After smearing Chinese athletes in recent months over so-called doping problems, the US is now facing mounting pressure over its own alleged violations, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) now speaking out on the issue.    

Chinese analysts urged the US to respond to public queries and concerns, as well as stop discrediting others, double-standard behaviors, and long-arm jurisdiction.

They pointed out that no matter how the US responded to the questioning and suspicion over its alleged anti-doping practices, it will be hard to dispel doubts over whether it will be able to organize a fair and non-politicized Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, due to its reckless smearing campaign against China.  

With the campaign around doping issues intensifying during the Paris Olympic Games, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams on Thursday expressed support for WADA, saying the IOC will continue to work with its stakeholders to make sure there are "good and robust" anti-doping systems.

WADA recently came under US attack, as the agency confirmed China was blameless after US media hyped a 2021 incident in which 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) due to inadvertent contamination.

The US' hype since April 2024 of the 2021 case led to an excessive anti-doping testing scheme against Chinese athletes ahead of and during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Conversely, USADA has allowed American sprinter Erriyon Knighton to compete in the Paris Olympic Games without suspension, after he tested positive for trenbolone. USADA attributed the result to meat contamination despite the fact trenbolone is not frequently found as a contaminant.

Meanwhile, in a statement released on Wednesday, WADA also exposed a scheme that allowed US athletes who had committed doping violations to compete without sanctions for years. WADA noted that this practice is a blatant violation of the World Anti-Doping Code and the US Anti-Doping Agency's own regulations.

Yuyuantantian, a media arm of China Media Group, reported on Friday that the International Testing Agency (ITA) confirmed to the media that related reports have led to the excessive anti-doping tests on the Chinese Olympic swimming team. 

Before the Paris Games opened, WADA chief Witold Banka warned the US on July 24 that USADA's baseless accusations against Chinese athletes are "politically motivated" and "biased against China." In response, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduced a bill threatening to cut US funding for WADA and accusing it of failing to properly investigate alleged doping by Chinese Olympic swimmers, according to a Reuters report.

"It is ironic and hypocritical that USADA cries foul when it suspects other Anti-Doping Organizations are not following the rules to the letter while it did not announce doping cases for years and allowed cheats to carry on competing, on the off chance they might help them catch other possible violators," reads the WADA statement.  

It is rare for WADA to accuse a country with sharp language, and more importantly, WADA and the IOC are not showing bias against China despite being dominated by Westerners, said a Beijing-based commentator.  

BBC reported on August 1 that a WADA official said "Certain individuals [in the US] are attempting to score political points purely on the basis that the athletes in question are Chinese… the result is that it has created distrust and division within the anti-doping system."

Discrediting China on the anti-doping issue has a political intention and is being led by politicians, said the commentator, adding that "the US is attempting to demonize China, just like they have done in other fields."

"What would they say if it was an American athlete being forced to take so many drug tests? Should American athletes be tested with the same frequency? Those are questions to be thought about," he noted. 

In addition, some American swimmers had a purple discoloration on their faces after completing their races in the Paris Olympics events, sparking widespread online discussion and suspicion over stimulant use. 

"The US has a lot more that remains to be explained to the world," said the commentator. 

Calling for fair play

The China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) on Thursday called for an independent investigation into USADA's misconduct and intensified testing on US track and field athletes and efforts to rebuild global trust in fair competition.

Given the deep-rooted stains in US athletics and USADA's repeated disregard for procedures and standards, there is reason to suspect that there is a systemic doping problem in track and field in the US, and the positive cases therein deserve continuous investigation and attention, CHINADA said, listing several US doping scandals. 

China's state news agency Xinhua also listed five concerns and suspicions over US anti-doping work, including how to ensure fair play when the vast majority of US athletes are outside WADA's global anti-doping system, and its Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act that allows the US to impose sanctions on others, but not certain US athletes. 

According to a recent poll released by CGTN, 96.84 percent of over 15,000 respondents around the world believe that the US lacks respect for WADA while 96.25 percent strongly criticize the US for its "double standards" in doping regulation. 

The immediate cause of the US-staged anti-doping farce against China is that the US perceives China as challenging its decades-long dominance in certain sports, said the commentator. "Such thinking is in nature no different from the US suppression of Huawei's technological development and smearing of China's 'unfair competition'."

Team China has won 12 medals in swimming in Paris, double the total in Tokyo. The two gold medals in the men's 100 freestyle and men's 4x100-meter medley relay were one of the most significant breakthroughs.  

