southeast Asia through railways, roads, waterways and ports.

According to the CGTN survey, 87.6% of respondents said multimodal transport, including river-sea and rail-water transport, when efficiently connected with cross-border industrial and supply chain cooperation, will further facilitate regional trade and investment.

The new connectivity comes as China-ASEAN trade continues to expand. In the first seven months of 2026, trade between the two sides reached $744.41 billion, up 24.7% year on year and accounting for 21.8% of China's total foreign trade.

Science, technology and innovation drive development, yet the gap between those with the knowledge and those who merely consume it remains wide. In January 2024, the United Nations General Assembly designated September 16 as the International Day of Science, Technology and Innovation for the South, underscoring a shift in how developing countries approach this divide.

The emphasis is not simply on technology transfer, but on building the capacity of Global South nations to generate, adapt and sustain their own scientific solutions.

China's engagement in South-South sci-tech cooperation reflects this evolving approach. Two agricultural technologies illustrate how cooperation can move from providing ready-made solutions to cultivating local expertise: Juncao, a grass-based mushroom cultivation technology, and hybrid rice.

Juncao in Fiji: From saline soil to household income

In Fiji, the China-Fiji Juncao Technology Demonstration Center, established in 2014, has trained more than 2,900 local technicians, promoted Juncao cultivation on over 2,500 hectares and helped more than 3,500 households achieve sustained income growth.

The technology originated in China as a substrate for cultivating edible mushrooms, using wild grasses instead of timber. In Fiji, its use has expanded beyond mushroom production. On severely saline coastal land, planting Juncao for four months reduced soil salt content from 1.67% to 0.4%, restoring degraded agricultural land.

For individual farmers, the economics are straightforward. Beyond food production, Juncao has addressed a persistent food constraint on Fiji's livestock sector.

Hybrid rice in Madagascar: Building a research system

In Madagascar, hybrid rice cooperation has likewise moved beyond the distribution of seeds. Since 2007, Chinese institutions have worked with Malagasy partners to establish demonstration bases and adapt hybrid rice varieties to local conditions. Annual hybrid rice cultivation in Madagascar has reached nearly 90,000 hectares, with yields exceeding conventional varieties by more than 20%.

In demonstration areas, yields reach 7.5 tonnes per hectare, roughly 2.5 times that of local varieties, and more than 500 local technicians have been trained.

The China-Madagascar Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Hybrid Rice, approved for construction in 2024, represents a more structured form of cooperation. The lab's stated objective is to help Madagascar establish an independent research system for hybrid rice through instrument donations, personnel exchanges, and joint research and development.

Malagasy Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison visited the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center on Monday to inspect the joint laboratory's progress. During the visit, the two sides signed an agreement to establish a joint rice testing laboratory. Rajaonarison said the lab plays an important role in addressing Madagascar's food security challenges.

The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) is held at Beijing Shougang Park from September 9 to 13, drawing exhibitors from 90 countries, regions and international organizations, alongside over 1,800 offline corporate participants.

A flagship showcase of China's high-level opening-up, the fair lets the world observe innovations in China's services sector and share its development gains.

China's trade in services keeps expanding and upgrading. In the first half of this year, the total value of China's services imports and exports reached nearly 3.8 trillion yuan (about $570 billion), up 8.3% year on year. Services exports exceeded 1.5 trillion yuan, rising 17.6%. Knowledge-intensive services trade hit 1.66 trillion yuan, or 44% of the total services trade volume, showing a shift to higher-value segments.

"Services consumption and trade have become a vital pillar for bolstering economic growth," said Li Jun, director of the Institute of International Trade in Services under the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

China's enormous market offers global firms broad cooperation opportunities. In 2025, its services imports surpassed $620 billion, making it the world's second-largest services import market.

"An open Chinese economy can support global growth through trade, investment, tourism, digital services, professional services, technology and innovation," said Simphiwe Madikizela, professor of Economics at the University of South Africa.

Japan's main opposition party, the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA), has decided to disband, following the failure of talks on a full merger.

Lawmakers formerly belonging to the Komeito party are set to return to it, while those from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) plan to form a new party, the alliance's head Junya Ogawa told reporters on Wednesday in parliament after internal discussions.

Ogawa said the departing groups will seek to form a new parliamentary caucus under a centrist banner for an extraordinary Diet session this fall, in a bid to maintain their position as the largest opposition force in the lower house.

The decision came less than eight months after the CRA was founded in January as a counter to the ruling coalition ahead of the House of Representatives election in February, in which the new party suffered a heavy defeat.

A full merger involving the two founding parties' House of Councillors lawmakers and local organizations had been planned, but ultimately abandoned in August as the election loss weighed on talks.

China is currently carrying out a new round of direct elections of county- and township-level lawmakers in an orderly manner, according to a senior legislator on Wednesday.

More than one billion voters will directly elect over 2.6 million deputies to the people's congresses at the county and township levels, representing a vivid practice of whole-process people's democracy, said Song Rui, deputy secretary general of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, at a press conference.

Song noted that deputies to people's congresses at all levels serve as a bridge between the Party and the state and the people. He urged further support for the deputies in performing their duties, maintaining close contact with the people, conveying their views and concerns, and helping resolve practical problems in accordance with the law.

China's people's congress system has a multi-tiered structure, with the NPC at the top and congresses at the provincial, municipal, county and township levels. Deputies are elected at each level every five years to represent the people's interests.

Under the country's electoral law, deputies to county- and township-level people's congresses are directly elected by voters, while deputies to people's congresses above the county level are elected by deputies at the next lower level.

In the previous round of elections, which wrapped up in 2022, 2.62 million county- and township-level deputies were elected by more than one billion voters through "one person, one vote," making it one of the world's largest democratic practices.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with Andre Desmarais, honorary chairman of the Canada China Business Council (CCBC) on Wednesday.

He, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China welcomes Canadian enterprises to share the opportunities of China's high-quality development, and hopes the CCBC can serve as a bridge and make greater contributions to the growth of China-Canada economic and trade relations.

Desmarais said the Canadian business community has full confidence in China's economic prospects, and the CCBC stands ready to continue supporting the sound and steady growth of Canada-China economic and trade relations.

China and Singapore concluded a five-day joint maritime exercise on Wednesday after completing all scheduled drills, as the two countries seek to deepen practical cooperation and strengthen their ability to safeguard regional peace and stability.

The exercise, the fifth of its kind between the two navies, was held in the waters and airspace around the city of Zhanjiang, south China's Guangdong Province. It consisted of two phases, covering in-port exchanges and at-sea drills.

During the in-port phase, the two sides held high-level meetings and planning discussions, and organized ship visits and other activities.

In the maritime phase, participating forces conducted eight drills, including communications exercises, formation maneuvers and aerial photography, at-sea replenishment, and joint search-and-rescue operations.

The Chinese navy said regular joint exercises had further strengthened mutual trust and promoted practical cooperation between the two countries' navies, while enhancing their ability to jointly contribute to peace and stability in the region.

In an earlier interview, Chinese military expert Zhang Junshe said the joint search-and-rescue drills hold significant practical value, given the heavy maritime traffic and complex weather and sea conditions in the South China Sea.

He also noted that live-fire exercises and replenishment-at-sea help enhance the two navies' combat capabilities.

China and Singapore held their first bilateral maritime exercise in 2015. Such joint exercises have become a regular feature of military exchanges between the two countries in recent years. In May 2025, the Chinese Navy dispatched a guided-missile frigate and a mine countermeasure vessel to Singapore for a joint exercise.

In addition to regular joint maritime exercises with Singapore, China also carries out routine joint drills and training with neighboring countries, including Thailand and Cambodia.

(Cover: File photo of a China-Singapore joint maritime exercise. /VCG)

Advancing trade in services and promoting opening up and cooperation in the services sector is not only China's choice but also a global necessity, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said on Wednesday.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while delivering a keynote speech at the 2026 Global Trade in Services Summit in Beijing.

China has actively promoted trade in services and opened up its services sector wider, Ding said, adding that these efforts are creating more opportunities for countries and businesses around the world.

As the global economic and trade landscape continues to evolve, efforts should be made to strengthen the mutually reinforcing relationship between the services sector and trade in services, so as to better support the economic and social development of all countries, Ding said.

Highlighting the guiding role of opening up in developing trade in services, Ding urged measures to reduce barriers to cross-border flows of factors and promote greater liberalization and facilitation of trade in services. Such efforts will help ensure the sector's steady, long-term development in a fair and inclusive manner, he added.

Ding also called on countries to promote the sharing of digital and intelligent technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and strengthen global digital infrastructure connectivity to inject fresh impetus into the development of trade in services.

The 2026 summit was jointly hosted by the Beijing municipal government, the Ministry of Commerce, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the World Intellectual Property Organization.

What do you carry when the road ahead is unknown?

