"Don't ever contact me on weekends, I'm off from office work." The comment Liu left on the moments of the Chinese social media platform WeChat, wrote what many employees think but seldom dare write - she was laid off because of the public comment as she was said to have brought "serious negative impact on the company." 

Subsequently a court ruled on Tuesday that the defendant company is required to pay Liu more than 49000 ($6,770) in compensation.

According to China's state broadcaster CCTV, Liu worked at an education training company in Southwest China's Chongqing, received a phone call from her boss on Friday, asking her to contact a business client immediately. Liu thought she had made the deal with the client, so it's unnecessary to take up the rest of the weekend to work on it, sharing the comment above on her WeChat moments. Liu received a phone call from company's management soon after, informing that she was fired.

Two days later, Liu's contract was terminated.

After a meeting with the company's management, Liu asked for compensation in accordance with her labor contract, but the company rejected the request, assuming that Liu was the at-fault party. After the local labor arbitration intervened to no avail, Liu sued the company to demand due compensation.

The employer exercising the right to terminate the employment is a very severe punishment, said Lin Baozhen, vice president of the Civil Third Division, Jiulongpo District People's Court.

The country's Labor Contract Law imposes strict restrictions on the employer exercising the right to terminate unilaterally, as regulations must be legally formulated, and the democratic process of informing or publicity must be done properly. Workers' behavior must reach the standard of a serious law violation before they can be dismissed. 

The court held that although Liu's behavior was inappropriate, it could not be seen as having a serious impact on the company, and did not reach the level of passive idleness, negligence, disobedience to the management. The court held that the company's termination of the labor contract lacked factual and legal basis and constituted illegal termination. 

According to the relevant provisions of the Labor Contract Law, the court ruled that the defendant company to compensate Liu for more than 49,000 yuan. Because the company did not fulfill the obligation, Liu has since applied to the court for compulsory execution.

The judge claimed that a rapid developed economy raises a higher standard for companies to balance the right of employee management and the protection of employee's legal rights.

Editor's Note:

After seven months of conflict in Gaza, a cease-fire still seems distant. Meanwhile, the Palestine-Israel conflict is causing ripple effects across the region, and has led to major humanitarian crises. The international community, including China, is making efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crises.

What's the situation on the ground in Gaza? How does the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) view the humanitarian efforts that China has made on the global stage? Global Times reporters Xie Wenting, Zhao Juecheng, and Liu Caiyu (GT) spoke with ICRC's vice-president Gilles Carbonnier (Carbonnier) about these issues and more.
GT: What's the work the ICRC has conducted in the Gaza Strip? What are the major challenges facing the ICRC?

Carbonnier: We reminded the parties to the conflict of their obligations under the Geneva Conventions and stressed the importance of adhering to international humanitarian laws. Next to that, we provide assistance in Gaza and we do our utmost to provide food assistance, especially at present. We have set up kitchens in the refugee camps in Gaza to provide food to the most vulnerable people. We also provide water through water tracking and support the water board and water utility in repairing wells, water pumping stations, and restoring water and wastewater treatment to prevent epidemics. Finally, we support hospitals and medical centers with drugs and medicines among others in Gaza.

The first issue, which we have mentioned again and again, is that it is key to reduce civilian losses and civilian suffering by abiding by and respecting international humanitarian law. Under international humanitarian law, civilians and essential goods and services must be protected. Another priority for us is to bring enough support to help avert major health issues, so that people can access healthcare, injured individuals can be treated, and epidemics can be averted, ensuring sick people have access to medical assistance.

However, there is a challenge as most of the health system in Gaza is not functioning or has been impaired, making it difficult to bring drugs into Gaza and distribute them to the different health centers that are still operational due to security concerns and logistical hurdles.

Food security is also a major concern. Currently, it is a struggle to bring enough food into Gaza, and the production of vegetables, poultry, and other food items has been partially destroyed.

