Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay state visits to France, Serbia and Hungary from May 5 to 10, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Monday.

China's Ministry of State Security has released two departmental regulations, namely the "Administrative Law Enforcement Procedures of the National Security Agencies" and the "Criminal Case Handling Procedures of the National Security Agencies."

The ministry said in Friday's announcement that the promulgation of the two departmental regulations is a strong measure taken by the national securities authorities to implement the CPC Central Committee's overall strategy of governing the country according to law. It is an important basis for regulating the law enforcement and judicial activities of the national security agencies, and is of great significance for lawfully combating illegal activities that risk national security, safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of individuals and organizations, and enhancing the level of legal governance in national security work. 

The two regulations were promulgated in the departmental orders signed by the Minister of State Security Chen Yixin on Friday, and will be implemented from July 1, 2024. 

According to the ministry, the "Administrative Law Enforcement Procedures of the National Security Agencies" consists of seven chapters and 140 articles, including general principles, prevention guidance, investigation and evidence collection, expropriation and compensation, administrative penalties, periods and service, and supplementary provisions. 

The "Criminal Case Handling Procedures of the National Security Agencies" consists of 11 chapters and 360 articles, including general principles, jurisdiction, avoidance, participation of lawyers in criminal proceedings, evidence, coercive measures, filing and withdrawal of cases, investigation, execution of penalties, special procedures, and supplementary provisions. 

The ministry stated that moving forward, national security agencies at all levels will conscientiously implement the two departmental regulations, always adhere to strict, standardized, fair, and civilized law enforcement, voluntarily accept social supervision, and ensure that every case can withstand scrutiny from the law, the Chinese people and history.

China's Ministry of State Security earlier released 10 typical espionage cases in a special documentary film aired ahead of the ninth National Security Education Day that falls on April 15, including the cases of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. In the documentary, various methods of infiltration, theft and incitement by foreign spy and intelligence agencies are exposed, and awareness of anti-espionage is expected to be established among the people.

The European Parliament on Tuesday approved rules to ban goods produced by the so-called forced labor, which does not refer to but is believed to target China, thus casting a shadow on China-EU trade.

Chinese analysts said on Wednesday that such a move, despite representing some China hawks within the bloc, cannot dominate the major trend of "stabilizing China-EU relations" and will face strong opposition in member states which maintain a pragmatic China policy. 

The US enacted a similar law in 2021 to ban products from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region unless the a US company doing business with China can prove no forced labor is involved. The EU first mulled the ban in 2022. 

Authorities of EU member states or the European Commission will be able to investigate suspicious goods, supply chains, and manufacturers. Preliminary investigations should be wrapped up within 30 working days, Reuters reported Tuesday. 

Products "deemed to have been made using forced labor" will be banned in the EU market and shipments will be intercepted at EU borders.

The law still needs approval from EU countries to enter into force - a final step that is usually a formality which approves laws with no changes, according to Reuters. EU countries need to apply it within three years. 

Zhao Junjie, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of European Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the European Parliament has been playing a disruptive "clown" role in China-EU relations in recent years, but its acts cannot represent the real major trend of the bilateral ties. 

As the 27-member bloc is not a monolithic whole, such rules will face great opposition in countries having close cooperation with China, Zhao said.

Citing European leaders, including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who paid visits to China one after another since the start of 2024, Zhao said that countries will act in line with their own interests rather than listen solely to the European Parliament's anti-China bugles.  

Such a ban may greatly increase the production costs of European companies and ultimately, it will be enterprises and consumers in the EU who will have to foot the bill, analysts said.

The upcoming European Parliament elections are also fueling anti-China moves and rhetoric as politicians seek to expand their influence, Zhao said, predicting that more hawkish signs could emerge before the elections in June.

Zhao said that China stands ready to listen to EU countries' concerns in regard to bilateral trade and other matters, and to negotiate to push forward cooperation, but will not allow biased political slogans and groundless slander. 

The EU have imposed, or are mulling to impose restrictive policies on Chinese products ranging from electric vehicles (EVs) to wind turbines to medical devices. The US-fabricated "overcapacity" fallacy has been a focal point in recent weeks. 

The EU has frequently resorted to economic toolboxes and trade remedy measures, sending protectionist signals, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at Wednesday's routine press briefing.

Wang urged the EU to fulfill its commitment to open markets and fair competition, abide by the WTO rules and stop using various excuses to unreasonably suppress Chinese companies. 

