Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with Amy Henniger, President Trump’s nominee to be Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, Benjamin Kohlmann, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, and David Denton, Jr., nominee to be General Counsel of the Department of the Navy during their nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC). Sen. Tuberville spoke about the need to improve technology in the defense industry, address the challenges many military members are facing, and the importance of shipbuilding to our national security.
Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.
ON SPEEDING UP DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY TESTING:
TUBERVILLE: “Good Morning. Congratulations to all of you, and thanks for your service.
Ms. Henninger, Huntsville, Alabama is a major hub for innovations in hypersonic space warfare and quantum computing, just to name a few. I don’t need to tell you we’re already years behind our adversaries in these critical technologies.
What would you do to accelerate the testing and evaluation of critical technologies, especially as threats from adversaries, like China, continue to mature?”
HENNINGER: “Senator Tuberville, thank you for the opportunity to answer this. I am very familiar with Huntsville. I’ve been there many, many times to Redstone. I worked with the Cyber Red Team there, and I agree [that] it is a hotbed of innovation for the country. I appreciate all the smart people down there. And speed is very, very important. And speed with rigor is even better.
So, there are a number of levers in place right now that DOT&E can encourage the operational test agencies to employ. They include things like shifting left. They include things like taking advantage of training exercises or operational experimentation exercises. They include things like more tightly integrating DT and OT. The issue, in my view, is that those things are becoming our go-to for surge, and they should be everyday baseline in every test we do. So, I would like to see us move beyond surging with manpower and find […] more automated T&E, more digital methods, digital modeling, to speed and facilitate our test and evaluation processes.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Our F-35 program seems to take one step forward and two steps back. How do we fix that?”
HENNINGER: “Sir, thank you for the question. I’ve been out of the office for four years and […] I’m not tracking exactly what’s going on with the F-35. I haven’t been briefed on it. I know the Block 4 is coming up. I know there’s a lot of classified work on that. I am slightly familiar with it because I worked on it previously. But one of my first steps back into the office would be to come up to speed on all these weapon systems, especially the classified ones that I’ve missed the last four years, and understand where we, where our baseline is and what we’re doing.”
TUBERVILLE: “You’ll find out pretty quick. Again, it’s a great machine. We just continue to have problems.
ON WORKFORCE PROBLEMS IN THE MILITARY:
“Mr. Kohlmann, DOD civilian workforce numbers have exploded in the last two decades while service end strengths have decreased, the tail is eating the tooth and has become an enormous burden to the American taxpayer. Under the previous administration, there were additional protections put in at the request of labor unions to make it harder to fire unperforming employees. What is your plan to fix this bloated bureaucracy?”
KOHLMANN: “Senator, thank you for the question. Coming from the private sector, there were many opportunities when we had to reassess our workforce to understand if it was at the correct size. I think it is appropriate for government to make similar assessments. I want, if confirmed, [to] get in the seat and understand where the core areas’ priority are and if we have to reshift, reshift allocations of civilian workforce from one area to the other or maybe re-rightsize areas as well. I think holding civilians and military personnel to very high standards and holding them accountable for poor performance is critical to driving the change that we need.”
TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. And also, with a lot of our military bases, brick and mortar is an absolute disgrace. I know […] you’re not going to be over brick and mortar, but we’re going to need your help to fix a lot of that. You know, we’re behind.”
KOHLMANN: “Senator, the state of how our service members live is critical to both retention and recruitment and I look forward to working with the Secretary of Navy. I know it’s a priority of his to make sure that our service members have the right places to live.”
TUBERVILLE: “Yeah, the quality of life should be a lot better than what it is for a lot of our families. And that’s important for recruiting as we were talking about earlier.”
ON ADVISING SENIOR LEADERSHIP IN THE NAVY:
TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Denton, the previous administration flouted the law and used the office [to seek] and many others to advance a political agenda. As the Navy’s top lawyer, can you commit to helping ensure the Navy will follow statute and advise senior leaders in an apolitical manner?”
DENTON: “Absolutely, Senator.”
ON SHIPBUILDING:
TUBERVILLE: “[Do] you see any problems? What do you think will be your number one agenda when you first go into office?”
DENTON: “Senator, I think that my most important priority, if confirmed, will be supporting Secretary Phelan’s most important priority, which is shipbuilding and getting the battle force back to where it needs to be. That’s going to be a full life cycle effort, throughout the entire acquisition and sustainment process, making sure that we are receiving value for dollar from industry, but at the same time, ensuring that we have the right authorities and the right resources deployed to sustain the fleet and make sure that we have the capabilities that our sailors and marines need to deter and, if necessary, win any fight that might come our way.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.
Senator Wicker and I like to hear that word ‘shipbuilding,’ don’t we, Senator?”
WICKER: “Senator Tuberville, I don’t think we could have had a finer answer to that question.”
TUBERVILLE: “Exactly right.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
Senator Marshall Joins the Sean Spicer Show Live
Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Sean Spicer on The Sean Spicer Show to discuss the tenure of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, the MAHA movement, and whether the Senate will stay or go for the August recess.
Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
On the economic growth so far in 2025:
“What did the first thing I go to is our interest rate, and Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell, he’s got to be eating a little bit more crow here, in my humble opinion. You know, maybe he should have decreased the interest rate a quarter point a month ago, a quarter point today, and maybe a half point next month. So I think he’s eating a lot of crow.
“We’re seeing unemployment stay low. We’re seeing inflation down, grocery, [and] gas prices are stabilized… good GDP, and why? You know, this isn’t just happenstance. I’ve never seen an economy and a country’s attitude turnaround in six months like it has. I think a lot of this goes back to rolling back the regulations and really just a re-establishment of law and order and people having faith in this country once again.”
On whether Jerome Powell should resign or be fired:
“So I think they’re going to grow louder, but my advice to the President, if he asked for it, is not to fire Jerome Powell. This guy reminds me of a lame duck coach that’s having three losing seasons. I mean, they’re having a horrible season right now, and he should resign.”
“[If he fires Jerome Powell tomorrow] I will, absolutely, I’ll support the President’s decision. And I think it’s making the play call, right? Someone has to make the play call, and I’d be okay with that. But if Jerome Powell was a man, he should resign. And again, we just have no confidence in him. The economy has no confidence in him. He served his country, in my opinion, not very well. He’s added to the debt. He continues to have an upside-down balance of economic situation there at the Feds as well. I can’t believe that he’s losing money like he has. What they’ve done with quantitative easing is absolutely criminal. It goes back to 2008.”
On whether the President has the authority to fire Jerome Powell:
“You’re the political analyst here. I think we have to think about the political side of this as well. I mean, we can get all the lawyers in and all the king’s men in and give us an opinion, but there’s a huge political risk to this. And that’s if I was his advisor, that’s what I’d be talking to him more about. I think it’s one more reason you would go to Jerome Powell, have my chief go to Jerome Powell, and say, here’s the cause. Why don’t you help us all out here and resign and let the country get down the road? Look at just a new chapter, it’s a new day, this is the dawn of a new golden economic era and safety for this country. And it’s best for him to move along and enjoy his retirement.”
On the trade deficits with the EU:
“We haven’t sold a cheeseburger in Europe in maybe forever, certainly in this century, right? And we make the best beef in the world. No one can argue that. No one can replicate it. The cattle industry is what’s keeping our ag sector together right now. We’re struggling with our commodities like wheat and sorghum soybeans. So cattle is driving the agriculture industry right now in the state of Kansas. So selling them cheeseburgers is really important.
