The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region section of the Hepu-Zhanjiang High-Speed Railway began construction on Sunday. Upon its completion, it will become a convenient and fast channel to the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone, Pearl River Delta and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), according to China Central Television (CCTV) on Sunday.

The Hepu-Zhanjiang High-Speed Railway is 139.33 kilometers long, designed for a speed of 350 kilometer per hour, with the Beihai section in Guangxi spanning 62.68 kilometers, CCTV reported.

Once completed, the railway will boost ties between the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone, the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta strengthen east-west cooperation in Guangxi, support integration into new development patterns, and enhance its role as a strategic hub for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA and "dual-circulation" development pattern, according to the report. 

Also, the Longmen Bridge in Guangxi, the longest sea-crossing bridge in the region, opened to traffic that same day, the Xinhua News Agency reported. After opening, the travel time between Fangchenggang Port and Qinzhou Port has been reduced from 1.5 hours to approximately 25 minutes.

Spanning a total length of 7.637 kilometers, the Longmen Bridge boasts a first-class, six-lane highway and a design speed of 100 kilometers per hour.

Besides the bridge, the opening of the Nanning-Yulin section of the Nanning-Zhuhai High-Speed Railway on Monday also marks Yulin's entry into the high-speed rail era. The fastest rail travel time between Nanning and Yulin has been reduced from one hour and 44 minutes to just 48 minutes, injecting new momentum into regional economic and social development, according to the People's Daily.

The Nanning-Zhuhai High-Speed Railway stretches from Nanning, Guangxi in the west to Zhuhai, Guangdong in the east, covering a total length of approximately 648 kilometers with a design speed of 350 kilometers an hour. The newly opened Nanning-Yulin section begins from Nanning East Station and ends at Yulin North Station, spanning a total of 193 kilometers.

Holding significant importance in the regional railway network, this section is a vital part of the rapid passenger transportation corridor connecting the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA.

Upon operation, the project will further improve the regional rail network layout, greatly enhance travel convenience for residents along the route, and play a crucial role in promoting regional economic and social development, strengthening connectivity, and driving high-quality development in the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone.

As the only region in western China directly bordering the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA and connected to it through land, sea, and river channels, Guangxi is leveraging its role as a "strategic hinterland" to accelerate integration with the GBA, according to Xinhua.

The US has long illegally occupied part of Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, engaging in arbitrary detention and torture at Guantanamo prison, violating international law and harming Cuba's sovereignty, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Friday regarding recent US detainee transfers out of Guantanamo prison.

The international community, including the United Nations, has repeatedly expressed concern over this issue, calling for the US to close Guantanamo prison and provide justice to the detainees. The US has repeatedly gone back on its word regarding the closure of this American-style concentration camp, further eroding the US' proclaimed standards of human rights, the spokesperson said.

The US has moved detainees from the military prison at Guantanamo Bay to Kenya and Malaysia, the Pentagon announced this week, CNN reported. 

There are 29 prisoners still detained at Guantánamo Bay, according to US Department of Defense.

Lin further stated that Guantanamo prison is a long-standing wound for Cuba and concrete evidence of over a century of illegal US interference in Cuba. While arbitrarily detaining individuals at Guantanamo, it also places Cuba on its so-called "state sponsors of terrorism" list. The international community clearly sees the hypocrisy of this double standard.

China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity, and opposes US interference in Cuba's internal affairs, Lin added, urging the US to end its illegal occupation, lift its blockade, close Guantanamo prison, withdraw from the base, return the land to Cuba, and remove Cuba from its "state sponsors of terrorism" list.

China's top legislature on Saturday started a regular session to review a raft of bills including law drafts and reports.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presided over the first plenary meeting of the committee's 13th session.

Lawmakers reviewed a draft value-added tax law, a draft national park law, a draft law on the publicity and education regarding the rule of law, a draft private sector promotion law, and a draft hazardous chemicals safety law.

They deliberated a draft amendment to the law on people's congress deputies, a draft amendment to the supervision law, a draft revision to science and technology popularization law, a draft revision to the anti-unfair competition law, and a draft revision to the fisheries law.

Lawmakers also reviewed a draft decision on convening the third session of the 14th NPC, reports on the handling of the suggestions, criticisms and comments submitted by lawmakers at the second session of the 14th NPC, a deputy qualification report, and personnel-related bills, among others.

Du Zhaocai, former deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China and former Party secretary of the Chinese Football Association, was on Friday sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined 4 million yuan ($550,000) for accepting bribes worth over 43 million yuan.

