China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) disclosed 10 spy cases reported by members of the public on Monday, also the ninth National Security Education Day, via a film documentary to show the efforts that national security officers and the people have worked together to defend national security since the overall national security outlook was proposed a decade ago.
The ministry encouraged citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities that may pose a threat to national security. The public should prioritize national security and report any suspicious behavior without fear and their actions should be commended and widely praised, the MSS said.
A total of 86 individuals have been awarded by the country's national security agencies this spring. Among them, 15 individuals received awards for significant contributions, while 71 individuals received awards for important contributions, the ministry said. One of them discovered significant foreign espionage activities targeting the country's military infrastructures, while others reported important clues related to violence and terrorism or reported major security potential risks.
In a case, in October 2021, Chen met his long-lost fellow villager Zhao at a friend's gathering. Afterwards, Zhao continually invited Chen to high-end venues and asked Chen to provide his bank account details to receive Zhao's overseas remittance, promising Chen a generous reward.
Later Chen realized that Zhao was selling classified documents overseas, posing a threat to national security. Chen decided to persuade Zhao to turn himself in. However, Zhao not only refused to listen but also tried to bribe Chen with more money. When it didn't work, Zhao threatened Chen and his family. Chen later reported Zhao's illegal actions to the national security agencies, and received protection in accordance with the Counter-Espionage Law.
National security agencies successfully cracked a major spy case based on the information provided by Chen, leading to the arrest of Zhao. Chen was awarded the honor title and was granted a reward of 100,000 yuan ($13,815.2).
Military security is not only an important area of national security, but also an important guarantee for other aspects of national security. With the continuous improvement of the country's military strength, the espionage activities of foreign intelligence agencies are also intensifying, seriously threatening the country's military security, the ministry said.
In another case, in 2019, a speedboat driver surnamed Ma in South China's Guangdong Province reported a tourist surnamed Ran to a national security agency for suspicious behavior near a military port. Ran was found taking photos and making sketches of Chinese warships. After investigation, it was found that Ran was a naive young man lured to work for a foreign intelligence agency. He confessed to espionage activities and was sentenced to five years in prison, with his illegal gains confiscated.
During recent years, spy activities that pose a threat to national security have been found across different parts of society.
In July 2016, Chinese citizen Yang reported to the local national security agency that a foreign tourist, Ai, was acting suspiciously and illegally collecting insect samples in a certain nature reserve in the country. It was found that Ai's actions of illegally collecting insects in China and taking live insects out of the country, violated Chinese laws and international conventions.
In 2020, citizen Tian reported to the local national security agency that a foreign technology company, in collaboration with expert Sun, established a joint venture in China using core technology without legal supervision. The company was setting up advanced laboratories for crop design and breeding, collecting data, and acquiring seed companies in key grain-producing areas.
After investigation, the multinational company, known for seed patent technology, aimed to obtain more patents in the Chinese grain field and resources through collaborations with domestic institutions and companies. Industry experts warned that these actions posed a serious threat to China's food security and national seed industry.
Relevant departments then talked with Sun regarding his legal responsibilities for domestic scientific research projects. Illegal outflow of a single seed abroad is strictly prohibited due to its impact on national food security.
Commenting on the possible resumption of China-Japan-South Korea leaders' meeting, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry (FM) said at a Thursday press briefing that China hopes that the three countries will jointly create conditions for the leaders' meeting, and is also ready to maintain communication with the two neighbors for the meeting's preparation.
FM spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks on Thursday, noting that China attaches importance to the trilateral cooperation.
While expressing anticipation for the potential leaders' meeting, Chinese observers warned that some challenges among the three neighbors and external obstacles coming from Washington could affect its resumption, citing the political crisis facing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the defeat in parliamentary elections of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's ruling party, as well as the deepened aggressive defense ties between the US and Japan.
According to South Korean media outlet KBS World on Wednesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said on Monday that the three nations are coordinating to finalize the date of the next trilateral meeting.
The media outlet noted that regarding the minister's remarks, Seoul's foreign ministry on Tuesday said that the three nations are moving toward an agreement on the schedules of the meeting and added that they are in the final stages of discussions.
The Japan News revealed on Wednesday that the three countries have made final arrangements to hold a trilateral meeting in South Korea in late May, likely on May 26 and 27.
It will be the first such meeting in nearly four and a half years, since a December 2019 meeting in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Chinese observers expressed high expectations for the potential leaders' meeting, as they believe that the three neighbors are the locomotive of economic development in Asia and a meeting will further promote mutual beneficial cooperation among them and play a driving role in the regional and global economies.
"Considering this, the three countries all are willing to resume the leaders' meeting in the post-COVID era," Lü Chao, an expert on the Korean Peninsula issue at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.
However, some observers pointed out that there are still some obstacles that need to be overcome before the meeting can be held.
There is a question mark hanging over whether Kishida can maintain his political footing at home when support for his cabinet has been continuously low, with the latest poll showing that the approval rating for the Kishida administration dropped to 23 percent, according to a poll from Japanese media outlet NHK on Monday.