“The other issue is ethanol. 40, 50% of our corn crop goes to making ethanol. We have capacity to do more. So selling it to them is a huge, huge opportunity. And remember, if you put the EU together, they’re the number one trade deficit that we have. It kind of caught me off guard, but China’s, I think, is closer to $300 billion and and the EU’s collectively is about $250 billion. So, between these two countries, between the EU and China, is half of our trade deficit.
“So I think that agriculture is a great opportunity for us to grow back and to shrink that deficit. And want to emphasize all these deals, it’s not necessarily the tariffs that are important to farmers and ranchers. It’s the non-tariff barriers that the EU uses to keep us from selling American beef into that country.”
On advocating for both farmers and ranchers and the MAHA movement:
“Yeah, well, Sean, I feel like my whole life, God has prepared me for this moment. To be a fifth-generation ag kid, and spent 25 years in healthcare, managing a diabetic clinic for pregnant women was a big part of my practice. So, I think I’ve been prepared for this particular moment. And being able to have a great relationship with Secretary Kennedy and Secretary Rollins, with the Secretary of Agriculture, and at the same time know what Kansas farmers and ranchers are doing. And we’re doing so many great things already, and sharing that with the MAHA people and helping them to understand that we’re trying to get there.
“Look, a Kansas farmer doesn’t want to have to use any more fertilizer or pesticide than they have to. They’re very, very expensive. So we’re developing modern regenerative agriculture practices, where we’re decreasing by 90% the drift of those chemicals leaving the field, and we’re using 60% less, again, through precision agriculture, through modern-day technology. So we’re getting there.
“And I think just what can we do then on the Ag Committee, to help accentuate the positive, to help these early adapters, to spread that love, so to speak, as well. So I’m spending a lot of time educating MAHA on what we’re doing in agriculture, and kind of focusing on soil health. That healthy soil leads to healthy food, leads to healthy people, so motivating farmers to grow that healthy soil.”
On processed foods and healthier nutrition in America:
“I think we have a long way to go on what America chooses to eat, and that would be the ultra-processed food. I think that the boogeyman here is the ultra-processed food. I don’t think it. In my humble opinion, I’ve looked at the studies on plant-based seed oil versus fat from animals, and I don’t think that’s the issue. I know that my MAHA people disagree with me. I think it’s that they’re they happen to be using that seed-based oil in ultra-processed food. I think it’s the salt and the sugar that are in the ultra-processed food that’s the actual problem.
“I think we’ve made huge strides when it comes to these potential toxins. Right now, we only put down most of these pesticides before we plant the seed. So by the time the seeds coming up… there’s minimal around to actually be left in a residue, which is what they call it. And we’re becoming more and more strict on what we’re doing to measure that residue, whether you’re at the a co-op elevator or whether you’re at the milling plant.
“My sorghum growers especially have adapted these modern practices where they’re using just minimal, minimal, they’re measuring it, they’re proving that indeed, it’s healthy. And you’re concerned about our waters again – 90% less fertilizer is ever leaving the field by modern-day agriculture. So we’re getting there, Sean, but I’m not nearly satisfied…And remember, we’re we’re dads and grandfathers and mothers and grandmothers first. We happen to be farmers, but we want our children to be healthy as well. We certainly you don’t want to go out and misuse these pesticides. You don’t want to be dipping your fingers in it. You don’t want to be breathing it. You need to be using it with the very strictest of techniques.”
On the FDA approval process of vaccines and doctor-patient relationships:
“Yeah, Sean, so I don’t have a single answer. Number one is, this is why I think the relationship between the doctor and the patient is sacred. And each person’s an individual. The advice I gave my parents on the COVID-19 shot was different than the advice I gave my children and for their children as well on the COVID shot. Completely, two different risk factor profiles there as well.
“My big concern here is when vaccines are made, not in the United States. China does knockoffs, and they don’t have the highest safety standards that we do. You know, just recently, I’m going to give you an example, the GLP one drugs. China has been making a knockoff drug, and then they’re sending it to compounders in the United States. And they may not know it’s a knockoff drug, but 14 people have died from using that compounded GLP one this in the past year. Zero people have died from using US-based FDA-approved drugs. So it’s the impurity that scares the death out of me. On the vaccine, the interaction amongst them scares the death out of me.
“I’ll give you one example. Secretary Kennedy and myself have both said MMR is the best way to prevent measles, but it’s not given until you’re a year of age. It’s been around forever. It’s proven to be safe, and… Measles can actually kill, especially young kids. So my advice is to get the MMR vaccine at age one.
“On the other hand, the hepatitis vaccine for a two-day-old or one-day-old… who are the risk of people with hepatitis, right? It would be homosexuals and prostitutes, that type of thing… drug abusers, right? That’s who’s at risk for hepatitis. So I don’t see what is there to gain from giving my two-day-old granddaughter the hepatitis vaccine, let their immune system develop a little bit. So the science is not settled. Sean, it’s never settled. And it’s my job as your doctor to keep try to keep up with that and give you the very best advice I can. Sorry, that’s a long answer.”
On the August recess and President Trump’s nominees:
“We were elected to do the work of the people. President Trump, 78 million people voted for him, for him to fulfill his mission and his agenda, we need more of these people approved. Look, Chuck Schumer is jamming us right now. He’s doing things that we never did, people that should be easily confirmed by unanimous consent, not take any time up. So if we stay here this August, it’ll be Chuck Schumer’s fault, just like if we end up in some type of financial shutdown in September. This is Chuck Schumer overreacting to AOC and just the psychotic nature right now of the Democrat Party, if that makes sense.
“So I’m willing to stay. I want to stay, whatever it takes to get these people confirmed; the Senate needs to do its job. Yes, I want to go home, see family, go out and do our town halls, all those types of things I want to do, but my number one mission right now – got The Big Beautiful Bill done – my number one mission right now is to get these people confirmed.”
class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby determine and order:
Section 1. Background. In Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025 (Regulating Imports With a Reciprocal Tariff To Rectify Trade Practices That Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits), I found that conditions reflected in large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States that has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States. I declared a national emergency with respect to that threat, and to deal with that threat, I imposed additional ad valorem duties that I deemed necessary and appropriate.
I have received additional information and recommendations from various senior officials on, among other things, the continued lack of reciprocity in our bilateral trade relationships and the impact of foreign trading partners’ disparate tariff rates and non-tariff barriers on U.S. exports, the domestic manufacturing base, critical supply chains, and the defense industrial base. I also have received additional information and recommendations on foreign relations, economic, and national security matters, including the status of trade negotiations, efforts to retaliate against the United States for its actions to address the emergency declared in Executive Order 14257, and efforts to align with the United States on economic and national security matters.
For example, some trading partners have agreed to, or are on the verge of agreeing to, meaningful trade and security commitments with the United States, thus signaling their sincere intentions to permanently remedy the trade barriers that have contributed to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14257, and to align with the United States on economic and national security matters. Other trading partners, despite having engaged in negotiations, have offered terms that, in my judgment, do not sufficiently address imbalances in our trading relationship or have failed to align sufficiently with the United States on economic and national-security matters. There are also some trading partners that have failed to engage in negotiations with the United States or to take adequate steps to align sufficiently with the United States on economic and national security matters.
After considering the information and recommendations that I have recently received, among other things, I have determined that it is necessary and appropriate to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14257 by imposing additional ad valorem duties on goods of certain trading partners at the rates set forth in Annex I to this order, subject to all applicable exceptions set forth in Executive Order 14257, as amended, in lieu of the additional ad valorem duties previously imposed on goods of such trading partners in Executive Order 14257, as amended.
