China has comprehensively bolstered its human rights protection capability, according to an evaluation report jointly released on Friday by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and 20 national human rights education and training bases in the country, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday. 

The report assesses the implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2021-2025), which was issued in September 2021, Xinhua reported. 

China has fully implemented the five-year action plan, accomplishing all 181 tasks outlined in it, the report says, per Xinhua. 

It notes that China has advanced human rights through development, with the country completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eliminating absolute poverty. 

These achievements demonstrated through this implementation fully validate the scientific soundness and practical effectiveness of China's path of human rights development, experts said. 

China has consistently upheld the principle that the rights to subsistence and development are the primary human rights, focusing on the fundamental needs of the people and continuously improving rights protection systems in areas such as social security, healthcare, education, and environmental protection. In doing so, it has strengthened the foundation of human rights protection for all citizens and broken away from the Western model of a singular and overly formalistic human rights narrative, Zhu Ying, a professor at the Baize Institute at the Southwest University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Friday. 

According to the report, China has strengthened protection of the rights and interests of all groups, ensuring that people from various sectors participate in economic and social development, exercise their democratic rights, and benefit from the outcomes of modernization on an equal basis. In addition, the rights of women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities have been better safeguarded, Xinhua said. 

China has actively promoted human rights education and awareness, fostering greater public understanding of and commitment to respecting and protecting human rights, the report noted. 

This action plan features several notable highlights, which not only provides targeted and comprehensive protection for the rights and interests of vulnerable groups, including women, children, and the elderly, but also proactively responds to the needs of the digital age, Zhu said. 

Through specialized legislation, it strengthens the protection of digital rights, addressing emerging gaps in the human rights protection framework and enhancing safeguards for new forms of human rights challenges, the expert noted. 

There is always room for progress in human rights protection, the report says, adding that China still faces imbalanced and insufficient development, while sci-tech development and industrial transformation are also giving rise to new demands for rights. 

The report expresses the expectation that China will respond to these challenges and further advance human rights during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). 

The action plan spanning the period 2021-2025 was the fourth national human rights plan released and implemented by the Chinese government, Xinhua said. 

Very few countries in the world - especially major countries - have continuously formulated and implemented four consecutive national human rights action plans. In line with the principles advocated in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, China has successfully completed four phases of its National Human Rights Action Plan, and preparations are currently underway for the formulation of the fifth phase, Zhao Shukun, professor at the Institute of Human Rights of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Friday. 

This represents a concrete example of China's commitment to respecting and protecting human rights, its determination to advance the development of its human rights cause, and its ongoing efforts to enhance the level of human rights protection, said Zhao, who also involves in conducting the report. "It demonstrates China's sustained pursuit of human rights progress through long-term planning, policy implementation, and institutional development."

China follows the principles of equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, mutual learning, win-win cooperation and common development, and it fulfills its international human rights obligations with a strong sense of responsibility, the report states.

Through the implementation of four consecutive National Human Rights Action Plans, it is evident that China has pursued a planning-based approach to human rights protection, characterized by cooperation and coordination among multiple stakeholders, including the government, enterprises, social organizations , and the public, Zhao noted. 

"This approach differs from the adversarial framework often advocated or portrayed in Western human rights discourse, which tends to emphasize a confrontational relationship between the state and its citizens," she said, adding that China's experience demonstrates a model in which various sectors of society work together to advance human rights protection and development, with an emphasis on coordination, shared responsibility, and practical outcomes.

With China's national college entrance exam, also known as gaokao, set to kick off this weekend, around 12.9 million candidates will potentially have access to more academic options, following the introduction of a raft of new majors.

Multiple Chinese universities have rolled out new undergraduate programs such as embodied intelligence, low-altitude economy and management, and marine intelligence and unmanned technologies, in seeking to meet the country's emerging strategic and industrial needs, noted an updated catalog recently issued by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

The addition of these new majors underscores continued improvement in the structure of academic disciplines, said Zhang Nanxing, director of the Institute of Higher Education at the China National Academy of Educational Sciences.

The outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for economic and social development calls for an orderly expansion of enrollment in high-quality undergraduate and graduate education, with a focus on science, engineering, agriculture and medicine-related programs.

In an earlier interview with Xinhua, Education Minister Huai Jinpeng said that China will establish a coordinated talent cultivation mechanism that aligns sci-tech innovation, industrial development and national strategic needs.