Also, South Korea's ruling People Power Party (PPP) and Yoon's administration were left reeling after a resounding defeat in parliamentary elections.
Given that South Korea is currently the rotating chair of the trilateral dialogue, Yoon is believed to be actively pushing for a resumption of the trilateral meeting, as hosting the meeting in South Korea would enhance the country's international prestige and help Yoon politically, Lü said.
But observers noted that the electoral drubbing may have turned Yoon into a lame-duck president for his remaining three years in office and it is unclear if this would affect the meeting being held at an early date.
More importantly, observers pointed to external interference from Washington as the biggest obstacle.
During Kishida's latest visit to the US, US President Joe Biden and Kishida agreed to bolster their defense ties targeting China, which could exacerbate tensions between Beijing and Tokyo, thus having a negative impact on the smooth holding of the trilateral meeting, Lü believes.
Separately, according to the latest survey conducted by the Global Times Research Center, 53 percent of respondents said the US is "either" or "probably" the main factor hindering friendly relations between China and South Korea.
Observers called on Japan and South Korea to work with China for strengthened cooperation, especially on economy and trade, as the economies of the three countries are highly complementary and interdependent.
If the meeting is held soon, it is expected to promote cooperation in diplomatic coordination, information communication, personnel exchanges, climate change response, and logistics connectivity, Lü said.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Washington, US for the first state visit by a Japanese leader in nine years, with full ambition to reinforce alliance with the US. Analysts warned that Japanese government's steps to alter pacifism are dangerous and its hyping of "China threat" won't successfully conceal its military ambitions. Rather than being a foundation of peace in the Asia-Pacific the US-Japan alliance is a primary destabilizing factor that undermines regional peace.
According to an itinerary released by Japanese media, Kishida is set to meet with US President Joe Biden on Wednesday in Washington. On Thursday, he will address a joint session of the US Congress, and, together with Biden, hold a trilateral summit with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before returning to Japan on Sunday. Kishida also plans to go to visit a new battery plant under construction of Toyota and Honda's business jet subsidiary in North Carolina.
Kishida's visit to the US is the first state visit by a Japanese leader after former prime minister Shinzo Abe paid an official visit in 2015. As the fifth state guest of Biden - who has also hosted leaders of India, Australia, South Korea and France - Kishida will be welcomed in a White House arrival ceremony on the South Lawn, a formal state dinner and other official events, according to the Associated Press.
When arriving in the US, Kishida was received by a delegation led by US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel. While Japanese media stressed the special arrangements of the red-carpet welcoming ceremony for Kishida, some Japanese netizens said that by having no high-level officials receiving Kishida, it makes the "state visit" more like a propaganda toward domestic Japanese audience.
The primary goal of Kishida's visit to the US is to further deepen the alliance with the US and reinforce the pivotal role of this partnership in addressing global issues, Lü Yaodong, deputy director of the Institute of Japanese Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
According to a report from Kyodo news on Tuesday, the theme of Kishida's speech on Thursday is likely to be "future-oriented," and it is believed that he will stress how the partnership between Japan and the US is crucial to maintaining "a free and open international order."
In contrast to Abe's state visit to the US in 2015, when Japan aimed to strengthen the Japan-US alliance while highlighting the transition from a defeated nation in World War II to a close ally to the US, Kishida's objective is to underscore the global significance of the US-Japan partnership, Lü said. He noted that by aligning with the US "Indo-Pacific Strategy," Japan can also bolster its military buildup as well as its influence in the international community.
During Abe's stay in the US in 2015, Japan and the US updated their defense cooperation guidelines for the first time in 18 years, which eliminated geographic restrictions to the Japan's self-defense force, causing worries over a major change of Japan's World War II pacifist constitution, observers said.
Reinforcing military relations will most likely top Kishida's agenda in the US. Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, noted that during their meeting, Kishida and Biden may discuss to significantly revise the US-Japan Security Treaty, which may involve restructuring the command of US forces stationed in Japan and enhancing joint operational planning and exercises between the two countries.
"This adjustment could be the most substantial alteration in the security relationship between the two countries since the treaty's inception," Xiang told the Global Times.
Xiang said that one of Kishida's purposes for this US visit is to achieve a more balanced status for Japan within the alliance with the US. Previously, the relationship leaned toward US dominance, but now Japan is taking a more proactive stance, urging the US to offer more support.
Lü noted that Biden and Kishida may also discuss the establishment of a mechanism for jointly developing defense equipment. Japan, previously constrained by its pacifist constitution, is now pursuing military cooperation with other countries and exploring arms exports.
Additionally, as Japan seeks to enhance its striking capabilities and plans to establish a permanent joint headquarters overseeing its ground, maritime, and air self-defense forces, Kishida may also talk with Biden about the coordination between this headquarters and the command of US forces stationed in Japan, said Lü.
Troublemaker alliance
The US-Japan alliance has transcended mere military cooperation and it encompasses political, security, and economic ties. Currently, the US is actively rallying its Asian allies, including Japan and the Philippines, to form small coalitions aimed at collectively containing China, and Japan has actively cooperated with the US and also played the role of a go-between to link these US allies, analysts said.