We welcome the repeated support of China for the respect of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law. We also welcome China's support to help provide life-saving assistance, including medicines and other life-saving assistance in Gaza for those most in need. China has a very important role to play, all the way from being a member of the UN Security Council down to the provision of and support for medical assistance.

GT: How do you see the ongoing conflicts affecting the world? And personally do you think there is any solution to these conflicts?

Carbonnier: First, conflicts are becoming increasingly protracted, spanning generations. It is clear that there are no humanitarian solutions to these crises, only political ones. Therefore, we must identify the necessary political steps toward conflict resolution. However, peace and security are becoming more elusive as finding a solution becomes increasingly difficult.

Interestingly, the initial steps often involve humanitarian efforts, such as attempting to establish a humanitarian cease-fire. The ICRC serves as a neutral intermediary, able to communicate with all parties involved. It is crucial to maintain this space for neutral and impartial humanitarian actors like the ICRC, as they can facilitate dialogue with various parties in conflicts.

Sometimes the parties agree that they want to start a discussion between themselves and they ask us as a neutral intermediary to ensure the safe passage of, for instance, one party to the conflict, to be able to go to a place where they can meet and discuss. We provide this neutral intermediation. Sometimes this neutral intermediation that we do is the first step that provides an enabling environment for peace conversations.

The problem nowadays is that we see a lot of attacks against neutral humanitarian actors. Some people say, if you are not with us, you are against us. We say we are not against anyone, but we have to maintain a neutral role. And we will not publicly denounce this party to the conflict or that party to the conflict because if we publicly denounce different parties to the conflict every day, then we would be kicked out. And the international community would be left without a neutral intermediary on the ground. It is in the interest of major powers and the international community to preserve that space.

GT: Could you introduce some of the major cooperation between China and the ICRC?

Carbonnier: We have been present in China and have been cooperating with key stakeholders in China for many years. I believe we want to take this cooperation to a new level following the discussions and visit that President of the ICRC Mirjana Spoljaric had in September, 2023.

I believe that we can further our cooperation by engaging with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Chinese government on international humanitarian law, as well as by working more practically with Chinese foreign aid, particularly in the medical sector.

We had conversations with the National Health Commission recently. We also had a meeting with the China medical teams which have been sent to African countries. We engaged with them to share our expertise and experiences in the humanitarian sector. We have also started conversations with the China International Development Cooperation Agency to explore opportunities for better cooperation in the future. We welcome Chinese humanitarian workers who are interested in working with us. We are currently working closely with the Red Cross Society of China.

What I see and am really glad about is that our own delegations, present in about 100 situations of conflict, engage with the Chinese embassies on the ground to have a dialogue on the humanitarian situation. This interaction is much more fluid now. We also have regular discussions with foreign affairs officials, where we can share our assessment of the situation in Africa and in approximately 60 countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) where we are active.
GT: What's your take on the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Development Initiative (GDI)?

Carbonnier: I think with the GSI and the GDI provides clear guidance and perspectives that are of great interest to us. It also helps us to have a better understanding of foreign policy priorities for China.

Our understanding is indeed that China recognizes the interactions between security, development, and peace. I see common interests in that we work in protracted conflict situations. We aim to stop providing aid as soon as possible and instead provide sustainable humanitarian solutions. This includes providing people with seed capital and access to tools so they can generate income and regain dignity. We also aim to stop water trucking and repair wells and water pumping stations quickly so that major urban systems can function again, providing services to schools, hospitals, and other essential facilities.

I think we see an interaction between preserving development gains, even in conflict, and restoring them in order to provide people with opportunities as soon as possible. Once they have opportunities and income, the prospects for reconciliation and stability improve. The last point is that by promoting respect for international humanitarian law, we prevent the worst from happening. If we prevent the worst, people will reconcile more easily. If the worst has happened to your family, then hatred can pass from generation to generation.