China has also won historic golds in women's singles tennis and artistic swimming, which frustrated some Americans steeped in habitual notions of superiority, as US dominance shrinks, analysts said. 

With the development of China's economy and a huge population and potential participants, more breakthroughs can be expected in fields like swimming and tennis, which require more resources and investment, said the commentator. 

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) adopted a resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization at its third plenary session held from July 15 to 18.

The plenary session made a systematic arrangement for further deepening reforms aimed at achieving high-quality development - the primary task of Chinese modernization. It reflects the principles of balancing short-term and medium-to-long-term goals, efficiency and fairness, as well as economic development and national security.

The plenary session laid out the blueprint for medium- and long-term reforms and clearly mapped out this year's economic goals. The short-term goal is to stabilize economic growth and create favorable conditions for the deepening of structural reforms. The medium- and long-term goals are to ensure the continuity of policies, providing solid support for sustained and high-quality development.

From the perspective of medium- and long-term goals, the third plenary session proposed the country complete all the reform tasks by 2029, and to finish building a high-standard socialist market economy in all respects by 2035. The implementation of this series of goals will rely on continuous efforts and policy implementation in key areas such as deepening supply-side structural reform, promoting high-quality development and building institutional mechanisms to support comprehensive innovation in China.

Regarding the short-term development goals, the plenary session emphasized the task to remain firmly committed to accomplishing the goals for this year's economic and social development, paying high attention to shoring up economic stability and economic growth at a critical time, amid the complex and rapidly evolving international environment and domestic economic transformation.

The plenary session proposed that the country strive to expand domestic demand, develop new quality productive forces in light of local conditions, move faster to foster new drivers of foreign trade growth, take solid steps toward green and low-carbon development, and do the utmost to improve people's living standards.

A high-standard socialist market economy will provide an important guarantee for Chinese modernization. The plenary session proposed the country foster a fairer and more dynamic market environment and make resource allocation as efficient and productive as possible, emphasizing the importance of fairness as a prerequisite for realizing efficiency.

In order to build a high-standard socialist market economy that balances efficiency and fairness, the plenum once again emphasized the establishment of a unified national market as an important measure. 

Against the backdrop of increasingly complex geopolitical conditions and international trade conditions, the Chinese economy is facing some challenges. Therefore, balancing development and security was one of the key themes of the plenary session. 

As to undercurrents in the world against globalization as well as the rise of trade protectionism, or restructuring of global supply chains, the plenary session proposed a strategy of expanding opening-up and deepening international cooperation - to steadily expand institutional opening-up, deepen the structural reform of foreign trade, and further reform management systems for inbound and outbound investment.

A worker at a photovoltaic panel factory in Suqian, East China's Jiangsu Province, checks solar panels for export markets on August 7, 2024. In the first half of 2024, the province's foreign trade stood at 2.68 trillion yuan ($373.19 billion), up 8.5 percent year-on-year, accounting for 12.7 percent of the national total during the period. Photo: VCG

Major stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region closed sharply lower on Monday, with Japan and South Korea seeing significant declines and triggering circuit breakers at times, amid concerns over a possible US recession and escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Despite growing global tensions, experts said that China's role as the world second-largest economy would become more pronounced, as the Chinese stock market has remained resilient and Chinese assets are undervalued, including A-shares, Hong Kong stocks and Chinese concept stocks.

On Monday, South Korea's composite index KOSPI fell by 8.77 percent to 2,441.57 points, marking the largest single-day drop on record. Japan's Nikkei 225 index declined by 12.4 percent to 31,458.42 points, marking a third consecutive day of significant losses and breaking below the 32,000-point threshold.

During Monday's session, trading in both the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices in Japan was halted briefly after triggering circuit breakers. South Korea's major indexes also set off circuit breakers, leading to a 20-minute trading halt. This was the first time since March 19, 2020, that South Korea's stock market was suspended due to circuit breakers.

Australian stocks closed down 3.7 percent on Monday, wiping more than $100 billion from the market's capitalization - the biggest fall since the pandemic lockdown era, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported.

The sell-off was largely attributed to concerns over the poor US economic performance amid heightened worries about an economic downturn, exacerbated by disappointing US nonfarm payroll data from the previous week, prompting further panic in capital markets, according to experts and media reports.

Experts attributed the steep declines to the US Federal Reserve's decision to leave interest rates unchanged, coupled with disappointing economic data, leading to a sharp drop in US stocks. Behind these movements lies a growing investor fear of a US economic recession.

