Category: China

MIL-OSI Russia: Special Report: Sounding Memory – Two Great Compositions of China and Russia in the Year of the 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Moscow, May 9 /Xinhua/ — There are musical works that very accurately reflect their time and the collective unconscious of millions of people. They arise at turning points in history and shape the historical memory of peoples.

During the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the great Victory in Russia, the song “The Holy War” by Alexander Alexandrov is heard, and in China, the cantata “The Yellow River” by Xian Xinghai is heard. Despite the fact that these works were born in different years and in different countries, they have become cultural symbols for the peoples who fought together on the fronts of World War II.

MONUMENTS OF THE NATIONAL SPIRIT BORN IN THE FIRE OF WAR

During the World Anti-Fascist War, China was the main theater of military operations in Asia, and the USSR was in Europe. The Chinese people were the first to rise up in the fight against the Japanese militarists, waged the longest war and, like the Soviet Union, suffered colossal losses.

The legendary Yellow River Cantata was created in 1939, when the Chinese people had already been fighting Japanese aggression for almost eight years. The 34-year-old composer Xian Xinghai wrote it in six days and nights in the communist-liberated area of Yan’an (Shaanxi Province, Northwest China). He was inspired by a patriotic poem by Guan Weiran, which formed the basis of the lyrics.

“They both shared the same aspiration of expressing the nation’s voice during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression through music,” said Liu Ni, director of the Yan’an Revolutionary Memorial Museum.

The piece was first performed in April 1939 and soon spread throughout China, becoming a symbol of national resistance to Japanese aggressors. “The cantata, in which the Yellow River symbolizes the nation, sounded like a powerful battle cry for the people of China,” said Liu Meng, a professor at the Yan’an Cadre School.

“A work like the Yellow River Cantata means that the Chinese nation and the Chinese people cannot be defeated by external enemies,” said Zuo Zhenguan, a renowned composer and musicologist who has researched the life and work of Xian Xinghai.

“Arise, great country, rise to mortal combat with the dark fascist force, with the damned horde!” — these words from the Soviet song “Sacred War” performed by the Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of the Russian Army named after A. V. Alexandrov send shivers down your spine. This song, like an eternal memory of the feat of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, has lived for more than 80 years and is performed by the ensemble at concerts both in Russia and abroad.

According to the head of the ensemble – artistic director Gennady Sachenyuk, in the first days after Germany’s attack on the USSR, composer Alexander Alexandrov saw in one of the newspapers the poems of the poet Vasily Lebedev-Kumach that struck him. According to the recollections of eyewitnesses of those events, he immediately went to write music, and the next day the musicians were already rehearsing the song in the ensemble’s building. “This song was probably needed like air, precisely in those days,” said G. Sachenyuk.

On June 26, 1941, the song “Svyatnaya Voina” was first performed at the Belorussky Station in Moscow, from where trains with Red Army soldiers were leaving for the front. It was a one-song concert and its premiere. “You always imagine the faces of the people who went through all this, how it all united them, especially when people stand up in the audience. And they stand up during this song at every concert,” says Dmitry Trunov, an artist of the choir of the A. V. Alexandrov Ensemble.

According to the rector of the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, Alexander Ryzhinsky, these two great musical works provided spiritual support for the fight against Japanese militarism and German fascism, and also became monuments to the national spirit of China and Russia.

“VICTORY OVERTURES”

In May 1940, Xian Xinghai, on the instructions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, went from Yan’an to the Soviet Union to complete work on a documentary film about the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. In the Soviet Union, he made corrections to “Yellow River” and completed its editing.

“This cantata is a spiritual monument to the Chinese nation. The Yellow River has the same effect on Chinese citizens as the Holy War has on Russians, being a symbol of struggle, a symbol of victory, an impulse to further aspiration to live and remain strong,” Nikolai Kirillov, chief conductor of the A. V. Alexandrov Ensemble, told Xinhua. “Each of them, at one time, produced such an effect for their country, for their people, provided such assistance, such support, which was needed at that moment.”

“Both the Yellow River and the Sacred War cantatas combined the national musical language with the fight against the enemy, becoming a powerful spiritual weapon in the anti-fascist war,” said Ren Xuewen, deputy director of the Department of Party History and Party Construction at the Yan’an Cadre School. He noted that during World War II, the Soviet Union performed the Yellow River, and the Soviet song Sacred War was distributed in China on the radio.

“The Yellow River” and “The Holy War” are “victory overtures” created by life itself, which testify to a great friendship forged in blood.

On April 18, 2025, the Chinese Embassy in Russia held a photo exhibition, “Sincere Friends Tempered in Trials,” 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. “The joint celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Anti-Fascist War will help bring peace to all of humanity,” military retiree Vyacheslav Pechugin, a visitor to the event, said in an interview with Xinhua.

During the war, many events took place that united the two nations. More than 2,000 Soviet pilots defended the skies of China, delivering powerful blows to the Japanese aggressors. Chinese pilot Tang Do participated in the Great Patriotic War as a deputy squadron commander of a fighter aviation regiment. Chinese journalist Hu Jibang wrote about the decisive struggle of the Soviet people.

“The cooperation between China and the USSR during the anti-fascist war was not only interstate strategic mutual assistance, but also a demonstration of friendship established by peoples at the expense of their lives and sacrifices,” Ren Xuewen emphasized.

THE MAJESTIC POWER OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Every time there are important holidays, the Yellow River Cantata is performed in Yan’an, the birthplace of the great work. It is also a compulsory performance at local music colleges. “It is a masterpiece that most reflects the national spirit of China,” said Guo Qiang, deputy director of the Xi’an Conservatory of Music.

For 86 years since the Yellow River appeared, it has been performed many times in concert halls in Russia. This has become a good tradition and part of the growing humanitarian exchanges between the two countries. At the same time, Holy War has been constantly performed by Chinese musicians, appeared in TV programs and films, and has become known to many Chinese.

“These two pieces of art born in the fire of war have become a cultural heritage that knows no national boundaries,” said Zhou Zhou, a Chinese graduate student at Russia’s V.S. Popov Academy of Choral Art who has conducted Chinese and Russian student choirs performing “Holy War” and “Yellow River” on numerous occasions.

During the war, the two countries shared hardships, and today they are developing together. Relations between China and Russia, good neighbors and true friends, are constantly moving forward. In particular, cooperation in the humanitarian sphere is dynamic.

A rich and varied program has been developed within the framework of the China-Russia Cross Years of Culture /2024-2025/. For example, about 1.5 million people attended hundreds of events within the framework of the “Chinese New Year in Moscow” festival, which took place from January 28 to February 9.

“Russian-Chinese cooperation in the humanitarian sphere is the most important component of the multifaceted complex of bilateral relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction. We are always pleased to note its progressive development in all areas,” said the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.

“Today, when the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind is gaining popularity, the time and space of the symphony of sounds of the Yellow River and Holy War cantatas tell us that only by continually strengthening the ties between people and preserving the hard-won peace can we pay tribute to our ancestors,” Liu Meng said. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Keith Rankin Analysis – Make Deficits Great Again: Maintaining a Pragmatic Balance

Analysis by Keith Rankin.

Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

Donald Trump is a mercantilist, as noted in Trump’s tariffs: Short-term damage or long-term ruin? ‘The Bottom Line’, Al Jazeera, 11 April 2025 (or here on YouTube). But the United States, in today’s world, is not a mercantilist country. Or at least not a successful mercantilist country, though it is inhabited by many mercantilists.

In that television interview, Georgetown University professor of Public Policy, Michael Strain said: “I don’t think [Trump’s tariffs are] smart politics, but I think the president [thinks they are]. I think that President Trump is a true mercantilist. The president believes that if the United States are running a trade deficit that means we are losing economic value to the rest of the world.”

Mercantilism, in its most literal form, is the belief that international trade is ‘economic warfare’, and that winning is achieved by a country exporting more than it imports. Obviously, the total amount of exports in this world is exactly equal to the total amount of imports. Every internationally traded good is both an export and an import. So, mercantilism is a belief-system which sees the world in zero-sum terms, as winners and losers, as warfare by financial means.

