China on Friday launched a Lijian-1 Y13 carrier rocket to send five satellites into space.

The rocket blasted off at 12:33 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China. It successfully transported the satellites to their planned orbits.

A heated debate over the boundaries of commercial marketing on public morality and family values has gone viral online in China in recent days, triggered by a Mother's Day advertisement by Chinese smartphone brand OPPO, which issued public apologies twice as it found itself at the center of controversy due to its copywriting featuring the phrase "My mom has two 'husbands.'"

The controversy began on Friday, after OPPO launched a Mother's Day marketing campaign featuring a series of promotional images designed to showcase the camera capabilities of its upcoming Find X9 Ultra smartphone.

One of the campaign images featured the caption: "My mom has two 'husbands.' One is my dad, while the other only shows up twice a year. She barely dresses up when going on dates with my dad, but when meeting the other one, she'd wear a wedding dress if she could."

The accompanying image showed a stylishly dressed woman holding a light board reading "gege" ("elderly brother") — a term commonly used in China's fan culture to refer to male idols or celebrities — while holding up a smartphone. Another line beneath the image read: "Using the lens to write 'my mother' again."

The advertisement quickly sparked controversy among Chinese netizens, with some accusing the slogan of promoting "distorted values" or even "openly glamorizing emotional infidelity," while others argued the original intention of the company may have been to portray mothers as individuals with identities and hobbies beyond family roles.

Facing growing debate, OPPO issued an apology on its official Weibo on Friday, saying it "sincerely apologizes" for the controversy.

The company said the campaign was originally intended to "break stereotypes" and present "more diverse and multidimensional images of contemporary mothers," adding that mothers can enjoy marathons, writing or chase celebrities or idols.

"We have immediately removed all related materials. We will carefully listen to criticism from all sides and comprehensively review our content review mechanisms to ensure such problems do not happen again," the company said in the post.

Yet the initial apology failed to fully ease public anger. On Sunday, the China Advertising Association published a statement, saying advertising creation must distinguish between innovation and "bottomless hype," warning against a "traffic-at-all-costs" mentality and emphasizing that creativity "must never violate mainstream social cognition."

The association urged advertisers to respect traditional Chinese culture, family ethics and public morality, and to firmly resist sensationalist marketing that mocks family relationships or deliberately seeks public stunt.

On Monday, OPPO released a second apology statement, saying that "regarding the problems in our Mother's Day marketing materials, we extend our deepest apologies to the public. We are sorry," the company said.

"Whether it was the offensiveness of the marketing content itself or the perfunctory response afterward, both exposed serious deficiencies in our values and sense of responsibility," the company said, adding that "because of our mistaken understanding, we ignored the bottom line of mainstream social values, causing failures at every stage of the marketing process."

The company later announced punishment against senior executives responsible for the China market and other marketing management staff.

According to Chinese media outlet Jiemian News, which cited informed sources, the punishment represented "a rarely seen level of internal disciplinary action in OPPO's history."

Chinese media outlet 21st Century Business Herald published a commentary article, saying that OPPO has a consumer base that includes university students, white-collar workers and corporate executives. However, its original Mother's Day marketing copy appeared to target only the highly niche "girlfriend fan" segment within idol fandom culture — fans who habitually refer to their favorite celebrities as "husbands."

According to the article, the promotional image was released in an attempt to generate online buzz, while overlooking the fact that such expressions are rarely seen in real-life family relationships by the broader public.

The article said the brand's original intention may have been to convey that people at any age can pursue their own interests and passions. The identity within the family should not be a shackle that restrains women from pursuing their personal hobbies.

However, true understanding means respecting women, as independent individuals, in the complexity of their emotions and the diversity of their choices, rather than forcing all female behavior into the mold of so-called "fandom culture," it said.