The goal of the GSI and GDI is to preserve and promote sustainable development as a way to provide greater stability. In fragile situations, our efforts aim to restore livelihoods, preserve development gains, and prevent distractions and violations of international humanitarian law that could sow the seeds of further conflicts.

GT: I noticed that the ICRC is paying attention to the impact of AI in the military domain. What suggestions do you have to strengthen global governance cooperation on AI?

Carbonnier: For us, it's important to recognize that in situations of armed conflict, the potential of AI is like a magnifying glass. It can save lives and achieve great things, but the risks are also heightened, as it can lead to tragic humanitarian consequences. Therefore, we believe it is crucial to harness scientific and technological advances to provide a more impactful and effective response.

Currently, humanitarian needs are increasing while funding is decreasing, making it necessary to find ways to be more effective. Utilizing digital transformation through technology is a key part of achieving this impact.

However, the use of AI, especially in weapons and machine learning, raises significant concerns. We have called for the regulation of autonomous weapon systems to address these concerns swiftly, as technological advancements are outpacing the government's ability to regulate and govern these developments. We are worried that autonomous weapon systems powered by AI and machine learning could make life and death decisions without human control.

For us, it is critical to maintain human control over these decisions and human responsibility in accountability. We are also concerned about autonomous weapons, which have unpredictable consequences that even the designers and developers of the algorithm and products cannot anticipate. This is something that is unacceptable from an ethical standpoint, a legal standpoint, and a humanitarian standpoint. It is urgent. There are intergovernmental reflections on the global framework to govern AI at large, but also on the specificity of using AI in new warfare means and methods. This is a pressing issue that must be addressed by the international community.

GT: How do you view China's role in gathering representatives from regional countries and international organizations to promote prosperity and economic development in Asia?

Carbonnier: It is important to recognize the critical importance of China in the region. China has been booming for many years and has greatly contributed to reducing overall poverty rates and addressing development issues. The region has seen significant progress in economic development, science and technology, and diplomacy. It is crucial to have opportunities like the Boao Forum for Asia to engage in diplomatic discussions with political leaders on fundamental issues such as development, security, and stability that have global implications.

I have been coming regularly to China. I hope to come back to Boao certainly in 2025 and the years after that.

China's diplomacy enters a busy season, as China's interactions with Europe, the US, Russia, ASEAN member countries and the Global South are attracting global attention. The recent series of visits of foreign leaders and senior officials to China demonstrates that China's diplomacy, based on multilateralism, openness and cooperation, is increasingly being welcomed by the world, which also draws a sharp contrast to the US-led small clique advocating for bloc confrontation and conflicts, experts said. 

President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi arrived in Beijing on Thursday for a seven-day state visit, becoming the latest foreign leader visiting the country this week. 

Since April, senior foreign officials have been visiting China in quick succession, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, as well as high-ranking officials from ASEAN member countries such as Vietnam and Singapore. 

There are also visits of leaders from small countries in terms of size and population like Micronesia and Suriname. 

Also, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled to travel to China this weekend, focusing on trade and economy, AFP reported. The US media reported recently that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will also travel to China shortly. 

Some Chinese experts said among those foreign heads of state and dignitaries, there are both traditional friendly neighbors and self-defined "competitors," as well as emerging and developing countries that have both industrial chain competition and cooperation. 

Especially on Monday, Yellen and Lavrov were in Beijing at the same time, signaling that the solid China-Russia relations are advancing in tandem with China-US and China-Europe relations, which is hard-won balance from a geopolitical perspective, analysts said.  

Openness and inclusiveness

It's clear that foreign friends visiting China come for various reasons. Some come to learn from China's development experience, some seek to deepen pragmatic cooperation between both sides, and others come to hear about China's solutions to various global issues. An open and cooperative China not only benefits its own people but also people around the world, Xinhua said. 

"It's apparent that China's diplomatic efforts are quite active," Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

China's diplomacy is clearly aimed at serving its own domestic overall development and addressing the need for building a global order of fairness and justice, the expert said, noting that China's involvement in and promotion of multilateral diplomatic efforts have also received widespread recognition and acknowledgment from various countries.