My chart and article yesterday (International Trade over time: gifts with strings, Evening Report, 8 May 2025) shows the accumulated ‘excess benefits’ of unbalanced global trade over the last forty years. The countries on the top-left-side of the chart are deficit/debtor countries; and the countries on the bottom-right-side are surplus/creditor countries. (The countries are selected on the basis of available ‘current account’ data from the IMF’s World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025, and as representatives of deficit and surplus countries. China, if on the chart, would belong close to Malaysia. The chart is made from my own calculations to adjust for inflation.)

The chart necessarily – because deficits must be financed elsewhere by surpluses – has a seesaw shape. Some countries are up, some countries are down; and some countries occupy the central pivot, neither up nor down. So long as some countries have consumed substantial amounts of stuff (imports) which they have not yet paid for (the deficit countries), some other countries (the surplus countries) have supplied stuff (exports) that they have not yet accepted payment for (and are unlikely to accept payment for in the imaginable future). Imports are paid for by exports.

It’s not a true seesaw, which is typically either grounded or horizontally balanced. We may think of it as a seesaw pivoting above a chasm. What is true is that if the downside goes further down – that is, if the surplus countries’ accumulated surpluses get bigger – then the upside (accumulated deficits) must go further up. The seesaw is a ‘system’, and the only alternative to the seesaw shape is system collapse, analogous to the whole seesaw breaking off its pivot and falling into the chasm.

Imports are paid for by exports. But many contracted payments are deferred, indeed to the point where the payments will never actually take place. Instead of receiving payment in the form of imports, the mercantilist surplus countries have gleefully accepted ‘promises’; effectively ‘IOUs’ (‘I owe you’). (These ‘financial promises’ or ‘financial assets’ are essentially bonds [ie credit], or titles [ie equity]; promises themselves can be bought and sold, and can appreciate or depreciate in market trading [including depreciating to zero]. Promises typically earn, for their owners, additional promises in the form of interest and dividends. Interest and dividends may be realised – that is, spent – on imports, or may be ‘compounded’ – another word for ‘accumulated’ – hence the concept of compound interest.) Technically, inflation exists when the particular promise that we call money depreciates in market value.

In a mercantilist world, all countries want to occupy the low ‘ground’ (ie a point below the seesaw pivot); they want to import less than they export, and to accumulate promises. In a stable world economy, so long as some countries insist on occupying the low ground, then some others must occupy the high ground.

The most obvious deficit countries in the chart – countries with an accumulation of enjoyed (or invested in new structures) but unpaid-for imports – are the United States, Australia, Greece, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. (Another important deficit country is Türkiye, for which the data is not good enough, but would almost certainly have an accumulated ‘current account’ deficit of over $US100,000 per Turkish person.) These are the world’s ‘spendthrifts’.

The most obvious surplus countries in the chart are Taiwan, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Indeed, the European Union – more than anywhere else, including China – is a mercantilist enterprise. (Further, the European Union is starting to look quite shabby, especially the countries just mentioned.) This is what Donald Trump means by the European Union ‘screwing’ the United States. (Refer EU was born to ‘screw’ US, Trump says, France24, 26 Feb 2025.)

Surplus/creditor nations (like Germany) do not want to settle; they want to compound, they want deficit/debtor nations (like Aotearoa New Zealand) to extend their liabilities. The mercantilist countries are content – indeed, more than content – for other countries to enjoy the fruits of their labour and their capital.

Just as the deficit countries are the world’s ‘spendthrifts’, the surplus countries are the world’s ‘misers’. The global economy maintains a successful equilibrium so long as the willing spendthrifts balance out the insistent misers.

US President Donald Trump raised a fist in defiance after an assassination attempt on his life in Pennsylvania, Saturday, July 13, 2024 (USEDST).

Donald Trump threatens to disturb that global equilibrium by saying – in effect – that he wants the United States to join the ‘miser club’; he says he wants his country to stop being screwed by the misers. The thing is, though, he probably doesn’t actually mean it. His natural proclivity is to spend, and to gamble. He’s a hedonist, not a puritan nor a thriftwad; his nature is neither parsimonious nor austere.

(I would rather Donald Trump than Friedrich Merz was United States’ president; and prefer the pragmatism of the United States and Australian Treasurers over the austere Nicola Willis or the United Kingdom’s brutally austere Rachel Reeves. In 2027, I am optimistic that, in office, NZ Labour’s Barbara Edmonds will be able to break away from the austere image of female Finance Ministers with whom we have become familiar – remember Ruthenasia; public austerity is an election-losing strategy, a generator of societal inequality and low morale.)

Nevertheless, Trump may be unintentionally breaking the world economy, on account of his – or his advisers’ (eg Peter Navarro) – weak understanding of it. If the surplus/creditor nations sought to spend their credits (except for spending in very small increments) they would: either bankrupt the debtor countries, creating systemic collapse; or, due to depreciating prices of assets being dumped onto financial markets, have to accept many fewer imports than they felt they were due. Financial promises work according to the use-it or lose-it rule.

The Great Depression

Parsimony, austerity, and mercantilism in the 1920s got us into the Great Depression of 1930 to 1934. (These were the core years of the Depression; the timing varies for different countries.) The Great Depression was a global event that occurred as a ‘race to the bottom’; almost all countries wanted to be below the pivot of the seesaw and none at the top. The United Kingdom – under Chancellor of the Exchequer, Winston Churchill – in particular was a deficit country that tried to push its side of the seesaw down through a process of internal devaluation (deflation) at a time when France, United States (under the curmudgeonly Coolidge), and Germany had anchored their side of the seesaw down. (At that time, Germany had been – thanks to post World War One reparations – forced onto the same downside of the seesaw. Churchill’s most specific action was the returning of the British pound to an unworkable restored Gold Standard at an overvalued exchange rate.)

(In the pre WW1 global environment, one of the most important balancing deficit/debtor countries was Russia. Russia seceded from the global capitalist system in 1917, largely as a result of the war. The loss of Russia’s pre-war presence – as a counterweight – was an aggravating factor in the Great Interwar Crisis.)

Deep Mercantilism

Donald Trump, while an overt mercantilist, is shallow in his convictions. He loves ‘money’, but he also loves what money can buy.

Deep mercantilists love money, and other financial assets (‘virtual gold’) including cryptocurrencies, in miserly ways; they believe in making money, not spending it. (Stereotypical new wave misers are young men, mining and trading in Bitcoin from bedrooms in the parents’ homes.) Through hoarding, they act to impede the global circulation of money, not to enable it.

Finance, as an academic discipline, is quintessentially mercantilist. It equates the accumulation and appreciation of financial assets – promises – with the creation of wealth; and that the wealthiest country in the world is the one with the fullest Treasury. And so many people – especially journalists – buy into that vision of wealth as a pile of treasure, as an accumulation of credits.

Modern mercantilists only regard mined gold as wealth, not gold still in the ground; and only promises that are tradeable, or at least potentially tradeable. Financial institutions regard your mortgage as their wealth; and they understand public debt to be private wealth; they buy and sell mortgages, along with other assets such as government debt.

And they believe in the magic of compound interest. They believe that unspent money – unsettled promises – grow exponentially and indefinitely. The seesaw chart, showing unpaid-for imports accumulated over 40 years, belies this. If the surplus nations all tried to spend their gold and their paper (and other virtual) riches – by becoming deficit countries, by shifting the seesaw into the alternate position – then they would find both that their ability to import from the present deficit/debtor countries would amount to less than the unpaid-for amounts shown in the chart – and they would find that many of their claims (ie promises) would be unrealisable.

As already noted, trade credits – promises – are accumulated on a ‘use-it or lose-it’ basis; this amounts to a negative form of compound interest. The surplus countries have not sufficiently used their credits; without realising it, their hoarded credits have already lost much of their initial purchasing capacity. While individual countries – especially small ones like Finland – may successfully shift from one side of the seesaw to the other, it is too late for the seesaw to swing without the surplus group of countries incurring heavy losses. The present deficit countries are simply not tooled up to produce masses of goods and services for export.