Sec. 2. Tariff Modifications. (a) The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) shall be modified as provided in Annex II to this order. These modifications shall be effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time 7 days after the date of this order, except that goods loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading and in transit on the final mode of transit before 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time 7 days after the date of this order, and entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, before 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on October 5, 2025, shall not be subject to such additional duty and shall instead remain subject to the additional ad valorem duties previously imposed in Executive Order 14257, as amended.
(b) Certain foreign trading partners identified in Annex I to this order have agreed to, or are on the verge of concluding, meaningful trade and security agreements with the United States. Goods of those trading partners will remain subject to the additional ad valorem duties provided in Annex I to this order until such time as those agreements are concluded, and I issue subsequent orders memorializing the terms of those agreements.
(c) As provided in Annex I to this order, the additional ad valorem rate of duty applicable to any good of the European Union is determined by the good’s current ad valorem (or ad valorem equivalent) rate of duty under column 1 (General) of the HTSUS (“Column 1 Duty Rate”). For a good of the European Union with a Column 1 Duty Rate that is less than 15 percent, the sum of its Column 1 Duty Rate and the additional ad valorem rate of duty pursuant to this order shall be 15 percent. For a good of the European Union with a Column 1 Duty Rate that is at least 15 percent, the additional ad valorem rate of duty pursuant to this order shall be zero.
(d) Goods of any foreign trading partner that is not listed in Annex I to this order will be subject to an additional ad valorem rate of duty of 10 percent pursuant to the terms of Executive Order 14257, as amended, unless otherwise expressly provided. This rate shall be effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time 7 days after the date of this order.
(e) The HTSUS shall also be modified by continuing to suspend headings 9903.01.43 through 9903.01.62 and 9903.01.64 through 9903.01.76, and subdivisions (v)(xiii)(1)–(9) and (11)‑(57) of U.S. note 2 to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS, until the effective date of the modifications provided in Annex II to this order. Upon the effective date of the modifications provided in Annex II to this order, to facilitate implementation of the rates of duty provided in Annex I to this order, headings 9903.01.43 through 9903.01.62 and 9903.01.64 through 9903.01.76, which are organized by rate of duty, and subdivisions (v)(xiii) (1)-(9) and (11)-(57) of U.S. note 2 to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS shall be terminated as to future entries and replaced by the new trading partner-specific headings provided in Annex II to this order.
(f) Excluding the changes set forth in subsections (a) through (d) of this section, the terms of Executive Order 14257, as amended, shall continue to apply.
(g) Nothing in this order shall be construed to alter or otherwise affect Executive Order 14298 of May 12, 2025 (Modifying Reciprocal Tariff Rates To Reflect Discussions With the People’s Republic of China).
(h) The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Chair of the United States International Trade Commission, shall determine whether any additional modifications to the HTSUS are necessary to effectuate this order and may make such modifications through notice in the Federal Register.
Sec. 3. Transshipment. (a) An article determined by CBP to have been transshipped to evade applicable duties under section 2 of this order shall be subject to (i) an additional ad valorem rate of duty of 40 percent, in lieu of the additional ad valorem rate of duty applicable under section 2 of this order to goods of the country of origin, (ii) any other applicable or appropriate fine or penalty, including those assessed under 19 U.S.C. 1592, and (iii) any other United States duties, fees, taxes, exactions, or charges applicable to goods of the country of origin. CBP shall not allow, consistent with applicable law, for mitigation or remission of the penalties assessed on imports found to be transshipped to evade applicable duties.
(b) The Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Commissioner of CBP, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, shall publish every 6 months a list of countries and specific facilities used in circumvention schemes, to inform public procurement, national security reviews, and commercial due diligence.
Sec. 4. Implementation. The Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the United States Trade Representative, as applicable, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Assistant to the President and Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the Chair of the International Trade Commission, are directed and authorized to take all necessary actions to implement and effectuate this order, consistent with applicable law, including through temporary suspension or amendment of regulations or notices in the Federal Register and by adopting rules, regulations, or guidance, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA, as may be necessary to implement this order. Each executive department and agency shall take all appropriate measures within its authority to implement this order.
Sec. 5. Monitoring and Recommendations. (a) The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative shall monitor the circumstances involving the emergency declared in Executive Order 14257 and shall regularly consult on such circumstances with any senior official they deem appropriate. The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative shall inform me of any circumstance that, in their opinion, might indicate the need for further action by the President. The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative shall also inform me of any circumstance that, in their opinion, might indicate that a foreign trading partner has taken adequate steps to address the emergency declared in Executive Order 14257.
(b) The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, in consultation with any senior official they deem appropriate, shall recommend to me any necessary additional action if this action is not effective in resolving the emergency declared in Executive Order 14257.
(c) The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, in coordination with the appropriate senior officials, shall recommend additional action, if necessary, should a foreign trading partner fail to take adequate steps to address the emergency declared in Executive Order 14257 or should a foreign trading partner retaliate against the United States in response to the actions taken to address the emergency declared in Executive Order 14257 or any subsequent order issued to address that emergency.
Sec. 6. Severability. If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision of this order to any individual or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its provisions to any other individuals or circumstances shall not be affected.
Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
July 31, 2025.
ANNEX I
Countries and Territories
Reciprocal Tariff, Adjusted
Afghanistan
15%
Algeria
30%
Angola
15%
Bangladesh
20%
Bolivia
15%
Bosnia and Herzegovina
30%
Botswana
15%
Brazil
10%
Brunei
25%
Cambodia
19%
Cameroon
15%
Chad
15%
Costa Rica
15%
Côte d`Ivoire
15%
Democratic Republic of the Congo
15%
Ecuador
15%
Equatorial Guinea
15%
European Union: Goods with Column 1 Duty Rate[1] > 15%
0%
European Union: Goods with Column 1 Duty Rate < 15%
15% minus Column 1 Duty Rate
Falkland Islands
10%
Fiji
15%
Ghana
15%
Guyana
15%
Iceland
15%
India
25%
Indonesia
19%
Iraq
35%
Israel
15%
Japan
15%
Jordan
15%
Kazakhstan
25%
Laos
40%
Lesotho
15%
Libya
30%
Liechtenstein
15%
Madagascar
15%
Malawi
15%
Malaysia
19%
Mauritius
15%
Moldova
25%
Mozambique
15%
Myanmar (Burma)
40%
Namibia
15%
Nauru
15%
New Zealand
15%
Nicaragua
18%
Nigeria
15%
North Macedonia
15%
Norway
15%
Pakistan
19%
Papua New Guinea
15%
Philippines
19%
Serbia
35%
South Africa
30%
South Korea
15%
Sri Lanka
20%
Switzerland
39%
Syria
41%
Taiwan
20%
Thailand
19%
Trinidad and Tobago
15%
Tunisia
25%
Turkey
15%
Uganda
15%
United Kingdom
10%
Vanuatu
15%
Venezuela
15%
Vietnam
20%
Zambia
15%
Zimbabwe
15%
[1] For purposes of this Executive Order and its Annexes, “Column 1 Duty Rate” means the ad valorem (or ad valorem equivalent) rate of duty under column 1-General of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS).
ANNEX II
Effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time 7 days after the date of the executive order, excluding the day the executive order is signed, subchapter III of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) is modified as follows:
Heading 9903.01.25 of the HTSUS shall be amended by deleting the article description and by inserting “Articles the product of any country, except for products described in headings 9903.01.26–9903.01.33, 9903.02.02–9903.02.71, and 9903.96.01, and except as provided for in headings 9903.01.34 and 9903.02.01, as provided for in subdivision (v) of U.S. note 2 to this subchapter . . . . . . .” in lieu thereof; and
Headings 9903.01.43–9903.01.62 and 9903.01.64–9903.01.76 and corresponding subdivisions (v)(xiii)(1)–(9) and (11)–(57) of U.S. note 2 to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS are hereby terminated as to any future entries.
