The Lai Ching-te authorities' political manipulation through reckless visits to so-called "diplomatic allies" and provocative actions aimed at pursuing "Taiwan independence" are bound to fail,Chinese FM spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday, in responding to Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's reported transit through Hawaii or Guam in his planned visit to "diplomatic allies" in the Pacific.

Mao added that they cannot disrupt the firm stance of the international community in upholding the one-China principle, nor can they obstruct the historical trend of China's reunification process.

We have always opposed official exchanges between the US and Taiwan island, opposed the Taiwan regional leaders attempting to conduct provocative visit to the US under any name, and opposed the US supporting "Taiwan independence" separatists and their secessionist actions in any form, Mao added.

China's State Council Information Office on Friday released a white paper titled "China's Rural Roads in the New Era" to outline the achievements and vision of rural road development in the new era and to share China's experience.

In terms of general achievement, the white paper said that by the end of 2023, the total length of rural roads reached 4.6 million kilometers, an increase of 21.7 percent over 2013, enough to circle the equator 115 times.

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, the white paper said.

Paved roads totaled 4.22 million kilometers and accounted for 91.8 percent of total rural roads, representing an increase of 27.2 percentage points over the past decade. The white paper also highlighted increasing accessibility in rural areas, citing the statistic that paved roads have been built in about 30,000 towns and townships and over 500,000 administrative villages.

Since 2014, more than 1.4 million km of rural roads have been built or upgraded in previously poor areas, all towns, townships and administrative villages where conditions allow had been connected to paved roads by 2019, and all such villages had been connected to bus services by 2020, the white paper noted.

Experts said that China's achievements in rural roads and poverty reduction highlight the country's people-centered development philosophy. Meanwhile, China has actively shared its experience with other developing countries and helped them improve their infrastructure, making significant contributions to sustainable development on a global scale.

People-centered approaches

China's people-centered approaches were highlighted in the white paper, with the word "people" appearing more than 50 times in the 39-page English version of the white paper.

Better transport has cleared bottlenecks that had long held back 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.

Li Guoxiang, a researcher from the Rural Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that rural road construction is one of the most outstanding achievements of the government in the development of rural areas, and it is one of the measures that farmers are the most satisfied with.

He said that rural roads have played an irreplaceable role in solving overall poverty in some parts of China. After the construction of unimpeded rural roads, the connection between rural areas and the outside world, and the endogenous driving force of rural development will continue to increase, otherwise, most of the government's poverty alleviation measures will be no more than short-term relief.

"To get rich, build roads first", this is the truth recognized by the central government and farmers, said Su Wei, a professor from the Party School of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee.

Road building is a basic, guiding and backbone project for poverty alleviation. Without rural roads, it would have been difficult for China to achieve its goal of eliminating extreme poverty, said Su. 

In addition to poverty alleviation, Su said road building is also a prerequisite for rural revitalization and integrated urban-rural development.

According to Su, the accessibility of rural roads is one of the most important factors for rural people to get out of isolation and move toward modernization. With the development of the transportation network, various materials, information and funds can enter the countryside more smoothly, and farmers can also have more access to better education, medical care and other social resources, which plays a basic role in their integration into modern society.

In advancing rural revitalization across the board, the government continues to integrate rural roads into the overall economic development of rural areas, by supporting modernization of rural industries, boosting rural tourism and making efficient use of distinctive resources in rural areas, according to the white paper.

According to the white paper, the steady development of transport facilities in rural areas has attracted more capital, projects and talent to the countryside, creating more job opportunities and broadening the avenues for income growth.

China has built paved roads in rural tourist destinations, industrial parks, sources of resources and minerals, and other points of economic growth, which has made travel in remote areas and particularly in mountainous areas more convenient, reads the document.

In May this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for unremitting efforts to upgrade rural roads to facilitate rural development. He ordered that rural roads be built well, managed well, maintained well and used well. For this reason, these roads have become known as "Four-Wells Rural Roads." 

Currently, rural road construction projects provide work for about 80,000 people, enabling an annual average per capita income increase of around 8,500 yuan (about $1,182.57), the white paper noted.

Rural road management and maintenance provide about 850,000 jobs, offering an annual average per capita income of approximately 13,000 yuan, it said.

