Throughout the year of 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended three major diplomatic events hosted in China and made four significant overseas visits, consistently calling for stronger win-win cooperation to build a better world.

Esteemed a masterly communicator, Xi incorporated into his talks, speeches and articles a string of well-known Chinese and foreign maxims, which offer a unique glimpse into his international insights and global vision.
STRATEGIC INDEPENDENCE

"A man of true moral integrity is one who is both friendly but independent, and who does not compromise his principles, and who is independent without any bias or taking sides. How unflinchingly firm he is in his strength!"

In a signed article published prior to his visit to France in May, Xi quoted the saying by ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, which was recorded in "The Doctrine of the Mean," one of the hallowed Four Books of classical Chinese philosophy.

In a conversation with one of his most faithful disciples millenniums ago, Confucius uttered those words to emphasize the importance of independence besides affability, moderation, and other virtues.

Over 2,000 years later, Confucius' teaching was echoed by French writer Romain Rolland, whose observation was also cited in Xi's article: "It is so much easier to allow oneself to be guided than it is to think for oneself. This abdication is the kernel of the mischief."

Quoting both Confucius and Rolland, the Chinese leader stressed that both China and France value independence as two major countries. French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, has on many occasions also repeated his country's adherence to independence.

As Xi said in the article, now with the two countries standing at a new historical starting point, it is time for them to join hands to push for greater progress in bilateral relations and more benefits for the two nations and the broader world.
TRUE FRIENDS NEVER APART

The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), held in Beijing in September, marked a significant milestone in China-Africa relations.

In his toast at the welcoming banquet of the summit, Xi quoted a Chinese poem written by Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Jiuling: "True friends always feel close to each other, no matter the distance between them."

Reflecting on his heartwarming interactions with African leaders over the years, Xi commended the enduring China-Africa bond. "China-Africa friendship remains robust and is growing stronger through generations, no matter how the world changes," he said.

"The China-Africa community with a shared future is deeply rooted in our traditional friendship. Since the mid-20th century, we have been fighting shoulder to shoulder imperialism, colonialism, and hegemonism, and advancing hand in hand along the path of development, revitalization, and modernization," Xi noted.

The following day, in his keynote speech at the summit's opening ceremony, Xi referred to an African proverb: "A friend is someone you share the path with," highlighting that no country should be left behind on the journey to modernization.

During the summit, China proposed 10 partnership actions to be implemented over the next three years, and forged or elevated strategic partnerships with 30 African countries, underscoring its commitment to further deepening cooperation and friendship with Africa.
TOWARD SHARED PROSPERITY TOGETHER

"A man of virtue, while establishing himself and pursuing success, also works to help others establish themselves and succeed," Xi said at the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, citing Confucius. Then he continued to quote a similar Latin American adage: "The only way to be profitably national is to be generously universal."

With those maxims, Xi reaffirmed China's commitment that the country welcomes all parties to continue riding the "express train" of its development, grow together with the Chinese economy, and jointly contribute to peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and common prosperity.

As he pointed out, the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, held earlier this year, laid out systematic plans to advance Chinese modernization, which will not only boost China's development but provide new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

Over the past decades since it adopted the policy of reform and opening up, China has made remarkable progress. Now as the world's second-largest economy, it has been actively working with its global partners to boost shared development.

Addressing the conference marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in June, Xi referred to three maxims from different cultures to urge the international community, particularly the Global South, to work together in pursuit of shared prosperity.

Besides the Latin American one he mentioned months later at the APEC meeting, a Chinese saying goes, "The benevolent treat others with love, and the wise share with others benefits," and an Arab proverb teaches, "With unity, the fire grows; without unity, the fire extinguishes."

"In the era of economic globalization," Xi stressed at the event, "what is needed is not gaps of division but bridges of communication, not iron curtains of confrontation but highways of cooperation."

Shanghai authorities recently issued a notice encouraging employers to designate positions with flexible working hours, adaptable work styles, and family-friendly environments as parent-friendly positions, primarily aimed at workers responsible for caring for children under age of 12, thepaper.cn reported on Friday.

The issue was recently released by Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, the municipal federation of trade unions in Shanghai, and Shanghai Women's Federation.

Parent-friendly positions offer a flexible work system, enabling employers to implement measures such as flexible working hours, remote or home-based work, adaptable leave policies, and performance-based assessments, tailored to their operational and management needs.