In 1934, young Red Army soldiers left their homes in southern Jiangxi and set out on a journey that would become the Long March. They carried little, walked much of the way on foot and wore through pairs of straw sandals as the road stretched on.

Ninety years later, the roads and the hardships, are different. But uncertainty can still leave us with familiar questions: Do I keep going? What do I leave behind? And what is worth carrying forward?

The Chinese mainland welcomed growing discussion in Taiwan about national reunification and a proposed "One Country, Two Systems" framework for the island, a spokesperson said Wednesday.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, was responding to a question about a Taiwan scholar who had published three consecutive articles on social media discussing the proposed framework.

"It is normal to have different opinions and debates between people on the mainland and Taiwan in the process," Chen said.

"We believe more of our compatriots in Taiwan will break free from the ideological constraints and 'information cocoons' created by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, and increasingly recognize the advantages of the 'One Country, Two Systems' and the inclusiveness of the Taiwan solution it offers," he said.

The Taiwan question is left by a full-blown civil war fought between the forces led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) about eight decades ago. In 1949, the remnants of the defeated KMT retreated to Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded under the leadership of the CPC.

The unresolved civil war and foreign interference have left the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in a prolonged state of political confrontation, though the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory has never changed.

Peaceful reunification under "One Country, Two Systems" is the best approach to achieving national reunification, Chen said.

"The specific form of implementation of 'One Country, Two Systems' in Taiwan will fully take into consideration the realities in Taiwan, fully absorb the opinions and suggestions of people from all sectors on both sides of the Strait, and fully safeguard the interests and sentiments of Taiwan compatriots," he said.

While discussions about reunification grow in Taiwan society, the DPP authorities continue to challenge the one-China principle. Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te has recently again argued that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 was not related to Taiwan.

Chen said such attempts would only bring humiliation upon Lai and the DPP authorities and were bound to fail.

No matter what they do, Chen said, they cannot alter the legal and factual reality that Taiwan is part of China, undermine the international community's adherence to the one-China principle, or halt the historical trend toward national reunification.

The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 in 1971 by an overwhelming majority, clarifying that the PRC government is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This resolution, from the perspective of international law, completely eliminated possibilities of "two Chinas" or "Taiwan independence."

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March.

From October 1934 to October 1936, the Red Army, the forerunner of today's People's Liberation Army (PLA), carried out the historic Long March – a massive strategic retreat and military maneuver undertaken amid intense fighting during the Chinese civil war.

More than a military retreat, the Long March became a defining chapter in the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC), helping preserve the revolutionary forces at a critical juncture and laying the groundwork for the subsequent development of the Chinese revolution. It has since come to symbolize perseverance, courage and an unwavering commitment to a common goal.

Ninety years on, the Long March continues to resonate as an enduring part of China's revolutionary history. Here are some remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping on the historic campaign and the spirit it has inspired.

If the China International Import Expo and the China Import and Export Fair are largely about showcasing how goods reach global markets, the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) – the 13th edition of which begins in Beijing on Wednesday – focuses on something less tangible, yet increasingly important: how services cross borders.

Since its launch in 2012, CIFTIS has developed into an important international platform for China's trade in services and a window through which global businesses can observe the opening up of China's services sector and explore market opportunities. The 13th CIFTIS brings together participants from more than 90 countries and international organizations, along with over 1,800 companies.

Over decades, much of the world came to know "Made in China." At this year's CIFTIS, however, a different trend is worth watching: China is increasingly looking to turn its service capabilities – in finance, tourism, education, healthcare, culture, information technology and professional consulting, as well as digital services and artificial intelligence – into something that can be taken to international markets.

After 'Made in China' goes global, what comes next?

A dedicated zone for promoting services that support companies going global has been set up at this year's CIFTIS, bringing together services such as finance, legal affairs, accounting, advertising and human resources to provide one-stop support for companies expanding overseas. At first glance, this may simply look like a way to provide companies with the practical support they need to "go global." But viewed from another angle, it points to a broader change in how Chinese companies are entering overseas markets.

In the past, when a company expanded overseas, the first priority was often to sell its products. Today, the questions are becoming much more complex: Who will build the brand in the local market? Who will handle legal and tax matters?

Who will manage local marketing? Who will build digital sales channels? Who will provide payment, logistics, customer service and after-sales support? As a result, what enters an overseas market is increasingly a broader service ecosystem built around a Chinese-made product.

This is one of the most interesting changes at this year's CIFTIS: the focus is expanding from helping "companies go global" to helping "services support companies going global." As Chinese companies enter overseas markets, finance, digital services, marketing, technology and professional services are becoming important parts of the support system, working alongside products such as automobiles, appliances and electronics in the expansion into international markets.

If "Made in China" once represented Chinese manufacturing going global, China's service capabilities are now also seeking new paths to reach the world.

China and Latin America: From 'you sell, I buy' to creating together

When discussing trade between China and Latin America, people most readily think of energy, minerals, agricultural products, automobiles, household appliances and infrastructure. These areas remain important pillars of China-Latin America economic and trade cooperation. But as the digital economy and trade in services continue to grow, the scope of that cooperation is also expanding, with both sides exploring opportunities in digital services, technology applications and professional services.

What may emerge is a different combination: you have the market, I have the technology; you have the application scenarios, I have the services; you have local experience, I have global tools. Chinese companies can bring digital payments, e-commerce, cloud computing, AI, logistics and marketing services to Latin America. Latin American companies, meanwhile, can draw on their knowledge of local languages, cultures and markets to help Chinese businesses establish themselves in the region.

In this sense, China-Latin America cooperation is moving beyond a simple "you sell, I buy" model. Both sides can be providers of services as well as users of them. This is also one of the key differences between trade in services and traditional trade in goods: once a car is sold, the transaction may be largely complete. When a digital service, consulting service or AI solution enters a new market, however, that may be where a deeper and more sustained form of cooperation begins.

Trade in services: A two-way opportunity

Foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean has faced new uncertainties over recent years. The impact of US tariff policies has further highlighted a need to reduce dependence on individual markets and diversify trade partners.

In its International Trade Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean noted that US tariff policies had increased uncertainty in global trade, and recommended that countries in the region deepen economic and trade ties with partners including China, the European Union, India and ASEAN, while strengthening intra-regional cooperation. At the same time, the report projects that exports of goods from Latin America and the Caribbean will grow by 5% in 2025, while exports of services will increase by 8%.

As the global trade landscape undergoes rapid changes, trade in services is becoming an increasingly important avenue for Latin American countries to diversify their international economic and trade relations, explore new markets and seek new sources of growth.

This is creating new opportunities for Chinese companies in Latin America, where traditional trade in goods is increasingly being complemented by exchanges in services and capabilities. A Latin American company may need more efficient digital services, while a Chinese company may need local market knowledge and cultural expertise. An e-commerce system entering a new market needs to adapt to local consumers, while a digital service crossing borders must also bridge differences in language and culture.

These practical needs are creating new opportunities for China-Latin America cooperation in services, opening up greater room for exchange and complementarity rather than a one-way flow. As services become increasingly capable of crossing borders much like goods, China and Latin America are finding new opportunities to exchange technology, expertise and different approaches to solving problems.

Latin American countries at CIFTIS

CIFTIS is an important platform for observing and connecting these changes. In recent years, more Latin American countries have used the fair to learn about the Chinese market, showcase their own strengths and explore new opportunities in trade in services, investment and industrial cooperation.

Peru has participated early and consistently and again has an exhibition presence at the fair this year, following earlier participation that included the China-Peru Economic and Investment Cooperation Forum, where Peru promoted cooperation opportunities in areas including investment, tourism and technology.

At CIFTIS 2023, a representative of ProColombia China used Xiaomi smartphones and DiDi, both in use in the Colombian market, as well as the Bogotá Metro project built with the participation of Chinese companies, as examples to illustrate how China-Colombia cooperation is increasingly extending into everyday life and urban infrastructure, while also highlighting the potential of sectors such as fintech, film and gaming.

Venezuela also participated in CIFTIS 2025, with its minister of foreign trade and vice minister of international trade policy attending related events to promote Venezuelan service projects and its investment environment, while seeking to further expand trade and investment cooperation with China.

In addition, countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay and Cuba have participated at CIFTIS in recent years. Their growing engagement also shows that CIFTIS connects more than the goods and services displayed at its exhibition booths; it brings together the needs of different markets as well. This trend has made CIFTIS a window onto global cooperation, while China's commitment to high-standard opening up remains firmly in place.

Looking ahead, platforms like CIFTIS may offer more opportunities for Chinese and Latin American companies to engage in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, green development, robotics and the digital economy. The focus of cooperation could gradually move beyond products made in China toward more concrete partnerships in technology and services, bringing fresh momentum to China-Latin America cooperation.

The Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Wednesday sent a message of condolence over the passing of Tung Chee-hwa, expressing deep sorrow and extending sincere sympathies to his family.

In the message addressed to Tung's wife, Betty Tung Chiu Hung-ping, the offices hailed Tung as an outstanding contributor to "One Country, Two Systems," a renowned patriot, an outstanding social activist and a close friend of the Communist Party of China.

Tung served as vice chairman of the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th National Committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), as well as the first- and second-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

The message said Tung devoted his life wholeheartedly to China and the country's Hong Kong region, making major and historic contributions to Hong Kong's return to China, its smooth transition and the successful implementation of "One Country, Two Systems."

His tenure as chief executive marked a pioneering stage in which the concept of "One Country, Two Systems" was translated from concept into reality, the message said.

Tung faithfully and resolutely implemented the policies of "One Country, Two Systems," "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy, as well as the Basic Law of the HKSAR. He united the HKSAR government and all sectors of society in tackling a series of complex political, economic and social challenges, safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and maintaining overall stability in Hong Kong, it said.

After stepping down as chief executive, Tung continued to put the fundamental interests of the country and Hong Kong first. As a vice chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, he supported successive chief executives and HKSAR governments and consistently contributed to national development and the cause of "One Country, Two Systems," according to the message.

It also praised Tung for his firm support for China's reform and opening up, modernization, as well as his efforts to leverage Hong Kong's unique strengths and promote exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.

Drawing on his extensive connections and broad influence, Tung made friends at home and abroad and played an important role in promoting exchanges between China and other countries, the message said.

A certain individual of the Philippines should cease the provocations and theatrics, and stop undermining China-Philippines relations and stability in the South China Sea, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

Mao made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a query about the recent statements by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on the South China Sea.

China's position has always been clear on the so-called "South China Sea arbitration," Mao said. "The Philippines unilaterally initiated the case, which is a distortion and abuse of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) dispute settlement mechanism."

It is the Philippine side that has violated UNCLOS and undermined its integrity and authority, she added.

Read more:

Explainer: Why is the South China Sea 'arbitration award' illegal, null and void?

'South China Sea arbitration': A decade of legal absurdity and lasting harm

Editor's note: Ding Xiaoxing is the deputy secretary-general of the Academic Committee of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Turning 25, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is moving beyond regional cooperation to take on a broader role in global affairs. Its evolution from a security-focused mechanism into a comprehensive cooperation platform mirrors the broader rise of the Global South and its push for development, greater representation and a stronger voice in global affairs.

The 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States, which concluded on September 1 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, underscored this new direction: the SCO is becoming a platform not only for common development across Eurasia, but also for advancing Global South development and shaping a more just and equitable global governance system.

From 'Shanghai Five' to key platform for Global South cooperation

Over its 25-year history, the SCO has undergone three major transformations.

It first evolved from the "Shanghai Five," established around border security, into a regional security cooperation organization. It then expanded beyond security into a comprehensive platform covering more than 50 areas, including the economy, people-to-people exchanges and international cooperation, while steadily expanding its membership and partnerships.

The third transformation is now underway: the SCO is evolving from a comprehensive regional organization into a broader force for advancing a multipolar world, safeguarding global peace and development, and shouldering greater global responsibilities.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping has put it, the SCO's "most significant achievement" has been its gradual transformation into a new type of regional cooperation organization that spans the largest geographical area, represents the largest population and possesses enormous development potential in the world.

How has the SCO achieved this? The answer lies in the "Shanghai Spirit."

Over the past 25 years, the SCO has established a model for relations among major powers, neighboring countries and countries of different sizes, bringing together the development potential of nearly half of the world's population and about a quarter of the global economy. Its approach reflects the trend of the times in several important ways.

First, equality: All member states are equal, with no leader or subordinate members, and countries of all sizes consult with one another on an equal footing. Second, non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third parties: The SCO seeks partnerships without forming alliances and dialogue rather than confrontation. Third, multilateralism: It seeks to promote security through cooperation and development through cooperation.

This model stands in sharp contrast to bloc politics and zero-sum games. It also resonates with the increasingly strong aspirations of the Global South: to safeguard their rights to peace and development while gaining greater representation and a stronger voice in international affairs on the basis of equality.

Advancing security and development in tandem

For Global South countries eager to achieve development and revitalization, the SCO offers both opportunities and safeguards.

The opportunity lies in the vast space for common development. Trade between China and other SCO member states rose from $12.1 billion in 2001 to $523.5 billion in 2025, a more than 40-fold increase in just over two decades, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

At the summit in Bishkek, China announced the establishment of an international cooperation center for AI applications and a China-SCO Port Economy Cooperation Center in Tianjin. It also pledged to jointly implement 100 scientific and technological cooperation projects over the next three years, continue advancing the development of "10-million-kilowatt-level" photovoltaic and wind power projects, and further open its huge market to partners.

With development prioritized and benefits shared more broadly, the SCO is connecting multiple growth poles across Eurasia, fostering a community of shared development and a shared future.

The SCO's second major contribution is providing a solid foundation of security and stability for development.

In 2025, the SCO established "four security centers" including the SCO Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats, the Information Security Center, the Center for Combating Transnational Organized Crime and the Anti-Drug Center, marking a significant advancement in SCO security cooperation. 

This year, the summit approved regulations for the Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats and the Anti-Drug Center, paving the way for the security centers to begin operations. Meanwhile, the SCO is further strengthening its security cooperation network to tackle the "three forces," telecommunications fraud and transnational crime.

At the same time, the SCO advocates a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable approach to security, opposes external interference in the internal affairs of countries, and emphasizes resolving differences through dialogue and consultation. Such an approach to security reinforces its approach to development, allowing Global South countries to pursue their development agendas in a stable environment.

Meanwhile, from Luban Workshops to basic education cooperation centers, and from Confucius Institutes to various livelihood projects, people-to-people exchanges are further strengthening the social foundations of cooperation among countries.

From regional governance to global governance

"The SCO takes root in the Global South, its heart beats with the Global South, and it is an important pillar of South-South cooperation," Xi highlighted the organization's increasingly prominent Global South identity at the SCO Plus meeting.

As the Global South grows in strength and the balance of international power undergoes profound changes, the trend toward a multipolar world has become irreversible.

China advocates an equal and orderly multipolar world: sovereign equality and mutual respect are fundamental principles, and Global South countries should have greater representation and a stronger voice in international affairs. Balanced and orderly development and respect for the rule of law are essential, with major powers in particular expected to uphold rules and the law. Multilateralism, dialogue and consultation are key approaches, as global affairs should be decided through consultation among all countries. Mutual benefit, win-win cooperation and inclusiveness represent the direction of development, while protectionism and decoupling have no future.

From the Global Governance Initiative proposed at the Tianjin summit to the plans and arrangements adopted at the Bishkek summit, the Bishkek Declaration explicitly called for efforts to build a more just and equitable global governance system.

Over the past year, the SCO has evolved from a regional governance participant into an important force for global governance reform, leveraging its strength, wisdom and action to advance Eurasian development, empower the Global South and promote a more just global governance system. Governance, like progress, requires constant renewal.

Looking ahead, the SCO will shoulder greater historical responsibility – speaking up for peace, driving development, bridging differences through cooperation and turning shared aspirations into shared gains. Together with the Global South, it will help advance an equal and orderly multipolar world and move firmly toward the shared future of humanity.

The 2026 Conference of Global Public Security Cooperation Forum opened in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, on the afternoon of September 9.

With the annual theme "Joining Hands to Advance Public Security Governance and Inject Stability into a Turbulent World," the forum has brought together more than 2,100 participants from 139 countries, regions and international organizations. The event is hosted by the Chinese Association for Friendship.

The forum features eight parallel sessions focusing on areas including immigration management cooperation, international drug control cooperation, international counter-terrorism cooperation, cybersecurity, public security technologies and equipment, international police education cooperation, tourism safety and international security services.

The forum will release the Global Public Security Index Report (2025–2026) and the Annual Report of the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum (Lianyungang) (2025–2026). Meanwhile, during the 2026 forum, China's Ministry of Public Security will host the founding conference of the International Alliance Combating Telecom and Cyber Fraud.

The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) opened Wednesday in Beijing, as China steps up efforts to expand opening-up in services trade at the outset of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Running through September 13 at Shougang Park, a former industrial site and venue for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the fair has drawn participants from 90 countries, regions and international organizations, with over 1,800 companies exhibiting on-site. Among them are 473 Fortune Global 500 firms and other industry leaders, including Honeywell, Johnson & Johnson and Siemens.

Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," this year's CIFTIS features a Global Trade in Services Summit, co-hosted for the first time by the World Intellectual Property Organization. A series of forums and business matchmaking activities will also be held during the fair.

Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said the CIFTIS is expected to create many investment opportunities across conferencing, exhibition, infrastructure and digital services, adding that it will help Zimbabwe identify opportunities for trade in services, build export capacity, and attract credible partners across technology, finance, tourism, education and health care.

Alexander Poulev, Bulgaria's deputy prime minister and minister of economy, investment and industry, said at the summit that trade in services is an important pillar of the China-Bulgarian relationship. "We want to see more Bulgarian products reaching the Chinese market and more Bulgarian companies building long-term partnerships with Chinese businesses," he said.

More than 100 new products and services will make their debut at the fair, covering fields such as information and communications, fintech, and digital and intelligent healthcare.

Another highlight is a new overseas expansion services roadshow area, which offers Chinese companies one-stop professional support to enter foreign markets and expand the global footprint of Chinese services.

The core exhibition area also debuts a showcase of more than 140 innovation cases spanning all 12 categories of services trade, including artificial intelligence, large language models, and intelligent agents, offering a glimpse of where China's services sector is headed.

China has posted rapid growth in services trade, with strong exports of knowledge-intensive services supported by the country's IP and innovation ecosystem, said World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Daren Tang in his video address to the summit.

The latest official data showed that in the first seven months of 2026, China's services trade totaled nearly 4.45 trillion yuan (about $656.6 billion), up 8.3% year on year.

Advancing high-quality development of services trade is a key task in the outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), which calls for intensified efforts to optimize negative list management of services trade, ease cross-border restrictions, encourage services exports, and foster knowledge-intensive services trade.

At the 18th BRICS Summit to be held in New Delhi, India, this upcoming weekend, BRICS has taken on a new meaning. The summit’s theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," also abbreviated as BRICS, highlights the priorities of the organization's new phase of development.

From five countries to 11 members, and from a small group of emerging economies to a platform representing half of the world's population, BRICS has come a long way.

Accounting for 40% of global GDP and with intra-BRICS trade reaching $1.17 trillion in 2024, BRICS has gained considerable weight as it evolves into an increasingly important force in global economics and governance.

China's contribution to BRICS expansion

China has been at the heart of this evolution, especially in promoting inclusiveness and cooperation in BRICS.

At the 2017 Xiamen Summit, China first put forward the "BRICS plus" model, seeking to expand BRICS cooperation to a wider range of emerging economies and amplify the voice of the Global South. Inviting leaders from Egypt, Guinea, Mexico, Tajikistan and Thailand to the summit during its chairmanship, China took the lead in building an open and diversified network of partnerships to boost cooperation on a broader scale.

That proposal soon translated into the membership expansion process. Since then, six new countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, have become full members of the organization, culminating in the "Greater BRICS" and a new phase of development that features an enlarged circle of friends.

Following through with its proposal, China has consistently supported BRICS expansion throughout the years. In 2024, BRICS formally established the partner country mechanism, creating a pathway for countries to engage more closely with the bloc without immediately becoming full members. Reaffirming its commitment to an open and inclusive BRICS, China has continued to support more countries in joining the BRICS mechanism, pool the strength of the Global South and build a shared future.

Through its expansion, BRICS will not only help strengthen solidarity and cooperation among developing countries but also enable them to jointly address global economic risks and achieve more stable development, according to a study by Xi Manzhao, a teaching assistant at the School of Northeast Asian Studies, Shandong University, and Yang Yanlong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Studies, Shandong University.

China's solution to global challenges

BRICS's growth is made meaningful through practical measures. To this end, China has also proposed original solutions to common global challenges.

For instance, China has led the establishment of multiple collaborative centers. The China-BRICS Artificial Intelligence Development and Cooperation Center aims to make AI more accessible and affordable for businesses and local governments to solve real, local problems. The BRICS Deep-Sea Resources International Research Center pools research strengths from BRICS nations to tackle resource scarcity and promote equitable, sustainable ocean development. Meanwhile, the China Center for Cooperation on Development of Special Economic Zones in BRICS Countries boosts trade collaboration, policy exchange, and institutional innovation among BRICS nations and emerging markets.

China's contribution not only establishes practical cooperation platforms but also sets up financial mechanisms.

As a founding member of the New Development Bank (NDB), China helped establish a multilateral development bank that provides financing for infrastructure and sustainable development projects. China also pushed for consensus on the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), which offers mutual liquidity support and protection from short-term payment pressures, according to a United Nations Trade and Development report.

As BRICS enters a new era with more members and opportunities, China has helped turn the bloc's vision into concrete platforms and mechanisms to address shared development challenges.

Ezzat Saad El Sayed, director of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, highlighted China's vital role at the 2025 BRICS summit.

"We cannot imagine what BRICS would look like without China,” he said. “China is a major pillar and a powerful driving force behind BRICS cooperation."

An English-language hotline set up in the Xizang Autonomous Region after the devastating mudslide is still operating around the clock to support families of missing people. One of the team members handling the calls, Gesang Quzong, says the focus of calls is changing. Early questions about search progress have given way to queries regarding DNA sampling requirements and travel procedures for relatives coming into the region.

Born into a seven-generation musical lineage, Indian sitar maestro Shujaat Khan refuses to dilute tradition to cater to audiences. He remains steadfast in upholding music that resonates with the soul, using his singing sitar to heal and connect hearts. 

China has rejected US allegations that its artificial intelligence (AI) firms are "copying" American technology, calling instead for joint cooperation between the world's two major AI countries, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China's AI progress stems from high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, and a consistent commitment to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, shared benefits and open cooperation.

"We have always believed that all parties should strengthen cooperation to promote the open, inclusive, and beneficial development of AI for the good, and to serve the well-being of all humanity," she said.

Mao expressed hope that the US side can earnestly implement the important common understandings reached between the two heads of state, and refrain from making false accusations and smearing China.

"Both China and the United States are major artificial intelligence countries. The two sides should step up cooperation in this field," Mao said.

Washington has kept accusing Chinese AI firms of using model distillation, a standard technique widely employed across the industry to make systems smaller and cheaper, in an allegation that industry experts say is driven by strategic anxiety and is neither factually supported nor legally substantiated.

In June 1935, the Central Red Army arrived at the foot of Mount Jiajin and began to cross the first major snow-capped mountain on the Long March. The main peak rises to 4,930 meters and is snow-clad year-round, with thin, rarefied air. A local folk song says, "Mount Jiajin, Mount Jiajin – even birds cannot fly over it, and no ordinary mortal can scale it." The Red Army troops, poorly clad against the cold and short of food, pushed forward through wind, snow, and hail, relying on chili water for warmth and wooden sticks for support. From June 12 to 18, over the course of seven days and nights, the entire main force successfully crossed Mount Jiajin.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has extended greetings to teachers and educators across the country ahead of Teachers' Day, which is celebrated annually on September 10.

In a congratulatory message, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called on teachers nationwide to enhance their professional competence and capabilities and foster a new generation of young people to shoulder the mission of realizing national rejuvenation.

Over long periods of time, teachers across the country have devoted themselves to education, imparting knowledge and nurturing young minds, said Xi, commending their significant contributions to the cause of the Party and the state.

Xi emphasized the importance of carrying out the basic task of fostering virtue through education and cultivating a high standard of professional integrity and conduct on the new journey.

He also called for fostering public respect for educators, encouraging support for education and bringing together all efforts to make China a leading country in education.

China boasts the largest education system in the world, having roughly 440,000 schools at all levels and of all types, with 280 million students and 18.7 million teachers.

The third Xinjiang National Reading Conference has kicked off in Hotan, Xinjiang under the theme of "Deepening Nationwide Reading." The event aims to foster a love for books and strengthen cultural identity. At the opening ceremony, model campuses, families and enterprises were honored, 10 reading promoters appointed, and 35 recommended Xinjiang books published in 2025 were released. The conference also featured book fairs, an evening reading performance and forums on youth reading. Parallel activities were held across Hotan to encourage people to make reading part of daily life. 

Hengdian World Studios in east China's Zhejiang Province, one of China's largest film production bases, has rolled out a new attraction that offers tourists the chance to star in their own short drama through live-action scenes.

For around 300 yuan (around $45) per person, visitors can don costumes, get professional makeup, and act under the guidance of a real director, transforming spectators to stars in under an hour.

The immersive experience begins with a script and character selection. After choosing their roles, participants take part in a brief table-read session, where the director walks them through their lines and helps them nail the emotional beats. For many, it's their first taste of the acting life.

The full package – including styling, set shooting, and professional direction – takes just one hour to complete. The finished video is delivered within 48 hours, and many visitors share their clips on social media.

Amid the golden autumn hues at the Lashihai Wetland Reserve in Yulong County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, flocks of birds soared above the crystal-clear waters, forming a picturesque autumn spectacle. This breathtaking scene was the fruit of years of wetland restoration and conservation efforts. Monitoring data shows that the number of bird species identified there has risen significantly to nearly 400, making the wetland a paradise for migratory birds.

