Source: China State Council Information Office 2
Editor’s note: China targets an economic growth rate of around 5% in 2025, according to a government work report submitted Wednesday to the national legislature for deliberation. This infographic walks you through the report, highlighting the country’s key economic achievements from last year and development priorities for 2025.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
The history and the reality affirm that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the recovery of Taiwan, Wang said at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the National People’s Congress.
The victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression put Taiwan back under China’s sovereign jurisdiction in 1945, Wang said.
Both the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, issued by the major victorious nations of World War II, stated in explicit terms that Taiwan is a territory that Japan had stolen from the Chinese, and shall be restored to China. Japan also accepted the terms of the Potsdam Proclamation and announced its unconditional surrender, Wang said.
“All these have confirmed China’s sovereignty over Taiwan, and formed an important part of the post-war international order,” he said.
Resolution 2758, adopted in 1971 by the UN General Assembly, resolved the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the UN, and precluded any possibility of creating “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan,” Wang said.
“The only reference to the Taiwan region in the UN is ‘Taiwan, Province of China.’ Taiwan is never a country, not in the past, and never in the future,” Wang said.
To clamor for “Taiwan independence” is to split the country, to support “Taiwan independence” is to interfere in China’s internal affairs, and to connive at “Taiwan independence” is to undermine the stability of the Taiwan Strait, he noted.
Wang stressed that respect for all countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity should mean support for China’s complete reunification, and commitment to the one-China principle should mean opposition to any form of “Taiwan independence.”
“Seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ is doomed to backfire, and using Taiwan to contain China will be nothing but a futile attempt,” Wang said. “China will realize reunification, and this is unstoppable.”
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
Chinese scientists have pieced together the dramatic geographical changes of the Luolong Basin in the eastern part of the Xizang autonomous region, revealing a period of rapid elevation and climatic transformation between 54 million and 43 million years ago.
The research, published last month in the journal National Science Review, details how the basin, initially a low-lying area about 600 meters above sea level, experienced rapid elevation to approximately 2,900 meters around 44 million years ago. This triggered a significant increase in rainfall and the establishment of distinct wet and dry seasons, according to Zhao Chenyuan, the study’s first author and a doctoral student at the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“The ecological environment of the Luolong Basin before 44 million years ago was similar to today’s Shangri-La in Yunnan province, with mountains and forests intertwined, rich biodiversity and an annual precipitation of nearly 1,500 millimeters, resembling the forest ecosystems of modern Yunnan and Southeast Asia,” Zhao said.
The basin featured large lakes and rivers — some possibly resembling modern-day Dianchi Lake or Erhai Lake in Yunnan — teeming with primitive freshwater fish and abundant insects, researchers said.
The research team, led by academician Ding Lin, conducted extensive field investigations between 2020 and last year, collecting volcanic ash, paleosol and fossil samples.
Ding highlighted the Luolong Basin’s strategic location in a transitional zone between the central and eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, making it crucial for understanding plateau uplift and climate response.
“This discovery updates the spatial distribution of the Central Tibetan Valley, extending it from the central plateau to the broader eastern Xizang region, forming a biodiverse forest belt 44 million years ago,” Ding said.
The findings provide new insights into the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau’s uplift process, revealing that the eastern part of the Central Tibetan Valley rose before the central part.
This created a westward-sloping topography, higher in the east and gradually lowering to the west.
The plateau’s uplift also profoundly influenced the Asian monsoon system, with these changes offering vital clues to East Asia’s climate history, researchers said.
Source: China State Council Information Office
The 2025 Mobile World Congress (MWC) concluded here on Thursday, with Chinese telecommunications companies winning multiple industry awards, underscoring their influence in the global connectivity sector.
This year’s event drew 109,000 attendees from 205 countries and regions, alongside more than 2,900 exhibitors, sponsors, and partners, according to the annual gathering’s organizer GSMA.
“This year’s event showed just how fast technology is reshaping the world around us,” said GSMA CEO John Hoffman. He noted that discussions on AI-powered networks and smart mobility are expected to shape industry trends in the coming year.
The GSMA also announced the winners of the 30th Global Mobile Awards during the event, widely regarded as one of the industry’s most prestigious accolades. Chinese firms, including Huawei, China Mobile, ZTE, and Xiaomi, won across multiple categories.
Source: China State Council Information Office
The Philippines’ moves to create frictions in the South China Sea are just “shadow play” to smear China, with the screenplay written by external forces and the show livestreamed by Western media, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.