Subdivision (v) of U.S. note 2 to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS shall be amended by:
Deleting “and 9903.01.43–9903.01.76” each place that it appears and inserting “9903.01.63, and 9903.02.01–9903.02.71” in lieu thereof;
Inserting the following new subdivision in numerical sequence at the end of subdivision (v) of U.S. note 2:
“As provided in headings 9903.02.19 and 9903.02.20, for any good of the European Union subject to a specific or compound rate of duty under column 1-General, the ad valorem equivalent rate of duty of such good shall be determined by dividing the amount of duty payable under column 1-General by the customs value of the good. For example, if a good were subject to a specific duty of 50 cents per kilogram, and one kilogram of the good were entered with a customs value of $10, then the ad valorem equivalent rate of duty would be obtained by dividing 50 cents by $10, yielding 5 percent.”
The following new headings shall be inserted in numerical sequence, with the material in the new heading inserted in the columns of the HTSUS labeled “Heading/Subheading”, “Article Description”, “Rates of Duty 1-General”, “Rates of Duty 1-Special”, and “Rates of Duty 2”, respectively:
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 31 — Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin announced on Thursday a comprehensive plan by the Chinese government to enhance football development through a series of strategic measures, including the establishment of national and regional youth training centers.
Speaking at China’s national football development conference, Shen emphasized the critical focus on nurturing a robust national youth football system. This initiative aims to expedite the construction of youth training centers at all levels, promote football education within schools, and cultivate high-level coaching talent.
Shen also highlighted other key initiatives, such as launching pilot programs in major football cities and western regions of China, fostering healthy development of professional leagues, and enhancing international exchanges. These efforts will be introduced progressively.
In addition, Shen said the Chinese government is committed to increasing support for football in China and is also maintaining rigorous disciplinary inspection and anti-corruption measures within the industry.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 31 — A State Council executive meeting on Thursday called for consolidating and boosting the momentum of economic recovery in the second half of the year.
The meeting, presided over by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, studied and implemented the guiding principles of an important speech by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on the current economic situation and arrangements for economic work in the second half of 2025.
The meeting emphasized the need to develop a good understanding of the CPC Central Committee’s scientific judgment of the economic situation, and to further enhance the sense of mission and responsibility in doing good economic work in the second half.
Targeting annual development goals and tasks, more efforts should be made to boost the effectiveness of macro policies, stimulate the endogenous power of economic development, and better coordinate development and security, the meeting said.
It also reviewed and approved a document on boosting the large-scale commercial application of artificial intelligence, arranged the implementation of interest subsidy policies for personal consumption loans and lending for service sector business entities, and discussed and approved in principle a draft law on the protection and quality improvement of arable land.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China to work with all member states to complete preparations in final phase for SCO Tianjin summit: spokesperson
BEIJING, July 31 — China will work with all the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states to complete the preparations in the final phase for the SCO Tianjin summit, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said here on Thursday.
Guo made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to introduce the work China has done as SCO rotating chair and the preparations that have been made for the SCO Tianjin summit.
Guo said since China took over the SCO rotating chairmanship in July last year, China has acted on the slogan “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move,” and made solid progress in work as the SCO chair.
He summarized the positive progress and outcomes China achieved from three aspects.
First, cooperation in all sectors has been deepened. China has hosted over 100 events as the SCO chair, and nearly half are institutional events, covering multiple areas such as politics, security, military, economy and trade, investment, energy, education, connectivity, technological innovation, green industry, digital economy and people-to-people exchanges. These events helped SCO countries increase solidarity and mutual trust, enhanced mutual learning and achieved mutually beneficial and win-win results.
Second, the mechanisms of the organization have been improved. China has worked with all member states to advance reform and innovation in various aspects such as the deliberation mechanism, cooperation pattern and permanent bodies, to ensure smoother and more efficient operation of the organization. Parties are accelerating the consultations regarding the establishment of a comprehensive center for dealing with security threats and challenges, an information security center, a center for fighting transnational organized crime and a counternarcotics center, to strengthen cooperation on law enforcement and security and to build a new paradigm for regional security cooperation.
Third, stronger commitment was made to the “Shanghai Spirit.” The SCO has spoken up to uphold justice on major international and regional issues, firmly upheld the multilateral trading system and strongly condemned the abuse of armed force, sending a strong message of the SCO for safeguarding peace and justice. China, together with SCO member states, has actively carried out exchanges and dialogues among political parties, media and think tanks, giving people a better understanding of the “Shanghai Spirit” and bringing the big family of the SCO closer.
Guo said that one month later, the SCO summit will be held in China’s Tianjin, adding that leaders of over 20 countries and heads of 10 international organizations will gather together for the summit.
“This will be the largest summit since the establishment of the SCO, and the culmination of China’s work as the SCO chair,” the spokesperson said.
Noting that the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held not long ago has made full political preparations for this summit, Guo said China will work with all member states to complete the preparations in the final phase, accumulate positive outcomes in areas such as security, development, livelihood and mechanisms, to hold a friendly and united summit with fruitful results.
Guo said the Tianjin summit will guide the SCO to enter a new stage of high-quality development featuring more solidarity, coordination, vitality and contribution, and build a closer SCO community with a shared future.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 31 — China has broken new ground in work related to veterans and martyrs affairs during the 14th Five-Year Plan period from 2021 to 2025, Minister of Veterans Affairs Pei Jinjia said at a news conference on Thursday.
In 2022, China issued the first national-level special plan in the field of veterans’ affairs to bolster services and support for retired servicemen. Efforts in employment assistance, training, and rights protection have achieved the expected outcomes since the introduction of the plan, Pei said.
IMPROVING JOB SUPPORT
During the five-year period, China has rolled out a series of regulations and policies to support the employment of retired military personnel and broaden their career opportunities.
Veterans are playing an increasingly important role in the country’s economic and social development, said Vice Minister of Veterans Affairs Xu Yao at the press conference.
China has provided job placements to over 250,000 demobilized officers and veterans since 2021, Xu said, adding that more efforts will be made to expand job opportunities and streamline placement procedures for veterans.
According to Sheng Baochen, an official from the ministry’s employment and entrepreneurship department, more than 50,000 job fairs have been held, helping over 1.4 million veterans secure employment opportunities.
The ministry has guided localities to establish 1,988 business incubation bases to support veterans in business startups nationwide over the past five years, Sheng said.
Approximately 370,000 veterans now serve as officials of villages and communities, more than 14,800 have become teachers in primary and secondary schools, and over 18,000 have joined China’s national comprehensive fire and rescue teams, he added.
ENHANCING VETERAN SERVICES
Pei also highlighted the ministry’s strong focus on improving the construction of service centers in the past five years.
Efforts have been made to ensure nationwide coverage of veteran services through a six-tiered network of service centers and stations, extending from the national level to villages and communities, with a total of 610,000 units established so far, Pei said.
In addition, service delivery has been streamlined through the development of mobile apps tailored for veterans, and this digital approach has enhanced service efficiency and improved overall service quality, Pei added.
Veteran affairs coordinators have been recognized by the government as a new occupation, he said, referring to personnel working at veterans service centers and stations handling tasks such as policy consultation, employment and entrepreneurship support, and rights protection for veterans.
“The continuous improvement of veteran service centers and stations and their work standards has brought closer ties between veterans and the Party and government,” Pei said.
HONORING FALLEN HEROES
From 2021 to 2025, China took back home the remains of 265 soldiers of the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) who died in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953) and honored them with solemn burial ceremonies.
