The final visiting session of the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was recently held in San Jose, capital of the Republic of Costa Rica. On the Russian side, the discussion was attended by Alexander Stuglev, CEO of the Roscongress Foundation, and Yuri Bedzhanyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Costa Rica.
“The first country in Central America with which Russia established official contact was Costa Rica. This happened in 1872. Over more than 150 years of relations between the countries, a strong bond has been built up. Today our diplomatic and trade relations are full-fledged and at a high level. We see great prospects for the development of cooperation in the spheres of tourism, culture, investment and business,” noted Yuri Bedzhanyan.
The Costa Rican delegation included representatives of companies from the agricultural industry, digital technologies and tourism. More than 10 senior executives and managers took part in the SPIEF visiting session. The discussion touched on bilateral business relations between the countries and demonstrated the business development opportunities for Costa Rican entrepreneurs that SPIEF offers.
Alexander Stuglev commented: “We see a mutual interest in cooperation, the creation of partnerships and the development of international cooperation between our countries. That is why we are here today to tell you about the opportunities that SPIEF offers to Costa Rican businesses. Today, the forum is a bridge for creating new ties between entrepreneurs, it helps participants to find new partners and create interesting projects aimed at strengthening mutually beneficial relationships.”
Representatives of the Roscongress Foundation told the guests of the event in detail about the thematic areas of the forum and their formats, and then moved on to smaller scale negotiations.
The 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will take place on 5–8 June, 2024.
The Roscongress Foundation is a socially oriented non-financial development institution and major organizer of nationwide and international conventions; exhibitions; and business, public, youth, sporting, and cultural events. It was established in pursuance of a decision by the President of the Russian Federation.
Asian currencies have come under pressure from a strong US dollar in recent days, with the yen at one point hitting a 34-year low against the greenback. The development raised concerns about another Asian financial crisis, and the impact on Chinese yuan has become a topic of discussion.
Amid other Asian currencies' volatility against the dollar, the yuan's performance demonstrates relative stability. Since the start of the year, the US Dollar Index has risen by about 4 percent, while the yuan has weakened by about 2 percent against the dollar at offshore currency markets.
But still, the yuan has remained relatively stable against other non-dollar currencies. According to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS), the CFETS yuan exchange rate composite index, which measures the yuan's strength relative to a basket of currencies, reached 100.43 as of end-April, a 3.09 percent increase from the beginning of the year.
Exchange rates usually reflect the economic fundamentals of each country. To a certain extent, it is the resilience of the Chinese economy, the country's effective monetary policy and investor confidence in China's economic prospects that have jointly offered a solid foundation for the yuan's exchange rate.
In 2023, the Chinese economy grew by 5.2 percent year-on-year. In the first quarter of 2024, the GDP saw an unexpected growth of 5.3 percent year-on-year, indicating a strong start to the year.
First-quarter fixed-asset investment was up 4.5 percent year-on-year, with high-tech sector investments rising 11.4 percent, meaning China's economy continues to gain momentum, coupled with improved growth quality.
China's total merchandise trade expanded by 5.7 percent year-on-year in yuan terms in the first four months this year, official customs data showed on Thursday. Exports rose by 4.9 percent, while imports climbed by 6.8 percent.
With China's very strong economic fundamentals, the yuan's relative weakness against the US dollar is unlikely to bring big shocks to the Chinese economy or the country's financial market.
The yuan has been buttressed by the market operations and policy guidance of China's central bank, for the purpose of fending off risks of possible exchange-rate volatility and keeping the yuan at a reasonable equilibrium level against other major currencies.
If anything, the yuan's recent performance in a volatile global currency market is the best proof that China can resort to effective policy tools to withstand external shocks and maintain the relative stability of the yuan.
The yuan's rate will still be subject to multiple factors, including the global economic recovery, changes in major economies' monetary policies and international geopolitical conditions.
However, the overall policy tone of seeking progress while maintaining stability in the financial sector, which could also suit the currency market, indicates that the yuan's exchange rate is expected to remain basically stable at a reasonable equilibrium level.
Maintaining the basic stability of the yuan represents stability, while the internationalization of the yuan represents progress. No matter how the external situation changes, it is believed that this general direction for the currency will not change.