Infringement and provocation will backfire and those acting as others’ chess pieces are bound to be discarded, Wang told reporters at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the national legislature.
To realize good neighborliness, lasting peace and security in the South China Sea, one needs trust and also rules. The key is to implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and develop a sound Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), said Wang.
Source: China State Council Information Office
China is firmly opposed to U.S. deployment of mid-range missile system in Asia, and the deployment is not welcomed by regional countries either, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday.
“Years have passed since the United States released its ‘Indo-Pacific Strategy,’ but what has it done for regional countries? Nothing, except for stirring up troubles and creating disputes. It has proved to be more of a disruptive factor than a constructive contributor,” Wang said at a press conference on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a press conference on China’s foreign policy and external relations on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2025. [Photo by Lun Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]
Speaking of the Ukraine crisis, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China is ready to work with the international community, in light of the wills of the parties to the conflict, to continue to play its constructive role in resolving the crisis and realizing lasting peace.
China welcomes and supports all efforts for peace, said Wang while meeting the press on Friday. “At the same time, it is also important to see the complexity of the causes of the crisis.”
“No one wins in a conflict, but everyone gains in peace. The negotiation table is where the conflict ends and peace starts,” he added.
Although the relevant parties have not had their positions fully aligned, they all hope to have a fair and durable peace deal that is binding and accepted by all the parties concerned, according to Wang.
“And that is a valuable common point, and all the parties should jointly strive for it,” he said.
“All parties should learn something from the crisis,” Wang emphasized, adding that among many others, security should be mutual and equal, and no country should build its security on the insecurity of another.
“We should advocate and act on the new vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and that is the way to truly realize lasting peace and security on the Eurasian continent and across the world,” he said.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a press conference on China’s foreign policy and external relations on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2025. [Photo by Lun Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]
China supports the plan for restoring peace in Gaza initiated by Egypt and other Arab countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.
Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, and is an inseparable part of the Palestinian territory. Changing the status of Gaza by forceful means will not bring about peace, but only new chaos, Wang told a press conference held on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the national legislature.
Wang called for efforts to promote a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, ramp up humanitarian assistance, observe the principle of “the Palestinians governing Palestine,” and contribute to the reconstruction in Gaza.
Noting that the Palestinian question has always been at the heart of the Middle East issue, the foreign minister called on the international community to focus more on the two-state solution and give more support to independent statehood for Palestine.
All Palestinian factions need to deliver on the Beijing Declaration to achieve unity and self-strengthening, all parties in the Middle East need to rise above differences to support Palestinian statehood, and the international community needs to build consensus and promote peace between Palestine and Israel, Wang noted.
“We will continue to strive resolutely for justice, peace and development for the Middle East people,” Wang said.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a press conference on China’s foreign policy and external relations on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2025. [Photo by Lun Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]
China will host a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit this autumn in the northern city of Tianjin, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday.
He made the announcement at a press conference held on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress.
Wang said leaders will get together at the Tianjin summit to reflect on the SCO’s accomplishments, plan the future, and build consensus for cooperation.
“It will help the SCO embark on a new journey from China and make the organization a more close-knit community with a shared future,” he added.
Noting that this year is SCO’s “China Year,” Wang said that China, as the rotating president of SCO, is putting together more than 100 events in political, security, economic, and people-to-people fields this year under the theme of “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.”
“The SCO was born in China and named after Shanghai. This means something special to us. We are very pleased to welcome it home,” Wang said, pledging that China will take real actions to carry forward the Shanghai Spirit and promote the SCO development.
Source: Peoples Bank of China
Announcement on Open Market Operations No.45 [2025]
(Open Market Operations Office, March 7, 2025)
In order to keep the liquidity adequate in the banking system, the People’s Bank of China conducted reverse repo operations in the amount of RMB185 billion through quantity bidding at a fixed interest rate on March 7, 2025.
Details of the Reverse Repo Operations
|
Maturity |
Volume |
Rate |
|
7 days |
RMB185 billion |
1.50% |
Date of last update Nov. 29 2018
2025年03月07日
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BERLIN, March 7 — China’s diverse tourism offerings and visitor-friendly policies have drawn significant attention from international buyers and travelers alike at the 2025 ITB Berlin, a global tourism trade show that kicked off on Tuesday.
Over the past year, China has enhanced its unilateral visa-free policy to welcome global travelers with open arms. Beijing has broadened this policy to include 38 countries, allowing a stay of up to 30 days.