Though China and Europe have competition and frictions, they can and should be managed properly so that cooperation can carry on and develop further, Zhao said.

Both sides should have the strategic wisdom not to mix political and economic issues, and allow the resilience of the bilateral relationship to overcome areas of conflict, Zhao said.

With sounds of explosions reverberating around central Iran on Friday morning, concerns of an all-out war in the Middle East are growing all over the world, as media reported that it was Israel that launched the strike, just a few days after Iran's first direct attack in retaliation to Israel's bombing of its diplomatic mission in Syria on April 1. 

Israel was still silent on the incident as of press time, while Tehran seemingly downplayed it. Despite announcing sanctions on Iran, the Biden administration has distanced itself from the attack.

Analysts said although all parties seem to be avoiding escalation tacitly while maintaining their seeming toughness, the spillover effect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to ferment. Furthermore, US favoritism toward Israel makes it increasingly difficult for Washington to achieve its goal of controlling the Middle East through pursuing a strategic balance in the region.

ABC News earlier quoted an anonymous senior US official as saying that Israel had launched a missile attack against Iran. Quoting an Israeli official, the Washington Post said that it was Israel's military that carried out strikes inside Iran "in response to the Iranian retaliatory assault on April 13."

After the incident, Iran suspended flights in several areas including at Tehran and Isfahan airports, and activated its air defense, according to Iranian media. However, flight restrictions were lifted hours later, according to media reports. 

Explosions were also found in a radar battalion in southern Syria and in the Al-Imam area of Babel, Iraq. 

Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said at Friday's press briefing that China has noted the relevant reports and stressed that it opposes any action that further escalates tensions.

More and more countries called for restraint and de-escalation on Friday. G7 foreign ministers urged "all parties" to "work to prevent further escalation" in the region during a meeting in Italy, according to Al Jazeera. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Iran, Israel and their allies to refrain from escalation in the Middle East.

Countries including France, Germany, UK, Russia, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan and Sweden have also expressed their concerns and called for de-escalation.  

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that "it is high time to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation" in the Middle East.

Tacit agreement

In contrast to what US and Israeli officials claimed was a "drone and missile attack," the Iranian side is seemingly downplaying the incident. 

Iran's Fars news agency said on Friday that "three explosions" were heard near the Shekari army airbase near Isfahan. The Iranian state-owned news network Press TV reported that there was "no sign of explosion or damage" at a nuclear site near the city of Isfahan.

Iran's space agency spokesperson Hossein Dalirian said on X that several drones "have been successfully shot down by the country's air defense, there are no reports of a missile attack for now."

Iranian state-run media IRNA news agency said on Friday that "reports indicate there was no major damage or large explosions caused by the impact of any air threat," which was also confirmed to state media by senior commander of Iran's Army Siavosh Mihandoust.

Moreover, a senior Iranian official, told Reuters on condition of anonymity, "We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more toward infiltration than attack." According to the official, the Iran side has "no plan" for immediate retaliation, and the external source of the incident has to be confirmed. 

In a one-word post, Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is regarded as far-right, wrote "Feeble!" on X, after Iranian military expert Ali Ahmadi described the attack as "far more limited than many expected" during a Friday interview with Al Jazeera. 

According to Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, the latest attack reportedly launched by Israel was more symbolic than substantive.

Compared to Iran's retaliation against Israel's deadly bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus earlier this month, the latest strike has less intensity and scale, Liu said. 

Wang Jin, an associate professor at the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at Northwest University in Xi'an, said that Israel's target was not a nuclear site, but the airbase related to Iran's previous missile and drone attack, which makes it more likely that Israel's intention was to warn Iran by flexing its muscles over its military strike capability. 

"Israel wants to show toughness without raising the stakes too high. There was no immediate offensive response from Iran either, and it even downplayed the incident," said Liu, "It's clear that both sides are curbing the conflict from escalating into all-out war through some tacit agreement."

While the situation is not yet out of control, experts also warned of the risks under the new pattern. 

There are no direct channels of communication between Iran and Israel, said Wang, noting that the way the two countries understand each other's strategic intentions comes more from the practice of "you punch me, I kick you."

In a highly hostile situation, such a pattern could easily lead to the conflict spiraling out control when there's no international push for de-escalation, Wang said. 

According to Liu, it was more of a covert war between Israel and Iran in the past that was not always seen in public. However, the latest round of clashes has become a direct military conflict between the two countries, highlighting a trend of escalation. 

