NewzIntel.com

Category: China

  • MIL-OSI China: At least 1 dead, 4 wounded in US airstrikes on Yemen’s Saada

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    At least one person was killed and four others wounded when airstrikes by U.S. forces hit a solar energy store and a house in Yemen’s northern city of Saada late on Saturday, medics reported.

    Medics described the casualty toll as preliminary, adding that civil defense teams were working to extinguish fires and search for victims at the targeted sites in the Hafsin area of western Saada city, the capital of the namesake Saada province.

    Earlier on Saturday, the Houthi group denied U.S. claims that an American airstrike had targeted a meeting of its military leaders in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

    A Houthi statement, reported by the group’s al-Masirah TV, described the event cited in the U.S. claims as a social gathering for the Eid holiday, calling such events a common practice in Yemen during holidays.

    On March 15, the U.S. military launched a new round of airstrikes across Yemen, aimed at weakening the Houthis’ operational capacity. Over the past two weeks, U.S. forces have carried out a wave of strikes targeting Houthi air defense systems, command centers, fortified positions, and weapons depots across several provinces.

    The Houthis have previously said they would resume attacks on commercial and naval vessels linked to Israel in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, citing Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

    The group says its maritime operations are intended to express solidarity with Palestinians and to apply pressure on Israel over its military campaign in Gaza.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese int’l rescue team continues to conduct medical outreach in Myanmar’s Mandalay

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A member of China Search and Rescue Team provides medical consultations for local residents in Mandalay, Myanmar, April 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

    The China International Search and Rescue Team continued to conduct medical outreach on Saturday in the urban area of Mandalay region, Myanmar.

    Through disease screening, consultations, medication guidance, and medicine distribution, the team provided “zero-distance” medical services to the 7.9-magnitude earthquake-affected residents.

    At a relief camp near the University of Medicine in Mandalay, the team’s medical personnel utilized self-developed mobile diagnostic equipment such as handheld ultrasound devices, portable X-ray machines, and bedside ECG monitors to conduct free examinations for over 250 local residents. Essential medications, including anti-infectives, analgesics, and antihypertensives, were distributed on-site based on diagnoses.

    Near Mandalay Palace, the medical personnel team tailored solutions for prevalent local diseases, particularly respiratory, digestive, and immune system disorders exacerbated by the high temperatures in the earthquake-affected areas, providing medication guidance and conducting health education on respiratory care and chronic disease management to enhance public health awareness and self-care capabilities.

    The team comprises over 10 experts from the China International Search and Rescue Team, spanning 14 specialties, including internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics.

    Since deploying to Myanmar, they have supported search-and-rescue operations and structural assessments while disinfecting over 120,000 square meters of rescue and operational zones.

    Collaborating with other Chinese rescue teams, including China Search and Rescue Team, a rescue team from China’s Hong Kong and Shenzhen Public Welfare Rescue Team, they have provided round-the-clock medical support, conducting over 500 medical consultations.

    The China International Search and Rescue Team will continue to conduct medical outreach across Mandalay’s relief camps in batches, prioritizing treatment for acute and chronic conditions such as respiratory, hepatobiliary, cardiovascular, and endocrine disorders.

    Additionally, they plan to donate urgently needed medical supplies and equipment to local facilities. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/CHINA – “Qingming”: Traditional Remembrance of the Dead is an opportunity for Catholics to bear witness

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    xinde.org

    Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – The day of Qingming, which commemorates the dead according to Chinese tradition, falls on April 5th, as it does every year. Catholic communities of mainland China have undertaken pastoral initiatives in anticipation of the Remembrance of the Dead, celebrating this day in light of the salvation promised by Jesus and as an opportunity to bear witness to the Gospel.Catholic cemeteries are just as crowded on April 5th as they are on November 2nd, the day on which the Remembrance of the Dead falls according to the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. On April 5th, the Remembrance of the Dead is celebrated according to Catholic tradition in harmony with the practices of Chinese cultural tradition.According to a report by the Church information portal “xinde.org,” a visit to the Catholic cemetery in the municipality of Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, took place on March 24th. After the liturgical celebration and prayers, the tombs of bishops, priests, nuns, and all the deceased who dedicated their lives to the service of the community were cleaned. In his homily, Father Pang Rui emphasized that the Qingming “is not only a time to remember the dead and ancestors, but also an opportunity to cultivate and bear witness to faith in Jesus. The first missionaries embodied the power of faith in their own lives. Their dedication illuminates our journey of faith. We will continue the legacy of our fathers and mothers in faith so that the Gospel of God can be spread ever further.”In the days preceding Qingming, the Catholic communities therefore also remembered all those who gave their lives, even to the point of martyrdom, for the proclamation of the Gospel.As in previous years, Catholics from Guangdong Province made a pilgrimage to Shangchuan Island, where traces of the mission of St. Francis Xavier have been preserved, and also commemorated St. John Paul II on the 20th anniversary of his death.For more than 2,500 years, Chinese people have remembered their ancestors and deceased loved ones on April 5, Qingming Day. According to ancient custom, flowers and incense are placed at the tombs of deceased loved ones. Given that even these moments have become an occasion for consumption, many Chinese Catholics are also committed to preserving these traditional customs from the effects of secularization by remembering their loved ones through participation in Holy Mass, prayer, and spiritual reflection, according to the penitential spirit of Lent. It is also an opportunity to explain Catholic teachings on death and eternal life to their fellow citizens. Chinese Catholics walk their journey of faith within the context of traditional Chinese culture and are willing to recognize and appreciate the similarities with it, including the great respect for the dead and their own ancestors.(NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 5/4/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: McCaul, Dr. Arthur Herman Highlight AUKUS as Key to Countering the CCP, Maintaining High-Tech Supremacy

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Dr. Arthur Herman, a senior fellow and director of the Quantum Alliance Initiative at Hudson Institute, penned an op-ed in National Review highlighting how AUKUS — the security pact between the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia — provides a strategic advantage against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), both at sea and in the high-tech realm. 

    National Review

    The U.S. Has a Game Changer in the Struggle for High-Tech Supremacy

    Congressman Michael McCaul and Dr. Arthur Herman 

    April 3, 2025 

    In the great-power competition with the United States’ adversaries, none is more formidable than the Chinese Communist Party.

    Emboldened by four years of appeasement policies, the CCP is on the march — escalating its military activities, conducting aggressive drills around Taiwan, and increasing its belligerence in the South China Sea.

    The tension in the Indo-Pacific is nearing a breaking point. Given China’s unholy alliance with Russia, Iran, and North Korea — and America’s friendship with Taiwan and defense treaty with the Philippines — any surge of CCP aggression in the region could catapult the world into a snowballing conflict.

    There is one key to avoiding this World War III scenario: deterrence. And as the future of warfare rapidly develops, high-tech supremacy will be the decisive key. That’s why — as President Trump has said — China’s recent DeepSeek challenge to American AI leadership serves as a wake-up call. We must commit greater focus and resources to high-tech supremacy — not only in AI, but in a range of technologies that will define military deterrence in peacetime and determine victory in a time of war.

    […]

    Instead of peace through strength, the Biden presidency brought instability and conflict through weakness. But in the midst of its abysmal foreign policy record was one bright spot: a security pact established in 2021 between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, to work together on a cluster of advanced technologies. 

    AUKUS will change the game when it comes to countering the generational threat posed by China.

    […]

    To ensure the program’s success, Congress passed an initiative, led by one of us (Michael McCaul, chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee), to exempt Australia and the U.K. from lengthy and burdensome licensing requirements. These requirements, while meant to protect our sensitive technology from falling into the wrong hands, also prohibited our trusted allies from using U.S. tech for our collective defense goals.

    Congress was explicit: The administration “shall provide” defense articles and technology to these allies, whose export control regimes are similar to our own. But when the Biden administration removed the licensing requirements, it quickly nullified that action by releasing a list of excluded technologies. The list was so lengthy that it swallowed up the exemption. In other words, the Biden administration undermined congressional intent and re-created lengthy burdens for technology sharing with our allies, inexplicably undercutting its one true foreign policy success in the process.

    The excluded-technologies list must be immediately trimmed if we want to keep up with China in the technology race that will determine the future balance of power.

    […]

    In our brave new age of great-power competition, our high-tech posture will be as important as our military force posture; in fact, one will determine the other. Just as in World War II the integration of mass production by commercial companies was the key to victory, so too will integration of advanced technologies like AI, quantum, and autonomous systems be key to deterrence — and to victory if war breaks out.

    Except this time, we won’t have to rely on American industry alone for needed breakthroughs and deployments. Instead, we can work with key allies to achieve our most important national security goals — including supremacy at sea — and prevent the next world war from breaking out.

    As Ronald Reagan told us, “We know only too well that conflict comes not when the forces of freedom are strong, but when they are weak.” For too long, the forces of freedom have been weak in the face of CCP aggression. AUKUS can change that.

    Click here to read the full op-ed in National Review.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Regular Press Conference of the Ministry of National Defense on March 27, 2025 2025-04-05 Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of March 27, 2025.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense 2

    Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of March 27, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

    (The following English text is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.)

    Wu Qian: Friends from the media, good afternoon. Welcome to this month’s regular press conference of the Ministry of National Defense (MND). First of all, I would like to introduce a group of friends in red jackets. They are the faculty and student representatives from Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), welcome!

    Today, I have one piece of information to announce on the top.

    The Chinese MND hosted the first meeting of International Military Cooperation Organs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States for 2025 in Qingdao, Shandong Province, from March 26 to 27. Over 30 representatives from defense ministries of the SCO member states and the SCO Secretariat attended the meeting. The participants had in-depth discussions on deepening defense and security cooperation within the SCO framework and expressed willingness to maintain close communication to prepare for the upcoming Defense Ministers’ Meeting of the SCO Member States to be held in China.

    Now the floor is open for questions.

    Journalist: President Xi attended the plenary meeting of the delegation of the PLA and the PAP during the third session of the 14th NPC and delivered an important speech, emphasizing the need to promote high-quality development and implement the 14th Five-Year Plan for military development. Could you provide an update on the progress of the military’s 14th Five-Year Plan? What are the key challenges going forward?

    Wu Qian: Over the past four years of implementing tasks in the 14th Five-Year Plan, the military has made great efforts to achieve its centenary goal and strengthen combat effectiveness. A number of major outcomes have been reached, in particular on producing new quality combat capabilities. The strategic capabilities of the PLA in fulfilling its missions in the new era have been continuously strengthened. However, there are still many challenges and arduous tasks remained. We are now in a key stage of overcoming challenges and winning this uphill battle.