Shared experience

The white paper also noted that 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. 

These efforts include providing technical standards for highway engineering suited to different national conditions. China's highway standards have been applied in hundreds of projects in dozens of countries around the world, including Indonesia's Surabaya-Madura Bridge Project and Mozambique's Maputo-Katembe Bridge Project, according to the white paper.

China has also played an active role in building new platforms and mechanisms for global transport cooperation and in promoting knowledge and experience sharing. For instance, it has established the Global Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center as a platform for cooperation and exchanges and for sharing China's experience in rural road development with the international community, the white paper said.

China has also shared its experience through international training sessions. The country has held 28 such sessions, including a program on road design and management in Botswana, and an advanced training program on highway engineering for countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, the white paper said.

Additionally, China has also provided aid and assistance to several rural road infrastructure projects in other developing countries. 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 their transport infrastructure, according to the white paper.

"What makes China's approach special is that we have taken rural road construction as a prerequisite for poverty alleviation and rural development," said Li, "and this exemplary role and successful experience was seen by other developing countries." 

China's ability in building and maintaining roads in areas with complex terrain is even stronger than those of some developed countries, Li said, noting that China's concept of community with a shared future for mankind makes it generous in helping other developing countries to step out of poverty by using China's experience. 

In contrast, despite the US and some Western countries offering some low-interest loans for developing countries for development, they lack a mechanism to mobilize funds and organize them to build livelihood projects, which prevents them from contributing much to creating internal and lasting momentum for developing countries' self-development, Su said. 

According to the expert, China's ability to mobilize all kinds of resources at the grassroots level may be its unique advantage, but China's concept of putting people first and forming synergy between the government and the market is something other developing countries can learn from.

In response to Philippine claim of a Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy helicopter “harassed” Philippine fishing boats around a South China Sea reef, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday that the Philippine claim is completely at odds with the facts.

China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Qundao and surrounding waters, and China’s rights protection and law enforcement activities in related waters are reasonable and legitimate, Lin said at a regular press conference.

The G20 launched the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty to support the implementation of country-led, country-owned programs aiming at reducing hunger and poverty worldwide, contributing to revitalizing global partnerships for sustainable development, according to the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders' Declaration released on Tuesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Brasilia on Tuesday for a state visit to Brazil after attending the 19th G20 Leaders' Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Xi was warmly welcomed upon his arrival by the Chief of Staff of the Brazilian Presidency Rui Costa, along with several other senior Brazilian officials. An all-female local Batala band greeted him with vibrant drumbeats, dressed in full attire and brimming with enthusiasm.

Hundreds of overseas Chinese, waving Chinese national flag, gathered along the roads in Brasilia to welcome President Xi. Many expressed their excitement, believing that Xi's visit will bring the relationship between two countries even closer.

Prior to his arrival in Brasilia, Chinese president said on Sunday that he looks forward to having an in-depth exchange of views with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on further enhancing China-Brazil relations, promoting synergy of the two countries' development strategies, as well as international and regional issues of common interest.

Xi said he believes the visit will further strengthen the two countries' strategic mutual trust, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields and usher in a new "golden 50 years" for China-Brazil relations.

Additionally, in a signed article in Brazilian media outlet Folha de S. Paulo on Sunday, Xi said fifty years ago, on August 15, 1974, China and Brazil established full diplomatic ties. The bilateral relationship has since withstood the test of a changing international landscape and become increasingly mature and vibrant.

Brazil is the first country to establish a strategic partnership with China. It is also the first nation in Latin America to enter into a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. Xi hailed the bilateral relationship "has always been a forerunner in the relations between China and fellow developing nations."

In his article, President Xi pointed out that China and Brazil should promote synergy between China's Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil's development strategies, and we should keep enhancing the strategic impacts of our mutually beneficial cooperation, broaden its scope, and break new ground."

Xi also noted that China and Brazil should uphold openness and inclusiveness, values that are imbued in our traditions, and deepen our exchanges and cooperation in the areas of culture, education, science and technology, health, sports, tourism, and at the subnational levels.

As two of the world's major developing countries, China and Brazil "must work together with others in the Global South to resolutely safeguard the developing nations' common interests, address global challenges through cooperation, and promote a global governance system that is fairer and more equitable," Xi said in the article.