China will further adjust and optimize academic disciplines and majors, and explore new models for nurturing top innovative talent in strategically critical fields like artificial intelligence and integrated circuits, Huai said.

In this year's catalog, Sichuan University in southwest China was approved to launch a major in semiconductor process and equipment, the first program of its kind in the country.

Yang Yang, dean of the university's School of Electronics and Information Engineering, said this new major is designed to provide a strong pipeline of talent to support self-reliance across the entire integrated circuit industrial chain.

As demand grows for talent with cross-disciplinary expertise, the latest catalog has added 15 interdisciplinary majors, including embodied intelligence and brain-computer science and technology.

Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) in northeast China is among the universities approved to launch the embodied intelligence major. Jin Jing, a doctoral supervisor at HIT, said the program is designed to equip students with theories and engineering approaches related to the field, while developing systems thinking and interdisciplinary innovation skills needed for next-generation intelligent technologies.

Notably, new programs also carry a strong focus on people's livelihood, such as Tai Chi to support public health, smart landscape design to promote high-quality urban and rural living environments, and art therapy to enhance the mental health service.

A Beijing resident surnamed Zhang, whose son is set to sit the college entrance exam starting on Sunday, said the new majors are expected to be highly sought-after by college applicants this year. "I will introduce the programs to my son," Zhang told Xinhua, "but whether he chooses them or not is up to him."

In recent years, the MOE has explored a fast-track mechanism for establishing strategically important and urgently needed majors, opening a dedicated channel for qualified universities to launch such programs.

According to education officials in Heilongjiang Province, northeast China, the province has capitalized on the growth of its ice-and-snow economy, supporting local colleges to launch a major focused on ice-and-snow dance performance, and fostering talent in ice- and snow-related industries.

At Anhui University in east China, nearly 80 percent of undergraduate programs directly serve Anhui Province's emerging industries. "The priority of a regional university should be closely aligned with local socio-economic development, focusing on training talent that meets the region's needs," said Cai Jingmin, a researcher at the university.

The ultimate goal of academic program planning is to improve the quality of talent cultivation, experts explained, suggesting universities push for closer industry-education integration, reshape curricula and optimize the allocation of resources.

"We have established a number of industry-education integration clusters, bringing together undergraduate institutions, vocational colleges, enterprises and research institutes," said Jiang Yunfang, an education official of Chongqing Municipality in southwest China.

Xi'an Jiaotong University, located in northwest China, allows students to choose from different curriculum approaches focusing on scientific research, interdisciplinary integration and entrepreneurship, with each major offering a rich selection of courses spanning these three domains.

As a parent, Beijing resident Zhang called for greater integration in basic disciplines, believing this will help achieve breakthroughs in basic scientific research and further drive innovation.

General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith arrived in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province, on Tuesday for a five-day state visit running from June 2 to June 6.

The first afternoon of the Lao top leader's China visit in Hangzhou, the hub city of Chinese cutting-edge robotics and e-commerce, was packed with rich hands-on experiences of China's technological progress, Global Times reporters observed in close distance. The visit demonstrates the immense potential for future cooperation between the two sides in industrial upgrading.

According to the Lao News Agency on May 30, the visit aims to further strengthen the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Laos and China and advance the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

It is also expected to promote closer bilateral relations and enhance cooperation across various areas of mutual interest, contributing to the continued development of Laos-China ties.

From 2021 to 2026, Thongloun served as Lao president and he was re-elected president at the first session of the 10th Lao National Assembly in March 2026, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The year 2026 also marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Laos as well as the Year of China-Laos Friendship, Xinhua reported in April.

Highlighting that the visit comes at such significant juncture, Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute of Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times that it will further advance bilateral relations. The important consensus reached by the leaders of both sides will strongly guide the continued development of China-Laos friendly relations, Gu added.

New sectors

Global Times reporters observed on Tuesday afternoon that shortly after his arrival in tech center Hangzhou, Thongloun visited Deep Robotics, leading Chinese robotics company specializing in quadruped (four-legged) robots, where he viewed a variety of robots. He then moved outdoors to watch performances by robots and robot dogs, including somersaults, running, and sprinting.

During the visit to Deep Robotics, Thongloun watched a robot demonstration. A robot later approached him and placed a small plush toy into his hands as a gift. After receiving it, he smiled and expressed his thanks in Chinese, drawing warm responses from those present, Global Times reporter observed on site.