Accompanying with the advertisement controversy, on Sunday, Wuhan University's official Weibo account reposted a statement from its School of Chinese Language and Literature, saying the university "strongly disapproves" of the content and value orientation of the Mother's Day advertisement by "a certain smartphone manufacturer."

The university said the campaign was "seriously inconsistent" with its educational philosophy of fostering virtue and moral integrity, adding that it hoped the alumnus involved would sincerely face criticism and shoulder social responsibility together with the company.

The literature school's statement said it was "astonished and shocked" by the controversy surrounding the marketing team reportedly led by a former student surnamed Yu.

It noted that Yu had been valued positively by teachers and classmates while he was studying at the school. However, the statement said the copywriting planned by Yu's team this time "seriously contradicted" the school's long-standing educational principles.

"We strongly disagree with the content, especially the sensationalist wordplay, discourse rendering and value orientation reflected in it," the statement said.

"We deeply hope alumnus Yu can face public criticism with sincerity and courage, correct mistakes without hesitation, and shoulder social responsibility together with the company," the statement said.

The university's intervention quickly triggered another round of debate on Chinese social media platforms.

Zhejiang Daily commented on Monday via its official Weibo account that Wuhan University had "overreacted to public pressure."

The outlet argued that the OPPO controversy had already begun to cool down online, but the university's statement unexpectedly pushed the issue back into the spotlight while placing the university itself "at the center of the storm."

According to the article, the response lacked the composure expected of a prestigious institution and instead gave the impression of "distancing itself from a former student at a difficult moment."

Yet, the university's response also drew some support online. The most-liked comment beneath the outlet's post read, "I think the response was quite appropriate."

"For educational institutions, value orientation is fundamental to their existence," some netizen wrote, adding that universities "must be accountable to both the country and society."

Regardless of which university the students are from, making such jokes or displaying distorted values is inappropriate. Wuhan University was simply being too straightforward in issuing a statement, a Weibo user wrote.

Meanwhile, The Beijing News commented on Monday via its official Weibo account that Wuhan University "did not need to implicate itself" in the controversy involving an alumnus.

It argued that for matters within a university's scope of responsibility — such as allegations of academic misconduct involving teachers or students — the institution should respond to public concerns and carry out investigations and disciplinary measures where necessary. For issues beyond the university's responsibilities, if others invoke the school in ways that may damage its reputation, the university may safeguard its rights in accordance with the law; if its reputation is not substantially harmed, however, the school may choose to respond with greater tolerance and composure.

Safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the biggest common denominator between China and the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday when holding talks with US President Donald Trump in Beijing.

Noting that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations, Xi told Trump that if it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability.

Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy, Xi said, emphasizing that "Taiwan independence" and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water.

China's first domestically developed "ternary mixed gas" shield tunneling pressurized operation system has officially been put into use in the 16.18-kilometer Jintang undersea tunnel, the world's longest undersea high-speed rail tunnel, across the waterway between Ningbo and Zhoushan in East China's Zhejiang Province, Science and Technology Daily reported on Friday.

The new equipment is capable of scientifically mixing helium, nitrogen and oxygen gases for pressurized operations during cutter inspection and replacement work on the shield machine, helping the mega-project overcome ultra-high-pressure construction challenges, per the report.

Ultra-high-pressure chamber operations are widely regarded as a world-class challenge in the shield tunneling industry. Traditional compressed-air operations have a safety pressure limit of 0.5 megapascals. However, the deepest section of the Jintang undersea tunnel lies 78 meters below sea level, where the maximum water and soil pressure reaches 0.85 megapascals, equivalent to about 30 kilograms of weight pressing on the area of a one-yuan coin.

Facing such extreme conditions, the construction team, which is responsible for the 6,270-meter shield tunneling section on the Zhoushan side, drew on deep-sea diving technologies and successfully developed the helium-nitrogen-oxygen "ternary mixed gas" shield tunneling pressurized operation system tailored for tunnel construction.