According to Pei, DNA samples from the returned remains of 981 CPV soldiers and DNA samples of over 1,300 family members of martyrs have been collected, forming a refined, dynamic database.
Additionally, China has set up a center for searching and identifying fallen soldiers’ remains, along with a national DNA laboratory for the identification of the remains of martyrs.
Pei also highlighted that the country has identified burial sites or found relatives for 7,000 fallen soldiers.
This achievement was made possible through a public service platform launched by the ministry, which encourages and guides public participation in such search efforts, he noted.
The ministry is committed to strengthening the preservation and utilization of martyr memorials, said Chen Erwei, an official with the ministry, at the press conference.
Furthermore, China plans to unveil new national-level memorials, historical sites, and a list of prominent heroes from the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945), Chen said.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
People visit Inner Mongolia Museum in Hohhot
Updated: August 1, 2025 07:26Xinhua
People visit Inner Mongolia Museum in Hohhot, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 30, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]People visit Inner Mongolia Museum in Hohhot, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 30, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) proposed the Senate remaining in session into the month of August or changing Senate rules if Democrats persist in their extreme and unprecedented obstruction of President Trump’s nominees. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.
“I don’t believe, Mr. President, that the Senate should leave town without ensuring that President Trump has his nominees and his team in place.”
“We find ourselves really in an unprecedented situation where Democrats, rather than picking and choosing the nominees they choose to object to, have simply chosen to object to all of them, forcing us to burn a lot of valuable floor time that we could be using for other more constructive purposes, and delaying President Trump, who after all, won the election last November, the team he’s entitled to govern and carry out his policies.”
“What our Democratic colleagues are saying is, we will agree to no confirmation votes on Trump nominees during his second term.”
“Many of these nominees – I think roughly 30 of them – are Senate-confirmed nominees to serve as an ambassador in our embassies around the world.”
“I don’t have to remind all of us that the world has become a much more dangerous place and, the idea that the United States would not have a Senate-confirmed ambassador in these embassies around the world is simply shooting ourselves in the foot.”
“China and Russia and our other adversaries, they certainly have their ambassadors working in each of those countries to further their interests, but the idea that the United States would be absent because Senate Democrats simply refuse to confirm these ambassadors is really beyond the pale.”
“What we’re talking about really are rank-and-file people, who are confirmed by a vote of the Senate.”
“I personally believe that we should change the law and not require Senate confirmation for many of these positions.”
“The Democrats simply are mindlessly obstructing the confirmation of these non-controversial, really apolitical nominees.”
“If we can’t reach some sort of negotiated outcome that is satisfactory to President Trump, then we need to either stay here or change the Senate rules.”
“Senate Democrats are the ones that brought us to where we are today, and they’re the ones responsible for the blame.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s Chen Yuxi captured her fourth world title in the women’s 10-meter platform, while Romania’s David Popovici delivered a historic swim in the men’s 100-meter freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships on Thursday.
Chen, who led both the preliminary and semifinal rounds, secured gold with a score of 430.50 points. Germany’s Pauline Alexandra Pfeif earned silver with 367.10 points, while 15-year-old Chinese diver Xie Peiling took bronze with 358.20 in her world championships debut.
Chen Yuxi of China kisses the medal after the awarding ceremony for the women’s 10m platform final of diving at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, July 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)
“Every world championship holds a special place in my memory,” Chen said. “This time, under physical strain and the challenge of maintaining form, I was still able to deliver a 430-point performance. I’m very satisfied.”
Chinese swimmers added two bronze medals on the fifth day of competition. In the women’s 50-meter backstroke final, Wan Letian finished third in 27.30 seconds, behind American swimmers Katharine Berkoff and Regan Smith, who claimed gold and silver, respectively.
“I’ve overcome a mental hurdle,” Wan said. “I wasn’t very confident before, but standing on the podium at an international event has given me courage and helped me identify areas for improvement. I hope to go further in future competitions.”
In the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay final, the Chinese team of Liu Yaxin, Yang Peiqi, Yu Yiting and Li Bingjie finished third behind Australia and the United States. Li, who previously won silver in the 200m and 400m freestyle, anchored the final leg.
“This was my first time swimming the anchor leg,” Li said. “My teammates swam really well, so I just wanted to fight for the best possible result.”
The men’s 100-meter freestyle final was one of the most anticipated races of the day. Popovici clocked a blistering 46.51 seconds, setting a new championship record and securing gold. Jack Alexy of the United States took silver, and Australia’s Kyle Chalmers earned bronze.
Popovici’s time is the second-fastest ever in the event, just behind the world record of 46.40 seconds set by China’s Pan Zhanle at the Paris Olympics.
“I’d give myself a 10 tonight,” Popovici said. “I’m not the kind of person who usually says something is perfect, but I think today really was.”
In the men’s 200-meter individual medley final, France’s Leon Marchand, who broke the world record in the semifinals, won gold in 1:53.68. Shaine Casas of the U.S. took silver, and Hungary’s Hubert Kos earned bronze. China’s Wang Shun, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, finished seventh.
Reflecting on his eighth appearance at the world championships since 2011, Wang noted the rise in competition. “Especially at this edition, you can feel the level has risen a lot – perhaps because everyone refocused after the Olympics.”
Canada’s Summer McIntosh set a new championship record in the women’s 200-meter butterfly, winning gold in 2:01.99. Regan Smith of the U.S. and Australia’s Elizabeth Dekkers rounded out the podium. China’s Yu Zidi narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth.
In semifinal action, Qin Haiyang advanced to the men’s 200-meter breaststroke final with the eighth-fastest time. Teammate Dong Zhihao finished 15th and did not advance. In the women’s 100-meter freestyle, Cheng Yujie qualified for the final with the fifth-fastest time; Wu Qingfeng placed 15th. In the women’s 200-meter breaststroke, Lyu Qinyao finished 10th and did not move on. Yu Jingming did not advance from the men’s 200-meter backstroke heats.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Yerevan, July 31 /Xinhua/ — The opening of the exhibition “Mountains and Rivers of China” took place at the Yerevan History Museum on Thursday. It features 40 unique works by one of the most prominent representatives of the new Chinese xylography of the 20th century, Shao Keping.
Shao Keping’s works, through the power of visual storytelling, allow visitors to experience the depth and vitality of Chinese artistic heritage.
The exhibition is organized in cooperation with the Ningbo Museum in China, in accordance with a memorandum signed last year, and will run until September 24. Visitors were greeted in a video message by Zhang Liang, director of the Ningbo Museum, who noted that the current event is not only an important step in promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, but also a successful example of cultural interaction.
Sun Ni, Executive Secretary of the Armenian-Chinese Partnership Center, who attended the opening of the exhibition, emphasized that thanks to cultural ties, residents of the two countries can communicate more closely and get to know each other better.
In 2024, the exhibitions “Armenia – the Land of Noah” and “Pomegranate in Bloom” were held in the Chinese cities of Guangzhou, Xi’an and Ningbo. According to the director of the Yerevan History Museum Gevorg Orbelyan, about 120 exhibits from the museum are planned to be presented in China next year. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) — The death toll from recent heavy rainfall in Beijing has risen to 44, with nine people still missing, city authorities said at a press conference on Thursday.
Beijing Vice Mayor Xia Linmao said 31 people died at a care center for the elderly in Taishitun Township, Miyun District.
The recent flooding in Beijing affected more than 300,000 residents and damaged about 24,000 homes. Heavy rainfall mainly hit the northern mountainous areas, where the infrastructure of 40 townships and townships and 312 administrative villages was seriously damaged.
According to Xia Linmao, heavy rains triggered flash floods of devastating force, aggravated by a sharp increase in water inflow from upper rivers.