Private pension funds represent the epitome of deep mercantilism.

Deep mercantilism is not just about countries and international trade. A major feature of the next Great Depression will be the collapse of these funds, as far too many ‘first world’ people in their fifties and sixties seek to withdraw and spend their retirement savings. Thus, the next Great Depression will be one of stagflation – not 1930s’-style deflation – as there will be a rush of ‘Generation Jones’ people (born in the later 1950s and early 1960s) to spend their savings and finding that the global cupboard of goods and services is becoming bare.

Non-Mercantilism

Human wealth is actually the ‘factors of production’: people (simplistically construed as ‘labour’) and nature (simplistically construed as ‘land’) and structures [and inventories; and including intangible structures such as ‘knowledge’] (construed by economists true to their discipline as ‘capital’) and the enjoyable goods and services which flow to humans from these ‘factors’.

The next global Great Depression can be forestalled if the deficit countries (like United States and Aotearoa New Zealand) – the less-mercantilist countries, or at least the ‘unsuccessful’ would-be mercantilist countries – continue as net spenders, given that the substantial likelihood is that the prevalent mercantilist countries (like Germany and Sweden and Netherlands and China) are likely to at least try to persevere as accumulators of financial assets through the process of selling more goods than they buy.

Or the next Great Depression can be forestalled by most countries slowly moving, in concert, into a position of balance. Imagine each end of the seesaw neither up nor down, a horizontal seesaw on its pivot. Here countries like France, Italy, Indonesia and Philippines serve as examples.

Collapse and its prevention

Under prevailing mercantilist ideology, the best place for a country to be is on the downside of the seesaw. The biggest danger – the danger of system breakage – is that of the deficit countries trying to get their side of the seesaw down while the surplus countries are also trying to keep their side down. Any option of voluntary balance – of some countries trying to do what the majority are trying not to do – may forestall a global economic collapse; including a voluntary continuation of the present situation, with one group of countries happy to stay up while another group of countries want to stay down.

The irony is that the real winners are the alleged losers. For good reason, the seesaw chart shows these real-winner countries at the top rather than at the bottom. The real winners like to import, to enjoy their stuff; they do not pursue the mercantilist illusions of treasure hoards and compound interest.

Children understand that when one side of the seesaw is down, the other should be up. And that being up is fun. Will the adults learn what children already know?

*******

Keith Rankin (keith at rankin dot nz), trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Former Gansu Provincial Vice-Chairwoman Arrested for Bribery

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) — Zhao Jinyun, a former vice governor of northwest China’s Gansu Province, has been arrested on suspicion of bribery, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) said Friday.

The results of the investigation conducted against her by the State Supervisory Committee were transferred to the prosecutor’s office to initiate criminal proceedings with the final presentation of charges against her in court, the VNP added.

An investigation into her was initiated in October 2024. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: Xi Jinping, Swedish King Exchange Congratulations on 75th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Xinhua | 09. 05. 2025

Keywords: Xi Jinping,President of China,King of Sweden,Anniversary of the Establishment,Occasion,Relations,Urgent,Congratulations,Friday,Exchanged,Two Countries,Jinping,Messages,Gustav

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf on Friday exchanged congratulatory messages on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. -0-

Source: Xinhua

Breaking: Xi Jinping, King of Sweden exchange congratulations on 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties Breaking: Xi Jinping, King of Sweden exchange congratulations on 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China urges US to show sincerity in upcoming high-level economic, trade meeting

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

China’s Ministry of Commerce called on the United States to show sincerity if the U.S. side wants to solve the trade dispute between the two countries through negotiations.

Ministry spokesperson He Yadong said at a press conference on Thursday that China has consistently maintained a firm stance against the United States’ abuse of tariff measures. He urged the U.S. side to face up to the serious negative impact that its unilateral tariff measures have had, both on itself and the global community.

“The U.S. side should make preparations and take actions on issues such as correcting its wrong practices and lifting the unilateral tariffs,” the spokesperson said in response to a journalist’s query on an upcoming high-level economic and trade meeting between the two countries.

The spokesperson urged the U.S. side to respect international economic and trade rules, uphold fairness and justice, heed rational voices from all walks of life, and show sincerity in talks.

“We hope the U.S. side will work with China in the same direction and address the concerns of both sides through equal consultation,” the spokesperson said.

“But if the U.S. says one thing but does another, or even attempts to continue to coerce and blackmail under the guise of talks, China will never agree, nor will it seek to reach any agreement by sacrificing its principle and position as well as international fairness and justice,” he said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday that He Lifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, will visit Switzerland from May 9 to 12. During his visit, He, as China’s lead person for China-U.S. economic and trade affairs, will have a meeting with the U.S. lead person Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Europe marks 80th anniversary of WWII victory with calls for peace, unity

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

This photo taken on May 7, 2025 shows a view of ceramic poppies displayed at the Tower of London in London, Britain. An installation of nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies is on display from May 6 to Nov. 11 at the Tower of London, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. [Photo/Xinhua]

Europe celebrated the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War this week, with parades and wreath-laying ceremonies unfolding across the continent. The defeat of Fascism and Nazism in 1945 is celebrated on Victory in Euorpe (VE) Day and throughout the week, European leaders underscored the enduring value of peace and unity.

In Poland, nationwide observances on Thursday culminated in Warsaw’s Wesola district, home to the Polish Army’s Tadeusz Kosciuszko Armored Brigade. During an address to the army, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed to strengthen Poland’s defense capability and safeguard the country.

Meanwhile, on the social media platform X, Polish President Andrzej Duda posted a strong plea: “No more war! This appeal must resound today.” He called for a world grounded in “the force of law” rather than “the law of force,” and called the memories of World War II a solemn reminder of the need to be “responsible stewards of peace.”

A ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, known as Victory in Europe Day, is held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw, Poland, on May 8, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday reflected on Germany’s responsibility for the wars and called for the protection of unity, citing challenges including growing extremist forces in the country. He also reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to the principles of the post-war international order.

In addition, the CEOs of 48 major German companies, including BASF, Evonik, Siemens, Bayer, and Deutsche Bank, issued a joint statement acknowledging their companies’ historical responsibility in the Nazi era and calling for efforts against hatred, exclusion and antisemitism.

On the eve of the anniversary of VE Day on Wednesday, a meeting between newly-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris bore a special significance. The two leaders, representing nations once bitter enemies, emphasized the significance of German-French reconciliation.

“German-French friendship is a gift, a gift of forgiveness and reconciliation, especially for us Germans,” Merz said during his first trip abroad since being elected.

People attend a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, May 8, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Earlier this week in Britain, nearly 30,000 ceramic red poppies cascaded down the walls of the Tower of London, representing the loss of lives during the war. British King Charles and Queen Camilla reviewed a military parade in front of Buckingham Palace, as part of four days of commemorations beginning on Monday.

In Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico laid a wreath on Tuesday at the Red Army Military Cemetery in Michalovce, a city liberated by the Russian Red Army. Paying tribute to young soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the liberation of Slovakia, Fico emphasized that victory over fascism is a celebration of peace and life.

In the Netherlands, flags were flown at half-mast across the country for the national day of remembrance. Thousands gathered in Amsterdam on Monday, where Dutch King Willem-Alexander laid a wreath at a war memorial, and the nation held a two-minute silence to honor the fallen.

Italy’s commemorations began earlier, on April 25, with Liberation Day parades in Rome, Milan, Florence and other cities. National museums and parks offered free admission to the public as part of the celebrations. Italian President Sergio Mattarella, accompanied by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Altar of the Fatherland.

“Defending the freedom of the European peoples is a shared task,” President Mattarella declared. “Now, equality, the affirmation of the rule of law, cooperation, the same freedom and democracy, have become common goods of the European peoples to be protected by all the parties to the European Union pact.”