Biden and Kishida are also reportedly set to confirm that the bilateral alliance will continue reinforcing its networked relations with "like-minded partners" including Australia and Britain. Moreover, the two leaders may also discuss Japan's participation in AUKUS, according to media reports.
While Kishida has pursued to strengthen Japan's military capabilities by emphasizing the alliance with the US, he hyped concerns about the "China threat" to divert attention and criticism, and to justify Japan's military expansion, analysts said.
Kishida claimed, in an interview with CNN on Sunday, that "there is unilateral attempt to change the status quo, by force, in both the East China Sea and South China Sea" and building Japan's deterrence is "essential" for the alliance with the US.
Some analysts said Japan's use of other countries' "threats" as a cover for its military ambitions is spurious. The resurgence of militarism in Japan has raised concerns among both Japanese citizens and those in other Asian countries.
Lü said that Japan has shed the facade of pacifism adopted World War II and is openly bolstering its military capabilities. Given Japan's infamous wartime atrocities and the immense suffering it brought to Asian peoples, its recent actions are alarming to regional countries and will introduce further uncertainty to the region.
Contrary to being a cornerstone of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, the US-Japan alliance is also increasingly viewed as a primary destabilizing force, said Lü.
"Cognitive Warfare" has become a new form of confrontation between states, and a new security threat. With new technological means, it sets agendas and spreads disinformation, to change people's perceptions and thus alter their self-identity. Launching cognitive warfare against China is an important means for Western anti-China forces to attack and discredit the country.
Some politicians and media outlets have publicly smeared China's image by propagating false narratives in an attempt to incite and provoke dissatisfaction with China among people in certain countries. These means all serve the seemingly peaceful evolution of the US strategy to contain China's rise and maintain its hegemony. The Global Times is publishing a series of articles to reveal the intrigues of the US-led West's China-targeted cognitive warfare, and expose its lies and vicious intentions.
In the 12th installment in the series, the Global Times looks into the tricks that some external forces and anti-China elements used to launch a cognitive warfare against Hong Kong and how the newly passed Safeguarding National Security Ordinance can punish and deter them. The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, a piece of legislation of Hong Kong's Basic Law Article 23 that took effect recently after being unanimously passed by local lawmakers, is another solid legal basis for maintaining stability and prosperity in the city after the implementation of national security law for Hong Kong. The bill is expected to play an essential role in preventing the US-led West's subversion, infiltration, incitement, and espionage activities in Hong Kong.
Days before the bill was passed on March 19, the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) strongly condemned a joint statement by anti-China group "Hong Kong Watch" and 16 signatories that smeared the Basic Law Article 23 legislation.
"Not only is 'Hong Kong Watch' an anti-China organization, but also many of its members are anti-China forces in the front line," said a spokesman for the regional government.
A main subversion target of foreign forces that attempt to undermine China's national security and social stability, Hong Kong has been plagued by Western-led cognitive warfare. Colluding with a few local secessionists, anti-China forces in the West have been hyping up false narratives to demonize the management of the central government and the HKSAR government.
Experts in Hong Kong affairs pointed out that from the "China collapse theory" to the "Hong Kong collapse theory," these clichés are nothing, but some "deluded clown scripts" with the aim of misleading Hong Kong residents and whitewashing the former British colony's rule. Tumors to Hong Kong's stability
Anti-China organization "Hong Kong Watch," together with 16 co-signatories, released a statement last month, which deliberately smeared the requirement of "disclosure of commission by others of the offense of treason" in the Basic Law Article 23 legislation of targeting religions, in an attempt to provoke discontent among religious leaders and followers.
Responding to this statement full of loopholes, the HKSAR government expressed strong condemnation in a press release it published online on March 14.
The offenses of treason and misprision of treason, whether in Hong Kong or other common law jurisdictions, have existed for a long time; they do not target religious leaders or followers, and have nothing to do with freedom of religion, said a government spokesperson in the press release.
"'Hong Kong Watch' and the co-signatories have not mentioned the relevant provisions in the countries concerned before groundlessly attacking the HKSAR Government's legislative work on safeguarding national security under the guise of religious freedom. It is a blatant, shameless, and barbaric intervention, and is also a typical example of double standards," the spokesperson noted.
Based in London, "Hong Kong Watch" was founded by Benedict Rogers, deputy chairman of the British Conservative Party's human rights commission who had participated in drafting the so-called "Hong Kong Autonomy Act" and pressed the US to pass the bill.
In 2017, Rogers was denied entry by the HKSAR government when he planned to visit imprisoned separatists Joshua Wong Chi-fung and Nathan Law Kwun-chung, reported Hong Kong media outlet Ta Kung Pao.
"Hong Kong Watch" is an unmitigated "concentration camp" for overseas forces and anti-China elements disrupting Hong Kong. One of its sponsors, Britain's last governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten, is an infamous anti-China politician who had attempted to disrupt the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, and had even tried to turn Hong Kong into a semi-independent political entity.
