China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has repeatedly made fallacious remarks about China and his latest statements once again prove his having no gratitude for key Chinese commodities and exploiting issues of people's livelihoods to make political stunt.
Mao made the remarks on Tuesday, commenting on media reports that Teodoro alleged at the Shangri-La Dialogue that China had provided fertilizer and fuel to the Philippines but did not show good faith on a long-term basis, and "no matter how they sugarcoat their assistance to us, it doesn't cut the mustard." He also claimed the Philippines were under severe threat territory-wise and politically by China.
Mao stated that Teodoro's latest words shows that he completely disregards the welfare of the Philippine people, lacks any sense of gratitude, only cares about his personal interests, and is even exploiting livelihood issues for political stunt, which damages China-Philippines relations and mutual trust, and is completely contrary to the interests of the Philippine nation and its people.
Mao further asked: The Philippine side should seriously reflect on this. If it allows such a person to do whatever he wants, how can China continue to provide material assistance to the Philippines? Who will ultimately foot the bill? Whose interests will be harmed?
Mao noted that Philippine leaders have repeatedly expressed their willingness to properly resolve differences with China and promote the easing of bilateral relations. It is hoped that the Philippines will match its words with deeds, strictly discipline its officials, and not allow a few clowns to repeatedly undermine bilateral efforts to stabilize the relationship, Mao added.
Former Australian environment minister Peter Garrett will head up a crowd-funded review of the multi-billion-dollar AUKUS submarine deal, Australia's biggest ever defense project, with one of its questions including an examination of how the deal affects Australia's relations with China, BBC News reported. A Chinese expert said this reflects a growing number of voices within Australia questioning whether it is worthwhile to sacrifice relations with China in order to accommodate US interests.
Launched by a group of Labor veterans and public figures concerned that proper scrutiny was not applied to the deal, the inquiry will hold public hearings and take written submissions before delivering a final report by October 30, the Guardian reported.
Garrett, who served as environment minister between 2007 and 2010, said the independent inquiry into the A$368 billion ($239 billion) deal - where Australia will buy second-hand US submarines to replace its ageing fleet - was "long overdue," the BBC reported.
He also said the inquiry would consider if the submarines can be delivered on time and on budget, how nuclear waste will be managed and if Australia's defense and strategic interests are well served by the deal, the Guardian reported.
This inquiry has dealt a blow to the AUKUS pact, while also reflecting concerns among some Australian Labor Party figures over the prospects of the AUKUS nuclear submarine program, its staggering costs, distrust of the US government, and the program's implications for Australia's sovereignty, Ning Tuanhui, an associate research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
After Garrett's inquiry, Labor backbencher Ed Husic urged a new vote on the future of the AUKUS submarine pact, warning the deal as it stood could impact sovereignty, news outlet The Australian reported.
Ning said these developments have left the Anthony Albanese administration caught between internal rifts within its own party and relentless opposition censure, placing the government under mounting pressure from two flanks.
"This will likewise cast tangible headwinds over the administration's future efforts to advance the pact," he added.
The BBC reported that the inquiry will ask how the deal will affect Australia's relationship with China, its largest trading partner.
The inquiry specifically calls for an assessment of AUKUS's impact on China-Australia relations, indicating that some figures within Australia are rethinking whether sacrificing ties with China to align with US geopolitical objectives truly serves Australia's national interests, Chen Hong, director of the Asia-Pacific Studies Center at East China Normal University, told the Global Times.
The AUKUS deal was announced in September 2021, and while it is not explicitly stated, it is believed to be about countering China's growing presence in the so-called Indo-Pacific region, and about the South China Sea issue, according to a BBC report.
A growing number of Australians clearly see that the US prioritizes its own interests, not those of its allies, and the consensus is also deepening that relying on the Chinese market while proactively defining China as a potential adversary is a strategic contradiction, Chen added.
Concerns are growing within Australia over the US role in and commitment to the AUKUS pact. Husic warned that Australia needs a backup plan for the AUKUS submarine agreement, arguing that sluggish US production and the "transactional nature" of the current US administration have put the multibillion-dollar defense deal at risk, per BBC News.
Arthur Rorris, the secretary of the South Coast Labour Council, which opposes the establishment of a nuclear submarine base at Port Kembla, said the proposed base was never intended for Australian submarines but "would be ceded to the US navy as a staging post for their 7th fleet," the Guardian reported.
