Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Thursday expressed condolences over former Japanese ambassador to China Koreshige Anami's passing and extended sympathy to his family.

Anami, the Japanese ambassador to China from 2001 to 2006, died at 83 on November 13 at his residence in Tokyo from pneumonia, the family said, Japanese media The Mainichi reported. 

Mao said that Anami had long engaged in diplomacy with China. After retirement, he continued to contribute to China-Japan relations, serving as a member of the Japan side of the 21st Century Committee for China-Japan Friendship, among other roles. His efforts made a positive contribution to the improvement and development of China-Japan relations.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan, along with several former Chinese Ambassadors to Japan who had worked with Anami have sent condolence messages to his family, said Mao. 

In response to an inquiry on reports that a Beijing court sentenced Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu on Friday to seven years in prison for espionage, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at Friday's press conference that China upholds the rule of law and Chinese judicial authorities handle cases in strict accordance with law. 

Those who violate laws will certainly be brought to account in accordance with law, Mao said.

Secessionist authorities of Taiwan region and external forces are acting more provocatively during the power transition time in the US, with the Chinese mainland voicing strong opposition and vowing strong and resolute countermeasures, as Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te made a "stopover" in Hawaii during his trip to the Pacific, and the US announced another round of arm sales to the island.

China firmly opposes official interactions between the US and Taiwan region, firmly opposes the leader of the Taiwan region making a "stopover" in the US in any name or under whatever pretext, a long-standing and clear position, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said on Sunday.

Chen made the remarks in response to a media question on Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's "stopover" in Hawaii amid his trip to so-called "diplomatic allies" in the Pacific. Chen noted that the Chinese Foreign Ministry has lodged serious protests with the US.

"We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, fully see the separatist nature and damage of Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, and handle the Taiwan question with prudence," Chen said.

On the US arm sales, China will take strong and resolute countermeasures to firmly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Firm opposition

The US Department of Defense on Friday announced that the Department of State has approved US$385 million worth of arms sales to Taiwan region. The arms sales include spare parts and support for F-16 aircraft and active electronically scanned array radars and related equipment, as well as improved mobile subscriber equipment follow-on support and related equipment, according to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The decision to sell arms to Taiwan is simply inconsistent with US leaders' commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence." China deplores and firmly opposes it and has lodged serious protests to the US, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson called on the US to immediately stop arming Taiwan and stop abetting and supporting "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in seeking "Taiwan independence" by building up its military.

Chen of the Taiwan Affairs Office also said on Sunday that China firmly opposes US arms sales to China's Taiwan region, calling on the US side to take concrete actions to fulfill its political promise of not supporting "Taiwan independence," to cease arming Taiwan and stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

Chen warned the Lai Ching-te authorities that buying weapons will not bring security, and "protection fees" cannot save "Taiwan independence." Relying on the US to pursue "independence" is destined to fail, and attempting to achieve "independence" through military means will only lead Taiwan to danger and ultimately to its own demise.

The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, Chen said. "No one and no force should underestimate the firm will and strong capability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese mainland military expert, told the Global Times on Sunday that Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) warplanes have overwhelming advantages over the F-16, as displayed at Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province in mid-November.

The PLA Air Force displayed fighter jets including the medium-sized J-10C, the heavy J-16, the stealth J-20 and the stealth J-35A at the airshow, while the PLA Navy displayed the likes of the carrier-borne J-15T and the electronic warfare J-15D.

"Not to mention that the PLA's fifth-generation stealth fighter jets like the J-20 and the J-35A have a generational advantage over the fourth-generation F-16," Fu said.

Act more provocatively

Moreover, Wu Chih-chung, also known as Francois Wu, deputy head of the "Taiwan external affairs authority," voiced willingness to see the expansion of the US-led AUKUS group in the region, calling the group "in some way, another form of NATO," and welcomed warship transits in the Taiwan Straits, according to the Australian media Canberra Times on Sunday. However, there are seemingly few discussions regarding Wu's remarks among local Taiwan media outlets.

Yu Qiang, a professor of Taiwan studies at the Beijing Technology and Business University, told the Global Times on Sunday that the official of the DPP authorities is actually trying to build a connection between the Taiwan question and the AUKUS as the regional leader Lai will have a trip to the Pacific region, but the DPP authorities might have no idea that the AUKUS is very unwelcomed among Pacific Islands countries, as they have bad memories of colonialism and the nuclear tests that the US conducted in the region.

This will just make the Taiwan DPP authorities look more awkward in this region, Yu noted.

Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Sunday that "the recent acts and remarks of Taiwan DPP authorities show that the separatists on the island are acting more provocatively, as they are attempting to intensify tension and make the situation more dangerous and complicated before the US power transition concludes in January. "Maybe they are trying to show the incoming administration that Taiwan separatists are useful for the US in the great power competition with China," said the expert.