In addition, this round of conflict between Israel and Iran has extended the scope of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from the eastern Mediterranean region to the eastern Persian Gulf region, which will affect the geopolitical stability there, Liu added.  

If Iran decides to launch a counterattack later, there are basically two possibilities, according to Wang. One would be a direct long-range strike on Israeli soil, and the other would be what was most commonly used in the past, harassing Israel in border areas through Hezbollah, Houthis and Shia forces in Iraq and Syria. 

A long-range strike on the Israeli mainland is unlikely to be adopted by Tehran as a countermeasure, as neither side wants the situation to spiral out of control and head toward a larger war, Liu said. 

US' Mideast dilemma

Before the reported Israeli attack against Iran, the US and UK announced sanctions on Tehran in response to its missile and drone attack on Israel. According to Al Jazeera, the sanctions targeted 16 people and two entities related to drone productions and five companies that provide materials for steel production in Iran.

It also imposed travel restrictions on Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. 

However, analysts believed the sanctions are more of a symbolic gesture that will have very little substantial effect, and are only meaningful in pacifying Israel. 

According to CNN and NBC, citing sources familiar with the matter, the US received advance notification on Thursday of an intended Israeli strike, but Washington did not endorse or play any part in the operation. 

The Biden administration is facing mounting pressure from the international community to curb its support for Israel in the Gaza war, especially after Washington's representative once again and unsurprisingly vetoed the Palestinian request for full UN membership at Thursday's UN Security Council meeting. 

The US wants to demonstrate its support for Israel by sanctioning Iran, while at the same time distancing itself from Israel and not wanting to get involved in a potential regional war triggered by the Israeli-Iranian conflict, Liu said, "It is a sign of deepening rifts between the US and Israel on specific issues."

According to Liu, Washington had been contemplating a strategic retrenchment in the Middle East, and did not even exclude the possibility of resuming nuclear negotiations with Iran. But with the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its spillover, none of this is possible anymore.

US favoritism toward Israel makes it increasingly difficult for Washington to achieve its goal of controlling the Middle East through pursuing a strategic balance in the region, Liu said.

The Biden administration is attempting to draw a red line for Israel to avoid bringing the whole region into war, but at this point, the US has virtually no way of effectively dictating the actions of all parties, Wang said. 

"Don't ever contact me on weekends, I'm off from office work." The comment Liu left on the moments of the Chinese social media platform WeChat, wrote what many employees think but seldom dare write - she was laid off because of the public comment as she was said to have brought "serious negative impact on the company." 

Subsequently a court ruled on Tuesday that the defendant company is required to pay Liu more than 49000 ($6,770) in compensation.

According to China's state broadcaster CCTV, Liu worked at an education training company in Southwest China's Chongqing, received a phone call from her boss on Friday, asking her to contact a business client immediately. Liu thought she had made the deal with the client, so it's unnecessary to take up the rest of the weekend to work on it, sharing the comment above on her WeChat moments. Liu received a phone call from company's management soon after, informing that she was fired.

Two days later, Liu's contract was terminated.

After a meeting with the company's management, Liu asked for compensation in accordance with her labor contract, but the company rejected the request, assuming that Liu was the at-fault party. After the local labor arbitration intervened to no avail, Liu sued the company to demand due compensation.

The employer exercising the right to terminate the employment is a very severe punishment, said Lin Baozhen, vice president of the Civil Third Division, Jiulongpo District People's Court.

The country's Labor Contract Law imposes strict restrictions on the employer exercising the right to terminate unilaterally, as regulations must be legally formulated, and the democratic process of informing or publicity must be done properly. Workers' behavior must reach the standard of a serious law violation before they can be dismissed. 

The court held that although Liu's behavior was inappropriate, it could not be seen as having a serious impact on the company, and did not reach the level of passive idleness, negligence, disobedience to the management. The court held that the company's termination of the labor contract lacked factual and legal basis and constituted illegal termination. 

According to the relevant provisions of the Labor Contract Law, the court ruled that the defendant company to compensate Liu for more than 49,000 yuan. Because the company did not fulfill the obligation, Liu has since applied to the court for compulsory execution.

The judge claimed that a rapid developed economy raises a higher standard for companies to balance the right of employee management and the protection of employee's legal rights.