    Follow the guidance of President Xi’s important speech, the military will bolster confidence, address challenges, and redouble our efforts in implementing the plan. First, striking a balance between progress and quality. We will continue to improve strategic management and strengthen process control. While ensuring progress is made on time, we will strive to realize performance targets and prevent any compromise in quality for meeting deadlines.

    Second, striking a balance between cost and benefit. We will remain committed to a path of high-quality, high-effectiveness, low-cost and sustainable development. We will leverage civilian strengths and resources, properly allocate defense resources and investment, and make the use of defense budget more precise and efficient.

    Third, striking a balance between the overall plan and key priorities. We will strengthen general coordination and targeted adjustment, and concentrate efforts on major projects and key initiatives, so as to advance the implementation of the overall plan through breakthroughs in key areas.

    Fourth, striking a balance between development and supervision. We will put more emphasis on supervision and build a comprehensive and effective regulatory system to forge synergy and ensure development quality, timely formation of capabilities, and the red line of no corruption.

    Fifth, striking a balance between implementation of the plan and formation of capabilities. We will innovate models for generating combat power, establish a rapid response and conversion mechanism for advanced technologies, and accelerate the transition from project delivery to capability delivery, ensuring the timely formation of a strong and capable combat force.

    Journalist: The leader of the Taiwan region, Lai Ching-te, recently made separatist remarks claiming that the two sides across the Taiwan Strait are “not subordinate to each other” and called the mainland a “foreign hostile force”. In mid-March, the PLA conducted a military exercise near Taiwan. Some said that the exercise was a countermeasure against Lai Ching-te’s separatist rhetoric and recent movements between Taiwan and the US. What’s your comment?

    Wu Qian: As the Chinese saying goes, “When the heaven is about to destroy someone, it first makes them having lunatic ideas.” Taiwan is a part of China. It has never been a nation. It wasn’t in the past. It is not at present, and it will never be in the future.

    Recently, naval and air troops of the PLA Eastern Theater Command conducted readiness patrols and joint exercises in areas around Taiwan to test and enhance their war-fighting capabilities. It serves as an effective punishment and deterrence against the “Taiwan independence” separatists and a stern warning against external interfering forces. It is fully legitimate and necessary.

    The people’s military will resolutely implement the Party’s overall strategy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era. We will remain ready and able to fight and win at all times, and will take resolute measures to defeat any separatist attempt for “Taiwan independence”.

    Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of March 27, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

    Journalist: The US Defense Secretary will visit the Philippines and the two sides may discuss responding to China’s activities in the South China Sea and US support to Philippine forces. Meanwhile, Philippine’s ambassador to the US said recently that this visit would show China the solid bond between the Philippines and the US and his country was confirmed that US security commitment would not change. Do you have any comment?

    Wu Qian: Military cooperation between the US and the Philippines should not harm security interests of other countries or undermine regional peace and stability. By the way, if we look back into history, the US actually maintains an astonishing record in reneging on promises and betraying allies.

    Journalist: Will the Chinese and US militaries have high-level engagements soon? Please give us an update on the China-US military relationship.

    Wu Qian: On China-US mil-mil engagement, the two sides had some discussions and preliminary consensus. We will advance accordingly. Building a stable China-US mil-mil relationship serves the shared interests of both sides and is a common expectation of the international community. As the Latin proverb goes, set your course by the stars, not follow the waves. On growing the China-US mil-mil relationship, we should follow the principle of mutual-respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, strengthen communications and dialogues, and properly handle differences. We hope with efforts from both sides, the mil-mil relationship can grow on a sound and stable track.

    Journalist: I have two questions. The first one. It is reported that China’s aircraft carrier Fujian has recently set sail for its seventh sea trial. Some analysts suggest that the focus of this trial is catapult launch and arrested landing. Can you confirm this?

    The second question. It is reported that in response to China’s increasing defense budget in 2025, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary said that China’s rapid military buildup, combined with a lack of transparency, is a “matter of serious concern for Japan and the international community.” Additionally, reports suggest that the Japan Self-Defense Forces recently established a Joint Operations Command, and due to concerns over a potential armed attack on Taiwan by the mainland, Japan plans to deploy long-range missiles in Kyushu by the end of 2025. What is your comment on this?

    Wu Qian: I have no information to release on your first question. The sea trial is a routine arrangement for the construction of PLANS Fujian. Please take it easy.

    As for your second question, regarding China’s 2025 defense budget, we have provided a detailed explanation. The size, structure, and usage of the budget is open, transparent and beyond reproach. In fact, Japan, as a country that launched aggressive wars during World War II, is the least qualified to criticize defense budgets of other nations. The international community should be alerted to Japan’s recent efforts in breaking its pacifist constitution and the “exclusively defense-oriented” policy. Japan has significantly increased its defense spending and developed long-range offensive capabilities, heading down the path of military expansion. Such behavior is exactly what peace-loving countries, particularly those once invaded by Japanese militarists, need to be vigilant against and opposed to.

    This year we will have the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. We urge the Japan side to take lessons from history, adhere to the path of peaceful development, act prudently in the field of military security, and stop misinterpreting China’s defense policies and military strategies, so as to avoid further eroding its credibility among its Asian neighbors and the international community. It must be emphasized that the Taiwan question is none of Japan’s business, and we firmly oppose Japan’s attempts to exploit this matter for its own agenda. Only by upholding the one-China principle and resolutely opposing “Taiwan independence” can peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait be ensured.

    Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of March 27, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

    Journalist: According to foreign media reports, the recent G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting issued a joint statement expressing concerns over China’s expansion of its nuclear arsenal, and the situation in the East and South China Seas. The statement emphasizes the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and opposes any unilateral alteration of the status quo through force or coercion. What is your comment on this?

    Wu Qian: The G7 statement ignores facts and is a vicious slander on China and a brutal interference in China’s internal affairs. We strongly condemn and resolutely oppose it. China follows a policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons and a defensive nuclear strategy. We have been maintaining our nuclear arsenal at the minimum level required for national security. On the nuclear issue, the G7 should reflect on its own actions and has no qualification to criticize China.

    Regarding the East and South China Seas, China is engaging in peaceful dialogue and consultation with relevant countries to resolve disputes. At the same time, we remain steadfast in safeguarding our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. China firmly opposes interference from external forces and any provocative acts that undermine regional peace and stability. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and the Taiwan question brooks no foreign interference. The one-China principle is a wide consensus of the international community and a fundamental norm in international relations. Any attempt to separate the island from its motherland will inevitably end in complete failure.

    We urge the G7 to break away from its Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, stop the finger-pointing and preaching at others. This approach won’t work on the Chinese military.

    Journalist: It is reported that China, Iran, and Russia recently conducted “Security Belt 2025” joint exercise. Could you provide more details?

    Wu Qian: In accordance with the annual plan and the consensus reached by China, Iran and Russia, the three countries’ naval forces conducted “Security Belt 2025” joint exercise near Iran’s Chabahar Port from March 9 to 13. Following the theme of “Building Peace and Security Together”, the three sides sent over 10 vessels, as well as special operations and diving units, to the exercise. Focusing on counter-terrorism and counter-piracy operations, the troops trained on subjects including maritime target striking, VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure), damage control, and joint search and rescue. The exercise tested tactical command coordination and interoperabilities of the participating forces, and deepened military trust and practical cooperation among the three countries. During the exercise, the troops also had on-board visits and cultural and sports exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and friendship. Since 2019, China, Iran, and Russia have successfully conducted five joint maritime exercises. China is willing to actively engage in maritime security cooperation with all parties, and make new contributions to world and regional peace and stability.

    Journalist: The pace of the China-India dialogue on many fronts has significantly increased. We’ve just seen the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on Border Affairs (WMCC) meeting was conducted a few days ago. What are the latest developments regarding the disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)?

    Wu Qian: On the 33rd meeting of the WMCC, the MFA has already released the information on it, and the two sides have agreed to continue to take effective measures to safeguard peace and tranquility along the China-India border.

    The Chinese Military is willing to work together with our Indian counterparts to implement a fair and just solution to the border issue. We are committed to contributing our wisdom and strength to the vision of a harmonious dance between the Chinese dragon and the Indian elephant, and to fostering a sound and stable military-to-military relationship.

    Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of March 27, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

    Journalist: The Ministry of State Security has reportedly disclosed information about four members of the “Information, Communications, and Electronic Force Command” of Taiwan. What is your comment on this?

    Wu Qian: Justice has long arms. Those who play with fire should have no illusion of escaping. No one who pushes for “Taiwan independence” or engages in seceding the motherland would be spared by justice.

    Journalist: It is reported that the first round of direct recruitment of military officers for 2025 has recently started, receiving wide attention among university graduates. Could you provide more details about this?

    Wu Qian: To attract great talent and college graduates to join the military, the CMC Political Work Department has recently launched the first round of direct recruitment of military officers for 2025. Currently, tens of thousands of college graduates from universities and disciplines included in the “Double World-Class Project” have registered through the official website (http://81rc.81.cn or http://www.81rc.mil.cn). Direct recruitment is an important channel for selecting and replenishing active-duty military (police) officers, and an effective means to optimize the structure and improve the quality of officers. The aim is to attract and leverage talents from across the nation.

    The path to a strong military lies in the personnel. A first-class military needs first-class talent. The Chinese military welcomes you to dedicate your youth and realize your dreams in the military. A brilliant life awaits you here.

    Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of March 27, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

    Journalist: I have two questions. First, the US and the Philippines held a joint exercise before the visit of the US Defense Secretary to the Philippines. Some experts believe that the two countries are going to have more exercises in the South China Sea and other areas in the future. Will the PLA have any response? Second, recently, the US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth initiated an opinion poll on social media, discussing whether to change the US Department of Defense to the Department of War. Pete has said previously that the US did not seek to have a war with China but would rebuild its military to prepare for war. What’s your comment on that?

    Wu Qian: On the military cooperation between the Philippines and the US, I have already commented. Here, I would like to emphasize one point on the South China Sea issue: China firmly opposes interference from outside countries. The Chinese military will take all necessary measures to protect our national sovereignty and interests and to safeguard regional peace and stability.

    On your second question, whether the US Department of Defense changes its name or not is an internal affair of the US, and we will not comment on that. However, we firmly oppose the US’s previous rhetoric which instigates China-US confrontation. We urge the US to abandon its zero-sum mentality and not to project its hegemonic mentality onto China. We hope that the US can refrain from provoking confrontation and take effective measures to safeguard a stable China-US military relationship. The Chinese military will firmly respond to any threat and provocation with a stronger will, stronger capabilities, and more reliable means.