The significant downturns in Japan and South Korea, triggered by the recent decline in the US market, have multiple underlying reasons, Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies of the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Monday.

"More importantly, it (the stock slump) may reflect fundamental concerns, specifically the unclear economic outlook in the US, with the recent data releases, including labor market indicators, also below expectations," Li said.

There has been speculation among traders that the Federal Reserve will step in with an emergency interest rate cut, according to media reports. However, no official confirmation has been made.

Economists at Goldman Sachs raised the likelihood of the US economy slipping into a recession within the next 12 months from 15 percent to 25 percent.

While world capital markets are bearing the brunt of the possible US economic downturn, China's A-share market is showing its resilience.

On Monday, the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges fluctuated narrowly while managing to avoid the sharp declines seen in international markets, with many blue-chip stocks rebounding, which is noteworthy.

"Despite the widespread downturn in global markets, A-shares' resilience against declines indicates that previous adjustments have been quite sufficient," Yang Delong, chief economist at Shenzhen-based First Seafront Fund, told the Global Times on Monday.

Moreover, once the European, American and Japanese stock markets begin to decline from their peaks, there may be an opportunity for a turnaround in the Chinese stock market, experts said. "Capital tends to seek new valuation opportunities, and A-shares and Hong Kong stocks are undoubtedly among these attractive valuation areas," Yang noted.

Another positive sign for the Chinese capital market was the surge of the yuan by 1,000 basis points against the US dollar in a single day on Friday, appreciating significantly to about 7.1 against the dollar.

With expectations of gradual interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, there is potential for a further appreciation of the yuan, possibly even returning to below 7.0 next year, Yang said, noting that "anticipated appreciation of the yuan could attract inflows of foreign capital, especially considering that high-quality Chinese assets are currently undervalued."

As for whether China can weather this wave of market volatility, Li said that "for China, the substantial prior declines have already alleviated much of this risk," indicating confidence in the country's ability to continue attracting foreign capital, particularly following possible US interest rate cuts. 

"As to how much it may draw in terms of foreign investment, it will also depend on domestic economic conditions and policy developments," he said.

The US-Philippines "2+2" security talks came after much double talk by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken aimed at the recent provisional arrangement between China and the Philippines, which has somewhat reduced tensions between the two countries. 

In conjunction with the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Laos, Blinken criticized alleged "escalating actions" at sea by China. However, it was the US that has created the tensions in the South China Sea, while hypocritically applauding the China-Philippines de-escalation arrangement. 

It should be noted that tensions between China and the Philippines began in early 2023, when retired US Air Force Colonel Raymond Powell, with the help of the US Office of Naval Research, conceived a "cognitive warfare" operation known as "Project Myoushu." 

The strategy enlisted Philippine maritime security and defense forces in an "assertive transparency" operation to challenge a 25-year-old practice with China banning construction materials supplies to a corroding, deliberately stranded Philippine Navy ship to boost its claim over Ren'ai Jiao.

The modus operandi was to provoke deterrent or police action from the China Coast Guard. Philippine Coast Guard vessels or privately hired ships attempted to smuggle prohibited materials or violate fish sanctuaries, which are restricted for conservation purposes. These Philippine vessels also transported Western and Filipino media to film, report, and denounce China's actions as "bullying."

Powell, the chief of the US Project Myoushu, openly admits that the aim of his operation is to exact reputational costs on China and generate international support for the Philippine cause. However, both efforts have failed. According to the State of Southeast Asia 2024 survey, compiled by the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in April, over half of Southeast Asians now prefer to align with China rather than the US. ASEAN member countries are critical of the Philippines' unilateral and disruptive activities.

The concern for Filipinos is that while the de-escalation arrangement may be holding firm at this early stage, it remains fragile as various foreign and domestic elements continue to besiege it with fake news and disinformation.

The visit of Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will be another opportunity for the US to put pressure on the Philippines to pull out of this de-escalation arrangement. 

China and the Philippines have, to some extent, restored peace and stability in the areas of the South China Sea after the two sides reached a provisional arrangement on the transportation and replenishment of humanitarian supplies to Ren'ai Jiao in order to maintain the stability of the maritime situation. The arrangement led to a "successful" resupply mission on Saturday delivering humanitarian goods such as food, water and medicines for the BRP Sierra Madre's Philippine Marines. 