China and South Korea have achieved positive progress on cross-border services trade and negative-list market access during the 16th round of second phase negotiations for the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the Chinese Commerce of Ministry said on Wednesday.

During the latest talks, held in Beijing from August 31 to September 4, both sides agreed to accelerate the remaining negotiations and strive for an early conclusion, so as to lift openness in bilateral services trade and investment, contributing to the sound and stable development of their economic and trade relations, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

China and South Korea signed the FTA in June 2015, which officially entered into force on December 20, 2015. By June 2026, the two countries had implemented twelve rounds of tariff reductions under the agreement, driving the expansion of bilateral trade.

Since December 2017, both sides have been advancing the second phase negotiations of the FTA, which aims to further elevate the levels of trade in services and investment liberalization and facilitation between the two countries.

China is South Korea's largest trading partner, while South Korea ranks as China's second-largest trading partner.

According to the Chinese General Administration of Customs, two-way trade in 2025 reached $331.24 billion, up 1.2% year on year. From January to May 2026, bilateral trade volume surged to $186.14 billion, a 43.8% jump from the same period last year.

The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) opened Wednesday in Beijing, as China steps up efforts to expand opening-up in services trade at the outset of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Running through September 13 at Shougang Park, a former industrial site and venue for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the fair has drawn participants from 90 countries, regions and international organizations, with over 1,800 companies exhibiting on-site. Among them are 473 Fortune Global 500 firms and other industry leaders, including Honeywell, Johnson & Johnson and Siemens.

Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," this year's CIFTIS features a Global Trade in Services Summit, co-hosted for the first time by the World Intellectual Property Organization. A series of forums and business matchmaking activities will also be held during the fair.

During the summit, Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said the CIFTIS is expected to create many investment opportunities across conferencing, exhibition, infrastructure, and digital services, adding that it will help Zimbabwe identify opportunities for trade in services, build export capacity, and attract credible partners across technology, finance, tourism, education and health care.

Alexander Poulev, deputy prime minister and minister of Economy, Investment and Industry of Bulgaria, said at the summit that trade in services is an important pillar of the China-Bulgarian relationship. "We want to see more Bulgarian products reaching the Chinese market and more Bulgarian companies building long-term partnerships with Chinese businesses," he said.

More than 100 new products and services will make their debut at the fair, covering fields such as information and communications, fintech, and digital and intelligent healthcare.

Another highlight is a new overseas expansion services roadshow area, which offers Chinese companies one-stop professional support to enter foreign markets and expand the global footprint of Chinese services.

The core exhibition area also debuts a showcase of more than 140 innovation cases spanning all 12 categories of services trade, including artificial intelligence, large language models, and intelligent agents, offering a glimpse of where China's services sector is headed.

China has posted rapid growth in services trade, with strong exports of knowledge-intensive services supported by the country's IP and innovation ecosystem, said World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Daren Tang in his video address to the summit.

Latest official data showed that in the first seven months of 2026, China's services trade totaled nearly 4.45 trillion yuan (about $656.6 billion), up 8.3% year on year.

Advancing high-quality development of services trade is a key task in the outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), which calls for intensified efforts to optimize negative list management of services trade, ease cross-border restrictions, encourage services exports, and foster knowledge-intensive services trade.

In July 2026, China approved a novel drug targeting a key brain receptor linked to narcolepsy type 1, a chronic neurological sleep disorder defined by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden muscle weakness. The drug, developed for adolescents aged 16 and older and adults, became available in China first.

It marked a historic milestone: China is no longer a follower in global drug development; it's becoming a major contributor. 

A regulatory reset

China's regulatory environment has been steadily aligning with global standards, and the pipeline is growing.

In 2025, China approved 76 innovative drugs and 76 innovative medical devices – both record highs, according to the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). By year-end, 4,751 new drugs were in development, accounting for 33.7% of the global total – the largest share of any country.

The shift extends beyond R&D to affordability. Since 2018, 949 medicines have been added to the national reimbursement list, including 199 innovative drugs, according to information released at a State Council Information Office press conference last week. This means life-saving treatments are now more accessible.

From market to innovation hub

China has also streamlined approvals for drugs that address urgent clinical needs, allowing some to move from application to approval in months. The NMPA has also granted six years of data protection for eligible medicines, giving developers more incentive to innovate.

Multinational pharmaceutical firms are taking notice. They're increasingly incorporating Chinese hospitals into early-stage clinical research, even setting up R&D operations in China.

The numbers reflect the trend. According to China Media Group (CMG), China registered 410 international clinical trials in 2025, up more than 20% than the previous year and roughly double the 2020 figure.

China is transforming from a market where innovative drugs are eventually introduced into a place where they are discovered, tested and developed from the start.

The ambition, according to Yang Ting, director general of the Department of Drug Registration at the NMPA, is not just to bring more innovative medicines into China, but to create a new model where first-in-class therapies can be developed and introduced as part of global programs. 

The significance goes beyond China. For BRICS countries and the wider Global South, China's rise as a pharmaceutical innovation hub could open new possibilities for cooperation, bringing the world's newest treatments closer to every patient.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, a military maneuver carried out by the Red Army from 1934 to 1936. The legendary journey was later recorded in the book "Red Star Over China" by the American journalist Edgar Snow. The book offered the world a rare, firsthand account of China at a time when the country was largely misunderstood by the West. Our reporter You Yang sat down with Eric Foster — nephew of Helen Foster Snow, who was Edgar Snow's wife at the time — to talk about his memories and the stories of the Long March.

China's Shenzhou-23 crew members aboard the country's space station give a "Tiangong Class" space lecture for students in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SAR) on Wednesday.

The three astronauts – Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying (or Lai Ka-ying in Cantonese) – served as space teachers. More than 200 primary and secondary school students from Hong Kong and Macao attended the class from the Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College in Hong Kong, the alma mater of Li, Hong Kong’s first payload specialist, while many more students across the two regions watched the livestream.

During the lecture, the astronauts demonstrated a series of experiments highlighting the unique environment of space, including the fixed-axis property of a gyroscope in microgravity, the station’s three-module layout and the space kitchen, as well as baking a cake, exercising on a space treadmill, and wringing water from a wet towel.

They also demonstrated a flying Bauhinia flower, introduced the space vegetable garden and conducted a "water-ball ping-pong" experiment. The astronauts also introduced space station facilities involving Hong Kong researchers, including the "Tianyun" camera.

The event featured scientific explanations, demonstrations conducted aboard the space station and questions from students, followed by a live dialogue between the astronauts and students in Hong Kong and Macao.

The lecture was jointly hosted by the governments of Hong Kong and Macao SARs and the China Manned Space Agency. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee and other government officials from both regions also attended.

During the dialogue, students asked the astronauts about space food, how they prepare for intensive training, the use of AI aboard the space station, silkworm breeding and biological experiments in space, preparations for extravehicular activities, and how to make choices in life.

When people think of the Chinese Red Army's Long March, images may range from late Chinese leader Mao Zedong and the epic journey itself to "Red Star Over China," the landmark book by American journalist Edgar Snow.

But why did the Red Army embark on the Long March? How far did the soldiers travel, and what did they endure along the way?

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of Long March, offering a chance to revisit what Snow called "an odyssey unequaled in modern times" and explore why the epic journey remains a defining chapter in modern Chinese history.

'An odyssey unequaled in modern times'

The Long March began in October 1934, when the main forces of the Chinese Red Army, the forerunner of the People's Liberation Army, were forced to break out of their revolutionary base areas in east China's Jiangxi Province after being surrounded by the much larger forces of the Kuomintang Party during the Chinese civil war.

Over the next two years, different Red Army forces crossed raging rivers, climbed snow-capped mountains and traversed vast grasslands across more than 10 provinces, fighting their way out of Kuomintang military encirclement while preserving their strength.

The march lasted from October 1934 to October 1936. While estimates of the total distance vary, Mao told Edgar Snow that the Red Army had traveled 25,000 li, or roughly 12,500 kilometers. The journey consequently became known as the "Long March of 25,000 li."

Battle of the Xiangjiang River: One of the bloodiest encounters

The trek began in Yudu County in Jiangxi Province in October 1934. The Red Army is estimated to have fought more than 600 battles and skirmishes during the Long March, suffering enormous losses along the way.

One of the bloodiest early encounters came at the Xiangjiang River in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in November 1934.

The Central Red Army, whose soldiers were on average under 20 years old, suffered heavy casualties in the battle. It numbered 86,000 when it set out, but only just over 30,000 made it to the end.

Among those who fought was 29-year-old commander Chen Shuxiang of the 34th Division of the Fifth Army Corps. Wounded and captured, Chen refused to surrender and chose to die rather than give in.