    Journalist: It is reported that China and Thailand are conducting “Blue Strike-2025” joint naval training. Could you provide more details?

    Wu Qian: In accordance with the annual plan and the consensus reached between the navies of China and Thailand, the two sides started the “Blue Strike-2025” joint naval training near Zhanjiang of China’s Guangdong Province on March 26, which will last till April 2. A total of 11 vessels and two marine detachments will participate in the exercise. Starting from March 26, the training will cover subjects including joint maritime strike operations, air defense and missile defense, maritime search and rescue, as well as counter-terrorism and anti-piracy operations. It is aimed to promote technical and tactical exchanges between the two navies and strengthen their capabilities of jointly addressing maritime security threats. This marks the sixth iteration of the “Blue Strike” joint naval training. By strengthening training collaboration, the two navies will further deepen cooperation, share experiences, and foster friendship and trust. This holds significant importance for maintaining regional peace and stability.

    Journalist: Foreign media reports say that the Ream Naval Base of Cambodia which is constructed with the assistance of China will start operating in early April this year. It is also said that government leaders from Cambodia and Chinese representatives will participate in the opening ceremony. Can you confirm that? And does this mean there will be new cooperation between the Chinese and Cambodian militaries?

    Wu Qian: In recent years, the military cooperation between China and Cambodia has been deepened and the two sides have had cooperation including joint training and personnel training in the Ream Naval Base. As for information on other activities, please follow up on our authoritative information release.

    Journalist: I have two questions. The first question is that media reports say that the PLA is currently building at least three barges that can be used in landing operations against Taiwan. These barges are equipped with springboards over 100 meters in length, allowing tanks to traverse sandy beaches and directly move to the shore. Can you confirm this? My second question is that the leader of the Taiwan region Lai Ching-te is set to raise the income of Taiwanese servicemen to address the problem of a lack of personnel and a high rate of departure. Taiwan’s military authorities also said this is a response to the decrease in its personnel. What’s your comment on that?

    Wu Qian: On your first question about the military equipment, I have no information to release.

    For your second question, any small trick pushed by the DPP authorities to seek independence and resist unification with force is futile and a dead-end. This will not stop the historical trend of reunification. The PLA has full capability to destroy any attempt to seek independence and resist unification

    Journalist: The US Indo-Pacific commander said recently that the PLA’s exercises around Taiwan are not only exercises but preparations for an invasion of Taiwan. The US military will put its priority in the Indo-Pacific theater. According to Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party, the PLA’s exercises may one day turn into real battles. Taiwan recently held the first “Mini Han Kuang” drills to enhance its combat readiness and capabilities. Do you have any comment?

    Wu Qian: The exercises conducted by the PLA are targeted against “Taiwan independence” separatists and foreign interference. The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China that allows no foreign interference. The activities conducted by the PLA Eastern Theater Command around Taiwan Island are aimed to improve the real combat capabilities against separatism and interference. They are necessary actions to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and strong deterrence against joint retrogressive provocation made by the US and Taiwan.

    As for the comment from the DPP, I want to let them know that any attempt to seek independence by force is futile and cannot change its destiny of being a failure.

    Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of March 27, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

    Journalist: According to reports, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Romeo Brawner recently said that the Philippines and its allies are trying to expand the Squad group to India and South Korea to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region. He also said that the Squad is an unofficial cooperation platform among the Philippines, the US, Japan and Australia in terms of military affairs, intelligence sharing, as well as joint exercises and operations. Do you have any comment?

    Wu Qian: The remarks of the Philippine side are creating antagonism and confrontation. We firmly oppose that. China believes that military cooperation between relevant countries should not target any third party and should not undermine regional peace and stability.

    Journalist: I have two questions. Firstly, in recent years, the mainland has conducted many joint military exercises around Taiwan. The Wall Street Journal recently published a report titled China is Ready to Blockade Taiwan. Some military experts from Western countries believe that the mainland is more likely to take an approach of isolation and pressure. What’s your comment on this? Second, the mainland has conducted many military exercises in recent years and the rhetoric of “reunification by force” has emerged. These have attracted international attention. Taiwan also announced its so-called 17 strategies in response. Many worry that the cross-strait relationship will move to another Taiwan Strait Crisis like what we had in 1996. What’s your comment on that?

    Wu Qian: On your first question, Taiwan is China’s Taiwan. The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair. Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people to decide. The reports you mentioned are deliberately instigating confrontation across the Strait. The exercises taken by the PLA around Taiwan are targeted at “Taiwan independence” separatists and foreign interference. The aim is to safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

    For your second question, I want to point out that the separatist act of “Taiwan independence” and foreign interference are the root cause of the tension across the Taiwan Strait. We are willing to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and utmost efforts, but we will never allow Taiwan to be separated from the motherland. The higher the “Taiwan independence” supporters jump, the closer they will be to death.

    Wu Qian: Before I conclude, I’d like to introduce to you the faculty and student representatives from Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT). We are glad to have them observing the press conference. The BIT was the first science and engineering university founded by the CPC and the first defense industry university in the PRC. Since its founding 85 years ago, the BIT has prioritized virtue and professionalism in cultivating talent, emphasized national defense and industries in serving the nation and the military, and championed openness, inclusiveness and excellence in achieving innovative development. A great number of leading scientists, trailblazers, and heavyweights have come out from the university.

    Living in this great era, today’s students of BIT shoulder great responsibilities. Wish all of you carry on BIT’s revolutionary traditions, work hard to scale the heights of science, and build and defend the nation with your iron will and scientific knowledge.

    If there are no other questions, here concludes today’s press conference. To conclude, I wish you every success in your work and good luck in everything in this bright season of spring.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: AI’s ‘Oppenheimer moment’: Why new thinking is needed on disarmament

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    By By Juliette Maigné

    Peace and Security

    The Artificial Intelligence (AI) race needs to slow down and IT firms should instead be focusing on the bigger picture to ensure that the technology is not misused on the battlefield, UN disarmament experts and leaders of ‘big tech’ companies have insisted. 

    Engaging with the tech community is not “a nice to have” sideline for defence policymakers – it is “absolutely indispensable to have this community engaged from the outset in the design, development and use of the frameworks that will guide the safety and security of AI systems and capabilities”, said Gosia Loy, co-deputy head of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).

    Speaking at the recent Global Conference on AI Security and Ethics hosted by UNIDIR in Geneva, she stressed the importance of erecting effective guardrails as the world navigates what is frequently called AI’s “Oppenheimer moment” – in reference to Robert Oppenheimer, the US nuclear physicist best known for his pivotal role in creating the atomic bomb.

    Oversight is needed so that AI developments respect human rights, international law and ethics – particularly in the field of AI-guided weapons – to guarantee that these powerful technologies develop in a controlled, responsible manner, the UNIDIR official insisted.

    Flawed tech

    AI has already created a security dilemma for governments and militaries around the world.

    The dual-use nature of AI technologies – where they can be used in civilian and military settings alike – means that developers could lose touch with the realities of battlefield conditions, where their programming could cost lives, warned Arnaud Valli, Head of Public Affairs at Comand AI.

    The tools are still in their infancy but have long fuelled fears that they could be used to make life-or-death decisions in a war setting, removing the need for human decision-making and responsibility. Hence the growing calls for regulation, to ensure that mistakes are avoided that could lead to disastrous consequences.

    “We see these systems fail all the time,” said David Sully, CEO of the London-based company Advai, adding that the technologies remain “very unrobust”.

    “So, making them go wrong is not as difficult as people sometimes think,” he noted.

    A shared responsibility

    At Microsoft, teams are focusing on the core principles of safety, security, inclusiveness, fairness and accountability, said Michael Karimian, Director of Digital Diplomacy.

    The US tech giant founded by Bill Gates places limitations on real-time facial recognition technology used by law enforcement that could cause mental or physical harm, Mr. Karimian explained.

    Clear safeguards must be put in place and firms must collaborate to break down silos, he told the event at UN Geneva.

    “Innovation isn’t something that just happens within one organization. There is a responsibility to share,” said Mr. Karimian, whose company partners with UNIDIR to ensure AI compliance with international human rights.

    Oversight paradox

    Part of the equation is that technologies are evolving at a pace so fast, countries are struggling to keep up.

    “AI development is outpacing our ability to manage its many risks,” said Sulyna Nur Abdullah, who is strategic planning chief and Special Advisor to the Secretary-General at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

    “We need to address the AI governance paradox, recognizing that regulations sometimes lag behind technology makes it a must for ongoing dialogue between policy and technical experts to develop tools for effective governance,” Ms. Abdullah said, adding that developing countries must also get a seat at the table.

    Accountability gaps

    More than a decade ago in 2013, renowned human rights expert Christof Heyns in a report on Lethal Autonomous Robotics (LARs) warned that “taking humans out of the loop also risks taking humanity out of the loop”.  

    Today it is no less difficult to translate context-dependent legal judgments into a software programme and it is still crucial that “life and death” decisions are taken by humans and not robots, insisted Peggy Hicks, Director of the Right to Development Division of the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR).

    Mirroring society

    While big tech and governance leaders largely see eye to eye on the guiding principles of AI defence systems, the ideals may be at odds with the companies’ bottom line.

    “We are a private company – we look for profitability as well,” said Comand AI’s Mr. Valli.

    “Reliability of the system is sometimes very hard to find,” he added. “But when you work in this sector, the responsibility could be enormous, absolutely enormous.”

    Unanswered challenges

    While many developers are committed to designing algorithms that are “fair, secure, robust” according to Mr. Sully – there is no road map for implementing these standards – and companies may not even know what exactly they are trying to achieve.  

    These principles “all dictate how adoption should take place, but they don’t really explain how that should happen,” said Mr. Sully, reminding policymakers that “AI is still in the early stages”.

    Big tech and policymakers need to zoom out and mull over the bigger picture.

    “What is robustness for a system is an incredibly technical, really challenging objective to determine and it’s currently unanswered,” he continued.

    No AI ‘fingerprint’

    Mr. Sully, who described himself as a “big supporter of regulation” of AI systems, used to work for the UN-mandated Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization in Vienna, which monitors whether nuclear testing takes place.  

    But identifying AI-guided weapons, he says, poses a whole new challenge which nuclear arms – bearing forensic signatures – do not.

    “There is a practical problem in terms of how you police any sort of regulation at an international level,” the CEO said. “It’s the bit nobody wants to address. But until that’s addressed… I think that’s going to be a huge, huge obstacle.”