Editor's Note:

After seven months of conflict in Gaza, a cease-fire still seems distant. Meanwhile, the Palestine-Israel conflict is causing ripple effects across the region, and has led to major humanitarian crises. The international community, including China, is making efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crises.

What's the situation on the ground in Gaza? How does the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) view the humanitarian efforts that China has made on the global stage? Global Times reporters Xie Wenting, Zhao Juecheng, and Liu Caiyu (GT) spoke with ICRC's vice-president Gilles Carbonnier (Carbonnier) about these issues and more.
GT: What's the work the ICRC has conducted in the Gaza Strip? What are the major challenges facing the ICRC?

Carbonnier: We reminded the parties to the conflict of their obligations under the Geneva Conventions and stressed the importance of adhering to international humanitarian laws. Next to that, we provide assistance in Gaza and we do our utmost to provide food assistance, especially at present. We have set up kitchens in the refugee camps in Gaza to provide food to the most vulnerable people. We also provide water through water tracking and support the water board and water utility in repairing wells, water pumping stations, and restoring water and wastewater treatment to prevent epidemics. Finally, we support hospitals and medical centers with drugs and medicines among others in Gaza.

The first issue, which we have mentioned again and again, is that it is key to reduce civilian losses and civilian suffering by abiding by and respecting international humanitarian law. Under international humanitarian law, civilians and essential goods and services must be protected. Another priority for us is to bring enough support to help avert major health issues, so that people can access healthcare, injured individuals can be treated, and epidemics can be averted, ensuring sick people have access to medical assistance.

However, there is a challenge as most of the health system in Gaza is not functioning or has been impaired, making it difficult to bring drugs into Gaza and distribute them to the different health centers that are still operational due to security concerns and logistical hurdles.

Food security is also a major concern. Currently, it is a struggle to bring enough food into Gaza, and the production of vegetables, poultry, and other food items has been partially destroyed.

We welcome the repeated support of China for the respect of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law. We also welcome China's support to help provide life-saving assistance, including medicines and other life-saving assistance in Gaza for those most in need. China has a very important role to play, all the way from being a member of the UN Security Council down to the provision of and support for medical assistance.

GT: How do you see the ongoing conflicts affecting the world? And personally do you think there is any solution to these conflicts?

Carbonnier: First, conflicts are becoming increasingly protracted, spanning generations. It is clear that there are no humanitarian solutions to these crises, only political ones. Therefore, we must identify the necessary political steps toward conflict resolution. However, peace and security are becoming more elusive as finding a solution becomes increasingly difficult.

Interestingly, the initial steps often involve humanitarian efforts, such as attempting to establish a humanitarian cease-fire. The ICRC serves as a neutral intermediary, able to communicate with all parties involved. It is crucial to maintain this space for neutral and impartial humanitarian actors like the ICRC, as they can facilitate dialogue with various parties in conflicts.

Sometimes the parties agree that they want to start a discussion between themselves and they ask us as a neutral intermediary to ensure the safe passage of, for instance, one party to the conflict, to be able to go to a place where they can meet and discuss. We provide this neutral intermediation. Sometimes this neutral intermediation that we do is the first step that provides an enabling environment for peace conversations.

The problem nowadays is that we see a lot of attacks against neutral humanitarian actors. Some people say, if you are not with us, you are against us. We say we are not against anyone, but we have to maintain a neutral role. And we will not publicly denounce this party to the conflict or that party to the conflict because if we publicly denounce different parties to the conflict every day, then we would be kicked out. And the international community would be left without a neutral intermediary on the ground. It is in the interest of major powers and the international community to preserve that space.

GT: Could you introduce some of the major cooperation between China and the ICRC?

Carbonnier: We have been present in China and have been cooperating with key stakeholders in China for many years. I believe we want to take this cooperation to a new level following the discussions and visit that President of the ICRC Mirjana Spoljaric had in September, 2023.

I believe that we can further our cooperation by engaging with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Chinese government on international humanitarian law, as well as by working more practically with Chinese foreign aid, particularly in the medical sector.

We had conversations with the National Health Commission recently. We also had a meeting with the China medical teams which have been sent to African countries. We engaged with them to share our expertise and experiences in the humanitarian sector. We have also started conversations with the China International Development Cooperation Agency to explore opportunities for better cooperation in the future. We welcome Chinese humanitarian workers who are interested in working with us. We are currently working closely with the Red Cross Society of China.