The stability of the yuan's exchange rate not only reflects the steady development of the Chinese economy but also creates favorable conditions for its foreign trade and overall economic transformation and upgrading. With the steady growth of the Chinese economy and the gradual opening-up of the financial market, a relatively stable yuan is expected to continue to provide a strong support for the development of the Chinese economy.
Skyscrapers fill the screen. Under the intensive high-rise buildings, Mac Candee and his friend walk on the street. "Today, we have arrived in Shanghai, China." They say, angling the camera to show a view of their surroundings.
Then, there come clips of Western media reporting on China, with some negative tones that overseas audiences have probably been very familiar with. Only seconds later, Candee reappears on the screen: He stands at The Bund in downtown Shanghai, and behind him is the Huangpu River glistening under the clear blue sky.
"We're going to be showing you if what you're told in the media and what you know about China actually match up with what life is like here," Candee says to the camera.
This is a four-hour video about Candee's Shanghai trip that he made after he had stayed in the city for six days.
Candee, a 31-year-old US travel vlogger whose accounts "WorldNomac" have some 2.5 million followers on various social media platforms, is among a surging number of foreign tourists coming to China after the country relaxed its entry policies in recent months.
2024 has become a remarkable year for inbound tourism, since China expanded its 144-hour visa-free transit policy to more countries. In some major transit stops and also tourist destinations, like Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu, visitors from different countries and regions carrying travel bags and cameras flood landmarks and popular restaurants in these cities. They have become witnesses of China's prosperous tourism market, and have provided some vivid, individual windows for the world to take a closer look at this big Eastern country.
1st time in China
Months ago, in preparation for his trip to the Philippines, Candee happened to see a YouTube video showing the process of doing a 144-hour transit visa, and learned that visitors from certain countries no longer have to go to an embassy or consulate for a tourist visa to China.
The video inspired Candee to add "China" to his itinerary. "I was like, Oh, I'm actually going to the Philippines. This would be a great time to also at least visit Shanghai and see what China is like," he recalled.
Candee had always wanted to visit China. He told the Global Times that China has always been a very interesting country for him with how massive it is, and how big of a percentage of the world's population is from China. "I wanted to get a small taste of what the culture was like over there," he said.
In his Shanghai trip vlog, Candee showed how he explored many aspects of the metropolis with his friends. They went to Shanghai's iconic places like the Bund, the Oriental Pearl Tower, and Jing'an Temple, and tasted lots of food including sheng jian bao (pan-fried pork bun), hot pot, and a McDonald's restaurant with localized food. They experienced the city's public transport from metro trains to the maglev, and talked to many local residents.
As the first stop for many overseas tourists' trips to China, Shanghai is "a melting pot for multiple cultures" in Candee's eyes. "It's a very beautiful city from the standpoint of there's so much modern architecture, but then you'll see temples built into the city as well, so you get a mix of old times and new times and modern living," he told the Global Times. Candee added that he also encountered lots of similar European architectural styles with a Chinese twist.
A frequent global traveler, Candee said that in Shanghai he didn't encounter massive challenges brought about by cultural differences. Some interesting experiences nonetheless gave him a unique angle to know about Chinese people.
During his stay in Shanghai, Candee went to the "marriage market" in People's Park, a regular matchmaking venue where locals look for spouses for themselves as well as for their adult children.
"I thought that was fascinating, that parents of Chinese people will go and essentially advertise all of their children's qualifications without a photo in order to look for a husband or a wife for them," he recalled.
"This, for me, was a big culture shock to learn about how they do that, and it was really cool to go and experience that."
Candee concluded that he likes Shanghai, as "there's so much to do there."
His love for this city was somewhat reflected in the length of his Shanghai trip video: four hours, the longest ever travel vlog he had ever made.
The length of the vlog seems not to be attractive in today's fast-paced era of hand-held devices. However, the video has attracted more than 200,000 views on YouTube.
"If you are crazy enough to upload a four-hour long vlog, I am crazy enough to watch it all," one commented under the video.
Candee felt great about this vlog.
"A lot of people decided to watch the full length of four hours, which is a large time commitment," he told the Global Times.
"This means the country [China] was very interesting, and [in this vlog] there were a lot of perception=changing moments," he noted. Warming market
More foreigners like Candee coming to China indicates that, after four years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, inbound tourism in China has finally entered the fast recovery channel.
The Global Times learned from domestic travel platform Ctrip that the number of inbound tourists to China in the first four months of 2014 (including air and rail travel) has increased by 244 percent compared to the same period in 2023. The top 10 most popular Chinese travel destinations for inbound tourists include Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing. Inbound tourists mainly come from South Korea, the US, and Singapore, among others.
Inbound tourism has always been an important symbol of China's opening-up to the outside world, Jiang Yiyi, vice president and professor of School of Leisure Sports and Tourism, Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times.
Since 2022, China has taken many measures to further promote China's opening-up level, such as visa facilitation, international flights resumption, and more convenient payment for inbound tourists.
China's tourism industry is also undergoing a transformation. In the past, foreign tourists came to China mainly for sightseeing. Now, through the restructuring of the domestic industry system, China has provided more diversified products for foreign tourists. Foreign tourists can come for vacation, to participate in sports activities or events, such as marathons and skiing.
Tourists from Hong Kong and Macao can conveniently go to provinces around the Greater Bay Area such as Guangdong and Hunan for leisure vacations.
These policies and changes in product systems and industry structures come together and lay a very good foundation for foreign tourists to have more diversified choices, and it is the same with tourists from Hong Kong and Mocao, according to Jiang.
Data from flight tracker Umetrip shows that as of April 5, the number of inbound flights this year has exceeded 86,000, more than three times that of the same period in 2023, and has recovered to about 70 percent of the same period in 2019; the number of inbound tourists has reached 7.7 million, more than three times the increase compared to 2023, New Weekly reported.
As the inbound tourism market gradually heats up, Chinese travel agencies are getting busier receiving tourist inquiries, launching new inbound products, and developing travel routes during the traditional off-season. A shortage of English-speaking guides and lesser-known languages also occurred.
According to New Weekly, the daily salary of foreign language tour guides in various languages has generally increased. Taking the East China market for example, previously, one could hire an English-speaking tour guide for 500-600 yuan ($69-83) per day before the pandemic, but now it may cost 800-900 yuan; for guides of less common languages, taking Indonesian as an example, the fee can reach 1,000 yuan per day.
The COVID-9 pandemic had a significant impact on China's inbound and outbound tourism market, leading to disruptions in the industry chain and talent loss. However, the tourism industry is very resilient. With a good business model and development opportunities, talents will definitely come back, Jiang said. Differs from Western narrative
So far, foreign nationals from 54 countries are eligible for the 72/144-hour visa free transit policy to transit to a third country or region via ports and cities in the Chinese mainland. China has also expanded its unilateral or mutual visa-free travel policies to more countries.
Following the new policies is a dramatic increase in the number of overseas vloggers visiting China. According to data by statistics platform Meltwater, during the first quarter of 2024, there were about 2,420 YouTube and TikTok videos containing key words like "China," "trip," and "travel" in their titles, five times higher than the same period in 2023.
With more global visitors uploading online their China trip videos with key words like "China is so safe," and "Riding with world's fastest bullet train," overseas audiences find that through these videos, they see a real, fast-developing China that differs from the one under the mainstream narrative in the West.
"I have friends who came to visit China 20 years ago, and they thought China is still the same as 20 years ago because they trust the media 100 percent," a YouTube user commented under a video of vlogger Alina Mcleod's trip to Southwest China's Chongqing.
"I have been to China so many times," the user wrote. "If you have not been to the same cities for 10 years, you will see there are big changes."
Mcleod, the 33-year-old Canadian travel vlogger with some 300,000 subscribers on YouTube, said that her recent trip to China had definitely changed her perception of the country.
"In North America there is a lot of negative press around China," Mcleod told the Global Times via email. But now after exploring the country in person, she feels that China is quite modern and beautiful.
"I was very impressed with how much technology and infrastructure they have built in the last few decades, and what a wide range there is of things to see and do in the country," she said.
Inbound tourism is a very good window for overseas tourists to "enter" China, get to know China and understand China, because only through this kind of close contact can foreigners know what the real China is like. If they know China only from reports in foreign media, then their understanding of China may be one-sided or fragmentary. Only after truly coming to China and seeing China's development with their own eyes can they truly see China's current achievements in all aspects, Jiang noted. Candee talked about a major misconception that some Westerners may have on China.
"I think that around the world, a lot of people feel that if you visit China, you'll be under extreme surveillance and you'll be, you know, getting in trouble for filming," he said. "But my experience in Shanghai was that it was a lot less strict than I had imagined," he told the Global Times. "I filmed a lot. People were really friendly. I think overall everyone was welcoming and happy to welcome foreigners."
With beautiful memories of his previous trip to Shanghai, Candee said he wants to visit China again in the near future, and would love to have a local who shares more places with him.
"Hopefully that'll be within the next 12 months," he said.
At the end of Candee's four-hour Shanghai trip vlog, he walks along the Huangpu River under the clear blue sky, and smiles to the camera.
"In every country I've been to, especially ones that have intense perceptions about them, I've always found a completely different atmosphere than what the mainstream will share." he says. "For those of you who have made this so far into the video, you probably are seeing a different look at what China is like."
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia Dato' Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan on Thursday. Wang said China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Malaysia, stand up for justice on the international stage, oppose unilateralism and bullying, and defend the common interests of the Global South.
Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, making it an important year for carrying forward the past and ushering in the future.
The two countries are friendly neighbors, and their traditional friendship remains unbreakable. Over the past half century of diplomatic relations, no matter how the international situation has changed, China and Malaysia have always maintained mutual trust and assistance, and have always been good and true friends. China will firmly support Malaysia in pursuing a development path that suits its own national conditions, and support Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in promoting the concept of "Prosperous Malaysia." China will also enhance high-level exchanges with Malaysia, work together to seek development, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and bring benefits to the people of both countries, said Wang.
Wang said China is currently accelerating its high-quality development, and Malaysia is also developing its emerging industries. There is great potential for cooperation between China and Malaysia. China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, and the cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has yielded fruitful results.
Both countries need to accelerate cooperation in infrastructure, the digital economy, green development, and new energy vehicles, said Wang. They also need to promote the high-quality development of the "Two Countries, Two Parks" Joint Cooperation, carry out poverty reduction projects and party-to-party exchanges, and continuously advance bilateral relations.
Malaysia is an important member of ASEAN, a representative of emerging economies, and a stable force in the Muslim world. The two countries have always supported each other in upholding core interests and national dignity, Wang added.
Wang said China insists on making the development of China-Malaysia relations a priority in its peripheral diplomacy, and is willing to work with Malaysia to implement the consensus of the leaders of the two countries. The two countries should also deepen high-quality cooperation in the BRI, take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as an opportunity, and take the construction of a community of shared destiny between China and Malaysia as a guide.
For his part, the Malaysian foreign minister said that Malaysia-China friendship cannot be interfered with or undermined by any external forces as it spans thousands of years.
Malaysia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and opposes external forces stirring up trouble in the South China Sea.
Over the past 50 years of diplomatic relations, China has always been a reliable friend and partner. Malaysia is willing to learn from China's experience in development and poverty reduction, and deepen cooperation in the fields of energy transformation, the digital economy, agriculture, tourism and other areas, so as to create a better future for the relationship between the two countries.
The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. Hasan said Malaysia highly appreciates China's impartial stance on the Palestine-Israel conflict and firmly advocates a proper solution to the Palestinian issue with a "two-state solution."
In response, Wang expressed China’s hope for an early, comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue.
Two giant pandas, Jinxi and Zhuyu, will depart for the Madrid Zoo in Spain next Monday for a 10-year residency, according to the China Wildlife Conservation Association on Wednesday.
The panda couple is from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The male panda Jinxi was born on September 1, 2020, and the female panda Zhuyu was born on October 25, 2020.
This action is based on the agreement on international conservation cooperation and research of giant pandas reached between two sides to further the friendship of two countries built upon pandas. According to the reports, three Spain-born giant pandas, together with their parents, returned to China on February after living in Spain for more than a decade.
The Chinese and Spanish sides are actively moving forward with all preparations before transportation, making every effort to ensure that the two giant pandas safely arrive at Madrid Zoo, and adapt to the new environment.
According to the Xinhua News, the base has customized a special air transport cage to ensure that pandas can move freely, feed and rest inside the cage, and that the temperature inside the cabin is maintained at a suitable level. It will also prepare a sufficient amount of fresh and high-quality local bamboo and bamboo shoots in Sichuan, and arrange breeders and veterinarians to travel with the plane to take care of the health and diet of two pandas.