From July 23 to 29, the Chinese capital was hit by prolonged and intense rainfall, which hit mountainous areas such as Miyun, Huairou, Yanqing and Pinggu districts the hardest, causing flash floods.
According to Xia Linmao, on the evening of July 26, due to sudden torrential rain, Beijing authorities immediately issued the highest level of “red” warning in the affected areas and activated the first level of emergency response, issuing alerts and safety recommendations for the population. Emergency rescue operations were promptly organized, during which 104 thousand people were evacuated. Thanks to search and rescue operations, it was possible to rescue more than 5,400 people who were trapped due to the disaster. The vice mayor added that assistance to the victims is currently ongoing.
Xia Linmao also said that 364 of the 424 damaged rural highways have been cleared so far, and all major highways are scheduled to be fully reopened to traffic by Thursday. Emergency water supply has been restored to all affected administrative villages, and electricity has been restored to 105 of the 213 villages that experienced power outages. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Two Chinese men were attacked on the street by four men in central Tokyo on Thursday, suffering severe head injuries, local media reported.
The four unidentified men in their 20s attacked the victims with iron pipes in Chiyoda Ward in the Japanese capital at around 9 a.m. local time, and fled the scene in a car with a Kansai license plate, Jiji Press reported.
The two victims, sustaining serious head injuries, and bleeding, said they had no prior acquaintance with the attackers, and no demands for money or anything else were made, the report said.
The two Chinese men were walking down the street when the incident happened.
Police were currently searching for the attackers.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas on Thursday informed the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party’s board of his decision to resign.
According to the Baltic News Service (BNS), the announcement comes ahead of a planned vote by the party’s executive board on Thursday.
Paluckas’ decision follows a warning issued by Saulius Skvernelis, Speaker of the Seimas and leader of the Democratic Union “For Lithuania,” who stated that his party would withdraw from the governing coalition if Paluckas remained in office.
Paluckas is also stepping down as the chairman of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) and Mindaugas Sinkevicius, the mayor of Jonava District and Paluckas’ former first deputy will take over the leadership, party sources confirmed to BNS on Thursday.
Sinkevicius stated that he has no intention of seeking the prime minister’s post following Gintautas Paluckas’ resignation and promised that the party will nominate a new candidate without delay.
It remains unclear who the Social Democrats will nominate for the new prime minister, with the names of the first deputy speaker of the Seimas, Juozas Olekas, and Social Security and Labor Minister Inga Ruginiene mentioned in the political corridors.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda welcomed Paluckas’ decision to resign as prime minister, describing the step as the only right choice.
Under the Constitution of Lithuania, the entire Cabinet must step down along with the prime minister.
Since Paluckas is named as prime minister in the current center-left coalition agreement, a new agreement will also need to be negotiated.
Paluckas announced his resignation amid two pre-trial investigations into his business dealings and controversy surrounding his involvement in business, ties to certain businesspeople and failure to pay damages owed to the Vilnius municipality.
Paluckas said that he does not feel he made any serious mistakes but wants to prevent the governing coalition and cabinet from becoming hostages to the political scandals surrounding him.
“Seeing how these escalating scandals are bogging down the work of the government, I believe I cannot allow our ruling coalition and cabinet to become hostages to these controversies. That’s why I have decided to take a swift and firm decision,” Paluckas said in a statement released by the party.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China looks forward to deepening dialogue and consultations with the United States to seek more mutually beneficial outcomes, Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong said on Thursday.
The spokesperson made the remarks while responding to a media question about the recent China-U.S. trade talks held in Stockholm, Sweden.
The two sides held candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges on China-U.S. economic and trade relations, macroeconomic policies, and other topics of mutual concern. Both sides reviewed and acknowledged the consensus reached in Geneva and implementation of the framework established in London, the spokesperson said.
Based on the consensus reached during the Stockholm talks, both sides will continue to push for extending the suspension of 24 percent of the U.S. reciprocal tariffs, along with China’s corresponding countermeasures, for an additional 90 days, he said.
The consensus is expected to help further stabilize China-U.S. economic and trade relations and inject more certainty into global economic development and stability, he said.
China looks forward to working with the United States in accordance with the important consensus reached by the two heads of state to maximize the effectiveness of the bilateral economic and trade consultation mechanism, the spokesperson added.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Fourteen years after making his debut at the World Aquatics Championships, China’s Wang Shun knows that winning a world title is becoming increasingly challenging. But the 31-year-old former Olympic champion is not ready to give up just yet.
Wang, who captured gold in the 200m individual medley at the Tokyo 2020, finished seventh in Thursday’s final, clocking 1:57.92 – well off his personal best of 1:54.62 and slower than the 1:56.00 that earned him bronze at last year’s Paris Olympics.
Wang Shun of China competes during the men’s 200m individual medley final of swimming at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, July 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)
“I don’t think I was fully activated today,” Wang said. “I felt a bit soft overall. At the start, I didn’t push out strongly or decisively enough.”
His journey on the world stage began in 2011 in Shanghai, where the 17-year-old Wang finished 18th in his signature event – the men’s 200m individual medley – as American Ryan Lochte set a then-world record of 1:54.00.
That mark was shattered on Wednesday by France’s Leon Marchand, who clocked 1:52.69 in the semifinals, raising the bar even higher for the next generation.
“It’s been an emotional journey,” Wang said. “Back in 2011, Lochte broke the world record – that was a benchmark for me to chase. Now in my eighth Worlds, Marchand breaks it again. There’s always someone ahead to catch up with. That’s what keeps us moving forward.”
Marchand, just 23 years old, now holds both the 200m and 400m IM world records and has already secured four Olympic gold medals and six world titles.
“First of all, congratulations to Marchand for breaking the world record – it’s an incredibly inspiring result,” Wang said. “It’s truly an unbelievable performance and really uplifting for all of us.”
While Wang remains the only Asian man to have ever won Olympic gold in the 200m IM, a world title still eludes him. He previously earned bronze in the event at the 2015 Kazan and 2017 Budapest championships.
“This is already my eighth World Championships,” Wang said. “Every time, I can feel how opponents and the field are evolving. Especially after last year’s Olympics, everyone seems to have stepped up. In the 200m IM, the overall level has risen really quickly. Sometimes I just have to sigh in awe – the rate of progress in this sport is incredibly fast.”
Asked if he still dreams of winning a world title, Wang smiled. “Chasing dreams and staying passionate – that’s what matters most,” he said. “We need to face challenges, fatigue, and worry with courage, and keep a brave heart moving forward.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
In a friendly match at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park on Thursday, Tottenham Hotspur secured a 1-0 victory over Arsenal.
Arsenal fielded a star-studded lineup, including Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Declan Rice, while Tottenham featured key players such as Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Mohammed Kudus.
The match began with Arsenal pressing forward, but Tottenham gradually found its rhythm and launched counterattacks. In the 28th minute, Wilson Odobert broke into the box and fired a shot that struck the post. Just before halftime, Pape Matar Sarr unleashed a stunning long-range lob to give Tottenham a 1-0 lead at the break.
Arsenal intensified its attacks in the second half, creating several dangerous chances. After the 60th minute, both sides made multiple substitutions, with Tottenham’s Son Heung-min and Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres entering the game in the 77th minute. Despite spirited efforts from both teams, the scoreline remained unchanged.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Jianai Yumcuo Lake, located in Jiali County, Nagchu City, Xizang Autonomous Region, was listed as a national wetland park in 2016. The total planned area of the park is 3,504.9 hectares, and its altitude reaches about 4,500 meters.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
On July 25, the film “Nanjing Photo Studio”, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, was released simultaneously in Macao and inland China, becoming a general cinematic event.