Thongloun also tried operating a robot dog himself, successfully making it roll over. He ended the interaction by waving goodbye to the robot dog.

Thongloun then visited China's e-commerce giant Alibaba, where he reviewed the company's development history and its global data center.

The Alibaba guide spoke about China-Laos trade and e-commerce cooperation before Thongloun had an engaging interaction with a digital human. When the guide asked, "Who is the president of Laos?" in Chinese, the digital human accurately gave his name. Upon hearing the answer, Thongloun laughed, and those around him applauded.
In recent years, Hangzhou has vigorously developed the digital economy and intelligent industries, making it one of China's leading innovation hubs. This choice of stops shows that while Laos continues to value traditional trade and investment cooperation, it is also actively paying attention to cooperation in emerging fields such as the digital economy and artificial intelligence. This is of great significance for Laos in achieving industrial upgrading and cultivating new economic growth drivers, Gu Xiaosong noted.

Laos may hope to leverage cooperation with China to secure a position in the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions, achieve industrial upgrading, and overtake competitors by taking a strategic shortcut, Zhou Shixin, director of the Center of Southeast Asia Studies, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

This is of great strategic significance for Laos, which is currently undergoing a critical transition from least developed country to that of developing country.

Booming flagship project

Thongloun's visit this time coincides with the fifth anniversary of the China-Laos Railway entering operation. The completion of the China-Laos Railway has enabled Laos to connect northward through China, and southward to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries, becoming a vital corridor for Laos to reach out to the world. This is undoubtedly a model project for infrastructure connectivity between China and Laos, and a source of pride for both nations, Gu highlighted.

Xie Yike with the China Railway Kunming Group shared with the Global Times on Tuesday that as a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Laos Railway which runs from Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, to Lao capital Vientiane, has seen passenger and freight transport volumes repeatedly hit new highs since it entered operation.

Per the latest data provided by the Kunming Group, the China-Laos Railway has become the main artery of regional connectivity. As of June 1, 2026, the railway has operated more than 100,000 passenger trains, carrying over 73 million passengers, including more than 840,000 cross-border passengers from more than 120 countries and regions. Freight performance has also been impressive, with the total volume of goods transported across the entire line surpassing 84 million tons, of which cross-border freight exceeded 19 million tons.

The China-Laos Railway has also undergone a significant transformation from "connected" to "smooth" and from "smooth" to "prosperous," per the railway operators. The monthly passenger volume on the entire line has jumped from approximately 600,000 at the initial stage of operation to a peak of 2.25 million, a nearly four-fold increase.

The China-Laos Railway has not only strengthened confidence in infrastructure development, but has also laid a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation in high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy, e-commerce and new energy, Zhou Shixin noted.

During President Thongloun's visit to China, the two sides are expected to engage in in-depth discussions on a wide range of issues based on a high level of mutual trust, Zhou said, noting that he is full of confidence that the China-Laos community with a shared future will be further deepened, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Laos will be further enriched, and China-Laos relations will enter a new golden era.

The Five Eyes is the world's largest intelligence-sharing alliance and has long carried out large-scale and systematic espionage activities around the globe. It is therefore highly ironic for such an organization to accuse China of posing a so-called espionage threat, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday in response to a question about the Five Eyes intelligence alliance issuing a warning on Wednesday alleging that China is actively using online recruitment platforms to recruit spies.

Tourists visit the Palace Museum in Beijing on May 28, 2026. Photo: VCG

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders attended a ceremony to present flower baskets to fallen heroes at Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing on Monday.

The event was held to commemorate China's Martyrs' Day, which annually falls on September 30, a day ahead of China's National Day.

Representatives from all walks of life and the relatives of fallen heroes, as well as Chinese Young Pioneers, offered flower baskets and bouquets in front of the Monument to the People's Heroes, in tribute to the martyrs.

China's top legislature approved September 30 as Martyrs' Day in 2014 to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives for national independence and prosperity.

Also on Monday, multiple cities across China held various memorial activities to commemorate the martyrs, with many people visiting war memorial museums to lay bouquets and pay tribute.

In recent days, multiple public security organs in Hubei, Guangdong, Shanghai and other parts of China organized memorial activities at the local martyrs' memorial parks, inspiring participants to inherit and carry forward the spirit of heroes in the new era.