Along with other secessionist groups, "Hong Kong Watch" is a tumor that threatens Hong Kong's social stability. As early as March 2022, the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force issued a warning to the group, pointing out that it had violated Article 29 of the national security law for Hong Kong - "collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security" and demanded the removal of the group's website content within 72 hours.
Scanning the "Hong Kong Watch" statement, the 16 co-signatories displayed at the bottom are also notorious overseas anti-China organizations and individuals.
Co-signatory Freedom House, for instance, was initially created in the 1940s to oppose communism in Europe. It later worked as a think tank for the US Department of Defense. With a long-term habit of interfering in China's internal affairs, Freedom House was sanctioned by China in December 2019 for its role in that year's unrest in Hong Kong.
Another co-signatory ChinaAid is a so-called nonprofit group that tries to infiltrate China through smearing the country's religious policies. On its website, ChinaAid lists the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the US government's main "white gloves" and the mastermind behind many separatist riots globally, as its major partner. Major cognitive warfare tricks
Looking into the cognitive warfare tricks by external forces and anti-China elements disrupting Hong Kong, they attack the management of the central government and the HKSAR government mainly by using the excuse of "human rights, religious freedom violation" and badmouthing Hong Kong's economy, the Global Times found.
ChinaAid, as mentioned above, is a US-based group established in 2002 by anti-China pastor "Bob" Fu Xiqiu. The group has long supported underground Christian churches within China and their illegal activities, according to several Chinese scholars and government officials reached by the Global Times.
In previous years, ChinaAid has fostered and trained its Chinese members outside the Chinese mainland, said Zhou Shan (pseudonym), a former grassroots-level official in East China's Zhejiang Province who had been participating in religion management in rural areas in Zhejiang for years.
A usual trick employed by ChinaAid in interfering with and smearing China's religious policies is opening unregistered religious venues and organizing illegal activities. They would hype up "religious persecution" if the local government prohibits these activities in accordance with the law, Zhou told the Global Times.
In short, ChinaAid usually intentionally misrepresented China's ban on unlawful activities as a crackdown on religious freedom or human rights.
Badmouthing Hong Kong's economic performance is another main trick of their cognitive warfare against the city.
Hong Kong lawmaker Stanley Ng Chau-pei cited three examples. The first is the claim that Hong Kong's economic status would be "replaced" by another country or city, such as Shanghai, Macao, or its main "competitor" Singapore. The second is hyping up disinformation that "the central government 'mainlandized' Hong Kong," trying to create panic by spreading the rumor that Hong Kong will no longer enjoy SAR "special treatment" in trade and finance. The third is amplifying a pessimistic outlook with eye-grabbing claims, such as calling Hong Kong the "ruins of the international financial center."
"Behind these claims is their purposes to undermine Hong Kong's confidence in its own development, and the confidence of global investors and talents in Hong Kong," Ng noted.
And these claims are laughably ridiculous in the face of Hong Kong's robust economic performance.
A survey released by the HKSAR government in December 2023 showed that, the city saw the opening of 9,039 companies with parent companies outside Hong Kong in 2023, a recovery to pre-pandemic high levels.
Start-ups in Hong Kong also continued to flourish with the number of start-ups reaching a record high of 4,257, up 272 from 2023.
These data are undoubtedly a powerful counter-narrative against these stigmatization, and fully prove that Hong Kong's investment attractiveness remains, Ng said. The will of the people in Hong Kong
There was a great round of applause at the Legislative Council of the HKSAR on March 19, when the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was unanimously passed.
The day was a historic moment for Hong Kong, a proud moment when the HKSAR jointly wrote a glorious history, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said after the vote.
The bill is the will of the people in Hong Kong. Public consultation results showed that, about 99 percent of the 13,147 submissions had spoken in support of the legislation, said local authorities in March.
Legal experts based in Hong Kong pointed out that the ordinance and the national security law for Hong Kong can, together, pose effective penalties, restrictions, and deterrence to the infiltration activities of anti-China forces and separatists, including their dirty cognitive warfare tricks.
The two are organically linked and complement each other. They can regulate criminals who engage in activities and acts that endanger national security outside the territory of Hong Kong, Willy Fu, a law professor who is also the director of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times.
The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance came into force in Hong Kong on March 23. The law listed a series of offences and penalties including offences such as treason, insurrection, acts with seditious intention, external interference and theft of state secrets and espionage.
The heads of website platforms that published seditious content have legal and social responsibilities to immediately remove propaganda or illegal information that endangers national security, Fu said.
He explained that, if the Commissioner of Police has reasonable grounds to suspect that electronic information published on an electronic platform is likely to constitute an offense endangering national security, or is likely to lead to the occurrence of such an offense, they may, with the approval of the Secretary for Security, authorize designated police personnel to require the relevant publishers, platform service providers, hosting service providers, and (or) network service providers to remove the information that endangers national security; restrict or halt anyone from accessing that information; or restrict or halt anyone from accessing that platform or relevant parts thereof.
"Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law, where laws must be followed and violators will be prosecuted," Fu remarked.