What I see and am really glad about is that our own delegations, present in about 100 situations of conflict, engage with the Chinese embassies on the ground to have a dialogue on the humanitarian situation. This interaction is much more fluid now. We also have regular discussions with foreign affairs officials, where we can share our assessment of the situation in Africa and in approximately 60 countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) where we are active.
GT: What's your take on the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Development Initiative (GDI)?

Carbonnier: I think with the GSI and the GDI provides clear guidance and perspectives that are of great interest to us. It also helps us to have a better understanding of foreign policy priorities for China.

Our understanding is indeed that China recognizes the interactions between security, development, and peace. I see common interests in that we work in protracted conflict situations. We aim to stop providing aid as soon as possible and instead provide sustainable humanitarian solutions. This includes providing people with seed capital and access to tools so they can generate income and regain dignity. We also aim to stop water trucking and repair wells and water pumping stations quickly so that major urban systems can function again, providing services to schools, hospitals, and other essential facilities.

I think we see an interaction between preserving development gains, even in conflict, and restoring them in order to provide people with opportunities as soon as possible. Once they have opportunities and income, the prospects for reconciliation and stability improve. The last point is that by promoting respect for international humanitarian law, we prevent the worst from happening. If we prevent the worst, people will reconcile more easily. If the worst has happened to your family, then hatred can pass from generation to generation.

The goal of the GSI and GDI is to preserve and promote sustainable development as a way to provide greater stability. In fragile situations, our efforts aim to restore livelihoods, preserve development gains, and prevent distractions and violations of international humanitarian law that could sow the seeds of further conflicts.

GT: I noticed that the ICRC is paying attention to the impact of AI in the military domain. What suggestions do you have to strengthen global governance cooperation on AI?

Carbonnier: For us, it's important to recognize that in situations of armed conflict, the potential of AI is like a magnifying glass. It can save lives and achieve great things, but the risks are also heightened, as it can lead to tragic humanitarian consequences. Therefore, we believe it is crucial to harness scientific and technological advances to provide a more impactful and effective response.

Currently, humanitarian needs are increasing while funding is decreasing, making it necessary to find ways to be more effective. Utilizing digital transformation through technology is a key part of achieving this impact.

However, the use of AI, especially in weapons and machine learning, raises significant concerns. We have called for the regulation of autonomous weapon systems to address these concerns swiftly, as technological advancements are outpacing the government's ability to regulate and govern these developments. We are worried that autonomous weapon systems powered by AI and machine learning could make life and death decisions without human control.

For us, it is critical to maintain human control over these decisions and human responsibility in accountability. We are also concerned about autonomous weapons, which have unpredictable consequences that even the designers and developers of the algorithm and products cannot anticipate. This is something that is unacceptable from an ethical standpoint, a legal standpoint, and a humanitarian standpoint. It is urgent. There are intergovernmental reflections on the global framework to govern AI at large, but also on the specificity of using AI in new warfare means and methods. This is a pressing issue that must be addressed by the international community.

GT: How do you view China's role in gathering representatives from regional countries and international organizations to promote prosperity and economic development in Asia?

Carbonnier: It is important to recognize the critical importance of China in the region. China has been booming for many years and has greatly contributed to reducing overall poverty rates and addressing development issues. The region has seen significant progress in economic development, science and technology, and diplomacy. It is crucial to have opportunities like the Boao Forum for Asia to engage in diplomatic discussions with political leaders on fundamental issues such as development, security, and stability that have global implications.

I have been coming regularly to China. I hope to come back to Boao certainly in 2025 and the years after that.

China's diplomacy enters a busy season, as China's interactions with Europe, the US, Russia, ASEAN member countries and the Global South are attracting global attention. The recent series of visits of foreign leaders and senior officials to China demonstrates that China's diplomacy, based on multilateralism, openness and cooperation, is increasingly being welcomed by the world, which also draws a sharp contrast to the US-led small clique advocating for bloc confrontation and conflicts, experts said. 

President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi arrived in Beijing on Thursday for a seven-day state visit, becoming the latest foreign leader visiting the country this week. 

Since April, senior foreign officials have been visiting China in quick succession, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, as well as high-ranking officials from ASEAN member countries such as Vietnam and Singapore. 

There are also visits of leaders from small countries in terms of size and population like Micronesia and Suriname. 

Also, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled to travel to China this weekend, focusing on trade and economy, AFP reported. The US media reported recently that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will also travel to China shortly. 