During a joint press conference with Lavrov on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi elaborated on China's stance and proposition on resolving current international and regional hotspot issues including upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, actively promoting parties concerned to resolve conflicts through dialogue and consultation and upholding genuine multilateralism and opposing camp confrontation, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

Chinese experts said the most significant characteristic of Chinese diplomacy this year has been its increased activity and more independent initiatives in promoting peace and facilitating talks to address hotspot issues. 

On current hot topics, whether it be the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, or various other issues, China has always maintained an independent stance in participating in the resolution of international and regional issues. This stance is determined independently based on the merits of each case, and actions are taken according to this stance, some experts said. 

Sharp contrast to US-led small clique

April has also witnessed a host of high-level visits from Southeast Asian countries to China. Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto's visit to China was the first leg of his first overseas visit as President-elect. 

During the Qingming festival, Foreign Minister Wang also met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, and Timor-Leste's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas respectively in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. 

This week, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat are visiting China, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. 

On the backdrop of easing China-US relations and rising global geopolitical and economic uncertainties, ASEAN member countries are looking forward to more stable and mutually beneficial relations with China, Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

"In engaging with other major powers outside the Southeast Asian region, the ASEAN member countries hope to play a role in the system that contributes to regional peace and stability and hope that they will not be marginalized, avoiding becoming cannon fodder in the competition among major powers," Chen said. 

The goals advocated by ASEAN are in fact closely related and interconnected with China-proposed initiatives, which draw a stark contrast to the concepts, methods, and contents currently pursued by the US, Japan and the Philippines, the expert said. 

As China is receiving more leaders and high-level officials from the ASEAN member countries, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr are scheduled to hold a trilateral summit in the US on Thursday amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.

The US-led small clique emphasizes small-group multilateralism that is inherently exclusionary, and their approach generates targeted, confrontational strategies to achieve their goals of power and interests, Chen said. 

The so-called trilateral cooperation, echoing the US' diplomacy that is characterized as confrontational, could further heighten maritime risks and jeopardize regional stability in the South China Sea, experts said. 

"The US' diplomacy is characterized by camp confrontation and group antagonism and it's designed such that if you're not with the US, you're against it, and being against it means the US considers you a target for attack," Li said. 

This kind of diplomacy, which stirs up trouble, creates an atmosphere of forming cliques to attack others. And the Western countries, led by the US, force nations worldwide to take sides in regional conflicts, thereby aiming to enhance the geopolitical advantage of the West through conflict, the expert noted. "Countries that maintain a neutral stance and advocate for peace and dialogue are negatively portrayed in the narrative of the West."

The central government appointed Cui Jianchun, the former Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, as Chinese foreign ministry (FM)'s commissioner in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday. 

The Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee welcomed the appointment on Wednesday, saying that with the support of the ministry and the Commissioner's Office, the city has consistently developed its external affairs in accordance with the Basic Law, expanding Hong Kong's external exchanges and cooperation to enhance its international influence and competitiveness. 

Cui previously served as Chinese ambassador to Nigeria. According to official records, Cui, born in July 1964, holds a Master's degree in business administration. 

He had a long tenure with the China National Nuclear Corporation and served as the director of the international cooperation and development department for the organization in 2010.

Starting in 2011, Cui transitioned into the diplomatic system, holding positions such as Minister Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in France, Chinese ambassador to Kuwait, Deputy Director-General of the Consular Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2016, he worked as Chinese ambassador to Guyana.

In April 2021, Cui was appointed the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria.

Liu Guangyuan, the former commissioner of the Chinese FM in Hong Kong, was appointed as deputy director of the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong in July 2023. 

The Commissioner's Office also provides consular protection and appropriate assistance to Hong Kong residents encountering issues overseas.