China warns the Philippines that any tactic infringing on China’s rights is doomed to be futile and the China Coast Guard (CCG) will continue to regularly enforce the law to safeguard rights and interests in China’s jurisdictional waters, CCG said on Saturday, in response to Philippine vessels’ illegal activities in the waters adjacent to China’s Houteng Jiao (also commonly known as Houteng Reef) in the South China Sea.
The Philippines organized multiple vessels to conduct illegal activities in the waters adjacent to China’s Houteng Jiao on Thursday. The CCG dealt with the situation in accordance with the laws and regulations, conducting on-site operations in a professional and standardized manner, CCG spokesperson Gan Yu said in a statement released on Saturday.
China indisputably holds sovereignty over the Nansha islands, including Houteng Jiao, and their adjacent waters, while Philippine vessels, under the pretext of “protecting its fishermen,” engaged in illegal provocations and intrusions, and orchestrated media hypes to mislead the public, continuously disrupting the stability of the South China Sea, Gan said.
China warns the Philippines that any tactic infringing on China’s rights is doomed to be futile and the CCG will continue to regularly enforce the law to safeguard rights and interests in China’s jurisdictional waters, resolutely defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, Gan noted. Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela claimed on his X account on Saturday that two CCG ships “harassed” Filipino fishermen supporting PCG and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels on a mission to drop floating aggregate devices, also known as payao, in the area.
Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Saturday that the payao is a kind of floating artificial reef or fish attracting device.
The device is a navigational hazard particularly for smaller sized vessels traveling at night and without radar. It is of potential danger in terms of collision and damage to vessels en route, according to Yang.
Besides, such a fishing attracting device harms the sustainable development of fisheries. It presents issues of overfishing and can destroy coral reefs and the ecological environment. Hence, some environmental organizations have called for strict management of using the device and advocated that people should minimize using it, Yang said.
Since the device can cause so many problems, the CCG law enforcement is reasonable, legal and professional, Yang noted. In addition, video footage that the Global Times exclusively obtained from the CCG shows that this action conducted by the Philippine side is by no means a simple fishing activity. The scale of the vessels they deployed, the number of personnel involved, and the involvement of external forces all reveal that this is a deliberate “intrusion” orchestrated by the Philippines in the name of “protecting fisheries.”
The Global Times learned that 22 Philippine fishing vessels participated in this so-called fishery protection operation conducted by the Philippines.
Apart from Houteng Jiao, the Filipino fishermen once also deployed the fish attracting device in the waters adjacent to China’s Liyue Tan (also known as Reed Bank), the Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island) and Tiexian Jiao (also known as Tiexian Reef).
Some insiders told the Global Times that the latest deployment of large-scale Philippine fishing vessels by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the PCG in the waters adjacent to China’s Houteng Jiao in the Nansha Islands to set up such devices is a typical act of tactic infringement on China’s rights under the guise of protecting Filipino fishermen’s rights.
Video footage that the Global Times obtained from the CCG also shows that during this illegal action, the government vessels deployed by the Philippine side carried a large number of media reporters who provided on-site coverage of the Philippine side's illegal activity of dropping the fish attracting devices, which indicates a clear intention of manipulation and incitation by the Philippine side, as well as the suspicions of intentionally provoking conflicts with CCG’s normal law enforcement activities. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian has said on Thursday that the Philippines' harassment and provocations are the direct cause of the recent escalation of the South China Sea issue, and China will not allow the Philippines to act willfully.
The Philippines should not abuse China's restraint or underestimate China's determination and ability to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Chinese analysts warned.
Two people died and another two were injured in a traffic accident involving a Mercedes-Maybach sedan in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Sunday evening. The driver of the vehicle involved has been taken into custody by local police.
According to a statement released on Monday by the traffic management department of the public security bureau in Chengdu, the accident occurred in Wuhou district around 7:33 pm on Sunday, when the vehicle collided into several normal and electrified bicycles.
The accident left two dead and two injured, with the injured people transferred to a local hospital for treatment with the help of the police.
The 37-year-old driver surnamed Zhang has been taken into custody by police while the public security department is investigating into the case.
Several video clips recorded by dashcams and by pedestrians at the scene show the black Mercedes-Maybach sedan travelling at high speed severing into non-motorized lane and the sidewalk.
Video clips recorded by the pedestrians show that the driver in black T-shirt behaving abnormally with his arms and legs waving after the vehicle eventually dashed into the roadside green belt and stopped with driver’s airbag deployed.
Some netizens questioned whether the driver was drunk driving or was sick, others suspected he was driving under the influence of drugs.
Another video clip shows that when the luxury car was passing an entrance to a residential compound, it suddenly directly swerved into the non-motorized lane, scattering the crowd, and subsequently colliding with pedestrians and cyclists, including sending a shared bicycle flying several tens of meters away.
According to media reports, the driver was restrained by the police at the scene. Several ambulances arrived at the accident site to treat the injured and transfer the seriously injured to hospital.
Indonesia's President-elect and Great Indonesia Movement Party General Chairman Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to visit China from March 31 to April 2, amid great expectations from both sides that the positive momentum of amicable ties will be sustained. Analysts said greater connections with China do not imply that Indonesia will choose a side in the rivalry between big countries, rather, Indonesia will insist on a non-aligned policy and play a more active role in dealing with regional issues.
