The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) held a splendid concert at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing on Tuesday night, celebrating its 100th anniversary.

This is the BPO's second visit to China, coming 23 years after the previous visit. The BPO's China tour was initiated by the legendary conductor Zubin Mehta, who hopes to support the orchestra's international promotion in prestigious music centers that only offer venues to the most distinguished orchestras. Mehta believes that the BPO deserves a place among the finest symphonic ensembles in the world. However, due to health issues, Mehta had to cancel his performance.

The BPO's China tour was taken over by Neeme Jarvi, a renowned conductor from Estonia. With a brilliant career spanning decades, including conducting some of the most famous orchestras and top soloists, and more than 450 recordings, Jarvi is one of the most respected conductors in the world.

"Mr Mehta could not come because of his health, so I took his place at the last minute," Jarvi told the Global Times about his China trip.

But for the experienced Jarvi, he was ready for every performance. "I have prepared for it all of my life," he told the Global Times.

Before coming to Beijing, the orchestra had performed in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, where Jarvi praised China for having a large number of well-equipped concert halls, which is something that he said Estonia needs to learn from.

"With the need for a hundred people to be accommodated, without acoustics, we need to build those halls and we need to pay attention to the culture, especially for music. We should learn from China. China is doing a wonderful thing," he said.

The BPO is the most famous symphony orchestra in Serbia, and was founded in 1923. It has collaborated with many world-renowned conductors and soloists, performing music works of various styles and periods. The orchestra enjoys a high reputation on the international stage, and has been hailed as "the musical pearl of the Balkans."

On November 18, the orchestra will perform at the Shanghai Grand Theatre, as part of the Shanghai International Music Festival.

During the tour, the BPO will share the stage with soloists and violinists including Giovanni Andrea Zanon and Huang Mengla, performing works by Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Berlioz and Beethoven.

As a Fijian proverb goes, "A bud will give birth to millions of fruit."

In November 2014, while holding a group meeting with leaders of Pacific Island Countries (PICs) in Fiji, Chinese President Xi Jinping quoted this saying.

China's exchanges and cooperation with the South Pacific region have borne fruits as diverse as the leader' footprints, greatly benefiting local people.

The South Pacific region covers a vast expanse, with as many as 16 countries, varying in size. Apart from Australia and New Zealand, the two developed countries, there are developing island countries such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

In 2014 and 2018, Xi made two visits to the South Pacific region and held meetings with leaders of PICs that have established diplomatic relations with China. Xi's visits opened new chapters in the history of China-PICs relations.

During his visit to New Zealand in November 2014, Xi first proposed that the South Pacific region is a natural extension of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative put forward by China.

Following in his footsteps, the blossoms of development have truly flourished on the islands of the Pacific Ocean.

'Magic grass' trade

At the Tadra Mushroom Farm near Nadi city in Fiji, horses are leisurely grazing in a drizzle of rain. The workers here, dressed in local-style sky-blue shirts, are talking about "magic grass."

The hybrid grass, knowing as Juncao in Chinese, can be used as a substrate for mushroom production, feed for animals, windbreaks, and used to minimize soil erosion.

Juncao technology, literally meaning fungi and grass, was invented in the 1980s by Lin Zhanxi, a professor at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in East China's Fujian Province. The technology, which uses the grass to grow fungi, has been promoted by China around the world, aiming to help increase people's income and reduce poverty.

In Tadra, using Juncao, mushrooms that are favored by local people can easily be farmed without the need for much care. Moreover, the grass can also be used to feed the horses on the farm. The mushrooms in Tadra are some of the first mushrooms that have ever been harvested in the region.

In February 2009, Xi, then vice president of China, made a transit visit to Fiji. Upon learning that Fiji was unable to produce mushrooms locally, he recommended Juncao technology to Fijian leaders.

In November of the same year, the two countries signed an agreement on China-aided Juncao technology, and subsequently, the China-Fiji Juncao Technology Cooperation Project was officially launched.

In November 2014, Xi visited Fiji and once again inquired about the progress of the Juncao Project. Since then, with the efforts and practices of Chinese and Fijian experts over more than eight years, the Fiji Juncao Technology Demonstration Center has become the largest Juncao technology demonstration base in the South Pacific region.

Fiji is not the only country, nor even the first one, in the South Pacific region that has benefited from Juncao technology.

In 2000, Xi, then governor of East China's Fujian Province, personally pushed for the demonstration projects for Juncao and upland rice technologies in the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea with aid from Fujian Province.

Many years later, Xi said he was happy to learn that the project was doing well and had produced good economic and social benefits. It has become a much-relished story in China-Papua New Guinea relations.

A successful farmer told the Global Times that Juncao and mushrooms are both straightforward to cultivate and transport. They require neither fertilizers nor pesticides, and the economic returns are 20 to 30 times greater than what they used to earn from growing cabbage.
Deepening the bond

To have a flower, you must first plant a seed.

During Xi's group meeting with PIC leaders in November 2014, the two sides agreed to establish a strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development.

The leaders of the eight island countries that had diplomatic relations with China at the time all gathered in Nadi, displaying their sincerity.

According to media reports, the First Lady of Fiji remarked, "China is like a magnet, and when you come here, Fiji is filled with honored guests."

"The relations between China and the PICs are at a new historical starting point, and we are willing to join efforts with all the island countries to seek true friendship, conduct practical cooperation and yield win-win results, and thus together realize the dream of development, prosperity and harmony," Xi noted at the group meeting, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

In November 2018, Xi paid a state visit to Papua New Guinea and had another group meeting with leaders of PICs having diplomatic ties with China, during which time China-PICs relations were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development.

Afterward, more island countries joined the ranks of cooperative development with China.

In September 2019, the Solomon Islands announced the establishment of diplomatic relations with China.

While Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare was in Beijing in July this year, Xi said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the friendly cooperation between the two countries has come from behind and has been at the forefront of China's relations with PICs, becoming a model of solidarity, cooperation, and joint development among countries of different sizes and developing countries, Xinhua reported.

"China is our good friend. China can help us achieve these development goals," Sogavare told the Global Times during his time aboard the Chinese naval hospital ship, Peace Ark, which was visiting the Solomon Islands, on August 20.

He further noted that China is a great country, and for countries like the Solomon Islands and other similar PICs, it would be "very stupid" not to increase cooperation with China and seize the development opportunities it offers.

With the assistance of China, a splendid multi-purpose sports stadium has risen in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands. This will prepare the Solomon Islands to welcome guests from all corners when the Pacific Games open in November.

In growing friendly relations with PICs, China will stay committed to equal treatment, mutual respect, win-win cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, Xi affirmed in a meeting with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape on November 2022.

According to a fact sheet on China-PICs cooperation published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in May 2022, the two sides have continued to expand exchanges and cooperation in more than 20 areas, including trade, investment, ocean affairs, environmental protection, disaster prevention and mitigation, poverty alleviation, healthcare, education and tourism.
Multiple ways to collaborate

In addition to collaborating with the less-developed island countries like the Solomon Islands, China also actively seeks cooperation with developed countries in the South Pacific region, including New Zealand and Australia.

While visiting Wellington in New Zealand in November 2014, Xi told then prime minister John Key of New Zealand that China is a very large market with a population of more than 1.3 billion. New Zealand's dairy products, wool, beef and mutton, marine products and other quality products are very popular in China.

"I hope New Zealand will earnestly guarantee the quality and safety of products exported to China so as to protect Chinese consumers' rights and interests," Xi said.

In mid-August, Global Times reporters visited New Zealand to investigate the outcomes of Xi's 2014 visit.

New Zealand is aptly known as the "land of pastures." The country's dairy industry has been at the forefront of China-New Zealand cooperation, with China being New Zealand's largest trading partner. In 2021, dairy products topped the list of New Zealand's exports to China, amounting to a staggering NZ$7.35 billion ($4.3 billion).

Simultaneously, officials from the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise told the Global Times that the country welcomes high-quality and highly productive investments from China, including those from Chinese dairy companies.

On the other side, New Zealand has also attracted numerous Chinese dairy companies to establish a presence in the country. This practice has turned out to be mutually beneficial, boosting New Zealand's economic development while fostering the long-term growth of China's dairy industry

Analysts said that China's approach toward countries with different systems and at different development stages like Australia and New Zealand reflects its sincerity. Despite being a big country that is sometimes called jokingly a "giant," China remains committed to peaceful development, the principle of common development, and the policy of promoting Asia-Pacific cooperation and development. It also sets an example and provides guidance for other countries worldwide.
Shared future

Island countries are among the most vulnerable regions to the threat of climate change.

China places a high priority on the unique challenges and concerns of island countries regarding climate change and has been helping these countries enhance their capacity to address it.

China is actively engaged in cooperation with the PICs on various levels and in various ways to improve their ability to adapt to climate change and achieve high-quality development.

Xi said during his 2014 visit to Fiji that China will support island countries dealing with climate change under the framework of South-South cooperation, provide them with materials for energy conservation and environmental protection as well as equipment for renewable energy, and carry out cooperation with them in tsunami warning, sea-level monitoring and other areas.?

China takes very seriously the PICs' special conditions and concerns on climate change, and has been committed to helping them strengthen the capacity to tackle climate change.

For instance, in April 2022, the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Cooperation Center was officially launched in East China's Shandong Province.

The center is to carry out demonstration project cooperation with PICs, share the experience in and practice of green and low-carbon development, work together to respond to the challenge of climate change and help PICs achieve sustainable development.

As of October 2022, China has allocated more than 1.2 billion yuan ($164.5 million) for South-South cooperation on climate change, signed 43 South-South cooperation documents on climate change with 38 developing countries, and trained some 2,000 officials and professional personnel specializing in climate response from over 120 developing countries, according to the Foreign Ministry of China.

In spite of international outrage, Japan on Thursday began releasing a second round of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from Fukushima. Chinese experts warned that this latest irresponsible move will not only further damage Japan’s international reputation, but also continue to eat away at Japan’s exports to China and discourage travel to Japan.

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) said it finished inspections following the initial release, which concluded on September 11, and found no reason to alter procedures. During the first round, the company said a total of 7,788 tons of treated water, stored in 10 tanks within the plant's premises, were released, according to the Japan Times.

In the second round, roughly the same amount of water is set to be released over 17 days, the utility operator confirmed. TEPCO added that the treated water is stored in over 1,000 tanks.

Overall, the dumping of the water into the Pacific Ocean is expected to take three decades to complete.

After Japan's move, a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Thursday that China's stance on Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from Fukushima has always been consistent and clear. The spokesperson emphasized, "We firmly oppose Japan's unilateral action of discharging the water into the sea."

The spokesperson also urged the Japanese government to comprehensively respond to the concerns of the international community and engage in full consultations with neighboring countries in a sincere manner, and responsibly handle the disposal of nuclear-contaminated water. The international community should promote the establishment of a long-term and effective international monitoring arrangement and ensure the active participation of relevant parties, including neighboring countries of Japan, said the spokesperson.

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said on Wednesday that Hong Kong has no plans to ease restrictions on Japanese seafood imports, reiterating the government’s opposition to Japan’s “unilateral” decision to dump wastewater from the crippled nuclear plant.

“The ball is in Japan’s court. If Japan does not change its ways, I don’t see that we are under any condition to [relax the bans],” Tse said.

China’s customs authority banned imports of all seafood from Japan starting from August 24, in response to Japan’s dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the plant.