The Wuhan Intermediate People's Court in Central China's Hubei Province publicly sentenced Du, in a first-instance trial for accepting bribes on Friday, according to the CCTV news.

The Wuhan Intermediate People's Court found that the defendant, Du Zhaocai, had committed the crime of accepting bribes, with an amount that was particularly large, and should be punished according to the law.

Du used his position to seek improper benefits for football clubs in matters such as relocating home stadiums and player transfers, severely disrupting the fair competition order and industry environment in the football field. He also sought job promotions and adjustments for others, which warranted a heavier sentence.

Given that he truthfully confessed his crimes after being taken into custody and proactively disclosed parts of his bribery activities that had not been previously known to the supervision authorities, and considering that there were attempted bribery incidents in his case, as well as his remorse and active return of illicit funds, with all bribe money, property, and derived income having been recovered, the court decided to impose a lighter sentence.

During the trial, the prosecution presented relevant evidence, and the defendant Du and his defense lawyer cross-examined it.

Both the prosecution and defense fully expressed their opinions under the court's guidance. Du made a final statement, admitting his guilt and expressing remorse.

We are currently in one of the most perilous periods since the Cold War, and China plays a pivotal role in global power dynamics, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy rear admiral Yang Yi said on Saturday at the Global Times Annual Conference 2025. 

Yang made the remarks in a session on "Exploring the Ways of Interaction Among Major Powers: Differences and Consensus" of the conference under the theme "Moving forward in Partnership: Resonance of Values between China and the World."

Yang said that geopolitical blocs worldwide face instability, with numerous conflicts and the risks of getting out of control. In this context, humanity has indeed reached a crossroads. The three China-proposed initiatives, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, highlight China's actions and vision. 

Regarding the interactions between China and the US, Yang believes that China-US relations are very complex, characterized by strategic structure, irreversibility, long term, and interactive effects. 

China's development aims to enhance domestic well-being while contributing to the world. However, some people in the US view China as a challenger and seek to contain China. The fundamental strategy of the US does not allow the development of countries with potential. Although China advocates for cooperation based on common interests, the US's containment strategy against China remains unlikely to change, he said. 

In this situation, China should focus on its own development, pursuing the best outcomes while preparing for the worst, to foster healthy China-US relations and making more contributions to the world, Yang noted. 

The pair of giant pandas Xingqiu and Yilan arrived in Adelaide, South Australia, on Sunday morning, marking the start of a new phase in China-Australia panda conservation efforts.

The two giant pandas departed Southwest China's Sichuan Province for Australia on Saturday afternoon. Their trip was around 11 hours across approximately 8,800 kilometers, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Xingqiu, a four-year-old male, and Yilan, a three-year-old female, both from the Dujiangyan base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, are set to settle at Adelaide Zoo for the next decade.

Li Dong, Chinese consul-general in Adelaide, said on Saturday that Chinese culture values that "joy alone is not as good as joy among all," and China is eager to share its love for giant pandas with Australia, Xinhua reported.

The pair of pandas will stay in the Bamboo Forest exhibit at Adelaide Zoo and be introduced to the public after a brief quarantine, according to a statement sent by the Adelaide Zoo to the Global Times on Sunday.

We've been in constant communication with our Chinese counterparts and after lots of discussion and careful consideration, Xing Qiu and Yi Lan were chosen as the best fit for Adelaide Zoo, it said.

The statement also noted that Xing Qiu and Yi Lan are both young pandas and were chosen with not only their ability to adapt to the Adelaide environment in mind but also their suitability as a breeding pair when they are older.

In a statement, Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said the federal government was proud to partner with the SA government and Zoos SA (which runs Adelaide Zoo) to make the pandas' arrival possible, according to Australian media ABC.

"I am looking forward to welcoming Xing Qiu and Yi Lan to Adelaide, and visiting the Adelaide Zoo with my daughters early next year, once the pandas are out of quarantine," Wong said, according to ABC.

The only pair of giant pandas in Australia, Wang Wang and Fu Ni, returned to China from Adelaide Zoo in November.

Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said at a farewell reception for the pandas that over the past 15 years, China and Australia had achieved significant progress in panda conservation, disease prevention, and healthcare.

"We appreciate the fact that these national treasures of China say a lot about the friendship and relationships that exist between Australia and China, which are incredibly important," Dr Phil Ainsley, director of the Adelaide zoo, told the Global Times during a previous interview.