Experts anticipate that the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Brazil will be further strengthened, as cooperation in trade, green transformation, digital economy, cultural exchanges, and political trust continues to grow.

Wang Youming, director of the Institute of Developing Countries at the China Institute of International Studies, noted that China and Brazil are expected to align their development strategies more closely and in a substantive way.

Theo Schunck, Executive Secretary of the Rio Metropolis Institute, viewed Xi's visit as a crucial step toward deepening cooperation across various sectors and building a community with a shared future.

Brazil regards China as a strategic partner, particularly in trade and technology, and the relationship has evolved from initial pragmatism to a comprehensive strategic partnership focused on economic diversification and multilateral cooperation, Schunck said.

Rodrigo Pires de Campos, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the University of Brasília, emphasized the strategic importance of the China-Brazil relationship for Brazil's autonomy.

He noted that China and Brazil are already working together in many promising fronts such as climate change, poverty alleviation, fair trade, financial systems, and aid for development. And the state visit by Chinese leader could lead to more concrete results in the medium or longer term.

Jose Acacio Ferreira, General Director of the Superintendence of Economic and Social Studies of Bahia State, told the Global Times that the meeting between President Xi and President Lula will provide strategic guidance, further promoting cooperation and trust between the two nations on global issues.

He believes that closer China-Brazil ties will amplify the voice of the Global South in global decision-making, multilateralism, and peaceful development.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Latin America not only marks a new chapter in China's relations with the continent but also underscores China's commitment to advancing cooperation with and amplifying the voice of Global South nations, experts said. 

Xi 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.

During his state visit to Brazil, President Xi and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva jointly announced to elevate China-Brazil ties to a China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet, and to promote synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil's development strategies.

When asked to comment on the details, outcomes and highlights of President Xi's visit to Brazil, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Thursday said that the two presidents took stock of the past 50 years of China-Brazil relations, and agreed that the relationship is at its best period in history, is growing stronger in global, strategic and long-term significance, and has become an exemplar of common progress, solidarity and cooperation between major developing countries. 

Elevating the bilateral ties and synergizing the two countries' development strategies will certainly enable the two countries to carry forward the past achievements in the relations and usher in the next "golden 50 years," as well as to set an example for Global South nations to seek strength through unity and make new contributions to increasing the representation and voice of developing countries in global governance, according to Lin. 

President Xi also pointed out that next year marks the 10th anniversary of the official launch of the China-CELAC Forum. China stands ready to join hands with Brazil and other Latin American countries to take China-Latin American cooperation to new heights, Lin said. 

Emerging Global South

Chinese analysts said that President Xi's Latin America trip highlighted China's commitment to promoting development and cooperation among Global South countries as the country is positioning itself as a key player in promoting global peace, security, and development. 

In a written speech addressing the APEC CEO Summit 2024, Xi said that the principles of "plan together, build together and benefit together" should be followed, the representation and voice of the Global South should be enhanced continuously, and all countries should be ensured of equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules in conducting international economic cooperation.

While addressing Session I of the 19th G20 Summit on Fight Against Hunger and Poverty, Xi said "there should be more bridges of cooperation, and less 'small yard, high fences,' so that more and more developing countries will be better off and achieve modernization."

To build such a world, Xi calls for an "open, inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for international economic cooperation," a "universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization," and support for developing countries in better integrating into digital, smart, and green development to bridge the North-South gap.

Xi also said that China will always be a member of the Global South, a reliable long-term partner of fellow developing countries, and a doer and go-getter working for the cause of global development.

Xi's trip to Latin America not only serves as a new chapter for China's relationship with the continent, but also highlighted China's commitment to promoting development and cooperation among Global South countries, Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times.

He noted that Global South countries are not only focusing on economic cooperation but are also playing an increasingly important role in international political and security matters. 

China has emphasized cooperation among the Global South in various multilateral platforms such as APEC and G20, effectively working to strengthen and elevate the collaboration in the international community. This aligns with the current trend of the Global South's emergence, actively promoting deeper cooperation and enhancing influence within this group.