China's seafood imports from Japan in August dived 67.6 percent from a year earlier to 149.02 million yuan ($20.44 million), after a fall of 28.5 percent in July, Kyodo News reported, citing data from Chinese customs released last month.

Japan’s seafood exports to South Korea also plunged in August, according to reports.

Japan's nuclear-contaminated wastewater dumping opened a Pandora's Box and the damage to Japan's fishery industry will worsen, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. The expert also said that if Japan continues to dump nuclear-contaminated wastewater, it will face more international condemnation potentially devastating Japan's seafood export market.

During China’s eight-day Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, which last from September 29 to October 6, long lines can be seen at most restaurants in the Chinese capital of Beijing, however, some Japanese restaurants remained empty. When a Global Times reporter visited the popular Solana shopping mall in Beijing on Wednesday, no one was dining at the two Japanese restaurants in the complex.

A waitress from one of the Japanese restaurants told the Global Times that she only received a few customers during the holidays, because “people are concerned about the nuclear-contaminated wastewater [from Japan].”

The wastewater issue is not only hitting seafood exports, Chinese tourists’ enthusiasm for traveling to the country has also taken a hit following Tokyo’s irresponsible move. Ahead of the holidays, cancellations of Chinese tours to the country had already begun, media reported last month, ahead of the holidays.

However, many Japanese media outlets began to claim that despite concerns about the dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater, Japan remained a hotspot for Chinese tourists during the holidays.

The Japan Times reported on September 29 that “Japanese airlines' flights from China to Japan are almost fully booked during an eight-day holiday that began Friday, the airlines said, despite Chinese media reports last month that Japan-bound trips had been canceled following the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.”

Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences refuted the report.

He said that the Japanese media linked various reasons behind the surge of Chinese visitors in Japan, including the fact that China resumed Japan-bound group tours, the demands for business trips and visiting family members are growing, adding that October is also when foreign students enroll in Japanese colleges.

They generalized "Chinese people traveling to Japan" as "Chinese tourists," ignoring the fact that the passengers include a large number of business people and students, and even some Japanese citizens are on these so-called "packed" flights to Japan.

Da also said these Japanese media outlets are using "tourism public opinion warfare" to muddle through and downplay their country's responsibility in wastewater dumping, as they link the "Chinese visitors to Japan" with the issue of Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea.

As US President Joe Biden is about to travel to Tel Aviv on Wednesday in a show of support to Israel as it prepares for a ground offensive in Gaza and with the aim to mitigate the expansion of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, analysts urged the US to shoulder its responsibility as a major power to act as a fair and impartial mediator and bring the two-state solution back on track.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who announced Biden's trip to Tel Aviv, described it a demonstration of "US solidarity with Israel and our ironclad commitment to its security." During the meeting with Israelis, Biden also plans to hear what Israel will need to safeguard their security, Blinken said.

Before Biden reaches Tel Aviv, several US officials including Blinken and the top US military commander in the Middle East Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, have been engaging with senior Israeli officials in the country. The military commander is looking to "gain a clear understanding of Israel's defense requirements," according to the general's headquarters.

Ding Long, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the purpose of Biden's visit to Israel is clear: Showing support to Israel, while working to prevent the conflict from escalating and spilling over to larger areas. What is worth noting is that these goals are not being worked toward out of consideration for Palestine's interests but to serve the interests of the US, he said. 

An uncontrollable Middle East means the US will have to haul the focus of its global strategy back to the region. Additionally, an escalated situation in the region will lead to skyrocketing oil prices and may exert a negative impact on the upcoming election next year, which all in all is not what the US is looking for, Ding explained. 

According to the White House, besides of meeting with Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders, Biden's trip will be followed by a stop in neighboring Jordan, where he will meet with Jordan's King Abdullah, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

Using international justice and international laws to address the Israel-Palestine conflict cannot be put into practice if the US fails to timely correct its Middle East policy and stop its one-sided support of Israel, and instead act as a fair and impartial mediator and bring the two-state solution back on track, Ding told the Global Times. 

The current round of conflict is the result of the US policy of putting the cart before the horse in the Middle East, for which the US should be held responsible. It is time for the US to reflect and correct its long-time failed Middle East policy, which has led the Middle East peace process astray, Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times.

Chinese experts urged the US to increase its promotion of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and investment in the peace process, rather than trying to normalize Arab relations with Israel while the Israeli-Palestinian issue has not been resolved.
According to Al Jazeera, 10 days of bombing Gaza has caused widespread destruction of local schools and hospitals and displaced nearly 1 million people. 
The latest news from the BBC on Tuesday showed that more than 1,300 people in Israel have been killed by Hamas since October 7 and more than 2,700 people have died in Israeli retaliatory strikes in Gaza.

Regarding the current situation, China calls for a cease-fire and an end to the fighting as soon as possible in order to prevent it from spreading indefinitely and to avoid further deterioration of the situation, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, said after the UN Security Council on Monday failed to adopt a resolution proposed by Russia that would have called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and condemnation of all violence and hostilities directed against civilians. 

Five UN Security Council members voted in favor of the draft resolution, four members voted against it, and six members abstained. The proposal must receive at least nine votes in favor for the UN to adopt a resolution, with none of its five permanent members opposing or casting a veto, according to the UN.

The Chinese envoy expressed disappointment that the UN failed to pass a resolution on the Palestinian-Israeli issue but voiced support for the UN to continue to play its role and responsibility in prompting humanitarian aid. 

Some Western countries joining hands to vote against the UN resolution has thwarted the role the UN Security Council should bear to maintain international peace and security and resolve the current crisis, Ding said, highlighting that humanitarian aid should not be politicized. 