Australia's case underscores that tying one's strategic and economic fortunes to the US at steep costs may yield heightened troubles and lingering uncertainties, serving as a sobering wake-up call for Washington's other allies, Ning said.
Global South countries are no longer marginalized "poor partners," but have emerged as major forces in global development and reliable partners for China, Tang Xiaoyang, a professor in the Department of International Relations at Tsinghua University, spoke during a session on "The Resurgence of the Awakening of the Global South: Mutual Learning and Resonance" of the Global Times Annual Conference 2025, themed "Moving forward in Partnership: Resonance of Values between China and the World," held in Beijing on Saturday.
The scholar emphasized that in the past two years, the rise of Global South countries marks a turning point in world history. According to statistical data, the combined GDP of the original five BRICS nations, when calculated based on purchasing power parity, exceeded that of the Group of Seven (G7).
In 2023, China's total exports to ASEAN, Africa, BRICS nations, and Central Asian countries surpassed its exports to traditional developed nations such as the US, Japan and in Europe. This indicates that Global South countries have transitioned from being marginalized "poor partners" to becoming major players in global development and reliable partners for China.
Looking ahead to 2025, Tang believes that the development trajectory of Global South countries will primarily focus on economic growth while also emphasizing political and cultural advancement.
He pointed out that the reason Global South countries have come to be recognized as such is due to the tension between promoting globalization and maintaining an autonomous political concept. This autonomy underscores the importance of preserving independence and self-determination within global connections, thereby achieving genuine self-development against the backdrop of globalization.
Tang emphasized that China's economy not only serves as a model for development experiences globally, but also acts as a stabilizer and engine for the world economy. The new task lies in how China can drive the development of Global South countries and foster shared ideals amid the political diversification within the Global South.
In response to an inquiry regarding claim by the Taiwan island's "defense ministry" that it had received 38 advanced Abrams battle tanks from the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday that there is no such a thing as the so-called "defense ministry" in Taiwan. Lin added that China firmly opposes military ties between the US and the Taiwan island, opposes US arms sales to the island, stressing that China's position on this remains consistent and clear.
in also urged the US to adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the August 17 Communique, and to stop arming the Taiwan island or supporting "Taiwan independence" forces in their attempts to seek independence through military means.
Lin pointed out that the island of Taiwan authorities' attempts to "seek independence through military means" and "rely on foreign forces for independence" are doomed to fail. He emphasized that China will firmly safeguard its national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.
The first batch of US-made M1A2T tanks sold to the Taiwan island reportedly arrived in Taipei on Sunday following the arrival of accessory equipment of the tanks in Kaohsiung on Friday, but a military expert from Chinese mainland said the tanks, trumpeted by media on the island as "the most powerful combat vehicle on the ground," are too bulky and heavy for island combat and will only serve as easy targets for drones and attack helicopters.
China's new-generation manned launch vehicle, the Long March-10 carrier rocket, will enhance the country's lunar transfer orbit payload capacity from 8.2 tonnes to 27 tonnes, according to Long Lehao, a rocket designer at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT).
Long March-10 is being developed to launch new-generation manned spacecraft and landers for China's lunar landing program, said Long, who is also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
Its development is progressing in an orderly manner, and it has completed its first-stage power system tests, he noted.
Based on the Long March-10, a series of derived configurations for manned and cargo missions to the country's space station can be developed for the station's operational tasks and to meet the launch requirements of various satellites, he said.
He also revealed that the Long March-9 carrier rocket, a future heavy-lift launch vehicle, will have a diameter of 10.6 meters and a height of approximately 114 meters. It will have a lunar transfer orbit payload capacity of 50 tonnes.
Powered by liquid oxygen and methane as cryogenic propellants, the Long March-9 can be used to launch manned Mars missions in the future, Long said.
He noted that both stages of the Long March-9 will be fully reusable, and have been designed to be recovered at sea.
An animated CALT video screened at the recent 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition shows the reusable rocket's first stage deploying grid fins during its descent, which then allow the structure to be captured by moving rails on an offshore platform. It also shows the second stage performing a powered vertical landing.
The development of the heavy-lift carrier rocket will provide strong impetus for the progress of related basic industries, including advanced design, high-end manufacturing, raw materials and components, Long said.
