Shortly after US Vice President JD Vance delivered a speech at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) on Friday local time, in which he criticized Europe on issues such as democracy and immigration, some European leaders reacted sharply, reflecting the current tensions in transatlantic relations, according to media reports. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz issued a strong rebuke on Saturday regarding Vance's attack on Europe's stance on hate speech and the far right, saying it was not right for others to tell Germany and Europe what to do, Reuters reported. 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Saturday defended European policies following Vance's remarks, saying that nobody can impose their model on Europe, according to AFP. 

Addressing the MSC, Vance said Europe's biggest challenge was not external threats, but internal democratic erosion. He accused Europe of straying from "fundamental values" shared with the US, voicing concerns over electoral policies, civil rights, and freedom of speech on the continent, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Against the backdrop of recent US tariffs on steel and aluminum, and the Trump administration's controversial stances on Gaza and Ukraine, Vance's speech was seen as a further shift in transatlantic relations, Xinhua said.

During his trip to Europe, Vance has met with the leader of Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, the Guardian reported on Friday. The move also broke a taboo in German politics as the Trump administration continues to court and promote far-right populist parties across Europe, according to the media report. 

Vance did not meet with Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor who should be among the US' key partners in negotiations on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Guardian said. 

It is clear that the Trump administration prefers to align itself with the far-right in Europe rather than support the mainstream political forces in Europe, Cui Hongjian, professor of the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Those moves significantly challenge the long-established principles and norms that have governed US-Europe relations, Dong Yifan, visiting researcher at the school of politics and public administration of Xinjiang University, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

"This has eroded the long-standing political trust between the US and Europe, undermining their perception of each other as value-based partners. As a result, tensions have increased not only in diplomacy but also in routine interactions, leading to further conflicts," Dong said. 

The BBC said in an article published on Saturday titled "JD Vance's blast at Europe ignores Ukraine and defense agenda," saying that this year's MSC was supposed to be primarily about the Ukraine crisis and Europe's defense spending. But the most senior US present "used his time at the podium to talk about neither." 

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday urged efforts to promote the healthy and high-quality development of the country's private sector, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when attending a symposium on private enterprises, where he delivered an important speech after listening to representatives of private entrepreneurs.

The private sector enjoys broad prospects and great potential on the new journey in the new era. It is a prime time for private enterprises and entrepreneurs to give full play to their capabilities, Xi said.

He urged reaching consensus and firming up confidence to promote the healthy and high-quality development of the private sector.

Huawei's Ren Zhengfei, BYD's Wang Chuanfu, New Hope's Liu Yonghao, Will Semiconductor's Yu Renrong, Unitree Robotics' Wang Xingxing, and Xiaomi's Lei Jun put forward their opinions and advice on the development of the private sector, Xinhua reported.

According to a report posted on its official Weibo account by Yuyuantantian, a social media account affiliated with CCTV, participating entrepreneurs also included Alibaba founder Jack Ma, DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng, Tencent's board chairman and CEO Ma Huateng, and CATL chairman Zeng Yuqun, among others.

Unswerving support

Xi said the Party and the country are committed to unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector and unswervingly encouraging, supporting and guiding the development of the non-public sector, Xinhua reported.

The Party and the country ensure that economic entities under all forms of ownership have equal access to factors of production in accordance with the law, compete in the market on an equal footing, and are protected by the law as equals, he said.

The new journey in the new era has provided abundant new opportunities and greater space for the development of the private sector, Xi said. He stressed that the current difficulties and challenges facing the private sector can be overcome and called for confidence in the future.

Xi urged resolutely dismantling obstacles that prevent enterprises from accessing production factors equally and competing in the market fairly, further opening the competitive areas of infrastructure to various business entities in a fair manner, and continuously making solid efforts to address the difficulties faced by private enterprises in obtaining affordable financing.

He also stressed the effective protection of the lawful rights and interests of private enterprises and entrepreneurs in accordance with the law. Private enterprises and entrepreneurs should embrace entrepreneurship and patriotism, focus on strengthening, optimizing, and expanding their businesses, and be firm contributors to building socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing Chinese modernization, Xi said.

This symposium reflects the central government's confidence in the development of the private economy and its unwavering determination to support its growth, Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Monday.

"In technological advancement, the private economy is crucial. Particularly in the fields of digital economy and artificial intelligence, it has strong innovation capabilities, making it a crucial force in enhancing China's international competitiveness in the tech sector," Li said.