The Philippines said in a statement, "No untoward incidents were reported." One of the conditions in the deal is the embargo on construction materials that may be used to rebuild the rust-corroded ship. 

Now, de-escalation is being pursued, affirming the deep desire of 95 percent of the Filipino population to devote the national energy to economic recovery instead of the imagined threat to national territory.

Will this effort of the Philippine government to normalize relations with China holds strong over the months and years ahead? The Filipino public is trying to ensure that it will. Protesters are slated to greet the arrival of Blinken and Austin with shouts of: Blinken-Austin - Get Out, Stay Out! 

China's Ministry of State Security warned those working with confidential information against using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to write confidential materials and chat groups to discuss classified content, saying that numerous cases of data leaks were caused by the use of online office programs in recent years.

In recent years, AI writing has flourished and gradually become the "pen" of many office workers. Some personnel handling classified information, in order to save time, illegally input classified materials and content into AI writing programs to generate articles, believing that they are only extracting fragments of documents and will not cause leaks, the ministry wrote in a post on WeChat on Sunday.

It warned that those people are unaware that AI programs automatically collect the information input by users for autonomous learning, and the related data can be easily stolen by foreign intelligence agencies, leading to the leakage of national secrets.

It also said that some institutions have set up "work groups" on WeChat for the convenience of communication to report and exchange work matters. However, some of those institutions have violated regulations by notifying and discussing confidential contents in these groups, adding that some had even posted content involving state secrets in the form of pictures, files, and etc. in the group chat.

The confidential information in these group chats is easily re-posted by group members and even publicly disclosed, and the scope of knowledge cannot be controlled. Foreign intelligence agencies can also obtain chat records of key work groups through network attacks, posing a great risk of leakage of confidential information, said the ministry.

The ministry also warned cloud storage software of leaking confidential documents and image recognition app leaked the original confidential documents. In order to prevent similar leakages, the ministry advised people involved in confidential matters not to handle classified information online while working remotely. It is strictly prohibited to process classified information through the internet, and it is forbidden to publish or disseminate classified information online while using office software.

"The biggest meaning of my job is to improve Timorese people's lives and bring about opportunities for them to chase their dreams," Dai Linfeng, 34, an employee at the National Power Grid Project of the China Nuclear Industry 22ND Construction Co, Ltd (CNI22) in Timor-Leste, told the Global Times.

Dai's job in Timor-Leste is to arrange, guide, and supervise the work of various departments and projects, ensuring safe and qualified construction.

He said that when he first arrived in Timor-Leste in 2022, he began to realize that "the country was economically underdeveloped, with inadequate infrastructure, and local people were living in a low standard of life."

But he was not disappointed as he knew that this is exactly why he and his predecessors came, as well as stayed here for so many years.

"We are here to make changes happen," he said.

Changes did happen. "One day, on my way to the company, I saw many local villagers gathered together watching a live soccer match on TV. It suddenly dawned on me that it was our construction of the national power grid that had enabled this happen," Dai said proudly.

China Nuclear Industry 22ND Construction Co, Ltd (CNI22), which is affiliated to the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), won the contract of the Timor-Leste national power grid project in February 2009. Seven months later, the first batch of CNI22 employees set foot on Timor-Leste's land and started their career of devoting themselves to the construction and development of the country since then.

According to Dai, the main mission of the CNI22 Timor-Leste branch is to build, operate and maintain one national dispatching center, nine substations, 603 kilometers of transmission line, and 1,407 iron towers under the national power grid project of Timor-Leste.

The project is not easy from the very first beginning given the high mountainous forests and wilderness of the island country. It is common for CNI22 engineers and constructors to be get hit by a sudden downpour during site selection. Not to mention the rugged mountain roads and the steep cliffs beside.

Now 65 Chinese employees with an average age of less than 35 are working at the CNI22 Timor-Leste company in charge of the operation and maintenance of the national power grid project.

They told the Global Times that the most difficult task is line inspection as they had to climb towers and cross rivers in the deep mountains.

"Apart from the year-round high temperatures, the terrain on the island is undulating, and it is common for us to encounter snakes, rats, insects, and ants," said Yang Huchen, director of the engineering department.

According to Yang, due to poor transportation in Timor-Leste, many places cannot be reached by trucks, thus their employees can only walk there. The communication signal in the mountains is also weak, making each line inspection feel like an adventure.