Some Chinese experts said among those foreign heads of state and dignitaries, there are both traditional friendly neighbors and self-defined "competitors," as well as emerging and developing countries that have both industrial chain competition and cooperation. 

Especially on Monday, Yellen and Lavrov were in Beijing at the same time, signaling that the solid China-Russia relations are advancing in tandem with China-US and China-Europe relations, which is hard-won balance from a geopolitical perspective, analysts said.  

Openness and inclusiveness

It's clear that foreign friends visiting China come for various reasons. Some come to learn from China's development experience, some seek to deepen pragmatic cooperation between both sides, and others come to hear about China's solutions to various global issues. An open and cooperative China not only benefits its own people but also people around the world, Xinhua said. 

"It's apparent that China's diplomatic efforts are quite active," Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

China's diplomacy is clearly aimed at serving its own domestic overall development and addressing the need for building a global order of fairness and justice, the expert said, noting that China's involvement in and promotion of multilateral diplomatic efforts have also received widespread recognition and acknowledgment from various countries.

During a joint press conference with Lavrov on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi elaborated on China's stance and proposition on resolving current international and regional hotspot issues including upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, actively promoting parties concerned to resolve conflicts through dialogue and consultation and upholding genuine multilateralism and opposing camp confrontation, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

Chinese experts said the most significant characteristic of Chinese diplomacy this year has been its increased activity and more independent initiatives in promoting peace and facilitating talks to address hotspot issues. 

On current hot topics, whether it be the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, or various other issues, China has always maintained an independent stance in participating in the resolution of international and regional issues. This stance is determined independently based on the merits of each case, and actions are taken according to this stance, some experts said. 

Sharp contrast to US-led small clique

April has also witnessed a host of high-level visits from Southeast Asian countries to China. Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto's visit to China was the first leg of his first overseas visit as President-elect. 

During the Qingming festival, Foreign Minister Wang also met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, and Timor-Leste's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas respectively in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. 

This week, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat are visiting China, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. 

On the backdrop of easing China-US relations and rising global geopolitical and economic uncertainties, ASEAN member countries are looking forward to more stable and mutually beneficial relations with China, Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

"In engaging with other major powers outside the Southeast Asian region, the ASEAN member countries hope to play a role in the system that contributes to regional peace and stability and hope that they will not be marginalized, avoiding becoming cannon fodder in the competition among major powers," Chen said. 

The goals advocated by ASEAN are in fact closely related and interconnected with China-proposed initiatives, which draw a stark contrast to the concepts, methods, and contents currently pursued by the US, Japan and the Philippines, the expert said. 

As China is receiving more leaders and high-level officials from the ASEAN member countries, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr are scheduled to hold a trilateral summit in the US on Thursday amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.

The US-led small clique emphasizes small-group multilateralism that is inherently exclusionary, and their approach generates targeted, confrontational strategies to achieve their goals of power and interests, Chen said. 

The so-called trilateral cooperation, echoing the US' diplomacy that is characterized as confrontational, could further heighten maritime risks and jeopardize regional stability in the South China Sea, experts said. 

"The US' diplomacy is characterized by camp confrontation and group antagonism and it's designed such that if you're not with the US, you're against it, and being against it means the US considers you a target for attack," Li said. 

This kind of diplomacy, which stirs up trouble, creates an atmosphere of forming cliques to attack others. And the Western countries, led by the US, force nations worldwide to take sides in regional conflicts, thereby aiming to enhance the geopolitical advantage of the West through conflict, the expert noted. "Countries that maintain a neutral stance and advocate for peace and dialogue are negatively portrayed in the narrative of the West."

The central government appointed Cui Jianchun, the former Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, as Chinese foreign ministry (FM)'s commissioner in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday. 

The Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee welcomed the appointment on Wednesday, saying that with the support of the ministry and the Commissioner's Office, the city has consistently developed its external affairs in accordance with the Basic Law, expanding Hong Kong's external exchanges and cooperation to enhance its international influence and competitiveness. 

Cui previously served as Chinese ambassador to Nigeria. According to official records, Cui, born in July 1964, holds a Master's degree in business administration. 

He had a long tenure with the China National Nuclear Corporation and served as the director of the international cooperation and development department for the organization in 2010.

Starting in 2011, Cui transitioned into the diplomatic system, holding positions such as Minister Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in France, Chinese ambassador to Kuwait, Deputy Director-General of the Consular Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2016, he worked as Chinese ambassador to Guyana.