"Its positive role in areas such as job creation and driving technological innovation to spur economic growth will become even more prominent," Li said.

In China's economic policymaking, policymakers and economists often use a rather apt term to describe the integral role the private sector plays in the country's social and economic development: "56789." This refers to private firms' contribution of more than 50 percent to national tax revenue, more than 60 percent to the national GDP, more than 70 percent to technological innovation achievements, more than 80 percent to urban employment, and 90 percent to the total number of enterprises in China, Xinhua previously reported.

According to the State Administration for Market Regulation, by the end of September 2024, the number of registered private enterprises nationwide exceeded 55 million, with private enterprises accounting for 92.3 percent of the total number of enterprises.

Great opportunities

Galaxy Space's founder and CEO Xu Ming was among participants of Monday's symposium, according to official account of Information Office of Wuxi municipal government. Xu told the Global Times on Monday that he was deeply honored to be invited to attend the symposium.

As a representative of private commercial aerospace enterprises, Xu said that he deeply felt President Xi's high regard for the development of private enterprises and technological innovation. "Our confidence in the future of private enterprises has been greatly enhanced, and we are more determined than ever in our commitment to technological innovation and self-reliance," Xu said, adding that he feels the private economy is ushering in new opportunities with great potential ahead. 

"This symposium will further boost market confidence and emphasize the significant role that private enterprises play in the national economy, while also providing guidance for the future development of the private economy," Hu Qimu, deputy secretary-general of the digital-real economies integration Forum 50, told the Global Times on Monday.

Private enterprises are playing an increasingly active and important role in areas such as job creation and technological innovation, Hu said, giving examples of DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics - both have sparked intensive discussion, which Hu said highlights the strong innovative vitality of private enterprises. 

With the important messages from the symposium, private enterprises should seize this important opportunity and continue to explore new areas for growth, Hu said.

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traded accusations after high-level talks between Russia and the US in Saudi Arabia, with Trump saying Ukraine "should have never started" the conflict and that Ukraine "could have made a deal earlier," while Zelensky hit back by saying Trump is trapped in a "disinformation bubble" and that Ukraine is not for sale.

The talks between Moscow and Washington, along with remarks from Trump, suggest that resolving the Ukraine crisis is not the primary concern of the US. Instead, it appears that the US intends to leverage the situation to fix ties with Russia and extricate itself from the conflict in order to redirect its focus. In this context, Ukraine and Europe may find themselves compelled to accept a deal between Russia and the US, potentially exacerbating divergences between the US and its European allies, according to Chinese experts. 

Zelensky said he postponed a visit to Saudi Arabia planned for Wednesday until next month. Sources said the decision was made to avoid giving "legitimacy" to the US-Russia talks, which were held in the Middle East country on Tuesday, Reuters reported. 

Kiev says talks on how to end the war should not be held behind Ukraine's back, while Russia hardened its demands, notably insisting it would not tolerate the NATO alliance granting membership for Ukraine, per Reuters. 

Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence, Trump was asked by the BBC what his message was to Ukrainians who might feel betrayed by the high-level talks between US and Russia. 

"I hear that they're upset about not having a seat, well, they've had a seat for three years and a long time before that. This could have been settled very easily," he said.

"You should have never started it. You could have made a deal," he later added.

Zelensky hit back at Donald Trump's accusation overnight that Ukraine started its war with Russia, saying that the American president is trapped in a "disinformation bubble" and adding that his country was not for sale, CNBC News reported. 

Attempt to fix ties

And "in his most hostile comments toward the Ukrainian leader yet," Trump voiced yet another of President Vladimir Putin's talking points — that it was time for an election in Ukraine — in an apparent bid to begin the process of pushing Zelensky aside, CNN reported.

Cui Hongjian, professor of the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said the high-level talks between Moscow and Washington, as well as Trump's subsequent comments tell us that for the US, the paramount goal at the current stage is to quickly repair its relationship with Russia. 

Cui said that ending the crisis is merely a way for the US to signal goodwill toward Russia, and for Washington, easing relations with Moscow can help it shift its focus to the Asia-Pacific region. 

It seems that the US is seeking ways to swiftly negotiate an end to the Ukraine crisis while sidelining both Europe and Ukraine, as their inclusion could complicate the negotiation process, said Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He told the Global Times that, following such a deal, the US is likely to exert pressure on both Europe and Ukraine to accept the terms.