This photo taken on May 7, 2025 shows a view of ceramic poppies displayed at the Tower of London in London, Britain. An installation of nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies is on display from May 6 to Nov. 11 at the Tower of London, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. [Photo/Xinhua]

At the EU level, the European Parliament marked the occasion in a plenary session that featured three Second World War veterans on Wednesday. Parliamentary President Roberta Metsola stressed that the best tribute to those who gave their lives is the resolve to “never again” repeat such wars.

European Council President Antonio Costa underlined: “Peace is a heritage, but also a responsibility.”

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China, Russia urge nuclear-weapon states to abandon Cold War mentality: Joint statement

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

China and Russia urged nuclear-weapon states to abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum games, according to a joint statement on global strategic stability released in Moscow on Thursday.

The two sides emphasized the importance of maintaining a constructive relationship among major countries in addressing global strategic issues.

Noting that nuclear-weapon states bear special responsibilities for international security and global strategic stability, the statement said that they should give up taking measures that trigger strategic risks, and concerns should be addressed through equal dialogue and consultations based on mutual respect to enhance trust and avoid dangerous misjudgments.

The statement noted that not all nuclear-weapon states follow the above-mentioned position, saying the rising tensions among nuclear-weapon states have escalated, even to the point of facing direct military conflicts, adding that problems and challenges in the strategic domain keep emerging, and the risk of nuclear conflicts is rising.

According to the statement, the fact that certain nuclear-weapon states build or expand permanent military bases in sensitive areas around other nuclear-weapon states, flex military muscle to exert pressure, or carry out hostile acts that threaten the core security interests of other countries has become one of the most urgent strategic risks to be eliminated.

Meanwhile, the forward deployment of military facilities and advanced offensive and defensive weapons have been continuously strengthened, a trend that has raised serious concerns.

The recently announced “Golden Dome” plan of the United States aims to build a global, multi-level and multi-domain missile defense system that is not subject to any constraints to resist various missile threats, including those from “evenly matched” opponents, said the statement, adding that it also causes serious damage to strategic stability.

This plan completely and thoroughly negates the inseparable interrelationship between strategic offensive and strategic defensive arms, the core principle on maintaining global strategic stability. In addition, this plan also provides further support for the research and development of kinetic and non-kinetic means to strike missiles and their supporting facilities and achieve “left-of-launch.”

The “Golden Dome” program openly proposed a significant increase in outer space combat means, including the development and deployment of orbital interception systems, weaponizing outer space and turning it into a large-scale armed confrontation site, which made the situation even worse, said the document.

The two countries oppose the attempts of individual countries to use outer space for armed confrontation, and reject the implementation of security policies and activities aimed at gaining military superiority and defining outer space and using it as a “war-fighting domain.”

China and Russia condemned the use of commercial space systems to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states and intervene in armed conflicts of other countries.

Some individual nuclear-weapon state, supported by its allies, aims to undermine the reliability and effectiveness of the strategic deterrence of other nuclear-weapon states, revealing the attempt to seek overwhelming military superiority, and ultimately achieve “absolute strategic security.” It fundamentally violates the basic logic of maintaining strategic balance and runs counter to the principle of equal and indivisible security, according to the statement.

Any military confrontation among nuclear-weapon states should be resolutely avoided, said the document, adding that political and diplomatic solutions to existing differences should be sought on the basis of mutual recognition of and mutual respect for each other’s security interests and concerns.

Both sides pointed out in the statement that through a trilateral security partnership, the United States, Britain and Australia attempt to establish military facilities used by the two nuclear-weapon states to safeguard their nuclear forces within the territory of a signatory to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, undermining regional strategic stability and provoking a regional arms race.

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China trade hub hospital launches bilingual medical report service for foreign patients

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

China trade hub hospital launches bilingual medical report service for foreign patients

A hospital in Yiwu, a bustling trade hub in east China’s Zhejiang Province, has launched an AI-powered bilingual medical examination report service as part of its latest efforts to break language barriers for foreign patients.

The new service offered by the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, allows foreign patients to apply for free English versions of their medical examination reports.

Dubbed “the world’s supermarket,” the city of Yiwu is an international hub for the production and trade of small commodities. The hospital’s bilingual initiative is part of efforts to improve healthcare services for the city’s large community of foreign traders and residents.

Earlier this year, the hospital deployed the popular AI model DeepSeek into its outpatient and inpatient systems, which has assisted doctors in keeping medical records. In April, it added the AI-powered medical examination report translation service, streamlining the process that has been traditionally reliant on time-consuming human translation.

The service leverages AI to instantly generate English translations of medical reports, which are then checked and reviewed by doctors and medical experts to ensure accuracy.

“Just one click and the draft translation is done immediately,” said Zhang Yunyun from the hospital’s ultrasound department. “Doctors then check the content, followed by expert review to finalize the report.”

The bilingual service is currently available across multiple departments, including radiology, pathology, ultrasound, and electrocardiography.

A patient from Lebanon, who was identified as Nesir, recently received English versions of five medical reports at the hospital. He said the service finally enabled him to understand the medical examination reports on his own when seeing doctors in China.

A foreign doctor working at the hospital introduced the service to Nesir. With the English versions, Nesir’s doctors back in Lebanon can also participate in treatment discussions.

In addition to English-version reports, the hospital also offers international commercial insurance direct billing and medical escort services. It has signed agreements with 22 global insurance companies to expand the one-stop direct billing service.

Last year, the hospital offered medical services for 19,950 foreign patients, the highest number among hospitals in Zhejiang Province. The hospital also has an international outpatient department with English-speaking doctors, an English version hospital appointment registration system, as well as medical escorts and volunteers.

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China increases lifelong learning options via new university-led courses

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

China increases lifelong learning options via new university-led courses

Xinhua | May 9, 2025

Four hundred colleges and universities in China have launched lifelong learning projects as part of a national effort to develop a society that cherishes learning, according to an event that opened Thursday in Nanchang, capital of east China’s Jiangxi Province.

Around 700 projects, offered both online and offline, have been introduced, spanning areas such as digital technology development, AI application and rural revitalization. These courses are tailored to serve a wide range of learners, including migrant workers, rural teachers and senior citizens.

At this event aimed at promoting lifelong learning, Wang Ming, vice president of Beijing Normal University, highlighted that lifelong learning is essential for building an educational powerhouse. “Universities, as key hubs for talent cultivation, scientific research, social services, cultural innovation and international exchange, play a vital role in building a learning society,” he said.

The push for a lifelong learning culture in China echoes the goals set at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which called for the building of a society and country of learning in which lifelong learning is pursued by all.

In late December 2024, an online education platform dedicated to promoting lifelong learning accessibility was officially launched and made available to the public. This platform debuted with an initial offering of 1,000 courses, which were divided into six categories — scientific literacy, workplace skills, cultural literacy, hobbies and interests, continuing education and silver-age education.

According to Wu Yan, deputy minister of the Ministry of Education, China will build a lifelong learning service system that operates around the clock and reaches all regions, thus ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to keep learning.

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The volume of tea exports from China to Russia in 2024 increased by 13.72 percent.

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

GUIYANG, May 9 (Xinhua) — China exported 16,800 tons of tea to Russia in 2024, up 13.72 percent year on year, according to the 6th Tea Industry Conference held in Jiangkou County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, from May 8 to 9.

In monetary terms, the volume of tea exports from China to Russia last year amounted to approximately USD 58.68 million, which is 8.28 percent more year-on-year.

According to the analytical report on the situation with tea import and export in China for 2024, published at the conference, green tea is the main type of tea exported from China to Russia, with a supply volume of 11.2 thousand tons or 79.88 percent of the total volume of tea exports to the Russian Federation.

In addition, approximately 2.78 thousand tons of oolong tea and 2.11 thousand tons of black tea were exported from China to Russia, accounting for 19.85 percent and 15.09 percent of the total export volume, respectively.