A most urgent task is to prevent the humanitarian catastrophe from worsening, however some Western countries are still attempting to leave more space for Israel to retaliate against Hamas. Their sinister intentions will not help the ceasefire nor ease the humanitarian disaster, Ding noted. 

While addressing the ongoing?crisis, the international community must adhere to the fundamental direction of the two-state?solution, work for?broader consensus?and formulate a timetable and road map to that end, the Chinese envoy noted. 

The COP28 Presidency, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) launched a joint report today on the sidelines of the Pre-COP event in Abu Dhabi, titled “Tripling Renewable Power and Doubling Energy Efficiency by 2030: Crucial Steps Towards 1.5°C".

The report provides actionable policy recommendations for governments and the private sector on how to increase global renewable energy capacity to at least 11,000 GW while also doubling annual average energy efficiency improvements in the target period. This falls under the COP28 Presidency’s Action Agenda objective of fast-tracking a just and orderly energy transition to keep 1.5°C within reach.

The report was launched on the sidelines of Pre-COP, a meeting held in Abu Dhabi a month ahead of COP28 for countries to lay the groundwork for negotiations at the global climate summit. The report aims to help guide parties on the key enablers required to meet the energy targets.

Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President, said in the report, “Tripling the deployment of renewable power generation and doubling energy efficiency are amongst the most important levers to cut greenhouse gas emissions. I am now calling on everyone to come together, commit to common targets, and take comprehensive domestic and international action, as outlined in this report, to make our ambitions a reality.”

IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera added, “Our mission is as clear as it is urgent: We need concerted action to triple renewable power capacity by 2030. This includes urgently addressing deeply entrenched systemic barriers across infrastructure, policy and institutional capacities stemming from the fossil-fuel era. IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook, which provides the analytical foundation of this report, warns that the energy transition is dangerously off-track, demanding immediate, radical collective action. This report outlines actions governments must prioritise to fast-track the global energy transition and keep 1.5°C alive.”

Bruce Douglas, Global Renewables Alliance CEO, said, “Tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency is the most impactful commitment policymakers can make to combating climate change. These steps will deliver cleaner electricity systems, open up access to affordable energy and deliver clean green jobs for millions of people. The rapid upscaling of renewable energy will require policymakers to work hand-in-hand with industry and civil society to urgently implement the enabling actions in this report - infrastructure and system operation; policy and regulation; and supply chains, skills, and capacities. Critically, these areas must be reinforced by low-cost financing and international collaboration. Working together to secure a liveable future for all.”

The report, which draws extensively on the analysis presented in IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook 2023: 1.5°C pathway, divides the key enablers into five sections, covering:

- Infrastructure and system operation: power grids, energy storage, end-use electrification, sector coupling and infrastructure planning, demand-side management.

- Policy and regulation: improving energy efficiency, market incentives and fiscal policy, power market design and regulation, streamlining permitting, reducing negative impacts, maximising social and environmental benefits.

- Supply chain, skills, and capacities: building resilient supply chains, education, training, and capacity-building.

- Scaling-up public and private finance.

- Enhancing international collaboration.

The collaboration between the COP28 Presidency, IRENA, and the GRA reflects the growing global consensus on achieving these targets. Ahead of COP28, the Presidency and the European Commission are calling for countries to support the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, with Champion countries already committed to supporting these global targets.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict, having gone on for 17 months, seems to show no sign of letting up in a short time. Last month, a Bloomberg story shared how a 23-year-old US entrepreneur, Blake Resnick, made money through donations, and by selling his drones to Ukraine, thereby ballooning his net worth to more than $100 million.

Ukraine "has become a proving ground for startups looking to showcase their latest technologies," commented the story titled Newly rich US defense tech titans seek fresh fortunes in Ukraine.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, called Ukraine's conflict with Russia a "technology war" during a media interview in April. For the military and intelligence outfits and AI (artificial intelligence) companies in the US and its Western allies, the current situation in Ukraine not only provides a stage for their political stunts under the guise of "humanitarianism," but also provides a fertile testing ground for electronic warfare weapons, and an avenue for profiteering.  

Worryingly, their "participation" may create big challenges for Ukraine's national security and sovereignty integrity, military and technology experts warned.

With military forces and tech enterprises from the US and its allies highly involved in this conflict in the name of "supporting Ukraine," information from some of Ukraine's key areas including national defense and information networks is likely to be leaked and infiltrated, which may be a recipe for disaster for the country, Chinese military observer Wang Qiang told the Global Times.

'A lab for AI warfare'

The Russia-Ukraine crisis has transformed into a fertile testing ground for the excited military, intelligence, and defense industry giants in the US and its allies, with observers having found that numerous tech weapons and AI support systems have continuously been transported to Ukraine for use in combat, such as drones, autonomous ships, unmanned vehicles, loitering munitions, and communication and geospatial intelligence systems.

The US Defense Department stated in May 2022 that it would send $150 million of electronic jamming equipment to the frontlines in Ukraine, reported US military publication C4ISRNET on May 9, 2022.

In April that year, the Pentagon announced a potential $300-million batch of aid to Ukraine that would include communications systems and similar gear, the C4ISRNET article added.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict "is a major stepping stone toward the networked battlefield and the AI wars of the future," read the article Ukraine A Living Lab for AI Warfare, which was published in the National Defense magazine in March.

The article's co-authors were retired US major general Robin Fontes, who served as the deputy commanding general of operations at Army Cyber Command, and Jorrit Kamminga of RAIN, a knowledge platform on the intersection of defense and AI.

They stated that the conflict is "a center-stage, relentless, and unprecedented effort to fine-tune, adapt, and improve AI-enabled or AI-enhanced systems for immediate deployment." 

"That effort is paving the way for AI warfare in the future," they noted.