The enormous sacrifices reflected the determination of many Red Army soldiers to continue fighting despite the overwhelming odds against them.

Yet the heavy losses also brought the Red Army to a critical turning point.

Zunyi Meeting: A turning point

From January 15 to 17, 1935, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held an expanded meeting in Zunyi, southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The meeting addressed two fundamental questions: how to respond to the military setbacks the Red Army had suffered, and how to resolve problems within the Party's leadership and organization.

It criticized mistakes made by the military leadership at the time and reaffirmed Mao Zedong's military approach.

According to Xia Lu, a CPC expert at Renmin University of China, after the meeting, the Party and the Red Army began to move from a position of danger toward greater security, while the course of the Chinese revolution shifted from setbacks toward a series of strategic successes.

Hard-won victories

One of the clearest examples came soon afterward at the Chishui River, which flows through southwest China's Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. From January 19 to March 22, 1935, about 30,000 Red Army soldiers crossed the river back and forth four times while facing an enemy force of roughly 400,000 troops. The maneuver enabled the Red Army to break out of the military encirclement while preserving much of its core fighting strength.

Another defining moment came at Luding Bridge in May 1935. With Kuomintang forces in pursuit, the Red Army reached Anshunchang on the Dadu River in western Sichuan Province, where Luding Bridge was the only viable crossing. But the chain bridge had been stripped of its wooden planks.

To reach the bridge, a vanguard regiment covered about 120 kilometers in a single day. On the morning of May 29, 22 volunteer soldiers crawled across the exposed iron chains under heavy machine-gun fire and attacked the enemy-held positions on the opposite side.

Their advance secured the bridge and opened a vital route for the main force of the Red Army to cross the Dadu River and continue northward.

Fighting nature as well as the enemy

The challenges did not end with the battles. After crossing the Dadu River, the Red Army climbed snow-covered mountains and traversed vast, largely uninhabited grasslands. Supplies dwindled, while altitude, cold and difficult terrain posed new threats.

Many soldiers suffered from severe altitude sickness, hunger and thirst, freezing temperatures and the dangers of crossing marshlands.

Wang Chaoguang, former director of the Institute of World History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Beijing Review that many Red Army soldiers perished amid these brutal conditions rather than in combat. "Countless comrades gave their lives along the way," Wang said, adding that only 57,000 from the originally 206,000 people survived at its end.

By October 1936, the two-year trek was drawing to a close. Red Army forces from different routes finally joined in Huining County, northwest China's Gansu Province, marking the completion of the Long March.

The journey had begun as a desperate effort to break out of encirclement. It ended as a defining turning point in the history of the CPC and the Chinese revolution.

(With input from Xinhua)

Tung Chee-hwa, former vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), died of illness at the age of 89 in Hong Kong at 9:57 p.m. Tuesday.

Tung is regarded as an outstanding contributor to "One Country, Two Systems," a renowned patriot, an outstanding social activist and a close friend of the Communist Party of China.

He served as vice chairman of the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th National Committees of the CPPCC. He was the first- and second-term chief executive of the HKSAR.

Beside Yihai Lake in Mianning County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, a historic alliance forged during the Long March has become part of the story of a changing village. In 1935, Yi clan chieftain Xiaoyedan entered into an alliance with Red Army General Liu Bocheng. Following Yi tradition, they killed a chicken, mixed its blood with water as a substitute for wine, and drank the mixture together as sworn brothers. The ritual helped win the friendship of local Yi communities and enabled the Red Army to pass safely through the mountains.

Nine decades later, the Yihai Alliance has become a driver of tourism alongside the area's natural scenery. Yihai Lake received 132,000 visitors in 2025, bringing new opportunities to surrounding villages and improving local living conditions. Jiemeng Xinzhai in Yihai Village is one example. Reconstructed in 2016, the village has developed rural tourism in recent years, transforming its fortunes while preserving its connection to the history of the Long March.

More than 90 years ago, Yihai Lake in Mianning County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, became the setting for a historic encounter. 

In May 1935, the Red Army was making its way through areas inhabited by the Yi ethnic group during the Long March, but deep mistrust between the two sides threatened to hinder its passage. Rather than resorting to force, the Red Army sought to build trust and win the support of local Yi communities.

At Yihai Lake, Red Army commander Liu Bocheng met Xiaoyedan, a local Yi leader. The two reached an alliance and became sworn brothers, helping pave the way for the Red Army to continue its journey north.

Today, the historic sites where the ceremony took place remain, preserving the memory of that remarkable encounter and its enduring legacy for generations to come.

A sea of sunflowers is in full bloom at the foot of the volcanic cluster on the outskirts of Datong, Shanxi Province. Rugged volcanic terrain meets a blaze of golden blooms, creating a stunning autumn scene that's drawing visitors in for photos. Datong's volcanic cluster is the world's only volcanic group located on the Loess Plateau.

From drug control to AI-powered policing, foreign experts are taking note of China's approach to public security. Hamish McCardle, a former New Zealand police official, says China's drug education efforts are "worth looking at" from a Western perspective, while Mohamed Higazy, an Egyptian international cooperation expert, highlights China's latest security technologies and its efforts to make them available to partners in the developing world.

Reacting to headlines in The Guardian accusing China of concealing the scale of the August 26 mudslide, CGTN reporter Sun Tianyuan says he and his colleagues are reporting what they can verify on the ground, rather than relying on speculation.

Reporting from Gyirong County, Sun explains that the scale of the search operation and difficult conditions have made identifying victims a painstaking process. As the search continues and more information is confirmed, casualty figures can inevitably change.

"I think it's very important not to confuse changing numbers with an attempt to hide information," he said. "As journalists, our job is to report verified facts, not to turn unconfirmed information into headlines."

The Tianyu Telescope, located in Lenghu, northwest China's Qinghai Province, has successfully captured an image of the North America Nebula and the Pelican Nebula in the constellation Cygnus, along with more than one million surrounding stars in the Milky Way in a single exposure.

This feat signals the telescope's transition to the scientific observation stage, according to People's Daily on Tuesday.

Initiated in 2022 and led by the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute (TDLI) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, with the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences responsible for its development, the telescope is expected to begin formal scientific survey operations in October 2026.

The Tianyu Telescope covers a sky area of nearly nine square degrees in a single exposure, equivalent to more than 40 full moons.

Many violent events in the universe, such as stellar explosions and gravitational-wave flashes from neutron star mergers, often fade away within seconds to minutes. When space telescopes or gravitational-wave detectors send out alerts, the Tianyu Telescope can rapidly slew toward the target and "rewind" the sky area under its real-time monitoring, restoring the celestial view from seconds before the burst, said the report.

The Tianyu Telescope will carry out sustained photometric monitoring of hundreds of millions of celestial objects, capturing subtle variations in their brightness to discover exoplanets, various types of variable stars, supernovae and small bodies within the solar system, Feng Fabo, an associate professor at the TDLI and project director of the Tianyu Telescope, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The Tianyu project has already attracted research teams from Britain, Belgium and Chile, and its data will be coordinated with multiple survey projects both at home and abroad.

Moving forward, the Tianyu Telescope will undergo a phased transition from commissioning observations to stable operations, and from remote-controlled to fully-automated observing modes.

From Brazilian football star Vinicius Junior to Chinese film star Zhou Dongyu, BRICS events over the years have not just featured global youth icons but have played a visible role in bringing together the young generation from developing countries. CGTN's Bhargab Sarmah explains how the role of BRICS extends well beyond the realm of politics and is increasingly important in facilitating global youth exchanges.

On December 20, 1988, Xi Jinping, then Party Secretary of Ningde Prefecture in southeastern China's Fujian Province, launched a "Public Petition Day" in Xiapu County — a practice he would go on to support and personally participate in over the following decades.

This governance philosophy is still being carried forward and refined across China today, emphasizing close engagement with the people, attentiveness to their concerns, and responsiveness to their needs.

China's foreign trade in yuan-denominated terms grew 17.6 percent year on year in the first eight months of this year, official data showed on Tuesday.

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Monday met separately with Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Poulev, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Adrijana Mesarovic, who are in Xiamen for the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade.

While meeting with Poulev, Han said that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the China-Bulgaria strategic partnership has maintained sound and steady growth in recent years, with fruitful cooperation in agriculture, science and technology and other fields, delivering tangible benefits to both peoples.

Han expressed China's readiness to work with Bulgaria to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, expand the scale of bilateral trade, strengthen investment alignment, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the sustained growth of China-Bulgaria relations. He also voiced the hope that Bulgaria will actively contribute to the sound and stable development of China-EU economic and trade relations.

Poulev, also minister of economy, investment and industry of Bulgaria, said his country attaches great importance to its relations with China. He noted that Bulgaria is willing to learn from China's development experience, step up practical cooperation in various fields, and welcome Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Bulgaria.