    Future safeguarding

    The UNIDIR conference delegates insisted on the need for strategic foresight, to understand the risks posed by the cutting-edge technologies now being born.

    For Mozilla, which trains the new generation of technologists, future developers “should be aware of what they are doing with this powerful technology and what they are building”, the firm’s Mr. Elias insisted.

    Academics like Moses B. Khanyile of Stellenbosch University in South Africa believe universities also bear a “supreme responsibility” to safeguard core ethical values.

    The interests of the military – the intended users of these technologies – and governments as regulators must be “harmonised”, said Dr. Khanyile, Director of the Defence Artificial Intelligence Research Unit at Stellenbosch University.

    “They must see AI tech as a tool for good, and therefore they must become a force for good.”

    Countries engaged

    Asked what single action they would take to build trust between countries, diplomats from China, the Netherlands, Pakistan, France, Italy and South Korea also weighed in.

    “We need to define a line of national security in terms of export control of hi-tech technologies”, said Shen Jian, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Disarmament) and Deputy Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China.

    Pathways for future AI research and development must also include other emergent fields such as physics and neuroscience.

    “AI is complicated, but the real world is even more complicated,” said Robert in den Bosch, Disarmament Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the Conference on Disarmament. “For that reason, I would say that it is also important to look at AI in convergence with other technologies and in particular cyber, quantum and space.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Planting trees to fortify China’s ‘green assets’

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Picking up a shovel, Chinese President Xi Jinping joined children, officials and local residents in planting trees on a riverbank in the nation’s capital Beijing this spring, following a tradition that he has kept as the country’s top leader for 13 consecutive years.
    “Voluntary tree planting is a nationwide initiative that must be carried on for generations,” Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said Thursday at the tree planting site.
    He called for strength to be pooled to build a beautiful China and make the country even greener through afforestation efforts.
    Xi’s resolute commitment to planting trees has inspired Chinese citizens — government officials and regular folk alike — to engage actively in China’s afforestation initiative and support the nation’s green transformation and ecological conservation efforts.
    China designated March 12 as National Tree Planting Day in 1979, and launched a nationwide voluntary tree-planting campaign in 1981. Thanks to decades of perseverance in its afforestation, China is at the forefront of global efforts to green the planet, contributing approximately a quarter of the world’s new green areas since 2000.
    “Increasing green coverage is to bring greater development strengths, and planting trees is to plant the future,” Xi said at last year’s tree-planting activity, calling for continued efforts to enrich the country’s “green assets.”
    Xi understands the key role a sound ecological environment plays in supporting China’s long-term development, and has long been concerned about land restoration and afforestation.
    When working in east China’s Fujian Province, he inspected Changting County, a mountainous area that was once plagued by severe soil erosion, on five separate occasions to strengthen soil erosion control work.
    “In general, China’s forest resources are still scarce, and its ecological system remains vulnerable,” Xi said when taking part in another tree-planting activity in Beijing in 2013.
    In 2017, Xi gave instructions on the Saihanba mechanized forest farm in Hebei Province, the world’s largest artificial plantation, and praised the “miracle” of afforestation achieved by local workers. He visited the farm’s forest rangers four years later, urging efforts to sustain the site’s role as an ecological shelter.
    Xi’s thought on ecological civilization is guiding the country toward a green future, with expanded forest coverage, an improved living environment and a more sustainable path for the economy.
    The country now boasts a total forest area of 283.7 million hectares, with forest coverage exceeding 25 percent of its total land area — up from 12 percent in the early 1980s.
    China is also home to the world’s largest total human-made forest area. In 2024 alone, China planted 4.45 million hectares of trees and improved 3.22 million hectares of grassland.
    The ecological environment keeps improving, a fact that has been directly and tangibly felt by the people, Xi noted on Thursday.
    While attending the planting activity in 2019, Xi planted a magnolia tree in a forest park in Beijing’s Tongzhou District. In the 1990s, the site was surrounded by a chemical plant and various polluting enterprises, but its environment has improved since the local government began relocating these factories in 2018.
    Many more places in China have also seen their living environments improve. Up to 43.32 percent of built-up areas in Chinese cities have been covered by vegetation as of last year, with per capita park space reaching 15.65 square meters.
    In the early summer of 2023, Xi visited a state forestry area in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to learn about the progress of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), the world’s largest afforestation program, which tackles desertification in northwest, north and northeast China.
    For the survival and development of humanity, it is a must to prevent and control desertification, Xi stressed during his visit.
    By 2050, the program’s afforestation area is projected to encompass over 4 million square kilometers across 13 provincial-level regions, accounting for 42.4 percent of the country’s total land area.
    It is also estimated that roughly 15 million people in the areas covered by the TSFP have risen out of poverty by developing forestry and fruit cultivation industries, as planting trees also brings economic gains and greener development.
    “Afforestation should deliver more benefits to the people,” Xi said at Thursday’s event, stressing the need for a greater emphasis on improving forest management and the ecological quality of grasslands, and on promoting relevant industries.
    Xi highlighted the concept of a “green GDP” in 2021, when he joined lawmakers to deliberate issues of national importance at China’s annual “two sessions” meetings.
    During the discussion, Zhou Yizhe, a forest farm worker from Inner Mongolia, shared his story of transitioning from a logger to a forest ranger. The farm he was working at had completely abandoned timber production, shifting its focus to environmental protection.
    He said that more wild animals were appearing on the tree farm, and research has shown that the ecosystems of the forests and wetlands there have become a source of wealth.
    “Maintaining a good ecological environment is of enormous value,” Xi said on the occasion.
    Last year, the output of China’s forestry and grassland industry totaled 10.17 trillion yuan (about 1.42 trillion U.S. dollars), and its eco-tourism sector saw 9.1 percent year-on-year growth in tourist numbers.
    In addition to conserving water, driving economic benefits and increasing grain output, forests also serve as carbon sinks, according to Xi.
    On the back of the country’s persistent tree-planting efforts, the annual carbon-sink capacity of China’s forests and grassland has exceeded 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, ranking first globally and providing a strong and green boost to the global combat against climate change and environmental degradation.
    In response to the World Economic Forum’s global tree-planting campaign, China in 2022 announced that it would plant 70 billion trees within a decade while strengthening its forest carbon sinks and improving the conservation of its existing forest resources.
    While acknowledging China’s remarkable afforestation progress, Xi on Thursday cautioned that the country’s total forest and grassland resources as well as the benefits they deliver remain insufficient in terms of amount and quality.
    The country should make more efforts to effectively address prominent issues and do even better year on year in this regard, Xi said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McCaul Statement on 3-Year Anniversary of War in Ukraine

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs — released the following statement on the 3-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine.

    “Three years ago today, Putin sent his army into Ukraine, shattering peace in Europe and threatening global stability. Putin’s autocratic friends in China, Iran, and North Korea quickly came to his aid — bolstering Russia’s defense industrial base and sending thousands of troops to fight and kill the Ukrainian people. Make no mistake: This unholy alliance formed by our adversaries seeks to undermine western values, weaken U.S. national security, and upend the global balance of power.

    “I agree with President Trump that this would never have happened had he been in office. There’s a reason these hostile regimes did not attack sovereign territories during his first term: He projected peace through strength. All the pain and bloodshed in Europe could have been prevented if Democrats — under both the Obama and Biden administrations — had stood up to Putin sooner.

    “This war has raged for three years too many. Putin could stop the killing today, but since he refuses — President Trump has answered the call to help put an end to the fighting. As he and his team continue negotiations, I urge them to ensure the agreement holds the Kremlin accountable for its crimes and contains serious teeth to ensure Putin cannot resurrect his quest to recreate the Soviet Union by taking Ukraine. Only then will lasting peace be secured.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Preparation underway for upcoming fifth CICPE in Hainan

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

    Preparation underway for upcoming fifth CICPE in Hainan

    Updated: April 5, 2025 13:58 Xinhua
    An aerial photo taken on April 4, 2025 shows an exterior view of the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center, the main venue for the upcoming fifth China International Consumer Products Expo, in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province. The fifth CICPE is scheduled for April 13 to 18 here. The expo, a key platform for global trade and consumption trends, has drawn the participation of over 4,100 brands from 71 countries and regions. Co-hosted by China’s Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, this year’s expo will highlight emerging consumption trends, including artificial intelligence (AI) and low-altitude aviation, debuting innovations from global companies. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A technician installs lighting devices at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center, the main venue for the upcoming fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, April 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A technician establishes a booth at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center, the main venue for the upcoming fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, April 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Three-Body’ IP operator unveils immersive entertainment plans

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Three-Body Universe, the intellectual property holder and operator of China’s hit sci-fi franchise “The Three-Body Problem,” unveiled its latest entertainment innovations and expansion plans at the 2025 China Science Fiction Convention (CSFC 2025) in Beijing on March 30.

    Liu Chun, vice president of Three-Body Universe, outlined a three-phase plan for “The Three-Body Problem” experiences at a sci-fi industry investment and financing event on March 30.

    The first phase, he explained, involved licensing and self-produced content. The current second phase employs a hybrid approach that combines licensing with self-operation, promoting ecosystem co-creation through immersive experiences that evoke fan engagement and empathy.

    China’s immersive entertainment market has expanded rapidly since 2018. By 2023, the sector had grown to include about 32,000 projects nationwide, creating nearly 928,000 jobs. The market size reached about 92.7 billion yuan ($13 billion), with a total output of around 193.3 billion yuan, marking a 31% annual growth rate. Liu projects that output for 2024 will surpass 240 billion yuan.

    Today, consumers prefer to “live” stories instead of just watching them, Liu noted. This shift has fueled demand for experiences like murder mystery games, escape rooms, immersive theater, and virtual reality and augmented reality technologies.

    “Sci-fi, with its limitless imaginative potential in depicting future worlds, time, dimensions, technology and philosophy, aligns perfectly with user demands and market expectations,” he said.

    Liu Cixin’s Hugo Award-winning novel trilogy, “The Three-Body Problem,” is China’s bestselling sci-fi work, with about 40 million copies sold worldwide. The trilogy’s success has spawned numerous adaptations across multiple industries and inspired a wide range of merchandise.

    In recent years, Three-Body Universe has leveraged the “Three-Body” IP to collaborate with the live entertainment, cultural and tourism sectors. It has launched several high-quality projects, including the Chinese stage drama “The Three-Body Problem,” which has had over 100 performances in 25 cities, drawing 200,000 attendees and earning 100 million yuan in ticket sales. Another project is the immersive sci-fi experience “The Three-Body Problem: Beyond Gravity,” which has a rating of 9.3 out of 10 on major domestic ticketing platforms. Additionally, “Exploring the Three-Body Problem” at Shanghai’s Madame Tussauds has attracted 150,000 visitors since its opening in June 2024.