In the early days of the conflict, the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency reportedly sent five lightweight, high-resolution surveillance drones to the US Special Operations Command in Europe, just in case they might come in handy in Ukraine.

"The drones…weren't part of a so-called program of record at the Defense Department, hinting at the experimental nature of the conflict," read a CNN article on January 15.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict provides a comprehensive test for the military application of modern tech like AI, said Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator. 

AI has been widely used in the fields of reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, target detection, and anti-electromagnetic interference, and has been applied to lots of unmanned equipment, Song said. "It's no wonder that the US tests its AI weapons and tech through supporting Ukraine in the military conflict," he told the Global Times.

"Although the US claims that it won't get directly involved, it has actually prolonged the conflict by sending a lot of new equipment to the battlefield," noted Song.

And the US never hides its purpose of utilizing the battlefield as an equipment testing ground and reconnaissance point against Russia. Referring to the lessons learned, Jim Himes, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said that "there's a book to be written about this," according to CNN. "Everything we are seeing in Ukraine… almost certainly represents the types of threats we will see," C4ISRNET quoted lieutenant general Maria Gervais as saying in August 2022.

Obviously, by gaining practical experience in Ukraine, the US intends to utilize the data gathered, and prepare to deploy the tested technology in possible future battlefields against its major "adversaries," such as Russia and China, Song pointed out.

Controversial involvement

To some Western tech companies, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is not only a shortcut to profit but also a good testing ground for new AI technologies and products.

The longevity of the conflict allows companies to fine-tune, adapt, and improve their AI systems on the go, according to an article titled Ukraine A Living Lab for AI Warfare. 

Therefore, it's not surprising to see "the unprecedented willingness" of foreign companies, such as those in the geospatial intelligence field, to assist Ukraine "by using AI-enhanced systems to convert satellite imagery into intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance advantages," the article noted, adding that "US companies play a leading role in this."

Many US tech enterprises, including Palantir Technologies, Planet Labs, BlackSky Technology, and Maxar Technologies have provided AI-based systems to analyze trends in the conflict, or produce satellite imagery about it.

Palantir Technologies, for instance, was responsible for targeting technologies used by Ukrainian forces in such weaponry as tanks and artillery, said CEO Alex Karp. 

"…militaries without advanced targeting capabilities and algorithms are handicapped in modern warfare," Karp claimed at the Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM) event in February.

Getting involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has obviously made companies like Palantir Technologies huge profits. After Karp became the first Western CEO to visit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Ukrainian soil in June 2022, and announced that Palantir and the Ukrainian government had struck a deal, its shares reportedly jumped by 10 percent within a day. Three months later, the stock had skyrocketed by 75 percent, according to an article published on stock analysis website VectorVest in May.

However, as the US' tech companies eagerly enter the Russia-Ukraine conflict, controversies have emerged regarding their AI technologies infringing on human rights and privacy.

The US facial recognition surveillance company Clearview AI, for instance, has provided free access to Ukrainian investigators to identify the dead who perished in the war - both Russians and Ukrainians. The Ukrainian investigators then brutally and directly inform families in Russia that their children have been killed in the war.

The New York-based start-up bills itself as having "the world's largest face network" with billions of mugshots from the internet - many of them scraped from social media sites like Facebook - data which it later sells. 

Founded in 2017, Clearview AI had raised over $38 million and was valued at $130 million as of 2021. However, the software company has already been the target of multiple class-action lawsuits and joint investigations in states such as Illinois in the US, as well as in the UK and Australia, for allegedly using facial recognition data without user consent.

Faced with the deployment of Clearview AI on the battlefield in Ukraine with little resistance, the New York Times cites critics' warnings that such tech companies may be exploiting a crisis to expand with little privacy regulation, and that any mistakes made by the software or its users could have dire consequences in the war zone.

Hidden dangers to Ukraine

As technology companies shape the Russia-Ukraine conflict and claim to want to help Ukraine rebuild, these companies may "control" the most critical parts of the country - from infrastructure such as the internet to national defense in the form of satellite images, warned Scientific American, a US-based science magazine.

In the face of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US has never truly considered the national security of Ukraine and the security of its citizens' information, but rather coldly and selfishly used Ukraine as a NATO antecedent artificial testing ground from the perspective of technological evolution, Wang noted.

"From identifying and locating targets for attack on the frontlines of war, to big data analysis of popular sentiment feedback for better opinion mobilization, for the US, this testing ground is all-encompassing," Wang said.

Wang also pointed out the US might even attempt to dismember Europe through Ukraine in the future. "The US has called for the construction of such so-called joint information infrastructure network facilities, and then empowered with advance technologies, especially AI technology and big data, NATO's information warfare capabilities are enhanced, but also the US' ability to control NATO-sourced information," he said.

According to the New York Times, as early as 2021, there were more than 1,800 US law enforcement agencies that had used Clearview's product, including the Secret Service, the FBI, and other federal agencies.

Currently, whoever can seize the first opportunity to deploy AI means the party that gets to enjoy large but nearly unexplored market, which fuels the need to maintain hegemonic control by countless capitalists and countries, Wang said.

The Biden administration has stated that AI poses a threat to public safety and democracy but the government has limited authority to regulate it.

The core of US hegemony is placing itself above the security of other countries. Now, the US believes that it can do this through absolute technological leadership, so it uses all kinds of means and even appeasement to achieve such a monopoly. 

But such a monopoly will eventually bring infinite evil consequences to the US itself, according to Song.

A highly anticipated exhibition titled "Civilizations of the Great Rivers" opened at the Ningbo Museum in East China's Zhejiang Province on July 6. The exhibition showcases a total of 200 cultural relics from four major museums in Italy and 13 cultural and heritage institutions in China. 