The FBI made its groundless claim about "Chinese hackers" again on Thursday only days after China released a report on the Volt Typhoon falsehood. Experts urged the US to refrain from arbitrarily fabricating evidence to frame China, and also stressed the importance of China continuing to debunk the baseless accusations made by the US.
According to Reuters, FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Thursday that Chinese government-linked "hackers" have burrowed into US critical infrastructure, and are waiting "for just the right moment to deal a devastating blow."
Wray also said that Volt Typhoon has successfully gained access to numerous US' companies in telecommunications, energy, water and other critical sectors, with 23 pipeline operators targeted.
The groundless smear made by the US and its allies of China conducting cyberattacks is not new. In May 2023, the Five Eyes issued a joint cybersecurity advisory, claiming that they had discovered a cluster of activity of interest associated with a "China state-sponsored cyber actor," known as Volt Typhoon, and these activities "affected networks across US critical infrastructure sectors." Microsoft on the same day claimed that the Volt Typhoon is a state-sponsored actor based in China that typically focuses on espionage and information gathering.
The smears were strongly refuted by China as the National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center on Monday released a report disclosing that Volt Typhoon is actually a ransomware cybercriminal group that calls itself the "Dark Power" and is not sponsored by any state or region.
The report also claimed that by labelling Volt Typhoon as a China-sponsored actor, the US was aiming to "kill two birds with one stone" - hyping the "China threat" rhetoric and cheating funding from the US Congress and taxpayers.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular press conference on Monday that there are signs that in order to receive more congressional budgets and government contracts, the US intelligence community and cybersecurity companies have been secretly collaborating to piece together false evidence and spread disinformation about so-called Chinese government's support for cyberattacks against the US.
"It's no secret that the US is the world's largest source of cyberattacks and the biggest threat to cybersecurity," the spokesperson said. Some in the US have been using the origin-tracing of cyberattacks as a tool to hit and frame China, claiming the US to be the victim while it's the other way round, and politicizing cybersecurity issues. "What they have done seriously harms China's lawful rights and interests, and China urges the US to immediately stop its cyberattacks against China and stop smearing China," Lin noted.
However, it's notable that after China released the report on the Volt Typhoon falsehood, the US side has remained silent. Analysts noted that the US should understand that China's cybersecurity defense technology is becoming increasingly capable of detecting falsehood and countering attacks, and the US should refrain from arbitrarily fabricating evidence to frame China.
Chinese experts also noted that the US' repeated smearing of China serves a clear purpose, which is to cultivate a negative perception toward China in both domestic and international discussions in order to better lay the groundwork for its strategic competition and confrontation with China.
"The US is exaggerating the 'threat of Chinese hackers' in order to rally support from the public, its allies, and even international forces or countries that are unaware of the truth, for the purpose of its strategic competition with China," Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Friday.
By noting that the pathological mentality of the US is aimed at undermining both the internal and external development environment of China, Li emphasized the importance of China continuing to debunk the baseless accusations made by the US, not only to its own people, but also to the public in the US and around the world. "By doing so, the true malicious intentions of the US will be exposed for all to see," Li said.
In a touching incident that recently took place in Qingyuan, South China's Guangdong Province, where a pet cat in critical condition waited for its owner coming home from far away and bit its owner's clothes tightly before passing away peacefully, as if bidding a final farewell.
A female college student studying at a university in East China's Jiangxi Province received a call from home in Qingyuan informing her that her beloved cat was in critical condition. Without hesitation, the student quickly applied for a leave, purchased a ticket to return home, and embarked on the long journey back that very night.
Upon reaching home, the cat, with its last moment, bit the student's clothes tightly, refusing to let go until it took its final breath, as if bidding a final farewell. The student wrapped the cat in the same clothes and buried it next to their home.
This story touched the hearts of many netizens, with some expressing admiration for the cat's apparent spiritual connection with the owner. One netizen commented, "Perhaps the cat wanted to remember the owner's scent and presence in its final moments." Another speculated, "Why did it bite the clothes? I think the cat wanted to say, 'I will miss you dearly, thank you, see you in the next life, my family.'"
Some netizens noted that the cat was only five years old, leading them to believe that it may have passed away due to illness. Others were reminded of their own departed pets and expressed their longing for them.
The bond between humans and animals is truly special, and this story serves as a poignant reminder of the love and connection that can exist between a pet and its owner, even in the final moments of life, another comment read.
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.