Cui is an experienced diplomat with extensive experience accumulated during his postings abroad, and Lee firmly believes that under Cui's leadership, the Commissioner's Office will continue to work closely with the HKSAR government to advance various initiatives, Lee said. 

The HKSAR government will continue to align with the overall strategy of the ministry, providing accurate explanations of the latest developments in Hong Kong to overseas audiences, and effectively conveying the stories of Hong Kong and the One Country, Two Systems principle, Lee said. 

On Sunday, Chinese AI experts slammed a report issued by Microsoft as it claimed that China is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to manipulate elections in other countries. The report is politically motivated and lacks both evidence and authority, analysts said.

China will attempt to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India this year with artificial intelligence-generated content, the US tech firm Microsoft said in a report on Friday. 

Microsoft said that "at a minimum" China will create and distribute through social media AI-generated content that "benefits their positions in these high-profile elections." However, the company also said that the impact of AI-made content was minor.

AI experts said that Microsoft's report fails to provide solid evidence to prove the authenticity of the related social media accounts and their connection to the Chinese government. 

"From a technical perspective, the use of AI to generate text content is already very common around the world, so why is China to blame? This report has been speculating without evidence," Zhu Rongsheng, an assistant researcher at the Center for Strategic and Security Studies, Tsinghua University, shared his insight with the Global Times on Sunday.  

When answering a query regarding the US presidential election in January, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the presidential election is the domestic affair of the US. China, committed to the principle of non-interference in others' internal affairs, would never interfere in the US presidential election.

A technology company releasing a politically motivated report without evidence lacks authority, experts say. With no evidence, this report from Microsoft proves that US companies and the US government have formed a chain of interests, Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times. 

When US companies need to use political means to suppress their competitors, the US government can go beyond market mechanisms to suppress companies from other countries. US companies can also use reasons related to national security to curb the development of their competitors. This report demonstrates that in the fiercely competitive field of AI, US companies seek to discredit and suppress their competitors through improper means, Yang pointed out.

This is not the first time Microsoft has released such a report. On September 7, 2023, Microsoft researchers said on a blog that they found what they believe is a network of fake, Chinese-controlled social media accounts seeking to influence US voters by using artificial intelligence.

"In recent years, some Western media and think tanks have accused China of using artificial intelligence to create fake social media accounts to spread so-called 'pro-China' information," Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in 2023 in response to an email to CNN when asked for comment on the Microsoft report. "Such remarks are full of prejudice and malicious speculation against China, which China firmly opposes," he added.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Thursday, calling for the proper managing differences, accelerating maritime cooperation and consultations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea to resolve conflict, and warning to be vigilant against engaging in camp confrontation and "small cliques" to undermine regional peace and stability.

China-Vietnam relations have enjoyed rapid development last year since the top leaders of the two parties jointly announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, giving a new meaning to the line "so profound is the friendship between Vietnam and China, because we are both comrades and brothers," Wang said.

The Chinese side called on enhancing high-level strategic communication, accelerating the development of strategic alignment, and continuously expanding cooperation with Vietnam in areas such as economic affairs and trade investment, the digital economy, green development, new energy, and critical minerals.

The two sides should also jointly safeguard international fairness and justice, practice true multilateralism, and continue to support each other on issues of major interest to both sides.

They should properly manage differences, accelerate maritime cooperation and consultations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea to resolve conflict, Wang said.
The meeting took place as the Philippines continued making provocations on the South China Sea issue under the instigation of the US. Reuters reported that defense forces of the US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines will conduct "maritime cooperative activity" on Sunday.

The Vietnamese diplomat said that Vietnam adheres to the one-China policy, firmly supports China's position on matters related to Taiwan, Xinjiang, and Xizang, and opposes the use of human rights and democracy to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

Vietnam will strengthen multilateral coordination with China to protect common interests, and is willing to implement the consensus of the high-level leadership of the two countries, properly manage differences, actively promote maritime cooperation and consultations on the COC in the South China Sea, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, Bui Thanh Son said.