Li said "First of all, Taiwan is a part of China, it's not any other country's business, and the reunification process of China is unstoppable. The DPP authorities have noticed that the new US administration may be more reluctant to take risk for crises outside America, so they see the danger of seeking separatism without US protection, and they are trying to demonstrate their value to the US at this moment, in order to avoid being abandoned like useless garbage.

China and Britain should adopt a rational and objective perspective on each other's development, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the 19th G20 Leaders' Summit.

The two countries should enhance strategic communication and deepen political mutual trust to ensure a steady, substantial, and enduring development of bilateral relations, he said.

Noting that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, Xi said that China and Britain, both as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and major global economies, share the responsibilities of advancing their respective national development and addressing global challenges.

Both countries should stick to their strategic partnership, adhere to the principles of mutual respect, open cooperation, and mutual learning, strive for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and jointly write the next chapter of healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, he added.

Xi said that while the two countries differ in history, culture, values, and social systems, they share extensive common interests.

The two countries enjoy vast space for cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, clean energy, financial services, healthcare and people's well-being, which should be further expanded to better benefit the people of both nations, he added.

China and Britain should promote political solutions to global issues, strengthen global governance on artificial intelligence, and contribute to world economic growth and the common development of all countries, he said.

Starmer said that Britain and China share extensive common interests and bear significant responsibilities in addressing global challenges and safeguarding world peace and development, adding that an enduring and strong bilateral relationship is vital not only for the two countries but also for the world at large.

The British side hopes to strengthen dialogue with China, enhance mutual understanding and carry out exchanges and cooperation in a wide range of areas, including economy and trade, technology, finance, healthcare, education, and addressing climate change, in a spirit of mutual respect, equality and candor, said Starmer.

Both countries are committed to multilateralism, and Britain stands ready to enhance multilateral communication and coordination with China to push for political solutions to regional hotspot issues, he added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that the EU's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles are drawing attention around the world, and China always insists on resolving differences through dialogue and consultation.

It is hoped that Germany will continue to play an important role in this regard, Xi said in his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Xi said that he and Scholz had frank, in-depth and fruitful exchanges during Scholz's visit to China this April. Over the past six months, the two countries have achieved significant results in the fields of green development, sustainable transportation and agricultural cooperation with Africa, and China-Germany relations continue to glow with new vitality and dynamism, Xi said.

Noting that transformation of a scale not seen in a century is accelerating across the world today and global development is at a critical crossroads, Xi pointed out that as the second and third largest economies in the world, China and Germany are both major countries with significant influence, and the two sides need to consolidate the comprehensive strategic partnership from a long-term and strategic perspective and continue to write cooperative stories of mutual achievement.

Xi noted that China's policy toward Germany maintains a high degree of stability and continuity, and is willing to work with Germany to respect each other's core interests and major concerns, seek common ground while shelving differences, and learn from each other.

China and Germany share highly integrated economic interests, and bilateral cooperation is an opportunity for shared development and common future, Xi said, noting that China regards Germany as an important partner in advancing Chinese modernization, and will continue to provide broad market opportunities for German companies.

China and Germany should focus on upgrading cooperation through digitalization, intelligence and low-carbon action, and work together to explore third-party markets to achieve win-win cooperation, Xi said.

China regards Europe as an important pole in a multi-polar world, Xi said, adding that Beijing is committed to cooperating with Europe to jointly meet challenges and promote the sustained, steady and sound development of China-EU relations.

Since his last visit to China, Scholz said, the Germany-China relationship has made positive progress. Under the current complex international situation, it is of great importance for Germany and China to strengthen communication and cooperation, he added.

The German side hopes to further develop the comprehensive strategic partnership with China, strengthen bilateral and multilateral dialogue and cooperation in the spirit of equality, frankness and mutual respect, properly resolve differences, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, and contribute to world economic recovery, growth and common prosperity, he said.

Scholz also voiced hope that the EU and China will solve the issue of electric vehicles as soon as possible through dialogue and negotiation, noting that the German side is willing to make positive efforts in this regard.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis, the situation in the Middle East and other hotspot issues.

Chinese President Xi Jinping left Brasilia on Thursday after attending the 19th G20 Leaders' Summit and paying a state visit to Brazil.

Brazilian senior officials bid farewell to Xi at the airport.

On the way to the airport, representatives of overseas Chinese, Chinese institutions and students waved the national flags of China and Brazil on both sides of the road, congratulating Xi on the complete success of the visit.