    As the company expanded its offerings, it began developing original content. In 2024, it introduced “Three-Body: Expedition,” a virtual reality interactive story that attracted over 40,000 users in its first month and maintained a 90% approval rating.

    With advancements in cutting-edge interactive technologies such as VR and AI, Liu noted that sci-fi experiences now focus on emotional resonance, deep engagement, and social value rather than just visual spectacle. This shift transforms users from passive consumers into active co-creators, raising industry standards and expectations for developers and operators. In response, the company moved into Phase 2.0 and developed an integrated business model.

    Last year, the first integrated sci-fi destination, the Three-Body: Four-Dimensional Space Sci-Fi Experience Center, was launched in Chengdu, Sichuan province. This center combines immersive exhibits, themed dining, VR experiences and retail, becoming both a hub for fans and a cultural landmark.

    Another immersive sci-fi experience venue, “Three-Body: Space-Time Wander,” opened in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, on March 25, just before CSFC 2025. The facility boasts 20 cutting-edge attractions, including shooting games and motion simulators, along with a futuristic merchandise store, space-themed café and bookstore to complete the immersive experience. As of now, ticket sales have already exceeded 3 million yuan.

    Liu also announced plans to co-create a Three-Body themed entertainment center in Shanghai’s Fengxian district this year. The company will also open another Three-Body themed center in Beijing, expanding on the “Three-Body: Expedition” experience with cutting-edge technologies such as real-time rendering, immersive VR, motion capture, and ultra-HD wireless transmission to bring the Three-Body world to life.

    He revealed that the experience center will continually update its offerings, using digital technologies to elevate cultural tourism experiences and advance digital visual arts and science popularization. Liu emphasized that Three-Body Universe remains committed to promoting Chinese sci-fi globally. “With Chinese IP and cutting-edge technology, we share China’s vision with the world,” he said.

    Liu expressed enthusiasm about future plans, which will include proposals for a Three-Body theme park. “With support from expanded film and TV productions, publishing, offline entertainment experiences, and merchandise, our ultimate goal is to enter Phase 3.0 — elevating China’s sci-fi content and entertainment integration to new heights,” he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China encourages additional holidays for students

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    On a recent spring night, nearly a thousand drones took flight simultaneously at a college in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, lighting up the sky with messages like “set aside studies and work” and “savor our nation’s beauty” in announcing an upcoming seven-day break.
    “It was definitely a surprise when I first learned about the additional break. Most of us choose to travel with friends,” said a student at Sichuan Southwest Vocational College of Civil Aviation.
    Such spring breaks are now popular among Chinese schools and universities, as it provides more opportunities for students to connect with nature and engage in hands-on learning, while also unleashing great consumption vitality for the country.
    Traditionally, besides public holidays, students in China have only had breaks in summer and winter. Now, however, many higher education institutions, such as Renmin University of China in Beijing, allow students to enjoy extra breaks.
    Notably, additional breaks are becoming increasingly common for younger Chinese students as well. In March, Chinese authorities issued an action plan, encouraging regions with suitable conditions to implement spring and autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools based on local realities, with such breaks forming part of efforts to stimulate tourism-related consumption.
    To date, the plan has received positive responses from over a thousand schools in at least 12 provincial regions.
    In Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, a total of 310 students from Yuyan Middle School recently enjoyed an additional five-day holiday, going on a journey to explore history and science at sites like the Museum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and Zhuhai Aerospace Land. “While others are stuck in classrooms, we’re out enjoying ourselves,” a student said excitedly.
    According to the school, the break was a pilot program for seventh-grade students only, but it may be expanded to include other non-graduating grades next semester.
    The implementation of this plan has enjoyed broad public support. A 2024 online survey showed that 71.3 percent of respondents backed the idea of spring breaks for primary, secondary and college students. Many parents are particularly supportive of the new policy.
    The mother of an elementary school student in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, said she plans her work schedule ahead of time each year, arranging leave during her child’s spring break for family trips. During last year’s spring break, they traveled to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, while this year they will visit the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, experiencing its beauty by boat.
    Such arrangements are common among primary and secondary school parents in Hangzhou. As a result, the city’s major transport hubs experience a surge in travelers around the spring and autumn breaks.
    On April 28, 2024, the first day of Hangzhou’s spring break last year, the city’s international airport reported 904 scheduled flights, with an estimated 140,000 passengers — an over 10 percent increase from the previous week. Among the outbound travelers, families with children were a major group.
    In China’s tourism market, family travel is rapidly emerging as a strong consumption force. According to Trip.com, China’s leading online travel platform, family travel accounted for 28 percent of all travelers in 2023, with total travel bookings by this group surging 186 percent year on year.
    As the first Chinese city to introduce spring and autumn holidays for students, Hangzhou has been refining the system over the past two decades. “Overall, public feedback has been positive, with parents responding favorably,” said Tu Xiaodan, an official in charge of basic education at Hangzhou’s education bureau.
    These additional holidays help reduce academic pressure on students while enabling families to travel during off-peak periods. “This improves holiday quality and strengthens parent-child bonds,” Tu said, adding that in recent years, many officials from other regions have come to learn about the implementation of spring and autumn breaks in Hangzhou.
    Cities and schools exploring such seasonal breaks should plan them carefully — taking economy, climate and other factors into consideration, emphasized Luo Caijun, principal of Hangzhou Maiyuqiao Elementary School. “Adopting different vacation periods is essential in fulfilling the purpose of establishing the additional breaks,” he said.
    This off-peak travel approach effectively addresses the “tidal effect” in holiday economies, unlocks family spending power, and ensures more sustainable tourism market growth throughout the year.
    Additionally, this institutional reform transcends mere adjustments to vacation schedules, as it represents an evolution in educational philosophy and an optimization of public policy frameworks in China.
    “Education is not just about classrooms and books. It can happen in museums, libraries and in nature, too. Seasonal breaks are a vital upgrade to China’s education model,” said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy.
    The inclusion of these breaks in the action plan chapter on protecting rest and vacation rights, alongside measures like strictly enforcing paid annual leave and prohibiting illegal extension of working hours, sends a strong signal of emphasizing the protection of leisure rights, he added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China reinvents ancestral veneration with green goodbyes

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Amid gentle sea breezes and blooming memorial flowers, and through 3D-printed facial restoration of the deceased and AI-powered farewells, China is breathing new life into traditional tomb-sweeping rituals on Qingming Festival, which falls on Friday.
    With its dual identity as both a solar term and a festival, Qingming, which has a history of over 2,500 years, sees tens of millions honor ancestors through tomb-sweeping rituals, both on-site and online, embodying the Confucian ethos of “revering the departed to nurture virtue.”
    In a modern twist on Qingming customs, technological and ecological approaches now vie with the more familiar incense and paper offerings.
    Guided by green policies and shifting public attitudes, a quiet dialogue has unfolded between tradition and modernity, as green burials and minimalist tributes gain traction, blending the cultural heritage of this age-old Chinese day of remembrance with modern values.
    ETERNAL REST IN THE BLUE
    At dawn, 112 families boarded a charter boat off Tiger Beach in Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China’s Liaoning Province, and lowered biodegradable urns containing their loved ones’ ashes into the Bohai Sea.
    Chrysanthemum petals and handwritten memorial cards floated on the waves as seagulls circled above — a tranquil alternative to smoke-heavy traditional open-air ritual burning.
    “My father loved the ocean. Now, he’ll forever be a part of it,” said Yang Lijiao, who came from the provincial capital Shenyang, along with the other families on board. The ritual was organized by Shenyang’s only government-contracted sea burial service provider.
    Her eyes fixed on her father’s urn as it drifted away before slowly descending into the depths. “Wherever the ocean flows, Dad’s memory will live on.”
    Liaoning has pioneered sea burials for over a decade, offering services in cities like Dalian, Yingkou and Dandong. Official statistics show that a total of 71,386 sea burials were performed between 2012 and 2023, saving approximately 290,000 square meters of land — equivalent to 40 soccer fields.
    “Policy upgrades and public outreach have driven sea burial adoption,” explained Yao Ning from Shenyang’s civil affairs bureau. The province now provides subsidies of up to 2,000 yuan (about 278 U.S. dollars) per sea burial.
    In 2016, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs and eight other departments jointly issued guidelines promoting land-saving eco-burials, encouraging sustainable ashes disposition via sea or tree burials, or urn storage.
    To date, 28 provincial-level regions nationwide have adopted eco-burial policies with financial incentives and infrastructure investments, according to an official with the ministry. Multiple regions now offer higher sea burial subsidies, streamlined procedures and humane services, driving growing public adoption.
    Beijing has conducted nearly 40,000 sea burials since 1994, now representing 4 percent of the city’s annual cremations. In the neighboring Hebei Province, 30 pilot eco-burial sites were green-lighted last year, aiming to set the stage for gradual province-wide adoption.
    “Traditional burial practices have become unsustainable in their land consumption,” said Wang Yi, associate professor at Tianjin University, adding that the shift in Qingming rituals reflects the public’s growing ecological awareness. “Sea and tree burials, with their land-free designs, offer sustainable alternatives that reduce pressure on limited land resources.”
    TECH WARMS GOODBYES
    During a recent open day at the Guangzhou Funeral & Interment Service Center in south China, local residents observed technology merging with tradition: 3D-printed facial restoration of the departed, AI-curated memorial videos reviving personal histories, and robotic urn bearers operating with ceremonial precision.
    In the center’s mortuary restoration lab, Li Fajun, a mortician, led a team using 3D scanning and printing to recreate lifelike facial contours for the deceased. Their “3D wound mapping” technique digitally reconstructs facial features with unprecedented accuracy, allowing highly authentic reconstruction for those whose appearances were affected by trauma or illness.
    Through a meticulous process combining 3D-printed molds and specialized cosmetic techniques, the departed can be restored to their natural appearance for their final goodbyes. The lab has also secured national patents for its self-developed high-efficiency composite embalming agent and 3D-printed surface restoration device.
    “These patented technologies allow families to see their loved ones at peace,” Li said. “We’re not just repairing appearances. We’re healing families’ grief.”
    Among the team’s younger members is Zhao Zhihui, a mortuary science graduate, who regards the work as “building the last bridge between the departed and their loved ones.”
    As technology reshapes modern life, it’s also redefining how China faces death, with growing numbers embracing innovative approaches such as AI memorials or virtual ceremonies to honor their departed loved ones.
    Beyond Guangzhou, tech-infused memorials are reshaping China’s funeral culture. In Beijing, over 100,000 families have opted for “life gemstones” — cremated ashes transformed into crystalline keepsakes via high-pressure synthesis. Meanwhile, Dalian’s sea burial memorials feature LED walls displaying names, embodying the growing acceptance of “returning to nature.”
    “Tech-driven memorials reflect modern trends,” commented Wang, noting that faster lifestyles and greater mobility reduce opportunities for physical grave visits, she linked this shift to digital memorials’ growth, whose efficiency and visual appeal further boost adoption. Yet AI shouldn’t replace all traditions, she warned, as rites like tomb-sweeping demand physical presence, a practice central to filial piety that virtual interactions cannot replicate.
    Hong Chang, professor at Tianjin Foreign Studies University, viewed AI-assisted memorials and sea burials as adaptations of tradition to modernization, with AI streamlining remembrance and eco-burials addressing environmental concerns. “Yet we should balance innovation with cultural heritage as we retain the essence of Qingming rituals.”
    These innovations signal a societal shift: as environmental awareness grows, Chinese families increasingly honor the departed through more diverse practices from AI-preserved memories to green burials. This fusion of technology and sustainability creates new forms of reverence without severing ties to tradition. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China launches probe into DuPont China