Experts and business executives at the event said that China’s visa-free policy is drawing global visitors eager to explore its unique blend of history, culture and innovation, and expressed stronger willingness to expand tourism cooperation.
NEW MOMENTUM FOR CHINA TOURS
“It facilitates a lot,” said Guido Brettschneider, CEO of TUI China Travel Co., Ltd., in an interview with Xinhua. “People like it (the visa-free policy); it makes travel to China easier and cheaper.”
Nikolaos Swoch, director of international business development at ITB China, told Xinhua that the visa-free policy benefits tourism exchanges and flows, making travel to China a “quick decision” and an “easy trip.”
“China is doing a good job in opening up its availability for international tourists,” he said, adding that from the visa-free policy to the widespread adoption of digital payment services, China is deepening its integration with the global market and enhancing the tourist experience.
Hua Lei, senior vice president of YeePay, a third-party payment service provider in China, told Xinhua that “the visa-free policy has created positive momentum, encouraging more foreign tourists to visit and spend in China, which also presents new market opportunities for the company.”
DIVERSIFIED COOPERATION
Launched in 1966, ITB Berlin is one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive travel trade fairs. This year’s three-day event has attracted approximately 5,800 exhibitors from 170 countries and regions.
Witnessing new dynamism in China’s tourism market, companies from around the world are forming partnerships with Chinese cities and travel agencies, expanding their offerings to attract more global visitors.
Jessica Kuehn, director of China Tours, told Xinhua that the German-based company currently offers nine different travel routes to China and is actively expanding cooperation with Chinese travel agencies and institutions.
On Tuesday, TUI Group, one of Europe’s largest travel companies, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Huangshan Tourism Development Co., Ltd.
Brettschneider said after the signing ceremony that TUI plans to introduce more travel itineraries in China, encourage visitors to extend their stays and make the city of Huangshan in eastern China a key destination.
“Huangshan can offer obviously the mountain, but they (visitors) can also feel the surrounding villages, the minorities, the culture, the atmosphere and the great food,” he said, adding that many returning visitors to China seek new destinations, and Huangshan is an ideal choice.
“We hope to promote Huangshan’s two world heritage sites,” said Zhang Dehui, chairman of Huangshan Tourism Development Co., Ltd.
“The city of Huangshan is home to not only Mount Huangshan, a UNESCO Natural and Cultural Heritage site and a global geopark in east China but also boasts two villages listed as a world cultural heritage site — Xidi and Hongcun, famous for their ancient Hui-style architecture,” Zhang said.
At this year’s event, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has led a delegation of more than 100 representatives from 12 provinces and municipalities, along with Chinese airlines and mobile communication companies, to showcase China’s tourism industry.
At the opening ceremony of the China Pavilion at ITB Berlin, UN Tourism Executive Director Liu Shijun said global tourism has recovered to 99 percent of its 2019 levels in 2024. China has played a vital role in this recovery,” he said.
“Chinese tourists contribute significantly to many destinations worldwide. Also, the country continues to promote visa and payment facilitation, embracing the world and accelerating the recovery of its inbound tourism market,” he said.
“These efforts are making a substantial contribution to the full recovery of international tourism and global economic growth,” Liu added.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday called for building a community with a shared future for humanity at a press conference.
An increasing number of countries have participated in the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, with over 100 countries supporting the three global initiatives, namely, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.
Wang added that over three quarters of countries across the world have joined the family of the Belt and Road cooperation.
Wang made the remarks when answering a question about the influence of the “America First” policy of the United States.
If every country stresses “my country first” and is obsessed with a position of strength, the “law of the jungle” would reign the world again, with smaller and weaker countries bearing the brunt first and international norms and order severely undermined, Wang said.
A major country should honor its international obligations and fulfill its due responsibilities, Wang said.
History will prove that a real winner is the one that keeps in mind the interests of all. A community with a shared future for humanity will ensure that the world belongs to every country, and that everyone will have a bright future, Wang added.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday stressed the need to accentuate the important status and uphold the due authority of the United Nations (UN).
“Facts have shown that the UN has withstood tests and has been instrumental,” Wang told a press conference on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress.
“China believes that the more complex the problems, the greater the need to accentuate the important status of the UN; the more pressing the challenges, the greater the need to uphold the due authority of the UN,” said Wang.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said on Friday that China remains confident in Europe and believes that it can be a trustworthy partner, adding that the two sides can solve pending issues properly.