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prabowo will visit China from March 31 to April 2, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Friday.
President Xi will hold talks with President-elect Prabowo and Premier Li Qiang will also meet with him. Leaders of the two sides will exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern, Lin Jian, a spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on Friday.
Prabowo's choice of China as his first visit as president-elect fully reflects the high level of China-Indonesia relations, said the spokesperson.
China and Indonesia are both important developing countries and representatives of emerging economies, with deep traditional friendship and close and in-depth cooperation. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Joko Widodo, the two countries' relationship has maintained a strong momentum of development and entered a new stage of building a community of shared future, Lin said.
Both sides will take this visit as an opportunity to further consolidate their traditional friendship, deepen all-round strategic cooperation, promote the strategic cooperation between China and Indonesia, and create a model of cooperation between developing countries for unity, cooperation, and common development, injecting more stability and positive energy into regional and global development, Lin said.
Analysts said that it is not usual to see a president-elect being invited to China, and Prabowo's upcoming visit hints at the high possibility for the president-elect to continue President Joko Widodo's friendly policy toward China and carry forward the non-aligned foreign policy to avoid choosing sides amid competitions among major countries, analysts said.
They also expressed high anticipation for Indonesia to play a bigger role in promoting China's relations with ASEAN and in dealing with regional affairs, especially on the escalating South China Sea issues.
On March 20, Indonesia's General Elections Commission (KPU) announced that Prabowo, who is the current defense minister of Indonesia, won the country's 2024 presidential election. The inauguration of the newly elected president and vice president is scheduled for October 20 this year.
On the same day the election outcome was announced, President Xi congratulated Prabowo and said that he looked forward to working with him to secure greater achievements in building a community with a shared future, and set an example of solidarity and coordination for common development among major developing countries so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples and inject strong impetus into regional and global prosperity and stability.
How to promote a China-Indonesia community of a shared future and further develop China-Indonesia relations and expand cooperation will top the agenda of Prabowo's meeting with Chinese leaders, Ge Hongliang, deputy director of the College of ASEAN Studies at Guangxi University for Nationalities, told the Global Times on Friday.
Ge said Prabowo may strongly carry forward President Widodo's China policy. In terms of the economy, aside from the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, which is the most notable accomplishment of China-Indonesia economic cooperation in recent years, bilateral cooperation has also expanded to other fields, particularly high technology.
Prabowo will continue to press Indonesia to move up from the bottom of the global industrial chain, thus cooperation with China will also be advantageous to Indonesia, said the expert.
Maintaining close ties with China does not mean Prabowo will abandon the long-standing principle of non-alignment in global affairs, some observers said.
During the presidential debate in Jakarta in January, Prabowo used the sentence "Having a thousand friends is insufficient, while having one enemy is too many" to emphasize the importance of fostering amicable relations with nations worldwide, Indonesian media reported.
Ge noted that as defense minister of Indonesia, Prabowo has a clear understanding of regional stability and hoped Southeast Asia will not fall into the arms race or competition between countries.
After Prabowo takes office, Indonesia will also insist on using political dialogue and negotiation to resolve regional conflicts, especially on the South China Sea issues. This underscores the significance of Indonesia's position as a regional stabilizer, said the expert.
Experts have expressed excitement about the potential for artificial intelligence (AI), at the Boao Forum for Asia in South China's Hainan Province. Zhang Keke, director of the Macau Institute of Space Technology and Application, told the Global Times that Mars could be transformed into a habitable planet for humans with the help of AI.
Zhang said that Mars used to have water and an atmosphere, just like Earth, but Mars has evolved faster. In a sense, today's Mars represents the future of the Earth.
"If we humans can go to Mars and transform it with the help of modern technologies such as AI, we might be able to transform the environment of Mars so that humans can live there, which would represent a very important starting point for a breakthrough moment in the technological revolution," Zhang said during a session at the Boao Forum for Asia on Tuesday.
"If we want Mars to reboot and return to a state of life, then we must find a way to restart its internal generator. I believe we will be able to realize this goal through AI technology in the future," Zhang noted.
"It may not be science fiction. Humans could improve the environment on Mars, making it have air and water again, so that humans can live there. If this happens, it will solve many of the troubles faced by humans," Zhang said. He added that humans face a lack of resources and land, which is why they have been exploring the moon and other celestial bodies for many years.
Various ideas have been put forward by scientists to recreate the magnetic field of Mars, Zhang noted. He said that when there is a magnetic field, it acts like an umbrella and blocks solar wind, allowing the environment to become suitable for the development of water, air and human life.
China's spatial research and development is already on this path, according to Zhang. He mentioned the Tianwen-1 probe that landed on Mars. This was the first time that human beings have carried out an exploration of the magnetic field on Mars.
The Tianwen-1 probe consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover. On May 15, 2021, it touched down at its pre-selected landing area in Utopia Planitia, a vast Martian plain, marking the first time that China has landed a probe on the planet. A week later on May 22, 2021, the Mars rover Zhurong, which resembles a butterfly, drove down from its landing platform to the Martian surface, according to Xinhua News Agency.