Within the Global South, the China-Latin America partnership represents a model of autonomous and reciprocal development, in contrast with the traditional dependence on Western powers. This partnership encourages other Global South countries to pursue mutually beneficial horizontal relationships, supporting a new multipolar order, Ronnie Lins, Brazilian economist and director of the China-Brazil Center for Research and Business, told the Global Times. 

By strengthening economic, cultural, and technological ties, China and Latin America have the potential to form a more cohesive bloc, promoting cooperation on global challenges such as inequality, sustainability, and innovation. This integration among emerging countries paves new pathways for development, amplifying the Global South's voice and potentially redefining the global economic and political balance, said Lins. 

Head-of-state diplomacy

President Xi kicked off his first state visits this year to France, Serbia and Hungary in May. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press briefing that Xi's Europe trip is a journey of carrying forward friendship, enhancing mutual trust, boosting confidence and charting the course for the future.

In July, Xi attended the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Astana, and made state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

In October, Xi arrived in Kazan to attend the 16th BRICS Summit at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Xi told Putin that China-Russia relations have forged ahead despite wind and rain in the last 75 years and found the right way for two big, neighboring countries to get along with each other, characterized by non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third party.

When meeting with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, Peru on November 16, Xi said 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 that the relationship has remained stable on the whole.

Apart from promoting Global South cooperation, China's diplomacy is also making efforts to stabilize relations with major powers such as the US, Russia, and Europe, said Yang. 

Yang said that the interactions among these major powers, especially with the US, Europe and Russia, not only affect bilateral relations but are also related to the overall stability of the international situation. The endeavor to stabilize relations among major powers reflects China's ongoing commitment to promoting world peace and development.

Another characteristic is marked by China's neighboring diplomacy, said Yang. 

China places great importance on its neighboring diplomacy, consistently prioritizing its neighbors within the overall framework of its foreign policy. President Xi previously put forward the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness to guide China's neighborhood diplomacy, and also proposed an open and interconnected paradigm for Asia-Pacific cooperation. 

These principles have become the fundamental guidelines and direction for the development of China's relations with neighboring countries, aiming to create a peaceful and stable diplomatic environment in the region, which benefits both China and those countries, said Xu Bu, president of Institute of International Development and Security Studies, Jiangsu University. 

Under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, China is maintaining stable relations with major countries, working hand in hand with neighboring countries, and collaborating with Global South countries for revitalization, said Xu, noting that in doing so, China is charting a course for world peace, security, and development, writing a new chapter in its diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. China strongly opposes official interaction of any form between China's Taiwan region and countries that have diplomatic relations with China. This includes the negotiation or signing of any agreements that implies sovereignty or has an official nature, a spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands said on Saturday. 

Recently, the House of Representatives of the Netherlands once again adopted a Taiwan-related motion, involving areas such as economy and trade.

"The Dutch motion gravely violates the one-China principle and grossly interferes in China's internal affairs. China deplores and strongly opposes this move," the spokesperson said. 

We hope the Dutch side will bear in mind the overall interests of China-Netherlands and China-EU relations, abide by the one-China principle, deal with Taiwan-related issues with prudence, avoid sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" forces in the name of economic cooperation or legal assistance, and maintain a momentum of steady and positive development of our bilateral relations, the spokesperson said in a statement.

Without unveiling its designation, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force debuted a new type of mysterious armed reconnaissance drone at the ongoing Airshow China 2024.

With enhanced performance, the new drone is expected to be more powerful than the PLA Air Force’s GJ-1 and GJ-2 armed reconnaissance drones, Chinese military expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times on Friday at the airshow.

Exhibited at the ground static display area of the PLA Air Force and painted in light grey, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) boasts a similar conventional design seen on many armed reconnaissance drones, including the PLA Air Force’s GJ-1 and GJ-2, as well as the Wing Loong-1 and Wing Loong-2.

Officially labeled as a new-type reconnaissance and strike UAV, the drone is capable of tactical reconnaissance, surveillance and attack missions, the Global Times learned at the airshow.

With mission payload such as optoelectronic reconnaissance equipment, synthetic aperture radar, communication and reconnaissance devices installed, the drone can attack fixed, mobile and time-sensitive targets on the ground and on water surface, according to the PLA Air Force.

In previous editions of Airshow China, the PLA Air Force unveiled the GJ-1 and GJ-2 armed reconnaissance drones. This year, it did not provide detailed information on the new drone’s technical specifics and capabilities. 