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced on Friday that it has launched a probe into DuPont China Holding Co., Ltd. over the firm’s suspected violation of the nation’s anti-monopoly law. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: California aims to forge own trade path amid US tariffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a bold initiative on Friday to shield the state’s economy from the impacts of the U.S. tariff policies by pursuing independent trade relationships with international partners.

    “Donald Trump’s tariffs do not represent all Americans,” Newsom said in a video message. “California remains a stable trading partner,” he said, directing his administration to pursue new trade opportunities globally.

    The move came just two days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs, including a 10-percent “minimum baseline tariff” on all imports, with higher rates for certain trading partners, effective on April 5.

    The new tariffs have drawn backlash from economies around the world, with countermeasures already pledged by some. Newsom urged the state’s “long-standing trade partners” to exempt California-made products from any retaliatory measures.

    “California leads the nation as the #1 state for agriculture and manufacturing — and it’s our workers, families, and farmers who stand to lose the most from this Trump tax hike and trade war,” said the governor in a statement.

    “To our international partners: As the fifth largest economy in the world, the Golden State will remain a steady, reliable partner for generations to come, no matter the turbulence coming out of Washington. California is not Washington, D.C.”

    With a gross domestic product of 3.9 trillion U.S. dollars, California is the largest importer among all U.S. states, with more than 675 billion dollars in two-way trade supporting millions of jobs across the state. Its economy is 50 percent bigger than the GDP of the nation’s next largest state, Texas, according to the governor’s office.

    The initiative directed the state administration to identify collaborative opportunities with trading partners that protect California’s economic interests, including workers, manufacturers and businesses, as well as broader supply chains linked to the state’s economy.

    The tariffs announced by the Trump administration could result in a 2.3 percent increase in overall inflation in the United States this year, including a 2.8 percent increase in food prices and an 8.4 percent increase in automotive prices. The tariffs’ impact could cost the average household 3,800 dollars a year, according to analysis by the Budget Lab at Yale University.

    Newsom is particularly concerned about the state’s agricultural sector. California produces about 80 percent of the world’s almonds, generating an industry worth approximately 5.6 billion dollars and supporting more than 100,000 jobs.

    The almond industry alone contributes about 11 billion dollars in added value to California’s economy, according to industry data. About 70 percent of the state’s almond crop is exported to more than 100 economies worldwide.

    Beyond agriculture, Newsom’s administration was concerned about disruptions to the state’s manufacturing sector. Manufactured goods dominate both California’s exports (87 percent) and imports (89 percent), making the state particularly vulnerable to tariff impacts.

    The Port of Los Angeles, a major trade hub, anticipates a possible 10 percent decrease in cargo volume due to the tariffs, which could result in job losses in the port and related industries.

    The governor’s initiative also aimed to safeguard access to critical construction materials needed for recovery efforts following the recent Los Angeles wildfires. Officials noted that current tariffs on Canadian lumber of 14 percent could rise to nearly 27 percent, hampering rebuilding efforts.

    State officials also expressed concern about supply chains between California and Baja, Mexico. They argued that taxing component goods each time they cross the border will raise final product prices for Californians.

    Moreover, the Sacramento Bee reported Friday that Newsom faced another serious question: “How much of a problem will tariffs be for the state’s economy, which is heavily reliant upon high-income earners, many of whom draw their wealth from stocks.”

    The UCLA Anderson Forecast issued a recession watch last month, citing tariffs as one factor in a possible downturn. But there are others, notably Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, which the Forecast saw as having the potential for reducing the labor pool in the state.

    Though legal experts noted that individual states do not have the constitutional authority to independently negotiate global trading deals regarding tariffs, as this power is reserved for the federal government, California has been cultivating relationships with foreign governments and officials independent of the current federal administration.

    California has a history of active engagement in international trade through various agreements and initiatives. It has entered into 38 international agreements with 28 different foreign partners, according to the governor’s office.

    The state government has established the International Affairs and Trade Development Interagency Committee, which advises Newsom on international trade matters and coordinates related state activities, and California maintains trade and investment desks in key markets to further its international economic objectives. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Ne Zha 2’ with Japanese subtitles debuts in theaters across Japan

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The Japanese-subtitled edition of the Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” opened in more than 160 theaters across Japan on Friday, winning praise from Japanese audiences and industry insiders.

    A special screening took place at a theater in Tokyo on Wednesday and received positive reviews from many Japanese industry insiders. Japanese film journalist Koremasa Uno said that “Ne Zha 2” has a strong visual impact, and the humorous elements incorporated into the film are also impressive.

    Japanese anime critic Ryota Fujitsu said Ne Zha is a charismatic character who features intense battle scenes, and while the audience is moved by the portrayal of family affection in the film, they will also be amused by the humorous moments interspersed in it.

    After the screening at a theater in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, on Friday, many viewers came to take photos in front of the movie poster of “Ne Zha 2.”

    A young moviegoer named Tatsumoto Ryugi told Xinhua that the film was vivid and interesting, and the scene at the end where everyone worked together to defeat the evil forces was “very powerful”.

    “I would like to watch it if there is a sequel,” Ryugi added.

    Recently, big screens in front of Tokyo’s bustling Shibuya Station and other stations have begun playing promotional ads for “Ne Zha 2,” attracting many passers-by to stop and watch.

    “Ne Zha 2” was first released in more than 30 theaters in Japan on March 14 with Chinese and English subtitles.

    On the ninth day of the limited release, the cumulative box office in Japan has exceeded 100 million yen (about 687,127 U.S. dollars), and many theaters have temporarily increased the number of screenings, according to the distributor. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xizang recognizes more intangible cultural heritage inheritors

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Culture and tourism authorities in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region have recognized a new group of 101 regional-level intangible cultural heritage (ICH) inheritors, bringing the total number of inheritors in Xizang to 1,790.

    Xizang’s fifth group of regional-level ICH inheritors includes individuals selected from various fields, such as folk literature, Tibetan opera, traditional handicrafts, traditional sports and acrobatics.

    “The recognition of the fifth group of inheritors strengthens and improves the region’s inheritor system, injecting fresh vitality into the preservation and dissemination of intangible cultural heritage,” said Num, an official of the regional culture and tourism department’s ICH division.

    Official data shows that Xizang has established a four-tier ICH directory system, covering national, regional, municipal and county levels, and encompassing 2,760 representative projects. These include 106 national-level ICH projects and 117 national-level ICH inheritors, as well as 620 regional-level ICH projects and 623 regional-level inheritors. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s auto industry association voices strong opposition to US auto tariffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) on Friday voiced strong opposition to the U.S. decision to impose additional 25 percent tariffs on imported autos and certain auto parts.

    Calling the U.S. move a “blatant act of unilateralism,” the CAAM said such an act violates the World Trade Organization rules and disrupts normal trade flows, and urged the U.S. side to correct its wrongful decision.

    Noting that the auto industry is highly internationalized, the association said the U.S. move will significantly destabilize the global automotive supply chains and lead to an increase in auto prices, which will not only impose additional costs on consumers but also hinder the global economic recovery.

    The CAAM also urged the U.S. administration to address industry concerns, engage in international trade with an open, inclusive and cooperative attitude, and work to maintain the prosperity and stability of the global auto industry.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Finance Ministry blasts credit rating downgrade

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The Ministry of Finance has said it deeply regrets and firmly disagrees with Fitch Ratings’ decision to downgrade China’s sovereign credit rating, describing the move as “biased” and “failing to objectively reflect the actual resilience of China’s economy and the broad consensus in global markets”.

    The downgrade was announced despite Fitch’s recognition that China has robust economic growth prospects and a key position in global trade based on communications between the company and the Chinese side, the ministry said in a statement late Thursday.

    Compared with other economies with similar ratings, Fitch’s decision “fails to fully and objectively reflect China’s actual situation, and the international and domestic markets’ consensus on the recovery and improvement of China’s economy”, the ministry said.

    Fitch downgraded China’s sovereign credit rating on Thursday from “A+” to “A”, citing expectations of a continued weakening of public finances and rising debt.

    Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International, said that the agency’s justification based on fiscal and debt concerns is “untenable”.

    “While the size of government debt is important, a sovereign credit rating should reflect a government’s actual ability to repay,” he said.

    The Chinese government said that it will implement a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately accommodative monetary policy.

    “While China’s more proactive fiscal policy this year will lead to more government debt, this will support economic growth and thus improve the country’s debt repayment capacity,” Wang said.

    Last year, China’s GDP reached 134.9 trillion yuan ($18.52 trillion), with a growth rate of 5 percent, ranking it among the highest growth rates of major global economies.

    “China’s economy has a stable foundation, many advantages, strong resilience and great potential,” said the Ministry of Finance. “The long-term favorable conditions and the general trend of high-quality economic development have not changed.

    “Favorable production factors such as talent dividend, capital accumulation and technological progress continue to support growth,” it said, adding that structural transformation, emerging economies, urbanization and market-oriented reforms hold great potential.

    Fiscal policy coordination across the monetary, employment, industrial, regional and trade sectors, as well as reform and opening-up measures, will be strengthened to support high-quality growth, according to the ministry.