While meeting with Sun Chanthol, Han said China is ready to work with Cambodia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, give full play to the role of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee, further deepen practical cooperation in various fields, promote the integration of trade and investment, and continue to advance the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries.

Sun Chanthol, also first vice chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, said Cambodia and China have a profound friendship and have always trusted and supported each other. He reaffirmed Cambodia's commitment to the one-China principle and expressed readiness to deepen cooperation with China in areas such as economy, trade, investment, tourism and combating cyber fraud, and to actively advance Belt and Road cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples.

While meeting with Mesarovic, Han noted that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of the two countries, China-Serbia relations have achieved leapfrog development. He said China is willing to work with Serbia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continuously deepen political mutual trust, make good use of the preferential arrangements of the bilateral free trade agreement, deepen cooperation in economy and trade, investment, infrastructure, emerging industries and other fields, and encourage Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Serbia.

Mesarovic, also Serbian economy minister, said Serbia values the high-level mutual trust between the two countries and reaffirms its commitment to the one-China policy. Mesarovic expressed gratitude for China's strong support for Serbia's national development and said Serbia is ready to enhance strategic alignment with China, continuously deepen cooperation in various fields and bring benefits to the two peoples.

In rural Pakistan, solar panels assembled into home power and storage systems are changing everyday life. The systems not only provide electricity but also support agricultural irrigation, offering farmers a more reliable energy source.

In many parts of Pakistan, Chinese-made solar panels have even become a popular wedding gift. Decorated with red cloth and flowers, solar panels are sometimes displayed alongside wedding vehicles as a symbol of a practical household investment. The panels are often described as affordable, durable and capable of meeting regular families’s electricity and storage needs.

The growing popularity of such products reflects a broader transformation in Belt and Road cooperation. In the first seven months of 2026, China's exports of electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products to Belt and Road partner countries reached 482.24 billion yuan (about $71.85 billion), up 59.8% year on year, according to cinic.org.cn

From goods trade to technology partnerships

After 13 years of development, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is evolving from a network focused on trade connectivity into one centered on technological collaboration and industrial upgrading.

Increasingly, Chinese companies are exporting not only products, but also high-value solutions that help partner countries build their own industrial capabilities.

On August 28, 2026, an F-class 50-megawatt heavy-duty gas turbine, an advanced turbine used to generate electricity, began its journey from Deyang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, to Kazakhstan. It marked the first overseas export of a fully domestically manufactured high-end heavy gas turbine from China.

Once completed, the project will become Kazakhstan's first gas-fired combined-cycle power plant and has been listed as a key project by the country's energy authorities.

In Malaysia, traditional rubber processing plants are being upgraded with Chinese artificial intelligence algorithms and industrial robots. The technology has reduced labor costs by 20 to 30% while improving production precision, with each 35-kilogram rubber block now produced with a weight difference of less than 20 grams.

Following the launch of the first upgraded production line in January 2025, the factory quickly moved ahead with upgrades for its second and third lines.

Beyond physical infrastructure, digital connectivity is becoming a new pillar of the BRI.

From smart ports and digital customs systems to cross-border electronic payments, the Digital Silk Road is reshaping how countries trade and interact, reducing transaction costs and improving efficiency.

By expanding digital infrastructure and services, the initiative is helping bridge the global digital divide and creating new opportunities for emerging economies to participate in the digital economy.

A two-way path toward shared growth

The BRI is also dispelling the misconception that cooperation is simply a one-way transfer from China to other countries. Instead, projects increasingly emphasize local participation, skills development and shared economic benefits.

Indonesia's Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway is one example. In the first half of 2026, the railway operated 10,640 train services, achieving an on-time rate of 99.4% and an overall passenger satisfaction score of 95.79.

During the project's operation, Chinese experts trained Indonesian employees through mentorship programs and hands-on practice, enabling local staff to independently handle key positions in passenger services and equipment maintenance.

Industrial cooperation zones have also become platforms for local growth. So far the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone has attracted more than 200 companies, over $4.7 billion in investment and created more than 10,000 local jobs.

Meanwhile, Luban Workshops, a network of vocational training centers launched in BRI partner countries, have expanded skills development opportunities. Since the first workshop opened in 2016, more than 100 professional programs have been launched worldwide, enrolling over 30,000 students and providing more than 160,000 training opportunities in fields including renewable energy, smart manufacturing and automotive repair, according to China’s Ministry of Education.

From solar panels in villages to digital networks and advanced manufacturing, the Belt and Road Initiative is moving beyond traditional trade links to build a broader ecosystem of technology, skills and shared development.

In a park in Shenzhen in July 2025, a drone descended onto the roof of a pickup station, carrying fried chicken and an iced cola. A reporter for Spain's La Vanguardia, Alejandro Perez, entered a code on a touchscreen at the station's base and collected the meal he had ordered through a mobile app minutes earlier. No courier, no motorcycle, no cash – just 20 minutes from order to pickup.

"I felt like I was living in 2040," he wrote after watching three separate deliveries land within half an hour. "And this is already an ordinary day in Shenzhen."

Scenes like this have become a genre of their own on social media. In December 2024, British vloggers Reanne and Ben posted a two-minute video about their stay at a hotel in Chengdu, where lights and curtains responded to voice commands and a robot rode the elevator to deliver takeout to their door. The clip drew more than three million views on TikTok.

For foreign visitors, these are travel novelties. In China's trade statistics, they are the visible edge of a much larger economy of services.

Figures released by the Ministry of Commerce show that in the first seven months of 2026, China's trade in services totaled 4.45 trillion yuan (about $656 billion), up 8.3% year on year. Services exports grew 17.1% to 1.77 trillion yuan, outpacing import growth of 3.2%. The structure is shifting as well: knowledge-intensive services exports rose 12.2% to 948.3 billion yuan, accounting for more than half of total services exports.

Zheng Wei, an associate research fellow at the China Outsourcing Institute, noted that knowledge-intensive services topping half of exports signals a shift toward higher value-added, knowledge and technology-intensive trade.

Much of that growth is now unfolding far beyond China's borders.

Chinese AI, running worldwide

Travel and transport may be the most familiar face of services trade, but much of China's export growth is now coming from knowledge-intensive sectors – AI models, computing power and smart education – that overseas users encounter in their own work and daily lives.

Chinese large language models are among the most heavily used in the world. According to data from OpenRouter, a global AI model aggregation platform, Chinese models logged 79.41 trillion token calls in a single week in early May, the highest of any country. On the open-source platform Hugging Face, China has become the largest source of model downloads. A Singapore-based engineer fine-tuned a popular Southeast Asian language model using Alibaba's open-source Qwen, and companies from Southeast Asia to the Middle East now use Chinese models for translation and content generation.

The computing power behind those models is itself becoming an export. In Shantou, a coastal city in south China's Guangdong Province, a pilot program delivers AI inference services to enterprises across Southeast Asia through dedicated cross-border data lines. Daily token calls there climbed from 100 million in late April to 10 billion within a month.

Chinese services are also entering classrooms overseas. In March, iFlytek signed a strategic agreement with Indonesia's Sinar Mas Group to support the digital transformation of the country's education system, which serves more than 50 million students but faces a shortage of some 1.3 million teachers. At a pilot school in Jakarta, teachers are already using AI-powered blackboards that turn complex lessons into animated illustrations.

The world meets in Beijing

These threads – digital convenience at home, expanding exports of knowledge-intensive services abroad – converge this week in Beijing. The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will run from September 9 to 13 in Beijing, with 90 countries and regions and international organizations hosting exhibitions and events. More than 1,800 enterprises will exhibit on-site, 456 of them Fortune 500 companies or industry leaders. Nearly 100 forums and conferences are scheduled, along with over 100 matchmaking and promotion events and the release of new research reports on trade in services.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will co-host the Global Trade in Services Summit with China's Ministry of Commerce and the Beijing municipal government, WIPO's first time in that role. Norway, this year's guest country of honor, will stage a national pavilion showcasing its signature industries and innovations. The fair will also debut dedicated zones for overseas expansion services, where professional institutions in finance, law, accounting and intellectual property will hold more than 40 roadshows for companies going global.

Financial technology, digital health care and smart education are among the fair's focus areas, the same fields in which drones now deliver dinners in Shenzhen and AI blackboards stand in Jakarta classrooms.

Back in the Shenzhen park, Pérez concluded his account with a prediction: the technological innovations he witnessed overhead "may soon fly over a Western city." Later this week, many of the people building them will be in Beijing.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has issued a development plan for the information and communications industry during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) to promote the high-quality development of this sector.

By 2030, a new-generation communications network with comprehensive coverage and leading performance is expected to be fully established, according to the plan, which has called for efforts to accelerate the development of a technologically advanced, secure and controllable information and communications industrial system.