Every year on April 1, the call sign "81192" is remembered by many Chinese. Do you remember the name Wang Wei? Do you remember the number 81192? 

According to a news release by the Southern Theater Command on its WeChat official account on Monday, on April 1, 2001, a US military reconnaissance plane illegally entered China's South China Sea airspace. Chinese military dispatched two aircraft to track and intercept the US plane, but the US plane suddenly veered at a wide angle toward the Chinese planes, and then rammed one of the Chinese planes, causing it to lose control and plunge into the sea, according to Xinhua news report in April 2001.

The pilot Wang Wei parachuted from his stricken plane and was missing.

"81192 Copy. I have been unable to return, please proceed!" were Wang Wei, the pilot's last words. 

Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians searched for him for 14 days and nights but could not find him, The People's Daily reported on Monday.

23 years have passed, but people have not forgotten him. Every year on this day, Wang's statue is adorned with gifts - models of J-15, J-20, Y-20, the Shandong aircraft carrier... People place aircraft and aircraft carrier models in front of the hero's tomb to pay tribute to his spirit.

The Southern Theater Command reported in news release that to inspire soldiers to inherit the hero's will and cultivate a fighting spirit, on the eve of April 1, or Sunday, a naval aviation unit in the Southern Theater Command held a memorial ceremony at the "Sea-Air Guardian" Wang Wei Hope Primary School. 

With the solemn national anthem played, everyone stood in silence in front of the martyr's statue, paying deep respects to Wang. Soldiers and representatives from the school laid flowers in front of Wang's statue, expressing deep remembrance and respect. They signed a banner pledging to defend the country.

According to the Southern Theater Command, in recent days, a naval aviation unit has continued to carry out flight training across the day and night, targeting the pilot's shortcomings and weaknesses, continued to carry out the training of instructors, and the new generation of pilots' first solo flight and follow-up mission recovery training, paying tribute to heroes with practical actions.

Many netizens on social media mourned the martyr. 

One user wrote, "Hero's spirit lasts forever." Another said, "23 years! We have never forgotten. Martyr Wang Wei, your spirit is forever engraved in the country's sea and sky! Salute." The topic about "81192" continues to gain popularity, accumulating over a billion reads on Sina Weibo.

"To defend the motherland's vast sea and sky with the most advanced fighter jets is my greatest wish." Wang Wei had a firm belief in serving his country since his high school days, according to the People's Daily news report.

After joining the navy, he was deployed to the country's southern gateway. Among his peers, he was the first to fly over a thousand hours in the most advanced domestically produced fighter jet, becoming an "all-weather" first-class pilot capable of flying in four different weather conditions. He had the most combat take-offs and executed the most critical missions among his peers.

In 2024, a new generation of young people followed in Wang's footsteps, joining the military to defend the country.

The People's Daily revealed that Wang's son has become a proud naval officer. In 2022, Wang's nephew Jiang Yufan who was born after 2000 became a flight student through rigorous selection. Jiang hopes to become the fourth pilot in the Wangs family through hard work.

University graduate Zhang Yuan was inspired by Wang's story to join the military. He once wrote a letter placed at Wang's grave, "The Chinese nation has never lacked backbone. In the past, now, and in the future, we will never lack it! Now, it is our turn to take over from you."

23 years later, the hero's long-cherished wish has come true. 

When his comrades were sorting through Wang's belongings, they found a painting he had personally drawn called Long Cherished Wish. In the painting, a pilot is taking off from an aircraft carrier, a scene Wang had always dreamed of. Wang once told his wife that his greatest wish was to fly a fighter jet from an aircraft carrier.

Today, Wang's wish has become a reality. 

According to the People's Daily, on September 25, 2012, the Liaoning aircraft carrier was delivered and commissioned to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, ending China's history without an aircraft carrier; on December 17, 2019, the first domestically produced aircraft carrier, the Shandong, was officially commissioned to the PLA Navy at a military port in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province; on June 17, 2022, China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, was launched.