China's exploration of Mars will be further accelerated with the development of AI, Zhang told the Global Times. He said that in 2028, China will launch a second spacecraft called Tianwen-3, which will take samples from Mars and bring them back to Earth. Macao will strive to play a part in this research, Zhang noted.
"As we all know, China recently successfully launched a relay satellite to the moon, allowing humans to explore the far side of the moon. Therefore, I feel that with powerful tools like AI and machine learning methods, humans will greatly increase the speed of exploration of resources on Mars and especially the moon in the future," Zhang noted.
During the session, Max Yuan, chairman of Xiao-i Corporation, also shared his views on breakthroughs in technology. He emphasized the importance of integrating AI into our daily lives, as it has become ubiquitous in all aspects of society.
Yuan posed a thought-provoking question: Is our work life more akin to that of a machine or a human? He suggested that these are the existential questions facing humanity.
Yuan also stressed the necessity of embracing AI in every industry and emphasized the importance of staying ahead in the technological race, highlighting the significance of utilizing AI faster than others to maintain a competitive edge.
But Kyoung Mu Lee, a professor at Seoul National University, said that singularity, or the point at which AI becomes more intelligent than humans, will arrive faster than most people think.
A survey in 2017 indicated that most people predicted it would occur between 2045 and 2090, with 2060 being the most likely year for the technological singularity to occur. However, as the development of AI is progressing at an unprecedented speed, and true AI is beginning now, Lee believes the singularity will happen within five years.
He said that previously, ChatGPT was just a talking machine, but true transformation comes from multimodal, multitasking, embedded AI that can be integrated with any machine, such as cars and robots.
Disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear fusion have strong synergistic effects when combined. When these three factors are placed together, we will have true singularity for AI, Lee told the audience.
The terror attack in Moscow that has reportedly caused at least 137 deaths will further unify Russians, as Chinese experts said the incident will not weaken, but will strengthen the authority of Russian President Vladimir Putin as Russians want the government and military to revenge for the victims, and Russia will surely retaliate not only against the terrorists but also other related hostile forces behind the attack.
Although the Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack, Russia's investigation and interrogation of the arrested suspected attackers show that the case is complicated, as the suspects were reportedly trying to escape from Russia to Ukraine. Analysts said that Russia will retaliate, but they will not ease up on their operations in Ukraine. If Moscow confirms that Ukraine and the US are involved in this attack, the Ukraine crisis would be further escalated, said the experts.
Due to the struggles and strategic competition between the US and other non-Western major powers like Russia and China, international counterterrorism cooperation has been paralyzed. This has allowed some terrorist groups like IS to reemerge in many regions of the world and undertake deadly attacks. Experts noted that China will keep boosting counterterrorism cooperation with its partners, especially among developing countries, to better safeguard the world from the terrorist attacks.
More united
According to a report from Russian state media TASS on Sunday, the death toll from the terrorist attack has climbed to 137 people, the Russian Investigative Committee said.
Some voices from the West said the attack will damage Putin's authority in the wake of his recent reelection as he tries to prove that Russia is safe and stable despite the conflict with Ukraine and Western sanctions.
Chinese analysts disagree with this opinion, as the counterterrorism operation is more likely to strengthen Putin's authority. Russian public calls for retaliation and a more effective counterterrorism response will enable the Russian government to strengthen control and law-enforcement activities in many fields. Therefore, Putin's authority will not be weakened, but will be strengthened and reinforced.
Zhang Hong, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday that "this attack will bring some interruptions to Russian society, and bring pressures to Putin's governance in his new six-year term. But all of these are controllable, and the pressures will prompt Russia to make more adjustments and improvements to its policies and strategies."
Russians, including Moscow residents, reached by the Global Times said that many people have been lining up to donate blood, as they want to help save lives among the survivors of the Friday attack on the Crocus City Hall. They said they believe the government will hunt down and destroy all hostile forces related to the attack.
Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov told TASS that terrorist raids and the hybrid war of the West will not force Russia to change its course and foreign policy.
"I want to say no change of the foreign policy, the course of President [of Russia Vladimir Putin], particularly after elections - nothing will take place," the Ambassador said. "Such strikes from behind… will not change our line, our course, and we will continue our work," Antonov noted, referring to the terrorist act at Crocus City Hall.
It is the West that chose the line for the hybrid war with Russia, the Ambassador said. "If they chose their line aimed at undermining Russia, at strikes against Russia, with the aid of Ukraine in this case, now - this is their choice," Antonov stated. "Everything they are supplying [to Kiev], items that they will forward - all that will be destroyed," he cautioned. Retaliation against whom?
In a televised address, Putin said 11 people had been detained, including the four alleged gunmen. "They tried to hide and moved toward Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border," he said, Reuters reported.
On Saturday, RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan posted footage of the interrogation of one of the suspects. The man in the video claims that he went on the killing spree after he was promised 500,000 rubles ($5,400). The suspect also claimed that his handlers had instructed him as to where the attack should take place. He said he was ordered to "kill people there… doesn't matter who." The suspect claimed that the terrorist act was organized on Telegram with an unknown person who provided weapons.