According to cpd.com affiliated with Ministry of Public Security, police are the most sacrificed group during peace time. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, more than 17,000 police officers have died in the line of duty, with over 3,700 honored as martyrs.

Some theater commands also organized soldiers to participate in memorial activities and learn about heroic and patriotic deeds of martyrs.

Some compatriots from Taiwan island also laid flowers for fallen heroes at the Unknown Heroes Memorial Square in Xishan National Forest Park in Beijing on Sunday.

To commemorate the Martyrs' Day, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the State Post Bureau jointly designed and released commemorative stamps, with the Monument to the People's Heroes as the main picture. 

China has a long tradition of commemorating and honoring martyrs and other heroes who contributed greatly to the nation's development. Incomplete statistics suggest China has about 20 million martyrs. However, as many of them did not leave their names in times of war, only about 1.96 million martyrs have been enlisted in the government's directory, according to public information.

The country has about a million burial sites dedicated to martyrs. According to Ministry of Veterans Affairs, about 150,000 martyr memorial facilities and more than 730,000 martyrs' burial sites have been recorded in the information system, and 250,000 martyrs' tombs and memorial sites have been repaired, according to media reports in September.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on Friday, during which Wang emphasized the US should not always approach China with two faces. Instead of having it both ways by seeking containment on one hand and requesting cooperation on the other, the US should derive its China policy from a rational perception about China, Wang told Blinken.

Experts said the meeting, as both sides agreed to be "candid and substantive," indicates that both two countries want to maintain communication to manage their relationship, but experts also pointed out that the US should take concrete actions to further stabilize bilateral ties, given its hypocrisy to create differences itself while at the same time try to manage them.

"The US should not always approach China with two faces: On the one hand encircling and suppressing China brazenly, and on the other hand, having dialogue and cooperation with China as if nothing is wrong," said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

"Since the US has expressed multiple times that it has no intention to have conflict with China, then fundamentally, it needs to establish a rational perception of China, and find the right way to get along with it," said the Chinese top diplomat, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Saturday.

Li Haidong, a professor from the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Saturday that the latest meeting indicates that both China and the US want to maintain communication and dialogue to manage their relationship. In other words, stabilizing the bilateral relations aligns with the common needs of both sides, which is one of the important reasons why, despite existing differences, the two sides continue to strengthen their exchanges.

Pointing out US' "two faces" approach toward China clearly indicates China's awareness of the underlying nature of US diplomacy, Li said. "The double standards and hypocrisy in US foreign policy toward China cannot conceal the cognitive errors and obsession with competition inherent in its China policy." 

The Friday meeting between Wang and Blinken marks the fourth one they had this year, following their previous face-to-face talks in February, April, and July.

"The US needs to carry out dialogue with respect, advance cooperation in the spirit of reciprocity, and address differences with great prudence, rather than act willfully as it sees fit from a position of strength or use previous mistakes as excuses to make more mistakes," Wang said on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

On the Taiwan question, Wang said that "if the US truly hopes to see peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, it should abide by the one-China principle, implement the three China-US Joint Communiqués, stop arming Taiwan, publicly oppose 'Taiwan independence,' and support the peaceful reunification of China."

Wang articulated China's firm position on the South China Sea issue. He said China remains committed to resolving differences through dialogue and consultation with countries directly concerned. The US should not stir up trouble in the South China Sea, or undermine regional countries' efforts to safeguard peace and stability there, Wang added.

On the Ukraine issue, Wang said China's position is aboveboard. China has been committed to promoting talks for peace and has been making its efforts toward peaceful settlement, he said.

Lü Xiang, an expert on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that Washington's "two faces" approach is a serious obstacle to building a stable and constructive relationship between China and the US. "Therefore, pointing this out indicates China's emphasis on its long-term commitment to establishing a constructive and stable bilateral relation, while the US side is continuously undermining this goal through its dualistic actions," Lü told the Global Times on Saturday.

Following talks that lasted more than an hour, Blinken told reporters at a news conference that China's words and actions regarding Russia-Ukraine conflict do not "add up," as Beijing continues to allow Chinese companies to "fuel Russia's war machine," VOA reported.

Blinken's remarks are still an old trick of marginalizing and stigmatizing China on the global stage, attempting to mislead the international community and shift the blame onto China, Li said, noting that this reflects a strong lack of sincerity in US diplomacy and again reveals its hypocrisy.