Harmony, or "He," lies at the heart of the Chinese civilization, representing a core spiritual value that has shaped the ethos of the Chinese nation.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, has repeatedly emphasized the importance of preserving and promoting China's outstanding traditional culture, with harmony as one of its most essential elements. At the BRICS Summit held in Kazan in late October, he extended this philosophy on the global stage, calling for harmonious coexistence among civilizations and closer cultural exchanges between nations.
In China, the value of "He" is deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture, guiding the country through a complex, interconnected world. The Global Times is launching a series "He Culture in Xi Jinping's Quotes of Classics." Drawing upon ancient Chinese literature and illuminating examples from President Xi's speeches, the series delves into the essence of "He" through five interconnected dimensions: Self-cultivation, family management, state governance, bringing peace to all under heaven, and reverence for nature. By highlighting these core aspects of "He" culture, the series aims to share China's unique cultural wisdom with the world, promoting values of peaceful coexistence, mutual prosperity, and harmonious living.
The first installment reveals how grass-roots Party members in Henan practice the wisdom of "He" culture, which emphasizes the importance of self-cultivation and self-improvement.
Every time Meng Fanyu, a teacher at the Jiao Yulu Executive Leadership Academy (Jiao Yulu Academy) in Lankao county, Central China's Henan Province, strolls past a paulownia tree called "Jiao Tong," planted by Jiao, she recalls President Xi's thought-provoking words: "jian xian si qi," an ancient Chinese idiom from The Analects of Confucius.
In 2014, during his inspection tour to Lankao, the president visited a memorial dedicated to Jiao Yulu (1922-64), a revered figure in Chinese history who served as the Party chief of Lankao county in the early 1960s, where he devoted his life to improving environment and uplifting the lives of local residents despite great physical suffering from illness, leaving an indelible mark on the community before his passing due to live cancer at just 42.
When speaking at a symposium with local officials, Xi urged Party members and officials to use Jiao's spirit as a mirror to examine their problems and shortcomings, and called on them to emulate Jiao's unwavering dedication, citing the Chinese idiom - "jian xian si qi," which means "When you see a person of virtue and capability, you should think of emulating and equaling the person; when you see a person of low caliber, you should reflect on your own weak points."
This idiom reflects the philosophy of China's "He" culture, emphasizing the importance of self-cultivation and self-improvement and the harmonious unity between the individual and the self.
The idiom's lesson resonates deeply within Meng, reminding her to inherit the spirit of Jiao Yulu, which involves loving people, working hard, selflessness, empiricism, and resilience.
Here, at the Jiao Yulu Academy, more and more people like Meng, are striving to inherit Jiao's spirit, consolidate their ideals and convictions, gain wisdom, improve conduct, and be more motivated to work even harder.
The spirit of Jiao
Meng was first greatly moved by the deeds and spirit of Jiao during her university years, when her broadcasting teacher asked her to study and read a long-form feature about Jiao, along with a poem written by Xi, then secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee, in 1990 to commemorate him.
Under the silvery moonlight of a summer night in 1990, Xi, felt emotional. "Who, among the common folks, does not appreciate a good public servant?" Xi then penned a heartfelt poem dedicated to the official. It was carried on a local newspaper the next day, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Meng immersed herself into reading the piece and was struck by Jiao's noble spirit as a grass-roots CPC member, who led the locals to overcome various natural disasters, all while enduring his own suffering from illness. After that, Meng did not hesitate to choose to intern at the Jiao Yulu Academy, and later formally became a teacher at the academy after graduation.
For the Lankao natives, Jiao is not only a respected role model, but also a beloved figure.
Zhang Jing, who has been working at the academy for over 10 years, was born and raised in Lankao. Zhang's early impressions of Jiao came from the stories her grandmother told her when she was a child. During heavy rain, while others rushed indoors to seek shelter, Jiao would go outside, wade through the water to check on each household, to see if their roofs were leaking or if their homes had collapsed.
"My grandmother always told me that Lankao had a good official named Jiao Yulu," Zhang said.
As a main platform for researching and promoting the spirit of Jiao Yulu nationwide, the Jiao Yulu Academy primarily offers Party spirit education courses for CPC officials at all levels, managers of enterprises and institutions, and professional technical personnel, according to Wen Baisong, deputy secretary of the Party committee and executive vice president of the academy.