Wang made the remarks at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the national legislature.
Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, Wang said in the half-century-long relationship, the most valuable asset is mutual respect, the most powerful impetus is mutual benefit, the greatest unifying consensus is multilateralism, and the most accurate characterization is partnership.
Wang said that in the past five decades, China-EU trade has expanded from 2.4 billion U.S. dollars to 780 billion U.S. dollars. Investment has increased from almost zero to close to 260 billion U.S. dollars. China-Europe Railway Express has run more than 100,000 cargo trips and become a golden passage connecting Asia and Europe.
“Fifty years on, China and the EU jointly make up over one-third of the world economy, and the cooperation between the two has a greater strategic value and global influence,” Wang said, adding that a healthy and stable relationship will lift up both sides and make for a brighter world.
“The two sides have the capacity and wisdom to properly resolve pending issues through friendly consultation and jointly usher in another promising 50 years,” added Wang.
Source: Panasonic
Headline: Panasonic PR People Vlog #7: International Women’s Day
Han Ying
I have experience living in China, the US, and currently live in Japan. When I was a university student, I majored in marketing and minored in communications. I joined the Panasonic Group in 2020, and have worked in the PR department ever since. It’s become a custom of mine to go on many trips abroad, and as an ISFJ (Defender), I love to make plans before every trip. Delicious food and dancing are important parts of my life, too.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a press conference on China’s foreign policy and external relations on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2025. [Photo by Lun Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]
The Global South should strengthen themselves, stand together in unity, and strive for development, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday.
“The hallmark of our era is the prominent, growing strength of the Global South,” Wang told a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the national legislature.
Accounting over 40 percent of global GDP and contributing as high as 80 percent of global growth, the Global South is a key force for maintaining world peace, driving world development, and improving global governance, according to Wang.
“The Global South holds the key to bringing stability to the world and making it a better place,” Wang said.
Noting that Indonesia became a full member of BRICS at the beginning of the year, and nine partner countries have joined the BRICS family, Wang said BRICS is emerging as a backbone of cooperation and an engine of growth in the Global South.
This year, China will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, Brazil the BRICS summit, and South Africa the G20 summit. “We should speak in one voice to the world, safeguard our common interests, and steadily increase our representation and voice in global governance,” he said.
“We should keep development as a central item of international agenda, build up the momentum, enhance our capacity, and advance hand in hand toward modernization,” Wang said.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a press conference on China’s foreign policy and external relations on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2025. [Photo by Lun Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]
China will provide certainty to this uncertain world, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday.
“We are living in a changing and turbulent world, where certainty is becoming a scarce resource,” Wang told a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the national legislature.
“China’s diplomacy will stand firm on the right side of history and on the side of human progress. We will provide certainty to this uncertain world,” he said.
Wang said China will be a just and righteous force for world peace and stability, a progressive force for international fairness and justice, and a constructive force for common development of the world.
The country will uphold true multilateralism and safeguard the multilateral free trade system, the senior diplomat said.
“We will continue to expand high-standard opening up, and share the vast opportunities of Chinese modernization with all countries,” Wang said.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Editor’s note: The 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s national legislature, opened its third session on Wednesday morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, with a government work report submitted for deliberation. This infographic highlights the key objectives and strategic directions outlined in the report, offering a clear snapshot of the nation’s policy priorities for 2025.
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong toured the largest Portugese science and technology park and incubator during his visit to Lisbon, Portugal, yesterday.
Prof Sun, together with a delegation of Hong Kong’s innovation and technology (I&T) sector, explored Taguspark to ascertain its latest effort in pooling technology companies to move in, developing applied science and technology and promoting economic activities.
He then met representatives of the Oeiras Valley Investment Agency where he received a briefing on its work in promoting the municipality’s economic growth and attracting investment.
He also exchanged views with the agency on the collaboration between the innovative parks of Hong Kong and Portugal, as well as investment and exchanges among enterprises in the two places.
In the evening, the technology chief met Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Portuguese Republic Zhao Bentang.
He briefed Mr Zhao on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s initiatives to promote I&T and develop new industrialisation in its quest to support the city’s economic growth. They also explored ways to enhance Hong Kong’s co-operation with Portugal in I&T.
Prof Sun plans to return to Hong Kong tomorrow.
Source: China State Council Information Office
The 2025 Global Digital Economy Conference (GDEC)’s International Cooperation Forum series was held in Barcelona, Spain, on March 4.