On Tuesday, the Russia-US talks in Riyadh lasted 4.5 hours. Russia was represented at the meeting by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presidential aide Yury Ushakov and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) head Kirill Dmitriev. The US was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and the US leader's special envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff.

After the meeting in Riyadh, Trump said he was "much more confident." "They were very good," he said. "Russia wants to do something. They want to stop the savage barbarianism."

Putin hailed the results of the Russia-US talks in Saudi Arabia's capital on Tuesday, RT reported on Wednesday night. The meeting was "the first step" in restoring joint work with the US in a variety of areas ranging from strategic stability and arms control to the resolution of the Ukraine conflict and the crisis in the Middle East, according to the report.

Putin also welcomed what he described as positive changes in Washington's attitude towards working with Moscow. The atmosphere of the talks was "very friendly," Putin said, adding that the US is represented by "absolutely different people, who are open for talks without any prejudices… and committed to joint work."

The US and Russia have also reportedly agreed in high-level talks Tuesday to re-establish embassy staffing and that Washington would create a high-level team to work on a path to ending the war in Ukraine, CNN reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump could meet as early as this month, although a face-to-face meeting will take time to prepare, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, Reuters quoted Russian news agencies as saying. 

"In order to carry out, figuratively speaking, resuscitation measures, diplomats will now begin to work in light of the agreement Lavrov reached yesterday with Rubio," Peskov was quoted by state media as saying. "But this is the first step... Naturally, it's impossible to fix everything in one day or a week. There is a long way to go," he added.

The Ukraine crisis has dragged on and has continued to escalate for nearly three years. Recently, the pursuit of dialogue and negotiation has gained momentum. Since the start of the crisis, China has been calling for a political settlement and pushing for peace talks. China supports all efforts conducive to peace, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the United Nations Security Council High-Level Meeting on Tuesday. 

Cui suggested that these details indicate that the high-level meeting between the US and Russia is not likely to have an immediate impact on reaching a deal. "It depends on how the US will utilize these 'negotiation results' to convince Europe and Ukraine to collaborate with it in the subsequent process. Moreover, Russia will also adjust its stance at any time in accordance with the evolution of the situation."

Europe left with no choice

After participating in the high-level talks with Russia, Rubio spoke by phone with his European counterparts on Tuesday. According to a statement from State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, Rubio briefed the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the UK, along with the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs following the talks with Russia on ending the Ukraine crisis.

The European Union agreed on Wednesday to impose a fresh round of sanctions against Russia, media reported.

The decision was made after Rubio suggested that Europe would eventually be called to the negotiating table to discuss sanctions relief for the Kremlin. "There are other parties that have sanctions, the European Union is going to have to be at the table at some point because they have sanctions as well that have been imposed," Rubio said on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia.

Jiang Feng, a professor of European Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, said that currently, "Europe is left without a choice. Abandoning support for Ukraine would mean surrendering on all fronts, and there is no need to talk about strategic independence, so Europe sees the outcome of the Ukraine crisis from a strategic and life-and-death perspective," Jiang said. 

France plans to a host a second meeting to discuss Ukraine and European security on Wednesday, but has this time invited European countries not present earlier this week and NATO ally Canada, diplomatic sources told the Reuters on Tuesday.

 To date, Europe has bound its own fate too closely to that of Ukraine, making it extremely difficult to take a step back. It relied too heavily and for too long under military protection from NATO, which is led by the US, Jiang said. 

Jiang said that if Europe and Ukraine are locked out of negotiating a deal on the crisis, it will be forced to accept a deal between Russia and US, at least in the initial stage. When that happens, the relationship between Europe and the US will face a very severe test.

As the rotating chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China is willing to work with Russia and other member states to usher in a new phase of SCO featuring higher-quality development and greater responsibility, said Chinese President Xi Jinping when talking with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video meeting on Tuesday.

Xi also called on the two countries to jointly advance greater BRICS cooperation and write a new chapter of unity and self-improvement for the Global South.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday held a phone talk with Celso Amorim, special advisor to the president of Brazil.

During the phone call, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that last November, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a successful state visit to Brazil, during which the two heads of state held a historic meeting that achieved a series of landmark outcomes, drawing a grand blueprint for the development of bilateral relations in the next stage.

Both sides should fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and advance key areas of cooperation under the framework of aligning their development strategies, and continuously enrich the contemporary significance and strategic connotation of the China-Brazil community with a shared future, Wang said.