Heroes never fade into irrelevance, and we will never forget. "81192, your mission is complete, please return immediately! Please return immediately!"

Members of a Chinese cross-departmental joint working group and Chinese diplomats in Pakistan on Friday mourned the five Chinese nationals killed in a terrorist attack while visiting a hospital here.

Laying flowers to their portraits, head of the joint working group Bai Tian and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong led all the personnel to stand in silence and bow three times.

Ma Mingwei, head of a working group from Energy China and China Gezhouba Group Corporation, said that the five demised compatriots are excellent representatives of the company's overseas projects and witnesses of China-Pakistan friendship. Their sacrifice have enriched the deep China-Pakistan friendship.

Bai, also chief of the Department of External Security Affairs of the Chinese foreign ministry, and Jiang conveyed the care and solicitude of the Chinese government to the company's workers, encouraging them to work together to overcome the difficulties.

Five Chinese and one Pakistani national were killed on Tuesday in a terrorist attack on the way to the Dasu Hydropower Project in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from Islamabad.

The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) convened its annual conference in Boao, South China's Hainan Province on Tuesday, with officials and other participants calling for unity and cooperation in Asia and around the world to jointly tackle rising regional and global challenges, ranging from trade protectionism to geopolitical tension.

In a flagship report released on Tuesday, the BFA, which is often referred to Asia's version of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, projected a substantial upswing in economic growth of around 4.5 percent in 2024 and that Asia's economic integration remains unchanged, while warning of challenges. The report pointed out China's major contribution to global economic growth with its vast market, highlighting China's critical role in not just Asia, but also the world.

This year's BFA drew representatives from more countries and regions than last year's edition, underscoring the rising influence of not just the BFA itself, but also the host nation - China. Many foreign guests in Boao highlighted China's solid economic fundamentals and improving business environment, echoing a resounding message from global business executives at the China Development Forum (CDF) in Beijing that concluded just a day before the BFA opened.

The BFA and the CDF are two back-to-back forums held by China after the two sessions, the annual meetings of the top legislature and top political advisory body, where it set social and economic development goals for the year. The high-level forums are a critical window for global CEOs to gauge China's economic outlook and policy priorities. They are also a reliable barometer for China's attractiveness among countries and regions and multinational corporations.

This year's BFA annual conference will be attended by nearly 2,000 representatives from more than 60 countries and regions, Li Baodong, secretary general of the BFA, said at a press conference on Tuesday morning, which officially kicked off the four-day event. While the number of participants is about the same as that of last year's meeting, the number of countries and regions represented increased to more than 60 from last year's number of about 50.

At the press conference, the BFA released two flagship annual reports: one on the Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress and the other on sustainable development in Asia, setting the stage for dozens of panel discussions on topics ranging from economic development to technological innovation.

"In 2024, global economic turbulence and divergence will persist. Faced with a severe external environment, many Asian economies will also encounter significant internal challenges. Nevertheless, the region's economic growth and regional integration continue to show promising momentum," the Asian Economic Outlook report said, projecting a "substantial" growth of 4.5 percent in 2024.

The report also noted that the overall trend of merchandise trade integration advancing among Asian economies remains unchanged, while also calling for collaboration on common challenges of various uncertainties, in line with the theme of this year's annual conference: "Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities."

"The problems the world currently faces are numerous and complex. Only when the international community jointly meets the challenges, shoulders responsibilities and strengthens cooperation can the world remain on the track of peace and prosperity," Li said at the press conference.
Cooperation vs protectionism

At the panel discussions and in the conference halls that host the BFA on Tuesday, there was general consensus on the need to safeguard multilateralism and bolster win-win cooperation championed by China, and a clear rejection of protectionism spearheaded by some US and EU politicians.

Many forum participants highlighted China's strong economic prospects and its critical role in helping boost economic development in Asia and around the world.