In April 2021, Cui was appointed the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria.

Liu Guangyuan, the former commissioner of the Chinese FM in Hong Kong, was appointed as deputy director of the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong in July 2023. 

The Commissioner's Office also provides consular protection and appropriate assistance to Hong Kong residents encountering issues overseas.

Cui is an experienced diplomat with extensive experience accumulated during his postings abroad, and Lee firmly believes that under Cui's leadership, the Commissioner's Office will continue to work closely with the HKSAR government to advance various initiatives, Lee said. 

The HKSAR government will continue to align with the overall strategy of the ministry, providing accurate explanations of the latest developments in Hong Kong to overseas audiences, and effectively conveying the stories of Hong Kong and the One Country, Two Systems principle, Lee said. 

On Sunday, Chinese AI experts slammed a report issued by Microsoft as it claimed that China is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to manipulate elections in other countries. The report is politically motivated and lacks both evidence and authority, analysts said.

China will attempt to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India this year with artificial intelligence-generated content, the US tech firm Microsoft said in a report on Friday. 

Microsoft said that "at a minimum" China will create and distribute through social media AI-generated content that "benefits their positions in these high-profile elections." However, the company also said that the impact of AI-made content was minor.

AI experts said that Microsoft's report fails to provide solid evidence to prove the authenticity of the related social media accounts and their connection to the Chinese government. 

"From a technical perspective, the use of AI to generate text content is already very common around the world, so why is China to blame? This report has been speculating without evidence," Zhu Rongsheng, an assistant researcher at the Center for Strategic and Security Studies, Tsinghua University, shared his insight with the Global Times on Sunday.  

When answering a query regarding the US presidential election in January, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the presidential election is the domestic affair of the US. China, committed to the principle of non-interference in others' internal affairs, would never interfere in the US presidential election.

A technology company releasing a politically motivated report without evidence lacks authority, experts say. With no evidence, this report from Microsoft proves that US companies and the US government have formed a chain of interests, Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times. 

When US companies need to use political means to suppress their competitors, the US government can go beyond market mechanisms to suppress companies from other countries. US companies can also use reasons related to national security to curb the development of their competitors. This report demonstrates that in the fiercely competitive field of AI, US companies seek to discredit and suppress their competitors through improper means, Yang pointed out.

This is not the first time Microsoft has released such a report. On September 7, 2023, Microsoft researchers said on a blog that they found what they believe is a network of fake, Chinese-controlled social media accounts seeking to influence US voters by using artificial intelligence.

"In recent years, some Western media and think tanks have accused China of using artificial intelligence to create fake social media accounts to spread so-called 'pro-China' information," Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in 2023 in response to an email to CNN when asked for comment on the Microsoft report. "Such remarks are full of prejudice and malicious speculation against China, which China firmly opposes," he added.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Thursday, calling for the proper managing differences, accelerating maritime cooperation and consultations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea to resolve conflict, and warning to be vigilant against engaging in camp confrontation and "small cliques" to undermine regional peace and stability.

China-Vietnam relations have enjoyed rapid development last year since the top leaders of the two parties jointly announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, giving a new meaning to the line "so profound is the friendship between Vietnam and China, because we are both comrades and brothers," Wang said.

The Chinese side called on enhancing high-level strategic communication, accelerating the development of strategic alignment, and continuously expanding cooperation with Vietnam in areas such as economic affairs and trade investment, the digital economy, green development, new energy, and critical minerals.

The two sides should also jointly safeguard international fairness and justice, practice true multilateralism, and continue to support each other on issues of major interest to both sides.

They should properly manage differences, accelerate maritime cooperation and consultations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea to resolve conflict, Wang said.
The meeting took place as the Philippines continued making provocations on the South China Sea issue under the instigation of the US. Reuters reported that defense forces of the US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines will conduct "maritime cooperative activity" on Sunday.

The Vietnamese diplomat said that Vietnam adheres to the one-China policy, firmly supports China's position on matters related to Taiwan, Xinjiang, and Xizang, and opposes the use of human rights and democracy to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

Vietnam will strengthen multilateral coordination with China to protect common interests, and is willing to implement the consensus of the high-level leadership of the two countries, properly manage differences, actively promote maritime cooperation and consultations on the COC in the South China Sea, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, Bui Thanh Son said.