These measures aim to facilitate a balance between work and parenting responsibilities for employees. Relevant rights and obligations, once clarified through consultation between the employer and employee, should be incorporated into the employment contract or formalized in a written agreement, according to the report.

Relevant departments, including human resources and social security and women's federations, will focus on guiding industries such as manufacturing, accommodation and catering, and residential services, as well as new economic forms, to pilot the parent-friendly position employment model, thereby expanding the availability of parent-friendly positions.

The notice said Shanghai will establish a list of employers offering parent-friendly positions. Human resources and social security departments at all levels should urge employers to strictly implement special labor protections for female employees, including maternity leave, birth reward leave, paternity leave, and childcare leave, according to the report.

Trade union organizations at all levels should support employers in creating family-friendly workplaces, promoting the development of "Mommy care rooms," employee centers, and parent-child workstation for employees, as well as organizing childcare activities during winter and summer vacations and after-school hours to help employees alleviate parenting pressure.

The notice requires that parent-friendly positions be included in public employment services, with relevant employment training subsidy policies implemented as outlined. Dedicated sections for parent-friendly position recruitment should be established, with these positions clearly labeled when employers post job listings, thepaper.cn reported.

According to the notice, employers offering these positions should prioritize postnatal return-to-work retraining for women re-entering the workforce after childbirth. Workers in parent-friendly positions who participate in vocational training and assessments are eligible for corresponding skill development subsidies.

At the same time, human resources departments will also support vocational schools, social training institutions, and others in conducting vocational skill training in areas such as elderly care, domestic services, infant care, health care, as well as internet marketing and multimedia operations.

In a bid to support work-life balance for mothers and support a fertility-friendly society, the port city of Qingdao in East China's Shandong Province has also launched a "mommy position" program, offering flexible job opportunities tailored to the needs of working moms, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

In response to an inquiry on will the PLA conduct any military exercise around the Taiwan island, Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said that it is the PLA's lofty mission to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, safeguard the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and defend the shared interests of compatriots on both sides of the Straits.

Recently, Taiwan regional leader Lai Cheng-te transited through Hawaii and Guam. The PLA has not announced any information on conducing military exercises. Taiwan's defense authorities claimed that the mainland has implemented restrictive measures on coastal airspace and the number of warships deployed around Taiwan is bigger than ever before, and that Taiwan's military has established an "Emergency Operations Center" to closely monitor the PLA's actions and will stay on high alert. 

As water has no constant form, there are in warfare no constant conditions, Wu said. The PLA will decide whether and when to conduct military exercises in accordance with its needs and the situation on the ground. Whether there is a military exercise or not, the PLA will never be absent in fighting "Taiwan independence" and promoting national reunification.

Any attempt to split the nation through soliciting external support or resorting to force will be punished, and will never succeed, said Wu.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday China supports the early realization of peace in Syria, and supports the country in finding a rebuilding plan that meets the wishes of the people through inclusive dialogue.

Wang made the remarks when asked about China's views on the current situation in Syria during a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty after the China-Egypt foreign ministers' strategic dialogue in Beijing.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China is highly concerned about the situation in Syria, which has been volatile recently.

China has long pursued a policy of friendship and cooperation with Syria, never interfered in Syria's internal affairs, and respected the choice of the Syrian people, he said.

"We support Syria in realizing peace at the earliest, implementing Security Council resolution 2254, advancing the domestic political process in accordance with the principle of 'Syrian-led, Syrian-owned', and finding a rebuilding plan that meets the wishes of the people through inclusive dialogue," said the minister.

Wang added that the future Syria should firmly oppose all forms of terrorism and extremist forces. Meanwhile, the international community should earnestly safeguard Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, respect Syria's ethnic and religious traditions, and allow the Syrian people to make independent decisions.

All countries should work together to extend a helping hand to Syria, push for the lifting of the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed on the country over the years, and ease its grave humanitarian situation, Wang said.

The amount is equivalent to saving 550 million tonnes of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.49 billion tonnes, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

The project's first hydropower generator unit was put into operation to generate electricity in July 2003.

The project has intercepted floods nearly 70 times, demonstrating comprehensive benefits and contributions to high-quality economic and social development.

It has improved navigation of the Yangtze River, with a cumulative cargo throughput of over 2.1 billion tonnes and an annual average economic benefit of 34.4 billion yuan (4.78 billion U.S. dollars).

The project has regulated and supplemented water for the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River for 2,732 days, with a total water supplement of over 360 billion cubic meters. This can help ensure drinking water supply and irrigation for the middle and lower reaches.

The ecological environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir area has improved. The daily sewage treatment capacity has increased by 1.58 million tonnes. The forest and grass coverage in key areas has increased, with a forest coverage rate exceeding 50 percent, thus enhancing soil and water conservation capabilities.

"We have taken note of the most recent political developments in the ROK. These are the ROK's internal affairs, on which I will not comment," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday in response to South Korea's National Assembly passing the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday. 

"Let me say that China and the ROK are important neighbors and cooperation partners. The sound and steady growth of bilateral relations is in the interest of both sides. China's policy toward the ROK has been consistent, and we have maintained the continuity of that policy. We hope the ROK will continue to make positive efforts with China to actively deepen our friendly cooperation and strategic cooperative partnership," Lin said.

A peaceful and stable Korean Peninsula is in the interest of all parties and requires the concerted and strong efforts of all sides, the spokesperson added.

The ruling party of South Korea is striving to stabilize domestic politics while the government is making efforts to minimize the diplomatic implication caused by the martial law turmoil.

Responding to a question on whether the appointment of a new Chinese ambassador to South Korea will be postponed due to the impeachment, Lin said he has no information to share.

Recently, the footage of a wild Amur tiger captured in the Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve in Northeast China's Jilin Province has gone viral on social media, igniting discussions among wildlife enthusiasts. Animal experts said it reflects the positive outcomes of China's conservation efforts.

The increase in the number of tigers in recent years is attributed to a combination of robust wildlife protection measures undertaken by both China and Russia. Experts told Global Times that future conservation will incorporate even more technological advancements to protect these tigers.

Endangered tiger spotted

The Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve has recorded footage of a wild Amur tiger, as well as tracks left by the big cat, according to the provincial forestry and grassland bureau on Tuesday.

The discovery is proof that wild Amur tigers have returned to the hinterland of Changbai Mountain after three decades, and signifies the ongoing expansion of the species' habitat.

Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, mainly reside in Russia's Far East and Northeast China. As one of the world's most endangered species, just over 10 wild Amur tigers were believed to be living in China at the end of the 20th century.

Inbreeding has resulted in low population immunity and population decline, threatening the sustainable survival and development of the tigers, Feng Limin, a professor of Beijing Normal University and director of National Forestry and Grassland Administration Amur Tiger and Amur Leopard Monitoring and Research Station, told Global times on Thursday.

Cross-border endeavor

As one of the 13 countries where tigers live, China has dedicated itself to preserving this endangered species and helping in the recovery of its population through afforestation efforts, hunting bans and rewilding training programs.

In recent years, China has continuously implemented measures to protect wild Amur tigers, establishing the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, one of the first national parks. In Russia, the Land of the Leopard National Park and others have also been strengthening the protection of wild tigers, Feng added.

As the tigers frequently move between China and Russia, cooperation between the two sides is of vital importance, said Liu Ming, an associate researcher from the International Society of Zoological Sciences, Xinhua reported.

The world's first cross-border protected natural area for the conservation of wild Far Eastern leopards was established near the borders of China and Russia in May of 2024. The agreement between the China and Russia on the creation of the Land of Big Cats Reserve was signed by the relevant departments of the two countries during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China, according to the Russian Geographical Society, a non-government organization.

The park, "Land of the Big Cats," combines China's Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park with Russia's Land of the Leopard National Park and Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve.

On August 22, following the 29th regular meeting of the prime ministers of Russia and China held the previous day, a joint communiqué was issued stating that measures will be intensified to protect the populations of the Amur tiger and Far Eastern leopard.

"Work on the creation of a cross-border reserve has been going on for more than 10 years. The agreement marks a new milestone in environmental cooperation between the two countries," said Alexander Kozlov, the Minister of Natural Resources of Russia. "The primary tasks will be the unification of animal counting methods and the establishment of joined photo-monitoring."

Feng said that with the strong support from local border management authorities, we have opened more than 290 wildlife passages along the China-Russia border, removing parts of the border fencing to facilitate the movement of wild animals.

Wang Aimin, the chief representative of the Wildlife Conservation Society Beijing Office, has been working in wildlife conservation for many years. He told the Global Times on Thursday that, on an academic level, Chinese and Russian experts have maintained close exchanges in the conservation of tigers and leopards, conducting seminars, technical cooperation, and experience sharing.

Besides of communications between experts, frontline breeders also learn from each other. Russia started earlier in tiger and leopard conservation and has rich experience, Wang added.

According to data from the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park Administration, the populations of wild Amur tigers and Amur leopards have grown to 50 and 60, respectively. Both species are experiencing a reproductive peak and a period of rapid population growth, with a strong trend of migration and expansion inland. Additionally, more than 50 percent of Amur tiger cubs survive to adulthood.

As wild Amur tigers make a comeback and thrive in the park, the likelihood of encounters between tigers and people living in the area is on the rise.

Deep inside a dense forest in Northeast China, a Siberian tiger cub was cuddling and playing with its mother. This heartwarming scene in the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park was streamed in real-time on an intelligent screen at the park's control room.

Such new technologies, including early warning systems and thousands of smart cameras, have greatly mitigated human-tiger conflicts in the park spanning over 14,000 square kilometers.

According to statistics from the park, since the establishment of the integrated space-aerial-ground monitoring system, over 26,000 sightings of tiger and 34,000 sightings of leopards have been recorded. Additionally, more than 20,000 early warnings regarding human-tiger conflicts have been issued. The system has enabled round-the-clock monitoring of over 30 species, with recognition accuracy exceeding 90 percent for tigers and leopards.

The monitoring system uses satellites, drones, and ground-based methods for ecosystem monitoring. Satellites provide macro-level monitoring with visible light, infrared, and microwave sensors, transmitting data to cloud platforms for further analyses. Drones focus on medium- and small-scale assessments of key areas, while ground-based methods include field surveys and manual sampling for detailed observations, Feng noted.

This is currently the only large-scale monitoring system in the world, equivalent to installing "eyes and ears" capable of seeing and hearing over long distances in a forest area the size of Beijing, Feng said.

Forest rangers are the frontline workers for the "ground" component. Compared with earlier years, patrol work now benefits from more technological support, according to the China News Service. They carry WiFi devices that maintain network signals even deep in the mountains and forests, allowing them to communicate with the base through WeChat. Feng said that China has accumulated lots of successful experiences in tiger and leopard conservation, including the establishment of protected areas and national parks, as well as patrol enforcement. These experiences are gradually being shared and exchanged with over 20 Belt and Road Initiative participating countries.

In the future, new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and robotics, will be applied to tiger conservation, the expert said.

At the same time, new technologies will be developed to monitor the location of tigers and leopards and their distance from humans, providing early warnings of potential human-tiger conflicts and improving the ability to handle emergency situations, Wang stated. "The Earth does not belong to us. We belong to the Earth."

Traditional Chinese customs drew more attention from the world after the UNESCO inscribed the Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on Wednesday. 

With the growing popularity of Spring Festival worldwide and its recognition by UNESCO, experts believe that more Chinese traditional folk customs will gain worldwide popularity in the future, as many of them, including Spring Festival, carry the Chinese philosophy of harmony and pursuit of wellbeing, a common aspiration of people around the world.  

At a press briefing on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Lin Jian expressed congratulations over Spring Festival's UNESCO intangible heritage inscription. 

Lin stated that the Spring Festival is the oldest and the most important traditional festival in the Chinese culture. "The festival is always a time for family reunion and ringing in the new year. We have many Spring Festival traditions such as writing the character Fu which means good fortune, hanging Spring Festival couplets, making dumplings and watching dragon dance and lion dance performance, which I believe many of you are familiar with."

The Spring Festival embodies peace, amity and harmony which are values cherished by the Chinese nation and civilization, which makes it a festival that is meaningful for China and can be enjoyed by the world, Lin said. 

"In about six weeks, we will celebrate the Spring Festival of the Year of the Snake. We welcome all journalists here and friends from all over the world to come and experience the rich and wonderful Spring Festival culture. We very much hope that the festival's cultural message will contribute to a world of less conflicts, harmony among civilizations, and amity between peoples of the world. Hope the Spring Festival will be a moment of joyfulness shared by all," Lin said. 

According to an on-site report from China Central Television, representatives from countries around the world expressed their heartfelt congratulations on Spring Festival's UNESCO recognition during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, taking place in Paraguay.

Dozens of representatives from dozens countries stood up and approached the Chinese delegation to shake hands and offer their congratulations. Some representatives could even fluently say "Happy Spring Festival" in Chinese. Chinese sides' return gesture was also full of "New Year spirit" - red envelopes containing blessing cards, symbolizing the joy of successfully inscribing the Spring Festival as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage and sharing it with more people, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

On Twitter, netizens from different countries swarmed into UNESCO's post on X, expressing their excitement and congratulations over the Spring Festival's inscription as a world intangible heritage, in both English and Chinese. 

As the oldest and most important traditional holiday in Chinese culture, the Spring Festival is reaching out to the world. 

According to spokesperson Lin Jian, Spring Festival is a public holiday in almost 20 countries and celebrated in various ways by about one-fifth of humanity. Furthermore, the 78th UN General Assembly decided to list the Lunar New Year as a UN floating holiday.

Xiao Fang, head of the Department of Anthropology and Folklore Studies at Beijing Normal University, believed that the inscription of Spring Festival demonstrates the world's recognition and respect for traditional culture.  

It is a jubilant time for Chinese people, and China is also generous in sharing its excellent traditional culture with people around the world, Xiao said. 

According to the expert, the popularity of Spring Festival around the world comes from its strong lifestyle appeal. Whenever local people encounter the Chinese community in their country, they can feel a charming atmosphere.

Nowadays, during Spring Festival, people continue the tradition of hanging up red lanterns, setting off fireworks and fixing red scrolls with rhyming phrases on their doors to ward off evil spirits and attract good luck. Paper-cuts, the dragon dance, Temple Fair and lantern festival events, are also related activities forming the happiest of days in a year. 

The Spring Festival's UNESCO inscription will also make it possible for more Chinese traditional folk customs to gain worldwide popularity and recognition, Xiao added. 

Common values and pursuit

With the addition of Spring Festival, China now has 44 cultural elements or practices recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

China's vice minister of Culture and Tourism, Rao Quan, who led the Chinese delegation at the UNESCO session on Wednesday, said the inclusion of the Spring Festival on the UNESCO list will help promote the universal values of peace and harmony and highlight the important role of intangible cultural heritage in sustainable development, according to Xinhua. 

Chinese experts believe that the Spring Festival is not only a cultural and historical bond connecting the collective memories and emotions of Chinese people at home and abroad, but also contains the common values and pursuits that belong to all mankind, including harmony and unity between human beings and nature, as well as the expectations for a better life.

The global influence of Spring Festival is expanding year by year, and its cultural influence will become even greater as a UNESCO recognized intangible heritage, which emphasizes the humanity behind it, Xiao said. 

According to the expert, the greatest philosophy carried by the Spring Festival is the concept of peace and harmony of the Chinese civilization, and the pursuit of wellbeing and fostering cross-cultural understanding during a jubilant festive atmosphere. 

"Such values are significant in the current chaotic world plagued by multiple conflicts," Xiao added. 

Veteran folk custom expert Li Hanqiu told the Global Times on Thursday that the festival embodies hope as people welcome Spring. 

The Spring Festival aligns with the value of ecology, and tells human beings to coexist with nature in a harmonious way, he remarked.

Spring Festival is a time for bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new - a new way of life, new exploration, new achievements and new ideals, which are the common aspirations of all mankind, Li said. 

"No matter who holds what position in the new US government, it does not change the fact that Taiwan is part of China," Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office responded on Wednesday to an inquiry over Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's recent remarks, which claimed that several key members of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet, including Marco Rubio, who has been nominated as Secretary of State, have strong ties with Taiwan and the relations between the island and the US are "at their best in history."

Lai persistently relies on the US to seek "Taiwan independence," but he will inevitably face the tragic outcome of being abandoned," said Chen. 

In response to proposals by officials from the US and some EU countries to transfer nuclear weapons to Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday that China is highly concerned about the issues of nuclear risks arising from the Ukraine crisis and has repeatedly emphasized that nuclear weapons must not be used, and a nuclear war must not be fought.

Mao urged all parties to remain calm and exercise restraint under the current circumstances, promote the deescalation of situation and reduce strategic risks through dialogue and consulation.

The New York Times reported on November 21 that some unidentified Western officials had suggested that the US President Joe Biden is considering providing Ukraine with nuclear weapons before he leaves office, according to Reuters.