Central China’s Henan police recently cracked a case in which three people were suspected of intentionally staging traffic accidents to defraud insurance payouts. While committing the crime, one suspect was accidentally killed.

A suspect surnamed Hu bought a second-hand SUV and devised a plan to scam insurance money.

Hu, supposed to take the role of a passer-by in the hoax, recruited two others to stage a single-vehicle traffic accident. An accomplice surnamed You acted as the driver, while another Hu served as the informant.

In their sham story, You drove the SUV and crashed it into a poplar tree about 50 centimeters in diameter at a downhill corner.

Unexpectedly, however, You, the driver, was killed instantly due to a driving error. 

During the investigation, police uncovered several anomalies. For example, at the scene of the accident, the SUV’s airbags were not opened, and there were no signs of braking on the road.

Further investigation revealed that Hu, posing as a passer-by, owned a garage and engaged in second-hand car trading, with the insurance payouts directed to one of his accounts.

They intentionally staged 11 automobile accidents since 2019, defrauding insurance companies of over 900,000 yuan ($120,000).

The Chancay Port will strongly consolidate Peru's position as a gateway that connects land and sea, Asia and Latin America, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.
Xi made the remarks when attending the opening ceremony of the Chancay Port via video link with his Peruvian counterpart Dina Boluarte.

The Chancay Port is not only a good deep-water port, but also the first smart port and green port in South America, which, when completed, will also bring Peru huge revenues and create a large number of jobs, Xi said.

In his talks with Boluarte on Thursday, Xi said that China is ready to work with Peru to build a new land-sea corridor between China and Latin America with Chancay Port as a starting point.

The corridor, to connect the Inca Trail with the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, will open up a road of common prosperity and happiness for Peru and other Latin American and Caribbean countries, Xi said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s written speech at the APEC CEO Summit in Lima, Peru on Friday, in which he called for jointly promoting a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, boosted confidence and opened the door further for cooperation, Chinese and foreign business leaders said. 

In the speech, Xi said the entire Asia-Pacific is deeply woven into the fabric of economic globalization, and is now an interdependent community with common interests and a shared future.

On the other hand, the world is in a new period of turbulence and transformation, said Xi, warning that the grave challenge of economic globalization is like sailing up a river – we either forge ahead or drift downstream.

The attempt to block economic cooperation under all sorts of pretexts and break up the interdependence of the world is nothing but backpedaling, Xi said.

Tougher times call for greater confidence, said the Chinese president. "We should see to it that economic globalization generates more positive outcomes and is taken to a new phase that is more dynamic, inclusive and sustainable."

The speech immediately drew positive feedback from business leaders at the APEC CEO Summit on Friday, with many lauding its emphasis on fostering cooperation. 

“As APEC chair 2024, we are happy to host not only a very important delegation from China here in Peru, but also we are glad to have heard the message delivered this morning, the message of President Xi,” Julia Torreblanca, chair of APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) 2024, said during an interview facilitated by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade on Friday.

Torreblanca added that the speech paves the way for collaboration and cooperation, which aligns with ABAC and APEC's core principles, and strengthens commercial ties across the Asia-Pacific region.

On Tuesday, prior to the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, ABAC, which was created by the APEC Economic Leaders to provide the business perspective on specific areas of cooperation to APEC Leaders, Ministers and Senior Officials, called on APEC Leaders to take decisive actions to boost sustainable and inclusive growth, while noting that challenges have become borderless. 

Also responding to the speech on Friday, Fernando Zavala, chairman of APEC CEO Summit 2024, praised the speech for its “amazing” emphasis on fostering cooperation between China and Latin America and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. 

“I think the theme of what we heard today is that let’s remove barriers… to promote trade and promote entrepreneurs,” Zavala told reporters. 

In the written speech, Xi also said that "we should help developing countries with their capacity building in science and technology and promote global flow of knowledge and technologies."

“President Xi's remarks on leveraging advances in science and technology for the benefit of all humanity are deeply encouraging,” Han Bicheng, founder and CEO of BrainCo, a Zhejiang-based brain-computer interface company, told the Global Times following the APEC CEO Summit in Lima on Friday. 

Han said that “as an emerging technology firm, it is an honor to join the delegation of Chinese entrepreneurs attending the APEC CEO Summit in Peru,” highlighting the immense potential for cooperation in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region, while committing to leveraging the company’s technologies to support people with disabilities.  

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday met with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, Peru. The Chinese President said that the Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, China's path and system, and China's development right are four red lines for China, which must not be challenged or crossed.

Xi told Biden that over the past four years, China-US relations have gone through ups and downs, but the two sides have also been engaged in dialogue and cooperation, adding the relationship has remained stable on the whole, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Under the stewardship of the two presidents, the two teams have worked out through consultations a number of guiding principles for China-US relations, and the two presidents have jointly brought China-US dialogue and cooperation back on track, Xi said.