With an important education mission, the academy has a group of young teaching staff. Nearly 95 percent of its current body of 115 teaching staffers are aged 35 and below, said Wen. Many of the young teachers chose to leave behind opportunities in big cities after graduation to come to Lankao county, dedicating themselves to promoting Jiao's spirit.
"The young teachers are the fresh blood of our academy - enthusiastic, creative, and hardworking," Wen told Global Times. "They have been deeply influenced by the spirit of Jiao Yulu since childhood, and most of them possess high academic qualifications and a solid knowledge base, enabling them to passionately and effectively convey the essence of Jiao's spirit," he praised.
Mirror for endeavors "Jiao built a lasting monument in local people's hearts although he only worked in the county for over a year," Xi told local officials at the symposium.
"A question to be pondered is what we can leave for future generations," Xi said.
Since its establishment in 2013, young teachers at the academy have made great contributions to the innovation and diversity of the courses. Meng, for instance, teaches "Remembering Jiao Yulu," during which students take on various roles related to Jiao, such as his colleagues, family members, and the local people of Lankao, to recreate his image from different perspectives.
Zhang Hong, 35, is a developer of themed lectures at the academy. One day, Zhang Hong brought a group of students to Jiao's memorial park in Lankao to pay their respects to Jiao. Before they returned to the bus, Zhang noticed that one student had turned back to Jiao's tomb, bowing deeply three times and placing flowers from a paulownia tree - now widely regarded as a symbol of the spirit of Jiao Yulu - at the grave.
"She said she wanted to bring this spirit back into her life and work, making it a mirror for her professional endeavors, and a powerful motivation for her to strive for self-cultivation," Zhang told the Global Times.
Serve the people
For the young teachers at Jiao Yulu Academy, Jiao serves as a mirror of self-examination in their work and life. He not only inspires them to wholeheartedly engage in Party spirit education, but also encourages them to continue to draw motivation from the spirit of hard work and selfless dedication after class, enabling them to better serve the people.
In 2022, Zhang Jing voluntarily signed up for a program, which required grass-roots officials to live in rural areas and work on local poverty alleviation efforts. Reflecting on a family in the village she then worked at, which had two senior members with disabilities living in poor conditions, brought Zhang Jing to tears.
"At that moment, I truly felt the profound impact of the spirit of Jiao Yulu on me," she said, her voice trembling. "I thought to myself, if I don't do something for them, I would feel extremely guilty." Later, with the support of the academy, Zhang Jing and other members of the program gifted the family a television, as well as food items like rice, oil, meat, and eggs. They also purchased a batch of wireless radios for the village, trying hard to offer a helping hand.
"The essence of the spirit of Jiao Yulu is to serve the people wholeheartedly. It embodies a sense of responsibility and a deep emotional commitment," Zhang Jing told the Global Times. "It has been deeply engraved in my heart."
For years, the paulownia tree that Jiao Yulu planted, located right across from the Jiao Yulu Academy, has witnessed countless visitors, who come with admiration or curiosity for the exemplary qualities of the CPC and its members.
Standing under this "Jiao Tong," Meng feels that she and some other young teachers at the academy are just like the trumpet-shaped flowers of the tree. "We are like the little 'trumpets' on the tree, spreading the story of Jiao, and the story of the CPC, to the world," she told the Global Times.
Year after year, countless Party members and officials gather with reverence beneath the paulownia tree to honor Jiao, drawing inspiration from this exemplary figure to enhance their own self-cultivation. The wisdom of emulating the virtuous, a key element of China's "He" Culture, is also deeply embedded in the soil of Lankao, much like the robust and flourishing "Jiao Tong" that stands tall.
China on Tuesday urged the US not to take China's goodwill for granted and work to ensure that the hard-won positive dynamics will stay in the China-US counternarcotics cooperation, noting that China remains ready to continue counternarcotics cooperation with the US on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect.
The remarks by a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry were made in response to a query for comments on claims by US President-elect Donald Trump on social media that he "had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States—But to no avail… and drugs are pouring into our country." The US will be charging China an additional 10 percent tariff on all Chinese imports.
The spokesperson noted that China is one of the world's toughest countries on counternarcotics both in terms of policy and its implementation. Fentanyl is an issue for the US. In the spirit of humanity, China has given support to the US's response to this issue. As early as in 2019, China officially scheduled all fentanyl-related substances and is the first country in the world ever to do so.
