Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday announced the decision to take countermeasures against seven US military companies and relevant senior executives over recent military assistance and arms sales to China's Taiwan region. 

Recently, the United States announced another substantial military assistance and arms sale to China's Taiwan region. Its "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025" includes multiple negative sections on China. These seriously violate the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiqués, interfere in China's internal affairs, and undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to Foreign Ministry's announcement. 

Pursuant to Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 15 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Countering Foreign Sanctions, China hereby decides to take the following countermeasures against seven companies including Insitu, Inc., Hudson Technologies Co., Saronic Technologies, Inc., Raytheon Canada, Raytheon Australia, Aerkomm Inc. and Oceaneering International, Inc., and relevant senior executives, according to the statement. 

Their movable and immovable properties, and other kinds of assets within China shall be frozen. All organizations and individuals within China shall be prohibited from engaging in transaction, cooperation and other activities with them, read the statement.

This decision shall come into force as of December 27, 2024, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference on Friday that "Taiwan independence" is a dead end. The US's aiding "Taiwan independence" by arming Taiwan will only backfire, leading to self-inflicted consequences. 

The China-related clauses in relevant US legislation are filled with Cold War zero-sum mentality and ideological bias, distorting the facts to hype the "China threat," and using military support for Taiwan island as an excuse to increase US military spending and maintain US hegemony, which jeopardizes regional peace and stability, said Mao.

China urges the US side to adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the provisions of the August 17 Communique and immediately stop arming Taiwan in any form, said Mao. 

The US should adopt an objective and rational view of China's development and China-US relations, refrain from implementing the negative clauses in the relevant legislation, and stop taking actions or making statements that harm China's interests. China will continue to take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security, and development interests, said Mao. 

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.