It is co-hosted by the Ningbo Museum and the China Cultural Relics Exchange Center, with joint support from four prestigious museums in Italy - the Egyptian Museum, the Royal Museum, the Museum of Oriental Art in Turin, and the Giovanni Barracco Museum of Ancient Sculpture in Rome. 

Italian Ambassador to China Massimo Ambrosetti and the Consul General of Italy in Shanghai Tiziana D'Angelo were invited to the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

The exhibition showcases artifacts related to the Liangzhu civilization and the Erlitou culture, providing evidence of the enduring nature of the Chinese civilization over the last 5,000 years. 

The final section of the exhibition hall, dedicated to the "Silk Road," symbolically connects the rivers to the oceans to illustrate how civilizations are interlinked. This section also delves into the present-day significance of the exchange and convergence of different civilizations and the emergence of new dynamics.

This collaboration marks a new chapter in cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Italy and promotes each country's splendid civilization and rich history. 

In recent years, the city of Ningbo has achieved significant results in cooperation with its Italian sister cities, not only in the field of economic trade but also in the promotion of historical heritage, cultural and artistic research, and the exchange of expertise in the restoration of cultural relics. These achievements have become highlights of bilateral exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

After the event, the ambassador also visited the Tianyige Museum to appreciate Ningbo's long history of book collection and culture, and to witness the ancient art of book repair and preservation.

The exhibition will run until October 8, according to media reports.

The Embassy of Colombia in China celebrated the country's National Day in Beijing, on July 27. The Colombian Ambassador Sergio Cabrera attended the event and expressed his willingness to maintain cultural exchanges with China. 

Ambassador Qiu Xiaoqi, Special Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Government of China was the special guest at the event. Around 350 attendees, including representatives from diplomatic missions, party and state officials, representatives from provincial governments, and business people were also present at the event. 

Ambassador Cabrera delivered a speech at the event in which he said, "Culture, a sector to which I have been committed for all my life, is a tool for opening spaces for international dialogue. In China, our cultural agenda includes the planning of events in literature, gastronomy, plastic and visual arts, cinematography, and music."

Cabrera attended cultural and education promotion events in different cities around China in June. These included a conversation about Colombian literature and film in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality and in Beijing, he talked about the Colombian film El olvido que seremos (Forgotten We'll Be) with Colombian writer Héctor Abad. During the visit, other activities carried out with the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal People's Government included a live radio broadcast to promote Colombian music, showcasing songs from Colombia's most traditional musical genres such as Cumbia, Salsa, and Vallenato. It also included the well-known instruments such as the Caucasian flute which was the main instrument played to celebrate the friendship between Colombia and China at a concert in 2022. The ambassador also talked about Colombia's relations with China, especially with the city of Chongqing, and cooperation in education, culture, trade, and other areas.

The ambassador used an ancient and well-known proverb to demonstrate his country's friendly relations with China, says "Nothing, neither mountains nor seas, can separate peoples who share the same ideals and objectives." He said that, "China and Colombia are two nations and two peoples separated geographically but are unwaveringly united in our common goals and ideals in the pursuit of peace, harmonious development, environmental protection, and mutual benefit, and nothing can separate us." 

At the end of the event, the embassy served different Colombian cuisines such as coffee, chocolate and memorable Colombian traditional dances were also presented.

An unprecedented anti-corruption storm is currently sweeping through the field of medicine in China.

Over the last three weeks, intensive inspections have been launched in medical institutions nationwide, with tip-offs from the public and industry-related personnel increasing on social media platforms, and numerous reports of fallen officials have emerged one after another… So far, at least 20 provincial disciplinary authorities have spoken out against corruption present in the medical and pharmaceutical industries, while at least 176 hospital heads have been probed - more than double the number in 2022 - during the "most vigorous" crackdown ever seen in the healthcare industry.

Initiated by the National Health Commission (NHC), along with nine other departments, in late July, the systematic anti-corruption campaign has impressed many with its top-down rapidity, fierce momentum, and strong determination.

Why is the current anti-corruption campaign in the medical industry necessary and urgent? What are the deep-rooted problems that are a cause of distress for the public? From the bribery of pharmaceutical companies to the unaffordability of treatment for ordinary patients, how were medical costs gradually inflated? What are the blind spots within the industry and hidden means through which ill-gotten gains are laundered in this profitable industry chain?

Industry insiders, clinicians, and medical representatives reached by the Global Times pointed out that medical corruption in China has led to the exploitation of the healthcare system, ultimately causing harm to ordinary people and damaging the reputation of the national healthcare service delivery. In order to address the issue of difficulties in accessing medical services amid an aging society, large-scale anti-corruption efforts and systematic reforms are deemed necessary.

Meanwhile, many grassroots doctors and experts stressed that the actions of a corrupt few do not represent the vast majority of diligent and dedicated frontline healthcare professionals. The achievements of China's healthcare reforms in recent years cannot be erased or negated by a few cases of corruption.
Shock and awe

China's top anti-graft watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, or the CCDI, published an article on July 28, targeting opaque collaborations, bribery of officials in public hospitals, and the misuse of prescriptions for personal profit among other illegal practices.

The NHC held a press conference on Tuesday, reiterated six key areas of focus for rectification during this campaign, which include crackdown on medical institutions engaging in "kickback sales" of drugs and devices, as well as the improper use of medical insurance funds, stressing that the pharmaceutical field is the "main battleground" for safeguarding the health of the people.

Compared with previous efforts, the current round of anti-graft campaigns involves the participation of more governmental agencies, which is more far-reaching and affecting more high-powered individuals in the medical sector, pharmaceutical firms, and relevant associations, Xu Yucai, a veteran in medical reform, told the Global Times.

Rough estimates show that at least 30 "deans," "directors," and "Party chiefs" in the medical system have been investigated across various levels in hospitals over the last three weeks, and about half of them have retired. More violators are being pressured to voluntarily surrender.