The ternary mixed gas consists of helium, nitrogen and oxygen. Helium, which is characterized by low density, rapid diffusion and high safety performance, can effectively reduce risks such as nitrogen narcosis and oxygen toxicity under ultra-high-pressure environments, providing workers with safer breathing conditions during deep-sea-like operations.

According to the report, the system integrates two major modules - gas mixing and gas supply - and combines 113 submodules, including gas distribution hubs, supply hubs and breathing apparatus. It can precisely support operations within a pressure range of 0.5 to 1 megapascals, meeting the demands of ultra-high-pressure work in undersea tunnel construction.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam, departed Beijing by high-speed train for Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Thursday morning, continuing his China visit, according to the Xinhua News Agency. After around 10 hours, To Lam arrived in Nanning of Guangxi at around 19:15, per Xinhua.

To Lam is paying a state visit to China from April 14 to 17. Upon his arrival in Beijing, he took a high-speed train to visit Xiong'an New Area of North China's Hebei Province on April 14. 

After taking a Fuxing high-speed train to visit Xiong'an New Area, To Lam once again chose to take high-speed train for his trip to Guangxi. His two rides on China's high-speed trains during this visit fully demonstrate his keen interest in China's high-speed rail development, a Xinhua report noted. 

During the trip to Guangxi, To Lam described his China visit this time as "particularly special," noting that he traveled by high-speed train from north to south. He said he kept the curtains open throughout the journey to observe the scenery, and noticed China's high level of urbanization. Although he only passed through several provinces, he said he could still feel the relatively balanced development across regions, which reflects China's strong performance in coordinated regional development, according to Xinhua.

He also praised China's railway technology, saying that few countries in the world are capable of operating railways at an altitude of 4,000 meters, and described China's railway achievements as deeply impressive, per Xinhua.

The high-speed train from Beijing to Guangxi travels through several provinces, covering a distance of more than 2,400 kilometers in about 10 hours. The trip offers a firsthand view of China's vast territory and the momentum of its modernization drive, per Xinhua.

It is relatively rare for a foreign leader to take the high-speed train twice during a single visit to China, with the total journey lasting more than 10 hours. Passing through multiple provinces, the arrangement offered a broad view of China's infrastructure development and broader economic and social achievements, providing a useful reference for Vietnam's own development, Ge Hongliang, vice dean of the ASEAN College at Guangxi Minzu University, told the Global Times.

The itinerary also closely aligned with To Lam's focus on connectivity and his willingness to prioritize rail cooperation as part of practical cooperation during this visit. It could provide a reference for Vietnam's domestic infrastructure development, China-Vietnam cross-border rail links, and the long-term planning of the Pan-Asia Railway, said Ge. 

Footage released by Xinhua showed To Lam learning about the development and operation of China's high-speed rail system during the ride on Thursday.  

A Vietnamese youth who was waiting to welcome To Lam in Guangxi was cited by China News Service as saying that China's high-speed train is very comfortable and fast. She also expressed hope to take such high-speed train in Vietnam one day.

As China's only provincial-level region linked to Vietnam by both land and sea, Guangxi serves as a key frontier for exchanges and cooperation between China and Vietnam, as well as between China and ASEAN, per Xinhua. 

Guangxi occupies a unique position in deepening ties between the two countries, while also promoting cross-border economic development. Citing the example of Pinglu Canal, Ge said that it further underscores Guangxi's role as an important corridor in the area of infrastructure connectivity. 

Initiated in August 2022 and scheduled to start operation by the end of 2026, the Pinglu Canal is a flagship project on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, an important trade and logistics passage jointly built by provincial-level regions in western China and ASEAN members, per Xinhua. 

As Guangxi advances development in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, including through ASEAN cooperation, Vietnam also has an urgent need for greater alignment in these fields. By deepening sub-national cooperation with Vietnam's northern provinces and beyond, Guangxi is poised to play an important role, said Ge. 

Ge also noted that the current cross-border exchanges between China's Guangxi and Vietnam are extensive, with frequent personnel movements and a large number of Vietnamese students studying in Guangxi. People-to-people exchanges, including the "Red Study Tours" initiative, play a vital role in bilateral ties.

Launched in May 2025, the "Red Study Tours" initiative seeks to facilitate exchanges between young people in China and Vietnam. From May 2025 to March 2026, a total of eight themed camps across 10 provincial-level regions in China were organized under the initiative, providing more than 1,000 Vietnamese youths with the opportunity to experience China firsthand, according to Xinhua. 

To Lam's visit to China and his exchanges with Chinese leader show that China-Vietnam relations are entering a more multidimensional and substantive stage,Pan Jin'e, a research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. 

The visit also reflects the elevation of bilateral cooperation to a higher strategic level, with stronger political mutual trust, deeper practical cooperation in areas such as the economy and technology, and firmer people-to-people ties. It also sends a strong strategic signal for the future development of bilateral relations, said Pan.

A worker sorts freshly harvested roses in Hai'an, East China's Jiangsu Province on May 6, 2026. The local government has vigorously developed a rose cultivation industry and promoted agrotourism. A flower-themed tourist site in the area, which opened on February 15 this year, had received more than 30,000 visitors as of March 9, according to local media reports. Photo: VCG

The ongoing 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2026) offers a telling glimpse into the evolving trajectory of Chinese automakers' global expansion, as they shift their focus from traditional vehicle exports to a more integrated international strategy. According to the Shanghai Securities News, the concept of supply chain exports was a frequent topic at this year's event. Several leading automakers are moving away from the simple export of products, opting instead for a more comprehensive approach, with the export of entire supply chains or ecosystems emerging as a clear trend.

If traditional vehicle exports represented stage 1.0, then expanding the supply chain abroad marks stage 2.0 of Chinese automakers' internationalization. This shift is attracting growing attention, as noted in a report by CCTV News. The report underscores how Chinese automakers are moving beyond the export of finished vehicles, instead adopting a more comprehensive approach to operations in overseas markets. Some are accelerating efforts to establish components of the supply chain overseas, including design and research and development (R&D) centers, manufacturing plants, marketing networks, and logistics infrastructure.

This new trend in international expansion involves not just automakers, but also players throughout the auto supply chain. Companies in the ecosystem, including battery manufacturers, charging infrastructure providers, and financial and consulting services, are all playing a role. These suppliers are collaborating closely with automakers to ensure the seamless integration of their products and services.

In terms of major overseas destinations, Chinese electric vehicle (EV) companies are accelerating their expansion into markets in Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and other regions. Backed by a well-established supply chain ecosystem in China, cross-border collaboration within the supply chain is producing mutually beneficial results for parties involved. These efforts are delivering tangible benefits to host countries, including job creation and economic growth through investment. They are also supporting the development of the local automotive and EV industries, while advancing the broader transition toward electrification in the transportation sector.

Thailand, an important automotive producer in Southeast Asia, offers a prime example. According to a Xinhua News Agency report on April 8, seven Chinese automakers have invested in manufacturing plants in the Southeast Asian country, with cumulative investment exceeding $3 billion.

In Thailand, as operations deepen, Chinese automakers are expanding local production and securing component supplies, driving mutually beneficial growth with local businesses and industries through greater localization. This integration of industrial chains is contributing to the continued development of Thailand's manufacturing sector.

Moreover, deepening industrial cooperation has generated strong demand for skilled labor. Media reports indicate that, in addition to expanding local recruitment to alleviate employment pressures, some Chinese automakers have formed partnerships with Thai universities to establish training centers, strengthening the connection between industry and education.

Beyond Thailand, Chinese investment is also bringing fresh momentum, growth, and innovation to vehicle industries in other countries. According to media reports, some Chinese automakers have set up intelligent production facilities in Brazil, equipped with industrial robots. With an annual production capacity surpassing the local average, these facilities are contributing to the development of Brazil's automotive sector through China's advanced manufacturing technology.

As Chinese automakers deepen international cooperation and upgrade their collaboration models, this mutually beneficial approach is generating positive momentum in host countries. From this perspective, fostering such supply chain cooperation is clearly advantageous for these economies. 

In recent years, China's automotive sector, particularly the EV industry, has experienced rapid growth. This has sometimes drawn mixed reactions, especially in certain developed economies, where some have sought to slow the progress of Chinese EV companies through various attempts. In some instances, these actions have been seen as veering into trade protectionism. However, such approaches risk disrupting normal supply chain cooperation and missing the opportunities that Chinese investment can bring.

The internationalization of Chinese automotive brands is gaining increasing acceptance in the business world, as a growing number of overseas dealers have reportedly flocked to Auto China 2026. This influx of international distributors creates a productive interaction with the global expansion of Chinese car brands, reflecting mutually beneficial cooperation.

Cross-border collaboration within the EV industry is advancing as a multi-dimensional process. Multinational companies are also investing in China, leveraging China's supply chain and market. This cooperation is driven by market forces, with clear momentum behind it. It is hoped that the new trends emerging from Auto China 2026 will further strengthen this mutually beneficial collaboration.

With the May Day holidays nearing, cancellations on China-Japan flights continue to rise, with some routes fully cancelled, according to Umetrip, China’s aviation data provider.

About 45 percent of scheduled flights from the Chinese mainland to Japan during the 2026 May Day holidays had been canceled as of April 20, with the cancellation rate up about 33 percent year on year, said Umetrip on Monday.

Five routes — Shenyang-Osaka, Tianjin-Osaka, Fuzhou-Nagoya, Ningbo-Osaka and Guangzhou-Nagoya — were completely scrapped, posting 100 percent cancellation rates. Meanwhile, Shanghai, Beijing, Dalian, Guangzhou, and Nanjing ranked as the top five cities by number of canceled flights.

Data from VariFlight, another industry data provider, showed that as of press time, 210 flights to Japan during the five-day May Day holidays had been canceled. Scheduled round-trip flights between China and South Korea ranked first, up 11.1 percent year on year.

These figures were released as Japan’s official data also pointed to a similarly negative trend.

According to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization on April 15, the number of visitors from the Chinese mainland to Japan fell 55.9 percent year on year in March, marking the fourth consecutive month of decline on a yearly basis, Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Also, in the first quarter of this year, arrivals from the Chinese mainland to Japan dropped 54.6 percent year on year.

Since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made erroneous remarks on the Taiwan question, the number of visitors from the Chinese mainland to Japan has continued to decline, putting pressure on Japan’s retail, hospitality, and catering sectors.

Data released by the Japan Tourism Agency on April 15 showed that spending by visitors from the Chinese mainland to Japan totaled 271.5 billion yen ($1.71 billion) in the first quarter, down 50.4 percent year on year.

Amid a decline in visitors from the Chinese mainland, Japanese department store operator Takashimaya and J. Front Retailing both posted their first drop in net profit in five fiscal years in the last fiscal year, Xinhua reported. 

J. Front Retailing President Keiichi Ono said at an earnings briefing that the company will be difficult in the short term to offset the impact of the drop in Chinese visitors, the report said.

Chinese traffic data analysis platform DAST also said in a recent statement that a total of 2,691 flights from the Chinese mainland to Japan were canceled in March, with the cancellation rate reaching 49.6 percent, up 1.1 percentage points from February.

Industry insiders said subdued travel sentiment toward Japan has been driven mainly by erroneous remarks from Japanese politicians and a recent spate of safety incidents. Against that backdrop, it is understandable that many Chinese travelers are shifting their attention to other destinations during the May Day holidays. Weaker demand has also led to fluctuations in the number of flights to Japan.

The Chinese Embassy in Japan said on April 3 via its official website that incidents involving Chinese citizens in Japan, particularly tourists, such as travel disruptions and traffic accidents, had recently increased, and it therefore reminded Chinese nationals traveling to Japan to pay close attention to travel safety.

In addition, the Chinese Embassy in Japan said in an April 1 notice reminding Chinese citizens in Japan to be mindful of travel safety that incidents involving Chinese nationals in Japan, particularly tourists, including public security cases, traffic accidents and telecom fraud, had recently become more frequent.

China's State Council on Tuesday issued a guideline on expanding capacity and improving quality in the service sector, aiming to better support industrial upgrading, meet people's livelihood needs, and expand employment over the next five years. Analysts said that the strategic plan will further advance China's economic structural transformation and high-quality growth, while creating broader opportunities for global cooperation.

The document makes clear that by 2030, the sector's total output is expected to surpass 100 trillion yuan ($14.67 trillion), with a development pattern characterized by higher quality, more optimized structure, improved standards and stronger vitality basically taking shape.

It also calls for fostering more "China service" brands, significantly enhancing the sector's global competitiveness and influence, and steadily improving the public's sense of gain.

To achieve these goals, the guideline urges efforts to move producer services toward greater specialization and higher value-added segments of the value chain, while promoting high-quality, diversified and more convenient development of consumer services.

The new guideline comes as a series of recent policy and market signals indicates that the shift toward high-quality growth of the service sector is being put on a faster track, as China's economy enters a new phase of high-quality development.

In producer services, the document identifies six priority areas to shore up weak links across the entire industrial chain: strengthening the support role of science and technology services, enhancing the overall competitiveness of modern logistics, accelerating innovation in software and information services, improving specialized supply chain financial services, promoting the development of energy-saving and environmental services, and upgrading business services.

"This is a top-level design with a clear strategic orientation, targeting key weak links in China's economic structure that urgently need to be strengthened," Song Ding, a research fellow at the China Development Institute, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Song said that while China has built a globally leading manufacturing system, significant room remains to upgrade its service sector, particularly modern services. "This strategy will not only consolidate existing industrial strengths, but also provide a necessary pathway to enhancing China's global industrial competitiveness and influence," he said.

On science and technology services, the guideline further details measures such as fostering leading industrial design firms, enhancing professional capabilities and international standards, and building incubators for emerging industries and industries of the future.

It also specifies steps to advance software and information services, such as accelerating the application of intelligent programming tools, supporting the procurement of large models and intelligent agent services, fostering data cooperation alliances, and building high-quality industry datasets.

With China's high-end manufacturing advancing rapidly, demand for producer services such as research and development (R&D), finance and supply chain management has surged. Song said that upgrading these services and deepening integration with global industrial chains will strengthen China's role and rule-setting capacity in global value chains.

On the consumer side, the guideline also calls for increasing the supply of high-quality household services, improving the adaptability of eldercare and childcare services, enhancing the professionalism of health services, and innovating models in culture, tourism and sports services.

Analysts said that the measures reflect a national strategy of "investing in people," which will improve the quality of life through better services while helping unlock consumption potential, expand service consumption, and support domestic demand and structural upgrading.

In the outline of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) approved by the top legislature last month, China pledged to further advance reform and opening-up in the service sector, refine policy support, and comprehensively enhance its quality, efficiency and competitiveness.

China's service industry strengthened its role as a key growth driver in the first quarter, with its value-added output accounting for 61.7 percent of GDP and contributing 63.2 percent to overall economic growth, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday, citing the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

"Since the beginning of this year, operating revenues in major service industries have generally grown at a relatively fast pace, with services enterprises showing a trend of digital technology empowerment and accelerated growth in consumption-driven services," an NBS official said.

Official data also showed that producer services have become an important force driving industrial transformation and upgrading. In the first quarter, the value added of information transmission, software and information technology services rose 10.6 percent year-on-year, while fixed-asset investment in high-tech services increased 12.3 percent.

Meanwhile, consumer services continued to unleash strong consumption potential. In the first quarter, services retail sales grew 5.5 percent year-on-year, 3.3 percentage points faster than the retail sales of goods.

On the international front, the guideline calls for efforts such as advancing the establishment of international industry and standards bodies, promoting the global adoption of Chinese standards, expanding opening-up in areas such as value-added telecommunications, biotechnology and wholly foreign-owned hospitals, and strengthening services trade cooperation with key countries and regions.

China's service trade deficit reached 828.72 billion yuan in 2025, driven by steady imports of high-quality services to meet domestic demand, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).

Song emphasized that deeper opening-up of the service sector will not only drive upgrading in manufacturing and growth in strategic emerging industries, but also create more room and opportunities for foreign investment in high value-added sectors.

The Chinese foreign and defense ministries on Friday slammed New Zealand's move to send a military aircraft near Chinese airspace for repeated close-in reconnaissance and harassment recently.

When asked to comment about the New Zealand air force plane, which repeatedly flew near China's airspace and disrupted some civil aviation flights, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference on Friday that a P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft of the New Zealand air force recently conducted repeated close-in reconnaissance and harassment in the airspace over the Yellow Sea and East China Sea.

The action undermined China's security interests, increased risks of misunderstanding and miscalculation, and gravely disrupted civil aviation in the relevant airspace, Guo said.

China has responded in a resolute manner and lodged serious protests with New Zealand, Guo said, adding that China urges New Zealand to abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations, and also to respect China's sovereignty and security concerns and maintain the safety and order of civil aviation.
Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, also denounced New Zealand's activities at a press conference on Friday. Zhang said that recently, a P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft of the New Zealand air force has conducted frequent close-in reconnaissance and harassment in the airspace and waters of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea in disregard of China's warnings. The Chinese military has taken professional and forceful measures to respond to and deal with the situation, and has lodged stern representations with the New Zealand side.

Such acts by New Zealand undermine China's sovereignty and security, severely disrupt flight order in the relevant airspace, and may easily trigger maritime and aerial incidents, Zhang said. "We urge the New Zealand side to exercise strict restraint on its frontline forces, immediately stop disruptive and irresponsible acts that jeopardize civil aviation safety, and prevent risks of misunderstanding and miscalculation," Zhang said.

As a relatively advanced long-endurance anti-submarine patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, the P-8A could conduct reconnaissance on China's surface vessels and submarines, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Friday.

Ahead of the Chinese ministries' response to the New Zealand military plane's close-in reconnaissance and harassment near China, the Japanese Foreign Ministry claimed on March 26 that from late March to mid-April, the Royal New Zealand Air Force maritime patrol aircraft P-8A would engage in monitoring and surveillance activities against "illicit" maritime activities in the name of the United Nations Security Council resolutions, using Kadena Air Base under the Agreement Regarding the Status of the United Nations Forces in Japan. It also claimed Japan "welcomes these activities."

The Kadena Air Base, originally a military facility left over from the Cold War, has now been reduced to a "springboard" for non-regional countries to conduct close-in reconnaissance against China and create regional tensions, Lü Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

Japan, far from fulfilling its due management responsibilities, has instead turned a blind eye to or even condoned New Zealand's use of the Kadena Air Base to carry out illegal harassment activities targeting China, showing that Japan has hitched itself to the chariot of military confrontation and willingly serves as an accomplice to other countries' provocations against China, the expert said.

The Japanese ministry claimed that it would be the ninth time New Zealand's aircraft had engaged in these activities since 2018.

Song said China is geographically far away from New Zealand, and China follows a defense strategy that is defensive in nature, meaning it has no intention to threaten New Zealand's national security. This move by New Zealand will only invite trouble upon itself.