According to Wei Yu, Secretary General of the Tea Industry Committee, in 2024, Russia ranked fourth among China’s top five trading partners in tea exports after Morocco, Ghana and Uzbekistan.

The document also said that in 2024, China’s total tea import and export volume reached 428.1 thousand tons, an increase of 5.3 percent year-on-year. At the same time, tea import was 54 thousand tons, an increase of 38.34 percent year-on-year, and export was 374.1 thousand tons, an increase of 1.79 percent. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Total revenue of listed companies in China to exceed 71 trillion yuan in 2024

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) — The combined operating income and net profit of 5,412 companies listed on the Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing stock exchanges last year were 71.98 trillion yuan (about 9.99 trillion U.S. dollars) and 5.22 trillion yuan, respectively, data from the China Association of Listed Companies showed Thursday.

Of these companies, 4,036 were found to be profitable in 2024, accounting for about three-quarters of the country’s total listed companies. Among profitable companies, 2,194 saw profit growth, and 553 in this category saw profits grow by more than 100 percent last year.

In 2024, the total R&D investment of listed companies continued to grow, reaching 1.88 trillion yuan, up nearly 60 billion yuan from the previous year.

In the first quarter of 2025, net profits of companies listed on Chinese stock exchanges totaled 1.49 trillion yuan, up 3.55 percent year-on-year. A total of 4,084 companies were profitable during the same period, further strengthening the positive recovery trend of the Chinese economy.

As of the end of April 2025, the total number of listed companies in China reached 5,420. Some of them have postponed the publication of their financial reports for 2024. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: United Nations Sanctions (Haiti) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 gazetted

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

United Nations Sanctions (Haiti) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 gazetted
“The Amendment Regulation amends the United Nations Sanctions (Haiti) Regulation to give effect to certain decisions relating to sanctions in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2752 in respect of Haiti,” a Government spokesman said.

The amendments renew the travel ban and financial sanctions, and revise the time-limited arms embargo requirements.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has all along been implementing fully the sanctions imposed by the UNSC. The Amendment Regulation aims to give effect to the instructions by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for fulfilling the international obligations of the People’s Republic of China as a Member State of the United Nations.
Issued at HKT 11:00

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CategoriesMIL-OSI

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China boosts employment and social security for people with disabilities

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) — More than 9.14 million people with disabilities will be employed across China in 2024, up 512,000 from a year earlier, according to an official report released Thursday.

The volume of contracts concluded for basic medical insurance services and family doctor contracts among disabled people in China was higher than the national average, according to a document released by the All-China Federation of Disabled People (ACDF).

The report shows that over the past year, more than 8.66 million people with disabilities received basic rehabilitation services, and nearly half a million children with disabilities benefited from rehabilitation assistance.

By the end of 2024, there were 13,297 rehabilitation institutions for the disabled in China, with a total of 373,000 employees.

In terms of social security, in 2024, more than 27.48 million people with disabilities in China were covered by the basic old-age insurance program, and more than 12.46 million were receiving pensions.

By the end of last year, a total of 4,614 facilities for serving people with disabilities had been built, including 2,250 comprehensive service facilities and 1,246 rehabilitation facilities. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China Brings Chinese Wisdom and Solutions to Global Drug Governance

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Russians. Ori.org.KN | 09. 05. 2025

Keywords: White paper

Source: russian.china.org.cn

China brings Chinese wisdom and judgment to global drug governance China fulfills its own responsibilities in drug control, at the same time firmly supports the existing international drug control system, takes an all-round part in making important decisions on international drug control, and brings Chinese wisdom and judgment to global drug governance.

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Three key words to evaluate Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to Russia

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

From May 7 to 10, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia and take part in celebrations in Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War.

At a special key historical moment, the energetic and skillful diplomacy of the great powers and three key words attract special public attention.

Stability

How great powers get along with each other has become a major theme in international relations. As instability in the international environment increases, the world looks to great powers to provide stability and positive energy.

“History and reality have clearly shown us that China and Russia are good neighbors who cannot distance themselves from each other, and true friends who share sorrows and hardships, support each other and develop together,” President Xi Jinping emphasized in a telephone conversation with President Putin in February this year.

Good neighbors and true friends, possessing powerful inner impulses based on deep historical logic.

Regarding bilateral relations, it should be noted that the two countries “adhere to strengthening and developing bilateral relations based on the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third parties” and “form a new type of relations between great powers based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”

From a global perspective, China and Russia are the largest neighboring countries. They are also two world powers that are permanent members of the UN Security Council. They bear a special responsibility for maintaining and developing peace throughout the world. And their friendly relations and the achievement of mutual goals contribute to the development of a multipolar world and the democratization of international relations.

Reflecting on the past in light of the present, it can be noted that in the context of international turbulence, the key to the smooth development of Sino-Russian relations has become “finding the right way to coexist”, and “this not only meets the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, but also contributes to peace, stability and prosperity of the region and the whole world.”

Sense of history

This year has special historical significance.

May 9 marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War, and September 3 marks the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. These two anniversaries and two major battlefields together lead to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.

80 years ago, when Asia and Europe were the two main battlefields of World War II, China and Russia made enormous sacrifices and significant historical contributions to ensuring victory in the world anti-fascist war and saving peoples from destruction, as well as the future of all mankind.

It was not easy to achieve victory and peace, nor was it easy to establish the post-war international order.

“If we lose the memory of history, our minds will be lost in darkness,” Chinese President Xi Jinping once quoted the famous words of renowned Russian historian Klyuchevsky, thereby expressing his determination to preserve historical memory and uphold peace.

In May 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping was invited to Moscow to participate in celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. In September of the same year, a conference was held in Beijing dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.

And now, ten years have passed unnoticed. Today, when the world stands at the crossroads of history, China and Russia support each other in holding events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, promoting an accurate view of the history of World War II, preserving the results of World War II and the post-war international order, and defending international justice.

The concept of order

Today’s world has been shaped by history.

It was on the basis of the Great Victory won 80 years ago that China and Russia, together with other major members of the anti-fascist alliance, discussed the establishment of the UN and jointly drafted a number of important international documents such as the UN Charter, which laid the foundations of the modern international order and established the basic rules of international relations.

Peace rather than war, cooperation rather than confrontation, win-win rather than zero-sum – all this has become a powerful historical trend.

“In this world, the degree of interconnectedness and interdependence of various countries has never been so profound. Humanity lives in one global village, in one time and space, where history and reality intersect, increasingly becoming a community of a common destiny, close and inseparable,” so in March 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave the world the first interpretation of the concept of a community of a common destiny at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO MFA of Russia).

Great power diplomacy aimed at long-term planning and far-reaching results.

When turbulence intensifies, we must stand firmly on the right side of history, “resolutely oppose the attacks and actions that deny, distort and falsify the history of World War II,” and “jointly defend the outcome of World War II and international justice.”

When the “countercurrent” starts to bubble up, we must unwaveringly stand by the progress of human civilization. “Practice genuine multilateralism, promote an equitable and orderly multipolar world, comprehensive economic globalization, jointly implement the global development initiative, the global security initiative and the global civilization initiative, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind.”

It is the sacred duty of China and Russia to guide global governance in the right direction.

“China and Russia should take this as an opportunity to jointly safeguard the international system with the UN as its core and the legacy of World War II, and promote all countries to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, adhere to the universally recognized norms of international relations, and practice genuine multilateralism,” Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized during video conference talks with President Vladimir Putin in January this year.

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: US ‘film tariffs’ would deal ‘devastating blow’ to film and TV industries

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

The Hollywood Reporter reported on May 4 that US President Trump had announced the same day that he would impose a “100% tariff” on any films produced outside the United States that enter the country. He also authorized the Commerce Department and the US Trade Representative to implement the tariff policy.

“The American film industry is rapidly dying!” Trump wrote on social media on May 4. It said that other countries were using various incentives to “entice American film producers and studios to leave the United States.” Trump also said that Hollywood had been “severely damaged” as a result, posing a “national security threat” to the United States. He authorized the Commerce Department and the U.S. Trade Representative to immediately begin procedures to impose 100% tariffs on all films imported into the United States and produced in foreign countries, expressing his hope to “have American-made films again.”