This is the third face-to-face meeting between President Xi and President Biden, and all those three meetings were held during the two heads of state attended the multilateral organization summits, according to Yuyuantantian, a social media account affiliated with CCTV.

In Lima, President Xi insightfully listed seven experiences and inspirations that the two countries should draw from the course of their relations, namely, to have a correct strategic perception, match words with actions, treat each other as equals, not to challenge red lines and paramount principles, conduct more dialogue and cooperation, respond to the expectations of the people, and step forward to shoulder the responsibilities of major countries, according to an overview released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on the meeting.

Noting that the trajectory of China-US relations has proved the validity of these experiences and inspirations from the past 45 years of diplomatic ties, Xi said when the two countries treat each other as partners and seek common ground while shelving differences, their relationship will make considerable progress.

This meeting was held one year after the last time that the two Presidents met. The two sides reviewed the journey of China-US relations over the past four years, and drew experiences and inspirations from it. Their conversation was candid, in-depth and constructive. It focused on advancing dialogue and cooperation and properly managing differences during the transition period of the US government and on regional and international issues of mutual interest, and charted the course for bilateral relations, according to a handout published by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.

China is ready to engage in dialogue, expand cooperation, and manage differences with the United States so as to sustain the hard-won momentum toward stability in China-US relations, Xi said.

From China's perspective, the goal of promoting a stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-US relations remains unchanged. This meeting also demonstrates that we have not given up on this effort, Gao Fei, assistant president of China Foreign Affairs University, told Yuyuan Tantian.

The Xi-Biden meeting attracted attention of the global media. Global Times reporter observed that at least two hours prior to the meeting, there were Chinese, Peruvian and other global media journalists rushing to the streets near the meeting venue, jostling for prime camera positions and gathering material for their reports.

Four red lines

Xi said that contradictions and differences between two major countries like China and the US are unavoidable, but one side should not undermine the core interests of the other, let alone seek conflict or confrontation.

The four red lines clearly and comprehensively express China's principled stance on China-US relation; and it is said to the entire US government, not just a specific administration, said Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Lü said that it is hoped that the US will be refrained from leveraging issues concerning China's core interests due to its own internal political infights, as such actions could backlash for the US.

The path to swiftly achieve political objectives and drive economic growth in the US lies in cooperating with China and stabilizing political relations. Therefore, there remains significant room for China-US cooperation, Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times, adding that a stable China-US relation benefits the US, regardless of which party assumes office.

Amid the US' strategic competition, China, on one hand, is resolutely safeguarding its sovereignty, security, and development interests; on the other hand, hopes to stabilize the bilateral ties with a responsible attitude, said Wang Dong, an expert on China-US relations at Peking University.

Keep communication

Xi noted the recent US election, and stressed that China's goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relationship remains unchanged.

He said that China's commitment to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as principles for handling China-US relations remains unchanged.

China's position of resolutely safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests remains unchanged, and its desire to carry forward the traditional friendship between the Chinese and American peoples remains unchanged, he added.

Xi also stated China's positions on such issues as Taiwan, economic and trade ties, science and technology, cybersecurity, the South China Sea, the Ukraine crisis, and the Korean Peninsula, Xinhua reported.

For his part, Biden stated that the US-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, not just for the two peoples, but also for the future of the world. The two governments have a responsibility to the two peoples and the world to see that competition does not veer into conflict, per Xinhua.

The United States does not seek a new Cold War, does not seek to change China's system, does not seek to revitalize its alliances against China, does not support "Taiwan independence," has no intention to have a conflict with China, and does not see its Taiwan policy as a way to compete with China, said Biden, noting that the U.S. side will stay committed to the one-China policy.

The United States is prepared to enhance communication and dialogue with China during the transition period to have a better perception of each other and responsibly manage the differences, said Biden.

Xi's meeting with Biden, who is scheduled to step down in January 2025, represents a review on China-US relations which have largely maintained stable over the past four years under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy; and the purpose of reviewing these experiences is clearly to solidify the foundation for stable, healthy, and sustainable bilateral ties to move forward, Diao Daming, an associate professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Diao said that four points that "remain unchanged" outlined by Xi signal a clear stance from China regarding future engagements with the US, especially in light of potential shifts resulting from changes in the US government.

Communication between China and the US, at any moment, is beneficial for stabilizing bilateral relations and for conveying positive energy and certainty to the world, said Diao.

César Chaman, editor general of Agencia Andina, told the Global Times on Saturday that a peaceful and stable China-US relationship benefits the whole world, adding that Peruvians do not wish to take sides.