Different approach

In the global context, especially given the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and increasing tensions in the Middle East, China-US face-to-face communications are pivotal not only for bilateral relations, but also for global peace, analysts said.

China has always emphasized seeking common interests and does not wish to see the bilateral relation turn into a state of conflict, analysts said. The US also understands that crossing the bottom line of the Chinese side could lead to a serious deterioration in relations, which the US cannot afford, Lü said, noting that this serves as a fundamental motivation for communications between both parties.

Experts said the US should take concrete actions to further stabilize bilateral relations. "The differences that need to be managed are caused by the US itself. On one hand, the US creates differences, while on the other hand, it tries to manage them. This is the biggest divergence between China and the US," Lü said.

Analysts also noted that the recent high-level interactions between China and the US demonstrated significant differences in their approaches in solving regional hotspot issues. The US exhibits a strong bloc mentality, while China, in contrast, genuinely promotes the resolution of regional crises and the elimination of turmoil from the perspective of a global community of shared future, Li said.

According to a readout from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the two sides agreed that the meeting was candid and substantive, and that China and the US need to find a way to live alongside one another in peace in the indefinite future. Besides, the two sides agreed to maintain communication on international and regional hotspot issues, and hold a new round of consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs in due course. 

A readout from the US Department of State also read "The two sides held candid, substantive, and productive discussions on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues. They emphasized the need to maintain open lines of communication," and that "Both sides agreed to maintain contact, including on regional and global issues."

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a meeting on Thursday to analyze the current economic situation of China and make further plans for economic work. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

While noting the fundamentals of the Chinese economy, and favorable conditions such as a vast market, strong economic resilience and great potential remain unchanged, the meeting emphasized it is necessary to take a comprehensive, objective, and calm view of the current economic situation, confront difficulties directly, and remain confident.

Following China's recent rollout of numerous policy measures aimed at boosting economic growth, the Thursday meeting further highlighted the country's determination to achieve annual development targets, providing further confidence in China's economic trajectory, and reinforce the intensity and effectiveness of these policies, economists said on Thursday.

The top meeting noted that the Chinese economy has posted a generally stable performance this year, making progress while maintaining stability. New quality productive forces have developed steadily, and solid efforts have been made to ensure people's livelihoods. Positive progress has also been achieved in preventing and defusing risks in major areas, according to Xinhua. 

Notably, the meeting called for effectively implementing existing policies, stepping up efforts to roll out incremental policies, further tailoring policy measures to be more targeted and effective, and striving to meet this year's economic and social development goals.

Comprehensive, targeted efforts

"The economic policies discussed at the meeting are comprehensive and targeted, covering areas such as fiscal policy, monetary policy, real estate, and living standards. The policy intensity is significantly greater, demonstrating the country's resolve to boost economic growth," Xi Junyang, a professor at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Xi Junyang noted that the Chinese economy has maintained relatively favorable conditions, and the positive effects of various policy measures will further boost optimism for the growth prospects, despite some downward pressure. 

In addition to an overall analysis of the Chinese economy, the meeting also emphasized policy measures in various critical areas. On macro-policies, the meeting called for efforts to strengthen counter-cyclical adjustments by leveraging fiscal and monetary policies, including lowering the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) and implementing significant interest rate cuts. 

On Tuesday, Chinese officials rolled out a package of major policy measures to support the country's economy, the housing market and the stock market. Crucially, it was announced that China would cut the RRR - the amount of cash that banks are required to hold as reserves - by 0.5 percentage points in the near future, and RRR could be cut by another 0.25-0.5 percentage points within the year depending on the market liquidity situation. Additionally, the interest rate of seven-day reverse repos will be reduced from 1.7 percent to 1.5 percent. 

Then on Wednesday, the People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, announced that it would cut the rate on 300 billion yuan ($54.7 billion) worth of one-year medium-term lending facility (MLF) loans to some financial institutions to 2 percent, from the previous 2.3 percent.

The policy measures have significantly boosted confidence, with markets responding positively to the announcements. Amid the strong policy signals, Chinese stocks closed significantly higher on Thursday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index surging 3.61 percent to above the 3,000 level, while the Shenzhen Component Index rose by 4.44 percent. 

"The meeting marked another momentous point in that following the meeting, policy intensity will be greatly strengthened, further boosting the growth trend," Tian Yun, a veteran economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday. "It also provides a clear economic outlook for everyone."