After the attack, the terrorists planned to flee to Ukraine, Russia's FSB security service said in a statement on Saturday, RT reported.
"This attack is quite different from the attacks launched by the IS in the past. As the attackers [this time] were motivated by money rather than extremist thoughts, and after the attack, they were not like jihadists who would normally launch a suicide attack to become 'martyrs,' they were trying to escape to Ukraine," said a Beijing-based expert on international security who asked for anonymity.
This is very strange because although the IS has claimed responsibility, it will surely make Russia continue to investigate to uncover the hostile forces behind the attackers, the expert said. The IS in recent years has frequently attacked countries like Russia and Iran which have tensions with the US, and terror attacks against Western countries have reduced, he noted.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said any statement from the US authorities to justify Kiev until the end of the investigation into the terrorist attack "should be considered as evidence," TASS reported.
"Over the decades, the political elites of the US have learned how to skillfully divert attention from high-profile crimes and all sorts of staging. Therefore, until the investigation into the terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall is completed, any phrase from Washington justifying Kiev should be considered as evidence," the diplomat wrote in her Telegram channel.
She noted that the financing of "the terrorist activities of the Kiev organized crime group by American liberal democrats and participation in the corruption schemes of the Biden family have been going on for many years."
Li Wei, an expert from the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Sunday that "in recent years, IS has claimed responsibility for some attacks that are not conducted by them, as it wants to improve its influence. So at this moment, we still need to pay attention to the investigation result rather than simply believe that this is just an attack launched by the IS."
Li also said although the US released a warning of terror attacks earlier this month, the information released was too vague, and was not really helpful for Russia to prevent an attack. The attackers can adjust their plan due to the warning released to the public.
Against the backdrop of Ukraine crisis, relevant parties will possibly use intelligence about terrorist attacks to achieve their military and political goals, and right after the attack, the US' act to immediately clarify for Ukraine looks very strange, Li noted.
Russia will surely take actions to retaliate for attack, but against whom it will retaliate remains in question, analysts said. Some Western voices said Russia should focus on counterterrorism after the attack rather than "imaginary foes" in Ukraine, but Chinese experts said if Russia confirms that Kiev and Washington are involved in this attack, the Ukraine crisis will not be eased but will also escalate.
The Swiss global financial group Cedrus Group announced the establishment of the QFLP Fund on Tuesday to focus on investing in mature, pre-IPO stage companies in the life sciences and agriculture sectors in China, and establishing joint ventures with foreign companies seeking to enter the Chinese market.
Chairman of Cedrus Group, Rani Jarkas, said that the launch of the fund is a major milestone for the group, and proves that an international financial group like Cedrus is highly committed to China.
The fund will complete the group's ecosystem in life sciences and will enable the company to play an even more active role in the development of highly innovative biotech and pharmaceutic companies in China, by adding a focused capital pool supporting these initiatives, Jarkas noted.
In addition, it will boost their capabilities to attract highly relevant foreign technology into China, through joint ventures or wholly owned foreign entities, which in turn, will create highly skilled jobs in healthcare and increase local government tax revenues, he said.
The move was announced at the Cedrus Life Sciences Investment Forum in Beijing on Tuesday. Fifty industrial experts were invited to the forum to discuss and offer advice to promote the development of the life science industry. Wei Jianguo, former vice minister of China's Ministry of Commerce, attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech.
Xia Qinglin, secretary of the work committee of the Party Committee of the Tianjin Binhai Hi-Tech Industrial Development Area and general director of the administrative commission of the area, introduced the area's favorable policies for bio-investment companies, the current scale and layout of biotechnology companies, and the agglomeration effect the area had created through cooperation with Cedrus.
Relying on the Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, the Tianjin Binhai Hi-Tech Industrial Development Area enhanced efforts to improve the level of the local biomedical industry.
The area issued "double nine policies" to further support the accelerated development of the biomedical industry, to help build the area into a world-class and domestically leading source of basic research and a gathering place for scientific and technological innovation.
Currently, there are more than 204 city-level and above research and development institutions in the Tianjin Binhai Hi-Tech Industrial Development Area. Among them, more than 30 are at the national level. These institutions have helped to attract talent and created a cluster effect for the area, Wang told the Global Times.
"For a development region like ours, both our industry and technology must be internationalized. We must constantly connect with international resources to promote our companies to go global while also introducing international companies into our area. After all, technology can only develop through exchanges and mutual learning. This is not only to promote the development of enterprises but also to promote the development of various countries to better serve people's lives and health," Xia said.
Xiong Juan, chairwoman of the Hainan Leyun Biotechnology Co, Ltd, also shared her opinions on the challenges and opportunities facing Chinese companies on the path of internationalization.
"We are mainly in the scientific research transformation period in China. As a Chinese life sciences company, we not only want to promote our products in this market in China but also want to go out to Southeast Asia and also to Europe. But as our overseas resources and visibility overseas are limited, so we need an international platform like Cedrus to help combine external resources," Xiong said.