    Recently, major global institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, have raised their 2025 growth forecasts for China. International capital markets are also reevaluating Chinese assets and are optimistic about China.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China suspends poultry meat, sorghum imports from certain U.S. firms

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) said on Friday that it has decided to suspend the exports of poultry meat from some U.S. firms to China as well as suspend the qualifications of some U.S. firms to export certain products to China.

    Effective April 4, China will suspend the qualification of C&D (USA) Inc. to export sorghum to China. It will also suspend the qualifications of three other U.S. firms, namely American Proteins, Inc., Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. and Darling Ingredients Inc., to export poultry meat and bone meal to China, the GAC said.

    The decision came after Chinese customs detected excessive levels of zearalenone and mold in imported U.S. sorghum, and salmonella in imported U.S. poultry meat and bone meal, the GAC said in a statement, adding that the suspension aims to protect the health of Chinese consumers and the safety of animal husbandry sector in China.

    In a separate announcement, the GAC also announced the immediate suspension of poultry meat imports from the two U.S. companies of Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. and Coastal Processing, LLC.

    The GAC said that this suspension follows the Chinese customs’ detection on several occasions of the prohibited drug furacillin in imported U.S. chicken products and that the suspension decision is to protect the health and safety of consumers.

    An official with the GAC said that the suspension of poultry meat import from the two U.S. companies would help prevent food safety risks from the source, and the decision was made in accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations and international standards.

    “The above measures taken by the General Administration of Customs are necessary precautions to ensure food safety, and they are reasonable and in line with international norms,” the official said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China launches probe into DuPont China over suspected anti-monopoly law violation

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced on Friday that it has launched a probe into DuPont China Holding Co., Ltd. over the firm’s suspected violation of the nation’s anti-monopoly law. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: With US bombers at the ready, can Trump cut a deal with Iran and avoid a war?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Victoria University

    The United States and Iran are once again on a collision course over the Iranian nuclear program.

    In a letter dated early March, US President Donald Trump urged Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to negotiate a new deal. The new deal would replace the defunct nuclear agreement negotiated in 2015 between the United States, Iran and five other global powers.

    Trump withdrew from that agreement, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), during his first term.

    Trump gave the Iranians a two-month deadline to reach a new nuclear deal. If they don’t, the US will bomb the country. In recent days, American B-2 bombers and warships have been deployed to the region in a show of force.

    In response, Tehran has agreed only to indirect negotiations. It has ruled out any direct talks while under a US policy of “maximum pressure”.

    Down to the ‘final moments’

    The danger of US or combined American-Israeli military actions against Iran has never been greater.

    Trump says the US is down to the “final moments” should Tehran persist with moving towards a military nuclear capability.

    His national security advisor, Mike Waltz, has gone further, demanding Iran shut down its entire nuclear program.

    Khamenei and his generals have promised a “harsh response” to any military venture. Iran has vowed to target all American bases in the region.

    France, one of key negotiators in the 2015 deal, said this week a failure to secure a new deal would make a military confrontation “almost inevitable”.

    In a positive sign, however, Washington is reportedly “seriously considering” Iran’s offer for indirect negotiations. And Trump is now suggesting Iran may actually be open to direct talks.

    On the threshold of a nuclear bomb

    It would be a folly to expect a quick result that could satisfy an impatient Trump. This is especially true given Trump is under intense pressure from his close friend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    Netanyahu has long advocated for military action as the best way to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and eliminate its other military capabilities, as well as its regional influence.

    The Iranian Islamic regime has repeatedly said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, the US and its allies – in particular Israel – have remained highly sceptical of Tehran’s intentions.

    Following Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018, Tehran has substantially expanded its nuclear program, to the chagrin of the other signatories to the deal (Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China).

    It has installed more advanced centrifuges and accelerated uranium enrichment to 60%, just below weapons-grade level. The country is now at a nuclear weapon threshold. It is believed to be capable of assembling an atomic bomb within months, if not weeks.

    Israel’s devastating military operations against Iran’s allies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, as well as direct exchanges with Iran, have prompted some in the Iranian leadership to advocate for crossing that threshold.

    As I document in my book, Khamenei also remains highly distrustful of Trump and the US political class in general.

    Khamenei initially dismissed Trump’s letter last month as a “deception” from the leader of a country he has long considered an “arrogant power” that wants to dictate to Iran, rather than negotiate with it.

    One of his senior advisers, former Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, berated Washington for engaging in “psychological warfare”.

    And the current foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said direct negotiations would be futile unless Washington changed its policy of maximum pressure against Iran. This would involve removing sanctions against his country.

    What the two sides want

    Despite this historic distrust of the US, Tehran has found it expedient to offer indirect talks for a possible deal. However, the two sides remain far apart in their respective demands.

    Washington, at the very least, would want Tehran to indefinitely limit its uranium enrichment to 3.7% – the level it had agreed to in the 2015 deal. Washington would also demand close oversight by the US and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

    Tehran’s minimum demands would include the US unfreezing Iranian assets, lifting all sanctions against Iran and guaranteeing a nuclear deal will not be rescinded by future American administrations.

    Neither side could meet these demands, however, without first engaging in substantive confidence-building measures. Since Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, the onus is on him to jump-start the process. He could do this by:

    • unfreezing Iranian assets in the United States
    • lifting some sanctions to enable Iran to purchase non-lethal items from the West, including new civilian aircraft from Boeing and Airbus which were voided following the JCPOA’s dismantling
    • withdrawing the threat of a US, Israeli or combined military action.

    Given the depth of the long-standing enmity and distrust between the parties, the chances of reaching a new nuclear deal seem further away than the drums of war.

    However, given Trump’s unpredictability and the serious domestic and foreign policy challenges facing the Iranian regime, a deal also cannot not be completely ruled out.

    Amin Saikal does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. With US bombers at the ready, can Trump cut a deal with Iran and avoid a war? – https://theconversation.com/with-us-bombers-at-the-ready-can-trump-cut-a-deal-with-iran-and-avoid-a-war-253828

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: A former football captain turning into business trailblazer

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    From an unheralded football player to a businessman across multiple sectors, Wang Dong’s journey over the past 10 years has been more dramatic than most.

    Wang began playing football at age 4 and went to a school known for its football tradition when he was 7. It was during his junior high school years that he discovered his deep interest in the sport. He then attended a football school in Beijing, where he resolved to become a professional player.

    For Wang, the beginning seemed promising. Possessing both talent and ability, he was selected for the junior team of Beijing Guoan and, at the age of 17, was promoted to its first team.

    However, things began to go awry as a young and less adaptable Wang struggled to handle the pressure. Additionally, the presence of established figures within the club, including Xu Yunlong and Shao Jiayi, made it challenging for him to stand out.

    During his 12 years with Guoan, where the team won the 2009 Chinese Super League (CSL), Wang received limited playing time, which ultimately led to his decision to leave.

    In 2010, he joined Shenzhen FC, where he became a key player and later the captain. However, due to the team’s relegation, unpaid wages, and his subsequent methods of demanding pay ment, he found it difficult to return to the club and the field, ultimately leading to his retirement.

    “At 30, a prime age for a footballer, retirement was tough for me,” Wang admitted. “But it was the long wait that made me realize that my football career did not give me a greater sense of fulfillment.”

    With limited education and a lack of social experience, he initially felt lost.

    However, his athletic background provided him with knowledge about diet and nutrition, which inspired his decision to enter the catering industry. He introduced Chaoshan beef hotpot, a dish popular in south China’s Guangdong Province, to his hometown, the northern Chinese city of Tianjin.

    He traveled to Shantou City, the birthplace of Chaoshan beef hotpot, where he spent four months working as a kitchen helper in a restaurant to learn how to prepare the cuisine.

    This period was the most challenging. He had to work 15 hours a day and lived in a cramped dormitory shared by eight people. Without air conditioning, the dormitory was stifling and humid during the summer.

    Despite feeling hesitant to admit his former identity when diners asked if he was the football player Wang Dong, he considered the experience valuable as it allowed him to master the art of making the delicacy and earn a living before opening his own restaurant in Tianjin.

    The initial days of his restaurant were difficult. He had to wake up at 4 or 5 a.m. to purchase fresh beef and would close the restaurant late at night after the last diners left, resulting in a 10-kilogram weight loss within a month.

    After navigating this challenging period, Wang’s business began to grow rapidly. He not only opened multiple branches of his restaurant in Tianjin but also expanded to other provinces and cities across China.

    “I was among the first to introduce Chaoshan beef hotpot to Tianjin and gained the early market advantages,” Wang noted.

    As this year marks the 10th anniversary of Wang’s retirement from professional football, his business interests have broadened beyond catering to include sports, health care, cinemas, tourism, animal husbandry, and real estate.

    Among these diverse ventures, he has a particular interest in the sports industry, encompassing training, venue operation, equipment, and rehabilitation. He has also sponsored CSL club Tianjin Jinmen Tiger.

    “As I was an athlete, sport is part of my DNA,” he said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Reciprocal tariffs’ only lead to reciprocal losses, suffering

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The world is approaching painful times as the U.S. administration’s so-called “reciprocal tariffs” arrive. It is an undeniable reality that the United States is unabashedly wielding hegemony in an attempt to secure its interests, but these measures may well end up backfiring.

    For its major trading partners, U.S. enthusiasm for tariffs is nothing new. The latest evidence suggests that the U.S. administration will impose a 10 percent “minimum baseline tariff,” and even higher rates on certain trading partners.

    To some extent, Washington’s flagrant bullying practice indicates the U.S. administration’s growing jitters and anxiety concerning the retention of its position of superiority in an increasingly globalized world. However, it’s ridiculous that the United States opts for protectionism instead of embracing the trend of the times. Playing the “tariff card” is a lose-lose game that also hurts the United States itself.

    If the U.S. administration does follow through with its tariff plans, it would further elevate what are already the nation’s highest tariff levels over the past decades. Leading U.S. economists have warned of high implementation costs and collectively voiced concerns about grave consequences — such as higher consumer prices, increased inflation, a rise in unemployment, and even an economic recession.

    According to a Yale University study, reciprocal tariffs will incur the United States a price level rise of 2.1 percent, should other countries choose to retaliate. This is equivalent to a loss of 2,700 to 3,400 U.S. dollars per household on average. Meanwhile, overall U.S. economic growth will drop by 1 percentage point in 2025.

    Notably, classical Western economics underlines the benefits of free trade and the division of labor. America should know it can never return to the primary ends of the global supply chain in all sectors. What the U.S. administration is doing goes against basic economic laws.