A number of regions, including Beijing, Inner Mongolia, and Sichuan, have made reporting hotlines available to the public. A wave of complaints has since been received from several places and some of the country's well-known hospitals.

Insiders told the Global Times that guidelines on discipline in hospitals have intensified, as relevant inspections of key heads of department are increasing.

Amid the campaign, a slew of cancellations of medical conferences and events sponsored by pharmaceutical companies have been witnessed, which is evidence of a deterrence effect.

"Currently, the [domestic medical representatives] industry is basically in a vigilant state," a medical representative told the Global Times on condition of anonymity. "Both domestic and foreign-funded pharmaceutical companies are generally freezing their contacts with hospital and officials, and some have migrated their businesses online exclusively or are more discreet, as many in the industry are now cautious and apprehensive."

The medical representative noted that workshops and training programs in the medical sector have been largely canceled as these platforms have been found to have become a convert channel for bribery and kickbacks.

Chain of medical corruption

High medical spending has long been one of "three burdens" - along with housing and education - for Chinese citizens. In an aging society, the cost burden of managing chronic conditions plagues many senior citizens, and is a source of public complaint.

Back in the 1990s, as medical services moved toward market compliance, the government reduced investment and hospitals began to sell drugs at a mark-up to make up for shortfalls in public funding. At the same time, competition intensified among pharmaceutical companies, while corruption spaces grew gradually.

The culture of kickbacks or bribery among hospital officials and pharmaceutical enterprises across many regions in China has been a long-standing open secret.

Medical corruption may occur in the entire process, from listing, bidding, procurement, to usage and payment. Every stage involves relevant departments, hospital management personnel, clinicians, and pharmacists, Xu said.

In this chain, medical representatives are those who "thread the needle," and the senior hospital officials are the key figures who can determine the clinical usage and the quantity purchase of products from the bid winner, according to Xu.

The expert said that some kickbacks are hard to investigate as they could be disguised as sponsorship or invitations to medical conferences.

Xu, also the former deputy head of the health commission in Shanyang county, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, told the Global Times that in recent years, as previous anti-corruption moves have sealed off the traditional benefit delivery pipeline between pharmaceutical companies and medical personnel, some poorly scrutinized medical associations have turned to "academic activities" as a disguise to transfer the benefits. Bribes are thus laundered through so-called training or consultancy fees.

A doctor from a certain top-tier hospital once disclosed to the media that some academic conferences typically offer ordinary doctors a fee of 1,200 yuan ($165) per hour for lectures, 1,800 yuan for experts, and 3,000 yuan for top-level experts.

Additionally, the procurement of large medical equipment is another hotbed of corruption. In case of illegality disclosed in recent years, inappropriate high-priced medical equipments are commonly seen. In May, China's anti-corruption body exposed a hospital chief in Southwest China's Yunnan Province for receiving 16 million yuan in bribes for buying a medical accelerator worth 15 million yuan.

A practitioner surnamed Tao from the Shanghai disease control and prevention system told the Global Times that the selection of self-funded vaccines has also become a means of making money in some grassroots disease control centers.

"County-level disease control centers are allowed to select vaccines from different manufacturers on the provincial whitelist. Currently, this process lacks standard rules, and the head of the county center holds the principle decision-making power in that regard," said Tao.
Intense move for retoring confidence

To address this issue, the Chinese government has implemented several measures to crack down on corruption in the medical industry. One such initiative was the establishment of the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) in 2018, which oversees the country's healthcare system and is responsible for regulating medical expenses and combating fraud.

Xu recalled that obvious efforts have been made in medical reform since the establishment of the NHSA. The centralized pharmaceutical procurement system launched in China in 2018, for example, has reduced the prices of certain drugs, by pooling the demands of member cities and granting contracts to manufacturers with the lowest bids. These policies have played a great role in eliminating kickbacks and price manipulation.

Additionally, the government has encouraged the use of electronic payment systems to reduce cash transactions, which were often used to facilitate bribery, Xu said.

The programs have successfully reduced medical costs for patients and have, so far, helped save about 300 billion yuan in medical insurance costs and patient expenditure, the Xinhua News Agency reported in July 2022.

Furthermore, the Chinese government has strengthened its enforcement actions against corrupt practices in the medical field. Numerous high-profile cases have been investigated and prosecuted, leading to the arrest and punishment of doctors, hospital administrators, and pharmaceutical company executives involved in bribery and embezzlement.

With deepened medical and healthcare system reform, China's public healthcare system withstood the tests of the H7N9 bird flu, the Middle East respiratory syndrome, and COVID-19, as well as natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods over the last decade.

The era when pharmaceutical representatives freely prowled outpatient clinics and hospital wards is long gone. Instead, signs warning that "Pharmaceutical representatives are prohibited from entering" are now posted throughout healthcare facilities.

"Over the last decade, China hasn't remitted in its anti-corruption efforts, but corruption remains increasingly pervasive and hidden. This is why a fundamental system rebuilding and resolute crackdown are imperative as medical corruption undermines the credibility of the healthcare system and erodes social trust," Xu said.

However, while the shocking and heart-wrenching phenomenon of corruption in medical industry has aroused the indignation and condemnation of the Chinese people, a growing sentiment among the public, which is stigmatizing the entire healthcare industry and fostering a collective resentment toward medical professionals, has gone viral on the internet.

Observers and medical practitioners clarified that the recent highly publicized crackdowns do not imply widespread corruption within the healthcare system.

They stressed that corrupt individuals within the healthcare system are still a minority, and many conscientious and judicious healthcare workers also detest various forms of medical corruption.

A front-line doctor in East China's Shandong Province told the Global Times on Sunday that the vast majority of grassroots doctors are far from corrupt, as most of them, especially young doctors, always follow the principle of curing disease and saving lives first.