Yang clearly remembers one time when he was inspecting an iron tower near the river, the sky was clear and sunny. Just about 10 minutes later, a rainstorm suddenly hit. He and his colleagues immediately ran uphill. Not long after, when they looked back at the path they had just taken, the water, which was only at their ankles before, had risen to over a meter high, and the trees along the way had been knocked down by the flood.

It is not an exaggeration to say that CNI22 workers have brought a light to the people of Timor-Leste with their feet, and they continue to safeguard this light with their feet.

"As long as you are here, we can rest assured!" The dedication and efficient work of CNI22 youngsters have earned themselves thumbs up from local residents time and time again, which in return serves as encouragement to the young team and strengthens their resolve to continue to contribute to the development of Timor-Leste.

Apart from devoting to the construction of infrastructure of Timor-Leste, the CNI22 has also participated deeply in local people's lives after 15 years of integration. It has donated a multimedia classroom equipment to local schools, and has also been helping local people in need of help by sending them supplies like rice and milk, actively participating in public welfare activities.

"Our projects and our presence in Timor-Leste not only help promote cooperation between China and Timor-Leste toward mutual benefit, but also create a large number of opportunities for local people to improve their livelihoods and realize their dreams. This makes me feel that my work is so meaningful," Dai said.

"I would like to participate in more livelihood projects in Timor-Leste in the future, so that more local people can get benefited, I also hope that under the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Timor-Leste will continue to cooperate and bring more chances," Dai said.

China urged the US and Japan to discard their cold-war mentality and effectively reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national and collective security policies, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told the Global Times on Tuesday, in response to recent talks between senior Japanese and US officials in Tokyo on concerns over the so-called China's continued rapid expansion of nuclear arsenal.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held 2+2 talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on Sunday, according to a joint statement released by the Pentagon. 

Japanese and US defense chiefs and top diplomats met in Tokyo for talks on boosting military cooperation, including upgrading US forces command and reaffirming the US' commitment to "extended deterrence," according to a previous report.

Lin said China follows a policy of "no first use" of nuclear weapons, pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, keeps its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security, and never engages in any forms of arms race.

China has taken note of the relevant reports and expresses serious concern over recent developments, Lin said. For any country, as long as they do not use nuclear weapons against China, they will not feel threatened by China's nuclear weapons, Lin added.

"Extended deterrence" is a product of the cold war. Enhanced cooperation between the US and Japan on nuclear deterrence will stimulate regional tensions and increase the risk of nuclear proliferation and conflict, Lin said.

Lin added that Japan has long claimed to be a victim of nuclear attacks and has advocated the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free world, but in reality, it is enjoying the "nuclear umbrella" of the US, reinforcing "extended deterrence" and seeking the so-called nuclear containment power. It is necessary for the Japanese side to provide the world an explanation for its inconsistency in words and deeds.

China also advises the US and Japan to take practical actions to promote strategic stability and maintain regional peace and security.

Lin said that China urges the Japanese side to reflect on its strategic security policy, effectively fulfil its obligations as a non-nuclear-weapon country under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to abide by its commitment to the three non-nuclear principles and to refrain from pursuing nuclear weapons in any form.

In addition to the 2+2 talks and Japan-US ministerial meeting on extended deterrence, a Quad foreign ministers meeting was also held in Tokyo.

Lin also said during the regular press conference on Tuesday that disregarding China's serious concerns, Japan and the US have directly interfered in China's internal affairs on issues related to the Taiwan question, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Xizang, discredited and attacked China on sea-related issues, adopted a cold-war mentality, engaged in bloc politics and stirred up confrontation, thereby seriously undermined regional peace and stability while jeopardizing the security interests of other countries.

China firmly opposes and has made solemn representations to the Japanese side through diplomatic channels, requesting the Japanese side take an objective and rational perception of China, stop engaging in political maneuvering on China's internal affairs, stop provoking trouble on sea-related issues, stop drawing in extra-territorial countries to create division and confrontation in the region, and follow the path of peaceful development in order to gain the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community through practical actions.

China urges the US not to instigate trouble in the South China Sea or take sides on the South China Sea issue, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines said in a statement released on Wednesday in regards to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s remarks on South China Sea issue during his visit to Manila, claiming that the US and the Philippines have a shared concern about China’s “provocative actions.”

In response to Blinken’s comments, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines said in the statement that China is not the one that provoked the recent tense situation in the South China Sea, and thus the responsibility for the recent situation at sea does not lie with China. China was made to take necessary steps to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in face of infringement of our rights and interests and provocation.