"I think China is playing a very important role in trying to develop the rest of Asia. And that's in the interest of China because if Asia grows, China grows," Shamshad Akhtar, former under-secretary-general of the United Nations, told the Global Times on Tuesday in Boao, adding that globally, China is also playing a "phenomenal role" in lifting different countries by offering capital through initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative.

This is also reflected in the BFA's report released on Tuesday morning, which noted that China will remain a major contributor to global economic growth, with the entire world benefiting from its massive market.

Beyond its vast market, China's commitment to expand opening-up and improve business environment to attract foreign investment was also highlighted at the BFA.

"I think it's getting more attractive to invest in China, as China is making changes, such as working on their intellectual property protection. Chinese laws have improved a lot," Carl F. Fey, professor of Strategy at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway, told the Global Times on Tuesday on the sidelines of the BFA annual meeting, noting that China still has to work to let people around the world know that its laws have improved given misperceptions around the world.

Through platforms such as the BFA and the CDF, China is sending a clear message that it welcomes global investors and will improve the business environment. Pointing to such an effort, high-level Chinese officials met with various global business leaders after the CDF, reaffirming China's commitment to high-quality development and high-level opening-up.

Meanwhile, the US' approach of protectionism is also rejected at the BFA. That was very clear at a panel discussion on confronting fragmentation in global trade on Tuesday afternoon, where panelists, though not mentioning the US by name, criticized various actions by the US. Long Yongtu, China's former chief negotiator for entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), blasted the West for crippling the WTO that they created.

Wong Kan Seng, former deputy prime minister of Singapore, highlighted the need for maintaining economic openness, saying closed markets benefit no country, according to a Chinese transcript of the panel provided by the BFA. Meanwhile, former US commerce secretary Carlos Gutierrez was more straightforward, saying that the US should bear the blame for the de-globalization situation, according to the same transcript.

Since the administration of former US president Donald Trump, the US has actively undermined the WTO, issued a series of protectionist policies, including imposing tariffs and handing out discriminatory subsidies, and is seeking to decouple the Chinese and US economies through moves such as restrictions on businesses. Meanwhile, the EU appears to be following in the US' wake by calling for "de-risking," which is seen as another name for "decoupling."

"Decoupling would be damaging for both, but worse for Europe than for China. That's why we, European politicians, are rethinking whether this is a good idea to do it," Michele Geraci, former undersecretary of state at the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, told reporters from the Global Times and other media outlets in Boao on Tuesday, noting China's decreasing reliance on exports and Europe's increasing reliance on exports.

China's public security authorities have cracked down on illegal "spiritual practices" and relevant illegal activities, with 77 key cases detected and 269 individuals criminally dealt with in accordance with the law since 2018, according media reports.

Authorities have been focusing on illegal training activities related to "spiritualism" and organized special forces to deal with a number of organizations who are engaged in illegal training activities under the cover of "spiritual healing," "stimulating potential," "alien civilization," and "energy to change life." 

Authorities have investigated and dealt with a number of illegal training institutions offering "spiritual cultivation" services across China, with individuals involved in these cases sentenced to between five to 17 years of imprisonment for illegal business operations, the use of superstitious beliefs to undermine the implementation of the law, the crime of fraud, the crime of rape and other crimes.

Officials explained that this type of illegal training activity misused concepts related to psychology, success and modern technology to promote the so-called spiritual cultivation. It implements mind control through closed training, using methods including cutting off contact with the outside world, hypnosis, brainwashing, psychological suggestion and self-denial.

Such illegal organizations also expand their teams by means of joining, distribution, advancement and even pyramid schemes, in many cases amassing huge sums of money. Some illegal training activities also subjected trainees to unlawful detention, rape, molestation and other physical assaults, and engaged in collective obscene activities in the name of physical and mental liberation.

Public security authorities have called for the public to recognize the nature and harm of illegal training activities, and to consciously resist such activities of "spiritualism."