Clinical doctors from top-tier hospitals in China are sharing their schedules on social media, with some claiming that they work 12 hours a day and have to work overtime voluntarily at weekends, resulting in a total work duration of 80-100 hours per week.

Some clinicians are also facing pressure from research. "For those unfortunate projects that did not receive research funding, doctors have to bear the expenses of animal experiments, reagents, consumables, and labor costs. Many people even pay out of their own salaries to support research projects," said Dr. Chen Yu, an attending physician at a large top-tier hospital in Shanghai, as cited by financial media outlet Yicai.

"To fundamentally solve the problem, other supporting measures are still needed, such as raising the prices of medical services, so that medical staff and medical institutions can receive reasonable remuneration and see their true value reflected," Cai Jiangnan, an economics scholar, also executive chairman of the CHIP Academy, told the Global Times.

Cai also suggested establishing a fair system of pharmaceutical production and distribution, and improving China's ability to conduct research and manufacture innovate drugs.

Medical anti-corruption may cause "growing pains" in the short term, but it will bring long-term wellbeing and win the hearts of the people, Cai said.

Cluster munitions provided by the US arrived in Ukraine in mid-July, while controversies abound as multiple human rights groups and some US congressmen express concern over long-term harm to civilians. At least 38 human rights organizations have publicly opposed the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine, where the weapons have already been used in the war to devastating effect, the Hill reported on July 7. 

These human rights groups have urged Russia and Ukraine not to use cluster munitions - which are banned by more than 100 countries - and have asked the US not to supply them.

The Global Times contacted several organizations including Legacies of War, the US-based advocacy and educational organization working to address the impacts of the American Secret War in Laos and conflict in the neighboring countries of Cambodia and Vietnam, and Code Pink, a women-led grassroots organization working to end US wars and militarism, to hear their voices and concerns, many of which are tied to the already dark legacy of cluster munition deployment. 

Growing up in Laos, Sera Koulabdara, the CEO of Legacies of War, witnessed her father, Sith Koulabdara, operate on countless victims of cluster munition accidents, including a little girl who attended the same school as her and shaped her passion for her role today.

"I know firsthand the horrors of cluster munitions. Given Laos' own history of subjugation and foreign invasion, I deeply value freedom and respect each country's right to defend its territory. I stand firmly behind the US' commitment to help Ukrainians. However, not by sending cluster munitions," Koulabdara told the Global Times.

She called the US' decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine "short-sighted, inhumane, and shows an inability to learn lessons from its own history, and a complete disregard for international law." 

"Cluster munitions are not the 'winning weapon' but one that will prolong suffering for Ukrainians now and for decades to come," she stressed. This is a subject with which Koulabdara is familiar. 

"During my last trip to Laos in 2022, I had the opportunity to meet with and hear 64-year-old Yong Kham's story while visiting a demining site in Sepon, Laos, in fall 2022. I learned that he and his family endured the nine-year air war waged by the US from 1964-1973. Most of his childhood was spent in a muddy, foul trench or dark cave to avoid death. He was injured during one of the bombing raids by a cluster bomb. He survived it, but two of his siblings were not so lucky. Cluster munitions claimed their lives in the trench," she recalled.

"Decades later, in 2003, his eldest son, Tong Dum, was fatally killed by cluster bombs while collecting wood and scraps. His life was just getting started at the young age of 21," she continued. 

Koulabdara noted that as a result of the war, one-third of Ukrainian soil is already polluted with unexploded ordnances (UXO) and mines, and that is before Ukraine uses its vast new arsenal of cluster munitions from the US. She urged the US government to reconsider their decision, given the fact that the long-term impact of cluster munitions and other explosives will negatively affect all aspects of life for the people of Ukraine.

Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of Code Pink, said they believe that cluster munitions can result in a high civilian casualty rate, "severing the limbs of adults who, decades later, accidentally step on unexploded grenades, as well as children who picked up the small shiny bombs thinking they were toys, only to lose their hands."

"Some claim Ukraine can 'clean up' [the cluster bombs] after the war, but we have seen over and over again -  in Laos, Cambodia, Kosovo, Lebanon, and Afghanistan - how unlikely that is. There is no magic eraser," Benjamin told the Global Times. 

The co-founder of Code Pink also noted that the organization is pleased to see that 49 democrats and 98 republicans voted for an amendment to stop Biden from sending these weapons to Ukraine. "Although the amendment failed, it showed bipartisan opposition," Benjamin said.

 "There is no moral sanctity - only moral atrocity- in choosing to ship hideous weapons to Ukraine while dismissing calls from the Global South, the UN Secretary General, and the Pope to support an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations," said the co-founder. 

"While the US did not sign the treaty banning cluster munitions, it did pass a law against their transfer. President Biden's choice to bypass the law in the supposed interest of national security undermines congress' constitutional authority," Benjamin argued. 

Rather than "escalating an arms race to risk nuclear war," Code Pink believes that the Biden administration should "promote a ceasefire and negotiations without preconditions."

"Instead of breaking international law, the US should break the military stalemate by joining the global call for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. We oppose shipping cluster munitions, as well as all weapons to Ukraine because there is no military solution - only more heartache as the war escalates," said Benjamin.

The Peace in Ukraine Coalition anchored by Code Pink has been tabling, petitioning, writing op-ed pieces, taking out full page ads, and meeting with congressional staff on Capitol Hill to promote a ceasefire and diplomatic resolution.

"It is incumbent upon us to support a diplomatic resolution and not sabotage peace negotiations by sending more and more barbaric weapons, from tanks with depleted uranium, to nuclear-capable long range fighter jets to cluster bombs," warned Marcy Winograd, the coordinator of Peace in Ukraine Coalition.