The new drone is an embodiment of the PLA Air Force’s constant upgrading and optimization of its drone arsenal, Song said, noting that the new drone is likely capable of conducting strikes on more types of targets.

In addition to the new-type reconnaissance and strike UAV, the PLA Air Force also exhibited the WZ-7 and the WZ-10 reconnaissance drones at the Airshow China 2024. Previously, the PLA also unveiled the GJ-11 armed reconnaissance stealth drone and the WZ-8 reconnaissance drone.

Song said different drones have different uses and missions. Some of them play strategic roles while others play tactical roles. Some of them are dedicated to reconnaissance missions while others can also attack.

China is having more and more types of drones. With the country’s aviation and aerospace sectors, universities and companies developing UAVs, China’s drone industry is developing fast and becoming more diversified, according to Song.

Chinese experts and scholars from across the country gathered in Shanghai on Saturday to discuss and share their opinions and latest researches on anthropology and country and region studies, contributing their efforts and wisdom to the establishment of China’s own knowledge system in this respect to satisfy the needs of China’s increasing involvement in international affairs and global cooperation. 

Nearly 80 experts and scholars from 41 universities attended the fourth forum of Anthropology and Country and Region Studies, themed China’s subjectivity and multiple universalisms in local knowledge exploration and practice in country and region studies this year, which is being held at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) from Saturday to Sunday. 

Engaged in in-depth discussions, the experts hope to consolidate the academic and practical foundation for jointly building a community of shared future for mankind, and promote the building of China’s own specific knowledge system of country and region studies. 

Li Yansong, president of SISU, addressed the forum saying that country and region studies have become a standard practice for major powers and serve as a strategic execution of comprehensive knowledge exploration about the external world, providing essential knowledge support for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and building a community with a shared future for mankind. As China continues to step onto the global stage, with increasingly frequent and deepened diplomatic interactions, the demand for knowledge about the world has not only become broader but also more detailed and deepened.

Liu Qi, a research fellow with Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies under SISU, shared in a keynote speech her views from the perspective of research methodology on the roles of anthropology and country and region studies that play in developing the knowledge system needed to advance a new international order.

Liu said rather than following the West, China should take on a leadership role in the process of critically reflecting on this knowledge system and become a knowledge leader among developing countries via country and region studies. 

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Global South and the Chinese enterprises are exploring the international market and are all about the visions of a new world order which needs the support from the new knowledge system that China has now started to establish, Liu told the Global Times on Saturday, noting that the combination of anthropology and country and region studies is the subjects behind the new knowledge system that is urgently needed to be established. 

Since 2021, three forums on anthropology and country and region studies have been held to promote the integration, mutual support and joint development of these fields in terms of theories, methodologies, areas of study, and research topics. The fourth forum is jointly hosted by Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies under SISU, the College of International Development and Global Agriculture of China Agricultural University, the School of International Studies of Communication University of China, and the Institute of African Studies of Zhejiang Normal University.

Chinese researchers are working on the development of future hexapod robots, aiming to achieve a qualitative breakthrough in the robot for lunar exploration. The six-legged robot offers enhanced stability, smoother motion, and superior load-bearing capacity, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday.

When the hexapod robot walks, it raises three legs at a time, while the remaining three form a stable triangular base to support the body. This allows the robot to maintain stability even if one leg is damaged.

The robot's body will be fully controllable, with enhanced stability, fluid motion, and robust load-bearing capabilities, Gao Feng, a professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, who is in charge of the robot's development, was quoted as saying in the report.

"For future lunar robot development, we have also created an integrated landing and walking robot, to achieve a significant breakthrough in lunar exploration technology," said Gao.

China's lunar exploration program is set to undertake two more launch missions to pave the way for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), with the first mission scheduled as early as 2026, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced in September.

The plan includes the Chang'e-7 mission in 2026, followed by the Chang'e-8 mission around 2028.

Chang'e-7 will focus on surveying the lunar South Pole's environment and resources, while Chang'e-8 will validate technologies for in-situ resource utilization, crucial for future lunar construction. The ILRS is projected to be established by 2035, according to Bian Zhigang, deputy director of the CNSA.