GDEC’s International Cooperation Forum series held in Barcelona, Spain, on March 4. [photo provided to China.org.cn]
Themed “Integration, Innovation, Win-Win: Co-creating a New Blueprint for the China-Europe Digital Economy,” the Digital Economy Cooperation Forum was hosted by the GDEC Organizing Committee, and organized by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology (BMBEIT).
The event attracted more than 150 government representatives, corporate executives, industry association leaders from China, Spain and other European countries, and more than 60 overseas companies and institutions participated in it.
During the forum, the organizer held more than 20 government-enterprise matchmaking events, and the parties had in-depth exchanges on cutting-edge issues in the digital economy and reached a number of cooperation intentions.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union. The forum, with the digital economy as the link, has effectively promoted China-EU digital friendly exchanges and practical cooperation.
In the Barcelona forum, Meng Yuhong, consul general of the Chinese Consulate General in Barcelona, said that China is willing to share development opportunities with the world and advocate inclusive economic globalization.
Facing the opportunities and challenges brought by digitalization, the international community should strengthen dialogue and exchanges, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and work together to build a more fair, reasonable, open, inclusive, secure, stable and vibrant cyberspace, Meng added.
Jiang Guangzhi, the BMBEIT chief, delivered an opening speech in the form of digital human. In his address, Jiang said that the capital city of China, as a pioneer in the global digital economy, actively implements the national digital economy development strategy, and Barcelona, as the core hub of the European digital economy, has obvious advantages in science and technology industry clusters. The two cities have broad prospects for cooperation in the field of digital economy.
Mario Rubert, director of Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, said in his speech that the Barcelona City Government regards China as a strategic priority. Nearly 20 years ago, the local government was very forward-looking and became the first Spanish public institution to establish a Chinese commissioner, laying a solid foundation for the long-term friendly cooperation between the two sides.
Joan Romero, executive director of ACCIÓ, an agency of the Government of Catalonia to promote business competitiveness through innovation and internationalization, said China is a leading country in science and technology and a benchmark, expressing the hope that the Catalonia region can strengthen cooperation with China in the economic, technological and social fields.
The Barcelona forum was the first time that GDEC had set up a branch venue in Europe. It was held in the Spanish city at the same time as Mobile World Congress. It was the first time that the two major international conferences joined hands, creating a new paradigm for cooperation.
On the sidelines of the forum, BMBEIT also held a business and investment promotion activity called “Night of Beijing” in the Spanish city.
Relevant persons in charge of the BMBEIT promoted Beijing’s leading digital technology solutions in key digital economy industries such as autonomous driving, smart logistics, smart home, digital healthcare, and value-added telecommunications, combining core technologies, application scenarios, international promotion, and effectiveness cases.
Those participating in the activity think that it promoted the precise connection between industry-leading enterprises and leading technologies between China and the West, and between China and the EU, and it also provided innovative ideas and practical samples for the development of the global digital economy.
The GDEC has been successfully held for four sessions since 2021. It is committed to promoting more comprehensive international cooperation in the digital economy industry and promoting the friendly and sustainable development of the global digital ecology. The 2025 GDEC will be held in Beijing in July.
Source: China State Council Information Office
China will accelerate efforts to research and reserve new supportive policies to stabilize foreign trade, which will be introduced promptly when needed, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao told a press conference Thursday.
The policies aim to address pressing challenges while promoting high-quality trade development, Wang said, stressing all-out efforts to stabilize foreign trade.
Source: China State Council Information Office
China’s local government debt risks have been effectively mitigated, Minister of Finance Lan Fo’an told a press conference on Thursday.
As of Wednesday, local governments had issued bonds totaling 2.96 trillion yuan (about 413 billion U.S. dollars) aimed at replacing existing debt, said the minister.
The bonds issued last year for the replacement of 2 trillion yuan of local government debt saw an average reduction in interest rates by over 2.5 percentage points, said Lan.
It is estimated that these bonds will reduce interest payments by over 200 billion yuan over five years, significantly easing the funding pressures and interest costs for local governments, Lan noted.
Source: China State Council Information Office
China will definitely take countermeasures in response to arbitrary pressure, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday.
“China-U.S. business relations are based on two-way and reciprocal interactions. Cooperation will bring about mutual benefit, and China will definitely take countermeasures in response to arbitrary pressure,” Wang said at a press conference on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress.