As the BRICS family continues to expand, China supports Brazil in assuming the BRICS presidency this year and pushing for new achievements in greater BRICS cooperation, Wang said. China supports Brazil in hosting the UN climate change conference, he added.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum, and China is ready to work with Brazil and other countries to build a China-Latin America community with a shared future, Wang said.

Noting that the Ukraine crisis has been going on for nearly three years, Wang said that the "six-point consensus" jointly issued by China and Brazil on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and the establishment of the "Friends of Peace" platform on the Ukraine crisis are to gather consensus from the Global South and create an atmosphere and accumulate conditions for the realization of peace talks.

For his part, Amorim said that President Xi's state visit to Brazil last year was very successful, and that the important consensus reached by the two heads of state set a clear direction for the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries.

Amorim expressed his hope that the two sides will step up the implementation of the results of the visit and work together to build a Brazil-China community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet.

Brazil attaches great importance to the China-CELAC Forum and is willing to strengthen coordination with China to successfully run this year's forum, said Amorim.

Noting that the "six-point consensus" reached by Brazil and China on the Ukraine crisis is of great significance, Amorim said that the two sides should seize the opportunity to further leverage the role of the "Friends of Peace" platform.

President Xi Jinping has extended Spring Festival greetings to Chinese people of all ethnic groups, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese during an inspection trip to the northeastern province of Liaoning from Wednesday to Friday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, wished all Chinese people happiness and health, and the country peace and prosperity in the upcoming Year of the Snake.

The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on Jan. 29 this year. It is the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar and an occasion for family reunions.

For more than a decade, Xi, as the Party and the state's top leader, has made it a tradition to spend time with ordinary people, especially those in difficulties, during the holiday season.

On Wednesday afternoon, Xi made his first stop at Zhujiagou Village, administered by the city of Huludao. Having suffered severe flooding in August last year, the village launched post-disaster reconstruction and 41 affected households moved into new residences before the start of winter.

At the entrance to the village, Xi looked at the affected areas, asking in detail about the summer flooding and the relocation of villagers at that time, as well as the subsequent relief work. He urged local officials to ensure the villagers stay warm throughout the winter.

During visits to two village households, the president inspected the structural integrity of their homes, checked their preparations for holiday celebrations, and asked whether government subsidies for rebuilding had been adequately provided. He also inquired about the villagers' main sources of income.

Noting that natural disasters had hit a number of regions across China during the past year, Xi said: "As the Spring Festival draws near, on behalf of the Party Central Committee, I extend sincere regards and festive greetings to all those affected and those working on the frontlines of post-disaster reconstruction!"
On Thursday morning, Xi went to the provincial capital Shenyang, where he talked with merchants and customers at a food market to learn about the market supply during the holiday season.

He later visited a residential community in Shenyang, and acknowledged the significant improvements in living conditions following a general revamping there.

At the community service center, Xi joined residents who were writing Spring Festival couplets, while children were tying Chinese knots that symbolize auspiciousness. He also enjoyed a Chinese bamboo flute performance, encouraging the performers to further promote fine traditional Chinese culture.

Before leaving, Xi waved to the crowd and extended festive greetings. "Having a good Spring Festival means a great start to the new year," he told the residents.

MODERNIZATION, REVITALIZATION

Inspecting a cold rolling mill of Bensteel Group in the city of Benxi on Thursday afternoon, Xi said that the manufacturing sector should keep pursuing higher-standard, smarter, and more eco-friendly development, and make more technology-intensive products with higher added value.
After listening to the work report from local officials of Liaoning on Friday morning, Xi urged the province, which already has a relatively complete industrial system, to accelerate the modernization of this system.

Traditional industries should strengthen industrial foundation reengineering and seek breakthroughs on major technologies and equipment to continuously boost core competitiveness, he said, while also highlighting the importance of ecological protection.

The full revitalization of Northeast China relies fundamentally on reform and opening up, and more efforts should be made to strengthen the rule of law in government operations and optimize the business environment, Xi added, urging officials to improve their capabilities and performance in line with the country's further opening up.

Noting that Liaoning is rich in agricultural resources and has a solid foundation for development, Xi said the province should adhere to the integrated development of urban and rural areas.

He also stressed enhancing cultural confidence and strength, unswervingly upholding the leadership of the Party and exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance.

Xi urged more efforts to care for disadvantaged groups, ensure smooth transportation, provide sufficient market supplies, enrich people's cultural life, and strengthen workplace safety during the holiday season.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour.