Q: President Xi Jinping yesterday held state events for the visiting U.S. President Donald Trump, which drew close attention from home and abroad. Can you give us more details?
A: At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump is paying a state visit to China. The two presidents are meeting again in person since their Busan meeting last October and it is the first visit to China by a U.S. president in nine years. On May 14, President Xi Jinping held a welcome ceremony and a welcoming banquet for President Trump, and held talks and visited the Temple of Heaven with him. The two presidents had an in-depth exchange of views on major issues concerning the two countries and the world and reached a series of new common understandings.
The two presidents agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability to provide strategic guidance for China-U.S. relations over the next three years and beyond, promote the steady, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations, and bring more peace, prosperity and progress to the world.
The two presidents have reached important common understandings on handling their mutual concerns in a proper manner. They both agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues.
Interactions between the two presidents have enhanced mutual understanding, deepened mutual trust, advanced practical cooperation, increased benefits for the people of both countries, and injected much-needed stability and certainty into the world.
Following a private meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in central Beijing, US President Donald Trump boarded Air Force One on Friday and departed for the US, bringing this historic state visit to a conclusion.
The red carpet laid out at Beijing Capital International Airport, the impeccably straight-standing PLA honor guards, students waving Chinese and American flags, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi who came to see Trump off together constituted China's high-level protocol and hospitality — mirroring the grand welcome accorded to the US president upon his arrival.
During Trump's visit, the two leaders agreed to build a new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability, reached consensus on major bilateral and global issues, and engaged in warm interactions on multiple occasions.
The two presidents had in-depth communication and achieved fruitful outcomes in their Beijing meeting. President Xi will pay a state visit to the US in autumn this year at the invitation of Trump, Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi said on Friday when briefing the press about the just-concluded Xi-Trump meeting in Beijing.
Observers noted that the just-concluded summit not only charts a new course for the development of bilateral ties, but also injects certainty into a complex and volatile international landscape, carrying important positive implications for global economic recovery, world peace and stability, and sound interaction between major powers.
New vision
Following the two leaders' formal talks on Thursday, the Chinese leader on Friday warmly welcomed Trump in Zhongnanhai, according to Xinhua, which also noted that the two heads of state walked and talked, occasionally stopping to admire the trees and flowers in the garden.
Noting that Trump's visit was a historic and landmark one, Xi said the two sides had set the new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability.
"We had reached important common understandings on maintaining stable economic and trade ties, expanding practical cooperation in various fields, and properly addressing each other's concerns," Xi said, per Xinhua. The two sides also agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues, according to the Chinese leader, Xinhua reported.
The visit is conducive to enhancing mutual understanding, deepening mutual trust and improving the well-being of the two peoples, said the Chinese president.
"While President Trump hopes to make America great again, I am dedicated to leading the Chinese people toward national rejuvenation," the Chinese leader said, stressing that the two countries can advance their respective development and revitalization by strengthening cooperation.
Trump said that he is very grateful to Xi for inviting him to visit Zhongnanhai, adding that his China visit was very successful, captured the world's attention and was unforgettable, per Xinhua.
Noting that Xi is his old friend, Trump said that he has great respect for Xi and that they have established a good relationship. The US-China relationship is very important and will definitely get better, he said.
Trump said that he is willing to continue to maintain sincere and in-depth communication with Xi, and warmly looks forward to hosting him in Washington, DC, Xinhua reported.
Beyond the remarks from Trump featured in Xinhua, US news outlets' coverage of key details from Friday's event further underscored the friendly atmosphere surrounding the China-US leaders' meeting.
According to Fox News, as the Chinese leader guided Trump on a tour of the garden in Zhongnanhai, Trump praised the setting, saying, "I like this place. I could get used to it."
Trump gave high praise as he walked past green columns and archways in Zhongnanhai, saying that "These are the most beautiful [Chinese] roses anyone has ever seen," according to AP.
In addition, the concept of a "new vision" has sparked interest among international media. US magazine The Diplomat said the two leaders seek a new chapter in China-US relations.
Wu Xinbo, Dean of the Institute of International Studies of Fudan University, told the Global Times on Friday that the successful China-US leaders' summit has provided important support for the improvement and development of bilateral relations in the next phase, and marks a new starting point for China-US relations to achieve steady progress while maintaining stability and moving toward greater improvement.
"It has laid a solid foundation for stabilizing bilateral relations and deepening the bonds of mutual interests between the two sides," said Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University.
Against the backdrop of profound changes in the international landscape and significant adjustments in the global balance of power, the new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability, has provided both sides with a clear guideline for action, he added.
More expected
The world's media has been closely following the historic summit between Chinese and US leaders over the past few days. BBC said in its live coverage on Friday that the two leaders concluded very successful talks in Beijing while Reuters, quoting Trump, said his visit was incredible.
French media outlet Le Monde reported that for the US president's visit, the Chinese leader put on a display of grandeur, while remaining very firm on the Taiwan question.
The vast majority of media outlets in China's Taiwan region, regardless of their political stance, have been paying close attention to the China-US leaders' summit. On Thursday, Trump did not directly respond to media questions concerning the Taiwan question during his visit to the Temple of Heaven, sparking concerns among secessionists.
On the Taiwan question, Wang Yi noted on Friday at the media briefing that the Taiwan question was one of the key topics during the leaders' meeting. He reiterated China's position, stating that Chinese side had sensed during the meeting that the US side understands China's stance, attaches importance to China's concerns, and, like the international community, does not recognize or accept "Taiwan independence."
On the Middle East situation, Wang said China maintains that on the basis of sustaining the ceasefire, the Strait of Hormuz should be reopened as soon as possible, and at the same time believes that the fundamental solution to issues concerning the strait lies in the realization of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.
Regarding the Ukraine crisis, Wang Yi stated that both China and the United States are willing to maintain communication over the Ukraine crisis and play a constructive role in working for its political settlement.
China's major neighboring countries also responded to the China-US leaders' summit on Friday.
According to CNN, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to China will be "a good opportunity to exchange opinions on the contacts that have taken place between the Chinese and the Americans."
"When (the US and China) engage in direct dialogue at the highest level … such contacts, of course, are a subject of special attention and analysis for all countries, including our country," Peskov said, per CNN.
When answering a question raised by a reporter from China Central Television (CCTV), South Korean presidential office's senior secretary for public relations and communication Lee Kyu-yeon said on Friday that South Korea welcomes the meeting between the Chinese and US leaders as well as the development of China-US relations, adding that Seoul hopes the summit will also further deepen and strengthen both China-South Korea relations and US-South Korea relations, CCTV reported.
According to a release by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Friday that it crucial that US-China relations contribute to the stability of the international community, including Japan, which has therefore been paying close attention to the recent US-China leaders' summit.
As the world's two most important major powers, the peace, stability, and practical cooperation between China and the US profoundly influence the global strategic landscape, world economic development, and the prosperity and stability of the international community, said Wu.
Similarly, Li said that the stability of China-US relations has, in a sense, taken on the attributes of a global public good. Any warming or cooling in the relationship between China and the US will quickly be transmitted to global markets, supply chains, and even security expectations.
On Thursday, International Monetary Fund spokesperson Julie Kozack said that it welcomes the initial positive dialogue between the Chinese and US leaders, adding that reducing tension and uncertainty between the world's two largest economies was good for the world, per a Reuters report.
"In the current increasingly complex international environment, the strategic guidance by the Chinese and US leaders is particularly valuable," Li said, "Both leaders have demonstrated strategic vision and a high sense of responsibility toward their respective countries and the international community, providing much-needed certainty and positive energy to the world."
In the first Truth Social post en route back to the US, Trump shared a photo that recorded the moment the two heads of state walked in front of the Great Hall of People in Beijing.
"The man I am walking with is President Xi, of China, one of the World's Great Leaders!" said the US president.
In a Fox News interview on Thursday, Trump described the Chinese leader as "a warm person."
"I'll get criticized, as always, when I say good things about certain leaders," Trump said. "But he's a leader for China. He's led almost 1.5 billion people for a long time, and he's respected."
China-US economic ties are mutually beneficial and win-win in nature, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday when holding talks with US President Donald Trump in Beijing.
"Yesterday, our economic and trade teams produced generally balanced and positive outcomes. This is good news for the people of the two countries and the world," Xi said.
"As far as I know, representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Russia will attend the event [Victory Day parade in Moscow] upon invitation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Friday, in response to media inquiries over the relevant information regarding the attendees from the Chinese side.
According to Tass News Agency's previous report, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Izvestia that Russia expects a number of foreign leaders to attend the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow's Red Square.
"Victory Day is one of the most important holidays in Russia. That said, guests from various countries attend the Victory Day parade on Red Square," Peskov said, per Tass.
Chen Yanping, a 62-year-old fisherman from Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang Province, never imagined that after a lifetime of fishing, he would one day be linked to "military operations."
When Global Times reporters told him that, according to some Western media reports, he and many other Chinese fishermen working in the East China Sea had become part of a "maritime military force," the usually serious veteran fisherman burst into laughter: "Isn't this pure fantasy?"
Domestic institutions and several industry insiders reached by the Global Times also presented relevant data and refuted the deliberate smear by certain foreign media and organizations from the perspectives of fishery resource distribution and the development of fisheries technology.
Malicious hype in succession
September to the end of April is the prime fishing season in the East China Sea. During this period, Chen and many fishermen from Zhoushan set out on time to fish in China's East China Sea waters. Common seafood on Chinese dining tables, such as Zhoushan hairtail and large yellow croaker, all come from the hard work of fishermen.
"At this time of year, the East China Sea is the perfect place to catch species such as horse mackerel, white croaker and cuttlefish. Not only are the fish and shrimp plump and delicious, but the variety is also rich," said Chen.
However, starting from the end of December 2025, this traditional working pattern of Zhoushan fishermen began to be maliciously hyped by some Western media one after another - arbitrarily given a "military attribute."
In mid-March, a report by AFP claimed that a US intelligence analysis company named ingeniSPACE, through analyzing vessel data of automatic identification systems (AIS), which is a GPS-type signal that commercial ships use to avoid collisions, discovered that in March this year, "roughly 2,000 fishing boats among thousands of vessels" massed in a certain sea area of the East China Sea. The vessels, which were "as close as 500 meters to each other, held their positions for about 30 hours in near gale-force winds and then suddenly scattered," according to the report.
Using ingeniSPACE as the data source as well, in mid-January, a report by The New York Times claimed that a combination of vessel AIS data and satellite imagery showed that in early January, "about 1,400 Chinese vessels abruptly dropped their usual fishing activities or sailed out of their home ports and congregated in the East China Sea. By January 11, they had assembled into a rectangle stretching more than 200 miles," describing the formation as "dense." The report also claimed that the January 11 maneuver followed a similar operation in December, when about "2,000 Chinese fishing boats assembled in two long, parallel formations on Christmas Day in the East China Sea, with each stretched 290 miles long."
In the eyes of experienced fishermen like Chen from Zhoushan, these seemingly "detailed" reports are pure nonsense. "For fishermen, the boats always follow the fish," said Chen. He is very familiar with the patterns of fishing in the East China Sea and told the Global Times that "if a large number of fishing boats gather in the same sea area during a certain period, it is mainly because different seasons bring different fishing seasons. When fishing boats discover a concentration of fish in a certain sea area, they will swarm there."
Taking the fishing company he works for as an example, Chen said that during the fishing season, the company sends nearly 50 100-ton-class fishing boats to the East China Sea, and in Putuo district of Zhoushan, where he lives, there are thousands of such boats operating in the East China Sea. "Experienced captains know when to go to which sea area to catch which fish," he added. High technology behind 'mysterious force'
After analyzing these foreign media reports, Wang Jintao, a squid resource assessment expert with the North Pacific Fisheries Commission and associate professor at the College of Marine Living Resource Sciences and Management of Shanghai Ocean University, found that the fishing boat gathering areas marked by foreign media are mainly located between 125-126 degrees E longtitude and 29-32 degrees N latitude. This sea area lies on the eastern side of the Zhoushan fishing ground, at the junction of the outer Zhoushan fishing ground and the Yangtze River estuary fishing ground.
"This is one of the core areas with the richest fishery resources in the East China Sea and a traditional fishing ground for Chinese fishermen. It serves as a habitat for multiple fish species," Wang analyzed.
According to China's summer fishing moratorium system, to protect fishery resources such as fish in surrounding seas during their summer spawning and growth period, the fishing ban in the East China Sea runs from May 1 to mid-September each year, while the open fishing season is from September 16 to April 30. The East China Sea officially enters its prime fishing season, which coincides with the "active period of fishing boats" hyped by some Western media.
The "tactical coordination" speculated by some Western media - that Chinese fishing boats are under the unified command of some "mysterious force" and simultaneously head to the same sea area - is in fact most likely driven by China's advanced fisheries technology.
The Global Times learned from some industrial experts that fishermen today can access accurate fishing ground predictions provided by fisheries institutions based on satellite remote sensing and marine environmental data. In addition, shipborne fish finders enable precise location of fish schools. It is precisely thanks to these technological tools that fishermen can clearly know where the fish are in the vast ocean.
"At present, China has developed various fishery forecasting systems. For example, the squid and tuna forecasting systems developed by Shanghai Ocean University can help distant-water fishing vessels locate fish schools and conduct precise operations," Wang said. Contrary to common sense
Some foreign media outlets have drawn trajectory maps of Chinese fishing boats "massing" at sea based on AIS data, and created visually striking diagrams showing large numbers of vessels "arrayed in formation" to form a "floating barrier." However, to industry insiders, such speculation simply cannot stand up to scrutiny.
"It is practically impossible for fishing boats to moor side by side in orderly rows at sea, let alone form a long queue," Chen explained in detail how collective fishing works in the East China Sea. The main types of vessels operating there are trawlers, gillnetters, light boats and stow netters. Only pair trawlers - which work together to tow a single net to catch demersal species such as hairtail and small yellow croaker - may sail parallel at a certain distance. All other boats operate independently and must maintain sufficient separation to avoid entangling their nets. "Normally, fishing boats keep a distance of about 10 to 20 nautical miles from each other," he emphasized.
A data map provided by the data center of Shanghai Ocean University shows that the scenario described in Western media reports of "thousands of Chinese fishing boats massing in December 2025 to form two parallel formations hundreds of kilometers long" did not occur. In the AIS hotspot distribution map of Chinese coastal fishing vessels drawn from actual AIS data, no dense concentration of boats appears in the area designated by foreign media.
"In December last year, there was no 'floating barrier' formed by Chinese fishing boats in the sea area hyped by some Western media," Wang analyzed. The images produced by overseas institutions based on so-called "AIS data" may have involved selective thinning and filtering of the vessel signals, ultimately presenting a deliberately crafted illusion.
Militarization hype a habitual smear tactic
Relevant experts pointed out that the sinister motive behind some Western media's groundless hype - claiming that "China quietly mobilized thousands of fishing boats to form massive floating barriers" - is obvious.
Yang Xiao, a researcher at the Institute of Peaceful Development of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that China's fisheries sector has long been a prime target of Western media smears. These accusations are in fact deliberate, long-term efforts by foreign forces with ulterior motives to distort and suppress China's fisheries development, especially its distant-water operations. The latest attempt to link routine fishing activities by Chinese fishermen in the East China Sea with "military operations" is even more far-fetched.
Yang believes that Western media's tactic of packaging preconceived conclusions with "scientific methods" ultimately serves the goal of cognitive warfare. By repeatedly hyping various "fishery anomalies" and manufacturing topics such as illegal fishing, boundary-crossing or even military actions, the real intention remains to smear China.
"These hyped narratives are ultimately aimed at undermining the legitimacy of China's normal fishery rights and activities, labeling ordinary Chinese fishermen and fishing boats with a 'black tag,' and deliberately setting traps for violent enforcement and confrontational conflict," Yang said.
Looking ahead to the future of the fishing industry, Chen is full of expectation. "Nowadays, our fishing boats are equipped with advanced information systems, including the BeiDou navigation system. The technological content of our vessels is getting higher and higher, becoming increasingly intelligent. Both production conditions and the safety environment for maritime operations have seen continuous improvement," he said.
China's private space company Beijing Guodian High-Tech Technology Co has received approval from Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) to conduct the country's first commercial pilot program for satellite-based Internet of Things (IoT) services, the company told the Global Times on Wednesday.
The approval allows the company to launch a two-year trial using its Tianqi constellation network, which consists of 41 satellites now.
Satellite IoT services refer to low-data-rate connectivity enabled by satellite communication technology, providing wide-area network links for data collection terminals, wearable devices, handheld units, as well as vehicles such as cars, ships, and aircraft.
According to the MIIT website, the Tianqi constellation is designed to deliver wide coverage, low power consumption, and high reliability IoT connectivity, enabling all-weather, intelligent data collection and remote control across sectors including marine fisheries, energy and water conservancy, transportation, and logistics.
As China's satellite communications industry continues to accelerate commercialization, satellite IoT is expected to become an important complement to the country's broadband satellite internet system. The approved pilot program is also aimed at stimulating private-sector vitality, supporting commercial space development, fostering new quality productive forces, and advancing a modern industrial system, said the MIIT.
Driven by stronger policy support, faster large-scale constellation deployment, and rising commercial demand, China's satellite internet industry reached 45.41 billion yuan ($6.3 billion) in 2025 and is expected to maintain growth momentum from 2026 to 2028, according to industry analysis cited by a Xinhua News Agency report on March 17, 2026.
Globally, the satellite internet application market is projected to exceed $30 billion by 2030, with direct-to-device users rising to around 130 million and potential IoT terminal connections reaching 10.6 billion units. The next three to five years are seen as a critical transition period for China's satellite internet sector, shifting from investment-driven expansion to returns, with market potential expected to grow further alongside constellation deployment and application rollout, the report said.
The approval provides important policy support for Beijing Guodian High-Tech Technology Co to expand satellite IoT application scenarios. The company said it will use the pilot program to offer wider-area IoT data collection and transmission services across multiple sectors, supporting the safe and healthy development of emerging industries such as commercial space and low-altitude economy.
China has stressed that advancing Chinese modernization requires promoting the marine economy's high-quality development and forging a Chinese path of leveraging marine resources to achieve strength. With a mainland coastline stretching 18,000 kilometers and a sea area under its jurisdiction of around 3 million square kilometers, China is a major maritime nation with vast potential for developing its marine economy. To document the high-quality development of China's marine economy, the Global Times is launching the "Blue Momentum" series of in-depth articles from local marine economic powerhouses. The second installment focuses on Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province. On a clear day at the sprawling coastal industrial park of Sinopec Qingdao Refining & Chemical Co, a major oil refiner in the country, a modest but groundbreaking facility hums quietly by the shore.
Against the backdrop of a massive industrial complex that stretches for several kilometers stands a shipping-container-sized assembly of pipes and meters arranged in a maze-like structure - the heart of China's first 100-kilowatt factory-scale seawater-to-hydrogen direct electrolysis project, which is turning seawater and sunshine into green fuel.
"After more than a year of research and development, the project has completed over 1,000 hours of cumulative operation and is ready to scale up from research to mass production of green hydrogen," Qin Weilong, a process expert at Sinopec Qingdao Refining & Chemical and technical director of the "Oriental Hydrogen Island" project, told the Global Times.
Unlike conventional industrial hydrogen production, which often relies on purified freshwater or fossil fuels, this project uses pre‑treated seawater directly, powered entirely by renewable electricity generated from offshore solar photovoltaic panels at a nearby solar farm.
In 2025, China's total marine economy output reached nearly 11.02 trillion yuan ($1.62 trillion), with a year-on-year growth of 5.5 percent, and accounting for 7.9 percent of the country's GDP. Utilizing its inherent resources and technological innovation, Qingdao is a prime example of China's efforts to promote the high-quality development of the marine economy.
Green energy from the blue ocean
The "Oriental Hydrogen Island" produces 20 cubic meters of green hydrogen per hour. The electricity comes from 13 megawatts of installed offshore solar capacity - enough that one hour of sunlight can generate roughly 2,600 standard cubic meters of green hydrogen. By consuming renewable power on site, the project dramatically cuts electricity costs for hydrogen production.
Pointing to a container-sized device covered with pipes and meters, Qin said, "This is our photovoltaic green power plus seawater hydrogen production unit." The term "green hydrogen" refers to hydrogen produced with near-zero carbon emissions, typically via electrolysis of water using renewable energy. This distinguishes it from "gray hydrogen" that comes from fossil fuels and "blue hydrogen" that is extracted from industrial byproducts, making it dependent on petrochemical processes. The Oriental Hydrogen Island project represents a clean break: all its input energy comes from solar.
"These solar panels produce enough green electricity in one hour to make about 2,600 standard cubic meters of green hydrogen," Qin said, pointing to the offshore array. "Direct seawater electrolysis saves both freshwater and the high cost of desalination. It's a game-changer."
This project has fully demonstrated the technical feasibility of using intermittent renewable power for green hydrogen production, opening a new path for large-scale consumption of renewable electricity in the future, Qin said.
Yet Qin remains measured about the journey ahead. "We have validated the feasibility of directly obtaining hydrogen from seawater," he said. "The ocean offers an endless source of raw materials and power for green hydrogen. We are full of confidence for the future."
Less than two kilometers away stands China's first carbon-neutral hydrogen refueling station, which sources its green hydrogen from the "Oriental Hydrogen Island."
A special hydrogen tanker from Shandong-based Sino Hydrogen Co, a hydrogen supply solutions provider, slowly entered the station. "Refueling 35 kilograms of hydrogen takes only 15 minutes," said Gao Gang, a station worker. The tankers deliver green hydrogen to downstream users. "We also refuel some of Qingdao's hydrogen fuel‑cell buses - that process takes about eight minutes and provides enough energy for a full day of operation."
Experts note that fast refueling and zero emissions, as only water vapor is released when power is generated, are key advantages of hydrogen energy. When applied to urban transportation, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can add significant "greenness" to the city's mobility transition.
The outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), recently released, calls for focusing on key areas that will drive future development, building a full-chain cultivation system for future industries, and promoting hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion as new economic growth points.
Shandong Province, a major energy and chemical hub, stands to benefit greatly from this technology. A Sinopec Qingdao manager said that seawater-based hydrogen production can support deep decarbonization efforts at coastal steel and petrochemical sectors, enable zero-carbon scenarios for hydrogen-powered heavy trucks, ocean-going vessels, and island energy supply, and help create zero-carbon industrial clusters.
An innovation park that hears the sea's call
Qingdao, China's second-largest foreign trade port, is not only harnessing the sea for clean energy but also leveraging its coastal location to attract global talent, technology, and investment. Just a short drive from the port, in the city's West Coast New Area, lies an elegant business park set against a backdrop of hills and water. On a black marble pedestal by a waterfront terrace, some 30 national flags flutter in the breeze - a visible sign of the park's international character. This is the Sino-German Ecopark.
Amid the greenery and birdsong, the rumble of container trucks can be heard if sea winds blow from the direction of the nearby Qingdao Port. "Proximity to the port is a top consideration for our tenants," Kerstin Kaehler, branch manager of the German Enterprise Centre Qingdao, told the Global Times. Kaehler, who is in her early 50s, has spent 27 years in China fostering business communication and helping German and other foreign companies successfully establish themselves in the country. The center currently houses 44 tenants, most of them small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Half are Chinese companies; the other half come from Germany, the US, Japan, the UK, Singapore, and other nations. "At the end of 2019, we had 27 tenants. Now we have 44," Kaehler said.
Despite changing market dynamics, she noted that foreign companies' interest in the Chinese market has not waned. Notably, demand for co-working spaces or small offices is strong, a trend she expects to continue.
"If a company is a world market leader, it is usually also innovative. If they are, then they are willing and able to learn and draw inspiration from everything happening in China in that field," Kaehler said. "Especially now, as China is rolling out its new five-year economic plan, I believe that foreign companies - especially German SMEs - have a big role to play in China's efforts to build a modern industrial system."
From extracting green hydrogen from the sea to attracting foreign expertise and investing in coastal health and wellness resources, Qingdao is steadily implementing the central government's strategy to advance Chinese modernization by efficiently utilizing marine resources, promoting the high-quality development of the marine economy, and forging a Chinese path of leveraging marine resources to achieve strength.
Manycore Tech, the first company of "Hangzhou Six Little Dragons" to list on Hong Kong, saw its stock surge 101.29 percent at close on Monday, with its marketing value reaching HK$63.652 billion ($8.13 billion).
On April 17, Manycore officially listed on the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX). On its debut, the stock opened more than 170 percent higher. The performance of the tech company mirrors the vigorous development of the Hong Kong capital market since this year.
According to a statement sent to the Global Times on Monday, Goldman Sachs said that Hong Kong IPO momentum has accelerated into 2026, with 40 listings year to date, raising $14 billion, up 488 percent year-on-year, after reclaiming the top equity fund raising spot in 2025.
The resurgence is underpinned by a shift towards "Hard Tech" and "New Economy" (Biotech, New Consumption), alongside a significant rise in A-to-H listings. Investor appetite remains robust, reflected by strong demand for new offerings and resilient post-IPO performance, up 40 percent one month post listing. A long queue of around 400 active applications underscores high issuer confidence, said the statement.
"For the full year 2026, we project a total equity supply of $110 billion, comprising $60billion in new IPOs and $50 billion in post-IPO financing," Goldman Sachs noted.
Bonnie Y Chan, CEO of the HKEX, said on April 15 that Hong Kong's new share fundraising activities this year have already reached approximately 40 percent of last year's full-year total, according to Yahoo Finance.
The number of companies queuing for listing is at a record high, with more than 10 multinational corporations currently preparing to list in Hong Kong. Against the backdrop of international capital reassessing regional allocations and rising attention on Asian markets, the vibrancy of Hong Kong's IPO market continues to draw significant interest, Chan was quoted as saying in the report.
A report headlined "Hong Kong reasserts role as safe haven in global finance amid Middle East turmoil" published by the South China Morning Post on Monday also echoed the trend.
The report said that, with the conflict destabilizing the Middle East - at one point forcing the closure of the Dubai International Airport and sending stocks in the Gulf region plunging - Hong Kong has re-emerged due to its geographical location, a pegged exchange rate, free capital flows and support from China's economic strength.
"The Hong Kong market has been steadily trending upward thanks to its stability supported by the Chinese mainland, especially amid the increasing external uncertainties, while lobal capital accelerates its allocation into high-quality assets amid the weak dollar cycle," Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.
Wang noted the positive role that technology companies listing in Hong Kong can play in promoting its development, particularly the choice by Chinese mainland tech firms to pursue dual-listing between the two places.
"By listing premium assets concurrently in the two markets, companies can alleviate the pressure of market expansion in a single venue and stimulate greater vibrancy across the entire technology sector," Wang said.
Hong Kong has long been regarded as the gateway and platform for mainland enterprises to access international markets, Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said during the Global Investment Summit, local media RTHK reported on April 15.
The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) proposes supporting Hong Kong and Macao to better integrate into and serve the overall development of the country, and leverage their professional service advantages to assist enterprises in "going global."
The HKSAR government has established a dedicated task force, which assists mainland enterprises in expanding into overseas markets by providing support in areas such as risk management, while also creating new opportunities for Hong Kong, said Paul Chan.
With mainland industries shifting toward digitalization and greening, Hong Kong serves as the "first springboard" for these new quality productive forces to go global, Wang said, noting that as a super connector, the city is welcoming a historic opportunity for "new economy spillover" this year.
Global renewable energy capacity maintained double-digit growth in 2025 despite headwinds such as supply chain constraints, with China continuing to drive global renewable deployment, according to the International Energy Agency's (IEA) latest annual assessment.
The findings underscore a broader shift in the global energy landscape. As the share of new energy continues to rise, analysts say China is emerging as a key force behind changes in the global energy structure.
According to the IEA's Global Energy Review 2026, released on Monday, global renewable capacity additions rose 16 percent in 2025 despite supply chain strains, grid delays, financial pressures and policy shifts, marking a 23rd consecutive year of record expansion.
Solar PV and natural gas led the growth. Solar PV alone met more than one-quarter of global primary energy demand growth, marking the first time on record that a modern renewable source accounted for the largest share of global energy demand growth, according to the report.
Natural gas followed, meeting around 17 percent of global demand growth. In all, low-emissions sources - including solar, wind, nuclear, hydropower and other renewables - together contributed nearly 60 percent of the increase in global energy demand.
Within this broader trend, China remained central. As in 2024, the country accounted for the largest share of global energy demand growth in 2025, although its growth rate slowed to 1.7 percent, reflecting the rapid expansion of renewables and gains in energy efficiency.
At the same time, strong growth in renewable power generation in China helped curb coal consumption, with a knock-on effect of improving primary energy intensity, the IEA noted.
Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the global energy system is accelerating its shift from fossil fuels to renewables — a transition that has entered a substantive phase. This is reflected in the rising share of renewables in new power generation, a trend that is beginning to reshape the existing energy mix.
Once renewables surpass conventional sources, they will trigger broader structural changes in both the energy system and industrial landscape, Zhou said. He added that China plays a particularly important role in this process, reducing its reliance on fossil fuels while scaling up renewables and helping drive changes in the global energy mix.
The IEA report also showed that renewable capacity expansion in China continued to accelerate in 2025, reaching a record level with nearly 500 gigawatts (GW) of new installations, accounting for more than 60 percent of global growth.
Meanwhile, global coal-fired power generation declined in 2025 for the first time since 2019. China led this trend, with coal power generation falling by about 1.5 percent, the report said.
Developments in other low-carbon sources further reinforced the shift. Global nuclear capacity stood at 420 GW at the end of 2025, while nuclear generation rose by around 1.2 percent to a record high. Of the 10 construction starts worldwide in 2025, nine were in China, and the country's total installed capacity is expected to reach around 100 GW by 2030, according to the IEA.
In parallel, growth in global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions slowed further in 2025, increasing by about 0.4 percent. Emissions in China declined by around 0.5 percent, reflecting reductions in both industrial processes and electricity generation.
This was mainly driven by rapid growth in renewables and nuclear energy, which reduced coal use in power generation, while strong growth in electric vehicles helped curb oil demand. A relatively limited increase in cooling degree days also tempered the rise in electricity demand, according to the IEA report.
Zhou said that as resource constraints tighten and environmental pressures mount, China's rapid scaling-up of renewables offers a practical and replicable path for other countries, urging stronger international cooperation and long-term, multi-stakeholder frameworks to sustain the global energy transition.
As Beijing entered its peak willow and poplar catkin season, a capybara at the Beijing Wildlife Park was spotted calmly nibbling on the floating fluff – almost like little fluff cleaner helping people clean up the seasonal fuzz. A video posted by a netizen shows Beijing Wildlife Park, surrounded by woods, covered in floating poplar and willow catkins. The wind blew the fluffy seeds toward a group of capybaras, with one filmed slowly chewing the catkins, looking totally relaxed and carefree.
The video drew nearly 130,000 likes and over 140,000 shares on Chinese social media platform Douyin. In the comments, netizens joked that the capybara truly lives up to their reputation as the “epitome of emotional stability” by helping eliminate catkins. Some humorously wondered, "Will the capybaras develop hay fever and get stuffy noses from catkin allergies?"
Some netizens also expressed concern that swallowing catkins might cause health issues for the animals. A park staff member explained that catkins themselves are non-toxic, composed primarily of plant fibers and seeds, and that capybaras are large herbivorous rodents naturally equipped to digest high-fiber plants, Science Daily said.
"It's fine for capybaras to occasionally eat a few catkins – they can pass through their digestive systems normally," the staff member said, adding that the park runs a professional veterinary hospital, where vets conduct regular health checks on the animals, according to the report.
Capybaras are not particularly attracted to catkins — they simply eat whatever drifts close to their mouths, Science Daily reported, citing the staff member.
The staff member also said that the capybaras are currently in good health, and keepers will continue to monitor their condition closely, per the report.
To tackle the catkin issue, the park has deployed high-pressure water sprayers to routinely flush the canopies of willow and poplar trees at scheduled times each day, reducing the production of catkins at the source, the park said on its official WeChat account. Cleaning staff have also increased their sweeping frequency, promptly clearing catkins in high-traffic visitor areas to minimize their spread in the air, according to the park.