China has carried out extensive and in-depth counternarcotics cooperation with the US, which has been highly productive. This is a clear fact for all to see, the spokesperson stressed.
President-elect Donald Trump threatened on Monday to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. He said he would impose a 25 percent tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10 percent tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders, the Associated Press reported.
"Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America," he wrote on his Truth Social site.
In response to the remarks, a Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington told the Global Times in an emailed reply that "About the issue of US tariffs on China, China believes that China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature. No one will win a trade war or a tariff war."
The counternarcotics authorities of China and the US have resumed regular communication since the San Francisco Summit. The Chinese side has notified the US side of the progress made in US-related law enforcement operations against narcotics. China has responded to US request for verifying clues on certain cases and taken action, the spokesperson told the Global Times.
All these prove that the idea of China knowingly allowing fentanyl precursors to flow into the US runs completely counter to facts and reality, the spokesperson noted.
'Threat to all'
After Trump's remarks, officials from Mexico and Canada expressed concerns about the potential 25 percent tariff.
According to a report by The Canadian Press on Tuesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford posted on social media that a 25-percent tariff would be devastating to workers and jobs in both Canada and the US.
Earlier on Monday, Canada's premiers called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to hold an urgent first ministers' meeting ahead of Trump's return to office, the report said.
Ricardo Monreal, a member of Mexico's Chamber of Deputies, or the lower house, said on X in Spanish that the imposition of a possible tariff on Mexican products goes against the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement and does not solve the common problems of the US-Mexico border. We urge the use of bilateral institutional mechanisms to combat human, drug and arms trafficking, he said.
An escalation of trade retaliation would only hurt people's wallets, far from solving fundamental problems. This measure would cause severe damage to the economy and people of North America, he added.
"US' 'tariff stick' doesn't distinguish between allies or non-allies, and the US government uses tariffs as a bargaining chip or as a means to get the results it wanted," Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Moreover, using counternarcotics issues to increase tariffs on Chinese goods is untenable and unpersuasive, as China has the best control against narcotics in the world, and it has been working closely with the US on this issue, Gao added.
"As long as there is a [trade] deficit with the US, the country will raise tariffs, regardless of alliances or trade agreements," He Weiwen, a senior fellow from the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Tuesday, noting that solving trade problems through tariffs is a wrong proposition.
According to a Reuters report, US shoppers could lose up to $78 billion in annual spending power annually if Trump's new tariffs proposal on imports is implemented, a study from the National Retail Federation showed.
He Weiwen said the US' protectionist move will pose a great threat to the global normal trade, and will also undermine the rules of multilateral free trade in the world.
In addition, it will lead to the rise of global trade protectionism, disrupting the normal functioning of industrial and supply chains, Gao said.
"We can wait and see what policies the incoming US administration will adopt," He Weiwen said.
China's resilience
"China already has a template for dealing with the previous US tariff policy. The Chinese government has ample and targeted policy tools to deal with external shocks," Gao said, noting that China's stable economic development provides a solid foundation.
China's economy has demonstrated strong resilience, great potential and vitality. China is building the new economic development pattern of "dual circulation" with the domestic market as the mainstay and the domestic and overseas markets reinforcing each other. We are capable of resolving and withstanding the impact of external shocks, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said at a press conference on Friday in response to a question regarding the impact of US' potential 60 percent tariff hit on Chinese imports.
Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said that China's foreign trade and economy have significant advantages and new dynamics, including tech innovation, digital economy and green economy.
He Weiwen noted that as globalization is irreversible, China has systematically reduced its vulnerability to US' pressure through a comprehensive trade diversification strategy and domestic market development. Moreover, despite the US government's suppression, China-US supply chain is interdependent, and the market will decide.
Wang Shouwen, the Chinese commerce official, also said that history has shown that raising tariffs on Chinese goods cannot resolve the tariff-imposing country's trade deficit; instead, it leads to higher prices for imported products and inflation, with the burden ultimately falling on consumers.
The Chinese and US economies are highly complementary, Wang Shouwen said, emphasizing the critical importance of their relations. Maintaining balanced, healthy and sustainable economic and trade relations would benefit not only people of both sides but also people from all countries around the world, he said, adding this is in line with the expectations of the international community.
In response to a question on reports that China and the US have mutually released several individuals who were serving sentences, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday that with the persistent efforts of the Chinese government, the three Chinese citizens, who were wrongfully detained by the US, have safely returned to their homeland.