Major turmoil in the South China Sea is unlikely to occur in the near term, and China has the capability to maintain peace and stability in the region. However, certain countries should not harbor any illusions, as China will respond decisively to actions that infringe upon its rights and claims, Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, told the Global Times during the 2024 Symposium on International Maritime Dispute Settlement and International Law held in Beijing on Monday.

The senior maritime expert believes that year 2024 marked a turning point for security situation in the South China Sea. "Since the illegal ruling of the 2016 arbitration, China has taken a series of measures to stabilize the situation and stabilize relations between China and the claimant countries. However, in 2024, the trend toward stabilization in the South China Sea has to some extent been reversed. This is evident from the frequent provocations by the Philippines around Huangyan Dao and Ren’ai Jiao. He added that in the future, this situation may continue, however, major turmoil in the South China Sea is unlikely to occur in the near term, and China has the capability to maintain peace and stability in the region.

The Philippines passed two laws – the Philippine Maritime Zones (PMZ) Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes (PASL) Act – on November 8, in an attempt to solidify the illegal ruling of the 2016 arbitration case through domestic legislation, illegally including China's Huangyan Dao and most of the islands and reefs in the Nansha Islands and their related waters in its maritime zones.

In a countermeasure response, China on November 10 released the baselines of the territorial sea adjacent to Huangyan Dao, and the China Coast Guard (CCG) has stated it will continuously strengthen patrols and law enforcement in the territorial waters of Huangyan Dao and related maritime areas.

China also deposited to the UN the Statement on the Baselines of the Territorial Sea Adjacent to Huangyan Dao and the Chart on December 3.

"If the Philippines undertakes further provocative actions at Ren’ai Jiao in 2025, the possibility cannot be ruled out that China may take measures such as removing the Philippine military vessel that has been illegally 'grounded' there for decades," said Wu. He emphasized that certain countries should not harbor any illusions, as China will undoubtedly take action against any infringement of its rights and claims.

Wu believed that there will be a “window period” for joint development and exploration in the South China Sea among surrounding countries in 2025. Wu noted that in 2024, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and other countries mentioned in their joint statements the intention to engage in joint development at sea.

The joint statement between China and Vietnam issued on October 14 mentioned to promote consultations on maritime joint development and to make substantial progress in the delimitation of maritime areas outside the Beibu Gulf, actively advancing cooperation in low-sensitivity maritime areas and enhancing maritime search and rescue cooperation.

On November 9, China and Indonesia issued a joint statement, according to which, the two sides reached important common understanding on joint development in areas of overlapping claims.

“This is a very important sign, especially regarding the content of joint development in maritime areas with overlapping claims in the China-Indonesia joint statement. Maritime joint development cooperation is crucial for all parties involved, as the disputes in maritime areas with overlapping claims in the South China Sea are extensive and involve multiple countries, making it difficult to resolve all disputes in a short time, or even in coming generations. Countries will certainly have to return to the path of cooperation; it is only a matter of time. If China and Indonesia, as well as China and Vietnam, can ultimately bring about cases of joint maritime cooperation and development, it will have a very positive demonstration effect,” Wu said.

Wu said he has just returned from the US after attending an exchange meeting. He told Global Times reporters that several American scholars believe that the US will not "scale back" its offensive against China regarding the South China Sea issue in 2025.

"Previous analyses suggested that in 2025, US pressure on China will focus more on economic and trade issues, while actions on the South China Sea issue would weaken. However, American scholars I met with generally disagree with this view. The US will not change its direction of exploiting the South China Sea issue to contain and suppress China; it will not allow the outside world to perceive a weakening of the US-Philippines alliance. The only uncertainty is whether it will adopt new means and methods,” Wu said. He added that China must prepare to respond in all aspects to face the unpredictability of the future.

The US insisted on arranging Lai's "transit" to offer platform for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, seriously violating the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués, undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and sending a seriously wrong signal to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. China strongly protests this and has lodged a stern representation with the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference on Friday.

Taiwan regional Leader Lai Ching-te is reportedly completing "transiting" through Hawaii and Guam and is scheduled to return to the island on Friday.

Lin said the Taiwan question is the primary, non-negotiable red line in China-US relations. The actions of "Taiwan independence" are incompatible with peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.

China urges the US to adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués, honor US leaders' commitments not to support "Taiwan independence," cease official exchanges between the US and the island of Taiwan, stop hollowing out or undermining the one-China principle, and cease any form of support or tolerance for "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and their activities and take concrete actions to stabilize China-US relations and maintain peace in the Taiwan Straits, said the spokesperson.

Any attempt to rely on the US for "independence" will hit a wall, and any efforts to use Taiwan island to contain China are bound to fail, Lin said.