Based on a true story, the film follows the ordinary workers of the Jixiang Photo Studio as they continue their work in Japanese-occupied Nanjing in 1937. Forced to develop photographs for the Japanese army, they discover under the red light of the darkroom negatives that depict the horrific atrocities of the invaders. The workers of the photo studio go from struggling to survive to awakening their conscience, and ultimately, risking their own lives, preserve this irrefutable evidence that reveals the whole truth. Using a unique approach, the film reveals “big history through a small slice” and exposes the crimes of the aggressors, and also praises the courage and spirit of resistance of ordinary people.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) — Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on Thursday said that the Chinese military is always ready to pursue the goal of China’s complete reunification, pledging resolute efforts to thwart any separatist attempts seeking “Taiwan independence” and foil any military interference by external forces.
Dong made the remarks at a large reception that the Ministry of National Defense held in Beijing to celebrate the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which will be observed on Aug. 1.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s restoration and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, Dong said.
On Sept. 3, China will hold a military parade in Beijing’s Tian’anmen Square to celebrate the anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
Dong said the parade will demonstrate to the Party and the Chinese people that the PLA is a force that safeguards peace and justice, and that excels in military strength.
He also noted that the Chinese military is willing to work with its counterparts in all countries around the world to achieve the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity and the three major global initiatives, address risks and challenges, and build a world with lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusivity, and a clean and beautiful environment.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Scenery of grassland in Zeku County, China’s Qinghai
Updated: August 1, 2025 09:05Xinhua
Sheep graze on a grassland in Zeku County, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Qinghai Province, July 30, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]A herdsman looks after his flock on a grassland in Zeku County, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Qinghai Province, July 30, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on July 30, 2025 shows the scenery on a grassland in Zeku County, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Qinghai Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Comprehensive transportation network promotes economic, social development in Xizang
Updated: August 1, 2025 09:08Xinhua
This aerial drone photo taken on April 1, 2025 shows the high-grade highway from Lhasa to Nyingchi in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. From 2012 to 2024, Xizang has completed a total investment of 401.925 billion yuan (about 55.86 billion U.S. dollars) in fixed assets in highway transportation, and the total highway mileage has increased from 65,200 kilometers in 2012 to 124,900 kilometers by the end of 2024. A comprehensive transportation network centered on Lhasa and radiating to Xigaze, Shannan, Nyingchi and Nagqu has been established, which promotes economic and social development and benefits people of all ethnic groups. [Photo/Xinhua]This aerial drone photo taken on July 31, 2025 shows the high-grade highway from Lhasa to Zedang in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]This aerial drone photo taken on April 1, 2025 shows the high-grade highway from Lhasa to Nyingchi in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]This aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 27, 2021 shows the high-grade highway from Lhasa to Nagqu in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]This aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 11, 2024 shows the high-grade highway from Lhasa to Xigaze in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]This aerial drone photo taken on July 31, 2025 shows the high-grade highway from Lhasa to Zedang in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]This aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 11, 2024 shows the high-grade highway from Lhasa to Xigaze in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SW China’s Guizhou attracts tourists during peak summer travel season
Updated: August 1, 2025 09:21Xinhua
An aerial drone photo taken on July 30, 2025 shows people visiting Jiaxiu tower scenic area in Guiyang, capital of southwest China’s Guizhou Province. Guizhou Province, with its cool climate and rich tourism resources, attracts tourists from all over the country during the peak summer travel season. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on July 30, 2025 shows people visiting Jiaxiu tower scenic area in Guiyang, capital of southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on July 30, 2025 shows people visiting Jiaxiu tower scenic area in Guiyang, capital of southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on July 30, 2025 shows people visiting Jiaxiu tower scenic area in Guiyang, capital of southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
A State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Qiang on Thursday called for stepping up efforts to improve the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies, while arranging the implementation of interest subsidies on personal consumption loans and loans to service sector businesses to better stimulate consumption and enhance market vitality.
As the country’s latest step to boost innovation-driven growth, the State Council executive meeting approved a guideline on deeply implementing the AI Plus initiative, calling for promoting the large-scale, commercial application of artificial intelligence and advancing its accelerated adoption and deep integration across various fields of economic and social development.
On Thursday, the National Bureau of Statistics released the latest purchasing managers index, or PMI, data, which suggested the necessity to consolidate the resilience of the manufacturing sector and overall economic momentum in the second half of the year.
Economists called for further reinforcing support for domestic demand and employment, as the nation’s manufacturing activity cooled in July amid unfavorable weather and the traditional off-season. The official PMI for the manufacturing sector stood at 49.3 in July, down from 49.7 in June, the NBS said on Thursday.
Despite the moderation, high-tech manufacturing continued to gain traction in July, highlighting the vitality of the country’s industrial upgrading and reinforcing the sector’s ability to withstand ongoing external challenges, experts said.
Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International, said, “With both domestic and external demand softening, the manufacturing PMI ended its two-month rebound and declined within the contraction territory in July.”
The official manufacturing PMI has stayed below the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction for the fourth consecutive month. In July, the subindex of new orders — a barometer of market demand — dropped to 49.4 from 50.2 in June, while that of new export orders went down to 47.1 from 47.7 in the previous month.
External headwinds dampened export momentum, while the effect of earlier policies to boost domestic demand started to wane in July, Wang said, adding that high temperatures, heavy rains and flooding in some regions disrupted production.
Downward pressures on economic growth may intensify in the third quarter, said Wang, who expects additional measures to boost domestic demand as China’s relatively low levels of sovereign debt and inflation have offered ample policy room to offset a slowdown in external demand.
The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee held a meeting on Wednesday that made arrangements for economic work in the second half, emphasizing that macro policies should continue to exert force and be strengthened at an appropriate time.
New economic drivers
Xiong Yi, Deutsche Bank’s chief economist for China, said, “If GDP growth slows faster than expected, a budget deficit increase may become necessary in the fourth quarter.”
He said he anticipates that the Chinese economy will grow 4.8 percent in 2025, following its strong resilience in the first half of the year.
According to Xiong, service consumption is expected to become a new driver of economic growth and employment in the second half of the year. China is enhancing its support for service consumption, with a particular focus on cultural tourism, elderly care, healthcare and domestic services.
Despite the overall decline, the PMI for high-tech manufacturing came in at 50.6 in July, while that for equipment manufacturing was at 50.3, the NBS said, indicating the sectors’ capability to thrive despite challenges.
For instance, Nantong Haixing Electronics Co, an electronic energy storage materials producer based in Nantong, Jiangsu province, saw its export value exceeding 50 million yuan ($6.95 million) in the first half of 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of 67.23 percent, data from Nanjing Customs showed.
Jin Wenhui, the head of the company’s foreign trade unit, said that despite intense worldwide competition, sustained investment in innovation has enabled the company to pursue industrial upgrading and remain resilient in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
Guangdong Greenway Technology Co, a manufacturer of electric motorcycles and bicycles, as well as mobile energy storage systems, based in Dongguan, Guangdong province, shipped its products to more than 80 countries and regions across Europe and the Americas in the first half of the year, according to Huangpu Customs in Guangdong.
Wu Jing, head of the company’s foreign trade unit, said, “With years of development in lithium battery manufacturing, we’ve steadily increased our supply of high-quality, eco-friendly products amid the global shift toward energy transition, while actively exploring new markets and opportunities overseas.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The value of China’s international trade in goods and services reached 4.22 trillion yuan (about 588.3 billion U.S. dollars) in June, up 6 percent year on year, official data showed Thursday.