In recent years, Hollywood has taken advantage of tax incentives to move film production to countries such as the UK, Australia, Ireland and Spain.

According to the Guardian and Reuters, the Australian and New Zealand governments have already made their positions known on May 5, declaring that they will vigorously defend the interests of their film and television industries. William Reinsch, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former senior official at the U.S. Department of Commerce, believes that imposing tariffs on foreign-made films “would cause far more problems than they are worth,” and that it is difficult to convince people that foreign-made films are a “national security threat.” One U.S. entertainment industry official believes that Trump’s move will not only affect film, but will also “deal a crushing blow to the television industry.”

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China braces for heavy rains

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) — The latest heavy rains have hit coastal and southern parts of China since Wednesday, bringing widespread downpours and severe convective weather including thunderstorms, short-term heavy rainfall and storms.

Local authorities took prompt measures to ensure the safety of urban life and public safety.

Rain intensified in central China’s Hubei Province overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, prompting the province’s meteorological bureau to step up emergency response measures.

Moderate to heavy rains have been reported in eastern parts of South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region over the past two days, with some areas seeing torrential rains exceeding 100 millimeters.

To address the dual challenges of drought and floods, more than 7.9 million relief items have been collected in the GCAR and disaster-prone areas have been equipped with more than 4,900 satellite phones and navigation devices.

The region also mobilized 22,000 emergency response personnel, as well as 16,000 local teams, totaling 320,000 people.

Heavy rains have disrupted rail services in central China’s Hunan Province, forcing some trains to be suspended or rerouted to ensure passenger safety.

Meanwhile, more than 2,500 monitoring devices and 300 drones have been deployed in East China’s Jiangxi Province to remotely monitor power infrastructure.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) extended a yellow rainfall warning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, predicting heavy to torrential rainfall in many provinces, as well as the risk of lightning, hail and strong winds. Authorities urged the public to be aware of weather warnings and exercise caution when traveling and engaging in outdoor activities. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China, Russia Call on Nuclear Powers to Ditch Cold War Mentality

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

MOSCOW, May 9 (Xinhua) — China and Russia have called on nuclear powers to abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum games, according to a joint statement released here on Thursday.

The parties stressed the importance of maintaining constructive relations between major countries in resolving global strategic issues.

Members of the nuclear club bear special responsibility for international security and global strategic stability, they should refrain from steps that cause strategic risks and resolve problems through equal dialogue and consultations based on mutual respect to strengthen trust and avoid dangerous misjudgments, Beijing and Moscow noted.

The statement said that not all nuclear powers adhere to the above-mentioned position. Growing tensions between nuclear states have escalated to the point of risk of direct military clashes, problems and challenges continue to arise in the strategic sphere, and the danger of nuclear conflicts is increasing, China and Russia emphasized.

The fact that some nuclear-weapon States are building or expanding permanent military bases in sensitive areas around other nuclear-weapon States, flexing their military muscle to exert pressure, or committing hostile acts that threaten the core security interests of other countries has become one of the most serious strategic risks and must be addressed without delay, the statement said.

The forward deployment of military facilities and modern offensive and defensive weapons is constantly increasing, which is a cause for serious concern, the parties emphasized.

The recently announced US “Golden Dome” plan aims to create a global missile defense system that will not be subject to any restrictions to repel various missile threats, including those from “peer” adversaries, which also seriously damages strategic stability, the statement said.

This plan completely denies the inextricable link between strategic offensive and strategic defensive weapons, the basic principle of maintaining global strategic stability. In addition, it also provides for further support for research and development of kinetic and non-kinetic means of destroying missiles and their support facilities, and ensuring “kill before launch”.

The Golden Dome program openly proposes a significant increase in the number of space warfare capabilities, including the development and deployment of orbital interception systems, the weaponization of space and its transformation into a site for large-scale armed confrontation, which further worsens the situation, the statement noted.

According to the document, Beijing and Moscow oppose attempts by individual countries to use space for armed confrontation and reject security measures aimed at achieving military superiority, defining outer space as a “combat area” and its use as such.

China and Russia have condemned the use of commercial space systems to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states and armed conflicts in other countries.

A nuclear state, with the support of its allies, seeks to undermine the reliability and effectiveness of strategic deterrence of other nuclear powers in an attempt to achieve overwhelming military superiority and ultimately “absolute strategic security.” This fundamentally violates the basic logic of maintaining strategic balance and contradicts the principle of equal and indivisible security, the statement said.

Any military confrontation between nuclear-weapon states should be resolutely avoided, and political and diplomatic solutions to existing differences should be sought on the basis of mutual recognition and mutual respect for security interests and issues of concern, the document emphasizes.

Beijing and Moscow noted that through the trilateral security partnership, the United States, Britain and Australia are attempting to establish military facilities used by two nuclear-armed states to protect their nuclear forces on the territory of a country that has signed the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone Treaty, undermining strategic stability and provoking an arms race in the region. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese take first place in visiting Brest Fortress in Belarus among tourists from far abroad — director

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Brest /Belarus/, May 9 /Xinhua/ — The Chinese are the first among tourists from far abroad to visit the Brest Fortress in Belarus. This was recently stated to journalists by the director of the memorial complex “Brest Hero Fortress” Alexander Korkotadze during a press tour of media representatives of the EAEU and CIS countries.

“Among the countries of the far abroad, China ranks first in the number of tourists who visit the memorial complex “Brest Hero Fortress”. We see a trend towards an increase in tourist flow from China,” he said.

A. Korkotadze also noted that in 2024, an exhibition about the defense of the Brest Fortress was opened at the Memorial Museum of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggressors in Beijing, and this year a return exhibition is planned at the Brest Fortress, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory in World War II over militarist Japan.

In addition, according to him, the fortress has been visited more in recent years. Families come here from all corners of the former Soviet Union. Over 125 thousand people visited the memorial in the first 4 months of 2025.

“We have conducted more than 3,700 excursions, and tourists from more than 10 countries have already visited our memorial this year. And this is despite the sanctions, despite the fact that they are trying to cancel the role of the Soviet Union in the victory over fascism and hush it up. But people from European countries, from the USA, from Latin America, from Africa, from Asia come to us and receive the most truthful information here. Apparently, they come to us for the truth,” said A. Korkotadze. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China’s private sector moves to new level of legal protection

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

On April 30, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress voted to pass China’s first basic law regulating the development of the private sector, the Law on Promoting the Development of the Private Sector. The law will go into effect on May 20, marking a shift from state support for private businesses to legal protection.

The law covers the entire life cycle of private enterprises – from creation and development to termination of activities, and also takes into account the key interests of various stakeholders in matters of fair competition, investment and financing, protection of rights and interests, and scientific and technological innovation.

An important task of the law is to boost the innovation capacity of private enterprises in the context of the new national strategy, said Feng Guo, vice president of the Economic Law Research Association of the China Law Society and a professor at the Wuhan University School of Law.

Currently, private enterprises play a leading role in technological innovation in China, accounting for more than 70% of the country’s technological achievements, and accounting for more than 80% of specialized and innovative small and medium enterprises (“little giants”) and more than 90% of national high-tech enterprises. This year, private companies have made significant breakthroughs in areas such as generative artificial intelligence, intelligent robotics, civil aviation, and quantum technology.

Tian Xuan, director of the National Institute of Financial Research at Tsinghua University, noted that the law contains a separate section on technological innovation. This is aimed at supporting private enterprises and stimulating investment in science and technology, which will contribute to the development of productive forces of new quality. It also demonstrates the state’s recognition of the important role of private entrepreneurs and the private sector in technological innovation.

The private sector of the economy plays a huge role in advanced technologies. The law particularly emphasizes the need to encourage the participation of private enterprises in innovation and the development of major projects and key industries, as well as to give them the opportunity to lead these processes.