Source: China State Council Information Office
A mature, resilient and stable China-Russia relationship will not be swayed by any turn of events, let alone be subject to interference by any third party, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday.
The relationship is “a constant in a turbulent world rather than a variable in geopolitical games,” Wang told a press conference held on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the national legislature.
No matter how the international landscape evolves, the historical logic of China-Russia friendship will not change and its internal driving force will not diminish, he said.
The two countries have found a path of “non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party” in developing their relations, Wang said, adding that it is a pioneering effort in forging a new model of major-country relations, and has set a fine example for relations between neighboring countries.
Source: China State Council Information Office
“High fences and small yards” cannot suppress the spirit of innovation, and decoupling and supply chains disruption will only lead to self-isolation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday.
Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the country’s national legislature, Wang said science and technology should not be used to put up an iron curtain, but should be the wealth that benefits all and is shared by all.
“Where there is blockade, there is breakthrough; where there is suppression, there is innovation,” said Wang in responding to a question on U.S. tech suppression on China.
Noting that unjustified external suppression on China, be it in space science or chip making, has never stopped, Wang said China’s path to becoming a science and technology powerhouse is growing wider.
Source: China State Council Information Office
The United States should not return good with evil, or even impose arbitrary tariffs, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday when commenting on the U.S. move to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods using the fentanyl issue as a pretext.
The abuse of fentanyl in the United States is a problem that must be confronted and resolved by the United States itself, Wang said at a press conference on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress.
China always takes resolute measures against drug trafficking and manufacturing, and China has put in place the toughest and most comprehensive counternarcotics policies in today’s world, Wang said.
As early as in 2019, China scheduled all fentanyl-related substances upon the request of the U.S. side, the first country in the world to do so, he noted.
Source: China State Council Information Office
China’s diplomacy brought much-needed stability to a changing and turbulent world in 2024, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday.
With its diplomatic efforts, the country fostered a good external environment for its high-quality development and made new and solid strides in building a community with a shared future for humanity, Wang said at a press conference.
Stressing that the mission of China’s diplomacy remains unchanged, Wang said that China will, along with other countries, continue to uphold what is right, steer the direction of the era, defend international fairness and justice, and safeguard world peace and stability.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
2nd plenary meeting of 3rd session of 14th CPPCC National Committee held in Beijing
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, March 7 — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met the press Friday morning on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress.
He will brief journalists from home and abroad on China’s foreign policies and answer questions on a wide range of issues.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-Mich.) reintroduced two bipartisan bills to prevent foreign governments, including adversaries like China and Russia, from shadow influencing U.S. policy. The legislation would help close loopholes that foreign governments exploit to conceal their roles in lobbying efforts.
“Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and the public has a right to know if a foreign government is trying to sway American policy. Our bipartisan bills would close a loophole that allows individuals to conceal their lobbying efforts and ensure that all foreign actors are disclosed to the American people. The Senate passed our bipartisan legislation last Congress, and I’m going to continue to work diligently with my colleagues to get these vital reforms to the president’s desk,” Grassley said.
“The American people deserve complete transparency about who is trying to influence our political process. These bipartisan bills will help ensure foreign actors can’t exploit loopholes to hide their activities while attempting to shape policy in the United States. It’s a commonsense step to protect our national security and ensure our government is working in the best interests of the American people,” Peters said.
Lobbying Disclosure Improvement Act
Congress created the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) in 1995 to delineate between those lobbying on behalf of foreign governments versus those lobbying for foreign private entities. The LDA exempts foreign private entity lobbyists from the Foreign Agents Registration Act’s (FARA) more burdensome restrictions. However, the Justice Department currently has no way of knowing which foreign lobbyists claim this exemption.
The Lobbying Disclosure Improvement Act would make public which foreign lobbyists receive the LDA exemption, ensuring no foreign government actors can fraudulently and secretly represent themselves as non-government actors. This would help the Justice Department narrow the pool of registrants they are examining for potential FARA violations, without imposing any meaningful additional burden on non-government registrants representing foreign private entities.
Additional cosponsors include Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).
Disclosing Foreign Influence in Lobbying Act
Law enforcement agencies have identified instances in which foreign adversaries exploit an additional loophole in the Lobbying Disclosure Act by using closely connected private organizations and businesses to push their government interests.
The Disclosing Foreign Influence in Lobbying Act makes clear that lobbying organizations must disclose when foreign governments and political parties participate in their lobbying efforts, regardless of any financial contribution to the lobbying effort