In U.S. dollar terms, the country’s exports of goods and services amounted to 329.2 billion U.S. dollars, while the imports were 259.1 billion U.S. dollars, resulting in a surplus of 70.1 billion U.S. dollars, according to data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.
Of the total, the export of goods reached 2.12 trillion yuan and the import reached 1.51 trillion yuan, resulting in a surplus of 607.3 billion yuan. The export of services reached 243.7 billion yuan and the import reached 348 billion yuan, resulting in a deficit of 104.3 billion yuan.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Hong Kong’s economy continued expansion in the second quarter of 2025, with real gross domestic product (GDP) up 3.1 percent year on year, local data showed on Thursday.
The growth rate picked up from 3 percent registered in the first quarter, according to advance GDP estimates from the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.
In breakdown, private consumption expenditure increased by 1.9 percent in real terms over a year earlier, rebounding from a decline of 1.2 percent in the previous quarter.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison basis, GDP increased by 0.4 percent in real terms from the first quarter.
A spokesperson for the HKSAR government said that the solid Q2 growth was boosted by strong export performance and improved domestic demand.
Total exports of goods saw accelerated growth amid resilient external demand, while the bullish local stock market buoyed services export, the spokesperson added.
Private consumption expenditure resumed moderate growth after four consecutive quarters of decline, supported by sanguine consumer sentiments.
Looking ahead, steady economic growth in Asia, particularly in the Chinese mainland, as well as the HKSAR government’s policy efforts, will continue to bolster growth, said the spokesperson, while cautioning against potential impacts from U.S. tariff policies and the pace of U.S. interest rate cuts.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Hong Kong’s economy continued expansion in the second quarter of 2025, the 10th consecutive quarter of growth, as consumer and investor sentiment warmed, local data showed on Thursday.
Advance estimates from the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government showed that Hong Kong’s real gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 3.1 percent year on year in Q2, picking up from the 3-percent rate registered in the first quarter.
Analysts and industry insiders said that the solid Q2 growth was boosted by strong export performance and improved domestic demand, pointing to notable economic resilience.
Total exports of goods measured in national accounts terms recorded an increase of 11.5 percent over a year earlier as external demand retained steam, while bullish local stock market buoyed export of financial and business services, said a spokesperson for the HKSAR government.
“The strong goods export figure is a result of Hong Kong forging closer ties with the Chinese mainland market as well as other markets around the world. Its role as a global trade hub remains unchanged,” said Liang Haiming, chairman and chief economist of the China Silk Road iValley Research Institute.
Hong Kong boasts the world’s biggest initial public offering (IPO) market and one of the best-performing stock markets by mid-July. The 52 IPOs raised 124 billion Hong Kong dollars (15.8 billion U.S. dollars) in total.
Total market capitalization of the Hong Kong bourse came in at 42.7 trillion Hong Kong dollars in the first half of this year, up 33 percent year on year.
“The rising valuation of Chinese assets showed that global investors appreciate Chinese companies’ ability to innovate,” said Zhao Yang, managing director of CICC Global Institute.
Another token of renewed investor confidence is capital inflow into the city. The number of registered funds reached 976 as of March 2025, with overall net inflows exceeding 44 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 285 percent.
“Continued capital inflow, stock market upticks, as well as the HKSAR government’s efforts to land mega events and high value-added tourism, have bolstered consumer sentiment,” said Financial Secretary of the HKSAR government Paul Chan.
Private consumption expenditure in Q2 increased by 1.9 percent after four consecutive quarters of decline, Thursday’s data showed.
The long streak of steady GDP growth affirms global confidence toward Hong Kong’s economy and creates a nurturing environment for its economic upgrade, especially in exploring new drivers like green finance, sci-tech innovation and high-end services, said Liang.
A report released by the HKSAR government on Wednesday showed that Hong Kong’s core competitiveness is solid and new strengths are emerging.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Apple on Thursday announced financial results for its fiscal 2025 third quarter that ended on June 28, with quarterly revenue of 94 billion U.S. dollars, up 10 percent year over year.
The company posted quarterly diluted earnings per share of 1.57 dollars, up 12 percent year over year. Its net income for the quarter increased to 23.43 billion dollars from 21.45 billion dollars a year ago.
Sales of iPhones rose to 44.58 billion dollars from 39.3 billion dollars a year ago. Its Mac sales increased to 8.05 billion dollars from 7.01 billion dollars a year ago.
The company’s services income was 27.42 billion dollars, up from 24.21 billion dollars the previous year.
The sales of wearables, home and accessories products decreased to 7.4 billion dollars from 8.1 billion dollars a year ago.
“Today Apple is proud to report a June quarter revenue record with double-digit growth in iPhone, Mac and Services and growth around the world, in every geographic segment,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.
“We are very pleased with our record business performance for the June quarter, which generated EPS (earnings per share) growth of 12 percent,” said Kevan Parekh, Apple’s CFO.
Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of 0.26 dollars per share of the company’s common stock.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
West Ham United’s Brazilian international midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been cleared of betting charges by an independent commission.
The 27-year-old had faced a potential lifetime ban from football following an investigation into his conduct opened by the Football Association (FA) in August 2023, leading to formal charges in May 2024.
West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta (L) vies with TSC’s Milan Radin during UEFA Europa League group A match between TSC Backa Topola and West Ham in Backa Topola, Serbia on Nov. 30, 2023. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua)
The charges against him were related to Premier League matches between West Ham and Leicester City on 12 November 2022, as well as 2023 fixtures against Aston Villa on 12 March, Leeds United on 21 May and Bournemouth on 12 August.
Paqueta was accused of intentionally provoking yellow cards “for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market.” While he was not alleged to have personally placed bets, the FA claimed members of his family and friends placed approximately 60 small-stakes bets related to the bookings.
However, the commission found Paqueta guilty of failing to co-operate with the investigation and stated it would “decide on an appropriate sanction” for this offence separately.
Despite this lesser charge, Paqueta celebrated the dismissal of the core betting allegations.
“Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations.
“I can’t say anything more at this time, but I would like to express how grateful I am to God and how eager I am to return to playing football with a smile on my face.
“To my wife who never let go of my hand, to West Ham United, to the fans who always cheered me on, and to my family, friends and the legal team who have supported me – thank you for everything,” he said on the West Ham website.
West Ham United Vice-Chair Karren Brady also welcomed the outcome: “We are pleased Lucas has been cleared. He has maintained his innocence from the outset, and as a club we have resolutely stood by him and supported him throughout the process.”
“Despite the incredible pressure on him, Lucas has performed week in and week out for the club, always giving everything. It has been a difficult time for Lucas and his family, but he has remained absolutely professional throughout, and he is now looking forward to drawing a line under this episode, as is everyone at West Ham United,” she commented.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Celta Vigo has completed the signing of Spain international winger Bryan Zaragoza ahead of the club’s return to European competition next season.
Zaragoza arrives on a season’s loan from Bayern Munich, with Celta Vigo having an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the campaign.
He will help to cover for the departures of Alfonso Gonzalez and Fer Lopez, who were vital in Celta’s seventh-place finish in La Liga last season to book a ticket to the UEFA Europa League.
Gonzalez has moved to Sevilla this summer, while Lopez joined Wolverhampton Wanderers, robbing coach Claudio Giraldez of much of his attacking capability.
23-year-old Zaragoza enjoyed a breakout season with Granada in 2023-24, which earned him a move to Bayern Munich in February 2024.
But after playing just a handful of matches, the German giants decided to loan him to Osasuna, where he impressed in the 27 games he played, although his season was limited by an ankle injury and with Bayern’s signing of former Liverpool winger Luis Diaz, he has been loaned out again.