The law provides support for the participation of private organizations in research and development of common digital and intelligent technologies, the creation of a data market, the legal and rational use of data, and the development and use of open public data.

Tian Xuan also noted that an important part of the Law is dedicated to protecting the rights and interests of private enterprises. This will allow entrepreneurs to focus on running their business, long-term investment and technological innovation, without being distracted by other issues.

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China will continue efforts to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) — China remains committed to advancing the accession process to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Ministry of Commerce said.

Speaking at a regular press conference of the ministry on Thursday, spokesman He Yadong noted that since applying to join the CPTPP in September 2021, China has conducted an in-depth analysis of the provisions of this agreement, communicated with its participants at various levels and through various channels, and organized relevant experiments in those pilot free trade zones and free trade ports that have the necessary conditions.

“All this demonstrates the determination, ability and concrete actions of the Chinese side in ensuring compliance with the high standards stipulated by the agreement,” He Yadong said.

“No matter how the international situation changes,” he continued, “China will only open its doors wider to the outside world.” The country will steadily expand its institutional openness, take the initiative in working to ensure compliance with high-level international trade and economic rules, and actively advance the process of joining the CPTPP, the official representative of the Ministry of Commerce concluded. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China slams US attempts to turn Asia-Pacific into ‘powder keg’

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers recent media queries concerning the military on May 8, 2025. [Photo/mod.gov.cn]

A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday said the United States’ attempts to turn the Asia-Pacific region into a “powder keg” seriously undermine the security and well-being of the people in the region.

Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a question about the U.S. Defense Secretary’s call to deter China in the Indo-Pacific region and about U.S. plans to establish a major military facility in the Philippines for storage of weapons and logistics supplies.

The U.S. repeatedly uses China as a pretext to maintain its hegemony and it is attempting to turn the Asia-Pacific into a “powder keg,” putting relevant countries at risk, Zhang said, noting that such moves significantly harm the security and well-being of the people and countries in the region.

“Facts have repeatedly proven that it is dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be its friend may be fatal,” Zhang said, adding that relevant countries are advised against inviting troubles and becoming others’ pawns, which would undermine the hard-won peace and stability in the region.

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: President Xi on China-Russia relations

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Editor’s note: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Wednesday to pay a state visit to Russia and attend the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War. In this poster series, China.org.cn highlights key remarks of President Xi on bilateral ties during the visit.

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MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China, Russia example of relations, cooperation between major countries: Joint statement

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin sign a joint statement on further deepening the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era after their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, May 8, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

China and Russia have set a model for the world on building new-type international relations as well as on developing cooperation between major countries and between the countries as each other’s biggest neighbor, said a bilateral joint statement on Thursday.

The joint statement on further deepening the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era was released after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Russian capital.

The statement noted that the relations between China and Russia have reached the highest level in history with a steady and across-the-board development.

China and Russia are each other’s important trade partner, and the two sides agree that the bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation has strongly contributed to the improvement of the well-being of the two peoples, the statement said.

In efforts to further enhance the cooperation, China and Russia agree to push for a stable expansion of two-way trade with an optimized structure through lifting the share of high-tech products and fostering innovative forms of e-commerce, among other efforts.

They will work to deepen investment cooperation and consolidate the overall energy cooperation partnership, according to the statement.

The two sides will also jointly explore the potential in science and technology cooperation, finding new direction in areas including innovation and basic and applied researches, conducting regular selection and implementation of joint programs, and encouraging new patterns for collaboration, according to the statement.

The statement said that the two countries will comprehensively deepen their practical cooperation in fields ranging from economic and trade, customs, agriculture, transportation, finance, industry, environmental protection, aerospace and satellite navigation, nuclear energy, urban construction to health care and information and communication technology, ensuring a higher-quality and upgraded bilateral cooperation by 2030.

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Shanghai’s World Bank survey success reflects China’s reform resolve

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Shanghai’s dynamic business hub is radiating confidence and vitality. In a new World Bank survey of 2,189 Chinese firms, Shanghai stood out with 22 business environment indicators ranking among the world’s top performers, more than any other city measured.

The latest World Bank Enterprise Survey, conducted from January 2024 to February 2025, found that Shanghai leads the world in categories from power reliability to electronic payments. This haul even outshines Singapore, which had 10 top-tier indicators in an earlier assessment.

The World Bank introduced the Business Ready (B-READY) Report in May 2023, which is a new approach that draws on a data collection process that includes specially tailored expert questionnaires and firm-level surveys.

According to the survey, China’s overall enterprise survey scores were quite strong, exceeding the median of 103 economies in six out of eight topic areas, including commercial dispute resolution, taxation, financial services and international trade.

Notably, among the 59 indicators used in B-READY, China achieved global top-tier performance in 12 indicators, including e-payments, electricity access and workforce training. Additionally, the country reached global advanced standards in areas such as construction permits, water supply, internet connectivity, and innovation.

According to Elaine Chen, a partner at PwC China, which conducted the survey, Chinese firms demonstrated exceptional time efficiency, with VAT refunds processed in just one week and trade clearance time (3 days for exports, 10 for imports, on average) outperforming regional peers.

“China’s strong results will be a reference to the World Bank’s final evaluation in September,” Chen noted.

As an outstanding performer, Shanghai’s 22 world-best indicators span a broad array of business concerns. Regarding the reliability of electricity supply, the city’s enterprises reported zero power outages in the past year. Regarding access to financial services, Shanghai achieved zero transaction costs for electronic payments.

Shanghai also reported perfect scores in commercial mediation (100), customs satisfaction (99.13), and internet provider flexibility (96.2). Beyond these, the metropolis scored at or near global best practice on measures such as tax processing speed, loan approvals, and internet stability, reflecting its advanced regulatory framework and commitment to efficiency.

What lies behind these numbers is a vigorous push to modernize the city’s business environment. Many of Shanghai’s reforms in recent years have directly targeted the pain points that the World Bank survey measures. For example, the city enacted in 2016 a regulation on power supply and utilization that requires utility companies to fix outages within an hour.

The findings underscore Shanghai’s success in aligning with international standards, streamlining regulations, and enhancing public services — a testament to China’s broader strides in cultivating a business-friendly environment, said Luo Peixin, vice president of East China University of Political Science and Law.

Luo highlighted Shanghai’s institutional reforms as key drivers of progress. “Shanghai’s model offers a blueprint for nationwide improvements.”

After years of steadfast reform, Shanghai has made the business environment a top priority since 2018, when Shanghai launched its first annual action plan of business climate reforms.

Every year since then, the Shanghai municipal government convened a high-profile conference on optimizing the business environment to announce new measures. These action plans have so far introduced over 1,100 specific reform tasks and measures.

Luo noted that by driving institutional reforms and optimizing working methods, Shanghai can further enhance corporate satisfaction and sense of gain.

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Chinese listed companies report combined revenue of over 71 trln yuan in 2024

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Chinese listed companies report combined revenue of over 71 trln yuan in 2024

Xinhua | May 9, 2025

Data from the China Association for Public Companies showed Thursday that 5,412 listed companies on the Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing stock exchanges generated a combined operating revenue of 71.98 trillion yuan (about 9.99 trillion U.S. dollars) and a net profit of 5.22 trillion yuan in 2024.

Of these companies, 4,036 were profitable in 2024, representing roughly three-quarters of the total number of listed companies. Among the profitable companies, 2,194 achieved profit growth, and 553 saw their profits surge by more than 100 percent last year.

The total R&D investment of listed companies continued to rise in 2024, reaching 1.88 trillion yuan — up nearly 60 billion yuan from the previous year.

In the first quarter of 2025, Chinese listed companies achieved net profits of 1.49 trillion yuan, marking a 3.55-percent increase year on year. A total of 4,084 companies were profitable in the first quarter, further consolidating the positive recovery trend.

As of the end of April 2025, the total number of listed companies in China had reached 5,420. Some of them delayed disclosing their 2024 financial reports.