    It is not possible for the United States to deny that it has benefited a lot from free trade and a multilateral trading system. After all, this system substantially lowered living costs and raised living standards for people in the United States over the past decades.

    Tariffs will cause damage across the board. Retaliation is almost certain and likely to be considerable. By announcing the so-called “reciprocal tariffs” scheme, the U.S. administration is dealing a heavy blow to the world trading system and the global economy at large.

    For example, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in its latest Economic Outlook, forecast that global GDP growth is projected to moderate to 3.1 percent in 2025 and 3 percent in 2026. The OECD is also warning that higher and broader trade barriers will negatively impact growth around the world and add to inflation.

    Any attempt to curb trade flows in the global village will backfire. Unchecked protectionism has the very real potential to trigger trade wars, with catastrophic consequences for all parties concerned, while also destabilizing the global economy. A stable and predictable trading environment should not be a luxury. It is a necessity for healthy global economic growth. Equal dialogue is the only viable approach to resolving trade disputes while bullying tariffs make things worse.

    Building a better world requires shelving the obsession with tariffs and pursuing shared development based on openness and cooperation. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China industry groups oppose US move to cancel duty-free treatment for low-value packages

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese industry groups on Friday voiced firm opposition to the U.S. move to cancel duty-free treatment for low-value packages from China.

    This follows the U.S. administration’s announcement that, starting May 2, packages valued up to 800 U.S. dollars from the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will no longer be exempt from duties.

    The China National Light Industry Council said in a statement that the U.S. move disrupts the normal trade order between China and the United States, affects global industrial cooperation, and undermines the rights and interests of consumers, including those in the United States.

    Calling it a self-defeating action, the industry group started the move not only undermines the stability of global industrial and supply chains for light industrial consumer goods but ultimately harms the interests of all parties, including the United States.

    The industry group urged the U.S. administration to respect market rules, acknowledge the needs of the people, and stop its wrong practices. It also called on the international community to jointly resist trade bullying and firmly safeguard an equal and mutually beneficial international trading system.

    In a separate statement, the China National Textile and Apparel Council expressed strong opposition to the U.S. hegemonic actions, which disrupt the international supply chain order and increase trade costs through domestic administrative measures.

    It noted that the duty-free treatment for low-value packages is an internationally recognized practice for trade facilitation. “The U.S. side disregards practical realities, violates the WTO’s non-discrimination principle, and contradicts the spirit of fair trade,” the statement said.

    “Such actions weaken the resilience of the global textile supply chain and will ultimately harm the interests of all parties, including U.S. businesses and consumers,” according to the statement. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cambodian experts criticize US reciprocal tariffs as lose-lose game

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The United States’ reciprocal global tariffs are a lose-lose game that can escalate trade tensions and provoke retaliatory measures from other countries, ultimately damaging international trade relations, Cambodian experts said on Friday.

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced reciprocal tariffs on goods imported from dozens of its trade partners, including Cambodia. The U.S. tariffs on goods imported from Cambodia will be increased by 49 percent, which will take effect on April 9, 2025.

    “This move explicitly highlights the U.S. selfishness, protectionism, unilateralism and isolationism,” Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, an arm of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told Xinhua.

    “These tariffs raise the cost of imported goods for consumers and businesses, leading to higher prices and reduced purchasing power,” he said. “Additionally, domestic industries that rely on imported materials may experience increased production costs, potentially resulting in job losses and diminished global competitiveness.”

    Phea added that over time, such protectionist policies can stifle economic growth and innovation by discouraging companies from optimizing supply chains or investing in new technologies.

    “These policies will not only hurt the global economy but also that of the U.S. itself,” he said. “It’s vital that all nations work together harder to uphold an inclusive and pluralistic global trade system and establish alternatives.”

    Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said Trump’s policies are undermining Washington’s credibility and standing within the international community.

    “His ‘America First’ strategy is marginalizing and isolating the U.S. globally,” he told Xinhua. “He is putting the U.S. economy at risk, potentially leading it into a recession.”

    Matthews said America’s allies, such as Japan and South Korea, are not spared from these new tariff rates.

    “Overall, the global relations between the U.S. and the rest of the world are deteriorating, reaching an all-time low,” he said.

    Thong Mengdavid, a lecturer at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy of the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said Trump’s tariff policy is causing higher consumer prices, increased production costs, supply chain disruption and global retaliation.

    “One of the most immediate effects is the increase in the cost of imported goods, which, in turn, leads to higher prices for consumers,” he told Xinhua. “As tariffs increase the cost of raw materials, components, and finished products, American businesses face higher production costs, which are often passed down to consumers.”

    Furthermore, tariffs can disrupt established supply chains, as companies that rely on importing goods and materials from abroad face greater uncertainty and higher costs, potentially leading to delays in production and reduced profitability.

    “For many U.S. companies, tariffs also lead to a loss of market access and diminished competitiveness in global markets, affecting their ability to expand and maintain profitability,” Mengdavid said.

    Seun Sam, a policy analyst at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said Trump’s tariff hike policies are a “disaster for the American people” because consumers will bear the brunt of his tariffs.

    “When the tariff is high, businesspeople will increase the price to sell in the U.S., and American buyers will pay the price of the products they need,” he told Xinhua.

    “I think the hikes in U.S. import tariffs are unfair as they go against the principle of free trade and fair competition,” he added.

    Penn Sovicheat, secretary of state of the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce, said the ministry is assessing the impact of the new tariff rate and trying to find a solution to the issue. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese scientists develop atoms-thin chips

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    As silicon chips approach the limits of their physical scale, scientists are pioneering ultra-thin designs to boost computational performance.
    A Chinese research team has developed a semiconductor microprocessor just a few atomic layers thick. The chip, WUJI, is a 32-bit RISC-V processor based on two-dimensional semiconductors.
    RISC-V is an architecture known for being free and open-source, and for its design flexibility and low power consumption.
    The microprocessor has 5,900 transistors and a complete standard cell library containing 25 types of logic units, and can perform addition and subtraction operations on up to 4.2 billion data points, allowing for the programming of up to 1 billion instructions, according to Zhou Peng at Fudan University.
    The 2D logic circuits have been designed in alignment with advances in silicon integrated circuits, as has an optimized process flow, according to the study, the details of which were published in Nature this week.
    The research team leveraged innovative AI algorithms to enable precise control from material-growth to integration processes, said Zhou, the paper’s corresponding author.
    The team’s approach to manufacturing and design has successfully tackled the major challenges of wafer-scale integration for 2D circuits, resulting in a groundbreaking microprocessor prototype that demonstrates the vast potential of 2D integrated-circuit technology beyond the standard silicon, according to the researchers. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China announces export control measures on certain rare earth-related items

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs on Friday announced export control measures on certain items related to seven types of medium and heavy rare earths.

    The measures, effective immediately, aim to better safeguard national security and interests and fulfill non-proliferation and other international obligations, a commerce ministry spokesperson said.

    These materials have both military and civil uses, imposing export controls on them is a common international practice, the spokesperson said, adding that the move reflects China’s consistent stance in firmly maintaining world peace and regional stability as a responsible major country.

    China is willing to strengthen foreign exchanges and cooperation and promote compliant trade through bilateral export control dialogue and communication mechanisms, the spokesperson said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China files lawsuit with WTO following U.S. slapping of ‘reciprocal tariffs’ on trading partners

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Friday that China has filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism following the announcement by the United States on Thursday to slap “reciprocal tariffs” on all trading partners.

    “By imposing the so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs,’ the United States gravely violates WTO rules, seriously undermines the legitimate rights and interests of WTO members, and seriously damages the rules-based multilateral trading system and the international economic and trade order,” a ministry spokesperson said.

    “It is a typical unilateral practice of bullying that jeopardizes the stability of the global economic and trade order, and China is firmly opposed to this,” the spokesperson said.

    China has always been a staunch defender of the international economic and trade order and a firm supporter of the multilateral trading system, said the spokesperson. “We urge the U.S. side to immediately correct its wrongdoings and cancel its unilateral tariff measures.” 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China launches dual probes into imported medical CT tubes

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Friday that it has launched an anti-dumping probe into certain imports of medical CT tubes originating from the United States and India, as well as a separate industrial competitiveness investigation into broader imports of medical CT tubes.

    The anti-dumping investigation, in response to the application from the domestic industry, concerns certain ball-bearing medical CT tubes originating from the United States and India, an official with the ministry said in an online statement.

    Preliminary evidence submitted by the applicants shows that from 2022 to 2024, the volume of dumped imports of these products from the two countries increased by 13 percent, while their prices continued to decline, the official said, adding that these imports have depressed domestic prices, resulting in operating difficulties and losses for domestic producers.

    After reviewing the application in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations, and World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, the investigation authority determined that the conditions for initiating an anti-dumping probe were met and decided to open the case, the official said.

    The investigation authority will carry out the probe in accordance with laws and make decisions based on the findings in an objective and impartial manner, the official added.

    In a separate move, the ministry has also launched its first industrial competitiveness probe into a broader range of imported medical CT tubes.

    While both probes were initiated at the request of the domestic industry, they differ in terms of scope and focus, the official explained.

    The industrial competitiveness probe was in accordance with relevant stipulations of China’s foreign trade law, a spokesperson of the ministry said in a separate statement.

    Preliminary evidence submitted by the applicants suggested that China’s medical CT tube industry started relatively late and remains in a developmental stage. The domestic industry is facing operational difficulties due to the impact of imports, which has adversely affected its competitiveness, said the spokesperson.

    The spokesperson emphasized that the industrial competitiveness probe is a fact-finding investigation, does not target any specific country or region, and does not affect normal trade, adding that the investigation authority will ensure the legal rights of all interested parties and carry out the investigation objectively and fairly in accordance with the law. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China adds 11 U.S. firms to unreliable entity list

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China has added 11 U.S. firms, including Skydio and BRINC Drones, to its unreliable entity list, the country’s commerce ministry announced on Friday.

    These companies, in disregard of strong opposition from China, have undertaken so-called military technology cooperation with Taiwan, seriously undermining China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

    China holds the 11 firms accountable for their unlawful activities, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, according to the statement.

    China always handles issues related to its unreliable entity list prudently, and only targets the very few foreign entities that undermine China’s national security, the spokesperson said.

    “There is nothing to worry about for honest and law-abiding foreign entities,” said the spokesperson.

    The Chinese government, as always, welcomes companies from all countries to invest and operate in China, and is committed to providing a stable, fair and predictable business environment for foreign enterprises that operate in accordance with laws and regulations, said the spokesperson. 

    MIL OSI China News –