"This once again proves that China will never abandon its citizens. China will always be their strong support," Mao said at a routine press briefing.
Mao emphasized that China has always firmly opposed the US government's political persecution of Chinese citizens, and will continue to take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens.
Mao also noted that a fugitive who had been on the run in the US for many years has been sent back to China. "This shows that no one can escape justice forever and there is no safe haven."
The Chinese government will continue its efforts to pursue fugitives and recover stolen assets, and will never stop until fugitives are brought to justice, said Mao.
China's State Council Information Office on Friday released a white paper titled "China's Rural Roads in the New Era" to introduce the achievements and vision of rural road development in the new era and to share China's experience.
The total length of rural roads reached 4.6 million km by the end of 2023, an increase of 21.7 percent over 2013, enough to circle the equator 115 times, the white paper said.
So far, the country has put in place a rural transport infrastructure network in which county roads connect rural and urban areas, township roads crisscross, and village roads facilitate travel between households and farmland, it said.
According to the white paper, the construction and development of rural roads provides strong support for the comprehensive development of the rural economy and society in China.
Better transport has cleared bottlenecks that had long delayed economic and social development in poor areas, and has laid a solid foundation for rural people to realize moderate prosperity in all respects, it said.
China has shared its development experience and helped construct rural road infrastructure in other developing countries over the years, contributing substantially to poverty reduction, people's wellbeing and sustainable global development, the white paper noted.
Since 2018, China has supported 24 developing countries including Cambodia, Serbia, Rwanda, Namibia, Vanuatu and Niger in highway and bridge construction and maintenance, helping them improve transport infrastructure, according to the white paper.
The Fifth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting, chaired by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, was held on Sunday in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province. Together with the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian countries, he reviewed the implementation of the outcomes of the inaugural China-Central Asia Summit and conducted in-depth discussions on preparations for the second summit, scheduled to take place in Kazakhstan next year. The meeting enhanced mutual trust and friendship and clarified the direction for future work.
After the meeting, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, together with the foreign ministers of the five countries, summarized the outcomes and consensus of the discussions during a joint press conference.
Wang emphasized maintaining leadership by heads of state to strengthen the China-Central Asia mechanism. This involves continuing to implement the consensus reached at the China-Central Asia Summit held in Xi'an and advancing China-Central Asia cooperation. They expressed support for Kazakhstan in hosting the summit next year and agreed to begin the process of signing a joint declaration, action plan for high-quality joint construction of Belt and Road initiative, a Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation among China and Central Asian countries, and other key cooperation documents. The meeting also aimed to shape a "China-Central Asia Spirit" based on the shared ideas and values developed during long-term cooperation.
Wang also stressed the importance of modernization goals and deepening comprehensive cooperation. This includes strengthening development strategy alignment, prioritizing trade, industrial investment, connectivity, green minerals, agricultural modernization, and people-to-people exchanges. Cooperation in areas such as application of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, poverty alleviation, desertification management, and higher education will also be expanded. China is committed to increasing cooperation with Central Asian countries and establishing platforms for exchange.
The ministers also agreed on shared security responsibilities to maintain regional peace and stability. The parties will implement the Global Security Initiative, jointly combat the "three forces" - terrorism, separatism and extremism, oppose external forces interfering in the internal affairs of Central Asian countries, oppose creating chaos and instability in Central Asia, and support peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan.
In addition, the ministers emphasized cultural exchange and fostering lasting friendship between generations. They will continue to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, enhance exchanges on governance, accelerate the construction of cultural centers and Luban workshops, and expand cooperation in education, local governance, healthcare, and personnel training. In the next three years, China will provide 1,500 training slots and 600 additional scholarships to Central Asian countries.
Moreover, they reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and defending international fairness and justice. The parties will continue to strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs, promote solidarity among the Global South, oppose decoupling and "small yard, high fences" in any form, and support an equal, orderly, multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization.
They also pledged full support for China's chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and its efforts to promote new developments within the organization. They also agreed to jointly promote the correct historical view of World War II and safeguard its outcomes to protect hard-won peace and security.
The China-Central Asia Summit was held in May, 2023 in the city of Xi'an, in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province. It was the first in-person gathering among the heads of state of China and the five Central Asian countries since China established diplomatic ties with them 31 years ago.