In response to another inquiry on whether the mainland is planning to conduct more military exercises surrounding Taiwan island as Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te has completed "transiting" through Hawaii and Guam, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and the foremost, non-negotiable red line in China-US relations. China's determination to defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering.

Previously some Taiwan local media claimed that the mainland military is poised to "encircle Taiwan proper in military exercise 'Joint Sword-2024C,'" as Lai returns from his visit to "diplomatic allies" in the Pacific via "transit" through Hawaii and Guam.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Palau on Friday, Lai claimed that the two sides of the Taiwan Straits are "not subordinate to each other," which Lin also refuted on Friday, saying that the separatist activities of the "Taiwan independence" forces and the connivance and support from external forces are the greatest threats to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.

Lai and the DPP authorities have consistently used various pretexts to promote "Taiwan independence" separatism. Regardless of what they say or do, they cannot change the fact that Taiwan is a part of China, nor can they stop the historical trend that China will be and must be reunified. The attempt to rely on external forces for independence is doomed to fail, Lin said.

Also on Friday, Lai claimed that he is confident in deepening cooperation with the next Trump administration in the US. The day before, he had a phone call with US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson.

In response, Lin said that China has repeatedly stated its firm position on this matter. We urge the US to recognize the "Taiwan independence" separatist nature of Lai Ching-te and the DPP authorities, and the serious harm that "Taiwan independence" separatist actions pose to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.

The US should adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués, stop interfering in Taiwan affairs, stop meddling in China's internal affairs, and cease supporting or conniving "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, said Lin.

In response to UNESCO on Wednesday inscribing Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of traditional new year, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian congratulated China on this achievement on Thursday.

Lin stated that the Spring Festival is the oldest and most important traditional holiday in Chinese culture, a time for bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, as well as for family reunions. Familiar customs such as writing Spring Festival couplets, making dumplings, and dragon and lion dances embody the values of peace, harmony, and unity in Chinese civilization. These customs are not only part of China's heritage but also belong to the world.

Lin also mentioned that nearly 20 countries worldwide recognize the Lunar New Year as a public holiday, with about one-fifth of the global population celebrating the festival in various ways. Furthermore, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly officially designated the Lunar New Year as a UN holiday last year.

"In just a month and a half, we will be celebrating the Spring Festival of the Lunar Year of the Snake," Lin Jian said. "We warmly welcome journalists and friends from all over the world to come to China and experience the rich and vibrant Spring Festival culture. We also sincerely hope for the resolution of conflicts around the world, harmonious coexistence of different civilizations, and closer bonds between people of all nations, so that we can all celebrate the Spring Festival together and share in its joy."

The listing of the Spring Festival as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is an acknowledgment of not only its Chinese roots but also the ideas it carries that connect all humanity.

China has made clear solemn position on the G7's erroneous remarks related to China, and given that the G7 members say they seek constructive and stable relations with China and stand ready to cooperate with China to address global challenges, they should champion the spirit of mutual trust, equality and mutual benefit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

Mao made the remarks in response to the G7 foreign ministers' meeting statement, which proposed seeking constructive and stable relations with China, cooperating with China to address global challenges, while demanding that China cease supporting Russia's defense industry, hyping up the so-called Chinese overcapacity issue, and making wrongful comments on issues related to the East China Sea, South China Sea, and China's Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang, and Hong Kong.

Mao said China has been objective and just on the Ukraine crisis and actively promoted talks for peace, and China has never provided weapons to parties to the conflict and strictly controls the export of dual-use articles, even drones for civilian use, and opposes using civilian drones for military purposes. Meanwhile, normal economic ties and trade between China and Russia should not be disrupted or coerced by any third party.

Mao also said the so-called allegation of China's overcapacity has been proved a false one by a large number of informative facts and statistics. "We hope relevant countries will keep an open mind and pursue fair competition," Mao said.

The spokesperson noted that China's position on issues related to the East China Sea, the South China Sea, Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong is consistent and clear-cut. "We firmly oppose the G7 undermining China's sovereignty and interfering in China's internal affairs. We urge G7 countries to abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms governing international relations and look after their own affairs."

"As we speak, changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace in our world and international peace and development are facing unprecedented challenges. As a responsible major country, China always upholds fairness and justice, pursues openness and inclusiveness and brings benefits to the world through its development," Mao noted.

We hope the G7 countries will stop being indulged in geopolitical games, discard the narrow zero-sum mindset and make concrete contributions to international solidarity and cooperation, Mao said.