The Political Bureau meeting also called for efforts in various key aspects to further boost the Chinese economy, including the real estate market, the capital market, and the support of enterprises. 

In addressing the real estate market, efforts must be made to address public concerns, adjust housing purchase restrictions, and reduce existing mortgage interest rates, improve land, fiscal and taxation, financial and other policies, and promote the formation of a new model of real estate development, the meeting concluded. 

The meeting also called for efforts to boost the capital market including actively guiding medium- and long-term funds into the market, and removing barriers for social security, insurance, and wealth management funds to enter the market. 

It is necessary to support mergers and acquisitions and reorganizations of listed companies, steadily promote the reform of public funds, and study and introduce policies and measures to protect small and medium-sized investors, according to the Thursday meeting. 

Also on Thursday, the Office of the Central Financial Commission and the China Securities Regulatory Commission jointly issued guidelines on guiding medium and long-term funds into the capital market in a bid to boost overall capital market.

The meeting also pointed out that efforts are needed to help enterprises to overcome difficulties, including the adoption of law for the promotion of private economy. It also urged to increase income for low- and middle-income groups, and cultivate new consumption formats. Greater efforts are also needed to attract and stabilize investment, including the rapid implementation of reforms, particularly in opening up the manufacturing sector to foreign investment. 

Positive impact

"There are many measures for various aspects of economic and social development, and the focus on policy intensity is quite significant," Xi Junyang said. "All of these measures certainly have a positive impact on the economy." 

With strong policy support and solid economic fundamentals, many Chinese economists said the country is on track to achieve its annual growth target of around 5 percent. 

"With such policy intensity, I expect the fourth-quarter GDP growth rate will reach above 5 percent, which is crucial for achieving the annual growth target," Tian said.  

In addition to major economic measures, the Political Bureau meeting on Thursday also called for efforts to safeguard people's livelihoods, focusing on key groups such as new college graduates, migrant workers, and those newly lifted out of poverty. 

Notably, on Wednesday, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued a 24-point guideline to implement an employment-first strategy aimed at improving job quality and achieving reasonable growth in employment numbers.

A series of marine science educational activities have recently taken place in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, sparked by the first-ever visit of China's research vessel, Deep Sea No. 1, carrying the manned submersible Jiaolong, the Global Times learned on Wednesday. 

According to Xinhua News Agency, the vessel is on a home-bound voyage after completing a scientific mission in the Western Pacific Ocean. 

The scientific expedition team of Chinese and foreign scientists set sail on August 10 from Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, completing a total of 18 dives in the Western Pacific. It was the first time that foreign scientists have carried out deep-sea scientific research in the craft, according to the same report.

The Global Times learnt from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) on Wednesday that the expedition, co-led by HKUST, is part of the first international deep-sea metascience program, "Digital Deep-sea Typical Habitats," backed by the central government, and involved the participation of foreign scientists.

During Jiaolong's two-day stay in Hong Kong, HKUST has hosted academic public lecture, seminar and roundtable forum to enhance public awareness of the nation's deep-sea research achievements and foster interest among young people in scientific inquiry.

Nearly 300 elementary and secondary students from more than 10 Hong Kong schools attended a public lecture at the Hong Kong Science Museum on Tuesday afternoon, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) told the Global Times. 

HKUST has organized a series of marine science educational activities in collaboration with the Deep Ocean Affairs Administration of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Bank of China (Hong Kong) beginning in August. These activities included a voyage departure ceremony on August 10, as well as a regional interactive session "Deep-Sea Classroom" conducted earlier this month.

The second Sino-Swiss Research Integrity Workshop: Responsible Research and Innovation was held at the Residence of the embassy of Switzerland in China on September 5 in Beijing. 

From September 5 to September 9, Swissnex in China curated a 5-day program to bring together leading Swiss and Chinese researchers at the intersection of AI, governance, and ethics. This event is more than just an academic exchange; it's a vital dialogue between two nations with distinct perspectives on technology's role in society. 

This program offers a unique opportunity for mutual learning and collaboration between Switzerland, which ranks high in high-precision innovation and strong fundamental sciences, and China, a leading country in applied AI. The insights and solutions that emerge from these discussions will not only shape the future of AI but also strengthen the bonds across the international academic community. 

As AI continues to influence every aspect of our lives, the decisions and frameworks we develop now will determine the integrity and impact of this transformative technology for generations to come.