We firmly oppose the groundless accusations made by Blinken regarding China’s legitimate and lawful actions in the South China Sea and his thinly veiled threat to invoke the so-called Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) obligations between the Philippines and the US, the spokesperson said.

Liu Jinsong, the Director-General of the Asian Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with Ambassador of the Philippines to China Jaime A. FlorCruz on Tuesday, to exchange views on the fundamental principles and strategic direction of China-Philippines relations.

Liu expressed serious concerns and strong dissatisfaction with the Philippine side’s recent negative statements regarding China, as well as issues related to Taiwan and the South China Sea, and conveyed China's firm stance. The Philippine envoy expressed a willingness to manage differences and promote the stabilization and improvement of bilateral relations, according to a readout on the website of China’s Foreign Ministry.

According to the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, freedom of navigation in the South China Sea has never been an issue. Under its pretext of safeguarding freedom of navigation, the US is actually seeking freedom of rampage of its warships in the region. By going out of their way and encroaching on the doorstep of China to bluff and stir up tension, US warships and military aircraft are demonstrating true hegemon. It is the US and not anyone else that’s threatening peace and stability in the South China Sea, the spokesperson added.

The US is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to interfere in the maritime issues between China and the Philippines, the spokesperson stressed, noting that the recent tension in the South China Sea would not have occurred without the US pushing the Philippines.

Indeed, the US admits to banding together a small number of countries to offer verbal support to the Philippines. The US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty is a vestige of the Cold War. The military cooperation between the US and the Philippines should not undermine China’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, the spokesperson said.

China urges the US not to instigate trouble in the South China Sea or take sides on the South China Sea issue. China remains committed to all necessary measures in firmly safeguarding our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and upholding peace and stability in the South China Sea, the spokesperson added.

During his visit to the Philippines for a trilateral cooperation mechanism of the US, Japan and the Philippines which Chinese experts believe to be a move by Washington to create an AUKUS-style clique in Asia aimed at China in the South China Sea, Blinken said that the US stands by the Philippines and stands by the ironclad defense commitments including the Mutual Defense Treaty, adding that Article IV of the treaty extends to armed attacks on the Filipino armed forces, public vessels, aircrafts, including those of its coast guard anywhere in the South China Sea. What the US is doing is to engage in intensive diplomacy so that a number of other countries have made clear statements in support of the Philippines.

A Chinese national lawmaker has called for more progress in implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, so as to be able to produce fully domestically made systems and related products and eventually gain dominance in the key emerging industry.

Huang Li, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, and chairman of Wuhan Guide Infrared Co - a high-tech firm specializing in infrared thermal imaging technology - said he has submitted a motion that focuses on supporting research and development in the BCI field at the ongoing NPC annual session in Beijing.

"The country should improve laws and regulations, break through institutional barriers, and encourage the development of fully domestically produced, independent, and controllable BCI system platforms and related products to compete for dominance in the industry," Huang told the Global Times in an interview.

BCI technology has broad application prospects in medical and healthcare fields. It can be widely used in detection and diagnosis, screening and monitoring, treatment and rehabilitation for neurological and psychiatric diseases, according to Huang.

"It is an important means to explore unknown fields of the brain, and is also one of the technological highlands that many countries are competing for," he said, adding that the technology also has broad application prospects in areas such as education, entertainment and the military.

China has begun a push to step up research and development in disruptive and frontier technologies. The Government Work Report, which was delivered to the NPC on Tuesday, said that China will vigorously advance new industrialization, make more breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, and promote the cultivation of emerging industries and future-oriented industries such as hydrogen power, new materials, biomanufacturing, commercial spaceflight, quantum technology and life sciences.

"Cultivating future industries such as BCI is a way for our country to seize the opportunities of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation," Huang said.

China has already made solid progress in the field. In the latest major development, a research team at Tsinghua University recently unveiled cases in which two paralyzed patients regained a degree of movement through wireless, minimally invasive BCIs. One of the patients, who had been paralyzed for 14 years, successfully drank water from a bottle using robotic hands for the first time.

Still, greater efforts are needed to accelerate the research and development of BCI in China, as enterprises and scientific research institutions that have mastered the core technologies in this field are mainly based in the US, Huang said.

Huang also called for a green channel for registration and approval of BCI products and a comprehensive medical-engineering platform for conducting basic research into neurotechnology and clinical applications. Another key area is the need to tackle looming ethical concerns, he said.