Meanwhile, an agile and efficient governance system integrating technology and management is expected to be effectively established, and network and data security capabilities featuring all-domain coordination and practical application will be significantly enhanced, the plan said.

The industry's empowerment level and degree of globalization will be further improved, laying a solid foundation for basically achieving modernization of the information and communications sector by 2035, the plan added.

The plan also outlines 13 key indicators, including achieving information and communications industry revenue of 4.1 trillion yuan (about $604.8 billion) by 2030, cumulative investment of 3.8 trillion yuan in information infrastructure and an average annual growth rate of 7% in total telecommunications business volume.

By 2030, there will be 50 5G (including 5G-A) base stations per 10,000 people, intelligent computing power will reach 9,800 EFLOPS and the 5G user penetration rate will reach 95%, the ministry said.

EFLOPS, or ExaFLOPS, is a unit of computing performance, with each unit representing 1 quintillion floating-point operations per second.

The plan lays out 26 key tasks across six major areas including information infrastructure construction as well as network and data security assurance. Among these, it specifically highlights the need to initiate 6G commercial services at an appropriate time and to accelerate the establishment of a nationwide integrated computing power network.

Specific measures also include building an industry anti‑fraud laboratory and supporting enterprises to deeply promote the integration of artificial intelligence and manufacturing, the plan said.

China has established the world's largest information infrastructure. Gigabit optical network access is available in every county, while 5G networks covers all towns and more than 95% of administrative villages.

The country is pushing ahead with its Digital China initiative, aiming to raise the added value of the core industries of the digital economy to 12.5% of GDP by 2030, according to the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Beijing on Monday.

Noting Qatar is an important strategic partner of China in the Middle East and the Gulf region, Li said China stands ready to work with Qatar to further enhance communication and coordination, firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, and advance bilateral relations to deliver greater benefits to the two peoples.

Li called on the two sides to strengthen alignment of development strategies, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and deepen collaboration in traditional energy, new-energy sources, infrastructure, artificial intelligence and finance to pursue win-win outcomes at a higher level.

"China welcomes Qatari investment in China and supports more Chinese enterprises to invest in Qatar to improve the quality and efficiency of two-way investment," Li said, voicing hope that Qatar will continue to foster a sound development environment for Chinese enterprises and safeguard the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Qatar.

The two sides should also boost people-to-people and cultural exchanges covering culture, education, giant panda conservation and research to bring the peoples of the two countries closer, Li added.

He said China supports Qatar's mediation efforts on Middle East issues and is ready to work with Qatar and other regional countries as well as the international community to strive for early peace and tranquility in the region.

Al Thani said Qatar values its relations with China, and the two countries have consistently upheld mutual trust and respect and achieved mutual benefit and win-win results.

He said Qatar is willing to work with China to scale up exchanges at all levels and deepen practical cooperation in economy and trade, high-and-new technologies and advanced manufacturing to jointly embrace the next golden decade of bilateral relations.

Qatar commends and appreciates China's efforts to advance peace and stability in the Middle East, Al Thani said, adding that Qatar is committed to resolving conflicts through dialogue and restoring peace in the region.

China marks this year's International Day of Clean Air for blue skies after recording its best annual air quality since national monitoring began. The gains reflect concerted efforts to curb pollution through cleaner energy, industrial upgrades and greener transport. Tighter national standards now set the benchmark for sustaining that progress.

Between 2021 and 2025, China's average PM2.5 concentration fell by 20% while its gross domestic product grew by about 30%. The contrast speaks to a question confronting industrial economies around the world: Can production and mobility continue to grow without worsening air pollution?

China's latest figures suggest progress is possible. During the first half of 2026, the average PM2.5 concentration across 339 cities at or above prefecture level was 29.9 micrograms per cubic meter, down 6.6% from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The proportion of days with good or excellent air quality rose to 82.8%, from 78.3% a year earlier. In 2025, the full-year figure reached a record 89.3%, while average PM2.5 fell to 28 micrograms per cubic meter.

Behind those numbers is a shift from treating pollution after it is produced to reducing emissions throughout the economy.

Heavy industry has been a main front. By the end of 2025, China had completed ultra-low-emission upgrades covering 940 million tonnes of crude steel production capacity and 170 gigawatts of coal-fired power capacity. China also carried out extensive upgrades in the coking and cement industries.

The retrofits are designed to cut pollutants including dust, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Combined with the retirement of outdated production capacity, they make air-quality improvement part of industrial modernization rather than a separate environmental measure.

Transport represents another distinctly Chinese part of the transition.

By the end of 2025, China had 43.97 million new energy vehicles, up 12.57 million in one year. The category includes battery-electric cars, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles. Electric cars, buses, and delivery vehicles can reduce exhaust pollution, particularly in large cities where traffic is a major source of local emissions.

However, their broader environmental impact depends partly on how their electricity is produced. This makes transport electrification inseparable from changes in the power system.

Solar power overtook coal in July to become China's largest source of installed generating capacity. But coal still produced 49.7% of the country's electricity in the first half of 2026. The gap between capacity and actual generation highlights the need for more energy storage, stronger transmission networks and a more flexible grid.

Technology within individual cities is also not enough. Air pollution crosses administrative boundaries, making regional cooperation essential.

From 2021 to 2025, PM2.5 concentrations fell by 27.7% in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas and by 32.1% in the Fenwei Plain, both faster than the national average. The regional response has included joint monitoring, forecasting and enforcement, treating pollution as a cross-border problem rather than a collection of isolated local ones.

Progress is nevertheless uneven. July data showed declines in both PM2.5 and ozone in the Yangtze River Delta, while ozone increased in the Fenwei Plain. This difference shows why further improvements will require more targeted controls and greater attention to pollutants beyond PM2.5.

China has also raised the regulatory bar. New national standards introduced in March lowered the transitional annual PM2.5 limit from 35 to 30 micrograms per cubic meter through 2030. A tighter limit of 25 micrograms is set to follow.

This broader approach echoes a new assessment released by the United Nations Environment Programme for the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies. It argues that clean-air and climate policies deliver greater benefits when designed together because many of the same sectors, including industry, transport and energy, drive both problems.

China provides a large-scale example of that approach, as well as an unfinished test. The first stage of its campaign made blue skies more common. The next stage will focus on keeping the air clean as energy demand, industrial production and urban mobility continue to grow.

Provisional anti-dumping measures will be imposed on dichlorosilane (DCS) imported from Japan, following a preliminary ruling that the product was being dumped in the Chinese market, China's Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday.

In accordance with China's anti-dumping regulations, importers will be required to provide cash deposits to Chinese customs at rates ranging from 80.8% to 99.2%, based on each company's designated margin ratio, effective September 8, 2026.

The investigation was initiated on January 7, 2026, in response to an application from the domestic industry. The probe was conducted in strict compliance with Chinese laws, regulations and World Trade Organization rules.

Preliminary evidence showed that dumped Japanese imports had caused substantial material injury to the domestic industry, and that a causal relationship existed between the dumping and the injury, the ministry's spokesperson said.

China exercises prudence and restraint in using trade remedy measures and remains committed to fair and free trade, the spokesperson added. The ministry will continue its investigation in accordance with the law, fully safeguard the rights of all interested parties, and issue an objective and fair final ruling based on the findings.

DCS is a key material in chip manufacturing, primarily used in thin-film deposition processes – such as epitaxial films, silicon carbide films, silicon nitride films, silicon oxide films and polysilicon films – for the production of logic chips, memory chips, analog chips, among others. It is also used in the synthesis of silicon-based precursors and polysilazanes.

Three years ago today, on September 7, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping first put forward the concept of new quality productive forces during an inspection tour of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has said that developing new quality productive forces is crucial for promoting high-quality development and enhancing economic competitiveness.

Here are some of his key quotes on new quality productive forces.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China is willing to strengthen strategic cooperation with Mexico on international and multilateral platforms to safeguard the legitimate interests of both sides, while jointly contributing to the self-resilience of Global South nations. Wang made the remarks on Monday at his meeting with visiting Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Roberto Velasco Alvarez in Beijing. The Chinese foreign minister noted that China supports Mexico in upholding its independence, sovereignty, and security, adding that the relationship between China and Mexico does not target any third party, nor should it be influenced by any third party. He also said China is willing to take the opportunities of hosting various activities under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) mechanism, to promote the development of the Asia-Pacific community. Roberto Velasco said that Mexico firmly adheres to the one-China principle, adding that his country supports China to host the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and play a leading role under the mechanism. He said Mexico is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China to jointly safeguard the international multilateral system.

The Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE) and the China-based International Deep Space Exploration Association signed a memorandum of cooperation this week. The MOU was signed at the International Deep Space Exploration Conference in Hefei. ALCE Secretary General, Oscar Fredy Gonzalez Rivera, told CGTN that it's the beginning of what's hoped to become a deep-rooted collaboration.