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Xinjiang expands sports infrastructure with 88,800 venues by 2024

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Xinjiang expands sports infrastructure with 88,800 venues by 2024

Xinhua | May 9, 2025

By 2024, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China had built 88,800 sports venues, boosting local sports development and participation, official data showed.

The total marked an increase of 8.4 percent compared to 2023’s total of 81,928 venues, and Xinjiang organized 54,000 sports events and activities at various levels throughout last year, bringing athletic activities closer to local communities.

Among the venues are 118 dedicated to winter sports, with the region’s favorable natural conditions increasingly attracting young people to participate in winter activities in recent years.

In January, Xinjiang hosted its regional Winter Games for the second consecutive year, drawing participation from 1,058 athletes of various ethnic groups.

“We will continue to invest in building sports facilities and create fitness spaces within reach of every household,” said Aert, director of the Xinjiang Sports Bureau. “We are also focusing on key areas such as winter sports and outdoor activities to help drive Xinjiang’s economic development.”

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China’s foreign trade volume of tea grows in 2024

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

An aerial drone photo shows a tea garden in Jiangkou County of Tongren, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, April 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

The Chinese mainland recorded a total volume of 428,100 tonnes for tea import and export in 2024, up 5.3 percent year on year, according to the Tea Industry Committee of China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation.

Wei You, secretary general of the committee, shared these figures while releasing an annual report on the mainland’s tea trade at a tea industry conference held on Thursday in southwest China’s Guizhou Province.

During 2024, the mainland’s tea import volume reached 54,000 tonnes, an increase of 38.34 percent year on year, while its tea export volume totaled 374,100 tonnes, a rise of 1.79 percent year on year.

The report noted that black tea was the dominant import tea product, making up 77.63 percent of total tea imports. Green tea led exports, accounting for 86.57 percent of the mainland’s total export volume last year.

Notably, tea exports to Belt and Road partner countries in 2024 had reached 322,300 tonnes — up 2.22 percent year on year. ■

An aerial drone photo shows a tea garden in Jiangkou County of Tongren, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, April 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

GUIYANG, May 8 (Xinhua) — The Chinese mainland recorded a total volume of 428,100 tonnes for tea import and export in 2024, up 5.3 percent year on year, according to the Tea Industry Committee of China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation.

Wei You, secretary general of the committee, shared these figures while releasing an annual report on the mainland’s tea trade at a tea industry conference held on Thursday in southwest China’s Guizhou Province.

During 2024, the mainland’s tea import volume reached 54,000 tonnes, an increase of 38.34 percent year on year, while its tea export volume totaled 374,100 tonnes, a rise of 1.79 percent year on year.

The report noted that black tea was the dominant import tea product, making up 77.63 percent of total tea imports. Green tea led exports, accounting for 86.57 percent of the mainland’s total export volume last year.

Notably, tea exports to Belt and Road partner countries in 2024 had reached 322,300 tonnes — up 2.22 percent year on year.

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Joint statement: China, Russia example of relations, cooperation between major countries

Source: China State Council Information Office

Joint statement: China, Russia example of relations, cooperation between major countries

Xinhua | May 9, 2025

China and Russia have set a model for the world on building new-type international relations as well as on developing cooperation between major countries and between the countries as each other’s biggest neighbor, said a bilateral joint statement on Thursday.

The joint statement on further deepening the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era was released after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Russian capital.

The statement noted that the relations between China and Russia have reached the highest level in history with a steady and across-the-board development.

China and Russia are each other’s important trade partner, and the two sides agree that the bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation has strongly contributed to the improvement of the well-being of the two peoples, the statement said.

In efforts to further enhance the cooperation, China and Russia agree to push for a stable expansion of two-way trade with an optimized structure through lifting the share of high-tech products and fostering innovative forms of e-commerce, among other efforts.

They will work to deepen investment cooperation and consolidate the overall energy cooperation partnership, according to the statement.

The two sides will also jointly explore the potential in science and technology cooperation, finding new direction in areas including innovation and basic and applied researches, conducting regular selection and implementation of joint programs, and encouraging new patterns for collaboration, according to the statement.

The statement said that the two countries will comprehensively deepen their practical cooperation in fields ranging from economic and trade, customs, agriculture, transportation, finance, industry, environmental protection, aerospace and satellite navigation, nuclear energy, urban construction to health care and information and communication technology, ensuring a higher-quality and upgraded bilateral cooperation by 2030.

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Xi says China, Russia should make new, greater contributions to national development and revitalization, int’l fairness and justice

Source: China State Council Information Office

Xi says China, Russia should make new, greater contributions to national development and revitalization, int’l fairness and justice

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin jointly meet the press after their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, May 8, 2025. Xi held talks here on Thursday with Putin. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that China and Russia should take a clear stand and coordinate comprehensively to make new and greater contributions to promoting the development and rejuvenation of the two countries and safeguarding international fairness and justice.

Xi made the remarks when he and Russian President Vladimir Putin jointly met the press after their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow.

In the face of the changes of the world, of the times and of historical significance, China and Russia should keep a firm grasp on the development direction of bilateral ties and the general trend of the development of human society, Xi said.

Noting that his talks with Putin were in-depth, cordial and fruitful, Xi said he and Putin reached many important new consensus, signed a joint statement on further deepening China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era and witnessed the exchange of multiple bilateral cooperation documents, which injected new impetus into the development of China-Russia relations.

Xi said this is his 11th visit to Russia, the country he has visited the most since becoming the president of the People’s Republic of China. On Friday, he will attend the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War, his second time attending the grand commemoration event in ten years.

Xi said the past decade has witnessed major turbulence and transformation in the international situation, as well as great leapfrog in China-Russia ties. The two countries have jointly witnessed the continuous consolidation and deepening of political mutual trust, and the continuous improvement of cooperation in various fields.

Xi said that China and Russia must uphold long-standing friendship from generation to generation and remain true friends forged through trials and tribulations. Eighty years ago, in the face of brutal aggression of militarism and Nazism, the Chinese and Russian peoples stood united, fighting side by side against a common enemy and writing a remarkable and heroic chapter in history, he said.

The great friendship forged between the two peoples through the trials of war and bloodshed has laid a solid foundation for the high-level development of bilateral relations, Xi said, adding that the two countries should deepen political mutual trust, enhance strategic coordination and advance bilateral ties toward a more mature and resilient future.

Xi said that the two countries should uphold mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and be good partners who help each other prosper.

From overcoming hardships to deliver urgently needed supplies to each other during World War II, to the current record-breaking bilateral trade volumes, the “high-speed train” of China-Russia mutually beneficial cooperation has taken an extraordinary journey through mountains and valleys, overcoming challenges and obstacles, he said.

China and Russia should continue to deepen practical cooperation in various fields and solidify the material foundation for their comprehensive strategic coordination, bring more benefits to the people of both countries and give stronger momentum to global development, he said.

Xi noted that the two countries should uphold fairness and justice and defend the international order. China and Russia, as main theaters of Asia and Europe in WWII, have made decisive contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and laid a solid foundation for the establishment of the post-war international order, he said.

As forces for stability, progress, and development in the international community, China and Russia should continue to firmly stand together, resolutely safeguard the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, and continuously promote an equal and orderly multipolar world, said Xi.

China and Russia must uphold solidarity and mutual assistance and act as leading forces in global governance, Xi noted, stressing that the future of the world should be decided by all countries together, and the fruits of global development should be shared by all.

As major countries and key emerging market economies, China and Russia both shoulder the lofty mission of advancing global governance toward greater equity and justice, and the two sides should enhance coordination within multilateral platforms such as the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, remain committed to true multilateralism, guide global governance in the right direction, and promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, he said.

Xi emphasized that in the face of a turbulent and complex international situation, China and Russia must firmly uphold the spirit of lasting bilateral good-neighborliness and friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The two countries should stand together to overcome challenges, comprehensively elevate the level, scope and resilience of China-Russia relations, inject greater stability into world peace and security, and provide stronger momentum for global development and prosperity, said Xi.

MIL OSI China News –

May 9, 2025